GETTING THE KIDS INTO FLY FISHING

• Keep it fun. It's all about the kids right so don't fish yourself, and have a few fun riverside games to play to keep it interesting. Maybe look for bugs. Make a fire and cook your riverside lunch together. Go explore the trees and ask your child what they want to do next. Marathon, intense fishing sessions are not going to work. Another handy tip is to create a post fishing tradition, such as an ice cream at a small country store on the way home or stop off at a fly shop so wee Junior can pick out the flies for the next adventure.

• Forget the details. Maybe get them to choose which fly they would like to use and teach them to cast initially by simply getting them to “flick the rod tip high up into the sky , then back down to the fish”, swinging their chosen nymph through the riffle. You’ll be amazed at how the specifics come naturally to kids (and women) if you don’t over complicate things.

• Use appropriate gear. Your Scott Centric may be a backcountry favourite of yours but it might not be the best rod for the rug rat to enjoy swinging that back and forward. Instead, look for a shorter rod to reduce the fatigue and swing weight but keep it at a line weight that can handle user error and deliver the fly. Oh, and be able to handle a 3lb fish with ease. Likewise for tippet: yes that fish is likely to eat that fly on 5x tippet but maybe 3x is more appropriate with an excited youngster hauling him in.

“I think just getting outdoors and casting a rod is the most fun part”

Well said buddy!

PRIMAL WILD YOUTH FRESHWATER SET

The Primal WILD combines all of the good stuff that goes into our Primal freshwater fly rods and squishes it down into a mini-me 7'10" six weight version for the kids to have a go. Kit includes Flylab Surge reel, Codura rod tube with carry strap, Airflo Velocity flyline and 50M of backing.

Now shorter rods usually lend themselves to lighter line weights however we kept the Primal WILD as a 6wt to handle weighted nymphs and hard fighting NZ trout. The problem is, with such a smooth loading rod in such a neat combo, dads have been known to borrow young Juniors rod from time to time for their own small stream delights.

WRITTEN BY CHRIS DORE

Chris Dore is a battle-tested fly fishing guide with over 15 years of professional guiding experience, battling the demanding, ever-changing conditions that our New Zealand rivers throw at us.

In 2006 Chris became one of the first New Zealanders to successfully pass the internationally recognized Federation of Fly Fishers Certified Casting Instructors examination and has since taught many thousands of anglers to up their skillset.

For more in person and on river fly fishing advice and upskilling why not book Chris for a day or three?