There's an age old sport catching on with students in Bermuda ? fly fishing.

Fourteen youngsters from Dellwood and Spice Valley Middle Schools spent last Sunday learning the art of fly fishing at Clearwater Beach in St. David's.

The event was sponsored by the Department of Education, Tourism and Masters Limited.

Physical education officer Clint Smith was accompanied by well known fly fishermen Flip Pallot and Dr. Bob Brine, who together with teachers Dianne Laird and Jose Fuentes, showed students how to use the special fly fishing rods.

Mr. Pallot is the host of a TV fishing series called "Walkers Cay Chronicles".

Students received instruction on basic principles of hooking and catching fish on fly in Bermuda and individual instruction on how to cast a fly-fishing-rod and basic knot and tackle use.

The session paid off as one of the students cast his fly to the water and reeled in a Jack at Clearwater beach.

Mr. Smith said both Dr. Brine and Mr. Pallot are well known television personalities in the sport of fly fishing.

"They were extremely impressed with the attentiveness of the students and their willingness to learn something new," he said.

Mr. Smith said it made him feel very proud to be among such well mannered and well behaved young people and commended the students for their exemplary manner by which they represented their schools, Bermuda and themselves.

"Dellwood Middle School and Spice Valley Middle School should be very proud of these young Middle School ambassadors and as a consequence of their behaviour and enthusiasm, the Department of Education intends to conduct further training for additional students from both of these schools in the very near future," he said.

Mr. Smith said prior to the end of the school year, more fishing rods would be purchased and that further opportunities would be provided for additional students from both schools to attend a training session.

He said it was even suggested that the students who participated in the training session earlier this month would act as the instructor's assistants in the subsequent fly fishing training.

Mr. Fuentes from Spice Valley Middle School said the students had a wonderful time and once the training was over, they all rushed down to the water to apply what they'd learned.

The students who attended the session from Spice Valley Middle School are McKario Burch, Christopher Burchall, Che Caines, Jumar Hayward, Allan Simmons, Donnavan Simmons and Lubin Sousa.

While Shonte Campbell, Jacquila Augustus, Stefanny Sanchez, Ivan Sanchez, Shane Armstrong, Brian Hall and Lorenzo Estepa participated from Spice Valley Middle School.

Each of the 14 students was given their own fly fishing rod to keep ? valued at $250 ? as well as a coffee-table book about fly fishing, written and signed by Mr. Pallot.