I have been laying off encouraging the oldest boy coming fishing with me.
I have pals with kids in their twenties who do not fish and I always wonder why. Their dads (my pals) tell me they encouraged them when younger however they just drifted away from it. I wonder if they encouraged them too much. One piece of evidence is my pal whose son does go fishing all the time, I asked him what he did to encourage him “nothing” he told me “I neglected him” What this did of course was make fishing look kinda grown up and a treat in the kids eyes instead of just another activity that is done and then discarded when they are bored with it. I have learned that if I desperately want my kids to do something I tell them to do the exact opposite which is kinda maybe what I should do with the boys.
Hopefully I can make tying flies into a game for them too. “Whooeee” I will say” You managed to complete 10 size 10 grey dusters, let’s take it to the NEXT level and try 10 size 12 Comparaduns”
Before long those keen eyes with their nimble fingers will be in production with this exciting new game. I am reminded of having a chat with a pal in work who was a past Scottish River Champion (if that means something to any of you guys) and I asked him about getting more kids into fly fishing “Fuuuuuuuuuck off” he said with a twinkle in his eye, or something along those lines “The last thing we need is wee bastards with keen eyes and superior casting cruising down the river in front of us, keep em’ at home in front of the X-Box”
Different strokes, different folks n’ all that.
You have spotted the spelling mistake, yes?
What one?
The one in the caption
Thought I’d mention..,. I’m one of those sons who was heartily encouraged to fish with dad… I, much like many others, walked away from it after I was 18, out of boredom, out of expense, out of ‘more exciting things to do’.
I’m now 42 and I’m trying to encourage my dad to go fishing with me. Tables have turned! I am out fishing at least a couple weekends per month, even through the winter, but Dad… Dad takes one trip per year, to the Au Sable river in Michigan. I’ll keep encouraging him to come with me, though… We have several wonderful rivers here in Northern Ohio, with great steelhead trout/salmon fishing, as well as walleye, bass, pike, and other great gamefish!
Cheers!