Saturday, April 18, 2009
Cub Scout Fishing Derby
Today at 8:00 AM was the Cub Scout Fishing Derby at Stump Pond in Smithfield, RI.
Last night I went to the basement to get the gear ready. In a sudden flash I understood what "sorry I lost all your fishing stuff last time" meant: there was one sinker in the box and just one bobber (already on the rod) left. So I hoofed it over to Wal-Mart and scoured the three racks of clearance fishing stuff. I was reminded of the old store in Midway [Keys, maybe? It's now the site of Big Top Liquor, I think] where we used to paw through the giant display tables of crummy fishing lures. The stuff's not much better and it barely costs more these days, except for the Red Devil spoons I had coveted so much as a little kid which are now somewhere north of five bucks in a useful size!
When we got there it was bright and pretty windy -- there were whitecaps and lines of foam on the water as we left, around 11:00 AM -- but perch were biting down at one end of the big wall, right near the dam. Anyway, a nice day:
Here's the second, smaller fish that he caught today. (I didn't get over with my camera for the eight-incher he caught first):
(Sadly, his younger brother got skunked. Well, he thought that he almost got one, but actually the knot I'd tied on the swivel above his hook simply came undone. Sorry, little guy.)
Our Cubmaster was active all morning helping out all the boys (and girls -- who caught the most and largest fish!). Here he takes a momentary rest....
...But a minute later he was back helping to put a worm on a hook:
(I put on most of the boys' worms, but all the Scouts earned their Fishing belt loop -- which required them to put on at least one worm with their own hands. He can do his own worms from now on: that's one more milestone passed!)
Check out the deflection on this cast!
And here are the brothers, getting along extremely well:
(I have to take them fishing again!)
Last night I went to the basement to get the gear ready. In a sudden flash I understood what "sorry I lost all your fishing stuff last time" meant: there was one sinker in the box and just one bobber (already on the rod) left. So I hoofed it over to Wal-Mart and scoured the three racks of clearance fishing stuff. I was reminded of the old store in Midway [Keys, maybe? It's now the site of Big Top Liquor, I think] where we used to paw through the giant display tables of crummy fishing lures. The stuff's not much better and it barely costs more these days, except for the Red Devil spoons I had coveted so much as a little kid which are now somewhere north of five bucks in a useful size!
When we got there it was bright and pretty windy -- there were whitecaps and lines of foam on the water as we left, around 11:00 AM -- but perch were biting down at one end of the big wall, right near the dam. Anyway, a nice day:
Here's the second, smaller fish that he caught today. (I didn't get over with my camera for the eight-incher he caught first):
(Sadly, his younger brother got skunked. Well, he thought that he almost got one, but actually the knot I'd tied on the swivel above his hook simply came undone. Sorry, little guy.)
Our Cubmaster was active all morning helping out all the boys (and girls -- who caught the most and largest fish!). Here he takes a momentary rest....
...But a minute later he was back helping to put a worm on a hook:
(I put on most of the boys' worms, but all the Scouts earned their Fishing belt loop -- which required them to put on at least one worm with their own hands. He can do his own worms from now on: that's one more milestone passed!)
Check out the deflection on this cast!
And here are the brothers, getting along extremely well:
(I have to take them fishing again!)
Labels: scouts
Baseball season! Baseball season!
They started their first practice with some tossing, some grounders, and a little throwing. Then they got to take turns swinging at a dozen-odd pitches while everyone else fielded.
Checking his helmet before stepping up to the plate:
A mighty clout!
(You can see the ball out where the frame of the backstop comes together.)
Circling the bases, with awesome Coach Tony looking on:
Checking his helmet before stepping up to the plate:
A mighty clout!
(You can see the ball out where the frame of the backstop comes together.)
Circling the bases, with awesome Coach Tony looking on:
