The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Florida Department of Education's "JUST READ FLORIDA" program, encourage adults to spend time helping children learn to read.  From kindergarten to third grade youth need to "learn to read" and enhance their reading skills. From fourth grade on they will be "reading to learn" and opening a new chapter in their lives that will enable them to become educated about any topic they choose.  The following article is designed for youths that are still learning to read.  Use the reading tips from "Clifford the Big Red Dog" to help make this reading lesson even more useful.  Then try the Elementary Fisheries Quiz at the bottom of the page.

"NOT A THING TO DO"

Mary awoke early and looked around.  For a moment, she forgot where she was and then remembered.  She was visiting her grandparents for the weekend.  She jumped up and went to give them a big hug. 

While they all sat  and ate breakfast, they talked about what they were going to do.  Mary wanted to watch cartoons, but the TV wasn't working, and her parents did not have any toys for a young girl.  Grandpa was reading one of his favorite magazines about fishing, and he invited Mary to read with him. 

The story told about a family that loved to go fishing together.  They loved being together  and seeing all the plants and animals and trying to out smart a fish or two.  While they were fishing they had lots of time to relax and talk about fun stuff. 

Mary was full of questions.  The magazine showed pictures of different types of fish and how to catch them.  After looking at some of the pictures, Mary asked Grandpa if a whale was the biggest type of fish.  Grandpa told her that a whale was not a fish at all.  It was a mammal just like cows, and dogs, and cats, and horses and even people--all of the animals that needed to breathe air, had hair and fed their babies milk.  Mary wanted to know "what makes a fish a fish?"  Grandpa explained that fish like whales live in the water, but they can "breathe" water using their gills to get air.  Mary remembered having caught some tadpoles that breathed underwater, but she didn't think they were fish.  Grandpa laughed and said "No, you are right Mary.  It takes more than living in the water to make a fish a fish."  Most fish have hard scales, but some do not.  Fish have fins to help them swim or stay in place, but some other animals that are not fish have fins too.  I guess it must be a little bit of all of that which makes a fish a fish.

The children in the magazine looked like they were having so much fun with their family that Mary wanted to know more about fishing.  Grandpa settled back and told her about his first fishing trip with her Mother.  Mary's Mother had been just about Mary's age--yes, Mommy really had been a little girl once.

Grandpa had been digging worms in the back yard when Mary's Mommy saw him and wanted to know what he was doing with those 'yucky' worms.  Grandpa told her he was getting ready to go fishing and that catfish loved worms and crickets too.  Mommy thought that sounded like fun and asked Grandpa to go.  Mommy had caught her very first fish that day.  It was a catfish, and they had brought it home and had it for dinner.  Mary wanted to know why it was called a catfish.

Just then Grandma walked in and said "enough talk, let's go have some fun ourselves!"  So Grandma found Mary a cane pole in the garage for her to use and took Mary to the pond, while Grandpa waited for Mommy.  When they got to the pond bank, Grandma showed her how to tie a hook on the fishing line, then put a worm on it, with a little bobber and tiny weight, and swing it out into the water.  Grandma told her to watch the bobber and if it went under the water to lift up on the rod. 

Meanwhile, Grandma used her rod and reel to cast a plastic lure way out into the pond to see if she could catch a big bass.  While she was practicing her casting, Mary pointed out the mother duck that was leading her ducklings down to the pond.  As the ducks came to the shore, Mary saw a turtle go "ger plop" right off a log into the water.  She was having so much fun being with Grandma, seeing all the animals and telling her about school that she did not see her bobber go under.  All of a sudden, she felt a tug on her cane pole.  With a squeal of delight, she pulled her hook up and found a very funny looking fish on it.

Grandma helped her carefully remove the sharp hook.  Mary thought the fish looked funny.  It had two little eyes and was gray colored.  Grandma warned her about the sharp spines in the fins.  Mary really wanted to know about those funny whiskers that looked like they should be on her cat.  "Well now you know why it's called a catfish" her Grandma said, and put the fish in a bucket of water.

They fished a little longer and talked about lot's of things, but did not catch any more fish.  It was time to go so, Grandma suggested they let the catfish go.  It was just a small one, and Grandma explained that it would grow bigger if they released it.  Mary let it go and said "bye, I'll see you again some day."  They picked up all their snack papers and bait cups and headed for home.  Mary even helped her Grandma put away their fishing poles, so they would be ready for the next trip.  Then she gave her Grandma a kiss and thanked her and ran to tell her Grandpa and Mommy that she had caught a catfish too.

--The End.

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