GET KIDS FISHING SUCCESS

DEAN HALE, EMAIL

For months now my daughter has been asking me to show her how to fish. So last week I gave my five- year- old her very first fishing lesson.

I was making my first carp trip of the year to my local venue, which is a small farm lake in Cheltenham. This lake has a good head of carp up to 25lb with the majority between 5lb and 15lb. Alongside this there are plenty of bream and roach. As it is only 2ft deep in the edges and 5ft at its deepest, it is a perfect beginners lake.

I was three hours into my session when my partner turned up with my angling padwan. As its her first session we kept it really simple. She was using an Advanta 3m whip which we got free from our local Angling Direct store as part of there ' Get Kids Fishing Campaign'. We had a very basic rig and some soft hookable pellets as bait.

Now my daughter is a very energetic and inquisitive child to say the least but surprisingly she remained very calm and listened very carefully, taking on board all my instructions like a sponge and then completing each task perfectly. It wasn't long before she started catching small roach and bream one cast after the other.

I can honestly say that I am proud of her in how well she did that day. She sat there for two hours without an issue and was enjoying the experience.

Fishing is a great way to channel a child's mind and teach them patience and fine motor skills. They feel a sense of achievement, joy and pride when they land those fish. ( My daughter couldn't wait to tell her friends and teacher). I'm going back on the bank this week to see how she gets on with maggot fishing.

Children spend too much time on digital devices and watching TV. We need to encourage these outdoor activities that educate our kids. My daughter can now name and tell the difference between a roach and a bream, she is aware of nature and understands why its important to preserve it. Get kids fishing!