FIRST CAST

WASILLA — Joshua Fischer loves fishing.

Showing exactly how much he is into the sport, the 6-year-old will have a fishing-themed birthday party when he turns 7 next week. In preparation for his all-things fishing birthday party, complete with Northern Pike shaped cake, and his weekend fishing trips with his dad, Fischer was one of a half-dozen who participated in a kids casting clinic at the Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center on Monday.

“My son is so enthused with fishing,” Joshua’s mother Deborah said Monday afternoon, as Joshua was casting toward a series of targets set up by organizers.

Children aged 5 to 14 took part in the free clinic organized by the Mat-Su Anglers Sportfishing Club and co-sponsered by the local fishing club and the city of Wasilla. The clinic, intended to present a full spectrum of introductory topics to the young angler, included a variety of lessons during a three-hour chunk of time Monday afternoon.

Participants, who spent the first part of the clinic in the classroom, learned the use of basic equipment, equipment safety, fishing rules, basic first aid and water safety. They also received casting tips and learned how to tie basic knots.

“Once they learn in the classroom, we want them to apply what they’ve learned,” Mat-Su Anglers’ Julie Busch said.

After the classroom session, Megan Piersma of Alaska Office of Boating Safety spoke to the participants about water safety. Mark Braaten and Greg Busch followed by teaching the children casting technique, and allowing the kids to turn theory into practice.

While the field of participants was small for Monday’s clinic, Busch said Mat-Su Anglers hopes the effort is the first cast in what could be a flood of potential for the program. Mat-Su Anglers has scheduled a second clinic, free of cost, on July 19 at the Menard, and is finalizing details for a third clinic in August.

“It’s really an amazing resource, wealth of information,” Deborah Fischer said. “And it’s free.”

Busch said, Mat-Su Anglers, which has taken part in youth clinics before, thought it was important to offer this type of service.

“Our mission is education, to learn about the issues that effect our fisheries, but also education includes teaching people to fish,” Busch said.

Busch said city of Wasilla officials also stressed the value of the clinic, as did sponsors such as Wal-Mart and Rep. Mark Neuman, who also saw the value, donating resources needed to put the clinic together. Thanks to that support, Mat-Su Anglers was able to offer each participant parting gifts that included a certificate of completion and rod and reel set.

Some of the children in attendance had a fishing background. Charlene Christensen brought her 8-year-old grandson Cooper Roberts to the clinic. Christensen, who said her family regularly goes fishing, was also eager to learn something new.

“Grandma wanted to come too,” she said with a laugh as she watched her grandson cast.

For Kathy Bailey, the program proved to be an ideal way to launch her son, Jeremiah, into the world of fishing.

“This is pretty new for him,” Bailey said.

Bailey hopes fishing can be an activity that both mother and son can enjoy together.

“We’re both going to learn how to fish, that’s why we’re here,” she said. “It’s going to be a family sport for us. I’ve always wanted to learn. And he’s a boy, he needs to learn.”

Busch said the club wants to reach families in general.

“It’s really important that we not only teach the kids to fish, but teach the families to fish,” Busch said. “We’re finding a lot of single parents who don’t have the skills and don’t know where to go and find the skills to teach the children.”

In addition to technique, the clinic stressed a few themes, Busch said. Conservation, safety and sportsmanship were among the most important lessons of the day.

“We want to teach them good sportsmanship,” Busch said. “Have a greater respect for fishing as a sport.”

To reinforce the importance of safety, participants were asked to dip their hand into cold water during the clinic to demonstrate the effect Alaska waters can have on people.

“It shows the kids that think life jackets are something more than what mom forces you to wear,” Deborah Fischer said. “Put their hands in ice cold water and they realize, wow, that numbs you up really fast.”

To learn more about the club and topics covered in the clinic, see matsuanglers.org and takemefishing.org.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.

IF YOU GO

What: Mat-Su Anglers Sportfishing Club kids casting clinic

Where: Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center

When: July 19, 1-4 p.m.

For more: See matsuanglers.org and takemefishing.org