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Something over looked by many fisherman Fishing isn't a dangerous sport, however you should prepare to keep safe and comfortable in the outdoors. It is possible to get caught unexpectedly in bad weather, encounter insects, spend too much time in the sun, or get caught on a fish hook. Kids are adventurous, rambunctious, curious and fun loving. The result is that they naturally love the outdoors, but also have greater exposure to the dangers of the wilderness than the average adult. Most kids don't have the patience for fishing that many seasoned adult anglers possess. But with a little planning, preparation and patience on the adult's part, a fishing trip with kids can be safe and fun. Safety must be the number one concern an adult has for children who are learning to fish and to enjoy the outdoors.  It is important to try to foresee the potential dangers and plan for them. Sun exposure, boating, water currents, slippery rocks, insect bites, snakebites, wild animals, fishhooks, poisonous plants, cliffs and weather are some of the dangers that provide adventure to the child and gray hairs to the parent. Some areas even have traffic dangers that might not be too obvious, especially on or near mountain roads with blind curves. Sunscreen, good sunglasses,  life vests (when boating or if poor swimmers are fishing on a dock or near swift current), buddy systems (everyone travels in pairs or groups), safe insect repellent, emergency whistles, proper food handling and storage, adequate amounts of food and water, proper clothing, proper instruction, soap, a first aid kit and a watchful eye are all necessary to help keep an adventurous outing from ending in injury or tragedy. Checking with the rangers or other authorities in the area where you'll be fishing can provide priceless, but free, information about local dangers and how to avoid them. The adult must know how to identify and avoid dangers in order to help a child avoid them.   The adult must also know how to provide first aid in case prevention doesn't work and the child is injured or exposed to poisonous plants.  A very useful item for snakebites and insect bites is a syringe-style snakebite kit. These kits have a syringe-like suction device that draws poison out of the same hole that a snake or insect injected the poison through, without any cutting. They are quite effective and some have been documented to remove up to 75% of a poisonous snake's venom if used within the first minute after a bite. Stinging nettles can be treated using wet sand to scrub off the invisible stinging hairs, followed by wet moss packed on the area for cooling and soothing relief. Poison oak and poison ivy reactions can be prevented by immediately washing the area with soap and water and by spraying on a cheap aerosol anti-perspirant (deodorant alone doesn't have the right ingredients). Juice crushed or boiled out of elderberry leaves and dabbed on the skin is the best medicine available to relieve poison oak or poison ivy after the reaction has already started, but the area should still be washed first with soap and water to remove the poisonous oil.   With all of the safety and first aid products and information available, the most important thing for an adult to do is to be a good example of outdoor and fishing safety.   Watching one's step, wearing one's lifejacket in a boat, looking behind before making a cast, observing wildlife from a safe distance, wearing proper clothing, and other good examples all leave an impression on a child who is learning about the outdoors.   HOOKS When baiting hooks, keep a firm grip on the bait. The movements of slippery worms or minnows can cause serious hook injuries. Handle lures having clusters of double or treble hooks with special care.  When landing a fish, ease it out of the water into a net or onto the bank. Jerking a fish out of the water can result in wildly flying hooks, especially if the fish comes loose.   ON THE BANK OR SHORE Stay with your rod or pole. Protect curious children and animals from painful injuries by returning loose hooks and lures to your tackle box. Watch your backcasting clearance: avoid trees, bushes and especially people. Help prevent erosion: protect grass and shrubs near the water's edge. If you dig worms, go back away from the water to do so. Be sure to level the soil and replace the sod afterward.   WADING IN LAKES OR STREAMS requires special care. Watch your footing. Look out for drop-offs, deep holes, slippery rocks, soft mud and quicksand. Always test the footing ahead and keep most of your weight on the foot already on safe ground. Avoid wading through bank fishermen's lines.  Shoes should always be worn whether fishing on shore, in a boat, or wading in the water. Stray hooks, glass, sharp rocks, and other objects on shore and in the water could cut your bare feet. In a boat, shoes designed to keep your feet from slipping in a wet boat could help prevent you from taking an unexpected dip into the water. Watch the weather  In a storm, seek shelter on shore in a building or vehicle.      DON'T FORGET, ELECTRICITY LIKES WATER! Anything wet can conduct electricity, even your boots! A wet fishing line wrapped around a power line can kill you....the electricity can travel down the fishing line and through you. On shore or in a boat, avoid overhead power lines.     On the stream bank, don't cast near electric fences or power lines. Take a tip from the cows, stay away from electric fences! Watch sprinkling systems....those electric power users are another danger. Don't try to catch an animal in a pipe. Many people have been killed lifting the ends of pipes near power lines. If a rabbit, gopher, or snake crawls into a long aluminum irrigation pipe, leave it there. Don't try to dump it out. Never lift a metal pipe higher than your head. Fishing from a boat Fishing from rocky areas Be SunSmart            f you havie any hints, suggestions, techniques or anything that you would like to share or have me put onto this web page, please feel free to Email me