Greatest Fishin Buddy.
His name is “Hank” and he is a four legged beast who just so happens to be the best fishing buddy I have ever had. For those of you “Dog people” out there I’m sure you understand. Hank is a Yellow Lab and is a spoiled, couch crashin, bed sleepin, squirrel chasin, kid lovin, nap takin, food beggin 103 lb lap dog. He loves his family and will go through doors if he thinks his kids are doing something fun outside.
Hank has even been invited on guiding trips and has accepted the invitation on quite a few occasions. He is a gentleman and generally stays out of the way. If the catching slows down he is a welcome distraction for the kids. Break times are usually his favorite times of the day. This is when we find a nice looking spot on the bank and pull up to stretch our legs and have a bite to eat. He always tries to entice one of our guests into throwing a stick in the water so he can show off his retrieving prowess. Sometimes he brings it back and sometimes well, he finds a distraction. We’ve not had any formal training since we don’t hunt so whatever happens is considered a solid retrieve. He prefers trying to chase down rocks tossed into the lake but we don’t like to brag about that too often.
Hank got a very early start at fishing and has always got very excited when I say “Hank, you wanna go fishing”? I can even mention this the night before and he will not let me get out of sight till he is in the truck the next morning. He will even jump in the cab of the truck and hide in the back seat when he knows he hasn’t been invited. He loves riding in the bed of the truck but I think he prefers the cozy warmth or air conditioning the cab offers. Being an inside dog kind of makes him a little spoiled and not the toughest creature on the planet.
We have been on some exciting adventures together. Running out of gas has happened more than once. Running out of gas and then a storm blowing up is always one of our favorites. I think he is used to something going wrong as he usually gives me that “go to hell look” then stretches out in the bottom of the boat for a long nap. Fishing in the rain is something he learned to not really like from an early age. Having a puppy try to stand directly underneath you while fishing isn’t the most fun you can have on the water. Oh,I almost forgot he even has a fleece dog coat. He loves wearing his fishing coat. He knows it is designed strictly for fishing trips. When I grab that blue and black coat we get kinda crazy. Don’t laugh at us, it’s hard to stay warm just hangin out in a boat on a 35 degree day when your accustomed to warm beds and laying in Mammas lap on the couch.
Well, as I write this Hank the fisherman is on the couch (of course) and probably dreaming about his next adventure on the water with Dad. I’m planning on heading to Lake Barkley in Kentucky in the morning, do you think I should ask those magical words? “Hank, you wanna go Fishing”?