BLOG: Take your dad fishing

Life seems to be accelerating at a blistering pace - I vividly remember being a kid at school, hanging out for the weekend or holidays so that I could nag the old man to take me fishing - it seems like only yesterday.

I think I was a reasonable kid most of the time but when it came to wanting to go fishing I would moan and mope around the house until the old man came over with a glimmer in his eye, a beaming smile and the good news that we were hitting the water. It was tough for the old man, he wasn't made of money and we lived a long way away from the water without a car in the early years so taking me out for a fish was never the simplest of tasks.

The old boy was a keen fisho himself, however; the story goes that he left home one day (many decades ago now) with a fist full of cash after working a few exceptionally long weeks and extra shifts to buy the first colour telly for the house - unfortunately he never made it to the TV store. Walking past a tackle shop, two beach rods caught his eye and then next thing we knew the old man came home grinning like the Cheshire Cat, sporting a couple of new you-beaut fishing outfits. Mum was awesome and laughed at what the colour TV had turned into while I remember earmarking an outfit for myself ... true story and the stuff of legend.

The old man had the thoughtfulness of mind to make each fishing trip enjoyable and memorable; the trips were simple in relative terms but to me meant the world, planting a seed that would grow to become a lifelong passion with the water and our great past time. I still remember the train rides, I still remember meeting him at work after he'd completed a long shift and opening his locker to find a bag of wriggling blood worms with the gear ready to go, I still the remember the yummy milkshakes I’d be drinking while looking out the window of the train on the hour long journey to the Harbour or Botany Bay. With such fond memories I now find the roles or are reversed - I find myself ensuring that dad is comfortable on the boat, that he doesn't get wet or cold and I find myself smiling when he has a kip in the passenger’s seat during the drive home. Our time on the water is memorable and the good humoured banter carries on for days and weeks following each trip.

There's no doubt that our parents shape the people we grow into. As kids we sometimes question their wisdom however deep down our parents always have our best interests in mind. With Father’s Day this Sunday, I think a concerted effort should be made to take your dad out fishing if you have the opportunity to do so. Human nature suggests that we may never see eye to eye on everything and I know that some families aren't necessarily tight-knit however as time progresses and our parents age, the opportunities to spend time with them diminishes.

So why not take your old man out fishing this Sunday? Sure, he'll do some things that'll drive you mad but at the end of the day we owe it to ourselves and to our parents to show them that we care because the chance to say “thanks dad” or “I love you dad” might not be there tomorrow.

My old man has this awesome human GPS and series of landmark alignments that guide him to his favourite spots with apparent military precision - I always smile when he tells me to stop the boat even though the sounder is barren and the plotter clearly disagrees ... but who am I to argue? After all, it's not always about catching fish. I love ya, Dad!