Chef, author and avid fisherman AL BROWN has loved fishing for as long as he can remember. He shares his top tips for helping kids get ‘hooked’ this summer too.
Al Brown’s earliest fishing memories are fishing for eels in the muddy creek that ran through the Wairarapa farm he was brought up on.
“I guess I was about five years old. It was all about the anticipation with every adventure. I think it’s the tug and the feeling of the weight coming on the hook that simply gets you ‘hooked’ for life,” he says.
Now he’s written a book to encourage kids to give fishing a go, with ‘Hooked’ containing all the information you need, from types of rods and reels, and the knots you use, through to how to scale and fillet a fish and recipes to cook them. Aimed at kids aged eight to 12, it covers all types of fishing and even has information on the types of fishing hats available and how to choose one to fit your personality.
The benefits
Brown believes fishing offers huge benefits for kids. From getting them off their screens and outdoors, to teaching them life lessons around sustainability (catch and release) as well as the joy of a “full circle activity connecting to food. Catch, kill, clean, prepare, cook and eat”.
There’s also the benefit of the camaraderie of friendships formed while fishing , which he says often last a lifetime, Then there is the benefit of being out in nature, where “every outing is another lesson,” Brown says.
Brown’s top tips for getting kids fishing
Be patient
Brown advises that patience is key from parents when kids are learning to fish.
“If they don’t want to bait their hooks or take the sprats off the end of the line at the start, that’s all good. It’s all about encouragement and spending quality time in the outdoors with their friends and loved ones,” he says.
Start with fishing off a wharf
It’s a fun, safe environment and there are often other kids fishing there with their parents too.
Have all the right gear
Hooked contains information on all the gear you need to make every form of fishing a success, including the right-sized hooks, sinkers, floats, etc.
Start off with a small rod/rods for budding young anglers
The good news is that for wharf fishing, there are plenty of rods you can purchase that aren’t expensive.
Teach the kids their first fishing knot
Then they can use this for numerous other situations in life too, not just fishing.
Teach them how to remove the sprats
Help them to learn to do this with a wet cloth. And if they’re not keeping what they’ve caught, then carefully release them back into the tide.
Always have some kai with you
This should include treats, and liquids to keep hydrated as these are vital for helping kids enjoy what they’re doing.
And don’t take the young ones out in rough weather conditions
…It’s just not fun.
As Brown says: “Once they start fishing, there is little turning back, as the fun never ends…….even at my age!”
HOOKED, by Al Brown, illustrated by Hope McConnell. Allen & Unwin NZ. RRP: $36.99
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