Fishing Report: Tight Lines, Aedan

I'm back from my trip. It was a wonderful few days bonding with my grandsons, Aedan, 3, and his new baby brother, Liam.
It was also a chance for me to give Aedan his birthday present in person: a Spider Man fishing rig, including red shades. Who wouldn't want that?
By the time Aedan and I were able to get away for his first fishing trip the shades were broken. But not our hopes.

We set up on a little pond in the development they live in. It was clear from all the swirls and dimples on the water that the place was a Bluegill honeyhole. I had refrained from buying any bait, figuring, in my grandpa way, that it would be fun and educational to dig for a few worms.

We dug, but found nary a worm. So I told Aedan I was going to go look for some bugs in the tall grass. He got a very worried look on his face. "Bugs?" he said. "I don't like bugs!" I reassured him, and he agreed I could take a look. But, no bugs either.

Meanwhile he had found a plastic worm in the grass. So we broke off a piece of its flat tail, hung it from the hook under a big, round bobber and cast it out. These are Bluegill, after all. But, I admit, I had my fingers crossed. I really wanted him to catch a fish.

At this stage he was a little leery of getting too close to the water.

About that time nature called. So we took care of that. What's a fishing trip without getting to pee outdoors?
Then Aedan settled down and got serious.
And, what do you know, a fish took the plastic worm tail. I'm brilliant.

Aedan had been practicing at home, so he was able to crank it in to shore in short order.
Nice fish, Aedan! Notice the humility; just like Grandpa Jim.

That broke the ice, and he forgot all about the chair and began roving up and down the bank whacking the weeds with the rod, and reeling in as soon as I cast out. I thought he was just too impatient to let the "bait" sit. But no, he obviously had a strategy, because on one of those fast retrieves a little fish darted out of the weeds and hooked himself. The kid is brilliant, too.

After that triumph it was time to celebrate, so it was off to "Donald's."

As on every fishing trip I have ever been on, it was time to talk about the great time we had.


And, why not hit DQ, too.

What a great fishing trip! It ranks right up there with the Henry's Fork, the Grande Ronde, the South Platte, you name it.

So thanks, Aedan. I'll go fishing with you anytime.

Tight lines, buddy.