Happy Easter Noah

After we got home from the trip to the ranch, we loaded the rest of the family up and turned around and headed south to Gardiner to spend easter with Brenda's family.  After being away and fishing for the past two days I left the rods at home. (What?!!)

We spent a nice easter morning being with family, hunting for easter eggs and eating.  As evening approached, I began to get the itch.  Noah did to apparently because he began to working on his Grandpa to go fishing that evening.  It turned into a guys night out.  Noah and I, my brother and laws Jason and Kenneth and Grandpa Gary took a short drive 5 miles north and got on the Yellowstone to do some spin fishing.  Remember, we left the fly rods at home.   I remember thinking to myself, "I guess its ok if I cheat just once and fish with shiny metal and treble hooks.  I anticipated hot and fast action and honestly was kind of excited after making about 500 casts to catch 2 fish earlier that week in central Montana.  I deserved it.

After fishing for a good 45 minute only one of us even had a fish on.  Ken has hooked a small fish that got off near the shore.  Noah was going to work.  He was not happy to stand in one spot and cast.  He was working the water, making bomb like cast over half way across the river.  I was about 100 yards from him when I heard the splash.  A large fish was thrashing the surface near the center of the river.  Attached to this fish was a fishing line, followed by a pole which was held by a 6 year old boys intensely working his reel.  He maneuvered his rod to keep the tension on the fish.  The whole time he hadn't said a word.  The fish was on the bank by the time I got to him.  He turned and looked at me with a smile on his face and said rather calmly "biggest fish of my life."  It certainly was.  He had landed a beautiful brown trout.  I pulled a tape measure on it and it measured just over 17 inches.  The fish was in great shape, thick and heathy with beautiful red speckling against his chrome flanks.  

Grandpa caught a small cutthroat later that evening and I managed land a 6 incher.  Noah was the king and he was very proud.  The fish of his young lifetime.  When we got back he showed everyone the picture, told everyone the story and asked me to make a few phone calls to tell some other people of his epic accomplishment.  I could not imagine a better easter present for a boy.