What age to start fly fishing?

[longbow51]

The guy I fished with started taking his son with us around 7. He's now a master, way better than either of us ever were. A lesson or two will help to avoid many bad habits. Bluegills in the spring on a popper on Oklahoma farm ponds and he will be hooked for life.

 

[Little Canyon Creek]

I tried to get into fly fishing when I was around 12 with a kit rod and it was terrible. That thing set me back years. I didn't get back into it until after my senior year of high school when I decided to get a Scott A2 before going to school Bozeman. It isn't a flashy rod, but it gave me a solid tool with which I was able to teach myself how to fly fish. That springboarded into a lifelong passion for me that is equal to my passion for hunting.

If you end up going with a kit rod, I would go with something trusted like the Echo Traverse or Orvis Clearwater kits. I haven't personally messed with these rods, but I do know that Kelly Galloup (well known fly fishing innovator) had a video on an Echo kit rod and his shock at just how good it was. It does sound like these kit rods are dramatically better than the crap I tried to start with 20 years ago. You can even get into these kits now for less than I paid for my introductory model Scott rod, a Redington reel and Rio fly line when I bought them new in 2009, and that isn't even considering inflation. You can also look a little higher up the scale, but I think that might be too many variables. By getting a good kit rod you will eliminate a lot of choices (fly line brand, fly line taper, reel brand and model) that are just noise for a beginner.

The best thing you could do is to practice casting in your yard. When I got my first rod the guy in the fly shop gave me a 20 minute casting lesson. I then had 3-4 30 minute casting sessions in my yard before I even went fishing. With the proliferation of excellent instructional content on YouTube and the ability to easily film yourself casting with a cell phone, there hasn't been a better time to learn how to cast. You practice shooting a rifle or a bow, so why wouldn't you practice how to cast your fly rod?

If you are looking for good stuff on YouTube, I think the best informational content is produced by the fly shops. The channels I would look at are The Slide Inn (Kelly Galloup's fly shop), Fly Fish Food (Cheech, Curtis and Lance, lots of fly tying content and they have a fly fishing skill builder series), Red's Fly Shop (lots and lots of educational content covering many different ways to fish), Charlies Fly Box (Charlie Craven's fly shop, lots of fly tying and fly fishing discussion), and Jensen Fly Fishing (married Canadian couple associated with Orvis that have lots of educational content). Yeah, unlike Randy's show these fly fishing channels are often directly associated with businesses instead of just sponsored by the business. But educational content has been the standard practice for any good fly shop I have ever been in, whether or not they are on YouTube. I think these are channels are all kid friendly except for maybe the names of some of Kelly Galloup's fly patterns, but in a few years your kid will probably be chuckling at the double entendres.

 

[JoMo]

I messed around not knowing much when I was about 10-11 and then my dad started getting interested while we were on our summer camping trips. It led to him hiring a guide for us for a day of wade fishing a small meadow creek that was loaded with eager fish ready to crush dries. Talk about a great way to create excitement out of the gate. I never looked back - which led me to pursue being a guide for 4 seasons shortly after college.

Now with a 5 and 7 year old, I try to let them get as exposed as they want to be with it now. They each know some of the basics from casting practice in the yard and then setting them up with a rod with a fly that doesn’t have a hook to mess around with. Creating games has been the best way to get them to work on some of the basics. Then with fishing, I try to include them in areas where there is a good chance of them catching. That’s focusing on small creeks with little brush/easier casting and eager fish. This is typically going after brookies. We also still have our raft and so the kids get to cast from the raft and I do my best to manipulate the drift for them.

Regardless of practice or actual fishing, I try to never push it. Once they are bored, call it good. I can’t count the number of times my “fishing trips” with them convert into rock skipping, swimming, finding bugs, etc. I figure I am just playing the long game and it already seems to be paying dividends. Finally, I am also not taking the stance of fly fishing or no fishing. They love their little casting rods and I set them up with a bubble and fly and they love it. Just make it fun and you can’t really go wrong.

 

[Ben Long]

I bought my 11 year old fishing nut nephew a tenkara rod last summer and he was putting fish in the cooler before the day was done. Great way to start IMO. THe rod was a cheap Cabela's version. I'll buy him better rods as he gets old enough to appreciate them.

 

[shrapnel]

It is a great to start with your son and learn something together. Fly fishing is a worthwhile sport, but fly casting is another discipline all together.

You do need good instruction. Purchasing fly rods and reels can get expensive. Contact a local fly shop and see if you can get some help before you buy any gear.

If you are near Bozeman, let me know, I taught fly fishing at the university here and guided several years on the streams in Montana…

 

[kansasdad]

Whatever age, this book is a great primer to understanding fly fishing. Cartoon style illustrations with tongue in cheek instruction, it’s a great read.