Freshwater Fishery Trip!

As bona fide homeschoolers with an adorable gaggle of girls in our little group you know we have to take lots of field trips. Well, not LOTS. But enough to keep it fun and we recently had our best one ever! If you are ever within an hour or so of Athens, Texas you’ve got to check out the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center. I can’t believe I made it 31 years, 12 of those as a homeschool kid myself, and have never been to this place until now!

As they say a picture is worth a thousand words and since I’m pretty sure you don’t want to read thousands of words that have flown out of my head and onto your computer screen we shall just stick to (mostly) pictures today!  You can click on any picture to enlarge and see the caption.

Look at those google eyes!

All field trips must begin with a trip to the downtown donut shop. This is the number one rule.

One hour after the donut shop, we arrive!

A fishy filled pond greets you as you walk in.

Ethel the Fish guides you thru the entire hatchery offering advice and fun facts!

Getting up close and personal.

Ande showing us another whopper!

The displays are all kid friendly and I didn’t have to lift Addie up to see anything-bonus!

My favorite part-the monster catfish!

Here fish fish!

They were so big, I didn’t want to pet them too close to the mouth!

Ande was trying to coax them out of the water…

‘Gater.

The inside had a lot of really nice displays and good air conditioning. Very important for field trips in Texas in every month execpt January.

Stamp Art contest winner, there was lots of great ones but this was my favorite.

Hi Crusty!

There is a dive show twice a day…

The diver tells about each fish as she feeds it.

After the dive show you can hop on the tram for a guided tour.

The tram dropped us off at the wetlands nature trail.

Bees!

Lily pad.

We heard the kids start shrieking, this is why. Look at the shadow of his little forked tongue on the lily pad!

He wasn’t very bothered by us.

Honey Lane has a great little building in the woods where you learn all about bees.

There were lots of turtles.

Check out the reflection….

If you go you gotta take a picnic!

The climax of the trip is fishing! They provide all the tackle, poles and bait!

Off to the pond to cast a line.

Even with a lot of other people we didn’t feel crowded.

Fun for everyone! And aren’t those little shelters adorable! I felt like I was in a Dr. Seuss book!

Fishing teaches many things such as patience…

Way to go! First fish of the day!

Another beauty!

This is me fishing, just fishing. ‘Cause I never catch a thing!

Now, Go. Fish. Texas. y’all!

If you decide to go, which I obviously highly recommend, bring about 5.00 per person admission (it was 9.00 for me and Addie), bring quarters for the fish food machine, wear comfortable shoes and sunscreen and bring a picnic.  They have a small selection of stuff to eat but you will want a picnic.  There are 2 dive shows a day (11:00 and 2:00) and each are immediately followed by a tram tour.  The tram tour is very short and will drop you off at the head of the wetlands nature trail with is mostly paved, shaded and flat.  It ends back at the picnic area and fishing ponds.  The trail is about half a mile long.   At the end you head over to the bait shop, grab a pole and some bait and you are all set to nab a catfish.  In the early spring they even offer fly fishing lessons in the rainbow trout pond!  They also have a nice gift shop!  🙂

If you go, please tell me what you think!  I hope you love it!