We did some shopping. First, proper fishing apparel (and yes, what’s a dress code without the pink?). I decided she also needed to practice casting a spinner, so I picked up a small set-up for her. It was getting late in the day, so we decided to get into some practice the following day after her dance/ballet class.
Sundays usually have a lazy start for us. Sleeping in (if I’m not fishing), cartoons, late breakfasts… But that wasn’t the case on this particular Sunday. She was up before me watching that largemouth bass episode on the DVR. I didn’t know she could search for her shows. We got her dance and fishing things ready and we set out for the day. Dance class is only an hour, but it felt soo long in anticipation of practicing fishing.
After the doors opened and the kids let out, I picked her up, threw her in the truck, and we were off and in the water in no time.
Her first cast.
And her first fish on her first cast!
She caught a few more, and she was so happy. I was happy the skies gave us an hour to play. The weather was really unstable and heavy raindrops fell. An hour was enough for us to play.
We had a week to prepare for our fishing date. Casting practice, packing and organizing our gear, figuring out what to bring without bringing too much… I tried to get her involved in the process.
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Tying up some gold flashabou flies.
Before we knew it, Saturday arrived. We met Chris at the ramp, jumped in his Bass Tracker, and off we went to the first spot. Chris is very cordial, easy to talk to, and very knowledgeable of the lake. Most importantly, he was very kind, sincere, and patient when it came to Rayna. I really wanted this to set a standard for her, and what Chris did far exceeded my expectations.
We’re at our first spot patiently waiting. The weather was beautiful that day. I think the fish were sleeping in. There was no activity but she sat there waiting. We moved around the lake a little, and then, I saw my first “busting fish” moment. It’s actually pretty exciting to see. Chris got us on that pile right quick.
A double! Chris was kind enough to take my rod while I took photos and a short video. He worked the fish, the boat, and the kid like a master at his craft.
Then Rayna hooks into another!
Then she gets a chance at a peacock bass! Photos and film don’t do the largemouth and peacock bass any justice. I could really appreciate its beauty up close in their coloring, the striations, and the life in their eyes.
We tried for red devils, but no takers. If we caught one, would that be a lake slam?
It was an awesome day. It was an awesome birthday weekend for me. What made it so great was seeing the excitement and joy and wonder in Rayna’s eyes. It’s a mile marker I’ll remember, and Rayna is already looking forward to another day on the lake.
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