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Quinn Law-Knotts was positive she would win a prize for the biggest fish caught at a recent fishing workshop at Fountain Rock Park and Nature Center in Walkersville.

"It was huge," the Thurmont 6-year-old exclaimed. When asked if she or her 9-year-old brother had ever fished before, their mother, Tracey Law said, "Never ever. A totally new experience for us."

Law's partner, Karen Knotts, 47, learned about the workshop from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources where she is a manager in the Inland Fisheries Planning Program. The family is now hooked, so to speak.

"We are going to invest in poles," Law, 46, said. "They're excited to go back and [fish] again." She adds that, as a parent, she likes the idea of going fishing because it is "a really cheap, clean way for kids to go out and have fun."

Wayne Leadbetter is a member of the Potomac Valley Fly Fishers, and also serves on the advisory council of Fountain Rock Park and Nature Center. He coordinated the workshop as a way to "introduce and excite" children and parents about fishing.

"I hope to create a sense of familiarity with the parent and fishing so they can carry on and enjoy fishing with their child," Leadbetter said.

A life-long fisherman himself who was taught by his father, Leadbetter likes the idea of teaching a child to fish for several reasons.

"Fishing is not competitive. It's one time where a parent and child can actually focus on an activity together without the child expected to perform," he said. "There are no losers in fishing."

He also likes that fishing often involves "companionship, the time with others," that it can be fun for both the young and old, and that it is inexpensive and available to do in many places.

Chuck Dinkel is also a member of the Potomac Valley Fly Fishers, as well as coordinator of Frederick County Trout in the Classroom, a program that teaches school-aged children about ecosystems, watersheds, and the preservation of natural resources through the lifecycle of the trout. Classrooms receive fertilized trout eggs, and students hatch and raise them in tanks until they are ready to be released into streams.

Dinkel says a secondary purpose of the program is to "encourage young people to enjoy sport fishing as a way to connect with nature and part of a healthy lifestyle." Leadbetter agrees that fishing teaches a lot about the natural world and ecology.

"Where you find fish, you find clean water, less pollution, a healthy ecology — a balance, a sustainability of life," Leadbetter says. "[Fishing] is one of the more delightful ways to intrigue children about the outdoors."

Joan Wicks, 52, of Frederick, took her 9-year-old son to the workshop at Fountain Rock. "I think it's good for [children] to be outdoors and to see how nature interacts. Fishing gives them a taste for that. There's a certain art to it," Wicks says. She especially liked that the workshop encouraged catching and releasing the fish because it taught the idea of "treating the fish with respect."

Dinkel says children learn other lessons and skills while fishing, specifically eye-hand coordination and patience.

"Definitely patience," he says. He adds that it is also a good idea for parents to have a good dose of patience themselves when they teach a young child to fish. "Let the child tell you what they want to do," he says, noting that often kids just want to turn over rocks and look for bugs. "If a kid would rather do that, then go with it."

Kevin Bennett, 38, of Middletown, has been a lifelong fisher who was taught by his father, so it was something he wanted to pass along to his two sons, ages 9 and 3. Both boys had their first fishing experience by the age of 3. Bennett stresses the important thing to have when fishing with little ones is "realistic expectations."

He says a young child will sit and actually fish for 10 minutes "if you are lucky." More often they will be "interested in the turtles and tadpoles" in the water rather than the fish.

"It's all about the kids and what they want. The goal at a young age is to just get them out and enjoying nature," he said.

Bennett says when his oldest son was about 6 years old, he became more actively interested in fishing. At that time, he was more coordinated so was able to hold the fishing rod and do things more independently from Bennett.

Both Leadbetter and Dinkel say that at the age of 5, children will probably still need help holding the rod because they are not strong enough. But by the age of 6, most children have the strength and ability to be able to cast and hold the rod on their own.

When it comes to purchasing equipment for children, Bennett recommends starting simple, such as a rod with a push button spincasting reel (also known as a closed face reel.) Dinkel says it is also a good idea to keep things balanced—a lightweight reel with a lightweight rod, no more than 4 to 4.5 feet in length. Eventually, as a child becomes more advanced, he or she can move to an open face spinning reel.

When it comes to bait, Bennett says, "Worms are always good." They dig their own in their garden. Dinkel also recommends using worms, but says corn or power bait works as well. He suggests asking the staff at a sporting goods store if a parent has any questions about types of bait.

And the key to keeping a child interested in fishing? Leadbetter said it is important to fish at a place where it is known to have plenty of fish.

"The single best standard [to hold a child's interest] is to catch a fish," he says. He recommends the Maryland Department of Natural Resources' Web site as a good resource for information about well-stocked areas to fish, as well as "fishing rodeos" and workshops.

Dinkel says community ponds with "pan fish," small fish such as blue gills, perch, crappies or sunfish, are locations that offer a good chance for success. Bennett says he checks Middletown's Web site for announcements about fishing workshops, derbies, or rodeos at area ponds.

"I can't say enough about these events," he says. "These kinds of events are really set up to get kids excited and hooked."

Law also highly recommends starting off at an organized event for a family new to the sport. She says the program at Fountain Rock allowed them to try different equipment and got them excited about fishing.

"It wasn't nearly as intimidating as I thought it would be," she says.

And finally, Leadbetter suggests parents go to a location beforehand to "case it out. "I think it would be wise for parents to go first before you take the child," he says. Since there is only a "finite time for attention," he says parents should check out beforehand how stocked the pond is, where it's best to park to get to a pond's edge, and if a boat rental is needed.

And then when done fishing, he says, "Take time to throw in rocks and sticks."

-Maryland Department of Natural Resources: www.dnr.maryland.gov

-All About Fishing, an organization about fishing for fun or in tournaments with state-specific information: www.aa-fishing.com/md/maryland-kids-fishing.html

-Hooked On Fishing, Not On Drugs program, sponsored by the Sport Fish Restoration Fund and the Future Fisherman Foundation: www.dnr.maryland.gov

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