Kid Fishing: Fun Ways to Teach Kids To Fish
July is heating up around the NW. Many parents may be looking for fun activities to get the kids outside while also teaching them something new. Luckily, Oregon and Washington residents have a wonderful array of outdoor groups eager to teach kids and teenagers how to fish, hike, and camp responsibly. When kids get the chance to learn how to properly fish – bait a hook, cast, look for signs of a bite, reel it in and take it off the hook – they learn about patience, survival and maybe a little confidence that they can do a lot if they spend the time learning.
I know I have a lot of wonderful memories going fishing with my grandpa and my dad. I learned patience by watching them fish.
With my grandpa, I learned by watching his amazing ability to sit still along the lake and watch the bugs dance along the water, a sign that fish would be jumping soon was a tranquil. From my dad, I learned that not every cast is perfect and sometimes you spend more time rebaiting your hook or untangling your line then actually fishing and yet there is fun (and a need for patience) in that too.
Check out a couple of fishing events this July for kids:
C.A.S.T. for Kids
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Rods, reels, tackle and t-shirts are avilalbe for young special needs anglers to use and keep at this annual kids day event.
Merwin Fish Hatchery
111 Merwin Hatchery Court
Ariel, Washington
Contact: Kevin Young, (360) 225-4394
Youth Fly Fishing Camp
July 16-19, 2009
Kids ages 10-14 are invited to learn fishing techniques, etiquette and various other topics
Sponsored by Trout Unlimited, Clackamas River Chapter
Contact: Terry Turner, (503) 656-3580, terry@clackamasrivertu.org
Cost: $200 per child (scholarships available for low income families)
