The First Rule of Fishing

Last Week my Father took my daughter, Tess,  my grand daughter, Lila, and me on amazing adventure to Colorado fishing.  Yes, we drove, from North Carolina (I am the Christian Car Guy) and my 7 year old grand daughter only ask if we were there yet   about 30 times. Kids in the back seat is part of the joy of a family adventure, memories we will all treasure for a lifetime but the one I will always treasure the most is the fishing lesson my grand daughter gave me when I had indeed violated the first rule of fishing.

We had not been there at Clear Creek Long, and sadly we had not caught but 4 fish after two long days of fishing and poor Lila had only reeled in one that I hooked the first day. As you may imagine I had plenty of chances in the last two days to bait hooks, untangle lines, clear snags and re-rig poles. We had my dad up creek a little bit and he was employing his favorite trout strategy with a salmon egg and a bubble. Lila, Tess and I were fishing a little water fall that I knew from previous years to hold a lot of fish and was excited to see that perhaps, Lila my grand daughter might catch one. Being a 7 year old however she was pretty impatient and as soon as she would cast the bait into the water she would exclaim, “I, got one, I got one”, and reel it in just moments after it hit the water. Then quite often she would swing her pole to much and tangle the line before the next cast and this scene was a repeat from the previous days on a couple lakes. Her mother kept getting snags down river that lead to some re-rigging and I was not where I should have been mood wise.

I’m sure, quite sharply, I told my granddaughter,  “Lila, you have got to let leave the bait in the water long enough for a fish to find it! Wait till you feel a fish tug on it before you reel it in!”

To which Lila replied, “Papa, you have broken the FIRST RULE OF FISHING!”

Naturally shocked by this statement and also realizing I had been the only one to ever take Lila fishing I must have taught her this rule, I questioned, “I did, Lila what is the first rule of fishing?”

She Said, “HAVE FUN!”

Realizing Lila had hit the nail directly on the head I turned to the only thing I knew to do when I blow it and said, “Lila you are right, I am so sorry, let’s pray God will give your papa and you some more patience, and while we are at it, Jesus could you please help, Lila catch a fish.”

Lila cast her salmon egg into the waterfall and just then I noticed my daughter Tess had a snag a little down river and started down toward her, I hadn’t taken two steps when I heard that now familiar Lila call, “I got one, I got one!”

I turned to see, thinking, (ye of little faith)  here we go again… But this time, Jesus to the rescue, LILA HAD A FISH AND A BIG ONE. I will never forget seeing that fish all over the river and Lila telling it, “I got you you little dickens!” as she reeled it in and sure enough it was probably the biggest fish anyone caught the whole trip.

To add to the joy Jesus allowed that Lila caught 4 more fish on the next 4 casts, my father caught six up river and Tess started catching them too, we caught 16 that morning I day I will never forget when we re-employed the first rule of fishing, “HAVE FUN!”…Oh and yes by all means bring along the greatest fisherman, EVER!!! Dad loves to catch Fish.

In these days we live in why not highlight the fun of Family instead of all that seems dark… After all who wouldn’t rather..”HAVE FUN”  Go On a Car Adventure and have some with kids in the back seat!!