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Many childhood fly fishing adventures with dad
or mom end in boredom for the child, resulting
in much prodding by the parent for the child to
join in the next trip. Usually this is because
the parent hasn't thought through some basic
child fishing strategies namely, having a
variety of things to do to keep the child's
interest up.
A good strategy is to keep the trip short,
especially for children under eight or nine-years-old.
Don't make the first fly fishing adventure an epic-length
car trip or lengthy trek to dad's or mom's favorite
little creek. Instead, check out the local fishing
docks first.
OK, the local pond may not be a perfect setting
from the perspective of an adult fly fisher, but
from a child's perspective, it is perfect. A lake
with a dock inside a local park is ideal because
you don't risk boring the child if no fish bite;
there is always plenty to do in the park as a
fall-back plan. Be aware of the kid's short
attention spans. (Bring a kite and some Frisbees,
too.) You might also think twice about fishing from
a little boat. When a child is bored in a little
boat, there isn't much else to do, and suddenly
the boat gets smaller and smaller. Save the boat
trip for a later adventure, when the child becomes
older and more interested in fishing.
When you are on the dock, plant yourself and your
child in a comfortable folding chair, and try to
ignore all the other worm fishers on the dock. With
the right attitude, a local fishing adventure can
even be fun for you as well.
One of the first things I learned was selecting
the right fly, not for the purpose of matching
the hatch, but to match the dock situation. Forget
the woolly buggers. It can be a little tricky teaching
a child a strip retrieve. (Save that for your next
boating trip). I have found the best fly to be a
dry fly, for the simple reason that everybody gets
excited about seeing a fish jump to a fly, even the
other kids on the dock. The dry fly is also the
easiest fly for a child to cast on a dock with
other people around since you always know exactly
where the fly is and what it is doing. Plus a dry
fly sitting on the top of the water gives the child
something to focus on, which is very important when
dealing with the child's tendency to lose focus
and wander off.
Now when a fish is caught, lifting it up to the
dock for releasing can be a little tricky. A great
trick I've discovered is to bring along a large
water bucket. Put some lake water in the bucket,
and when the fish is hooked, lift the fish out of
the water and into the bucket. Then unhook the fish
in the bucket. This is a good time to teach the child
how to remove the hook safely from a fish. Another
benefit is that the child can now watch the fish
swim around in the bucket, as will the other kids
on the dock. This is another great way to keep the
child's interest.
A great game to play on the dock is when you catch
a fish that is too large for the bucket. I recall
the first time this happened. I held the fish up,
and spoke so that other fishers could hear: "I'm sorry,
Amy, this fish is too big for the bucket. We are going
to have to put him back." The mumbles and grumbles on
the dock after this were very satisfying to hear.
At the end of the fishing, another satisfying thing
happens. The child gets to teach catch and release
to all the other kids on the dock. With a large voice,
I usually say "OK, Amy, time to release all the fish
back into the lake." More mumbles and grumbles. Very
satisfying, indeed. Have a variety of fun and
interesting things to do on the dock and in the park,
and your child will be back for more fishing soon.
~ TS
About Toney
Toney is a writer and fly fisher living and fishing
in the northwest. He is the publisher of
Wayward Flyfishing a web site devoted to
furthering the sport through instructional articles,
stories, book reviews, and photography.
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