My soon to be eight year old son wants to learn how to fly fish. Is this too young and will I be doing more harm than good by trying to teach him myself? I started fly fishing at twelve and was taught my mate! It's made me curious to know how old forum users were when they first stated?

A bit young. Cast out and let him retrieve your flies.

Not to young, get him at it
My grandson Josh (8) is my best mate on the bank and in the boat.
Will take some work but well worth it.
If you can find a river it will help make the learning easier.
Josh

at the fly tying

ready for the boat

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I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,9 bean rows will I have there and a hive for the honey bee.

It all depends on the individual. He has to be able to learn to cast a fly line to stand a chance . I've taught two sons and three grandsons. On average they took to fly fishing about the age of ten. If the lad is really keen and takes to fly fishing like a duck to water he'll be fine. The speed in which he learns depends on the amount of time you're willing to put in.

Thanks for the replies guys. He caught a few fish on a spinner last year and a couple whilst retrieving flies. Thanks Marazion Midge for sharing the photos of Josh - I'll show them to my lad tomorrow and I just know he'll be made up!

Its not all plain sailing though
A bit of a strop on here after I just told him off for not having his glasses on.
Make sure your younster wears some.

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I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,9 bean rows will I have there and a hive for the honey bee.

Wait until they are teenagers...then they will know everything

I bought my son (7) a #3 7 ft rod and a floating line and taught him a basic roll cast,seems he finds that a bit more interesting than just retrieving line as we started out doing , he's far too impatient to actually leave the dry in the water for any length of time, but that may/may not come.

I spoke to my stepdad about it and he said I was exactly the same, it's pretty boring for some youngsters methinks.

I started at 5 years with a fibreglass (fly/spin convertible) 5wt rod that my dad had made up and was taught by him, river fishing on one of the feeders to Loch Ness with wild, 6 to a lb trout, by 8 years I had moved on to the 410 and pigeons shooting, so he definitely is not too young.

As mentioned above, a 7ft 3wt, light matching reel, dt floating and a furled leader (not debating furled leaders just thinking less wind knots the better until casting is improved) with tippet and a single fly will see him fine and he will be able to cast with it, but if you feel not up to the teaching part of it, £25 and a hours lesson will make all the difference and will probably be the best money well spent if he carries on with fly fishing.

Then get him on a well stocked fishery to get him used to catching his first 5-10 fish, after that there should be no looking back for him.

Good Luck.

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Just My Tuppenceworth!!

I started fishing as an 8yr old. Not fly-fishing..a wee fibre glass spinning rod and reel kit. I wasn't encouraged to do it, my father didn't even fish! I wanted it! I couldn't get enough of it and I had a class mate who developed the same passion. We went fishing virtually every day in life together! We'd be playing for the school football team against other primary school teams on a saturday...winning or losing we hoped the game would be over soon because we wanted to go fishing!! Life was one continuous adventure. Trips to harbours/estuaries on the bus after digging the lug...canal fishing for pike and perch after catching bullheads or digging the worms, river fishing for trout...we had it all and were totally consumed by it.

Nobody took us fishing, we didn't have that luxury....nobody taught us anything either. We learnt everything from reading and experience.
It was in our blood.

I guess what I'm trying to say is...if your son is keen then he'll be just fine at 8yrs old fishing. He won't get bored learning to cast etc..especially with the lightweight rods you can get, however, if it's your passion for him to be a fly fisher and he doesn't have the instinctive drive, you'll soon find out!