Meet River. He's a cute little fella that is full of energy and has a smile that can light up a room. I met River for the first time over the weekend. He's Wendy's second cousin and we got to hang out at a family get together. We stayed at an Airbnb that just happened to have a walking trail down to a river that also had a canoe available to guests of the home. When I mentioned that I was going to do a little fishing, River expressed that he really wanted to go with me. He also told me that he had never caught a fish before either. I told him that we were going to change that.
His dad, Brandon, joined us and we had a great time on the water. It took a little while for us to find some small fish that would take a small jig under an indicator, but we eventually did and River caught a small sunfish. The smile on his face does a pretty good job of communicating his excitement but his squeals and giggles were priceless as well. He learned how to hold a sunfish so that it doesn't poke you and learned about why we let some fish go after we catch them. He also learned that sharks don't live in rivers. Alright, that might not be exactly true, but I'll educate him on the rarity of such a thing when he gets older.
What I was reminded of during this experience was how rewarding it is to take a kid fishing. The excitement that you see from a child is contagious and can take you back to your first experiences on the water. It reminded me that I wouldn't be the angler that I am today if some very special didn't take the time to teach me how to fish. Like so many outdoor skills and activities, they can be preserved by passing them on to other generations. With so many technologies and entertainment options available to kids nowadays, it seems to be more crucial than ever to introduce kids to the outdoors and all of the wonder and excitement that nature holds. River and I now have a connection and something to share and that's pretty darn cool!
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