Fishing Fun

It is spring, and to the girls that means fishing season starts. Lauren loves to actually catch and eat the fish, Annika does not like the taste of fish, so she and I just catch and release.

Each spring I take the girls to my parent's place and they fish in the pond. It has always been a great place for young kids to fish, because it is chock-full of bluegill fish. Too full, actually.



Last year my father stocked the pond with a bunch of bass to help control the over-population of Bluegill. This year it might have worked too well! Usually we just throw a hook into the pond and within seconds we catch something. Even last summer, after the bass reduced the population, we were able to catch something within a few minutes, within 10 minutes at the very most. But this year we do not seem to be catching anything. I am hopeful that it is just too early in the season, but I am also fearful that the population has simply dwindled down and then those surviving bass lost their meal ticket, and uhhh, well ... We'll see what happens this summer.

I also have this hysterical video of my mother trying to cast a line out for Annika. I never realized that she always sits back and watches. And she did not realize that I was photographing her attempts to get that dog-gone line into the water. But, being that it is so close to Mother's Day, I will give her a break and let her retain some of her dignity. he he he heeee!

Friday, Annika's preschool went to a Trout Farm for a field trip. Annika was so excieted! She was the first person to get out there and catch a fish! Then she was a little sad because she wanted to fish some more! She would have stayed there for the whole morning if you were to let her!

She proudly showed all the other kids her big fish. She and one other girl were the only ones that were excieted about holding their catch, and then wanted to watch the workers clean it. Annika would have gladly followed her fish into the little cleaning building and stood on a stool next to the workers and watched the whole process. I, being the farm girl that I am, wanted her to watch too. But unfortunatly I somehow became responsible for another classmate (who's mother was unable to attend) and this classmate wanted absolutly nothing to do with this whole fishing thing. So, Annika sort of watched her fish be cleaned, but not entirely. Oh well. She does know where fish come from and how they are cleaned etc. Being connected to their food source is very important to me, and I take every opportunity to let the girls experience the entire process.

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