FoodieWest.com

Recently, while having my constant distraction (facebook) open, I saw a posting by one of my cousins of their family cabin in Big Bear, California. I spent time there when I was little, and even though that was some time ago, the pictures instantly brought back memories. Amazing how these things happen, and its things like this that make me thankful for the ability to share things via the web with people we don’t always get to see. The days of going over to another family’s house to watch slide shows now has a new angle for sure. (Anyone remember those times?)
Two things’ I have taken away from those times at Big Bear are these;
My cousin Bill who taught me how to clean and scale the fish I caught in the outside sink. He even showed me how to tell what the trout had been eating by dissecting it’s innards.
My Aunt Ruth who taught me one of the most important things, which to this day I consider the Zen of fishing. She used to walk with me out to the round granite rocks, bait a hook with me and just wait with me. I don’t recall catching much with her but  the reward of learning how to sit still and take in the surroundings is huge.

My kids have been away this week spending time with their mom’s family in Graeagle, which is an old resort nestled up in the Plumas area of the Sierras.
I will mention that both of them have not been fans of eating fish, (to my chagrin)
most of 12-13 years, but my daughter has been turning that around as of lately.
They both though, were introduced to fishing at an early age; since fishing is something I really enjoy doing. It is kind of tough to teach sportsmen’s ethics to kids that want to partake in the sport, but don’t want to eat what they catch. I mean, you want to encourage them, but you know it’s also necessary for them to learn a hunter’s code. They were thoughtful enough to call me in the evening to let me know how their day went and what they had for dinner. Graegle is known for it’s lavish menu in the lodge restaurant called Firewood’s. On Tuesday night I get an enthusiastic call from my daughter. “Hi Dad, you’re gonna be so proud of me!!” Now this is a girl who just graduated 8th grade with 4 honors, so naturally, my response was “yes I am already quite proud of you, what is it now I can be proud of? She went on to tell me of the 5 trout she had caught, how she cleaned them and had one for dinner. I was stoked!
Add another fish item to her menu! but more importantly – she has become a full fledged fisherman/fishergirl!! I am very proud, and am hoping the sibling ripple flows to her brother soon. I asked her who taught her to clean the fish, since that was an important thing to me as I mentioned above. Her response was, “I just kinda knew since I have dissected so many things in biology class”
That works for me, and if you get some time this summer, take a kid fishing.