Coaching coarse Fishing

08/04/2026

02/04/2026

It was a biting wind today at Grove farm and the fishing started off hard. The normal method feeder and 10mm wafter that is the chosen method to snaffle a few carp wasn't working, we tried other baits, corn, pellet but with no joy. Thinking that in hard conditions we normally use finer tackle - line, hooks etc ,we decided to do the same with our bait, using the same wafter that hadn't been catching, but in a 8mm, smaller version, bingo.
A real lesson learnt for all of us.

30/03/2026

Our school students catch a lot of big fish throughout the year, but through the harder months it can be a bonus just to catch a fish. After last weeks session where one single roach was caught, we went into todays session fearing the worst. So it was nice today to see one of our students catch four silvers, 2 roach and 2 perch, he loves his fishing so it was great to see it was him that had a red letter day. He was over the moon.

26/03/2026

Some cracking fish caught today. But patience came to the fore.
You needed the right clothing on today, because it was a bitter wind.

23/03/2026

Part of the our BTEC fishing course is about visiting different aquatic parks to look at contrasting environments. The place we visited today, Riverside country park, Gillingham, is a real gem, it stands on the Medway estuary and is important for wintering birds that thrive on the invertebrate- rich mudflats. We normally visit freshwater environments, but it was good today for the lads to see a salt water environment and the different flora and fauna that live there.
The boys really seemed to enjoy themselves, which is what it is all about.

19/03/2026

A nice session at Grove farm, Hadlow, today. Although warm throughout the day we had frost in the morning and a slight easterly wind blowing that can make things tricky. The normal baits of corn, pellet etc struggled but prawn on the pole and wafter on the feeder came up trumps.

16/03/2026

I recently travelled to Christchurch, Dorset on the Stour, beat 3, for the last few days of the river season, this stretch has been kind to me over the years for chub and barbel, but with the water up and really pushing through, fishing throughout the day was going to be tough. In the end to catch something, I got on the bank at first light, 5.45 am to trot for silvers. After the onslaught of minnows there was some nice Dace to be had, feeding little and often. This stretch does hold some special fish, and on the evening before the last day of the river season, someone on the camp had a very special Chub of 7lb 10oz.
It's fish like this that keep you coming back for more.

16/03/2026

Fishing at Shorne is not easy at present. On a short session this morning it looked like a blank, but luckily a roach obliged late into the session.

05/03/2026

As the river season is soon coming to an end we started today on the Darent, we caught silvers on the Whip, trotting and today tried the feeder that fished well. Then on to the lake to fish for Pike.

05/02/2026

The weather forecast today was appalling, but although wet at times it was quite mild. We started on the river. Fishing for silvers was hard at first, in cloudy conditions, but we discovered that the only fish to be caught were in the flow they never wanted a static bait. That's the first thing we learnt.
Then on to the lake. Normally we would opt for the lake that has more clarity, which we did, but was tough going, we then went on the lake that is a normally a banker for pike, but at present is very cloudy due to the run off from roads, so didn't look promising, but with patience the boys managed some nice Pike on this lake.
Sometimes science goes out the window.

02/02/2026

Something different today. A visit to Hadlow college with the lads, to see all the courses available for young people. We concentrated on fisheries, but also looked at other opportunities including agricultural engineering, motor vehicle maintenance etc. This place certainly offers wonderful opportunities to young people as a career path. A big thanks to Brian Bailey, fishery manager, who is a great host and always makes time for our students.

27/01/2026

Yesterday on the river cray one of the lads said there is a crocodile coming towards us, he was not wrong.
Strange thing is the river cray is running low for the time of year where as the Darent is up and pushing through.
Plenty of fish, float fishing but really peggy. We tried something new, ledgering with a maggot feeder, fishing a static bait and on the day this caught the bigger fish, but a small stamp at that.