Ellie Oswick, who is 8 years old from Cheshunt, Herts experienced her very first days fishing at Redbridge Lakes, Essex. Ellie, along with her uncle and veteran fisherman, Neale Biscoe, chose Redbridge Lakes for its ease of access and great variety of silver fish, which creates the perfect atmosphere for a first timer to the world of coarse fishing.
Neale, 49 has been fishing since boyhood; however, due to other interests such as playing Rugby, watching Arsenal and girls, Neale slowly drifted away from the sport that he so loved as a child.
“My co Director/Business partner is a very keen fisherman,” says Neale, “and last year he suggested a day out using a pole, which I had never used before. I was pleasantly surprised how light and relatively easy it was to handle, and since then I haven’t looked back.”
“I have invested in totally revamping my very old and dated tackle,” continues Neale, “and I am now slowly beginning to have some good results. I can’t believe how much fishing has evolved and I have fallen in love with it again!”
Ellie had been asking uncle Neale for some time to take her fishing, and he finally agreed to take her during the school holidays. As a member of a couple of clubs that have many waters, Neale wanted to pick one for her to where she could “have a go” without too much pressure or difficulty. Neale knew that the perfect venue for her first fishing experience was Redbridge Lakes.
The brand new facilities, spotlessly clean toilets (a must for a young girl,) the newly opened café offering ice cold drinks, lovely hot and cold food etc, and of course, two lakes; Cuthbert & Daisy, perfectly stocked for anglers of all capabilities, all in a safe and secure environment was without a doubt, the best location for a new, young angler.
After a quick briefing from Gordon Bullock, founder and owner or Redbridge Lakes, Neale and Ellie decided to fish peg 30 on Lake Cuthbert. In order to keep things as simple as possible and avoid tangles, Neale set up a 5mtr whip using 0.11 main line with a size 18 hook on 0.10 hook lengths.
“I explained how and why it is important to use a plummet,” says Neale, “and after setting the depth, we fed our swim with a few maggots. I showed Ellie how to put a maggot on the hook, which for an 8 year old girl, I thought this could be the moment she would decide that fishing was not for her, but to her credit, she listened and put the maggot on with no trouble at all.”
“I explained that when the float moved a little a fish was around her bait,” continued Neale, “and the total concentration on her little face while waiting for her float to go under was unbelievable. Her first fish ever, was a Tench around 4 ounces, one that she will never forget. Sometimes its not all about size.”
This was Ellies first time fishing with her Uncle Neale at Redbridge Lakes, where in a three hour session, she caught a range of Tench, Roach, Skimmers, Crucian Carp, Perch and Rudd, weighing in at a total of 44 fish at 11lb dead (the weight, not the fish! – Ed).
What a truly fantastic achievement for her first time!
Redbridge Lakes in Woodford Green, Essex is one of the newest silver fishing lakes in the South of England, yet one of the most revered. Owner Gordon Bullock has gone to great lengths to create the perfect environment for his members. The site boasts two fantastic lakes, hosting over 30 pegs each. The venue has been purposely designed to accommodate match fishing; specifically pole fishing, allowing anglers ample space to be able to set up their tackle without restricting their fishing space in any way.
The Clubhouse offers an on-site café and fishing tackle shop plus excellent toilet facilities, including facilities for the disabled. Redbridge Lakes has two car parks, which are positioned for easy access to the lakes. You can almost drive onto your swim.
A unique feature that has not been seen on any lake in the UK are the web cams, positioned at each lake. These webcams will very soon be broadcasting all matches at Redbridge Lakes live to its website viewers.
Redbridge Lakes will also be offering on-site training to novice anglers and their children, offering a very unique service to its members and visitors alike, be they complete novices or seasoned anglers.
REDBRIDGE FISHING LAKES
1 Salix Lane, Woodford Green,
Essex, IG8 8LY
Telephone: 020 8551 5663
Email: info@redbridgelakes.co.uk
WEB: www.redbridgelakes.co.uk
