Ugly Fish, Part II

This past Saturday, July 4th, was Free Fishing Day in Maryland. That's a day that most states' fish and wildlife agencies offer during the summer to promote fishing, and it allows you to fish that day without a license. Justin had asked me if I wanted to try and catch a snakehead, and I said "Sure!" I am not much of a fisherperson, and as Free Fishing Day started to get closer, I began to worry about it a bit. Would I be able to cast with Justin's bait caster reel? Would I remember how to set the hook if I did get a bite? Would it just end up as a frustrating, disappointing day when we just wanted to have some fun family fishing?

Nope. It was neither frustrating nor disappointing.

It turned out to be the best day possible. John took us to the "snakehead spot" and Justin showed me how to cast (and corrected my mistakes) about 50 times. Like any skill, there is a lot to remember, and you need to remember and do it all in order, every time.

I had mastered pinching the line with my index finger, flicking the bail, casting, reeling in as soon as the spinnerbait lure I was using hit the water, and reeling at the right speed so the lure didn't drag on the bottom. Justin was going to show me how to set the hook just in case I did get a fish when he unexpectedly caught a snakehead! He handed me the rod and I reeled it in. He removed the hook and was rinsing the sand and gravel off for a picture when it got away in the creek. Justin takes fishing fairly seriously, so he was sort of heartbroken. He morosely cast a few more times, but you know what's coming next ... he caught another snakehead! He handed me the pole, I reeled it in, and this time we took the hook out and took a million photos far away from the water. 

So "I" caught my snakehead, I have photos to prove it, and that's what we had for dinner on Saturday. I am completely aware that Justin did all the work and I just reeled it in, but it was an exhilarating experience and also gave me a new appreciation for how skilled Justin is at fishing. His casts are perfect, placed exactly where he wants them to go, and he takes so many things into account. Like whether he has cast upstream and the line may be "bunched up" a little if what he is fishing for has teeth (snakehead do) and liable to abrade or nick the braid fishing line, and how big a mouth the fish has and whether they are likely to "short strike" so maybe he should use a trailer hook. I know this is much more detailed than any of you are liable to want to know, but I'll admit that I'm writing this post so I can look back and remember this day. It was a good one. 

Thanks, Hijo!