By: Joseph Albanese
This month, millions of anglers will flood the nation’s outlets and malls in search of the perfect gift to give their fishing brethren. Those stores certainly won’t disappoint, with isles full of the latest and greatest tackle to flood the market.
There will be great new rods, in many great new actions and tapers allowing you to master the hottest new technique. The latest in reel technology will be showcased right alongside, ensuring you can put together the perfect combination. You can find the perfect line to complement the next favorite tool in your loved one’s angling arsenal. You can even supply them with ideal net to land all the fish they are sure to catch thanks to your thoughtful gift.
I would like to invite you to think back to a simpler time. Remember when you were a small child and you presented your mother with a picture you made using nothing other than a piece of card stock, some elbow macaroni and a bottle of white glue? Do you remember how happy she was? It was because you took the time to craft her something, with your two hands. It wasn’t the picture so much as it was the time you invested; it showed her she was worthy of your energies.
You are older now, and are much busier than you were then. Presumably your bank account is much larger as well. So think about how much more valuable a handcrafted gift is now. I’m not saying you should raid the pantry for elbow macaroni to make gifts for your fishing buddies. But you might consider raiding the local taxidermist’s shop.
This holiday season, show your loved ones how much you truly care. In addition to the store-bought tackle, spend some time at the fly tying vice creating some new flies to go along with the new rod. Think about the unique situations you and your cohorts face, and come up with the ideal fly to entice the one that keeps managing to get away. Remember how many Clouser minnows you two donated to the marauding schools of bluefish? Or the deer hair poppers that fell victim to the pickerel that also inhabit your favorite bass hole? Think about the predatory trees that line your favorite stretch of trout water.
No matter what species you pursue with your friends and family, you can show them you care with a gift you created just for them. So after dinner a few nights this season, don’t turn on the game. Get out the vise and whip up some new patterns for those on your list.
As a bonus, you’ll get to relive some of the experiences you’ve shared as your bobbin orbits the hook shank. And they will think of you every time they thread their tippet through the eye of one of your handiworks. So take this opportunity to show how much you care using bits of feather and fur. And remember—nothing says love like tightly spun deer hair.
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