starting grandson fly fishing

I wonder do you think 9 yr old too young to start fly fishing?

I think a 7' or 7.5 rod would ok for a 4' boy.

Does anyone have any experience in teaching youngsters how to fly fish?

gary wrote:
I wonder do you think 9 yr old too young to start fly fishing?

Yeah, I think 9 is too young. All kids are different, of course,
but I think 11-12 is about right in terms of coordination and
concentration for most youngsters who want to learn fly fishing.

--
Ken Fortenberry

On Thu, 23 Dec 2004 00:18:28 GMT, "gary" wrote:

I wonder do you think 9 yr old too young to start fly fishing?

Based solely on being 9? No, but it depends on the boy - does he want
to learn, or do you just want to teach him?

I think a 7' or 7.5 rod would ok for a 4' boy.

Sure, but see above.

Does anyone have any experience in teaching youngsters how to fly fish?

Yes, and if they aren't interested in learning, you're both going to be
miserable. If they are, a little patience on the part of both, and
you'll probably find you both learn something. Remember a couple of
things: people don't get "smarter" as they get older, they just get more
experienced, and when it comes to things like hobbies and teaching,
someone gets tired of "class," whatever their age, it's time for recess.

HTH,
R

On Thu, 23 Dec 2004 00:18:28 GMT, "gary" wrote:

I wonder do you think 9 yr old too young to start fly fishing?

Based solely on being 9? No, but it depends on the boy - does he want
to learn, or do you just want to teach him?

I think a 7' or 7.5 rod would ok for a 4' boy.

Sure, but see above.

Does anyone have any experience in teaching youngsters how to fly fish?

Yes, and if they aren't interested in learning, you're both going to be
miserable. If they are, a little patience on the part of both, and
you'll probably find you both learn something. Remember a couple of
things: people don't get "smarter" as they get older, they just get more
experienced, and when it comes to things like hobbies and teaching,
someone gets tired of "class," whatever their age, it's time for recess.

HTH,
R

On Thu, 23 Dec 2004 00:23:22 GMT, Ken Fortenberry
wrote:

gary wrote:
I wonder do you think 9 yr old too young to start fly fishing?

Yeah, I think 9 is too young. All kids are different, of course,
but I think 11-12 is about right in terms of coordination and
concentration for most youngsters who want to learn fly fishing.

My father got his two grandsons started at 10 and 8 - and if I hadn't gone
with him he'd have done it without me!

Our first outing was in a pair of canoes on a brookie pond in the White
Mountains on a spectacular day. The trouties were easy, the kids were fast
studies, and in short order were laying out enough line and leader to hook
fish.

The next day was spent wet wading a small cold freestoner and catching wild
brookie jewels no bigger than 6 inches. The boys had a blast between the
flyfishing and the playing in the water. They were hooked, hard.

At 25 and 23, the boys are still avid flyfishers.

/daytripper (ymmv, of course. kids ain't clones ;-)

On Thu, 23 Dec 2004 00:23:22 GMT, Ken Fortenberry
wrote:

gary wrote:
I wonder do you think 9 yr old too young to start fly fishing?

Yeah, I think 9 is too young. All kids are different, of course,
but I think 11-12 is about right in terms of coordination and
concentration for most youngsters who want to learn fly fishing.

My father got his two grandsons started at 10 and 8 - and if I hadn't gone
with him he'd have done it without me!

Our first outing was in a pair of canoes on a brookie pond in the White
Mountains on a spectacular day. The trouties were easy, the kids were fast
studies, and in short order were laying out enough line and leader to hook
fish.

The next day was spent wet wading a small cold freestoner and catching wild
brookie jewels no bigger than 6 inches. The boys had a blast between the
flyfishing and the playing in the water. They were hooked, hard.

At 25 and 23, the boys are still avid flyfishers.

/daytripper (ymmv, of course. kids ain't clones ;-)

"gary" wrote in message
news
I wonder do you think 9 yr old too young to start fly fishing?

I think a 7' or 7.5 rod would ok for a 4' boy.

Does anyone have any experience in teaching youngsters how to fly fish?
------------
If memory serves, my grandfather started me out a bit younger, maybe eight
by having me dapple a fly with one of his bamboo rods. He taught me stealth
and patience and I did catch quite a few trout in these beaver ponds near
his cabin, every summer. Eventually he taught me to cast and the rest of my
serious addictive life is well chronicled in my quicken database.

Reminiscing, I have a memory of using a hopper pattern on probably 6' to
8'.of silk line with a few feet of mono/maybe gut? and crawling on my belly
to a beaver dam and putting the pole ever so s-l-o-w-l-y over the brush pile
and just peeking over to see if anyone would take the hopper. My
grandfather was convinced that fish could hear human voices, so no talking
was ever allowed on the fishery -- just hand signals. Now I am pretty sure
it was his way to keep me from talking him to death.

To my delight, I caught 2 or 3 little fish in each tiny pond that day. I
know that because I have a B&W picture or me holding the fish (well before
C&R) on a willow branch and grinning like the Cheshire cat himself.

If I was blessed with a grandchild, I probably would start them the same
way. Might even use a long crappie pole with some expired fly line and
leader. I know a few tiny streams with a lot of small trout that would fall
prey to a well executed, but totally silent G, stealthy approach from an
eight year old. My that would be wonderful, no wonder my Grandfather loved
taking me fishing.

Chris

gary wrote:snipI wonder do you think 9 yr old too young to start fly fishing?


The correct age to teach a kid to flyfish is whenever THEY express an interest
in wanting to learn. Some kids are interested at age 6 years, some never. In my
case I was aout 8 years old.

Big Dale

gary wrote:snipI wonder do you think 9 yr old too young to start fly fishing?


The correct age to teach a kid to flyfish is whenever THEY express an interest
in wanting to learn. Some kids are interested at age 6 years, some never. In my
case I was aout 8 years old.

Big Dale

Padishar Creel wrote:
"gary" wrote in message
news
I wonder do you think 9 yr old too young to start fly fishing?

I think a 7' or 7.5 rod would ok for a 4' boy.

Does anyone have any experience in teaching youngsters how to fly
fish?
------------
snip
Eventually he
taught me to cast and the rest of my serious addictive life is well
chronicled in my quicken database.

Fun, isn't it? I'm by no means a gear whore, but I *am* an aspiring
one. I know it's happening when I'm thinking of buying duplicate rods
"just in case".
--
TL,
Tim
---------------------------
http://css.sbcma.com/timj/