Fishpool once spent a rather pleasant afternoon in Taunton, tucking into the scrumpy from the bars of the County Ground as I enjoyed a complimentary ticket to the cricket. The only thing lacking was the presence of a seriously destructive batsman. This was long before Chris Gayle’s fireworks and the days of Viv Richards and …
Said Piscator to Viator (in The Compleat Angler by Izaak Walton) – look you here, Sir, do you see? (but you must stand very close) there lye upon the top of the water twenty Chubs: I’ll catch only one, and that shall be the biggest of them all: and that I will do so, I’ll …
There are few techniques as exciting as sight fishing. Whether you are dapping grasshoppers, casting a dry fly, or fishing slow-sinking breadflake for mullet, the anticipation sends a tingle up your nose. Chub can often be targeted with such methods, but their natural wariness can make it tricky to detect bites. They will often pick up …
Awarded an OBE in 1974 as recognition for a football career that included a World Cup win in 1966, Jack Charlton went on to gain even greater recognition across the Irish Sea. Having taken the Republic of Ireland to a World Cup quarter final in 1990, Charlton was awarded an Honorary Irish Citizenship, made a …
Okay, so he’s only a fictional character and technically not a even person but Jeremy Fisher (no relation to Nick Fisher) is surely worthy of inclusion. The creation of Beatrix Potter, Jeremy Fisher is a frog who lives in a house among the buttercups at the side of a pond. One morning it begins to …
The poor old sand eel lives a life not unlike the minnow – constantly looking over his shoulder. There are two species common in British waters, the lesser and greater sand eel – and it is the lesser (Ammodytes tobianus) that plays such a key role in the food chain. Just about everything bigger than …
Probably our most well known flatfish and certainly one our most highly regarded culinary fish, the plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) is one of the few sea fish to have appeared in Bits and Pieces that isn’t under threat. Not growing particularly huge, the shore caught record is a little over 8lbs in weight, the plaice is …
Congratulations on producing such a marvellous magazine.
Okay, so maybe Fishpool is desperately trying to put a positive spin on a really damp summer, but we fishermen (and women) love the rain… Don’t we? A dank, wet day is accompanied by low light levels which may prompt species such as plaice to feed more happily in shallow water. The salmon and sea …
Where do we start with worms? They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, they catch just about everything that swims and if we put a tiny bit of effort in, they’re free! In our gardens and on our lawns (particularly on damp nights) we find lobworms – perfect for perch, champion for chub …
Aaahhh, the wonderful Lake District. Inspiration to authors such as Arthur Ransome and poets like Wordsworth and Coleridge. It was also home to Beatrix Potter, whose former cottage is now a museum close to Esthwaite Water. Esthwaite is one of the smaller lakes of the Lake District – though at 280 acres size is relative. …
In North-west England, overlooked by the Cumbrian Fells to the north, and sandwiched between the towns of Barrow in Furness to the west and Lancaster and Morecambe to the east, is the largest expanse of inter-tidal mudflats in Britain. Morecambe Bay covers more than 120 square miles and is world renowned for its cockle beds …
Fish and Chips. Yes please – lots of salt and vinegar, perhaps a pea fritter on the side and even though it is a dinner guaranteed to deliver Fishpool a major dose of indigestion, he or she simply cannot resist. Aside from the tradition within the meal itself, there is also a lovely, and very …
Gulls really do get a bad rap – especially in our towns and cities. Every summer we go slightly hysterical as they swoop down to steal ice-creams from toddlers and chips from defenceless OAP’s. ‘Cull them!’ we cry, ‘Something must be done!’ Well, surprise surprise, there is something we can all do. Stop feeding them. …
It is nearly thirty years since this Norfolk tackle dealer was catapulted into our lives. Go Fishing would help to make John Wilson a household name, but he drove an interesting road to get there. A former hairdresser and Merchant seaman, Wilson was born in Enfield and first wet a line in the River Lea. …
As a freelance journalist, Nick Fisher was noted for tackling the more sensitive subjects of growing up and did so with with candour and honesty. He was the agony uncle for Just Seventeen magazine and wrote books including Living with a Willy and Your Pocket Guide to Sex – the latter of which was considered …
Found throughout the north Atlantic, the pollock (Pollachius pollachius) is fish often overlooked. A big eyed, big mouthed sight hunter, the pollock is found throughout the British Isles, with smaller specimens frequenting rocky, inshore marks and bigger fish, weighing up to and over thirty pounds, found in deeper water and off-shore wrecks. Once hooked, the …
Native to eastern Asia, the grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) is a fast growing Cyprinid with a large mouth and cigar shaped body. They superficially resemble the chub (Squalius cephalus), and confusion has led to more than one erroneous chub ‘record’ claim. Grass carp grow large, with specimens reaching nearly five feet in length and weighing …
I was staying at Currarevagh a couple of days ago. Saw your mags — love them!!
Way back in 1986, when Chris De Burgh was singing of his Lady in Red and Spitting Image topped the charts with The Chicken Song, a television show was born on Channel 4 (itself only 4 years old) that would keep fishermen rapt for years. Go Fishing was a simple format – the first series …
Ahhhh, who can forget 1993? The FA Cup Final went to a replay for the final time, Take That had their first number 1 single, Whitney Houston said she would always love us and Meatloaf said he do anything for love, but not ‘that’ – (nor would we want you to Mr Loaf). Meanwhile a …
Rising close to the village of Whissonsett, in north central Norfolk, the River Wensum is a river with a fine angling pedigree and a diverse cross section of wildlife. A nationally important chalk water habitat, the Wensum is home to more than 100 plant species and was designated a Special Area of Conservation in 2001. …
Ahhhh – 1998… Beckham’s red card – that goal by Michael Owen – B*Witched and Boyzone dominating the singles charts….and some floppy haired bloke moved to a cottage beside a river. Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall tends to divide opinion, but his efforts to publicise sustainable fishing should be applauded. His ‘move’ to River Cottage, a small-holding on …
The mornings are slow at this time of year. The sun still has some warmth, but burning off the morning haze takes effort and the dew is keeping the grass damp until lunchtime. It is now that fishing begins to get serious. The sea is at its warmest, and the bigger bass and pollock are …
Aaahh – 1988….The first Red Nose Day, GCSE’s replacing O-Levels, Kylie wished she was so lucky, and Cliff crooned about Mistletoe and Wine. And of course, The Waterboys brought us Fisherman’s Blues. Recorded in Dublin this was the album that broke from the band’s previous rock and roll sound, instead incorporating a Celtic Folk edge. …
Born in 1844, Frederic Halford’s first forays into angling were made in the parks of London where his family moved while he was a young boy. When in his early twenties, Halford was offered a chance to fish the River Wandle in South London, and here he began to learn the art of fly fishing. He …
Back in the early 1970’s, despite the success of anglers such as Dick Walker and Maurice Ingham, the King carp (see Fish we Like) was still widely considered to be an enigma not worth trifling with. To single out and catch these great fish required skill, patience and improvisation – as it transpired, Rod Hutchinson …
The carp (Cyprinus carpio) comes in many different guises. The wildie (see Bits and Pieces Issue 12), the leather, the mirror and the common carp are all taxonomically the same species, yet they vary as much as people in size, shape and appearance. ‘King’ is a label that essentially encompasses all carp that differ from …
Though often regarded as a single species, the ‘grey’ mullet found in British waters is either thick-lipped (Chelon labrosus) or thin-lipped (Liza ramada). To add to the confusion, there is also the golden grey mullet (Liza aurata) which is related closer, taxonomically speaking at least, to the thin-lipped than the thin-lipped is to the thick-lipped, …
“Fabulous publication, beautifully written and designed. Looks like you’ve invested a lot of effort and time into it.”
Fishpool is going to be honest from the outset. He or she does not like using sweetcorn as a bait and has struggled when using it. Yes, I’ve caught plenty of fish with the stuff, but not enough to convince me that it will ever catch more than bread, maggots, top secret pastes or elderberries. …
Much has been made about the poor state of many of our rivers, with chalk streams especially in decline. It seems that the aquifers that for millennia have purified the water of rivers such as the Kennet and Itchen, can no longer cope. Government research suggests that the levels of agricultural fertilizers within our water …
Rising in Germany’s Black Forest, the Danube is one of the world’s great rivers. At 1,189 miles it is Europe’s second longest to the Volga, and flows through ten countries before emptying into the Black Sea. Once the long standing frontier of the Roman Empire, the Danube flows through four modern day Capital Cities – …
Dating back to the early 10th Century, the south Devon town of Totnes is a noted centre for the arts – a Market Town with a modern day, Bohemian feel. It sits at the top of the tidal reaches of the Dart, the river that flows from deep within the Moor which takes its name. …
As it entered its final day, the 2012 Bailiwick Bass Club Open competition looked to have been won with a cracking fish of 10lb 3oz. But then, from nowhere, Guernsey angler Matt Clark arrived at the weigh-in with a whopper. A 13lb 13oz bass – a monster of a fish that won Clark a rather …
Back in July, Neil Bridges was fishing for barbel on the River Severn at Ripple. It was dark when he hooked into something rather larger than he was expecting. For 75 minutes he battled a fish that turned out to be far too big for his landing net, and ultimately he had to drag it …
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 …
Carlos Baz does not remember the first fish he ever caught. Though it must have made an impression. A lifelong fisherman, he now spends his time on the water with fly rod in hand hunting across shallow flats in search of saltwater gamefish. When he’s not fishing, thinking about fishing, or planning his next trip, …
John Aston got away with pretending to be a lawyer but since retiring in 2012 he’s reverted to being a stranger to fashion who spends most of his time outdoors in his beloved North Yorkshire. He listens to loud music and enjoys reading people who can write, like Hemingway and Gierach. He loves fly fishing …
James Gilbraith published his first book Terminal Chancer Silver Seasons Atlantic Salmon in 2014. Originally from Blackburn, he currently lives in Clitheroe, Lancashire. He is a 47-year-old husband, father, music lover, geriatric footballer and small-time tennis hack. He can generally be found lurking somewhere on the river Ribble, where he reluctantly became secretary of Ribblesdale …
Peter Brown followed a spell in advertising with a postgrad in illustration at Central St Martin’s in London. He has illustrated a weekly column about birdlife in Britain—The Feather Report—for The Times newspaper since 1992. Working mainly in wood engraving and Japanese woodblock, he also teaches classes and workshops in both media. www.littlebrownbirds.co.uk
Daniel Davidson is an illustrator who works with a variety of clients including Virgin Records, Saatchi Art and Music Magazine and Creative Review. He is currently working on illustrations for the as-yet-untitled sequel, to the alternative salmon fishing book, Terminal Chancer, which he also illustrated. www.danieldavidson.co.uk
Marc Harris was born in Cardiff where he works with homeless and disadvantaged people. Marc has had one book of nature poetry published by Little Egret Press, and a second book of nature and travel writing awaiting publication by the same press. Marc has written many short stories, poems and articles, and has been published …
Though his family roots were in Yorkshire, Jack Hargreaves was born and raised further south, near Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire. An interest in radio led to him building a reputation in the world of broadcasting, and in the Second World War he was recruited to the staff of General Montgomery—charged to set up radio communication between …
Born Edward James in 1930, Ted Hughes is regarded as one of the greatest poets of the 20th Century. He was raised in the West Riding of Yorkshire, among the folds of farmland that make up the Calder Valley and beneath the moors of the southern Pennines. Here he learned to hunt and to fish, …
Widespread throughout the north-eastern Atlantic, the ballan wrasse (Labrus bergylta) is one of our most familiar inshore species. They are spectacularly coloured—wearing a variety of greens, reds and browns, and sometimes resemble a relic from the great 1960’s tie dye age. All ballans are born female and remain so until they are at least four …
One of the most extraordinary creatures in our Oceans, there are over fifty species of seahorse on the world, though only two are found in British waters. The Spiny Seahorse (Hippocampus Guttulatus) and the Short Snouted Seahorse (Hippocampus Hippocampus) are found in small numbers around our coasts, predominantly off western and southern shores. Despite their …
Composed by Francisco Tarrega in 1896, Recuerdos de la Alhambra (Memories of the Alhambra) is regarded by many musicians as an iconic and landmark piece of classical guitar composition. Incorporating the tremolo technique, Tarrega wanted to capture in music the beauty of the Alhambra—an ancient Palace complex (and UNESCO World Heritage Site) in the mountains …
The school holidays are here, and for young anglers everywhere this means it’s time to go night fishing. Grown up anglers tend to take after dark fishing far too seriously. They go off to Welsh rivers to cast flies at sea trout, or cosy up in bivvies with bite alarms set to wake them should …
An urban chalk stream? In South London? No fooling? It’s true, and the River Wandle isn’t alone, though it probably offers anglers the greatest variety of fishing. Fed by water cleansed by the chalk aquifers of the North Downs, the Wandle first shows itself in Croydon, before slipping its way through Merton and Sutton and …
At the north end of Lough Ree, on the River Shannon system, sits the small town of Lanesborough. The river actually splits the town in two so the western side is in Connacht and the east Leinster. Dominating the landscape is the Power Station, and it is here, or at least, just downstream from here, …
Following some heavy bias towards the fairer sex in recent Issues, it is time to balance up the equation. Fishpool was recently alerted (by Mark Walsingham (see Bits and Pieces Issue 10)) to the capture of another monster salmon—this time by a man.. In 1912 while fishing the confluence of the Rivers Severn and Tern, …
Back in Issue 11 of Bits and Pieces, Fishpool made mention of Elderflower Champagne—a cheap and easy-to-make glass of slightly alcoholic fizz. Having quaffed several gallons since, the end of the elderflower season is no bad thing—work needs to be done and too many weeks have passed in an elder haze. Fishpool, though, has still …
October 7th 1922 was somewhat productive for Miss Georgina Ballantine. Fishing the River Tay (see Places we Like) near the village of Caputh in Perth and Kinross, she had already taken salmon of 25lbs, 21lbs and 17lbs when her silver minnow lure was taken once more. Safely hooked, the salmon took off on a ferocious …
One day, when Bits and Pieces has earned him wealth beyond his wildest dreams, Fishpool is going to take a trip to Berkshire and buy himself the finest piece of wood he’ll ever likely own. A piece of Barder. Edward Barder was always likely to be an angler. His father Richard was a fly-angler of …
In Bits and Pieces Issue 13 we paid heed to the sea trout—a brownie with a salty sense of adventure. The rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) is native to the Pacific flowing waters of North America and Asia, and as with the brown trout, there are some that like to go to sea. The resulting fish …
Found in tropical and sub-tropical waters throughout the world, the tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) is one of the most widespread fish in our seas. It is classed as an ‘average’ sized shark, though they will still reach a length of 15 feet which is plenty big enough in Fishpool’s eyes. The largest ever caught was …
There’s nothing quite like a pint beside the river. Or maybe two. To hell with it, if the barbel and chub are feeding you might as well have a gallon! I’m talking about maggots, of course. Probably the best all-round bait there is. They will catch every species of freshwater fish that swims, and have …
Back in 1980, on the Opening Day of the season, Chris Yates famously caught the biggest carp ever. At 51 and a half pounds it added more than 7 pounds to Dick Walker’s existing record and sent shockwaves through angling. Yates had caught the fish before, and in keeping with the chess-piece themed naming of …
Anyone looking for a holiday destination, steeped in angling history, might do worse than spending a week at Miss Ballantine’s Cottage on the banks of the River Tay (see Places we Like). For anyone who may not know (in which case you have a very short attention span or are reading ‘Bits and Pieces’ in …
From a small lochan on the sloped of Ben Lui, a Munroe peak in the southern Highlands, flows one of the most famous salmon rivers in the world. The River Tay is the longest river found wholly in Scotland and flows for nearly 120 miles from west to east before meeting the North Sea. The …
“The magazine is a real treat, the quality of the writing and photography makes it something quite special, for my sake, stick with it, you are providing a valuable public service.”
Some years ago, Fishpool found himself in Roosky, on the banks of the River Shannon. A kindly local angler pointed him in the direction of a bream hotspot. I couldn’t fail, he assured me—which, after a few days’ largely fruitless fishing, was just what I wanted to hear. We would only be there for a …
On the 25th April 1935, Australian fishermen Albert and Charles Hobson caught rather more than they had bargained for. A 14 foot long tiger shark (see Fish we Like) was tangled in their line and having dragged it to shore they decided to take it to a local aquarium. There it became a popular exhibit …
Many anglers are aware of Georgina Ballintine (see next week’s Bit and Pieces) and her capture of Britain’s biggest salmon in 1922. Fewer people, however, know the name Clementina Morison—yet many who do consider her more deserving of note than Miss Ballintine. In October 1924, Clementina (known to many as ‘Tiny’ due to her slight …
One half of German pop group JaKönigJa (alongside wife Ebba—see Issue 16 of Bits and Pieces) Jakobus Durstewitz is a man of many talents. He is an artist—self-taught—and has exhibited in Germany since 1994. More recently his artwork has featured in the hallowed pages of Fallon’s angler (Issue 3). JaKönigJa have been wowing critics for …
Of all the fish that swim in British waters, none evoke such awe, such splendour or have inspired so many words as the Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Found from The Bay of Biscay up to the Arctic Circle and with a similar range on the western seaboard of North American, the salmon was once abundant. …
Every summer comes the same sensationalist headlines: ‘Giant Killer Shark off Prestatyn!’, ‘Great White at Weston!’, normally accompanied by a photo of a slightly droopy dorsal fin poking through the waves. Though there is evidence of great whites in British waters (more of that in a future Bits and Pieces), the sightings that are sparking …
Not to be confused with the rather brilliant contemporary poet of the same name, the Jock Scott is possibly the most famous salmon fly of all. In 1845, it’s creator (it is named eponymously) was travelling by boat to Norway, which was and still is one of the finest places in the world to catch …
There are few moments in angling as fine as watching tiny tench bubbles prickle the surface around a red-topped float—your red-topped float. Add to that a patch of lilies and a slightly sultry summer evening and life is almost perfect. The next moment, should it happen at all, is the one that may divide opinion. …
Way up in the northeast of Scotland flows the River Deveron. Rising in the Ladder Hills on the edge of the Grampian Mountain range, the Deveron flows unnoticed to many, overshadowed in some eyes by the nearby Spey. Yet the Deveron has a history to match any river in Scotland, particularly when it comes to …
Every winter, anglers flock to the east coast of Devon with a packet of worm, a bucket of peelers and a pocketful of beads. The quarry is flounder, and the location is the estuary of the River Teign—one of the finest marks for specimen flounder in the British Isles. The Teign is a classic Devonian …
I thought you might not mind me passing on my appreciation for what you have already achieved, in a difficult field. All power to you. I do like a nice medley, and I am very much enjoying my way through the first three issues, and wish you every success with this venture.
It has long been suspected (largely, one suspects, by jealous men) that female anglers have more than just skill and fortune on their side. It is reasoned, that fish such as the Atlantic salmon (see Fish we Like) that are driven into freshwater by an irresistible urge to procreate, find the pheromones of a lady …
Summer—time to don some shorts, hit the coast, dangle your line and catch a few crabs. No—we’re not suggesting you partake in a Club 18-30 package holiday, but rather that you enjoy the classic pastime of crabbing. Seaside shops are packed with handlines, you just need some bait and off you go. You can use …
In carp fishing circles, the name Donald Leney reverberates like the ripples from the crash of a fifty pounder – yet he himself was no angler. Instead, Leney was a fish farmer, working for a Surrey trout farm, when he travelled to the Netherlands and hand picked a strain of Galician carp to bring back …
Writer, musician, literary scholar and ‘conceptioner’, Ebba Durstewitz spends her life mixing art, music and science. She holds a PhD in Portuguese Studies and works as a freelance teacher at the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures at Hamburg University. Ebba is also a freelance writer, contributing to a variety of German magazines and newspapers. …
Back in May, a commercial fishing boat brought an enormous eel back into port. Despite being misreported by some sources as measuring 20 feet in length, it was still a considerable specimen and weighed over 130lbs. Sadly, such a fish used to be far more regularly encountered, as the conger eel (Congridae conger conger) is …
1969 is etched in history as a landmark year for Man. On a mid-September night on the Great Ouse, John Dean caught the last burbot (Lota lota) to be taken on rod and line in Britain. The burbot is the only member of the genus Lota and the only member of the cod family to be …
In the early 1950’s, a small group of anglers were revolutionising the notion of carp fishing. Deemed by many as uncatchable, these men discovered that not only could they be fooled, but thanks in part to the actions of Donald Leney (see People we Like) they could grow massive. One of these men was Dick …
Internet forums can be fractious places. Keyboard warriors hiding behind self given aliases (one of Fishpool’s particular gripes) – all bitching and moaning and throwing mud. The angling world is as bad as any, save a couple of peaceful, well mannered sanctuaries. The Traditional Fisherman’s Forum is one such place. Mark Sarul has bailiffed the …
The Mighty Trent – it is an apt moniker. The Trent is the UK’s third longest river and drains a vast area of central England. From its source at Biddulph Moor in Staffordshire, the river works its way north-east, picking up tributaries such as the Derbyshire Derwent, Dove, Idle, Mease and Soar, before emptying into …
Deep in the folds of southwest Herefordshire, just a few miles from the Welsh border, sits the most famous pond of them all. The waters of Bernithan Court, or Redmire Pool as it is more widely known, swirl through the dreams of every carp angler. It was here that Donald Leney (see People we Like) …
The world of fishing journalism is currently a bit of a no mans land. It lacks spunk, vigour and discipline, quite frankly. But if there’s one fellow capable of waging war on mediocrity it is Mr. Fallon with his rather splendid quarterly. Subscribe now or I will place military sanctions on you. – of Fishing …
Fallon has been thought bonkers for being bold enough to try something different in a hugely competitive and saturated market, but if the quality of the writing can be maintained I’m sure his doubters will be eating his words! Highly recommended. – from the pages of Flyfishing.co.uk
Somewhere, on a river or lake near you, casts an angler quite unlike any other. No man fishes with such efficiency or accuracy. No man is more driven or less distracted. This sport of ours isn’t about misty dawns or lazy, hazy afternoons. In the words of the General himself – fishing is not meant …
Perhaps it is because we spend too much time staring at rod-tips or motionless floats, but whatever the reason, anglers do seem particularly prone to seeing ghostly apparitions. Almost everyone has a creepy tale to tell, so what is it that makes people of sound mind go all aquiver – particularly at night? Many pools …
Back in the beginning (of Fallon’s Angler) there came an apology to Izaak Walton. In the chaos of production the first issue went to press with a spelling mistake. I’m sure he won’t mind. To many he is the forefather of angling – and to some he altogether transcends this great passion of ours. With …
Regarded by his peers as one of the finest wildlife filmmakers ever, Hugh Miles has had an extraordinary career that has taken him from filming condors in the Andes to polar bears in the arctic and snow leopards in the Himalayas. He has come within inches of tigers and jaguars in the search for the …
It is slightly tragic that the ‘common’ skate (Dipturus batis or Raja batis) was, in 2006, listed as a critically endangered species. Once widespread across the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, over fishing has decimated the population. They are long lived – a female only reaches sexual maturity at eleven years, and is subsequently fertile …
