........maybe fly fishing is a sport that is picked up in later life......
Or maybe regardless of age, at some point down an angling “path”? I’ve been fishing for fifty four years, ever since I was six, but I was thirty before I picked up a fly rod.
The interest was there from quite a young age, because I was an avid reader of authors like BB. But on reflection, I was never likely to start fly fishing any earlier than I did, unless I’d been born into it due to geography, or family background, or wealth.
However judging by Gwynn’s post above, even the right geography in combination with affordable opportunities isn’t enough to encourage today’s juniors. I wonder if parental influence has more to do with some of them not choosing fishing? Because it takes a whole day up, it’s not safe, it’s muddy and messy, the parent(s) think they should be involved, but they don’t want to be and they resent spending their precious time on something they’ve no interest in?
Unfortunately I live near a large undercover shopping centre and several retail parks. On the very rare occasions I’ve had to go there on a weekend, I was struck by the “swiss fambly shoppers“, entire families clad in pristine white clothes and trainers, in crocodile procession along the malls. Probably spending their entire summer Sunday shopping and eating out, but indoors. Not getting muddy.....
Shopping trips were definitely a leisure activity/hobby for some pre Covid. What are they doing now? Shopping online and ordering in takeaway?
Or discovering there’s an outdoors? If so, maybe now’s the time for angling to catch them.....