Slough care home resident hooks 14 pound catch after his wish was to fish again

Care home resident Roger Tinkler had a trip to remember as he caught his first-ever stone loach and a personal best 14-pound carp thanks to the home’s maintenance manager Martin Blackmun.

Mr Tinkler, 74, resident at Oak House put in a special request to go fishing. This is part of Care UK’s ‘fulfilling lives’ initiative where residents can hang requests on a wishing tree for an extra special activity. The requests are often an unfulfilled life ambition or a return to a much-loved hobby or place.

The pair caught a stone loach – only the second ever to be caught from the lake

Mr Tinkler’s fishing trip was organised with the help of Mr Blackmun, himself a keen angler to Holme Grange Fishery in Berkshire.

Mr Blackmun said: “I was talking to Roger one day and asked him what hobbies he had. He replied fishing. I had some fishing magazines in my bag, so we sat down and read one. I found out that the biggest carp Roger had caught was about four-pounds. He said he would like to go.”

Oak House Care Home did a risk assessment, but Mr Blackmun said: “It was too hot in the summer and then it was too wet, so we waited until it was colder.”

When the weather was at the right temperature, the two anglers arrived at the reservoir armed with a packed lunch made by the home’s catering team, fishing rods, landing nets and flies.

The day was a huge success as they both caught numerous carp, but it was the 14-pound carp caught by Mr Tinkler which made the day and his personal best. Mr Blackmun said: “Because we went when the weather was colder, the fact that Roger caught a 14lb carp is very impressive. He was over the moon as it was bigger than his last one.”

Mr Tinkler used to be in 60’s band Jeep Rongle and toured Europe

The trip was made extra special by Mr Tinkler catching a rare fish called a stone loach. The stone loach is a small, slender fish and can be found feeding on the bottom of clear rivers and streams often burying itself into the gravel or sand.

Mr Blackmun said: “At first, we weren’t sure what a stone loach was as I had only seen one in pictures, eventually this bailiff came up to us and I said I think we’ve caught a stone loach. The bailiff looked in the bucket and said that is only the second one to have come out of the lake.”

Mr Blackmun said: “It was a wonderful day and the new owners of the lake brought us drinks to our swim.”

Mr Tinkler has expressed an interest in going fishing again. “Next time he goes fishing he wants to catch a barbel,” said Mr Blackmun. “The record has just been broken in the river for catching a barbel off 22 pounds, two ounces. Roger has never caught one, so we are going next July to a small intimate river.”

Mr Tinkler is also a very keen guitar player and used to play in the band Jeep Rongle where he toured Europe. Mr Blackmun said: “He actually played a duet last summer with a lookalike Buddy Holly and plays to other residents as well. A couple of weeks ago he joined in with my assistant and sang happy birthday to one of our residents at the care home.”

Home manager Yvonne Keating said: “Our colleagues, like Martin, support residents to keep busy and independent in whatever way is right for them. Some people love our daily activities, which range from arts and crafts to quizzes and games, music sessions to entertainment from local performers, and evening pyjama parties.

“We have the very busy wishing tree right in our reception area, which helps us make special dreams come true. Whatever it takes, our team will do it to ensure residents have happy fulfilled lives.”

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