It's time to shut of the television and the Wii (or XBox or Playstation) and get the kids outside during the warm months. Now that summer vacation is upon the young ones, encourage them to be active instead of camping out in front of the boob tube for their entire break. Outdoor activities that suit any budget can be found; it really depends how creative you are. If you feel as though you're lacking in that area, we'll come up with some suggestions over the next couple of weeks that will hopefully help get the creative juices flowing.

First up: fishing! This is an activity the whole family can participate in together since it needn't be difficult, and provides a great opportunity to teach your kids some valuable lessons about environmental awareness and responsibility. Mike's Fishing Blog has some great tips to keep in mind when taking a child fishing.

Especially in this age of computers and video games, I’m a big believer in getting the kids outside and teaching them to fish.  I was lucky enough as a child to have several friends whose fathers never minded when I tagged along on fishing trips with them (my dad hates fishing…but I love him anyway).  Later on I passed my love of fishing on to my brother Dan, who is much younger than I am, by taking him on his first fishing trip and getting him “hooked.”  More recently I helped my girlfriend’s grandson, Austin, catch his first fish.

Some important things to remember when you take a child, or anyone else, fishing for the first time:

- Go someplace where you’ll catch fish. This may seem pretty fundamental, but it’s vitally important.  If the kid catches fish, he’ll be back to do it again.  If he sits for five hours next to a lake in the hot sun and doesn’t catch anything, he probably won’t.  When I took young Austin fishing last June, we went to a spot that I’ve fished for over 20 years, and within five minutes he had a trout in the net.  He went on to catch his limit both days we fished.  Fun?  You bet!  I’m planning a trip up to Bishop Creek in a couple weeks, and he’s ready to go back for more.

- Keep it simple. Fly fishing, or any other form of fishing where technique is key, probably isn’t a good choice for that first trip.  When I took my brother for the first time, we went down to the harbor at Dana Point, CA, and fished under a bridge there using frozen green peas.  It was easy, and we caught a whole bunch of opaleye perch and had a blast.

- Make the first fish special. When Dan pulled his first fish out of the water, we put it in our bag with great ceremony so he could take it home and show Mom and Dad - all five or six inches of it.  When Austin caught his first trout, I made sure his mother was handy with the camera to get a photo of him and his fish.  I doubt I’ve ever seen another young man look quite as proud.

- Use the right gear. On my trip last June, some friends of mine had brought along a couple of first-timers, but neglected to tell them what sort of equipment to bring.  As a result, they were out there fishing the creek with rods that were better suited to light ocean fishing.  They caught some trout, but they didn’t have a very good time doing it.  By the same token, using gear that’s too light for conditions or unsuited to a young angler’s skill level is usually a prescription for failure.  Make sure they’re properly equipped and everyone will have a better time.

- Don’t get too far outside your new angler’s comfort zone. The first fishing trip is going to be a learning experience.  This means that you need to be available to give guidance and answer questions rather than leaving them alone while you go off and fish.  Also, kids tend to be a little bit squeamish about touching and cleaning fish, handling bait, and so forth.  While you want to eventually get them to be self-sufficient in the field, don’t push it on the first trip.  Forcing a child to do something that he finds distasteful will just make him not want to do it again.  Fishing should be fun. 

- Be flexible. Kids have a shorter attention span than most adults.  Be prepared to take breaks, engage in different outdoor activities, and otherwise keep your young angler from getting bored.

- And teach ethics and set an example. Of course I believe in fishing legally, not exceeding possession limits, and so on.  I also believe in respecting the rights of other anglers and property owners, not taking more fish than I plan to eat regardless of the published limit, and not releasing fish that I know will die later due to being gill-hooked or played to exhaustion - among other things.  Teach your children that ethical fishing and outdoorsmanship goes beyond simply obeying the law, and you’ve given them the basis for a set of personal values anyone can be proud of.

Mike has some other great fishing tips, ideas and even a recipe or two so check out his fishing blog after the jump.

» Mike's Fishing Blog