Reeling in Happiness: Benefits of Sharing the Joy of Fishing

This entry was posted on 3rd August, 2023 by Guest Writer

In this article, Ade Kiddell shares the reasons why he loves to share his favourite pastime with his family and friends as well as his recent experiences of fishing for bream and barbel.

I have been an angler for many years, some of my earliest memories are of childhood fishing trips with my family to the Norfolk Broads and throughout my adult life my love of angling has never faltered.

The Health Benefits of Angling

As anglers, we all appreciate how beneficial a fishing trip can be, a chance to get outdoors, and participate in our beloved sport but also enjoy nature along with the peace and tranquillity a fishing session can bring.

I read with great interest the work that Anglia Ruskin University along with Tackling Minds and Angling Direct are doing regarding the links between going fishing and mental wellbeing. I don’t need any convincing about how beneficial a few hours of fishing can be.

Get Kids Into Fishing

Knowing how important and enjoyable fishing can be it is a high priority for me to introduce others to fishing. My grandkids have always enjoyed our fishing trips together and as they get older it seems they are even keener to go fishing.

On a recent trip to England, we took the three of them on a camping holiday into The Peak District, did a little research before we went and we found a nice campsite with a small lake, ideal to stay for a few days and do some fishing. The place was perfect a small water with plenty of fish and it didn’t take long for the kids to start catching.

Tips for Taking Kids Fishing

Keeping sessions to a couple of hours meant they were always keen to go the next time, they caught several different species including carp, rudd and roach on a variety of baits. They all enjoyed it and the fact they asked to go again backs that up, I hope their early fishing memories last as long as mine.

Go Fishing at Any Age

Going to the other extreme one of my fishing mates here in Holland regularly takes his father-in-law out for a few hours fishing, now in his 92nd year he still enjoys his trips out and he is proud of the fact he has been an angler for over 80 years, a true lifetime angler.

But you know it's never too late to start I wrote last year about a trip I took with a family member Mannes and it was the first time he had been fishing since a child.
Well, our trip together certainly rekindled an interest and the fishing bug has bitten. Mannes is close to retirement and is looking for a hobby to enjoy in his spare time, well we have now had several sessions together fishing in Holland but also France and Belgium.

Mannes also has had a few sessions on his own and is enjoying the experience, using social media to help with things like tying rigs and tackle and techniques.

Amazingly he has even gone a step further and taken his small granddaughter with him and she seems to have enjoyed it and wants to go again.
Fishing is a pastime for all to enjoy, and it's always worth considering introducing friends and family to it, young and old, girls or boys just get out and enjoy our wonderful sport.

Bream Fishing in France

My fishing has varied over the last few weeks a trip to France and some very big river bream, in my opinion, bream are often portrayed as fish that are not very exciting to catch, try fishing a big river and fishing for bream of specimen size and it’s a different game. It is a big bream in a fast current and it's a great sport.

When fishing for bream then the top bait has to be a worm, bream cant resist worm be it a big garden worm or a bunch of small red worms I wouldn’t ever go after bream without a tub of worms for bait, so don’t forget all Angling Direct shops sell fresh worms perfect for a bream session.

Barbel Fishing in Belgium

My latest trip was to a small Belgium river to fish for Barbel, there are several small rivers in the Ardennes part of Belgium which contain a variety of species. These rivers often run very clearly so it's possible to see the fish and watch them feed.

It is very exciting to feed a shoal of barbel or chub and then try to catch them. The trick is to feed them for a time before fishing, the more confident the fish are feeding then the easier it will be and the more you will catch. I have spent 3 or 4 hours just patiently introducing feed before attempting to fish. The results can be very rewarding.

Maggots, castors, hemp and sweetcorn are perfect to get the fish in the feeding mood. Either feed by hand or with a bait dropper and don’t forget a good pair of polaroid sunglasses will help to spot feeding fish. I used this technique a few days ago in Belgium and along with a few barbel and chub.

I also managed to land a tench, my first from Belgium and not the species I expected but a very welcome surprise.

That’s it for now, enjoy your fishing and don’t forget the benefits it can bring, introduce a friend it may well be the start of something special for them too.