The Bolton Project

Bridget will be setting up a brand new scheme in the Bolton area starting in Spring 2008. Bridget will be working with young people from schools, youth clubs, YOT, Inclusion Teams and any other groups that want to come along and have a go at fishing.

Bridget started fishing when she was only 6 years old with her Grandad and has continued to love the sport throughout her life. She has 10 years youth work experience and enjoys working with young people from all walks of life. She qualified as a Level 2 Coach about 4 years ago and enjoys teaching young people skills that will help them enjoy the sport, respect their environment and hopefully catch more fish.

Key Partners / Funding

Get Hooked On Fishing Bolton is working in partnership with

• Bolton Council
• The Environment Agency

Anyone else wishing to be involved in supporting the Bolton scheme please contact GHOF or Bridget.

Thoughts of one young Bolton angler

Fishing helps me to concentrate and helps me to not get into trouble. It helps me to concentrate because I focus on fishing as I want to catch fish, staying still and quiet helps because if I move around I would scare off the fish. It helps me to not get in trouble because its something to do and I can make new friends. Most of all its enjoyable, I get excited when a fish bites at the bait.

I am a pupil from Thornleigh Salesian College and have been on a programme with ‘Get Hooked on Fishing’ for 2 terms. It has really motivated me in school knowing that I can enjoy fishing on a Friday afternoon.

Joe Bannister

News:

Jordan reels in a monster!

On Friday, 9th of April, a group of us from Castlehill Youth Centre went fishing with Get Hooked on Fishing Bolton, at Bradshaw Fisheries. In the group was my brother Cory, Ryan, Jack and me. At first when we got there we were given instructions how to set up the fishing poles by ‘Get Hooked on Fishing’ coaches. A few people in the group already knew how to do this. Then we started fishing.

After about 5 minutes the float started to dip in and out of the water then it never came back to the surface. The pole started moving, then I realised I had caught a big fish. The fish was a carp and it took me 10 minutes to reel it in. It was an enormous 8 pounds!! It wouldn’t stop moving and I was finding it difficult to handle so the youth worker, Mark, had to ‘land’ it in on to the surface.

I felt so proud of myself, so were my friends and the staff. I told my Mum and Dad about the fish they were very happy. My Dad bought me a new rod. I have been fishing a lot recently with my new rod and now need a rod license to be able to fish any where I want. This is the 8 pound Carp I caught.

Bridget's Bolton Wonderers

Bridget Dawson is Get Hooked on Fishing's only woman project co-ordinator. She has had a busy summer and her report of what has been happening shows that the girls are doing great things with her as a role-model. Bridget's full report is included (follow the link) because it gives a sense of thediversity of GHOF activity. But, as she says in the report, 'The big event ... was Sue's story of the 'one that got away'. Sue hooked into a big fish 10 minutes into the match - she was really only going for silver fish so was using a 4 metre whip with a fairly light rig on and a size 18 hook! In all my years fishing, I have never known a fish fight like that one did - it didn't bolt off but would not come to the surface. One hour and forty minutes later it was off the hook. We now think that it was hooked in a fin or something like that and the hook eventually just worked free; and it got away without us having even seen it. The adults who were there were more gutted than Sue was!

View Sue's Full Summer 2009 report

Volunteering

Get Hooked on Fishing Bolton is very open to people wishing to gain further Youth Work experience or angling knowledge by way of volunteering. Anyone wishing to do so can contact Bridget directly for further information.