Fishing is actually fun!!

So today it was beautiful here in Ireland, the sun was shining and there was not a cloud in the sky. Stephen and I were both off which was something rather rare.  We got up and had some breakfast and then were sitting on the sofa complaining about being bored. Stephen steps up and decides he’s going fishing, yaay more fishing.

He set off and I stayed home to send some emails, and finish some work. I stopped off with Stephen in Belturbet village and decided I would go home and get a fishing rod my grandmother had got me as a child, it was a good few years old but was still a great we fishing rod!

I met back up with Stephen at the jetty just under Belturbet Bridge and decided I would give this fishing a go! Stephen loves fishing and had many trophies for fishing; he fishes matches and leagues all the time and has even fished for Ireland and the army. He travels to different countries to fish and last year he qualified for the fishing masters in England! Well done Stephen!

So you all get the idea that my Stephen is a pro and here I was with my ten year old fishing rod scared to touch a fish. I soon became a pro and even beat Stephen in a competition we had!

I started off with my rod and was just fishing away loving life! Catching one every now and again, having Stephen de hook them and put them in the net. This soon got old for him and he told me I had to do it myself, so we worked at this in stages. I caught a fish and just before Stephen put it in the net I touched it. The next fish I caught I held! Properly held a fish! I couldn’t believe it! I then tried to get the hook out, there’s a tool you can use called a discourager you run the line down it and it helps to unhook the hook from the fish. I freaked out thinking I had killed the fish and squeezed the guts out. So I threw all into the water, fish and discourager! Stephen wasn’t impressed but then laughed along with me.

Stephen then asked me if I wanted to use a pole like his as mine wasn’t catching as many. He was using G20 Diao pole, top 4 ( I don’t know about this stuff but Stephens sitting beside me telling me what he and I was using today). So I took over on his seat (Yes these fisher men are lazy and have a seat with a tray and all their stuff at their reach) and he started to set up another pole similar. He ended up just using my little red fishing rod.

So there I am sitting on my fishing seat with all the fish food sitting beside me, catching fish flat out! It was amazing and very exciting, each fish I would catch I got extremely excited, a friend of our had joined us and he took over taking the hooks out of the fish, I don’t think I was allowed anymore encase I through pole and all into the water! These things are worth a lot of money and I didn’t want to have to replace it!

We spent a good few hours fishing and both of us were catching flat out! We caught Roach and Perch and in the end I ended up with about 12 Kilo. For Bait I used maggots and for food (this stuff you just throw into the water!) I used ground bait, hemp and casters. Again Stephen is sitting beside be telling me what these things are called as I called them, dead maggots, dirt and black stuff! That’s what it all looked like!

So I ended up with a great big net full of fish and felt amazing, it was so much fun sitting out in the sun spending time with Stephen and beating his ass at fishing, we decided before we packed up for dinner that we would have a race, first person to catch ten fish. I obviously won! I was the most exciting this, I don’t know how these men fish matches, I couldn’t get that hook back in the water fast enough! And got so frustrated if I wasn’t catching.

It was lovely to get out into the sun and leave my phone in the car knowing dad was safe and at home being looked after by the care assistants, I had all my work done which I needed to do and I day was mine. I got to spend time with Stephen which is something that doesn’t happen to often as we are both so busy.

I recommend people take a day to yourself and do something they find fun and relaxing; you might not find fishing fun or even something you would dream of doing! Find something that brings the happiness that fishing brought me today.