There is a good reason why there has been an explosion of companies offering summer adventure education trips for teens. Just like there is a reason why you would be hard pressed to find a high school that doesn’t require or strongly encourage their students to participate in community service. The benefits of adventure education and community service are diverse and far-reaching. The self-confidence discovered while climbing a mountain pass can change a teenager’s life. The sense of accomplishment felt from giving back to the environment during a community service project can open the doors to a lifetime of civic engagement. But adventure education and service learning are only two parts of the equation that make the LFFE Adventure Academies a valuable experience for teens. Fly fishing provides a host of benefits that will carry on through a teenager’s life.
- Fly fishing requires patience. It is rare that you show up on a stream, cast your first line, and catch a fish in the first 5 minutes. Standing quietly in a river, waiting for the perfect conditions is an exercise in patience you wont find in the online age of instant gratification.
- Trout are remarkably selective in their feeding habits. Fooling a wise old trout into eating your fly takes observation and problem solving skills. Students practice these skills as they scan the water, air, and nearby plants for signs of what the trout might be eating.
- There are no shortcuts to becoming a great fly fisherman; it takes practice and perseverance. The more you fly fish the better you become. On day 12 of our adventures students will be able to do things they didn’t think possible on day one. As students persevere through the challenge of learning knots, and the occasional challenge of untying knots they will be rewarded with the sight of trout rising to their fly.
- “Many men go fishing all of their lives, without knowing it is not the fish they are after” -Henry David Thoreau. Whether it is the sound of running water, the distraction from a hard day, or the time left to your own thoughts, it is hard to deny the peace of mind discovered while fishing. Teenagers are faced with a growing list of demands and as they grow older the demands grow with them. Fly fishing offers a restorative escape. A afternoon on the water can cure months of stress. From high school to college and on to adult life, students who learn to fly fish will have a healthy outlet for the stress of life.
Our Adventure Academies are a combination of fly fishing, adventure education, and service learning not found in any other teen summer camps. The experience you get when we put these three together is greater than the sum of all it’s parts.
