Fly Fishing, Children, & Wal-Mart Worms

As a fly fishing fanatic, the terms "worms" and "bait" are forbidden, strictly taboo, and often embarrassing to speak of…. at least when speaking to other fly anglers.  However, these terms are still very much a part of my fishing vocabulary.  To my five and nine year old daughters, the word “fishing” means going to Wal-Mart to buy a cup of worms.  To my 2-year old son, fishing means another chance to throw rocks, jump in the water, and make dad’s blood pressure go up.

    When I was young, this is how my father taught me to fish.  Threading the worm onto a snelled bait hook was just as much part of fishing as actually reeling the fish in and watching it thrash around on the rocks.  This is tradition.  I also consider worm fishing to be a prerequisite to fly fishing.  It gives you and your pupils an understanding of the basics and dynamics of fish behavior and angling techniques.  Many of you probably also started out fishing for bluegills and sunfish on 10 lb. test line and a some cheap closed face bait casting combo.   As we gradually got more involved and intrigued by the sport, we moved on to bigger and better things.  As a young teen, I graduated to a Shimano ultralight spinfishing setup and multiple tackle boxes full of lures.  Before long, I had an arsenal of different spinning and bait-casting setups. 

    This is how I have decided to introduce my children to this pastime I love so much.  As they get older, I will give them the option of choosing how they want to fish.  When they turn into young women and decide they don’t like fishing anymore, then that's OK by me too.  If that happens, then I will try again.  If they are interested in fly fishing, then I will be eager to pass on my knowledge to them and devote all of my spare time to teaching them everything I know about this form of angling.  I also have a 2-year old son, a momma’s boy right now that will probably get into fishing pretty soon.  Right now, he's in the rock-throwing stage and would rather cause trouble than pay attention to his bobber.   Before long, I know he'll be into fishing too.  He'll be the chosen one.  He will spend hours on the water studying insects with me and taking daily walks down the street to the greenbelt for fly casting lessons.  He will study mail order catalogs until the pages start to fall apart.  If my daughters lose interest in fishing, then he'll be my companion and I will be his mentor.  It's every fathers dream to watch his kids excel in whatever they do and be good at it.

    Getting back to the topic of worms...It’s unusual  being a fly angler who still buys worms and bait.  To children, the fishing part is not always fun, it’s the actual catching that they love so much.    If I make the mistake of making them fly fish too early, there’s no doubt in my mind that they’ll turn against me and consider fishing something that isn’t fun.  Snap swivels are easier than Surgeon's knots and Improved Clinch knots.   Holding down a button and flicking your wrist is much simpler than perfecting a smooth casting stroke.  Simplicity is the key to success, and success is what will keep your kids coming back for more.  If your kids had a miserable experience their first few fishing trips, chances are they weren't' catching any fish, right?  If this happens, they probably won't want to go fishing with you anymore.  A good example of this would be the game of golf.  How many of you (who aren't regular golfers) attempted the game and swear you will never play again?  Why is that?  Probably because you did terrible and your score was atrocious.  Dunking balls in waterholes, hitting houses, knocking divots further than your ball, and digging craters in the sand bunkers all equate to a pretty poor experience.  Would you want to go and play again any time soon?   Probably not.  This is how fishing is with kids.  If they don't catch anything the first few times, then the fun and excitement is gone.  If they're successful and had fun, they'll be hooked for life.

    Fishing with worms is as simple as it gets.   The gear is cheap and easily replaceable.  If your kids decide they don't like fishing, then its no big loss to your wallet.  You haven't invested hundreds of dollars on miniature waders, vests, boots, etc.  Worms are also cheap, but even more importantly, they catch fish!  A styro-foam cup full of nightcrawlers costs about the same as a single fly bought in a fly shop. 

   Forcing a young child to flyfish can easily point out their short attention spans.  The child will usually end up catching crawdads and feeding chipmunks if you give them a fly rod and they're not catching fish.  A family fishing trip shouldn't be a time of frustration and scolding.  You can avoid this by simply picking up a dozen nightcrawlers or jar of bait and making it an enjoyable experience for everyone.

Terry Chia

AZOD Fly Fishing Editor