What Motivates Young People to Get into This Sport?

[bellevue.chartreuse.trout 0]

This thread has allowed me to gain insight into what I would like to pursue next. Thank you to all those that have responded.

BCT

[djtrout 0]

I go with fathers. My companionship on the stream was the only time we had much communion, so I cherished it. It was uncomplicated though, no cosmically expensive gear and a couple simple flies. We focused on the fish and the forest and the smell of fresh air and all that great stuff. That brought me to it, and brought me back later in life.

I'm a gearhead and it's a fault. I love all the gadgetry and pageantry of the industry, but I can get too absorbed in it where I forget where my head needs to be. I was like that after my father introduced me to the sport, couldn't get enough of catalogs, wanting to try different fly lines and flies, etc. Just takes a day on the stream to work that kink out, sorta.

I don't know what it would take to draw youth. Maybe de-mystifying it would help. Of course, kids look at me with flyrod and the baitchunker next to me, he has a creel of nice fish and I "catch and release" - kids still relate fishing to bringing home a mess of fish and frying them up.

Thinking about catch and release, and my wife's many comments, it seems flyfishing makes as much sense as golf, another sport that has to work hard to draw youth. Why in the world do I need 14 clubs to get a little white ball into a hole? Why would I get into a sport that requires 1000 hours of practice just to get to the point where I can avoid embarrassment? Why do I go fishing and bring nothing home? I think things need to make sense to kids, but from their viewpoint, and/or just cool. Next time I'm with a younger person I think I'll ask what makes sense to them about this flyfishing thing.

I know one thing, when you take a kid fishing, he/she better catch a fish. Just one skunked trip when very young can discourage children. That's why I set up my kids with bluegills.

Another thing, flyfishing is not synonymous with Trout Unlimited. Although I've seen great stuff with dads bringing their kids to TU work days (and this is good modeling behavior), take care that the kid, who thought he was just going fishing with dad, doesn't feel mired down in work and club stuff to the point that actually fishing seems too hard. Be wary of wearing your kid out preaching the politics of the sort and fisheries conservation. Just ease up a bit. Fish. Keep a couple of legal fish, and share a fish fry. Let kids figure out for themselves how much politics they want to be involved in. Just fish with the kid, man, and during that simple act teach some ethics by example.

I talk too much. I know what was meaningful to me, but I believe I have lost touch with what kids today are thinking.

[add147 0]

I took my son to the Texas Fly Fishing Expo in New Braunfels, Texas this past week-end. We camped at the Guadalupe River State Park which was very nice. Friday and Saturday we went to the expo and I had signed us up for some fly tying classes. My son had a GREAT time and I think I have him hooked now! He loved watching different folks tying their flies. The tiers had more interaction with him since he is a kid than with me. Everyone was very nice and helpful and he loaded up on several flies that various folks gave him. Fly tiers go out of their way to show a young person anything if the young person shows an interest. My son is not the shy type he has no problem walking up to someone and ask how did you make that! That's all it took for them to say pull up a chair and have a seat and I will show you. Alot of the tiers where telling me that it was a wonderful thing seeing my son and I together at the expo. Many are concerned that it is becoming a dying sport because of the electrionic world we now live in.

 

What a great Father's Day week-end! I have planted the seed and I now think he has the desire to learn more and more as time goes on. To be totally honest it will be a Father's Day that I will remember for now on.

[Chase Creek 0]

In Boy Scouts, we blame "the smell of gasoline and perfume" as the leading cause of loss of youth. But I have to agree with others - in order to attract youth, it has to be seen as "cool". I think having a mentor is critical in retaining youth in this sport.

[taggart.josh 0]

I started fly fishing in college when I was 22, a roommate got me into it. Tying was a natural progression, especially when I had shoulder surgery and was sidelined for a summer. For me its 2 things, one the history and the second is the ability to take part in something from start to finish, I am an avid hunter and trapper in addition to fishing, so while my hunting buddies are worried about the straps out of their deer or cut out goose breasts I am more concerned with the bucktail, or biots. My dad fishes but its very rare so while parental or grandparents can help ultimately I think any one that is willing to take the time can get someone into fly-fishing.

[COMike 0]

I just wrote a piece about fishing with kids. http://www.flyfishfood.com/2014/06/5-tips-for-fishing-with-kids.html

 

A lot of guys think that their kids will love fishing just because dad does... Well, it's not always like that. My dad never fished a day in his life, but I love it.

 

My two older kids are pretty competent with rods. Baitcasters and spinning rods.

 

Cheech,

 

GREAT ARTICLE! I want to take my God children out fishing soon! They are both avid campers but the "fighting in the boat" situation you mentioned is something that will happen after a bit of time. Seeing that I don't have my own children this was GOOD information for me

 

Keeping things fun is what it is ALL ABOUT!

 

I like your Pirate situation! That can make it very fun especially with the imagination of kids!

 

As a former bass/salt water fisherman I have more rods/gear that I know what to do with and will bring them along for a simple bobber worm situation!

 

I would echo that on a trip to encourage young ones to fish...the "expedition" is about THEM and NOT us!

 

 

In Boy Scouts, we blame "the smell of gasoline and perfume" as the leading cause of loss of youth. But I have to agree with others - in order to attract youth, it has to be seen as "cool". I think having a mentor is critical in retaining youth in this sport.

 

Chase.....I learned to fish in Cub Scouts....my parents weren't fishermen but encouraged me to take out the Zebco and fish when I wanted to. While my brothers were playing in Little League ( I simply had no interest ) I took that little Zebco out on the Merrimack River next to the fields and caught Carp like I was the best fisherman in the world!!!! My folks encouraged me to do so and even though they did not fish themselves often the words of encouragement really fostered my passion for being outside fishing!

[bellevue.chartreuse.trout 0]

I started this thread looking for insight as to what could be possibly done to get people into fly fishing. The family connection is always a good way for us all to pass down what we know and to try to sustain this sport. But we don't all have family connections to pass down to - so...

 

Aside from the family connection, introducing kids or other older people to fly fishing, I think a mentorship sort of approach may be the right way to introduce people to this activity - provided the initial fishing experience has the new person catching fish. It's something that I wish to think about in the coming months - as far as maybe trying to establish a group of similar-minded people that want to offer their time in mentoring others - so anyone could start to enjoy fly fishing. I know a few guys in the area - may need to see if there's any interest from them. If not, I could always be a 'one man band' I suppose - time will tell if I actually 'do' something about it I suppose.

 

Thanks again to all of you for the stories, insight, and information.

 

BCT

[joseph russell 0]

As a young high school kid I always wanted to try it out it looked cool to me that was my idea of fishing . Even though there are other kinds of fishing . It wasn't till later as a young adult that I had gotten a bamboo combo fly rod and reel that I really wanted to learn then it had got stolen and that sucked. So now later in my life at 43 My friend mike gave me a fly rod so now its been three years going on four that I have been fly fishing and fly tying and I rarely pick up my other rods and I picked up another bamboo rod combo that needs fixed up but still usable . All the joy and happiness that fly fishing has given me has been amazing .

I had given that rod that was given to me and past it on to someone eles to enjoy and I'm going to send this other fly rod that i won in a raffle to another friend but he doesn't know yet LOL but I did send him some flies so it will be a big surprise I'm sure . So that's my little story.

Thanks Joseph

[COMike 0]

Something that would be REALLY COOL would be a section here on the site (or other sites) to become a MENTOR.

 

Teaching fishing (of any kind) to young folks would be a nice thing to have!

 

Mike

[Fisherboy0301 0]

Not family members like this. You should've seen fishbum's response!

 

[mikechell 0]

Scary, that there are people who think like that. Even if this letter is a joke, somebody has that idea running through their head.

 

As for Mentoring ... that's what fly fishing and fly tying clubs are for. With all the information on this site (and others like it) this is a veritable cyber-mentor already. I don't think there are that many members living closely enough to set up a mentoring system from the site.

 

Not a bad idea, just probably not a workable one.

[bellevue.chartreuse.trout 0]

Only workable on an individual basis Mike - I think . Just a small scale effort, probably not feasible in larger organizations. At least that's what I found from an organization I belong to here locally. So many people with ideas and not enough 'doers'.

 

If I look at it as trying to take one person at a time, and over a period of months, - get then interested in fly fishing, then give them a starters combo outfit, maybe they will sustain the tradition of fly fishing. Wonder how some of the suppliers might feel about donations for such. Something to work out and start that search to see if they are interested.

 

Like I said, it's just an idea formulating in my mind - time will tell if I do anything about it.

 

BCT

[mikechell 0]

Well, I have often offered to take anyone who gets to my area fishing. I suppose that qualifies as offering mentoring ... me to them, them to me, which ever proves to happen.