The Angling Education Program recruits the next generation of stewards of our aquatic resource, by training volunteers to teach safe and ethical angling skills to youth (and adults as well.)

The Angling Education Program focuses on five basic assumptions:

1. A thorough knowledge of fish and fishing is the first step in a lifelong learning and growing process.

Program objectives are to teach:

• Popular types of coldwater and warmwater gamefish

• The need for proper species identification

• The minimum necessities to catch fish

• Common types of fishing rods and reels

• Different types of fishing line and how they are classified

• Different types of terminal tackle

• The difference between "bait" and "lure"

• How to tie knots

• How to add weight to a line

• How to attach a float to the line

• How to cast

Program objectives are to teach:

• What catch-and-release fishing is and why it is important

• How to release fish unharmed

• The rights of landowners and the responsibilities of anglers to get permission

• The rights of other anglers

• The written and unwritten rules of fishing

• What litter is and why it is harmful

• The difference between sportsmanlike and unsportsmanlike conduct while fishing

• The role of individuals in protecting fish and aquatic resources

• The contributions of anglers in preserving aquatic resources

Program objectives are to teach:

• Fishing license requirements for different age groups

• Fish management responsibilities of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

• How to read and understand the regulations pamphlet and find the regulations that apply to local waters

• Why live fish (minnows) are not allowed for bait in Washington State

• Why there are minimum size limits and bait restrictions on many trout streams

• Why trout caught with bait count toward the daily bag limit whether kept or released

• Why stream seasons don't open until June

• Why wild fish and hatchery fish must be managed differently

• How to identify a steelhead as a wild or hatchery fish

• The role of hatcheries

• How and why fish are shared between tribal and non-tribal fishers

• Some of the special regulations for bass, walleye and other warmwater species

Program objectives are to teach:

• The need for clean water

• The minimum requirements for fish to live

• The life history of fish, from egg to adult

• The different types of aquatic environments in both saltwater/marine and freshwater

• Which other animals besides fish depend on the aquatic environment

• Some of the human impacts on our aquatic environment

• The importance of the entire watershed to fish survival

• The need for education about the requirements of fish, and the components of a healthy aquatic habitat

Program objectives are to teach:

• What a personal floatation device (PFD) is and why it is important

• What hypothermia is, and how can it be avoided

• Proper lakeside safety and etiquette

• How to safely remove a hook from a fish and from a person

• Which unsafe activities often end up with hooks in people

• Basic safe boating concepts

• Potential hazards to be aware of while fishing and boating

• What to do if someone falls in the water

What is asked of volunteers?

Volunteer instructors should be either experienced anglers or skilled teachers. Our comprehensive curriculum makes it easy for teachers who are not experienced anglers to educate students about fish and fishing, and for anglers who are not skilled teachers to present the material in an easy-to-understand and enjoyable way.

Instructors may also be asked to volunteer for annual Free Fishing Weekend events, outdoor shows, fairs and similar activities, but are not required to participate. There is no minimum amount of volunteer time required.

What's in it for volunteers?

In addition to the enjoyment and pride received through teaching future generations of anglers, instructors can earn various reward and incentive items, such as mugs, pens, caps and T-shirts.

Does it cost to participate?

All instructional materials, plus rods, reels, and terminal tackle, are paid for with federal Sport Fish Restoration funds, and are provided to instructors free of charge. Travel costs and other expenses are generally borne by the volunteers, but in some cases can be reimbursed.

What is the Sport Fish Restoration Program?

The Sport Fish Restoration Program, administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is the official title for programs operating under the Wallop-Breaux Act. This act authorizes an excise tax, collected at the wholesale level, on fishing tackle, motorboat fuel and related items. Up to 10% of this tax money can be used for education, which provides the Angler Education Program with its operating budget.

Where can I learn more about this nifty program?

For more information on participating as a student or instructor, please contact:

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
Attn: Angler Education Program, M/S 43135
600 Capitol Way North
Olympia WA 98501-1091
Phone: 360-902-8310
Fax: 360-902-8117