Birthday Fishing

May 21 was my birthday, and after the celebration Nadya and Stefan and I went back to the ponds for a few hours in the evening.  It was a calm, clear evening with another nice sunset over the Rockies.   I caught about 10 bluegills that Stefan reeled in for me.

Stefan tried to teach Nadya to cast the rod.  He showed her all the things in the tackle box.  He walked her around the pond.  He was one happy clam.

 

It was interesting watching the transition that took place.   The first few fish he reeled in fast like he always has, and then I showed him how to point the rod tip up, stop reeling when the fish was pulling, and to reel in when the fish was resting.  After he practiced that technique, I showed him how to angle the fish from one side to another - if the fish was going right to point the rod left, etc. 

At first, when he reeled them in I took the line above the fish's mouth and showed him how to hold the fish, smoothing down the dorsal fin with my hand so as not to get poked by the spines, and then how to take the hook out.   At first I did all of this, and then I had him grab the line above the fish's mouth while I grabbed the fish to take the hook out.   For the last fish of the evening that I hooked, I gave the rod to him and stood back.  Nadya and I watched him pull it in using all of the techniques I showed him earlier.  When the fish was out of the water, hanging from the tip of the rod, he looked at me but I did not jump to help out.  Instead I asked him what he was going to do with the fish.   So he grabbed the line, then the fish, smoothing out the dorsal fin, and held it as I took the hook out.  He did a good job....and then the fish jumped around and fell to the ground surprising us both.  A quick toss into the pond and the fish was set free to go forward.