01-26-2017, 07:34 PM
My kids were very excited when the school district canceled school on Monday because of the snow. I was supposed to have a training class that day, but it too was canceled because of the storm. After snow blowing half of the block and helping a neighbor shovel off a leaky roof I decided to take the kids to Hyrum Dam.
When I told the kids to get ready to go, the weather was calm and looked like good kid fishing weather. By the time I got done herding all of the cats...uh...kids into the vehicle the snow had started and the wind picked up from the South.
We parked on the West end because I haven't got around to renewing my parks pass yet. By the time we hiked down the rock dam and got our holes punched, hooks baited and lines in the water, the wind had picked up even more. Batteries for the fish finder weren't working right, but I assume we were in 20 ft of water.
[inline 20170123_160030.jpg]
After 15 minutes my oldest daughter caught our first and only fish (a small planter rainbow) mid-column on chartreuse ratso tipped with a meal worm. The fish didn't seem to want wax worms or spikes and I forgot the shrimp at home. After another 45 minutes of horizontal snow and slush-filled fishing holes we decided to pack it up before any crying started.
I tried to encourage my daughter to put the little fish back. However, being upset that she didn't catch a fish from the San Clemente Pier a week earlier, she was determined to keep the little bugger as some sort of bragging rights this time. I told her if she kept it she'd have to clean it and cook it herself. Her face lit up! It was then that I realized that while she has watched me clean/fillet fish before, I've never actually had her do it. Since she's been really responsible helping out in the kitchen lately I figured it was about time for this rite of passage.
[inline 20170123_164121.jpg]
She cut.
[inline 20170123_164324.jpg]
She gutted.
[inline 20170123_164517.jpg]
She scaled.
She cooked. (Opting for the skin-on, pan-fried method)
[inline 20170123_171642.jpg]
And...after setting off the smoke alarms.....
[inline 20170123_172929.jpg]
She ate!!!
[inline 20170123_173405.jpg]
Watching her do this all by herself changed the day from a somewhat miserable fishing experience into a proud papa moment. Good job, kiddo!!!
[signature]
When I told the kids to get ready to go, the weather was calm and looked like good kid fishing weather. By the time I got done herding all of the cats...uh...kids into the vehicle the snow had started and the wind picked up from the South.
We parked on the West end because I haven't got around to renewing my parks pass yet. By the time we hiked down the rock dam and got our holes punched, hooks baited and lines in the water, the wind had picked up even more. Batteries for the fish finder weren't working right, but I assume we were in 20 ft of water.
[inline 20170123_160030.jpg]
After 15 minutes my oldest daughter caught our first and only fish (a small planter rainbow) mid-column on chartreuse ratso tipped with a meal worm. The fish didn't seem to want wax worms or spikes and I forgot the shrimp at home. After another 45 minutes of horizontal snow and slush-filled fishing holes we decided to pack it up before any crying started.
I tried to encourage my daughter to put the little fish back. However, being upset that she didn't catch a fish from the San Clemente Pier a week earlier, she was determined to keep the little bugger as some sort of bragging rights this time. I told her if she kept it she'd have to clean it and cook it herself. Her face lit up! It was then that I realized that while she has watched me clean/fillet fish before, I've never actually had her do it. Since she's been really responsible helping out in the kitchen lately I figured it was about time for this rite of passage.
[inline 20170123_164121.jpg]
She cut.
[inline 20170123_164324.jpg]
She gutted.
[inline 20170123_164517.jpg]
She scaled.
She cooked. (Opting for the skin-on, pan-fried method)
[inline 20170123_171642.jpg]
And...after setting off the smoke alarms.....
[inline 20170123_172929.jpg]
She ate!!!
[inline 20170123_173405.jpg]
Watching her do this all by herself changed the day from a somewhat miserable fishing experience into a proud papa moment. Good job, kiddo!!!
[signature]
every time she does thinking about how her Dad let her be a 'big' girl for the very first time. Thank you every so much for sharing the experience with the rest of us.[/#800000][/font]