On Hook

To people of a certain age, "on hook" brings back memories of rotary dial telephones sitting in their cradles. This morning, however, was witness to my youngest finally getting a fish "on hook" at our local pond. She and I have been going there to fish for a few years now. Ordinarily, a trip lasts around thirty minutes and revolves around casting, snacking, reading comics and selecting different tackle. The solid fishing phase lasts around twenty minutes at the most. Just the right amount for her age, at least in my view.

As with all people who fish, she has her personal nemesis: The Big Fat Fish. When she first began fishing her line would return with the bait absent, which to her was a sure sign that a wise old fish was taking the good stuff without landing on hook. She learned about jigging and PowerBait and all sorts of tricks with the apple of her eye always The Big Fat Fish. As the years have gone by this unseen creature has gained almost mythic proportions.

This morning she was wet wading after having her chocolate milk and maple doughnut (with jimmies). Her casts were pretty good, until she threw a really short one. While laughing with me about it, she felt the line pull suddenly away. She squealed and started to real in her line, with her rod was bent over the line refused to come back in. The fish was giving her a nice fight and swimming back and forth right within her area of view. Just as I stepped into the water with her, the fish made a mad dash to the right and hit the limit of the line. It leaped up, completely clearing the water and showing us what it means to be a trout! The fish was a mid-sized beautiful brown trout, complete with silver belly and speckles. It fell back into the water disgorging the hook then swam away.

She was awed by her first real fight with a good sized fish. The bass she caught at Bay Lake in Walt Disney World were nothing like this trout. She turned to me with a gasp, "I caught The Big Fat Fish." She already breathlessly told the tale to her fisherman grandfather. I see a lifetime addiction to fishing for my young lady. Without doubt the mythic Big Fat Fish lives on to fight another day.