I went to Abington Park on a Saturday morning recently to join several Northampton families at Abington Park Lake where a local Level 2 fishing instructor and the Angling Trust were holding a family fun fishing instruction event. Families came to the lake to learn how to fish, and children in particular enjoyed learning the skills. No fish were harmed during the event, and in fact they were fed some tasty grubs during the morning.
I think it is important to encourage children to experience outdoor activities – and some children find this sort of sport fits them better than organised team games. It was very nice to see families spending time together outside like this, and I enjoyed having a go at it myself.
Recreational fishing has a very long history in this country, and remains one of the most popular outdoor activities – as many as 20% of the population are believed to have gone fishing at some point in the last 10 years or so. Besides being one of Britain’s most popular pastimes, in some parts of the country fishing also plays an important role in waterway conservation.