A FRENZIED NATIONAL FISHING MONTH...
With dozens of events held across the country, it has been a brilliant summer for recruiting young anglers. Dom Garnett joined Exeter DAA at Harper’s Ponds...
THIS summer has given me cause for genuine angling optimism.
It feels as if we might be turning a bit of a corner. Pole fishing, reservoir fishing, fly fishing, you name it, there have been masses of projects this summer.
You might have expected a fair showing of kids at a free fishing day, organised by my local Exeter & District AA. But what we got on the day was a stampede! Even the drizzle of a wet Sunday didn’t put off more than 100 youngsters.
The place was a whirlwind of maggots, groundbait and tangles, and it was magnificent. I got through plenty of pole rigs and bait in the first hour. Luckily I’d tied plenty of spares and the fish were incredibly co-operative, despite the less than gentle casts of kids attempting to flay the water with borrowed pole tackle.
Nevertheless, the fish played ball and under the eye of Exeter’s coaches bites came steadily. Some of the very smallest caught cracking fish too, and the combination of panic and excitement is still fresh in my mind. Beginners tend to pull back as hard as they possibly can, which can lead to either a tiny fish
being catapulted through the air, or an almighty commotion with a net-sized tench or crucian.
So what has caused this groundswell in kids fishing this summer? Definitely not the weather! The free fishing licence for juniors is a very smart move, for starters. I’ve also noticed an upsurge in twenty and thirtysomethings in my guiding, many of whom then teach their kids. But the real credit goes to our army of unpaid volunteers.
If we are going to win this battle, though, the key is in getting our young anglers to promote the sport. Which is why it was brilliant to see local Exeter teens helping out at our event. Sev and Natty,
two young fishing nuts, were amazing. Both were desperate to fish, but instead spent most of the day ferrying kids to the coaches, and delivering bait and tips.
Credit also has to go to Exeter’s Roly Palmer, an angler with a big heart and typical of our unsung local heroes. After all, nobody forces parents to bring kids to events and our turnout of 115 youngsters was testament to a great publicity drive.
I only hope we can keep this going, because as National Fishing Month ends, the larger battle is still to be won. We all need to play our little part in taking someone new fishing, whether they are five or seventy five.