In today’s world, things are a lot differnt from when I was a child. When I look around, I see kid’s with Ipods hanging from their ears and GameBoys glued to their fingers. These electronic games, computers and TV form a foundation of sendentary activities which hardly promote a healthy lifestyle.

Getting youth engaged in activities which promote fitness and physical exercise are necessary. Outdoor adventures offer children the opportunity to get off the couch and it puts them in touch with nature. Fishing is the perfect sport that offers parents the opportunity to teach children about boating, nature and conservation, while engaging the kid’s in simple, fun activities.

I recently took my children, along with one of their friends, fishing at Fort Popham. It was a pleasant evening. We explored the fort and saw a rainbow, seals and boats, while fishing for stripers. The fishing was slow, but that didn’t seem to matter. The kid’s were happy to be outdoors and totally engrossed in the act of fishing. In all reality, they spent little time fishing. Mostly, they changed lures, waded in the surf and ran around like happy little indians. These are the  type of memories I have of my youth and which helped shape my love of the outdoors. I hope they grow to value outdoors and nature as much as I do.