FISHIN’ AIN’T EASY……

Or so our men say.

The “boys” have taken up the fine sport of fishing. In the winter it was the snowmobiles and this summer has become a love for fish. I think Shaun hooked Jermaine onto this past time (pun intended) for he is hard core. He’ll even go alone, without his man-friend. They’ve been going almost every night after the kids go to bed, and every night my man returns home with nothing but a defeated look on his face.

When they went out on Friday night, I knew Shaun was serious. He went to the store and came back armed. I’m pretty sure I saw a pistol in the bag. He hooked up his pole and proudly showed me his new fish-killing-machine. “See Wendy, this weight will lower the bait to the bottom of the sea floor, but this little buoy here will keep the bait floating about this high off the sea floor so the lobsters don’t eat it.” I saw such a fire in his eyes that I hadn’t seen since the night he proposed to me (gag me). Anyway, as he left, pole in hand, I told him not to come home until he caught something.

In my sleeping-stupor I heard Shaun come in (at 3:15 am!) and feebly asked him if he caught anything. “No” he sheepishly replied. “Well why’d ya come home?” Of course I was joking (and I’m pretty sure I giggled internally). I’m also pretty sure that I could catch a fish faster than Lloyd and Harry could. We were told Jermaine caught a skate, but Erin and I laughed that is was probably a roller skate. Plus, what good is a skate? You never see a “fried-skate-plate” listed on the menu at a clam shack. “I’ll have the skate basket please………..”

Of course I’ve heard all the reasons as to why they aren’t catching fish. Shaun explained it to me in scientific terms (something about past storms changing flow patterns, global warming and a bad economy), but really all I heard was, “I’m just not a fisherman.”

Really, I jest. I’m glad they like it and are having fun. It’s a relatively cheap activity and the “boys” can bond (I believe they are looking into a civil union).

Update: I started this blog yesterday, but learned that Jermaine, having gone fishing alone last night, made a claim to have caught a fish. Now, there is zero proof – his husband was with me last night – so we have to take his word. We heard the phone ring and Shaun jumped out of bed, "It's Jermaine!" All I heard next was, "Guy, are you serious? You caught something? What did you use for bait? What was the tide like? Was the wind to your back? Where was the moon positioned? Great job! I love you, Bye!!!" Okay, it didn't go quite like that, but again I had to giggle at the excitment in my husband's voice. Catching a fish for them would be like someone catching the Loch Ness Monster. It's that elusive to them. Jermain claims it was almost two feet long, but because he didn’t have a cooler it went back into the cold Atlantic Ocean, only to tease him again.

Today they are out deep-sea fishing on a real boat with a real captain. They’ll have the advantage of sonar technology that will show them where the fish are, but my bet is the kids catch something before they do.