The half-term holidays have undoubtedly brought a whole new obsession for eight-year-old Arley Morgan.


Being a keen angler for more years than he was willing to admit, his father, Adi, set about taking his son for his first-ever fishing trip. Stanton Lake Fishery was the destination for young Arley to wet his first line and the 24-hour session that ensued was one that he won’t be forgetting for years to come.

After arriving at the venue, Arley and his dad set about walking the lake. Decades of carp knowledge, passion and experience were passed from father to son until the young angler made the decision on where to fish. He chose to plot up off the back of the wind, keeping far away from the other anglers on the lake, who were yet to catch; a decision that would prove to be fruitful.

Casting proved difficult for Arley to begin with but the fascination of a marker setup carried him through until his rods were set and baited. It wasn’t long before he was into his first fish and an angler was born.

The whole experience of staying outside in the bivvy was enjoyable for the youngster but at 1am the rods were pulled in to get some much needed sleep.

At 5.30am the alarm sounded and, like the more dedicated anglers, Arley was up watching the water after rechucking his rods.

The session flew by with him landing no less than 18 carp. Despite his dad only helping to set the clutch he managed to land every bite. The round-up at the end included five doubles to 14lb and a rare visit from one of the few twenties that reside in the lake at 20lb 10oz.

When summarising the session he exclaimed: “I want to fish somewhere a bit harder next time Dad, with bigger fish.”

Adi is over the moon and is glad that he can now share his passion for angling with his son. Well done Arley.