[April] Final Farewell [Journal Archives]

At the start of this season we stated that it was going to be a make-or-break year for us. Upon our return from the last tournament, even though the season was not yet over, we started to make some difficult assessments. We looked at where we stood with the fishing career, as well as with many other aspects of our lives, and the end result of this "reality check" is what follows.

For one thing, we came to the conclusion that moving out of the motorhome and into a house last summer perhaps signaled an unconscious shift in our priorities, and in our commitment towards fishing. Also, our assessment forced us to acknowledge that after 5+ years of effort, we have yet to nail down a top finish, or to prove either to ourselves or to anyone else that we have what it takes to compete successfully at the top level of this sport. The Potomac River tournament in April (the last one we wrote about) was a great experience, and we had a good finish, and we feel that we were closer this year than ever before to making a breakthrough, but it's just too late. The economy is in recession, our funds are drying up, and financing a fishing career without a major sponsor is simply no longer possible for us. Even more than that though, I have come to the realization that I want to spend more time with my kids before they are all off on their own. In pursuit of my dream, I have neglected my children for five long years, and I want to make it up to them, and enjoy them, before it's too late.

The decision we have arrived at is that fishing must now take a back seat to other life issues. While plans for the future may include some tournament fishing, it would be on a much smaller scale. The days of leaving home in November only to return in April are over. We will leave that phase of our lives behind, knowing that we gave it our best effort. Even though our best was not good enough, we will still take away countless memories, friends, and experiences. At least we tried, and I'm proud of that. It's better to have tried and failed than to never have tried at all.

To the hundreds of fans who've been faithfully following our career through this journal, we want to say "Thank You" for your support over the years. We received countless letters of encouragement, advising us to "hang in there," our time will come. These letters pulled us through some very discouraging times, and it meant a lot to us to know that there were people out there who believed in us.

So one final time, thank you all for reading, we hope you have enjoyed following along with our adventures. There's no telling how long we can sit still here in New Hampshire, and who knows, maybe in a few years, after the kids are gone, we'll pick up and be off on some new adventure. Until then, anyone who'd like to get in touch with us can reach us by email at Mail@DanielKeyes.com.

So long,
Keep casting,
Dan & Ann

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