Boy…… can I identify with that! My dad and I are exactly the same in that respect! I love to cast and comb and be “interactive” with the presentation and he swears up and down that he can’t catch a fish to save his life that way……. so he trolls. It works for him. My dad catered to “what worked for me” throughout my childhood so guess what? It’s payback time. Trolling bores me to tears (unless there’s a bite every other 10 seconds!) but the only way trolling gets between my dad and I is if I’m concerned about what I want. This year, my goal is not to learn to like trolling, but to learn it better than he knows it, put him on bigger and better fish, more often, and watch him have the time of his life! His joy becomes my joy. Can you imagine how it would feel to see your dad “giddy” with delight? How touched he’d be by creating a day just for him……..that’s not Father’s Day?
My dad said he’d never own a top of the line, premium quality fishing rod. Too expensive to justify. Trip after trip I’m pulling out Technas, Croixs, Loomis, Lamiglas…….. and I could see on his face that when he held that stuff next to his 40 year old fiberglass rods, he was happy I had it better than him, but deep down, he’d really LOVE to call one his own. I fished and fished until I found a rod that he really didn’t want to hand back to me………… and then I bought it for his birthday 2 months later.
Moments of giving to a relationship are what make the days worth living. All of my favorite moments and memories come from when he was nearly speechless over something I’d done for him. Just this weekend I asked him about his summer trolling plans and if he’d figured out how to keep that back boatlight out his face? He said “no” and that he’d like to find a longer shafted model, but “the stores” didn’t carry one. So I mentioned that I had to run to the boat shop anyway to look for something and suggested he come along. Maybe a dealer would carry what he wanted? We got there and we found a 48″ model…….. the last one on the shelf. I grabbed it and immediately went to diverting his attention, then bought it for him. He asked why I did it and I told him I thought it’d be a fun thing to do, and know what??? I was right! My dad bragged on me all day long to anyone who’d listen about all I’ve done to improve HIS fishing experiences in the last few years. I just said “he’s exaggerating” and grinned. 
I don’t wait to see what dad can do for me. He’s done more than I can remember and more than I can repay. I just want to be his buddy and making him happy to be with me and know me is the greatest thing I can accomplish.
Now…… we “wear different shoes” but I know what’d knock the old man’s socks off. One year, when I was 23, I wrote a poem about my dad, had it professionally printed and framed, and gave it to him for Father’s Day. It still hangs on his wall today and he still cries when he reads it. I simply talked about what some things were like for me, but in the expectation of conflict, I turned it around to say why I was glad he was my dad and what made him a hero in my eyes. CHOOSE to love him, and you will. And no man can resist the genuine love when honestly delivered from his son. It’s not about the boat….. It’s about your relationship. Just like your closest friends…… they’re bonded to you because you gave something of yourself that makes them want to be with you and be your friend. That friendship was built, and so must we build our family relations the same. Nothing in a relationship is “just because”. It must be developed. A gardener gives of his time and labor and caring knowledge to benefit the seeds and plants. In return, they bear “fruit”. Your dad is a gardner………and so are you. 
Want FOR your dad and do something that’ll knock his socks off!
Idea!
“Hey dad? Gotta minute? I’ve been thinking about things that really mean a lot to me and I think I could use some of your experience and advice. I REALLY like to fish and I always want it to be a part of my life so after I graduate and start down life’s road, I want to make sure I save up for a boat and motor. But it just dawned on me, that I don’t even have the first clue on what I should be looking for? What makes a good boat? A good motor? How can you tell that one boat is better than other?” (and in his descriptions, have him show you on his boat…….or if he asks, “understand?”, go with “I think so, but I’m not confident. Is there something you can show me?”) Ask questions and dig for HIS opinions and wisdom. This moment in showing an interest in his knowledge and/or preferences will touch his heart more than you can ever comprehend. All the while, never ask to use his boat but again, ask if he can show you sometime! Submit yourself to his fancies and before you know it, you guys will be the best of buds! He sacrifices for you. Do you think you can bear some fruit?
These days my dad gets mad if I won’t take his brand new toys out for a spin! Not because I’m good, but he has seen that I take delight in things that please him, and in that delight, I’d never do anything to threaten that. He knows I’ll take extra care because if I goof, it’ll ruin my day thinking I’ve burdened his. This took YEARS to establish…….but it works! For the things you want for you, do it yourself or team up with friends or maybe even some of us old dudes at IDA! But with your dad, want for HIM and it’ll change your world!!! Every dad wants to be a hero to his son….. help him get there………’cuz after all, he’s not Superman until you put the cape on him.
I don’t know your dad but if he’s anything like mine, all priviledges had to be earned. Long term, consistant initiative will help your relationship. Show your capability through responsibility in all things and don’t use it to barter. Dink or not, he’s probably got something he’s relating to that you haven’t identified. Get to know his history………… it’ll help direct your future. Yeah……… maybe he isn’t perfect and you’ll never see things eye to eye very well, but you can both really benefit from each other if you focus on what’s truly important in relationships. Always ask yourself if the “now THING” will mean anything five years later and keep it real. Biggest thing to remember, we can’t choose our fathers so it’s up to us to make the best of our time with the ones we’ve been given.
) He explained to me that my trouble was not good, blah, blah, blah. I responded that I haven’t been in trouble for awhile and that I was doing good.