Perhaps we are not objective… However, a good number of fishermen, enthusiasts or amateurs, will certainly be able to join our thought. Fishing, in many ways, has had a huge impact on ourselves, our personality, our worldview, our relationship to others and to nature. While it is easy for us to talk about it in retrospect, it is however difficult to argue its positive effects on a young child learning to fish.
For those of you who aren't quite sure, we wanted to share with you 5 compelling reasons that teaching your kids how to fish can be good for them and their future.
1. Fishing takes place outside first, not in front of a screen
Let's face it, unless your kids are Mormons (in which case they'll probably never read this), sooner or later you'll be giving them a smartphone, tablet or Play in their hands. But make no mistake! At Rodmaps, we're from this generation ourselves, so we can't say that technology, smartphones and other video games are a bad thing - far from it. It's only when they're misused or overused to the point of addiction that they become a real problem.
Unfortunately, too many children find themselves in this situation…. So why not make fishing a way to quite simply get them out of this digital world and confront them with reality, with the outside world, with nature? What could be better than to “disconnect” from technology to “reconnect” to nature by going to learn to fish by the sea, a lake or a river. The feeling of holding a fish on the end of its line is something no technology can match (at least not to this day). In any case, for many of us, there is nothing more enjoyable, healthier and above all, more true.
2. Learning to fish is also and above all to learn the love of nature
At Rodmaps, we believe that one of the greatest threats to fishing and protecting our environment in a global sense comes from the lack of education and awareness of current and future generations. We may bludgeon this over and over again in the press and on television, nothing is more educational for a young person than to confront him with the reality on the ground. This is among other things what prompted us to launch our project.
Whether as a family or in the company of a fishing guide, it all starts when you start to confront them with nature, its beauty, its richness but also its fragility. Unfortunately, far too many children don't get enough of this 'nature education' in their lives... wrongly in our view.
So take your kids out, put a cane in their hands and watch them blossom into the future young adults that they are. A love of nature will only be the next natural step in their learning.
3. Learn to fish to learn to be patient
We now live in a world where anyone can get almost anything they want, when they want it. In many ways, this culture of immediacy runs counter to one of the essential principles of fishing: patience.
Teaching a child to fish is an unconscious way of teaching him or her this beautiful maxim by Rabelais, with which we are all familiar: "Good things come to those who wait. In today's world, we are convinced that this adage could not be more appropriate and will be an asset to all these young people who have never known what the term patience means.
Put a fishing rod in your child's hands and watch how their behavior magically changes.
4. Fishing as a social and family vector
Don't just go fishing with your kids, share it with the whole family. The great thing about fishing is that it is one of the only pastimes where practically everyone can learn about it, whatever their age. It is a wonderful means of escape and discovery of our cultural, natural and fishing heritage. Fishing is not a simple individual pleasure but it is indeed a passion, a hobby, a sport that must be shared.
And nothing binds a family more than an activity, a history, a common event. Unfortunately, we don't have much of an opportunity today. So take advantage of a day of fishing to make it a great time with the family.
If one of your children doesn't like fishing, no problem! It happens even to the best of them. There are so many other things to do around this activity: collecting tadpoles, watching wildlife, helping to catch a fish, collecting shells on the beach or simply breathing fresh air. Simple things we can't do without these days.
5. Create memories that matter
As your children get older, they may no longer remember the video games they played when they were young. But how many memories do you have of fishing with your grandfather, mother, family or friends? Personally, thousands! The first fish, the first trout, the first fishing trip, the first rod, a moment lost in the middle of nature - these are all memories that will stay with us forever. So why not give your children the same experience? It could well be the best memory you could give them: an unforgettable moment between parent and child that no one can steal from you. What could be more precious!
These many excursions with family or friends have shaped our relationship with water and taught us (well for many) the respect for what is there, the burning desire to be outside, in the air. free, free from all the hassle of everyday life. Again, maybe we are not objective in what we say. But here are some of the reasons we think teaching a child how to fish is a good thing. And then, whether he likes it or not, at least it won't hurt him.
