It's always cool when you can take a kid out fishin'...they're so full of energy, enthusiasm and curiosity. Then when you get to see the excitement on their faces when they've finally caught a fish, it's priceless. :happy: One of the most rewarding experiences you could have, especially, I would imagine, when the child is your own. :thumbup:
One of things I find is most refreshing, is the open mindedness they display. They carry none of the preconceptions we, as adults, do. You don't hear a kid labelling someone a "beak", or thrashing some minority group. They don't purposefully abuse fish, or push their way a round a river as if it's theirs, and they can show us a lot about ourselves and how we change over the years.
Sharing a days fishing with a kid is awesome, and inevitably brings a smile to anyone's face once they get to do it. Those of you who have kids, likely know how fortunate you are.
Putting your daughter in front of hundreds of thousands of fish wasn't a bad idea either Jimmy... :thumbup:
Taking kids to fisheries that will allow them the greatest chance of getting a fish on the end of their line will always help to make the day more memorable and enjoyable for all.
I have fished for pinks periodically over the years, and what most say here is true. The numbers can be endless. I recall my last trip for pinks, several years ago, it was to the zipperlip river to flyfish for them. You could cast to the outside of a school and do a quick retrieve with just about anything pink and watch as a speedy little salmon would come charging out of the group to smash your little fly...There was no point in counting how many times this happened.
So when the original poster here said some of the stories he's heard made his jaw drop, I can only say this. I assure you that just about everyone's jaw drops too the first time they fish for them, but after their umpteenth fish, the excitement lowers back down to a dull roar... ;D
Just remember, although the pink salmon, (like the chum), are
not widely considered prize gamefish, like coho, springs, or steelhead, the runs are critical to the survival of all the species we fish for, in any river. I am sure many of you know this already, but the sheer numbers of these fish spawning, and dying on their redds every year, contributes directly and indirectly, the vast majority of the nutrients a river needs to be healthy.
Catch and release any fish you do not intend to keep, very carefully, to allow each fish the best possible chance to survive to spawn. The migration stage of their lifecycle is one of the toughest stages they go through in terms of survival. Often when we fish for them water temps are up, levels are low, and any number of other factors contribute against that survival.
Help them along by:
- not snagging them,
- not overplaying them, get them to shore as quickly as possible...
- and reviving them carefully before letting them go!
They are great fun and easy to catch, but still deserve as much care and respect as any of the other species we fish for.
Take a kid fishing! ;D
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