願魚上釣

COVID19 - School Closure - Day 157  School Reopens - Day 171

For two years... I've been wanting and hoping that I can take my kids fishing and they can catch an actual fish.  Time and time again...we've gone.  And every time...we've failed.  Until this Sunday.  When I reluctantly took a walk with the family to a local trail and we came across a dried up lake.  Dried up!! How???  It can't be a drought because the adjacent lakes were still full.  

Upon research... which didn't turn up much... it looks like county lakes go through siphoning and recycling to enhance the "retention period" so the water doesn't sit still if there were pollutants.  Another reason can be they're trying to retrofit parts of a nearby reservoir and in order to do so... they have to empty all the water.  Whatever the reason... we came upon a lake that was left with a pool of water that was filled fish.  Not just any fish... the very fish we wanted to fish for.  The fish we wondered if they even existed.  Fish that was easily 6-7 lbs in weight and the size of my torso.  

We saw a bunch of people braving the sticky mud and walking to this pool to grab fish....bass, trout, carp.  Some took them home.  There were a bunch of 20 year olds rescuing the fish. Putting them in fishing nets, or Home Depot buckets or even hand carrying them and bringing them to the nearby lakes.  

My little SW braved the elements, rolled up his pants and did his own fishing.  He finally caught his first fish.  Not with a rod, line and bait as I had planned.  But ultimately... he caught a live fish!!! 

*Side note: Posting his pic cuz he's masked up and completely covering his face.