Dad and I love sitting in the boat, tied to the riverbank by a sturdy tree root. With the peaceful silence surrounding us as we cast our lines, only the sounds of the flying fishing line, plops of the bait hitting the water and the occasion songs of nearby birds. This is where we feel at peace, no pressure or distractions from the outside world – a place of comfortable silence that can only be shared by a parent and a child.
This is where I find he is free to talk, to laugh and joke. The clocks are not watched as we patiently wait for the fish beneath the water’s surface to bite, watching and feeling for the tap that signals that a fish is hooked. We have lost more hooks in tree branches and snags than I can count, always to the frustration of us that have to go searching through the bottomless tackle box trying to find another suitable hook to fit our rods.
Even if the time seems to pass quickly, the time is never wasted. Even as we sit in the silence that the river provides, there is always a memory of loud laughs and mindless chatter. Fishing requires patience and time, when you have plenty there is no reason not to walk down to the riverbank, throw in a line and enjoy the wonderful sounds of nature around you.
Whether or not we brought our catches home for dinner or let them go because they’re too small, there is never an expedition that makes you wish you should have stayed home.