More on Fishing and Life

The past weekend was one of the most memorable in my life!!!!  And funny enough it involved fishing....... but once again fishing was hardly the point ;)

Impossible to not have fun with her!!

Amelia and I decided that it was about time we got away and had a vacation just the two of us.  We thought for weeks about what we might do or where we might go.  I had just gotten home from work on Monday and Amelia showed me a website that talked all about Paragonah Reservoir which is about 45 min outside of Ceder City...... I was hooked nearly instantly (Pun intended).


Map Of Panguitch Lake

Beautiful Panguitch Reservoir

Paragonah Reservoir was one of the most beautiful mountain lakes I've ever seen!!! the fish were jumping like crazy, the water was crystal clear, we had one of the best camping spots I've ever seen, and not mention I was there with the most beautiful amazing, spectacular woman in the world!!!!

Campsite

Of course Amelia caught the first fish, a beautiful 14 1/2 inch rainbow.... and she made it look easy!!! :)

One Beautiful Rainbow, and an even more beautiful Woman!!!

We had one of the best nights cooking stew, frying fish, and just enjoying each other's company!!! It was AMAZING!!!!

The next morning we pulled out the good ole canoe and paddled all over the lake it was so beautiful and peaceful and just one awesome experience.

Pristine Lake!!!

After packing up camp and loading our canoe back on the car we pulled out the trusty dusty Winchester .22 and showed some cans who was boss.... and let me tell you what.... I would never try and take on Amelia in a shooting contest cause she'd win hands down!!! She knocked down five cans in five shoots and blew a sixth glass bottle clean away.... and she never missed once!!

 

 

Shooting the .22

She Blasted the Heck Out of It!!!

 

Well knowing that camping and fishing are awesome but that other things are awesome too,  we also decided to book a hotel in Parowan for Saturday night!!! After washing off all the grime and dirt, we hit the hotel pool and boy was it refreshing.  After a nice swim we cleaned up and headed to dinner at Parowan's local burger joint, "Hamburger Patty's", it was delicious!!!

Hamburger Patty's: Parowan, Utah Awesome Buffalo Burgers

The next morning we woke up, had breakfast, and headed to Bryce Canyon!!!!! IT WAS SPECTACULAR!!!!!! Neither Amelia or I had ever been to Bryce before, and we loved every last second of it! The views were amazing, the drive was beautiful, and the whole experience was unequaled!!

Bryce Canyon National Park!!

After Bryce we went for some last minute fishing up Panguitch Creek.... So far over the whole vacation I was living up to my first post, cause I hadn't caught one thing and I was loving every second of it.... but just to sweeten the deal I caught the biggest fish I've ever caught from a stream in my life, a beautiful 17 1/2 inch Cutthroat!!!

And one of the best parts of the whole trip was being able to enjoy the whole thing, just the two of us!!!! ..... Just goes to show, fishing isn't all about catching fishing..... but it sure makes it fun!!! :)

2004 Impala and a Coleman Canoe!!!

"Just Fishin"

Since I was a very little boy my dad has always been there to teach me many of life's most important lessons.  Sometimes he would show, sometimes he would lead, sometimes he would let me figure it out on my own, and only when absolutely necessary he would actually tell me the lesson to be learned.  One of the most applicable lessons I ever learned was that "Fishing is not about catching fish."

To some people this may sound like the most ridiculous thing they've ever heard.  Why on earth would you ever spend the time, the effort, or the money to get up in the mountains with the cold, and the dirt, and sometimes even in the rain and the snow if the point isn't to catch fish?....

I could tell you the answer why, but it wouldn't do it justice...... if you really want to know, call me up anytime and we'll go fishing.

This lesson that I've learned has applied itself to nearly every aspect of my life.... let me give you a few examples, some from every day things, and some a little more profound.....

1. When Mr. Miaggi sent Daniel to wax the car and paint the fence and paint the house, the finished products weren't the point.......... the muscle and the skill Daniel gained were what was important

2. When striving for good grades in school, the good grade is rarely the point..... its the knowledge gained thats important

3. When trying to improve yourself athletically wether it be a faster mile time or a bigger max the numerical goal is rarely the point..... self mastery is whats important.

4. When building a project or painting a work of art or doing something along those lines, the finished product is rarely the point....... the ability to create is whats important.

Some a little more profound....

5. When JFK made a goal to put a man on the moon, going to the moon wasn't the point...... national motivation and high patriotic morale were what was important.

6.  When Jesus Christ walked on water in front of the apostles, getting to the ship wasn't the point....... Teaching one of the most influential lessons on faith in the Lord was what was important.

Anyway, life is full of lessons learned.... one of the greatest is that "catching fish is rarely the point."

I hope as I continue posting on this blog, some of what I've learned (and maybe some real funny stories) can be passed to those who read it.

p.s. to those who still think fishing is about catching fish, watch this