Father’s Day serves as a reminder of the importance of fatherhood, so why not come and celebrate with some great fathers and their families this weekend at Hickory Hollow Campground. The weekend kicks off with our annual fishing tournament on Saturday at 9 am, and our delicious pancake breakfast on Sunday morning.
Dad certainly deserves a weekend to sleep in and relax, and Hickory Hollow is just the place to do that. But what dad can resist the temptation to get up early, find the perfect casting spot and feel that first tug on the line as they start reeling in the big one. That feeling only gets better when you include your family in on the fun. The full impact of how much fun fishing can be will be seen as you watch the smiles on the kid’s faces when they reel in their first fish. Fishing is the joy, catching is a bonus.
“The two best times to fish is when it’s raining and when it ain’t” so rain or shine, the annual fishing tournament offers lots of excitement as fish of all sizes are drawn from Lake Ann. Prizes will be awarded for the biggest fish, so come early and remember to bring your camera. While fish are a great source of protein and can taste pretty delicious cooked over an open fire, Hickory Hollow Campground has a catch and release philosophy so plan on taking memories home and not dinner.
When you are a father who loves to camp, you go from an ordinary man to a hero, an adventurer, a story-teller, and a life-long friend. Fathers can teach us a lot, but there are many lessons that can be learned from fishing too.
Lesson #1: Good things don’t always come to those who wait quickly. It’s no secret when that bobber doesn’t go under soon after that first cast, a fisherman’s patience can be tested. Patience is not the ability to wait but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting. But when you have the patience to wait it out, it usually pays off in the end.
Lesson #2: You don’t drift back where you started. A fisherman won’t always have luck in their favorite spot, so sometimes your eye catches what seems like a better place ahead to try. But before long, you look back and realize just how far you wandered from where you started and still no luck. Life provides you with many opportunities to “drift” in a similar way. Something catches your attention and you chase it because it seems like a great opportunity. There is nothing wrong with dreaming big, but don’t be prone to chasing dreams at all costs sacrificing precious time with family and friends for something that leaves you empty in the end.
Lesson #3: When you catch a big one-Celebrate. Catching a fish is fun, no matter what size the fish, but let’s not kid ourselves, reeling in a big one can be amazing and it makes the fun just a little bit more fun to celebrate. Life gives us many reasons to be sad or upset. Just remember, bad things happen to good people, and good things also happen to good people. So just like when you catch a big fish, try to celebrate all the good things life gives you and not dwell on the bad.
Lesson #4: Always be prepared. Your fishing experience will never be as good when your tackle box is messy and your supplies haven’t been organized. But there is one thing a neat tackle box can’t help you with and that’s not having enough of the lure you need for the fishing trip. Sometimes the fish just like what they like and nothing else will do despite what you have in your tackle box. But remember doing your due diligence ahead of time is the ultimate confidence builder and is better than being unprepared.
Lesson #5: Control what you can control. It’s easy to get distracted sometimes and pay too much attention to someone else’s bobber only to look back and see yours gone with a fish on the line. Don’t put your focus on things you can’t control, like what others are doing, what they think of you, and trying to fix others and make them who we think they should be. You learn as you get older that you can do very little to change other people.
As you contemplate life while standing at the fishing hole this weekend, take a moment to celebrate the wonderful role models our fathers are, have been, and will be in the future. Remember that it’s okay to aspire to be strong in areas that others are, but don’t forget that we are all custom designed and uniquely made. You can’t become exactly like someone else because God only made one of each of us.
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