Safety
in mind for youngsters
I know that I have mentioned several times in this column how worrying
parents find it to know that their children are out in the countryside
fishing in this crime-ridden world.
There is, however, one aspect of angling as it is today that does offer
the chance to avoid such worries.
Quite a lot of present day angling is done on the many so-called commercial
fisheries and the best of these have advantages for young anglers and
parents alike.
Toilets and snack bars on site plus safe and comfortable platforms to
fish from.
More important still is the safety aspect. Parents and aunts or uncles
can drive the young anglers to some of the commercial fisheries and leave
them there to fish happily until they return to pick them up later in
the day.
One of the best such venues for those lucky enough to live within an easy
drive of the place is the fishery complex at Mill Farm in Barlow, near
Chesterfield.
Facilities here are superb. There’s a good chance of a catch due
to good stocking levels. A choice of eight lakes, of which four are for
coarse fishing and four for fly fishing for trout.
There is always staff in attendance and plenty of anglers to keep an eye
on youngsters. Should anyone be unfortunate enough to fall in help is
always at hand.
Drive down Keepers Lane in Barlow to find Rex Ward’s coarse fish
lakes and you can park near the water.
Do please make sure though that the youngsters are old enough to understand
the need to behave properly and fish reasonably competently.
Tell them that they must not shout or swear and they must sit quietly
without running about.
It is a good idea too to dress them in drab clothing that does not scare
fish away. Reasonably priced day tickets are available on site and a happy
atmosphere reigns here at all times.
Fishery staff are helpful here, so tell youngsters to be polite to them.
It only remains to make sure children have adequate (but not necessarily
expensive) tackle and bait, and to wish for good sport for them.
And fish landed need handling as little as possible and with wet hands
to make removing the barbless hook quick and easy.