There are few gifts that you can give a child that can have as much of an impact as a book. Between the valuable skill of reading and the even more special benefit of reading together, a book does things that few toys or electronics can.
A quick search online will yield plenty of titles promising tips and tricks for kids to catch fish or proven methods to get your kids to love fishing. The best of them, in my humble opinion, get kids excited about the idea of fly fishing. Couple that with time outdoors and time with you? That is all they’ll need to pursue whatever it takes to keep fishing.
Before you buy tiny waders and a new 4-weight with a small grip, pick up a few books and integrate them into your bedtime routine.
Here are 4 of the top fly fishing books for kids:
Down by the River: A Family Fly Fishing Story by Anthony Weiner
In the 5 years since first published, Down by the River has become the top title for anglers looking to introduce their little ones to fly fishing. The artwork is excellent, the story is charming, and the message of the book is wholesome. There isn’t any backdoor entomology or product placement. It is simply a kids book that gets fly fishing. And as a bonus: inside the front and back covers are illustrations and labels of popular flies. This allows the story to end even when the book is over.
A Good Day’s Fishing by James Prosek
This is a simple book which uses the power of well-painted pages. Prosek’s style is realistic but whimsical, and he certainly captures the peripheral joy of all that goes into a day on the water. Communicating to kids that fishing is more than just fishing is important. This book has the real potential to be a tool for explaining that truth.
Olive the Little Woolly Bugger by Kirk Werner
The first in a whole series of Olive books, this fun paperback imagines flies come to life. The titular woolly bugger has some problems to overcome, and, of course, readers are encouraged to work through their difficulties as well. The Olive series has been well-received and is sometimes hard to find. Also, the companion mobile app is worth clicking around on if you come across it on an older device.
Trout, Trout, Trout! (A Fish Chant) by April Pulley Sayre
What starts off as ridiculous doesn’t let up. But the list of species that this colorful and silly book introduces children to is impressive. If rhyming and outlandishly illustrated fish fit the bill for a kid you know, Trout, Trout, Trout! will be a hit. And if you have a decent sense of humor, you’ll probably smile as well. Maybe you’ll even repeat the verses to yourself when on the water.
There are plenty more books perfect for introducing kids to the quarry and culture of fly fishing. Have a favorite or a suggestion? Let me know in the comments below.