Enjoy a great new season on our stillwaters

OUR RIVERS may have closed, but a new season is already underway on the stillwaters – and what a season it promises to be.

The Easter weekend is traditionally the time when we welcome many anglers and families back to the banks following their self-imposed winter break.

This year, as the holiday period coincides with the easing of lockdown, things will be slightly different as thousands of match and carp anglers return to the banks, free to enjoy their favourite styles of fishing again after months on the sidelines.

Our commercial fisheries and day-ticket waters are reopening too, and they’re anticipating a busy time. Even more so if the blue skies and warmer temperatures on the long-range forecast are to be believed.

With restrictions lifting, it’s not surprising that qualifiers for some of the country’s most popular match events have sold out in record-breaking time either – we’re all itching to get back and enjoy the craic.

While fishing with mates again is hugely appealing, I also want to do what many others are planning right now, and that’s to go fishing as a family more often.

My daughter is already asking if we can go back to where we watched the kingfishers and caught all those roach a few years ago. She reminded me of the fishery where we had a picnic and she landed her first carp, and lately she has been quizzing me about different river species and where they live.

It made me realise how important it is to not only pass on fishing skills but to give the next generation some great bankside experiences too. Remember, fishing isn’t all about pounds and ounces.

There will be a lot of newbies out there in the next few months and I’m asking for all us time-served anglers to be welcoming and encourage them to become anglers for life. It worked for us!