Boy Have Things Changed!
I’ll say things have changed! When I was a kid, we ditched school to go fishing. Now, the fishing comes to the school!
On April 23rd & 24th, FVTU had the opportunity to partner with the Kalispell Middle School (KMS) and the Yellowstone Fly Fishing School (YFFS) to be part of a multi-day, hands-on, watershed education program that included an introduction to fly fishing/fly casting. Over seventy KSM seventh graders took part.
Matt Wilhelm, the founder of YFFS, has developed an extensive curriculum consisting of over thirty engaging lessons. Combining Zoom sessions with actual field days, students build awareness and connection with their local watersheds. The KMS students had been doing the Zoom lessons for some time. These two days were spent in the field, connecting the dots so to speak.
On Wednesday the 23rd the kids were taught the basics of fly casting as part of their PE class. With Matt as the lead, FVTU provided volunteer casting instructors to assist. For many of the kids it was the first time they’d ever held a fly rod. But, this being Montana, a few were already familiar with the basics.
On day two we moved down to Lawrence Park for a full day of interesting and challenging activities. The students were broken down into seven roughly equal groups and rotated through seven different stations, offering a variety of activities. By the end of the day, everyone had participated in everything.
Picking up where we left off, FVTU again provided fly casting instructions. As is often the case, we saw a marked improvement in some of the casters as things just start to come together for them.
Other activities included lessons on Aquatic Invasive Species. FVTU board member Justin Smith moderated this station where the students not only learned about the dangers and risks of invasives but the importance of cleaning gear and preventing inadvertent transport from watershed to watershed.
Moving along we come to a fascinating session on macroinvertebrates; think the bugs fish eat. FVTU’s Wade Fredenberg and Pat Van Eimeren, both retired fisheries biologists, assisted Matt by sharing their wealth of knowledge, answering questions and rattling off Latin names like a couple of Cardinals in Rome.
The Stillwater River flows right along Lawrence park and that offered an excellent opportunity to study water flows and stream velocity. Students at this station measured the length of time it took an object to float a given distance. Multiple passes were made with the data recorded then averaged to determine the flow rate. Once back in the classroom, they’ll be able to compare their results to actual USGS data for that day and see how close they came to the official numbers.
One station was devoted to Field Journaling. After all, a good scientist needs to know how to take good notes. A couple of other stations were purely physical activities designed to burn up some of that extra energy all 7th graders seem to have. Mother Nature pitched in as well. Chilly mornings gave way to sunny skies and shirt-sleeve weather. Overall it was a fantastic day, great kids, and loads of fun. It would be super to revisit this group fifteen years or so down the road and see how many chose a scientific path to follow, or maybe just like to fish, regardless of their career path.
Big Thank You’s to: FVTU volunteers Jim & Jo Borowski, Wade Fredenberg, Lee Jester, Steven McDermott, John Panichelli, Alison Smith, and Pat Van Eimeren for giving their time and energy to the project. To Matt Wilhelm and Yellowstone Fly Fishing School for his excellent program and coming up from Livingston to make it happen. And to the teachers and staff at Kalispell Middle School who pitched in to make it a success, with a special thanks to science teacher Josh Gubits who took the lead from the school side of things. These were his students we were working with.
Finally a huge thanks to FVTU board member and volunteer, Justin Smith. Justin was the driving force behind making this happen and the catalyst that brought it all together.
If you missed it, you missed a very rewarding opportunity. Join us next time the call for volunteers goes out!
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BIG NEWS!
I know you know the FVTU Annual Banquet is coming up on Saturday, May 17th, at Grouse Mountain Lodge in Whitefish but did you know that banquet tickets are now on sale! Head over to our banquet website: https://us.givergy.com/FVTU2025Banquet/?controller=home and pick up yours. There are lots of ticket options available, from single tickets to buying a whole table. Plus, we have the special ticket packages where you get not only admission but other goodies as well. And, we’re again offering the popular and money saving couples ticket.
While you’re there check out the Silent Auction items. Bidding for silent auction items starts May 12th. All bidding is online or via your phone, you don’t have to be present to win, and in most cases we can ship you the item if you’re the lucky bidder. Only a small number of items are posted right now but more are coming soon, so be sure to check back often.
P.S. I got a sneak peek at the list of both silent and live auction items as well as the raffle prizes. There’s some really nice stuff this year that you won’t want to miss out on! Mark your calendars, see you there!
About The Author
Jim Borowski
Former FVTU board member and Service Partnership Coordinator and former board member with the Warriors & Quiet Waters Foundation. codyco@cyberport.net