Teach a Boy to Fish — the Big Day
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In a previous thread, board members were generous with their advice on how to teach a boy to fish. I’ve got no kids of my own and don’t claim any expertise in dealing with them. Thanks again for all your suggestions. This thread is to explain what happened.
My 10-year-old nephew, Brady, was pretty excited when I picked him up at 6:30 a.m., nearly too wired to finish his breakfast. We drove up U.S. 285 west of Denver to Shaffers Crossing, where we visited a couple of small private ponds that charge by the inch for every trout caught. No catch and release here.
Using a short spinning rod equipped with a Zebco reel, a bobber and a dry fly (grasshopper), he caught three rainbows that cost me about $13 bucks total. Worth every nickel, in my opinion. He experienced the whole gamut of fishing — losing the first fish he hooked, but successfully landing the rest.
He also got a taste of tangles and putting the cast into a tree, but I explained to him that it’s all part of the deal, and if you want to fish, you’ve got to put up with it, frustrations and all. I think he gets it.
And he learned that if you kill a fish, you eat it. If you don’t intend to eat it, it goes back in the water. We’ll be having a fish fry with his folks and grandparents later this week. He’s a very cool kid and I’m a very proud uncle.
After leaving Shaffer’s crossing, we drove down to the Bucksnort Saloon just outside of Pine. I told the bartender that Brady had caught his first fish and now he deserved to drink his first beer. She laughed, but wouldn’t serve him.
Later I took him into Flies and Lies in Deckers and bragged on him to Rich, an oldtimer in this flyshop who’s just started working there again. All the old coots in the flyshop gave Brady his props.
Assuming he stays interested, I’m pretty certain he’ll pick up the fly rod by the time he’s in high school. Meantime, I’ll teach him how to dig up garden worms and hunt for nightcrawlers. In a couple years, he’ll be able to ride his bicycle to some nearby fishing holes in southwest Denver. Once he starts doing that on his own, he’s on his way. And if he doesn’t, well, that’s OK too.
There’s about 50 years difference in our ages, but for one day, we were both a couple of kids. Pretty sure I was as excited as he was. And I’m always on the lookout for new fishing buddies….
I love this picture. I was in the yard practicing my casting and my daughter, who was two at the time, wanted to know what was going on. I handed her the rod, showed her basic motions and she just started whipping that rod around (actually made a couple of really good casts). From then on she was crazy about fly fishing. She is four years-old now and we are taking her out on the water for the first time with a fly rod this month.
WBuggerman, you will have to teach me how to fish if I am ever in your neck of the woods 🙂
Glad your nephew is showing interest…both my kids don’t fish 🙁 🙂There’s about 50 years difference in our ages, but for one day, we were both a couple of kids. Pretty sure I was as excited as he was. And I’m always on the lookout for new fishing buddies….
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