Jackson Free Press

When I was little, I wanted to be just like my older brother Shawn. I come from a large family—I'm the middle child of seven children—filled with strong personalities.

As Shawn and I got older, we fought almost daily. But our relationship has come full circle now that we're both adults. Shawn and I are good friends and enjoy spending time with each other.

We have found things we admire about the others' talents. Shawn thinks it is amazing that I am a writer. I am astonished at his building skills—I'm pretty sure Shawn could rebuild the Titanic if you gave him the time and materials. He has handcrafted masterful pieces—from furniture to a whole craft room for our mother—that I can only dream about.

Athletically, we are totally different. I prefer organized sports like football, basketball and soccer. Shawn is an outdoors sportsman, a hunter and fisherman. In a way, his skills annoy me. I can spend a day in a boat or on a riverbank and catch nothing. I can be in the woods "hunting" and shoot nothing.

Shawn can fall asleep in the woods, and deer walk up to him and stand there. It's like they're saying, "Hey, shoot me. I will be tasty." When he goes on a fishing trip, it seems like the fish jump in his boat or up on the bank, just so he can take them home for a fish fry. As far as I'm concerned, he's the best non-professional fisherman I know.

My brother enjoys spending time outdoors and has been fishing all over Mississippi. He knows some of the best places in the metro area to go fishing as well. But it is not just about catching fish, he says. Shawn enjoys taking his family with him when he goes fishing. His wife, Christy, and their three kids—daughter Darla, 15, and sons Cody, 12, and Brice, 7—all join in. Fishing is, he says, "a chance to stop and smell the roses."

"I enjoy the family time." Shawn says. "I do not worry about what is going on with the rest of the world. I forget about politics, money and bills that need to be paid."

The Flynn family fishing trips have become two-day affairs. On the first day, the kids spend their time catching crickets, grasshoppers and worms—bait, in other words. The next day is spent out on a bank somewhere fishing with the whole family.

My brother is modest (or maybe just way smarter than me) and names his wife as the best fisherperson in the family. "When we go fishing, nine times out of 10, Christy catches the biggest fish, no matter what we are fishing for," he says. His oldest son, Cody, "fishes the most," he says. "He might be the best overall fisher of all the kids."

The amazing thing, Shawn says, is that the kids enjoy it as much as he does. "None of them hates going fishing," he says. "Brice hates getting out of bed early, but everyone is excited to go."

Shawn owns a small aluminum boat, which he pulls out for special trips. The boat only seats two, so a boat trip is a special reward for good grades or behavior.

"Using the boat, and sometimes without, allows a good opportunity for one-on-one time with the kids" Shawn says.

"I think they are more open to talk about life more one-on-one than with the whole family."

If you are ever graced with the chance to go fishing with my brother and his family, you should know about this one rule: Everyone cleans what he or she catches (even if that fish is a guppy caught by a budding sportswriter).

Shawn recommends several nearby areas to fish, including Crystal Lake in Rankin County, Shadow Lake in Scott County, Legion Lake in Simpson County and, of course, the Ross Barnett Reservoir between Madison and Rankin Counties.

Fishing is an activity that doesn't require a big investment. Shawn recommends a Zepco 33, which is a good rod and reel for a minimal cost (about $24). His son Brice stands firmly by his Mickey Mouse rod and reel that he uses from the bank.

Shawn stresses that you should always know whether you are fishing in public or private waters. In public waters, you will need to purchase a fishing license ($3 and up). If you are fishing in private water, make sure you have the owner's permission to be there.

"It is all about the family time now," Shawn says. "If the fish are biting, that is just a bonus."

For more information, visit the Mississippi Department of Wildlife Fishery and Parks website (http://home.mdwfp.com). The site has information on public fishing spots across the state, family fishing, fishing tournaments and much more.