What anglers have been doing on lockdown...
FACED with the prospect of no fishing for the foreseeable future, the nation’s house-bound anglers have been seeking to maintain their sanity in a variety of different ways. Here’s a selection of some of the most amusing...
Carp workouts
Welsh carp angler John Flewin got into the spirit of online exercise videos by doing his very own ‘fat lads and carp dads workout’ using items of tackle. His wife Jo is a personal trainer, so it’s actually a pretty useful workout! John told Angling Times:
“I’m always up for a cheap laugh – usually at my own expense! I’m surprised it’s been a hit.”
He has since added a yoga-based workout to his video line-up.
Indoor fishing
Portuguese carp angler Rui Devesa gave us a chuckle with his hugely elaborate set-up, including an indoor swimming pool full of koi carp. Don’t worry, he didn’t use hooks, but he did mock up a complete carp trip, including catch shot! At the time of writing, the video has been shared 55,000 times on Facebook.
Backyard fishing
The lockdown is clearly getting to Angling Times reporter Freddie Sandford, who donned his waders for an impromptu session in the backyard of his house in Bourne, Lincolnshire.
“I’ve been baiting this naughty little spot for the last few days and heard a few fish bosh this morning. Slipped on the waders, ready to jump in if things got tasty, but no bites were forthcoming,” said Freddie.
Pond dipping
Stewart Rusling, member of the popular Fishing in the Northwest Team, also tried his luck in a garden pond, targeting some koi carp. He went the whole hog to ensure his fishing fix, setting up both his seatbox and pole.
“I know they said no fishing, but I had to give in to the urge,” he joked, “because the fish were on the feed!”
The bog roll challenge!
Angling Times staff have been using screenbreaks from their computers while working from home to take part in the Bog Roll Challenge, keeping their casting skills up to the mark in the process. The back-garden game, which thousands of anglers have been taking part in, involves trying to cast a lead into a toilet roll inner two rod lengths away. Top matchmen Andy May and Jamie Hughes took just four and five attempts respectively to complete the task, but our Features Editor Richard Grange didn’t fare quite as well, saying:
“I hit the roll five times in 20 casts, but none went down the tube. That’s good enough for me!”
Dog fishing!
Across the Channel, keen angler Nems Lilou sat in his belly boat with flippers and a rod, and got his fishing fix by attaching his line to a dog toy. His dog, complete with shark fin on its back, put up a playful battle!
5 great fishing reads
NEED a good book to get your teeth into during lockdown? Fortunately, anglers are quite fond of writing. Here are some of our favourites…
How to Fish
by Chris Yates
We could, of course, have chosen many other books from angling god Chris Yates (such as Casting at the Sun and Falling in Again) but How to Fish is a complete overview of our hobby that even has a Kindle edition if you want to read it instantly. Don’t be fooled by the title, this is a celebration of angling, not an instructional book.
Gone Fishing: Life, Death and the Thrill of the Catch
by Mortimer & Whitehouse
Books to accompany TV series are often hastily written cash-ins, but this is anything but. It explores much more deeply the inspiration for the television show and the process – familiar to many of you – of an experienced angler introducing a novice to the sport. But above all it’s about how angling shapes and solidifies friendships.
How to Think Like a Fish
by Jeremy Wade
Jeremy Wade isn’t just an effortlessly good TV presenter and intrepid adventurer. Fishing has shaped his whole life. This book exposes Wade’s deep scientific understanding of fish but does so with a light touch and plenty of scenery and anecdotes along the way.
The Compleat Angler
by Izaak Walton
The godfather of angling wrote this book in 1653, which feels about as long ago as our last fishing session.
If you consider yourself an angling obsessive and haven’t read this, then now is the perfect time to do so.
It’s full of statements and tactics that science and technology have since debunked, but it’s still deeply relatable nearly 400 years on.
The Old Man and the Sea
by Ernest Hemingway
If lockdown is your time for inspiration and escapism, settle into this classic novel by Ernest Hemingway.
It tells the story of a Cuban fisherman battling a giant marlin for days.
No words are wasted by Hemingway and it’s short enough to finish in one or two sittings. You can find it for free online.
