Personal Best
My Grandson CC is going to be a great angler. Most Grand dads feel that way about their protégé’s. I have been working with Clyde for several years. He will soon become 7 years old and loves to fish with Grandpa Grant, GG.
His first trout was caught when he was just 3 years old. CC was walking and could hold and reel the rod. He needed help casting, and holding onto him, so the fish didn’t drag him into the water.
The state of Montana and the Ennis Trout hatchery do a great job raising and stocking healthy fish. The Ennis Hatchery supplies eggs and small trout throughout the country to support Federal hatcheries. The hatchery was once in open air but is now enclosed in steel buildings.
The Ennis brood trout are used to strip eggs and milt to create fertilized eggs. Once the fish can live on their own, they are released into local waters. The 3–5-year-old brood trout are eventually stocked into public ponds.
The Ennis Pond is one destination for BIG trout and LITTLE Kids. The Lions Club keeps a healthy pond and park dedicated to kids. The annual Father’s Day Trout derby invites kids 12 and under to keep 3 trout a day.
I take CC each June to the Ennis Pond. Our routine is to stop at Deemo’s meats for the best jerky in Montana, then hit the pond for some Pig Catchin Fun. After fishing, we hit the Pharmacy for an old time milkshake. What a fun day.
At age 6, CC knows what to do. I still help him cast and he wants to become a better angler, like his GG. We started with corn. The trout would eat it but quickly spit the bait out before CC could set the hook.
I needed to make some adjustments. The Big Pigs had been fished for hard. Many fish still had hooks and lures in their mouths. They would need a 3 lb. test Florocarbon tippet, size 10 laser sharpened hook, and no swivels or hardware.
I set CC up with a light action 5 ½ foot ultra-Light rod. The reel had a great drag and quality Golden Stren monofilament. The tippet and Stren were connected with a Blood Knot, with no barrel swivels. Only a single kernel of corn was used to cover the hook.
The fish were mouthing the corn, but CC was slow to set the hook. We had to relearn how to hook a fish. “When I say SET, set the hook.” He would set after 5-6 repeats of the word “Set”. By then the trout had spit the hook. Other kids were using spinners, and no one was hooking up. After 2 hours, we were still fishless. We were also learning patience.
After reviewing the concept of setting the hook, we moved into the shade where there seemed to be more fish. I switched from corn to Power Bait. We used orange, about the size of a pea. The cast went out and I could see the golden Stren twitching a bit. I asked CC to get ready and set the hook when I said “SET” the first time.
“SET!” CC quickly lifted the rod and was hooked up! The HUGE trout began to fight, and Clyde could see the white belly in the water. I was sitting in a small folding chair and put my hands around his waist. FISH ON!
CC fought the fish for several minutes. The big bow took 5 runs of over 20 feet and jumped. Everyone at the pond was watching and hearing CC screaming in excitement. Most kids would have thrown the rod into the lake, broken the line, or panicked. Not CC. He dug in and fought the fish.
“MOMMY, please net the fish”! Jessie, my daughter and CC’s mom went into the pond, boat net in hand. This was a brave thing since we had just seen a water snake in the same spot. The battle went on and the fish avoided the net. Finally, Jessie slid the net under the big trout and lifted it onto the shore. Every kid at the pond was marveling at CC’s catch.
The female trout was 28 inches long and well over 6 pounds. Later CC managed to catch two more 22 inchers, to fill his limit of 3 trout.
The Big Bow is now Clyde’s Personal Best fish. CC is ready for his next trip with GG. When we fish, there are no Gameboys, computers, or other toys. We Fish! The opportunities to gain experience about nature, the outdoors, and just have fun are wonderful.
CC surprised me when he requested to go and visit the Ennis Trout Hatchery which is about 15 miles away from Ennis. He wanted to thank the Fishery workers for raising such a great fish and allowing kids to catch a few. We went to the hatchery and walked around but didn’t see any workers. CC learned about the fish’s life and visited a trough where his Big Trout once lived for over 5 years. He looked at future monster trout that he may one day catch.
We fileted the trout and learned about the anatomy of a fish. CC always helps clean up and process the fish we catch. We prepared several bags for future meals. Clyde’s trout always tastes the best!
Every parent needs to take a kid fishing. It’s not just about fish. Fishing is about answering questions, learning skills, and just having fun.
Next year, we will be back at the Ennis Pond to hook up again. We hope to see you there.
Montana Grant
