James asked for a fishing license for Father’s Day. I thought it was a great idea. We went out together this past week to Dick’s to pick up the license and that was that.

Yesterday morning came around, and I thought how ridiculous it was that all we got James was a fishing license for Father’s Day. So I said, let’s head to Dick’s after church so you guys can pick out poles and go fishing today with them.  Originally he was just going to borrow poles from our neighbor. But buying new fishing poles on top of getting a fishing license sounds like a much better Father’s Day present.

Rewind back to 6:30 am. Brayden was already ready to go fishing.

Fast forward again. We spent about an hour in Dick’s. Well, I  didn’t spend an hour in there. I spent about thirty minutes in the van with Sawyer trying to keep him happy because he was hungry and overtired. But the big boys picked out their poles (and even got one for me!), checked out and then had to head back to get the fishing line put in them. Back home we went. Now Brayden was really ready to go fishing. The plan was to borrow some hooks and bobbers from our neighbor since James was trying to get out of the store as quickly as possible to get Sawyer home for a nap. Our neighbor wasn’t home. So guess what? They went back to Dick’s to get some more supplies. But beforehand, James and Carter dug up some worms while Brayden ran around asking a hundred questions, doing a jig like he had ants in his pants.

I have some wonderful memories of fishing with my dad when I was younger. My parents have been divorced for a long time, so on visitation days sometimes in summer, he would take me and my brothers fishing. He packed a cooler of food. And a styrofoam cup full of worms. I never, ever put the worm on the hook. . . I always made him do it for me.  But other than that, lots of happy times were had.  So, of course, James and I have this romanticized view of how their first day of fishing is going to go. Father’s Day . . . sitting on the rocks, casting the lines, catching a few sunfish and throwing them back in. Feeling like this is the best day in the world.

Ummmm.

They finally got to the pond at about 2. Brayden had been raring to go for nearly six hours at this point. Well, actually for a few days since he learned they would be going. He drew five pictures depicting him and James fishing, catching large fish with sharp teeth.

I arrived at about 2:25, and frustration had already set in. The poles were not like the ones James had used growing up, so casting them wasn’t “coming back to him” like he thought it would. The lines got tangled. Brayden tried to “help” in too many wrong ways. Carter declared that he was bored and can we just go home now?  James never even ended up using his own pole once. Fishing with two littles is not for the faint of heart, and it’s anything but a relaxing activity. They ended up just dropping the line off of the little dock for about ten minutes. . . there, they were able to watch the little fish swim up and nibble away at the worms. And twice they caught a couple of little ones (well, James caught them “for” the boys), but it was fun at least to have caught a couple.

At least next time they go, the hard part is already done, and there won’t be a six hour lapse before the fishing can actually happen.

Things we learned:

1. Buy your fishing gear and get it ready ahead of time!

2. The way you ended up trying to cast the line by holding it using your finger, thinking that it’s the wrong way to do it, is actually correct (after you come home and read the directions after the fact, you will learn this).

3. Don’t put your worms in a plastic rubbermaid container and leave them in the sun, because they will all die and start cooking.

4. One adult per two children is not a good fishing ratio.

5. Doing an activity which require patience, with a child who normally has a thirty second attention span, requires double the patience.

6. Don’t get a fishing pole for your wife when she asks for one.  Because she didn’t get a fishing license for Father’s Day and therefore cannot actually fish. Ooops.

7. You will spend a lot of time trying to untangle the line.

8. There’s always next time 🙂  It will get better!