Schuckman: Grandfather’s gift to 6-year-old grandson is patience and appreciation for fishing

FOWLER, Ill. — The ripple spread across the top of the water as Brandon Smithton counted the seconds until it hit the bank.

“One, two, three, four,” his grandfather, Charlie Smithton, heard him count.

When he got to seven, Brandon stopped as the ripple hit the rocks.

“Grandpa, you need to throw it farther next time,” the 6-year-old said.

So the 66-year-old grandfather reeled in his line, checked to make sure the worm was still attached to the hook, and cast the line as far as he was willing to let it go. A small splash created the ripple effect Brandon loved to see and he began his count again.

“One, two, three,” he said aloud before suddenly stopping.

He turned to his grandfather with a wide-eyed expression.

“The bobber disappeared,” Brandon said. “It’s gone.”

He knew what that meant. A fish was on the line.

Charlie put the fishing rod in Brandon’s small hands, helping him steady it so they could begin reeling. Slowly, they brought the fish closer to the bank of the small farm pond with Charlie hoping the entire time the fish wouldn’t break the line or fall off the hook before they could get it in their net.

At one point, Brandon stopped reeling, took a deep breath and said, “He’s really fighting us.”

Charlie laughed out loud.

“Where did you hear that from?” he asked.

Brandon replied, “You said it the last time we went fishing.”

A smile of pride came across Charlie’s face. Not only was his grandson enjoying the moment, he was listening and remembering. An appreciation for the outdoors is one of the greatest gifts that can be passed from generation to generation.

By then, the fish was nearly to the bank and Charlie let Brandon lift the end of the rod and pull the fish out of the water. It was a bluegill, maybe six inches long. For its small size, it gave them a tussle, which may have been the best thing for Brandon to feel and to fight through to land the fish.

They didn’t use the net, and Charlie hadn’t put his cell phone in his pocket. He left it on the seat of his pickup truck. So they didn’t take a picture of Brandon’s first catch, at least the first one he reeled in by himself.

Brandon asked if he could keep the fish, and Charlie said no and took it off the hook and released it back into the pond. While doing so, he showed his grandson how to safely hold the fish and humanely remove the hook.

Noticing the worm was no longer on the hook, Brandon pulled a worm from the clump of dirt inside the styrofoam container, held it up for his grandpa to see and asked if they could put it on the hook and keep fishing.

They didn’t catch another fish the remainder of the day, but they kept casting and trying and hoping and watching the bobber sway with the wind as it moved the water and created a gentle breeze that kept them cool on a 90-degree day.

And with each cast, Brandon counted the seconds until the ripples hit the rocks, waiting patiently for his count to be interrupted by the bobber’s disappearance.

That’s a wait he will enjoy for a lifetime, thanks to a grandfather who put a rod and reel in his hands and gave him something to appreciate.