February 2 2008

'And it was the pellet rod that showed the first sign of action, as the onset of darkness saw the tip suddenly come to life as the rod produced a healthy bend and I was playing a barbel. However the fish hadn’t read the rules properly, as instead of making it to the net, it decided to throw the hook and spoil the party.

The odd lost fish here and there isn’t usually a major problem, but when you’re the angling equivalent of Derby County then it is. Would I get another bite of the cherry? Or would that lost fish be the only action I would have for the day?'....... click here for more

Don't try this at home

February 9 2008

'With the River Severn once more in flood, the waders made their debut this week – as you can see from the photograph in this article. However, let me stress with absolute importance the issue of safety in regards to entering rivers, and the photograph should not be taken in isolation but rather read in the context of this article.

Life is a precious thing and no fish capture is worth the risk of unnecessarily cutting short our stay upon this planet. Eternity will come round soon enough, without our aiding and abetting it.'.......click here for more

Avoiding a blank - even if it took three attempts

February 23 2008

'With a session planned for the next day to round off the week, there was no doubt whatsoever where I would be heading. There is something about a lost fish that provokes within me a challenge. So for the second morning on the trot I was up while it was still dark and I found myself once more on the river bank just after 8.00am.

Unashamedly I headed for exactly the same spot that I had been in just twenty four hours earlier. I’m not sure if the stretch gets fished much but there were no signs at all that any other anglers have been near the place ever. I’m sure they have though, but certainly not for a while.'.......click here for more

The seasons have been merging for a while

March 1 2008

'And with the weather now on a general upward trend, the fishing also starts to pick up. I find that January and February are the hardest months of my own angling year. I always start the new year off with great enthusiasm, but very quickly get pulled back to reality as my catch rate invariably falls short of where I would like it to be.

But that’s the challenge of angling and specifically specimen fishing. Sometimes it’s hard enough to catch anything, never mind when you are targeting probably less than a fraction of 1% of the total fish that live in the water you are fishing. But love it or hate it, that’s what specimen angling is all about.'.......click here for more

Killing two birds with one stone

March 8 2008

'Enjoying my recent visits to the small tributary river, that’s where I headed twice this week. Although certain stretches of river can become quite busy due to angling pressure, the reality is that within our country there are countless miles of running water (not to mention the lakes, ponds and pits) that very rarely see a fisherman from one week to the next.

And because many think that they have to go to the hotspots to catch a decent fish, they will miss out on the thrill of seeking out waters for themselves. I certainly do fish venues where I know big fish reside – and there’s nothing wrong with that in itself – but there’s nothing like fishing somewhere where you have no idea what is in the water.'.......click here for more

I made the right choice

March 15 2008

'I’m not complaining though, as I love tench and bream equally! The rest of the night was quiet and by the time I packed away next morning, I smiled at the fact that I had fished 31 hours (62 rod hours) for nothing and then within minutes I catch two fish.

Altogether I did 41 hours (82 rod hours) for the fish, which is indicative at just how difficult gravel pits can be. So if ever you get tempted to become envious of the fish I catch (hopefully!) over the next few months then spare a thought for the amount of time I will be putting in!'.......click here for more

It's that fine line again

March 22 2008

'And on that front, it’s certainly been a downer since the river season ended. With the optimism that came with the end of February’s upturn in conditions, the last week or so we have seen things go backwards to the extent where it has felt like the middle of January instead of March. But one thing that you learn as an angler is to be resilient.

No matter what comes your way, you learn to take it in your stride. And whilst water temperature ranging from 6 – 6.5C is hardly going to set your pulse working overtime as far as big bream fishing is concerned, the reality is that you will never catch anything sitting at home by a warm fire!'...click here for more

The weather finally catches up with me

March 29 2008

'But sometimes no matter how deep you think, there’s not much that you can do. And this was one of those times. I did a two-night session and fished with confidence but ultimately the fish weren’t having it, and that’s that!

In several years of being on the pit, it was also the first Friday night ever where I have had the venue to myself. I fish alone many midweek nights but come Friday there are always at least three or so carpers out. But the atrocious conditions kept even the hardened carp anglers away.'...... click here for more

What a difference a few days make!

April 5 2008

'I then set the rods up, cast them out before finally pitching my shelter on the hard gravel base and settling down the afternoon. I was really quite tired and soon found myself asleep, although I woke up late afternoon in time to make sure everything was set out for the night. I am often asked if I get frightened fishing all night long on my own, but the answer is ‘No, I don’t even think about it.’

‘But who knows who may be lurking around in the bushes?’ people often enquire. Well, I think you have more to worry about walking through your local town centre on a Friday night than you do out in the wilds of the countryside in my opinion!'.......click here for more

Beating the weather - but only on points

April 12 2008

'However my sleep was interrupted by the sound of three single bleeps on the bite alarm. ‘It has to be a bream’, I thought to myself as I quickly positioned myself over the pod. The line had actually gone slack so I found myself turning a few handles of the reel to try to connect with something solid, by which time I decided to strike anyway.

It seemed forever as I drew in so much line before finally feeling weight at the end. The result was a nice looking bream that became very feisty as it was time to take the photographs. It must have been camera shy as it did all it could to avoid being snapped.'.......click here for more

Still on the right side of the fine line

April 19 2008

'Anyway, back to the gravel pit! As I set up I couldn’t believe the weather – the middle of April and it felt like the end of February. With a persistent wind from the north pushing in it was cold enough by late afternoon, but once the sun set, the temperature really dropped.

By the time it had well and truly disappeared over the horizon a frost started to form on the ground and on my fishing tackle. The prospects for the night ahead looked grim, but if you want to catch then you have to be out there, that’s for sure.'.......click here for more

That's fishing for you!

April 26 2008

'And that’s exactly what happened this week. The conditions were absolutely atrocious, yet I had the best session to date so far this year. With a bitterly cold north-east wind blowing straight at me when I arrived, the only thing that could have made it any worse was if it rained.

And rain it did during the night. At midnight I was forced to re-peg my Fox Evolution shelter, as torrential rain was having the same effect as if someone had a hosepipe on me. By reducing the entry space to minimal height, I was able to reduce the soaking I was having, with the only concern then being that the whole shelter might take off in the wind.'.......click here for more

It looks like the corner has been turned at last!

May 3 2008

'And that’s why on a similar plane, if I cast out and I’m not 100% happy with where the bait lands, I reel in again and recast. Many anglers may take the ‘well it’s close enough and it’ll do for me’ approach, but I have to know everything is just as I want it – and where - otherwise I can’t settle. If you’re not a specimen angler yourself you may find that precision to detail difficult to understand; how a bait a few feet from where you want it to be has to be brought back again. But that’s the way it is, particularly when you are pitting your wits against big fish. You need to know that everything is just right.'.......click here for more

Best tench of the year so far- twice!

May 10 2008

'Non-anglers can’t understand how I can be happy with just one fish after staying out all night long. They assume that the expectation level in terms of numbers caught is much higher than normal. But as a specimen angler I would sooner catch one 9lb tench than twenty 4lb’ers.

Of course, not everyone would agree with me on that statement, but that’s the beauty of fishing – it can be to us whatever we want it to be.'......click here for more

What was that about the corner being turned?

May 17 2008

'But isn’t that the beauty of fishing? I’ve said it many times before, and no doubt will continue to do so in the future, that it’s sense of the unexpected that gives angling the magic edge. Although we take on board conditions, weather, temperature and so on (and rightly so) there is always that certain percentage of the equation that you simply cannot legislate for. And it’s that unknown quantity that keeps us going through the hard times. It’s also the same thing that baffles us at other times!'.......click here for more

A change is as good as a rest

May 24 2008

'They say that a change is as good as a rest, and after several weeks on the gravel pit pitching up for bream and tench, I fancied doing some spinning on the local canal for perch. I have tremendous respect for anglers who fish for one species with absolute devotion, even down to only visiting one place to do so.

But personally it is the variety of fish and venues that keep me switched on and focused. Not that I change tack every week, because I do tend to fish campaigns, but a certain amount of flexibility keeps my enthusiasm bubbling away.'.......click here for more

Enjoying myself on the cut

May 31 2008

'When I was a kid I fished a tiny brickworks pond. Every time I cast in and my float cocked in the water I had dreams of a monster perch, roach or crucian carp. And when the float disappeared and I lifted a 4oz fish from the water, I always thought to myself, ‘next time’.

And that’s how it was every time I visited that tiny three peg venue. When I became older I became more realistic and I knew that the only bend in my rod was going to come if I got snagged on some weed.'........ click here for more

A barn owl makes my day

June 7 2008

'I know there are plenty of carp in the canal and certainly a chance of a mid-double. There are rumours of much bigger fish, and I'm not doubting that, but I would describe myself as a healthy skeptic when it comes to listening to what people have to say. I've met too many people who catch a double figure barbel every cast at Bridgnorth or who have had more 2lb roach in one session than I've seen goals at Molineux, to get carried away. Not that I'm calling anyone a liar but as I say, a little dose of healthy skepticism doesn't do anyone any harm!'.......click here for more

Gonna wait till the midnight hour

June 21 2008

'As the day drew to an end it felt really good to be back on flowing water once more. I do truly appreciate all venues but I do have a love for rivers. They feature so much in my angling that it is easy to forget sometimes that is not the case for everyone. There is a whole generation of anglers coming through who have never ventured beyond the manicured lawn of a commercial fishery.

I am not anti-commercial, far from it. They have a very important role to play in angling and I would even venture so far as to say that defining a commercial fishery isn't as black-and-white as some anglers would have us believe. But my point is if that is all you know, there is another world out there. The exciting world of the river, the stream and even the brook.'.....click here for more

Two rods plus two nights equals one bream

June 28  2008

'In several years of barbel fishing the Severn below Worcester I had caught just one carp before moving to the syndicated stretch two years ago. Yet last season, the tables were totally turned and the numbers of carp caught actually surpassed the barbel. This was due in no small way to the large numbers of fish that made their way from lake to river courtesy of the incredible floods witnessed in the counties of Worcestershire and Gloucestershire.

There was already a small but steady colony of fish in the area anyway so fishing for them was still a viable proposition, but the sudden influx of refugees definitely changed the piscatorial landscape. Hence I have decided that this season it will be carp that occupy my non-predator time on the lower Severn rather than barbel'.......click here for more

Getting amongst the barbel on the Severn

July 5  2008

'One point I would really like to emphasise about barbel fishing is that it is so important to use the correct tackle. Starting with the line I never go below 10lb breaking strain. It's not clever to boast of how many fish you have lost on 3lb line. If you catch a barbel by accident, in the sense that you weren't targeting them, that's different. But if you set out to catch them using line that isn't up to the job, that's irresponsible really in my opinion. Even on 10lb line an average-sized barbel puts up a tremendous fight as it gives its all.

And we must never forget the importance of rods either. Line has to be backed up by a rod that is up for the job and it's not just about test curve either but action. But for the record, the rods I was fishing with were 1.5 and 1.10. And it's a great visual to see one of them suddenly come to life as a barbel picks up the bait and takes off'.......click here for more

Memories are made of this

July 12 2008

'Considering that I don't live that far from the Teme, it's one river that I don't fish very often. In recent years I've gone several seasons without a visit but it hasn't always been that way. When I passed my test as a young man, coming from a non-car owning and non-fishing family, my first vehicle opened up a whole new world for me. I can remember it now, an M-reg orange Morris Marina Coupe. OK, it doesn't sound like a trend-setter but I wasn't bothered about that. Even as a seventeen year old I had no interest in cars other than they were useful in getting me from A-Z, or to be more precise, out to new fishing venues.'.......click here for more

Biggest is not always the best

July 19 2008

'One thing about crucian carp is that they are not widely spread. Think of roach, perch and so on and they are pretty much everywhere, but not crucians. So the first box that has to be ticked if you intend to catch them is to make sure they are resident in the first place. It sounds obvious but you can't catch something if it isn't there. And in this day and age with the proliferation of commercial fisheries and the introduction of other, more exotic species, then as much as possible make sure that you are after the real McCoy.

The place I was heading for this week is an old, well-established water, and more importantly, has not been stocked with fish. The head of roach, rudd, perch, carp and crucians have been there for as long as I can remember. So other than doing a DNA job on one of the fish, you can confidently say that these are real crucians. The stock level is quite low though so I knew it was going to be a challenge, but the prospect of fishing for them definitely got me excited.'....... click here for more

It was great to be back on the Teme

July 26 2008

'Yet I still had the whole stretch to myself. Of course I do have the advantage over most anglers in that I can fish midweek, but nevertheless I do find so many times that I have the pick of swims. For sure there are certain stretches on most rivers that are busy - some excessively so - but if you want peace and quiet, it's not hard to find.

And whilst the busy venues are so for a good reason, don't be fooled into thinking that if you fish elsewhere then the fish are inferior. There is some great fun to be had exploring. And with many miles of our rivers not seeing an angler from one season to the next, you never know what you will come across.'.......click here for more

Short but sweet

August 2 2008

The pool in question doesn't have any surprises beneath the surface. It's not like a gravel pit that has features such as bars, gullies and humps. In fact you can only just about make the case for a drop-off about a rod's length out. And that's where I decided to fish. Crucian carp will come quite close to the edge and with five feet of water to fish into, it was certainly deep enough to expect fish. With an overhanging willow tree to the right, the swim was quite good really as far as the species are concerned. It was a nice looking peg and with dense undergrowth and trees either side, another benefit was that no-one could come and set up on my shoulder. I've had that happen a few times!.......click here for more

Anglesey adventures...Part one

August 9 2008

'And it was the fact that they had been in a warm trash can for several hours that explained the poor condition of the worms. Or so I thought, but more of that later. But I made do with what I had and even though they were pretty lifeless, I still managed to get lots of bites in the three hours I fished. The result was a number of small wrasse and a couple of small pollack. But like most sea fish they certainly got the tip moving when they took the bait.

If you're a coarse angler then the way that saltwater fish bite can be a surprise at first. Although the tackle is very stout and lacks the finesse of what you are used to, there's nothing gentle about the way that a 4oz wrasse or pollack rattles the rod. If that was on the local river you'd be expecting a 4lb chub!'.......click here for more

Anglesey adventures...Part two

August 16 2008

'Within fifteen minutes of casting out for the first session of the week I found myself striking into a fish that rattled the rod so hard it almost leapt out of the tripod. Immediately the reaction of the fish was to head deep into the kelp and so, as with the other bigger wrasse I had caught previously, I found that the best way to deal with it was to hold the rod as high as possible, all the time reeling in and steering it away from its intended destination. It doesn't matter whether we are talking about sea, game or coarse fish, once hooked they will instinctively head for whatever cover is available to them.'..........click here for more

The eels play hard to get

August 23 2008

I do take my fishing seriously, but the context of the adverb is that I want to get the best out of my hobby for personal pleasure reasons as opposed to simply fishing for results. If I struggle for a week or two on the big fish front, as long as I am enjoying myself, that's no problem. And not having to produce the goods meant that this week I decided to do some eel fishing on a number of venues that I have been wanting to try for a while. I had no idea whether eels would be found but that was part of the excitement. I could blank - or I could catch a 5lb'er........ click here for more

Passing the eleven- plus on the Dove

August 30 2008

Having fished the Dove since the year 2000, I have had many a run in with a barbel that has got the better of me. However I don't buy into the idea that somehow the fish that swim the river are 'super-human' (for want of a better expression). Some anglers infer that the Dove barbel are pretty much a species in their own right. I don't believe that the fish there are any different really to those in other rivers. But because the very big fish are never far from a snag such as an overhanging tree then the moment that they are hooked they will be in there if you give them a chance........ click here for more

No unlucky 13 for me

September 6 2008

I am happy to say hello to any angler that I pass on the way to where I want to fish and likewise if someone passes me. But I've had experiences before where people come and sit down next to you and they bed themselves in for hours. I am quite good at reading where people are coming from but some aren't and they don't pick up on the fact that you aren't really interested in all the latest gossip and chitchat. And that's why I like to put my umbrella up, even on a dry day, so that I can create a mental barrier and hopefully deter those who will see someone sitting by the riverside and take it as an invitation to join them. I don't want to give the impression that I don't want to talk to people, far from it. But when a greeting turns into an hour long monologue where all you get to hear is other anglers being verbally assassinated, that's not my cup of tea at all....... click here for more

I'm not going home till I catch one

September 13 2008

I knew that the River Dove would be rising but still within the bank. The session I made this week was at the beginning of the heavy rain spell as opposed to several days into it. There were a number of swims that I knew would be fishable but once I arrived at the water's edge, they were all taken. I ended up in a peg that I haven't fished before but as it's in an area where barbel can turn up anywhere I had no issues with swim selection. Particularly once darkness set in, and certainly on a rising river, I had every confidence that the fish would be active and so in that sense it wasn't crucial about placing a bait in a specific spot....... click here for more

From one extreme to another

September 20 2008

As well as genuinely appreciating all fish I also enjoy the various tactics that we employ to catch them. Whether it be the excitement of watching a rod tip for barbel, the thrill of the first tremor on a pike float or the unmistakable sign of a big bream moving the hanger up and down, they all get my piscatorial juices going. And to that list I can add the thrill of casting a small spinner into a water that holds perch. From the moment the lure breaks the surface till it is finally lifted out at the very edge, the anticipation of knowing that you can get a take any second is a great feeling....... click here for more

A flying start...then it's all downhill fast

September 27 2008

But now that we are well into autumn, I'm hoping that the weather gods will be much kinder to me and allow me to do some quality predator fishing on the Severn. I guess we have to take it step-by-step and certainly this week it was green light ahead and so I put my zed-head on, loaded the car and headed southbound along the M5. And with a couple of nights free to fish I was hopeful that I would get among the fish. But then again I'm always confident ....... click here for more

A midnight barbel on the lower Severn

October 4 2008

As mentioned in the previous paragraph, I was on a syndicate water. The very mention of the word 'syndicate' arouses all sorts of responses amongst anglers, from the extreme negative to the opposite end of the spectrum. Personally I think that the definition of a syndicate is not as clear cut as many would like to make out anyway. For example you can have some small clubs that are very difficult to get into, so although they may not use the S word, in effect they are often more closed than many syndicated waters....... click here for more

The first zander of the autumn

October 11 2008

There was a little colour in the river and as you will hear if you listen to the accompanying video clip, it was looking quite good for barbel. But I had laid my stall out, and was very encouraged once darkness came, to get a run on the right-hand rod that was connected to a roach deadbait positioned a couple of metres off the willow trees that ran downstream from where I sat. Striking into the fish I was a very happy angler indeed as I netted it and brought it back to the top of the bank and placed it on the unhooking mat........ click here for more

Floodwater barbel fishing on the lower Severn

October 18 2008

I think one of the factors that deters anglers from rivers that are carrying extra water is the assumption that it will be a waste of time. Well if you are considering casting a small stick float into the middle of a River Severn twelve feet up and racing through, then I agree, you may as well try an alternative venue. The first thing that you have to do is to choose your swim carefully. On the stretch of the lower Severn I fish regularly, I have walked the bank at low water and noted what lies at the water's edge, and what swims will be good when in flood....... click here for more

Still catching on the lower Severn

October 25 2008

Anyway, the fishing session in question, before I use up all my space rambling on about nonsense. And assuming that you are still with me and not fallen asleep. The river was about normal level and had colour to it, looking quite good for barbel in fact. The recent floods are but a distant memory now, although the bankside trees still carry the colour and debris as a memorial to how far the river rose. Strong winds, plus minimal rain in the meantime has dried up the edge of the river meaning that not only was fishing more comfortable but also that I could drive to the swim and park there as well. Where you deposit your car is a big issue for anglers, and having it just a few feet away takes away a lot of concern for a vehicle that otherwise could be in a quiet spot somewhere....... click here for more

You can't have it your own way all the time

November 1 2008

Because of the previously mentioned flexibility associated with spinning, I was able to get a couple of sessions in, both very short. I ended up with several perch, a few chub and a small pike. I never knew that the section in question had any pike in it, but in recent months I have caught a couple of small fish. It just shows that angling is full of surprises. I'm not sure that there is anything big in there though - and I still wonder where the small ones have come from - as I've never seen anything other than perch attacking fry....... click here for more

If you're a purist, look away now

November 8 2008

When people think of grayling fishing it is usually in terms of flies or trotting a float, not cage feeders and quiver tip rods. Yes, you read that correctly. However let me point out that my approach has nothing to do with wanting to upset the purists, far from it. As I often write, as long as we are within rules, other anglers are not being affected and the welfare of the fish is not at stake, then I have no issues with alternative ways of pursuing our quarry.

If you like casting a fly or nymph to grayling or you think that the joy of running a float through a swim cannot be bettered, then I won't raise a single objection. I am firmly in the 'live and let live' camp as far as angling is concerned. I do my thing and others can do theirs. Whatever floats your boat and all that stuff....... click here for more

Jamie Oliver, eat your heart out

November 15 2008

But at least by fishing with bread I would eliminate perch and also gudgeon, although not entirely as they will take the bait. I mixed the white crumb with brown to a ratio of about 1:5. This meant that the white would stand out just enough to gain the interest of the fish, and of course the larger hookbait would then be the main course. In this day and age of 'technology baits' bread is often neglected by many anglers, yet in my view it is one of the most effective baits around. Certainly on venues where people feed the ducks it has to be part of the angler's armoury....... click here for more