Monday, July 9, 2012

Telling Fish Stories...

This morning I woke at 4:15am to prepare for a fishing excursion.

I never thought I would EVER say that in my life.

Ever.

I was terribly tempted to roll over and go back to bed, but I knew in about 30 minutes there would be a car waiting in my driveway. Rods were prepped and ready, worms were purchased, and snacks were packed.  We were about to catch this fish!

So, I rolled out of bed and attempted to get ready. I fumbled around in the dark and tried not to wake the rest of the house.  When there were a few minutes left, I went into my son's room to get him ready. He's not a morning person, but he jumped out of bed. He'd been waiting for this day for quite some time.

We'd been practicing casting in the yard, and Tom had been over teaching him how to fish. He had been on the fishing hype for weeks now, and he was READY.  He was beyond tired, but he was still enthusiastic.

Shortly before 5am our ride arrived. We packed into the car and took off to the Holiday Marina off Tims Ford Lake.  Since I had never been fishing, I wasn't terribly particular about where we went.  To be honest, there wasn't even a size requirement, so I was really set on catching something small.  And with the recent heat and drought, I rationalized that at least I had a few months to actually catch this fish.  At least it would be fun trying.

When we arrived at the marina, it was decided that Alex would cast first, because he had never been fishing. He is a young child, so his attention span is short. He did well... considering... I will say that through all of it, I was glad he was there to experience fishing with Tom and me, and to see the action. The bonding experience is worth quite a bit, and I know that meant a lot to him to see me catch my first fish. He will get the hang of it as he gets older.  Here's a cute shot of Tom helping him cast his line.

Tom helps Alex cast his first line...

After Alex was set, it was my turn. There was no way I was going to touch the worms the first time around! Over time, maybe we will talk...  After my worms were set, I sat and waited. After a few tries, I moved location.  We tried a few different places to see if we could locate a decent group of fish close to the docks.  At some point, Alex said he would be content to sit on the rocks and watch. Shortly after, he said he would be much happier to go home (did I mention he was tired? and grumpy?).

Tom's daughter was casting off a dock opposite the rocks when I hooked my fish.  The kids were sitting over on the dock, and ran across the bridge to join us. I tried and tried to reel in the fish, and of all times for the rod to give me trouble this would have to be it!  Eventually I asked for some assistance, and Tom just reached out, grabbed the line, and pulled the fish in.  He was much bigger than we had imagined I would catch. Yay!!! I was so excited!!! Here's a picture of my first fish!

Mr. Fishie 07-09-12

After I took a moment to think about it, I decided I did indeed need to hold the fish. I needed to get a picture of me with the fish to prove that I was there and that I caught the fish. I also needed to get over the idea of holding a fish (not my idea of fun...).  My students will get a kick out of this picture.  I do want to thank my parents for the shirt. They believed I needed an entertaining wardrobe for this momentous occasion.  On the front it said "Fishing Chix," and on the back it said "I'm a Reel Keeper."  Yes, I actually wore a shirt that said that... 

That's me! Give me credit... This picture took place before 6am...
So, fishing was a great success!  I suppose as time goes by, the fish will grow bigger and bigger in my memory. I'm glad I had the experience, and I'm glad I had someone to teach me. One project down!

Thanks Tom! :-)

2 comments:

  1. Oh man, I left the worms in the back of my car. Had melted worms smell when I got in my car today.

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    1. That seems like the ultimate ending to our adventure... Now I remember why we took your car... ;-)

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