Waterside Haven: The Future of Fishing: Kids’ First Catches
Walied Hardien
Date: 13 September 2025
Venue: Waterside Haven, Top Dam
I had been looking forward to this day for weeks. The plan was simple but special — to spend some time at the water with a group of young, first-time anglers between the ages of 8 and 11.
Nothing beats seeing the excitement of a child landing their very first fish.
For my own setup, I took along my trusted pair of 12ft Mitchells paired with Bronze Avocet 5000fs reels.
Both were rigged with home-made traces tied to Wizard Quick-Set #2 hooks. My feed mix was boosted with Cypri Liquid Carp Food Feed Booster to give it that irresistible edge.
On Rod #1, I went full Beast mode: Beast Bleeding Floaties, Beast Muti, Beast Boldip, and Turbo Powder on the bottom hook.
Rod #2 was a little different — Onyx Floating Gem with Vampire Muti and Yellow Navigator Spray, while the bottom hook carried Wild Garlic HEP Powder.
Later, I switched things up with SloLeak Wild Garlic, pairing it with an Onyx Floating Gem dipped in Wild Garlic HEP.
For the kids, I kept it simple and fun. A single-hook rig with a #2 Wizard Quick-Set, baited with a Beast Floatie, Boldip, and Turbo Powder. One of the boys even brought along his own little rod, while I set up two kiddies’ rods I always keep for days like this.
The action started early. A few runs came off Rod #1, and on the fourth run, I finally connected. At 7:39 a.m., I landed a healthy 7.9kg Common Carp — my biggest at this venue so far. What a way to start the morning!
By 8:45 a.m., Rod #2 produced a 2kg Common, followed shortly after at 9:30 a.m. with another solid 4kg fish. The session was already delivering.
But the real highlight came around 11:07 a.m. when one of the boys hooked into his very first fish ever. On the small kiddies’ rod, he landed a perfect 2kg Common. Barely two minutes later, at 11:09, his friend followed up with another 2kg carp of his own. The pure joy on their faces was worth more than any catch I could’ve made myself.
The last fish of the day came just after 1 p.m. — another 2kg carp to close things off nicely.
By the end of it all, the boys were completely hooked — so much so that they immediately booked me for the next seven weekends in a row.
Watching their smiles and sharing the excitement of their first catches made this one of the most rewarding sessions I’ve had at Waterside Haven.