As a mum, I think it’s really important to encourage our children to take up hobbies at a young age. And what easier way to do this than to introduce your child to one of your own hobbies. Fishing is a great hobby for children as it can help them to develop motor skills, essential life skills and of course it gets them outdoors, which isn’t always the easiest of tasks with today’s iPad generation.
Below are 6 tips for introducing your child to fishing as a hobby…
1. Start them young
It’s best to start taking your child fishing with you as young as possible. That way they will pick up the basics quite quickly. But make sure you start off slowly, don’t make your little one sit around for hours on end because they will get bored and inevitably grow to dislike fishing.
2. Make it fun
As with any childhood hobby, it needs to be fun to get your child interested. Take toys and snacks with you and ensure that you take regular breaks. If it isn’t fun, your child will lose interest in fishing very quickly. Why not play games such as Eye Spy to keep your child entertained while fishing? Or discuss some fishing facts that they might find interesting.
3. Have patience
Don’t expect too much too soon. If you’re taking a very young child fishing the chances are they won’t show a lot of interest for a while. Be patient with them and stick with it. As long as you make it fun for them, they will grow to love it eventually.
4. Get the correct licence
Make sure that you have the correct licence for both you and your child before you head out fishing. You can check whether you need a licence by heading to the gov.uk website. As a general rule you will need a fishing licence for England and Wales if you’re fishing for salmon, trout, freshwater fish, smelt or eel with a rod. Children under 13 do not require a licence. Children between the ages of 13 and 16 will need a licence but these are free of charge.
Remember, you could get a fine of up to £2,500 if you cannot show a valid rod fishing licence when asked.
5. Get the right equipment
Getting your child set up with their own equipment is a good way to encourage them. They will need a children’s fishing rod and reel, a life jacket and a carp bait selection for summer fishing. You might also want to start them off with a net, which is a fun and age appropriate way to introduce the hobby.
6. Use it as a learning opportunity
Use your fishing trip as an opportunity to teach your child not only about fishing, but about the different species of fish and other wildlife around the water. You can even download printable learning sheets relating to fishing and pond life online.
Do you enjoy fishing? Is it something that you plan to introduce your children to?
Thank you for reading.
