Grandson

[HairyMooseKnuckles]

On a recent visit, my 14 yo grandson was real interested in my fly tying stuff. I sat him down and helped him to ty a fly. He's mostly into electronics like most kids nowadays, but I was considering going a different route this year. I just bought a new vice and my old one is collecting dust. I was going to give him my kit. It's a nice terra kit. I was going to get him an assortment of hooks, thread, feathers, chenille, beads and a bottle of Sally Hanson. I was going to caution him about lead and of course sharp hooks.

Do you guys feel he is old enough? I'm never sure. I grew up hunting and fishing and I was pretty independent. By his age I was driving a tractor and had been hunting with a 12 gauge a couple of years prior to his age. Kids are different now though.


What do you guys think?

 

[JUNGLEJIM1]

He's plenty old enough. Get him going. I wish I had started a lot earlier than I did.

 

[goodtimesfishing]

X2 Plenty old enough. Great gift!

 

[LedHed]

We had my LF's daughter, Faby tying when she was 12...

Better hurry before he finds out about "gurlz"!

Now Faby is 14 (15 next month) and she doesn't want to fish or tye anymore......

 

[Jay Wirth]

I was taught how to tie jigs by age 12 and have been tying for fun and profit ever since.

 

[HairyMooseKnuckles]

Thx.

Guess I'd better get to blending him up some dubbing too. You know how this hobby is, one thing leads to another.

 

[rich mc]

if your grandson is nearby set up a regular time to tye with him each week. my grandson is 5 .5 yrs old an is across the street. we fish a local pond about every week and will start him on fly and jig tying this spring . rich mc

 

[Jig Man]

Heck ya, go for it...

 

[AtticaFish]

Get him started with the simple first step tying basics and maybe a simple pattern or 2........ and then let him experiment with whatever he wants. He might spin out some crazy creatures that fall apart on the 2nd cast, but to me half the fun is letting my imagination run a little and trying to come up with something i THINK will catch fish. Pretty much fishing in my mind while sitting at the vise. Keeping it fun and feeling like it is HIS hobby will keep him interested. Getting him out to see the patterns in the water and hopefully catch fish is even better! Hope he enjoys it.

I started tying a little younger than him, even bought my own kit at a garage sale. Anything fishing for me is a very deeply rooted passion.

 

[Fatman]

Get em going!!!!!!! My local fly shop USED to have free tying class's on Saturdays a few years ago and they had some kids 6-8 yrs old taking them and they got good quick. Go over to the Fly Anglers On Line site and have him go through the beginning fly tying course - I know it's on tying flies but the basics of tying is excellent!!!

Sadly, they started charging for the class's and I'm not paying $50 bucks for a 2 hr. advanced class. Now if it was Chris Helm doing classic wet flies or the guy ? Ward on the freshwater tyers site that does amazing things with spinning deer hair I'd pay the $50 (if only it were that cheap)

 

[duffy]

Most definately get him going if he's interested. Kids pick stuff up really fast and have a great imagination. Always good to teach a craft or hobby to help develop a growing creative mind and even if they don't stick with it now they may continue later on. I wish I would have learned allot of this stuff years ago.