My boy (10) is fishing for bluegills and crappies with bait. But I wonder if his coordination is ready for a fly rod? He is asking when he can go. Is that reason enough? I don’t want him to have a bad experience if he can not handle the line. What do you think is a good age, on average?
I’ll bet he is ready The question is are you ready to spend the time leting him learn. Show him a few basics and turn him loose where he will catch some fish. I have found over the years it is real easy to over do the lessons with kids especialy if there your own.
Rich
Hey Nuthatch,
Sounds to me like he's ready to give it
a shot. I taught both of my boys to flyfish
at about that age. I recently had a friend
over that wanted to take up flyfishing. We
went out in the yard and did some practice
casting. Before we stowed the gear, my 7
year old Godson wanted to try it. I rigged
up a cheap 6 1/2 Graphlex for him to play
with and showed him a few pointers. He did
well enough that I bought him a rod and am
including him in some of my trips this year.
Fishing for gills and crappie only requires
shorter casts normally and I think it’s well
within the reach of many pre-teens. If he
is motivated, I’d pick him up a cheap
outfit, get him his own flybox, and help him
tie a few flies of his own. Let him set the
pace. If he wants to go, take him. Just be
prepared to sacrifice some of your fishing
time to make his more productive. And if
necessary, be prepared to put a hook and
bobber on his tippet along with some garden
hackle. These early experiences are all
about being with Dad and catching fish. Not
about the purity of the sport. Good luck.
Warm regards, Jim
Nut,
If he’s got enough coordination to throw a spinner bait, he’ll be able to “load” a fly rod and cast.
Patience, … its not a sacrifice of time (as Jim put it), … more of an investment eh ??.
Toughest think is to get 'em to throw the line instead of the “hook”. Once the understand that, the rest is pure fun.
Don’t expect to FF for 8 hours in a row. And you might as well not even string up a rod for yourself. Part of the game.
Have fun ,… you’ll be suprised how fast a youngster can catch on.
Christopher Chin
Jonquiere Quebec
[url=http://www3.sympatico.ca/chris_chin/:223eb]http://www3.sympatico.ca/chris_chin/[/url:223eb]
[This message has been edited by fcch (edited 05 March 2005).]
I built my kids an inexpensive fly rod in their favorite colors then showed them how to cast or flip a small bright colored streamer into the pond and told them when a fish grabs it jerk on the line.
Not pretty but they can pick up the specifics and refine their technique if they continue with the sport.
Also take some worms along for backup…you can always put a mealworm on the end of a streamer.
The key is to have fun and if we drill them with techniques and theories it’s too much like school.
If they like it they’ll ask to learn more and if they don’t we’ll go swimming next time.
I’ve taught children as young as 11/12 to fly fish. I just have one rule. Eye protection. I don’t want to be a wet blanket,but I’ve taken hooks out of an arm,ear,and neck but the thought of an eye gives me chills. When I first got back into fly fishing a sunglass manu. ran a print ad. campaign. All it was was a royal wolf hooked in an eye with the tag line “wear eye protection” I guess it’s not that effective if I can’t remember the manufacturer, but it sure made an impression on me. I always have access to a first aid kit with scouts.
Coach,
Excellent post.
…I’ve taken hooks out of an arm,ear,and neck but the thought of an eye gives me chills.
I have, … not a pleasant way to end an outting.
Further, a hat is in order … want to turn someone OFF of ff’ing, let 'em get zipped in the ear by a fly.
Christopher Chin
Jonquiere Quebec
[url=http://www3.sympatico.ca/chris_chin/:98f1e]http://www3.sympatico.ca/chris_chin/[/url:98f1e]
I started my 8 yr old daughter last year with a spinning rod rigged up with an cone shaped bobber and aboout 3’ of tippet and a floating fly. Taught her to cast and then stop the line just before the bobber hit the water, then watch the fly which will land beyond the bobber. Slow retrieve, twitching the fly drives the blue gills wild. Got her to watch for the “take” and then set the hook. She’s been working on casting with a flyrod. I think she’ll be ready for it this summer.
Pete
Both of my boys started fly fishing at about 4 years old. My oldest boy caught his first trout on a fly at 2 1/2 with his little brother in a basket asleep on the bank. You can never start them to young. 
Ron
Hi folks, RW here
My uncle started me fishing at about age 4. I started my own twin boys at about the same age. I started them with canepoles so they would stay interested by catching a lot of fish, and could catch fish without all the cordination problems of casting and the like at that young age. By age 8 they were handling baitcasting outfits without backlashes, and from then on it was just more learning process. They were even featured in a feature article I did for “Outdoor Life” in 1971. At age 45 they still fish with me often for trout, bass and on steelhead trips. They both fly fish. It’s never too early to start kids fishing. In fact, my grandson holds two IGFA line class junior world records.
Later, RW
“We fish for pleasure; I for mine, you for yours.” -James Leisenring on fishing the wet fly-
[This message has been edited by Royal Wulff (edited 04 March 2005).]
its not my son, but my brother started when he was 7. he’s 8 now and fishing any freshwater ponds that we go to. my other brother and i bought him a cabelas three forks outfit last year for his birthday. it is really a great starter rod.
[This message has been edited by phatkid248 (edited 04 March 2005).]
I maybe a bit differnt than most but I got it from my father who I still fish with on a very regular basis. Beginners need the very best as it is easier to learn with GOOD stuff. most apples fall close to the tree and if he sees you taking care of your rods and reels,he or she will too. If by chance they do break it… o well just another one of the expences of having kids.
Rich
I say 40…Too many people on the water already.
My little girl is going to be 6 this year. Time to give it a go on a small creek loaded with brookies! 
Brian
[url=http://bowcrow.tripod.com:0b07b]Bowcrow Fishing Adventures[/url:0b07b]
As a guide I’ve seen too many overeager dads give the kind of instruction that would have sent me looking for a skateboard or some other thing that my dad wouldn’t have tried to teach me how to do. I’ve seen a few ten year olds that can and do fish well, and some 14 year olds that could really give their dad a run for his money. I think if they have the attention span and the desire to learn and you commit to making learning fun then no age is too early.
When I learned somebody got me a hula hoop and put it in the yard and just let me practice casting into the hoop, which I would do on my own whenever I was bored. I got good at casting which definately was one less thing to worry about when I got in a real situation. I also had the help of a Fenglass rod, it’s slow delebrite action shurely helped me as a beginner.
I’m ill prepared to answer, having never yet started a “young’n” flyfishing, but I have always believed that you start 'em fishing when they want to go with you. My 2 eldest Granddaughters (#3 only 2 months old) want to go this year, and while I’ll fix them up with Zebcos & live bait, if they want to reel a fish in on the flyrod (that’s IF their Daddy is there & IF I fish at all), I’ll sure let the girls try…worse they can do is break a warranted rod/best they can do is have fun…that’s a “no-brainer”!
Mike
Sounds to me like he’s ready since he’s begining to ask about it. My daughter started to fly fish about that age (she’s just turned 16 now and probably a better caster than me!). My younger daughters have been tying flies since about the age of three. They get to pick the materials, so the resulting flies are some of the most gawdy, colorful things you’ll ever want to see, but hey, we have fun.
I would suggest limiting the time of your fist few outings to no more than a hour or two. Kids get frustrated quickly. And don’t press the issue too much if, after a few casts, he just wants to flip over rocks looking for nymphs and crayfish. Above all - KEEP IT FUN! That “funness” is what gets kids hooked.
Also, I think the best advice I can give is to not expect to do any fishing yourself…
for a long, long time.
-Darryl
All along this path I tread, my heart betrays my weary head
With nothing but my love to save, from the cradle to the grave
i started my son out at age 12…but i think he could have started earlier (10)
he’ll be 18 next month, through the years it’s the one thing that we both look forward to doing…getting out on the Beaverkill with the flys we tyed over the winter!!!
take them fishing early and often…they grow up before you know it!!!
bill
Every young man that I have known that wanted to flyfish, was really into it until they were 15-16. Then they discovered girls. They did not get back into it until they were into their 20’s. It is fine to take time with them but just don’t fool yourself by saying “My kid wouldn’t do that”.
My son that is 5 ties flies and fly fishes. He caught his first crappie at 3,cast, set hook and reeled it in.
My two year old ties flies,ends up being a big ball of feathers but he tries. I took half of a old rod, tied fly line to the bottom guide, put the line htrough the other guides and attached a feather to the other end and he thinks he has a fly rod.
the back of his hat say “Never To Young”