One of my friends told me that her daughter tried fishing once during the last family fishing weekend but didn't catch anything so I decided I'd take her and her daughter to the show on Sunday after doing my shopping the previous day. I thought I would Try to get her daughter into her first fish. I figured it would be an easy and fun way to get her first fish.Well.... it didn't turn out as planned. We went , got her gear for her and got her to hold onto the rod with her mom helping. I threw the line in for her so she didn't take someone out with a hook in the eye (my friend's daughter is only 4, don't trust her aim yet lol). It didn't take long for her to get a bite and told them to lift the rod up. It turned out to be a good sized trout for a child's first fish, I'm guessing around 14 inches (there were some lunker Broods in there as well). Just as the net was approaching the trout went mad at the thought of being caught , popped the hook out and waved goodbye with a slap of it's tail on the water splashing mom and her daughter in the face. That was the end of her fishing for the day as she was scared of the trout splashing her again and no longer wanted to fish. I thought I would see if her attitude changed later in the show but she wanted no part of it. We Still managed to have a great time at the show. She loved the frog boat, thanks to the crew there for letting her sit in it, but it was a struggle to get her to climb back out. I took them to the Raptors Ridge Birds of Prey booth and showed them the owl and hawk, the fish display at the Freshwater Fisheries Society booth and with the help of a very nice man and young girl at the fly tying booth, got her to tie her first fly, she chose what colours and feathers to use. She had a great time and was excited to get her own fly tying certificate which her mom is going to frame for her with the fly in it. As we walked around the show she looked up at her mom and said "It's like Halloween" with a big smile on her face.
Now I just have to wait until it warms up enough that the trout get active in the local lakes and the weather/temperature improves before I can take my friend and her daughter out fishing in a boat. It will be a little easier to keep her dry with a longer net and being in a boat instead of being eye level with the fish. A big thank you to all the vendors that had items for the kids as she went home with balloons, stickers, tattoos, and a ton of other goodies that made her day.
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Topic: BC Boat and Sportsman Show kids fishing pond, March 4th 2012 (Read 815 times)