What Motivates Young People to Get into This Sport?

[bellevue.chartreuse.trout 0]

Of course if we could figure this out, all our organizations would have a great mixture of ages in them. The one's I seem to be associated with have old farts like me in them. So... ?

BCT

[heavynets 0]

It has to be perceived as "cool" in order to attract large numbers of young people. The movie "A River Ran Through It" gave fly fishing it's biggers boost ever. Get some young movie stars or singer heavily involved in the sport and everyone else will follow.

[sunsignarcher 0]

Fathers

[Istripbuggers 0]

I'm 25 and have been fly fishing since the age of 21. I picked it up when a kid younger that me told me that it was the only way to fish in this area (the Sierra Nevadas). I enjoyed it right away because it was like relearning a sport I loved growing up. The added challenge and additional knowledge needed to present the right bug to the right fish was new and interesting. Also, fishing in the Tahoe area had endless potential, and I was constantly finding new beautiful streams and lakes to fish (almost all of which had a nice population of trout). I guess that there was a slight perception of flyfishing bieng cool when I first started, if it wasn't "cool" then why would I want to to do it. For the most part however, I picked up flyfishing and later flytying to reignite my childhood passion of fishing by learning a new form of it. Ultimately the thrill of catching a nice sized trout on a little piece of chicken feather and some fur (that I made) is what keeps me going in this sport. And the fact that I'm constantly learning and furthering my craft. I won't ever stop fishing no matter how uncool it might be. Oh and my dad wasn't a fisherman, it was my grandpa originally for me that taught me how to put a worm under a bobber and catch bass bluegill and catfish. I learned how to flyfish not through my family but a high school kid I met at my work. And now I teach any friend that wants to learn, it's always good to pay it forward.

Miles

[TheHound 0]

I am 24 now and been fly fishing since I was around 13 or so. For me it started out one day being a local pond and watching a man fly fish for panfish. I thought to myself, that looks interesting. Me being the kind of person who always has to be different I looked into it. Started out with a Shakespeare fly rod and I think a Martin reel. I had no one to teach me, my whole faily fishes but no one had ever picked up a fly rod so I got as much info as I could from books and what limited videos were on the internet at the time. The fly tying also became a natural progression. I have always enjoyed making my own things as opposed to buying them.

I think there has been a bigger following of fly fishing for younger people as of late. Due to social media and sites like vimeo, groups like HOOKÉ or H&H Outfitters have become quite popular.

I think the number one turn off is the high cost of start up. Not that you need the best gear but having a nice rod will make casting easier. If someone gets stuck on casting right in the beginning and becomes frustrated over and over, there is a good chance they will just give it up before they even started.

[add147 0]

Fathers

I agree 100% with you. This week I am taking my son to the Texas Fly Fishing Expo in New Braunfel, Texas. We are both very excited and what great timing Father's Day week-end!!!

[COMike 0]

Great topic!

 

I fished for all species for over three decades but NEVER saw an actual angler using a Fly Rod during that time. Yes I saw things on TV and in the movies but NEVER saw an angler actually fishing.

 

I think that having a MENTOR or a friend show someone how to fly fish would really help young people get involved. The costs can be minimal...on par with just about any other fishing area if one looks at sales at big stores such as Cabelas or BPS.

 

The Boy Scouts actually have a Fly Fishing Merit Badge and if there are people that volunteer their time and patience to teach a young scout how to fly fish this is another way to get young people involved.

 

Mike

[ditz2 0]

A lot of the problem is our fault. We make it all sound like black magic and when asked to recommend a first outfit we suggest a rod for 250 or more and a reel for 150 and a 70 line. $500 is a huge investment for a young person or his parents. A $30 Eagle Claw glass rod, the cheapest reel that can be found maybe $30 and a $20 line will give a newbie a great very fishable outfit. Or one of the combos that are marketed by one of the big box stores for $120. I actually think glass is the place to start because of it's durability. For $100 including some flies they can be on the water and into fish. That is much easier for a newb to handle, especially a young person.

 

As a young person I actually asked the only fella I found that fly fished to get me started and he never did make the effort. When I was 8 or 9 and sitting on the bank of a stream soaking a worm and I saw fish eating insects off the surface I was converted but just did not know that fly fishing even existed. When I was about 12 or 13 I found out about it but had no idea where to start. That is when I found the one fly fisherman. A couple of years later I saw a couple of fellas in a boat drifting along a lilly pad bed pulling out gills and bass on what was probably poppers. I watched them for over an hour. When I finally got out on my own I bought my first outfit. I think I paid $20 for a Shakespeare combo rod, reel, and line and it was a piece of crap but I was fly fishing. These $30 EC rods are far superior to the old stuff that we had available at Kmart and Western Auto. I keep at least one in my herd for a loaner and to teach a newb if that ever comes up.

[caswilso 0]

I know BCT and I have already had this discussion, but I'll go ahead and throw my two cents worth in anyway.

 

If you read the introduction forum, you'd know that I got into it because of my PE class for my college curriculm. It just kind of clicked with me. My family and I have always liked fishing (although we don't get to go as often as I'd like to go), but none of us had ever fly fished before. My dad is a hard core spin caster and when he's set on something, he's hard pressed to get off of it (or maybe he just never had the oppurtunity to fly fish, I dunno?)

 

I chose the fly fishing course because I wanted the chance to get outside and off campus for a little while. Granted a lot of the casting practice was in the gym, but I suppose you've got to start somewhere if you want to learn to cast correctly. After that, it just kind of stuck and I actually thought it was easier than spin casting. I guess because I'm somewhat impatient and when you fly fish you're always moving the fly?

 

It's pretty safe to say that I would have never picked up a fly rod if it wasn't for the class and like I said, the only reason I chose the class was because I wanted to be outside and fly fishing wasn't necessarily a class that everyone was signing up to take. I guess I'm like TheHound. I just like to be different.

 

I think what the young people need (and even older people, to be honest) is just the chance to try it out to see if they like it, whether from a friend, a club, or a class.

 

And by the way, "A River Runs Through It" is a TERRIBLE movie, in my humble opinion. And they don't even fly fish right....

[flytire 0]

...and the RIGHT WAY would be...?

[bellevue.chartreuse.trout 0]

Thanks for all the responses. Cas - thanks for all your responses - just wanted to get more input. A local TU chapter has been struggling with this for years. I particularly like the 'buy cheap' and mentoring idea. Just need people willing to actually do something as far as mentoring.

 

thanks again,

BCT

[Fisherboy0301 0]

I am 24 now and been fly fishing since I was around 13 or so. For me it started out one day being a local pond and watching a man fly fish for panfish. I thought to myself, that looks interesting. Me being the kind of person who always has to be different I looked into it. Started out with a Shakespeare fly rod and I think a Martin reel. I had no one to teach me, my whole faily fishes but no one had ever picked up a fly rod so I got as much info as I could from books and what limited videos were on the internet at the time. The fly tying also became a natural progression. I have always enjoyed making my own things as opposed to buying them.

 

I think there has been a bigger following of fly fishing for younger people as of late. Due to social media and sites like vimeo, groups like HOOKÉ or H&H Outfitters have become quite popular.

 

I think the number one turn off is the high cost of start up. Not that you need the best gear but having a nice rod will make casting easier. If someone gets stuck on casting right in the beginning and becomes frustrated over and over, there is a good chance they will just give it up before they even started.

 

I'm 14 now and I started around 11, fly fishing/ tying started with the black bear festival in umatilla Florida, the did fly casting "classes" and fly tying demos for kids, I'm using a south bend rod and Martin reel, and some level line, but I get along just fine, I love this sport.

[caswilso 0]

flytire- I suppose there technically isn't a wrong way to fly fish. But, in the movie when the guys landed a fish, they were cranking hard on the reel. I was taught to just pull the line and reel it up after the fish has been landed. That's what I meant by that. Sorry if that was offence to anyone. I didn't mean it to be.

[adrian191 0]

I'm 15 almost 16 and have been flyfishing for 5 years. I've started when i was 10 and just loved it. I had no one to teach me. The only sponsor of my gear was my dad. After 5 years i finally got myself a legit rod,'reel',and line. (Greys XF2 Streamflex, Medalist reel, SA sharkwave line) < bought with shoveling money. I got into tying about a year and a half ago and im really good at it. So im a selftaught flyfisher and tyier.

Well if you want to get someone young into the sport i quess they should know basic fishing. The teach them flyfishing and flyfishing will eventually be followed by tying. Well thats my 2 cents.

[bellevue.chartreuse.trout 0]

Thanks for the response Adrian. BCT