Page 59 - QDG Year of 2020

1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards
57
Four cocks and three hens
That thing is huge
Another fish
Pte Gibbons with a cracking pair of specimen Roach and Pike
During early 2019 members across the Regiment and Attached Arms came together with an idea of creating a fishing club. We came up with a plan of turning the disused and well overgrown pond near the assault course into something useable for all to enjoy. The idea soon hit its first hurdle as the first COVID-19 lockdown hit. This only strengthened the appetite for bored soldiers to do some- thing constructive in their spare time. This wasn’t a small feat to say the least. The area was so overgrown and had been somewhat of a dumping ground even from the pre-existing days of the RAF being at Robertson Barracks.
We knew it was a big job from the start and the work undertaken was quite difficult due to the thicket of brambles and thorns and the steep sides which we had to shape out to make stable platforms. The lads and girls of the club donned gloves and shovels and got to it no messing about. The Team soon identified the potential of the pond after a few members began catching rather large specimen perch. We knew though that we could make it even better, so we invested in some carp to add some vari- ation and something a little more difficult to target.
As we move into 2021 the work to
improve the pond will continue and once we are out of the colder months, we will be looking at putting in more stock of larger fish and getting out fishing more often.
Many members of the club do take their Angling very seriously and quite a few are well known for their participation in the local area. It has taken us fishing in many beautiful locations throughout Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. The local area has so much to be explored and it is good to see and hear that our soldiers are passionate about their sport. Anyone who wishes to join in is most welcome!
Sgt Canning
JC