Boys Teach The Teachers Here!

“Gone Fishing”… That will be the sign up on the door at Conisbrough Northcliffe High School in July… For that is when the schools annual fishing contest takes place.

And, we are assured, it is at one time in the schools calendar when the boys teach the teachers – for its youngsters who are the fishing experts.

Said head of lower school, Mr A. J. Chadwick: “I just borrow a rod and tackle from some of the lads, and if I get into difficulties, go to them to help me out.”

In Truck

it has not yet been decided where the contest will take place this year, or whether it will be on July 7 or 8, but in previous years the boys – 35 usually go – have piled into the school’s camping clubs truck and gone to such places as Broughton Bridge, Lincs – and the river Ancholme – and Crowle.

The contest is organised in the same way as national ones, and each boy is given a pegged out spot to fish from. The person who has caught the most fish by dinnertime is declared the winner, and later, at school, is presented with a trophy.

“You would expect the fourth formers to win all the time”, said Mr Chadwick, “what is surprising who does win. It is just a matter of luck.”

There is no question of instruction for the boys, however.

“Fantastic”

“it’s the most fantastic school outing I have ever been on,” said Mr P. Massingham, another teacher. “The boys pile off the truck and just disappear into the reeds. After that, you hear nothing – there’s just dead silence.”

All the boys are expert fisherman, and it’s very rare that they don’t catch at least a small roach. The top weight is usually around 23 pounds.

Some of the boys are so interested that they have made their own rods and tackle. And some have also taken fishing as their pursuit in the Duke of Edinburgh’s award scheme, which is run at the school.

“There is no end of interest,”said Mr Chadwick, “they really are keen.”