Congratulations. You are in for a real treat watching him learn to cast, just be ready for him to become better than you.

My daughter started casting at 11 yrs old.

Our experience was that shorter rods were easier to control and less tiring for her to cast. She started with an 8'6" 5wt. But if I'd had the option, an 8' rod would have been a better choice. TFO plans to introduce some youth rods this summer. We got to cast two prototypes last weekend and I was impressed, they're nice rods. If you have trouble finding a rod you like for him, take a look at these rods. They will be called "Bug Launchers".

The best decision that I made was to not teach her myself. We attended some casting clinics together. Letting experienced instructors teach her to cast helped her avoid the bad casting habits that I've struggled to unlearn.

Good luck and enjoy your time together learning to fly fish.

Rex