Guest blogger Joe Jackson is a J. Stockard Pro Tyer known for his artistic deer hair patterns and his work withΒ Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing. Follow him on InstagramΒ @sgt.bassfisher*
People are quick to say, "Oh, my kid just doesn't like fishing." But he's five years old! You've got maybe 10 to 12 years of childhood fishing ahead of you. If you mess that up when they're young, you're not going to get the next 40 or 50 years of fishing with them.
I think about the future a lot. When my daughter's in her 20s or 30s, if fishing is something she looks back on fondly, then when life gets tough, she might call me and say, "Hey Dad, let's go fishing." But if she doesn't have those memories, she might not reach out. She might just come over for dinner, and we sit on the couch and watch Netflix, and the real conversation might never happen.
But when you're sitting on a boat or knee-deep in the water, fishingβthere's time. Nothing but time. That's when the talking happens. I want to create that nostalgic link to fishing and I think that is where a lot of people trying to teach their children to fish, might miss the point.
Here's how to take kids fishing (and get it right from the start):
1. Think in 15-Minute Chunks
Little kids have like a one-track mind that lasts 15 minutes, maybe, depending on how old they are. A day of fishing isn't a βfull dayβ of fishing. You get little pockets. And each time you go out, those little segments get a little longer. Eventually, they're fishing for hours and don't want to stop.
You've got to break it down into small chunks. You fish for 15 minutes, then go throw a Frisbee. Or skip rocks. Or go look for insects, spot birds, animal tracks⦠that kind of thing. Just keep mixing it up.
2. Pack the Snacks
Food. You've got to take foodβsnacks are crucial. If nothing else is working, sit down and have a snack.
This isn't rocket science, but it's amazing how many parents forget this simple truth. A hungry kid is a cranky kid, and a cranky kid isn't learning to love fishing. Also, they attach special meaning to the βspecialβ treats and snacks you packed, because it was a fishing trip. Donβt ever forget that magic.
3. Start with Bait, Not Flies
This might be an unpopular opinion, but the idea is to get them to enjoy the bite and the battle. Start with bait, and fly fishing can follow. Bluegill are perfectβsmall fish with big fight. Kids are small too. Giving them that struggleβthat challengeβit builds confidence.
Also, I strongly suggest that you donβt take a kid trout fishing for their first trip. Itβs just too technical, too finicky and too frustrating. We love trout and fussing over those tough fish and can go three days before catching a 10-inch mountain ghost. Kids canβt β get them a hundred fish on something easy first.
Ironically, my first βfishingβ memory is of catching a fish on an artificial lure at seven. We'd run out of chicken liver and worms (bait), and I found this chartreuse curly-tailed grub on the bank next to the dam. I tied it onto my usual βbait-n-bobberβ rig, not knowing what I was doing. Some old guy walked past and said, "Take that bobber off, boy. Just cast and reel." I thought it was stupidβhow could they bite something that's moving? But man, it worked. That was it. I was hooked. Literally and figuratively. I caught like seven bass that day.
4. Make It an Adventure, Not Just a Fishing Trip
Make it an adventure, not just a fishing trip. If they don't love fishing yet, make them love being outside.
You've got to get them to love being outside first. If your kid already likes hiking or just being outdoors, that's a head start. But even then, you've got to feed their curiosity.
If it's just sitting in one spot for hours, waiting, it gets boring fast. And then it feels like punishment.
5. Accept That Not Every Kid Will Love It
One of my stepsons, Kurt, he was four when he got his first fish. Didn't want to fish with bait. Wanted to cast and reel like we were doing. So I rigged him up with a heavy jig just so he could cast further. He didn't catch anything that day, but the next day we went back while the other kids were at school. After about 15 minutes, he caught a 14-inch crappie.
He was so stokedβkept calling it a "croppy-woppy." We walked two miles back to the car, and he was stopping everyone with a dog, saying, "I caught a croppy-woppy!" Now he's 15, still obsessed. Casts for hours without catching anything and doesn't care.
My other two stepkids? Not their thing. And that's okay, you canβt force it. I don't. But I do adapt. If one of the kids wants to come out, I'll troll crappie jigs. Let them steer the boat. They don't even have to catch anythingβthey're part of it.
In fact, that speaks to the adventure part of it β boating itself can become the memory. And that's the goal. Build the nostalgia somehow. Maybe it's not about fish. Maybe it's just being out on the water.
6. Give Them Agency Through Fly Tying
If a kid ties a fly and catches a fish on it? You've got them. Their chance of sticking with this sport of ours goes up exponentially.
This year alone, I taught 76 kids how to tie their first fly. I help finish their flies if needed, but they still did it themselves. That's empowering.
I designed a simple pattern for bluegill thatβs easy for kids to tie and doesnβt require whip-finishing (thatβs something so many struggle with) β itβs just silly legs, thread body, bead-chain eyes, resin, and hackle. Super effective.
7. Set Realistic Expectations
We expect them to be as good as we are. And to love it the way we do. But it's not a video game. There's no instant dopamine hit.
I explain it like this: there are different kinds of special fish.
- Your personal best.
- The one that got away. (And the personal best of the one youβve lost, you might lose a bigger one tomorrow, and then that becomes the PB βone that got awayβ).
- And the one you catch after a long dry spell. You know, you haven't been fishing for months, or youβve been on the water and havenβt caught anything in hours, and you're about to give up. Then you hook something small. That fish means a lot. And, it might keep you on the water for a few hours more - maybe that's when the big one comes.Β
Kids relate to that. It's a game. It keeps them interested and helps attach value to all fish they catch.
8. Think Long-Term
Even the ones who don't fish nowβthey might one day have their own kids, and suddenly it'll click. They'll remember what we did and want to pass it on.
My sister didn't like fishing when we were young, but when we grew up she used to call and ask me to take her kids.
It's that nostalgia. The sounds, the smells, the feel of it all. You don't even realize what's imprinting on you until later. These days, if I'm in Walmart and hear someone ring one of those little bells, it triggers me. Sounds like a drag peeling off a fly reel. Just takes me straight back.
We're all a bit crazy, doing what we do. Putting this much effort into catching fish. But we love it. And if we do it right, our kids will love it too. The goal isn't to create the next tournament anglerβit's to create memories that last a lifetime and conversations that happen when it really matters.