Blue Duck,

Aren’t kids great. It sure is good to get out with them and get them involved and excited about fishing. Without a doubt, they are the future of this sport.

Kids aren’t so serious; they really know how to have fun. What us ol’ codgers could teach them about fishing, they could definitely teach us about fun. To a kid, even losing a fish can be as exciting and rewarding as actually landing one. And it always seems like the one the got away was the biggest one anyway (and sure to get bigger by the year, judging by some of the stories I’ve heard grownups tell). Losing fish is just part of learning to fish, not the end of the world. The catching is often overrated but having fun rarely is. Catching fish may be the goal for all fishermen, but it still rates below having a good time and sharing it with others, catching fish or no. Anyone that thinks that having a good time fishing isn’t possible with a kid, just doesn’t know what they are missing.

One trick I have learned over the years, to assist the novice salmon fisherman in bringing a spanky silver to the net, is to just keep trolling and carefully control the position of the boat to maximize the kids’ bend in the rod and keep the fish at bay until it tires sufficiently to net it quickly. Doesn’t always work, but it also helps me to avoid the temptation to grab his rod for him too (a real no-no).

Give a kid some time to watch you reel in your fish, allow her to help you net it and let her lose some fish on her own and before you know it she's outfishing you. And if you’re really lucky, it won’t be long before she's taking you fishing too.

Kids rock!