It’s the school half term holidays and I have been very pleasantly surprised with the amount of parents rocking up with their kids to go fishing.  In fact as I write there is a family on the lake right now and judging by the giggles, things are going well. 

I experienced a similar day with 13 year old Oscar, from Kent this weekend.  He visited on Saturday and I had the pleasure of teaching him for a few hours.  His Dad was not sure where Oscar’s passion for angling comes from, but it was instantly apparent that this lad has got the bug bad.  He had a small amount of sea fishing experience and caught the odd coarse fish, but what he really wanted to try was casting a fly.

My approach to this was to teach him how to chuck a little Mepps spinner.  Armed with one of the mini Hart Addiction rods and a Shimano Catana reel I was able to show Oscar how to set up the tackle, make a basic cast, the importance of a controlled rod stop and correct release point for the line.  All this can be done with a fly rod of course, but it is more difficult, and as we all know the only thing a novice child angler really wants to do …. is catch a fish!!!  Spinning facilitates that.

Sure there may not be so many fly fisheries that allow the use of lures, but this is beginning to change and where it’s not possible to target Trout, there are always plenty of Perch somewhere close by (try canals for example) that will help to inspire a child to try fishing for the first time.  Forcing kids to learn how to cast a fly which requires timing and coordination, while expecting them to wait for success rarely works in my experience, so I like to try and hook them from the off.

This worked a treat with Oscar and in fact after half a dozen fish on the lure I decided that it was time to give him a go with the fly.  During the course of the day I found out that Oscar plays Tennis for Kent and so I had high hopes that his hand eye coordination may stand him in good stead as a fly angler.  That was for sure!  He was a natural and soon nailed both the roll cast and a very pretty overhead.  The only problem I faced (and Oscars Dad!) was prising him from the lake as he proceeded to make a sizeable dent in the Lobbs Lake Trout population!

Keen young fisherman Oscar proudly shows off one of his Trout – this one was caught on a fly.

It was a tonic to see the smile on his face, especially after a rather depressing (extremely beige), angling AGM that I had the misfortune to attend on Friday night … more about that another time.  The door chime has just broken me from my writing and its the family back to weigh in their fish.   Great, they have some Trout for Tea but what’s most impressive is that the 11 year old son is furiously protesting about leaving … he wants to stay for longer.  Brilliant!  I love it!  (Sorry parents, but it’s called  “just one last cast syndrome” and so far as I know the only cure is to take your kids fishing, as often as possible)

Just before I sign off today, check out this website.  Oscar’s Dad is involved with the business of producing amazing wall books aimed at children called What on Earth Books.  They are not like anything I have ever seen before and my children have been totally absorbed by The What on Earth Wallbook of Natural History.  Find out more at www.whatonearthbooks.com and how about a What on Earth Wallbook of Fishing?! 

Makes my day to get a return like this made by an 11 year old angler earlier this week

 

 

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Nick Hart on his blog.