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THE FISHING MOM-LIFE

Fishing with kids

When it comes to fishing, you might say I was hooked at a young age. My mom taught me how to break a worm in half and bait a hook early on. Her dad, my grandpa, who I can still remember teaching me the fisherman’s knot, referred to me as his “little fishing buddy” till the day he passed. When I migrated out West for college, I learned to fly fish and joined the CU Fly Fishing club. It was there that I met my husband and life-long fishing partner, Drew. We spent the next decade fishing as much as we could on our home waters and beyond. Then, after welcoming two children to the family, we learned to adapt our hobby and expectations from hard-hitting fishing days to “let’s make this fun for the kids”. Truthfully, we were still able to fish a fair amount, but it was much harder for the two of us to get out together. So, when Nite Ize approached to ask if we’d be interested in shooting a fishing film with them, I thought “Great! We get a fishing date weekend together!” When they asked about including the whole family, I thought, “Great! They have no idea what fishing with kids is like – I hope the filmmaker is patient.” 

Fishing with kids is all about planning, patience, hope, and luck. Anyone with toddlers knows if you’re planning a full day out to do anything, you’ll probably need a big bag of stuff to keep everyone happy and entertained – especially snacks, you need to pack SO many snacks. Add sun, water, unpredictable mountain weather, flying hooks, and wiggling fish, and the packing list gets longer: sunglasses, sunscreen, extra outfits and layers, water safety gear, some toys that can get muddy, and waterproof bags to hold it all. And hey, guess what? Nite Ize just happens to make the best waterproof bags out there. So, if you plan just right, shift your expectations to a kid-paced mentality, hope for the best, and get a little luck on the river, you just might have one of those days your kids will never forget.

Lucky for us, the filmmaker was extremely patient, and all the other pieces fell into place for a few days of unforgettable family fishing. It was a blast to share our experience as a fishing family and see it come together in a film. The truth is, as much fun as we had traveling to far-flung destinations and fishing from dawn to dusk all through our 20s, now there is something so deeply rewarding about passing on a love of the sport and of the outdoors to our little people. It just can’t be beat. If we go all day without catching a fish, or we spend more time eating snacks and splashing rocks than holding a rod, that’s ok. It’s still a great day on the river. Sharing that time and doing something we love together feels like a much more important story to tell than any exotic-destination, bro-ed out fishing film full of drone shots (full disclosure, we still got some pretty cool drone shots too). Everyone learns to fish from someone else, and often that’s a parent or grandparent, looking to share a passion, hoping to build lasting memories, and wanting to impart an understanding and respect for the great outdoors. Or if we’re being honest, maybe that person just wanted to fish, so you got to tag along! But it’s a story all anglers can relate to – that first time you got to go along, your first bite, your first miss, your first fish, and the genuine joy of it all.

 So, a little PSA on behalf of all the fishing moms out there: if you learned to fish from your mom, this might be the perfect year to thank her with a little Mother’s Day fishing outing – an ideal “socially distant” activity. And if that’s not possible, dig back in those old photos, frame a good one of you fishing together, and write her a heartfelt thank you – we moms really dig those. (This is your friendly reminder that Mother’s Day is May 10th.) P.S. Sign up for the Nite Ize Newsletter for updates on when our full film will be released.

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