ANYONE who knows the Seeto boys of lureandfly.com, knows that they are extremely family-orientated, with us wives and kids often travelling up and down the east coast to be there to support them during fishing tournaments, and the subsequent weigh-ins and presentations.
I can’t speak on behalf of Greg and Ian, but I know that at the beginning of each year, once receiving the bream tournament calendar, Chris proceeds to allocate his four weeks annual leave to his preferred events. Hence, when I can, I try to align my annual leave with his, to try and “spend time together”.
Now whilst Greg, Ian and Chris truly believe that this is spending quality time with their respective families, reality is that it is really Nicky, Lauren and myself who spend sister-in-law bonding time together, whilst we find local parks to entertain and amuse the kids. I guess we figure it is better than nothing. I mean after all who could resist a weekend away where you get to sit in a living room watching television – whilst there are three Seeto brothers and often other fishing friends rigging up, discussing lures, locations and tactics, with rods, reels and tackle boxes everywhere – to then be disturbed at the crack of dawn as they get ready and leave for either a pre-fish or tournament day.
We are then left all day, watching the clock to ensure we are back at the weigh-in time, to come back to the accommodation for the boats to be washed, for the boys to rig up once again, and then go straight to bed because they’re tired and have to get up early to do it all over again.
Two or three days of this is alluring, yes?
My brother’s wife would say absolutely not, and cannot understand why I haven’t sold Chris’s boat already, but reality is, I have seen some beautiful places throughout Australia, and have actually looked forward to weekends away like this, to escape the Sydney hustle and bustle.
Fortunately for me, I also get on well with Nicky and Lauren, and absolutely adore my nieces and nephews, and hence enjoy our time together.
Whilst at times over the years I have felt as though I was lower on Chris’s priority list than his love of fishing, I will never ask him to choose between myself or fishing, or make him give up what he loves. Who am I to wipe that smile off his face? He is out in the fresh air and great outdoors, ‘perfecting’ his skills, making new friends, and spending time with his brothers. He could be off drinking in the pub every night or gambling our house away but instead, he is off fishing, and writing about fishing, to share this passion of his with others. If there was an equivalent to “happy wife, happy life”, I would use it.
I have realised that it is not a matter of him preferring fishing over spending time with me, it is about him having an outlet and a means for him to unwind, so that I don’t have the grumpy and stressed Chris after a day at work, but rather the happy and carefree big kid Chris, after a day on the water. Well … only if he catches what he’s chasing … but that’s a whole other story!
Emma Seeto is the latest addition to the Seeto family. After recently marrying the youngest Seeto, Chris, Emma officially became a fishing widow.
