Fishing Kids 2006

Go Play Outside

This year as before we had a great time at the kids fishing day. WDFW set up nets and loaded them with fish days before most of us arrived at 6 AM on May 6, 2006. Also behind the scenes were the folks at the Inland Northwest Wildlife Council and the Walleye Club who spent several evenings assembling rods, reels, hooks, red and white bobbers and pinch on lead weights. On hand for the fun were members of the Spokane Fly Fishers and Inland Empire Fly Fishing Club (both FFF clubs) who for the benefit of the kids left their flies home, put worms on hooks and helped kids cast bobbers on spin rods. Amaisingly, these hard core fly tossers were quite knowledgeable about worms and spin gear. Photos here by Bob Bates show just a little bit of the fun that day. The best gifts for most of us were the smiles on the kids' faces as they hook and landed these fighting rainbows. We tried to make sure that every kid caught a fish.

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Before the fishing starts there is the usual waiting in line, looking at some safety displays and picking up rods.

This year any kid going out on the dock to fish had to put on a life jacket. Volunteers made sure that the jackets were on properly.

The kids and there parents who fish along the shore had more space and didn't have to use life jackets. Some folks thought that the fish were biting better there. Fishing off the beach was more like real fishing than fishing off the docks. The kids had to cast so the bobber didn't fly over the net. Then they had to watch the bobber and strike when it went down. The rod, reel and other trinkets were the kids to take home.

A few pictures on the dock

After the kids finished fishing there is still work to be done. The nets have to be taken out of the water, any fish hooks removed, stretched out, folded and stuffed in garbage cans for transportation to a place where they can be dried.

Thanks to all the volunteers and WDFW personnel who made this a great day for the kids.

For pictures of the 2004-2995 Fishing Kids events Click Here