Adventure gym’s annual fishing field trip

Adventure gym is a physical education course at Arrowhead’s North campus offered to junior and senior students. The class was created by Kari Sagal in 2009. The class is an experienced based class and students do things like rock climbing, compassing, fishing, archery, and ziplining. The class is meant to introduce students to activities they may choose to pursue. 

Every year, the class has a fishing unit where they learn how to work with a fishing pole and fish. Students start by practicing casting in the gym. After students are prepared, Sagal then sets aside the next class to go fishing. 

Sagal is in touch with a local couple who has a pond full of fish in their backyard. Two of their children went to Arrowhead. 

Every year the couple is willing to have Sagal’s three sections of adventure gym fish at their pond for one day. 

This fishing field trip happened this year on Wednesday, October 26th. Students were provided with fishing equipment such as rods, fishing line, fishing weights, and bait. Students were also given transportation. At the beginning of each class period there was a bus waiting to drop students off at the pond, and then pick them back up after fishing was completed. It was 40 degrees.

Sagal says, “We had a nice day weather and fishing wise, but there have been some situations where the weather isn’t and I’ve literally taken classes there where nobody has caught fish.”

On the most recent field trip, the pond had varieties of fish such as pumpkinseed, pike, catfish, lake sturgeon and others. 

Sagal said, “It’s really the mercy of weather, but thankfully this year we lucked out with lots of fishies.” 

Adventure gym is a block class offered A days third and fourth hour, seventh and eighth, or ninth and tenth period. The field trip takes place during the usual class period, on one day. 

Senior Lola Dieringer was on the trip for the first group and she said, “It was fun and they had a really nice property.” 

Junior Mallory Acton, a part of the second group said, “Even though I wasn’t able to catch a fish, I had a great time.”  

Many students caught more than one fish. Sagal says the ultimate goal was for everyone to experience catching a fish, and have fun.