In memory of Jamie Pates

Every now and again BDAA receives a donation accompanied by a very moving letter, in this case it written by mother Kim & her family in memory of Jamie who donated £1,874.70 to the charity, to help disabled children and adults enjoy fishing as much as Jamie did.

The story touched the trustees so much that we felt that others should read and see what the family thought of their beloved son and brother, despite their grief they still had the strength to think of others through this donation at such a difficult time in their lives.

"Our wonderful and dearly loved son and brother, Jamie, was tragically killed in a road accident on 5.2.06. Age 18. He has left a huge void in our lives that cannot be filled. Jamie’s life was cut short but he enjoyed every minute of it and packed a whole load of fun into it. He had and still has many friends who continue to include him in their lives. His presence is greatly missed by a huge number of people.

Apart from socialising with his friends Jamie had two great passions in life. Firstly, he was a huge Arsenal supporter and managed to get to many of the games with his dad. Apart from the passion for seeing their team play these trips were full of fun. It was a big social occasion as many an hour was spent in the pub before and after the games, together with all their joint friends.

Jamie’s second big passion was, of course, fishing. He was interested in al kinds of fishing including river and sea but his greatest passion was carp fishing. He would spend many hours researching and visiting various lakes where he would enjoy talking to fellow fishermen about their experiences.

Jamie started fishing at about the age of seven when he went with his dad to the nearby river with a basic rod and reel which belonged to his dad when he was a boy. At the age of nine we took him for his first experience at night fishing at some lakes near to our home whereby Jamie caught his first carp. From that night on he was ‘hooked’. During his childhood he went with his dad at every possible opportunity and as he grew into a teenager and his interest continued to increase he would spend every moment he could fishing. Fitting in his school work did cause a bit of a problem, mainly to us, his parents. It never worried Jamie as he would rather be fishing than revising. However, he still managed to pass all his 10 GCSE’s with very good grades.

Jamie progressed into a very accomplished fisherman and managed to get sponsorship and was featured in several fishing magazines. He still holds the Junior Record for Carp at Luton Angling Club. There were various lakes in and around East Anglia where he loved to fish but his greatest place to go and fish was at Waveney Valley Lakes in Norfolk. He spent many weeks at Waveney over the last three or four years, sometimes on his own, sometimes with a friend but more often than not with his family. We would stay in a caravan on the site whilst Jamie stayed in his bivvy and would call in for the odd home comfort such as a hot shower or a cooked meal. These holidays at Waveney with Jamie were very special. We had great fun. This is where in the summer of 2005 I was woken at 2 a.m. by Jamie on his mobile unable to contain the excitement in his voice to tell me he had broken his personal best record and caught a mirror carp weighing in at 33 lb".

We are extremely grateful to Jamie's family for the very generous donation, the trustees will ensure that the donation will be used to help others experience the similar joys that fishing brought to Jamie.

Our sincere condolences go to you all, I am sure that Jamie would wish those that benefit as much fun and enjoyment as he did himself, Terry Moseley, President BDAA.