Take a Kid Swinging

Most of us have had some form of experience with fishing before picking up the tricky fly flicking apparatus, and many kids cross over after some bait fishing at the wharf, rock fishing or a humble spinner. I was generously given a fly rod, reel and some bits by my uncle, who had bought it but never really clicked with how to use it, and then had done my best to work out how to make that line fly before setting off on my bike to the local Ohinemuri River. I remember those early days well, with most of my time pulling the line and flies out from the surrounding vegetation and doing my best not to gain a fresh ear piercing. Not having the internet made things more challenging, but I did manage to rustle up a few good fly fishing books from the second hand bookshop. Things went great until I slipped and the rod tip found its way into the spokes.

This school holidays, I constructed a mission – to take 2 kids, my partner’s daughter Yiyi and her