Lady “Belle” and the Fishing Pier

Each time I ride by bike down to one of the local piers in our town I meet some pretty amazing people. Just recently as I rolled to the end of the boardwalk I saw a one of those people, her name is “Lee”.  This is a woman who is well versed when it comes to fishing. Just last summer she allowed me to use one of her lines and within a matter of minutes I reeled in a Mangrove Snapper (something I learned from Lee) .  This “catch of the day”  reminded me of the many summers I spent fishing with my father at Stony Creek in Michigan,  something that I loved, but had not done in years!

Not only does Lee love to fish, she also loves her two amazing dogs, Belle and Moxie.  Both of which are just as excited about fishing as any angler I’ve ever met.  Belle  (the big black friendly dog) will let you know every time Lee casts her line by giving out a “Woof!” every time the line is released out into the water.  Moxie, the cute white fluffy one gets just as excited too. Every time Lee grabs some bait, Moxie is right there, hoping for a scrap!

Lee has entered in fishing tournaments and has fished off of nearly every pier in the Daytona Beach area.  In my opinion she has paved the way for many women anglers.  She has proven herself to be just as much a fisherman as any man who prides himself in this sport. You must understand, if you’ve ever been on a fishing pier you’ll see that the majority of the anglers are men.  Lee shared a story with me about a time when she was not very welcome.  As she toted her fishing gear onto one of our popular local piers one of the old timers said loud enough for her to hear, “No women on the pier!” That did not stop her, she continued to accomplish what she set out to do and that was to “fish!” Today she says it’s quite different, they have now welcomed her into their “tribe”.

Please allow me to encourage you. If you’re a woman and you have a love for fishing, follow your hearts desire and don’t allow anyone to intimidate you.  God created us equal. Women can accomplish any dream or goal that is in their hearts!  I know, as a woman pastor, I have had my share of men and women alike who do not believe women are called to preach. The problem is, they are ignorant of the scriptures and do not see how God used many women throughout the Bible to declare the Good News! (See my blog “Woman Preach” I give many scriptural references regarding women called of God) So if you have a dream, vision or desire to be or do anything in life, be assured that you have what it takes to make it happen!!