So, after dragging the kids up at way before the crack of dawn to go trout fishing with usagain, I was about fed up with the process. It seems like I aught to be getting better by now. Maybe all this hunting and fishing stuff is just not for me.
While Fred took Henry turkey hunting this weekend at his parent's farm, I decided to give pond fishing a try with Oliver. There is a pretty nice pond/lake close to the barns. Fred had an old overturned jon boat that he keeps at the water's edge, mostly for snake and mouse and other creppy crawly's habitat it seems. It's been several years since we've turned the boat over. But, we found an oar or two around the farm, flipped the boat over and gave her a try. Fishing from a boat is so nice in a farm pond because you can get away from the algae that's growing around the edge and from all the briars and sprouts that snag your lines. I thought Oliver would be good for about 45 minutes tops in the boat before he got distracted. But then I got a nice sized bass. And, then he got a nice sized bass, then two, then a sunfish. It was great. I'm not sure who was happier. Oliver for getting the fish, or me for getting up the gumption to take my son fishing without a father or husband figure to take care of all the fishing details-like getting stuck lines loose, taking the hooks out of the fish's mouths, etc.
The next morning I got up when Fred and Henry left for their turkey hunt and gave fishing another try, this time by myself. It was so quiet and peaceful. I caught a stringer full (ok, it only holds four, but who'se counting) before breakfast. Now that's satisfying.
As much as I want to like trout fishing, and I do, it surely was a good experience pond fishing. No fees. No pre-dawn drives to the trout park. No strangers shoulder to shoulder. And, several fish.
And, to my friend who asked if I would help shovel mulch for a beer this weekend, sorry that I didn't reply to that oh, so tempting offer but now you can see that I was . . . gone fishin'.
1 comment:
Honestly, to me trout fishing is to pond fishing like duck hunting is to squirrel. It's all fun but ponds and squirrels are just so much less...ostentatious?
Trout fishing is all wrapped up in traditions and formalities, things like the proper knots tying the proper leaders to the special lines dangling from the expensive rods (not poles, mind you). There's opening day, which seems to be genetically programmed in certain families. Funny hats and vests, waders and wooden handled nets dangling from stretchy cords.
It's all fun and there's not a thing wrong with it. Personally though, I'll take an old jon boat, a tube of crickets and a cheap fishin' pole any day of the week. Throw in a cooler of cold beer and a bunch of hungry blue gills and I'm in heaven.
Besides, I'd rather eat a mess of deep fried bluegills with a cold beer than trout almondine with Chardonnay anytime.
Trout makes me feel like I need to get all dressed up for dinner but I like to save my clean bibs for church. Hate to get 'em all covered in wine stains.
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