By Melissa Walsh
Guru Glenn is a man on a mission to show young people and those going through tough times a secret he learnt years ago through the joys of fishing. The co-founder of That’s The Thing About Fishing (TTTAF), Glenn and a handful of fabulous volunteers donate their precious time and experience to taking people fishing across the peninsula.
Glenn says fishing is the conduit to encourage people of all ages to spend quality time outdoors. âThis also allows people to regain social skills that they may have lost by becoming stuck in front of a TV, technology or social media and housebound, helping them engage in society again,â he said. âThrough the outdoor experience, children and their families get away from screens and participate in real-world interactions which promote health and social development.
Glenn really does know what heâs talking about, after suffering an injury a few years back which led to a wheelchair with a lot of time on his hands. âI was getting a bit down not having anything to do and someone who was looking after me took me down to the pier to fish one day. I had always had a passion for fishing and realised how much it can help with your mental attitude to get out with a rod and reel,â said the keen fisherman. âIt occurred to me that many younger people probably did not know how to fish and may never know so I teamed up with another fisherman, Brian Rowley, who shared his vision of wanting to teach people about fishing and promote the sport.â
Glenn says that fishing is about far more than just catching a fish, as he discovered first hand.
âFishing can be used as a therapeutic way of changing lives by giving them a better quality of life and enjoying the benefits that fishing has to offer, both socially and personally,â said Glenn, who takes out people of all ages to go fishing. âWe have fishing groups for kids and teenagers, for adults, those with physical and mental disabilities and we always have the best day together. There is something about casting a line and the patience and skill required, sitting there making friendships and sharing stories with other anglers that brings people together.â
Since their beginning, Glenn and Brian have developed relationships with many organisations and been able to observe the difference it can make to a child to get them off their screens and out near the water.
âWe aim to build programs that will get people of all ages outside, away from computer games, living in front of a TV screen or on social media. They will learn to fish and, hopefully, this will encourage greater social interaction for them,â he said. âWe work with law enforcement and schools to assist youth in trouble or at-risk teens by setting up programs in schools and elsewhere utilising the benefits of fishing.
It is a great outlet because of the pressures on their lives due to everyday issues.â
Glenn says that teaching a person to fish is more than just learning to fish.
âIt gives a person a sense of purpose and assists with mental health and motor skills. It is about teaching patience, building friendships and networks and giving our youth something productive to do. TTTAF also acts in a mentoring role for at-risk teens,â he said.
The not-for-profit organisation runs regular clinics every week.
To find out more about TTTAF go to www.thatsthethingaboufishing.org.au