Teaching kids how to fly fish

[dnj21]

Anyone care to share any tips on how they introduced their kids to fly fishing?  My 7 year old is fairly competent with with an open face or under spin, but a trip to Bennett yesterday seems to have started a desire to use the fly rod.      

There are a ton of articles and videos out there, just trying to separate out the good from the bad.  Appreciate any advice guys.       

[moguy1973]

7 may be a little more tough but he may be able to handle a 7 or 7.5' rod.  I started when I was 11 or 12 using a 7.5' rod by watching a how to video on VHS and practicing in my yard with a fly that had the hook cut off of it.

[Gavin]

Short rods are a disadvantage when it comes to fly casting. Would get him and 8.5 or 9' rod..5wt should be fine, and get someone to sand the grip down to fit a small hand. Start with pickup and laydowns, then the roll cast.

 

[Flysmallie]

Taught one of my daughters to cast in the yard when she was around 10. It gave her a chance to focus on casting without having to worry about catching a fish. 

Then we went to a small local pond to terrorize bluegill. That gave her lots of action so she could focus on that aspect of it. Bluegill are easy so again she didn't have to worry too much about getting a fish to bite.

Then we went to a trout park to land a trout. 

This "learning" period lasted a few weeks. And we were out in the yard practicing her casting at least every other day. It paid off in the end because when she got to the trout water she already knew what she was up against. She hadn't perfected the craft by far but she was a lot more comfortable with it than just going in there cold.

 

 

[moguy1973]

21 minutes ago, Gavin said:

Short rods are a disadvantage when it comes to fly casting. Would get him and 8.5 or 9' rod..5wt should be fine, and get someone to sand the grip down to fit a small hand. Start with pickup and laydowns, then the roll cast.

 

Yeah but a 9' rod in the hands of a 4' tall 7 y/o could be a little tricky.

[Flysmallie]

4 minutes ago, moguy1973 said:

Yeah but a 9' rod in the hands of a 4' tall 7 y/o could be a little tricky.

 

You would think so but it's actually an advantage to them when they can't cast very far to begin with. 

[fishinwrench]

Mine got the bug from watching me, and from watching Brian Wise (who she secretly had a crush on for a couple years).  After going through the basics with her I gave her a good rod, told her to take care of it, and from that point on I left her alone and only intervened if she asked me to.  

At 22 now she can pretty much hold her own.   

You'll know when they truly have the virus when they spend their own hard earned money on things like wading boots, fly line, and polorized shades 😉

[fishinwrench]

I believe pushing it too hard, and doing all the "work" for them is a mistake.  Don't untangle their messes, don't tie on their flys, and don't fetch their flys from trees, ect.   

Let them experience the whole 9 yards.  

Amber first began at about 7-8 years old, but I have a 9 year old that still isn't ready.  She only lasts about 10 minutes and she's done.  Maybe she'll fish.... but maybe she won't.

[ness]

I disagree. It’s ok to to help them with tangles and trees and problems at first, IMO. Keep them fishing and increase their odds of catching and make sure it’s fun. Every kid is different too, so tailor your approach. 

[Johnsfolly]

I'm getting ready to try to teach my youngest. I have an 8 and a 9' 5WT and will get her using the 9' first. My other two kids didn't have the interest to learn. Apparently I'll have to use my fly rod to fish Marty's hoppers. It would be good for both of us to practice .