Thursday, November 22, 2018

Thankful for More than Just Fishing

My son, Matt, who you have seen fishing
many times on this blog, holds his
newborn daughter, Hailey, as his wife
Kristy looks on from her hospital bed
in Boston. She is his their child and
our first grandchild.
Oh, the striper fishing was great in 2018 and I am thankful for that.  For me, it ranked as one of my very best years in terms of keepers as well as huge numbers of schoolie stripers landed. We should all look forward to 2019 which is sure to be another banner year, maybe even better, for striped bass fishing.
As most of us experienced and mature fishermen know, life is more than just fishing.  Just one week ago, I had plans to fish the south shore on Thursday. Very early that morning we got a call from my son, Matt, that his wife, Kristy, who was expecting was in labor. Six hours later, the phone rang again, and we got the great news that their baby had been born.  This is their first child and our first grandchild. It was a baby girl.That day the fishing was put on hold as my wife and I headed to the hospital in Boston to see our grand daughter.
She was beautiful.  When I was in the hospital, it really brought back memories of when my my four sons were born. As we sat in the hospital room, taking turns holding the baby, I couldn't help but think that this is the start of a new generation in our family. I also couldn't help but think how fortunate this baby will be. She's got two wonderful parents as well as a supportive extended family.  She can look forward to accomplishing anything she wants and a wonderful life. Her parents lead a charmed life of great jobs, fun and adventure, and she will be a big part of it. My son, Matt, will pass on all that he loves to do to this lucky kid....hiking, biking, traveling, skiing, baseball, gardening, photography and fishing. Before the baby was even born he talked about teaching his daughter how to fish from shore and the boat just as my father did with his three sons and just as I did with my four sons.
Fishing is one of those hobbies or sports that gets passed down from generation to generation in many families. For our family, this is the start of a new generation of fishermen and fisherwomen.
We have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, 2018, and it involves more than just fishing.