Green Lake Report & #PassItOn
The dearest thing about fishing is watching a child light up the first time the feel the tug of a fish at the end of a line. This epitomizes the truest portion of which all fishermen are in pursuit of, only more innocent without the convolution and baggage many of us older anglers drag to the water. For the child every fish is the catch of a lifetime, as later recounts of the day’s events describe. After all good fishing stories shouldn’t be limited by age, and the most entertaining of such come with overactive imaginations God Bless the youth.
Thus the impetus for the North 40 "#passiton" program taking the youth of our respective communities and finding ways to impart all aspects of fly fishing into their impressionable being, creating a base of working imagination, conservation, wondrous hope, and simple joy. Heck at the end with a "rainbow" we might even impart a lasting work ethic and inventive mind, but it’s just baby steps for now.
This was inspiration for my oldest son’s 6th birthday party, that and his persistent inferring of how good it would be to take his friends fishing. So we loaded up the raft like a take from a Sanford and Son episode, and hit it for Green Lake and some birthday party bluegill action (or so was the idea). Nothing like the pressure cooker of having to bring fish to the boat for a half a dozen 4-6 year olds.
I knew they wouldn’t be really forgiving if the fishing was slow and, understanding if the cooperation level of fish wasn’t there, so I bought each of them a N40 fly box and put in what I hoped to be the winning tickets of fly patterns. I banked on Rickards’ Stillwater patterns both weighted and flash nymphs, and "Swimming Damsel Nymphs."
While the kids anxiously waited for the pealing of the presents and hurried through the fishing themed cupcakes, I went into full on guide mode readying the raft and the rods and hustling through the guide’s prayer "Dear Lord help me not blow this, and please keep these kids safe enough to get them back to their parents."
My patient wife strapped on their PFD’s and emphasized a safety speech that I believe had something to do with, "If you don’t like swimming it better to listen to Luke." All joking aside, they were just as nervous to climb in the boat with me as I was to row them around, but once we shoved off and with a couple of oar strokes it was game on. We were quickly spotting 'gills and tugging them in. It wasn’t long until the clientele was demonstrating a pro-fish-ency of skill enough for a change of game. With the conditions turning to perfect and trout breaking surface all around chasing dragon flies the urge couldn’t be resisted to pinch off the Rickards and tie on a Damsel Nymph. The second cast put the birthday boy in the middle of a fight with an acrobatic flash of silver. With the fish to the boat and smiles bursting, the on-board dynamics changed. Gear was quickly changed and reports of breaching fish were coming faster than the news down the wire at the Affiliated Press.
It’s not often that everyone in a fishing party is lucky enough to bring something to the boat, but all were lucky enough to catch at least one 12-16" rainbow and were soon laughing at the gluttony of the hard charging bluegill who never seemed to get enough. After a few quick hours of sun, and the sugar beginning to wear off, the parents could sense the after effects, and before a good thing could turn ugly goodbyes were exchanged with tired smiles, and all were off to share their experiences in the "circle" of Miss Kim’s preschool class. I’m sure by Monday the fish will have grown an inch or twenty, but the stories will be just as good as those they will recite 20 years from now.
Hopefully this story encourages you to get out and brighten up little faces with the "first fish" of a lifetime, and if it’s time for an equipment upgrade bring your old usable fly rods, reels, and vises in for exchange on 10% off a like item. All proceeds go to those who would be sitting on the couch otherwise.
Tight Lines,
Luke