Anglers head to Carr Mill Dam for St Helens AA's unique event

One of the region’s most famous angling associations, St Helens AA, presented a programme of inclusion that joined up both junior and senior members within a unique classroom setting.

This event, held at Carr Mill Dam, St Helens, was free and it was again open to all ages on Saturday.

Co-ordinated in aid of supporting predator angling enthusiasts who were possibly looking for some advice and experience towards gaining tactical information, the day also offered the importance of understanding many aspects surrounding this sometimes dangerous sport.

As many readers will know, our largest predatory fish within our inland water is the pike.

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A large carnivorous fearsome fish that can grow to a metre in length, the pike is a fish that can be found in many freshwater water courses, growing to enormous sizes and very often to scale within the venues they frequent and inhabit.

Always favouring waters that hold a substantial amount of vegetation, narrow canals, rivers, lakes and large expansive meres and lochs are always the venues that will have these huge impressive creatures living within them, and with that, handing them is crucial when it comes to both the fish and our very own safety.

As a committee member of SHAA, Paul Lucas worked tirelessly alongside Eric Edwards organising this occasion.

As qualified Level 2 Angling Trust coaches, collaborating with other fellow coaches and associate members of the Northwest Pike and Predator Anglers group who attended, 27 enthusiastic predator anglers from eight years to 80 participated.

With time spent by all within a workshop area provided by The Dam Bar, exercises within trace-making, understanding terminal tackle and safe fish handling was expertly presented in this classroom setting where the much-needed refreshments served were also enjoyed in between sessions.

Outside, likewise, on the water’s edge, lure casting and how to present dead bait techniques was carefully described by the coaches to everyone involved within the alternating one-hour class sessions.

Supported by the Environment Agency whose officers Charley Bunce and Luke were present to offer any welcomed advice, Adam Walls and Szymon Skoczen from the Angling Trust were also present to compliment this fantastic occasion.

As part of the Building Bridges Team, it is hoped by the EA that by introducing programmes of inclusion that could be put in place like this one, it will hopefully bring Eastern European anglers together where an interest could be gained towards participants joining our local angling clubs.

St Helens AA would like to thank everyone involved in making this day possible. Included was lead coach Eric Edwards, Keith Dutton, Karl Devlin, Dennis Bird, Kevin Dunne, and Ben Livingston, officer of the Angling Trust, Adam Szymon and the Environment Agency.

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