Camping and Fishing Fun

Each year I do my best to take the children away for a short break camping. I enjoy a few nights away living in a very basic fashion and anything that gets the children out of the house and away from computers is a good thing in my book. Fresh air and fun is what I remember of my summer holidays and I want them to have similar memories.
 A couple of years ago we stayed on the banks of Ullswater in the Lake District. Everyone had a good time as there was water to paddle in, a rope hanging from a tree to swing on and a little stream to move rocks about in and create little dams. The only drawback was the crowded nature of the campsite. If you went out in the car for a few hours you'd get back to find someone had pitched a tent in your parking spot. Camping sardines is not really my idea of fun.
This time we headed for something that I hoped would be a little less crowded. I'd found a leaflet in the local tackle shop in Lancaster for a farm a few miles north of Kendal that looked to promise some interesting fishing plus a true camping experience with the only facilities a cold tap and a toilet.
The children's mum kindly let us borrow her car so off we headed in a very full Toyota Yaris for what I hoped would be three nights of camping and fishing fun.

Ullswater 2013

Selside 2015

 

In stark contrast to our last trip we had the place to ourselves. Just us, a small tarn on our doorstep and a six acre lake to fish.
Neither Iris or James have expressed much of a desire to fish. James dabbled for a bit a few years ago but he never really seemed to be that bothered despite catching some good fish including an 8lb carp.
This time I thought I would keep it low key so made up a simple whip arrangement from an old piece of pole I had lying around that they could use if they wanted to. I had read online that the lake was full of rudd so I thought they may like a go.
Here's what happened in photos that were mainly taken by James who is 10.

the view from the tent




the lake

   



formed in a valley

with living and dead trees

 

 

Small is beautiful as everyone catches a fish.

 

 

 

the best rudd of the trip at 7oz

 

there's golden rudd too

 

 

happy campers



 

Rudd are now Iris' favourite fish!