My father wasn’t much of a fisherman, but he must have wet a line or two at some point during his youth because he seemed to know a little about it on our rare outings. Looking back on those occasions, I don’t recall catching a lot of fish. Maybe that’s why fishing never developed into a lifelong passion for him, but in retrospect it really didn’t matter.
My father spent long hours at work and was sometimes gone for a few days at a time. When we did escape on a Saturday or Sunday fishing excursion, I put more value on the time spent together than I did on actually catching fish. Unlike my dad, though, those moments did help instill in me a love of fishing that eventually grew into a lifelong obsession.
Some of my fondest memories as an uncle were taking my young nephew on camping and fishing trips. The trips continued even after he started playing Little League, but became less frequent once he discovered girls, organized baseball and somehow developed a social life around his 16th birthday.
Every so often, though, he would call and say, “Hey, when we going fishing and camping?” so I knew the seed had been planted.
I don’t know what that seed would have eventually grown into because we lost our nephew way too young. But I’ve read and been told that taking a kid fishing is beneficial on many levels and can help cultivate virtues that prove helpful throughout life — things like patience, focus, problem-solving skills and confidence.
I saw some of that in my nephew and can say from personal experience there is no better way to bond with a youngster than spending a day fishing. It’s also a great way to build and pass on traditions that hopefully last a lifetime.
I didn’t know it at the time, but taking a youngster fishing can be a tad daunting the first few times. At a minimum, there’s a good chance patience levels will be tested. But with a little preparation and planning, the experience can be enjoyable and rewarding, and create memories that last a lifetime.
The fishing trips with my nephew are some of my fondest memories, and when I think of him, it is those times spent streamside or in my 16-foot Old Town on a pond somewhere that come to mind first.
To help get started, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife website has a short list of tips to help make the outing run smoothly.
Maine also makes it easy to get the next generation of anglers started. Youngsters do not require a fishing license until age 16 and this year Saturday, May 30 and Sunday, May 31 are Free Fishing Weekend days, meaning resident and nonresident adults and teens age 16 and older can fish statewide without a fishing license.
There is also a list of Special Opportunity Waters. There are 50 scattered throughout the state in each of the seven fishery regions, including 10 in the Sebago region, 11 in the Rangeley region and a dozen in the Penobscot region.
These waters are specifically restricted to young anglers under age 16. Most are stocked with trout periodically throughout the season to increase and maintain catch opportunities. They may also offer opportunities to catch perch, pickerel and other generally easy-to-catch species that help keep youngsters interested.
These days kids seem to grow up fast, and unlike previous generations they have more options to keep them indoors or otherwise occupied. Fishing and spending time outdoors may not be high on their priority list.
But they are the future, and if enjoying, appreciating and taking advantage of Maine’s outdoor blessings is to become part of their life story, the time to start is now.
