Is My Dad Gay If He Keeps Going on Fishing Trips With "the Boys"?
One of our earliest users sent in a tip about her dad's fishing trips. We opened a file. This is the file.
By the Gay-I Research Desk · · 3 min read
The Gay-I Verdict
Gay-I Reading: 9%No, going on fishing trips with "the boys" does not make your dad gay. After a full review, the Gay-I Research Desk concluded that most dads who take repeated fishing trips just like getting away from the family for a few days. Phew.
This dossier began with a tip. A user wrote to us: "Dad started going on multiple fishing trips with 'the boys'. I thought he might be gay but it turns out he just likes getting away from the family. Phew!" She had already solved the case. We investigated anyway, because that is what we do with our afternoons.
Below is everything our researchers collected. We have organized it the way real investigators would, or at least the way they do it on television.
Case Background: How the Fishing Trips Started
It is almost always the same pattern. Dad goes on one fishing trip. He comes back rested in a way nobody in the house has seen since the late 2000s. A second trip appears on the calendar. Then a third. Soon the family is referring to "the boys" as if they were a real organization with a membership roster, which in a sense they are.
The boys are usually three to five men he has known for a long time. Our researchers could not determine how many of them actually enjoy fishing. We suspect it is fewer than all of them.
Fish Caught vs. Fish Discussed
Our most important metric was the ratio of fish caught to fish talked about afterward. Across the trips we reviewed, the boys caught very few fish. They discussed a great many. One dad described a bass he lost in such detail that our team briefly believed it had a name.
The Gay-I logged each piece of evidence and scored it on the usual five-point scale.
| Signal | Gay-I Strength | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fish actually caught | Typically one, typically small, typically released "to be sporting." | |
| Fish described at dinner afterward | Several. Each one larger than the last. All of them got away. | |
| Wakes up at 4:30 a.m. without complaint | He has never done this for anything involving his children. | |
| Brings a new hat back from the bait shop | He now owns eleven of these hats. | |
| Says "the boys" with real warmth | This is what friendship sounds like. The Gay-I recorded it and moved on. | |
| Comes home noticeably calmer | This is the actual finding. Please see the conclusion. |
Evidence Review: The Cooler and the Cabin
The cooler was examined first. A fishing cooler is meant to hold fish on the way home. The coolers we reviewed held soda, a family-size bag of beef jerky, four sandwiches from a gas station, and ice. On the drive back they held the same items, minus the sandwiches, plus the one small fish.
The cabin was examined second. It has no television, no Wi-Fi, and a refrigerator that makes a noise. There is a deck of cards with 49 cards in it. Nobody can get a phone signal unless they stand at the end of the dock and hold the phone up, which is convenient, since that means nobody can call to ask when he is coming home.
- One cabin, five cots: Cost decision. Somebody snores. Everyone knows who.
- Hours spent fishing: About four per day, much of it spent re-tying a line.
- Hours spent sitting on the dock not talking: About nine per day. This appears to be the main event.
- Calls home: One, on the last day, from the end of the dock.
Conclusion: He Just Wants a Break From the Family
After a full review of the cooler, the cabin, and the fish ratio, the Gay-I Research Desk reached the same conclusion our original tipster did. Dad is not up to anything. Dad would simply like to sit somewhere quiet where nobody needs him to find the remote, sign a permission slip, or explain the router.
We noticed the same pattern in our golf trip risk assessment and in the lawn as a love language study. Many dad hobbies are really a structured way to be outside and alone with your thoughts while holding something. The fish are just there.
For the record, none of this could ever tell you a person's sexuality. A fishing trip tells you he likes fishing trips, and that is all it tells you. If you want a reading anyway, you can upload a photo of him holding the small fish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it gay if my dad keeps going on fishing trips with the boys?
No. Our full investigation found that most dads go on repeated fishing trips because they enjoy a few quiet days away from home. The fish are mostly incidental.
Why does my dad keep going on fishing trips but never catches anything?
Because catching fish is not really the point. Our researchers found that dads on fishing trips spend more time sitting on the dock than fishing, and they seem very happy about it.
Who are "the boys" my dad goes fishing with?
Usually three to five men he has known for years. They communicate mainly through nods and complaints about the cabin refrigerator.
Should I be worried that my dad likes getting away from the family?
Not really. Wanting a few days of quiet is very common, and most dads come home calmer than they left. He also brings home a hat.
Can a fishing trip tell you if your dad is gay?
No. Hobbies and trips cannot tell you anything about someone's sexuality. A fishing trip tells you that your dad likes fishing trips, or at least likes the dock.
The joke is on stereotypes, not on anyone's dad. Nothing on this page can tell you anything about a real person's sexuality. If your dad has actually come out, start here instead.
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