Len Arbery interview (April 2019)

YESTERDAY (2/6/20) the angling world received the sad news that carp and specimen fishing legend Len Arbery had passed away.

An engineer by trade, Len made celebrated landing nets, including the one that landed Chris Yates’s famous 50lb 8oz Redmire mirror.

In 1984, he and Kevin Clifford published Redmire Pool, a book that became an instant classic, but Len’s love for angling was not solely centred on carp.

In 1990 he won the Drennan Cup and his specimen hunting remained undimmed in later life, receiving two weekly Drennan awards in Angling Times just last year.

Below is an interview with Len, printed in Angling Times in April 2019. It gives a flavour of his personality and love of fishing.

THE PRESTIGEOUS Drennan Cup is about to embark on its 35th year of running and each passing year proves to be just as memorable as the first.

One angler to have his name engraved on the coveted trophy is London-based big-fish hunter Len Arbery, who in 1990 angled his way to victory – snapping-up a cool £1,000 cash prize in the process.

The 79-year-old has been chasing monster fish for the best part of 60 years and is still doing so to this day.

Angling Times caught up with the specimen ace to pick his brains on his Drennan Cup winning year and how the competition has changed over the last three decades…

AT: Congratulations on your 1990 Drennan Cup win Len! What fish did you catch to claim the prestigious title?

LA: The two specimen fish that secured the Drennan Cup for me were both winter river fish; this was largely considered pioneering stuff back then. These being a 6lb chub and a 14lb barbel; the latter, I believe being the first-ever 14lb barbel caught in wintertime. They were caught from two different club stretches of the Dorset Stour.

Len with a 14lb barbel that scooped a Drennan weekly award

The 6lb chub was caught two weeks after the big barbel

AT: Winning the trophy with just two fish captures is a hugely remarkable achievement, but is that enough to win the Drennan Cup in this day in age?

LA: It seems unlikely that just two specimens will prove sufficient to win the Drennan Cup these days. Although, perhaps, if one should set a new British record for the species, then this could likely prove a worthy contender. The big fish situation had improved greatly even within about ten-years of my success, highlighted by son, Tony, emulating me by catching a 6lb chub and 14lb barbel, and although reported in the Angling Times not even winning a weekly award for either!

AT: Could you briefly take us through the tactics behind the captures of your 6lb chub and 14lb barbel? Have tactics for these fish changed drastically in recent years?

LA: Both my 6lb chub and 14lb barbel were caught by a roving and touch-legering approach, first demonstrated to me by the late Bill Quinlan and Bob Buteux. So, I’ve always considered my winning the Drennan Cup was a shared success with Bill and Bob. Relatively few current big-fish anglers adopt such tactics. For many anglers are content to sit it out in the one swim often using bolt-rigs. And who am I to contradict? It obviously proves successful.
The manner I choose is more important than success alone; which usually means touch-legering rivers and swingtipping stillwaters, because this remains my most enjoyable and satisfying fishing.

AT: In 1990 a 14lb barbel was a huge specimen but numerous fish of this size are now being caught in rivers such as the Trent and Thames week-in, week-out. Why do you think coarse fish in general have gotten bigger?

LA: This is perhaps the biggest question of all in specimen angling. All long-term anglers would possibly agree that there are fewer big fish in any given area of water today, and particularly so in our rivers. Less mouths to feed equates to more food for survivors – hence why they get so big.
After Word War II there was undoubtedly a tremendous increase in fish stocks being imported from abroad. Perhaps our native stocks had become too interbred over countless generations and new bloodlines could likely contribute to bigger individuals?
It also seems that the big fish today haven’t increased in length; for example, back in say the 1970/80’s, a 22-inch-long chub could be expected to weigh around 5lb – today it wouldn’t be surprising if a similar length chub weighed 7lb, or more! Global warming and the current widespread use of good quality baits also has an effect on the growth of these fish.

Len’s PB barbel, a 15lb 10oz middle Thames giant

AT: Did you have to travel far to catch big fish? Is it a requirement nowadays to win the Drennan Cup?

LA: To catch specimen fish consistently anglers have nearly always had to travel. Being a Londoner, local big-fish waters were in very short supply; even as an 11 or 12-year-old, I’d cycle about 20 miles each way, to fish the Thames at Penton Hook.
Then there are those sometimes-horrendous journeys, always in darkness and often in snow, before the advent of motorways, from London to Downham Market in order to winter pike fish the windswept Relief Channel; these journeys are forever etched in my consciousness. Two of my later favourite stomping grounds – Redmire Pool and the Royalty Fishery – meant round trips of around 200 miles.
Distance has never really deterred me nor many other big-fish men from seeking specimen fish, and still doesn’t!

Redmire Pool was one of Len’s favourite stomping grounds

AT: How do you think the competition has changed for specimen anglers over the years? Are they deliberately setting out to win the Drennan Cup or just have a passion for targeting big fish?

LA: Back in the early years of the Drennan Cup competition I don’t think many specimen anglers deliberately set-out to win it; I certainly didn’t. It was just that the passion to succeed in catching a big fish occasionally paid off. Nowadays though, I believe it true to say some anglers deliberately set-out to win; not that I’m knocking them, and good luck to those who do so. For, surely, most of the consistently successful people really do have to work very hard for the rewards they enjoy.

AT: Do you still go fishing today? If so what style of fishing inspires you the most?

LA: I do still fish, and regularly, too. Although advanced age and health issues (prostate cancer) mean long-sessions and nights spent on bedchairs are firmly in my past. My current favourite species are tench, Thames chub and Thames barbel, although, along with son Tony, there are huge eels on my current agenda; hopefully to land something as impressive as Tony’s Drennan award winning ten-pounder, as reported in Angling Times last May.

AT: Do you still catch specimen fish?

LA: More accurately: “Do you still TRY to catch specimen fish?” Haha. The answer being a resounding, YES! My relatively recent successes include: carp to 29lb 6oz; tench to 7lb 12oz; barbel to 15lb 10oz; and chub to 7lb 8oz.

Len with a 7lb 5oz Thames chub caught touch-legering

AT: Finally, who would you pick to win the Drennan Cup this year and why?

LA: What I will say is: Whoever the voters select as the winner will deserve winning the most prestigious and coveted award in big fish angling - The Drennan Cup. For, in my humble opinion, being acclaimed and recognised by one’s contemporaries is the ultimate accolade. GOOD LUCK EVERYBODY!

“The manner I choose is more important than success alone; which usually means touch-legering rivers and swingtipping stillwaters”