Charles Rangeley-Wilson discovers a relaxed approach in Alderney It was a few years ago now, on a bucket-and-spade holiday with the kids. One still evening as the light washed out of the day I got away for an hour and walked with my fly rod along the cliff top above Fort Corblets strand. I …
In pursuit of trout, by Chris Yates. It was 51 years ago when I acquired my first fly rod. At that time, when I was 16 and living near Epsom, Surrey, there was no local trout fishing available to me, but there were plenty of dace and chub on the nearby River Mole, …
“It is the magic of the Los Angeles River, a concrete corset that many know from Hollywood films: Drive, Transformers, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, it’s a long list that shows the concrete, but not the hidden seven miles or so nature has reclaimed.” The Los Angeles River is the unlikely scene for some urban …
A fish-eating bird – that eats fish….? The more astute among you will have noticed that Fishpool failed to round-up September’s tales of watery whim. Unfortunately, there are one or two skeletons in Fishpool’s closet (both cartilaginous and non-cartilaginous) and somebody seems to have left the door ajar. Suffice to say those Russian connections have …
Friday’s Allan’s Fangler (FAF): October, the Cold War, and the art of the acronym Read More »
Photography and words by Matt Minter What do you get for a man who, at the great age of 80 years, has all the material things accumulated from a life well lived? A day’s autumnal angling seemed just the ticket, so along the banks of the nation’s river—old father Thames just above Oxford—a somewhat motley crew …
See you later Alligator… I was a bit sceptical when Editor Fallon first proposed this brief. I didn’t doubt it could work, but was more than a little bit concerned about the level of effort required on the part of poor old Fishpool. After all, living as I do in a bubble of self-created poppycock, …
Friday’s Allan’s Fangler (FAF): See you later Alligator… Read More »
The feeding of the 250,000 Fishpool is properly pooped. To be honest, I wasn’t going to bother with Glastonbury this year, the line-up was alright but the atmosphere hasn’t been the same since the early 80’s. It was real back then, with proper musicians whose heads weren’t up their own backsides. My mate Lord Buckethead …
Friday Allan’s Fangler (FAF) – June 2017: the feeding of the 250,000 (and more)… Read More »
What colour are YOU? Thankfully, it should all be over by the time you read this. And it’s fair to say that we’ve not suffered Election Fever so much as a horrible, hacking cough. Political campaigns aren’t even dressed up these days – no pretence, let’s just hurl mud at one another… Fishpool is with …
Trumping marvellous Editor Fallon tends to get nervous when Fishpool talks politics. Hardly surprising really, given my rather unusual stance that encompasses Far-Right Liberalism with Globalised Nationalism and Feminist Mormonism. So when I suggested that I begin the round up of March’s news with a story involving China, a giant orange slug and an odd …
Friday Allan’s Fangler (FAF) – March 2017, and on time!! Yeehah!!! Read More »
Pathetic Sea Monsters Remember the Pathetic Sharks? Of course you do, it is barely 18 months since Fishpool last reminded you of them (https://fallonsangler.net/the-pathetic-sharks/). Well, last month we were offered one of the more pathetic sea monster stories of recent years. In fact, it makes the Pathetic Sharks seem nothing more than ‘mildly crap’, perhaps …
Friday’s Allan’s Fangler (FAF, and terribly, terribly late February 2017) Read More »
N-Ice Trip…. One advantage of being a non-entity hiding behind the shroud of a nom-de-plume, is the ability to travel wherever I want, whenever I want. So having become thoroughly depressed at the recent saturation of the news, Fishpool took a trip to Mongolia, via Hungary, where talk of Trumping snowflakes and having kippers for …
No Surprises After a year of sometimes eye-opening decisions, The British Record Fish Committee (BRFC) delivered a dose of common sense at the beginning of the month by rejecting the latest carp claim. The fish, known as ‘Big-Rig’, had already created more friction in the carp world than a Supreme Court Judge at a UKIP …
Ink-redible! There aren’t many benefits to a Cold War. There are fewer explosions than an actual war, and less food rationing – but that is about it. Apart, of course, from the absurd stories of technological wizardry and cunning that are so unbelievable they just might be true. We are a little way away from …
Friday’s Allan’s Fangler (FAF—but on a Monday this time): November 2016 Read More »
The same old record…. So the carp record has been broken again, with the same great fish that flopped into the headlines last month. At time of writing (and there is every likelihood that it will have been caught again by the time that this is read) ‘Big-Rig’ had reached 71lb and some ounces. I …
Friday’s Allan’s Fangler (FAF): October 2016 (not hugely late, considering) Read More »
Bermudan Triang-eel It’s always nice when the media grab the wrong end of a stick and jump on a story that isn’t quite what it seems. To be fair, ‘Bermudan eel in West Bromwich’ is exactly what editors crave to fill some column inches, and the story itself does not make any false claims, it’s …
Friday’s Allan’s Fangler (FAF): September 2016 (belatedly almost beyond belief) Read More »
Kissing with Confidence Barbless hooks, keepnets, unhooking mats, net dips, boilies, nuts, cancerous maggot dyes, night fishing, multiple rod use, braid, bent hook rigs, gaffs, knotted net meshes, floating poles, fixed leads and leads that drop off, bolt rigs, spears, harpoons, hand grenades……….we’ve argued them all to death, but a recent Angler’s Mail focussed on …
Friday’s Allan’s Fangler (FAF): August 2016 (even more-even more belatedly) Read More »
I’ll have a Becks with that… The Beckham family went to Iceland this month—presumably to stock up on frozen food before their holiday, which was, coincidentally, to Iceland. They published a few holiday snaps, and while most of the world was obsessing about a picture of Victoria kissing daughter Harper ON THE LIPS, some of …
Friday’s Allan’s Fangler (FAF): July 2016 (even more belatedly) Read More »
The Final Countdown It’s impossible to reflect upon this past month and overlook the almighty elephant in the corner of the room. Europe. The Final Countdown. Can it really be thirty years since we leapt around the disco halls to the sounds of Swedish soft rock and all longed to grow our own mass of …
Friday’s Allan’s Fangler (FAF): June 2016 (belatedly) Read More »
By Maurice Neill THERE are more words for a fool in Irish than in any other language and it takes a particular type of angling amadan to venture into the Galway Gaeltacht and onto Lough Mask when the forecast is for bad weather. It is a beautiful, vast and dangerous piece of water where squalls …
The Pelican’s not so brief Something rather large has been causing a stir in Cornwall over the past month. A Dalmation pelican was first spotted on May 9th, and has been drawing birders from across the Country ever since. Believed to be the same individual that was seen in Poland earlier in the year, some …
Ya Flamin’ Galah! We’ve seen a fair bit of sunshine this month but it has been accompanied by a stiff breeze—invariably from the north. As a result, the dryfly season has not exactly got off to a flyer. If the rivers aren’t on fire here yet though, then spare a thought for anyone wanting to …
Anyone with Satellite Television will be aware of Henry Gilbey. He is the man behind Fishing on the Edge and Wild Fishing with Henry Gilbey, and Fishpool quite likes him. Henry started fishing at the age of seven, when his grandmother taught him how to cast a fly for brown trout. He turned his hand …
Scott moved to the English Lake District seven years ago to be closer to the mountains, their tarns, their becks and the wild trout that swim there. A self-admitted trout bum, Scott is also a true lover of the wild, and enjoys nothing more than hiking into the fells with a light fly rod and …
The Lake District in Cumbria is one of the most unspoilt areas of England. Though hugely popular with tourists, there are secluded spots where even on a sunny bank holiday, you can feel as though you are the only person on earth. The largely glacial lakes have long been popular with anglers, with trout, charr …
Ah, the herring. Now here is a species that, unlike the vendace/powan/gwnyiad/schelly, can be discussed succinctly and without any confusion… …unless of course, one forgets to consider the Pacific and Araucanian herrings or the (rather large) freshwater family Clupeidae, or various other fish around the world, that are known as ‘herring’. So, before the madness …
Fishpool stumbled across a rather interesting book recently. Having himself been born near a Herring fishing port, the author and journalist Donald S Murray has penned Herring Tales – How the Silver Darlings Shaped Human Taste and History, in which he explores the impact that the herring has made upon industry and sociology through the …
Every morning in early spring, a gaggle of birders gather near the Cumbrian lake of Haweswater, clutching telescopes and gazing anxiously at the skyline. They are here to catch a glimpse of a male golden eagle displaying. Since 2004, when his 28 year old mate disappeared, England’s last golden eagle has displayed in vain for …
In the wilds of Cumbria, on the Eastern edge of the English Lake District, sits Haweswater. Originally a natural lake, damming construction began at Haweswater in 1929 after the Government passed an Act allowing the work to take place in order that a water supply for Manchester be established. Despite significant opposition, work was completed …
Tucked into the north Devon coast, overlooking the Bristol Channel is the small village of Clovelly. Though no longer supported by the fishing upon which it became established, Clovelly is a magnet for tourists, drawn by the steep cobbled streets and chocolate box cottages. Clovelly is privately owned, and the houses, many of them wattle …
1987 was something of a mixed a year. There was plenty of tragedy in the form of the Hungerford massacre, sinking of the Herald of Free Enterprise, the Remembrance Day Bombing and the fire at Kings Cross. Margaret Thatcher remained Prime Minister and Rick Astley was storming through the Pop charts. Amid it all, however, …
Herring fishing was once a big industry throughout northern Europe and North America. As vast shoals of fish were located and plundered before being readied for shipment across both continents, entire communities were founded upon this single process. As Donald S Murray explains in Herring Tales, though the fishing itself was undertaken almost exclusively by …
Having started out as a singles buyer for a Plymouth record shop in the early 1980’s, at the age of 23 Jeff Barrett was approached by Alan McGee to work alongside him at Creation Records. There, Jeff worked alongside bands such as Primal Scream and The Pastels, and tour managed The Jesus and Mary Chain …
Born in London, but raised in Buckinghamshire, Will Burns was part way through an English Degree when he decided to forgo education for a career as a rock star. His band, Treecreeper, released two albums, the second of which, entitled Juniper, features a fly-fisherman on the cover and is still available through Rough Trade records. …
Fishpool was in a glorious state of reminisce earlier in the week – and was suddenly struck by the mental image of a drumming great-white shark. For anyone else who may have forgotten, The Neptunes are a band from the future. Purveyors of ‘rock’ music, they are a five-piece, made up of teenagers Biff (guitars), …
Of all the fish that swim, the one that has surely got life sussed beyond all others is the slob trout. There are arguments as to his true origin, though it is widely believed that the slob trout is a brownie (Salmo trutta) who, having spawned, then drifts downstream until he finds the food-rich estuarine …
Every summer, a few thousand like-minded souls converge on the banks of the River Tiddy in East Cornwall, where they share the music, literature, comedy and the altogether laid back nature of the Port Eliot Festival. The 6,000 acre Port Eliot Estate is the ancestral seat of the Eliot family, whose present head Peregrine is the …
Founded in 1995, The Westcountry Rivers Trust (WRT) is a charity and waterway society created to further the protection and enhancement of the rivers of south-west England. One of its most prominent initiatives was the Cornwall Rivers Project (CRP) – which, with £2.6m funding from the European Union and DEFRA, was aimed at managing the …
The rivers of Cornwall have long had an association with the Atlantic salmon. Spate rivers such as the Taw, Torridge and Camel have drawn anglers from all over the country, and despite the decline on salmon numbers, produce good fish every season. In south-east Cornwall another salmon river flows unnoticed by many. The Tiddy is …
A city steeped in naval history, more than a quarter of a million people live in and around Plymouth. Situated between the mouths of the rivers Plym and Tamar, Plymouth has an enduring association with the Sea. This is from where the Pilgrim Fathers set sail for America in 1620, where many global trade links …
There has been a distinct Cornish edge to this week’s Bits and Pieces, and while considering the county, it is impossible not to give time to one of the greatest inventions the world has ever known… A true Cornish Pasty must be made with a minimum 12.5% beef content and 25% vegetable, which, in turn …
Fishpool read a fascinating book last year by forager extraordinaire John Wright. Entitled, The Naming of the Shrew, Wright leads us through the subject of taxonomy. Why and how things living were and still are classified. It was a mighty good read, and led Fishpool to ponder the naming of some of our oft-caught fish …
Editor Fallon is an easy going sort. He rarely cracks the whip and is open minded regarding content – he’ll even let the odd swear word through. In fact, his only dictum is to never mention religion or politics. To be honest, that suits Fishpool well. Both are topics best avoided, as discussions on either …
Vincent was only three years old when he first wet a line, and made his first casts on the canals in and around the centre of Manchester. His love of fishing swiftly blossomed, and he has gone on to catch some fabulous fish of many different species. Vinny writes a weekly blog (www.northwestfisherman.wordpress.com) and has …
Now a familiar sight on supermarket fish counters, the Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) is, alongside the Mozambique and blue tilapia, one of the most important commercial fish species in the world. Native, as the name suggests, to Africa and the Middle East, this fast growing species is now farmed throughout the world, with more than …
With a large, doleful eye and a blunt face that slants down to a drooping mouth, few fish look as glum-faced as a John Dory. Strange really, because with one of the coolest latin names of any fish – Zeus faber – and connections with none other than the Patron Saint of fishermen, St Peter, …
Editor Fallon is an easy going sort. He rarely cracks the whip and is open minded with regard to content – he’ll even let the odd swear word through. In fact, his only dictum is to never mention religion or politics. With that in mind, Fishpool will make no mention of the underfunding of the …
Being only 21 (or thereabouts…), Fishpool only recently discovered that there was life before the 21st Century. Apparently, the was a time called ‘The 1960s’, when people drove round in yellow submarines powered by flowers, and everyone flew to the Isle of Wight on a Jefferson Aiplane where they rolled stones and reminisced about Snoopy’s …
Fishpool doesn’t like to speculate upon the whereabouts of other anglers’ oases. After all, there is nothing worse than when one’s own slice of nirvana or secret swim is suddenly fished to a foam by others and ruined forever… However, when reading the blogs of North West Fisherman (aka Vincent Coulson), Fishpool couldn’t help but …
Fishpool popped into the local library last week – a couple of books to pick up and a wallet-crippling fine of 60p to pay. There was a kids’ club event going on, with toddlers singing and celebrating, while the lazy chairs were filled with pensioners perusing the daily papers. It was busy. And that, sadly, …
Another winter of fluctuating river levels and major flooding has left plenty of homes and businesses in tatters and great chunks of the natural world decimated. When the water levels have eased, a walk along a riverbank can give a startling illustration of just how fierce the currents were. Aside from the mud and remoulding, …
With more than a quarter of a million miles of road in the UK it is of little surprise that so many of us live a hectic, fast-paced life. But tucked away and all but forgotten in the quieter corners are the remnants of the 19th Century’s transport system. Our canal network is overlooked by …
Written by Greg Freestone There’s a river not far from here. It’s a miniature river, a Trumpton river winding through toy-towns and out into their rural hinterlands, flowing beneath hilltop churches, through ancient fords and under bridges, draining and watering this ever-thinning strip of old farming Essex, a shallow agricultural valley still surviving against constant assault …
It is quite a claim to declare someone as ‘The World’s Greatest Fisherman’ – it is, after all, such a subjective statement. But in terms of fish caught, and in particular, game fish caught, then it is had to argue against the claims made on Zyg Gregorek’s behalf. Of Polish descent, Zyg made the decision …
Vic Gent is a Lincolnshire lad now residing in Norfolk. Taught to fish as a young boy by his father and brother, Vic has never strayed far from the water, spending much of his youth ‘mucking about’ aboard the family boat on the River Nene. Vic makes his Fallon’s angler debut in Issue 5 with …
Common across much of Northern and mainland Europe, the ide (Leuciscus idus) does not naturally occur in Britain, though populations are becoming established in an increasing number of our rivers. The golden and blue varieties of the ide (more commonly known as orfe) have long been stocked as ornamental fish in garden ponds or in …
There is some conjecture as to whether there are one or two species of sailfish in our Oceans. Some bodies recognise the Atlantic (Istiophorus albicans) and Indo-Pacific (Istiophorus platypterus) as separate species, yet they are anatomically the same and most authorities only recognise the single species – platypterus. Despite so often swimming stubbornly against the …
While reading of Vic Gent’s First Casts in Issue 5 of Fallon’s angler, one particular sentiment struck a chord. Vic describes his early efforts on the River Nene upstream of Peterborough, and more specifically a small backwater that could only be fished from a boat. Such a place sounds heavenly, especially, Fishpool suspects, through the eyes …
Formed in 2001, The Little Egret Press was created to supply books of quality, not quantity. A writer himself, Tom O’Reilly founded the Little Egret Press in order to combine his love of writing, illustration, typographical design and bookbinding. With start-up assistance from The Prince’s Trust (HRH The Prince of Wales is a continued supporter …
Nestled into the rolling hills of West Devon, near the village of Beaworthy, is one of the most popular man-made fisheries in the country. The vision of Zyg Gregorek Anglers’s Paradise began life in 1981 as a single, empty and neglected lake. The site now covers more than 250 acres, with a variety of lodges …
At 100miles, the Nene is the tenth longest river in the United Kingdom – not bad for a stream that many cannot even pronounce. Though its etymology is uncertain (Celtic roots seem to be most likely) the river was, until the start of the 20th Century, spelt either Nyn or Nenn, and it is the …
It is almost impossible to resist the power of advertising. Even those if us sensible (and disciplined enough) to avoid the trappings of television and other media still face a barrage when we step out of the house. Billboards, sign-written vehicles, shop fronts and branded clothing – advertising is everywhere. Even the back of petrol …
Having read of the president of the International Game Fish Association proclaiming Zyg Gregorek as ‘The Greatest Angler in the World’, it got Fishpool thinking… Though Zyg has made no such claims himself (to Fishpool’s knowledge), it is an interesting statement. In terms of Game fish caught, Zyg is without equal, and his achievements warrant …
Words by Nigel Ling New Year’s “fabled infant” comes to me stillborn. After the festival of Christmas I cannot shake off January’s slump; the winter bears down, the dim fairy lights in house windows, waiting on Twelfth Night, are relics of a better time. Fishing in January is usually hard; floods are expected and cold …
Born in Monmouthshire in 1920, Oliver Kite packed a lot into a tragically short life. He joined the Royal Engineers in 1941 and served in India, Burma, Malaya and Singapore, ultimately attaining the rank of Major. Kite continued to serve abroad after the end of the Second World War. He was married to Norah in …
In a world where so many anglers are obsessed with size, one name resonates throughout the specimen world above (or perhaps that should be ‘below’) all others…. A retired farmer and former match angler from Lakenheath in Suffolk, Dennis Flack has dominated the small fish scene for decades. It began in the late 1980’s with …
Though not native to the British Isles, the bitterling (Rhodeus amarus) warrants a mention in Bits and Pieces not least for being one the four species for which Dennis Flack held the British Record for simultaneously, but also for a couple of rather peculiar attributes. The bitterling is a small fish, not unlike a roach in …
The poor old ruffe (Gymnocephalus cernua) tends to spend his life overlooked. He doesn’t grow very large (the British record is a little over 5oz while Small Fish Catcher Extraordinaire Dennis Flack has caught them to a little over 4oz), and his presence is traditionally seen as a sign that more desirable fish are not. To …
Like most anglers, Fishpool has often benefitted when non-angling relations and acquaintances decide to clear some clutter. Rods, reels, a natty fishing jacket, nets, flies and rod bags have all found their way to me – gratis of course, and largely because the finder knew not what else to do with them. A recent arrival …
While flicking through the pages of the Anglers Annual (1963 edition), Fishpool was interested by just how much heavier certain species of fish seem to be today. Though there is little difference in the quality of roach, dace and perch, species such as the bream and tench are now growing far larger than they were …
A couple of miles to the south east of the market town of Stalham lies Hickling Broad. Covering some 400 acres of open water, Hickling is the largest of Norfolk’s Broads. A further 1200 acres of reeds make it the largest single area of reed bed in Britain and it is unsurprisingly a haven for …
Being landlocked, Wiltshire gets a bit of a raw deal when it comes to river names. The ‘Hampshire’ Avon spends far more time in Wiltshire than Hampshire, while the Bristol Avon also loiters for a good deal within the county. Wiltshire also gives the Blackwater to Hampshire and the Kennet to Berkshire, but one river …
Fishpool read an interesting article recently in the 1963 Anglers Annual that rounded up the results of the 1962 Tournament Casting Competitions. Though such events remain to this day, it would appear that public interest is not what it was in the early 60’s. Certainly a modern day generic fishing publication is unlikely to devote five …
As Fishpool was nosing through the 1963 edition of the Anglers’ Annual, a familiar name caught his or her eye in the Coarse Fishing Catch Review section. Captor of one of the biggest pike of the year (a fish of 32lb from Hickling Broad) was Dennis Pye. A further glance below at the rudd report …
Born in London in 1927, Geoffrey Palmer was drawn into acting by the lure of a woman. Having left the Royal Marines, a girlfriend suggested he join an amateur dramatics society and from there a career in Theatre, both on and behind the stage, burgeoned. In the 1970’s Palmer became a familiar face on television …
Until a chance conversation with Kevin Parr, the name and deeds of Newton Tony meant absolutely nothing to Fishpool. Now, having heard a tale or two, it seems that Tony is just the sort of person to feature in Bits and Pieces –providing its okay with him, of course. Newton Tony was born in East …
Though the carp has previously appeared in the hallowed pages of Bits and Pieces in a variety of guises, many anglers value a fish caught from running water in different regard to one from a stillwater. In some situations, such as when winter floods have washed a stock of lake swimming carp into the nearest …
It struck Fishpool recently that though Bits and Pieces has featured both the bronze bream and its juvenile form the skimmer (and the saltwater black bream to boot…), these hallowed pages have yet to feature the rather lovely silver bream (Blicca bjoerkna). The silver bream are far smaller than their bronze cousins and, at first …
Though Fishpool has of course made special mention of Izaak Walton in the past, his seminal work, The Compleat Angler, has only ever been referenced in passing. First published in 1653, with countless reprints (only The Bible has been printed in the English language more often), The Compleat Angler tells of Piscator and Viator (Venator …
Izaak Walton’s renowned work The Compleat Angler has inspired and guided anglers for more than 350 years. Along with the countless anglers who have followed in Walton’s wake are a multitude of books, blogs, pubs and television series that have drawn purpose from his words. One such television programme was The Compleat Angler, which first …
The Derbyshire and Staffordshire Dove flows for 45 miles from its source at Dove Head, in the moors of the Peak District, to the village of Newton Solney (definitely not to be confused with Newton Tony (see People we Like)) where it meets the River Trent. It was on the Dove where Izaak Walton and …
Just as there are plenty of farms across Britain that are prefixed by ‘Mill’, so there are a good few fisheries sharing the same name. This particular ‘Mill Farm’ is near the village of Bury, a few miles to the south of Pulborough. Though many anglers may visit this part of Sussex to fish the …
Fishpool is more fortunate than most, not least because he or she didn’t have to face the rigours and strains of growing up in the City. A rural upbringing makes life far easier for a young rod-wielder. Aside from the increased tolerance of such an activity, there are far more opportunities to cast in the …
Fishpool recently wrote of the impact that the storms of this winter have had on our river systems, but often forgotten at such times are our seas. Gale force winds whip up the waves which crash into the shore, and when combined with high tides the effects can be devastating. With so much extra water …
Words by Jon Berry I have just been carp fishing, not in itself unusual, except it is something I never do at this time of year. It wasn’t a bivouacked endurance test in thermals, wet gloves frozen to fingers, slack lines freezing in cat ice—more a casual few hours with an Avon rod, a pocket …
In 2002, a poll by the BBC to find the Greatest 100 Britons placed Isambard Kingdom Brunel at number 2 – with only Winston Churchill above him. Born in 1806, Brunel was a Mechanical and Structural Engineer and a leading figure in the Industrial Revolution. He was a pioneer of Shipping – building docks and …
Having been born in the Channel port of Dover, it was perhaps inevitable that Alan Yates would have a lifelong affinity for the Sea. He spent much of his formative fishing days chasing bass from boat and shore before taking an interest in match fishing. He was rather good at it. Alan’s match fishing success …
We may be experiencing one of the mildest winters on record, but the sea is still a tough proposition at this time of year. Many fish move offshore or head south to warmer water, but in turn species will enter British waters from further north. One species that is particularly common through the cold months …
Yes, Fishpool is well aware that the cuttlefish is not technically a fish, but as Dominic Garnett proved in Fallon’s angler Issue 1 (and Fishpool mentioned in Bits and Pieces Issue 7), squid and cuttlefish can be successfully targeted with rod and line. The most frequently encountered species in British waters is the common cuttlefish …
A succession of storms have caused devastation this winter. As low pressure system have rolled in off the Atlantic, bringing gales and heavy rain, rivers across the country have burst their banks and flooded homes, businesses and farmland. Many anglers have been forced to stay at home, and while coarse anglers do have the option …
Widely regarded as one of the finest angling writers of the 21st Century, for his third book Jon Berry also explored another great love – that of History. Having previously written of barbel and ferox (in A Can of Worms and Beneath the Blackwater respectively), in A Train to Catch Jon takes a very different …
As a child, Fishpool used to regularly visit the Dorset town of Swanage, where many relations still reside. In the summer, the town was abuzz. The bay was always full of sails, the beach a mass of splashing children and sun-bathing parents. In the evening, the lights of the pier would shimmer in the waves …
Flowing for forty miles through Powys and Shropshire before meeting the Severn at Melverley, the Vrynwy is a river popular with walkers, kayakers and, of course, anglers. In the 1880’s a stone dam was built in order to create a reservoir from the clutch of streams that formed the headwaters of the Vrynwy. The resulting …
A recent thread on The Path by The Water forum reminded Fishpool of the greatest moment in the life and career of Thomas the Tank Engine. Thomas Goes Fishing is the second story in the fourth book of Rev W Awdry’s Railway Series, entitled Tank Engine Thomas Again. Thomas’ branch line crosses the local river, …
The devastating floods of this and recent winters have caused havoc not just for people, but also for wildlife. So rapidly have the waters risen that huge numbers of invertebrates and small mammals have simply been washed away. The fish have struggled too, with river species becoming stranded in fields and ditches, and their stillwater …
Born in Devon during the Second World War, it was, perhaps, inevitable that Mike Winter would become an angler. After all, his father worked with none other than Richard Walker, one of the most influential anglers of his (or any other) generation. Mike caught his first fish at the age of five – a small …
Angling, and carp fishing in particular, lost another advocate shortly before Christmas. Peter Mohan was born in Berkshire in 1930 before growing up on the Channel coast at Bogner Regis. He began fishing at the age of twelve, and, at a time when the species was deemed by many to be uncatchable, developed a special …
Having featured a few fearsome fish in recent Issues, Fishpool felt it only right to make mention of one of the most famously toothy predators in the sea. The great barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda) is one of 28 species of the Sphyraena genus and is the largest and most revered. They are found in the subtropical …
Among the less absurd practices of the Golden Scale Club was the annual gudgeon fishing trip. The humble gudgeon (Gobio gobio) has long been held with a regard that is not in keeping with its size. With a specimen weighing somewhere in the region of 2 ounces (smaller still on some waters) and the record …
Published in 1973, Cypry the Carp broke the mould by which much of angling writing is formed in that it was a work of fiction. Author Peter Mohan was a carp angler of great note, and though he also wrote numerous non-fiction titles on the subject, it is the tale of Cypry for which many …
This winter may not have been especially cold, but it remains hard to find motivation when the day is so short. If simply getting out of bed is tough enough, then pulling the curtains closed at tea-time is utterly depressing – the evening can become long and decidedly black. Fishpool is fortunate. A quick scout …
