She has her Daddy's eyes and...

My love of the great outdoors. Tonight Alex didn't feel like going anywhere after spending the day in the pool with his cousins who are visiting from Pittsburgh.So I waited patiently for Ariel to come home with hopes that she would want to go out fishing with me. She finally got home and was more than willing to spend the night out on the water with her daddy. At 7:30 we had loaded up the canoe and headed down to the pond at the end of our road. I realized the past few weeks how much I have missed bass fishing and the desire to spend any spare time I have on the water has been reignited.

Tonight would be different than my fishing trip with Alex earlier in the week. You see Ariel has already graduated from lure fishing 101. Drowning worms was never her style, she was captivated the first time she watched me tie on a spinner and rip it through the water column and refused to sit and watch a bobber dance on the waves ever again. I can remember her graduating from the snoopy pole to a big girl rod and reel!

She began mastering her underspin combo in short order and it didn't take her long to move up to her first open faced reel. Like many other things since she was a natural and caught fish effortlessly. I have always been proud of the fact both my kids learned how to use a fishing pole properly and at a young age both of them were able to go fishing and cast their own lines without assistance. Ariel would tag along with me and Tony in the boat and much like me she is a firecracker when it comes to trash talk while out fishing. On several occasions she would be reminded verbally that she was going a little too far (especially the day she began pulling fish into the boat with her effortless use of a rubber grub) but more often than not she learned her lesson by watching the masters hone their craft.

Fast forward to tonight, we shoved off from the shore and I gave her choice of lures. She opted for a soft bait, I smiled knowing she never shy's away from a challenge. It has been awhile since the two of us spent time fishing together alone and despite there not being a lot conversation I basked in the joy of knowing my daughter was enjoying this moment as much as me. I tied on the lure of her choice and paddled us across the pond. It only took a moment for her to hook into a fish and before I knew it we had doubled up and both our poles were arched beautifully. The occupants of the other 2 vessels on the water watched in awe as my daughter and I both battled with healthy fish only moments after we had arrived, mission accomplished!

The rest of the night would be filled with missed strikes and fish lost before making it into the boat but it didn't matter we were having fun. We fished into the darkness and marveled at the bats swooping down between us eating their fill of mosquitoes, an act that Ariel appreciates more than most people could ever imagine. As we rowed back to shore we listened to the frogs along the wood line and the occasional high pitch squeak from the bats. While we didn't say much throughout the night I cherished every moment we spent together and look forward to many more fishing trips together. I just pray when my children grow up they look back on these brief moments in life with as much joy as I do when I reflect on the time I spent at the waters edge with my dad.

More enjoyable than after dinner mints

Tonight I got home from work and finished up my paperwork while Alex ate his dinner. As soon as we were done eating the two of us loaded up the canoe and headed down to the pond at the end of our road. Alex loves fishing and tonight's goal was to: First, relax and have fun and Second, to learn new fishing tactics. Anybody can fish with a worm and catch fish but I think the most enjoyable way to fish is with artificial lures. While it can be a lot of fun once you learn, the learning part can be frustrating as Alex learned tonight.

Alex started the night with live bait and I began throwing different lures trying to determine what the fish wanted. Eventually I settled on one rod with top bait and one with soft plastics. These are two of my favorite ways to bass fish and once I proved the fish were willing to play I let Alex start throwing some lures out of his tackle box. Before too long the fish were coming in the boat. I finally switched Alex over to a soft plastic bait and gave him a few quick pointers on how to work it. Three casts later the kid had a fish on that was well over 5 pounds and in comparison to the biggest fish of the night I estimate it was closer to the 10 pound mark. I was impressed at how well he was fighting the fish but after a couple minutes the fish was still going strong and pulling us back into the lily pads. I knew what was coming despite praying it didn't. The fish rolled just under the surface and made a mad dash into the thick cover of the lily pads. I tried to maneuver the canoe so that we could regain the upper hand but it was too late. I have lost a lot of fish in my days but I actually wanted to cry for Alex, seeing the disappointment in his eyes was almost too much for me to handle.

Despite our disappointment I used this as the perfect opportunity to tell Alex my story. I grew up fishing fast moving water with my dad and the only time I used lures was at the local hobby pond. It wasn't until I was 15 and my brother gave me his boat that I started getting serious about bass fishing. By the time I was 16 I was a pretty good fisherman and me and my friends would hold tournaments between us, sometimes as individuals other times as teams of two. More often than not Tony and I would come out ahead of everyone but I had a dark secret, I couldn't fish with soft plastic baits. I tried time and time again but it wasn't until I was almost 18 that I finally revealed my secret to Tony and without hesitation he started giving me pointers. When ever I was alone I began honing my skills and before too long I was enjoying a taut line and smelly hands. Finally the day came and Tony and I were fishing together and bragging rights and getting stuck paying for breakfast were the stakes agreed upon. I began the day using my typical lures and Tony went to his tried and true rubber worms and began dreaming about his free breakfast. With my back turned to him I opened up my new tackle box and rigged my line with a soft plastic bait of my own. The master was about to be schooled by the pupil. I almost immediately hooked into a nice 3 pound bass and spontaneously declared "Ut-Oh - someone learned how to fish with rubber!" While I would like to say that I won the tournament that day, I didn't but it was the beginning to a new journey of fishing which I still am learning to master all these years later.

When I was done telling Alex this story continued fishing and time after time his pole would bend and his line go tight but unfortunately none of the fish made it into the boat. He was frustrated and disappointed but he made sure to tell me despite that he was glad to be spending time with his dear old dad on the water. I used this opportunity to tell him how proud I was of him. You see in my story above I was almost 18 before I began my journey of fishing with plastics, Alex is only 11! He is 7 years ahead of me and despite being really bummed out about losing the big one, he now knows its possible which will fuel his desire to not only catch that fish some day but to catch one even bigger - a feat that I am positive he will achieve. I am also proud of the fact he achieved our first goal of the night, relaxing on the water together, father and son having fun. I would have much rather have had Alex catch all the fish but he was happy to share my success and posed with some of the fish that I landed tonight and considering our lines got tangled on one of the bigger fish I think he should get credit for catching that one!

A day on the Island

Growing up I spent countless summer weekends camping at Fort Getty Campground on Jamestown Island, RI. The days were spent fishing, snorkeling, exploring the salt marsh, swimming, hiking and exploring the old fort. While the fort openings have been back filled due to liability concerns, all the other activities are still alive and well. Just as I loved spending time here my wife and kids have also grown to enjoy my childhood hideaway. While I had no intentions of camping this week for $20 you can obtain a daily parking pass and enjoy everything the camp ground has to offer including real bathrooms and hot showers! So today we awoke with the sun packed the cooler and headed for the ocean. Of course my first order of business was to set up a seat on the pier and catch some fish. When I was younger the fish seemed endless but over the years their numbers faded to what felt like only an occasional nibble. It is with great joy that I report the fish have returned and are more than willing to keep a boy occupied for quite some time! This morning I caught several different species of fish and saw even more at the end of my line despite failing to land them or take a photograph of them. After a day of fishing I made a hot dinner with my table top grill then enjoyed swimming and then explored the inlet to the marsh with Alex as the tide was making its way back in. I am so glad that my family enjoys the ocean and never complain while we are at the shore as they are either exploring, swimming or just relaxing in the warm salty breeze. It's good to be me!

 One of approximately 100 Skip Jacks (baby blue fish) that I caught today.

 A big old skate that had me excited thinking I was eating flounder tonight

Ya, I'm happy catching skates - It's much better than working! 

 A baby Black Sea Bass

 Alex waiting patiently for his Hamburger to finish cooking

 Rebecca keeping everything tidy for us messy kids

 My beautiful daughter being embarrassed by Daddy

 The view of the Jamestown bridge 

 Our swimming hole

 Enjoying his san pellegrino limonata!

 One of the islands historic windmills

 The view from the new bridge

Still smiling because vacation isn't over quite yet! 

Bass Master in the making.

Today was the first day of my vacation and Alex and I spent it together on the water with my friend Jason. The past 2 years we have spent quite a bit of time sitting around the hockey rink watching our beloved CT Whale but have been long overdue for a day out fishing together. We got up this morning and were blessed with a warm and sunny day. We headed out to Lake McDonough with no expectations other than to have a great time relaxing.

It didn't take long for Alex to flex his skill and put a fish in the boat. It was a big Slab Blue Gill which brought back memories of fish fry's with my dad growing up. He repeated this several times before Jason pulled in a spunky large mouth bass. We worked our way around one of the coves and before we knew it Alex had hooked into a healthy rock bass - which always intrigue me with their red eyes. As you may have noticed I still haven't caught anything despite the fish trying desperately to take a trip into the boat at the end of my line. I was seriously starting to worry that I forgot how to hook a fish! Truth of the matter is I'm on vacation and trying my best to relax which resulted in slower reaction times.

 One of Alex's Big Blue Gill's 

 Alex's Rock Bass

Lippin' that Big O'l Bass like a Pro - I'm sure this will be a 10lb fish by the time we get home!

Eventually my patience was rewarded and before too long the smell of fresh fish inundated my hands. It was a good day and now it was even better, everyone in the boat had landed a fish and before the day was over we would all have our fair share of tight lines. It was great cheering each other on an before too long Jason was rewarded with a nice 5lb large mouth bass. I now know what to get Jason as a thank you gift - a larger net! I was truly worried that I was going to cause him to loose that fish while trying to scoop it up in a net about the size of the one we use for the minnows in the bait bucket while out ice fishing. I know, I know, I'm exaggerating but we were fishing and every man needs to embellish a little bit, after all my fish was the biggest at almost 13 pounds. 

 Finally the fish like me!

 No bad considering he was doing all the work steering the boat too!

 The best fish of the day (if you don't include the 25 lb one I caught!)

Before the day was over we ended up with a nice variety of fish which included several species of bass, pan fish and a yellow perch. We now have not only some amazing fish stories we also have memories that will last forever and can never be taken away. 

 Me and my little man!

Jason showing off his catch - I told him to hold it farther away so it would look bigger!

The highlight of the day for Alex was learning how to drive the boat. He made several comments about how cool it would be to get his boating license some day and how much he wished he could drive the boat. When he told me that he wanted to drive, I responded as I always do with the question, "How does it feel to want?" Well Jason became Alex's hero when he let him sit in the captains seat and began walking him through the controls. Before too long Alex was chauffeuring us around the lake from one fishing hole to the next. 

Making sure he wasn't speeding

That smile is truly worth 1000 words!

Thank you Jason for taking the time to go fishing with me and Alex - we will cherish the memories we made today forever. 

Boy's Night Out

Thanks to my crazy schedule I have been lazy with finishing my posts and putting them up here on the blog. Today I am getting my company vehicle serviced so I decided to take a little time and share my night out fishing with the Boys last weekend.

I took a vacation day so I could enjoy some time relaxing over the holiday weekend and on Friday afternoon I drove down to the shore and went on a charter fishing trip with a couple of my cousins and a family friend.

The weather was beautiful which made for calm seas, a spectacular sunset and an overall great night on the water. As it was the 4th of July weekend we also had the enjoyment of watching over a half dozen different fireworks displays along the CT and Long Island shorelines. The fishing wasn't as good as it had been on previous fishing trips but I still enjoyed spending time with everyone. The crew of the charter boat were a pleasure to be with and they made our trip that much more enjoyable - I think a family trip with the kids next year is definitely in our future.

A taste of summer

Yesterday I went down to the shore to help out a close friend/family member ( long story short - I consider him family and have always thought of him as my cousin due to our family ties) with installing a few marine electronics and wiring in his boat. When we were done it was such a beautiful day we decided to head out into the open water and do a little fishing despite it being the wrong part of the tide cycle for optimal fish catching.

On our first pass I picked up a nice striped bass which ended up being a keeper. A short time later I hooked into an even nicer fish but due to the rough surf I had a hard time keeping my balance while keeping my line nice and tight so despite fighting it to within a few yards of the boat I never landed it. It was a great afternoon on the water and despite being a little rough thanks to my wrist bands I was able to spend a day on the water and enjoy my first taste of summer - and an awesome Italian Cold Cut Grinder without any effects of motion sickness. I look forward to many more trips out in Rick's boat and watching the kids experience the trill of catching some big Stripers and Blues! Till then I will savor a few fresh fish dinners!

Sunshine, Fresh Air and Fishy Hands

Yesterday was the opening day of fishing season here in the Great North Woods. Due to everyone feeling under the weather I let the kids sleep in and after breakfast we decided to venture out to the waters edge. We took some pictures at the first spot we stopped - our usual fishing hole in the center of town. Even though it was almost lunch time there were still mobs of people fishing in the same area so we decided to venture out and find somewhere new. I ended up finding a brook that had lots of nice areas but all the open fishing areas were posted as private property. After following the brook a couple miles up the road we found a dam with a large body of water above it that was fishable! I didn't know if we would catch anything and was just looking forward to soaking up some sunshine and enjoy the cool breeze coming off the water while hanging out with my 2 awesome, talented, country mile casting kids! I left the camera in the truck and was too lazy to go back and get it - I figure it will make for another post during the summer - Plus I don't want to give away our new hot spot just yet! Much to my surprise there were trout in the water despite the fact that every time we hooked into one they would jump out of the water and throw our lure :( I eventually landed a nice brook trout which due to its wounds came home for dinner. Despite not filling the stringer with our daily limit the kids and I had a great time together (hopefully the fresh air will help their colds go away) and Rebecca got a nice quiet morning & afternoon to get some much needed rest.

Winter Fun with the Family

As everyone knows I really enjoy the fall and winter months. I enjoy the time spent in the great outdoors in the cool weather and both my kids are following in my foot steps. We have had the chance to go out Ice fishing with my cousins the past 2 weekends. The first weekend was cold, sunny and the ice was like glass - the next weekend was actually -4 degrees out on the ice but there was a nice coating of snow which made walking around much better. As always we kept warm with a steady flow of food - Deer venison, Caribou venison and sausage, goose meat, corned beef hash, chicken eggs - fresh from my little farm, and the menu goes on and on! It is nice to spend time outside in the fresh air doing something I love - Fishing. What makes it even better is my kids are out there with me as well as my extended family from my fathers side.
The Cousins
Ariel with her first catch of the day

Alex and Sonny's trout

Getting Jiggy with it!

Waiting Patiently with a Smile

Stealing first...

I want to start by saying I never advocate stealing anything, and this post is not about baseball - that's a different story. What I'm referring to a child first for... Their first word, first step, and most important in my mind, First Fishing Trip!

Now you all know that my kids are far from novice - they use the same poles as me and the bonus part is I don't have to cast for them, much to the surprise of the occasional person passing by. (A fathers pride showing - I know)

Where am I going with this story? Well Rebecca's brother took his wife to Block Island for their Anniversary and we are making their kids do all our chores - Um i mean taking care of their children, Noah and Lily. Today after doing my chores - cleaning out the chicken coop etc... I decided to take the boys fishing. As it turns out my nephew has never been fishing in his long 6 years of life! Gasp.... I know what kind of parents let a kid go this long without introducing them to the joy of impaling a juicy wiggling worm onto a sharp hook and in the process of the worm getting torn apart by the residents of the pond take personal joy in pulling them from their native habitat and then in an act of pure kindness, release them back into the water. These fish must be looked at by their peers like we look at southerners who claim to have been abducted by aliens and returned to there homes again!

Well despite the above mentioned fact I really do love my brother-in-law and admit he is an awesome father. The truth of the matter is I feel a little bit guilty about taking so long to introduce Noah to the sport of fishing.

Normally I don't fish with live bait but I wanted to ensure the kids would catch something and have a memorable experience. I collected some yummy nightcrawlers from the yard and we headed out to a local pond in the bordering state forest. In no time at all we were into the fish. Due to my inexperience with fishing with a bobber the first 30 minutes were spent feeding the fish a free meal of worms! After a little instruction the boys were setting their own hooks and reeling in a bounty of fish. The boys were giddy with all the Bluegills they were catching and after about 2 hours and 16 fish we called it a day, not just any day but an Awesome Day spent in God's glorious nature.

Above - Noah reeling in his first fish ever!

Below - Noah's very first fish!