Gressak,
The porcupine pic is awesome. I have always wanted to see a porcupine in the woods but I think
I’m a little too far south to see them (Midlothian, VA area west of Richmond) . The brook trout your daughter caught is awesome!!! Your fish is more like the size fish I get on a fishing trip. I also catch tree trout and bush trout as well. Enjoy these special moments with your daughter.
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Same here. I have never seen one ever.
The story.
We are fishing a high gradient stream focused on what is in front of us. The sound of the water nearly drowning out every other sound and our backs are facing a small gully followed by and abrupt banking that is a touch above head level.
I kept on hearing rustling sound and commented to my daughter that it sounded like a medium sized mammal behind us. 15 minutes later my daughter yells “porcupine!” … I yell “where?” By that time it was already waddling for cover. We both ran up the banking in pursuit were it first hid its face in the crotch of a tree, trying to be invisible, then climbed a little higher when I tried to get a pic of its smiling face. All i got was that one eye watching us before it climbed high.
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This is so cool. Both of you will never forget that special treat. My daughter, Camilla, and I were fishing White Top Laurel in SW Virginia when we saw a large hellbender. That was in 2016 and we still talk about that experience on the stream. What state did you see the porcupine in? Maybe one day I will get lucky and see one. It is awesome to see animals in their natural habitat. Thank you for sending more pictures and explaining what happened.
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CT but i have lived in this area for 13 years never seeing one and the balance of my life largely in the northeast, never seeing one.
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I do occasionally catch decent sized fish, but lately I feel like I could be accused of micro fishing!
(except for that last bluegill. Bluegill never let me down!) Pics from my last few trips out.
Tiny bass! Smallest bass I’ve seen in person!
Little bluegill
Bigger bass, first fish on that rainy day too!
Chunky Bluegill
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Mike,
Any size fish is a good fish. It is so cool to have a chance to look at them close up before sending them on their way. The bluegill you caught is huge and the horizonal stipes look amazing. We will call this one a “tigergill.” Keep sending pics, I really enjoy looking at the fish.
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I was fishing one day trying to get a #12 kebari to a known lie that has produced a few very nice trout. But as soon as the fly hit the water it was being attacked by little fish before it could sink and drift over the lie. It was funny the first couple of times, but none of them would stick and it began to get annoying. So I decided to target them. I tied on a smaller fly; guessing a #14 or #16 soft hackle that also rested the water for a couple of minutes. In a couple of casts I managed to stick one. It was not micro-sized at all but a very pretty native Redside Shiner.
They only reach about 7" so at 5" it was a fairly large one. But they have a tiny mouth 
I posted about it a couple of years ago
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Stephane,
Really cool looking fish. Thanks for sharing.
The eyes on that yellow tail are intense! Really nice looking fish!
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Nice pics Dave - Looks like some of the creeks I fish.
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Thanks Mike! They are fun to fish, but can sometimes be challenging with all the downed trees and obstacles 
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Weather was warm and my daughter took the trophy of the day almost immediately. Probably the biggest trout I have seen taken from this particular brook.
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@Gressak Wow!!! What a beautiful brook trout. I love catching these fish with a kaleidoscope of colors. Please tell your daughter I’m really impressed with this trout, it is hard to creel brookies this large. She is a better tenkara angler than I am. Thank you for taking the time to go tenkara fishing with your daughter. She will remember these special times forever.
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That’s a gorgeous fish and a great way to start the new year. It’s been unseasonably warm here, but I am not complaining. I have been waiting for the water to receed a little. Itching to get out there. Congratulations to your daughter. It’s great that you share your passion with her. I’ve tried to get my son to fish, just not his thing.
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I am doubtful this is true. Her fishing interval is low. 3-4 times a year.
What this is speaks to the accessibility of our sport and the rewards in sticking to some foundational techniques. I have shared with her what works for me, but I see her experimenting with her own thing. She does not change flies. In fact probably for the last 3 years she has been using the exact same fly. It is a futsu style fly with the shetland oyster body used in the utah killer.
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Presentation is everything.
I think she is more in it for the walk in the woods. We dont just fish, but hike in somewhere, have lunch on the camp stove, enjoy the wildlife,and the landscape.
Some of this started with just hiking together and turning over logs to see what was under them. One year we just hunted around for garnet embedded in the granite.
She usually initiates the request to go…and also has the power to call it a day.
Fishing with youth is tricky. It was not until last year that I fished at all with her. Most of the time I acted a guide and just spoke when spoken to. There to get flies out of trees…etc. Baby steps. Kids like independence.
I dont think she has the fishing bug like we do. She fishes incidentally, because of me. I think she asks to fish because it initiates 1:1 time and a mini adventure.
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