by Moe Zilla

Created on: March 07, 2010   Last Updated: March 16, 2010

First try to pick a good spot, where the fish are striking - but hopefully one where the sun isn't too hot! Remember that most fly fishing rods are adult sized, so it's very difficult for a child to cast them. It might be easier to cast the rod yourself, and then wrap your arms around the child to guide them. You can sense when the fish is striking on their bait, and tell the child it's time to tug up the line!

But here's the most important advice about introduce a child to fly fishing: avoid over-the-shoulder casting. It seems like a good idea, since there's just one quick movement to toss the line forward into the river. But if the child hesitates, the line won't make it over their shoulders. Then instead of hooking a fish, they could end up hooking themselves!

Of course, side-casting has its problems with children, too. Even experienced fisherman can have trouble controlling their lines. Try to find a fishing spot where there's no other fishing parties nearby. And what's just as important: try to find a spot without too many bushes. It's easy to catch the line in something on shore with a simple misdirected cast. Then you'll spend several minutes trying to get the line untangled, when you could be spending that time fishing!

It's easy to illustrate this point with a personal fishing memory from when I was a child. Once I ended up seeing a fish that I caught dangling from a tree. I'd thrown such an erratic cast that my line was strewn spectacularly across the bushes behind me. I turned my back to the river to reel it all in, trying to trace just how complicated its path had been. But in the meantime, the bait actually had landed in the stream - and a fish had taken it. As I'd reeled in the line, it pulled the hooked fish toward the shore, and then the fish continued following the line up to where it had snagged on a tree branch!

I think that proves an important lesson. You don't have to be a great fisherman to have fun. Even today, I can still remember the sound of the water rippling, and the excitement of being closer to the wilderness. It's an experience that both parents and children can enjoy - and it's one that they'll never forget.

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