To take a kid fishing…
TRM really gets a buzz out of posting these photos of kids trout fishing.
The Tongariro River Easter holiday experience teaches kids so many life values in such an enjoyable location. They learn far more than just fishing. It is as much about strengthening family bonds, enjoying the great outdoors together, practising utmost patience and learning new skills to appreciate the river environment, respecting the dangers, sharing a physical experience together, having fun, and at the end of the day building closer relationships and memories for a lifetime.
Particularly in the holidays we try to encourage more family participation and using TRM hats as a lure, manage to notice a few more each year.
A BIG thank you is due to all the parents and grandparents and caregivers and guides who have patiently passed on their skills and appreciation of trout fishing. The gift will last a lifetime. In this modern world of laptop computers, PlayStation, iPhone, and other distractions, it provides a return to normality. Kids will never forget it.
There are not many other hobbies, sports, outdoor interests, that one can enjoy for a lifetime. All the other sports like golf, tennis, running, etc. get left behind as the physical demands get too much for the old bones and wearying muscles but trout fishing seems ageless. Even I can still enjoy it!
TRM have a couple of champion old soldiers into their young 90’s who have fished most of their lives. The thrill of the anticipation and hopefully the tug at the end of the line never leaves them. Their methods change with much less wading and the application of much more “cunning” and the enjoyment factor seems to increase with the years. The third leg wading pole becomes as important as the fishing rod.
One special old inmate would phone me each morning to help him struggle into his waders before he toddled off down the road to the nearest pool and again to peel them off on his return a few hours later. On every trip he had a new tale to tell about the good old days. He was suffering increased limited physical ability each year would always check to make sure we had a trout in the freezer before he arrived, as he had a reputation to maintain with the rest of his family. He had to show them the old boy still had it! One year the freezer supply was empty so I was about to go out to catch one for him but got delayed. Then after an hour or so he returned with a spring in his step lugging the nicest fresh run silver rainbow you could imagine. He was beaming like a young kid and ordered me to find the single malt for his extra strong cup of recovery tea. It was only 9 am but we had to celebrate appropriately.
Others had ‘retired’ from wading and relied on TRM’s rafts to bob around on Lake O every season. Some needed assistance to get into and out of the raft but once they were away they relived all their youthful memories. They would often drift around on the lake and when it was time to pack it in they raised one arm (like swimmers in difficulties) to aware other boaties that they needed a tow back to the launching ramp.
Of course you all know the perfect location to introduce kids to trout fishing is Turangi with the wonderful Tongariro Trout Centre providing all the tuition and gear and the best possible learning environment for kids to catch their first trout before graduating on to the wild river.
