CHAPTER 5:
On April 2nd, Aubrey and her family were loading their car, prepared to leave for their camping trip.
"Okay, let's go over everything once again: We got tents, bug spray, sunblock, logs for a campfire, and stuff for s'mores," Aubrey mentioned, checking her list.
"All right. Now we just pick up your dad, right?" Chad asked.
"Yep. Let's hit the road!" Aubrey said as their family got in Aubrey's car and headed off.
They arrived at Mike's house 15 minutes later, and he was already packed and ready. He loaded his stuff in the trunk before getting in the backseat with Finn. They took a drive to the Catskills for their camping trip. Once they were there, the family unloaded the car and continued towards the camping site.
The campsite was nestled next to a lake where the family could hear the waves splashing on the shore. The trees were tall and majestic with little undergrowth. At night, the stars looked like neon lights.
Mike thought it'd be a good idea to teach his grandson how to fish. As they went out to the lake, Mike carried two fishing rods, a tackle box, and bait. When they reached the shore, they heard splashing on one side of them. They saw a black bear trying to grab a fish in the lake.
"Grandpa, what's the bear doing in the water?" Finn asked.
"Beats me, but I suspect that bear probably likes to fish as well," Mike told him.
The bear grabbed one fish in its mouth and then ran off into the woods with it.
"Was that the fish you were hoping to catch?" Finn asked.
"Don't know. Though let's hope we have some good luck and catch something ourselves," Mike said, setting up the tackle box and fishing poles. He handed Finn one of the two poles.
Mike then took out one of the bait worms, and Finn looked at it, feeling rather squeamish. "Grandpa, it's so slimy looking. Do I really have to touch that?"
"Nah, I can do it for you," Mike said before attaching the worm to the fishing pole. "I know they look gross, but they're okay. They don't bite, and they won't make you sick or anything."
"Okay. How about next time I give it a try?" Finn asked.
"Definitely," Mike agreed.
Mike showed Finn how to cast the line by pulling the pole behind his back and tossing it forward. Finn had some struggles at first, and at one point, his fishing hook got caught in a nearby tree. Luckily, his grandfather was able to get his hook loose and showed him how to prevent it from happening again.
A few minutes later, Finn caught his first fish, and it was a big one. He struggled to bring it ashore. His grandfather offered to help him.
"Hang on, buddy. That fish looks heavy. Let me give you a hand with that," Mike offered, grabbing a fishing net.
That big fish ended up being a rainbow trout weighing about 10 pounds. Mike was so proud of his grandson for catching his first fish. The two couldn't wait to tell Aubrey and Chad about how great of a time they had fishing together. Not only was it a fun activity for the grandfather and grandson to share, but Aubrey and Chad also thought it was a great bonding experience as well.