All Things Piscatorial

Gilwell Park, Essex – Scout Fun Day, 17 June 2006

This is the fourth year I have attended this event and, as is the norm for this day, it was a scorcher.
Unlike the previous years when we had to put our gardening skills to use to cut back the overgrown banks to be able to coach, this year we were greeted with a newly landscaped lake that had new and much safer platforms to fish from. The lake – or should I say pond – could have been made a little deeper.

But of course we cannot have everything, and the reason we made the trip in the Essex was to catch a few fish and put a smile on the faces of those children who attended the day.

As in the past, the EA supported the day and London & South East NFA Coaches, led by Alan Sandom, provided the coaching.

               Alan Sandom                            Steve Gray

Angling was just part of the day for the hundreds of children who attended. I spoke to a number of the children and it is fair to say that most parts of the country were represented, from Norfolk in the east to Swindon in the west and I spotted mini buses and coaches from Cornwall and Shrewsbury.  Of course angling was not the only part of the day; the children had so many other things to do, such as go-karting, rock climbing, aerial runways, face painting and so many other activities.

          KP and the England Girls                  One for Arkala

That is why the next statement warms the cockles of my heart.  By 11:30am every place available for the rest of the day had been booked.

           Thank you!  Mr E.A                             No room at the Inn

Yes, we had to turn people away!  That really just goes to show that angling is something the youth of today really want to try, I understand that we, the coaches, gave over 200 children a taster of at least 20 minutes each.  Result!

                
              I didn't Know that!                                 Oh' So Proud

Despite the heat and the depth of the lake (less than two feet) we did catch some really lovely Rudd and Crucian Carp.

          
               England Strike Again                           Maggots! Lovley

When you have the attention of these children you can talk to them about other forms of wildlife that were all round us. (You have to remember that only 50 yards away the Gilwell DJ was doing his best to get everyone dancing and singing.)  But back at the Bomb Hole we were sharing our space on this earth with coal tits, newts, frogs and a coot with its young.  But for me the highlight of the day was a rather precocious grass snake who swam around without a care in the world.

     Bye for now, come back soon

All in all it was a great day, one the NFA coaches and the EA can be proud of.