Life Vs. Fair?

[racfish]

When youre a kid the worse thing in life is not fishing with Dad. In your teen years after you obtain a license you fish every weekend ,in fact you fish whenever you want.In your twenties -thirties you get to fish exotic waters far from home.The Cowlitz,Satsop,Skagit ,Stilly, Nooksack,Toutle, and so on. Even Alaska.By the time you hit your forties you still make time to fish when you dont have too many Honey-doos.By the time you reach fifty Lifes Frustrations start settling in. As you watch your kids now growing its so weird. Now I only get to fish Sat and or Sunday. Those days are far and few between between Gardening,Home repairs,Dishes,Bathrooms,LolLol . I hope my sixties are better. I really hope I even make it that far. Sheeesh With business the way it is and monies being so tight everywhere it makes it really difficult to get some of the simple pleasures of life.


All you teen fisherpeople and even you all in your 20's. My message to y'all is enjoy life now while you can.Go for the gusto in life. Soon It'll be tougher .I envy all y'all for being that age with few to no bills,no house ,boat or car payments.
Can you tell I'm having a rough week???????? Hehehe

[BentRod]

You're giving me a bad feeling here rac. I agree about teen to twenties freedom....if I could go back and take advantage of all that fishing time wasted....(sigh).
Anyhow, in my mid-thirties now with two pre-school kids and work,house, and family takes all my time. Don't get me wrong, I love my family and my kids are growing way to fast (this is going to be an oxymoron), but I'd like a little R&R time now and then. My wife keeps saying that in a few years when the kids are older I'll have more time to go fishing......but from what you write it sounds like it just gets more hectic! :shaking2:
Let's get some feedback from the rest of the crowd.

[The Quadfather]

That's a good thought to ponder. My 20's to busy comitted to the Army or college, and poor. My 30's, kids were babies so... that was a hard time. Currently 40's, my kids are semi self sufficient. It is a little hard because once your kids hit middle school they have a lot of activities which they could go to on their own. However, you have to make a choice to be an involved parent,,, or to just not attend their activities. Of course I try to attend what I can. During this stage in life Ive moved up the work chain enough that I can carve out time from work when I want. You have to be creative... sometimes that means I fish in the morning b4 work, at 5:30 am, then come back after work... have face time with family, then hit the float tube on the local lakes until after 10 PM. Best thing in my corner is having an extremley supportive wife. If you work to get each other their own down time.. then it usually comes back to you.
I've even been known to take my rod to a pond nearby my work. Run out there with slacks and a button down shirt casting for carp, over like a 16 minutes time left over from lunch. LOL.

I think where ever you stand in life it seems like the next decade will be the easier decade. " Oh yeah, retirement... chase fish all day everyday" reality is maybe my knees won't get me there, who knows.

[Amx]

60s and retirement is great provided you've paid off your house, no wife and no kids. I get to go fishing whenever I want, or until I run out of money.

[Lotech Joe]

racfish,
If it's an consolation, you are NOT alone.

[onlymercury]

I'm in my twenties and definitely wish i was around to fish when you were in your twenties given the state of the current river closures (lack of fish). Can't be all that bad considering you older folk got to enjoy the golden years of anadromous fishing vs us younger folk. I'm lucky if i can get 1 day in 3 weeks of fishing with work and school. The schooling never seems to end since I am taking classes for both my major, and a backup vocation just in case given the current job and economic outlook. Seems like I was born a generation too late LOL.

[Dave]

Fortunately for me, now 45 years of age, I've never experienced a time in my life where I didn't fish whenever and wherever I wanted to. I've been married for nearly 20 years and we never had kids so I think that's played a role in the freedom I've had over the years to fish and camp whenever I've wanted to. Although money has been tight at times (right now in fact with unexpected expenses to the tune of 2200.00 in the last month, hot water heater, high PUD bill thanks to Christmas lights and heating the house, propane bill, and a co-pay for an insurance claim following a collision) I have fortunately been able to still go fishin and I'm grateful for that. I'm also thankful for the career I have which has given me the financial stability I've needed to be comfortable and not miss out on life's finer things like fishing and camping.

[blufin loui]

Well, after reading tales of woe and sorrow, it just serves to remind me how fortunate I have been. So I thought to share. Growing up in a southern state, dad being a working stiff doing mon-fri, and going fishing about every week end in summer is how it all started. A cane pole, some line, bobber, and hooks with a few crickets was a sure sign of a fishing trip in the making. We didn't camp (city kid), but dad made sure we got to fish. It was usually off the bank, way back at the end of nowhere. The skeeters, ticks and copper heads were thick enough to give me tremors just to think about, even now. As we (brother and I) got older, we would be dropped off at a fishing hole, and picked up after the workday. Sure was a different era back then. As the teen years unfolded, many new intrests cropped up and took away from the fishing time. Graduated from HS and put more time into fishing. Moved to southern Mo during these years. Started doing overnite fishing trips on locals rivers, and Met the girl who was to become my wife AND is STILL my fishing partner. And yes, I actually did meet Cindy on a river fishing trip. LOL A woman after My own heart. She could cut bait, catch fish, clean em up, and cook the best riverbank fish dinner I ever had. After we were married, the fishing just got better. Her family was a fishing bunch from the word go. We would do week end campouts, with dinners on the shore, raccoons in the grub box, and coyotes howling down the river. Then a kid (daughter) came along, imagine that. Well, by the time she was able to pull herself up and toddle along, we had her in a tiny life vest, and the fishin was back in action. We lived close to streams and rivers, so the kid was always exposed to the water, fishing and camping. The only thing she didn't tolerate was the skeeters. As the years passed, she never was a reason "not" to fish or camp, so no interuptions for me. As the daughter moved into her teens, she lost interest in the fishing, so Cindy and I were back to a fishing couple again, and have been ever since.
So anytime there is money and time enough, a fishing trip is in order. Man, how lucky can one person be.

[racfish]

[quote="blufin loui"] She could cut bait, catch fish, clean em up, and cook the best riverbank fish dinner I ever had. After we were married, the fishing just got better. Her family was a fishing bunch from the word go.

Damn Bluefin You are truly lucky there. I always dreamt of a lady fishing partner that knew the how to's of fishing.You got a great catch my friend.

[Jay K]

Sounds like one key piece of the puzzle is not having children, thereby allowing for more savings of both money and time and then retiring earlier.

[natetreat]

I just got married in July, nobody mentioned that that meant half as many fishing trips. Well, I love her, and she's perfect, and she knows how much I love fishing, so we work it out. She goes when it's not raining or snowing or cold. But in the end, fishing isn't enough to keep me going. My wife is, and everything I do is for her. When I get away, it's nice, but at the end of the day, I'd rather be with her.

[dicinu]

towards the end of last year fishing was great for the kids and I the wife works a weird schedule so she is rarely home when I am off. but has been know to go to the pier on her days off just to relax. I agree with the above comment when it comes to the wofe cooking cleaning and fishing it is always a competion in this household we all want to see who comes in with the biggest or most fish.... that being said my daughter 16yrs old and turing my hair gray now still likes to fish but just not as much not it is a Begging session for me to get her out to spend time with her. my son all I do is mention fishing his next question is for what and where. and he is game to go. only certian places he does not like to fish and those are mainly rivers he is more worried about getting taken down stream then fishing so I try to not fiver fish so much with him he is supposed to be having fun out fishing dad lol...... but as time goes on I see it is getting harder and harder to get the oldest out of the house. I do hate to force her out of the house but I will not leave her alone in the house bad things happen when not at home Boyfriend wise and I like my freedom (as some kid will get beat up in my house I am not home).... but I see as I get older mid 30's now I will try my best to continue on my fishing journey and still try my best to get out and fish the weekends. the wife asked as we go on vacation next month if we are going fishing in cali and She already knew the answer Yes a deep sea trip and fishing from the cali Piers which I always had good luck and in San diego a shark was always on my line tugging. So cali is a plan for sure. I love to catch and release the small sharks. even though I do not target them they are fun when on the line. also plan on fishing lake mead and a couple other watering holes I know in the outskirts of the vegas area. so after all that rambling on I make it a must to fish and forcing the kids is only helping them as no TV no video games and A BIG NO BOYFRIENDS!!!! time with family is time with family.

[racfish]

that being said my daughter 16yrs old and turing my hair gray now .

Time to buy a shotgun .Possibly a handgun,just to wear around the Boyfriends.. Muahaha](*,)

[wolverine]

Lots of good stories here in this thread!

I was a military brat with a fishing and hunting father. No matter where we were in the world we would find fish and game. Once I discovered girls my other interests basically got pushed to the wayside. College, work, soccer, and girls pretty much consumed my time in my 20's and 30's. I still fished but not like before. I broke down and got married at 39, had 2 kids, wife, career, more bills than I ever thought possible. Divorced at 46, became a full time dad, soccer coach, along with a busy career. Now I'm 65, retired, kids are grown and successful, fish whenever and wherever I want (and its a lot), don't fish hatchery gut holes as I have the time to spend on quality waters. Still catching and releasing the ladies!
You younger guys need to find a balance in life. The next thing that you know you'll be 65 and wondering where the last 40 years went. Enjoy the ride.