For the last few years, I have set up a camping - fishing trip with my son's Boy Scout troop.
This weekend, the weather was perfect, clear skies and mild temperatures.
18 Boy Scouts and a few younger brothers, and a dozen of their parents at Courtright Lake in the high Sierra's.
Just North of Kings Canyon NP.
Every boy who wanted to go fishing was taken out in my small boat and they all caught fish.
For many, it was their first fish.



These two boys just joined the Scouts a few weeks ago, and the first thing they want to get is their "Fishing Merit Badge".

Dawn patrol, the first two boys in the boat, before sun-up.


This young man just hooked his first fish.

One of the older scouts, he has been out with me several times.
His father tells me he has turned in to a fishing fanatic.


The smile says it all.

After all the scouts had been out, one of the fathers ask if I could take his younger son out.
Absolutely !
Both of you hop in.
This boy had a blast.

Very cool. Kids need early education in hunting and fishing to develop the skills and experience that will stay with them thier whole lives.

+1, worked for me and I passed it on to my sons.

Good for you, especially for the first timers. Good troops expose many kids to things they would otherwise never experience.

I used to lead about a 90-mile whitewater float trip for our local troop. Last go only one kid bought a fishing rig along, He fished hard, but had no luck with hardware over the first 4 days. Last evening (on a day that we did not move) he lost the winding handle to his closed face Zebco. After dinner we headed to one of my proven spots a couple hundred yards above camp, and we went to work with one of my 10 ft fly rods just swinging across and down. First fish was about a 12" rainbow. Second, on about the 5th cast, was an 18" whitefish that put up a great fight and was his largest fish ever. Third, after about a dozen casts, was a good solid strike that set the hook, but the fish just sat there.

I could tell from the line angle all was still hooked up, and we had a brief discussion on what to do if something really took off. Just don't lock down on the reel. Last instruction was to lean on it a bit, and see what happens. A 29 inch steelhead went ballistic, stayed hooked up for a 15 minute battle, and was beached as hatchery stock that we could retain and take home. One session, and he's a lifelong fly fisherman now.

Probably my best fishing experience ever, and I didn't even have a rod in my hand.