Last week I got off work late and had half an hour or so before the sun set. It had been a long day and I needed to get out and cast. Somehow.
So I headed to the recreational entity that is Bozeman Pond. A city park with a several acre lake that is more often used for swimming and kayaking than fishing, Bozeman Pond is about two miles from my housing and is proving itself an easy solution to those late nights when I just have to get out.
I rigged up the fly rod and headed over to the lake. Several casts in, a young boy, seven or so, wandered over, spinning setup and worm container in hand. Blue eyes under a mop of messy blond hair watched me warily. He had on a little black cape over his shorts and t-shirt.
He stood back, eyeing my fly rod with some trepidation. Finally he asked, “What are you doing?”
What followed was a fun interaction that showed us how much fishing – fly or otherwise – gives people common ground. He got the chance to cast his first fly rod and I plunked a few worms for the first time in my life. We caught a few bass and he brought in a decent sunfish. As he readied another worm I asked him about his cape.
“I want to be Batman,” he informed me confidently. Then he seemed to reconsider. “With a fishing pole.” He added decisively.
Good enough for me.
