Fishing: Roger’s Remarks for May 27

I admit it — I can be pretty focused on one thing and miss the whole darned forest for the trees. Guiding a lot of the time, and scouting out fishing spots the rest of the time, set me up for a recent wakeup call from my son David, 27, who gently asked if we could go fishing. The question shook me!

Yeah, I’m busy, but let’s face it: we’re all busy doing the very things we’ve deliberately laid out to reach our goals in life. Being a type-A personality, it’s easy for me to start digging my trench and just keep on shoveling all the way to China! It’s a blessing and a curse, and when you have something you love to do, like fishing, it’s not hard to get the cart out in front of the horse.

In my case, that means I realized I was screwing up by not inviting David to do something he also likes to do a lot. Ouch. I could see he felt left out. Was I the only dad so obtuse that my son had to take the initiative to get my attention to spend time with him?

Thinking fast, I told him we were going fishing tomorrow, and that we would take off for Millerton at 8 a.m. I decided right then that this would be a “boys trip” to the lake! Yes, I knew I needed to ratchet my fishing thermometer down a whole bunch so that catching a fish wasn’t as important as spending time together. I felt that the trip was going to be special.

It’s 7 a.m. when he comes in the door and I ask if he wants blueberries or walnuts in my special “killer pancakes.” I could tell he already was all in! Getting off on the right foot with a stomach full of Dad’s pancakes is about as good as it gets ahead of a day on the water. Funny, we had somehow forgot to rush through the breakfast as we savored the start of a wonderful day.

An hour later, we launched the boat, took off up the lake and ended up checking out some key spots. It was about 10 a.m. and I normally never fish for stripers that late, but while showing David some new lures I had gotten and teaching him how to fish them we just kept on enthusiastically casting. It didn’t matter; we were having a good time talking about “stuff” and enjoying the beautiful day.

About noon, we went to another area and I told him to cast over by some rocks by the bank. Reeling and working the lure back to the boat, I heard him say “Dad, I got one!” as the pole bent over with something pulling just below the boat. My first thought was, “A striper?” But as I looked closer, I saw a tiny, but ferocious 8- to 9-inch spotted bass that had attacked the 8-inch lure. Whoa!

Holding it up, I got a great picture of David and the “monster” that summarized the day of fun and fellowship! It was now about 2:30 and I floated the idea of loading up the boat and running down to Sandals restaurant in Friant for some lunch. A half hour later, we were ordering some delicious burgers and fries. Famished, we inhaled it all. A perfect ending!

You know, neither of us was on the cell phone at all, and we actually talked about things we normally never discuss. I can’t tell you how good it is to hear him pose the question, ”Dad, what do you think I should do?” Really? Amazing how being relaxed can help you listen and think more deeply than you normally would, especially if the distraction and irritation factors are way down.

I think that in today’s frenetic world our kids need us more than ever, both to help them navigate life and to personally engage them in special ways — like fishing — to build strong relationships. Pass on the legacy! Never give up!

Best Bets

Delta bass, shad and striper action good, Alan Fong said. Eastman bass bite still tops, Dave Hurley reported. New Melones kicking out great multi-species bites, John Leitchy said. Shaver trout and Kokanee bites rebound, Dick Nichols reported.

Flyfishing report

Jimi Morales said that there are still some decent flows in the mid elevation waters and some heavy flows at some of the higher drainages. The past six weeks have seen storms drop as much as 6 inches of snow at the 7,000-foot elevation while other areas higher up received little if any at all. This has helped out with the severity of the drought. Hatches are sporadic at best. Small (#14-#16) still coming off here and there.

Call: Sierra Fly Fisher Guide Service (559) 683-7664; Yosemite Rivers Fly Shop (559) 641-7788

This story was originally published May 26, 2015 at 4:57 PM with the headline "Fishing: Roger’s Remarks for May 27."