Dad on the Williams River
Dad and meSummit Lake. Cranberry River. Cherry River. Deer Creek. Williams River. When I need to relax, I picture these waters in my mind’s eye. And then I picture myself struggling to reel in a huge rainbow trout. Fishing fever runs in both sides of my family.
One of my favorite things to do is to head out on the river or the lake with my dad, Luther Baker, or my brother, Ben, or my aunt and uncle, Judy and Virgil Biafore. My uncle, Craig Lipscomb, took the fishing fever with him when he moved to Florida. This isn’t a new development. It’s definitely genetics at work.
I remember fishing excursions with my grandparents on my mom’s side when I was a kid. We’d load up and head down Marlinton Road from Richwood to Summit Lake. I wasn’t really about the “getting dirty” aspect of fishing until I got through my teens, but now I can’t think of anything better. Even if you don’t catch anything, floating in a canoe or standing up to your knees in a clean river is a good way to spend a morning.
Dad and Ben and I took an annual camping/fishing trip to Williams River for several years. These were really enjoyable times. Dad is really quite the “trout whisperer” and can scale a steep riverbank like a gazelle. I’m not the best fisherwoman, but I like to learn. Sometimes I would pick a beautiful hole of water and stay there while Dad and Ben fished up and down the river. Ben and I would clown around a bit. One time we pretended I was feeding him a crawdad, and another time I jumped into the river after a particularly stubborn golden trout. The best part of the trip is always the family fishing tales Dad tells.
We need to take another trip this summer. I’ll have to suggest that. You can’t fight genetics.
The last two times I was home, I drove back up Marlinton Road. I took a detour up to Summit Lake to show the kids. They didn't want to get out of the car. (It was close to nap time.) Even though I'm still in the thick of things, I feel like I haven't taken advantage of my area. Now, the kids are older, I feel like we can make more trips to out to do things. I'd say we should get together to go, but my kids would drive away all the fish. We do go up to the Greenbrier River past Millpoint - some of those Hamricks have a camp up there. It is a nice, peaceful spot to be out on the river. You should come join us sometime.
ReplyDeleteBrindi,
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like fun! Half the fun of fishing for me is being outside and in or near the water. Maybe I was a fish in a former life? We will have to get together! I also really like the North Bend picnic area before you get to the Summit Lake turnoff. That's a great place to take kids. Some of my cousins built a rock wall across the water a few summers back. Thanks for reading!
3 more weeks and I'll be casting a line in these beautiful waters. These pictures are a sight for dusty eyes.
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