I SPENT yesterday at one of my favourite fishing spots.

The weather had started fine, but as the day wore on the clouds drifted in, as did a fine drizzle: quite cooling after the oppressive and humid heat which had previously dominated the day.

The water level was low, as were the prospects of fishing success, but the company was good, as was the rather excellent ploughman’s lunch provided by my friend.

The trip had been organised to celebrate my friend having achieved a significant target in his recovery from serious surgery: to be able to start fishing again, so anything else was a bonus.

The photo of the three 'comfy' chairs and accompanying fishing rods is included to give a sense of the atmosphere of the day.

What it does not give is an idea of the walking we had done - well over a mile.

The terrain was difficult and challenging at times as we searched for and cast a line to all the likely fish lies, our reward, a couple of diminutive but beautiful wild brown trout, each delicately released. So the 'comfy' chairs and piping hot cuppa provided a welcome respite as well as a chance to just sit and wonder at the natural beauty all around.

By the way, the sheep kept their distance, and for those of you that don’t know, they are far more concerned about being close to humans, than the other way round.

As the schools have broken up for the long summer holidays and parents are seeking help looking after their offspring, so the mobile phones, computers and pads come into their own and real life is swapped for the virtual world.

The long sunny days pass unnoticed and day turns to night, even the families, off on their camping holidays, go armed with their 'tech', so when planned entertainment finishes, unreality is always to hand and the excitement of cyberspace takes over once more.

Well, this is an appeal to parents and grandparents to encourage and cajole their loved ones to lay aside the distractions of modern life and seeks to involve them in the reality of our environment.

How can we expect growing children to understand the effects of pollution, fly tipping, carcinogenic car emissions or even climate change, when they are hardly aware of the countryside around them? Fishing is therapeutic, not my view, but that of the medical profession... Google it and see.

It imbues patience, a sense of wellbeing and is generally good for mental health.

Just being in the countryside, out and about, is good too.

There are a number of fisheries in the area, often they will hire out equipment and offer advice.

I, like many anglers, started my fishing adventure at an early age: a simple rod and cheep reel and flour and water mixed to a stiff paste as bait.

Many ponds and lakes have populations of what are known as coarse fish, all of which are beautiful and offer great pleasure to the angler.

It may be that progression to fly fishing will take place, but many anglers started coarse fishing and continue so doing all of their angling lives.

There is much talk and concern about global warming and it is serious.

How can we expect the next generation to understand the issue if they have no idea about our environment and our place and influence in and on it?

Warmer temperatures do not mean just warmer summers and better tans. If temperatures continue to rise, we are all in trouble.