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PostPosted: Fri Oct 20, 2017 11:31 pm • # 1 
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Location: Georgetown, Texas and Corpus Christi, Texas
*posting here and another forum* Finding the right rod for a kiddo is tough; seems like the few that are marketed for youth are carbon and 5 weights. And 8' or longer.

My criteria (and some of this is contra the expert advice of fly fishing educators) are: 1. fiberglass, so my boys can easily feel the rod load as they learn to cast (and the durability of glass over graphite is an added bonus), 2. easily castable 3.) not so long as to be unwieldly, 4.) ultralight, preferably, as most of the fish we will encounter will be sunfish and small bass and I want the experience to be *fun*; and 5.) not terribly expensive, because ... well, kids.

Anyway, the ongoing sale at Cabela's seemed like a good opportunity to pick up a CGR 2 wt and 3 wt, for the 7- and 5-year-old, respectively. The 7-year-old got a teal blue (favorite color) WF3F; the 5-year-old a bright yellow WF4F. I spooled them on the $10 CGR reels (a little oversized, but good enough for now) ... so, a grand total of about $90 invested in each outfit, and they can use those rods forever if they take care of them.

Gear arrived yesterday. Today the 7-year-old got to try his out. I told him he could take the plastic off the grip when he caught a fish on a cast he made. His first fish came during casting instruction. The next one came on a good 30-footer he popped out into the creek. It was his third or fourth cast there and I had just put my rod down to get a picture when he yelled: "Daddy! I have a fish on!" It was a feisty little spotted bass, and the rod bowed and he had a big grin plastered on his face all the way through the release.

Neither were his first fish on the fly, but that second one was his first bass on a fly he helped tie, caught on his very own rod and reel that he cast himself.

He's staying up late "designing flies" right now. LOL.

Truth is, I don't get a lot of fishing in myself when I take the kids these days, but I can see the day coming ... and I feel incredibly fortunate they actually want to go with me.

Anyhow, here's the sequence in photos.

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image


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PostPosted: Sat Oct 21, 2017 6:46 am • # 2 
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Great!!!


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PostPosted: Sat Oct 21, 2017 9:54 pm • # 3 
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Fantastic! I think the boy has more than earned the right to remove the plastic wrap on the grip. Found myself sporting a huge grin as I read your report and couldn’t agree more with your choice of equipment for the boys.

You are blessed and are a blessing.


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PostPosted: Sun Oct 22, 2017 6:25 pm • # 4 
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If the grin on Conor's face is any indication, I think he might be pleased with his new outfit. Now I'm just waiting for Aidan's grin.

Larry


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PostPosted: Sun Oct 22, 2017 9:52 pm • # 5 
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Wonderful, simply wonderful.


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PostPosted: Mon Oct 23, 2017 9:13 pm • # 6 
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:applause :applause :applause Good job Daddy. We need more Dads doing exactly what you are doing......the world would be a better place.


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PostPosted: Tue Oct 24, 2017 10:52 am • # 7 
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Location: Magnolia, Texas
Excellent! My son is 6 and has been trying to learn the way of the flyrod for a year - casting my rods in the yard and fighting fish when we fish together. I got him a Tenkara rod last year which he put to good use - he still struggles with line control on normal rods so he fights every fish on the reel. The Tenkara eliminated that for him so he could focus on casting.

Last month we picked up a Prime 3 weight from Cabelas which is a good size for him. The few outings we have had since getting that rod he has been less interested in fishing and more interested in playing - which is ok.

I just got a new 3 weight euronymph rod which I think he will be able to use pretty well akso - kiddo has his indicator nymphing game down pretty good - cast, follow the bobber wuth the rod tip, watch the bobber, repeat until a fish takes.

Its fun fishing with the kids but can be frustrating. It certainly makes one try to be patient as a saint as well. I sometimes have to tell myself it will be "better" when hes older and has things mastered. But its still fun now and watching the boy hook and land a fish and get excited is great. He is also learning to tie flies and is proud of his collection.


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PostPosted: Tue Oct 24, 2017 9:40 pm • # 8 
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Location: Georgetown, Texas and Corpus Christi, Texas
mmckenzie wrote:
Excellent! My son is 6 and has been trying to learn the way of the flyrod for a year - casting my rods in the yard and fighting fish when we fish together. I got him a Tenkara rod last year which he put to good use - he still struggles with line control on normal rods so he fights every fish on the reel. The Tenkara eliminated that for him so he could focus on casting.

Last month we picked up a Prime 3 weight from Cabelas which is a good size for him. The few outings we have had since getting that rod he has been less interested in fishing and more interested in playing - which is ok.

I just got a new 3 weight euronymph rod which I think he will be able to use pretty well akso - kiddo has his indicator nymphing game down pretty good - cast, follow the bobber wuth the rod tip, watch the bobber, repeat until a fish takes.

Its fun fishing with the kids but can be frustrating. It certainly makes one try to be patient as a saint as well. I sometimes have to tell myself it will be "better" when hes older and has things mastered. But its still fun now and watching the boy hook and land a fish and get excited is great. He is also learning to tie flies and is proud of his collection.


That is awesome.

I've considered the Tenkara route ... May look into that more.

We had a streamside talking-to yesterday. He's in such a hurry to know everything and to do everything I do: "I can do it!" "I know how!" "you don't have to tell.me!" ... I finally got frustrated enough to tell him that in fact his cast isn't that great; no, I'm not being bossy, I'm trying to help him be better; what arrogance and humility are, and why the latter is preferable to the former and will get him further in life; that none of us will ever reach the end of learning about fly fishing. Phew ... It was a lot. There were tears. There is a lot to be said for having your loved ones learn from other people. LOL.


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PostPosted: Wed Oct 25, 2017 8:09 am • # 9 
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Your son is lucky to have a father with the patience and wisdom to instill good character. The seeds being planted will surely be a blessing. This world could use more patience and humility!


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PostPosted: Wed Oct 25, 2017 8:57 am • # 10 
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Great report!!


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PostPosted: Wed Oct 25, 2017 12:30 pm • # 11 
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Joined: 12/31/13
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Location: Magnolia, Texas
TXH2Oman wrote:
mmckenzie wrote:
Excellent! My son is 6 and has been trying to learn the way of the flyrod for a year - casting my rods in the yard and fighting fish when we fish together. I got him a Tenkara rod last year which he put to good use - he still struggles with line control on normal rods so he fights every fish on the reel. The Tenkara eliminated that for him so he could focus on casting.

Last month we picked up a Prime 3 weight from Cabelas which is a good size for him. The few outings we have had since getting that rod he has been less interested in fishing and more interested in playing - which is ok.

I just got a new 3 weight euronymph rod which I think he will be able to use pretty well akso - kiddo has his indicator nymphing game down pretty good - cast, follow the bobber wuth the rod tip, watch the bobber, repeat until a fish takes.

Its fun fishing with the kids but can be frustrating. It certainly makes one try to be patient as a saint as well. I sometimes have to tell myself it will be "better" when hes older and has things mastered. But its still fun now and watching the boy hook and land a fish and get excited is great. He is also learning to tie flies and is proud of his collection.


That is awesome.

I've considered the Tenkara route ... May look into that more.

We had a streamside talking-to yesterday. He's in such a hurry to know everything and to do everything I do: "I can do it!" "I know how!" "you don't have to tell.me!" ... I finally got frustrated enough to tell him that in fact his cast isn't that great; no, I'm not being bossy, I'm trying to help him be better; what arrogance and humility are, and why the latter is preferable to the former and will get him further in life; that none of us will ever reach the end of learning about fly fishing. Phew ... It was a lot. There were tears. There is a lot to be said for having your loved ones learn from other people. LOL.


Yep my boy is the same. He has his mind made up at times and does not want to listen to instruction and has gotten teary before. Happens, sometimes they just don't know how its not a personal attack when you say "no, thats wrong - here is how you do this"

Excitement leads to frustration. But the kids will be better off in the long run having someone show them. I was self taught as a fly caster - I did not know anyone who fly fished. We had the Popular Mechanics encyclopedia - there was a section in it about fishing and fly casting. I took that book and a cheap Eagle Claw glass/graphite rod into the back yard and flailed away for hours, every day for months until I could eek out a 30 foot cast.

Then about a year later I was given a subscription to Field and Stream and learned how poor my setup was. First off that first flyrod had a level fly line and no backing. Line was knotted to the spool. Then my leader was a 4 foot hunk of 8lb Stren. Flies were a dozen cheap chinese made gaudy wet flies sold in a bubble pack by Danielson. It took me about a year and a half of struggling before getting my first fairly fly caught fish. My first 50 or so flyrod caught fish came on one of those wet flies tipped with night crawler.

I think by comparison our kids have it way easy. My boy already lays claim to mg Prime 3wt, my G Loomis microlight spin rod plus 3 of his own spin cast rods, and his own Tenkara. Hes caught fish on flies without using bait. And he gets some in person casting instruction. Its great, though sometimes frustrating. And I am still trying to make him see fishing is not a competition - he gets a nasty streak sometimes and throws a fit if anyone but him catches fish, or if he does not catch fish but others do. Thats the worst.


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PostPosted: Thu Oct 26, 2017 2:26 am • # 12 
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Hey Aaron!

Fantastic - just fantastic!!! The little lad seems to have gotten the bug too! He'll remeber the lessons - be it casting or be it being a humble fisherman forever... :-)


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PostPosted: Fri Oct 27, 2017 11:00 am • # 13 
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Location: Georgetown, Texas and Corpus Christi, Texas
Wait ... mmckenzie, you mean there's supposed to be something between the fly line and the spool? Who can cast that far?! ;-)

Gerhard, maybe we will come see you one of these days if he keeps up with it!


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