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The Fishing Paper

Jack's Day By Ian McCrory

Jacks Fish

Garden chores completed, there was no way that I was going to stay home on such a fine day.
Thoughts of flicking a dry fly over a fish, were just too much for this fisherman. It was 1.00pm, so I was limited to how far I could travel, but an afternoon and evening fish on nearby Lake Lyndon appealed.
Made a quick call to my son, to see if seven-year-old Jack would like to join Grandad, fishing from the dinghy. No holding back this young man and we were soon on our way.
It was good to see that conditions on the lake were perfect, just a slight surface ripple, but the lake was very low and weedy around the edges. A Black Gnat or Loves Lure would surely bring results.
Lifejackets on and all the usual safety rules explained, we were on the lake. I use a 3.5m pontoon boat, with a four horse power Yamaha outboard, then either drift with the breeze or anchor and fish.
Jack, like any young chap, would drive the boat, so after 30 minutes of driving around the lake in all sorts of circles and bouncing back over our wake, he was ready to fish.
In conditions like today, I use a 7.6 graphite pro bass fly rod, with a weight forward number 5 floating line and a 3m trace, with a 2lb tippet.
We decided that Jack would hold the rod, so my job was to cast out the line. I explained to him to just watch the fly and if a fish came up he would see a ring around the fly, lift the rod and just let the fish run. How easy is that? Reality is a little different.
"Grandad, I just saw a fish's head come out of the water and grab that fly, but there was no ring around it," said Jack.
It's all about learning, so following more tuition away we went again.
This time Jack didn't miss, up came the snout of a rainbow trout, he struck and it bolted out into the depths. More instructions, a little more urgent this time, "Keep the tip up and let your fish run." Run it did, well out into the backing. "Don't touch the handle when it takes off, but wind it in when the fish stops and there is no pressure."
After about 15 minutes, I netted a very well conditioned 3lb hen rainbow - Jack was delighted, his first trout.
Grandad's turn. Changing to a Loves Lure, I cast my way around the edges while Jack was the anchor man. I soon hooked a small rainbow, which I virtually reeled straight in and released, only to be told, "Grandad, you didn't keep the tip up. " Hmmm, fair call Jack.
We decided to give it another hour, I cast out again and junior promptly hooked another fish. This time he got no instructions and the fish put up a really good scrap and he landed another sizeable 4lb hen rainbow.
As I drove home with a very happy grandson, I couldn't help but think about the pleasure he got from an afternoon fishing. For me, it was just magic to enjoy his company and see him learning about the good things that the outdoors provides. With the threats of ongoing water abstractions, didymo, climate change and other issues, I can't help but think about what sort of legacy we are leaving our future sportsman.Jack's Day By Ian McCrory