Joining Lets Fish
Having gone pleasure fishing with me a few times, Theo was keen to try a few fun matches to see if he enjoyed this side of fishing. With that aim in mind, we enrolled him into the Let’s Fish programme with Stoke on Trent Angling Society (SOTAS).
He attended his first training day back in June held on the [Caldon Canal] (https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/canals-and-rivers/caldon-canal) at Denford. Here he was taught how to plumb up accurately and to set his gear up properly, making sure it didn’t unreasonably block the towpath etc. He learnt how to catch on those most dependable of canal fishing baits, pinkies and squatts.
Can we ago again, dad?
He really caught the bug from this first session on the canal. He was that keen he pleaded that had to go down to the canal in the evenings so he could fish more. The next Let’s Fish event was on Trent and Mersey and Theo couldn’t wait to go. He practiced fishing pinkies and caught well; his confidence steadily growing in anticipation of the up-and-coming fun match with SOTAS on the canal at Denford.
Match debut
Finally match day arrived. Theo drew his peg not saying much as he is extremely shy when there’s a few people around. Theo’s peg was opposite a boat on a bend, he started on just a top kit (2.5m) as the match was being fished to the Let’s Fish rule of a maximum of 3 metres for the first 90 minutes. This means any kid with just a short pole can participate on equal terms.
The conditions were bright and warm making the canal was challenging for most. He managed to finish second in his cadet category weighing in around 1lb (450g). Theo was really pleased and got his first medal of the season. Amazingly he never shut up on the way home in the van which was a novelty with him normally being so quiet.
More Let’s Fish events
Next up was another Let’s Fish coaching session on the Trent and Mersey. Theo actually spoke a bit more to the coaches this time. He was finally coming out of his shell. The session was inspiring, and he caught well. He snapped up the chance to enrol on to the next SOTAS match at Middleport, a practice session in preparation for the national celebration.
Theo fished a lovely match catching 2lb 5oz of perch in two hours for his first ever victory. Next up was a regional Let’s Fish celebration on the canal at Denford on a Monday at the end of August and covered live on Facebook. Theo caught 6oz in this match, certainly less than he hoped. What pleased me most thought is that he didn’t let this bother him. He just wanted to keep going fishing. All youngsters have to learn that in fishing you won’t always win, in fact you almost always don’t win, but every time you can do your best.
