Brindley and I have just arrived in Northampton and are currently exploring the River Nene. So I was thrilled when we were returning from our first morning exploratory ‘ralk’ today when we came across this lovely lady and her daughter unloading their car with what looked like Canal and River Trust signs – causing me to enquire further.
Susan Galloway was extremely accommodating about my curiosity; and when she told me she was a Freelance Angling Coach I asked if I could interview her for my blog… to which she readily agreed.
Susan said “I like blogs” which, I felt, was very encouraging!
How did you become an Angling Coach?
“I used to work for a Charity in Wellingborough and I introduced fishing to the children there, as an activity for a holiday club. I was made redundant when the Children’s Fund stopped funding in 2011, so then I decided to become a Freelance Angling Coach.
I am a Freelance Angling Coach and I also volunteer for Northampton Nene Angling Club as a Coach.
You are obviously well established having done this since 2011?
It’s not a fantastic salary but I enjoy doing what I’m doing and I would much rather enjoy myself than go to an office desk and work and not like it.
What are you doing today?
“I am running a “Lets Fish!” activity event for the Canal and River Trust to try and introduce more people to fishing. Today we are starting at 10am and we have four participants every hour until 4pm!
Previous participants have come from as far as Sussex. We take children of 6 years and over as they can sit on their own and need less supervision where as the younger ones obviously need more supervision and with Covid we need to stay 2m apart from everyone.
We did a “Lets Fish!” on Monday and we are doing one today and then we are doing two more on 8th and 14th November at Nether Heyford on the Grand Union Canal.”
Book a free place to attend “Lets Fish!”
Sorry these events are cancelled as of 5 November.
Are you expecting to catch much today?
“Well the water is looking quite murky and the changes in temperature will affect the fishing I think. They may not catch much.”
This is my daughter
“My name is Tammy – I come out to help when I am not revising for my GCSEs!”
Later that day…
I decided to go back later to see how they were getting on. I found Tammy and her cousin Sian (I hope I have spelt this right!) sitting in the ‘admin’ brolly where they were keeping tabs on attendees. I asked Tammy how it was going. Tammy said “Its great – everyone here has caught a fish. It’s been really active today.”
I asked what sort of bait was being used to catch the fish and Tammy explained “we use maggots as they are the best bait as well as ground bait like breadcrumbs”.
I went to watch the young fishermen in action a small distance away, and in the short time I was there I saw two fishermen catch fish. One had caught three fish in just 25 minutes!
Susan expertly removed the fish from the hook and held one of the fish out so I could take a photograph of it before it went back into the river.
It was a small Roach. Fancy that!
“It was a small Roach”…….
You wouldn’t want to get the full sized one on the end of your line!