Sowing the seeds

My grandson, Harry, broke up for half-term last Friday, whilst his sister, Emily, doesn't finish until this Friday. So that he isn't at home, on his own, Bev and I drive across to Newington to collect him so that he can spend the daytime with us. Ten years old and a football fanatic, so kicking a ball about in the back garden features at some point in the day. The one hobby he'd never shown any interest in is angling, so this was the perfect opportunity for me to allow him to experience the thrill of playing a fish on rod & line. I had two venues in mind and we visited them both on Monday just to let Harry make a decision on which one he wanted to catch his first fish from. Unsurprisingly, it was the smaller farm pond which got the nod and we returned with the tackle around mid-morning on Tuesday.

One very "Happy Harry"

Unlike the apprenticeship which I undertook, Harry wasn't to start his journey chasing Minnows and Gudgeon. Nope, he was straight in at the deep end, it was Carp or nothing?  Not for a second did I plan for Harry to sit behind motionless rods, perched on rod-rests, awaiting the sound of a bite alarm. We were targeting fish on the top, using floating bread as bait. The venue is tiny, certainly less than an acre, yet contains a massive stock of stunted Carp which are ravenous. I would guess that the average fish weighs a couple of pounds, with the largest individuals just scraping double figures? 

Carp soup!

Whilst I was getting the rod prepared, Harry set about scattering a few dog biscuits on the surface. Activity was almost instantaneous, with small Carp squabbling to get their share of these freebies. I wouldn't be exaggerating if I stated that there were times when over seventy fish were on the surface, directly underneath our position. It is a crazy venue and, as such, just the type of place for a youngster to experience their first angling foray. In less than ninety minutes, Harry had landed fifteen fish using a very simple free lining approach. After the first half a dozen, we started to target, where possible, some of the slightly larger individuals. Harry finished with a PB of 9 lbs 12 oz and plenty to tell his Nan, Mum, Dad and sister all about. 

The 9 lbs 12 oz Common Carp 

We weren't packing up until Harry had caught a Mirror Carp

There is no way that my own enthusiasm for angling will be forced upon any of the grandchildren. The best I can hope for is that they make educated decisions based upon involvement with such outdoor activities due, in part, to time spent in my company.