Fishing Quickie

Pre-dawn Saturday Timothy and I slipped out the door to meet my Niece, Sister, and my Sister's friend to go fishing.  We checked out one spot...no fish jumping so we went back to our favorite spot where the fish were clearly present.  Check out the pics!

The rocks there are loose and tough to climb/stand on.  Kesa and Timothy both enjoyed a little dip in the river due to slipping rocks. 

Yes I caught a BIG one!  He weighed 8 lbs, and was 28 inches long.  It's still a thrill.  Can't imagine it getting old.

I suppose if you know me...you may be used to this wild eyed excited look...but I must say it's a revelation to me.  I didn't know that I went all spazzy-eyed when I was excited.  It makes me a bit self-conscious.  I'm glad that in the moment I don't think of my big buggy eyes....I'm too busy sucking the life out of every single moment. 

Timothy and I've been talking about how you know you have become a real fisherman...I thought it was catching a fish, but then I did that and it just didn't seem to quite make it.  Then I thought it was cleaning the fish, and though I really enjoy doing that, and feel a little pro I don't think that makes it either.  Then I caught my first salmon and I thought surely that must be it right?...but no...I think I have it now...when you stop taking pictures of yourself with your catch...then you know you are a true fisherman.  I don't know when that will happen for me...but I'm sure it will.

I cleaned him and we had him(well part of him...he was too big to eat in one sitting...so...there is some in the freezer for another time...or two) for dinner.  YUM! J.

8. Go fishing for the first time

So...when I began the 50 Before 50 I knew it would be interesting and fun...but I had no idea of all the feelings it would stir.  On a Sunday at lunch I asked my Brother-in-law Scot if he would help me accomplish #8...go fishing for the first time EVER in my 44 year old life.  He immediately invited us to go camping/fishing with him the following Friday(the 2nd by the way...one of my busiest days of the month.)  Now I would say that we are the most spontaneous people that I know...but...arrange a camping trip...over month end...on Labor Day weekend with 5 days notice...that was a stretch.  But we pulled it off. 

We camped at Shady Pines Resort in Conconully, WA.  Scot, his Mom, and Aunt and Uncle welcomed us with open arms.  Timothy, Hannah, Esther and I left after work.  I was EXHAUSTED and slept the whole way there. We literally unloaded the basics and jumped in the tent.  The next morning I woke up around 7 and WENT FISHING!!!  I learned the parts of the pole, and how to cast.  Scot is the most patient teacher...oh I love him...he's truly the best brother a girl could have...I'm SO blessed!  I cast and cast over and over and frankly it was not easy.  I can't tell you the number of times my line got tangled.  Once I got the idea...I improved.  We sat on the shoreline all day.  The pole sat between my knees waiting for the bite, while my hands busily knitted.  Scot got one, Hannah got 2, Scot's Mom got one.  All day I waited.  I knitted, and thoroughly enjoyed the down time.  So refreshing!  Then it happened...literally on my last cast of the day...and then I felt it...the distinctive wiggle of a bite.  Check it out!

MY FIRST FISH!!!

Now I know...some of you may be thinking...that's a dinky fish.  I've heard all the "bait fish" jokes and so on...but to me that fish was EVERYTHING!!!  I was THRILLED!!!  I can't even tell you.  SO MUCH FUN!!! Scot taught me how to clean the fish.  I wasn't sure if I could do it.  Frankly I'm good at it!  It fascinates me...like a dissection.  When I started the day the fishy smell of the Playdoh like substance called "Power bait" was a little undesirable on my fingers...by the end of the day I would rub my fingers together to get it mostly off, and just move on...eating with my hands...as if I'd been a pro doing it all my life.

Fishing lesson #1:  You can not control what kind/size fish that bites on your line.

Hannah and her really big fish: 

That was it!  I had the fever!  Sunday we fished all day.  Did I mention the weather was perfect?!? I caught a little bit larger fish on Sunday.  In the evening there was a duck race in town.  Because the creek(crick...for the locals) was very low it took what seemed like forever.  Gotta say though the local people were interesting to say the very least.

Scot and Timothy figured out(how I do not know) when the fish should be biting...so we rented two rowboats on Sunday night and fished at dusk.  

We had a blast!  Quiet, enjoyable fishing.  Though I caught none I thoroughly enjoyed this time in the boat with Hannah.  This is where I need to admit that she caught a beautiful, huge trout...which I did not successfully pull into the boat.  I was supposed to grab it, pull the hook, and put it on the stringer.  Sadly I let it get off the line...I'm so sorry Hannah!  She was very gracious, but I still hear about it once in a while.

Monday morning we woke at 5:00 a.m. because...well...that's what fishermen do.  Right?!?  The sunrise was spectacular!!!

Hannah, Esther and I fished from the dock.

Hannah - I look forward to sitting in a boat, on the shore, or on the dock fishing with you for many years to come!  I love you my Girl!

Esther caught a beautiful fish...so did Hannah but Mom did a repeat of the letting it get off the line...boo hiss!

Go Esther!

I caught another smallish trout on Monday, and can I say...eating a fish you have caught yourself is oh so sweet!  

We had a BLAST of a weekend!  Scot!  You are the man!  Thank you for gently, patiently teaching me how to fish.  I truly believe I will be thanking you when I am 70 something sitting on the shores of some lake catching my thousandish fish.  I love you my brother!

 

Since that beginner weekend, I've gone fishing 3 subsequent times.  My next challenge was to fish for a salmon.  

On a Friday Hannah and I bought our own poles, and some plastic squid bait and some seriously bigger hooks. My brother in law Glenn agreed to take us out the following morning.  He showed me how to put the line on my pole etc. 

We got up early and headed out in the dark.  I must admit that climbing down the river bank was a challenge in the dark...but we did it.  

Fishing Lesson #2:  Every real fisherman needs some fishing shorts/pants.

Meet my fishing pants:

 We had a really fun time learning the art of jigging.  

We didn't catch anything...but we had a really fun time learning. 

Fishing Lesson #3:  Not catching anything is common and has no bearing on enjoyability.

Sunday morning I went fishing with my sister Laura, my brother-in-law Mark, my niece Kesa, and her boyfriend Ty.  It was POURING rain...but real fisherman welcome the rain.  I grabbed my raincoat and headed out the door in the dark of the pre-dawn...excited to be going fishing.  

And....

I CAUGHT A SALMON!!!

 CHECK

IT

OUT!!!

 THAT is no bait fish!  It was 23 beautiful inches! 

Mark coached me through reeling this bad boy...well girl...in.  Thank you SO much for helping me to get him off the hook, and onto the stringer.

Fishing lesson #4:  Keep your pole up while reeling in the fish.  This prevents you from breaking the pole, and allows the pole to do some of the work.

Monday night Hannah and I went fishing...BY...OUR...SELVES!  I know right?!?

It was the perfect evening...just the two of us.

The fish were jumping all over the place and skittering across the top of the water, the herons were flying over and landing just across the river, the bats were flying low atop the river...and then the piece de resistance(how do you put in accent marks anyway?) hot air balloons literally went right over head:

Again we didn't catch any fish...but we fished until it was pitch black.  SUCH FUN!

Fishing Lesson #5:  Always bring nail clippers, or scissors.  When you get your line caught in a rock it may become necessary to clip it.  Not that this happened to me...but just saying.  ;)

Fishing Lesson #6:  A fish has to "voluntarily" take the hook in it's mouth.  You can't keep a fish that you "snagged" meaning hooked anywhere other than inside the mouth or on the head. (a man down the bank caught a fish in the tail...he got into an argument with another man about keeping a "foul" catch.) 

What do you call a female fisherman?  Fisherlady, Fishing Goddess?  I don't know...but what I do know...

I AM A FISHERMAN!!!

50 Before 50 #8 = CHECK!

TEASER...

I'm catching up on blogging this evening.  A few exciting things to share...can't wait.   J.

Random Thoughts

"I'm so happy for you!"  Simple meaningful words.  I like it!  J.

The Real Me

My Sister posted a challenge on Facebook...post a picture of you sans make-up, hairspray, clothes.  I think the idea was...would you tear down the facade and be transparent...allowing the world to see the "REAL" you in all your rawness?  I took the challenge and here are the results(brace yourself!  :) 

After I took this picture I then got ready for the day...make-up, hair etc.  This is the after pic:

It was a good experience for me.  What I realized is that both are the REAL me....I really think I look fine, lovely in fact without hair and make-up.  That said...I really feel most comfortable with it. 

Now it's YOUR turn...will you take the challenge? 

J.

50 Before 50 - Update 08/31/11

1. Get a Passport


2. Gallop a horse along a beach

3. Become a runner – Run a 5K to prove it.

4. Learn to be a friendly neighbor(I have a long way to go...my neighbor's garage door went up...I was painting in the driveway and I didn't even look up.  I'm so ashamed!  Why am I SO unfriendly?!?  Still a work in progress.)

5. See the Northern Lights

6. Learn to rock a hula hoop

7. Cloister alone for a weekend – speak to no human

8. Go fishing for the first time(by this time next week...I'm hoping to be able to say...that I have caught my first fish.  More later!)

9. Find a Sushi I like

10. Lose 30 pounds(-6)

11. Visit Mt. Rainier

12. Pay for the meal of the person behind me in the drivethrough

13. Make Pottery on a wheel

14. Kiss at the top of the Empire State Building

15. Take Guitar lessons – Play a song for someone to prove it.

16. Get a Brazillian Wax

17. Surprise a friend   (08/29/11 - Surprised my friend Peggy on her 49th birthday.  21 of us gathered at our local Taco Time to show Peggy how loved she is.  Happy Birthday my dear friend!  I love you!)

18. Surprise myself

19. Have a drink at Starbucks on the 40th floor of the Columbia tower (2nd highest Starbucks in the world)

20. Buy a Serger and learn how to use it.

21. Find a red wine I enjoy

22. Sky dive

23. Ride in a helicopter

24. Volunteer at Children’s Hospital

25. Take a swim class – learn Swimmer’s breathing & End of lane Flip   (I took 2 swim classes July - Aug 2011.  I can now successfully do the crawl stroke with breathing, and flip at the end of the lane....watch for the video coming soon.)

26. Ride a zip line – in an exotic place

27. Read the Bible straight through in a weekend.

28. Go river rafting

29. Hike by moon light

30. Wear a real flower lei in Hawaii

31. Take a class about the Stock Market

32. Remove my Age spot

33. Ride a Jet ski

34. Snorkel off a tropical island

35. Take Piano lessons

36. Get a tattoo

37. Take an art class

38. Learn to surf

39. Master Crocheting

40. Dance like no one is watching

41. Learn to eat proficiently with chopsticks

42. Go Vegetarian for a month

43. Build a dining room table (and chairs?)

44. See an Opera

45. Take a Spanish Class

46. Knit something for myself with “expensive” yarn (I know what and which...now to have the right timing.)

47. Skinny dip

48. Take a flower arranging class

49. Treat myself to a spa weekend

50. Ice Skate at Rockefeller Center

Swim Lessons - Update

All my life I’ve been a nose plugger. Anytime I swam, or my face had to go into the water I plugged my nose. I hated the feeling of water up in my nose…and it limited what I could do in the water. At the beginning of my swim lessons 6 weeks ago, this was the first of many obstacles that I had to overcome. It took 4 lessons for me to beat the fear. And once I did, it only took me one week to put the breathing together with the crawl stroke. I felt strong! I kept telling myself I would get it…and I did.

Now as I swim down the lane, I find myself just going through the motions. I don’t have to think about the breathing, or the stroke…it just comes naturally.

A similar fear arose again when beginning to tackle the flip turn. As I began the somersault and was focusing on so many things at once I forgot to breathe appropriately and I took in water. Over and over this was the case. Determined to learn it, I kept trying again and again, and flip after flip the water would fill my sinuses.

The July class ended, and a new one began. A new teacher, and a new classmate. Isabel, my teacher, is 19. She is the sweetest, most encouraging young woman. She’s as excited to teach, as I am to learn. Julianne, my classmate, like my previous classmates, is a new swimmer who is training for a triathlon.

Last night I swam, down and back trying over and over to flip-turn, improving with each effort, telling myself “You will get it, keep trying. You can do it!” By the end I swam down the lane, went into the flip-turn, my legs came to my chest, as my feet found the wall, thrusting, my head tucked, my hands stretched taut in front of me, my feet kicking, I glided perfectly through the water. As I surfaced, smiling ear to ear, I gasped a full breath and stroked my way down the lane. Excited, I HAD DONE IT!!! I laughed all the way down the pool. As I approached the other end of the pool again I executed a near perfect flip-turn and swam out of it. I swam to about half way and rolled on my back. Out of breath I was exultant! Thrilled at my progress, tingling with accomplishment, I allowed myself to feel every feeling…I felt more alive than possibly ever before. THIS is exactly what I was hoping for…what I needed.

When I had regained my breath I rolled back over and swam to the other end of the pool. Isabel exclaimed what great flip-turns I had done, and how she KNEW I could do it! My fists thrust into the air and I slapped the water. It was an absolute thrill! As we spoke Julianne came over and my breath still catches as I think about what she said… “You guys make it look so easy, your stroke is so graceful!” I beamed…could she possibly be talking about me? What I realized last night is that I’m a swimmer…a REAL swimmer. I still have a ways to go to be able to check it off my list, but I’m almost there…and can I just say….WHOOO HOOO!!! YEAH BABY! J.