I Love Fishing!

I don't think I have ever had the opportunity to say how much I LOVE FISHING!  Now, I know I currently live in Alaska.  Apparently it is the greatest place to fish.  I beg to differ. 

If you have ever fished a Missouri stream, lake or pond, I guarantee that you will understand why they are the best places to fish.  Ever.  There is a peacefulness in fishing.  The breeze bringing the sounds of nature as you sit quietly, your senses open wide and awake.   My Papa's friend has a large lake in the country that we have fished over the years.  Early on Father's Day, I got to go with the "boys" to go fishing.  Really, I just told them I was going too.  I'm just that way.  You should know that by now.

Anyway, my Dad, my Papa, my four kids and our cousin packed up and off we went.  Some went in the boat, some fished the dock.  I stayed on the dock (that is where the fish were).  The moment our worms hit the water, fish were biting!  I was the bait and fish girl.  I don't mind.  I cast out lines, baited hooks and removed caught fish to the stringers.  Between my Papa and myself, we were not without something to do.  I only had time to snap a couple of shots during fishing time (which required me to clean my camera after we finished due to fish guts). 

 

Here Av is getting fishing tips from his great grandpa.  We all learned from Papa.  

 

Baby O's first fishing trip!  She caught the first fish.  (I caught the biggest one.)

This is the only picture I was able to get of someone's fish on the line.  The rest of the time I was a busy girl!

 

 Baby O loved to fish with her Poppy.  My Dad was so patient with her wild beginner casts.  She did not hook a single person. 

 

 

 

 

All the kids packing it up and heading out.  We caught a good mess of fish.  Fried them up a couple of nights later and filled our bellies.  Large mouth bass, blue gill and sun perch make for a wonderful feast! 

Everyone wanted a picture with the fish. 

 

 

 

 

We also had a rule... You catch it, you kiss it.  We almost had Baby O convinced that if you kissed your worm before you cast it out, it would be lucky and catch you a big fish.  She wouldn't buy it.   

The stringer was too heavy for her to lift, so Isaak helped hold it up.

 

 

Isaak almost got close enough to kiss that fish. 

 

 

I always kiss my fish.  Probably why I am a successful fisher-woman.  Probably not, but that is the story I'm sticking with.   

The crew...

I love watching the kids discover and explore the natural spaces around them as well.  Little E and Baby O spent a great deal of time figuring out the floating wood pieces that were washed ashore from recent floods. 

A perfect end to a successful trip... a prairie field full of purple cone flowers.