TOM ROWLAND PODCAST

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“Whether it’s fishing, casting, or whatever, this Ring Game has applications far beyond getting someone interested in fishing”

Podcast Synopsis

While my kids were growing up, we had a canal in our backyard and would play the Ring Game. As a fisherman, this is a great activity to reinforce my kids’ interest in fishing, but also I get to share one of my favorite hobbies with them. Though we had a canal, this game can be played in a pool, lake, or anywhere with water access. The Ring Game not only teaches kids how to cast their line, but is also a way to progress their skills, so they’re able to start catching fish on the flats.

For this game, I personally use a spinning rod, but any rod will work for this as well. I then have my son cast his line out (using his kid SpongeBob rod) into the water with a weight or jig attached to the end; the weight will then create a ring in the water. Now, for my turn, it is up to me to cast my line into the center of that ring before the ripple disappears. This teaches your kids how to read the water, and to become more familiar with the rod. With more and more practice, my kids were then asking to switch places with me, so I would cast the line, and they would aim for the center of my ring in the water. In turn, this improves their accuracy, speed, and becoming a better caster.

The Ring Game is probably one of the best drill games for young kids, as it instills the motto, “practice makes perfect”. With my sons, this game later helped with their practicing skills in different aspects of their life, from wrestling practices to homework. As for my kids, “they now know that they became very good at something, and now they can become good at anything.”

As mentioned before, this type of game can be altered with any body of water or fishing rod. Last time on the show, Gene “The Flukemaster” Jensen, uses an idea similar to mine: he casts a line with a small weight attached at the end, and aims for the inside of a five gallon bucket of water. However you play, it is guaranteed your whole family will find these accuracy games fun and entertaining.

See you on the water,

-Tom Rowland