Fly fishing is a hoot! If you like to fish, just become semi-competent and you will be a fan for life. Part of the enjoyment is the challenge - learning to cast, learning to place the fly, learning to hook your quarry. Part is the ‘sport' aspect - the struggle with the fish.
Children, too, can enjoy the sport. However, it is not something they pick up without time, effort, and a good coach. Nonetheless, if you want a fishing buddy for life, get them hooked on fly fishing.
Deciding when to teach your child to fly fish has little to do with their age and much to do with their skills and maturity. Your child must have the physical maturity and dexterity to handle the rod, to hook the fish, and to place the fly. They must have the mental discipline to follow multi- step directions and stick to the process through their learning curve.
Some children can begin as young as seven or eight. Others do better if started when they are twelve or thirteen. Evaluating your child's readiness to learn will save you frustration and avoid ruining your future fly fishing companion.
While the art and skill associated with fly fishing are more rewarding, learning to fly fish properly is more challenging. While fly fishing is an active sport which often appeals to virile young men and women, it requires greater coordination and physical skill to properly execute.
Once your child is ready to learn, you need to decide who will teach them. While parents are often a good choice, do you have the patience and the skill to teach someone else - particularly someone who has a shorter attention span. If you feel confident you are skilled enough to tackle the job, great. If not, consider hiring a tutor or a patient and competent fisherman.
Another option is fly fishing camp. These camps have two goals - to introduce young would-be fly fishermen and women to the sport and to teach them to love it. Sometimes being surrounded by others struggling to learn the same skills and techniques is comforting. Furthermore, many fly fishing camps encourage parents to participate. This encourages you to learn, grow and bond together.
Regardless of who teaches your child, you must remember the KISS rule, especially the first few times you go fly fishing together. Keep It Short And Simple. Children often have a limited attention span. Compound that with a sport which requires concentration and skill, and you can have a recipe for disaster. If your child is getting restless, if they are no longer enjoying your excursion, if they suggest quitting, take the clue - stop for the day. If you persist and destroy the fun, you may have just lost their interest entirely.
Every fisherman or woman, whether budding or well-seasoned, needs appropriate equipment. For a beginning fly fisherman or woman you need a decent beginner's rod appropriate to their size. The worst thing you can do is lay out a chunk of change for a fancy get-up. Not only does this pressure your young fishing companion to perform, it also means they have to worry about breaking or messing up their gear. Thus, something basic in the appropriate size is best.
Make sure to use barbless hooks or pinch down the barbs on your regular gear. You do not want your young fly fisherman or woman hooking you or themselves as they learn to cast. An appropriately sized life jacket is also a must, as are properly fitting fishing boots or shoes. A hat, sunglasses and sunscreen will also improve their experience.
You have the gear, your fisherman or woman is eager, and you have decided to take on the task of teaching them. Is there a better way to start?
With a young fisherman or woman, practice before leaving for the water will greatly improve their chance of success. A little time spent in an open space - a spacious backyard or front lawn - can pay large dividends.
Once they have the feel for the swing and have developed some rhythm, give them an opportunity to learn to position their fly. Place a soft object - hat, coat, shirt - about 30 feet from your young fishing companion. Have them practice casting a hookless fly until they can regularly place it near the target.
The time has come to hit the water. Advance planning is crucial. Take your young fishing buddy to someplace they are likely to catch more fish than brush. Size does not matter. Quantity - at least a quantity of one - is vital. Once, your fly fisherman or woman catches their first fish, regardless of its size, they will be pumped to try again.
Fly fishing is fun. It is a great way to get outdoors. It is active enough for young participants, and fun enough to stir their interest. If you take the time to plan your fishing companion's introduction to the sport, you can hook your fly fisherman or woman for life!
Return to articles ♦ Visit our home page
5200 Elk Lake Road, Lima, MT 59739
Just 1 Hour From West Yellowstone, Montana
phone: (406) 276-3282 - ♥ - fax: (406) 276-3399
email: Reservations@elklakeresortmontana.com
© 2004 - 2010 --- ElkLakeResortMontana.com --- All Rights Reserved