Students at the Armory Youth Project are reeling in new life skills. The Manistee County Sports Fishing Association is teaching students the fundamentals of catching and cooking fish.
At the after-school program, students are able to be involved in several different activities that are fun, healthy, but also valuable lessons.
The Armory Youth Coordinator, Jackie Kacynski, says that their new fishing program has their students looking forward to not only catching fish but diving into the kitchen with it and more.
“It’s a two part program we’re doing with Kevin Hughes, and he is teaching the kids. Last week they learned how to fish and they did some practice casting outside, and this week they’re learning how to prepare the fish in various different ways,” Kacynski said.
The students are dealing with four different types of fish that have all been caught and preserved locally by Captain Kevin Hughes, the President of MCSFA himself. The variety of fish includes rainbow trout, smoked trout, perch, and salmon.
The President says that the students will learn the importance of preserving, skinning, and prepping fish, but more importantly he wants to get them active.
“Part of the mission of our association in Manistee County here is that we want to get kids involved in fishing. and we just think that we need to get them off their computers and get out and go outside fishing and enjoying the outdoors,” Hughes said
Students have also been able to learn about the different types of fishing poles, reels and fishing terminology, but the Armory is waiting for warmer days to put what they’ve learned to the test.
“This is just the beginning of it, but we’re hoping that we can continue it into the summer and actually get the kids out fishing now that they’ve learned some of the skills,” Kacynski said.
Although the program is fairly new, the MCSFA is hopeful for better weather to get the students out fishing over in the Manistee River and other opportunities.