An Angel's First Fish - For The Children Of Sandy Hook School
An Angel's First Fish - For The Children Of Sandy Hook School
Some years back I was traveling along a backroad in Redding, CT when I passed a mother & father with their young son fishing along a roadside stream. It was opening day of fishing season and I was in my truck on my way to a job. I decided to stop in the pull off and watch the youngster just a few yards away on the river.
As chance would have it the little boy hooked a fish. The parents were all excited and the mother told me it was her son's first fish. Watching the chaos that ensued as they tried to land the fish it wasn't hard to surmise that they didn't have much experience fishing. Through the passenger side window I asked if they would like me to take their picture with their son. They said yes.
I jumped out and took a quick shot for them. I asked them if they planned on keeping the small trout or did they want to release it. They wanted to let it go. I gave them a quick lesson on proper fish handling and catch & release. The little guy shot upstream to live another day.
They thanked me for taking their pic and I was on my way.
While heading up the road, feeling good about just sharing that special moment with the young family, my mind drifted back to when I was a kid fishing the Norwalk River in Wilton by my house with my dad. I remembered the day I caught my first fish with my dad. I cherish this memory as I didn't have many times to fish with my dad as he passed away when I was only 9. Seeing the excitement in that little boy brought me back to that special time in my youth.
About two years ago, I had the chance to take my nephew Theo fishing for the first time and had the pleasure of seeing his smile when he caught his first fish, a bluegill he caught on a dry fly in a pond in New Canaan. We caught & released many that day but the smile & excitement he had for his first fish will always be special.
This week I'm going to fish a small stream near Newtown that is a favorite of mine, not far from the school where the horrific shooting of innocent children & adults took place.
I will fish for all the little boys & girls that will never get the chance to catch their first fish and for the adults that will never be able to share that special moment with them.
Somewhere a little angel will be smiling with their first fish.
