Spaces Still Available to Become A Certified Youth Fishing Instructor

ATHENS, OH – Any adult, group, or conservation club who has a sincere interest in taking kids fishing should consider becoming a certified Passport to Fishing instructor, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).

A Passport certification course is being offered on April 1 at the Deerassic Education Center in Cambridge, Ohio. Passport to Fishing is a one-day instructor training program that qualifies individuals to become ODNR Division of Wildlife certified fishing instructors, similar to a hunter education instructor. This workshop will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 14250 Cadiz Road, Cambridge, Ohio 43725. It is free of charge, but pre-registration is required by March 27. Participants will be required to participate in a background check.

Passport to Fishing was developed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and adopted by the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation. Workshops teach volunteers the basics of fishing and how to run a four-station fishing program with a fishing event. These instructors then go back to their communities, with a written curriculum and training aids, to teach kids and beginning anglers the basics of fishing.

By becoming a certified instructor, you will not only be able to help in reconnecting students with the outdoors, but you will also have the skills and resources to help you do it in a more successful way. Resources available include grants, equipment, publications and brochures, and training.

For more information or to register for a workshop, please call Chelsea Herrick at 740-589-9942. For additional class information, visit wildohio.gov.