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Trout Fishing, Teaching your children how to fish for trout
Maurice Rodway
Column for December 24 2004
Teaching your children how to fish for trout is a challenging experience. It is not easy to become a competent trout fisher and being a successful teacher
is also a difficult task.
There will be a number of new sets of fishing equipment under the Christmas tree tomorrow morning. Hopefully the gear will be of good quality. This need not
be too expensive with reasonable quality spinning rod, reel, line, lures and a fishing licence obtainable for less than $100.00. Resist the temptation to get cheap gear. It is not a good idea.
The challenge is not so much the downward pressure on the bank balance but the effort needed to get the first trout attached to the end of the line.
Needless to say the teacher will already be a competent trout fisher, that may be Mum or Dad, or a relative. This part is important but so too is that person's ability to impart their enthusiasm for the sport.
However enthusiasm needs to be conveyed with a great deal of patience. A place where there are wide open spaces where it is not too far to walk, and where there is a reasonable chance of catching a fish is needed.
The middle reaches of the Mataura, Oreti or Aparima will all fit the bill. If you can camp out overnight some extra excitement can be woven in the experience.
Camp fires, sausages and marshmallows, if possible, are all ingredients that will encourage repeat trips so that even if there are no trout to be seen the whole adventure will be one that will be looked forward to again.
While there are many things that can be done to enhance the whole fishing experience catching a fish is still the most important thing. To achieve this be
attentive to your student. Going off fishing on your own is fatal. Be present to help untangle knots and show how this is done, be there to refine their cast, and the subtleties of holding the rod. Show them how to
cast so that the lure works deep through places where fish are likely to be, and how to retrieve the lure from snags. Be there and in the end you will have infused another person with at least a piscatorial
curiosity if not a passion, to carry into the future.
Maurice Rodway
Southland, New Zealand E-mail: mrodway@southlandfishgame.co.nz
Article © 2004 Maurice Rodway, All Rights Reserved.
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