‘Taster days’ can get you hooked on going fishing

Feb 12 2008 by Moc Morgan, Western Mail

SPRING is the time of year when thoughts of the great outdoors and its attractions come to mind. It was good to hear that there are many out there thinking of trying their hand at fishing this year.

Good for them.

I hope they realise that fishing in common with some other sports is an honest sport in that it gives pleasure in relation to the effort that the participant puts into it. Please don’t think that you just have to go out and wave a fishing rod about and that the fish will just fly into your creel. That only happens in adverts on telly!

Fishing, like all other sports demands a period of apprenticeship and fortunately today there are opportunities for the aspiring angler to have expert tuition by highly experienced anglers.

Angling clubs in conjunction with the Environment Agency organise “fishing taster days” to which youth and novice anglers are invited and are given tuition in the art of fishing. The organisers supply rods and all the necessary fishing tackle for the events.

There are fishing clubs dotted along the length of Welsh rivers and most of these organise angling tuition for their younger members.

Many have youth officers who hold weekly lessons for newcomers and anyone who enjoys the taster days and is thinking seriously about taking up the sport will need some serious coaching.

Fortunately these days there are many qualified angling coaches in Wales and there is a national coaching scheme run by the Federation of Welsh Anglers.

There are three “regional coaching panels” in Wales – one in the north, one in the south-east and one in the west – and they organise coaching days on various rivers and lakes within their own areas.

Mastery of the “tools of the trade” is paramount in all sport. A golfer must master the swing of the golf club, a tennis player must master the handling of the racket and an angler must gain mastery of the fishing rod.

The club, racket or fishing rod becomes an extension of the arm and the arm controls the speed, direction, and angle of the chosen tool.

Presentation is also vital. When it comes to fishing, the fly, bait or spinner must be presented to the fish in the exact place and in as natural a manner as possible.

The novice must be able to cast the correct distance and in a presentable manner. As with humans, fish prefer their food to be presented correctly and not be splashed down slip-shod in front of them.

Anyone taking up game fishing must learn how to handle the rod – the grip and the action must be mastered.

Casting is more of an individually developed style – similar to learning to write. The grip of the pen and the writing movement is individual and seldom if ever do two persons have the exact same pattern. If you compare the handwriting of any two persons who have been taught to write by the same teacher their handwriting can be very different – so it is with casting.

Coaches vary in quality and I believe that once a coach has enabled the pupil to get the correct casting movement – then let the pupil develop it with experience. The most important aspect of casting, as in other sports, is timing, and that only comes with experience.

Keep in mind that coaches are there to teach Johnny to fish and not to teach fishing to Johnny. The emphasis must be on Johnny the pupil.

Fishing is one of the finest hobbies that you can indulge in and especially so if you are not keen or able to take up ball bashing games. The fish do not ask for any great physical attributes from the fisher.

In Wales we are fortunate in that most of the rivers and reservoirs have angling groups or clubs and these give a great leg up to all novices.

Fishing is a sport for all seasons and for a lifetime. It is often said that if you want to be happy for a day, get drunk, for a week, get married and for a lifetime, go fishing.