I received my Father's Day gift a week early when my wife Laura, my 4-year-old son Andrew and I enjoyed a few hours of fishing on June 7.

We were among the hundreds of children and parents attending Kids Free Fishing Day produced by the Yahara Fishing Club at Willow Island at the Alliant Center. It was Andrew's first time fishing -— but the fish had little to fear.

"Another seaweed monster!" Andrew exclaimed after we reeled in yet another hook tangled with prime weed. "I don't think we're ever going to catch a fish."

He sat in his Winnie The Pooh chair, earnest and patient.

After an hour of questions -— "Can I reel now? Aren't we going to catch any fish?" -— his interest waned, and he went off to admire flowers and hunt for treasure (sticks) with his mother.

He later enjoyed a hot dog before we loaded up the van.

On the way home to Sun Prairie, Andrew recognized the fishing pole he was given by the Yahara Fishing Club.

"What's this?" the pre-schooler asked.

"What's what?" his mother replied.

"This," he said, touching the tip of the rod.

"That's your fishing pole," she said.

"My fishing pole? You mean it's for me?" he asked, eyes wide with delight.

"Yes, for you," she said.

"Ooooh," he said, smiling.

With all due respect to the lounge pants I expect to get, that's all the Father's Day gift I needed.

Even if it was eight days early.