in-school fly fishing programs

[Kathy Scott]

Hi,

The 8th or 9th year of fly fishing here is under way, and I just wanted to share what's up with the middle school kids.

As schools go, things change (for all sorts of reasons), so re-invention is a tool of the trade.

This year, I thought it would be a good experiment to have the 7th and 8th graders brainstorm what they wanted to cover. None of these kids has had this enrichment activity before, and a good third are kids who find school pretty challenging.

Look at the list they created:

how to play a fish
hook removal
better casting
laws and the regulations book
tying flies
places in Maine to fish, maps
all the kinds of fish in Maine
where the fish are in a lake
different types of flies
what to use for flies at different places
reading the water
different types of rods
where to put your fly in the water
loons, turtles, and sea gulls
releasing a fish
leaders and tippet
pond cleanup, fixing banks
insect identification
hatches
parts of a fish
becoming a Maine Guide

I was impressed!

And, a few years into this or not, I'd still love to hear about any other programs out there. .... shared ideas always welcomed!

A work in progress always,

Kat