Few, if any, people have influenced angling quite as much as Richard Walker. He was a pioneer, matching science with extraordinary watercraft in order to catch the uncatchable. His capture of a 44lb carp in 1952 created shockwaves that still ripple through the angling world today. Clarissa, as the fish was later named, added 18lb …
Known to many as ‘The Sweetcorn Kid’, Stuart has been scribbling about his angling exploits for many years. He has a sharp eye for a photograph, as the images on his blog testify, and a knack for catching big fish. Carp dominate his angling, but he can also be found chasing perch, tench, crucians and …
The very name stirs the emotions. The Ferox (Salmo ferox) is one angry brown trout who ate his brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles and simply grew and grew. These are fish of the wildest waters; the lochs of Scotland and loughs of Ireland, where the water runs as deep as a mountain is tall. They …
A tide in ebb is like a lifting fog. The world revealed remains familiar and yet is always slightly different. This is a time of opportunity – a time for serious rock-pooling. Crabs, anemones and starfish have their place, but nothing excites quite like a fish. The flash of movement that quickens the pulse – …
Some chap called ‘Yates’ once suggested that the Kelly Kettle be the greatest steam engine since Stephenson’s ‘Rocket’. It’s a bold statement, but in truth an accurate one. A bankside cup of tea is essential on a cold winter’s day. Or a warm summer day come to think about it. In fact, an autumn cuppa …
A true antidote to indifference, Caught by the River has been soothing and smoothing us for over seven years. With daily online sermons from an array of anglers, naturalists, musicians and ne’er-do-wells, CBTR offers online sanity amid an onslaught of material madness. There are books – the anthologies Words on Water and On Nature – …
Few rivers conjure imagery to match the Tweed. This is one of the foremost salmon rivers in the world and lays claim to the fact that it produces more fly-caught salmon than any other British river. For 19 miles the Tweed actually forms the boundary between Scotland and England, and made a useful barrier against …
No, not the pub, but the other place where you pick up a pint. Most Tackle Shops are facing an uncertain future. Margins are tight with online shops and auction sites squeezing them ever tighter. There is nothing quite like a decent local though. A smile as you walk in, a boiling kettle, and a …
I really like the magazine and website, the blend between old and new. Keep up the good work.
A cracking little piece (on Fallon’s Angler blog) about the River Ravensbourne in London. It really is amazing what is around you, even in the middle of London, when you stop and take in your surroundings. Keep up the great work on the publication.
Having filled your Kelly Kettle (see Things we Like) with water, the next step is ignition. Newspapers ain’t what they used to be. Even the broadsheets seem to just blacken and smoulder like a pile of wet leaves. Fire lighters might be an option, but are morally unacceptable and they stink. Kerosene tainted cheese paste …
Regular readers of Bits ‘n Pieces will have had their taste buds tickled in recent weeks with talk of Cormorant soup and Heron pudding. Such delicacies require something decent to wash them down with, and having resisted the temptation to pull a Kingfisher beer, Fishpool has been sampling something rather more pleasant. Butts brewery are based …
