Just one fish

This past summer we went camping and hiking in an area about an hour outside of Fairbanks.  Who cares that the air was thick with smoke from forest fires burning on all sides of Fairbanks. The daytime temps were warm, evenings a bit nippy.  Alaska summers can't be wasted for any reason.

Accompanying us on this trip was my friend, Ti, and her 9-year old daughter, Des.  Des and my son, Connor, are like two peas in a pod. They get along famously and both love the outdoors.  Des is a quiet girl and is hesitant to ask people for things.  Even so I can usually spot when she has an idea or request brewing so I watched her.  She'd sidle up to her mom and whisper, turning her head to the side.  When she'd turn back my direction, her eyes were twinkling with the hint of a smile.  Definitely something brewing.  Turns out Des wanted me to teach her how to fish.  The women in my family LOVE to fish and now I could pass this on to Des who is like a niece to me.  This is too cool!

We were camped between two ponds whose only residents were fish the size of fish sticks, if even that.  But the kids wanted to fish so fish they did.  They used salmon eggs for bait and bobbers.  Des was a quick learner.  She and Connor patiently watched bobbers for movement.  Time passed.  I looked over.  No kids.  One pole was leaning on a lawn chair, the other laying on the ground.  The kids? Over in the camper refueling with snacks and drinks.   I hollered, "What if a big fish takes the bait and drags your pole in the water?"  Both of them beat feet to the poles.  Of course, I was giggling knowing Moby Trout didn't live in this pond.  During their next snack foray, one pole was wedged oh so precisely between the arm and supporting leg of a lawn chair.  The other pole was weighted down with rocks.  Ingenious little buggers. 

They alternated between fishing and prop-fishing for HOURS with only nibbles.  The fish were so teeny tiny that the itty bitty hooks being used were too big to stay in the fishes' mouths.  Des and Connor never gave up even though I had explained to them the prospects for catching a fish were slim to none.  "Pleeeeease. We just want to catch one fish then we'll stop." The moms replied, "It's almost 10pm and the adults are tired" to which we heard "But it's still light out, can't we keep going, pleeease? Just one fish.  Just one."  Blink, blink go the two pairs of pleading eyes backed by smiles and pudgy pinch-me I'm-too-cute cheeks.  Yeah, right, Ti and I can't say no to that.  

 A couple s'mores later Connor got a bite.  He set the hook.  Then he and Des brought in the fish together.  Not because it was huge mind you but because Connor knew Des hadn't caught a fish before and Des was glued next to Connor for the excitement.  She was bouncing up and down overjoyed to see a fish coming to shore on the line.  Ti and I didn't actually see much of this process but heard the squeals of delight and laughter echoing over to the camper.  They brought the fish over to us for photographic evidence to be taken. 

Then they set the fish free.....put away the poles and.....sat by the fire.  Hunh.  Literally "just one fish".