It’s a cliche, but it really has been a busy year so far in 2026. As a family we pack in as much as we can with our time, especially at weekends, and I love it. All three kids play football and I try to help out with their coaching (I don’t love that so much) and they all love their water sports, which is ace, but it’s meant there hasn’t been much spare time, or at least I haven’t made much time, for fishing lessons this year.
Each year, the first enquiries for lessons come through just a few days after Christmas. It’s generally from previous guests who have had some tackle from Father Christmas and parents are keen to get out and give it a try, I love this. But, fishing in the winter can be tough. We can still get bites and catch a few but the weather on the bank can be really uncomfortable. Tackle can be hard to control and the risk of lines ending up the the trees or getting tangled up increases significantly which makes the whole experience much less fun, for everyone. This isn’t how I want to share fishing and so, I don’t normally start lessons until around Easter time.
This year however, it just didn’t happen which I’ve felt bad about. So, when the summer holidays arrived, I decided I’d make all my fishing time for others, I’d pick my fishing back up in the autumn, and it’s been great fun. I’ve met lots of new people and helped them to catch their first fish, something you only ever get one of in your life. And, it’s been a pleasure to welcome back guests who have fished with me for the last couple of years and see their fishing independence grow. I always say to guests, the best bit for me is when you no longer need me. That’s when their fishing journey really gets going as they discover more and more for themselves. Every little problem they overcome and every success they achieve, that’s all their doing.
As always, the lessons this year were at the brilliant Waterside Fishery in Cornwall, near Bodmin. There are lots of good day ticket fisheries but I particularly like this one. For a start, when the float goes under, the chances are, it probably won’t be a carp. Don’t get me wrong, catching a carp in the lessons is exciting, but given the choice, I’d rather see one of the other species. The smaller fish are much easier to handle which is where I think everyone should start. I once read a well known angler and journalist talking about getting the next generation of anglers fishing. He said you had to show kids big carp, there’s no point in going and catching a few little ones on a float, they’ll just get bored. Reading that I was left scratching my head. In all my years of sharing fishing with people, young and old, privileged and not so, in school and not; I’ve honestly never seen anyone not be excited by the first fish that emerges through the surface, shining like something magical from another world. Perhaps I’ve just been lucky with all the people that have come fishing with me. Or perhaps, our journalist simply can’t coach. There are lots of very good anglers in the same way that there are lots of great experts in their own field, but communicating a subject, teaching, not everyone can do that. It’s why truly brilliant school teachers are rare and should be valued. I really don’t mean that to be a brag about me being a great coach, I’d stick my neck out and say I’m alright at it, but there’s loads to learn, there always is. But I really disagree that anyone’s angling adventure should start with a twenty pound carp. Yes the fish is a spectacle but in truth, the new angler will have had little or nothing to do with it’s capture and therefore the that person couldn’t walk away and feel confident to go and repeat the feat for themselves. I think it must be like being handed the controls to a massive cargo ship driving in a straight line, having a photo at the controls and then walking away thinking you’re a ship’s captain now. A fun experience yes, but that’s not the start of a life at sea for example. That would start in a little rowing boat or perhaps a little topper dingy. My long and rambling point is that places like Waterside Fishery are perfect for new anglers (and experienced ones!). There are lots of fish, most of them are small enough for a novice to safely handle, the venue is accessible, it’s friendly, it’s helpful, it’s members don’t mind if the kids (and parents) in lessons get a bit excited and squeaky when they catch one and they are keen to help where they can. I have a huge amount of respect for the team that run the fishery, a group of volunteers who do it for the love of it. So a massive thanks to the team that runs the fishery for letting me use it for lessons and hopefully create a few new anglers that will one day volunteer to help with how the place is run.
Away from the fresh water we did manage to get the boat on the water for a few more adventures. There’s always something fun happening on the water and we caught some great fish. Watching the kids develop new skills and transferring what they have already learnt into a different part of fishing is brilliant. I’m under no illusion that my kids are very lucky that dad has got a boat and they get to go on the water and experience what they do. But they have to catch their own fish, I’ll never hook them a fish and hand them the rod, I’d only be like our angling journalist handing their guest a twenty pound carp if I did that. It was therefore really exciting when one of the boys hooked a fish that nearly dragged the rod from his hands. We really weren’t sure what it was although as the fight continued I had my fingers crossed it was what I thought it might possibly be. There were huge cheers all around the boat as a Black Bream broke the surface! The first on our boat and although the numbers seem to be growing, still not a hugely common fish around our neck of the woods. We don’t take many fish for the table but this one came home with us and it was delicious. As was the Bass that we also managed to catch on lures we towed around the inshore reefs.
It is now however, September. I might squeeze in another lesson or two but I’ve got my sights set on some fishing for me through the autumn and just maybe I’ll look for a carp or two. It’s been ages since I’ve really targeted these hard fighting fish. Let’s see what happens next. Good luck!
