Latest Content
First fish! Fishing is ideal for families. Learn to fish with First Cast angling coaching & tuition

First Cast – Angling Coaching Sessions – Learn to Fish!

2019 UPDATE – Unfortunately there have been some major changes since I published this page, so I intend to replace it soon with a new resource to help children and beginners get into fishing.

Kevin Miles no longer offers angling tuition.

Barlow Lakes is now under new ownership and has been rebranded as “Barlow Country Club“. They are hoping to offer their own angling tuition & tackle hire and will open an on-site tackle shop in the near future. Exciting times ahead!

There are now many events organised in school holidays where children can try fishing for free or learn to fish for free – with tuition and use of tackle included.

Sadly we’ve moved into an era where independent fishing tackle shops are closing down (or being bought out by massive tackle shop chains) and there is a general decline in the fishing tackle trade, mirrored by a rapid decline in junior rod licences issued. Therefore, it’s never been more important to encourage new blood into angling. I’m passionate about this and I don’t believe the “big-name” anglers or the tackle industry do enough to encourage our nation’s youth (obviously there are a few exceptions). That’s why I’m devoting more time to developing this website to be a source of information and inspiration to anyone who might wish to try fishing for the first time. Watch this space.

Meanwhile, to search for fishing guides and angling coaches in your area, visit the Angling Trust Find a Coach page. Please also see my information about free fishing events for children & beginners in the East Midlands which gives links to events organised by, amongst others, the Angling Trust and Canal & River Trust.

I have also reviewed a children’s book called The Boy and the Trout, which aims to inspire children with a love of angling and the outdoors.


First Cast Angling Coach Fishing Tuition Chesterfield Derbyshire

In association with Barlow Fisheries, my good friend & angling coach, Kevin Miles, is now able to offer

Angling Coaching Sessions!

Whether you’re looking for a new outdoor pursuit and want to try your hand at angling or you’re an angling looking to further your existing angling skills, Kevin is a fully qualified angling coach – accredited to teach all levels of anglers.

The sessions are suitable for all ages and abilities, it doesn’t matter if you are young or old, male or female, these individual sessions can be geared for your requirements. From absolute beginners – who want to know how to bait a hook, how to cast and how to handle their first fish – to the more experienced anglers wanting to perfect their techniques or advance into the angling worlds of big carp fishing & specimen hunting.

The Angling Coach

Tuition is by former Derbyshire Times’ Angling columnist & AnglersTimes.co.uk editor,  Kevin Miles; a professional, fully-qualified ADB (Angling Development Board – formerly the NFA) Angling Coach.  Kevin is highly experienced in all aspects of angling, including carp fishing, general coarse fishing and fly fishing.  He has an extremely patient and helpful coaching style, which brings great results from these sessions.

The sport of angling can be a very diverse and complicated pursuit, but most methods & techniques can be accommodated on these sessions, including:

  • Float Fishing – Floats of all kinds on running line…
  • Feeder Fishing – Straight lead, cage / method feeder, specialist feeders, bite indicators…
  • Pole & Whip Fishing – The most common modern match methods, enabling super-sensitive float fishing with superior bait presentation…
  • Carp Fishing – Float fishing, surface fishing, legering…
  • Advanced Carp Fishing – Lines, rigs, baits, flavours, mixes and methods…
  • Beginner Fly Casting – Learn how to cast a fly rod & line! Once regarded as a noble art, fly fishing nowadays is open and accessible to anyone wishing to learn. You might even get chance to hook and catch a trout or two!
  • Fly Fishing – Develop your casting skills and learn about fly types, fly selection and retrieval techniques for different conditions

Should you need any help with fishing – from your First Cast to refining your carp rigs – Kevin has the expertise, qualifications and above all, experience. The only thing he can’t guarantee is that the fish will be biting on the day – but that’s all part and parcel of the world of angling. However, if you’re trying to catch your very first fish, there is usually at least something feeding at Barlow Lakes.

Costs

Please contact Kevin directly using the form below for current coaching session prices.

Coaching sessions last a minimum of 2 hours on the bank. Prices quoted include the cost of a day ticket, tackle hire, all baits and an Environment Agency Day Licence* (where applicable).

Please Note:  All junior anglers under 18 years of age must be accompanied by parent or guardian. Suitable clothing/footwear must be worn for adverse conditions. Fishery rules must be strictly complied with.

*All anglers 12-years and above must hold a valid EA Coarse & non-migratory Trout Rod Licence before fishing. These will be provided for coaching sessions but if you wish to continue fishing, a new licence can be purchased from a Post Office or online from the Envirnment Agency. You can purchase Rod Licences which are valid for 24 hours, 8 days or 12 months

For more details or to arrange a coaching session please e-mail Kevin Miles using the form below.

Kevin is a personal friend, so when contacting him, please tell him you found his details on my website. It might just make his day!  Thanks, Andrew.

 

Previous Customers – First Cast Success Stories!

First fish! Fishing is ideal for families. Learn to fish with First Cast angling coaching & tuition
Thomas & Helena Goodwin with a perch caught during a coaching session.

Thomas Goodwin (7) and his mum, Helena, attended a ‘First Cast’ angling session held on the Top Pond at Barlow Fisheries.  Tom and Helena, who both had very little previous angling experience are shown holding their first-ever perch which was caught ‘on-the-drop’!  They went on to catch further roach, perch, rudd & gudgeon and thoroughly enjoyed themselves!

Personal Best Common Carp for a customer of First Cast fishing coaching & angling tuition
Steve Andrews with a pole-caught Barlow Fisheries common carp.

Experienced pole angler Steve Andrews, of Derby, took advantage of a First Cast Coaching Session held on a Summer’s evening – which resulted in a personal best Common Carp!  Steve said he wasn’t interested in catching fish during the coaching session – he just wanted to learn as much as possible about the different techniques of feeder fishing – so this immaculate Barlow Fishery Common was the icing on the cake!  Congratulations and well done Steve!

First-ever Rainbow Trout caught by a customer of First Cast fly fishing coaching & tuition
Mark Webster of Dronfield, pictured with his first-ever fly-caught rainbow trout.

Mark attended a ‘First Cast’ Angling Tuition session held at Barlow Trout Fishery.  Mark, who had never fished before, was soon casting well enough to land four of the hard-fighting rainbows.  He even decided to take a brace home for tea!

Please Note: All junior anglers under 18 years of age must be accompanied by parent or guardian. Suitable clothing/footwear must be worn for adverse conditions. Fishery rules must be strictly complied with.

*All anglers 12-years and above, must hold a valid Rod Licence before fishing.

For more details or to arrange a coaching session please e-mail Kevin Miles.

 

The Venue: Barlow Fishery (now known as “Barlow Country Club”)

Mill Farm, Barlow, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S18

A top-quality day-ticket fishery that is open 365 days of the year, for coarse, carp and trout fishing.

“What an excellent place to develop your angling skills!”

Angling Tuition at Barlow Fishery, Derbyshire. Learn to Fly Fish for Trout, Learn Carp & Coarse Fishing Methods & techniques
The “bottom pond” at Barlow on a tranquil, misty Spring morning

Barlow’s angling complex includes four coarse fishing ponds, stocked with carp, tench, perch, bream, roach, rudd, chub and gudgeon, plus a few orfe, koi and small trout.  There is also a recently established specimen carp pond (with some fish to 30lb+, including specimen grass carp), which allows night fishing.

The pegs are safe and level (no steps or steep banks!) with wheelchair friendly platforms available. Car parking for the coarse ponds is very close to the fishing pegs.

There’s on-site toilet facilities and a brilliant snack cabin that’s open every day.

All the staff at the fishery are friendly, approachable and very helpful.

For the Fly-Fishers – there are three trout ponds, which are densely stocked with Rainbows and Brownies from the on-site hatchery. Running alongside the trout ponds is the delightful Barlow Brook, which is open for fly-fishing from April to October.

If you are looking to spend some time in this delightful area – the fishery offers top-class Peak District luxury holiday cottages to rent and a camping site available for touring caravans and tents. Electric hook-ups are available, telephone for further details.

For the very latest fishery news, telephone the fishery direct on 01142 891946 or visit their website at www.barlowcountryclub.co.uk/

Barlow is situated near Chesterfield, on the edge of Derbyshire’s Peak District and is also easily accessible from South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, North Lincolnshire and Leicestershire.  Nearby towns & cities include Bolsover, Mansfield, Derby, Sheffield, Nottingham, Grantham, Worksop, Retford, Dronfield, Buxton, Matlock, Alfreton, Bakewell, Sutton-In-Ashfield and Ripley.

Further information on fisheries in the Debyshire area can be found at Fat Fisherman Derbyshire Fishing Links

Get in touch – contact an angling coach

To search for fishing guides and angling coaches in your area, visit the Angling Trust Find a Coach page. Please also see my information about free fishing events for children & beginners in the East Midlands.

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Cast Your Eyes Here

Go Fishing With John Wilson - Anglia Television Series 1980s & 1990s TV Fishing Programme Show by John Wilson - Classic Vintage TV Episodes

Go Fishing with John Wilson – Original Anglia TV Series 1-4 now on YouTube!

If you were fishing in the 1980s and 1990s, John Wilson’s name was synonymous with …

Prologic quick change bankstick adapters - DIY hack to make all 3 designs fit one another

Prologic Quick-Change Bankstick Adapter DIY Hack Video: Make Old & New Versions Fit Each Other!

An instructional video describing the method required to convert Pro-Logic quick-change bankstick adapters (used with …

Leave a Comment - Let Andrew know what you think!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.