Fishing

This is the first time Taiga and I went camping without Diana.  Diana gave me 1 day of notice that she would be gone for her field-work for the week-end.  So Taiga and I quickly decided to camp & fish at a little more remote lake (Chena Hot Spring Rd. 47.9mi Pit).  Taiga has been excited about fishing, but the fish in the local lake isn't easy to catch due to too much fishing pressure.  Taiga also has to go to bed at a reasonable time, and we usually can't be fishing at the prime time for fishing.  So this was a great opportunity.

When I was a kid, fishing with my father was one of my favorite things to do.  My father used to be a serious fisherman.  I loved watching him getting ready for his big fishing trips, tying hooks, making rigs, and checking for all equipments.  I sat next to him and quietly watched every steps.    My father was focused, so he usually don't give me enough explanation about what he was doing.  But it was ok, I learned a lot by watching him.  I think that's how I learned a lot of things such as fixing and making thing from my father and grand-father.  Frequently, for a big trip, he couldn't take me because it was too dangerous.  But I always had to ask him to take me with him.  Expecting no for the most time, I was so excited when he said OK.

One of my earliest memory of fishing with my father was Funa-fishing (a common freshwater fish in Japan, Carassius auratus langsdorfii).  I still remember the exact location of the fishing spot (Kanakura river just below Kanakura bridge).  We got a bamboo stick from a bamboo forest, and dug up worms for the bait. They were biting well for some reason, and we filled up the bucket with fish quickly.  Gazing the fish swimming in the bucket was so exciting.  I was very proud to show my catch to my mother and grand parents.  I hooked many fish that day, but I was also hooked.  Later on, my father got me a fishing rod and reel for my birthday.  I still remember how the set looked like and how happy I was to have my own rod.

The fishing trip with Taiga was a success, and we (especially I) had a great time.  This trip brought out lot of these good memories.  Now I'm going fishing as a father, and fishing became very exciting once again.   I was probably going through the same things my father might have felt.  I wonder if Taiga is also hooked, and I will be looking forward to hearing whatever fishing adventure he might have in his future!

This video is Taiga's biggest catch of the day: