Fly fishing | VIVIAN KIRKFIELD – Writer for Children

Kirkfield, Stuart – The Fine Bamboo Fly Rod: A Master’s Secrets of Restoration and Repair – Colorado Springs, 1999, Cork & Cane Press, 2^nd Edition, Hardcover, Dust Jacket, Brand-New – Signed.

When I write a post about a book, I’m usually reviewing a children’s book. Today, however, I’m going to talk about a different type of book…one for people who love bamboo rods and fly-fishing.

When I met my husband over 48 years ago, neither of us knew anything about fly-fishing. In fact, in 1969, we went fishing on the Gibbon River in Yellowstone National Park and saw a sign in the river that read, “FLIES ONLY” and we walked away wondering how someone would catch and kill the flies and attach them to the hook.

As soon as we got home, my husband began to research this “fly-fishing” and soon was “hooked” himself. To make a long story short, he was so intrigued with the mystique of fly-fishing, he studied everything about it that he could find and soon was refinishing bamboo fly rods for prestigious companies like Abercrombie and Fitch.

In 1986, he wrote a book on the subject, The Fine Bamboo Fly Rod: A Master’s Secrets of Restoration and Repair, which was published by Stackpole Press. This book has become “the bible” for people who want to know how to restore or repair their cherished bamboo fly rods. Many of these treasures are passed down from generation to generation and are valued at many thousands of dollars…so it is very important to be able to fix the problems that may occur with age and use.

Inside the book you will find detailed instructions and close-up photographs on:

Making the assessment…what is wrong and what you need to do
Stripping the rod
Guide and wrap placement
Varnishing the wraps and rod
Cleaning the cork
Installing a new grip
Repairing broken tips
Repairing hook digs
And more than a dozen additional topics

Gerald J. Mullen’s brilliant photography has captured every step in each process and helps even a novice understand what needs to be done and how to do it.

Of course, for the person who wants to restore or repair a bamboo fly rod, this is an awesome book. It also has great value for anyone who is interested in the history of bamboo fly rods and the spiritual attachment that anglers have for them. The book is beautifully written and even someone who is not into fly-fishing will enjoy reading it.

Father and son make a great fishing duo...watch out, Mr. Trout!

I’m thrilled that my husband has agreed to offer his book on my website. I’ve done several posts about how fishing with young children is a wonderful intergenerational activity. Parents, grandparents and children will enjoy being together in the beautiful outdoors and all can learn from each other. Fishing provides a great opportunity to encourage children to protect and preserve our rivers, streams and the environment.

If you need some gear to outfit your kids you can go to the website of Take A Kid Flyfishing.

If you want a great children’s book that is a wonderful read for adults as well as kids and that is super cool way to introduce children to fly-fishing and how important it is to take care of our environment, you can go to the website of Olive, the Little Wooly Bugger

Our granddaughter listened with rapt attention to Grandpa's instructions.

This NEW, AUTOGRAPHED, hardcover copy of bamboo rod restoration and repair is THE BIBLE on this long-kept secret art and is currently priced at $169.00 per copy, with used copies selling online right now in the $200 – $300+ price range.

“Belongs on the bookshelf of every fly-fisherman!” – U.B.K, Hoboken, NJ

“I’m fortunate in that someone very special recognized my interest with a generous gift of Stuart Kirkfield’s book.” – Gerald Buckley, Tulsa, OK

“Craftsmen like Stuart Kirkfield kept the magic of bamboo rods alive.” – Ronald Barch, editor, The Planing Form Newsletter

Now – as a special promotion for the readers of Positive Parental Participation and my followers on Twitter and other social media – brand-new copies (straight out of the publisher’s shipping carton) are available for only $99.95 each. A very limited number of copies are being made available at this price.

The holidays will be here soon! If you have any fly-fishermen (or fisher-women) you are fond of, why not give them something they might never get for themselves.

Please visit again for my next post…I’ll be sharing some quick fixes for those temper tantrums that sometimes flare up while we are holiday shopping with kids.

Father and son make a great fishing duo...watch out, Mr. Trout!

I have a passion for using picture books and positive parental participation to help build self-confidence and create a life-long parent-child bond.

So I’m always thrilled when I find a book that encourages parent and child to participate together.

Thanks to Kirk Werner, parents have not one, but a series of THREE amazing books that can be enjoyed by children from preschool to puberty and beyond!

Olive, the Little Woolly Bugger is the first book in this series by author and illustrator, Kirk Werner. It details the experiences of Olive, a woolly bugger fly used in fly-fishing. Olive attends Camp Tightloops to learn how to become a fishing fly and meets many other flies…some who are bullies and snobs and others who are friendly and helpful. Children of all ages will connect and identify with the engaging characters.

According to Kirk, “On the surface, my fly fishing book series for kids may just appear to be children’s stories set against the backdrop of fly fishing. While true, there’s much more to them than that. The intent of my books is to introduce kids to fly fishing through a series of fun stories that are both educational and entertaining. For kids lucky enough to hail from an angling family, no encouragement is needed to get them outdoors with a fly rod in hand. But kids who may not have the guidance of an adult angler in their lives are really the ones who stand to gain the most from my books. In other words, my books are for all kids (and frankly, for adults as well). But the goal of my books is also bigger than just fly fishing – it’s about getting kids outdoors.

As I mentioned in a previous blog entry, according to a study by the Outdoor Foundation fishing is the #1 “Gateway Activity” to launching kids into many other outdoor pursuits such as camping, hiking, boating, etc. All are excellent ways to get kids away from their video games, off the couch and into the great outdoors for some good, old-fashioned recreation.

According to a report by C&NN, children are smarter, more cooperative, happier and healthier when they have varied opportunities for free unstructured play in the outdoors. I interpret that to mean if you take a kid fly fishing where they can experience a natural setting, walk along the banks of a stream or lake and learn about bugs and fish and other wildlife that benefit from clean water, that child is going to be smarter. I always thought fly anglers were an intelligent bunch and now I know why!

To sum it all up in a nutshell, outdoor recreation is good for kids in both mind and body, and the outdoors are important to all of us. So, the bottom line is this: Get kids outside. Fishing is a great way to start them off on other outdoor adventures. While they’re outside having fun they’ll be practicing healthy habits and getting exercise. Furthermore they’ll develop an appreciation for our natural resources, which will ensure that future generations become stewards of the earth.

It may be a lofty thinking on my part, but I believe every child should start down this journey with the Olive the woolly bugger series of fly fishing books. Now, if anyone has an idea as to how I can make sure that every child hears about Olive, I’m all ears.”

Getting ready for a day of fishing!

So, my husband and I took Kirk’s advice (not that we needed any encouragement…we already LOVE fishing and fly-fishing and we took our own children fishing as soon as they were old enough to hold a fishing rod) and last weekend, we took our six-year old twin grandchildren on their first fishing adventure. Our son had already prepared the way by reading the first book in the Olive series with his children. When we arrived at their house and my husband showed them the fly box he had filled for them, they eagerly pointed to the flies that they recognized. “There’s Olive!” “That’s Randall, the Royal Coachman!”

Choosing the right fly. How about Olive, the LIttle Woolly Bugger?

Our time with our grandchildren and son and daughter-in-law at Rocky Mountain National Park was, to say the least, fantastic! The day was perfect…amazingly there were no thunderstorms to hamper our enjoyment. The children took to fishing as if they had been doing it for years. The first fly they wanted to try was…you guessed it…a woolly bugger!

I’d like to say that we pulled up one trout after another…but even though the children didn’t catch any fish (although we did see several)…they did catch the enthusiasm and joy of being by a beautiful river, surrounded by the wonders of nature. Their parents take them to RMNP quite often and encourage the appreciation, care and preservation our precious and endangered environment. After enjoying a lovely picnic, we all got ready to leave and my husband asked our grandchildren when they would like to come fishing again. One of them replied, “In about three weeks!” And the other piped up, “No, in about three days!”

Our granddaughter listened with rapt attention to Grandpa's instructions.

According to the Outdoor Foundation, fishing is the top “gateway” activity, spurring involvement in other outdoor activities:

“The future of any sport lies in engaging its youngest members, so reaching individuals in their early years is critical,” said The Outdoor Foundation Executive Director Christine Fanning.

And, even though my book is about reading, crafting and cooking, I’m always encouraging parents to get outside with their children, whether it is to take a walk, go on a nature hike or spend time at a park or playground.

Mr. Werner says, “Fishing is good for kids. And Olive the Woolly Bugger exists for the sole purpose of getting kids interested in fishing. You truly cannot accurately judge a book by the cover, and exploring beneath the surface may yield some pleasant surprises. Fishing dries on the surface is fun, but an astute angler knows that fish take the majority of their meals under water. Exploring the depths is what makes the woolly bugger such an effective and popular pattern. Take a closer look- I think you’ll get hooked on Olive the Woolly Bugger, and by doing so you’ll be helping kids in more ways than one.”

There is so much more I’d like to share with you about this wonderful author and his Olive series. My next post will explore the organizations he supports with a portion of the proceeds of book sales and a little bit about the other two books he has written.

I’d also like to invite parents, grandparents and anyone who is caring for little ones to a Show-Me-How Story-time with Miss Vivian this Saturday, August 6th from 11am to 1:30pm at Family Christian Store, 7560 N. Academy Blvd in Colorado Springs. If you are local to Colorado Springs, please stop by for one of the STARTING SCHOOL JITTERS BE GONE! presentations…at 11:30am-12 or 12:30pm to 1. We’ll be talking about school anxiety, reading a wonderful picture book story and then doing a fun craft project. There will be a free hand-out for parents on Five Steps to a Smoother School Year and parents can fill in an entry form to win a bunch of craft supplies for their child. Please email me at vivan@positiveparentalparticipation.com or call the store at 719-598-1500 if you have any questions.