Strengthen Your Council’s Fishing Lineup With the Certified Angler Instructor Program

September 5, 2014

To help councils understand the great opportunity that fishing offers for recruitment and retention, it takes a local champion. That is what the Certified Angler Instructor (CAI) program is all about! Trained champions can promote the need for a good fishery and recruit more CAIs within the council as well as qualified merit badge councilors for the Fishing, Fly-fishing, and Fish and Wildlife merit badges.

We all know that fishing with Scouts is very popular, even with a minimum of program help. We also know most BSA camps are not offering a focused fishing emphasis, nor do they have an adequate fishery or well managed lakes/ponds to attract Scouts.

Our objective for a quality fishery is for a Scout to have a reasonable chance to catch a fish within 30 minutes. Ideally a smaller pond, two-to-five acres in size, and well stocked with panfish like bluegill, trout, or perch is better than a large lake with a few large bass or musky and multiple species that would appeal to adult Scouters. A quantity of fish with easy accessibility is best to get Cubs and Boy Scouts interested, provide great enjoyment in fishing, and help deliver more merit badges.

Councils that have endorsed the CAI program are delivering great success with Scout fishing programs.

We have over 300 CAIs across the US and they are making a great impact. That is a ratio of one CAI for every 8,500 Scouts, or approximately one per council. Unfortunately, we would be lucky to have CAIs in 20 percent of the councils. Ideally, a reasonable ratio should be one CAI per 1,000 Scouts.  Looking at it another way, a council with 15,000 youth should have 15 CAIs. Think what an impact a committee of 15 CAIs could have on your council and how much joy fishing and fly-fishing could bring to your Scouts!

So, now is the time to take a CAI course and help make fishing a key program in your council! Attend one of the two courses listed in the flier linked below: September 14-20 at Philmont Training Center or October 30–November 2 at the Florida Sea Base.

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