[Closed] Fishing for kids

I did some with little lad last year I needed a permit 30 quid now sure it was cheaper before and his was free, we got 2 cheap float rods from go outdoors they were about 15 quid each and a few bits and bats to get going we had a good laugh and he caught some right carp to be fair, we just learnt by watching some you tube vids

Find a local fishery with a bait pond, hire a rod and try and catch something. If you're near Peebles then Kailzie fishery was good. Hopefully the new owner carries on in the same way as the previous owner.

Just be careful how many fish you catch as it can get expensive.

At that age would recommend a fixed pole set-up (no reel).  Something like this: ebay link

He won't need a rod licence until he's 12, but you will most likely need to buy him a day-ticket for the water you choose. Best to find somewhere with a stock of small coarse fish (roach, rudd, perch etc.), (not loads of carp). Your local tackle shop should be able to recommend somewhere. Some fishing clubs do taster sessions for kids/beginners, so that's another avenue to try. If you give us a rough geographical area, someone on here may be able to recommend a suitable venue.

Thanks for the tips.

@firestarter - where did you fish, local river/pond?

@wwpaddler - don’t think I’m near there. How do they usually work, charge to fish and then charge for each one caught? I assumed you put the fish back.

I would recommend you only let him fish, don't try and do it at the same time. You're effectively going to be his ghillie, dealing with baiting the hook, unhooking the fish, etc.

Still waters (or very slow moving rivers e.g. like in Norfolk broads) will be easier for beginners.

Local pond and some local fisheries just paid for day ticket

@si77 - thanks. Tangled reels was a concern! I’m quite close to peaslake in Surrey. Given I’ll be doing most of it I wasn’t sure if I could say it was him fishing and thus no licence needed.

I would recommend you only let him fish, don’t try and do it at the same time. You’re effectively going to be his ghillie, dealing with baiting the hook, unhooking the fish, etc.

This. I did loads as a kid, my dad mostly spent his weekends retrieving tackle from trees, acting as chauffeur, sitting on his glasses, untangling everything, driving hooks into his fingers (I was good at helping for this bit) and mostly not reading his paper.

I'd ask at the local tackle shop and find a club that takes juniors on taster sessions, they'll probably provide the kit.

First thing: crabbing is high drama DH compared to the pootling of line fishing. You'll have to teach your kid that it's called fishing, not catching, as there will be lots of disappointment along the way! In my experience, if you've got the sea legs (I definitely don't) for mackerel fishing, that's often the most reliable - and quite dramatic. Your kid will likely struggle to reel them in if there's a decent catch!

It's free for a junior to join my local angling club, and the Environment Agency licence is free for a kid under 12 too, though he will need to have one (it's quite pretty). You don't need a licence for coastal fishing. Your local angling club will probably have a few different stretches of water and ponds, and there are different rules about what you can try and catch and what sort of bait you can use at different times of year. My local club has a facebook page where they're pretty good at answering questions.

A pole is OK, but you'll have a lot of sitting and waiting, which I think would wear thin rather quickly. If you can face losing a few lines and lures, your son may find more amusement in a reel with a lure that he can repeatedly wind in and cast again - you'll definitely need to help with that. Try and find somewhere without a bunch of branches and junk under water and you'll have a much easier time of it casting and then reeling the little lures in. You can aim for trying to figure out which lures are right for the fish in the water where you are, or just let you kids enjoy the act of casting and reeling whatever random (cheap) lure they choose. Lidl usually has pretty decent fishing stuff around father's day, some of which is actually great to catch fish with. Charity shops are often good for bits and pieces of tackle boxes, though I expect you'll struggle to find a junior rod second hand, unless you get lucky on facebook marketplace/gumtree.

My kid (11) has a love hate relationship with fishing. Our river has so much crap under the water that we tend to do fly fishing where it floats on the surface and has less chance of getting tangled. I think we're just about on the right side of bites/catching to total failure and lost flies/lures for him to want to head out again this year, but it's a close run thing. Successful sea fishing trips have definitely helped keep the flame alive.

Enjoy!

As it sounds like you don’t have much / any experience of fishing, it would be better to get him along to a club for a taster session if they do them. You need to be able to handle and respect the fish properly. I was lucky that my father was a keen fisherman, so got taught properly.

Came on to say what revs1972 has. First thing to learn should be how to land, unhook and return a fish. Sad how many fish died when me and my mates used to fish because of clumsy unhooking - we didn't know any different.

Cheap pole often called a whip, local canal/lake, 1/2 pint of maggots learn how to use a plummet to set the depth, he is more likely to catch on the bottom, than randomly casting a line without knowing the depth.

Fishing is great for kids, teaches patience, remind them it's called fishing not catching for a reason.

Pop into your local tackle shop, rod licences are not required for juniors although I always had rod licences in the 15 years I fished I was never asked to produce it.

There's no feeling like catching a big fish when your young.

Tight lines

@muddyjames

The Angling Trust do learn to fish sessions especially for kids, find one on the page I've linked and book a place. That will be the best way to start.

Have a look at this local club Dorking AS and also go to a local tackle shop, they'll be able to point you in the right direction.

If you're fishing with him, you will need a Rod License

Second Steve's recommendation for contacting the AT. They do lots of taster days and will also be able to link you up to clubs that do the introduction days. I'd start off with float fishing, a cheap whip is good, either elasticated or fixed eye, but go along to an intro day first. They'll talk you through all the basics.

Learning fish care is a must. From landing, unhooking etc so not handling with cloths as this takes the protective slime off.

Be aware that it is the close season for rivers at the moment for coarse fishing. So lakes and some canals are good to fish, plenty of decent lakes around your way. No close season for sea angling and you can get a cheaper lure setup for mackerel etc. Which will be entertaining. I wouldn't lure fish anywhere else unless you are confident at unhooking a pike.

Once you've had a lesson go to your local tackle shop and have a chat about what you want/need and they will help you.

Being the age they are they won't need a rod licence, which you need to fish inland waterways. You don't need one for sea angling.

I'd echo some of whats been said above.

First up licence is only needed for ages 13 and above I think. Adult one is only about £30 a year I think so if you're even tempted to have a go, get one. They also do day/week licences I think.

Tuition, yes. Like many I learnt myself before the days of the interweb and yootube. Loads of useful channels on YT - Fish With Carl is a good one and has a spin off Fishing Tutorials channel which I guess will cover a lot of things like fish handling.

Gear. A whip/short pole is a good way to get into it. Don't have to learn how to cast etc as such and can save time/faff in the early days with tangles etc. Any local fishing shop should be able to sort you out with something half decent for not a lot of money. A basic 4m whip with a few rigs shouldn't be more than £20/£30. You also need a disgorger and a landing net as a minimum.

Where to fish? Find a local pond. Theres LOADS of puddles filled with carp (a hard fighting fish that can grow BIG) all over the country but for a beginner, you need to find somewhere with a good head of silver fish (roach, rudd, bream etc). Catching silvers on maggot/sweetcorn/bread/worm should be dead easy especially as we move into the warmer months.

Local tackle shop will be able to offer a lot of advice in the same way your local bike shop would. Might be daunting the first time you walk into a stuffy shop with the walls lined with hooks, weights, floats, rods, waders hanging from the ceiling etc but in my experience tackle shop owners are always willing to help out especially when it comes to getting younger anglers into the sport.

I learnt to fish when I was about 10, was dead into it up until my late teens when work/girls/life started proper and then a move to the Calder Valley which is pretty much devoid of decent places to fish meant my gear just sat in the garage for years. A recent move back to York which is absolutely littered with amazing places to fish meant I've got fully back into it and I'm loving it.

Finally, show your lad this:

Barbless hooks, waggler floats, maggots, short roach pole.
Watch mortimer and whitehouse on how not to play and land fish.

Why not some sea fishing?

No licence or day tickets required.

Ask at a local tackle shop for some fishing marks.

If you can get a good mackerel spot in the summer, you can catch unlimited and extremely tasty fish.

Lots of good advice already but remember you will also need to understand a little about what you can expect to catch in your chosen spot as this will dictate what gear you will need, what bait to use etc.

I tend to agree that a well-stocked pond would be best (one with fish like roach in it) and do some light float fishing. That way you could get away without needing things like landing nets.

And don't forget to take chairs to sit on – you'll be doing lots of sitting.

One day when I am old(er) and grey(er) I will take it back up – I spent my entire childhood fishing and loved it.

he is more likely to catch on the bottom

I don't agree with this - different fish feed at different levels, at different times of the year and even in different weather conditions.

I'd always take a landing net. Any self respecting fishery will generally make sure you have one and in many places now a mat to rest the fish on. A basic net and pole won't cost much.

Any self respecting fishery will generally make sure you have one and in many places now a mat to rest the fish on.

I didn't know this (clearly things have moved on since I last fished). It is a good thing definitely – I was just trying to think of how the OP could have a lowest possible cost introduction.

Fishing for kids

I don't think it's legal any more but I'd suggest using a big hook. Hth.

Best way to fish for kids is get a mobile phone on the end of a line and set it to play minecraft videos from youtube. Walk through a local park or school and you'll have loads of them following you and you can net them all up easy.

When I was about 13 or so we bought a short fishing rod set from a French supermarket, we went down to the harbour and sat on the breakwater with all the other kids doing the same thing. Didn't catch anything the first day, then a wizened old local handed us some sort of clam which we cut into pieces for bait. Pulled up a dozen small fish which were great on the barbecue.