Catching a Speck on a Kid's Allowance

[JoeFred]

What tackle could a youngster buy to legally catch a Smokies brook trout for $20 or less? I have an idea except the cost of the floatant puts the cost over the limit. Would all vegetable shortening be effective? be legal?

I'm thinking there's some real show & tell/science project potential here... or family fun at the very least

[Heavynets]

Why is floatant a necessity?

I use soft hackle flies or San juan worms.

[JoeFred]

Good point, Heavynets. Thanks.

Care to share the rest of your suggested under $20 outfit? Could a reel be considered unessential?

[Heavynets]

I understand that a Japanese Tenkara rod does not use a reel. They are about 12-14 feet long. I would think that the bamboo poles that kids use to use to bobber fish would perform about the same. Should work fine for nymphing, jigging and some limited casting.

Others can tell you better on how best rig them or do a Google search.

[flynut]

You could probably get away with just tying a leader to a stick if you really wanted to keep it cheap...

And I saw a kid catch a stocked rainbow at Shelby Park in Nashville using one of those Tenkara rods...it was a pretty funny scene, I don't think he was expecting to catch anything and his friends were all joking with him about the rod he was using...

[JoeFred]

That would have been fun to watch.

While at Bass Pro yesterday I glanced at what appeared to be an 8' 5/6 WT rod for around 15 bucks. Might work for bow & arrow casting as would just the right kind of sapling branch, from outside the Park, of course.