All Things Piscatorial

Carry On Coaching – in Black Park, Buckinghamshire! 

 

This popular park in Buckinghamshire is set within 530 acres of attractive woodland, grassland and heathland with a centre-piece lake.  There are many recreational opportunities for the visitor:  waterside and woodland walks, a lakeside cafe, orienteering course and a children's woodland play area.

 

The park also has a history as a film location with a number of Carry On and James Bond films being shot there.  In more recent times the park has seen blockbusters such as Harry Potter and Philosopher's Stone filmed here.

 

Today the stars of the show were those who came along to try their hand at fishing for the first time.

 

This was the first time the park had put on a coaching event and, if the number of people who wanted to have a go is anything to go by, it will not be the last.

 

This was a real team event with the National Federation of Anglers (London & South East region) providing the coaching.  The Environment Agency were on hand to answer questions and hand out information packs and help to make the event a success for the public and the event organiser VictoriaTustian.

 

The lake itself is 13 acres and very deep in places, together with the fact that the lake is very rarely fished, we, the coaches, did wonder how it would fish.  Nevertheless, we gave it our best shot and I am really pleased to say that we did catch some fish – and some very nice ones at that.

 

As a coach, you are always willing the float to dip when a new pupil is sitting on the box.  Of course you can tell them all about catching fish and show them the different ways of achieving that goal.  But the bottom line is, if your pupil can catch a fish, it makes your job a whole lot easier.  Thankfully, today was a day when the first pupil on the box caught the ever willing Perch.

 

For me the highlight of the day was when a very enthusiastic gentleman called Lip requested a lesson.  Lip had set his sight rather higher than a Perch, for Lip, only a mermaid would suffice!

 

Hmm, I thought, a mermaid.  I have never been asked how to catch a mermaid before and my best answer was to dangle your wallet in the water and it normally catches the eye of the ladies.  (Only joking!)

 

Lip’s first put in was a success – no, not a mermaid, but a pretty little Perch all the same.  Although Lip was clearly happy at catching his first fish, he then wanted to become a big game hunter and fancied a crack at Marlin.  Of course the park has seen some amazing film props in its time but a Marlin would be a little hard to achieve.  On Lip’s very next put in, accompanied by a most unique rendition of a song that I can only describe as the fishing equivalent of a rain dance – bingo – no, sadly not a Marlin, but a heavyweight Bream.

 

As Lip played the fish, the crowds grew and in no time the word was spreading along the bank.  This is what it’s all about – not only was Lip getting the pleasure from catching the Bream, but the people around him found themselves engrossed in the action.

  

Not to be outdone, Senior Coach Alan Sandom was fishing the feeder at about 30 yards out when the tip pulled round and the resulting strike had his young pupil holding on to another big Bream.

 

            

 

 

                   I am sure you will agree, these pictures say it all.