Having stayed last night with my daughter and family at Milton Keynes I took Morgan (10), Jacob (8) and Imogen (6) fly fishing at Pitsford Water. It was cold and misty when we set out and the SAT NAV got us to the Fishing Lodge at Holcot in around 40 minutes. The Warden in the lodge was most helpful and let me have a 4 fish ticket for £17.00. He checked the wind and recommended a suitable location together with black and red buzzers (chironomids). He even gave us the combination to the padlock on the fisherman's car park barrier! There were midges in great clouds like smoke near the tree tops so I felt sure that buzzers were the right choice.
I set one 7 weight rod up with a strike indicator (known as "the Bung") and 3 buzzers spaced 3 feet apart with the heaviest on the point. Then I cast it a far as I could and gave the rod to one of the children having instructed him to lift the rod if the orange "bung" disappeared. I then set up a 5 weight rod with a short leader and a piece of wool as a pretend fly. I then gave them casting lessons on the grass holding the rod horizontally (Joan Wulff style). Having got them use to the rod and lines combined action we graduated to the water with proper overhead casts. Morgan the 10 year old soon mastered the technique and I was able to show him how to shoot line.
The sun came out and there was nothing showing on top and nothing taking buzzers below in our area so I decided to change tactics. Removing the buzzers and the bung I put a large cats whisker fly on the point and having cast it as far as I could gave the rod to Jacob (8) and told him to count to 30 and then retrieve. This he did and then the others took their turns after I had cast out for them. The sun became quite warm and we had just about given up on the fish cooperating when Jacob gave a shout as something was pulling on the line. The trout came to the surface and flashed its silver sides before disappointingly throwing the hook! This bit of action improved interest and morale for a bit but eventually Imogen negotiated a departure and we headed off home via McDonalds!
We will definitely be back to Pitsford.
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