Angling might be a good way to slow down time- but the seasons seem to fly past ever faster for me these days. At least for 2023 I don’t have any lingering feeling of what could or should have been, because the finale to the river fly fishing season (which runs to 30th Sept for… 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
Spring has been so late and cool this year, it should be little surprise that the fishing has been unpredictable. The fly sport, especially, has been either a write-off or rather tepid, while I’ve rekindled some love for some other forms of fishing, including carp. Indeed, one of the benefits of getting older is that… 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
In so many ways, producing a fishing film is a conjuring trick. It’s the art of making something tricky and time-consuming look quick and easy! As a writer by trade, film has never been my main weapon, but it’s something I’ve enjoyed – and endured- more in recent years. My latest mission after pike on… Read more
If life already seemed rather like a weird, not entirely pleasant hallucination after a diet of covid, war, fuel hikes and even England winning a bloody football tournament, summer has had its own drama on the water. Fresh from reporting on the Thames drying up at source for the Angling Times, I now hear that… Read more