Staff photo by Matt Hamilton / Chattanooga resident Kingston Fordham, 3, fishes with his grandfather Chris Belcher at Heritage Park in early April. Fishing can be a fun way to spend the summer whether or not you’re a hunter biding your time until a new season begins in the fall.OK, sports fans, just thought I would let you in on some inside information: Summer, the season that is the favorite for many of you, is almost here. As for my little neck of the woods in the middle of the Appalachian Mountains, we have had summer-like weather for about a week now.
(Disclaimer: This weather can change without warning. Here in West Virginia, our most beautiful and impoverished state, we enjoy going from winter-like weather to spring or summer conditions in a matter of hours.)
The actual date for the start of summer this year is June 20, in case you want to have your cheap sunglasses, sunscreen, flip-flops and that really awful T-shirt you like to wear ready to go. Summer, as we have discussed here before, can be a time of waiting and anticipation for the hunter and sportsman. I am here today to submit that you need to think of it as a time to enjoy as you prepare for the glorious days of fall.
So here, in my usual no particular order, are some activities for you to enjoy this summer and maybe be a little more ready for this fall.
Go fishing. This may seem like a “duh” statement because we are talking about summer, but my fishing has really suffered in the past couple years, and as usual for most things, it is all my fault. Some of you out there are dyed in the wool, hardcore fishermen, and I would say, well, I used to be. Take the time this summer and get out there and drown some worms, or however it is you fish.