ENDEAVOR to PERSEVERE
Originally Published the Week of Dec. 17, 2019 in Western Outdoor News Publications
I know it’s the holiday season.
Christmas is still two weeks away and I don’t wanna sound like the Grinch. I love Christmas!
However, a couple of nights ago, I was overdosing on Christmas movies. One-after-the-other on TV non-stop.
Ever been there? A little too much sugar and spice at one time?
All the Hallmark movies end the same. Pretty girl falls in love with the good-looking guy in the cute Christmas village.
Clarence gets his wings with the help of Jimmy Stewart and a Wonderful Life.
Charlie Brown and his little tree give us the true meaning of Christmas.
Bing Crosby had his White Christmas after all.
Y’know, as much as I love Christmas movies, there’s only so much sweetness and goodness a guy can take in a row. So, I did a 180 with the TV remote.
I popped on Clint Eastwood and “The Outlaw Josey Wales.” Yea!
Nothing like a squinty-eyed Clint with a big pistol in his hands to bring a guy’s testosterone levels back in line.
Hardly Christmas stuff, but what the heck…
There’s some gems in there. You may remember, actor Chief Dan George as the old Indian Lone Watie. He says to Josey Wales (Clint Eastwood)
“Endeavor to persevere.”
It’s a phrase that kinda stuck with me. In fact, I was reminded of it just a few days ago.
Jerry and his buddy, Alex, have been fishing with our operation in La Paz for about 10 years. Jerry wrote me an e-mail asking for suggestions on what kind of fishing gear to get for Alex for Christmas.
Not an unusual question on its face. But, the e-mail had some “involved” questions about “dual drags” and “graphite rods vs. fiberglass.” There were questions about “knife jigs” and “colors of trolling lures.” Did I know anything about “retrieve ratios” for fishing reels?
Let me put this in context.
Ten years ago, Jerry and Alex when they first came to visit, they couldn’t catch a fish if fish jumped in the boat. In fact, they had never fished in the ocean, let alone fishing in Mexico.
They weren’t terrible.
Let’s just say they were “inexperienced.”
They fumbled with rods and reels. They tried to tie knots that came undone. They busted rod tips and tangled lines. Hooks ended up catching hats and clothes. Open tackle boxes tipped over spilling all manners of “stuff” on the floor.
We’ve all been there in some way, shape or form. But these two brothers just couldn’t get the hang of it.
Fish were lost. Bites were missed. How can they be the ONLY boat in my fleet that comes back with zero fish during a wide-open bite?
Not just one day…almost every day.
I try to make a point every day of talking to each of my fishermen to check on them. And every day, Jerry and Alex had the longest faces.
And a lot of questions They couldn’t understand why everyone else was catching fish except them.
Every day, I’d answer their questions. We would try to figure out where their technique was off. Try to rally and encourage them.
But, pretty much everything they tried just complicated it. In my mind, they were simply thinking too much and trying to hard. Concepts like how to pin a bait were concepts that just couldn’t grasp.
But, give ‘em credit, they hung in there.
When I bid them “adios” and thanked them for visiting, I was sure they wouldn’t come back.
I shook their hands. All I could say was, “Hope you had a good time and I’m sorry you didn’t catch more fish.” What else could I say?
They shook my hand and thanked me and one of them smiled and said, “Endeavor to persevere” as he ducked into the shuttle van.
Endeavor to persevere? OK. Whatever.
At the time, I figured it meant, “O well, that’s fishing.” See ya around.
Like I said, I thought I’d never see them again.
But, every year, they returned.
Every year they got a little better. It took a bit, but the next year, they caught a few more fish although they still bumbled. And they still had a mound of questions each day after fishing.
And, normally pretty shy guys, I saw them talking to other fishermen too.
And each year, they got a bit better. So, did their gear.
That first year, it was like some kid at Walmart or Target sold ‘em a bill of goods and made a helluva commission. They came with so much junk they were told they “must have” to fish in Mexico. I felt sorry for them.
But the more they learned and watched, the better the gear got. It was good to see.
Other guys were still catching more and bigger. But Alex and Jerry were starting to have more fun.
Not one time in all those years did I hear them bitch about anything. It was never “the captain’s fault” or “the weather and current” or “bad bait.”
They hung in there. They persevered. And they got better.
And it was more fun for me too. Anyone in this business likes to have folks enjoying themselves.
I reminded the guys about that first year and them saying “ Endeavor to persevere”. Apparently, they were fans of Josey Wales too.
Alex told me, “Clint never gives up. “
Simple as that. No other explanation needed. And then he asked me how to tie a San Diego knot.
I think I’m gonna get a t-shirt that says, “Endeavor to Persevere.” Wise words to hold onto. No matter what you’re doing.
That’s my story!
Jonathan
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Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004. Along with his wife and fishing buddy, Jilly, they own and run the Tailhunter International Fishing Fleet in La Paz, Baja, Mexico www.tailhunter.com.
They also run their Tailhunter Restaurant Bar on the famous La Paz malecon waterfront. If you’d like to contact him directly, his e-mail is: jonathan@tailhunter.com
Or drop by the restaurant to say hi. It’s right on the La Paz waterfront!
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Jonathan Roldan’s
Tailhunter International
Website:
www.tailhunter-international.com
Mexico Office: Tailhunter International, 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico
U.S. Mailing Address: Tailhunter International, 8030 La Mesa Blvd. #178, La Mesa CA 91942
Phones:
from USA : 626-638-3383
from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863
.
Tailhunter Weekly Fishing Report: http://fishreport.jonathanroldan.com/
Tailhunter YouTube Video Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBLvdHL_p4-OAu3HfiVzW0g
“When your life finally flashes before your eyes, you will have only moments to regret all the things in life you never had the courage to try.”
