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Author Topic: Teaching a child  (Read 4858 times)

daijoubu

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Teaching a child
« on: April 10, 2012, 10:38:01 AM »

My 7 year old son has taken an interest in fly fishing.  Any suggestions on teaching him and keeping him interested?  Keep in mind I'm totally new to this as well.
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steelie-slayer

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Re: Teaching a child
« Reply #1 on: April 10, 2012, 04:57:08 PM »

buy him a fly rod setup, take him out when ever you go out and just help him out with it. Since your new to maybe go out with a buddy with experience so you can and your son can learn faster. Start out with trolling on a lake with lots of fish so you both get addicted to it, then start to learn to cast. The more you take him, the more he'll enjoy fly fishing.
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Sandman

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Re: Teaching a child
« Reply #2 on: April 11, 2012, 08:43:14 PM »

I concur with taking him to a lake with plenty of fish.  Watch the stocking reports and hit them shortly afterwards.  If he gets a couple early then he will be hooked for life.  My father took us to Roche Lake in my youth, and we got into fish on a regular basis so it stuck.
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HOOK

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Re: Teaching a child
« Reply #3 on: April 11, 2012, 09:48:53 PM »

find an instructor that can teach children as well as yourself  ;)

this is your best advice because a newbie CANNOT teach another newbie, you will BOTH learn bad casting habits and/or frustrate each other

I myself will be dealing with this dilemma because my oldest has been interested in fishing since before he could walk and now he has even landed some pinks and daddy (me) has been showing him how to tie flies a little at a time and now he is glued to me everytime i tie. cant wait to take him out after the next trout stocking to try out his new spinning rod  ;D

I figure i will wait until he is 4yrs old to even attempt teaching him to fly cast and then i will probably buy the Echo training rod so he can practice even when at home
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daijoubu

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Re: Teaching a child
« Reply #4 on: April 12, 2012, 09:20:39 PM »

Thanks for the advice.  I have definitely figured out that he has to catch fish regularly to keep his interest piqued, although he's convinced that some snags are river monsters worthy of Jeremy Wade.  I'm trying to set him up to catch anything that swims.  He had a blast last year pulling bullheads out of Como lake and sculpins out of Buntzen.  He'd love to catch a trout or a salmon this year, but he doesn't define success as how many trout were caught.  Any advice for catching coarse fish in a local Vancouver river from the shore?  My son didn't enjoy the Fraser last year so I haven't renewed my tidal licence yet.  That may change if we can change the ratio of fish to snags.
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Speyfitter

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Re: Teaching a child
« Reply #5 on: April 13, 2012, 06:31:11 AM »

Sounds like a trip up to Walloper Lake this Spring is in order. It's jam packed with Rainbows from what I've heard. Not size, but numbers apparently.  Try taking him out trolling for rainbows on a lake like Walloper or a recently stocked local lake. Let him get a feel for the rod, reel, etc.
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Blackgivesway2blue

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Re: Teaching a child
« Reply #6 on: April 13, 2012, 03:41:12 PM »

Quote from: HOOK link=topic=29891.msg285545#msg285545
I figure i will wait until he is 4yrs old to even attempt teaching him to fly cast and then i will probably buy the Echo training rod so he can practice even when at home

Get the Spey adaptor with it so you can play with it when the kid is not ;)

HOOK

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Re: Teaching a child
« Reply #7 on: April 13, 2012, 09:16:16 PM »

probably buy the spey adaptor so he can learn that also  ;D

he was barely over 2yrs old and landed a half dozen pinks on a 13' 6" spey rod  ;)

my kid is obsessed i tell ya...........proud daddy smiles  ;D ;D
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Fish or cut bait.

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Re: Teaching a child
« Reply #8 on: April 21, 2012, 08:52:26 AM »

On top of the usual safety precautions.

SUN GLASSES or SAFETY GLASSES and a hat.

Even without a hook (piece of yarn when you're practicing) an errant cast can hurt pretty good and or do some damage.

Good luck
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RonniePache

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Re: Teaching a child
« Reply #9 on: April 24, 2012, 06:40:16 PM »

If you have a canoe/or inflatable, something that floats....I suggest taking him to Trout Lake in Sasquatch Park (Harrison).  Really easy to catch 10 or more fish there in a day....small fish, but lots of 'em.  Trolling flies, or slow retrieve of a good ol' red wedding band and worm.  Stay 20 or so feet off the shore line, and cast into the shore, they will light it up all day long....you could even camp at Hicks Lake, and try there too...
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Todd Oishi

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Re: Teaching a child
« Reply #10 on: April 30, 2012, 07:57:46 PM »

I'd recommend that you take your son to the Go Fish B.C. Program and let him fish on the trout ponds at the Fraser Valley Trout Hatchery. It'll give him a good chance to catch a fish.

It's important to remember that very few kids have enough patience to sit for hours at a time, especially when there's no reward for their efforts. Incorporating the ocassional trip to a stocked pond is often enough to keep them inspired to stick with it...
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Sandman

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Re: Teaching a child
« Reply #11 on: April 30, 2012, 08:57:24 PM »

I'd recommend that you take your son to the Go Fish B.C. Program and let him fish on the trout ponds at the Fraser Valley Trout Hatchery. It'll give him a good chance to catch a fish.

It's important to remember that very few kids have enough patience to sit for hours at a time, especially when there's no reward for their efforts. Incorporating the ocassional trip to a stocked pond is often enough to keep them inspired to stick with it...

I often take my young ones to the local trout U-catch after an unsuccessful trip as a means of keeping them "hooked", but they wont let us fly fish there.
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HOOK

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Re: Teaching a child
« Reply #12 on: May 01, 2012, 12:12:52 AM »

I plan to take my kids to lakes that have loads of fish, smaller fish yes but hey even dad likes catching little ones  ;D

I rather watch my boys have a good time, that gives me more pleasure than catching the fish myself.



HOOK - has already been teaching his oldest(turns 3 this saturday) to tie flies, well a very little bit lol
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