| We can learn alot from kids.Last Friday, which | | | | first pond Shark.The bright green line yields |
| incidently was St. Jean Baptiste Day in Quebec, | | | | another Smallmouth and I explain that the Sharks |
| was also the day we decided to have Grandpa's | | | | are tricky in these waters and sometimes "grab" |
| Pond day in Shady Cove, Oregon.Everything went | | | | a smaller fish and pull the old switcheroo trick, |
| off just as planned. In Shady Cove, anyway.A | | | | where they put the small fish on while the line is |
| beautiful early summer day, this is the annual | | | | being reeled in.James is skeptical once more.Here |
| "take the kids fishing and make sure they catch | | | | comes lesson number two.We fishermen and |
| fish day", that we have to help build interest and | | | | budding fishermen, live for the thought that the |
| enthusiasm towards fishing for our little ones.The | | | | big one is out there somewhere and as long as |
| pond is not large, and really is a watering hole for | | | | we have a chance to catch it--we will keep |
| the few head of cattle that roam the hillside on | | | | coming back.After a few"switcheroos" it is time |
| Grandpa Ray's mini ranch. At some point, a | | | | to "venture" off to the great unknown.The other |
| previous owner or large water spout, deposited | | | | side of the pond!!We grab a pole and without so |
| several Crappie, Smallmouth Bass, and who | | | | much as packing a lunch or snack, we head off |
| knows what else into the tiny pond.There, the fish | | | | like Tom Sawyer, Becky Thatcher and an old bald |
| have flourished, reproduced and turned the pond | | | | Huck Finn.Twenty yards later we arrive at the |
| into a lovely little starting place for kids to learn to | | | | wilds of the other side of the pond.I explain to the |
| fish.Truth be told, the adults like to use it for a | | | | kids that I saw Shark bubbles over here, and we |
| confidence builder also. The fish don't get very big, | | | | keep the Shark tale active.By now, the kids |
| and like an overcrowded meadow, it is nice to thin | | | | interest has turned to building a "bridge" over the |
| the herd.Anyway, my five year old daughter and | | | | great Bovine river-- which is a two foot irrigation |
| her school buddy James were excited and donned | | | | ditch- and crossing back and forth to test its |
| in fishing hats ready to go fishing. A couple other | | | | engineering. Then my daughter of course wants |
| lads, Sterling & Saxon-- were supposed to attend | | | | to play "little house on the prairie" and starts doling |
| but unfortunately their Dad must have had some | | | | out instructions for the homestead to James. I |
| bad Oatmeal and decided to do some toilet trolling | | | | rescue James by sending him on another |
| instead.I know--too much information!!Meanwhile | | | | adventure. He is to go solo on a mission back to |
| back at the pond...Grandpa had the worms ready | | | | Fort Fish Bucket, and bring back another |
| and we had three poles ready to go.(for those of | | | | nightcrawler. It is a trip fraught with dangers, like |
| you who cringe at the term"pole"-- it is acceptable | | | | cow pies and cockleburrs. I wish James well and |
| when referring to kids fishing!!) Two of the poles | | | | soon he is sending messages back to our camp |
| were standard issue, fish tested, Fenwick "rods", | | | | of his "leaping" over cow pies and battles with |
| the third was the little "Barbie" pole I bring out for | | | | hostile sticker bushes, which have apparently |
| my daughter each year--complete with Tiggger | | | | riddled his socks with attachment. James returns |
| bobber and bright green line.The kids are always | | | | from the frontier with a nightcrawler. MISSION |
| overly excited at first and can't wait to get the | | | | ACCOMPLISHED!!Sara, not wanting to be left out |
| lines in the water. Luckily, it took all of thirty | | | | of the great adventures, and hearing of James |
| seconds to have the first nibbles and soon Tigger | | | | harrowing tales of the trail, now wants to head to |
| was "scuba diving" below the surface.I think the | | | | Fort Fish Bucket on a mission of her own. I let |
| fish wait all year for us to show up too!Of course | | | | her know that the well being of our continued |
| both my daughter and James want to claim the | | | | stay out in the wilds of North pond country, will |
| first fish and they are clamoring for the chance to | | | | be determined on the success of her trip to Fort |
| reel in a six inch fish on the "Barbie-nator" fish | | | | Fish Bucket, and the return of further provisions, |
| slaying machine. I appeal to James manhood and | | | | in the form of a couple more nightcrawlers and a |
| the chauvinistic "ladies first" approach, and hand | | | | couple of hooks.With fore warnings of the |
| over the pole to my daughter.She loses the fish in | | | | imminent cow pie dangers, Sara is well prepared |
| the weeds.Lesson number one is learned, | | | | for the journey, and soon is stocking up at Fort |
| sometimes the fish wins. Lesson number one "A" | | | | Fish Bucket. Her return is delayed, as there are |
| is also learned, --that it is O.K. for a dad to look | | | | bugs to observe, bullfrogs spotted on the water, |
| less than manly with a Barbie pole-- but not a five | | | | and flowers to pick. She finally returns to our |
| year old macho boy!!It didn't take long before the | | | | outpost--sans hooks-- which must have been lost |
| next fish was dancing around with the worm, and | | | | along the trail. This limits our stay in the |
| soon the kids were reeling in fish left and right | | | | Northcountry, and we soon head back to Fort |
| and dropping them into the fish bucket. Well, I | | | | Fish Bucket, with a few more fish-- and tales of |
| guess we did most of the dropping into the | | | | the wild.Lesson number three is for the |
| bucket, since the kids thought the fish should just | | | | adults.There is so much fun to be had along the |
| submit quietly when being removed from the | | | | way, and the true joy of fishing is ALL the things |
| hook. The flopping and wiggling of the fish induced | | | | that go on, in and around the act of fishing. The |
| happy shrieks and giggles and once the fish were | | | | stories, the anticipation, the environment around |
| "stabilized" into the fish bucket-- then it was O.K. | | | | you--all things that can be overlooked when we |
| to pet and observe the fish in a more controlled | | | | are hell bent on CATCHING fish.We caught a |
| environment.Kids are pretty accepting at this age. | | | | MESS a fish that day and when we got back to |
| They seem to understand that it is O.K. to | | | | the ranch--it was time for the cleaning and eating |
| appreciate and find the fish "cute", as well as have | | | | of our days catch. Lesson four, is that you should |
| them for dinner. They are fish afterall, and there | | | | wear gloves when cleaning those spiny sharp little |
| is no worry of "endangered species" on Grandpa's | | | | Crappie and Bass-- or at least have some band |
| pond.Kids usually also have the attention span of a | | | | aids ready.Lesson five, was that as fishermen and |
| Cocker Spaniel at this age, so after about a half | | | | fisherwomen we should always have respect for |
| hour of catching fish,(and releasing the small ones) | | | | the animals that give their lives up to sustain ours. |
| in order to keep it interesting for them you have | | | | The kids enjoyed eating the fish as much as the |
| to get creative.The first thing I do, is tell the kids | | | | catching, especially when you mixed 'em up with |
| that now we are going to try and catch the | | | | enough mashed taters. James even wanted to |
| Shark that is in the pond. James thinks this is | | | | bring some of his catch home so his dad could |
| really COOL. He is a little skeptical, and more than | | | | have some.We talked of the days successful |
| sure that Sharks don't live in small ponds in Shady | | | | fishing and James shared with us- tales of another |
| Cove Oregon-- but he is willing to go along with | | | | fishing trip to Applegate lake--where he, his dad, |
| the "fish tale" after I let him know that these are | | | | and some friends caught some trout.Guess they |
| "freshwater" Sharks. As I show him the special | | | | weren't able to catch any Sharks either!!A.J. Klott |
| technique I use to entice the "freshwater" Sharks | | | | Author, writer of fishing humor,and "fly tack" |
| from the murky deep- I cast into the reeds and | | | | peddler.A.J. writes about the people,characters and |
| as the bait starts to circle I ask him if he thinks | | | | modern day events that surround the fishing |
| that it might be a Shark nibble. The battle is on | | | | world. His first book is due out in December of |
| and James is reeling in with hopes of catching his | | | | 2005. |