Fishing Fun

Another wonderful day for us yesterday!  Ben took the day off again (wahoo!) and we had more family fun.  We headed off to the local Mill Pond (a kid's only fishing pond).

  Anyone that knows Ben knows that he loves to fish.  He would rather be fishing than doing just about anything else.  And Chloe loves anything her dad loves- airplanes, fishing, pop, dogs, being outside, being in the water, throwing a football or basketball, etc.  Ben has went fishing a few times this summer and each time he has gone, Chloe has begged him to take her with him.  She sobbed one time when she was told her couldn't go.  So we decided that a day out fishing would make up for the times she hasn't been able to go with her dad.

Fishing pole and tackle box in hand, she heads down to the pond.  (Chloe usually wants us to carry all of her things for her, but today she was very excited to haul her fishing things around).

Helping Dad bait the hook.

First cast of the day!

Mitchell, awaiting the day he can go fishing with dad, too.

Reeling in....... (She insisted on reeling in all by herself every time).

Look- no hands!  The dock railing has holes in it where you can set your fishing pole.  Chloe loved this and would cast, then set her pole in the hole and "wait" for a fish to bite.

We were having a wonderful time, but knew that her catching anything was pretty unlikely.  The pond is stocked in early Spring and by this late in the summer, there is not a whole lot of fish left to catch.  At one point, we had left Chloe up holding her pole "waiting" and Ben and I were chit chatting behind her that it was too bad that we waited so long to come here and that next year, we'll have to come right after they stock it.  Suddenly, Chloe said, "I think I have one!"  We weren't convinced, but Ben went over to investigate, and sure enough, Chloe had caught herself a fish, all by herself!!  She has been fishing one time before and didn't catch anything, so today was her first fish caught!

Ben helped her reel it in. 

She was fascinated to watch it flop on the dock.  (Daisy was pretty interested too....)

Way to go Chloe!

Ben and his fishing buddy Chloe!  He told me later, "This has been a day 3 1/2 years in the waiting!"

Chloe was soooo excited after she caught the fish.  She kept running around the dock skipping and twirling and squealing in delight.  She was quite proud of herself (so were we)!

Chloe measuring her fish: 8 1/2 inches!  (Although she said, "Yep- one and a half tall!)

Here was Chloe's response when we asked how big her fish was...... A true Fisherman!

Chloe and her fish, which she proudly named Ukalayla.