Summer Fishing Trip with Kids – Energy & Emotion

Chaos and movement sums up the day.

Lukes first Carp – Delight.

Bypassing the roach and into straight into a nice common.

Proper nice Mirror Carp.

Once a year, I get to take one, (or if I am lucky), both of my nephews fishing with me. Today was that day. Since Reece is 16 and likes a rest in bed, and I had consumed plenty of Vino Tinto with my Brother and family the night before, we were in no rush to get up at 6am. and go fishing! Our style, was much more relaxed. We slid into it; I had three lakes to choose, but the one I expected would produce best had to be Turners Pool, and at a cost of £5.50, for the kids day ticket,  every one had a chance of a carp or two…

We set off well after lunch, and after a short walk around the lake to see what swims were free, we cast out at close to 4pm, late?, perhaps in someones eyes, but I knew, we were going to fish, till the end of the day, and I took that chance, knowing the lake would be busy on arrival, but shortly not.

In fishing you take chances, and the conversation on route to the farm pond with both Reece and Luke was all about that, as well as, chances, we discussed, never giving up, dedication, emotion, and amongst other things, nuts, walnuts, oh and strawberry chocolates…

My being an uncle who seldom see the kids, I felt compulsed to giving energy positive. I strived today to try and help them see things in a certain way. I wanted it to be a special day all day, but I also wanted them to know. Setting the conversation on route, knowing both of them love Manchester City, and are season ticket holders age 16, and 12, I put to them the following: asking in the car »right lads, when you go to a football game, thinking your gonna win, what normally happens? What do you expect?», they  replied, »we win», to which I replied,  fishing is the same, if you think it’s hard, crap and impossible, it wont happen, so I asked, »are we going to win today?», they replied positively with a »YES», then I asked »and how many goals will we score?», Reece estimated 6, and Luke put in 7, each one representing a fish. Little did we know what lay ahead……

Getting a taste for another.

Two on the bounce!

Kids love Turners.

On arrival at the lake, we looked around and chose one of the only swims remaining, the last one at the end of the lake, next to reeds, the lake was busy. Everyone would pull off sooner, and we would stay later.

The swim had a platform or pier, which was rather worse for wear, and suffered with the stress of us trampling on it. To be fair, it was not a swim for three persons, nor four rods, with it’s leafy trees, shade, reeds, and crooked platform, but we did what we could on it and made it work in Macgregor spirit, never giving up!

Reece, got off to a good start using corn and catching Roach at short range, which was good, but not pleasing for Luke, with just 12 years and as he said. 0.4 % patience, it didn’t take long for him to get in a huff, shrugging as his older brother caught small roach, and he didn’t. Fishing can be frustrating, but things come to those who wait, and Luke was having a lesson.

Time passed, and I busied myself with no end of problem solving, knot tying and fixing of all kind of fishy issue. We didnt sit, at all. It was hectic from 3pm till 8pm when I finally got to sit for 1min. During which time, much happened including Luke not catching any roach, but banging his first common carp in the net, much to his delight. He did well with the rod, and brought it in with little assistance from myself. As you can imagine I was delighted. It was the first carp of the day, and Reece did well, standing aside and letting his little brother have the fish, but since Luke had never caught a carp, the first on this day was always for him. Of course after landing this fish, much changed in Lukes attitude. It was wrong in many ways, as he should have caught a roach first or silver fish, then a carp, but today, it was the other way around, and soon after his first carp he went on to catch 3 silver fish, in quick succession.

Fish on the line.

Priceless.

Reece on the other hand, had been chipping away at the roach and by now had bagged 6 or so, and a bream. So, he was ok. When his carp rod did finally go, I was with Luke on the swim next to Reece, all I could hear was a kerfuffle, as panic reached his brain at the sound of the optonic alarm registered a fish. Once again, slowly Reece brought the fish to the net avoiding all obstacles, and what a peach, a stunning Mirror Carp with peachy scales on the side. Real nice.

We celebrated with a handshake, and the rod was put back out, next to the reeds, no sooner had the alarm been set, and swinger placed on the line, and the bobbin was going up and Reece had a bend in the rod, again!!!
COME ON!!!

 This time, the fish was stronger, it took some time to get this one in, another stunning mirror. It had been worth staying that little bit later. As the summer day faded, and the bugs, buzzed, we slowly packed up, finally I think we managed a total of 3 carp and 15 silver fish, not bad for an afternoon, but not just that Luke’s patience had increased to about 4% apparently, and he repeatedly mentioned, he could get into fishing, it’s amazing the adrenalin, and the feeling when you have that fish on. Watching my two nephews today was great, fishing is about hope, and so much more. A pleasure day, one to be remembered, what summer days are for.