Family Post: Birth of an Angler

My grandson Sebastian was with us over the weekend. It was high time to load up with worms and supplies and go fishing again.

You might recall that on his first trip we didn't catch anything, and Sebastian fell in the lake. I wondered whether that might dampen his enthusiasm for this trip. No worries. He was eager to get his hands on his fishing rod again.

This time the dock was free, and bluegills were back in numbers, schooling in its shadow. We baited up and Sebastian went to work. It wasn't long before he caught his very first fish ever. Let the record show that he achieved this milestone at three years of age. Way to go, kid.

He threw it back in himself, and went back to work again, and, yep, caught another one. (Thanks, bluegills.) He tried to throw this one in, too, but he discovered those needle-like spines in a gill's dorsal fin, and decided throwing fish back in was Grandpa's job.

Catching them was his job, and catch them he did. I didn't keep count, but I'd say it was seven or eight. Maybe more. He was a fishing machine.

(I think he takes after his Mom, my daughter Lidia. She used to fish with me at Trout Lake, and did very well, including a 20+ inch Rainbow caught on a little caddis dry. My hope is to get her and Sebastian to Trout Lake for some fishing from the canoe. Can't wait for him to catch a trout.)

I decided we should try another lake where he might be able to graduate to bigger bluegills. We got there and set up on a canal where my son Jeremiah and I used to have luck. As I was baiting the rod Sebastian discovered what Jeremiah had discovered before him: there are lots of good rocks here to throw in the water.

I cast the bait out into likely spots, but we got nary a bite. So we moved down to where the canal enters the lake and tried there. No bites here, either. But Sebastian didn't care. It was a hot day, and there was a perfect place for wading. So first his shoes and socks and jeans came off.

Then his shirt. Someday he will be able to say truthfully that he's been fishing since he was in diapers.

Finally everything came off and he was Mowgli by the jungle watering hole. (Jeremiah, in his day, went in at this exact spot.)

Meanwhile, nothing was biting. It was finally time to go. He really didn't want to leave, so I promised him we'd go fishing again the next day.

And we did. We went back to the dock, ate some lunch (say "Cheese!") and then offered some lunch to the bluegills.

Sebastian knew just how to do it.

Bingo.

The smile says it all. I think the population of anglers has definitely increased by one.

Fish Kitsch: Bad Post Cards

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Fishing Is Good For You

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Source: Fix.com

Lake Lemon Report: Tops

I'm going to miss the lake opener at home tomorrow, but I went fishing today.

I'm in Indiana visiting my daughters and grandkids. Iris just turned two, so she, her mother Laura, and I went to the store today so she could pick out one of her presents from Grandpa--a fishing rig. I had been thinking of it, but wondered if Laura would think she was too young. So I was glad when Laura herself brought it up. Laura and I had some good fishing trips together when she was a girl.

Iris ignored the pink princess poles and went straight to a red and yellow Cars rig. Good choice.

After lunch we went outside and dug some worms. We were ready for Iris's very first fishing trip.

This is Lake Lemon. Laura called it a little lake but it's pretty good-sized. There were guys out in boats looking serious about their early season tactics.

We rigged up and cast out. I baited the hook and did the casting and Iris held the rod and learned how to reel in the bobber. She liked that part.

She knew from what we had told her that the bobber would move when a fish ate the worm so she kept a sharp eye on that bobber. But it didn't move.

Iris got a little bored after awhile, so Laura picked up the rod and cast out..and down goes the bobber. Laura hasn't lost her touch.

A largemouth bass, or what Laura once called a "loudmouth bass" when she was little. Iris was very impressed and excited, agreed that the fish was very pretty, but did not want to touch it. We put it back into the lake and watched it swim away.

We decided to take a walk along the lake shore, but before we left the bank I tried a few more casts. Nope. Laura outfished me again.

We wandered down to an overlook and Laura and Iris spent some time throwing rocks into the water.

Iris got crazy with the multiple launch.

But it was finally time to walk up that beautiful green hill and head for home.

I'll have some great fishing trips this season, but I'm sure I don't need to tell you that none of them will top this one.