Teach Kids How to Fish, Volunteer training starts in March

Want to help a group of kids have one of the best experiences they’ll
have this spring?

Then volunteer to help a youth fishing club!

The Division of Wildlife Resources is looking for volunteers to teach
6- to 13-year-olds about fish, the places fish live and how to catch
them.

Volunteers are needed in communities stretching from Brigham City to
Washington City. To learn more about the clubs, and to volunteer to
help, visit www.wildlife.utah.gov/cf/clubs.php.

Anyone can help

The number of kids who can participate in the clubs is tied directly to
the number of adults who volunteer to help. If more adults volunteer to
help, more children can participate.

“If you want to help, but you don’t know much about fishing,
that’s OK,” says Chris Penne, community fisheries biologist for
the DWR. “If you’re a positive person, you’re patient and you
have good communication skills, you have everything we’re looking
for.

“We’ll teach you all of the other skills you’ll need to have a
great experience with these kids.”

Training

Most of the youth fishing clubs start in March and April. But a few
begin as late as June.

Most of the clubs meet once a week for six weeks. Each club session
lasts about two hours.

The children spend the first 30 minutes of each outing learning a new
lesson or skill. After teaching the kids, adult volunteers take them
down to the water and help the children use their skills to catch fish!

“The kids look up to their fishing mentors. You’re their
leader,” Penne says. “If you’d like to volunteer, it’s best
if you can commit to being with your club every time it meets.”

Two to three weeks before a club’s first meeting, DWR personnel will
provide a volunteer training seminar in the community where the fishing
club meets. The training takes less than two hours to complete.

Also, all volunteers must consent to and pass a criminal background
check. “The DWR and the various communities are committed to keeping
the children in the clubs safe,” Penne says.

Rewards

Penne says a number of rewards await those who volunteer. “One of
the biggest thrills you’ll have is watching a young boy or girl reel
in their first fish. Seeing that is priceless,” he says.

“It’s also rewarding to teach someone a skill they’ll be able to
use and enjoy the rest of their life. And knowing you’re helping get
these kids outside, so they can experience the natural world around
them, is also very rewarding.”

If you have questions, please e-mail Penne at
chrispenne@utah.gov.

A popular program

“We had a great turnout in 2009,” Penne says. “About 1,500 kids
and 300 volunteers participated. Many of the volunteers were folks who
volunteered the year before. They had a great experience, and they
wanted to help again.”

Penne says many of the city recreation departments in Utah have added
fishing to the list of sports they offer to kids. That’s one of
greatest reasons for the program’s success. “For the first time,
fishing has found its way into mainstream sports, right along with
soccer, baseball and football,” Penne says.

The number of children and communities involved in the program is
growing. “We need volunteers more than ever before,” Penne says.