OnlineFishing TV: Specimen perch fishing
My first review for the channel looked like being a difficult choice. With so many quality programmes to go at, it was more a case of what do I leave out rather than what's included; I felt like an X Factor judge with an array of talent before him. However, as far as the initial one is concerned, my indecision was countered by Gareth Purnell, who suggested I kicked off with a programme that I had featured in along with Steve Collett last winter when we set our stall out to catch big perch at Gyrn Castle in North Wales.
It all happened so quickly. I was fishing the middle Severn and taking a telephone call from Steve, once he realised where I was, saw him join me. Then a call from Ian Chapman and before I knew it, the next day we are all heading off to the Principality for my debut on OnlineFishing TV! I'm sure every programme on the channel has its own story but that's how this one came into the world!
It was a freezing cold day, in fact so arctic were the conditions that before we could begin the actual fishing, the then bailiff Craig Smith went through the swims a few times in a canoe breaking the ice. Hardly the way to start a session when the pressure is on to catch for the camera. But catch we did and as you will see from the photograph above, we ended up with a decent bag of perch. I really enjoyed making the programme, it was a pleasure to work with both Steve and Ian and hopefully that comes through.
But as well as land fish we talked through our tackle, bait, presentation and so on. When you are producing an angling programme you want to entertain but you also want to educate as well.
Watch the free trailer here. In order to see the programme in full then you need to subscribe to OnlineFishing TV. But it's great value and with new releases on a regular basis, definitely worth considering. I watch the channel on my laptop and the quality is as good as if you were watching something on TV, both in terms of production and content.
(Reviewed October 2010)