One of my favorite things to do as a child (and now) is to go fishing!

When I was a child, my father and I would sometimes escape to the woods to fish for  trout or to the banks of a pond to catch sunnies.  Our angling adventures  provided a place for quiet conversation, silent contemplation and daydreams. Truth be told, we never actually caught much. But it was in those peaceful times by the water with my Dad that my love of the outdoors developed and grew stronger.

Remembering those special moments from my childhood, I decided to introduce my oldest to fishing when he was about 18 months old. He was too young to understand exactly what we were trying to accomplish. But over time, his interest in fishing began to blossom. This year, my littlest is using a fishing rod (with a practice weight because he is too young for a hook) and he enjoys casting and reeling. Fishing is a practice in patience for all of us. The children learn that it takes time for the fish to find the bait and take it (or not take it!). And I am learning that things do not always go according to plan and to just surrender and go with the flow.

Fishing is a wonderful way to take it slow for an hour or two, whether you are alone or sharing the good company of others.

Searching for worms to use as bait!

Our friend, Akash, teaches my oldest how to observe the bobber in order to determine if the fish is nibbling or if it actually took a bite.

Fish on!!!

He reeled that fish in like a champ!

My oldest and Akash were very excited about the fish!

Akash explains fish anatomy to my oldest. He shows him the eyes, gills, scales and protective spines on the fish’s dorsal fins.

Even Littlest wanted a chance to touch the fish.

My Wild Boys had a blast fishing with Akash. In the hour that we were fishing, my oldest caught 9 fish! He can’t wait to go fishing again. Littlest and I wandered around the farm, searching for rocks and sticks to throw in the pond. Littlest managed to scare a whole herd of goats with his squeals of excitement.

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Here are some fun fishing photos over the years with my Wild Boys.

 

Opening day for Trout fishing in 2016 and 2019. The first time that my oldest went fishing, he  didn’t have a youth sized rod. My rod was way too big for him and he struggled to hold onto it. The following year, I bought him his very own rod.

 

Littlest’s first time fishing! Trout fishing Opening Day 2019!