“Hope for the best, but prepare to get filthy” probably sums up recent angling best. I’d have loved a final crack at grayling or river pike on the fly before the season ended, but it has been mud soup everywhere. Such is angling in the early 21st century- not only do we get more concentrated… Read more
Tag: perch
Beating the Chill
I’ve said it before that die-hard anglers thrive on adversity, but this January I mean it more than ever. Conditions have been yo-yoing dramatically, with hard frosts one week, gales and temperatures into the mid-teens the next. This can make it much harder to catch, but let’s face it, if we were to sit tight… Read more
Spring Spots and Stripes
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
Fly Fishing on a day ticket coarse fishery
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
Massed Whiting and New Writing
After some unnerving days leading up to Christmas, it has taken a while to truly feel a bit more relaxed and put some more attention to fishing. I’ve almost lost count of the number of lateral flow tests I’ve lately done to try and avoid putting family and friends at risk. But at least I’ve… Read more
Last orders & fresh hope
I won’t lie to you, late winter has felt endless this year. There is indeed light at the end of the tunnel (and we’re assured it isn’t a train coming to smash us to bits), but life still feels like it’s in slow motion. For some reason, the whole situation reminds me of one of… Read more