27/07/2022
A Well then! After a 2 or 3 year gap we finally got Junior Carp Camp back on. It’s an event we’ve had on Horseshoe now for what must be going on 25 years, if not longer. I’ve personally been involved the last 14 years, so taking into account the lockdown postponements, this must have been my 10th one.
It’s an event I always look forward to now. But that wasn’t always the case, I remember before the first one, I wasn’t too sure about having a gang of spotty little hooligans running wild round the lake, but low and behold they turned up and were as good as gold, and remarkably spotless. I can only think the teenage washing regime must have moved on from the old tin bath and a bar of carbolic in front of the fire every other Sunday. You never see kids with mucky necks nowadays do you? Anyway I’m drifting off course.
So yes back to Junior Carp Camp 2022, and what a fantastic group of Juniors we had, they really were top notch, polite, respectful, attentive, genuinely a pleasure to have here. If they weren’t the best group in my time, they were certainly up there. As good as previous groups have been, we’ve always ended up having to tie one or two of them up and throw them down the cellar for a couple of days, but this year no, none of them even made it to the naughty step, no dramas, no tantrums, just really good kids, and for me, that’s more impressive than any size or amount of fish they’ll ever catch. A real credit to their parents, and to themselves. Having said all that, they weren’t too shabby when it comes to catching fish neither. I haven’t done a final tally but it’s got to be around the 60 mark, with half a dozen 30’s and even more personal bests.
Of course though, good as the lads are at angling, I’m sure they’d be the first to admit that without the instructors, it would be a different story. Our instructors at these camps are different gravy, the effort and determination they put in to get the kids a few fish is off the charts. And that’s on top of the fact they all give their services free of charge, never claim a penny expenses, and use up their own holiday days. Don’t forget, they’ve all got normal jobs like the rest of us, (I’m guessing Gigolos, Escorts and Male pole dancers are classed as normal now?) But anyway whatever they do in real life, what they do when they come here is really above and beyond, so a massive hats off to each and every one of them and a massive thank you from all of us here.
It’s not just the instructors who make the event possible though, there’s lots of work goes on before the event, Contacting people, taking bookings, reassuring the parents little Johnny will be fine, thankfully Sabrina takes care of that side of things. Then there’s getting the instructors in the first place, getting the trade to support the event through gifts for the kids whilst they’re here, again, fortunately for me this year I had Josh take over that role, and to be fair, for a young lad himself, he didn’t do a bad job. And if a Yorkshire man says you didn’t do a bad job, you can take it as read that you did a brilliant job, so well done Josh, you did yourself proud. And to think he only had a couple of nervous breakdowns is a credit to him. It didn’t help him that he had 3 instructors drop out at the last minute. Now in normal circumstances, and having had that happen to me several times over the last few years, I would have had a little sadistic laugh to myself, but I like Josh, so I did feel for him, but he sorted it out and the event was none the worse for it, so again, top marks to him, and to be honest, it won’t have done him any harm as a person, and should actually have given him a bit more confidence in his own ability to overcome adversity, which he did admirably. A favorite saying of mine which springs to mind is ‘The finest Steel is forged from the fiercest flame’.
Talking of the fiercest flame, the kitchen is always the heartbeat of Junior Carp Camp, and once again Karl and Lolly excelled. Knocking out breakfasts, dinners, and T’s for over 50 people for 4 days in a row is no easy task, you’re talking 16 hours a day, every day, and again completely voluntary, we’re back to above and beyond, so again, all I can say is Hats off.
A few more people to thank now, Andrew and Steve for delivering the breakfasts to the swims each morning, Milly and ‘Blue Carl’ for helping out at meal times. And of course the trade that supported the event by way of gifts for the youngsters. I tell you what, the kids don’t half do okay at Carp Camp. They must walk away with a few hundred quid’s worth of gear, so a massive thank you to Korda, Sticky Baits, Mad Baits, Wychwood tackle, Thinking Anglers, Fortis.
So there we are, Junior Carp Camp 2022. God willing, we’ll all be around for 23.
Miles
