HOT FAVOURITES

classic estate lake tench

                          

Wow, summer has arrived at last and what a sizzler it’s been … so not surprisingly, instead of writing blogs I’ve been out fishing!

tench swim to die for

A tench of just under six pounds from a small estate lake was most welcome, especially as it was the best of five, with three others getting the better of my pole tackle … I wish I went tench fishing more often …

Chris netting a big roach

and having joined me for a long overdue session, my computer guru Chris Wild enjoyed success with several big roach and a PB golden tench of over five pounds. I caught more than a dozen big roach too so we were both smiling.

5+ PB tench for Chris

do crucian swims get any better than this?

It’s such a lovely place on a summer’s day, so the crucian lake on the complex was the perfect spot to show my Man.U. friend Gerry how to use a pole … and on his first go he had ten lovely crucians to a best of 2/8, some on soft pellet and several on little worms.

2/8 heading for Gerry's net

Gerry's first go on the pole - didn't he do well!

I fished the top lake in the morning and had a two pound crucian too, along with several more big roach to a best of 1/11 using half a lob on the pole, so we both left feeling happy with our summer sport. 

1/11 of perfect roach

Isn’t fishing with friends enjoyable, particularly if you all remember that they are only fish that you are trying to catch and that it’s just a bit of fun.

Dan and Chris try the double swim

shady character

Chris Yates and radio producer Dan also tried the upper lake … along with sharing Sue’s lovely Victoria sponge, washed down with lots of tea … and wine once their floats had disappeared into the night sky.

Chris on Redmire's famous dam in 1989

We sat reminiscing in the VW van that I bought in 1989 to be our location base during the making of ‘A Passion for Angling’.  

the Passion gang with two of Bob's big roach

The old van is held together with lots of welding now but the series of six films live on, having been first shown on BBC 2 in September 1993 … so we’re coming up for our 20th anniversary and despite that, it’s still selling well from our website to a tireless list of enthusiasts … so we must have hit the spot!  www.passionforangling.info

still selling after twenty years

As ‘Passion’ tried to show, there’s more to fishing than catching fish.Yes, it’s good to make contact once in a while but taking in the surrounding wildlife can prove just as rewarding, especially when you have to seek shade because of the cracking weather we’ve been enjoying this summer.

scarlet tiger moth on lake-side vegetation

Now the rain has arrived the rivers will be flushed and refreshed, so maybe it’s time to look for a barbel or two ... or maybe I should try for some more manic mullet? So many choices, so little time ... but ain't life good when the sun shines.