Sir Edward Grey, Viscount Grey of Fallodon, holds the record for the longest serving Foreign Secretary in British Political History. Keeping office from 1905 to 1916, Grey was part of the Liberal Government that was in power at the outbreak of the First World War – making the statement by which he is often remembered, …
It is an oft quoted suggestion from non-anglers that fishermen and women are wholly reliant upon luck. While it is undeniable that some of us seem to benefit from luck more than others, it may also be said that there are very few able to cultivate their luck quite as well as Martin Bowler. Martin …
The graying (Thymallus thymallus) is an often overlooked fish. The presence of an adipose fin places the species (taxonomically at least) with the Salmonidae, but the grayling has not been looked upon favourably in many rivers, such as the Itchen, where it swims beside the more desirable trout and salmon. Most coarse anglers, meanwhile, are …
Perhaps it is its similarity in appearance to a sprat or bleak, but the tarpon is a fish that really doesn’t look as if it should grow as big as it does. The closely related Atlantic and Indo-Pacific tarpon (Megalops atlanticus and Megalops cyprinoides respectively) are fish that require warm water in which to breed, …
Following the beautifully filmed A Passion for Angling and Caught in Time, Hugh Miles decided to turn his skilled hand to another angling series. This time, his old Arriflex would stay in its case as he utilised a smaller, more versatile camera that would enable underwater photography and hopefully capture the capture of some seriously …
Perhaps the most key attribute required to be a successful angler is the ability to adapt. Tradition, and in many cases fashion, dictate the methods by which we target fish, but often such practices seem dour and repetitive. Trying something altogether different, even off the wall, will not only spark fresh enthusiasm, but will often …
Rising at Syresham, in Northamptonshire, and flowing for 143 miles before entering the sea at Kings Lynn on The Wash, the Great Ouse is the fourth longest river in the United Kingdom. The upper reaches are narrow and twisting and despite the lack of size, home to some monster fish. Though not present in the …
Hampshire is renowned for its chalk-streams and one of the finest, and most famous, is the Itchen. Rising near the village of Cheriton (scene of a battle in the Civil War) the river skirts the market town of Alresford where it is fed by tributaries the Arle and the Candover Stream, before heading west to …
Despite having absolutely no statistical evidence to prove it, Fishpool is willing to bet a pint of maggots on the fact that more facial hair is sported by male anglers than men of any other sporting or leisure activity. Consider the beards that have graced the pages of Bits and Pieces – Yates, Wilson, Botham, …
An anglers greatest asset is luck. We can learn the subtleties of the water beside which we sit. We can teach ourselves the patterns of the current, the vagaries of fish and the impact of weather and light levels. We can put ourselves into the perfect position to catch but still we must rely up …
