When it comes to teaching raw begginers,
better to concentrate in catching fish to get them “hooked” ?
or introducing them to the endless endeavour of fly fishing as a path to technical mastery before they get a wrong idea of the sport?
Dave
IMHO- “Catching fish” befor the “Endless Endeavour” and getting the “Wrong Idea”. Then work on the “Technical Mastery” if the students show interest.
NOT A TEACHER, I was a beginner once/still am. If you get to NY I’m willin’ to learn!
Land Em’,
Carp
I think it depends a lot of the age of the students. Kids have a lot of energy, but not a very long attention span. Since fly fishing is what you are ‘eventually’ aiming for, I’d start them with fly fishing and not dilute it with ‘other’ fishing.
Teach how to assemble a rod, tie a couple of very basic knots, show what bugs or baitfish are available locally, use Castwell’s HOW TO CAST as your casting guide, and put them on the water. The first person to hook a fish will get the juices flowing for all. Then you can talk the person through landing the fish and releasing it (if that is proper there) - or how to do a clean kill.
Answer questions simply, but don’t try to give them too much information all at one time. When they have more questions they will come back to you and ask.
LadyFisher, Publisher of
FAOL
Take 'em to a pond with lots of Bluegills in it!
They are perfect for kids of all ages!
Whatever it takes to get them interested. If they want to catch fish, let’s get them catching fish. If they like the artistry of the casting stroke, put a little more emphasis on that. If they think the bugs and ecology is pretty cool, teach them about that and show them how catching fish and casting both fit in with that.
Definitely, … a hook up helps to “hook 'em for life” 
AS mentionned, … age and maturity makes a difference, … but also the “personality” of each yougnster (or newcomer).
An option I’ve used here to “get 'em hooked” is Pike on the fly.
In warm water (up here), … we usually don’t keep pike for the table.
After showing them how much easier it is to release the toothy crtitter with de-barbed hooks, the lesson is learned.
Each person, … even a youngster will ff for different reasons, … Key in on THAT reasona and the other aspects of the sport will follow along on their own time.
Christopher Chin, Jonquiere Quebec
Okiebass has it right. The art of teaching is understanding that each student learns in different ways and has different motivation to learn a given topic. Find the students motivation and appeal to it. That is the mark of a great teacher.
Fish more, work less!
“Time spent with kids on the water makes the world a better place and old age more bearable”–I go by this saying in the hundreds of children I have taught. Youngest 9 year old girl now 12 that ties a fly as well as some older club members. Whenever I pass a pond with kids fishing with bobber and worm I stop ask the dad if I may let them fly fish. That first bluegill on a top water foam fly is all it takes. Then they ask questions. I tell them I could show them how to tie the fly and with the parents permission I visit their home and I have gained a new flyfisher.
If you have boy scouts in Columbia become a Counselor–I have tested over 100 scouts for the latest Fly Fishing merit badge this past year. Fly Fishing and tying.
A teacher has a grade school club called Fishing Friends asked for 10 to join 15 showed.
Pinch down the barb–have them wear glasses and never teach a child without the parents consent. Scouting requires two scout to a instructor or two adults to one scout.
Bill
i agree that it depends on the learner.
a buddy of mine wanted to learn for 2 reasons–he had never caught a fish before, on any type of gear, and really wanted to catch a trout, and he just wanted a good excuse to get outside. so i took him to a bluegill pond, first, and let him catch a bunch of little gills. than, i took him out and taught him about insects and trout habitat. he caught a few trout and had a great time. he is definately not as hooked as i am, but he still calls me to fish occasionally. for the record, he would rather catch a bunch of little gills than a few nice trout, and thats OK, just not my preferance.
my 6yr old was interested in fishing, so i took her out with a spinning rod, with little luck. she enjoyed zooming around the lake in the boat more than the fishing. when i took her fly fishing, “we” managed a bunch of reallyt nice trout, with both of us working the rod. it really excited her to catch them, and to watch them swim away, but, she still has a 6 yr old attention span…
funny thing is, at 6, she can identify the hatch (mayfly, midge, or caddis), and can identify the type of trout before it gets to net. makes me smile big when she says “oooh…look at the mayflies!! thats what theyre eating!”, and than calls out the ID of the trout species as it jumps in the air. she knows browns, rainbows, goldens and cutthroats, though the cutts she calls rainbows, until they are landed and she can see their throats. obviously, she has a keen interest, and really does pay close attention…she just has 6 yr old patience.
[This message has been edited by tyflier (edited 11 July 2005).]
THANK YOU GUYS!!
This idea of the fly fishing course is beginning to have some form.
Will keep asking for advice, this really is a great family.
Dave