Fishing
Mecklenburg County Council · Scouting America
Your Guide to Fishing in Mecklenburg County Council
Fishing - A great way Recruit, Retain, and Reactivate Cubs and Scouts.
Welcome to the MCC Fishing Webpage
It is loaded with “A Ton of Resources”. Everything from Cub Scout Fishing Adventures to Scouts BSA fishing merit badges and more.
It’s so much fun to reel in your first fish! Do you have Scouts or Crew members who’ve just caught their very first fish?! We now have “First Fish” certificates available for crew, pack and troop members who land their first fish. Recognize them at their next meeting with a personalized certificate. Printable certificates can be found at the bottom of the page.
Fishing Leadership Opportunities
Scouts love to fish, and fishing is a great way to Recruit, Retain, and Reactivate, but it takes trained leaders! Here are some great opportunities.
Fishing Basics Course
Fishing Basics is a one-hour training course designed to prepare program leaders to teach based fishing skills to take their Scouts fishing.
Angling Educator Course
- The Angling Educator course is a nationally accredited 4-hour training that teaches scouts 15 and older. It teaches scouters how to teach basic fishing skills and what they need to know about running successful fishing events for their units.
Angling Educators work closely with other AEs and Certified Angling Instructors to help teach Fishing Basics.
MCC will be hosting an AE course at the University of Scouting on January 23, 2027,. Be on the lookout for further details.
MCC will be hosting AE courses at Camp Grimes this summer. While your scouts are earning their merit badges, grab a cup of coffee or a cold beverage and join us for a 4-hour Scouting America Angling Educator Course. No extra cost, and graduates will receive their AE patch. Just sign up when you get to camp.
Certified Angling Instructor Course
- The CAI course is a nationally accredited 18-hour course for scouters and scouts ages 15+.
- As a CAI you will learn how to plan and run successful youth fishing education and events for Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA and Venturing Crews.
- The course teaches scouters how and when to:
- Use the proper fishing tackle.
- Run a successful fishing event.
- Be your council’s fishing advocate.
- Create a council fishing committee and
- Have fun while doing it all!
Upcoming Certified Angling Instructor courses are posted by David G. Lund (Chairman of the SA National Fishing Leadership Team) at the beginning of each month on various scouting Facebook pages, including Cub Scout Fishing and Boy Scout Volunteers.
Attention Cub Leaders – Created by the National Fishing Leadership Team, Cub Scout Fishing has some awesome information about fishing for Cub leaders.
Websites
BSA National Outdoor Fishing Program
MCC Fishing Committee Resources
John E. Pechmann Fishing Education Center
(The NC Wildlife’s Fishing Education Team offers classes at both the Pechmann Center and the Marion Fish Hatchery.)
FISH ON!
Is your Scout the Complete Angler?
The Complete Angler award is for scouts well-rounded in their fishing endeavors and can earned during Camp Grimes Summer Camp. Sign up here: https://www.mycampgrimes.org/summercamp
There’s a good chance some scouts have already earned it and just don’t realize it yet. In the same manner as the World Conservation award, the Complete Angler recognition has a simple requirement of completing three merit badges and a project.
Earn the Boy Scout Complete Angler Award by:
- Earning these merit badges: Fishing, Fly Fishing, Fish and Wildlife Management
- Completing one or more of these projects:
- Teach a Fishing or Fly Fishing merit badge skill to your troop, crew or team as part of a unit program activity.
- Help instruct Cub Scouts on fishing skills or fishery management as part of a Cub Scout meeting or outing.
- Participate in a local fishing derby or tournament, either a Scouting or Community event.
- Complete a conservation project that will benefit a local fishery.
The Complete Angler patch is worn on the uniform shirt, centered on the right pocket as a TEMPORARY patch. Only ONE Temporary patch may be worn at a time
Download and complete the form for each scout earning the award. Then, take it to your local scout shop to purchase the patches. Learn more here
Take A Scout Fishing
Fishing can be a fantastic and fun sport for both kids and adults. It encourages us to become good stewards of our natural resources and learn how to interact responsibility with our environment. Fishing is a rewarding sport — your scouts can get away from hectic schedules to enjoy the fresh air, learn about the environment, and even develop patience. Best of all, fishing is quality time spent together talking, laughing, and even sitting quietly side by side. It can even be sport for little kids, if you introduce it in a positive way.
North Carolina is filled with rivers and trout streams, warm water lakes, and has a coastline with excellent saltwater fishing opportunities. Mecklenburg County Council is situated in the heart of the state and offers a wide variety of opportunities. For a reasonable drive, you can plan a weekend fishing trip at the beach or a quiet mountain stream.
Local fishing adventures abound with our nearby state parks and our TWO fine Scout camps. Belk Scout Camp and Mecklenburg Scout Reservation (Grimes). Explore this page to discover the many great resources our fishing program has to offer. We are here to help you deliver on the promise of “Keeping the Outing in Scouting.”
Mecklenburg County Council Fishing Committee
Fishing can be a year around activity for your Scouts. Check out these Facebook pages to get some great ideas from Scouters across the country.
Cub Scout Fishing
Great step by step instructions on how to help your Cubs with the Cub Fishing Adventures elective.
Scouts BSA Scouting America Fishing
Mecklenburg County Council Fishing Committee
Have a great fall and FISH ON.
Important Reminder - Angling Educator Course at Camp Grimes
Coming to Camp Grimes this summer? While your scouts are earning their merit badges, grab a cup of coffee or a cold beverage and join us for a 4-hour BSA Angling Educator Course. No extra cost, and graduates will receive their AE patch. If you are registered to come to camp, you can register through your troop’s account on Tent-A-Roo. Sign up now – space is limited.
Fly Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachians
Interested in learning a little more about the history of fly fishing? The next time you or your scouts are in western North Carolina, stop by the Fly Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachians in Bryson City. Created by an Eagle Scout, it is free and open to the public.
