Two weekends ago I took my kids out for the first fishing trip of the year, in the Tar River Reservoir in Nash County, North Carolina. That’s just a short hop west of I-95.
My six-year-old put a hurtin’ on the little panfish with my fly rod and a black ant on a short mono leader. About the time I was unhooking his fourth sunny of the day, he blurts out “This fly rod works good, Daddy!”
Except when it didn’t. We were fishing off a dock, and Sam can only do a minimal sort of roll cast. Mostly he was just dapping. When he could remember to keep the rod tip low it worked fine; but when he raised the tip, the line would siphon down through the guides and pull the ant up to the tip-top.
So I’m thinking that next time I may do something unconventional for Sam. I was thinking of rigging a ten-foot cane pole, either with a small nymph on a dropper under a popping bug, or with the ant again and a split shot or two.
I figure he can swing that combo out over the water and let it drop, and probably outfish all the rest of us.
Of course, he’ll want to learn to cast. That’s coming, don’t worry.
So what do you think of this hare-brained plan of mine?
[This message has been edited by FlyDrawer (edited 29 March 2006).]
It’s a great idea. Most kids under about 11 don’t have either the physical strength/coordination to really cast, plus the attention span really drops if they aren’t catching fish. Go for it!
By the way, hurrah for you dad.
FlyDrawer;
First let me say welcome aboard!
With that rig your 6 year old may just kick your butt!!
We all suffer the “siphon down the through the guide’s” problem (At least I do!!)
The most important thing at this stage is to catch fish. Sam will learn the real joy’s of fishing as he matures.
Don’t forget the Michigan Fish-In August 14th to the 20th. The Holy Water’s of the Au Sable await you!!
Get a strike indicator that’s big enough to stop the flyline from going thru the tip top & so it doesn’t break the tip or snap it off. A 10’ cane pole might be too long & heavy, if so - cut it in half! A fishing buddies son has to fish with improvised equipment because he’s only 6 now & has been fishing for years!
A good Crappie pole of light Graphite of lengths from 10 to 14 ft can be had from Cabela’s and the like for under 20 bucks…and your kid will both be more able to handle the rod…and enjoy it more not having to strain his arms to hold it…Ya definitely want them to enjoy fishing as much as possible!!! so you have the excuse of taking him!!!
“I’ve often wondered why it is that so many anglers spend so much money on,and pay so much attention to.the details on the wrong end of the fly line.If they took as much care in selecting or tying their flies as they did in the selection of the reel and rod,They might be able to gain the real extra edge that makes it possible to fool a fish that has,in fact,seen it all before” A.K.Best
Everyone wants to excel in this sport but at the same time we let traditionalists place restrictions on our tactics, methods, and ideas. I always assumed that fly fishing was a sport that allowed imagination, creation, adaptation, investigation, dedication, education, revelation? : Fox Statler, On Spinners (Not the dainty Dry Fly kind) “Spinner’d Minner Fly”
Often kids like to fish with a rod like their dad’s and that means with reel and guides etc. Why not place a foam indicator on the line at the point where you don’t want the to enter the guides. Then it won’t syphon back and he will be fishing just like dad, with his “special” rod.
I always fear that some change in the equation can ruin it for someone that age and what we often see as minor they see as major.
What I did for my daughter at a young age was with one of those $10.00 spinning spinning rigs from Wally World. Finf some of those elongated plastic bobbers, one end is slightly heavier than the other. Tie the light end to the mono line, oon the other end 4x-5x tippet about 2’ and a dry fly. The only trick is to get him to stop the line beforit hits the water, it flips the bobber and “presents” the dry fly with a nice turn over. Now he’s sight fishing a dry fly. For crappie and blue gill a nice size 12 or 14 elk hair caddis works wonderfully.
Pete
