The Student Becomes the Master

I didn’t grow up fishing. I was exposed to it as an adult while I was an acquaintance’s private farm pond. We were up to the normal shenanigans one finds at hidden spots such as this on warm summer evenings in the Midwest when someone handed me a rod and said, “Hey, why don’t you give it a try?” So I did.

What really got me hooked (pun intended) was seeing that bobber twitch for the first time. I got excited and hoped it would happen again. It was that mystery of the unknown that really got me. The problem was I knew nothing about fishing and I had no gear.

I knew this little bait shop near where I worked so I stopped in one day to check out their selection of fishing poles. I wandered around the narrow isles lost in a world of brightly colored items that looked like crazy jewelry. Finally I asked the shop owner what kind of pole I should get. His cantankerous response was, “Well… that depends on what you are fishing for.”

I learned quickly this was a common answer for a somewhat silly question. I had an urge to fish and I was in desperate need of equipment to satisfy this urge. Fortunately I discovered someone at work who fished. I started to pick his brain before, during, and after work. I couldn’t get enough information!

I believed most of his advice was reliable, although I to this day have never tried using bubble gum as bait. In addition to this mentorship, through the years I have sought out the advice of several fisherman in an attempt to increase the rate of my catches. I have also read countless books and magazines; as well as spent hours and hours watching fishing videos.

Then one day last week someone came into my area at work and asked, “Hey, does anyone know if you can fish in the lake out back?” One of my co-workers pointed to me and said, “Ask him, he’s the expert on fishing.” I was honored to spend a few minutes, much to the dismay of my supervisor, sharing my joy of angling to this bright-eyed young fellow.

Things had come full circle and I was the one now doing the teaching. It’s funny how life works that way. As he was headed towards the bank he turned and smiled saying, “Thanks for the advice.... and for the gum.”