Memory lane the address of happy holiday
The holiday season is a great time to reflect on how important the outdoors has been to one’s life and family.
On my radio show last weekend, tournament fisherman Brad Petersen recalled his fishing and hunting trips with his father. Loralee Giudice from Bass Pro Shops choked up on the air as she recounted her experience fishing with their staff. Will Dykstra of Tightline Outdoors reflected on his recent elk hunting trip with his father that I wrote about a few weeks ago.
The theme that got repeated again and again is the bonding and memories created by sharing outdoor activities seem unequaled by other activities. This fact is born out in a survey done by the American Sportfishing Association. They asked adults over 40 what their favorite memory was from their time growing up. Fifty-two percent stated an outdoor activity such as fishing, hunting, camping and hiking. The next closest was a sporting event (12 percent). It is amazing what getting away from life’s trappings and connecting with nature does to help us connect with each other.
The most poignant segment of the show for me was when we were joined by my lifelong fishing partner, Greg Clusiau. Clusiau is a legendary guide from Minnesota. We talked about some trends in ice fishing and how we pioneered many of today’s modern techniques. He then started reflecting on the outdoor endeavors we shared, starting when we were very small children.
“I can recall when we would just go for a ride and have our fishing rods and a bunch of worms and every time we’d see a culvert, if there was water in it, we’d cast just to see what was in there,” Clusiau said. “Sometimes we caught fish!”
In our younger years, Clusiau and I caught creek chubs in a tiny creek and didn’t know what they were.
“As this one fellow told us, they were trout,” Clusiau said. “And we were so proud of them.”
We walked the woods of northern Minnesota in search of rabbits and grouse. As we got older (we never grew up), we became part of the outdoor industry and traveled the globe to some of the most incredible outdoor destinations in the world. To this day, many of our fondest memories are of just the two of us on some small nondescript body of water sharing time together.
We have both shared our love of the outdoors with friends and family throughout our lives. Many readers and listeners received new outdoor gear for Christmas. Many also have extra time off during the holiday season. This is a great opportunity to begin sharing outdoor activities with friends, family and loved ones. Hopefully, you will begin creating memories that you can reflect on during future holiday seasons for years to come. Join Terry every Saturday at 8 a.m. for all of your outdoor information on “Terry Wickstrom Outdoors” at 104.3 FM.