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it ain't called catchin'
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So I took my 7 year old little girl up to Willow Bar on Sunday for the Columbia steelhead opener. I didn't bring her "Barbie" pole she normally uses for trout; she was using my drift rig baitcaster. So, we rigged up with a tiny spin-n-glo and coon stripe shrimp and I plunked it out for her, set it in a rod holder, then was getting my own gear set up. I told her, "If you hear your bell ringing and see your pole slamming around.....I want you to run FAST to your pole, grab it with two hands (just like this) and all together.....snatch it fast out of the holder and whip it back JUST LIKE THIS (showed her how to set the hook). 5 minutes later....WHAM!!!!!!!! ding ding ding.....wham, wham, wham.....zeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. Off we go.......she passed me, actually got to her rod about 10' before me. Two hands, whoosh, slam the hook home and ...... FIGHT ON! (Her pole holder had come out of ground as she whipped pole out and was wedged on handle a bit, then hit the ground again and barred her from a clean hook set, then it fell free.) So, just to be sure, I said, "Here sweety, let me check something for you." Took pole, gave a small sharp tug to be sure hook was set.....then handed it back to her. I couldn't stop the belly chuckles watching her little self leaning back against that pole, cranking away. All arms and legs, hanging onto a 9'-0" drift rod trying to crank in this fish.....she'd make some ground and it'd pull off another 15'!!!!!! Long story short, Dad had on a bit too much weight and after 3 or 4 minutes, she asked me to take it for her.....she just couldn't reel it any more, skinny little arms were all done in, (as you can see, it was all she could do to hold fish up for photo).....weight on bottom, plus a 9 or 10 lb. angry steelhead was too much. Will bring a larger selection of weight next time so she has a better chance to win the day all by herself.
I'm a proud Dad. She took off like a flash and SET THAT HOOK, leaned back into it, pole up in the air, tip bent over to the water and FOUGHT THAT FISH. Didn't even phase her, wasn't intimidated......looked like she'd done it a dozen times before. She caught two or three little mush bag planters last year.....her 3rd or 4th fish though? Summer Steelhead, 29". That's my hobbit. Fearless.
I'm a proud Dad. She took off like a flash and SET THAT HOOK, leaned back into it, pole up in the air, tip bent over to the water and FOUGHT THAT FISH. Didn't even phase her, wasn't intimidated......looked like she'd done it a dozen times before. She caught two or three little mush bag planters last year.....her 3rd or 4th fish though? Summer Steelhead, 29". That's my hobbit. Fearless.
Great story and way to be a great DAD:clap:
