We’re halfway through the summer break..
and I’m intent on making great memories for the cubs. As a boy, one of my favourite pastimes was fishing. I kept it up into adulthood even though I rarely make time for it nowadays.
I love the peace and tranquility beside a river or lake; being near water seems to wash my troubles away. I want to share that feeling and memories with them, so for my daughter’s birthday I bought her a junior fishing kit. She was ecstatic.
Balance
I had noticed her watching fishing programs beforehand, and it seemed to fit in with her desire to be outdoors. I leant her a couple of my fishing books, so she could learn a few techniques and some of the different types of fish. The questions weren’t far behind.
‘How do you catch them? how do they stay on the line? do you eat them? does it hurt them?’
I watched her face go through several emotions as I answered her, then she thought about it for a bit.
OK
Rite of passage
There was no way on the Lord’s sweet earth that I was going to teach her to fish and keep a safe eye on the youngest cub on the waterfront so mum came along too. We made a picnic for good measure and off we trotted.
I explained to her that when daddy goes fishing, set up can take hours. ‘First you have to find a likely spot, then you have to….‘ I turned around and she had wandered off. The youngest had found a feather from a Buzzard and this was much more interesting.
I managed to get her back and we set up. She only got pricked by a hook once and was a little reluctant to bait up but she got on with it.
I taught her how to cast…
The bait sailed into the water and the bodycount stayed at 0. Success.
How long before I get a fish?
‘Well that’s the art my dear! you have to be…’
Her float dipped under the water.
Unfortunately our adventure was a short one. This was only a taster session to whet her appetite and it had done just that.
‘My fish was bigger than yours dad!’
It wasn’t.
BSD
broke-single-dad 