Friday, April 17, 2009

You get Out what you Put in.




Hudson at Six months on his first fishing roadtrip with dad - Silver Creek.

Please allow the quality of the next set of images, be outweighed by the content and the actual value that content represents in the photographs. Photography is a journey, and I'm recently down this path.

Every father is proud of their children, as am I. Recently a new friend of mine Brian, was helping me out with my lack of skills behind the lens. He wanted to use a picture of mine for something, and after I had sent the photo, he followed up with a request for quote to go along with the picture. It was an easy response for me. I wrote back via email, "That one is easy! It's my son Hudson's first Brown, he was three months shy of two years old at the time. Caught in Arizona at xyz location."

The notion that two year olds don't catch fish with fly rods on a regular basis hasn't really hit me as odd until this brief exchange of emails between Brian and myself. Hudson, has been going with me since six months. At fist in his backpack carrier and now on his own. He's been tying flies in my lap and fishing alongside me since he could talk, walk, and now run.

Here is Hudson's first three years as an angler, they just happen to coincide with his first three years of life. I sincerely, hope that the parent or the parent-to-be in all of us can enjoy this post. It has and continues to be the greatest honor in my life, just to be his dad.

One year: We practiced casting his Fly-O in the house, in the yard, and everything was a fish. Here Hudsons is practicing outside the South fork of the little Colorado in Greer at One years old. Thanks Joan, Hudson Wulff Otto Loves his present.

Here is Hudson at fourteen months. His frist small stream experience please note the left hand. He's managing line. Stick in the making!

At Version 1.5 to 2.5 Hudson started to make some serious progress. Connections were made with every trip. Here is a little Ranch we fished almost all day with H, He made three very distinct angling accomplishments that day.

Number 1: Spotting Rising Fish.

Number 2: He would no longer let dad Help him cast

Number 3: His first rainbow, he was okay with Dad holding that.

Right around two years of age, Hudson wanted no more with the Backpack/kid carrier. He was all about doing it himself. He told me he was brinigng his own rod and that was that.

Now 2.5 and beyond: Hudson made very big strides.

He learned how to cast into moving water.

Although I haven't addressed drift with him yet, he's got the concept of when the fly drags in the water he needs to recast. He also hit the, "HOW DO I FIGHT ONE OF THESE THINGS DILEMA?" Almost every trip we are going on now he's connecting with fish. Sometimes more then once per day. A tug on his line has forced him to figure out a way to get the fish from water to feet.

In the last six to eight months we've been bringing the angling picture full circle. How to work a net.

Or How to hold your first Apache, with Grace when your grandfather still hasn't caught one yet.

Now this is a pretty high-level recap of my little man's last three years. There are atleast three dozen trips in there he went on, not mentioned or pictured.

By no means am I trying to preach to folks here is how to make your kid an angler. Something far more imporant in my mind, the message is: How do you create something with your children, a bond that will carry you through.

From one dad, to all you parents or to-be parents out there. I will say agian, it has been the greatest honor in my life, to be this little-mans dad. I promise you, you get back, what you put in. If you would like to see more of Hudson Check out the Emergers Section of the Drake this issue, he's showing you his whip-finishing skills.

I won't bug you all with the last six months and our Bass adventures, you can read the earlier posts to see Hudsons' most recent angling feets; but I will send out a plug to stay tuned: H and I are going after Smallies tomorrow!

3 comments:

Unknown said...

love it AO, keep em coming! scottd

Unknown said...

love it AO, keep em coming! scottd

Serge said...

Oh man, that is just an awesome set of photos. I have a 3 month old daughter and I cannot wait til the day comes....