It was a day out of the classroom but there was still plenty of learning at Blue Light Canterbury’s Kids Gone Fishin’ day.
Fifteen children in years 7 and 8 at Te Kura Mareko Casebrook Intermediate School arrived at Lake Roto Kohatu in Christchurch on a clear but frosty 1° morning. They may not have brought the warm weather with them but they all brought the right attitude to make the most of the day.
The day kicked off with a health and safety briefing and the last-minute addition of some extra layers of clothing.
Hamish Bilcliff, a fishing expert from Christchurch's Hunting & Fishing store (Ballingers), introduced the different methods of fishing and demonstrated how to set up a fishing rod.
The children then set off in groups to put what they’d learned into practice. They used a range of fishing methods including spin/lure fishing and bait casting.
As the weather warmed up, the fun and laughter flowed as the children and volunteers got into the swing of things. There were more trees caught than fish for the morning, but it allowed the adults to put their stretching skills to the test to unhook wayward casts.
Lunch was a classic sausage sizzle to keep bodies warm and spirits up.
Although only one trout was caught on the day (and released due to being under-sized), the event ran excellently with the help of everyone involved. Blue Light Canterbury is looking forward to running more Kids Gone Fishin’ events in the future.
Special thanks to North Canterbury Fish & Game for the loan of fishing rods and organising fishing licences, Hamish Bilcliff for donating his time, Christchurch's Hunting & Fishing store for sponsoring gear and spot prizes, Wondercast Fishing Tackle for sponsoring fishing lures, Blue Light National for sponsoring fishing equipment and spot prizes, and all the volunteers involved on the day.
Photos courtesy of Senior Constable Charlotte Dyndul.
