Fishing 4 Schools - Charity Fishing Run

This entry was posted on 16th January, 2018

Fishing for Schools founder takes on marathon fishing challenge

Twenty-four hours, three fisheries and a 60-mile run – that’s the essence of Fishing for Schools founder Charles Jardine’s latest fundraising scheme - The Wessex Water Challenge.

At 10am on March 10 Charles will start fishing at Clatworthy Reservoir in Somerset, on a mission to catch a trout. That done, he will run the 14 miles (a half-marathon) to Hawkridge Reservoir, near Spaxton, where he will catch another trout.

Then comes the really hard part – his next fishery is Sutton Bingham, around 46 miles away. Charles will run there through the night in order to net another trout by 10am on 11 March.

Charles, 65, from Downton, Wilts, is an international fly fisherman and nature artist and coaches the England Youth Fly Fishing team. He has run the London Marathon three times but says this is by far and away his biggest challenge.

He said: “It’s really scary! I have an expert cartographer on the case, helping me to plot the best route, but it is going to be a very, very long way and I really do not know how long it will take me to run. Then there’s the fishing – as any angler knows you never know what to expect when you pick up a rod, so that could also be a challenge.”

The Wessex Water Challenge will raise funds for Fishing for Schools – the initiative set up by Charles 10 years ago, which introduces children to fishing and nature through short courses which are integrated into the National Curriculum, and Casting for Recovery, which offers healing fishing retreats to ladies who have or are recovering from breast cancer.

 Charles will also be running in memory of his beloved constant companion black Labrador Midge who died on 4 January aged 12.

 All three fisheries that Charles will be visiting belong to Wessex Water, which is helping to sponsor the event.

 Charles added: “I really believe in what we are trying to do with Fishing for Schools and Casting for Recovery. Angling can have amazing, restorative results for the young people we work with, many of whom have had really challenging starts in life and find school so difficult. And the results of Casting for Recovery are truly inspirational.

 “By sponsoring me you will help ensure that many more people can benefit from these amazing initiatives.”

 To sponsor Charles, go to https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/wessexwaterchallenge