On Dec 24, 4:50*am, riverman wrote:
Last summer, when SWMBO flew to visit the family, I decided that I
needed a fishing/mental recharge break and spent the summer with Roger
in Sweden. When little Luca, not quite 3 years old, asked where I was,
SWMBO said "He's up in Sweden fishing". Well, that was it....Luca
fixated on fishing for the whole winter; every phone conversation
included a promise to take him fishing, and lots of 3-year-old banter
about going fishing. Nevermind that he has no idea what fishing
is....he wants to go, and thats fine with me.

So a few months back, on a business trip to California, I managed to
get away to a Toys-R-Us and pick up a small child's fishing rod...for
kids 4 and older. Its not a toy rod...made by Shakespeare and with a
quite solid plastic reel, and about 2 feet long. So I carried it back
to Hong Kong, then this week carried it to Thailand where the family
is gathered for the holiday season.

Met up with Luca and his parents at the ferry crossing in Koh
Samui....he saw me (we only get together about once a year, so he
always takes a few hours to warm up) and hid behind his mother's leg,
then pulled on her pants and whispered something to her. She said
"Yes, go ask him" and he walked up and timidly said "Did you bring me
a fishing rod?". When I produced the rod, that was it. Best friends
for life.

So the next morning, which was yesterday, I tied on a big plastic
thing that came with the rod and took him to the pool to show him how
to cast. Of course, I'm thinking that the perfect scenario would be to
live on a farm with a nice bass pond and a dock, and to tie a string
to a stick and let him dangle worms....I mean, Luca is not yet even 4
years old. But life isnt like that....we're at a resort in Thailand,
with a swimming pool, and little Luca wants me to take him 'fishing',
so unless I want a broken-hearted grandson (and intolerant non-fishing
swmbo and daughter in law), I need to get him having fun with what we
have on hand.

So I take the rod, and show him how to cast. Press the yellow button,
swing the rod this way, release the button at just the right moment,
and see the plastic thingy fly across the pool. My demo cast goes
about 30 feet...pretty good for a child's rod, I think. Little Luca is
watching, big eyes and all attentive. My Turn he declares.

He winds up and thwaps the rod over his head, and of course nothing
happens. I hold his little hand beneath mine, and say "look closely
Luca...press the yellow button and then lift up your thumb when you
cast". I demonstrate it for him while he is holding the rod along with
me, and the cast goes out about 20 feet. I'm thinking that I'm asking
a whole lot of a not-yet-four-year-old. He reels in pretty smoothly,
and I figure we're in for something but I dont know what.

So he tries a second time....he winds up and thwaps the rod over his
head, pressing the yellow button the whole time. Of course, nothing
happens, so he winds in and I go to show him again. NO, My Turn he
declares. OK, I say, show me. Remember; press down on the button, then
lift your thumb when you cast.

He goes through the motions step by step. He puts the rod tip behind
himself, and says "Press the Yellow Button" (but of course it sounds
more like 'press the Lellowbunt". Then he swings the rod tip forward
in slow motion and says "Lift up my thumb" (which sounds like
'liftupmythump'

Then he puts the rod tip behind himself, winds up and thwaps the rod
over his head. The plastic thingy flies about 10 feet...not bad for a
child's toy. Luca jumps up and down with glee, and I'm happy as hell.

He reels in and says Again! So he winds up and thwaps the rod over his
head. 20 feet this time. Next time was 30 feet and after that he
settles in to consistently casting 30 foot casts. By now, everyone at
the pool is watching, amazed. Some old guy says 'How old is that kid?"
and I say "He'll be four in about 5 weeks". "Geeze, he's gonna be one
hell of a fisherman!" and I concur.

He's gonna be one hell of a fisherman. :-)
--riverman

Agreed.

If you want go "tie a line to a stick and [let the kid] dangle worms
in a pond", I hereby volunteer my bass/catfish pond.

cheers

oz