Tom Finsterbusch of Bear Creek and his 7-year-old grandson, Kole, spend a sunny Wednesday morning fishing at Frances Slocum State Park in Kingston Township. ‘He’d fish all day,’ Finsterbush said of his grandson.
Mark Guydish | Times Leader
Kids enjoy fishing with dads, granddads, role models
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Tom Finsterbusch of Bear Creek, right, spent a few minutes trying to de-tangle a tangled fishing line for his grandson, Kole, before they ended up cutting it.
Mark Guydish | Times Leader
Spending time fishing with his Pop-Pop is a favorite activity for 7-year-old Kole Finsterbusch.
Mark Guydish | Times Leader
Mike Dezinski, of Plymouth, at left, offers some fishing tips to William Martinez, 7, and Quentin McClellan, 9.
Mark Guydish | Times Leader
“I’m always happy when I catch a fish,” 9-year-old Quentin McClellan said. “You have to wait, but it’s still fun.”
Mark Guydish | Times Leader
William Martinez, age 7, digs in the sand near the lake at Frances Slocum State Park. His grandmother was glad to see her grandchildren spending time outdoors, fishing and observing dragonflies, away from video games.
Mark Guydish | Times Leader
Nine-year-old Quentin McClellan has a worm he’s willing to put on the small fishing rod, decorated with Spongebob Squarepants’ likeness, that his cousin Lilianna Martinez, 5, had on the fishing expedition. Actually, Lilianna seemed more interested in helping her grandmother assemble a grill for hot dogs.
Mark Guydish | Times Leader
“My dad, my granddad, my uncles, the whole family taught me how to fish,” Mike Dezinski of Plymouth recalled. Now he’s teaching his girlfriend’s grandchildren to fish.
Mark Guydish | Times Leader
Ask Mike Dezinski how he started his favorite hobby and the Plymouth man’s smile widens into a grin.
“My dad, my granddad, my uncles, the whole family taught me how to fish,” he said last week as he leaned against a railing near a boat launch at Frances Slocum State Park in Kingston Township.
Isn’t that often the case? Dads, granddads and other role models spend time with kids and grandkids, passing along their knowledge, creating memories.
It doesn’t have to be fishing — it could be any other sport or craft or skill — but just look at the Father’s Day cards in a typical card shop and count all the pictures of rods and reels, tackle boxes, streams, lakes and rainbow trout.
Fishing must be a favorite.
“I still remember the first trout I caught,” Dezinski said. “It was in Bowmans Creek, and I went in without waders, with my sneakers.”
On Wednesday Dezinski was passing along some of his fishing know-how to 7-year-old William Martinez and 9-year-old Quentin McClellan, who are grandsons of his girlfriend, Christine.
“Grab your hooks,” he said, reminding the boys not to let their fishing lines and hooks dangle in the breeze as they moved to a different spot on the lake shore — a few yards away from a catfish that had sparked their interest.
“I’d rather they didn’t catch her,” Dezinski said. “She’s protecting her young.”
Earlier, the boys had caught a bluegill, which 9-year-old Quentin explained had been the best part of the day so far.
“I’m always happy when I catch a fish,” he told a reporter. “You have to wait, but it’s still fun.”
Patience is one thing that fishing teaches, Dezinski said. Respect for the environment is another.
“I’ve been telling them to pick up trash (that other people left behind),” Dezinski said,. “They’re having fun doing it.”
Meanwhile, at another part of the lake shore in Frances Slocum State Park, Tom Finsterbusch of Bear Creek and his 7-year-old grandson, Kole Finsterbusch, were also enthusiastically enjoying the outdoors.
“We saw a bald eagle fly down and get a fish and go back to a tree,” the elder Finsterbusch said. “You don’t often see that.”
Avid fishermen both, Kole and his Pop-Pop were looking forward to fishing at Lake Jean at Ricketts Glen State Park later in the week while other family members planned to enjoy the beach there. After that, they intended to celebrate Father’s Day with 10 other fellows, including Finsterbusch’s three sons, other relatives and friends, on a deep-sea fishing excursion out of New Jersey.
“I’m really looking forward to it,” Finsterbusch said
And, as for Kole, his Pop-Pop said, “He’d fish all day.”
busch said. “I’m really looking forward to it.”