note:Wrh submitted a fishtale and video about a recent trip with his son. Coincidentally, Jeremy and his wife had just taken their young son on his first fishing trip, and they had video too. So, this fishtale and video is a collaborative effort between Wrh, William, Jeremy and Finn.
Wrh & William: My most enthusiastic fishing partner. Today I went out with my 4 yr. old son, William,fishing for the first time this summer. We had a blast and managed to catch a few sunnies and one small largemouth. More importantly it was the enthusiasm that William had for fishing that makes him such a great fishing partner. I had to end the trip before he was done the reason being that part of the focus of these early trips is to keep them short and successful. I eagerly look forward to more outingswith William this summer. William’s part of the story as told to me: “This funfishing trip was a great time. I loved most catching my fish, they were very fun. I liked seeing my worms and putting them in my bucket. Love William Hill.”
Jeremy & Finn: I had all my gear. Fly rod, reel, line, flies and a huge back pack to strap Finn on my back. The weather was warm and mom was following with a bag of snacks, bottles and pacifiers. We made our way through the woods and arrived at the Brook Trout run. Finn was pointing at everthing and looking back to make sure his mom was close by. Finn settled into the groove. His eyes were focused on the water and I could feel him pulling on my ears every now and then. This was a huge success already because Finn had not soiled his diapers yet and his mellow disposition was still intact. I made an upstream cast and Finn whispered, “mend your line…keep that drift going.” Ok, he did not do that, I did that. Then the Brook Trout took the fly and the battle was underway. The excitement was spectacular and Finn was still pulling on my ear. I think he did notice when the fish came off, but maybe not. So, we forged onward, pounding the water relentlessly. Finn was growing weary and the full 10 minutes on the water was beginning to take its toll. He was growing anxious. Constantly turning his head and pointing at his mom and looking towards the bag with his bottle in it. But he was tough and hung in there. It paid off. A beautiful Brook Trout took his fly and we landed our first fish together. It was a moment I will never forget and one that he will never remember.
That’s so nice.
I had real pleisure watching your video, seeing father and sons sheared this moments.
For sure, they’ll be soon good fisherboys!!
Sounds like fishing with Greg. The full ten minutes on the water before he grows anxious, part anyway. I am not sure about the soild diaper.
It is always nice to have someone else around to share the joy of the catch. I can’t imagine the feeling of sharing something you are so passionate about with a little one of your own creation. Excellent.
Great stories. I always say, Kids won’t remember what they catch or how, they just remember they had fun and it sure looks like they did. When they grow up, they will enjoy fishing and they won;t even realize why.
I like the last line of your story. He’ll always have the video – when he’s 80 he’ll think he remembers the trip.
that brings up an interesting point that i often think about … finn, being born into these digital times, willlhave gigabytes upon gigabytes of digital content (video and pictures) to look at when he gets older … seriously … all the way from his birth to the present time .. my wife and i capture and archive and store and back up everything,…. people often forget that this is a new concept … i mean if i want to see pics of me as a child .. they are burried in some sort of shoe box .. video was pretty much out of the question … nowadays … the opposite is true and if the content is archived and stored appropriately .. finn will be able to view his entire life by year, months and even days ….. imagine what the possibilities will be when he has kids ….. the technology we have available to us now, will be viewed much the same as we currently view the photos in the shoe box — but the difference is that once its digital … it is preserved, as is, until the content is corrupted or lost …
interesting times .. and certainly cool to think about …. finn will not know a world without digital technologies, internet, cell phones etc…. without getting into the good or bad of it … i am merely saying it is a reality … and he will probably be typing before using a pen or pencil to write …. …. that is why i hope he enjoys fly fishing at least a fraction as much as i do .. because with all the technology in the world … i love to get out on the water and escape it … but then again … i love to bring the digital camera with me …:)
My fondest fishing moments the last few years have been watching my son and daughter catch fish.
From ice fishing to stripers, their smiles are what it’s about.
Nice story. Don’t underestimate the memory of a youngster. I wasn’t more than three or four the first time I fished with a “toy” rod with a Xmas ornament hook on the end of my line. I still remember it, even down to some of the features of the creek.
Finn will be the reason Lefty takes up sewing. He’ll be ready by age 3 and be giving casting lessons by age 5. He should be in Orvis advertising, he really has an honest opinion. Show him a reel and if he cries it’s out, if he wants to play with it it’s in.