Get your youngster into fishing this Saturday with the Family Fishing Festival at Patterson Park Fishing Pond, sponsored by Baltimore City, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“They can bring their own tackle, but we also have loaner rods and reels,” said Bob Wall, division chief for youth and adult sports for the city.

“Tochterman's is providing bait, so there is no charge for that,” he said with a nod of appreciation toward the 91-year-old downtown tackle shop.

“I don't think that we have paid for bait during the nine years that we have been having programs.”

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There is no registration fee, and since it occurs during a statewide free fishing day (other days are June 9 and July 4), there are no license requirements.

The three-ace pond is home to bass, bluegills, some catfish and an errant trout or two.

Festival games include “fishing” for magnetic fish in a tub for the toddlers, with the possibility of a fly casting and/or fly tying demo for older youth.

For more information, call 410-396-9392 or in case of inclement weather, call 410-396-7078 for June 9 rain date details.

For more of the same, check out the similar Thursday evening Family Fishing Fun at Patterson Park Pond (6 p.m. to 8 p.m.).

The May-initiated event runs through June. It will start again on Tuesdays (6 p.m. to 8 p.m.) during September and October.

It is catch-and-release only, and all children must be accompanied by an adult. Bait is free, but there is a $1 fishing fee.

Bring your own tackle or use an available loaner.

This secret city success story was an important reason why Field & Stream magazine named Baltimore as one of the top 20 cities for urban fishing fun last year.

Want your kid to grow up like Brad Pitt’s character in the movie “A River Runs Through It”?

No, no — not the end where he dies. Think of the part where he fluidly casts, catches big trout, bonds with Dad and older bro and is a good ol’ boy.

He’s simply having a healthy, clean-air, woods-and-waters, work-hard-and-play-hard, outdoors time of it.

You can start to recreate that with your youngster during National Fly Fishing Week, to be celebrated June 9, when the Mid-Atlantic Council of the Federation of Fly Fishers will teach the sport to your 10- to 16-year-old.

Festivities are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Harford Glen Environmental Education Area off Route 24 and Wheeler Road near Bel Air.

Subjects covered include fly casting, fly tying, entomology, knots, equipment, tactics and techniques.

There will be a fishing contest with prizes.

Cost is $30, including equipment loan and lunch. Register with Bob Borkowski at 410-282-2133 or check on-line at www.macfff.org/education.

You can reach C. Boyd Pfeiffer at cbpfeiffer@msn.com.