Fishing Season Has Begun . . .

at least for now. The rivers are clear and not too high, and the air is warming up, so Andy and Jansse set out for fishing. Any time now, when the snow melt finally gets really going, the river will be too muddy and flowing too fast and too deep to be safe, so there will be a break in the fishing. But today was the boys first day out.

Jansse gets so excited about getting ready - sometimes he even gets a bit bossy with his dad about what they need.
And because Momma is a bit nervous about the water being cold and a little high, poor Jansse was made to wear a life vest under his fishing vest. I figured it couldn't hurt! Andy broke out the old wading felts and they were ready to go.
They fished on the Gallatin River, a couple miles from our home. I was there for the first fifteen minutes or so to take pictures. For the past four years the first time I see Jansse fly fishing for the season I just stand in awe. This boy is a natural. I guess every year I think maybe I imagined how good he was the year before and he will be struggling and hate it. But every year he just starts casting, putting the fly right where he wants it, controlling the casts and doing beautifully. Even today, wet-fly fishing, something he'd never done before, he did beautifully. He is a phenom in this sport - and I'm not bias or anything!
He really does fish independent - today he was very insistent that he and Andy were not going to share a rod - they each had their own. And, they each caught a fish. Jansse caught a 16 inch brown trout and Andy caught a 6 inch brown. Guess who was gloating when they got home!
There came a point where they needed to cross the river and get into different waters. That is where I dropped off and headed back home. As I was getting ready to turn around this is what I saw:
Now, what mother can possible not be touched by that? I was leaving my little boy in the very capable hands of his loving father for them to have an adventure together. It is hard to let go, and yet doing it is so much the right thing. I trust my husband, I trust his judgment, and still, it is hard to walk away knowing that they will be in the water and out, climbing and hiking and casting and fishing, and I will not be part of it. At least not until they get home and I get the whole story. That is the way it should be.