So good they named him twice. Or at least he named himself twice. Francis devoted his life to angling – he was angling editor of The Field; a passionate supporter and protector of the Thames; helped bring the brown trout to Australasia; landed a foul-hooked 6 pound barbel on a single (horse) hair; and was …
Forget Newsnight, University Challenge, and that beard, Paxo’s true identity can be found on the river bank. He is an avid fly-fisher, and a vice President of the Wild Trout Trust. In between his journalism, broadcasting and Spey-casting, Paxman has also written books on subjects as diverse as Chemical Warfare and Volcanoes. We anglers know …
From clear, natural water, no British freshwater fish is as stunning as the rudd (Scardinius erythropthalmus). The bronze flanks glisten like butter in a pan and cut sharp contrast with blood-red fins. It is a shame they are not as widespread as they once were, for they are the perfect child’s catch. Lovers of the …
One of those creatures that leaves children open-mouthed. A fish? – that lives in the sea? – that can fly? Woaahhh! There are in fact 64 species of Exocoetida, and though they don’t really fly in the conventional sense, they can stay airborne for a considerable time. By swimming at speeds of over 40mph they …
A sidestream of the Salmon and Trout Association, the Riverfly Partnership represents almost 100 partner organisations. A mixed shoal of anglers, entomologists, conservationists, scientists and regional authorities, all working together to protect the water quality of our rivers. This is achieved by furthering the understanding of riverfly populations through monitoring and research, and seeking the …
Anglers will curse at cormorants, shout ‘Oi!’ at an obstinate otter and even hurl hatred at herons, but we are always kind to the kingfisher. It might be their small size – we certainly don’t begrudge them the minnows – or their quite absurd beauty, but that piped whistle and electric flash is only ever …
Back in the 70’s and 80’s the River Shannon didn’t hold any water. Instead, it consisted only of bream – great bronze shoals from bank to bank. So many that ‘You can walk across their backs!’ It may not be the fishery it once was, but the Shannon remains a life source in a sea …
It is, technically, a place. And if it were included in the ‘Things we like’ section then it might be confused with the Redtop of the same name. For the last couple of weeks the Sun has warmed us wonderfully (with an apology to those in the far north). Yes, we do need a shower …
Love bits’n’pieces, keep ’em coming… An especially astute observation made on the Fallon’s Angler Facebook page….
Lovely shot on the cover of Fallon’s Angler issue 2, by Team Trakker’s Alex Audi…(Alex Norgate to us) – From @accordbw on Twitter – How right he is.
Those folk at Google recently took to a boat in order to photograph the surface of Loch Ness. While this gives people from around the world an opportunity to search for floating logs and mysterious shadows, it also gives anglers a nudge toward a handy tool. There is no suggestion that we all go Nessie …
The perfect starter for the Heron Pudding mentioned in last week’s Bits and Pieces is surely to be found in Vicoria R Rumble’s Soup Through the Ages. In the nineteenth century, Cormorant Soup regularly featured in the diets of those living in the Western Isles of Scotland. The thought of it is, frankly, repulsive but …
