Fly Fishing

KodiakCommando · Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2007 4:12 pm Post subject: Young Fly Fisherman - Discussion

One of the greatest issues facing sportman today is the passing on the various sports down to the next generation. There are less hunters in the woods today as well as less fisherman according to several studies.

However all is not lost. One thing that has struck me about flies and fins is the number of accomplished young fly fisherman! From my self to Kray, fisherboy, steelie, bonefisher and caleb and more! it's good to see that my generation is well represented in the fly fishing community. I think the internet can be a wonderful tool and flies and fins is a great example. I think the sites like flies and fins can give fisherman a voice and get people intersted in fly fishing, especially the younger ones.

So I guess the point of this post is too thank Jeremy for creating such a great site that shows me that there is still plenty of younger fly fisherman which is great for the sport!!!

NWflyFisher · Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2007 6:18 pm Post subject:

Being a young fly fisherman myself I would also like to thank Jeremy for such a great forum. Very Happy

Clint

jeremy · Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2007 8:23 pm Post subject: thanks

thank you ... it is truly an honor to read a post like that. my pleasure.

ps. i have 2 very young sons, finn and jaxon, finn is 2 years old and jaxon is going on 2 months old ... i often think how cool it would be if they enjoyed fly fishing and flies and fins as the years passed ... and how the youth of today (kodiak, fisherboy, nwflyfisher, etc....) might become the inspirations for them .......

thanks again.

greg · Newbie Joined: May 18, 2003 Posts: 38

Sometimes us older guys forget the important things like passing on our passions and hobbies. I am always impressed and glad to see young people involved in the sport and try to ppromote those who do when possible, don't miss the opportunity to try this sport because it will give you accomplishment and fun when you most need it.

Matt1515 · Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2007 2:47 pm Post subject:

I have a 4 year old daughter and a 2 year old son that I try and get out in the woods on a regular basis. My wife and I have backpacked all over the east coast over the last 14 years and now my kids are into it. When we take them out, they come alive. They are mellow and seemingly take in all of the sounds, sights, and smells. Amazing what a little bit of fresh air will do to a kid. My family always took vacation somewhere that we could hike and see wildlife. I want the same for my kids. The oldest understands fishing now and the youngest likes to wave around his Zepco Scooby Doo rod. On Sunday, my daughter and I sat at the kitchen table and tied flies. Later, we went to the lake I live next to and caught bluegill on her flies. I think I enjoyed it more than she did but she'll get there!

Capt.Ahab · Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2007 9:23 pm Post subject:

My father owns a house on a lake, so I grew up fishing. I am glad to see that after getting remarried and having more children, the "new" kids are all beginning to enjoy fishing. I got a cheapo fly rod last summer for one of the kids and another one will be learning this year. I take them out to some back-woods river locations occasionally and they can't get enough of it. They catch pickerel on the lake a lot, but that is really the only species they ever catch. Last year I introduced them to smallmouth bass on a fly rod. You should have see the look on their faces, I wish I had a camera. I thought they would explode. It really doesn't get much more satisfying than that. I'm a huge addict to fly fishing, but I'm becoming an addict to passing on the fun as well. I can't explain why I love it so much, but seeing someone else get the same amount of enjoyment out of a sport that I do is quite the rush. I'll be bringing a camera the next time we get out together for sure.

rhodyflyguy · Newbie Joined: Mar 17, 2007 Posts: 16

I'm 17, and have fly-fished for the past 5 years. I didn't know anyone who fly-fished when I started, and it was sites like this one that taught me how and where to fish, as well as a lot of patterns.

45fisher · Newbie Joined: Jan 03, 2008 Posts: 1 Location: VA

My Dad tried to show my brother and I how to fly fish years ago. We both blew him off and stuck with the easier spin and baitcasting. My older brother tried to renew but it took away from his golfing.
Since retiring last year I have become totally addicted to it. My boys (15 & 10) have learned to fly fish better than I, and they love it especially the 10yoa(years of age..one get sensitive when one gets o-d).
I let them know that I gave up 40+ years of fly fishing because I was too lazy to learn and or keep it up...don't make the same mistake..you will regret it. I am currently trying to make up for lost time. Fish 1-3s time a week, or at least hit the soccer field to practice a new technique.
I thank my Dad for instilling my love for fishing, everytime I talk to him. Due to my brother and I's lack of interest he gave all his 'fly fishing stuff' to his younger brother my Uncle. (Note: Dad lives only a few miles down the road from Sage and Redington) Another lesson learned.

fishinjake · Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2008 9:41 pm Post subject:

For a young fly fisher, especially one who is just getting into the sport, this site and ones like it offer the best intro and advice imaginable. The ability to tap years of knowledge from all over the globe is absolutely amazing. I am very glad I found this site! With that said, there is something to meeting people face to face and learning firsthand about the waters we are fishing. I encourage all who read this to make an effort to help the newbies out on your local water. I deeply appreciate all the help I have received and know that without the passing of our knowledge our beloved sport could fade away.

Matt1515 · Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 8:09 am Post subject:

It is cool to see this thread pop back up because my wife and I found out that we are going to have a boy! Good stuff. I will have a girl and two boys when the third is born. It is important to me to expose the outdoors to my kids. Not only fishing but camping, hiking, floating, whatever. Wildlife is what really brings me out and I spend most of our adventures teaching my kids about the creatures and foliage.

mainesean1 · Newbie Joined: Jun 10, 2006 Posts: 6

I would also like to thank Jeremy for this site. Without this site, I probably would've given up on fly fishing. With all the great info on this site I caught my first trout this year, still looking for my first striper Sad

. Thank you to everyone for all their great information.

PatrickHilbert · Newbie Joined: Feb 23, 2008 Posts: 6

I am 15 and picked up fly fishing, surf casting, water fowling and bow hunting on my own because no one in my family has any connection with the outdoors and they are missing out. who needs parents anyway, you guys know more than they would even if they did fish! Laughing

Austin · Newbie Joined: Jan 10, 2005 Posts: 80

When I got into fly fishing....the only thing that got me going was the internet websites. They are a huge resource for people who are looking for information! And they keep getting bigger and better. Kodiak is right, interaction is key for newbies or even old timers trying to pick up some tricks of the trade, and the interaction factor really helped through times of trouble and prevented me from giving up in the beggining.
Hopefully more and more young fisherman join the sport. It kind of scares me to think that I really don't know anyone that fly fishes in my school. What am i gonna do when all the old guys die off? looks like i better start doing some recruiting!

Steelie · Newbie Joined: Sep 24, 2006 Posts: 75 Location: Erie, PA

Austin, that's an interesting point. I only know one other person in my school who flyfishes, and even so he is not very involved in it. Yet, I'm not convinced that it hasn't always been that way. When you think of outdoor sports as a whole, flyfishing seem to be the least "popular." Could anyone who has been flyfishing for a while, or flyfishing since a young age comment on how "popular" it was with their peers? It would be interesting to make a comparison.

Mike

urinalcake · Newbie Joined: Mar 08, 2008 Posts: 10

I talk to the young kids I see in a park near me fishing.

I try to instill in them the idea of catch and release by

telling them, it is better to catch one fish seven times than

to catch seven fish one time. It useally works.

I've even handed over my holyest of holys to them, my

cane rod, and can just imagine their parents face when the boy

asks for a bamboo rod. Shocked

mainesean1 · Newbie Joined: Jun 10, 2006 Posts: 6

I would also have to agree with Austin and Steelie. Being a senior in high school i've only met one other person that fly fishes. It's pretty surprising being in Maine, which is known for it's fishing. I have also learned most of what i know about fly fishing from the internet and books. They really are an amazing resource. Thanks Jeremy for such a great site.

Tyler · Posted: Mon Mar 31, 2008 8:25 pm Post subject:

I just recently graduated from college and there seemed to be few fly fishermen in the bunch, but nothing overwhelming. I was more likely to have a professor who fly fished than a fellow peer. A lot of my friends wanted to try, but it was mostly talk. When it comes down to it, the girls will talk with you if you have a board in you hands, not so much if you are wearing a stripping basket and smell like fish.

psc_wildboy · Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 3:27 pm Post subject:

It's funny that you bring up girls, because I haven't had a lot of interaction with younger kids (i'm only 21 myself) but the girls are a different story. I think that women really love to do outdoor things, but our culture really supresses that at times. Whenever I meet a girl, one of the first things I do is take them fishing (mostly because that is about the only place I could have the upper hand!). Point being, most of them absolutly loved it, my current girlfriend of 2 years caught her first fly rod fish last year ... 18 inch brook trout, how's that for a start! The other day I ran into a girl I spent some time with about 5 years ago, we had gone fishing durning the summers in high school and she asked me if I could bring her and her current boyfriend fishing for the day! I love it. I even got my high school principal and her husband fishing, for me it's about sharing it with everyone I meet and the look on somebodies face when they catch their first fish is that same face that you see on a childs! I guess thats the fun part, we are all kids, it's just whether or not we have discovered it yet!