A Community Outreach Program

Johnson Lake 2008

A community outreach program

The Kenai River Professional Guides Association (KRPGA) provides volunteer support for several functions around the community.  One such program involves teaching grade school children how to cast both bait and fly rods. 

Local schools meet at Johnson Lake (south of Soldotna) every year.  The children learn about the environment, life cycle of fish along with many other related topics.

KRPGA volunteers show up early to set up the teaching area which consists of bait casting targets and hoops for the fly casters. 

As the children arrive they are instructed on how to use both the fly rods and bait casting gear they turned loose to practice what they were taught.  Typically three to four guides remain at each station helping the youngsters with their new found skills.  This year one guide dedicated most of the day to repairing reels in order to keep enough rods on line and the kids on track for their next learning station. 

Cliff Chamberlin arrived early to put up our banner

 

Bob Standish and Cliff Chamberlin demonstrate and coach a group in casting

 

Bob Christal untangles lines while Jerry Strieby and Tylor Goggia supervise another group

 

Jeff Moore provides some individual instruction while Murry Fenton evaluates technique

 
Children applying what they learned. Once again everyone involved had a great time and were more than happy to help the children learn how to fish.  Let’s hope they go out and practice what they have learned.