Flyfishing is often an exercise in patience. Sometimes the fish aren't biting. Sometimes you need a slower troll. Sometimes you need to wait until the bugs hatch. Too bad kids don't really have a lot of patience.
So the secret to making a flyfishing trip with the kids a success is to make sure the kids have something to do other than flyfishing. It kind of seems counterintuitive, but if they're not flyfishing they may have more fun flyfishing.
Sure, this was a fishing trip so of course, they all had rods and they all sat in their own floattubes. We all started the day chasing fish and Lilly actually caught a fish before she reeled her line and took off with Henry to explore the banks.
Poor Clara was tied to me... literally. Her knee continues to get stronger, but kicking around the lake for a couple of miles wasn't going to do her any favors. Instead, she confiscated the camera and focused on the birds and bugs and ducks and turtles. She even took a few pictures of us fishing.
Speaking of fishing, I did catch a few and Grandpa Jack got his fair share, too. Over many, many years we've grown more and more patient. However, I must admit to preferring a river to a lake because even if the fish aren't biting there's more "action."
Someday maybe the kids will enjoy the opportunity to exercise their patience while stalking the lonely lunker. Maybe in 10 years they'll be a match for their elders. Or maybe they'll just chase the turtles forever. No matter what, it beats having them rot their brains on the couch.
