Fishing with My Girls

With this wildly unpredictable weather we have been having around the Black Hills, with snow recently as well as several days straight with rain on and off, getting out has been a bit tough.

At least before this stretch of weather happened, I got to enjoy a nice afternoon on the shorelines of Pactola with my wife and spry little daughter, who is nearly 2. We had the chance to enjoy some sun and some family time, which for many has become a very precious thing during these tough times.

For me, it was not about catching fish as much as it was spending some time outside with my girls, which was a good thing too since I managed only a couple of small trout casting along the shores.

Melissa, on the other hand, fishing with the traditional slip bobber and a worm, managed to catch the two biggest rainbows she is ever caught, which I was elated about! I couldn't have been happier for her and I was also glad to see that, after her reluctance to get near her first iced fish back in March, Aurora was extremely interested in the fish and wanted to observe and touch them.

What she DID NOT want was to see them swim away. As soon as mom released the fish back into the water, she cried and pouted for them to come back. It was extremely cute. The moment is now recorded for the future and I can see this video showing up at her high school graduation......lol!

Even from a young age, she will be taught the importance of catch-and-release, even if she does not want to say bye-bye to them. But she found some nearby waterfowl to follow around, so I do not think she was too heartbroken.

With everything going on with the pandemic, social distancing, and self-isolation, time with our families is more important than ever. We need to enjoy this time with them and take advantage of local trips, video chats, and phone calls to keep ourselves and our families healthy and show how we are doing during this chaotic time.

A fishing trip is always a great way to do this. Now if the weather would just cooperate a bit, we could get some more family time in with the outdoors!