Daily Archives: April 17, 2014

Angler Education Certification Course May 17

Anglers can make a difference by teaching fishing techniques across Kansas

A bobber goes down, the reel starts spinning, and fishing line is being taken out to water. The excitement overwhelms her so much that she forgets what to do. He was there to walk her through the steps, and before she knew it, her first-ever fish was in her hands. Wide-eyed and grinning from ear to ear, she says “that was fun,” and that’s all he needed to hear. You, too, can help create unforgettable memories like this for anglers of all ages by becoming certified to teach fishing techniques in the state of Kansas.
Fishing’s Future and the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism are looking to enlist up to 40 anglers who want to become volunteer instructors to teach fishing techniques. Interested anglers should enroll in the instructor course that will be taught on May 17 at LakeHenry in ClintonState Park, 798 N. 1415 Rd., Lawrence. The course will run 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. and although the class is not a requirement to teach, those in attendance will be given valuable information about working with children, sample curriculums, and tips for preparing a class or clinic. Other topics covered in the four-hour class will include current fishing rules and regulations, species identification, fishing ethics, equipment, knot-tying, casting, fish habitat, aquatic nuisance species, and conservation.
Anglers interested in registering can sign up at fishingsfuture.org. Click “upcoming events,” then “Kansas Angler Education Training Program.”
For more information, contact Fishing’s Future local coordinator Kevin Reich [email protected], or by phone at (785) 577-6921.
Parking will be available on the hill above LakeHenry. The lot by the lake is reserved for disabled anglers. If there is inclement weather, the course will be moved to the park building.

Student Archers Set Sights on National Competition

219 schools currently offer the Kansas Archery in the Schools program

Kansas Archery in the Schools hosted its fifth annual state archery tournament, Saturday, April 5, atClearwaterHigh School, southwest of Wichita. Three hundred and twenty students vied for a chance to compete at nationals. Of those 320 archers, three teams and 60 individual competitors qualified for the National Archery in the Schools tournament in Louisville, Kentucky, May 9-10.
Operating under the umbrella of the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) and the National Archery in the Schools (NASP) program, the Kansas archery program is aimed at promoting international-style target archery among students in grades 4-12. With the help of KDWPT and NASP, program coordinators are able to introduce archery as a fun, lifelong activity to young people who may have never taken up the sport otherwise.
Students from 11 communities competed this year, including: Anthony, ClayCenter, Clearwater, Erie, Tribune, Holton, Hugoton, Kingman, Neodesha, Olathe, and Rose Hill.
Competing in three divisions, elementary school (4-6), middle school (7-8), or high school (9-12), participants are required to shoot five arrows in each of the three rounds from a distance of 10 meters and a distance of 15 meters. A score of 300 points is considered perfect, which would be scores of 10 on each of the 30 total arrows they can be scored on.
Individual winners in each grade division are as follows:
GIRLS
Avery Schill, 264, Clearwater Elementary
Tatyana Miner, 278, ClearwaterMiddle School *Top overall score, top female score
Amber Asbury, 266, ClearwaterHigh School
BOYS
Richard Wolf, 260, Clearwater Elementary
Daniel Schule, 274, ClearwaterMiddle School
Kyle Reed, 277, ClearwaterHigh School *Top male score
Clearwater school teams placed first in all divisions. The top 10 boy and girl competitors from each grade division from any of the participating schools also qualified for nationals.
For more information, visit www.ksoutdoors.com and click “Services / Education / Archery in the Schools,” or email Mike Rader at [email protected].