Papa, can we catch one that isn't slimy?

by David Noll
(Lake City, Mn)

Earlier this week my wife Mary and I took our 6 year old granddaughter, Alison, camping with us in the Wisconsin Driftless area. I brought along a Shimotsuke Gen 240 rod for her to fish with. Alison ended up catching 4 trout with Papa's help.(hook set and landing) She would cast and and after getting help setting the hook I would hand the rod to her. That worked up until the fish would jump out of the water which would elicit a scream and I would get the rod back. After the 3rd fish Alison asked if we could catch one that wasn't slimy. She is now totally hooked on trout fishing.

“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten” - Benjamin Franklin

"Be sure in casting, that your fly fall first into the water, for if the line fall first, it scares or frightens the fish..." -
Col. Robert Venables 1662

As age slows my pace, I will become more like the heron.

We've all had situations where seriously chewed up flies kept catching fish after fish after fish. It is no sin to tie flies that come off the vise looking seriously chewed up.