FRENCHTOWN — Fishing is a way of life for many Montanans. For 30 years now, Montana Fish Wildlife, and Parks (FWP) has made access to the sport available for elementary school students.
Through the Hooked on Fishing program, FWP staff and volunteers take kids out on the water and help with lectures in their classroom.
Emily Brown reports - watch the video here:
“A variety of lessons from fish identification to tying flies to fish art. And then the culmination of the program are fishing days," FWP spokesperson Vivaca Crowser said.
Each student comes with a different ability level. Some have never used a rod.
“We go out on the playground and practice casting. And so everybody has that baseline knowledge and they get to come out here and give it a try and test their identification skills of the fish they're catching," Crowser said. “A lot of times it's these kids first time fishing or first time catching a fish.”
However, some, like Colin Lorden, have been interacting with local aquatic ecosystems, since they were little.
“Ever since my dad taught me, I just have gotten into fishing, and I like catching them," Lorden told MTN.
Lorden says technique is the key to reeling in a big catch.
“Have the worm over the fish. It will usually look up and circle it a few times, and then just bite it and just pull up and reel in," he explained.
Target Range students were out on Frenchtown Pond on June 5. Yet, Hooked On Fishing is also in many more Missoula Schools, plus the Bitterroot, as well as Seeley Lake, and Arlee.
“It's part of the their classroom curriculum. So, we work with the schools to come in as guest presenters and and just kind of build that throughout the second half of the school year each year and end with these fishing days," Crowser detailed.
The program is nearing three decades of reeling elementary school students into the realm of fishing.
“We actually sometimes will have volunteers now that, you know, say I remember coming out here when I was in fifth grade," Crowser said.
The goal is to build a passion and further understanding.
“To know a little bit more about the natural resources we have to have that extra appreciation and then to to develop a lifelong skill," Crowser said.
