THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, March 28, 1995 TAG: 9503280491
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ELIZABETH SIMPSON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 99 lines
THE TROUBLE WITH going fishing with children is the first four letters of the word.
Fish. Children expect to get one.
They link the act of fishing with the actual reeling in of one. And if they don't get one, they don't really think they've been fishing at all.
So when I took my 2- and 4-year-old daughters to Northwest River Park in southern Chesapeake, I first reminded them that catching a fish was not the ultimate goal. We were there to get some fresh air, to feel the spring sun against our skin, to watch the ducks on the water, to be one with nature.
About the time I was really waxing poetic, my 4-year-old tried to get a word in edgewise: ``I think I got a fish.''
And she did.
An 11-inch rainbow trout came flipping out of the water, no doubt chagrined that he'd been caught by a kid with a brand-new Snoopy fishing pole.
Miracles can happen on the banks of the Northwest River Park lake.
If you want to introduce children to fishing, Northwest River Park is a great place to do it. The park is kid-friendly, and there are a lot of other activities to do in case your junior fishermen get bored.
They can run up and down the giant hill near the fishing banks of the lake. Or they can rent a paddle boat at the dock and go tooling down the river. Or go to a playground where there's an enormous hill perfect for pretending they're climbing Pride Rock to become the new Lion King.
The park also has wide meadows for running and kiting, 7 miles of foresty nature trails and a picnic area with a peacock, ducks and geese.
And the best part is that kids can buy juice and crackers and snacks at the park headquarters if the fish aren't biting.
If you're serious about the fishing part, here are a few tips:
First, it's best to find a relative or friend who knows a little about fishing. Kids can be squeamish about baiting the line and removing fish from hooks. It helps to have someone around who knows what they're doing.
It can also save you some money, because a freshwater fishing license costs $12.50. Children under 16 don't need a license, but if an adult is helping to cast the line, hold the rod or reel in the fish, they need to have a license.
If a parent decides not to get a license, they can only bait the hook and take the fish off the hook for the child. Most young children are going to need more help than that.
Northwest River Park is stocked with rainbow trout from November until the end of April, so there you'll also need a trout license, which costs an additional $12.50.
Starting in May, though, there are still plenty of catfish, bass and bream to catch, and you won't need a trout license.
You can rent rods and reels at the park for $5 a day. If you're fishing with very young children, it's best to rig the poles in advance, or they'll get bored before they even dip the line in the water.
The best age to start a child fishing is about 4 years old. At that age, they're old enough to sit still and understand why they're sticking the line in the water.
The 2-year-old in our party didn't quite grasp the concept and spent most of her time stirring up the water with the tip of her pole and trying to extract her feet from the fishing line that she'd somehow gotten tangled hither and yon.
The younger the child, the shorter the fishing trip will be. Even the 4-year-old was getting antsy after about 20 minutes. ``Do we have to keep playing until we get one?'' she asked.
Fortunately, that was about the time a fish decided to snack on her line.
As we walked back to the car with our quarry in hand, a veteran fisherman stopped to ask the 4-year-old whether she had caught a fish.
She nodded.
``It feels good, doesn't it?'' he said.
It sure does. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
STEVE EARLEY
Taylor Earley shows off a fish she caught at Northwest River Park in
Chesapeake.
Photo
Taylor Earley enjoys fishing in the lake at Northwest River Park.
Graphic
GETTING THERE
Place: Northwest River Park
Directions: Take Battlefield Boulevard South exit from I-64 in
Chesapeake and go about 15 miles. Turn left at Indian Creek Road and
go about 3 1/2 miles. The park will be on your right.
Hours: 9 a.m. until sunset.
Activities: You can rent paddle boats for $3 for 30 minutes; row
boats for $2 an hour or $10 a day; canoes for $4 an hour or $20 a
day. There are also 7 miles of nature and hiking trails. Other
activities include a nine-hole putt-putt course, fishing pond and
playground. You can also check out horseshoes and volleyball nets
from the park headquarters.
by CNB