I disagree that he's too young. Fly casting is not that hard. It is hard to do advanced things like hauling and shooting into wind and being very accurate, etc. But I think a 6 y.o. can do fine in a wide open lake and being able to cast 30 feet or so.

make sure the lake you'll be fishing has big wide open areas with plenty of room to cast.
I'd start out with about 25 feet of line out and work on casting side arm. Fore cast, let it sit. Back cast, let it sit. Then once they feel how the weight of the line affects the rod, you can start working on putting forward and backward together in sequence and in lifting it up off the ground.

then, the basics for fly casting are an unbroken wrist, casting between 10 and 2, quick stops to load the rod and let it work for you.

A rod that fits is a good start. if you can, get a 6'-6" 3 wt, something with a slow action. Keep the leader short...no more than 6'. Go ahead and get all of the 30-40' of line stripped off so he's not trying to pull line off the reel and shoot.

I'd do plenty of practice in the yard before you go. I practice a lot in the yard when I'm not able to fish much, or when I'm about to go on a trip. And I definitely practice with rod weights I'm not as used to.

And definitely take some spinning gear because the object of fishing is to... wait for it... catch fish!

quote:

Originally posted by YellowJacket:
I disagree that he's too young. Fly casting is not that hard.

It's not about whether it's "easy" or "hard", it's about keeping a 6-year old engaged and having fun and I think making them cast with a fly rod is going to last about 7 minutes tops.

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:

quote:

Originally posted by YellowJacket:
I disagree that he's too young. Fly casting is not that hard.

It's not about whether it's "easy" or "hard", it's about keeping a 6-year old engaged and having fun and I think making them cast with a fly rod is going to last about 7 minutes tops.

But you think sitting him down and telling him to watch a cork will keep him engaged?

Sorry if this duplicates what has been said before. Here's how to rig a fly with a spinning outfit..... It will be MUCH easier for a child.

They sell oval bubbles. They are white/clear and the line passes through the middle. Easy to find at most large sporting goods store. Here's a picture: Link

Notice the stem in the middle of the bubble. You push that out then fill the bubble about 1/2 way with water. Put the stopper back in.

Pass line from the reel through the bubble. Trick - line goes in on the small side of the stopper. Then tie on a swivel. I've always used this style

Take 3-4 feet of leader material. (Shorter will work better if the child is casting. up to 6 feet OK if adult is casting)

Attach one end of the leader to the swivel and tie a fly on the other end.

Cast out, reel in slowly. Slow enough the bubble does not cause a wave. Or just toss it out there, tighten the line, and wait.

If they are hitting dry flies, they will hit a fly behind a bubble.

This is just a suggestion go to Fly Anglers Online
(FAOL will get You there) Largest Flyfishing Site online.More folks there who will give You Real Experienced Advise. I think as a Long Time Fly Fishing(&Tying) Addict He will have No Problems and have a "Blast"!

Ha, he must be a really mature 6 year old.

I say give him a rod and reel and start him there.

quote:

Originally posted by YellowJacket:

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:

quote:

Originally posted by YellowJacket:
I disagree that he's too young. Fly casting is not that hard.

It's not about whether it's "easy" or "hard", it's about keeping a 6-year old engaged and having fun and I think making them cast with a fly rod is going to last about 7 minutes tops.

But you think sitting him down and telling him to watch a cork will keep him engaged?

Do you have kids?

I have a six year old. I take her fishing. She can sometimes kind of manage to cast a little kid rod with a Zebco a little bit. She gets distracted and doesn't pay attention but she loves going. I put a big cork and a circle hook on her line so some fish get hooked even if the rod is just sitting in a rod holder.

You couldn't pay me enough to try to teach her to cast a fly rod, much less all the rest of the details that go along with fly fishing.

I don't think she could learn to do it without getting so frustrated it would turn her off of fly fishing forever, and even if she could, I think she'd end up with a hook stuck in the back of her head in the first ten minutes she actually had a hook on the end of the line.

A six year old has no business fly fishing. It is too complicated and requires motor skills that he will just not have. I started fishing young {about 8 or 9) and by the time I was 12 or so, I had taught myself how to handle a fly rod. Six is just too young.

Find a local Federation of Fly Fishers certified casting instructor and book a lesson for your son. You will both learn a lot for short $$.

I am doing this for my 7 year old nephew this summer.

I would question whether a 6 year old has the motor skills, arm strength, patience, and focus to fly fish. I didn't learn until I was well into my teens and struggled a bit at first. I was lucky that my neighbor was a professional who taught me for free, and he had a LOT of patience.

strike indicator is a cool name for a bobber and fly fisherman just hate that. don't make fishing tough for him to have fun. I have been fishing for 50 years and still don't like to fly fish.

quote:

Originally posted by maladat:

quote:

Originally posted by YellowJacket:

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:

quote:

Originally posted by YellowJacket:
I disagree that he's too young. Fly casting is not that hard.

It's not about whether it's "easy" or "hard", it's about keeping a 6-year old engaged and having fun and I think making them cast with a fly rod is going to last about 7 minutes tops.

But you think sitting him down and telling him to watch a cork will keep him engaged?

Do you have kids?

I have a six year old. I take her fishing. She can sometimes kind of manage to cast a little kid rod with a Zebco a little bit. She gets distracted and doesn't pay attention but she loves going. I put a big cork and a circle hook on her line so some fish get hooked even if the rod is just sitting in a rod holder.

You couldn't pay me enough to try to teach her to cast a fly rod, much less all the rest of the details that go along with fly fishing.

I don't think she could learn to do it without getting so frustrated it would turn her off of fly fishing forever, and even if she could, I think she'd end up with a hook stuck in the back of her head in the first ten minutes she actually had a hook on the end of the line.

Yes I have kids. And I've been an obsessed fisherman since I myself was a kid. I wish I'd have found fly fishing back then instead of waiting til I was 25.

I'm not saying duct tape the rod to the kid's hand and make him do it. If he can't physically do it or really hates it, then obviously do something else. I'm just saying that its definitely not out of the realm of possibility to teach a kid to cast 30' of line out on a fly rod on a big open lake. Kids routinely swing baseball bats and hit balls that are thrown through the air when they are 6 years old. That's much harder than casting a fly rod.

Shhhhhh, you must be wewe, wewe qwiet.... Uhuhuhuhuh....

Yello Jacket- email sent.

The point of taking a child fishing is for them to have FUN, so they want to do it again and again. Getting serious about catching fish can come later. Be prepared to deal with boredom, discomfort, tiredness, etc., and don't make the kid feel bad when things aren't up to your expectations. Bring their favorite things to eat and drink, some toys, a blanket/ground covering for them to be able to sit on and play with their toys, etc. You need to have a plan B and C for if the fish aren't biting, or the kid isn't interested in fishing for more than a few minutes.

I agree with others that expecting a 6 year old to fly fish is asking a lot. Bring another rod, and tackle, more suited to a child. If he wants to take a few tries with the fly rod, that's fine, but be prepared for that to not keep him happy. The point is for it to be a positive experience.

If you handle fishing trips correctly, the child will never forget them, and possibly come to love the sport. Manage the trip improperly, and they'll probably never want to go again.