My love for fishing

Grandpa, Jeff, and Slim

Fishing has been something that has come and gone from my life throughout the years. First my grandpa laid the foundation to my love. Some years later my stepfather Jeff reawakened my love. Finally Slim, our best friend, cemented it into existence. 

When I was a little girl my grandpa had a boat. I vaguely remember going out on the lakes around here.  I really do wish that I could remember those trips and the fishing trips. When he passed away I inherited all of his fishing equipment. 

My mother started seeing Jeff around the time that I was about 14 or 15 (I don't remember exactly.)  He loved to go fishing and would often take me. I never had the patience for just casting out and leaving it so I opted for one line casted out and the other I would jig or troll. 

I remember that it was a nice warm spring day and the pan fish were mating. I really wasn't having much luck jigging because of this. I glance over at my other pole and notice that my bobber is gone!  I run over to the pole and jerk it up, about hitting Jeff with the pole, and start reeling it in. I caught a 12" catfish on chicken liver!

That was one of my best catches so far!

Jeff showed me several different spots over the years. I still haven't had much luck at any of them without him with me. Maybe this year my luck will change. He passed away in January of 2015.

I met Slim at the auto auction that I worked at with my husband sometime in 2014. He was a self proclaimed big dumb ox. We all quickly became friends, it was as if we had known each other for years. I have never had a friendship that felt so right. (sorry, not sorry)

Come to find out, he was Far from dumb! I mean this guy could cook, he could split wood, he was funny, he could read the rivers, he could find his way into and out of the woods with ease, he was a bassist (Stand up and electric), he could play the guitar, he was a writer, he was learning or knew several different languages, and he could fish. I am sure that there was more to him than just this stuff but this is just what comes to mind at the moment.

Slim and I heading to a fishing spot 

"but first, lets take a selfie"

2015 was the best and worst year of my life, 2016 came in close second.

One day we all decided to go fishing. I don't remember any of the details of that first fishing trip, but it cemented the friendship and my love for fishing. 

Over the course of the summer we went on Many fishing trips. At one point we decided to meet at a park after work to go fishing and have a picnic every Thursday. Also on Saturday nights we would go night fishing off of a bridge, sometimes on Friday nights as well.

Setting up for the night

Slim de-hooking a fish, showing my husband how he does it

On a number of weekends we spent most of the weekend together fishing. One such trip we went to a lake during the day to catch bait. We were only able to get crawdads. So we went to the Iowa River with Crawdads, minnows, and nightcrawlers. Slim caught the biggest fish that he had ever caught! 

Caught on a crawdad

After that fishing trip said to us that he could die happy. He was having the best summer of his life and he thanked us for reintroducing him to fishing. Over a month, and several fishing trips, later Slim suddenly and unexpectedly passed away.

2016 we spent the year healing and growing a new fishing buddy. 2017 is here and we are looking forward to getting back to the water!

In loving memory of Jeff, Slim, and my Grandpa

Each of you will forever have a place in my heart

Thank you