13 August 2010
Families in the south are being given the chance to try fly fishing for free this Saturday (14 August) at Thames Water's Farmoor Reservoir in Oxfordshire.
There's no need to book. Families can turn up from 9.30am to take advantage of one-to-one tuition by qualified angling coaches. All fishing tackle and rod licenses will be provided.
As well as fly fishing, families can also have a go at pond dipping, learn about fish and creatures that live in lakes and rivers, visit the nature reserves and try a bit of bird spotting.
The event is being jointly hosted by Thames Water, the Environment Agency, Oxfordshire Association of Young People and the Angling Development Board.
Famed for its trout fishing, Farmoor Reservoir is annually stocked with 30,000 high-quality rainbow and brown trout.
Matt Prior, Conservation Manager at the reservoir, said:
"Farmoor is popular with fishermen of all ages and levels and we're looking forward to giving people a taster of what a great activity fly fishing can be.
"We'll be doing our best to help visitors catch some really big trout, for which Farmoor is renowned."
Environment Agency Fisheries Officer Tom Sherwood said:
"By giving people a chance to become involved in angling we are providing an opportunity to get closer to nature. Angling can be a hobby for life, which can be enjoyed for half-an-hour at a time or a full day and is just plain good fun."
