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| Not alone on the River Wye. Chris Yates was just upstream and Martin Bowler took this beaut. picture of me barbel fishing |
I still love the idea of being out in the countryside with a rod but our big garden has taken up all our time as we create a flower filled gravel garden for butterflies and bees. We haven’t finished it yet but to see the squadrons of buzzers already feeding there is a joy.
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| a silver-washed fritillary on a hebe |
No fishing might mean no stories but I have many happy memories of fishing with friends, so this will be a celebration of those special days when we shared our catches and time together.
Fishing with Friends
Fishing alone can be an intense and rewarding experience and might even lead to catching bigger fish but for maximum enjoyment you can’t beat sharing those moments of triumph and disaster when you both cheer when one of you catches a big one and cry when the big one gets away ... or maybe you laugh when your mate loses the big one!
Here’s a selection of some of our catches during the good old days when we had the good sense to ignore all the horrible things going on in our world and made time to breath fresh air. These pics are just a random ramble through the archives to celebrate the joys of angling together with friends.
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| close friends Chris Wild, Avon Roach Project Trev and Mr Yates getting their priorities right - tea and cake! |
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| happy days of sunshine and golden nuggets |
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| Chris with an old warrior |
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| a perfect pair - the crucians are splendid too... ... and now for something completely different for someone was right when they said that variety is the spice of life ... and out on a windswept estuary is far removed from a peaceful crucian lake. |
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| dawn on the estuary is always full of anticipation, even if the mullet never bite - well, almost never ... |
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a place of dreams - the upper estuary photographed from Hengistbury Head with Christchurch Priory in the distance |
I share Steve Derby's boat whenever I can and here he is with a good'un. We love it our there in the windswept tides, one of the wildest corners of Dorset, challenged by the hardest fighting fish in the UK.
Another of our favourite places was India and our annual trips to the Cauvery River were a delight and always resulted in us landing some arm wrenching mahseer. Here's Pete Reading with a splendid specimen and I was lucky enough to catch one occasionally too.
We loved our holidays there, such great fishing and the Indian guides were always memorable company. Sadly, the authorities put a stop to the angling which means many of these rare and valuable fish will have been poached instead of providing a renewable income to many local communities.
A few years back Pete asked me to make him a barbel handling code film for The Barbel Society. It's always enjoyable fishing with Pete bacause he always produces the goods to order and he did the same for 'Catching the Impossible'. Pete normally catches bigger ones than this and caught us a twelve pounder for our Ch 4 series.
Pete made history recently when he landed the largest barbel ever caught from the Hampshire Avon, all 19lbs 11ozs of it and a richly deserved reward for all he did for our barbel throughout England. A truly awesome fish as you see.
The catch was my highlight of the season, proving that a friends catch is even more important than your own and cause for celebration ...
and I'd had my own cause for celebration last November when I caught a massive roach of 3/11, falling short of Bill Penny's inspiring record that I'd grown up with by just three ounces.
This catch was inspired by friend Mark Woodage who had pioneered the catching of these giant roach after hearing of one or two big ones landed by carp anglers. It could be really difficult fishing, my one bite coming after 40hrs of waiting.
At that stage this was the biggest of all those caught but fittingly, Mark eventually topped it with a record shaking roach of 3lb 14ozs. and he really deserved the accolade of being awarded the catch of the season in the Angling Times recently by catching four three pounders in one afternoon. Bravo for some fine angling, as always.
I count myself lucky that we've fished together for many years, not often enough but Mark always shows me how it's done with large tench and barbel, this winter beauty going 14lbs 9ozs.
One of my most enjoyable holidays was in Canada, fishing for the prehistoric and awesome sturgeon by being given the privilege of joining Keith and Sandy Armishaw on one of their globe trotting holidays. It was so enjoyable we returned the following year.
Keith's took 1hr 28mins to land and mine knocked me in the river though I was wet from the rain already. We caught some splendid salmon too, using switch rods and lots of slack to get the fly down in the rapid current ...I loved it.
It was friend John Slader who had taught me to cast - he's an Orvis guide and instructor so is quite good - I'm not.
We went hunting bonefish in the Carribean and enjoyed the sunshine and wildlife and some reel melting runs from these Formula One fish.
Pete made history recently when he landed the largest barbel ever caught from the Hampshire Avon, all 19lbs 11ozs of it and a richly deserved reward for all he did for our barbel throughout England. A truly awesome fish as you see.
The catch was my highlight of the season, proving that a friends catch is even more important than your own and cause for celebration ...
and I'd had my own cause for celebration last November when I caught a massive roach of 3/11, falling short of Bill Penny's inspiring record that I'd grown up with by just three ounces.
At that stage this was the biggest of all those caught but fittingly, Mark eventually topped it with a record shaking roach of 3lb 14ozs. and he really deserved the accolade of being awarded the catch of the season in the Angling Times recently by catching four three pounders in one afternoon. Bravo for some fine angling, as always.
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| 3lbs 14ozs of perfect roach - Mark was just a little pleased! |
I count myself lucky that we've fished together for many years, not often enough but Mark always shows me how it's done with large tench and barbel, this winter beauty going 14lbs 9ozs.
One of my most enjoyable holidays was in Canada, fishing for the prehistoric and awesome sturgeon by being given the privilege of joining Keith and Sandy Armishaw on one of their globe trotting holidays. It was so enjoyable we returned the following year.
Keith's took 1hr 28mins to land and mine knocked me in the river though I was wet from the rain already. We caught some splendid salmon too, using switch rods and lots of slack to get the fly down in the rapid current ...I loved it.
It was friend John Slader who had taught me to cast - he's an Orvis guide and instructor so is quite good - I'm not.
We went hunting bonefish in the Carribean and enjoyed the sunshine and wildlife and some reel melting runs from these Formula One fish.
I could go on with lots of other fishy stories but I'm sure you will be wanting to prepare for your own catches over the festive season, so I'll end by wishing all those who follow my blog a really splendid Christmas and a fish filled and fun New Year ... with good health and happiness thrown in.
Just catch one for me please.
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| Great friend Chris Wild with a beautiful common, caught stalking and hooked just inches from the bank. Proper fishing! |
I don't fish at all l'm afraid..
ReplyDeleteWhy? Patience! Or the lack of it..
When l was ten years old, my Dad
took me the Conyers, here in B'ford,
where l live..bought me a rod/line.etc..
Took me down the Ham, geared me up, bait
and all, we could see some trout, just
by the weir..well..the hook and line were
in and out the water, more times than l
care to think...HeHe!
So, l gave up, my Father gave up..! Have'nt
fished since..
Don't get me wrong, l do enjoy the end product..
The fish, a number of friends who do fish, have
always supplied my with said creature..
AND! with a few chips..you can't beat it..! :).
God bless! Merry Christmas..! Love the Blog though..!
Hello Hugh
ReplyDeleteGood to see Pete reading here. I was lucky enough to meet Pete back in 1976 when I was staying at a fishing guest house in Throop on the Dorset Stour. I was there with my mum, dad and brother on a family holiday but I returned many times by myself in later years. Pete was staying there with a couple of his angling mates, Nick and Mick, and was in the process of moving to the area.
The fishing was difficult that summer, with the drought and low river levels - "grim" was how Pete described it. Pete and his mates were very helpful to me, a young novice angler. I eventually caught my first ever barbel, 8lb, with my last cast on the last evening of my stay, just upstream from School Bridge, before returning home on the following Saturday morning.
Treasured memories of a very beautiful place and good company. I'm still in touch with Pete, although we are both a lot older and greyer now.
Hur jag fick dubbla mirakelvälsignelser med hjälp av Dr Reethesh. När jag förlorade mitt mångmiljonföretag kraschade mitt liv samman totalt. Jag blev frustrerad vilket fick mig att tappa kontrollen över mig själv. Jag började uppföra mig illa och dricka tills jag dvalit. Eftersom mitt beteende och min attityd hade blivit dålig hade min fru inget annat val än att ta barnen ifrån huset. I ett år var jag inte mig själv, det var som att leva i mörkret. En av mina svågrar, som har gått igenom liknande problem tidigare, kom till mig och sa att jag skulle ta det lugnt med mig själv så att allt skulle bli bra igen. Han berättade för mig att när hans företag gick i konkurs var det en man vid namn Dr Reethesh som hjälpte honom att komma på fötter igen. Han sa att han träffade Dr Reethesh genom sin vän som Dr Reethesh hjälpte honom att återförena honom och frun. Med hans hjälp kontaktade jag Dr Reethesh och delade min historia med honom. Dr Reethesh var mannen jag kontaktade och han gjorde sitt mirakel genom att få slut på mitt ekonomiska problem. Dr Reethesh presenterade mig för det bästa låneföretaget som hjälpte mig. Deras ränta är också låg. När jag fick lånet hjälpte Dr Reethesh mig också att göra något speciellt för att skydda mitt företag från att krascha igen. Ända sedan den dagen jag arbetade med Dr Reethesh har mitt liv gått på högvarv, allt går smidigt för mig utan problem. OM DU BEHÖVER ETT LÅN FÖR ATT STARTA DITT FÖRETAG ELLER FÖR ATT GÖRA NÅGOT VIKTIGT RÅDAR JAG ATT DU KONTAKTAR DR REETHESH. OM DU OCKSÅ VILL HA TILLBAKA DIN EX-PARTNER KAN DR REETHESH OCKSÅ GÖRA DET FÖR DIG. Du kan kontakta honom på hans WhatsApp: +2349012999010 eller e-post: reethesh60@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteHur min bästa vän ljög mot mig för att hon vill ha min man för sig själv. Var försiktig med vissa personer du kallar din vän. Jag gifte mig med min söta pojkvän från gymnasiet. Vi levde i fred och njöt av våra liv. Vi har två barn tillsammans. Allt gick bra för oss. Min man är inte alltid i närheten eftersom han jobbar i en annan stad. Så en dag kom min man hem och började bete sig konstigt. Hans beteende förändrades mot mig och barnen. Jag försökte förstå vad som hände. Han gav mig aldrig uppmärksamhet eller lyssnade. Några dagar senare bad min man mig att gå ut ur huset och sa att han inte längre var intresserad av vårt äktenskap. Jag försökte prata med honom så att han kunde berätta för mig var jag hade gjort fel, men allt var förgäves. Hans beteende och karaktär mot oss gick överstyr. Jag hade inget annat val än att lämna huset med barnen. Detta fick mitt hjärta att blöda varje gång jag tänkte på det, för det här är en man jag älskade av hela mitt hjärta. Jag grät och mina tankar oroade sig i fem månader. Min kusin, som hade ett liknande problem som mitt, sa åt mig att kontakta DR WALE och sa att DR WALE skulle rädda mitt äktenskap. När jag kontaktade honom berättade jag hur allt hade hänt. Jag betalade för allt material som behövdes för att få jobbet gjort. DR WALE fick reda på att det var min bästa vän som låg bakom allt som pågår i mitt äktenskap. Han sa att det var min vän som berättade negativa saker för min man. DR WALE gick vidare och sa att de båda hade en affär tillsammans. Så DR WALE gjorde vad han kan bäst och sa att min man skulle komma och be. DR berättade att min bästa vän hade utfört en ond besvärjelse, så min man vände oss ryggen. Men tack vare DR WALE kom min man och bad mig om förlåtelse och sa att han inte vet vad som hade hänt honom. Eftersom DR WALE har berättat allt som hänt var det lätt att förlåta honom. Vi lever tillsammans som en stor familj nu. Om du vill ha tillbaka din ex-partner är DR WALE rätt man att kontakta. Hans WhatsApp eller Telegram: +2347054019402 ELLER E-post: drwalespellhome@gmail.com
ReplyDelete