Hooked for life: First fish an unforgettable experience

Hooked for life: First fish an unforgettable experience

By Tyler Frantz

The 30-inch “Spider-Man” rod buckled and bounced as a flash of iridescent chrome brought the still water’s surface to life. My two-year-old son, Foster, watched nearby as I securely set the hook and handed him the reigns, springing his little body into action.

He hustled to my side, grabbed hold of the rod and instantly began cranking the reel, just like we had practiced on our living room floor earlier that very morning. 

As my wife and I offered enthusiastic words of encouragement, the 16-inch Rainbow put up a fight and splashed water. This mesmerized our little man, making him pause and say, “Whoa,” just like his Daddy when a large Brown runs fly-line on a cold-water limestone stream.

With one hand firmly gripping the butt of Foster’s rod, I retrieved my net with the other and scooped the wriggling trout from the pond grass. My son chuckled with delight as I brought his very first fish to shore.

As the trout thrashed in the net, Foster had a moment of hesitation, causing him to back away and stumble onto his bottom, followed by an attempt to drag his “big fishy” even farther up the bank.

But a little prompting and praise was all it took for my son’s inquisitive nature to conquer his uncertainties, and he willfully approached to admire his prize. My wife, who had captured the whole event on video, stopped recording to snap some photos of this special family memory.

While Foster clung tightly to his rod and gazed cheerfully at his first catch, the look of pride on my face was unmistakable. For I knew in this moment, not only had my son just landed his first fish, but also that I had simultaneously hooked a little fishing buddy for life. There’s no greater feeling!