They say that experience is the best teacher. This is especially true for practical skills, such as fishing. There’s no better way to teach a kid to fish than to let him or her actually do it.
However, with the ongoing pandemic, going outdoors and gathering at your nearest body of water to fish may not be the best move.
The good news is that there are other things you can teach your youngster while staying at home. You can take advantage of this time to prepare them for the experience by teaching them the fundamentals of fishing. You may also start training them regarding the proper use of equipment. By the time it’s much safer to go outside, they’ll be ready to do basic things by themselves.
To kickstart your fishing basics homeschooling, here are some aspects of the activity that you can cover:
- The Fish’s Environment
Fish can be found in different environments: lakes, rivers, creeks, ponds, bays, beachfront surf, and so on. Let your child understand that these environments have their own characteristics and different fish species.
All of the new information may overwhelm them, however, so make sure to use age-appropriate information on these topics. Start with something they can easily digest and remember.
- The Species Present in Your Local Bodies of Water
Although you cannot physically visit your local water bodies, it would help your child if he or she would be able to start visualising what to expect in the area. Considering this, it’s a great idea to start educating him or her about the species that you usually target and are present wherever you will be fishing.
You can use guidebooks as your reference material. You may also look for species information from your state natural resources agency to aid your teaching.
- The Proper Way to Cast
After what can be a boring part of learning from books, your kids will be excited to finally be able to do something with their hands.
You can keep their excitement and anticipation for the actual fishing experience by teaching them how to cast. Make sure to teach them the appropriate fishing tackle for different fishing spots, and train them how to set them up properly. Then, lay down targets for practice and allow them to have fun as they perfect their casting skills!
- The Basic Fishing Knots
Knot tying is an inevitable aspect you must cover when you’re teaching others how to fish. With that said, you don’t necessarily have to teach them a lot—they usually only need to learn one knot to get started.
Furthermore, remember to let them use a supple 10- or 12-pound-test monofilament line as they practice. Fine-diameter lines may be harder for them to work with.
Once your youngster has mastered tying a good knot, the next step is to teach them how to attach the line to their hooks or lures. This is an exciting part of learning that they’ll surely find satisfying.
However, make sure that you closely supervise them during this exercise as they can injure themselves while tying their knots. You may also use a child-friendly fishing knot tool to help them get started as safely as possible.
Conclusion
It would be nice if your young one can experience what it’s really like to fish. However, while we are still advised to stay at homes to help prevent the further spread of the virus, you can use the downtime to teach them the basics of fishing. Make the most of this lockdown period to educate them about aquatic life as well as the basic skills they’ll need in fishing. Once this pandemic is over, you and your youngster can get into fishing at your favourite spot right away!
If you’re looking for a way to make tying hooks fun, safe, and easy for your kids, why not consider investing in a fishing knot tying tool in Australia? You can find them here—and other innovative fishing tackle—at Hook-Eze! Order your hook tying tool for your youngsters and say goodbye to injuries and pricks!