By Tori La Rue | [email protected]

South Valley - Andrew Rose is gearing up to teach another school of students how to fish at the Herriman Cove Pond in April. 

Within the past 10 years, Rose, 39, of Herriman has taught more than 50 local children the basics of his favorite hobby through the Community Fisheries Club developed through the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. 

“I started volunteering because I want to help any and all kids learn how to fish, if they are interested, because they don’t know what they are missing out on if they’ve never tried it,” he said.

The program’s purpose is to give children in urban and suburban areas the opportunity to fish, even when they don’t live close to a large body of water, according to Tonya Kieffer, division wildlife recreational specialist. The division stocks fish in neighborhood ponds and educates volunteers, like Rose, who instruct the six-session, two-hour club meetings.

Rose starts out each class with some instruction before the group casts in their lines. He teaches the 6- to 13-year-olds about safety basics first, and then he teaches how to tie fishing knots, cast a line and hook a fish.

Later on in the program, he teaches about the biology and ecology of the pond and fish, giving them a balanced fishing education, but the best part is when they hit the pond.

One of Rose’s favorite moments in Community Fisheries Club was helping a child with severe autism catch his first fish, because afterward the child was “just beaming,” he said. 

“Most of these kids have never been fishing before, and there’s nothing like seeing the excitement of someone when they catch their first fish, and that’s what makes it worth it – that’s why I volunteer,” Rose said. 

The pond is stocked so fishers will catch one fish per hour on average. Catfish and rainbow trout are the most common catches at Utah’s fisheries, but participants might also catch bluegill and largemouth bass.

“Occasionally we put brood stock trout in the ponds, and that’s always fun and exciting for someone to catch a 25- to 26-inch fish from a small pond, especially if it’s public, even though they’re not very pretty,” he said. “Fishing is a way for residents to escape everyday life and reduce stress.” 

Rose welcomes the siblings, parents and other family members of participants to join in the club, because he believes fishing is more fun to do with the people you care about.

Rose’s passion for fishing started when he was “a babe in arms,” he said. Rose’s father took him on fishing trips when Rose was a baby, and as soon as he could hold a fishing pole, he was fishing on his own. Rose made sure his two children, Morgan and Aiden, now 11 and 8, had a similar experience. 

Morgan, his oldest, caught her first fish in the Herriman Cove Pond. 

As soon as Rose’s children were old enough, they began coming to the club and assisting him in teaching, and they love it.

While the city rents out fishing equipment, Rose said he usually brings some of his own for children and their families to borrow. 

“I usually bring the generic kind of fishing stuff, and I end up giving a lot of it away,” he said. “I know they’ll use it, and I know they’re having fun, and you really can’t put a price tag on that.” 

The Herriman Community Fisheries program is now accepting registration online or by phone at 801-254-7667. There’s a $15 fee, which includes a T-shirt, and space is limited. The club begins in April. For exact dates, visit http://www.herriman.org. 

Riverton has not announced their dates for their community fishery club at Riverton Pond. For more information call 801-208-3121.

For a full list of community fisheries visit http://wildlife.utah.gov/cf/clubs.php