Teach Kids the Joys of Fishing

By Seth Mullins

If you're a fisherman, or even an occasional dabbler in the sport, bringing the kids along with you when they're young can be a good way to teach them to associate the outdoors with excitement and fun. An opportunity to get out on a boat or a pier, or knee-deep in a river, should meet with few arguments from most of them.

We should keep in mind, though, that we parents typically have a lot more patience than our young ones. Theyre not likely to find watching a bobber in anticipation as captivating as we do. Children usually need more stimulation than adults in order to stay interested in an activity for any length of time. The ideal solution, of course, would be to go where the fish will be biting and keeping us busy. But that's the real trick, isn't it? Otherwise, we'll need to be inventive and find other ways to keep our children engaged.

We may have to make our children's enjoyment of the outing a bigger priority than our own. This will be their fishing trip, then. To begin with, let them practice their casts either in the yard or out by the fishing site. For safety's sake, start them out without a hook or lure until they get the hang of it. They'll soon be anxious for the real water; but then their attention might begin to wander if they don’t get any nibbles for a while. With a little imagination, we can find other tasks to keep them interested.

For example, even though worms might be our preferred bait, we can explain to our young ones that trout will eat bugs, too. Would they like to try to find some? Or they could practice tying lines, or scout around for other good spots to fish. By the time they get back, they might be eager to have another go with the rod and reel.

With a little luck, they might see some action out on the water that day. But regardless of whether or not this happens, the important thing is to insure that their overall impression of fishing is a positive one. The best part of our teaching strategy may involve knowing when to leave. We should call it a day before our kids get too tired, frustrated or irritable. Once again, this is their outing. The good memories that they carry away from this experience will make them feel more enthusiastic about accompanying us the next time.

Fishing trips have been a bonding tradition with families - especially between fathers and sons - for ages. When dealing with the shorter attention spans of our young ones, we may have to exercise as much patience as we do when we're waiting for the fish to bite. But if we initiate them gently into this new experience, it may spark a lifelong love within them for the outdoors - and for the pursuit of that elusive quarry.

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