I Think It Might Be Riggsed

As far as Saturdays go, I realized that we were running out of days that we could get up to the top of Mt Graham before it started to get really cold. So I mentioned to Shannon about heading up to Riggs Lake and going fishing since I had purchased a fishing license for our Young Men's Summer activity and it is way to expensive to use only the once. She thought it was a good idea and so our plans began. At some point, we talked with my parents and they decided to go with us. Unfortunately, I had a commitment that morning that took until almost 1:00, and so we got a bit of a late start. By the time we hit Noon Creek, I started to get the question, "Are we almost there yet?" I can't say I was totally surprised by the question, but I was taken a little off guard that it was Shannon who was asking. Just kidding, it was actually Braden, although she did ask it by about Treasure Park.

Anyway, once we arrived, we were stunned by how beautiful and green everything was. The mountain has had a great deal of rain this year and you could really tell. We got all set up and on the first cast...Abby tangled the line. So we had to sort through that and then on the next cast she did really well. However, she caught some lake weed and refused to touch it. So her fishing day took a break for a while. Braden was up next and his first cast...tangled the line. After we worked through that, he cast again and...tangled the line. It took a while but we finally got him straightened out. Abby returned later and wasn't tangling the line, but was very violent in her back swing. Imagine her trying to fly fish with a regular pole and you should have a pretty good visual of what was happening. She nearly hooked Kate and Grandma once and another time, I was bent over the tackle box and felt her bobber hit me in the back. Fortunately, we got that one straightened out too.

As far as the fishing went, it started out a little slowly and then...BOOM!!! I caught a fish. I was the hero of the day. Braden was shouting my praises and I could have walked away right then bigger than Jonas Brothers in my kids eyes. Unfortunately, I am not that smart and continued to fish. I caught another, and then another. By the fourth fish, they weren't nearly that impressed cause clearly it wasn't that hard. And they kind of had a point. One time I cast out and before my bobber could settle in it was pulled under. Another time, I was reeling it back in and some dumb fish grabbed on on the way in. We found out they had stocked the lake on Tuesday and so we were literally almost shooting fish in a barrel. Although, I think it might have been that we had the right spot too. Those around us didn't seem to be having the luck that we had. By the time it was all said and done, I had brought in 7. Abby was just trying to learn to cast and was practicing that. I showed her once and then handed her the pole, when she caught a fish. She celebrated by dancing all around the shore singing, "I caught my first fish" while I finished reeling it in. Braden was pretty jealous until he also caught a fish. We told him he could celebrate too if he wanted, but he said he wasn't very good at that and kept holding the pole while I pulled out the hook. In the end, Abby caught 3 fish and Braden 1. It was pretty awesome. They now want to go back because they have tasted success.

Because of our late start, we fished until the sun was behind the horizon. As you can see from the picture above, it was really pretty. However, that meant we didn't get started down until after dusk and drove down mostly in the dark. Nothing funner than driving Swift Trail in the dark. Did I say nothing funner? My use of the word funner tells you what frame of mind you have to be in to enjoy that drive. Anyway, it was a really nice afternoon and one we will be repeating soon.

(I suppose I should now learn how to clean fish and get rid of the 20 pairs of eyes staring at me from my freezer.)