From Pins to Pike

Bored by some slow specimen hunting, this week spelled a welcome return to fishing with fun and action in mind. And why not indeed? It beats sitting there so deadened that parts of you start to fall off. Stafford Moor is one of those rare places worthy of the name "mixed fishery" to the very letter- loads of variety, stacks of suprises and a perfect place to go for a mixed bag with a few genuine question marks over what you might catch.
I love nothing better than using a long rod, centrepin reel and sensitive pole style set up for varied waters such as Woody's Lake. You get finesse for shy biting fish, but also terrific versatility and with the flex of a 5m blank and the free running control of the pin you can land even large bonuses on light line. But if that sounds rather technical, my real reasoning is that it's bloody good fun and the rattle of a centrepin reel is surely one of the greatest sounds in fishing.

By feeding three close in lines with different baits in each, I hoped to get a real mix of species and so it proved. Chopped worm and groundbait drew skimmers and a tench, corn tamed half a dozen lovely crucians, while bigger pellets came in later for bonus carp. I love this game! We get so specialised in our approach, but it's so refreshing when you just don't know what will bite next.

A massive thumbs up to ever helpful fishery boss Andy Seery here, as well as photographer James Callison who was at the fishery to capture a beautifully sunny spring afternoon. This place is well worth a visit, however you like to fish.

Equally good fun however was meeting up with the PAC members and non members alike for a cracking little lure fishing day on the Grand Western Canal (above). All of our intrepid anglers present caught fish and got into the spirit of the day- lots of banter, but no bitching; an element of competition but also great sportsmanship. Lewis Palk, for example, had his winning fourth pike netted by the angler he was neck and neck with for the lead! Not that Ian Woodason had much to worry about, having scooped the prize for best fish on the day with a pretty Tivvy pike not far off four pounds (yes, that is Ian- despite his current beard disguise!).

Everyone caught then, but it was Ian's brightly coloured jerkbait that dominated early on, before action slowed in the sun and smaller jigs took most of the fish. Crazily enough, in spite of the many hundreds of casts on the day Ian's fish came with virtually the first shot in the entire match! It nicely closed an enjoyable if testing season for the Pike Angler's Club- but do watch this space for updates and a new venue and events next year. The Region 13/Devon PAC Blog is the place to look- and should have some more pics from today's friendly match: http://devonpac.blogspot.com/

The Lure of the Little

The strange midway point between end of the coarse season and the slow waking up on trout streams is definitely a time to take stock and kill off a few of those jobs you should have done ages ago, from tying flies to fending off paperwork. After a fair old slog in the winter however, I can't wait to do some more light hearted fishing and get lost on a sunny little stream somewhere in the middle of nowhere.
And with cute, small waters in mind I've very much been enjoying American author Ron Swegman's terrific book "Small Fry: The Lure of the Little".
Some opening words sum up his position- "Catch BIGGER fish!... I have lost count of the number of times I have read this alluring phrase in fishing magazines. But what I am willing and ready to debate is the sport's obsession with sheer, or may I submit mere, size.... The highlights of my own fishing life have always involved a little more finesse and occured almost exclusively along small streams, glacial lakes or farm ponds." The book cuts an intriguing dash through hidden, intimate waters and a range of smaller but no less fascinating species from bass and bluegills on the fly to fishes more familiar to Brits such as perch and chub.


Truly a writer after my own heart, the book is great fun and in a way I wish we had more reference points such as this in UK writing. The yanks are miles ahead on this score with a real passion for fishing material that stands up as literature. Take a look at Ron's site for some great samples of his work and more info: www.ronpswegman.com
Strangely enough though, I got in touch with Ron initially on the subject of fishing in Central Park, New York- a subject to be featured in next month's "Fish & Tips", which behind the lads mag format boasts some refreshingly different and original content.
Back on small waters, I keep returning to the Tiverton Canal, for little reason other than the fact it is a perfect place to waste a sunny afternoon. It's cracking on a fly rod for silver fish too- although I'm still trying in vain for a tench here. At the risk of becoming an anorak, I'm quite fascinated by canals and my other current reading material is a history of the GW Canal, for the massive charity shop sum of 20p, some way short of the £220 000 cost of the canal- and that was some 200 years ago!

I should also add that the PAC has a friendly lure fishing meet up, 7 30am in Sampford Peverell (car park just after Spars on the right). This should be a lot of fun- non members are also welcome and there is a pub grub buffet. More on this at: http://devonpac.blogspot.com/
In the meantime however, I may sneak back out and see if I can tempt one of those tench. They don't seem to spook easily, but I'm sure their poor eyesight doesn't help them find a fly. It's a big challenge, but I've caught the species before on game tackle and some suitably big and unmissable treats are currently being cooked up at the vise:

Spring Reeling

As we hit that in between stage in the season, everything has been rather up in the air for a while. Whether confused by perplexing ups and downs of frost and sun, the fish have been playing hardball. Spring is coming however- you can feel it. On a sunny afternoon on Tiverton canal all the signs were there: everything from frogs and toads to neighbourhood dogs getting frisky. Blossom and sunshine. The ability of non-northerners to sit in a pub beer garden without shivering.
It was one of thus one of those days to make hay in the sun and grab some pictures therefore, in the absence of any great drama. With some fair results too I hope- although the more adventurous the shot, the more fuss it always takes. I've even been experimenting with some underwater snaps:

A few jack pike have been looking interested in flies or bait- but just as often giving up. Apart from the odd little pike, a toad was also banked which had bizarrely decided to cuddle a smelt, perhaps trying to initiate some kind of strange criss species relations.

Who can blame the fish for being temperamental really? After a winter of fishing, they must be close to spawning by now and it will soon be time to do something else. There's a trout stream with my name on it somewhere...
Also worth a quick mention is the launch of new magazine "Fish'n'Tips", in which you'll find my own ramblings on class divide in the sport and the risky business of fishing a wild, overgrown stream. Don't be put off by the dolly birds and lads mag appearance of the magazine- the content so far looks great, with the emphasis on entertaining stories rather than the "how to" angle so well covered just about everywhere else you care to look.

On Catching and Crashing

Bad luck, as the saying goes, comes in threes. I was hoping for a decent days fishing for my birthday. To be fair I got the first bit right; a car crash down one of Devon's shittier, twistier country roads plus a hospital visit were a less brilliant Birthday present.
But to return to the first, Stafford Moor was a very welcome day out. I've written before about the pros and cons of predators on commercial fisheries. But then again, this complex is anything but typical and I for one salute the owner's brave decision to include pike and catfish. Indeed, as our rivers continue to decline they could have a big part to play in the future and thankfully some forward thinking owners recognise that we want more than simply carp fishing.

One good point about predator fishing such venues is that you can successfully mix tactics, with loose feeding for roach, skimmers and other species always liable to draw in predators at some point in the day. I decided to fish chopped worm on pole rig and running line, expecting decent perch whilst also adding a deadbait rod into the mix for a bonus or two. This worked well. When I wasn't catching skimmers and perch it was often because of pike presence and I landed two fish, both doubles, perhaps the highlight of the day a sudden surge on the surface, roach catapulted in all directions. Within seconds I had a tell tale run on the second rod. The pike haven't been here for many seasons, but with all the food present this could be a fishery to keep an eye on- although future success will also depend on how careful visitors are with these pike.

The real highlight was a late flurry with perch however. I had tried a small live rudd to sort out a better perch or two, but the killing tactic in the end was simply a worm over plenty of "chop", the better of two chunky fish at 2lbs 9oz. Specimen tactics are fine, but nothing beats light tackle and the rattle of centrepin against a lively fish is surely one of the greatest sounds in fishing. Perhaps a small live or deadbait might also work for these perch- but for obvious reasons a wire trace is a necessity here and I'm convinced this puts the perch off.
My crash came the day after, and about the only good thing I can say is thank goodness I wasn't badly hurt. But even a purely precautionary stretcher ride to hospital is a sobering experience. Even more delightfully, I had gone less than three miles in the hire car provided by my insurers next day when quite inexplicably the windscreen started to crack from the bottom up. More bullshit paperwork. More tedious phonecalls, elevator music and "your call is important to us". More parasites ready to bill you. In my darker moments I start to think life is simply a permanent wrestling match between trying to make enough money to live and having it sucked away again. Maybe this is why we go fishing?

Some fresh air was definitely called for and I had the pleasure of taking fly fishers Lance Downes and Darren Hunt for a crack at some Tiverton pike. In spite of a lack of bigger fish, we had some fun along the way with outrageously clear water and cat and mouse style fun with the jacks, some titchy (like the little critter below), but all of them cute and endlessly intriguing to watch.

Crazy catch of the month definitely goes to Lance, who managed to catch a half pound roach on a small pike fly! Strange but true and it just goes to show that anything is possible in fishing.

Pit Fighters

In the midst of the hectic business of earning a living (if only it was as simple as just going fishing!), I start to really treasure my fishing trips. Piking pole Seb Nowosiad is always good company for the longer haul- always well prepared with lures and baits, plus a nip of brandy to stave off the cold. He's also got perhaps the itchiest feet of anybody I've ever fished with- no bad thing when you have many acres of cold gravel pit to search.

We had perhaps the best start possible with bites from the off and Seb's usual battle cry of "fishhh-oooonnnn!" connecting with several beautifully conditioned pike in the space of a mad half hour. To our relief, these previously hard to contact predators seemed to have moved into shallower water. Seb had the greater numbers to his trademark jigs, whilst I picked out the slightly larger pike using sink & draw tactics- this one probably not far off double figures.

Night fishing for pike is not something you read much about, but we were also keen to give this a try. Hunkering down in a likely, craggy corner we set up baits for the night. With deep hooking a risk when you may have to scramble out of a tent to make contact we went for big baits, whole sea fish, to ensure nothing would be swallowed too quickly. The plan worked, if not emphatically, then at least to the tune of another three fish to the nine pound mark.

It got pretty cold in the night and the rain was utterly relentless. Hence a bright sunny morning and a fried breakfast were heaven sent! Never have black pudding, bacon and strong coffee tasted so damned fine. So- an adventure of hard fighting pike, good banter and high calorie foods. In fact all we were really lacking was a great big beast of a pit pike. But you can't have everything eh?
On a more serious note, I'm also drumming up further info and momentum against the current hydro power proposals, which could see already threatened fish populations nationwide in serious danger. Anyone with a spare five minutes could do a lot worse than give the EA an earful on this- or indeed email the minister for rural affairs who recently apologised publicly for massively unpopular deforestation plans. Don't let them do the same to our rivers! Emails should go to: caroline@carolinespelman.com

We want a careful approach and proper consultation- not botched schemes, rushed through for the sake of targets and easy cash for landowners.

From Wet to Wetter

In fishing, there are things we can influence- but also things we have no control over whatsoever. And on that score, this weeks tale is one of foul weather. On a bright, still day the River Wye is like heaven on earth; on the wrong day, purgatory. And while I try to remain ever philosophical about fishing, it's hard not to feel disappointed when you've travelled a hundred and fifty miles with high hopes only to find gale force winds and a river rapidly turning ugly.

One pike was all I managed near Hereford on the first day and worse was to come, the Wye shooting up some four feet overnight. A rapid change of plan was called for in the shape of the Oxbow Lake at Letton Court (above). If nothing else it was scenic. A beautiful place to drift a float fished bait and at least keep the idea of a hungry pike in mind. No joy sadly, although there is a small irony in the fact that after this long haul trip, I had a decent pike in only two hours fishing just five miles from my front door!

A day of float fishing for roach usually shifts the blues after the tougher task of monster hunting- but Shobrooke lake near Crediton was scarcely less wet or dreary today. The roach here are pretty, well conditioned fish. No big ones, but plenty of sport for Russ Hilton and myself to bread flake and maggots. I also put out another rod with a small boilie, which belted off just before dark. I immediately knew this was either a world record roach... or, you guessed it, a runaway carp. Not exactly planned then, but a strong and immaculately scaled double figure common. Not the biggest, but possibly one of the most beautiful (and undeserved) carp I've ever caught.

Notes from the Riverbank with Tarrant & James

This weeks highlight has been a very surreal trip indeed. Going fishing with not only Bob James but Chris Tarrant is hardly your average day out. In fact, throw in the Nelson Mandela and the Irish Football team and you might have the start of a very strange gag. But there they both were, brewing tea and discussing rivers and roach, baits and methods. In actual fact though, fishing is a great leveller and once you forget the screen presence of these two characters they are simply a pair of enthusiasts who enjoy a day out. Well, almost!

The River Test looked wonderfully inviting as always, but for me this was a day when words and pictures were the priority, rather than casting a stick float or swim feeder. Both these chaps have fished a vast array of waters, but the Test still takes some beating. "It's so beautiful you almost feel like a poacher" confesses Chris.
At the start of the day had wondered whether the two would act like perfect gentlemen or whether the air would be full of banter and gamesmanship. It quickly poved to be the latter. "I taught that Bob James everything he knows" was Mr Tarrant's opening shot. Funny that, because I'm sure Bob swore exactly the same.

The day was a relaxed one for our anglers, a quietly frantic one for a writer aiming to capture everything from Bob's insights on river fishing to Tarrant's own love of the sport, from winter pike to far flung adventures overseas. Like me, he also spent a while as an English teacher, discovering that fishing was one of the few things to interest disaffected school boys. Talking of school boys, perhaps my abiding memory of the day will be these two trying to prod their hapless photographer with rod tips and grinning like they should know better:

The Test and it's carriers are full of history and this day was no exception. By one of the Test's many beautiful riverside houses we saw a great eel trap, where in better days for the species men would work well into the night knee deep in the creatures. More strange still, we found a communal outdoor toilet with three neighbourly seats all in one little room. I thought this sort of thing was mainly confined to the Westcountry? Fairly disturbing!


And amisdst all these distractions were beautiful dace and grayling, fine chub and some beautiful if accidental trout. I must say, Chris Tarrant held his own pretty capably on a day of many species and it was perhaps only Bob's late catch that won the day in the shape of a beautiful roach of well over two pounds. So, two stars, some truly idyllic waters and a fantastic catch; how's that for a day's fishing?