A QUILL OF BEAUTY - Whipfinish - May 2, 2016

A QUILL OF BEAUTY


Dusk was close on our heels as my youngest son and I removed our waders after a long day of fishing and turned to gathering our belongings. We had enjoyed a day on near perfect water, under blue skies and no wind. The icing on the cake was the 4 fish we landed. Jake had gone fish-less on this day, but not for lack of trying. He fished like a champ the entire day, but the Piscatorial Gods were just not on his side. I was immensely proud of him however, as I watched him gain maturity with his casting and his understanding of the streams flow. Not bad for 12 years old. I reached for my rod in order to break it down when I saw them. He watched as I tracked a bug" through the air, then caught it with the back of my hand. There, in the fading light sat a Blue Quill.

In my opinion, you have captured the essence of what life for many of us is all about. Yes, we all like to accomplish great things in life, but the most important things are those pleasant and moral diamonds that we pass to future generations as parents, grand-parents or friends. We must never forget the influence we have on young lives and the responsibility we have for building character in our off springs. As you indicate, that influence may not be clearly evident at the moment, but it is there and will be long remembered by the recipient . What better place to start than with our beloved sports. Thank you.