GREAT FALLS — Hundreds of young anglers lined the shores of Wadsworth Pond on Saturday, rods in hand, as the 31st annual Family Fishing Day reeled in families for a morning of outdoor fun, learning, and a few slippery surprises.
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The day is sponsored by the Great Falls Chapter of Walleyes Unlimited, who provided fishing rods to 600 participants as local organizations like Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, and Missouri River Fly Fishers taught families knot and fly tying, casting, and how to identify fish.
President of the Great Falls Chapter of the Walleyes Unlimited Brenda Hanson explains, “We want fishing poles and kids' hands. We want them outside doing activities instead of sitting in front of a TV, teach them some conservation, and great fishing ethics. I also love seeing the kids that come up with their fish, they're so proud of it, to get it measured and weighed.”
As the day went on, the kids started reeling in the fish - no matter how big or small.
One young angler, Thomas Barton, says, “I was moving around my rod, and I was reeling it in, and then a fish just randomly hooked on. I thought it was a dud cast, so I reeled it in, and a fish hooked on.”
Fish weren’t the only catch of the day, kids were bringing in anything from turtles to crawfish to be weighed and measured.
After a day of learning, these kids are now prepared for statewide free fishing days, which will be June 14th and 15th, when anyone can fish for free without a license.
