Will's Day Out - a new beginning.

[Vagabond]

For those who don't know already, Will was the subject of a waterside mugging and had all his gear stolen (see thread "Scum" on Freshwater Forum, started by Leon Roskilly, if you don't know the background).

 

Thanks to his foresight in insuring his gear, aided by generous gifts from fellow club members, AnglersNet members, and the local tackle shop, Will was able to replace his gear.

What a decent bunch most anglers are!

 

What might be more difficult to replace was Will's confidence in being able to fish without fear of violent robbery.

 

It was with this in mind that I offered to take Will fishing for the day at a water of his choice. This is the story of that day.

 

So Will would not feel overpowered by a grumpy old man he had never met, I took along my two teenaged grandsons as well.

 

The day started at 5am, with Robin consuming two plates of cereal whilst the rest of us were still drawing our chairs up to the table.

 

Breakfast over, tackle loaded, baits freshly prepared, on the road to Bexhill-on-Sea. Picked up Will and his gear (of which more anon) at 6.45, and arrived at the fishery fifteen minutes later.

 

With two grandsons to set up (they had not fished baitrunner/bolt-rig style before) I left Will to set up his own gear, as it was very obvious he knew exactly what he was doing. He already has two carp over eighteen pounds to his credit

 

Here is a picture of Will's gear laid out in his swim (peculiar position of chair is my fault - I moved it and don't understand these new-fangled carp chairs - would put in a smilie, but I'm over the quota)

 

 

With everyone set up, Will was into the first fish. It proved to be a 6lb carp. Here he is landing it - note how he is slacking off as the net is lifted - he not only has the gear, but knows how to handle it.

 

 

 

He knows how to handle fish too, as this picture of his returning a carp shows.

 

 

 

That was all the carp action early morning, but on our "general" rods we had a few smallish fish, a half-pound roach and a one pound tench for Will, and a half-pound rudd and a couple of perch for me.

 

Bolt-rigging is not my usual style, and as nothing much was happening carp-wise I set up my split-cane Mk4 stalking rod, neutralised the bolt-rig, and then moved down to "dog-biscuit corner" with the MK4.

 

There was a good film of debris lodged up against the reed-mace, but half an hour's cautious baiting with puppy flakes had a couple of carp move in - a ghostie of around ten pounds and a common that was rather smaller. I dipped my Chum mixer into the path of the ghostie.

 

Needless to say, the common got there first!

 

Here it is, seven pounds.

 

 

The commotion of landing it in the reedy shallows had clobbered chances there for an hour or two, so I went back to bolt-rigging.

 

Astonishingly, no sooner had I vacated that swim than one of the other dozen anglers at the lake flashed in and started hurling in white bread slices like there was no tomorrow. Four loaves later he tired of the silly game and went back to his rod pod.

 

Then my bolt-rig went off! Not a bad fish, 14 lb, and Will netted it for me (he had also netted the 7lb fish) Allowing one of your mates to net a decent fish is a special form of bonding - it allows him to share something of the capture, and also shows your confidence in his ability.

 

By now I was very confident of Will's ability - he displays a feeling and understanding for fishing that is rare in a fourteen-year-old who has taken up fishing entirely off his own bat - nobody else in his family fishes. If I had a sixty-pound carp on, I would have no qualms about letting Will net it.

 

Here is the 14 lb common. Split-cane SU Mk4

 

 

Now Will decided that was enough about me, and off went one of his bolt-rigs.

 

This time Will could return the compliment by allowing me to net his fish - and WHAT a fish.

 

Yur Tiz

 

 

A roach of two pounds four ounces, and Will's smile indicates he understands what a prize he has.

 

Think about that in silence for a minute. 14-year-old, bolt rigging, two pound plus roach.

 

Did you hear anything that broke that silence?

 

The weeping and wailing of Wallis-casting river-roach trotters?

 

The gnashing of teeth of the still-water roach-pole fishers?

 

The banging of head against table of roach fishers everywhere?

 

What a fish !!!! Needless to say, it was a PB for Will, a lake record, and six ounces better than the best roach I have had in over sixty years of fishing. At least I have now netted a two-pounder.

 

Will was not finished yet - here is a ghost carp that he wanted to show both sides of (but constraints on the number of pics limit it to its "best" side - smilie again ).

 

 

Finally, young Robin got in the frame with a PB common carp of 10 lb. Split cane strikes again!

 

 

There was a lighter moment when a guy's brolly was blown down the bank and he made a diving save at the water's edge, reminiscent of Matthew Hoggard's sliding saves on the boundary in this Test series. We all fell about laughing.

 

A fantastic day - a specimen roach, PBs for two lads, but most importantly I think I have discovered a "natural"

 

What do I mean? Its hard to say - part lucky coincidence - I happened to be fishing with Will's club secretary the day before the story broke. Part by picking up the fact that Will had saved hard and did a paper round to finance his fishing. That led to my making the offer - there was some fellow feeling there, as I too had come from a non-fishing family, and had to learn off my own bat, and make or finance my own tackle.

 

Will's enthusiasm and angling competence did the rest. He has the talent - he will always catch more and better fish than most.

 

During the day we discuss many things . Braid v Stiff rigs. Will favoured braid, I favoured 20 lb nylon. So which succeeded on the day?

 

It so happened that having set the two grandsons up with stiff rigs, they only got one run (Robin's 10-pounder) between them.

 

Ironically, being too lazy to tie up another stiff rig, I used a braid rig that was in my wallet, and had three runs - one fish. Will, using braid, had three runs - two carp and a thumping roach.

 

There were five carp caught that day, from fourteen anglers round the lake - all fell to our party, plus two fish which had the hook pull after a few minutes.

 

Experienced bolt-riggers please comment - these two fish - both on the rig that had landed the 14 lb fish - fought hard for about two to three minutes and then "fell orf" as Fred Taylor would say.

 

Will also expressed interest in grayling - I had taken a few pictures along to show him, and the grayling seemed to excite him most.

 

Whether or not he joins AnglersNet I would like to take him grayling fishing sometime (at one of the "fish-ins"?) He was a bit reticent about AN, but I assured him he would be most welcome. He knows much more about fishing than many who post on here!

 

[ 17. August 2005, 09:09 PM: Message edited by: Vagabond ]

[Jim Gibbinson]

Nice report. Well done to Vagabond and all those who have helped restore Will's faith in people in general and anglers in particular.

 

Beautiful roach!

 

Hopefully Will can enjoy his future fishing without having any of his trips blighted by undesirables.

[*Ant*]

Nice one Vagabond and party, I tip my hat to you sir.

 

[ 17. August 2005, 09:16 AM: Message edited by: *Anthony* ]

[Ian FG]

Top bloke that Vagabond.

 

What a roach! Hard to believe they come in that size.

[awaaar]

blimey! - very nice Roach!

 

Jealous....

 

Nice one Vagabond :cool:

[GlennB]

Great report and great work Vagabond !

[seph]

Great report,

 

Sounds like all a had a good day. I also came from a non angling family and had to finance and learn on my own. This was not easy especially as there was no help like there is today. I can still remember the long hours blanking on the local canal, even then I was never put off, how things have changed

[Elton]

Nice one, Vagabond.

 

That is one of the nicest things I've ever read on this site and makes it all worthwhile.

 

Thank you.

[argyll]

Great stuff Vagabond.

[Quest]

pukka report