This is a most interesting thread, but it lacks a little structure. Everybody is talking about introducing fishing to kids at the high school level, but through different methods. Each method would have different requirements and, hence, different hurdles in getting it implemented.

I see three different methods being discussed:

1. Sport. Like football, volleyball, golf, or track. An after-school activity where the "fishing team" would practice and compete against other teams--presumably from other schools. I see it being fairly simple to set up with the school, but fairly tough to actually execute. Obviously the school isn't going to have any part of boats so it would be a bank fishing show. The biggest obstacles, that I see, are timing the school's season to coordinate with a local fishery. If it is to be a fall quarter sport, the salmon fishing is good in the rivers up until mid-October--usually. Then what? If winter steelies don't happen to come in until December, do Napavine, Castle Rock, and Kelso bus their kids up to Hoodsport for Chums? Obviously there's way to work around these problems, but they're probably not optimal situations--plus these hurdles look even larger to a school administration when contemplating establishing a program.

2. School class. I like this option best. Offer a class (for actual credit) wherein the student would be taught and tested on various disciplines of fishing. Reading and following regulations; fish identification; selecting proper tackle; implementing various fishing techiniques; fish habitat and life cycles; and proper fishing etiquette (when casting lead at the boat that just anchored in front of you, use the lightest amount necessary to actually land in the boat, this minimizes the injury to boater--you don't want him unconscious, making him unable to move his boat). <--that was a joke. There could be classwork, and out of class assignments. You could easily formulate written instruction and testing to go along with actual fishing type work. I don't know what the law says, but it would seem if you offer it as a class, the school would have to make reasonable efforts to provide the equipment--like shop or Home Ec. Otherwise you're offering the class only to "the rich"--as the critics would say--because it would cost a couple hundred buck to get a basic setup, plus some tackle.

3. School Club. Easily the most practical and easiest to establish. Join or don't--it's up to you, but if you join you bring your own gear. A faculty member has to be the official advisor, but the advisor could recruit help--experienced fisher folks. There'd be a few insurance issues concerning the sharing of transportation. But, since the subject of fishing isn't a hotly contested activity, there shouldn't be any real opposition to setting the club up or using the school's paper and bulletin boards for announcements. Of course no hooks or filet knives would be allowed in classrooms but I'm sure there could be a safe place to lock those items up. Sheeesh, I can't believe I just said that--you can bet it will be a real issue if any school tries to set this up!!

Anyway, let the discussion continue! I would just suggest that you specify as to what type of a program you're addressing. Tight lines!