A family reunion brought us back to the Columbus, OH area for the weekend. Part of our plan included a family picnic at one of the local Preservation Parks.
While checking out the web site for the Preservation Park that we would be visiting, I found a newsletter listing the upcoming events for the summer.
As luck would have it, the Hogback Ridge Preserve was holding a fishing clinic for kids Saturday morning on one of the park’s ponds. My daughter was interested, so we registered for the program.
Saturday morning we drove up to Delaware County, about 40 minutes from where we were staying. We wandered through backroads and farmland until we found the sign for the park.
Park employees Chris and Kyle greeted us and gave us some background on the parks. Then they gathered the kids and led them through the basics of spin fishing: how to tie a knot, attach a split shot, choose a bobber and put on a worm. Doesn’t get much simpler than that.
After showing us a bass and bream they had taken from the pond earlier that morning, they gave us a container of night crawlers and led us to the park pond.
The pond was small but the grass around the bank had been recently mowed to make access easier. My daughter and I went to the far side and began casting.
Almost immediately she had a bream on the line. This pattern continued for the next hour, catching bream of all sizes and colors.
We caught more fish than I was able to count, and my daughter had a great time. It started getting warm and my daughter was ready to go, so we thanked Chris and Kyle and headed back.
What a great way to start the day. I got a chance to spend some time with my daughter, the fishing was great, and as an added bonus the kids got to keep the rods and reels that that they used, compliments of the Ohio Division of Wildlife.
Unfortunately fishing in these parks is prohibited except for events such as this. That said, If you get a chance to visit one of the Preservation Parks I would recommend giving them a try.
So did I see any fish this weekend? Well yes, but only at the Columbus Zoo Enjoy!
