“One of the greatest things about fishing is that it is a hobby you can enjoy at any age. No matter how old or young you are, you can still learn to bait a hook, cast a line and fish. Fishing also provides an opportunity for families to spend some quality time together out in nature while learning some important lessons. Teaching  children to fish will not only give them a hobby that they can share with their own kids someday, but it will help them to learn about patience, problem solving and how to be present in the moment.” https://www.lawrencebay.com/three-important-things-that-fishing-can-teach-our-children/ .These are some of the attributes  needed to be a well-rounded adult, something that 4-H promotes and teaches.

Last summer, an adult volunteer wanted to start a fishing club at the Gallatin County Fairgrounds.   It started with six children and has doubled in size already. Because of this club, they wanted to host the first annual Fishing Derby. Volunteers got fifteen sponsors for the event. Categories   of the biggest fish were set up for each age group and for the biggest fish over all. Parents stayed with their children to help them with their fishing. Some of these children had never fished before and now they are hooked!

In a world where technology allows us to answer almost any question in less than a minute, patience and perseverance  is a tough skill to teach. Something we all need to work on no matter the age. Fishing is an opportunity to work on those skills. The child that caught their first fish ever, demonstrated how patience pays off! 

Another life skill connected to fishing is problem solving.  Several times during the summer, the weather was too wet or hot; or the time was not good for catching fish. The fishing club helped children (and parents) how to problem solve to get the most out of their fishing experiences.  The smile on several of the children when they figured out a better place on the pond to fish is the reward. 

The third attribute of fishing is just spending time together. Forget about school work for a while; forget about chores and becoming “unplugged”,  just enjoy time together with family and friends.  Watching parents’ expressions as they watch their children catch their first fish was priceless!

Because of the success of the first annual Fishing Derby, it was decided by the Gallatin County 4-H Council to host the second annual Fishing Derby. This year, the invitation has been extended to four more counties.