Country Kids from Coombe Mill

Posted on February 6th, 2015

Catch of the Day

We have two lakes at Coombe Mill, a top lake stocked with young coarse fish where children often first try their hand at fishing or pond dipping and a lower lake with mature carp for the more serious fisherman.

It us usually the Dad’s who retreat for a quiet hour by the lake at dusk while Mum prepares tea or puts the children to bed. However last October a group of our regular guests enjoyed some family fishing time on the main lake and invited Guy to join them as he had teamed up playing with their children during the week.

It wasn’t long before Guy picked up the fishing bug spurred on by the odd triumphant catch. He had been shown how to carefully bring the fish to land with a landing net and how to remove the hook from inside its mouth. The whole process just makes me shudder, I don’t even like gutting the trout they catch in the river after they are dead, to deal with a gasping live fish is beyond me and Farmer Nick is not much better. However Guy was quite un-phased by the whole process and delighted in a team photo whenever they caught a fish.

I feared that once the friends left his love of fishing would go with them. I’ve been pleasantly delighted to watch his enthusiasm grow. It is quite common for him to pick up a rod and take himself off on a spare hour at the weekend or even after school when he just needs a little fresh air after a long school day cooped up. So many times he will come back and say “I caught a fish Mum” so when some Spanish children wanted to learn to fish over the New Year holidays it was Guy who took them. They had a lovely time, if little patience for sitting there and they left Guy a lovely present and note when their holiday ended. I think Guy was happy just to have their company.

This week I decided to follow him out with my camera and just see if these fish he claims to catch alone were real or not. To make it harder he was trying his luck in the top lake. He was perfectly happy in the solitude of the farm; there was only the sound of the wildlife and the river as we are currently closed to visitors until February half term.

I caught up with him in the late afternoon light and to be honest there wasn’t a sign of a fish in sight, no ripples nearby, only the ducks crossing the lake and Guy sat with his twinkl flask of tea and his latest book though how he doesn’t feel the cold I really do not know.

Then out of nowhere just as I was checking the bottom lake for him when I heard him call me. Running back I could see him reeling in his line. I followed his instructions to grab the landing net for him and watched with pride as he manoeuvred the fish and dug deep into the back of its throat where the hook had inconveniently attached. It was so far back I thought we might lose the fish but my calm and collected son managed to release it by nudging it backwards into the throat so the carp by reflex could then spit it forward and out.

It was a fine catch and Guy was only too happy to have his photo taken before carefully returning it to the landing net to release gently back into the lake. A flick of the tail and he was out of sight.

If you are coming to visit us this year, don’t forget to ask Guy about learning to fish. We have rods free to hire for adults and children and the most beautiful scenery to enjoy.

Joining in with Country Kids

Country Kids is all about spending time away from screens and sofas, getting up, being active and enjoying some good old fashioned outdoor fun. Nature has so much to offer all year round and right now signs of spring are bursting forth. Whether you are spotting spring on an country walk, collecting nature to make crafts or enjoying a trip to the park or further afield please come and share with me here on the linky; all outdoor family fun welcome. Please grab the badge code or link back here and remember to check out some of the other lovely posts, there is always plenty of inspiration to be found in others.

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A few of my favourites from last week:

Over 40 and a mum to One turns visiting a lighthouse into a family adventure

So much to see and do down by the canal for The Love Bump.

Mum to a Monster found a perfect place for her toddler to explore and develop

Wetlands provide a great way to lean in nature as discovered by Plutonium Sox and There and Back Again.

Mummy of Two proves the beach in winter has all the fun of summer.

Kriss Macdonald shares watching the cows being milked with a serious message to us all.