We were wandering around the Exford Show Last year when I came acrossBorder Country Beltswho produce high quality leather belts with unique brass buckles portraying aspects of country Life.
Chatting with Henry the stall holder I said it would be good if there was a fish emblem with perhaps a trout or salmon. I thought that there would be a place in the market for this and hopefully sowed a seed. Twelve months on and Border Belts are producing a limited number of brown trout inspired belts. The Exmoor wildbrown trout belts are hand stitched using oak bark tanned leather.
The buckles are always created as pairs – one is “heavy” with the design inset and the other is “light” with the design raised – this corresponds to a difference in weight, but not that you’d notice when wearing them. The buckles are cast in bronze – we have done a test casting, six of each to start with to see how they go. We will be doing an edition of 25 each in the autumn so they will be ready for Christmas. The belts are handstitched and available both in standard – small (24″-30″), medium (30″-36″) and large (36″-42″) and made-to-measure. Both options are the same price £160 (including delivery). We offer 10% off if you follow us on Instagram and they are normally 20% off at shows – such as the Mid Devon. Thanks for your interest in the belts – hope the fishing community approve!
It’s no secret that our piscatorial triumphs sound so much better in the telling if the heroic angler out-wits a wily foe. So we embellish our trout with fishy superpowers like intelligence and emotional guile. Even when we lose them, we’re never beaten by a run-of-the-mill fish: It was ‘big, arrogant and knew exactly what it was doing!’
I suspect it’s mostly male vanity that needs to prove its mettle in combat with a 12” fish, although with time most of us learn there isn’t a trout physically mighty enough for victory to transform us into warrior princes or princesses. So we also need clever fish to make us look good. Size isn’t everything. Is it?
And yet. Type “Think Like a Trout” into your search engine and admire the flood of results. They all agree: To catch a trout, we must first know its thoughts and so anticipate its deeds. In the telling of this eternal and epic struggle, we humans are always one step behind the fish. Trout, we are told, can outwit us.
This warning is intended to open our wallets because, back in the human world, Trout-Thinking sells. You can buy the books, subscribe to the podcasts and clickn’gift your data. It’s a thriving market that gets bigger every year. Enthusiasts dream of fluency, others monetise it and a proud few say they learnt it from a parent.
This fish-think market is distinctly weird because, at some elemental level, all these anxious, charge-card wielding anglers are worried about being out-thought by a fish. Which, I hope you agree, is a very low bar.
So what might these devious fish be capable of? The irrepressible jazz maestro and fisherman George Melly set that bar high by extending a thinking trout’s repertoire into personal harassment. He attributed “a malicious sense of humour” to a large trout that he’d lost several times over a season, effectively granting it brains, cultural sophistication and serial bitchery. It’s fair to say that a fish armed with a malicious sense of humour would have met its match in George, who had a razor-sharp wit of his own. There’s also a very old adage that advises us never to let the facts get in the way of a good story. Perhaps some seriously-minded trout-thinkers have felt persecuted by a fish, but I’m sure George wasn’t one of them.
Writer John Gierach has also made an astute observation: “The things fishermen know about trout aren’t facts but articles of faith”. I think he’s onto something.
Which, I suggest, is why Trout-Thinking is only ever found in people. Never trout.
There are many good reasons why this is a skill too far for fish. Top of the list is that trout lack the sophisticated Cerebral Cortex we use for sentient thought. So although they’re not brain-dead, they’re brain-lite. They can learn from experience (hook / bad), but no trout has ever produced anything as clever as a conscious idea, let alone one intended to outwit us.
It gets worse. Fish brains are about 7% the mass of similarly sized birds (which do have a cerebral cortex). Chicken-Thinking is, by comparison with trout, classy and sophisticated. This is all rather awkward for the trout-thinkers: If they’re struggling with a fish, they’re going to be humiliated by a chicken.
Thanks to neuroscience we know trout are hard-wired to feed reflexively, just as they do most things reflexively. So we are told they are primarily triggered to take a fly by its shape, size and position/movement in the water. They don’t think about it, they just get on with it.
Then there is the fierce competition from other fish. Survival dictates that trout eat first and ask questions later (for the trout-thinkers, that’s a metaphor). Perhaps they have a bit more reaction time in still-waters than rivers, but in both settings this urge to get there first works in our favour. We’ve all seen a fish surge a couple of meters to snatch a fly.
So if the trout are feeding freely and we’re not catching any, it’s not because they’re being capricious. Clearly, something else is going on.
This something is most likely us, the human with a rod in its hand. That and Murphy’s Law (if a thing can go wrong, it will).
Happily, we have our own super-power: We can Think Like A Human. So, we can read the river and the weather. We can choose a fly to resemble those on the water – or not, or even something stand-out different. We can consider colour, smell and sound. Or sunlight, shade, water temperature and more, all of which may set off different hard-wired feeding patterns. As can a fish’s lateral line.
Next comes by far the most important part: We must apply all our skill, knowledge and experience to put the fly in the right place on or in the water. Once there the way it moves can also seduce or repel fish. It’s not easy, perfection is unattainable and there will always be fish we can’t catch. And when we fail it’s a very lame excuse to blame a scheming trout.
We humans have opposing thumbs for casting and a huge brain-powered edge over trout. Dumbing down and projecting Trout-Think onto a fish won’t impress it, although it’s pretty good at hooking humans.
So perhaps we could stop pretending that trout see themselves as fey schemers intent on frustrating our noble designs. Heck, they don’t even know they’re fish.
The bottom line is that our ancestors emerged onto land about 400 million years ago and fish have a lot of catching up to do. And so do some people.
It helps me a lot if you can share my work with friends and colleagues. And if you’re not already a subscriber, then pls click the button below. Subscriptions are free, or if you’re feeling generous, about the price of a fat slice of cake a month. Thank you!
The weather has been warm and humid, and, in spite of some rain, the water levels have now started to drop; water temperatures have remained cool enough generally for fish to keep active. There has been plenty of insect activity and the fish have continued to feed keenly, both on the surface and below.
Fishing:
Kennick – Rods averaged around 1.5 fish per angler, with fish well spread out around the fishery; bank anglers enjoyed slightly more success than the boats, with Clampitts Bay, The Narrows and Poplar Bay fishing particularly well. Floating lines with a long leader with a variety of retrieval methods proved the most successful, with Claret Hoppers, Sedge patterns and Beetles catching surface feeding fish, and either nymph patterns (Damsel, Hares Ear, Diawl Bach and Buzzers) or lures (Viva, Cats Whisker, Tadpoles and Muddlers) catching the deeper feeders.
Siblyback – Here anglers are enjoying some quality sport, averaging 4.3 fish per visit. Stocky Bay, Two Meadows, Crylla and the West Bank are producing the most consistent fishing and best results, using either floating or intermediate lines. Fish have generally tended to be just under the surface, rising to feed on beetles and hatching midges (when CDC buzzers, Hawthorns, Bobs Bits, Hoppers and Beetle imitations have worked particularly well). Deeper feeding fish have taken Damsels, Buzzers, Diawl Bachs or lures (such as Orange Blobs, Vivas, and Tadpoles), all with a slow retrieve. Al Lawson (from Plymouth) caught five rainbows to 2lb, with fish hitting both the buzzers, fished washing-line style, or taking the Claret Hopper on the point.
Burrator – The fishing here has become more challenging as the month progressed, with a few fish rising (when Claret Hoppers have worked well), but most fish have stayed to feed in the deeper water. Floating, Sink-tip, Intermediate and sinking lines have all caught fish, with a slow retrieve producing the best results. Sub-surface feeding fish have taken Montanas, Damsels, Buzzers and Hares Ear patterns, with Back Bay, Longstone, Bennett’s Lawn and Pig Trough all holding fish.
Stithians – Continued to fish well, with plenty of fish looking to the surface and eager to feed. Floating lines with a very slow retrieve produced some excellent sport, with a variety of dry patterns (Beetles, Daddies, Adams, Sedge patterns, Hoppers, Bobs Bits and Hawthorns) all catching well; otherwise, Diawl Bachs, Buzzers and Black and Peacock Spiders fished just below the surface caught the deeper feeders. Popular locations included Yellowort, Golden Lion Point, North Bank, Pub Bay, Goonlaze and Pipe Bay. Simon Peters (from Cusgarne) managed to catch eight rainbows, one blue and one brown trout in one session – starting early in the morning (5.30am), and fishing along Sailing Club Bank using Dry Foam Beetles, to finish by 8am.
Fernworthy – The sport picked up at Fernworthy as the month progressed, when anglers averaged just under three fish per visit. Generally fish were well spread out around the lake, although Thornworthy, Brownhills and Permit Hut Bank produced the most consistent fishing. Sporadic hatches of small black buzzers brought fish to feed on the surface, when they could be caught using Black Gnats and Hoppers; otherwise shallow-fished Pheasant Tail Nymphs, Black and Peacock Spiders, Invictas, Bloody Butchers and Damsel nymphs all produced some great sport.
Colliford – The excellent sport continued at Colliford, with anglers averaging just over five fish per visit; most of the banks held fish, with Lords Waste, Spillway, Pines and the Dam Car Park Bank producing particularly consistent sport. With plenty of insect hatches (midge and sedge) as well as beetles blown onto the water, the Colliford browns proved eager surface feeders, either taking dry patterns (Bibio Hoppers, Beetles, Hawthorns and Sedges), or nymphs and wets fished in the top two feet of water (Diawl Bachs, Black and Peacock Spiders and Orange Pheasant Tail nymphs in particular). Generally floating lines and long leader and a slow retrieve proved to be the best method. Mark Lambert (from Hitchin) caught twenty fish, all on dries, keeping on the move to cover as much bank as possible.
Roadford – Anglers averaged 3.7 fish, with the banks at Anglers Car Park and Wortha proving to be the best locations. Few rising fish meant that sub-surface patterns fished on floating lines produced the best results. Popular patterns included Cormorants, Iron Dun, Damsels and Bibios. Duncan Kier (from Belstone) caught eight browns to 1lb 8oz in a session, while Alan Judd (from Seaton) caught eight browns to 1lb fishing from a boat, using a variety of sunk patterns on a floating line.
Please see the Trust’s website (www.swlakestrust.org.uk/trout-fishing) for more information on buying tickets, boat availability and booking, and forthcoming events. The Trust will be offering beginners’ taster days at Roadford, Burrator, Stithians, and Kennick throughout the season, assisted by local experienced guides and instructors. The Trust, in conjunction with Fluff Chuckers, will be running a Brown Trout Masters competition this season, to be held over three dates at Colliford, Fernworthy, and Roadford – please see the website for more information.
Chris Hall (July 2024)
Wistlandpound
Wistlandpound in North Devon often gets overlooked which is a great shame as it is a delightful fishery with some hidden gems. Derek Spears sent me this image of a superb wild brown trout he tempted during a short evening session.(Estimated at 2lb 8oz to 3lb ) I met Derek whilst enjoying a short session there myself.
It was a murky overcast evening with occasional drizzle. The loosestrife was glistening with water droplets as I navigated the lush colourful perimeter path. Arriving at the water’s edge it was immediately apparent that there was plenty of fishable bank space now that the water level has dropped.
I set up with a black spider on the point and a black pennel on the dropper. Second cast I hooked a beautiful crimson spotted brown of perhaps 10″. On the next cast a very good brown trout converged on the fly but I failed to connect.
I searched the area further with no further result. Moving on I looked across the lake to see another angler doing battle with what was undoubtedly a good fish. (This was Derek with the trout pictured above).
The top inlet area of the lake produced another wild trout and half a dozen bronze flanked Rudd. As the light faded I changed to a small black Wooley bugger and was delighted to catch a couple of trout topped by a hard fighting brown of over 1lb. Another much larger fish swirled behind the lure fuelling my enthusiasm for a return visit. The large numbers of rudd fry now present ensures a good food supply for the larger wild browns that lurk within the water. I feel sure that some lucky angler will hook into a surprisingly large trout before the season ends.
The postman delivered the latest offering from the Little Egret Press a pleasing collection of writings by Christopher Yates. Whilst I have only just started reading Reel Time Volume Two I have no doubt that it will become one of my favourites as are all of Chris’s books. It is difficult to describe how Chris is able to convey the magic of angling so fluently. His writing is easy to read and has a delightful simplicity that manages to ooze tales from the water’s edge in an evocative flowing style that takes you there.
The book is illustrated with fine artwork by North Devon based David Blackaller and David Cowdry.
I was privileged to interview Chris several years ago for Angling Heritage and it was an enjoyable and enlightening experience that I treasure.
My own book “I Caught A Glimpse”. Was published by the Little Egret Press in 2019.
Ilfracombe harbour once again ready to depart for a day aboard John Barbeary’s boat ‘Blue Fin’ with members of South Molton and District Angling Club. It doesn’t really feel like a July morning with a cool North East breeze blowing into the harbour. The predominantly grey sky seemingly typical of the summer of 2024 so far.
The sea is not too rough however and the forecast gives the wind easing throughout the day and with good fishing enjoyed on another Ilfracombe Boat last week I am optimistic for the day ahead. We all climb from the harbour steps and greet John and his deckhand Ted. Club members today include Edward Rands, Dave Hathaway, Nick Stringer, Chris Allin, Steve Edmonds and myself.
South Molton Angling Club has been established for over fifty years and has several miles of trout fishing on local rivers. Its membership of around fifty are mostly game fishers with a segment of occasional sea anglers. The club has a healthy social side with trips most months of the year with trophies awarded to recognized members achievements. All in all a friendly easy going club without a serious competitive streak.
The prospect of a slightly turbulent sea raised a few concerns about the sea anglers curse of mal-de-mer that were to prove found less. All concerned members had taken Stugeron tablets as a precaution. Discussion around previous unpleasant trips were recounted with lessons such as abstaining from alcohol the previous night recalled from observations of past excursions.
The plan for the day was to stop off on route to catch bait and then drift a few reefs for bass or pollock before dropping anchor in the hope of tope.
The feathers went down a short distance from port and strings of writhing mackerel were swung on board. Ted the friendly crewman for the day worked hard assisting with unhooking. It was interesting to listen to Ted’s wisdom as he commented upon the effectiveness of different coloured mackerel feathers. A few days previous he had noted how white feathers had proved effective during one tide with blue and silver more effective on another. The mackerel preferences are undoubtedly influenced by many factors including what they are feeding on naturally perhaps combined with light levels, water clarity and tidal state.
It seemed that all our strings of lures were working as be drifted off Ilfracombe’s rocky foreshore. Strings of mackerel were swung on board. John commented that it was like the old days when mackerel were always abundant throughout the summer months. Mackerel numbers seem to vary each year and after several years of poor numbers the last two seasons have been encouraging. It has also been noticeable that mackerel have been present throughout the winter months along with garfish.
Having caught plenty of mackerel we steamed on down channel passing the cragged slate promontory of Morte Point and the treacherous Morte Stone. The promontory of Morte Point pushes out into the Bristol Channel the rock formation running down its spine resembling that of a huge dragon immortalised in grey stone. The resulting tidal race over the Morte reef is a renowned holding place for bass with huge shoals sometimes present harassing mackerel and whitebait as gannets plunge into the resulting melee.
We pushed on down across Woolacombe Bay and its sands of gold to Baggy Point its steep cliffs the haunts of climbers and seabirds. We drifted over a couple of reefs catching a handful of pollock and a few more mackerel. It was perhaps surprising that we did not catch more fish such as bass as the huge number of birds present was a sure indication of bait fish and predators. Fish were undoubtedly present with plenty showing on the boats sounder.
A 4lb pollock for Nick Stringer
This whole job of being a skipper can be very frustrating. Finding the fish is just one part of an incredibly complex puzzle. The experienced skipper will have developed a unique gift of being able to inspire anglers with tales of past successes and explaining the lack of success with a recipe book full of valid excuses. As the tide eased John put us on a mark slightly West of Baggy and dropped the anchor.
The rod tips soon rattled to the pull of dogfish. Ed Rands hooked several bull huss and a few small conger put a bend in members rods.
Ed Rands with a bull huss from a rough ground mark
As the tide eased further towards high water John took us out to deep water , tope were our intended quarry. Once again we settled at a new mark located from Johns extensive log book of carefully jotted coordinates.
Steve Edmonds hooked what was undoubtedly a good tope that bit through his heavy mono hook link after a few minutes.
Steve Edmonds battles a fish that later bit through his trace.
A few moments later it was my turn and a good fish took off taking line from the reel. The battle ebbed and flowed with the fish hanging deep beneath the boat after its initial powerful runs. I exerted pressure and brought the tope to the boat where it was skill-fully netted by John.
The fish was carefully weighed pulling the scales to a respectful 35lb. Five minutes or so later I hooked into another tope that was a few pounds lighter.
Throughout the time at this mark a steady stream of dogfish came to the boat along with a few small huss and strap conger.
As the tidal speed increased I hooked into another fish that powered away using the tide to its advantage. This was undoubtedly a good fish and started to move against the tide a sure indication that it was an above average specimen. Eventually pressure brought the fish within view a sleek tope that hung heavy in the tide causing several anxious moments as it rolled in the leader. Fortunately I had taken the precaution of using a heavy rubbing leader of 150lb b.s mono to protect the braid mainline.
Braid is beneficial in allowing the use of lighter leads and has no stretch ensuring excellent contact with the business end. It is also extremely strong in relation to its thin diameter. Its disadvantage is its poor abrasion resistance and fineness when sorting tangled lines.
The fish was eventually scooped into the net and brought on board where it thrashed wildly before being secured carefully to remove the hook. This fish proved to be the heaviest of the day scaling 41lb. The fish swam away strongly disappearing into the clear waters from whence it had come.
A 41lb tope
With the tide now at full strength mid tide we headed back inshore to drift a few more reefs. This proved unproductive and with the tide easing John headed back up channel and anchored at another deep water mark where tope were again the intended species. A couple of small conger, small huss and plenty of dogfish rattled the rod tips. Dave Hathaway hooked a very powerful fish that put a good bend in the rod ripping several yards of line from his reel. Sadly the fish bit through the heavy mono trace of 150lb b.s after a short battle leaving Dave to ponder on what could have been.
Ed Rands with a string of mackerel
By now it was time to head back and John agreed to stop off for a few fresh mackerel close to Ilfracombe. Fortunately the mackerel were still there and we all caught enough for a delicious evening snack when we got home. Is there a better fish fresh from the sea?
Reflecting upon the day I was obviously pleased to have boated three good tope and cannot help but ponder upon my luck. It is said that luck can be cultivated and there is some truth in this. I was fortunate to secure a prime position at the stern of the boat enabling a bit more freedom as to the weight selection. The anglers at the stern can use lighter weights and trot the bait out ensuring that the fish attracted by the baits scent intercept these baits first. I chose to use larger mackerel flappers that stopped the pesky dogfish devouring the bait before the tope found it. I also opted to use a heavy duty wire trace to ensure I did not get bitten off. There is some debate regarding the pro’s and cons of wire versus heavy mono. An option is perhaps to use circle hooks that tend to hook fish in the scissors of the jaw. Used in conjunction with heavy fluorocarbon they might be an option but for me its heavy duty wire until I am convinced otherwise.
Choice of tackle when boat fishing is very much a matter of personal preference. There is balance to found between using tackle strong enough to subdue most fish hooked in a reasonable time without detracting from the joy of bringing the fish to the boat.
Barnstaple Bait and Tackle Opens on Saturday July 13th ensuring that Barnstaple anglers continue to have a well stocked tackle shop to visit for all their needs. I called in to the shop prior to its opening and chatted with Chris who is full of enthusiasm for the new venture. The shop carries on the legacy of Quay Sports where Chris was the manager. A wide range of bait and tackle from well-known brands is stocked. The shop caters for Coarse, Carp, Sea and Fly Fishers. It is essential that anglers use all of our excellent local tackle shops that provide far more than just bait and tackle. Friendly advice, a social meeting hub and convenience add value not found on line.
Chris Connaughton
READY FOR YOU!!
So, after a lot of hard graft from friends and family, we are 99% kitted out, stocked up and ready for your presence at our grand opening on Saturday (13th)!!
You will find us at 6 Queen Street, EX32 8HJ. Currently, the large carpark nearby is closed but you will find a smaller one to the rear of the shop and another, Belle Meadow, just the other side of the bus station.
We should have a full compliment of baits for sea and freshwater, both frozen and live.
Sunday evening low water at 7.40pm. A light North West Wind blowing into the coast; the lure of the coast is strong. I am no follower of football but after enduring an hour of frustration watching those highly paid athletes kicking the ball around I was about to head out of the door. Then with thirty seconds to spare they went and scored. I guess I should watch the extra time and put the kettle on. After fifteen minutes I decided to head for the coast. Pauline questioned if it was worth it? I replied “that it only needs one cast in the right place just like the footballers only needed one kick on target!” Forty five minutes or so later I was at the water’s edge as the tide started to creep in over the weed and boulder strewn shore. Water clarity was good and I found that I could work a weedless soft plastic without too much weed fouling it. After half an hour and several casts I was rewarded with that savage tug as a good bass hit the lure. At 56cm it was a pleasing a result.
I fished on into darkness failing to contact with three other bass that hit the lure in the shallow water. The tug is undoubtedly the drug that keeps you casting! It’s been a slow start to the lure fishing for bass this summer but they are there and prospects for next weeks Combe Martin SAC Lure competition are good.
Anglers Eldorado’s Carp and Catfish Lake 2 is renowned for its catfish that have been stocked to over 90lb. It was these powerful and challenging fish that we were targeting on what has become an annual pilgrimage for our group.
Angling is a wonderful pastime for creating long lasting friendships with bonds formed that can often last a lifetime. I have fished with my good friend Bruce Elston on numerous occasions during recent seasons both of us sharing a lifelong obsession with angling.
Bruce invited me to join the catfish hunters at Anglers Paradise a couple of years ago. Our group consists of Mitch Andrews, his son Ben Andrews, John Hughes, Tony Ball, Bruce Elston, Alan Palmer, Richard Bull and myself.
Fishing at the venue runs for twenty four hours from midday. We had booked the lake for two days, forty eight hours to target the big catfish that lurk in the murky waters.
We met up at Bruce’s house for a brunch of bacon, fried egg and fresh bread washed down with tea and coffee. The banter flowed as we discussed tactics and caught up. Strange how we all reconnected after a twelve month gap almost as if we were reconvening after just a week or so.
Bruce had used his extensive knowledge of the venue to draw up a map showing all the productive swims and where the hotspots were. We all drew numbers out of the proverbial hat (oven glove) to decide who would fish where ensuring that those who wished to fish together could. This was all very much a case of everyone getting the best chance and making sure the whole lake was covered as this is a team effort with no intended competitive element.
I ended up fishing the East side of the lake offering a wide choice of known holding spots to cast into.
The first task upon arriving is to lug the mountain of gear required for a forty eight hour session. This is no easy task with barrows loaded to the maximum with two trips required for most.
On arrival in the swim my first task was to set up a rod to explore the swim. Casting a lead and marker float around the swim it is possible to check the depth and assess if the bottom is clear or silty etc.
Where to put the bait is based upon prior knowledge, advice, observation and that all important gut feeling. Two rods are allowed on the lake and I decided to bait up two spots spodding out generous quantities of halibut pellet in various sizes along with a few boilies of the type to be fished as bait. In this case Sticky Baits Krill and Bloodworm.
To some extent of course hotspots on these lakes are created by anglers. Spots that look good to anglers are baited up and become feeding spots for the fish. The anglers then catch fish from the spots that become popular with more anglers who add more bait ensuring the ongoing productivity of the hotspot.
We all followed the same basic plan targeting catfish with stepped up carp rigs using boilies and bolt rigs.
This whole branch of fishing is very much a case of setting traps and grabbing the rod when the fish self-hooks itself.
I don’t believe that catfish are particularly rig shy like carp which is a good job as with fish present close to 100lb subtle rigs are not practical.
There is a certain appeal to a long session a chance to relax and settle into the natural cycle of the natural world.
There is a continual sense of expectation and anticipation. At any moment the alarm could sound its harsh blip alerting the anglers as an unseen fish of unknown size tears off with the bait.
Conditions seemed close to perfect. A light breeze drifting high white clouds across the deep blue summer sky. Half a dozen buzzards soared high on thermals their mewing cry’s drifting across the lake. A family of Canada geese paraded around the lake and a mallard brood swam across the water. I thought how vulnerable they looked and wondered if the catfish ever enjoyed a duckling snack.
Late afternoon there came a cry of fish on. Ben had hooked the first cat of the session a pleasing start, 21lb.
Early evening it was time to stop for a catch up. We all wound in our rods and assembled together to enjoy fresh pizzas delivered bankside to us by Bruce Elston’s obliging family.
This was an opportunity to catch up and talk fishing and there was as always a great deal to discuss. I had probably last fished with Richard Bull from the Dam wall at Durleigh Reservoir near Bridgwater for pike. Back then we were both young men starting off on life’s hopefully long journey. Close to forty years later we had both retired from long careers, mine in the water industry and Richard’s with the Environment Agency.
A lot has changed in those forty years and we soon started to compare notes along with Alan Palmer. It was immediately apparent that we shared a deep concern regarding the dramatic decline we had seen in nature. We talked of the dramatic decline of salmon and noted the lack of swallows around the lake. The estimated insect decline of 70% over the past forty years, a lack of big pike across the Somerset levels and a collapse in the once prolific population of eels.
As anglers we are of course very aware of what is happening to the natural world. Pesticides, farming practices, climate change and an ever increasing human population all contributing to natures decline.
The conversation drifted onto the state of angling. We are perhaps creatures of our generation and have views created from our journeys. Angling perhaps reflects society.
We all reflected upon how we had started fishing for small fish serving a sort of apprenticeship before progressing to bigger specimens. It seems that many of todays young anglers arrive at the water’s edge with all the gear setting out to catch twenty pound carp straight away. Instant gratification no slow path to success. I want it all and I want it now!
We looked back fondly at our days as young specimen hunters. A time when we learned from books and pooling knowledge. No you-tube videos and ready-made rigs.
Richard reminisced about his fishing for catfish at Claydon Lake in Bedfordshire during the late eighties and early nineties. The catfish that resided in the lakes had been transferred from Woburn Abbey Lakes. Claydon Lake is situated within the grounds of a large country mansion. The large catfish were a target for budding specimen hunters of the day. Richards best catfish from the water was 35lb a fish that was at the time within the top ten catfish caught from UK waters.
We discussed Claydon Lake and other venues like Redmire Pool. Waters that have a unique status in angling history. There is perhaps a certain nostalgia amongst our generation a longing for the mystery and excitement of a bygone era.
Whilst we had discussed the undoubted decline in nature we also had to acknowledge the fact that many fish now grow far bigger. We were fishing in a lake that contains a large number of catfish far in excess of the wildest dreams of anglers back in the 1980’s. Catfish of over fifty pounds now fail to warrant a mention in the national angling press. Several waters in North Devon contain carp equivalent to the stocks that resided within Redmire’s hallowed waters.
The eel record has just been beaten, as has the roach record. Many of the British freshwater fish records have been eclipsed in recent years. The roach record is now over 4lb. The bream record stands at 22lb 11oz; I doubt many believed bream could grow to that size back in the 1980’s. The carp record is now 68lb 1oz, catfish record 143lb 14oz, perch 6lb 3oz, pike 47lb 5oz, tench 15lb 3oz, barbel 21lb 2oz, chub 9lb 5oz, crucian carp 4lb 12oz, dace 1lb 5oz, rudd 4lb 10oz and zander 21lb 5oz. All of the above records and several others have all been caught since 2000 proving perhaps that our perception of fishing’s golden era is all within our imagination.
The truth with our perception is perhaps that we have lost much of the mystery and magic? The fish are growing bigger because of an artificially created environment. Whilst truly wild fish like salmon, sea trout and eels are in an alarming spiral of decline other fish dwelling in lakes or rivers enriched by nutrients and anglers baits are growing larger.
In light of the above facts it is undoubtedly our perception of fishing that has changed. A generation is inclined to look back with rose tinted glasses, the measure of success in angling is to be measured in happiness and contentment not in the size of fish. I often state that anglers go through three main phases. At first wanting to catch fish, any fish. Then aspiring to catch bigger fish or more than other anglers. I suspect that at some point most anglers reach the stage where they are content to just go fishing. It is perhaps difficult to reach the latter stage without experiencing the first two. And as stated earlier a modern society tends to skip the first stage and go straight in to stage two.
A fact I often note is that when a bunch of anglers get together a schoolboy humour is soon rekindled as farts and bodily functions always abounds. A youthful cheer emerges which is undoubtedly one of the reasons angling is so good for mental health.
Anyway after a rather long ramble away from our trip I will reconvene on the banks of carp and Catfish 2.
The evening light descended and expectation climbed. At close to midnight my alarm screamed out and I fumbled my way to the rod. Lifting into a heavy fish for a moment or two before the hook hold gave way.
Disappointed I recast and tried to get some sleep. A few hours later at just after 3.00am I heard voices and commotion across the water. Assuming that Bruce or John had caught I reeled in my rods and made my way over to the far side of the lake.
A jubilant John was being congratulated on successfully banking a large catfish. I joined in with the jubilation witnessing the weighing of a personal best cat for John of 49lb. I secured a few images and watched the fish gently lowered back into the lake.
The rest of the night passed by without interruption except for the invasion of my swim by the geese family shortly after first light.
The dawn chorus was spectacular with a wide variety of birds contributing to the choir. The Merlin app on my phone recorded sedge warbler, carrion crow, chaffinch, wren, willow warbler, blue tit, chiff chaff, song thrush and nuthatch.
The second day drifted past and we settled into life on the lakeside. The sound of cars and farm machinery came from the nearby road reminding us of a world beyond this tranquil lake.
Knowing the size of fish present within the confines of this small lake ensured that hope of connection was never lost. I brewed regular coffee and ensured that a steady trickle of bait was going into the chosen spots within the swim.
I noticed the occasional large swirl in my swim, an indication that big fish were on the prowl. But the alarms remained silent.
As evening descended once again expectation grew surely more catfish would be caught? At around midnight my alarm bleeped frantically and I rushed from my bivvy to grab the rod. As I touched the rod handle the run stopped!
In the early hours I was answering natures call and noticed headlights further along the bank. Rich was elated to have landed a catfish of 39lb a new personal best and I believe his first catfish since the mid- nineties.
During the night light rain had fallen, resulting in droplets glistening as the new day dawned. The calm light of dawn descended upon the lake as the new day unfurled.
We all hoped for one last chance. Suddenly out of the blue came a call fish on! Ben was in action and after an exciting tussle brought a 24lb catfish to the waiting net.
Tony avoided a blank by tempting a couple of kittens float fishing worms in the margin.
Then as we started to consider packing away John on the far side of the lake was in action. I watched the drama as John piled on the pressure, trying to prevent what was undoubtedly a big fish finding sanctuary in a tangle of branches and lily’s near the Island.
When the fish was safely netted I wound in my rods and walked around to witness the weighing and get a few images of the fish in daylight. At 39lb it was another fine specimen for John.
Whilst the fishing had been slower than hoped for the company had been great. Catfish weighing 49lb, 39lb, 39lb, 24lb and 21lb is after all a pretty good result.
We said our farewells after lugging the ridiculous heap of gear up to the cars vowing to do it all again next year.
Upon reflection it had been a very enjoyable excursion catching up with friends. Some big fish had been caught and discussion had left plenty to contemplate. Izaak Walton author of The Complete Angler first published in 1653 described angling as the ‘Contemplative Mans Recreation’. Somethings never change.
Many thanks to Richard Wilson for his wonderful articles filled with humour and comment to make you laugh and cry. Excellent observation of the human condition on this occasion.
Even if you’ve never met Old Bodger in the flesh, you’ll know his ilk. In person, he’s socially awkward and his opinions are closely guarded. He’s also no spring chicken. The mullet went south years ago and the replacement comb-over is struggling.
But don’t be fooled: Old Bodger has secret superpowers.
At home, alone with his computer, he morphs into an Internet Warrior and owner of a snarling V8 hotrod (a relic, like Bodger, with far-distant echoes of the Beach Boys). Bathed in the blue light of his screen, he becomes a loud and proud throwback to a time when the world was a better place.
In his shaving mirror, Bodger sees a master of withering irony. A silken-tongued enforcer of online righteousness. This is odd because if there’s one thing Bodger can’t do, it’s the deft and gentle humour of irony. Subtlety is not his friend.
Instead, Bodger has two thrusting attributes: His rage against the modern world and his pride in his car, which is accumulating value at an astonishingly boastful rate. It’s a late ‘50s Barris-built Kandy-Kolored Streamline hotrod.
Of course it’s not all open road and wind in his hair. As we shall see, Bodger’s life is riddled with provocations, and the price of fuel is just first among many. And oh how Bodger rails against the cost of gas. It’s not fair, is it? If there’s one thing that really sets Bodger apart from most of us, it’s that he does outraged grievance with heavy-breathing ecstasy. His neighbours hear him pounding his keyboard late into the night.
There is, of course, a paradox in this. Despite the low-fi worldview, he’s spending a lot of time on the internet. Mostly on the arcane and genteel Vintage Split Cane Fly Rod Forum, where he stamps on heresy.
It is in his warrior DNA to wield his sword of truth and mightily slay imposters lurking on the VSCF-RF. You’d be shocked by what he finds there. Bodger stands proud against hordes of woke wussie, coal-hating, EV-owning, global warming, diet-Coke drinking, vaxing, barbless morons. It’s enough to make a warrior spill his coffee in foot-stamping rage (even his trouser stains are someone else’s fault).
What’s odd about this is that fishing etiquette matters a lot back in the real world. We all care about how we, and others, behave in person. Most of us can manage to listen politely to people we meet along the way while avoiding shit-talking with, or worse, at strangers. We try to be nice to each other, and mostly it works.
Somehow this all goes wrong online. Or, rather, it all goes wrong for Old Bodger and his scathing own-brand irony. Because when he calls someone a fracking nut-job, that’s ironic. Bodger also posts his irony in torrents. Which is OK because it’s all done for laughs: It’s full-frontal irony (I’ll leave it to you, dear reader, to deal with that image).
So if we po-faced dullards worry he’s mired in twaddle, he tells us we’re numb-knucks who wouldn’t know irony if it hit us in the po-face with a broken bottle: Lighten up! FFS. This is usually flagged by multiple rictus grin emojis 🤣🤣🤣. So, obvs, it’s all hilariously funny. Geddit 🤣 idiot?
Bodger has a small posse of camp followers, all lost in the same drear-life crisis.
Collectively they muster the charm of 13-year-old schoolboys, clumping on the back seat of a bus and lost in the hilarity of farting noises made with clammy hands wedged in each others’ armpits. Tee-hee. Somehow this humour always fails to impress the other passengers. Which, if you’re 13, is why you do it.
They’re a heavily ironic crowd, with names like Curmudgeon, Farter, Whittler and, inexplicably, Blue VerruKa. You don’t know it, but they own you and you’re dancing to their tune. And just in case you’re wondering, ‘Owning’ people means: ‘I dunno what you’re talking about, but I bet I can really annoy you if I vomit on your carpet’. Ah, the delicious irony of it all.
The posse is so lost in their jokes-on-you irony that we must assume that Bodger has never read TheFirst Rule of Goats. He should. It is succinct, if a little crude.
For readers unfamiliar with the Rule and who don’t like to see the word ‘fuck’ in print, I have substituted ‘grope’.
So, the (sanitised) First Rule of Goats says: “If you grope a goat, even if you say you’re doing it ironically, you’re still a goat-groper. You don’t get off scot-free just because you say ‘I was only being ironic’.”
The corollary Rule to this is:
“If your rhetoric is all about goat-groping, even if you’re doing it ironically, you’re liable to attract a following of goat-gropers”
And finally: A mint Kandy-Kolored Streamline built by the legendary George Barris is a special beast. An original would, you’d think, make Bodger’s home a magnet for well-heeled ‘50s car collectors. After all, the Barris Batmobile last sold for $4.2m.
Weirdly, nobody calls.
And that is ironic*.
*Poignantly contrary to what was expected or intended.
—- —- —- —-
Post Script: For more on the very real George Barris and the equally real Kandy-Kolored Streamline hot-rods, Tom Wolfe’s essay of almost the same name is a great read. Thanks also to Ken White for the First Rule of Goats.
Old Bodger, Curmudgeon, Farter, Whittler and Blue VerruKa are, of course, fictional characters.
Warm sun, the heady scent of honeysuckle in the hedgerows, the excitement of the first sea trout coming through and it seems those bitter northeast winds of last week have been relegated to nothing but a distant fading memory. Thank goodness summer is finally here!
There has been much excitement after a very successful, slightly windy but warm and balmy day up on the North Devon shoreline, with several well sized sea bass caught. Slightly closer to home on the Lower Lyd, it was the sea trout coming through that had the Fishing Shop buzzing with excitement. A total of 5 were caught last week with the largest coming in at 3 lbs and a couple in at 2.5 lbs. More generally, on the rivers there are still plenty of hatches to be found and when they come it can be fantastic with some 20 wild brown trout caught in just a couple of hours.
The Arundell gardens are now well and truly in their full June glory. Rambling pink roses, the delicate green of the euphorbia, the exotic aroma of the yellow yarrow and the occasional bright flash of the lupins. An English country garden at its best and its wonderful to see the Afternoon Teas on the terrace are in full swing!
For those with young children, don’t forget that on the last two Saturdays in July (20th & 27th) and most Saturdays in August (3rd, 10th, 24th & 31st) we will be offering our 1 hr introduction to fly fishing lessons down at the lake. Booking essential.
