The Sportsman's Corner

I hope sportsmen reading this column have been preparing for Valentine's Day. Most of us should come up with a card for our wives. Many of us might visit a florist and bring home a bouquet of flowers. A lot of us ought to take our wives out for dinner at one of the area's nicer restaurants. Sportsmen's wives deserve any or all three of these things. After all, they tolerate our many absences as we pursue our favorite fish and game.

(Sportswomen: I know this column is a little sexist. Maybe you could apply some of it to your husbands.)

Anyhow, I have missed properly celebrating Valentine's Day only once during my 44-year marriage – and that had nothing to do with fishing or hunting. Afterwards, Donna reminded me, "This is the first time we have not gone out on Valentine's Day."

I have never repeated that mistake.

I guess some people might think I'm making a big deal of sportsmen's remembering to celebrate Valentine's Day, but I certainly owe Donna at least an evening out to try to make up for the many times I leave her at home when I am fishing or hunting. The number of my absences is significant.

I doubt whether I visit trout streams as often as I once did: I once fished more than 150 days during a year. I have learned not to count the days I now fish in an effort to win some "husband of the year" consideration. "Oh, big deal, Rich," one of my friends told me when I said I was fishing less often. "You're still out fishing a hundred days a year."

Since I also spend a number of days and evenings tying flies for the next season, Donna knows I'll be isolated in my fly-tying room for significant amounts of time as I try to get prepared for the upcoming season. In addition, when I can find a book of trout tales that I haven't read or that I want to re-read, she knows she'll be sitting alone as I try to pick up some fly-fishing tips.

Spring and fall turkey seasons are also causes for my absences. One year I spent more than 30 days in the woods before I finally tagged a turkey. I am afraid I might need even more time to run one down than I previously have since I am now over 70.

At the very least, I owe my wife an evening out on Valentine's Day. I imagine most other sportsmen do, too.