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Fly fishing is a lot of fun, but it's also a great way to learn how to care for the environment around you.  All too often I find myself in a conversation with someone who truely cares about the environment but still says, "What can I do, and how can I get my kids to care"?  I guess I tend to hear the pleading for an answer more than anything else.  Fly fishing is the answer I offer.  After the initial chuckle and, "No really, what can I do", I explain.

If you tell your kids to clean their room are you surprised that it doesn't get done, or that it get's half done with a lot of frustration?  And they certainly won't pickup a mess they didn't make.  Then why would your kids care about cleaning up a stream they didn't pollute?  So as parents we create games to get our kids to do things that are normally not fun.  Fly fishing is that game for the environment.  If you really want to make a difference take a kid fly fishing.  It's fun, they learn about clean water, what fish eat, what types of water and temperature they need, where they need to live, their migrations and general habits.  The more they fish, the more they learn.  It's simple, if you fly fish you will become a conservationist because it is a natural by-product of the activity. Creating a new generation of conservationists seems like an activity worth putting a little effort into and your kids will just think they're having fun.  I'm pretty sure that one in a million kids will remember a soccer game or whatever they missed one Saturday, but every kid will remember the day Mom and Dad took them fishing.

Did you know that when you buy a fishing license you are helping fund critical research, protecting vital habitats, restocking fish populations and protecting the future of fishing.  Fishing contributes a substantial economic benefit through taxes on fishing equipment.  These taxes are paid by anglers, distributed by the Fish and Wildlife Service and spent by State resource agencies on habitat enhancement, fishing and boating access, education, and invasive species eradication.  So you don't have to actually go fishing to reap the benefits, simply buying a fishing license and some gear makes a huge contribution.

How To Help

• Take a fly casting lesson right now, don't wait
• Teach a kid to fly fish and start a new generation on a path toward conservation 
• Go to a sporting goods store and buy a fishing license, even if you don't fish
• The next time you buy a gift for someone else buy fishing gear or get them a gift certificate for fishing gear
• Join a fly fishing club
• This isn't just for Dad, get the whole family active
• Vote for Proposition 84 on November 7th (California Voters)
• Contribute to a national or regional conservation group

When

Someone once asked me, "How early can I start my kids fly fishing"?  Well you could wait until someday, but you already have a lot to do when someday arrives; so I suggest you do it now, right now, today.  By the age of three our kids are doing all sorts of things that amaze us, why should you be amazed that they can swing a stick in the air and hold on to it while a little string floats in the water.  Yes I said three years old.  I change the lesson a little for a three year old and we use a small rod with a yarn in place of the fly line.  I let the kids make tons of mistakes and as long as there is lots of giggling everything is perfect.  I usually limit the youngest kids, those under seven to a roll cast.  I've found that most kids can do a roll cast reasonably well and it works great at small ponds.  When I take my three year old to the water she gets a real rod and has a great time holding it; and frankly I enjoy the company.  Obviously the younger kids aren't tying on flies, wading rivers or fishing from a drift boat.  This is family time, so you get to help them cast, enjoy some quality time outdoors together and give them the experience of being on a real fishing trip.  It'll change their lives.

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