If you have a passion for fishing, it’s only natural that you’ll want to share this passion with your children or grandchildren. It can, however, be difficult to introduce children to fishing with many declaring the activity ‘boring’ or even ‘gross’ upon first inspection.
To help your child grow their passion for the sport, try some of our handy tips!
Put the child first
When trying to encourage your child to fish, it’s important to invest your time into helping them with the activity. Don’t become distracted by your own efforts, remember to keep your child at the centre of your attention and you may just find they start to enjoy themselves.
Make it a game
Turning fishing into a game can be a great way to help children engage. Try starting with something simple like seeing who can spot the most fish and work your way up to competing for landing the most fish once they’ve got the hang of the actions. Remember to pick something achievable that will keep your child engaged and deter any tantrums.
Give them their own equipment
You may not want to buy your child a rod the first time you take them fishing, as they may simply not be interested or even be too overzealous and cause some damage. Instead, allow your child to play with something more robust like a net or name them the designated ‘bait supervisor’. Start with the smaller items you already own and as their passion grows, consider investing in their own piece of equipment. This will help to further encourage your child to fish and peak their desire to get out on the water.
Don’t rush it
If you are bringing your child along on a fishing weekend or holiday, don’t expect them to fall in love with the activity on their first day. While you may love spending all day fishing, remember that children often have shorter attention spans and may find an entire day of fishing long and boring. Introduce them gradually to the sport by taking them fishing in the morning and then swapping to another activity in the afternoon.
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