Born in Manchester, John Bailey’s early years were dominated by fishing and football. He was rather useful at both, and came close to a career in professional football before academic pressures nudged him off that path. A family move to East Anglia allowed John to focus more deeply as an angler, and as he embarked …
Despite spending his first ever fishing trip trying in vain to tempt a sunken branch with a worm, Mike Pope persevered, and having caught his first roach from Roath Park Lake he spent the 1970’s exploring other waters around the Vale of Glamorgan. Having caught a 3lb 8oz bream and a 6lb 6oz carp in …
Fishpool recently wrote of the bronze bream, and how many anglers regard the mature adult fish as a separate species to the smaller, juvenile ‘skimmers’. A similar moniker could be levelled at the roach (Rutlius rutlius) – a species that might not change too much in colour and all round appearance as it ages, but …
Certain species of fish seem to represent perfectly the landscape of their environment. The taimen in the vast plains of Central Asia; the blue marlin in the deep azure of the open ocean; and the golden mahseer (Tor putitora) in the mythical and spiritual waters within the foothills of the Himalaya. The golden mahseer is one …
There was a time when the float was a river angler’s principle tool. With it he could cover every depth and every line; he could slow the bait down or let it run through at the pace of the current; and he could see the gentle dips from shy biting fish such as big roach. …
Occasionally there comes an angling book that delves that little bit deeper beneath the surface. The narrative picks its way through the well trodden banks of a typical tale – stories of fish and how they were caught – but also explores and exposes the mind and psyche of the angler himself. Published in 1992, …
Rising near the village of Evershot in the Dorset Downs, the Frome flows for thirty miles before emptying into Poole harbour below Wareham. A chalkstream, the Frome is rich in invertebrate life and supports a large population of brown trout, along with a migrant population of sea trout and salmon. For many years, the fish …
I once found myself in Brecon, deep within the Mountains of South Wales, when I got knocked of my feet by the most perfectly intense smell. It was a warm, autumn day and I was on an urgent search for supplies when I passed the doorway of an otherwise non-descript shop. Wham! The glorious must …
One of the curious aspects of a fish is its ability to grow in relation to subtle changes in its environment. Put a thousand young rudd into a tiny pond and they will remain stunted, but put the same amount in a 10 acre lake and they will grow much larger – provided there is …
A story in the national press recently caught Fishpool’s eye – it related to a goldfish called Bob and was mentioned just a few lines ago. One question that Bob’s owner, Anne from Scarborough, asked was how long her giant goldfish might live for. It’s an interesting point. Most goldfish will live for less than …
