Do me a favor, kiss your spouse

Holding hands

Martin Joergensen

A while back my wife returned from an evening together with some former colleagues, and promptly said: ”I have an official complaint!” when she came in the door.
It shows that a couple of the (female) colleagues she had been with, referred to me because their husbands/boyfriends/spouses were fishermen who had read my post containing an encouragement to go fishing right now, and not wait too long.

They had obviously

heeded my advice, much to the regret of their partners and now the spouses – rightfully, I suppose – blamed me for being neglected.
Now, I still mean this from the bottom of my heart, and can’t often enough tell anglers and other people wanting to go on trips and adventures: go now!
But the guys whose partners filed an unofficial complaint using my wife as a proxy, may have been a little too keen in their interpretation of my post.
I did say: bring them... both about girlfriends, wives and kids. I didn’t say just leave them!

With spring in full force

in the northern hemisphere and the fishing season soon running at full steam, I need to warn those sitting on the edge of the chair to go, however much they are just following my previous advice.
We as anglers – or hunters, mountain bikers, skydivers or whatever – need to remember to clear things with the home base before we venture out. I deeply and truly mean it very seriously when I say you need to go now, but I don't think you should just drop whatever is in your hands and go, leaving your significant other, kids, chickens, cats and dogs, the household, dishes, laundry and all kinds of chores behind unattended.
That won’t bring anything good.

Going together

Martin Joergensen

I remember a fishing trip

many years ago, where I picked up a friend at his house. As I pulled up, he came stomping out, frothing and cursing, waders over one arm and rod and a few paraphernalia in his hands, obviously gathered in a hurry and not indicating a well prepared fishing trip.
He tossed the gear in the back and sat in the passenger’s seat and said “Go!”.
After 10 minutes of clenching his teeth and breathing through his nose he said: “Wife wasn’t happy”.
Again, silence.
“She had plans for our day...”
More silence.
“Bloody hell, she’ll be pissed when I get home!”
It turned out that his wife had something absolutely different in mind than him going fishing and her spending the day alone, and he hadn’t really told her about his plans until just before bedtime. As he was getting up to leave in the morning, she woke up and they spent some time considering the different solutions in a not so loving manner.
He had said: “I’m going. Martin is picking me up”.
She had said “No, you aren’t”.
They had each repeated these very simple arguments in different shapes and forms and tones of voice for a while, both of them working up a good temper.
Then I pulled up and “released the tension”, basically meaning that he left the arguments hanging in the air, stomped through the garage, picking up his gear on the way, and entering my car.
The incident set the atmosphere for the whole day where he was in a shitty mood and even wanted to leave early in spite of knowing what was waiting at home.

“Bloody hell, she’ll be pissed when I get home!”

Sure, going fishing

has a high priority and sure there are lots of excuses not to go that are too lame, but upsetting your family isn’t a good starting point for a fishing trip – or for anything for that matter. So when I say “Do me a favor, go fishing!”, what I really mean is:
“Do me a favor, kiss your spouse… and then go fishing! with her...”

My love

Martin Joergensen

PS: Just last week I returned from a week long fishing trip where my wife was with me the first few days. It was a great trip, and I thoroughly enjoyed having her there. I can warmly recommend being together that way. You might actually find it enjoyable.