Being There: The Joys of RVing and Fishing

I started fishing when I was about six years old. I was in British Columbia with my father, and we went into one of those old, classic bait and tackle shops to look around. It just so happened that the shop had a beautiful Clearwater rod and reel hanging on the wall. I remember staring at it and thinking it was such a cool piece of equipment, and I begged my father to buy it for me. So, he did and that’s where it all started for me. I’ve been fly fishing ever since.

Our Condo On Wheels

I was fortunate to grow up around boats and RVs, and the times I spent in the RV with my family are some of my favorite memories. We took it everywhere: Colorado, Montana, Idaho, even British Columbia. We would spend months at a time up in British Columbia living out of the RV and fishing for salmon. After my kids were born, I wanted to get an RV for my family and give them those same experiences. We bought a pop-up camper to start, and then eventually upgraded to our 2013 Keystone Passport, which I refer to as our “condo on wheels.” It has all of the amenities we need, we each have our own space and, best of all, it allows me to be as close to the water as possible.

The Real Joy

I find a lot of peace when I’m fishing. I consider it less of a sport and more of an experience—it’s not so much about catching a fish as it is about being there, in the moment, without any distractions. Of course I want to catch a fish but that doesn’t always happen, or it doesn’t happen right away. Much like RVing, fishing requires a lot of patience. You take one step at a time and you never know what the conditions are going to be like or what you’ll run into, but you get through it.

With anything in life, whether it’s RVing or fishing, you plan and you learn. But the most important thing is actually doing it. Some people try to analyze and prepare, but they never actually do it; they worry something might happen. And yes, something might happen—you might snag your line on a tree or get a flat tire but the real joy comes from doing it. The real joy comes from being there and experiencing it.