Twenty-five youngsters, between the ages of 12 and 19, took the opportunity to experience fishing during a SOFA (Summer of Fun Activities) activity day held at Hunstrete Fishery.

SOFA is a Bath Area Play Project-run programme. It is lottery funded and organised and run by young people, especially for youngsters with difficult needs and disabilities.

Withy Pool was in good form for the occasion and every youngster caught fish and enjoyed a brilliant day. Bathampton AA coaches were on hand to demonstrate "whip fishing" and spent most of the day setting up tackle and untangling rigs.

The inexperienced anglers targeted small skimmers and roach with sweetcorn the most successful bait.

For most of the day, monster carp could be seen cruising the surface and it was down to top BAA junior coach Haydn Withers to demonstrate that it was possible to catch them.

The Bristol carper fished an 8mm banded pellet shallow beneath a heavy waggler cast 35 metres off point peg 68. He catapulted a few bait samples over the float but, what was meant as a fish attractor, worked just as well with a pair of swans.

Haydn said: "I stopped feeding the moment the swans moved in and it was a good half hour before they left.

"I commenced feeding immediately and the carp were quick to hone-in. The float sailed away after my second cast and I hooked into a superbly-conditioned mirror carp. The fish was in fine fighting form and battled for almost 15 minutes before showing any signs of tiring."

On hand to net the fish was keen novice Tom Hobbs who, despite having fished for only a few months, showed outstanding natural ability.

The 12-year-old Writhlington School pupil, from Radstock, fished a straight lead with sweetcorn at 25 metres into the middle of the bowl from peg 67 where he managed to catch a few skimmers.

He said: "I took up fishing a few months ago after going on a few trips with my uncle, who showed me how to tackle up and gave me some of his old tackle. As soon as I knew that one of SOFA's activities included fishing at Withy Pool – I jumped at the chance."