Olive Teaches Kids About Fly Fishing
January 9th, 2008For Further Information contact: Dindy Robinson
Swimming Kangaroo Books
817-717-5375
Olive introduces Children to Sport of Fly Fishing
Lifelong Washington resident Kirk Werner is an avid fly fisherman. As he’s also a free-lance illustrator and graphic designer, it is only natural that he should merge his love of fly fishing with his love of art and create a picture book to introduce children to the sport. Kirk’s first two books, Olive the Little Woolly Bugger and Olive and the Big Stream have just been released by Swimming Kangaroo Books and are already receiving much acclaim from the fly fishing world.
Matt Wilhelm, the National Education Coordinator of the Federation of Fly fishers says “This is a wonderful fly-fishing tale for both young anglers and the angler that is young at heart. Kirk Werner does a great job of including fundamental fly-fishing topics in a great story that catches both your attention and your eye.” With the help of Olive and a colorful cast of characters, children will get hooked on fly-fishing.
In Olive the Little Woolly Bugger, Olive wants to be a dry fly like her colorful companions at Camp Tightloops, Randal the Royal Coachman, Sally the Yellow Sally, and
Stan the Stimulator. Try as she might, Olive just can’t float like the snobby dry flies, but the drab little streamer fly soon learns what she can do! From earning a coveted spot in The Fly Box to catching a wild trout in The Big Stream, Olive discovers that everyone has a special purpose in life.
In his foreword to Olive the Little Woolly Bugger, International Game Fish Association Junior World Recordholder, Tyler Befus says, “When I first started, there were very few books that kids could learn about fly fishing. It is great to see that Kirk Werner realized there was a need for more kids’ fly fishing books and that he shares my passion for this great sport.”
An avid environmentalist, Werner made sure to put a strong conservation message in Olive and the Big Stream, stressing the importance of catching and releasing wild trout. Werner says, “It’s important to attract kids to the sport of fly-fishing, and fishing in general. Only by having future generations of anglers that appreciate the delicate nature of our wild fisheries can we have continued stewardship of the resource. Perhaps a young child will read Olive and in part because of the fun nature of my story they’ll want to go fishing. Then just maybe that child will grow up to support conservation issues and catch and release fishing where wild fish populations are dependent on it for survival.”
At a more basic level, the books offer an enticing alternative to kids who otherwise might spend their free time doing nothing but playing video games. Says Werner, “Getting a kid hooked on fishing means getting that kid outdoors, enjoying all that nature has to offer, instead of sitting inside playing a video game.”
Werner has created a winner. Captain Mark Taylor, President of the Washington Council of Trout Unlimited, says the book is “A fun read for both children and adults! The excellent art work and fun characters, along with the importance of taking care of the resources, make this a must for the fishing family’s library!”
Werner has more Olive books planned, with Olive Goes for a Wild Ride scheduled for release later this year. Olive already has her own website at http://www.olivethewoollybugger.com/. With eye catching illustrations and a touch of whimsy, the Olive books are sure to charm their way into the hearts of adults and children alike.
