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 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
We British love a bit of dreadful weather. Yes, let’s stop pretending we don’t, gassing about it is part of our national character. As the shock-tastic annual tabloid headlines suggest (the worst winter since what… the one you reported last year?), we love to act stunned, even though we live on a wet, windy island…. Read more
What a strange, ominous start to the year it has been. In spite of the vaccine arriving, there have been few other reasons to celebrate. If you have been feeling anxious or suffering from extreme cabin fever, you are truly not alone. In my case it has been really tricky to balance the pressure of… Read more
Even for someone who enjoys an unexpected turn or three in life and fishing, recent times have been baffling. Not just unusual, but Donald Trump press conference level weird and stupid. The fishing has often been a right slog, too, or meant tearing up existing plans just to get a bend in the rod. So… Read more
Getting back into the swing of things is never easy after a holiday, I find. It’s a bit like having a hangover. Especially when there’s still the back end of winter to get through… and you have raging tooth ache! After several days of the sort of head-splitting pain you wouldn’t wish on your worst… Read more