CRESTVIEW – The smiles on the faces of the children at the Crestview Parks and Recreation Department fishing camp Monday told the story. Fishing remains as much fun for today’s young people as it has for generations.
The annual fishing camp, which runs through Thursday, is taught by Crestview High School outdoors education teacher Ernie Martin.
Martin said 13 kids along with a half dozen parents were attending the camp.
“The kids seem to be having fun and the parents are out there enjoying a few things and learning a few things, hopefully,” Martin said. “I’m glad that we’ve had it because there are 13 kids that got to go fishing here at Twin Hills this week. Hopefully they we will learn a thing or two.
“There are some here that have never baited a hook, have never caught a fish, have never taken a fish off a line. They are learning how to cast too.”
Martin said on the other end of the spectrum returning campers simply needed to get the bait and they were off and fishing.
Nine-year-old Shane Collier is a veteran fisherman, who has been fishing as long as he can remember, and it showed as he pulled in a couple of nice blue gill.
“The best part of fishing is you are learning stuff,” he said. “I’ve learned new baits and how to catch different kinds of fish.”
Martin said the best part of the camp was simply getting kids outside.
“This week, in the afternoon, we are giving their thumbs and their Xboxes and Play Stations a break,” he said. “They are going to be outside and have to use their whole hand. And their fingers are going to get dirty.
“They are going to smell different than they normally do when the play inside.”
Randy Dickson is the Crestview News Bulletin’s sports editor. Email him at randyd@crestviewbulletin.com, tweet him @BigRandle, or call 682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Fishing camp remains a summer favorite