Never Lose It

On the 4^th of July I was at my parents’ house for a cookout. I got out there early. And after chatting with my folks for a while I decided I would walk down to the pond and see if I could catch a few fish.

         My parents live on a golf course with a small pond behind their house. My dad and I have put some fish in the pond that we caught on the river but I’m starting to think there were already more fish in there before than we thought.

         I grabbed one of my rods and the needle nose pliers off the boat and walked through my parents’ backyard and down the hill to the pond.

         I started casting a small spinner and was immediately intrigued by what was going on in the shallows.

         The pond has very shallow banks and the water is pretty clear. I could see a bunch of minnows swim through every once in a while, and some bigger fish which I later determined were brim.

         I was intrigued by watching the minnows swim away when I pulled my bait through. And the brim would follow it and size it up and debate if they should eat it.

         I caught a couple small bass and I was just having a good day.

         Then one cast I was looking at the school of fish positioned in the shallow water. I really looked to see if they were brim or small bass. The two bass I had caught were not much bigger than these fish. But I really looked and determined the shape of the fish and said out loud “that’s a brim”.

         Right when I said that, I looked back to where my bait was coming into the clear shallow water. And behind it was what looked like a green submarine.

         We have put some large bass in this pond and this was one of them. At least a 4-pound largemouth and the difference between this fish and the brim I was looking at was vast to say the least.

         The largemouth changed it’s mind about following my bait into such shallow water. But I watched it swim around and the other fish and minnows quickly swim away from the clear alpha predator in that area at the moment.

         I kept working my way around the pond and caught a few more fish. I caught 6 bass on the day, all very small.

         I got to the opposite side of the pond and caught two more bass. Then I was watching the minnows swim through the shallows. Positioned behind them were some brim that followed my bait a few times. Then positioned behind them were some small bass that had followed my bait into the shallows.

         It was interesting to watch the positioning and almost posturing that happened. I watched as each smaller fish moved to get away from the bigger fish. I never actually saw any of them eat each other but it was just interesting to think that exactly what I was watching happens all day every day in this pond.

         I’m sure some different things go on in the deeper waters but it was just cool to see natures actions in real time.

         I always think about what goes on in the woods, in the field, and in the water. It’s fun to imagine what is going on when you think of predators and prey.

         I do a decent amount of research about hunting and fishing, just to try to make myself better and more successful. But the thing about the outdoors in general is it never let’s you lose your curiosity and childlike wonder.

         It’s not about the prize of catching a fish. It’s not even about the pursuit it’s about what goes on when you’re not there. The intrigue of the things you don’t see. And appreciating it when you do see it. I hope to never lose that wonder and appreciation for the outdoors.