Small Streams, July 15th, 2023

Want to have some real fun and satisfaction in helping someone learn how to fish? Take a kid fishing. Especially if a youngster asks to go, there are many safe waters hosting aggressive trout. First, it is a good idea to preface a visit with some time of instruction on how to prepare and use a fly rod. So for now, let’s discuss a first time visit, with more details later. Action is the big enjoyment for youngsters, and it is sure to keep their attention. So in a first time visit one could begin by hooking a fish, then letting them play, retrieve, and then land it. Point out to the young one where the fish occupy the water visited and be sure to show an approach that minimizes startling.

Big water can be intimidating and overwhelming to a youngster. So a best first time visit would be to a small, easily approached stream or still water holding readily aggressive fish. These waters are usually physically safer and have all necessary features within easy sight. It’s a bit like comparing a laboratory situation to a production size situation. So what are some good locations to consider? For this purpose, It is hard to find any better than the Birch Creek Family area a few miles above Lone Pine on State Highway 28. The creek here is a meadow signed stream with abundant open areas. It holds a great population of brook and rainbow trout that are always hungry. Middle of the day is the best time for a visit, and it leaves time to end that a visit with time for an ice cream treat or something like it. We will offer more information later, but the above discussion is “just to get the ball rolling.”

We at Fly Fish Food have all appropriate equipment for the interested youngster, and we are more than willing to assemble such and begin the process of how to use such. We also welcome visits to scope out equipment and to obtain more information.