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Artistic view of a Male Pteronarcys californica (Pteronarcyidae) (Giant Salmonfly) Stonefly Adult from the Gallatin River in Montana
Salmonflies
Pteronarcys californica

The giant Salmonflies of the Western mountains are legendary for their proclivity to elicit consistent dry-fly action and ferocious strikes.

27" brown trout, my largest ever. It was the sub-dominant fish in its pool. After this, I hooked the bigger one, but I couldn't land it.
Troutnut is a project started in 2003 by salmonid ecologist Jason "Troutnut" Neuswanger to help anglers and fly tyers unabashedly embrace the entomological side of the sport. Learn more about Troutnut or support the project for an enhanced experience here.

PaulRoberts
PaulRoberts's profile picture
Colorado

Posts: 1776
PaulRoberts on Sep 4, 2013September 4th, 2013, 8:07 pm EDT
That is true, BUT..every govt institution becomes bureaucrat, top layered heavy. When I met with Fish, and Game officials at the regional office they were quick to tell me early on that they have few agents in the field because of budget constraints. Yet there is a long hall with offices on both sides of the hall with paper pushers in them. I was at the city lake the day after they planted, and there were major violations taking place. I called in, and could get no one. I finally called out of the area, and an agent showed up some 4-5 hrs. later, and apprehended several people. In my conversation with the dept. regarding that incident, I recommended they have an agent show up after they plant since that seems to be a prime time for violations to occur. They said they didn't know when planting took place, another body was involved regarding planting.

True. I've been there too. There just isn't enough money for CO's. A very few have huge jurisdictions.
Oldredbarn
Oldredbarn's profile picture
Novi, MI

Posts: 2600
Oldredbarn on Sep 9, 2013September 9th, 2013, 3:12 pm EDT
Back to the topic here for a moment...:)

I have had some experience with young nephews and the process of trying to get them interested in the sport. Every single young person is different and unfortunately just any cookie cutter approach isn't going to work for all of them.

Like myself, I would hazzard a guess, that Paul was introduced to the great outdoors at a very young age with the helping hand of a mentor...My grandfather served that role for me.

At some point a light goes off and the young persons interest begins to get sparked and its a slippery slope after that...When that happens you simply need to get out of their way and gently point them in the right direction.

Jonathon was on to something in his earlier response here when he mentioned a pond of willing Bluegills. Youngsters need a little action. I was a different sort of kid that had the patience of Job and once I got out there my grandparents had to work to get me back in the house. :) It wasn't about catching fish simply, but everything else about being in the woods.

The trout became for me at a very early age the mystery fish and by the time I was able to figure out how to catch them I treated them like some sort of jewel...But most kids don't run this way.

I think you need to not push them. Expose them to your interests, but don't ever try to jam it down their throats. If you are sensitive to them you will be able to present things to them at their speed. Some kids will run to a fly rod and not put it down, others need to move at a snails pace...You may need to let them run on their own. My grandparents let me go and I banged around like most other boys of my age...BB guns let to 410's to 30-30 Winchesters to not hunting at all?!

Their interest in nature and the woods and eventually fly fishing with Pops can be a life long wonderful thing, or they may completely turn away from it. Young people seem so distant from nature in many ways these days. On the other hand I had the chance to talk with some young folk out west that have grown up on the farm and in hunting/fishing families and they wouldn't be able to relate to my urban nephews.

One of the things I did was purchase a used rod and reel, 8'6" 5wt, and let them take it home with them...I showed them the proper way to treat the rig but I didn't really care if they trashed it. Basically let them play with it. I then introduced them to a club member with casting skills and introduced the two and stayed out of their way.

I ended up with pretty fair casters who still weren't interested in hanging around for hours in the woods with their uncle. Neither one of them fish to this day.

For what its worth...Good luck! If there were a system that worked for everyone we could package it and go fishing on the proceeds.

The right rod for a 10 year old is the one you can't pry from his hands.
"Even when my best efforts fail it's a satisfying challenge, and that, after all, is the essence of fly fishing." -Chauncy Lively

"Envy not the man who lives beside the river, but the man the river flows through." Joseph T Heywood

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