“They’re so fun”

It was a dreary, rainy, thunder stormy day. But the forecast said there would be a break in the rain from Noon to 5. So, I decided to go fish a family friend’s pond.

         This pond is pretty special to me because it is where I learned to fish. I learned to cast a line on the edge of it and catch fish with minnows and bobbers. I can still remember the green top of the bucket we would put the minnows in that we bought at the gas station. And catching fish in this pond is just as fun over twenty years later as it was then.

         It’s just a 2-acre pond in the middle of a cow pasture. But it brings back more than a few memories.

         I walked around the pond trying to find good places to cast from. It was a little tough because there was high grass around most of the edge of the pond. Good cover for fish but tough to cast around and through.

         I made my way around the pond with no luck early. I spotted an indention where I could get to the water with no grass in front of me. As I walked over to it a frog jumped into the water. The rest of the day as I walked around, I scared several frogs into the water, but this first one scared me more than I scared it.

         I walked down toward the water and casted left then right. Then on my third cast I felt the indistinguishable feeling of something biting my bait hard. I felt that little wiggle that confirms there is a fish on the line and not a stick.

         I reeled it in slow and steady and pulled in a healthy 2-pound bass. As I released him, I said out loud “they’re so fun”.

         I love catching all kinds of fish but bass are definitely my favorite.

         I kept working my way around the pond and scared a few more frogs that I was less frightened by. I made my way to the narrow end of the pond. I found another good spot I could cast from. The wind was blowing on this end of the pond and because it is a little narrow, I thought I had to be in the best spot.

         I casted all the way to the opposite side and reeled back. After a couple of casts I had something small hit my hook. I again reeled in slow and steady. I pulled in one of the fattest, healthiest brim you have ever seen.

         This pond has a very good ecosystem to sustain healthy fish. I mentioned all the frogs jumping in the water. I also saw a lot of minnows following my bait into the shallows. So, every fish I caught was good and healthy.

         I had definitely gotten into the brim in that narrow end of the pond with the wind blowing on it. It seemed like I caught one almost every cast. But I was just having a great time reeling them in and throwing them back. I caught about 6 and then started to work my way back toward my truck.

         I threw a few casts out where I had caught the first bass. I caught one more brim and another bass just a little bigger than the first one. I kept working my way back to the truck.

         Right by my truck was another opening in the grass where I could get down close to the water and cast. I casted a couple times. On the second cast something hammered my bait. As I reeled it in I wondered if the fish was still on. It was a bass but a tiny one. But still a lot of fun.

         Right before I caught that last bass it started to rain. So much for it not raining until 5, but that’s Virginia weather for you.

         I had caught plenty of fish and worked up quite a sweat. I had brought back some great memories and had a lot of fun. So it was time to pack up and head home. I put my rod in the truck and made my way home. I had made more memories at this pond and it was just as fun catching bass in there as it was when I first learned to set the hook when the bobber goes under.