The WI trout fishing opener proved to be another hallowed holiday within the Salwey Family. The short version of the story will warm your heart more than a winter fire crackling in Santa’s fireplace.

Three elves picked up Uncle Kenny Salwey from his home and loaded up the rehabilitating Kenny in his blue sedan. Kenny was 2 weeks post-op from a hip replacement. We roadtripped with him to a fishing region that was easily accessible for him and for our 3.5 yr old son Hawken.

Uncle Tim Salwey and Aunt JoJo White presented Hawken with his own fish pole. Tim then escorted Hawken to the creek holes as friends and family gathered along the creek banks. The anticipated arrival of Hawken and Kenny prompted a bantering and chatting that is conducive to eloquent fish tales being told.

I retreated to fish 15 minutes and returned to find Hawken with 2 brook trout. The rest of the 10 adults all smelled like skunk after we fished for 2 hours.

Uncle Kenny chuckled all the way back to his place commenting that together we all probably have caught 5,000 fish over the years and today we’ve all been outfished by a little boy. We all basked in the beauty of passing along the tradition of fishing opener to the youngest member of the Salwey family.

Flow like water and shine like the rising sun,

Sue Roskos