Bull riding bluegills, 03/22/22

[Chasing_Tails 0]

My daughter has been hot to go fishing lately and we have hit the pond pretty much every evening. Today she wanted to try a different lake and also put down her Paw Patrol spincaster and take over my 2wt. The bluegills were plentiful and eating a #18 glass fire ant very well. she caught a few smaller fish when she hooked into something a bit bigger. She did well and with a little assistance we decked the big bull. 

She is already asking to go out tomorrow, but this time she is taking her own pink 2wt. that has been in the rack waiting for her to want it.

She also has upped the ante and wants to go out with me for redfish next...

 

[niveker 0]

Nice job, Daddio, big smile on that cutie.  

Tell her to pic that rod up off the deck, though.  

 

[Steeldrifter 0]

That's awesome. Nice gill. And she looks like a total sweetheart.

[Bryon Anderson 0]

Doesn't get much sweeter than that! Thanks for sharing.

[RickZieger 0]

Way to go.

Rick 

[Sandan 0]

👍

[gillage 0]

Whoa, that a way  Dad !

Nice job young lady.

[Mark Knapp 0]

She's a sweetie-pie, you're a lucky dude.

[Philly 0]

Nice, she reminds me of my great niece, who will be turning 4 this year.  I left my 7' 6" 5 wgt up in Vermont for her dad to use in case he decided to go bushwhacking for brookies.  Maybe by the time I get up there later in the year she'll be ready to catch some real fish with a fly rod. 

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

Great report... "Be a hero... take a kid fishing"  and that's how I roll as well.  When she's a bit older if you ever come my way down to south Florida all of our canals are just loaded with exotic panfish on steroids (that will take a light fly rod to school....).  Oscars, Mayan cichlids, and those are just the most common ones - every one of them just attacking any wooly bugger or similar fly...

[vicrider 0]

I agree with all the good stuff above and got my kids going on fish when young but not fly rods at that time. The one thing that has always bugged me is seeing these young kids getting started with no eye protection. Eyes are not replaceable (well mostly not) and even grown ups have put flies in their eyes. I feel so much better when I see youth waving a fly rod around with good eye protection. They'll also see more of what's going on under the water.

[DFoster 0]

That is one proud little girl-God bless and good job Little One!  

 I have grand children her age that are just beginning to tie- something to consider.  I have a really small cork from ACE hardware to to protect little fingers and the thread from the hook point.   I handle the scissors and the whip finish- but he rest is all them.  We spent something like $15 at the craft store and got a couple of bags of really brightly dyed guinea hen, another bag of bright saddle feathers, some yarn and foam specifically for them to use.  White foam can be colored with markers and sewing thread on a small spool from Walmart works just fine.  There really are a lot of inexpensive materials out there that can be used by children.  My my grandson has been showing up with white down feathers when he comes over- I have no idea where he's getting them and I'm not going to ask. The kids  choose the colors and we keep it simple.  Tail, yarn wrapped body and a very over sized hackle, nothing fancy but believe it or not they catch fish.   Their flies are crude but during the warm months when terrestrials are around the local Bluegills are more than willing to make it fun.   The joy (and astonishment) that my wife and I get from seeing their faces when a fish takes one of their own "pink winged, green body red tails" is truly wonderful.  😃 

 

[skeet3t 0]

Try shrink tube on the hook point. It can be cut off with a razor blade or X-acto knife.

[gillage 0]

16 hours ago, DFoster said:

That is one proud little girl-God bless and good job Little One!  

 I have grand children her age that are just beginning to tie- something to consider.  I have a really small cork from ACE hardware to to protect little fingers and the thread from the hook point.   I handle the scissors and the whip finish- but he rest is all them.  We spent something like $15 at the craft store and got a couple of bags of really brightly dyed guinea hen, another bag of bright saddle feathers, some yarn and foam specifically for them to use.  White foam can be colored with markers and sewing thread on a small spool from Walmart works just fine.  There really are a lot of inexpensive materials out there that can be used by children.  My my grandson has been showing up with white down feathers when he comes over- I have no idea where he's getting them and I'm not going to ask. The kids  choose the colors and we keep it simple.  Tail, yarn wrapped body and a very over sized hackle, nothing fancy but believe it or not they catch fish.   Their flies are crude but during the warm months when terrestrials are around the local Bluegills are more than willing to make it fun.   The joy (and astonishment) that my wife and I get from seeing their faces when a fish takes one of their own "pink winged, green body red tails" is truly wonderful.  😃 

 

Me too!

I like these ideas. I picked up an Echo Gecko for the grand-kids and need to build some anticipation and excitement for the local pond with some of the grand-kids this summer.

Great ideas @DFoster.