Photo by Deb Gau Students at Lynd Public School got to spend some time fishing for trout in the Redwood River on Friday. The first person to catch a fish was Abel Moon, who reeled in a trout that splashed around on the end of the line

CAMDEN STATE PARK — The fishing action was slow on Friday morning for a group of students from Lynd Public School casting their lines into the Redwood River in Camden State Park. But eventually, the mood changed to excitement

“I got one,” Abel Moon called out.

Moon reeled in a splashing brown trout and held the fish up as classmate Henry Serreyn measured it.

Catching the trout instead of snagging his hook on a rock or stick was a surprise, Moon said.

At first, he said, “I thought it was a rock.”

Last week, around 50 Lynd students in grades 5-8 spent Earth Day learning about the environment as well as doing a little trout fishing on the river.

Lynd teacher Martin Boucek said coming out to the park and going fishing was a way for students to relax and have fun. He said the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic had taken a toll on students and families, even though Lynd School was able to stay open during that time, he said.

Part of the idea to have an environmental fair day came from a trip to Camden last spring to watch fisheries workers stock the river with trout, Boucek said.

This year, students tried some fishing, took tours of the Lyon County landfill, and learned about erosion and water invertebrates with staff from the Redwood-Cottonwood Rivers Control Area.

Donations and volunteers from a variety of groups made the whole day possible, Boucek said. The list included businesses like Runnings and Scheels, fishing supporters like the Ike Foundation and the Women Anglers of Minnesota and Lyon County Pheasants Forever.

“Without those organizations, we wouldn’t have been able to do this,” he said.

Students spread out along the riverbanks near the group camp at Camden Park, carrying donated fishing rods and lures. Adult volunteers were on hand to give pointers on casting, and to help free snagged fishing lines.

While Moon caught a trout, other students didn’t get a lot of bites during the first fishing session of the morning. But they kept a sense of humor, and joked about the leaves and sticks they sometimes reeled in.

“I got something,” Lucie Pearson called out. “I bet it’s another leaf.”

Students during a later session said they got some bites.

“I had one, and he let go,” said eighth-grade student Ali Alvarado.

Students said they enjoyed getting to go fishing.

“It’s pretty cool. Not many schools do something like this,” said eighth-grade student Chase Watts.

“It feels good. You don’t have to worry about stuff,” Alvarado said.

The donations of fishing gear from Friday’s environmental day could open the door for future fishing trips or outdoor events for students, Boucek said.

“We would like to do more with them,” he said.