DNR News
** Archived Article - please check for current information. **
April 5, 2011
Fishing with Elijah
It's no surprise to most that our outlook and priorities in life change when we become parents. I don’t think in our younger years we appreciate our parents' love until we are graced with children ourselves. My two boys, Elijah and Isaac, are a true joy to have in my life. Each day, I’m blessed to see them grow and explore the fascinating world around them, especially when it involves the outdoors.
A few years ago I began a career with the S.C. Department of Natural Resources as a biologist at the Walhalla State Fish Hatchery. Elijah was only a year and a half at the time and Isaac was still over a year from entering our lives. A new job in the area that I call home was certainly wonderful, but to have my sons grow-up around what I do every day is a blessing.
My own father would occasionally take me fishing on a Saturday morning beneath the High Falls Bridge on Lake Keowee. Our trips were few and far between, but I count them as cherished memories. The success of our trip was never measured by the size of our catch. It was about being with my father in the field and not the weight of the fish, the size of a deer rack, or the length of a turkey's spurs. I remember the tug of a line, the small bluegill caught with crickets and worms as my dad shared in my gleeful catches and the ones that got away.
I now look to similar moments to take my boys fishing and hunting, so they might carry the experience and tradition with them.
One of those began in May of 2009. I kept Elijah out of daycare that morning and he was only a few months from reaching his third birthday. It was close to the full moon and the Oconee State Park had re-opened a newly renovated fishing lake. The number of anglers would soon significantly increase, so I decided to take Elijah bream fishing. I don't recall if I even carried my rod that day. What was important was the laughter and the excitement each time Elijah felt his bobber disappear and he fought that hardy bluegill on his kid-sized rod. Our limit was only ten, but it wasn't about the quantity. It was seeing my son's developing fascination of nature's wonders. We watched the fog lift into the trees, a small turtle laid her eggs near the shore and a banded watersnake slithered nearby. All of those are indelible memories.
It's tempting in uncertain times to lose sight of the true worth of DNR's efforts, but that May our state hatcheries, lakes technicians and management personnel delivered a lasting day for a small child. Elijah often mentions our fishing trip and wants his daddy to keep taking him fishing and that is when I realized what this career is all about.
It isn’t for me, it’s for them.
Scott Poore is the manager of the Walhalla Fish Hatchery.
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