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[Darko]

As a young man I can say fishing is not among popular things to be interested in at 18. Not that I care THAT much. I do enjoy going out alone and find the tranquility nice, though everything gets boring after awhile. I have one friend who's into the outdoors as much as me, partly because he has been doing it with his father since he was a child. Other than that most of the fisherman I know are either in their late 40's or 60's. At what stage in your life did you meet your best fishing buddies? I know people get more into it as they age but I would still like to hear your stories. I know part of it is the way kids are raised now and the fact I live in the lower mainland definitely doesn't help. I understand how growing up by a lake or river in small towns can create much closer friend groups & communities.

[Phronesis]

My fishing buddies were my cousins when I was young, now that we are old, its only me who is keeping with the hobby.....As you mentioned I love going out alone too but at times you do wish someone to share that fishing excitement with....but i also get that people have their own preferred time and day when they go out etc.. unfortunately my wife isnt interested in fishing....I have met some kind and wonderful people during my trips

[RalphH]

The most important fishing buddy in my life was my father. He started taking me out when I was about 5. We went out most weekends. Both days. He was so happy on the water he seldom wanted to leave even when the fishing was terrible. It kind of lasted that way well into my 20s and by that time I had a girlfriend and then I got married. University, then night school when I was working on accounting designation & a career took a bite out of that. Dad lost interest in fishing as the world changed & most our favorite spots didn't have many fish anymore. As far as fishing was concerned I moved in other directions. Dad passed away 5 years ago this month. Before he died he developed dementia and he could no longer remember our time fishing together, where we went fishing or sometime even my name or who I was. I guess all things pass before time.

[redside1]

met most of my best fishing buddies in high school and before the age of 25. No too sure what's left but before the internet there were lots of fish & gun clubs one could join. They had monthly meetings and organized assorted different fish out at various places every year.

[stsfisher]

I have a few that I have met many different ways. some I will mention here.

At age 16 I was interested in fishing and was learning on the banks of the Fraser river on my own. listening and watching others was how it started.
1- When I was 17 I had a girl friend who worked at a pizza joint. I found out the 2 owners (10 years older than me) knew how to fish and were good at it. They agreed to show me some fishing technique's down at the local pool hall.  One of which became my first and most influential river fishing buddy to this date. Once he knew I was worthy of his time he offered to take me with him on the local river systems. We became great friends fishing weekly for salmon and steelhead everywhere we could. He happen to marry my wifes best friend and we share many fine times together fishing and non fishing related.

2- I met a co worker in 1993 who shared an interest in fishing who was a hunter and had a cabin on a lake. We shared fishing days and new to me hunting days. we where self taught with many days spend fishing anywhere and everywhere for everything that would bite a hook. I would say friend 2 has become the go to friend for everything trout related, rivers and stillwaters. aside from the fishing he and his wife are named as our kids god parents and are uncle and aunt to them.

3-About the same year I moved and was asked to join a ball team ( by friend #2) who said there was a meeting at the pub. At that meeting I met a great fishing buddy who lived not a block away. Baseball and fishing what better combo in becoming good friends. This friendship molted into a circle of fishing buddies all of whom I look forward to sharing water with whenever the oppurtunity arises. Today we might only share a trip or 2 a year but our kids call us both Uncle, which is a pretty special fishing buddy bond.

4- While camping at a local lake, maybe 2007ish my son introduced me to one of his friends dads who was there as part of a fathers day annual trip/ fishing derby. That was enough for me. we fish a lot together now and our kids are best friends still. 90 percent of all fishing trips start with a phone call to each other to see if the other is available, the other 10 percent we already know they are busy.

5- Met a good man on a fishing forum (not this one ) who will tell you we were probably not on the right track in becoming good fishing friends in the beginning, however that cant be any more wrong. while we don't fish a tonne together we do share some great fun on the water whenever possible, and chat in some form or another weekly about our fishing / reports. I trust him with information I would not offer to others, and I think the feeling is mutual.

6- I have 2 boys, 1 who loves fishing ( oldest) and the other that doesn't care too much for it ( youngest). When we get the opportunity and when they allow the old guy to fish with them we have the greatest time and are 2 of the best fishing buddies anyone can ask for. The oldest asks me when and where we are going every time he comes home from Virginia and the youngest, well he sometimes plays the game and comes along for the ride, which I appreciate so much. There is still time for him.
   

[Phronesis]

The most important fishing buddy in my life was my father. He started taking me out when I was about 5. We went out most weekends. Both days. He was so happy on the water he seldom wanted to leave even when the fishing was terrible. It kind of lasted that way well into my 20s and by that time I had a girlfriend and then I got married. University, then night school when I was working on accounting designation & a career took a bite out of that. Dad lost interest in fishing as the world changed & most our favorite spots didn't have many fishing anymore. As far as fishing was concerned I moved in other directions. Dad passed away 5 years ago this month. Before he died he developed dementia and he could no longer remember our time fishing together, where we went fishing or sometime even my name or who I was. I guess all things pass before time.

Man that is tough......
My Dad and Grandpa introduced me to fishing as well......My Grandpa used to wait until my school vacations and ready a stick with a line and a hook for me to go fishing.....will never forget those times

And this year hopefully if everything in the world goes okay then I will be bringing my Dad here for Salmon fishing....he is already very excited

[Wiseguy]

My Dad introduced me to the sport as a small child. In my early twenties I really caught the bug as I met some other kids my age who were into camping and fishing. We did trips to the Skagit camping in the bush and hiking to different spots on the river. The sport really took off when I bought my first boat and starting doing ocean trips to the gulf islands for salmon. It has become a lifelong obsession for me and these days I often fish alone or on occasion with my brother.

[canucksfan233]

family friend and bugged one of my close buddies to come fishing enough times to where he enjoys it (his dad use to fish a bunch, only fishes charters/guides now) so the gear was all there. Prob couldn't do that with a normal person due to the expensive start up cost of fishing.

[ribolovac02]

My first fishing buddy back home in Europe was totally random , well he was about 25 years older than me and my first mentor , since no one in my family fished , I was about 7 I belive .

It was our first door neighbour , one day he brought  a net full of fish home , and I happened to be there to see it , after asking multiple questions about the fish , I asked him if I can ever go with him to c how it’s done …
He replied only if your mother gives me the aproval , so I begged mom , and he approached and my mom let me go .
He made a hand made pole for me , with line attached to it , together with a small float , weight and hook , and that’s how it all started , catching minnows and all sorts of course fish by the shore .

Anyways we stayed friends for a long time till he moved and got divorced and I never heard from him again …

Fishing was in my blood tho , and I spent every single spare hour of my youth , before and after school , trying to catch what ever would bite …

Then in high school , I met one of my best fishing buddies , two of us clicked like a clock , spent literally every weekend on the water from the  age of 15 till 21 , and still to today we talk and share fishing stories even tho I live in Canada and he lives in Europe and the fisheries are totally different , but we both enjoy it like no tomorrow .
I ended up flying back to tye old country to be his best man when got married , and our bond is inseparable …

Then I came to Canada , fishing forums , just started to come out , online was the thing , even tho I stuck to my old ways , of exploring waters and meeting people in person .

But it happened to be that I met a buddy on a fishing forum randomly , who is from the same region I was born in and spoke the same language I did .

Despite that, our first communication was in English , and it stayed that way till today .
We both got into salmon and stealhead fishing , and spent some great days on the river together , catching lots of fish and enjoying the beauty of our nature we have here …

Now a days , we mostly share stories about our kids , well ,we both got young kids , and we talk more about raising children than  fishing , but the odd report gets shared and we still strive for tgat special day we can share on the river .

I guess I was lucky to meet someone alike , who shares the exact same passion , and thinks about it the exact same way , so , you can only imagine how long some phone calls can be , or how long a fishing day can be …

Besides that , I have met some great people in our region , and on our local rivers,plus some through fishing forums ,  I stayed friends with some , and I talk to some randomly , and most of them share a wealth of information with me privately and I do the same in return .

I do belive that if you intend good , good people will recognize that , and you will get good in return , so each to their own , on how they pick their journey , one thing is for sure , it’s a life time of experiences , so time will tell , and won’t happen overnight …

[clarki]

Great question, Darko.

I didn't meet my best fishing buddy until my early 30's and we didn't start fishing together until I was in my mid 30's. He was 15 years older than me but we both loved coho and cutthroat and fished together a lot.

Sadly, he died of cancer 7 yrs ago and I've not been able to find his equal.  Sure I fish with other guys but  none as regularly and none that have the same kind of passion for the fishing that I do. There continues to be a huge void in my angling experience, and my life, without him.

I wrote this on another site a few years ago, but thought I would copy and paste it here as the other forum needs a sign up.

Saying Goodbye to a Friend and Fishing Partner (July 5, 2019)

I had the honour and privilege of spreading the ashes of my friend and fishing partner, Rob, at our favourite tidal beach last night.

Rob was about 15 years older than I and we got to know each other when he married a family friend.  Rob was a skilled trout flyfisherman but he had never fished for salmon, so on Grey Cup Sunday, 2000 I took him fishing for coho on Norrish Creek. It rained steadily,  the stream rose and almost washed away the salmon we had stashed, and he got soaked wearing a fleece, but he was hooked. In later years, we referred to Grey Cup Sunday as our anniversary and would try to go fishing together on the day. If we couldn’t get out, we would wish each other “happy anniversary” along with the appropriate mushy terms of endearment. I was known was Rob’s second wife.

Rob was diagnosed with cancer and he was sick and in pain during the fall of 2014, more than he let on. But he was determined to fish. After a morning walking and standing during a coho fish, he had to stop a number of times on the way back to the vehicle. At at the vehicle he was too unwell  to undress and I helped him out his boots and waders. It does something to your soul to have to do that for a friend.

Later that fall, Rob was generally too tired and sick to hit the river early in the morning, but if I was having success, I would text him and he would make a mighty effort to join.

His 2015 spring/summer visits to the beach were sporadic and short lived.

By the fall of 2015 he was very ill and barely fishing. After a morning fish, I stopped in at their home for lunch and we  went for a drive up the Chilliwack River valley.  If he couldn't fish the river,  it did him well to at least go for a drive along  it. We fished for a few minutes at the Limit Hole because there you can fish the river only steps from your vehicle, and that’s all he could manage.

Our last fishing outing together was in Nov, 2015. He wanted to get out and knowing he couldn’t stand for a long time, I carried along a lawn chair. We tried to walk into our usual spot but only got a third of the way in before he was knackered. He fished a bit from the lawn chair and was done. That was it.

For the couple of weeks that Rob was in palliative care and hospice, a group of four of us took turns staying with him overnight so his wife could get a decent night’s sleep. One night he said to me “Do you think we’ll ever fish together again?" My response was “I sure hope so”, but deep down I think we both knew what the real answer was.

Rob died in hospice in Jan, 2016.

Last weekend his family went up to Yoho National Park to spread his ashes, at his request, at his beloved Lake O’Hara. His wife asked me if I wanted some ashes to spread at the beach, our beach;  I was honoured. And so last night, on the flood tide that we had chased in years past, I sprinkled his ashes into the clear water. Some particles sank quickly, others clung to the surface and drifted away in the tidal current.

After my/our moment I turned my attention to the fishing. I had hoped to catch some cutthroat for Rob but the first two fish of the evening were bullheads. I thought it would be kind of sad to catch bullheads for Rob! Then three cutthroat came to hand and the evening felt complete.

I love you, my friend. Until we meet again.

[psd1179]

Great question, Darko.

I didn't meet my best fishing buddy until my early 30's and we didn't start fishing together until I was in my mid 30's. He was 15 years older than me but we both loved coho and cutthroat and fished together a lot.

Sadly, he died of cancer 7 yrs ago and I've not been able to find his equal.  Sure I fish with other guys but  none as regularly and none that have the same kind of passion for the fishing that I do. There continues to be a huge void in my angling experience, and my life, without him.

I wrote this on another site a few years ago, but thought I would copy and paste it here as the other forum needs a sign up.

Saying Goodbye to a Friend and Fishing Partner (July 5, 2019)

I had the honour and privilege of spreading the ashes of my friend and fishing partner, Rob, at our favourite tidal beach last night.

Rob was about 15 years older than I and we got to know each other when he married a family friend.  Rob was a skilled trout flyfisherman but he had never fished for salmon, so on Grey Cup Sunday, 2000 I took him fishing for coho on Norrish Creek. It rained steadily,  the stream rose and almost washed away the salmon we had stashed, and he got soaked wearing a fleece, but he was hooked. In later years, we referred to Grey Cup Sunday as our anniversary and would try to go fishing together on the day. If we couldn’t get out, we would wish each other “happy anniversary” along with the appropriate mushy terms of endearment. I was known was Rob’s second wife.

Rob was diagnosed with cancer and he was sick and in pain during the fall of 2014, more than he let on. But he was determined to fish. After a morning walking and standing during a coho fish, he had to stop a number of times on the way back to the vehicle. At at the vehicle he was too unwell  to undress and I helped him out his boots and waders. It does something to your soul to have to do that for a friend.

Later that fall, Rob was generally too tired and sick to hit the river early in the morning, but if I was having success, I would text him and he would make a mighty effort to join.

His 2015 spring/summer visits to the beach were sporadic and short lived.

By the fall of 2015 he was very ill and barely fishing. After a morning fish, I stopped in at their home for lunch and we  went for a drive up the Chilliwack River valley.  If he couldn't fish the river,  it did him well to at least go for a drive along  it. We fished for a few minutes at the Limit Hole because there you can fish the river only steps from your vehicle, and that’s all he could manage.

Our last fishing outing together was in Nov, 2015. He wanted to get out and knowing he couldn’t stand for a long time, I carried along a lawn chair. We tried to walk into our usual spot but only got a third of the way in before he was knackered. He fished a bit from the lawn chair and was done. That was it.

For the couple of weeks that Rob was in palliative care and hospice, a group of four of us took turns staying with him overnight so his wife could get a decent night’s sleep. One night he said to me “Do you think we’ll ever fish together again?" My response was “I sure hope so”, but deep down I think we both knew what the real answer was.

Rob died in hospice in Jan, 2016.

Last weekend his family went up to Yoho National Park to spread his ashes, at his request, at his beloved Lake O’Hara. His wife asked me if I wanted some ashes to spread at the beach, our beach;  I was honoured. And so last night, on the flood tide that we had chased in years past, I sprinkled his ashes into the clear water. Some particles sank quickly, others clung to the surface and drifted away in the tidal current.

After my/our moment I turned my attention to the fishing. I had hoped to catch some cutthroat for Rob but the first two fish of the evening were bullheads. I thought it would be kind of sad to catch bullheads for Rob! Then three cutthroat came to hand and the evening felt complete.

I love you, my friend. Until we meet again.

Thanks for sharing the good story.

[RalphH]

+1

[Darko]

thank you all for opening up and sharing. I very much enjoyed reading your stories.