They're not the sort of ambassadors Washington, D.C. is accustomed to seeing, but 22 inner city and suburban teens from the Pittsburgh-based Family Tyes are on a mission to promote fishing and fisheries conservation in the capitol today and tomorrow.

They are the only youth delegation to National Casting Call, an annual event hosted by the American Fly Fishing Trade Association and dozens of partners to emphasize the importance of policies and funding for clean water, habitat and angling programs.

True to Family Tyes' youth-mentoring approach to fishing, they will guide children for bluegills today at a publicized outing at Fletcher's Cove on the historic C&O Canal that runs through Georgetown. Tomorrow, they will help congressmen bone up on knot tying and fly casting on a shad-fishing excursion on the Potomac River. About 50 wounded military veterans from Walter Reed Army Medical Center also will take part in tomorrow's fishing.

"It's an incredible network that these kids are going to be involved with," said Family Tyes co-director Paul Hindes. "They'll be rubbing elbows with some very important people, and they'll have an opportunity to give something back."

With fishing participation down 12 percent nationwide according to the 2006 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service census, young anglers are seen as pivotal to the future of angling and the stewardship of natural resources that often goes along with it.

"We're the people who are going to be making future decisions about the environment, who are going to be most affected," said Danielle Stumpf, 16, of Baldwin, who will represent her group at a news conference this morning with Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior Lyle Laverty. "My message is that, through fishing, you're learning and growing and taking care of the world."

Family Tyes was founded 27 years ago at Baldwin High School on the belief that fly fishing enhances youth development.

"Fishing isn't something you learn in a book," said Hindes. "You learn by interacting with other fishermen."

Now established in 22 schools in three states, the nonprofit group in recent years has reached out to inner city children through Youth Places and the Sarah Heinz House. Youngsters from both organizations are on the Washington trip.

"Fly fishing is non-existent in inner city neighborhoods," said Uwe Calloway, executive director of the Beltzhoover-based Youth Places, which provides after-school programming to at-risk urban kids. "Fishing has opened up a whole new world to them."

His nephew Chaz Calloway, 16, of Beltzhoover, said the trip to Washington is a special opportunity.

"When you hear Beltzhoover, you think robberies, shootings," he said. "We don't get a lot of positives from people."

Dominique Dobbins, 16, of Mt. Oliver, caught three shad on last year's trip. He gave some fly-fishing pointers to a congressman who, in turn, showed him how to use a spinning rod.

"I caught an 8-pound fish," Dobbins said. "That was fun, but the best part was helping out ... teaching others."

Today, he and Chaz will share their knowledge with youths fishing the canal. AFFTA chair Alan Gnann is expecting a big crowd.

"We had 250 kids show up last year and a lot of single moms who don't know how to get their kids into fishing," he said. "There were some tear-jerking moments for me, personally. The kids had a ball and you're overwhelmed with the feeling you did something good."

While the public fishing event is a big part of Casting Call, tomorrow's congressional outing is equally important in that legislators determine laws and appropriations that impact the outdoors.

"We always time our event to the annual shad spawning run on the Potomac," said Gnann. "In the eight years we've been doing this, we have fished with more than 50 senators and 100 congressmen. I have personally guided four cabinet officers.

"They arrive at the crack of dawn and stay until noon. They enjoy the respite," he said. "But they know they're there for a purpose. When they see how the Potomac was restored into a world-class fishery, the return of the shad, they're incredulous. Look what [passing] the Clean Water Act has done."