Early Dinner, Late Paddle (and a Fish Story)

That's what we've been doing the last couple nights.

What a gorgeous time for a paddle. We watch the sun fade, and the lake turn to glass. The fish start jumping and the geese and ducks gather for the evening.

At one point last night, I paddled to the middle of the lake and just sat in the boat. Fish were jumping all around me, I could hear water going over the spillway, I could see the girls and the dog playing on the beach and it felt like the lake was absorbing all my tension and replacing it with just pure peace. What a wonderful feeling.

Of course, with kids, nothing stays peaceful for too long, but it was nice while it lasted, which brings me to our fish story:

The girls found a bobber with a little bit of line and about a quarter inch piece of petrified worm on it. They were bound and determined to catch a fish with it. They got out and waded along the beach with their make-shift fishing set up and were surprised to see that the little blue gills were coming up to check it all out.

Here they are "fishing"

Well, sure enough one fish (probably dared into doing it by his buddies), finally takes the hook. The girls with basically zero fishing experience between them proceed to FREAK OUT. They are seriously scared and absolutely have no idea what to do.

The only one nearby is big sister who comes to their aid (and to laugh at their hysterics). She thought she had unhooked the fish, but it was still on the line, which led to more screaming. I finally arrive and with the help of Mike's multi-tool we free the little guy, and set him back on his way.

The stuff of nightmares---for the girls anyway...

The girls kept saying how SCARY it all was, but the next night we're out there again, but with actual fishing poles and everything this time. Mike gives them some slices of bread in a baggie with the instructions to wad it up and put in on their hooks as bait. Well, he apparently doesn't remember the duck-feeding incident where they ate all the stale bread that was meant for the ducks, and when it comes time to bait hooks, they have consumed the bread and are hard pressed for something to put on the end of the line.

The girls and I are in the Kona together and we scout along the banks for errant Power Bait. This in itself turns into a fun little game that keeps us entertained for most of the evening. We spot a floating, colorful blob then I try to get the boat as close as possible while the girls snatch the slimy prize from the water. The Kona came with a little drop in tackle box that fits right in the hatches, so Miss Moo organizes their "catches" in the box.

Finally they get around to baiting hooks. Miss Moo soon puts her pole away and wants to go back in because she's afraid that one of them might actually catch a fish. "They're slimy! Ewwww!" (Not that she's ever touched a fish, and this is the girl who's organizing nasty, second-hand Power Bait, so go figure.)

Well, we end up not having any bites that evening, but I'm sure before the summer is gone, we'll have lots of fish stories to tell. Evening paddles are definitely going to be a priority.