For the past three weeks, a few teachers and myself have been teaching roughly 60 kids in grades 2-7 some fishing techniques. We've fished local lakes, a couple rivers, saw a fish shocking demo, introduced fly fishing and stream restoration, etc. A good gig that's part of the summer school offering in our school district. Skills ranged from never ever even held a rod to old pros. Some good smiles, tedium, and only skunked once.

Today was the last day for the class. The group took a one hour field trip to the mighty MIssissippi River to fish just below a dam and lock, out on a large anchored dock complex. Four ferry lifts out to the fishing site, clear skies, and great fishing. But what made it even more special is that this trip is open to immediate family and grandparents.

Some images from the trip:

• Two 70+ year old grand parents sharing stories with their grandson. And then we joked about "who had womrs"
  
• LIttle seven year old boy skipping/trotting past me shouting "I got a huge fish!"; seeing the fish held by his college aged sister who came 100 miles just for today's event, and the smile on their dad's face.
  
• A couple of 7th grade boys claiming that someone stole their stringer of fish...that they'd been standing right by all day...
  
• One 5th grader kissing a fish for thanks and throwing it back in.

Perhaps this day was special to me because I'm a parent, but I thought it was an incredible day - a memory maker for both young and old, an opportunity for generations to share stories, or just the fact that my eyesight is now safe from flying hooks!

But I'm always curoius about what kinds of traditions, memory makers, fond family moments this multi-cultural community has. So I ask: please share some of your traditions with the group. I'll start the bonfire and get the marshmellows....

Hey old man, you forgot the links to the images..





Sounds like it was a great time..


so.. how big exactly was the one that got away?


the county fair every year has become a memory maker for me and my son.. it's cheesy, crass and pretty much run down, but a day of cotton candy, hotdogs, sodas, ferris wheels, house-of-mirrors and the obligatory arcades is always one for the books

I wonder if you can even read this you old goat erm I mean smart ass

It was thaaaaat big! Biggest one was only a 20+" catfish. Pnafish kept the kids excited on the hot day