Dad

It’s no surprise that some of my earliest memories are of water. Exploring creeks, rivers and lakes in the Pacific Northwest with Dad was what I lived for. It didn’t matter the method or the quarry, I just enjoyed the journey.

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From hiking estuaries in search of flounder and sea run cutthroat to drives to the upper reaches of coastal streams chasing resident cutthroat and netting crawdads while we waited for the trout to bite. The fishing was always secondary to the journey but every minute was cherished and there wasn’t a place I would rather be. It was about a lot more than fishing, I learned a lot about life on these journey’s with Dad.

There was one coastal fishery I was not permitted to take part in until I was older and by the age of 6 or 7 it consumed my thoughts. I grew up in a Dory family where every weekend during the summer months my Dad and Grandpa would launch the Dory off the beach in Pacific City in search of salmon and bottom fish. I was always there to great them on their return, inspecting the catch and listening to the stories of the day, anxiously awaiting my turn.

At the age of 10 the day finally came, and it was Dad and Grandpa who were right there to show me the way. I still remember my first time on the ocean in our double ended dory with the two of them. For those that have had the opportunity to explore anything offshore you know how different and amazing the first experience is. I’ve said that once you leave the beach, it’s like entering a new world. At the age of 10 this can be a lot to process but Dad made it exciting and ensured the day was a memorable one as he always did.

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In 2021, when I had the crazy idea to leave my job, build a new Dory and begin guiding full time, Dad was one of our biggest supporters. While his Multiple Sclerosis was making it difficult for him to continue many of his favorite activities, he loved hearing stories of the Dory boat build, how the new business was doing and most importantly, how the fishing was. He was a huge fan and supported us 100% in our new venture. He loved seeing pictures of Vision, the new Dory we built and always talked about how he would like to go for one ride in her.

Last week, on January 16th with family surrounding him, Dad had another place to be. He left the debilitating disease and pain he had been in for some time behind. I miss him. I miss our talks, I miss his knowledge, support and kind words but I know he’s in a better place, running that marathon and enjoying another day on the water.