A Beginning

When I woke up this morning I couldn't believe that we were ten days into the year and I still hadn't been fishing. There were a few reasons I hadn't made it out, not the least of which were the sub-freezing temperatures outside. Even without the weather's deterrent my schedule is picking back up with the restarting of school, my wife's last hurrah before her return to college was to spend Saturday afternoon at a painting class (that's also conveniently in a bar) with my sister and sister in-law. Spending an afternoon watching football and some kids at my brother's house wasn't exactly a horrible thing, and Deli gave me her painting as recompense.

I think she did a great job!

A late night of driving home helped to ensure that we'd all be sleeping too late in the morning for me to make an attempt to break in my new fly rod that I'm yet to break in on a fish. So instead we had a relaxed family breakfast and made plans for the boys to go harass some trout through the ice. I rounded up the gear that we'd need while the boys tracked down some warm clothes. At the lake we made the short walk out to set up in 11 feet of water. Before I had cut a hole for little brother, Atley was already reeling in his first fish of the year.

Atley sure knows how to work the short rod

As always, Atley had the hot hand on the ice but little brother wasn't too far behind in finding his first fish of the year. 

Hold it a little higher Caden

The action stayed pretty consistently inconsistent with the fish coming through in schools, but fish could only hold the boys' attention so long. Luckily we had some diversions in the form of a thermos full of hot chocolate, a football to toss around and of course letting the boys play in the snow. 

Give him a little liquid chocolate and he's happy

Just chillin with some cocoa

The boys are obsessed with Zelda

This smiley face isn't the most convincing I've seen

We were only out a couple of hours but had plenty of action & lots of fun. Hopefully it's the first of many days spent out in nature with my boys this year. Speaking of this year I'm looking forward to doing a lot of fishing, camping, hunting and everything that comes with it. I've got a few rods lined up to spin, some flies to tie, and a few projects to build (with any luck a few nets will be on that list too...). Hope you can get out, be safe, enjoy nature, and make 2016 one of the best of your life. 

- Kidder 

I caught my first fish too, a tiger trout