National Fishing Week – King’s Lynn AA

Event organiser Rob Williams gives a few pointers to Sky TV’s Nigel Botherway

National Fishing Week kicked off in fine style with a beginner’s teach-in run by King’s Lynn Angling Association.

The club threw open the doors to its Tottenhill Fishery and more than 30 youngsters – and several grown-ups – got their first taste of fishing on a blazing August day.

Sky TV were there to film proceedings, as the King’s Lynn AA coaches gave lessons in groundbait mixing, rig making and casting.

Err, you’re not supposed to eat the groundbait Nigel

Sky fishing presenter Nigel Botherway said: “It’s been very impressive – I wish they’d had this type of thing when I was a youngster. It’s great to see all these youngsters having such a great time outdoors.”

Brendan McKeown, from the Angling Trades Association, said the event was the first of more than 100 which have been organised up and down the country.

As well as junior teach-ins, the programme includes sessions for people recovering from serious illnesses, like heart attacks and strokes.

Pond dipping sessions by the EA’s Nina Fielding and Kye Jerrom were very popular

“When the EA did a survey, they found there were four million people who go fishing – and there’s another four million who’d like to give it a try,” he added.

Senior members gave demonstrations of whip, feeder and waggler fishing, while Dennis Moules, Anglian liaison officer for the Pike Anglers Club, was on hand with a display of pike tackle and rigs.

Dennis Moules, from the Pike Anglers Club, demonstrates trace making

Youngsters get stuck into a groundbait making session

Rob Williams helps a youngster get to grips with the first essential – learning to cast

Mark Brewster gave a masterclass in the finer points of rig making and shotting