NEBRASKAland Magazine is dedicated to outstanding photography and informative writing with an engaging mix of articles and photos highlighting Nebraska’s outdoor activities, parklands, wildlife, history and people.
Issue link: http://mag.outdoornebraska.gov/i/823575
MAY 2017 • NEBRASKAland 55 he reeled in a largemouth bass about 10 minutes later. This wasn't Riley's first fish; he's caught bluegill at Holmes before, but it was the biggest, and I think he was just as satisfied with it as Paisley with her first fish. Paulette recalls that both children were fascinated with that bass. Chris opened its mouth and showed them how water moves past the gills for a constant supply of oxygen. All three kids bravely felt the scales and examined the eyes and fins and – "What's that?" … "That's where it poops" – before gently placing it back in the water and waving goodbye as it swam away. Of course, Elvis attempted to follow the bass into the lake. When I met with Riley and Paisley recently to talk about their Family Fishing experience, they mentioned the rain but didn't recall it as a negative. Paisley gleefully told me in one breath that her hair got all wet and she got to have ice cream on the way home. Paulette also mentioned that Paisley now stops to chat with every fisherman she sees when she rides her bike on the Holmes Lake trail. And both kids told me they are looking forward to spring and another chance to go fishing. I asked Paulette what motivated her to bring the grandkids out on that rainy day. She recalled her childhood and her strong connection with water, how spending time outdoors in general, and near water in particular, enriches her life. We talked about how fishing is a lifetime activity, something you can do alone or with friends, in youth and in senescence. And how somewhere in the story of her life, that thread, the common theme of fishing and enjoying the outdoors as family, was broken. She is trying to weave that back into the story, to introduce her grandchildren to the natural world that she loves and help them experience it as she has. It's difficult, she says, because so many things compete for the kids' interest, things such as video games. Riley loves to spend time outdoors, but he also loves Minecraft. Paulette wants to immerse the kids in nature play whenever she spends time with them in hopes that these experiences will lead them in their own free time to choose, for example, a fishing pole as frequently as a screen. She appreciates events like Family Fishing Nights because she doesn't need to recall all the small details of skills she hasn't practiced in years. She admits she was a little nervous to touch the worm that gray September evening and welcomed the assistance from a volunteer instructor to help her regain the confidence of her youth. And even though she is more comfortable now with pinching a worm in half, she still plans to join us again at Family Fishing Nights for the opportunity to gather with friends near water and, hopefully, catch some more fish. ■ For more information on the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission's Family Fishing program, including Family Fishing Night dates, visit OutdoorNebraska.org/familyfishing. Above: Paisley Tolliver of Lincoln releases a crappie back into Holmes Lake in Lancaster County. Opposite: Riley Tolliver poses with a bluegill caught at Holmes Lake.