My six-year-old son, Coleman, was determined to catch his first fish. He has been trying for months, if not years. He was upset that it had not happened yet.
We left my house at 5pm and headed for East Canyon reservoir in our 15 passenger van that we call, The Escape Pod. We towed my little boat behind the escape pod and stopped for dinner at McDonalds where my son ordered an extra hamburger with extra pickles (his trademark). During our one-hour drive there, we talked about some of his favorite things. He told me his favorite animal is a lizard, his second favorite is a cat (we don't have a cat), and his third favorite is a dog (we do have a dog). He told me his favorite bird is the "bald one" (a bald eagle). He also told me about the girl in his Sunday School class that he likes because, "Her's cute".
We got to the lake and parked to set up the boat. It is a ten-foot long, green, plastic, bass boat with two seats, an electric trolling motor, a fish-finder GPS system, and four pole holders. It is a great little fishing boat with a top speed of 2.11 Miles per hour when going with the wind. That is plenty fast for trolling and cast fishing. We have a lot of fun with it.
I asked my son how bad he wanted to catch a fish. He said "Really bad". I asked him who would help him catch a fish. He pointed at me. I took his finger and pointed it skyward and told him to say a prayer to help him catch a fish. He took his over sized red hat off and folded his arms. His legs dangled over the side of his fishing chair on the boat. I nodded my head as I peaked to keep us floating in the right direction. "Heavenly Father, please help me catch my first fish. And please keep us safe. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."
I smiled and said my own silent prayer. "Father, please help me teach my son about prayer today. I'm not asking for a fish for myself, but please let him have that experience today. Please help him get his first fish. In Jesus name, Amen."
I handed Coleman his pole. He had been practicing in our front yard casting with a spinning reel. I was amazed at how proficient he was, almost immediately. He fished with a shallow running Rapala rig, and I set up a trolling rig for trout. We ran shallow at first and worked our way into deeper water with no luck. After about ninety minutes it started to drizzle on us. "Good thing I brought my hat," Coleman said. "I think we should go home now."
"But what about your prayer? You asked God to help you catch a fish. You have to have a pole in the water and do the work for him to answer your prayer."
"OK," he replied and cast his bait back in the water. The drizzle stopped. It was just a little summer shower.
The sonar showed some fish in a small underwater ravine, so I dropped anchor and we switched to stationary tackle. I let my son try a worm and I set up a power bait rig. We dropped them both thirty feet to the lake bottom and watched the sonar intently. There were fish moving on the bottom from time to time. I saw my son's pole twitch and I set the hook for him. My son's bottom lip was hidden under his top teeth as he concentrated on the water. He reeled clumsily and the fish flashed at us. It was a nice pan sized rainbow trout. I grabbed the net and surfaced the fish, water shimmering past my sons exploding smile. The sun was setting behind him in brilliant pinks and purples that matched the stripe on his fish.
"I can't believe I caught my first fish!" he said through is smile as I gave him a high five. I had him reach into the tackle box and pull out the stringer. He pushed one end into the fishes mouth and out its gill and I took his picture. It was complete with a melted candy bar all over his face.
It started raining again as I pulled in the anchor. It was getting dark and we turned on the navigation lights. I pulled two baits 200 feet behind my boat on the way back to the dock, but had no luck for myself. When I finished reeling in my baits, and prepared to dock the boat, I looked at my son and asked him, "Who did you ask to give you a fish?"
"God."
"What should you do now that you have a fish?"
He thought for several seconds, watching his fish on the stringer in the water. "Thank him."
"How do you thank him?"
"Prayer."
"Good answer. Go ahead and say another prayer."
He pulled off his big hat and folded his arms again. "Heavenly Father, thank you for my first fish. And the extra one. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."
"And thanks for keeping us safe." I whispered
"Oh yeah, and thanks for keeping us safe. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen." He finished.
"Amen."
We got the boat back on the trailer. It is a flat trailer for ATVs and hauling yard waste, and the boat just slides up into it when I push hard enough. Coleman pulled the dock rope and helped as much as he could.
We got back in the van and stopped for a treat. I got chocolate chip cookies and milk. Coleman got a sour chewy candy bag and a blue drink called "Bug juice."
Half way home, Coleman sat in the front seat and started humming a song.
"What song is that, Bud?"
"If you're happy and you know it."
He went from humming to singing, and made up new verses every couple of minutes. I sang along with him.
He had every right to be happy. He had a Happy meal with extra pickles for dinner. It was a beautiful day. The sunset was breathtaking. The water was warm. He caught two fish. And God answered our prayers. We were happy and we knew it.
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