Thanks for having me. Been looking for a site like this for a while.
A little more about me;
I have been married to my High School sweetheart for over 32 years now and together we have raised 3 great sons. One son has recently moved to Gallatin, TN, one son lives in Illinois, and one is active Military (currently deployed) and lives in Kansas. Each of them has given us a grandchild and that keeps my wife and I traveling a lot trying to visit them as much as possible.
I was introduced to fishing at a late stage in my life by a wonderful man that was married to my mother. Unfortunately he passed away shortly after getting me started. I look forward to meeting him again some day. (I believe he is scouting out the waters in Heaven and will be able to turn me on to a few good'ins someday soon.)
Sometime in the last 7 years or so, I fell in love with Tennessee. It has been, and still is, my greatest desire to make it my home. My oldest son and his wife jumped the gun on me and moved there ahead of us. (I think it was all the praising I have done about how great the people and the natural resources are down there.)
I am what I would consider a diehard Cat fishermen. If I am not fishing for them, I am reading about them or at the very least thinking about them. I was fortunate to be able to pass that addiction on to my son and he and I have shared hundreds of hours making priceless memories. I have loved fishing with friends, but fishing with my son is the BEST! Unfortunately this is the son that has moved to Gallatin. I miss having him close by, but we fish every chance we get. I am looking forward to the day that he and his son along with myself can wet a line together. (My grandson is only 2 years old.)
I am a HUGE believer in being good stewards of our natural resources and CPR almost all my fish. I am also one that will fight to keep our rivers, streams, and lakes clean. Some of you that have lived in TN your whole life may not know this, but you are living a dream for some of us. Again, I can't say enough about all the great people I have met. And the outdoors recreation that you have is second to none!
I always worry about being "allowed" in places like TN, and even here in these forums. I was born and raised in Illinois and can't change that. Illinois is indeed a horrible place to live and I wish I had moved my family South years ago. For what its worth, I don't belong in Illinois and it sure doesn't represent who I am.
Again, thanks again for having me. I look forward to learning more about you all and perhaps meeting a few of you.
Tony
|