Fly Fishing and Kids? by Kati Rouse gettingoutdoors
“Fly fishing is for those who hold that the fun in the race of life is in the running, not just the winning, that existence is its own justification, that a day spent in a stream or a pond with a goal in mind is a joy even if the goal is not achieved, though a greater joy if it is.”
~by Jon Margolis and Jeff MacNelly, How to Fool Fish with Feathers~
Fly fishing is wonderful sport to share with your children, even at a very early age. Among Allie’s first words was fly fishing. She was out in the boat fishing in high water when she was only 5 weeks of age and “assisted” me in catching a beautiful rainbow trout. Of course, we took all safety precautions!
Fly fishing with infants and toddlers
With infants, it is easy to fly fish with baby in a front carrier. It’s always important to make sure your child has eye protection. We love the Julbo Looping sunglasses. (At the time of the pic, we had different sunglasses that Allie would take off during a drift, and Jamie would put back on when he was casting. With the Julbos we did not have this problem, as they have a strap and she kept them on). Allie also floated the Madison at 3 months. She mainly did a lot of sleeping. Even if this is the case with your child, it is such a special bonding time and a great way to spend time outdoors with your little one!
With toddlers, I recommend using the backpack style carrier. Again eye protection is essential not just for protection from the sun, but from flies and hooks. When both parents are present, it works nicely to tag-team (one parent fishes, while the other explores the bank with their child looking for rocks, bugs, etc. and wades in the water). This not only gives the child a variety of experiences, it also gives each parent one-on-one time with him or her.
Taking Your Kids on a Guided Trip
Jamie Rouse, 2007 Orvis Guide of the Year, (but more importantly, Allie’s Daddy) has a lot of experience guiding kids. Frequently he is asked: How old should they be to start fly fishing or go on a guided trip? Should we book a full or half day? Parents need to realize that the day is all about the kids–not for the adults to get some serious fishing in for themselves. Certainly every kid is different, so Jamie tailors the trip to fit the age and experience level of each one. For the younger ones, he may make it more like a game. As soon as his charge stops having fun, then it’s time to go. This does not necessarily mean leaving the river, but maybe changing to another activity, like hiking, skipping rocks, turning rocks over to look at aquatic bugs–PLAY!
What if I am new to fly fishing?
If you as a parent have little or no experience fly fishing and want to learn as well as teach your child, check out Orvis.com for Endorsed Guides and Casting Instructors in your area. If you are headed to our neck of the woods, all of our guides are excellent instructors and great with kids!
Good times and places to fly fish
There are great places all over the world to fly fish. Some fisheries in moderate climates are year round while others have specific seasons. It would be a good idea to check with the local guide service or fly shop before you plan your trip to see when would be the best time to go. And certainly consider what environment your kids would most enjoy! A good starting point would be Orvis. (Refer to the link in the above section). They currently have Endorsed Guides in North America, Caribbean/Central America, South America, New Zealand, Europe, and Africa.
Dry Run Creek flowing from the Norfork River is a catch and release stream where only kids under age 16 and mobility impaired anglers may fish. The Jamie Rouse Fly Fishing Adventures Team frequently takes our younger clients with their parents to this magical fishery.
Of course, the Little Red River is certainly not a bad place to take your little angler. Our fishery is truly year round, with more moderate temps in spring and fall, and is probably one of the best places to
fish in the lower 48.
Environmental issues and fly fishing
It is hard to be an angler and not want to help protect the fisheries. Trout Unlimited has been conserving, protecting, and restoring coldwater fisheries and their watersheds in North America for 50 years. Here are the proper Catch and Release techniques listed on their website:
“Done properly, catch-and-release can make the difference between a fish that lives to see another day and reproduce or one that doesn’t. Here are some tips for proper catch and release techniques from Trout Unlimited: * Don’t play fish to exhaustion. To prevent a fatal lactic acid build up, bring fish in quickly and use a landing net. * Handle fish with wet hands, grasping them across the back and head. * Don’t remove swallowed hooks; just cut the line. * Don’t keep the fish out of the water for more than 10-15 seconds. * When placing fish back in moving water, face them upstream in their natural position.”
Fly fishing provides a great opportunity to learn about different species of fish, and other aquatic life as well as their environment. Talk about an outdoor classroom!! What better place to educate your child about, and instill an appreciation for, the world around him than an alive and thriving river, where he can use all his senses to experience so many of the wonders of life!
