Life and It's Responsibilities

[Stagger_Lee]

get in the way of my new passion. I'm left watching Orvis videos and/or reading some books at night to pick up pointers b4 bed. Not good for a newbie but wife, kids, work, etc .. just get in the way. Being 41& having an 8 and 4 year old I seem to have picked up this sport at the worst time. Anyhow .. hoping to get a few hrs lon the water this weekend locally

How do you guys in similar situations deal?

//Can't wait for my lil guy to get a lil older as he is dieing to go flyfishing with me and that should make it a lot easier

 

[Aducker]

I know exactly how you feel. At my house the family always comes first just like yours. What I've always done is take time off work to do the me stuff so it didn't get in the way of the many family things we have going on or just steel a few hours every few weeks to go out and do something. Now that the kids are older I have a little more freedom.

It's actually a good thing you are starting to fly fish now. You can learn a lot in a few years and by the time your kids get older you will be able take them out and get them started and both learn together.
I can't think of a more perfect family experience.

Next time we fish together I would be happy to talk more about it.

 

[djs12354]

Hey, I'm an empty-nester and looking at not being able to get more than a couple of hours fishing for the next two weekends!

Travel for work and for family will chew up the free time for me.

I'm hoping to steal away for an hour or so on Sunday, late in the day. That will be after driving back from NYC.

Take time when you can, enjoy the fact that you had a chance to get out on the water. Like anything else, the wait makes it sweeter.

 

[bric2000]

I am in the same boat (or lack of)! To add to it, my 4 yo has been sick all week and hasn't been to school. Sometimes when the kids are in school, I get that little bit of time to get some stuff done.
Now the game plan is to get my older kids involved with my activities so we all get to do fun stuff. I don't get to practice the fly fishin but we do get some spin casting in now.

 

[Volksnurse]

Yep. Stagger, hang in there bud! If I get out w chimes a month I'm doing well. Four year old and a seven year old, work,home,lawn, life in general....

Fish when u can...

 

[whheff]

Been there too. You are at that stage where everybody and everthing comes before fishing. I retired a few years back and the kids are all gone now I finally have time to do what I want.
Hang in there, your time is comming.

 

[mrwisker]

I feel your pain... Mine are 9 and 3. I might be able to get out an hour here and there, but any long term time is greatly limited.
The wife works through the night and sleeps during the day, or when I get home from work during the week. I got out for about an hour tonight, and got skunked again. The most fortunate thing foe me is when I get in the car to go fishing, I am streamside in less than 5 minutes depending on where I want to go.

 

[caveman]

I am in that boat also. My kids are 11 , 9 and 9 and its hard to find the time to go. I live near the Donegal creek which has become the go to creek. It helps me get away for a few short hours maybe once a week. Its close so doesn't suck up a bunch of time and gas to get there. I am looking forward to the kids learnin how to fish for themselves.

 

[gulfgreyhound]

When you sign on with a wife and then children you also get a loss of time,your own, and the joys and heart aches that goes with the package. Everybody needs and deservers a little "me" time just savor it when you get it. Best thing you can do is teach your kids to fish and love that time you spend with them. It won't be long before you will have some family traditions in place.Your families will always come first and the time on the creek will have more value especially when times get tough. Trust me on that one. GG

 

[lv2nymph]

I got a hoola hoop and taped it to a pole in the yard and practiced casting through it, then you can turn around and try putting back a back cast through it,this will tighten up your loops. I also got some smaller loops and put them in the yard in different spots and practiced all the different kinds of casts to them.I would try and back cast in and out of the bushes then turn around and cast into the bush. I'd tie a little piece of yarn on to represent the fly. Doing this made me feel like I was getting to do something with my hobby.You can take 15 minutes for this or as long as you got it sure helps keep the rust off and will make you better to boot, then when you do get out at least rusty casting won't be an issue. I hope this helps out, Jack

 

[Stagger_Lee]

And here I thought I was the only one .. lol

Finally got out this evening for 2 hrs from 6 - 8PM and loved every minute of it

 

[pcray1231]

Yep. The baby has seriously cut into my fishing time. Of course, it's a great trade off, but the lack of fishing is disturbing.

I take the point of view of "quality over quantity" these days. What I've stopped doing is mostly the evening/weekend stuff where you just get out a few hours somewhere locally. That kinda crap uses up your "points" towards the trips you dream about.

When the will is there, you'd be surprised what you can fit in. Don't be lazy and hit that same ole place cause it's easy. When you've been saving your "points" and the wife knows it, and finally says "you can go fishing tomorrow, just be home by dinner", well, don't think that you really have limits on how far you can go. Go to that place you've been really dreaming about, even if it's a 3 hours drive away and a 2 mile walk to get there. Get up at 2 a.m. if need be. Make it happen, dang it. Because that local stream you've fished a billion times ain't gonna satisfy your itch, you need an adventure.

 

[docsab]

It gets better of course, but hard to see that time when your in the earlier stages. I'm a little older- 50 and my girls are 14, 12, and 10. Once they get to that age, they are so much more independant- in fact, they don't want you around! :lol:

Do your part around the house, let your wife get out and away as much as you can manage, and she should be OK with letting you get out a bit. A little gift/bribe here and there doesn't hurt.

 

[Stagger_Lee]

Pcray wrote

Yep. The baby has seriously cut into my fishing time. Of course, it's a great trade off, but the lack of fishing is disturbing.

Once the lil ones are mobile and then have activities like sports, art and dance, etc .. it gets even more difficult

As some of the 'elders' say .. gets easier when they hit 10 ish .. sweet I have 2 years with one and 6 more with the other

 

[KeithS]

I stopped fishing all together in 1995 when my oldest daughter started playing soccer and softball. That began my years of coaching. My second daughter, now 16, has one year of soccer left. I've been able to get out a little more in the last 2 years.

 

[paparise]

I schedule every outing in advance (at least a week prior). Mine are young enough (3, 8 months, and 8 months) where they still take naps so that's when I go.

Sometimes I'll take my 3 yearold fishing for crappies just to get outside and on the water. So far she's realed in a few "trout fish" and some crappies and she loves it. Her attention span is still pretty short so I always end up fishing with a Dora pole while she plays in the grass or chucks rocks in the creek but it's still fun.

I also encourage my wife to do her own thing despite her commitment to the kids to balance everything out.

 

[bigslackwater]

I have a 1 year old, a 3 year old, and my wife just had back surgery. No heavy lifting (i.e. baby) for 3 months...I work 6 days a week (own my own business) and play in two bands on the weekends. I had no idea that I'd get so addicted to fly fishing when I started. I dream of fishing mostly and on the rare occasion that I do get out, it's total euphoria, even if I don't even see any fish! It does make you appreciate it more. I think a lot of us were drawn to fly fishing because we have hectic lives. I love my family and my job(s) but this is how I escape and recharge...it's a form of meditation for me... like hitting the reset button! I used to do yoga and get the similar results...this is better!