Wonder in a Child's Eyes...

[zonker]

...Well, maybe that's a little too poetic but let me tell you what I'm talking about...

I got out for a half day yesterday with the grandson and a friend of his - both 12 years old - both new arrivals to all the awkwardness of puberty. The grandson and I have been fishing together since he was 3 so we are fairly used to what to expect from each other. He loves fishing as long as we're catching fish. If things are slow he's off chasing salamandars or swimming if it is summer.

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His friend that he took yesterday had been fishing with is dad a few times but had never actually caught a fish on his own. It was always a case of reeling in dad's already hooked fish.

You can imagine then, his joy when he quickly landed a couple of trout by himself on a float and jig with no assistance other than rooting from the cheering section (me). The fish were well-hooked but he was *really hooked*! Later on the grandson wanted to go swing on a handy rope swing. His friend just wanted to fish. Finally the friend succumed the pressure and made a couple of half-hearted swings out over and into the water, then he quickly grabbed his rod and went back to fishing. Afternoon came - he was still fishing. Evening came - he was still fishing. Dark came - and had I not made it clear that we had to leave, he would still have been fishing. He's a quiet kid but he's still talking about the trip.

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I love to see a child get turned on to fishing. I spent most of the day just facilitating their fishing and catching - fishing just briefly myself. The grandson caught five nice trout. The friend caught three trout, and five bluegills and a bass. He said he'd like to go again soon. I probably could have caught a bunch of fish but I had more fun catching a new fisherman.

And since this is a tubing board, here is a pic of the "Clipper Z," my tube - sitting, waiting for inflating and the boarding that never came.

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Guess that tells my age.

z~
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Great post. Good story. You got it right. Whenever you take kids fishing...especially for the first time...make the trip about them and not about them watching you.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]TubeBabe and I worked with the Utah Youth Anglers Program this year, as instructors. We had several kids who showed up each Wednesday night for continuing instruction on the basics of fishing, followed by an hour or two on the water trying to catch some fish. Each of them caught their first fish during the program and the looks on their faces and the apparent conversion to "anglerdom" was always a joy to behold.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Us old guys have had lots of good days and will likely have many more. Take advantage of every opportunity to help the newbies get off to a good start. You can bet that those first fish will be remembered long after you and I are fishing "other waters".[/#0000ff]
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[JamisJockey]

Workin' on my boy....
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[smallmouth89]

[black][size 6]Allrrrright!!![/size][/black]
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[black][size 4]Check your P.M.[/size][/black]
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[size 4]Don[/size]
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[zonker]

Hey Jason,

Great looking boy. Bet he'll make his daddy proud. Looks like you're starting him off right.

z~
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[TubeBabe]

It is a special treat to see the excitement when the young ones are catching their own fish! I am going over to northern California next week ... taking a fishing rod for my grandson. He thinks his grandma is going to show him how to catch some fish in the pond/lake near where he lives! We'll see! I'm feeling that I'll be at a divantage because I won't have room to take my float tube.
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[zonker]

Hey Tubebabe,

[cool]I always love it when you post. We'd enjoy it if you did so more often.[cool][cool][cool]

I find it as much fun to help them catch fish as to catch them myself. (Well, almost!) My biggest problem is holding back on my own enthusiasm to take the rod out of their hand and show them all the things I've learned and know rather than allowing them to discover for themselves. I have to bite my and tie my hands behind my back sometimes. Count to ten. Walk around the block. Spit. Kick the ground. Hold back.

Leaving the tube at home might be the best thing for the relationship as it will (maybe) help you focus on the job at hand - showing them how to catch a fish. With biting fish nearby its hard not to switch into preditor mode and begin plotting an assault. (Its that way for me, anyway.) Gotta throttle back.

Best of luck to you in your mentoring the grandson. You could well give him the experience that will bear fruit for a lifetime. My earliest memories of fun times go back to a cut down steel rod, a bobber, a worm, my grandpa's boat with the red motor, and a bass that grabbed my bait just as we were getting ready to leave for home. I don't remember much more than that - except that I dragged that bass around on a stringer with grandpa telling everyone in the neighborhood how I had just caught my first bass. You would have thought I had just graduated from college. That puts fishing in your blood. The infection has never let up since then.

What part of NorCal are you going to? That's my old stomping grounds.

z~

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[TubeBabe]

[]I'll be going north of Grass Valley on Hwy 49 ... they are located just as the hwy comes out of the mountain pass.
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[gdn443]

Zonger, if we are to see the fishing improve for our grandkids we do have to get them excited. Not all will be as insane as we are but it only takes one to keep it going. Picture of mine and the younger ones first time out and her first fish that day. So far they'er both hooked. I'll have to see what happens when their teenagers.
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[Kraizee_Skot]

[font "Times New Roman"][#ff4040][size 3]Great work Uncle Z. I'm glad that my parents started me out young. I had a question though, did you take a couple passes into the water on the rope?[/size][/#ff4040][/font]
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[zonker]

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[]I'll be going north of Grass Valley on Hwy 49 ... they are located just as the hwy comes out of the mountain pass. [/reply]

Many, many years ago, when I was still playing rock music we did a concert in Grass Valley. Not that it means anything here. Just know that place.

[cool]Hope you have a great trip. Catch a big fish through your grandson. Maybe you'll have a pictorial fishing report when you return?[]

z~
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[zonker]

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[font "Times New Roman"][#ff4040][size 3]Great work Uncle Z. I'm glad that my parents started me out young. I had a question though, did you take a couple passes into the water on the rope?[/size][/#ff4040][/font] [/reply]

KS,

[cool]Are you kiddin'? I'd break my neck! Besides, I'm like the kid that just wants to fish. Saves a lot of broken bones in a lifetime as long as mine.

z~
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