After a soaking wet end to summer, it’s been more of the same for autumn with rivers bursting their banks and several cancelled trips. Not that we should be too surprised, because this seems to be the pattern every year now. As an angler, you have to pick your battles with care! Having canal fishing… Read more
At this stage of a decidedly cool, wet British summer I must be one of a small minority thanking the weather gods. “British summer? What is that?” was the summary of the bloke who cut my hair yesterday. But boy did we need some rain after a freakishly dry spring. The other happy fact for… Read more
What a difference just a few days, and degrees, make. It feels like we’ve finally turned the corner to brighter times and “proper spring”. This is never a strict calendar date but more of a transitional phase or gut feeling. It’s also my favourite time of year of all, I have to say. Even if… Read more
One of the joys of every season as an angler is that, without fail, something completely new or unexpected will happen. Whether it’s the realisation of a long-held dream, a random twist or a stroke of pure luck, fishing keeps us guessing. Just when you think a pattern is emerging or we’re in a spell… Read more
Ever fancied packing the fly rod for species like roach, rudd, perch and carp on a regular coarse fishing lake? There are countless “commercial” fisheries these days. This in itself is a bit of a lazy blanket term, I must say. There is quite a wide variety of such stillwaters, with the common denominators being… Read more
When you’re one of angling’s “lifers”, you have to live in hope during the winter. Well, it’s either that or do very little fishing until spring. Nor is hope completely blind, because is there seldom a completely lost cause. Or, at least, that’s what I still manage to convince myself after decades of this sort… Read more