My six year old daughter Aurelia has been on many trips with me. We fish together and we have a good time. She has been on many rivers and she is great at handling fish. When we fish, I am the one who makes the casts and works the lure of the fly. I normally set the hook for her and let her fight the fish.
Yesterday, I let her cast a fly for the first time. I have a little six foot Scott three weight that is overlined with a four weight line, that I usually let her practice with, but yesterday I let her use a standard length fly rod, a TFO TiCr X which is by the way a five weight and a little fast and big for a six year old girl.
Together we stood in a swift run. She grabbed the rod with both hands and she made a great back cast. On her forward cast the line, leader and fly rolled out like they were supposed to. I had tied on a little grasshopper pattern in a highly visible yellow and chartruese. The fly splat on the surface of the water. My daughter stripped the fly in. The current kept the fly skating on the surface and kept the line slackless. Two Guadalupe Bass came up and struck the fly. One fish rolled on the fly and due to there being no slack in the line, it was hooked immediately. Skill is everything in fly fishing, but when it comes to a six year old girl making her first few casts with the long rod, I will take a little bit of luck as well. My daughter has reeled in bigger fish, but this one particular fish will always be memorable. I am glad I have it on film.
Here are some photos from the day. My good friend Gerardo Huerta took the photos of Aurelia and I in the river.
Loaded up and ready to fish.
The cast.
Hooked up.
