Who could forget that try for the Barbarians against the mighty All Blacks in 1973 (or, in Fishpool’s case, seeing re-runs of it…ahem). And is there a Welsh rugby fan who wouldn’t name Gareth Edwards the greatest player the country has ever produced? Certainly the best number 9. It came as little surprise that Gareth …
Born on St Valentine’s Day 1907, in Catford, south-east London, Bernard Venables was just 6 when he began fishing. His first forays were made on the network of drains and ditches on Romney Marsh, though his early career formed around his other great passion, art. Having studied at Croydon School of Art, Venables subsequently worked …
No fish, in freshwater at least, stirs the imagination like the pike (Esox lucius). This is a fish unchanged since time began – a relic of the Ice Age – though when you have no need to change, why evolve further? The pike is long and sleek, with a big tail and late slung dorsal …
Also known as the cow shark, the bluntnose six-gilled shark (Hexanchus griseus) is a fish of the deep sea. Growing large – in excess of 20 feet in length – this is the largest member of the Hexanchidae family of sharks that date back over 200 million years. Aside from the additional gill slit from …
You put together an outstanding magazine, the Creel of it’s day!
In 1946 the Daily Mirror signed to its ranks an artist by the name of Bernard Venables (see People we Like), who created a gardening cartoon featuring ‘Mr Crabtree’. OF course, as any sensible person knows, angling is a far more productive use of time than gardening, and within a year Mr Crabtree was going …
Before you think that Fishpool has been sniffing hongeohoe (see Bits and Pieces Issue 15) or has had one too many bottles of Barbus Barbus (see Bits and Pieces Issue 6), the aspect of pike gaffs and jaw spreaders that he likes, is the fact that their use has been all but consigned to history. …
Eight miles north of Newport, and neatly situated between the towns of Pontypool, Cwmbran and Usk, the reservoir of Llandegfedd is a popular location for birdwatching, water sports and, of course, angling. The reservoir was opened in 1965 and covers 434 acres. Stocked with rainbow and brown trout, Llandegfedd offers superb fly fishing, with fish …
Oh, ye’ll tak’ the high road, and I’ll tak’ the low road, And I’ll be in Scotland afore ye; But me and my true love will never meet again On the bonnie, bonnie banks o’ Loch Lomond. The mighty Loch Lomond. In area, the largest piece of freshwater in Great Britain, with depths of over …
The very best fishing stories are those with an element of truth to them, and what makes a good story great, is when there is sufficient evidence to keep people talking about it forever. In 1934, beside the mouth of the River Endrick on the shores of Loch Lomond (see Places we Like) the body …
The recent Blue Moon (which fell on the final day of July) found Fishpool pondering the long argued topic of moon cycles and the effect that they have on fish and fishing. There can be no doubt that the Moon affects our sea fish – after all they live in an environment that is dictated …
