Is it too soon to start

[LadyFisher]

I fished early with my grandfather, bait rod and worms (and I helped catch the worms too.) I begged and begged and at 11 he finally took pity and taught me to cast his telescopic steel fly rod....with a hard-cover book under my elbow. (I didn't learn to tie flies until JC and I were married in 1973.) I think attention span and physical ability to "stop the rod" are important. I also recommend Phil's book - he had given us permission to run the book here on FAOL in chapters not long before his untimely death in the Florida Keys, but it was a verbal permission and we did not receive written proof. I tried to get it from the publisher who told me to forget it. Too bad, I think we could have helped a lot of folks with that.

[kbproctor]

It continually amazes me how we, as adults, don't seem to get it that kids learn by example most of the time. They are watching you do something and they want to do the same thing, just like Dad or Grampa (or Mom and Grandma). If you are bait fishing, they will want to do it that way. If you are fly fishing, they will want to do it that way. Kids that age learn by mimicking so let them mimic! It doesn't take them long to get the hang of casting and who cares if they are perfect at it? As long as they get the fly in the water and catch a fish or two, they will have fun.

I keep a 6 1/2' Wright McGill Featherweight rod around for the grandkids to "try". Cheap graphite reel and cheap line. Bright yellow so it isn't laid down and forgotten and if it is laid down, it's less likely to get stepped on.

[ohiotuber]

My Grandchildren all fish with me, but I've always waited until they have ASKED to go. Then I buy them a spincast outfit of their choice (Spiderman, Cinderella, etc) & I don't fish as I'm just the "helper". That being said, Granddaughter Tori (now 7) is "the REST of the story". She was 2 when she started fishing with Grandpa & we went every week. After awhile, she started insisting that I fish too, so on one trip I made some casts with my good 3wt while she was eating her lunch. Before I knew it, she was trying to fly cast that spincast rod & it was a MESS! I laid my rod down (with some line still laying out). As I was untangling her line, I caught some movement to my left...here's what I was able to get on film...


She actually made a few more casts that day, stripped line & all & caught some nice 'gills.

Here she is casting the 'boo that Uncle Jack Hise made & sent to her...



Other than the previous stated start, all the others are permitted to reel in fish on the fly rod. I may not be nurturing the next "Castwell", but we are sure building memories. Here are the 4 of 'em admiring a "catch".....



These trips are not all fishing either. We play with dogs, visit farm animals. It's all what they want to do.
Mike

[NCVirginian]

I can't wait for the weather to warm up a bit so that I can take him to the river one afternoon. I'm really hoping that he'll enjoy the water as much as I do. This summer might turn out to be the summer of woods, streams and lakes if he does. My father-in-law is itching to take him to the deer woods too. Thanks everyone for the replies. We're going to be at the VA FF Festival in April if anyone else is going to be there. I'm hoping that seeing all the cool 'stuff' there will help to pique his interest.

[hap]

My son was tying extremely well by 6 and has won most of the prizes at the last 6 fly tying competitions we have entered (he has let me take second a few times though) and that would be at 15-17 and competing against seasoned tyers.

He caught his first solo salmon, a silver, at 3 on bait. To this day he much prefers trout. At 15 he learned to cast a two-hander and has gone over to that dark side whenever the option is open. Denny was there when he was taught, IIRC. At about 7 he stopped using anything but a fly rod aside from halibut and lingcod fishing.

I remember explaining the reach cast to him at about 10 and how well he dropped a fly on the back side of a log where an obvious pike hung... He can easily cast an entire flyline in any reasonable setting but he is also well over 6' with an armspan of nearly 7' and uses it all. Getting him to come off the river is not easy... he can fish nonstop for days...
art

[kbproctor]

on one trip I made some casts with my good 3wt while she was eating her lunch. Before I knew it, she was trying to fly cast that spincast rod & it was a MESS! I laid my rod down (with some line still laying out). As I was untangling her line, I caught some movement to my left...here's what I was able to get on film...


She actually made a few more casts that day, stripped line & all & caught some nice 'gills.

Here she is casting the 'boo that Uncle Jack Hise made & sent to her...

She looks as good as 3/4 of the folks I see on the stream. She wanted you to fish so she could see how it was supposed to be done. Spin fishing might be OK, but it isn't the way Grampa does it.

Those kids are having way too much fun!

[ohiotuber]

She looks as good as 3/4 of the folks I see on the stream. She wanted you to fish so she could see how it was supposed to be done. Spin fishing might be OK, but it isn't the way Grampa does it.

Those kids are having way too much fun!

Kevin,
Thanks for the kind words. Tori is very much a "visual" learner & a quick learner.
They are having a lot of fun, but that's the joy of farm ponds. They fish, play with the dogs, visit the horses & cows, & always have big hugs for the pond owners (who all just LOVE 'em!). On the few occasions we keep a few smaller (6-7" ) 'gills for a fish fry, they hand them to me, wash them, then they do all the breading (yes, I clean up!). I think they're the best Grandkids ever, but then who DOESN'T think that about theirs? For me, fishing with children beats fishing with adults ANY day!
Mike

[Mato Kuwapi]

I starting fishing with my dad just before I was two. (worm bobber stuff). I took my grandson for his first fly fishing lesson when he was around 18 months old.



He sat on my lap and we "dapped" for bluegills. (He scored a little bass here) My hand was on the rod and him at all times. It wasn't about fishing so much as it was a great way to keep him entertained and enjoying being outdoors on a nice day. He was able to watch the bluegills come up and take the surface fly and watch the wild life on the pond as well.

The following year we did pretty much the same thing. At three we were still doing pretty much the same thing...only this time a big rainbow took the fly. I don't have a photo of that because he didn't want to get that close to the fish. lol At four I had him holding the rod on his own. (Use a tether if your smart.) I showed him how to roll cast. I didn't allow a full basic cast. I modified a rod and reel set up. (Short 2/3wt with some backing and a short section of old fly line). He was doing pretty well with the blue gills. I still removed the fish for him and tie on the flies.
I don't think 4 is too young to get them started. Just be patient and don't expect too much. They also have VERY SHORT attentions spans...so if you want to keep him actively fishing...take him somewhere where there a lot of bluegills. If he can see them, then all the better. They don't have to be big ones.
This is Ben at 4...

I only get to take out fishing once or twice a year. I don't expect much. I also don't expect to be out all day. It's good to plan a short outing or make it varied with other activities...like maybe Geocaching and have lots of little snacks. If your really smart, you'll take him home while he's still having a good time. (this makes them eager to go again) Don't wait until he comes to you saying he's had enough.

As for letting him try at the show. No harm in that. I've watched Joe Humphreys coach a young kids on more than one occation. He had them casting within a couple of minutes. You can always fashion and indoor casting rod out of half of an old rod and some jumbo yarn. They can't hurt much with that.

Here is a sight you might find interesting http://www.takekidsflyfishing.com/