At this moment, our culture has a long list of fears. One of them is praising the virtues of fatherhood. We’ve lost the ability to think categorically. Easily offended, talking about good dads is perceived as a direct assault against those who didn’t have good dads or those moms who are good. It is stupid at best and dangerous societal subterfuge at worst.
Fatherhood is good and true and beautiful for men, for children, for families, and for the world. Because it does matter, on this day-after-Father’s-Day post I’m sharing five essential dad skills that live within the orbit of fly fishing. An older brother can teach them. An aunt can teach them. A kindly neighbor can teach them. But under typical (gasp!) circumstances, these are the kinds of things a father passes on to his sons and daughters.
Check out my five essential dad skills below, and Happy belated Father’s Day from Casting Across.
Take a fish off a hook
For some, this is a lesson in being gentle. For many, this is an opportunity to be brave. In so many aspects of life you can’t complete an entire task unless you go through something that pushes you a little bit. You can’t go fishing unless you can grab a squirmy, slimy, spiny fish. But you can do it with a little bravery.
Swim
Speaking of bravery: confidence is an essential component. With fishing happening around water, there are few life skills that are more important than knowing how to navigate oneself while in water. From an angling perspective, there is something to be said about knowing how water works when it comes to presentation. Feeling that yourself is a good way to get it.
Tie knots
In my experience, knots run neck-and-neck with tangles as the facet of fishing that will slow a child down. Would it be good if your kid would just fish? Yes. But there is value in trying every lure in the tackle box. If they can tie a clinch knot themselves, they’re in business. And this also means they can remedy their own tangles, too.
Gut and cook a fish
What some corners of the fly fishing world considers blasphemy is, in my opinion, part of a father’s duty. On one hand, there is the good, practical process of quickly dispatching and processing an animal. Close to that is the bravery and courage involved in eating something different. On the other hand, the reality of a pursuit like fishing is highlighted when blood is shed.
Observe and appreciate
Beyond all the benefits of the knowledge imparted from the four aforementioned skills, true wisdom comes with learning how to think well. This doesn’t often have an empirical component. It simply comes through sharing. Why do we kill a fish? Why do we let a fish go? Why do we enjoy days when we don’t see fish? The father speaks and the child listens. The most important things always come this way.