HomeWaters is an excellent place for families with children to spend time, on the water and around the club, together. Over the years, I have received a lot of questions from members regarding trips to get children interested or started in fly fishing. Fly fishing is an excellent life-long sport for families to share together, however, it is important to plan a guided trip with the children in mind.

What age to get started in fly fishing is one of the toughest questions to answer when planning a guided trip for a child. Under most circumstances, it seems that somewhere around the age of 12 works best for guided trips. However, I have guided younger children that have done extremely well and remained engaged for the entire day. When deciding what age is best to get a child started on a guided trip at the club, it really does ultimately depend on the individual child.

One of the biggest parameters to consider when planning a trip with children in mind is the length of fishing time. Under most circumstances, an 8 hour guided trip is too long for children to remain focused and engaged. Shorter trips in the 4-6 hour range are usually a better amount of time for children to receive instruction but also to help keep the fishing really fun.

When on the water during a guided trip that children are part of, it’s important to keep the day fun however possible. A lot of the time that means that fishing is only part of the outdoor experience. Other activities like skipping rocks, walking around, looking at bugs, and playing with the net are also necessary parts of the day. One of my most memorable guided trips with a couple of children we certainly caught some fish, but spent an equal portion of the day trying to net crayfish in Yellow Creek.

Generally speaking, scheduling a guided trip with a child in mind needs to be shorter than normal and to be focused on having fun on the water. The more fun children have on guided fishing trips, the more likely they will want to fish in the future. 

At HomeWaters we have an excellent staff of guides that really enjoy being around children and families on the water. Feel free to reach out to me with any questions or give Joel a call in the fly shop to schedule a guided trip with your children in mind.