When is my son or daugher old enough for fly fishing?
Whenever you think you can handle it, is probably my answer. Knowing where your child is in their development is a good place to start. Then assessing your patients and skills to recognize when it's fun for them and when it's not. Remember that young children have short attention spans. If you want to take them fishing with you, don't plan on getting any fishing done yourself. You'll be devoting 100% of your attention to your little one when they first start out.
Whenever you think you can handle it, is probably my answer. Knowing where your child is in their development is a good place to start. Then assessing your patients and skills to recognize when it's fun for them and when it's not. Remember that young children have short attention spans. If you want to take them fishing with you, don't plan on getting any fishing done yourself. You'll be devoting 100% of your attention to your little one when they first start out.
Ben is18 months with his first bass on a fly.
This young fellow was a featured fly tier and the Great Lakes Fly Tiers Show in Mason, Michigan.
Emillie's Bugger Earings (video)
The key, when dealing with children, KISS! Keep It SHORT & SIMPLE. And here is the other trick. Take them away from the activity before the get bored. You want them to want more. You do that by moving on while they are still having fun. Yes they whine but that's the idea. They'll be eager for the next opportunity.
With youngsters like Ben, that may mean just ten minutes. With a five year old, that will be around 20 minutes, maximum. You be the judge and let the kids give you the clues. Avoid frustration by limiting your expectations. Above all, make it FUN! The goal is simple. You want them to love what they are doing.
When introducing them to fly tying, demonstrate a couple of basic concepts. Putting the hook in the vice, starting the thread, tying in a couple of materials. Rock worms, wooly worms and wooly buggers are good flies to teach them. Then let them have at it with a variety of colors and some scrap materials. Let them be creative and avoid having them conform to what you may feel are the standards in fly tying. They have a lot of time to worry about that later. Avoid critiquing the flies. Wait until they are old enough and for them to ask for specifics. They will want to watch you tie and they will start asking those questions when they are ready. One of the top go to flies in my fly box was created by a 4 year old, so don't interfere and encourage creativity.
SAFETY FIRST!
1. Eye protection...even if they are not casting. Get them used to wearing sun glasses. They stop wayword hooks, and painful eyes at the end of the day. Eyes can suffer sunburn from reflection on the water. AKA "Snow blindness".
2. Sunscreen,
3. Life jackets
4. Shoes. One of my eariest memories is stepping on a treble hook. I was under two at the time, so you'll understand the trama.
5. Pinch the barbs down, just in case.
1. Eye protection...even if they are not casting. Get them used to wearing sun glasses. They stop wayword hooks, and painful eyes at the end of the day. Eyes can suffer sunburn from reflection on the water. AKA "Snow blindness".
2. Sunscreen,
3. Life jackets
4. Shoes. One of my eariest memories is stepping on a treble hook. I was under two at the time, so you'll understand the trama.
5. Pinch the barbs down, just in case.
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