"Don Phillipson" wrote in message
...
"Dave LaCourse" wrote in message
...

I've been through this with four grandsons and one granddaughter. Go
the Zebco route. The rod is easy for a youngster to handle and not as
imposing as a long fly rod with line hanging down.
Most importantly, make sure they catch fish right away.

The other school of thought is that reels (i.e. extra line) are
unnecessary
for 4-year-olds. The best equipment may be a long rod (cane pole or
fly rod) with 8 to 12 feet of line. This lets the child get used to
placing
a fly or a worm, then watching for a take and bringing in the fish,
without worrying about a reel.

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)



A cheap fly rod with the line tied to the end eye and a small worm or fly
and bluegills is the way to go. Make it a cheap rod, so you will not get
upset when something happens to the rod. My wife's good friend's first
husband was all upset when the split heirloom split bamboo rod got busted by
the son when on the first fishing expedition. Max was an idiot. In more
ways than one, but taking a valuable rod fishing with a 5 year old is
idiocy.