Practice Makes Perfect

Yesterday when I pulled into the driveway Drew came running up to me and asked "Daddy can we go kayaking?" It was too cold, so we did the next best thing- practice fishing. I put bobbers on their rods, set up a few targets in the yard, and tell them that the grass is the water, so they have to stay on the driveway so they don't get wet. I really don't know why, but they just love this. They will stand and cast for 20-30 minutes at a time, which is about as long as they do anything.



















Drew's rod is much bigger and nicer than Nick's, so of course they both fight over who gets to use Nick's cheap junk rod...

Both of them have completely mastered the standard overhead cast. Drew is starting to get pretty accurate left to right, but still can't figure out how to cast specific distances. Nick just heaves it as far as he can every time, just like Drew did at his age.



Now that they are cooperating, with Drew getting to the point where he can give Nick helpful casting tips (see video below where Drew says "you're letting go too soon"), the fish in the Patapsco are in big trouble once the water warms up...



At the end of the video, Nick pulls a classic Naylor move. He tries to cast, but his bobber ends up next to Drew with the line over Drew's head. Nick doesn't see his bobber fall, but when Drew gives him the advice, and he realizes what happens he stands up straight and just drops his rod out of frustration. I see so much of myself in this it's embarrassing. True to form though, he bent right down a second later, picked the rod up, and tried again.

Mushroom Hunting

Five men went looking for mushrooms today along the river. Some of them were pretty whiny.

They touched the moss, watched a train, and found lots of mushrooms, though they left with none to take home for dinner.

We threw rocks at the dam too (because).

Cold Winter Walks

What to do on the water in mid-winter? It’s too cold to safely kayak with two boys, and their little hands get cold when we try to go fishing. Swimming is out.

So we walk, throw rocks, kick leaves, and walk some more. We don’t tend to see a whole lot of wildlife, but there is usually a train and sometimes a lot of ducks. Instead of twice a week we only go down a few times a month. But it’s always fun.

Winter walk

It was fairly cold today, but sunny and not windy. We walked to the dam first, to throw some rocks. They were a blur of motion finding and throwing rocks. Scout’s bowels, stimulated as they always are by being somewhere strange, kicked into overdrive and she marked the area several times. Then back to the car for a snack of beef jerky and dehydrated apples and off on a long walk.

We were just headed up the trail when we saw a big group of geese way up in the air, headed right for us. They dropped and dropped, rocking back and forth, making a lot of wing noise. They started swinging upriver, then swung a hard left hand loop and hit the water right in front of us. The half-white goose we watched all summer was in with the group. I fumbled for the camera, but it happened so fast. We saw lots of mushrooms, ducks and geese, and smelled that fall leaf-smell, and heard the dry leaves hissing over our heads the whole way.

Nick walked as far as he ever has, far enough to need me to carry him most of the way back to the truck.

Daddy, can we go throw some rocks?

Sure, get in the truck!

Sometimes the trips are short...

The boys wanted to kayak and fish Sunday morning, so I loaded up and undertook the long paddle upriver. Its about 1.5 miles to the “special spot” as Drew calls it- just below the Hug Monster Bridge.

The way up- shirt on

There was a lot to see on the way up. One of the local Great Blue Herons has become very brave, and let us pass within 20 feet. The boys were impressed with how big he looked from so close. The river was covered with leaves- the first time it’s looked like this. As much a result of the extraordinarily dry weather than fall approaching. Fish were everywhere, very visible. The boys pointed them out as I paddled.

After the hour or so it took to paddle up, Drew stood up in the kayak and immediately fell in the water. It was less than a foot deep where we sat, so he just popped right back in. But it scared him, he was not happy. And it was pretty cool. Not cold, but nothing like it was two weeks ago. It was very warm out, so I told him to take off his shirt so he could dry off. He did, and he warmed up quickly in the hot sun. But it scared him enough that he had no interest in fishing. He just wanted to sit and nibble on snacks- which was fine with his brother.

So I got to fish a bit, and the boys enjoyed watching the fish fight- and of course they had to touch each one and ask the same questions every time. “Can I touch it?” (yes) “Does it have teeth?” (yes, but they are very small) “Can I throw it back?” (sure)

We got our money’s worth out of the kayak this summer, that is for sure.

The paddle back- shirtless and bashful.

Biggest smallmouth bass I've caught on the Patapsco

Played hooky this morning- it was just too nice out to drive to work. I was on the water at 6:00, and paddled about 1.5 miles upriver to where the kids and I have done well. I snuck as quietly as I could up to a stump below a cool tributary where some bigger fish hang out. I launched a big tube up against the stump, and right away a fish thumped it. I set the hook- and---- nothing.

Drat!

I tried again, a fish took again. I set the hook and this time managed to sink it in an 11" fish. This was the biggest fish I've caught so far this year on the river. Not bad, but I'd seen a good 15 inch fish there the day before while biking, so I was a bit disappointed. More casts led to nothing. Oh well, you win some you lose some.

I decided to keep going upriver just to explore. I'd never been past this spot on the water. I blasted through 3 or 4 pretty nice holes, but only saw 12 inch fish and big suckers. It's very clear, and though the river is 50-80 feet wide, it's only about 15 feet wide in the deep spots- which are no more than 5' deep. I can see pretty much everything.

I keep going through skinnier and skinnier water, in some places slipping through boulders in seams that barely fit the boat. It's really not looking promising, but I keep going. Then I see a big log in the water in a rocky area at a bend. Hmmm... Looks fairly deep- at least 3 feet or so. So I throw a nose-hooked smoke with purple flake 3" stick-o to the head of the hole. Almost immediately, there is a take. I set the hook, and it feels decent. I bring the line tight, then grab the paddle to stay out of the bottom part of the log that the stream is pushing me into. The fish comes to the surface and boils, and WHOA!!! that is a BIG fish. I don't really believe my eyes, and right away I realize that there is no way I'm going to land this. I'm being pushed into a big snag, and as the fish is upcurrent of me I'm pulling it right into the snag- where it will easily wrap me up and pull off the 6 lb braid and tiny size 6 hook.

I crazily alternate between reeling and paddling with my left hand to keep the boat out of the wood. The fish for reasons I do not understand is fighting more or less straight upcurrent from me, so it's fighting both the current and my ultra-ultra light 6' Lamiglas. Twice it goes all the way under the snag on downstream runs, and I have to fend off the wood with one foot while holding the rod underwater to keep the line clear. Both times the fish runs back upriver and clears itself. The fish never jumps, but it boils several times giving me good looks at it and keeping my adrenalin pumping. After what feels like 5 minutes of "this fish is going to break off any second" I am in total disbelief when I see that I've worn the fish down, and that I'm gaining control of it. I very quickly get it on the surface and keep it there, drop my hand down and lip it. I really can not believe what I'm holding. I put it to the ruler on the side of the boat- it's a solid 17" fish- in great shape and with awesome color. I've never seen a fish anything like this in this river.

I have the camera handy, and quickly take a few shots. I'm relieved when she swims off strongly, right under a big rock in the deepest part of the hole.

I've caught bigger fish, but none that I felt like I'd earned quite as much as I did this one. What a great way to start the weekend!!

Summer slowdown

Summer is slowing down. It’s dark when I get out of bed at 5:30 each morning, and the black locust trees have their first brown leaves.

We spent the weekend on the river. First was a long paddle upriver for a bit of fishing. Drew is really starting to enjoy fishing, and I have to admit that he’s really got the hang of casting and reeling in fish. It seems to be all he talks about. Nick isn’t quite as enamored of it yet, but neither was Drew at 2.

Sunday we went for a long walk despite the threat of rain. Or should I say a long push- since they wanted to just sit in the double stroller and be pushed the whole way. “Faster daddy, faster.” Yeah, that was fun last year when their combined weight was 15 lbs less…

This was a trip down memory lane, since we don’t walk down Alberton Road much since we’ve moved. I was surprised that Drew remembered where Lunch Rock was. He ran right down, and of course went right into the water looking for crayfish bugs and snails. “Look, a fish!” We had the river to ourselves. Why is everyone afraid of rain? When it’s warm outside, walking in all but the heaviest rain is fun. The boys certainly don’t mind.

River Smallmouth Bass

Saturday was a watershed fishing day for my oldest son Drew. I took the boys on our usual weekend paddle with our neighbors. Since we had all morning to kill, I grabbed all our fishing gear including the 3" watermelon Stick-O's I picked up from BPS on my way home Friday. I had seen how well the home made version of these worked while fishing by myself last Thursday.

We didn't spend much time casting until we had paddled a mile or so upstream, which got us away from 90% of the fishing activity near the parking area. We set up on a deep and rocky run on the shady side of the Patapsco, and I tied a size 4 Gamakatsu circle hook to my sons line, then nose hooked a 3" Stik-O. I told him what Jeff had told me- cast it and leave it alone.

Drew sent the lure towards the shore, and then he and I watched the line. We did not wait long... The line started running sideways, and I told Drew he had a fish. He started reeling, and the circle hook worked it's magic as the line came tight. FISH ON!



We did this over and over and over for the next two hours. Drew did it all, the casting, the leaving-alone, and the reeling in. All I did was release the fish and put on a new Stik-O. Nearly every cast that landed near our honey hole resulted in either a bite or a landed fish. The fish were mostly 7-10" smallies, with a few big redbreast sunfish mixed in.



The tiny hand in this shot is Drew's little brother Nick, who sat between us casting his hookless bobber while Drew fished. I think he had as good a time just watching as Drew did catching the fish.

Our neighbor Renee celebrated her "27th" birthday on Saturday, and caught her first fish ever. After she and her husband Jonathan and son Mat watched us catch a bunch of fish, they paddled over and I hooked them up with our magic 3" worms. They did the trick.

Drew was beside himself, and he cried when I told him we had to stop fishing and go home. It was all he talked about for the rest of the weekend, and he is begging and begging to go back.



Drew is hooked, and we can't wait to get back out there tonight.

Summertime

Summer is great.

Fishing from the kayak.

Swimming in our pool.

Lounging on the hammock.

Fresh veggies from the garden.

Catching toads.

Going to Camden Yards.

What is not to love about summer on the Patapsco?