Fishing for the Future

A young boy went fishing with his dad on Beaver Creak Bay of Lake Sakakawea. It was a clear and sunny North Dakota day. The boy sat at the back of the boat as his dad fished getting ready to pull lindy rigs tipped with leeches. As they fished along a point in 14 to 17 feet of water the boy began catching walleyes as his lindy-rig hit the bottom of the lake. The feeding frenzy continued as the morning went forward…his line would drop and a hookset would follow.

Like all things, good things must eventually come to an end. When the boy finally came home that evening his arm twitched in memory of the early morning’s action. It was as if the boy could still feel the bite and uncontrollable urge to set the hook. Of course, the fight followed. Although, the day had come to an end, it was just one of many trips yet to be told. From that fishing experience on the boy knew this was something he would want to do for the rest of his life...

The boy in that story was me and I still remember the finest details from that trip to Lake Sakakawea. I can remember the smell of the motor as we glided across the lake, the pride I felt in bating my own hook and most of all, I can remember my dad laughing as his son was out-fishing him. My childhood was filled with many positive memories stemming from the outdoors but for whatever reason, this day is often replayed through my mind. Regardless of which memory, I am very grateful and extremely thankful my father and I shared this and many similar days together.

Unfortunately, there are many young people that go much of their adolescent life without similar experiences and for some, none. This is not necessarily because the kids lack interest but because they lack opportunity. We often hear that kids these days only want to play video games and watch T.V. Is that true? Or are they introduced to that type of atmosphere?

As a middle school teacher and a fishing guide, I have had the opportunity to get many kids involved with the outdoors. As a fishing guide, I have kids and their parents in my boat on a weekly basis. Many of these kids have never caught a fish in their life and one of the most exciting things to me is watching someone catch their first fish. As a middle school teacher, I and two other teachers started and outdoors related club. Without a doubt this was one of the most rewarding experiences I have had with kids.

The excitement that you see and feel is absolutely magical. There are a million different questions, ideas, and thoughts involving the outdoors with young people. It is a lot of fun to be around. It is what the outdoors is truly all about in my opinion. When I started planning the outdoors club, I was worried that kids with outdoor experience would only join, that and I figured many of those would be boys. To my surprise about 25 kids joined—many with little outdoor experience—and nearly half were girls. Our activities varied from building wood duck houses, to blue gill fishing, to cleaning up parks. I realize we only scratched the surface with these kids but I think we created a spark that could grow into something much larger. The goal of the club is not to create the next Al Linder but, our hope, is that many of them will be involved at some level in the outdoors for the rest of their lives.

The bottom-line is this. The next time you go fishing, hunting, camping, hiking, nature watching, or even to a sporting goods store, try to bring a kid with. It might be a neighborhood boy or girl, a cousin, nephew or niece. Get them out there and let them explore and ask questions. Let them have fun. Let them have an opportunity and more than likely they will want to go again. Help with their questions and let them see what they think for themselves. I know that the majority of them will be hooked for life and want to do it again. And to me, this is what the outdoors is all about. It is all part of the circle. Just think what your life would be like if no one had ever introduced the outdoors to you? Get out there and make a difference in a young person’s life…you’ll never regret doing it. Trust me.

Editors Note:  Mark Bry has spent nearly every moment of his life in the outdoors and when he’s not in the outdoors…he’s talking about the outdoors. As a teacher, Mark has gone above the normal requirements of teaching young minds by offering them an opportunity to get involved in the outdoors. This same passion for the outdoors also is presented through his successful guiding business.

As a certified and licensed guide on one of the Midwest’s finest waters, Mark utilizes Devils Lake’s wonderful resources to give his clients a positive, enjoyable and memorable outdoor experience. Mark has years of experience fishing the bountiful Devils Lake waters and looks forward to another fabulous year. For Mark’s superb services visit www.brysguideservice.com.