Grandson With A Smile.

[comanche 2,917]

The eight-year old grandson decided just as I was due to deliver him back to his parents that he " Really,really,really ",wanted to go fishing. I suspect it was a delaying tactic to avoid some last-minute homework so, like the dutiful Grandfather I am , of course sent him up the garden with a spade and bait box while I rummaged through the shed for the rod he'd discarded after his last perch-bothering exercise.

He didn't have a lot of luck on the worm front; not just because the spade was a bit big but mainly because he had to compete with the chickens emptying the bait-box as fast as he dropped a hard-won wriggler into it . Lesson one;put the lid on between captures.

Figuring a dozen baits would be plenty for a half-hour dabble on the local mill-stream we clambered under a bridge and set-up the high-tech and very expensive tackle. A Poundland telescopic rod was carefully matched to a Poundland reel of similar high quality .

As an antidote to the hawser-like nylon that comes pre-loaded on every Poundland winch I relented and tacked on a trace of 3lb line and a size fourteen loaded with a couple of worms. With the river only running 12inches to 18 inches deep and clear the only subtlety of approach rested around a simple looped-nylon shot ledger stopped above the l trace.

 

First cast-the bottom,lost worm,bent hook.

 

Second cast- "Is that a bite Grandad?"

 

Grandad nods sagely and advises waiting for it to develop a bit before striking . Pluck ,pluck,"Ok strike".

This was followed by a moan from the boy and the assertion that he'd hooked another rock. The bobbing bend of his little rod told a different story and his face turned to a mixture of excitement and horror as something decided that it most certainly was not a rock.

Playing of the fish consisted of mostly unintentional back-winding of the reel when the handle was pulled out of his grasp . Luckily we had brought a landing net with us but when I saw the culprit I gave a little groan. After all the lad's hard work all could yet be lost should the frail trace contact his opponent's teeth.

Well the trace held, grandad swept the net and nobody fell in the river....The hook turned out to be barely snicked under the skin in the corner of its mouth and actually fell-out in the net.

You'll notice the "selfie" style photograph. This is not an attempt to make a mere two n a bit pound jack- pike appear bigger. Its simply that while the look on No1 grandson's face tells the tale of a happy angler he was a little unsure of its teeth and wouldn't come any nearer .

Anyway,he's now hoping for a Poundland tackle sponsorship deal.

Edited October 5, 2014 by comanche

[bell 3,590]

Nice write up.

 

Bell

[air gun ant 1,666]

Exellent mate

[Longers7 720]

Haha FairPlay to him, that was a great write up

[krawnden 1,036]

Great story

[vanman1 411]

Spot on

[Sussex Stalker 7]

Great write up. Just started taking my 7 year old.He caught a 6oz carp on his first trip, its now all he wants to do. Which is ok by me.

[stripes 401]

Well done youngun, a nice pike.

[comanche 2,917]

There is a bit of a sad follow-up to this story. The lad caught his fish last Sunday evening.

Monday morning the Environment Agency in their wisdom decided to open the sluice from the millpond that feeds the little stream we were fishing and managed to jam it open. There are mutterings that it was a very convenient "accident" designed to rid the pond of silt. At least 250 sizable fish along with uncounted smaller ones were found dead on the stream bank when the water- level dropped .

To compound the affair the EA and local council then decided that the surviving fish needed rescuing from the ,er, water!

Mind you this is the same local chapter of the EA who a couple of years back thought know one would notice if they "let a bit" of untreated sewage into the main river a couple of miles downstream because it was running high after rain. The river was still testing positive for crap ten miles below the sewage works and the fish stocks will take three more years to recover by the EA's own belated admission .

 

I had a look today and thanks to the very wet weather the stream is running at a good level again.

As to whether our little pike or indeed any fish remain who knows?

I might dangle a worm over the weekend.

Edited October 10, 2014 by comanche

[shealy1 71]

Nice one

[WILF 46,549]

Thanks for sharing matey, I love stuff like that, well done that lad.

[charlie caller 3,654]

Well done to the lad hope the EA havent screwed his fishing up mate.

[johnny boy68 11,726]

Cracking little read that and well done to your grandson.

[Bunnyblatter 1,012]

Fantastic mate. My daughter loves coming and catching small roach on the local canal

She loved it even more when I took her to the local commercial

 

Her first bream

 

 

And first carp.

 

The smile says it all. Although I wasn't smiling when she left my top kit on the platform with rig in the water baited up...............I'm sure you can guess the rest lol