Fishing in the Central Valley: A father’s legacy of fishing, family and lifelong lessons

Father’s Day releases a flood of deep emotions and memories of what my father meant to me and the lessons he passed on to me that continue to shape my life, even at age 73.

My father, Warren Dale George, was born in Compton, California, on March 27, 1931, to Louis T. George and Retha O. George.

He was in the Air Force before becoming a farmer/rancher. He was tough, disciplined and about the strongest-willed man I’ve ever known.

He was 77 years old when died far too soon on Sept. 21, 2008.

In many ways, it feels as if he is still with me, giving his opinion and direction whenever I hit a snag. I bet many of you also know exactly what your father would say in some situations, since that rudder remains inside.

Our many hunting and fishing trips together created some of the strongest and most important memories that became clearer and stronger after he died in 2008.

Oh yeah, we had our disagreements, especially during my teenage years, but beneath it all, we remained friends as our times together bound us ever closer as the years went by. My first thought after almost everything I did was to call my dad and tell him all about it. His stamp of approval trumped it all, even when it felt like the world was against me.

One of his highest priorities was teaching me what it meant to be a good sportsman, always doing the right thing. It didn’t matter whether anyone was there to see. Doing the right thing was a non-negotiable standard that you followed through, no matter how inconvenient it was. You always considered the impact your actions had on other people and nothing less .

Woe to anyone who broke this law, it wasn’t tolerated. Many would say that he had an old fashioned kind of moral compass but even in today’s world, I think it’s still the best one.

He was my mentor and my role model. He taught his kids to work hard. (I knew better than to act like I wasn’t busy, there was plenty of work on the turkey ranch where I grew up, and he would put me on the next project that needed some sweat equity.

That was both the good and bad news for me. Being the oldest in a family of four children, I was the one expected to set the example and toe the line. Whining was not permitted, unless you were close to dying. The flip side of working hard was that we went fishing or hunting when the work was done.

The lesson: there was a payoff when you put in an honest effort.

Lastly, it was important to him to build an outdoors legacy for us, one that grew close family ties and love for each other. Spending time together stabilized us and became a glue to hold us together during the tough times and inspire us to do the same for the next generation.

Now it’s my turn to pass it on to my son David, 37. We plan to fish together on Father’s Day. Full circle. I know my dad, Warren, would be proud.

Happy Father’s Day. And never give up.

This story was originally published June 13, 2025 at 12:00 PM with the headline "Fishing in the Central Valley: A father’s legacy of fishing, family and lifelong lessons."