Fishing With Grandpa
Joe
I am the
first to admit, I am not a good Grandpa.
I love my Grandkids, but old and cranky does not mix well with young,
energetic, non-stop and sometimes goofy.
Still, I do try and when called upon give it my best to fulfill my role (sadly not as much with the NC
crankettes as they are not so close by).
Friday I was
on duty for the 8 and 6-year-old Pennsylvania crankettes.
The Pa.
crankettes love fishing, so my attempt at good Grandpa-ing was to take them to
a local fishing hole. I was coming off
of a three day cold, was in the hack-out-a-lung
stage, and had a mild headache, so I was playing hurt, but the two Opie Taylors
were very excited, and the 8-yo just got a tackle box for his birthday and
wanted to try it out.
Their Dad
has taught them how to bait the hook with a mealy worm, and they can even catch
and release the fish (blue gills) on their own.
What they can’t do is consistently cast and reel without creating an
occasional birds nest of line that takes forever to unwind, or just cut and
re-tie the swivel, hook and bobber. I
now know why kids of old fished with a stick, line and hook…no tangles.
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Connor Fishing
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My only
other real frustration was in trying to get them to correctly set the hook when
they got a nibble, especially the 6 yo.
They tend to yank the bait out of the fish mouth before they have a
chance to get a good bite. It took a
while, but I finally learned the most important Grandpa rule: “If they are having fun, leave them alone
and shut the **** up!”
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Cole Fishing
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Fun they did
have, and I enjoyed their exuberance. They ran up and down the lake looking for fish
and yelling their finds.
“Look, a bass…a giant
bass.”
They spent
30 minutes trying to snag a bass with a bare hook. Having learned my lesson, I shut up and let
them try the impossible. They had fun
trying the impossible.
We fished
from 10:30 to 1:30. We would have stayed longer but I forgot to bring the lunch
we packed… in retrospect probably a good mistake.
Cole
Cole, the 8-yo
caught 7 bluegills, Connor the 6-yo caught 2.
Connor tossed his before I could get a picture, so Cole let him pose
with one of his catches…these two fight like most siblings, but while fishing
they are real comrade-in-arms.
Connor
Oh, Joe, this has got to be one of your best posts! I absolutely love seeing photos of kids fishing, and especially since one of the Crankettes is wearing a Peyton jersey. You did an excellent job of being Grandpa, Joe. Now, go get some rest and recover quickly.
ReplyDeleteNicely done!
I went fishing with my brother once, the little stinker caught three tommy ruffs while I caught barnacle rash on my bum and thighs. Now I fish in the freezer section of the supermarket.
ReplyDeleteYOU are a great grandpa!
Sounds like you are a pretty darn good Grandpa, Joe! My grandparents made me use a bamboo pole that seemed 10 times my height (it wasn't, I was short). I never lost my love for fishing, I don't think the crankettes will either, with a Grandpa like you!
ReplyDeleteLooks like the kids really had fun. I think you're a very good grandpa!!
ReplyDeleteLooked like they had such a good time!! It was worth it I'm sure for the wonderful memories made!
ReplyDeletebetty
Aww! I would love to have a few Opie Taylor grandsons some day, but I will let Grandpa do the fishing.
ReplyDeleteTwo handsome boys, you must be very proud. I was going to say “If they are having fun leave them alone and shut the **** up!” but you beat me too it!!
ReplyDeleteYes, let them do it wrong, if they aren't being bad and are having a good time. Hope next time you are recovered and can have as much fun as they do!
ReplyDeletebest of times for them. :)
ReplyDeleteSounds like the sort of thing a good grandpa would do.
ReplyDeleteThe pics are great and they look like they're having a lot of fun.
You figured it out and that's all that counts. Let them do things their way. It's easier for them and far easier for you. Glad you had a good day.
ReplyDeleteHave a fabulous day and I'm glad you're feeling better. ☺
That's one for the memory book. Now, make sure you take an extra nap today.
ReplyDeleteWhat cuties that pair are. What made you a great grandpa is that you did not let them down and still went while feeling crummy. What a guy!
ReplyDelete“If they are having fun, leave them alone and shut the **** up!”
ReplyDeleteYup!
Everyone's happier that way.
That last picture is a classic, Joe. And I suspect you're not as cranky as you let on.
ReplyDeleteawww look how cute they are. Did Cole loan his tiniest fish for that photo? :) cuz that is what I would've done.
ReplyDeleteAwww....I love this! My kids missed out on having a grandpa since both my father and my husband's father passed away before we got married. Isn't that SAD??? No grandpa for all these kids over here. A couple of years ago, my mom married a pretty neat guy, so he is now "grandpa" but most of my kids are older and just consider him their grandma's husband. But my younger ones have all embraced the grandpa-idea and they call him "grandpa" -- so now we finally have a grandpa. Better late than never, I guess.
ReplyDeleteI'd say you are an excellent grandpa. I always liked my dad's definition of fishing: A jerk on one end of a line waiting for a jerk on the other end.
ReplyDeleteWait....Cranky....jerk....you should be a natural! ;)
You had a lot of fun, too. Get better and go again.
ReplyDeleteThey're so CUTE! And so close to the water! Way to take one for the grandpa team. I'm getting over a cold, too, and don't think I could have done that.
ReplyDeleteA good memory for all of you (and a good learning experience to just let them have fun). All too soon, they'll do it "right."
ReplyDeleteYou have some handsome grandkids and they want ever forget you taking the time to take them fishing. Hope you're feeling well soon.
ReplyDeleteYour Opie Taylors are adorable and I think you do great at that whole Grandpa thing. My grandpa taught us how to count the deck in blackjack and how to bet on the ponies. Maybe he was just trying to teach us math skills and that was his way. - I hope you're feeling better.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand anything about fishing, but I love the pictures of your grandsons having fun!
ReplyDelete