Minus Severn

As I type this the last of the snow is melting tonight, the crisp white giving way to that greying, mushy hangover snow. What a few weeks it has been; forget "extreme fishing" on TV, Bridgwater recently resembled Siberia. And yet we ("we" meaning probably just a handful of fishing masochists) continue to fish. Most lately the Severn has been calling, but quite incredibly even this great river was largely frozen solid.

Regardless of the bitter cold, Norbert Darby still managed to get a bite and land a fit ten pounder. Otherwise the highlight was not the fishing by a long chalk, but celebrating Jim Smith's 40th with beer, curry and good company.

The Somerset Levels (above) have also provided passable fishing on all but the bitterest of days however with several stretches of the Tone offering at least the possibility of pike. Certainly beautiful in the snow, and trotting small deadbaits is a lovely way to fish. If nothing else though, winter fishing makes you remember the fundamentals of fishing and that on some days to catch anything at all is an achievement.

Hope all new and old blog followers had a good Christmas break and have a great 2011. Mine is looking stupidly busy, but I am already excited. Do also take a look for this weeks Angling Times where you'll find my musings on the crusty gem which is Tiverton and its beautiful canal. Proper writing and not my usual rushed blog. No 20lb pike here but a walk down the towpath of small town madness, count your fingers, lock up your daughters and avoid anything on the hot food counter of that strange little garage at the end of town...

The Good, the Bad and the PAC

Some good news and bad news this week. But I'm afraid I must start with the bad. Whether anglers like it or not, the places we love best and the fish populations we take so much care to maintain are never left alone for long. Two current threats are very much to the fore at present in Devon- but also nation wide.
So what has a picture of the Exe in its summer prime (above) got to do with this? Well, perhaps it illustrates exactly what we must fight to protect. Hydro Power is the biggest menace to our rivers for many years in my opinion. Without consulting anglers at grass roots level, the EA is busy pushing through new plans via the back door. Bad news, because case studies show clearly that even the most carefully implemented hydro plants alter habitats significantly- they reduce flows in key areas, damage fish and ruin key angling areas such as weir pools. In fact, what is rolled out as "Green Energy" is actually nothing of the sort. The threat is ominous- "No salmon in the Exe within ten years" according to one expert. But coarse fish are equally threatened. I am currently gathering facts for the national press on this, but all of us can act in several ways: 1. contact the EA and let them know how you feel ( email: enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk) 2.Back the Angling Trust (www.anglingtrust.net)
3. Write to your MP (Ben Bradshaw for Exeter), local wildlife groups and any other interested parties. This is a fight where we have many allies if we get off our backsides!

The second worring issue is poaching- with pike in particular at threat. And again, non-action is not an option. Nightlines are cropping up again and information is key- take down details of any dodgy individuals with times, facts and even vehicle reg's. Don't grumble, act: The EA have a 24hr hotline on: EA 24hr Hotline number = 0800807060 It only needs one or two convictions and the message will quickly get out to these criminals (and there's no other word for them).
On a lighter note however, everyone is welcome to the Xmas PAC meet this Friday at The Barge, Halberton for 7 30pm. Not only do we have a cracking film screening (Dean Burman's seminal pike film "Lair of the Waterwolf" and a signed copy to win) there is also the lure of our monthly prize draw and a Christmas tackle sale- sure to include some tasty pike gear as well as other excellent kit. A buffet and the pubs usual selection of top tipples should ensure a great evening! See the Devon PAC blog for more info: http://devonpac.blogspot.com/

A Lucky 13th

Does it ever get too cold to catch pike? In the Westcountry at least, I'm beginning to suspect the answer is a big fat no. It began as a day of bleak weather and fairly slim expectations for a crack at the Somerset Levels with Seb Nowosiad- but to our delight, the pessimism was misplaced. After a painfully slow start fishing between ice patches on the Bridgwater-Taunton Canal, we took a bit of a mystery tour to locate some more likely and less ice-covered water in the heart of the Levels.
A sound move as it turned out- sick of watching a motionless float, I switched to the fly rod and quickly received a pulverising bite. And it was no flash in the pan either. In spite of the freezing fog and -3C temperature, the fish seemed to be feeding well. Indeed, the next jack even coughed up a little roach as evidence! The pike responded best to bright patterns however-in particular those with weighted heads which I could present just off the bottom.

But what of the deadbaiting? Well, Seb got quality rather than quantity here, just one bite but a terrific, beautifully conditioned pike of 16lbs 4oz for sticking at it. A suspended smelt did the trick gently drifted under a float, a very underrated method on so much of the Levels.

I'm starting to think the text book should be thrown away entirely for winter piking. The fish took fly patterns and lures with gusto on our sub zero adventure today, and far from being sleepy in the cold they all fought excellently well on light tackle. Seb eventually switched to lures to catch another three jacks and by the end of play we had a dozen pike between us. By around three we'd had our fill- it had got to the balmy heaights of 0.5C and still so foggy it looked more like seven in the morning. Worth every chilly minute though.

Sunday Service

When ice strikes just about everywhere, the only real option is flowing water. And where better than the River Culm on a misty morning? I should visit this pretty river more often. The pike aren't big, but they're beautifully wild here, just like the river itself. And in the midst of grabbing more feature material it's always a real pleasure to go purely in search of some fun- just one rod, a few basics and a lengthy stroll along a quiet bank with a couple of friends.

Sadly the stirring beauty of the Culm wasn't matched by any dramatic fishing. One tentative bite was the sum total of our efforts, a lean four pounder briefly breaking the stillness of the river. No need for overkill with tackle here and I am very much enjoying Greys 11' Prowla deadbait rod- finally, a blank geared not towards shark taming but simply getting a good bend on "fun sized" pike waters!

As the mist cleared and the Culm produced no further bites we then decided the Exe was worth a look, heading for the town. A dead pike in the margins provided a sorry sight to greet our arrival- and further evidence perhaps of why I continue to bailiff for Exeter AA. Good to see therefore that those we met on the day were well geared up with unhooking mats to deal with this dodgy, concrete environment.
On some days you have to remind yourself there's actually life in these waters- and today it took several moves to buy a bite, Russ Hilton connecting with a lazy bite to tame a nice city pike of just under seven pounds.

On a final note I'm also delighted to announce the next T-shirt design destined for sale very soon. Some of you will recognise the inspiration- a real stiff upper lip type statement for the recession angler! Do have a peek at the site for more options, plus some other late additions (www.dgfishing.co.uk)

Flies and Ice on the Severn

The temperature having turned from "brrr it's a bit cold" to "sodding freezing", the classic advise usually suggests that fishing is a bad idea. But is it really so? Admittedly, you might have to change plans- and in my case, a trip to Rutland quickly became an impossibility. Cue a hastily planned gamble on the River Severn.
Desperately cold, yes, but the river still looked tempting and clear enough to fly fish, a fact soon confirmed by one or two pulls on a deeply worked baitfish pattern. Pike were first to arrive- followed by perch and zander. Not hectic fishing, but rewarding enough and perhaps fly fishing is not so mad on a freezing river after all?

The slow, subtle presentation of a fly proved especially useful for the pike, with one slack area producing an almighty "thunk" on the fly line. Curious fighters these winter pike- slow, heavy pressure at first, before a real surge of power as they wake up and really take offence.

The fish was immensely long for its weight- and another of similar size came adrift the next day. All the fish were tempted on a fast intermediate line, using flies tied with dumbell eyes to fish point upwards best to search deep, snaggy areas. With the temperature ducking right down to -4C it was necessary to keep clearing the ice from rod rings- credit also to Russ Hilton who soldiered on too, catching his first ever zander in the process. Local knowledge was also important however- and we owe a big thanks to Jim Smith, a real gentleman, not to mention a passionate and highly knowledgable predator angler. By the by, Jim will also be at our monthly Pike Anglers Club meet in January to give a talk.

The Fens on a Fly Rod

A visit to the Fens is something of a pilgrimage to anyone who fishes for pike and zander: miles of reedy channels, wild waters and bumpy roads. A region not unlike Somerset in fact- buckets of fishy looking drains, heavily rustic and "flat as piss on a plate" as Ian Nadin would put it. Fishing heaven.
After more than two hundred mile on the road, five star food and accomodation were definitely not on the cards. In fact, where better to begin than by stoking the fires with a cholesterol heavy breakfast at notorious Green Welly Cafe- a place as likely to win a healthy eating award as George W Bush is to receive a Nobel Peace Prize.

My host for a roving adventure was Nigel Savage, Rutland warden and a real predator fly fishing fanatic to boot. Also enjoying the fresh air was his faithful terrier Bonnie- who carried out her own hunt nosing into the bank for voles. Hopping from drain to drain, we were quickly met by panicking roach and several snappy, lairy pike. Whilst the zander didn't show, the jacks gave some real kamikaze hits on the fly and a chance for me to capture some of the action on camera.

It's always interesting to compare notes with another keen angler- but especially someone who puts a good deal of thought into their fishing. Nigel believes in retrieving a good sized fly fairly slowly, whilst really shaking the rod tip to make his fly literally dance like a thing possessed at the end of each retrieve.

As on most drains, the key area seemed to be the shelf on each bank, a fly allowed to drop and flutter across the slope liable to be smashed. The pike simply couldn't resist and whilst no monsters showed up a good few fish came our way, to around the six pound mark.

At nightfall we then retreated to a country Inn for a beer in one of those old buildings where walls, floors and the rest have shifted so much over time that you wonder exactly what you've been drinking. You also couldn't fail to notice the Fen monster above the fire place- a goulish, stretch-your-arms-really-sodding-wide, 36 pound beast from yesteryear.

Back on the prowl the following morning we searched high and low for zander to no avail, although it was a fascinating crash course in presenting a fly for this elusive species. Nigel has caught some cracking fish on his own patterns, including some landed well into darkness. This time they just wouldn't comply though and I got the feeling that if he couldn't contact one, nobody would. It was a long drive back to Devon, a little heavy hearted to be leaving such a wonderful place. Effort doesn't always equal rewards however- such are life and fishing I guess.

On a brighter note though, we had some fun at the Devon PAC match. It was a low turnout with a measly five of us on a cold and clear Tiverton Canal. I had rather fancied lure maniac and LAS man Paul Honey aka "Shrek" (below) to grab the honours with his wiggling, wobbling and diving collection of artificials.

His single hard won jack (plus a mysterious scale on another cast!) was enough to claim second place. I was the one feeling smug however, as my smallish colourful flies tamed three pike for just over four pounds. Whilst some days the vibration of lures helps, it seems that the fly can be just the ticket when its cold and the pike are tricky. Small fish then, but very welcome.

ZAP! -Trout on the Tazer

Fly tyers truly will try anything to make a deadlier fly pattern, but how exactly does a tazer gun figure in all of this? It's possibly not what you think (ie passing a current through the lake!). The true answer lies with tying instructor and guide Chris Reeves, who spotted the potential in the colourful wire discarded in Police training exercises from the guns. The plan is a little stroke of genius. Not only do you have an attractive fly material, it also recycles waste and all the proceeds from sales will be going to the "Fishing for Heroes" charity."

Autumn colours were still in the trees on our session at the ever cute Bellbrook Valley Fishery. A real cold snap did little for the fishing however and it was a struggle to get bites for much of the day, rainwater having added colour into the bargain. Nevertheless, the trout did manage to pick out a tazer bug- I had fancied the louder, more "elecrifying" finishes (the reflectiveness gives neat effects with different thread colours and the wire also comes in blue), but Chris caught on the smallish, dark bugs. As per usual, these Bellbrook fish were a cracking quality, full tailed and well marked. A sure sign that they've adjusted well to life in these pretty, matured lakes- not just flooded in to be hoiked out next day. More challenging, but worth the effort I'd say.

For a fuller account of this interesting material (which also makes neat Grayling bugs I'm told) you'll just have to wait for the feature in Total Flyfisher. But in the meantime- Chris has a site where you can buy the wire and also support "Fishing for Heroes": www.fishingclass.co.uk

November Highs, November Lows

I once might have laughed at the idea, but it's now a reality. I have become a sponsored angler. A difficult decision? Well, yes and no. An easy decision because Hardy Greys make tackle I already use, abuse and love. But perhaps the thornier concern for me was simply the need to continue freely as a writer, not a sales hack. Hence it was even more important to be with a more traditional company, in the case of Hardy Greys an organisation who actively shun the in your face approach to sales.
So what does all this mean? Am I about to get rich? No. Am I proud to be associated with the company? Yes, very. Does this change what I write? Not much. Do I want to become a celebrity angler? Well, the concept itself is about as daft as a celebrity gardener, like a kind of showbusiness for people with grubby finger nails. And besides, angling needs writers, not egos. It needs people who can conjure up stories about the sport, not just their own ambition. People to put into fresh words that happy madness called fishing.
This is what fires me on- not simply the "how to" of the matter but those thousand and one mysterious corners nobody casts a line into. Like the Devon park ranger using roadkill as catfish bait. Like Mr Leon Guthrie, the world's maddest fly tying genius, born with six fingers on each hand. Like Dean Burman, the filmmaker who swims with pike. Like Mr Norbert Darby, fishing muse and once owner of Britain's shabbiest white fishing van. When the sport is this rich, do we really need another hundred articles on branded carp rigs?
Of course, the simple pleasure and learning process of going fishing are often enough and there are plenty of less leftfield stories also to be written. Pike are a current winter focus for material- but the going has been slow to desperate of late on the Cotswold Water Park. Properly cold last night. Freeze your landing net solid cold. Wake up so cold your face doesn't work cold. After lures failed to trigger a response, deadbaits presented in deeper holes proved equally slow. So much for the big time eh? A long, biteless night- although there's really something to be said for a fried breakfast on the bank. One of those cold, bright phases though- better for pictures than for pike! A beautiful, stirring place nonetheless.

Another place to dispel any notions of glamour was Tiverton AC's annual meeting. In the upstairs of the local Tory club we debated the latest issues with Maggie Thatcher's evil portrait gazing down on us. We tried anyway- there was loud karaoke on downstairs and some idiot was busy murdering the Sinatra songbook ("He aint gonna make the x-factor, izzem?" was the local verdict). On a positive note though, Ian Nadin and myself are proud to have introduced the first ever set of pike rules for the club, insisting on proper kit and safe handling.

Murder on the Cut

Since getting hold of some eye catching materials at the fly fair, tying up and testing some fresh fly patterns has been the weekend challenge. Perch and pike have been on my mind, a fist full of loud, scaled up lures a must to try for predators on the Taunton to Bridgwater Canal.
Exactly how important is colour? It's hard to say, but on slow days I do like some bright or unusual choices, which I'm convinced can provoke an aggressive reaction from pike even when they're not on the feed. Smaller, subtler designs certainly didn't seem very productive on a cold Sunday morning and with the perch were conspicuous by their absence I switched to bold, provocative pike flies. A wise (or lucky) move it proved, as a good fish soon lunged wildly from the depths to intercept the offending fly:

The fish plunged away hard on an eight weight set up, an angry, rolling and thrashing performance. She was scarcely better behaved on the mat, still unwilling to give up the argument as the barbless hook came out. A lovely low double, fit and fiery.
Aside from the odd follow however, little else materialised for myself or indeed Seb Nowosiad fishing his trademark Polish jigs- just a couple of little jacks and a greedy perch taken from the locks. Hard work then, but worth a long walk for those few moments of adrenaline.

Boldly Does it

With wetter autumn and winter weather, the aquarium clear water loved by trout fishers can quickly become muddier. In fact, with virtually all of our small stillwaters stream fed, this is not so much a possibility as inevitable. So what can you do, other than give it up as a bad deal?

The obvious answer is to give the fish something they can't miss. And with this end in mind, I've been field testing patterns with plenty of colour and disturbance value at Goodiford Mill- a venue which is often a little coloured hence a fair testing ground. At least the fish have been cruising the upper layers, where I always feel your chances are better than deeper down in the murk. Some tricky fishing was anticipated, but in actual fact the going proved pretty hectic with large lures- a good pull and a healthy dose of colour too much for the rainbows to resist.

For the sake of experimentation I also tried duller hues and even small nymphs. The results spoke for themselves; still the odd touch, yes, but nothing like the frequency or sheer violence of hits on those larger, altogether uglier flies. Motion comes into it too though, I'm sure, with materials like rabbit strip or rubber legs greatly aiding the trout in locating the fly. Finding the clearer corners of the lake also helped- but perhaps some extra muddiness in the water isn't such a crisis after all?

Meanwhile, I've also been chasing perch at Luccombes, with mixed results. Something like forty perch came my way to chopped worm, but absolutely nothing over about half a pound. Even whole lobs and even small deadbaits didn't gain a bigger surprise- but such is perch fishing. Amazing how the better fish can disappear, even in the smallest pond. Hopefully the best is to come and at least when it cools down properly you know pretty damn well they'll be slap bang in the deepest water.

Fair of a Thousand Flies

Is there any event which shows the brilliant, diverse creativity of the art of fly tying as well as the British Fly Fair International? I very much doubt it. So much for this being a "niche" hobby- the fair has everything from rare traditional materials to modern synthetics, magnum to micro sized flies, not to mention a fantastic cast of international tyers.

What strikes you is the unique vision of each tyer and yet this is very much an event about sharing ideas, of being surprised and feeling inspired. And from a writer's angle there are countless strange and fascinating tangents to be explored here.

Perhaps we should begin with a tip of the hat to tradition however- I'm always staggered by the craftsmanship and beauty of the work on display such as Jörg Schuft's classic salmon fly pictured above. Just as fishing is about far more than catching fish the same can be said of fly tying- in this case elevated to pure art. In truth though the lines of practicality and aesthetics often blur- and an event like the BFFI is all about originality- sometimes useful, sometimes audacious. Here is Bulgarian tyer Stoyan Filipov's imaginative take on the life cycle of the frog- cute:

In my opinion, fly tying has never been a broader church. Definitely something to be celebrated whilst other branches of fishing become more and more predictable and coldly efficient. To take two ends of the fly fishing spectrum, we have hulking great pike flies and the tiniest trout flies- both are beautifully made, both have their place. Riny Sluiter of the Netherlands provides the "kingsize" snack below,
In the "fun size" category right at the other end however, small is most definitely beautiful for Andrew Baird with some delectable, tiny flies (his blog www.smallflyfunk.blogspot.com is also well worth a look):


Of course, besides the tyers themselves, the fly fair is also an unrivalled place for new and rare materials. Cookshill (check my links) are first choice for rarities and I couldn't resist taking notes on some of their weirder requests. How do you fancy polar bear fibres or condor? Parakeet is another current special- these birds are pests in London currently and some individuals have been using green fairy liquid bottles as decoys to lure them in! On the stall itself I rather liked the look of these rare Argus Pheasant wings- but at £50 maybe not eh?:

Perhaps the real surprise material for this year however was the Taser wire Caroline Emmet was using to make some cute bugs. No, I'm not losing it- the wire really does come from Taser gun wire used in training exercises. Better still, if you buy some all the proceeds go to the "Fishing for Heroes" charity to aid our ex-services people in need. With different plastic coatings this produces some interesting effects and attractive finishes ( see www.fishingclass.co.uk / www.fishingforheroes.net):


Another place of surprises, Chris Sandford's angling collectibles and antiques are always worth a look and another welcome surprise was meeting Bob James. Whilst some folks need a dodgy joke to get them grinning, these chaps were jovial enough already:

I always have a daft question or two for Chris regarding his curiosities- among which were various bugs and creature style flies and lures made from cork, fur and goodness knows what else, along with more traditional classics. Curiously, unlike the flies bought loose in todays tackle shops, patterns were once commonly sold in lots already tied to gut:

After a long day and a real tour around all the corners of the show, I just about had time to get those items of tackle on my list- odds and ends I hope will spice up my winter predator flies as well trout patterns. In the nick of time really- closing time sounded and I was absolutely knackered. Spare a thought for Keith Passant however (below), who will have (just about) completed a 24 hour tie-a-thon by the time this blog reaches you. Except that he forgot about the changing clocks and so it becomes a 25 hour session! All in the aid of another excellent cause- "Casting for Recovery" which reaches out to breast cancer sufferers and really demonstrates both the generosity as well as the theraputic value of our sport (www.castingforrecovery.org.uk).