Mothers provide the constant support that guides who their children are today. They support, nurture and empower their little ones to take chances and do big things. Today, we celebrate all the mom’s in our lives by highlighting a few that have taken the step to introduce their children to the outdoors, empowering them to feel comfortable in wild places, and supporting them while they learn to appreciate the world around them.
Mia Sheppard
Mia was born in Tennessee and spent the first 14 years in the south. She now lives in Maupin, Oregon with her husband Marty, daughter Tegan, pointer Eddy, a couple chickens and honey bees. Together they own Little Creek Outfitters, a year around guide service since 2003 for trout, smallmouth bass and steelhead. @miaflora2
How did you introduce your child to the outdoors and fishing?
As a mother who is an outfitter and guide, being on the river is second nature. Tegan was 6 months old when we took her on a training trip and shortly after that we took her on her first multi day bass trip. She has spent her life on the river.
Did you teach your little one to spin cast first, or jump right into fly fishing?
I never taught Tegan to fish. She just watched us, then I would hand her a rod and let her cast. When kids are developing muscle coordination you can’t focus on teaching technique and most kids don’t have the patience. The most important thing is, keep it fun!
How do you ensure your little/teenager is occupied on the water and in the outdoors?
To keep kids engaged; point out wildlife or play “I spy the deer.” Let them row the boat, sleep in, swim. I always bring water colors, coloring pencils and paper, also books and playing cards.
Amber Toner
Amber Toner was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta. She has spent the last 14 years fly fishing and photographing the outdoors. Her favorite place to be is on the east slope watersheds of Alberta’s rocky mountains; catching trout and photographing those experiences with her family and her goofy dog Zetti. @thebugparade
How did you introduce your child to the outdoors and fishing?
I was exposed to fly fishing and the outdoors at a very young age thanks to my parents so it was important for me to share that with Lochlan. His first river outing was at 3 months old on a warm day in January. It was a short trip as he napped in his carrier on my chest. That’s really how we started out, short trips to the river to get him exposed to the outdoors and then we would lengthen the time out there as he got older. By 6 months old, he was accompanying us on much longer days and as long as he was comfortable, fed and changed he was happy being out there. Now he’s 5 years old and he always prefers being outside in some form, fishing or not.
Did you teach your little one to spin cast first, or jump right into fly fishing?
We jumped right into fly fishing. He’s been holding a fly rod since he could walk. We started with a practice rod and then moved to a really light glass 7’6 3wt rod that was easy for him to use. A shorter fly rod was key! I don’t pressure him to cast or to fish though, I let him figure it out on his own with gentle guidance and sometimes he isn’t into it and just wants to play with his hot wheels on the river bank. That’s ok too!
What’s a piece of advice you would give to other mothers and fathers when getting outdoors with their children?
My biggest advice to folks is to trust your gut and have no expectations. There will be all sorts of great advice and not so great advice out there, but ultimately you know your child and you know their limits. Days on the river with my son look very different from days I am out solo. We don’t walk as far, I don’t fish as much and sometimes we have to turn around and call it quits if my son is really having a tough time out there. It can be a lot of work packing everything, keeping them occupied and wanting to fish for yourself, but you’ll find a balance that works for you and ultimately having your kid alongside you outdoors is such an amazing gift that you both benefit so much from.
Brita Fordice
Brita has been fly fishing since she was 8, tying flies since 10, and has guided and/or worked in a fly shop since 2004 in Seattle, Washington. She now designs flies for RIO Products as well as continues to guide on her off days. She has 4 kids: 2 human and 2 furry that she fishes with on a regular basis. @seafly907
How did you go about teaching your child to fly fish?
I have been a casting instructor since 2004. One thing I have learned over the years is that you “don’t teach anyone you love to fly cast,” no matter how great you are at it. It’s always better to have someone else initially do the teaching. The kids will listen better, try harder, and there will be less frustration all around. It’s also important to keep casting sessions in very short intervals to keep it fun.
Days on the water with kids is all about the snacks, right? What’s your go-to?
Fruit snacks, fruit squeeze packs, goldfish, etc.
What does your typical day on the water with your kiddo look like?
We start by packing them full of sugar via a drive through coffee stand. This helps get the excitement going. It also makes the inevitable whining about why they still need to wear life jackets go quicker. Once the boat is launched, we can usually get the boat in gear to quickly silence any remaining protests about the life jackets. The most important part of the day is snacks and searching for beach rocks and shells. On some days we will drop off my youngest (10yrs old) on a deserted beach and back off the beach with the boat to fish a bit with him in sight while he looks for bugs and other beach creatures. We usually end the day when we run out of snacks 😊
Favorite piece of gear for getting outside with your little?
Waterproof backpack. Stuffed with snacks, water, beach toys, and most importantly: extra layers. Because a kid that is cold is a miserable experience on the water.
What’s a piece of advice you would give to other mothers and fathers when getting outdoors with their children?
Go with zero expectations, lots of layers, and tons of snacks. Similar to my mentality in guiding, I can never guarantee a great day of fish, but I can control the location and the food. So even if the fishing may not be as good in one location, we will still head there if there’s a great beach nearby.
Ry Scavo
Ry calls southern Colorado home with her husband, two wild kiddos and three crazy cattle dogs. She’s a freelance writer/photographer/content creator by way of @Big_River_Collective and passionate outdoors woman. Whether fly fishing, biking or skiing, her passion for wild places takes her and her family around the country in pursuit of good times and fun stories. @ryoutside
What is it like taking toddlers along on outdoor adventures?
There is never a dull moment when our kiddos are involved. With a 6 and 3 year old in-tow, no matter what the destination is, the journey is sure to be full of unexpected challenges and the most amazing rewards. I always “overpack” (according to my husband, but somehow always have the unexpected thing we just happen to *need*). And, what may seem like such an insignificant thing – a butterfly passing by on a hike through the desert – turns into a memory-creating experience that the kiddos won’t stop talking about. Taking toddlers on adventures gives me a new perspective on what I see to be an “adventure,” and for that, I am so grateful.
How did you introduce your child to the outdoors and fishing?
I suppose it was just understood that this is who we are. I’ve always been drawn to the water and the outdoors in general; and I’ve had a fly rod in my hand since I was 17. When I was pregnant with both kiddos, I kept fishing, biking, hiking and camping with my husband – I even landed trout on both of my due dates (because both kids were over a week late!). When my little ones were newbies, we carried them on our bodies (I used the Ergo 360) or transported them in car seats along the riverbank (one parent would sit with them while the other fished). As they’ve grown, we have continued to walk the river as a regular activity and when we’re not actively fishing and need some down time from playing outside or inside, we watch fishing videos together or look back at photos of us together on the water. We tend to be weekend warriors, traveling near and far for 2-4 day weekends to go camping and exploring on foot for rivers/creek/lakes or by bike for riding trails. I also share my solo experiences with them, exploring photos and videos I take when I travel alone.
How do you ensure your little is occupied on the water and in the outdoors?
I’m going to answer this one because sometimes, our kids aren’t occupied – and I want other families to know that THAT is 100% okay. From the moment we load up and get on the road to the second we hit the water, our kiddos can hit every emotion on the happy-to-sad-to-frustrated-back-to-happy spectrum. We don’t do screens/devices when we’re outside of the house (in the house, really it’s just family movies or fun shows – like Bluey – on the single TV we own), so sometimes, our kids live the lifestyle we did as kids – staring out the window or off the side of the boat or along the riverbank, watching the world pass by or engaging it the way they want to – whether that means tracking license plates, spotting birds or stacking rocks (that we unstack before we leave). That’s not to say we don’t try to help them stay occupied 🙂 We tend to bring crayons/pencils and notepads for them to draw while on the water/in camp/wherever we might be exploring. We also have extra rods, so if they want to fish with us, they can. My kids also LOVE to help pick the flies we’re throwing and try and point to fish or fishy spots we should fish, so we engage them in all steps of the fishing process.
Nelli Williams
As the Director of Trout Unlimited’s Alaska Program, Nelli has the honor of helping to take care of the Alaskan rivers that anglers love to fish. For Nelli, the magic of fly fishing is rooted in the freedom to escape from the busyness of daily routines and explore new places with family. As a family, they reconnect on the river, laugh, slow down and enjoy just being together. Hopefully Nelli can inspire other families to find this magic too. @akfishingmomma @troutunlimitedalaska
What does your typical day on the water with your kiddo look like?
We typically do camping and fishing weekend adventures as a family. We are lucky enough to live in Alaska with relatively healthy rivers and abundant fish populations. Now that my kids are a little older we spend a lot more time fishing than we did when they were young (back then it was a lot of floating the river – doing diaper changes on the bow of the boat, snack wrangling, building rock towers and generally trying keep them from dunking in the river). Now, we can easily be on the water by mid-morning and spend all day floating, fishing, eating snacks and playing on gravel bars. We usually have a little friendly family competition on who catches the first, most, biggest, smallest and most different species of fish. Whoever wins has to buy ice cream…usually that’s Dad. Afterward, we enjoy a campfire dinner together.
Favorite piece of gear for getting outside with your little?
We loved the full body rain suits by Oakiwear before they were big enough for waders – they kept them dry when playing on the river bank (even if it wasn’t raining).
What’s some advice you would give to other mothers and fathers when getting outdoors with their children?
At times it can be really overwhelming to get all the gear packed, kids soothed, everyone fed and still have enough energy to get out the door. But, it’s absolutely worth it in the long run and my husband and I would much rather wrangle who gets to watch the kids on the gravel bar than who gets to do the dishes at home.
Be open to adjusting your expectations of your trips. You probably aren’t going to fish at 4 am when it’s 40 degrees and sleeting sideways like you used to; but without kids you also probably wouldn’t have a gravel bar dance party when a 6 inch fish is caught. So just do your best to embrace the new version of outdoor adventuring with kids – it has opened up my eyes to so many new things I was missing before! 🙂
Finally, try to build in some systems that help get your family out the door more efficiently. Have a standardized packing list based on the type of trip you are taking. Have a separate bin stocked with boat snacks and camping food so you don’t have to cram in a run to the grocery store before you get out of town.
