Area dads spend Father's Day in the time-honored pursuit of fish, with help of free worms

There’s no doubt some Father’s Day gifts last weekend included cologne or a neck tie. But some lucky Southland dads received the gift of worms.

It was the perfect gift for those who chose to spend their Sunday out on a quiet lake trying to catch fish.

Will County Forest Preserve officials, who typically stock bait worms at Monee Reservoir, made a point of stocking an extra supply for this particular weekend to accommodate an expected Father’s Day rush.

Plus, on this particular Sunday, they were giving them away.

Adam Rociles, who works at the reservoir, said some 100 anglers were expected to spend the day trying to relax while searching for the perfect fish.

“We expect a lot of them will show up after church to spend the rest of this holiday taking it easy,” Rociles said early on Sunday, as a dozen or so people were gathered to see if the early worm would get the fish.

Terry Layman, of Oak Forest, was celebrating his holiday with his fishing tackle, along with sons Jake and Frank and daughter Katie.

“This is a great way to spend time with my kids,” Layman said, pointing out he was teaching them a skill he hopes they will continue to use long into the future.

Layman said he tries to make it out to the reservoir in rural Will County a few times a year. “It’s a perfect place to try to catch bass, you really can catch some nice fish here,” he said, though on Sunday morning, “we haven’t had much luck yet.”

Layman said he and his kids showed up at the reservoir unaware of the Father’s Day gift of bait. “We brought our own, but it was a nice thought,” he said. “It’s a perfect gift for the day.”

Not that the bait, or fishing in general, was reserved purely for fathers.

Sheila Williamson of Crete, was out at the reservoir to catch fish with her daughter, Julianne.

“Fishing is relaxing any time,” Sheila said. “If we’re lucky, we may even catch something nice for our dinner.”

Not everybody who showed up at the Monee Reservoir made use of the free bait.

Clarence Jackson, of Markham, and his daughter, Shareice were bearing cameras and tri-pods, rather than fishing polls and tackle boxes. They wanted to take pictures of nature, including the many geese who were lined up along the reservoir’s shoreline.

“I’m taking in Mother Nature while also spending some peace and quiet with my daughter,” he said. “That sounds like a great Father’s Day to me.”