I had the wonderful experience of taking my seven year old Daughter fishing for the first time yesterday. To see the excitement on her face when she caught her first fish was incredible. She caught two Bluegills and one Crappie. Pretty good size too. By the end of the day she was baiting her own hook and casting her line without any help. Makes me proud! I asked her what she wanted to do today and she said she wanted to go fishing. I guess I’ll have to build her a custom rod of her own. Pink, of course.

Gary
Brick, NJ

Gary, I really enjoyed reading this post! Is there anything greater in life?

Jim

Stonefly Custom Fly Rods
20 Vaquero Rd
Santa Fe NM 87508

www.stoneflyrods.com

Gary, Where did you fish? That is a great feeling. Wait til you get a rod you built for her in her hand and and catches a fish on it !! that is even better. Shoot me an email I have a question for you.

Freddwhy (Rapt-Ryte)

Heck of a feeling!!! Next step is to have HER build her rod.

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

That's terrific. Lifelong friendship with your child through fishing. My friend his son 10 landed his biggest striper yesterday 36lbs. They are together all the time.
I'll bet she can build her own rod. Of course with Dad's help. Bill

Wonderful ! I have done the same thing with my 6 year old grand daughter. Nothing more enjoyable. I am waiting now for my 3 year old grand son to get big enough.
Build her a Pink rod from a Mudhole blank and cut one of the mylar tassels from her bicycle handle bar grips and spiral it on as a butt wrap, trim it out with Silver Metallic . That will make it even more personal.

Gary: How true the feeling is,and the memory last forever.I can remember the look on each one of my four Grandchildren faces when they caught their first fish.My Grandson now (13) didn't want to put the fish back in the water for another time.He just wanted to hold it and talk to it.
Reading your post and the replies has given me a good idea. Since the kids all know how to fish,I think that I'll order rod kits for each one of them to build.
I live in Florida and my Grandkids live in Virgina.We go up to Pennsylvania to the cottage on a large lake for their summer vacation. At times even though with lots going on they seem to get board(they say).
I think that this will strick up some new intrest.
I have five weeks before we leave for the lake,so I guess I better get busy getting things together.
Maybe a trip to Johnnys Pond would be a big surprise.Or would I be surprised(or broke)???
And Gary always take pictures,so that you and your family can talk about it for years.
Happy fishing!! <<<<DON>>>>

When I first started building rods I built both my daughter and son personalized rods. Today if they want a rod they come over and build there own. They are 38 and 37.Now I Then when the Grand kids came along I did the same for them, they were 8 and 9 at the time. Today they are 15 and 16. They both know how to fish and build rods. Right now their rod building has been put on the back burner. Their interest have changed now it it boys, girls, and cars. Thank god we have a big garage in the back where we can work on cars. The Boy - Girl problem is up to their parents. LOL every parents nightmare. Thank god for rod building and fishing. Girls-boys and cars come and go but rod building and fishing is here to stay

Good Wraps Bob

Your right on with the fact that its what its all about. The looks on the kkids faces from my classes when they catch their first fish on their own crafted rod is unbeleivable. It makes them almost as proud as it makes me to watch them. I have a 4 yr old grand daughter who I built a rod for and this summer will be the first time she gets to go fishing so I cant wait to see her reaction when she hooks that first bluegill. Great story, thanks for sharing.

Took our 4 year old grand daughter fishing yesterday. I had built her a new rod for her soon to be birthday but let her use it early. After caughting some bluegill and perch she caught a 3 pound channel cat and landed it all by herself. I had redone a old solid glass rod which was about 4 feet painted the blank blue with red wraps and gold bands on the guides and put a Kansas Quarter on the butt since that is were she was born. Hope she will continue fishing and not just watching TV. It was great to see the look on her face. She was kind of scared of the channel after getting it off the hook. I will take a picture and make it into a First Caught sheet in a 8X10 frame for her birthday to help her remember.