With the good people from Gary Borger Chapter of Trout Unlimited & Jim Tingey, I had an opportunity to teach fly casting to 4th grade students from Central School in Wilmette. We live a life of instant gratification (fast food, video games, internet) and this was great opportunity to take the kids for a walk around the lake, exploring what lives there, sensing the wind direction, and scoping good spots to fish from. We did some casting lessons on the grass, then quickly took to casting in the water. It was mid day so the fishing was slow, but we had fun exploring the park and talking about things that are popular with 4th graders…ugly dolls, yoyos, and (surprisingly) Nickelodeon vs. Disney. The student I was with (Erin) was a natural at casting. She said she dances (ballet) and we think this is why she had such a good rhythm with casting the line out (she picked it up more quickly than a lot of the adults I have taught). We did not catch a fish, but was able to bass in several locations, and in the end she did catch a bull frog. Of all the fishing outings I have gone, none compares to the joy and honor of introducing kids to fly fishing.
Thank you to the Gary Borger Chapter of Trout Unlimited & Jim Tingey for the opportunity.
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