Fly Fishing With Kids...What you need to know.

Many fishy kids don’t grow up with fly fishing in their life. Maybe they didn’t have a mentor to show them the ropes, no gear, no confidence…it can be tough to get into the game as a kid. Even when a child does have a fly angler in their life, it can be a daunting task to help this kid catch some fish on the fly. Heck, think back to how difficult it was for you to get started in the sport. Everyone’s experience is different, but here are some ideas to help get your kiddo started into a lifelong passion that can lead to amazing experiences and friendships.

Get them started early. It’s amazing out quickly a small child can acquire swift casting acumen.  Even at 3 or 4 years old, children have the innate ability to pick up casting form and technique. Give them a fly rod with a short leader and let them fling it around in the backyard. Tie on a small piece of yarn or, pro tip, foam earplug for help with feeling the line load. Teach them the basics until they get tired of it and then hit the pause button. The younger the kid, the shorter their attention span. Incorporate fun games like hoola hoop hot shot or distance challenge to peak and retain their interest. On the “non casting” side, take your kids down to a local body of water and let them root around for aquatic fish food. Challenge them to find as many things as possible that they think a fish will eat. Get them to think like a fish, and let them get their hands dirty. Some kids shy away from it, and that’s ok…no need to force it. But most love it! It’s never too early to get a kid interested in fly fishing.

Make it fun. Look for the fun in every excursion. This might be an afternoon snowball fight when the fish aren’t biting, hiking up a mountain for the view at the top, high fives after any success, or other games and activities when the fishing isn’t happening. We always bring a homemade molkky game and a few baseball gloves to pass any spare time around our campsite. Maybe most importantly…not yelling or overly criticizing a budding fly angler’s performance or mistakes. It’s hard not to be critical, especially when kids keep making the same mistakes over and over again. It’s going to happen, and most of us mentors are going to slip up from time-to-time and give the kids a bit too hard of a time. Try to keep the mood light. Let them fail, and let them see you fail (if it ever happens). This will lead to more trust, and more fun when getting out on the water.

Find catching opportunities. Catching wild fish in wild places is the ultimate goal for many anglers who carry a fly rod. This experience can often be challenging and full of obstacles not so easily overcome by kids with little to no experience. This may lead to frustration, resentment, and disinterest. Any chance you can find to get them in front of easily fooled fish, or a species that tends to bite more regularly than others, will be a win for you and your budding fly fisher. Stock ponds with bass and bluegill are great options, especially in the spring. Fish are gorging and spawning, and will eat almost anything that is tossed in their path. Recently stocked trout waters can increase a kids excitement and confidence with very little effort/investment. You can use large flies and large leader material. Use these occasions to build towards the ultimate goal and the more difficult fish before making that jump in the beginning.

Bring snacks. I don’t know what it is about having snacks and drinks along on a trip, but it is an absolute incentive for kids to tag along. If they get tired of slapping the water, they can sit on a log and have some crackers. Get done with a tough day on the water…celebrate with an ice cold soda pop. Kids will remember the effort put into snacks, meals, and drinks. The more fondly they recall the event, the more likely they will be to go next time.

Let them fail. Failure is a foregone conclusion in fly fishing, for anglers of all ages and experience levels. Kids are going to be made better and stronger if allowed to mess up and fix their mistakes or overcome obstacles. There will be obvious opportunities for mentor intervention, but a self-help approach should always be considered before just grabbing the rod and doing it for them right away. Any success will bring them fulfillment and experience for the future.  

What other tips do you have to build the fly fishing passion in kids?  Comment below or let us know on facebook.  Thanks for checking in.