At this time I\u00a0 should say\u00a0that if\u00a0you are against fishing for trout with worms, or keeping some trout to eat on\u00a0occasion, please read no farther.\u00a0 I catch and release hundreds of trout a year on flies, that’s not what this\u00a0day is about.<\/p>\n

I would really like to be out on the actual opening day [Saturday], but with two little girls there’s always gymnastics and birthday parties and such, so we made it out on Sunday.\u00a0 The oldest one, Savannah, is a veteran trout angler by now, this is her 4th year of trouting.\u00a0 This was the first year for Skylar, and the first year for Dad taking two kids to a trout stream.\u00a0 A year or two ago, Savannah suffered some low to moderate emotional scarring after having to do a number 2 in the woods near a stream–tales of this episode had made it to Skylar, and she had a certain amount of concern over this possibility.\u00a0 Just to be safe, we took our time getting\u00a0 going on Sunday morning, allowing time for everyone to be uh, empty.<\/p>\n

Soon enough, we were Wisconsin bound.\u00a0 A lively game of “I-Spy” kept us occupied for most of the trip, after an hour or so we were headed down the county road I have traveled so many times over the years.\u00a0 The traditional opening day spot [long ago named\u00a0“Harvard” by my Grandpa because the trout residing there are so smart] has changed a lot over the years, but the fish are still there.\u00a0 I baited the girls’ lines with worms we had gathered the week before, and \u00a0“propped – up” on our store bought “Guthrie Sticks”.\u00a0 Now the hard part–the waiting.\u00a0 I keep a good supply of snacks in the tackle bag, but the bite was slow today, the spot was living up to its reputation.<\/p>\n

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Savannah poised for a big hookset<\/p><\/div>\n

Once we got up the hill, I strung up all of our fish for a photo, Savannah had a hard time lifting the stringer herself.\u00a0 Those fish are now cleaned and chilling in our fridge, and as Doug Stange would say, they will “be the focal point of a fine meal”.\u00a0 The girls love eating fish, and so do I.\u00a0 The stream we fish has a strong population of smallish wild browns, and there is no harm in keeping enough for a meal now and then.\u00a0 There will come a day when the girls are able to cast fly rods at these fish, maybe later this year for Savannah.\u00a0 She can already tie flies.<\/p>\n

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Now to end the day we stop at a local ice cream shop.\u00a0 Skylar\u00a0predictably will choose vanilla, Savannah will pick strawberry every time.\u00a0 We ate the cones along the river walk in downtown River Falls.\u00a0 Once we got on the road I checked my phone.\u00a0 Mom had called about 13 times with a few texts besides.\u00a0 Oops, had my phone turned off.\u00a0 I called and assured her we would be home at the agreed upon time of 5:00, and that all were safe and sound, and that I was the only one that fell in. $\"\"$ <\/a><\/p>\n

Both girls were asleep by the time we crossed back to Minnesota, and we did make it home by 5.\u00a0 I can remember when my Grandpa would get home after a day of fishing with me and announced how tired he was and that he needed a martini.\u00a0 After untangling lines, baiting hooks, unhooking fish, and answering a thousand questions\u00a0for my two girls, I now understand!\u00a0 It was a great day, though, and while I’m not sure for how many more years I’ll be able to get the kids to come fish with their old man, I hope these days will leave them with lasting memories.<\/p>\n

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