Able Scouts

Articles on Scouting with special needs and disabilities

BB-8: Fishing

CAMP PROGRAM FOR SCOUTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS AND DISABILITIES

IN THIS MODULE:

PURPOSE

Fishing is one of the most popular things to do at camp, and every willing camper should have an opportunity to fish. Opportunities at the water are especially important for Scouts with disabilities to enjoy camp and to let them try new things.  The methods discussed here apply to both structured instructional time and to recreational time.

This module is for Fishing Directors at Scouting America resident camps and it applies to Webelos, Scouts BSA, and adults attending camp with them. It might be useful for activities in other venues or for events specifically for Cub Scouts, Venturers, or Sea Scouts, but that is not the purpose.  The goal is to provide a concise guide on how to make fishing programs at camp work for Scouts with special needs or disabilities.  In this module, “camper” is intended to mean everyone at camp who is not “staff”, whether they are a youth or an adult.

Generally, fishing can take place from a variety of platforms and at a variety of waterways. But since we are talking only about resident camp, we are limiting this discussion in three ways. First, we are only addressing pole-and-line fishing. Seining, fish traps, trotlines, juglines, and unattended bait-and-hook fishing are not part of this camp program activity. Second, we assume that all fishing will be done from the bank. It is rare for a camp to have a dedicated pier or floating dock to use for fishing and there are aquatics safety reasons for not sharing a dock where other campers will likely be barefoot. Third, this module talks about things that are within the control of the fishing staff and it does not go into permanent improvements to the facilities.

We assume that campers will not be allowed to go out alone to fish and will be adhering to the traditional buddy system, whether they are a youth or an adult. We also assume that closed-toe shoes will be worn while fishing.

OVERVIEW

You will have campers out fishing when they are not signed up for classes or are out of class. This makes fishing different from most other programs being offered at camp.  It can happen outside of scheduled times, without direct supervision by staff, and in places other than the regular instruction location.  Unlike most water activities, you don’t have to pass a swim test in order to fish. At most, a non-swimmer or beginner rating might limit a camper’s access to certain locations or require a camper to wear a personal flotation device (PFD or “lifejacket”). 

In this module we assume you are knowledgeable about fishing itself.  There is no mandatory formal training to qualify as a Fishing Director for Scout camp, but it is a good idea to first complete Angling Educator, or better yet, Certified Angling Instructor training. Since there is no mandatory training, we need to cover some nuts-and-bolts general information that isn’t specifically about disabilities or special needs.

All of the camp programs include teaching skills. The EDGE method works for nearly everything you want to teach, but it doesn’t solve every challenge you may experience with a diverse group of campers.  Module BB-7 Merit Badge/Adventure Teaching has a number of tips and tricks for teaching the different kinds of campers you might encounter. The information in Module BB-7 is not being repeated here.

At present, fishing is not specifically addressed in the Guide to Safe Scouting, which means that your safety and operating rules have to be figured out at the local level. The obvious hazard of pole-and-line fishing is getting stuck with a hook. The single best safety tool is space.  The more space you can allow around and between campers, the safer it is. Fly fishing takes up more space than spin-casting. The second tool is eye protection, to protect the campers and bystanders from casting errors. “OSHA” level protection isn’t needed and sunglasses are usually sufficient, but campers don’t always bring sunglasses or use them on cloudy days. You should have clear safety glasses available for anyone who does not have sunglasses or prescription glasses.  Wearing a hat with a brim helps guard against hooks by deflecting the line from the face. A circular brim is better than a ball cap.

We assume that when you teach someone to cast for the first time that you will be using a dry-land approach with either practice plugs instead of hooks or a “Backyard Bass” casting game set. When you shift to actual fishing, circle hooks vastly simplify the effort to hook the fish, and can be thought of as “training wheels” for all the campers. With a circle hook, you don’t need to tug the line to set the hook.  Barbs should be bent down to protect the fish and make removal from a participant easier.  For safety sake, treble hooks should not be used. (they can be replaced by inline hooks)

FIGURING OUT GENERAL RULES FOR EVERYONE

Before you adapt your fishing program for different abilities, you need to find out, or decide on, the general rules for your fishing program. Fishing is regulated by state fish and wildlife conservation laws.  Your campers may need to have fishing licenses in order to legally fish. There may be regulations requiring catch-and-release, or keeping only fish of certain species or sizes, or limiting how many fish you can take at a time (creel limits).  There may also be regulations that limit the use of certain types of hooks or fishing equipment.

Once you address legal restrictions, you need to understand the rules of the property owner of both the shoreline area and the body of water itself. Scout camps often use land that they do not own and they share lakes, riversides, and coastal areas with other kinds of users.  Many bodies of water use stocked fish and need to manage how many are taken.

The camp itself may have places where there are fish to catch, but have to be off-limits to campers for safety reasons or because they are being used for other camp programs. Your camp ranger and camp program director are the best guides for that information.

A fundamental decision is whether or not campers are required or allowed to bring their own fishing gear. If not, then your camp needs to have enough equipment to run your instructional program and have enough extra gear to allow gear to be checked out for independent fishing. If outside gear is brought in, you need to have an organized inspection time to make sure the proper hooks, lures, flies, bait, etc. are going to be used. Either way, you will need to give campers an orientation on the site-specific rules for your camp and explain gear checkout procedures.

HOSTING A CAMP ARRIVALS ORIENTATION

Remember that you will have people fishing at camp who are not in fishing classes. Fishing is a common way for adults to spend the daytime hours while the youth are at classes.  We assume that on camp arrival day or on the first morning of camp you will host an orientation session for all the anglers to cover your camp’s rules. Be sure to invite anyone who has an unusual concern to come to the orientation, especially the leaders, parents, guardians, or caregivers of a Scout with special needs.  At the end of the general orientation, leave some time to discuss individual situations.  That way, you can better understand what actual accommodations you need to come up with, and it gives you and your staff a chance to think some things through when you aren’t in a rush.  Good communication also builds rapport and trust with the assistants[1] that will be coming to fish with their Scouts and help them understand your safety concerns so they can help you as well.

This is a good time to ask what the Scout’s individual goals are.  A Scout doesn’t have to achieve a high level of skill to have a good time and learn about the sport of fishing.  On the other hand, if the Scout wants to learn how to cast accurately (as required by Fly Fishing MB), you can talk about ways to get enough instruction time and practice time to meet that goal.

[1] In this context an “assistant” is usually an adult or older Scout who comes along with the Scout with a special need to help that person. It might be a family member, unit leader, professional caregiver, or family friend.

ASSESSING SHORELINE SAFETY FOR DISABILITIES

Fishing from the bank is usually done without wearing a PFD, but that decision makes some assumptions about the shoreline conditions: (1) either there is little or no chance of falling into the water, or (2) the water you would fall into is so calm and shallow that anyone could get out without help, and (3) the height you could slip or fall is too low to get hurt worse than scrapes or bruises. This should seem obvious, but we can’t allow people to stand near the edge of an embankment that could collapse beneath them.

We want to give campers with disabilities as much opportunity to fish as anyone else, and when they have limits to their strength, stability, or mobility that increase their risk of ending up in the water, we need to adjust our usual approach to shoreline safety.  We also need to account for a camper with an intellectual disability that unexpectedly goes into the water, who might struggle to take action even though they are strong and fit.

Remembering that the solution needs to fit the individual camper, here are some options to consider:

  • Shift location to a place with a railing to stand behind.
  • Require the camper to stand back one body length or more from the water’s edge so they won’t go into the water if they slip or fall.
  • Put the camper into a PFD so that if they do fall in, there will be time for them to self-rescue or be helped.
  • Pair the camper with a capable swimmer that can go in after them if the camper ends up in the water. 
  • If the camper is capable of grabbing a rope or pole and being pulled back to shore, keep one close at hand to do a rescue.

If you use a PFD, be aware that some PFDs help turn a person face-up in the water and others don’t.  If you put the camper into a PFD, make sure they can flip face-up and float on their own or that they will flip face-up automatically while wearing that style of PFD.  If a person with a disability needs to sit in a chair and also be close enough to the edge to potentially fall in, the chair needs to be secured so it does not move and the person should not be tied or belted to the chair[2].

MOBILITY AND ACCESS TO THE WATER’S EDGE

Users of wheelchairs and crutches often need vehicle transportation to get to the fishing area.  It is rare for a camp to have a wheelchair accessible path all the way to the water’s edge in every place you might want one.  Wood I-Joist material makes a great movable temporary ramp material. The simplest answer is usually to talk it through with the person who uses mobility equipment about how to best move them to the water’s edge.  It is OK to use staff and other campers to carry a person and their equipment across the obstacles. Not everyone that needs to be carried is fragile, or as fragile as they look, so ask the camper or caregiver about the most comfortable and safe way to do so. While you can’t roll an ordinary wheelchair across sand, the chair may make a perfectly stable seat once it is carried there. The wheels can be settled into the sand to make a stable level place to fish from.

You can usually use the camper’s chair or wheelchair as a seat when the camper is near the water. You need to get the seat of the chair leveled up so the camper isn’t forced to lean forward. Some more sophisticated chairs have the ability to adjust the angle of the seat and the back, known as the “dump”[1] of the chair.  The other key thing is that you need to chock the wheels so it will not roll unexpectedly.  The parking brakes on manual wheelchairs are not strong and can slip on a slope. The Suggested Equipment List at the end of this module shows stands that are made for indoor training with bicycles that also fit well to lift up the smaller front wheels of a wheelchair and keep them from rolling. Plan on building up small platforms under the downhill wheels. Felling wedges made for tree cutting can be stacked up to change the angle and height[2] under the front wheels. So can reasonably large boards and stones.  Even though power chairs have gears, so it seems like they don’t need parking brakes, chock the wheels anyway. Also, turn off the power, because someone can bump the controls accidentally when they are casting or landing a fish and drive themselves into the water.

Wheelchairs and other mobility equipment need to be shaded or covered while the person is not sitting in them.  Direct sun can make the surfaces hot enough to burn.  This is particularly important because some people have nerve conditions where they cannot feel heat and/or pain and they will not know that they are being injured.

[2] A PFD does not have enough “float” to lift the equipment in addition to a person. Someone belted in their chair will sink, with their chair.

[3] The dump is the difference between the height of the front edge of the seat and the back edge. The lower the back edge, or greater the dump, the more stable the person is in the chair.

[4] Example wedges are shown later in the suggested equipment list. To make a thick stack, stack the wedges tip to tail. To make a steeper angle, stack them tip to tip.

HAND AND ARM STRENGTH LIMITATIONS

There are a lot of different things that can make it hard to cast a line, hold a pole, land a fish, or attach devices to a fishing line, but rarely will all of them be going on with one person.  Your ultimate fall back is a super-simple fixed-line fishing rig like a cane pole or Tenkara pole.  It eliminates the need to operate thumb levers, make a strong throwing motion, turn a crank, or hold a heavy pole.  You also have the option of teaching Spey casting and using double-hand rods. Keep an open mind and you might invent a new casting technique for just that one person. Our goal is for the camper to catch fish and have as complete an experience as possible, including casting and reeling in. But if there is no way for campers to cast on their own, even with the ideas and suggestions below, then helpers may have to cast for them while letting them reel the line in. That is better than no fishing at all.

Gripping – Even if you are strong enough to swing a fishing rod, you can’t do it if you can’t grip the rod firmly enough to keep hold on it.  The first thing to try is two-handed casting. The handle on a rod can be extended and thickened with a short segment of PVC pipe. Foam pipe insulation can be used to thicken a handle and make it easier to grip.  If that won’t work, look at shifting the load onto the forearm with a handle extension that you strap to one forearm instead of holding the pole with the hand.  There are Velcro straps made for bundling fishing poles together that can be used to attach a rod handle near the elbow and near the wrist.  If a person can cast, but doesn’t have the endurance to stand and hold the rod, there are rod holders made to stick into the ground, clamp to a chair, or mount to the gunnel of a boat.

One-Handed – You will find that a person who has the use of only one hand has already developed a lot of tricks and techniques for getting things done. For the most part, let them tell you what kind of help they need.  The one piece of equipment that you need for this audience is a body harness rod holder so they can free up their one hand to reel the line in and unhook the fish.

Fine Hand Motion – If a camper has a hard time doing small scale tasks, like tying knots, tying flies, or attaching bobbers and sinkers to a line, you have two different approaches to consider.  If the camper is interested in fishing for fun, there is no harm in just arranging for a helper to do these kinds of tasks for the camper. Another way to enhance capabilities is to use tools like pliers to grip and manipulate small objects. Fishing line threaders help draw line through eyelets and hook eyes. In reality, there are already plenty of fishing gadgets out there, such as hooks that are pre-tied onto leaders (snelled hooks) and tools for unhooking fish, that make it unnecessary to do the harder tasks. Go ahead and take advantage of those devices.

For instructional purposes, like knot-tying and fly-tying tasks to earn merit badges, the trick is to enlarge the scale of the task.  For example, use ¼ inch or ½ inch flexible woven rope to learn and demonstrate tying a line to an eyelet instead of monofilament.  Any kind of a joining knot will be easier to learn and teach if the lines are two different colors. Honestly, these tricks will work for all of your campers. You enlarge the scale for fly-tying beginning with the size of the hook.  For example, instead of starting with a #6 hook (3/4 inch long with 5/16 inch opening) you start with a large #8/0 (#8 aught or #00000000) deep sea fishing hook that is 2-3/4 inches long with an opening over 1 inch.  A camper can learn and demonstrate the skill of fly-tying while making something larger than you would actually use in a stream[1]. Remember that a fly does not have to look pretty to a person to attract and catch fish.  For teaching purposes, consider using a simpler design like a mophead or woolly bugger.

[1] Note that while the Fly Fishing merit badge requires the Scout to catch a fish on a fly, it does not require the Scout to catch a fish on a fly the Scout tied him or herself.

COMMUNICATION

Some Scouts have disabilities that are obvious, like physical disabilities[1], blind, deaf, or Down syndrome.  For every obvious disability you encounter, there will be several Scouts with less obvious special needs like learning disabilities, ADHD, autism, intellectual disabilities, or anxiety disorders.  Camp is exciting and challenging, and over the course of a multi-day camp session, Scouts with disabilities may tire out or act out more as the days pass.  Some Scouts with milder special needs may start off camp without needing accommodations but begin to need them later on.

The campers that come to participate in fishing will not always identify themselves to the staff as having a special need.  The key thing to remember is if a camper is making errors in following instructions or rules, it could easily be because of a special need or disability rather than ignorance or disobedience.  If you take a little time to interact with the camper directly, you can get a sense of whether extra help will be needed.

If you have a question or concern about an individual camper and want to know more about that person, reach out to the adults from the unit.  First, look around your program area. Sometimes a family member, caregiver, or unit leader is discreetly watching “their” camper from a distance.  Feel free to approach while someone else on your staff watches over the camper.  Otherwise, you will have to track down an appropriate adult.  If you won’t be able to leave the fishing area during “business hours” you can try to catch the unit leaders at the next mealtime or use your camp commissioners to reach out to the leaders and ask them to come to see you at the fishing area.

[5] Note that while the Fly Fishing merit badge requires the Scout to catch a fish on a fly, it does not require the Scout to catch a fish on a fly the Scout tied him or herself.

[6] Physical disabilities include people who need mobility equipment like wheelchairs and crutches, but also include people that have limited strength, endurance, or coordination.

SPECIFIC SITUATIONS

Group Fishing – If you are going to have an organized group that is fishing or practicing fishing, you are going to need to have them spread out enough to manage the risk of them tangling lines or snagging one another, while having them close enough together to manage.  In the Certified Angler Instructor program, the standard method of managing the campers is with whistle commands. One tweet means “start/resume fishing”. Two tweets mean “stop fishing” to receive instructions.  Three tweets mean “everyone freeze” to allow the facilitator to fix a problem that has come up, without getting caught or snagged in the process.  Campers are taught to say “FISH ON” to let the people near them know that they are bringing in and landing a fish.

Deaf Campers and Campers that are Non-verbal – The whistle approach has to be modified to account for the people in the fishing area that cannot hear well. This is particularly important in fishing where the campers face the water and the staff cannot stand in front of them to get their attention with hand signals.  Non-verbal campers usually need a device to communicate and are unable to get your attention easily.  Both kinds of these campers will need a one-on-one assistant who can hear/speak and can translate for the Scout.  The assistant and the deaf Scout need to have some nonverbal signals worked out between them in advance of the activity.

Blind Campers – A blind camper can accomplish a great deal more than most people expect.  For fishing, a camper needs to be paired with a sighted buddy simply to get faced in the right direction, get feedback on how far their cast went, and get alerted when someone has come too close to where they are swinging their hook. Baiting hooks and setting hooks can be done by feel. Circle hooks make it unnecessary to tug on the line to set the hook, but with that said, give the campers the option to choose a greater challenge. The sighted buddy may also need to give information for landing the fish, like how big it is and how far from the end of the pole it is hanging.  For more information on teaching for low vision see Module M.

Allergies – When fishing, there is a chance a camper could touch something that triggers an allergy, most likely a fish itself or live bait.  Someone who has a food allergy to seafood or shellfish might also be allergic to freshwater fish. Shrimp is a commonly used bait. A person that has an allergic reaction to eating or breathing something might react to it with skin contact as well. Just as restaurants ask customers about allergies, it is worth an ask before you start fishing at camp.  The camper might need to limit their fishing to using flies and artificial bait instead of live bait, or use gloves to handle fish and bait. For more information you can go to Module H.

Behavior Struggles – Frustration and impatience are inherent to the process of fishing and they can’t and shouldn’t be eliminated entirely. That said, if you have a camper that is acting out because it has gotten to be too much, the best answer is usually to just take a break from the activity. Hopefully, your camp has a de-stressing area or “tranquility base” for campers to use.  If you need to steer a camper to do something else for a while, make sure to explain to the camper and the adult accompanying that camper that this is a momentary thing and you want the camper to return and try again later. We don’t want them to think they are banished. Think about finding a way for the camper to participate in a smaller group or get one-on-one instruction.

Docks and Boats – If your camp offers fishing from a dedicated pier, floating dock, or boats,  your procedures need to line up with aquatics safety policy, including Safety Afloat and Safe Swim Defense.  Module BB-2 Aquatics – Waterfront and Boating has more information about using boats with Scouts with disabilities. Start by asking the camper or caregiver about the most comfortable and safe way to move onto a boat. For boat-based fishing you can usually take a wheelchair aboard a larger boat or platform (pontoon) boat. You may have to use people to lift the person out of the chair, then lift the chair from the dock to the boat, and then put them back into the seat on the boat. As with unlevel ground, the chair needs to be chocked or secured so it won’t roll around, but the occupant must not be tied or belted to the chair, so they can float freely in their PFD in an emergency.  For small boats, the person will typically leave the chair on shore. In these situations, an inner tube in the bottom of the boat can be used to make a relatively stable seat. Flat bottomed “Jon Boats” or rowboats are more stable for fishing than canoes and kayaks. The hearing aids or cochlear implants that a deaf Scout uses may be expensive but not be waterproof, so they should not be worn in boats that can overturn.  A Scout that uses a communication device[1] for speaking has the same problem.

Wading/Standing in the Water – Standing in the water during fishing is not part of regular Scout camp curriculum.  It can be done when it is supervised by a Certified Angling Instructor, as part of a high-adventure program for older youth. In this situation, you are allowed to wade in the water while wearing a PFD, but the place where you allow campers to wade must meet the requirements for a “non-swimmer” swim area under the Scouting America Aquatics Safety system. In short, wading campers can go into calm water, no more than waist deep, with adult supervision.  The bottom must be clear of trees and debris, and abrupt changes in depth (holes and drop-offs) are not allowed. Practically speaking, this means no wading in unexplored locations. Water shoes are needed for traction on the bottom and for foot protection.

[7] The formal name is augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices.  These use keyboards or touch symbols to create speech.

SUGGESTED EQUIPMENT LIST

The list is on a separate page. Click here to see the list.

Updated 27 July 2026

Authors – Paul Minenna, Frank McPhillips, Kathy Myszewski, Chris Werhane

Editor – Roger B. Tate

Reviewed by – David Lund, Scouting America National Fishing Leadership Team, Deb Reidmiller, Sandy Payne, Fred Monahan

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