Mother's Day

Today is Mother's Day, and the topic for today's Every Day in May is of coarse Mother's Day.  So...I will take this time to write about the two most important mothers in my life; My Mom and my Wife, and how they relate to my fishing.

First of all, my Mom was a huge influence on my fishing and my love for river growing up.  She also instilled a respect for nature and in environment that has done nothing but grow larger as I age.  My mom did not fish, nor did she teach me how to fish.  What she did was encourage my curiosity about fishing and afforded me the opportunity to learn about fishing on my own.  She was always encouraging me to go down to the river and fish.  Even to this day, she asks me about my fishing when we talk on the phone, and even though I don't see her as often any more, she wants me to go fishing when I am in Georgia visiting her.

My wife, Dana, is important to my fishing as well.  Although she has not been there to encourage me to learn my whole life, she has been there the past few years.  This year is her first Mother's Day as a mother.  I know it is hard on her when I take off for week long trips down the Devils River, leave for a weekend of tournament fishing, or even just head to the lake and leave her alone with a dirty house and Hank.  But, she still lets me go and doesn't give me much grief about it.  I know I probably spend too much of "her" money on my fishing, however she continues to lets me for some reason (thanks, Babe, if you are reading!)  One of these days Hank will be old enough to head out in the kayak with me and she will be asking me to go fishing to give her some peace and quite.

Neither my Mom or my wife like to, or even know how to, fish.  But they are still mucho mucho important to the success I have had on the water, and the respect I have for the environment.  I am truly blessed to have these two wonderful mothers on my side!