FishExplorer isn’t always about fishing, is it?

A few weeks ago, I got a message from my wife.  All it said was, “I was just in an accident.  I am fine.  The car is a little beat up.”  It was a little fender bender in a parking lot, but her Silver Nissan had a bit of body damage.  My first call was to Anema"s Auto Body.  Why there?  The owner, Jim (Bite Me is his Fish Explorer name), has been a great friend to FishExplorer. He has organized events, hosted get-togethers and been a great contributor to the site.  Plus, I knew he would be honest. Sure enough, he fixed our car and it looks great. Without FishExplorer.com, I would have never found Jim and received such great service. Thanks, Jim!

Last January, Daris (Fishrangler) put a post on the site asking people to sign a petition to get the opportunity to fish Aurora Reservoir at night.  Over 120 people signed it in 48 hours. Daris spend the next 6 months jumping through hoops to schedule the event. Last Friday night, 140 people participated.  It was a great evening because of the generosity of sponsors like Eagle Claw, Jeff Heinrich of Allstate Insurance, Lucky Strike Bowling in Belmar, American Digital Media, FishExplorer.com, Sun Belt Rentals, and Aurora Reservoir. There was some good fishing, but it would have been better if the wind had died down. Special thanks to Crystal and her staff for doing such a great job. Daris, you and your group of volunteers did a great job. Thanks!

Last week, someone posted on the forum, “Thank You”. When I see posts like these, I usually take a look. This one spoke of a dad and his fourteen-year-old son. Their names are David and Mason. David’s son, Mason, doesn’t really like to fish, but likes to spend time with his dad. This time out, they walked past a pile of trash. Mason asked his dad for the car keys so he could get a trash bag and pick up the trash.  Mason continued walking around the pond picking up trash.  What a giving and noble deed!  I only hope my son will grow up to be as environmentally aware as Mason.  Way to go, Mason and David, we are proud of you.
Keep an eye open for the Big Thompson Park Pond clean up organized by HeavyC. July 16. Email HeavyC at heavyC1965@hotmail.com for more info.

I could go on and on about the way people from Fish Explorer contribute to the welfare of the angling community, but this last story encapsulates its essence. Very recently, Jim (Proton) was at Aurora Reservoir when some storms blew in. Everybody was headed toward shore, when Jim noticed two people in kayaks. Jim was in the last boat on the lake. One of the kayaks had capsized, and the man was in the water. Jim turned his boat around and rescued the unfortunate kayaker.  Thankfully, he was very cold but OK. If Jim hadn’t been there, who knows what might have happened.  Great job, Jim!

On this Father’s Day weekend, my wife told me to go fishing. I can think of no better way to spend such a special day. I will be fishing a loch style event as part of The America’s Cup in Avon. This event will be part of a kid’s fishing derby. Yes, my wife and kids will be in Avon with me. Hopefully, they will come to the lake and cheer for me. We will be enjoying the accommodations at the Westin Riverfront Resort and Spa. I am excited to reacquaint myself with the city of Avon, as it has been a few years since my last visit.  I will post a blog about the weekend and let you know how I did. Hopefully, all you Dads out there get to enjoy the weekend and family.  Do try to work some angling into your day.

Happy Fathers Day. Now Go Fishing!