Fishing for Dummies

During the summer, the Mr. and I head about 60 miles west of Yosemite to the Moccasin Creek Hatchery. We have done this for the past few years after learning about the easy trout fishing from a friend of his. When we get there, the best fishing spot is ALWAYS taken and it has been very frustrating. This morning neither of us could sleep and at 3:00 (yep, AM!!) we packed up the gear and headed up, determined to get our spot. It was still dark when we reached the hatchery. As the sun was rising we made our way to the spot and not surprisingly we were the first ones to reach it. We stuck our lines in the water and waited...and waited. Nothing. A few hours later fisherman started swarming all over our spot and about half an hour after that, the fish started to really bite. I am telling you, the fishing is so easy that even I caught a fish. After catching four prime candidates, we headed home. I drove home with one eye open out of sheer exhaustion and was out as soon as my head hit my pillow.

Fishing as the sun comes up is typically not my idea of a good time. I am NOT a morning person. The actual exercise of fishing is not my motivation for agreeing to these trips. Nothing is better than having a line in the water and a book in my hand while listening to the water trickle down the creek, inhaling the aroma of the foothills and basking in the shaded sunshine. Heaven! Today's book of choice was 'I Capture the Castle' by Dodie Smith. (Side note: For some reason I just can't get into it which is disappointing because I was certain I would fall in love with it. Luckily I had my Ipod with me and was able to finish up 'The Picture of Dorian Gray'; Side-side note: *Gasp* at Chapter 11, although I guess I really should have seen it coming. My brother was right, Dorian Gray IS an a**hole!)

Finally the sun comes up and I take a look around and spy some wild blackberries! I was a little too scared to eat them (even though I love nature, I am a scared nature girl believing that anything can hurt me around every corner). The Mr. was pretty focused  on the fishing and to his credit he was the one that pretty much caught all the fish this morning. He let me claim the one that I brought in but he was the one that got it on the line. 

The reason this post is titled 'Fishing for Dummies' is because here, anyone can fish. This is a great introductory place for kids. Even if the kids aren't quite big enough to handle a rod and reel this is a terrific little, FREE day trip (everyone is looking for a little free fun nowadays, especially for the kiddies). The kids will love walking up and down the tanks that hold all the fish before they are released. The fish are very active which makes it even more fun. There is a small shaded picnic area right outside the inside gates to the tanks and I believe there is another shaded picnic area by the restrooms (super clean and maintained restrooms). 

I can't wait for my fresh trout dinner tonight...mmmm.....