Passing of the fishing Gene - Sorry but this is a bit long...

[TrepMan]

I just had to post this picture and tell my "friends" the story of how I got hooked on fishing.



At 2pm tomorrow my wife's family will be saying Good Bye to Eugene B. James, my wife's dad, a father, a grandfather, an Airforce Veteran, a Metalurgist, a fisherman and one of the best people i've ever met. I was looking through our pictures today to see if there were any realy good unique ones to email them for his memorial gathering tomorrow and found this one. It realy is an amazing photo when I think about it, Eli's and his Grandpa holding Gene's last fish (Gene FINALY was the only one in 6 years to beat Eli fishing! It was Gene 1, and Eli 0 that day in November 2005).



For those of you new to this site, I didn't take up fishing until the fall of 1992. I married my wife Beka on June 16, 1991, and in the fall of 1992 her dad called me and asked "Hey Mike, do you want to come to Canada next fall and go fishing with the James Boys?" What was I to think? I'm a Golfer, a GREAT indoorsman (as my Dad, who passed away 2 1/2 years ago used to call himself), not a fisherman!! But... I thought...mmm this is my Father-n-law inviting me to join him, his 2 sons and their uncle in a fishing trip... Well the answer was not as simple as it might seem. I didn't want to be the "wussy" computer kid going "fishing" in the great Ontario wilderness and look like a nerd!!! So... I told Gene i'd let him know next week. The very next morning I asked a guy in my office who I knew went Bay fishing (we were living in Houston and he fished Galveston bay every weekend) to take me out. I told him that I NEEDED to do it all myself from baiting the hook, holding the fish to cleaning it and everything inbetween. I need to know if I could do this, and be part of the "family"...



Well the rest is history, we hooked up with an amazing amount of Specs (spotted sea trout) and Sand trout at the first place we anchored. I did it all, including cleaning the fish and bringing it home and cooking it for Beka. After dinner I told Beka, it was 2 weeks before my 26th birthday - "take back anything you got me, and we'll do a trip with Chris to the fishing store, I NEED fishing stuff!!!".



I went on that first trip with Gene in September 1993, my 2 brother-n-laws (George and Tom) and Gene's Brother-n-law Uncle Kipp, and have been "hooked" on fishing ever since. So when I titled this post "Passing of the fishing Gene" I realy meant it. If Gene had not asked me to join his "mens" trip to Canada, I would not have ever gotten into fishing, have enjoyed myself so much, owned 5 boats, met a lot of folks on this site, and more importantly... been able to share and pass the "fishing Gene" on to my youngest son Eli.



On Thursday January 26th I didn't just loose a Father-in-law, I lost a friend and a fishing buddy. I could not have asked for a better set of in-laws, and will miss Gene greatly.



Thanks for "listening", and may we all remember those of our families and friends who are no longer with us in person, but will live on forever in our hearts...

 

[Ken Neeley]

Trep,

Normally you bring a tear to my eye from the gut-busting laughter of listening to all your antics.....and experiencing many of them first hand.



But tonite, this has brought a tear to my eye in sad rememberance of the family of mine that has passed before me.



I RIGHT-CLICKED and SAVED that pic....it is truly inspiring.



May God be with you and yours tomorrow, my friend.



PS.....my middle name is Eugene...after my own Grandfather. :wub:

 

[Carlos Hathcock III]

Trep,

WOW, no others words....



Thanks



Carlos

 

[JD Johnson]

<__________________________>

 

[TrepMan]

Thanks guys. We truly were like night and day, but found the "common groung" in our fishing together. We came from completely different backgrounds, religion, personalities and so on...but we both but those aside to become Family.



Trep

 

[Jim B]

Trep

Thats a great story. Im truly sorry for your loss.



It reminded me of all the good times i spent with both my Father and Grandfather fishing pretty much from the time i could hold a rod. My Grandfather was a bass fishing fanatic, it was all he ever wanted to do until the day he died. I remember him being so excited when i ordered my first bass boat. He couldnt wait to get out on it and fish, but the cancer he had wouldnt let him. He died the night before i was going to take dilevery of my brand new Champion boat. I still bums me out to this day that he never got the chance to get on that boat, he really would have loved it.



Im sorry if i hijacked your post a bit, i just wanted to share that story.

 

[Dan J.]

God Bless you Gene James!!! God Bless you too Michael, Beka and your families! Gene may have passed, but he is not gone. He will always be with you, and with us, in your memories and your sharing of wonderful experiences including him. Keep him and your Canada trip alive, if possible. It would seem like a fitting tribute to someone you hold so dear. Again, God Bless and as I pray I will ask Gene to save us a few for when we see and meet him next on that Great Golden Pond in the hereafter!!

 

[Texas Transplant]

I only 'knew' Gene the one week last fall, when we all went to Canada for the James Gang semi-annual fishing trip. What a wonderful week. As it turned out, Gene and I spent quite a number of hours together, both in the boat and at the cabin. As the two 'senior members' of our crew last fall, neither of us particularly wanted to venture out when the weather was on the rocky side (which we experienced quite a bit).



It gave me the chance to really get to talk with Gene, and get to know him. The highlight of the trip for me was twice. First, it was when Gene proclaimed that he liked fishing with me because I didn't treat him like the elder member of the family, just as another angler. It was really one of the nicest things someone could ever say.



The second was as we were departing. As we were splitting up at the airport, Gene was going to have no part in waiting to see if I would come back again. To paraphrase Gene, 'you're now part of the James Family, and we expect you to come back with us on our next trip'.



Hopefully on the next trip to Canada, we'll all get the chance to share stories about Gene and the things that he loved. Fishing, his work, but most importantly those stories he had about his best memories/possesions - his family.



It was truly an honor knowing him, if only for a short period of time.



Tex

 

[Texas Transplant]

This picture was taken during our trip to Canada. It's late one evening, and when I saved it, I titled it 'Last Bite of the Day'. It's Gene and his son's Tom and George, fishing on Lake Larus, in Ontario, Canada.

Tex

 

[TrepMan]

Jim - No issue and thanks for sharing your story too. Too many times we don't spend the time to just make "contact" with our families, regardless of where they live and what part of their life they are in.



Aaron - I hope you got a hold of your Dad!



Trep

 

[Dan Sullivan]

........Very nice Trep........very nice.



Sorry about your loss

 

[Craig Roberts]

Great story Trep. God bless your family.



Craig

 

[Mark Hofman]

That is a great story, Trep, and very well written. I pray that the memories will always stay so fresh and vivid in your mind. My wife tells me to "live outside your box once in awhile", and because of that I've tried new things and liked some of them.



MOFish

 

[TrepMan]

Thanks guys, well Beka's back home, she's up stairs resting, this week has taken a lot out her emotionaly. I took the boys out after school yesterday for an hour or so of Crappie fishing "Grandpa Style" in his memory, which means jigs and minnows. We got 3 nice crappie in an hour, and the boys called their Grandma to tell her why and what we did. They are filleted and we'll have fish for dinner tonite with Beka, and remember her dad.



Trep

 

[William H. (Bill) Barham]

A very, very nice story Michael and you made me cry darn ya... I never knew either of my Grandfather's and I've always regretted that. Thanks for the story. I'm happy that I know you.



Bill

 

[Dan Nevill]

Mike,



A great story about Bekas Dad. Just laid my Dad to rest today. It was harder than I thought it would be. Spent lots of time talking with his old Navy buddies and fishing buddies. They all live to fish. Looking forward in learning the fly rod this year. He was my best friend.



Thanks again for the great story.



Dan



Karen and the girls are on their way back tonight. I'm driving home on Saturday.See ya next week.

 

[TrepMan]

Dan - I'm glad you got to see your dad last weekend, before his passing. Beka is home and resting, I think she has to work tonite and this weekend, so if you want to come over on Sunday afternoon and check on the boat, let me know.



Drive safely and give your Mom a hug for us.



Trep