Des Taylor’s
I love my guiding days with dads and lads
Diary of a Countryman
NO DOUBT about the highlight of my fishing week – two trips out with young children and their fathers. None of them had caught barbel from a river before but they have now!
To put them in a beautiful spot on the river, with kingfishers flying past, and to catch wild fish in a wild environment is, for me, the ultimate fishing experience to give a young child.
I know lots of anglers say that you should first take kids to a ‘safe’ commercial fishery with a pole to catch some easy fish, but I couldn’t disagree more.
Fishing is not supposed to be easy, and my kids this week had to work hard to catch their fish. The youngest nearly got pulled in twice by the power of the barbel on the end of the line – stuff these kids will remember for the rest of their lives.
For the past 20 years I have listened to self-appointed experts on how to get kids into fishing. It has failed. I wish these people would admit once and for all that we need to promote angling in a different light, a bit closer to my way of thinking. But I reckon for them to admit Des Taylor is right would be a little too much to swallow in one go. Oh well, I can only keep trying!
MONDAY/TUESDAY
I’m halfway through a series of films for release in the next few months. They all start in my tackle den and end up on the bank.
Today I put the barbel one to bed and I have to say I think it could be the best film I have ever made. I’ll keep you informed as to when they are being released.
WEDNESDAY
Mark Stuckey and his 10-year-old son Joe joined me on the Severn. Neither had caught barbel from a river before, but all that was about to change!
The barbel were really having it and first cast for Joe saw a big barbel nearly pull the rod in, along with the lad. With a little help from me Joe finally landed a fish in great condition. Highlight of the day was a double hit when the pair landed barbel at the same time. The photo says it all.
It was a magic day. The wildlife played ball, the sun shone and nine barbel pulled the rod-tip over. If that doesn’t make Joe an angler for life, nothing will.
THURSDAY
Another father-and-son guiding day, this time with Andrew Darby and his eight-year-old son Connor. Again, neither had caught barbel so they were in for a surprise when they had a take from one of these superb creatures.
They were excited from the start and I just knew they were going to enjoy their day with me. Connor was first in the fighting chair which, in hindsight, was a mistake. He was looking at fry in the margins when the rod bent double and by the time I got to it from the back of the swim the barbel had buried itself into snags on the far side and was lost.
Next move was to sit Connor on his dad’s lap and help him hold on to the fish. We didn’t have to wait long before the rod again buckled over, but this time Andrew helped him all the way and the first barbel was soon in the net.
At one stage Connor was struggling to stand because the fish was pulling so hard! It was all great fun and something he’ll remember all his angling life.
Connor is only a small lad but he wanted to fight the fish from start to finish, so we let him play
a couple himself once they were away from the snags. It was funny to hear the noises coming from the young lad as he struggled to turn the handle of the reel.
Still, he got there and it made
my day nearly as much as his to see the smiles on their faces. They ended up with seven barbel and headed home to Northampton happy anglers.
FRIDAY
A night after eels, but the only action was from a dropped run, probably from a carp looking at the squashed half-dead roach on my hook.
I am confident I am going to have a big eel and I still think it’ll come from this water. I know anglers will ask where the fun is in blanking all night, fishing for an eel that might not even be in the water. Eel anglers will know why. There is nothing quite like being half asleep in the middle of the night when suddenly the bite alarm sounds as something picks up your deadbait and line peels off the reel.
So it’s still not ‘if’, but ‘when’ I am going to get that take. Maybe next time out, but either way I will enjoy the night.
I went out for a meal with my wife the following evening and I nearly dropped off into my food after a couple of pints! I really must have an early night and a lie-in at some point this week!