Record ide...from a river!
ALL-ROUND angler Colin Hebb has landed what’s believed to be Britain’s largest ide, this clonking 8lb 6oz fish.
The 37-year-old from East Yorkshire took it on quivertipped lobworm by a moored boat on his local stretch of the River Hull.
Ide, also identified as orfe, are usually found in commercials, but Colin has targeted them on the River Hull for the past eight years. He said:
“In 2013 I was tipped off about an area that held big roach, but all I could see there were huge ide basking on the surface.”
Colin’s capture beats the current British ide best by 1oz, and pictures of his catch have been sent to the British Record Fish Committee for verification.
Colin Hebb’s record ide, a new best – by just an ounce!
Target achieved with big Itchen chub - Thomas Bark
“This winter I set myself the target of catching a personal-best chub from my local River Itchen. As my previous best was only 3lb 8oz, I didn’t think it would’ve been too hard a task, but I spent around two months blanking or catching bream while other anglers were landing chub to some impressive sizes.
“On January 20 I finally hooked into a good chub on the maggot feeder, but sadly I lost it at the net! It looked all of 5lb and I was absolutely gutted.
“I returned a week later to the river, and half-an-hour later I had a PB chub in the net which weighed 5lb.
“Two hours after that the quivertip smashed round again and I was into a far better fish which fought doggedly and stayed low in the current before rolling over the net. At 6lb 12oz, it was a monster, and smashed my target out of the water!”
Thomas Bark – 6lb 12oz Itchen chub
Fishing's BIGGEST challenges!
WE recently reported the capture of a sensational 3lb 8oz river roach, a feat widely regarded the angling equivalent of scaling Mount Everest. But what other angling achievements can compare? We asked our columnists and readers…
Winning the world champs
For Rob Hughes there was one challenge that stands above all others, and that’s claiming a gold medal at the World Champs.
“You’re not just competing against the fish, but against a raft of very talented people who are at the top of their game,” he said.
“There’s no room for error, as you can guarantee that some of the other competitors won’t make a mistake. You only get one chance.”
The process starts with just getting a place in the England team which, as current England International Rory Jones confirms, is no easy feat in itself.
“The number of different skills that an international level angler must master is unrivalled. There is no hiding place on the international stage – the angler must be truly multi-skilled,” he said.
“There is no hiding place on the international stage”
Tracking down a double-figure eel
The reaction to Steve Pitts’ capture of a 10lb 2oz eel last summer showed just how much of an accomplishment this is for any angler. The magnitude of the catch was certainly not lost on renowned specialist Neill Stephen, who said:
“Big eels can’t be seen, they are rarely if ever recaught, and they are usually solitary one-off fish, so by definition you have to fish for them where there is no record of them ever existing!
“They can turn up anywhere, from a tiny garden pond to a huge gravel pit, and they are notoriously elusive, with some anglers putting in hundreds of nights before they even get a run. There are also many instances of huge fish being netted or electrofished out of lakes, put back and then, despite every effort by anglers, never being caught again. Put simply, you have to be a total nutter to fish for them, and most eel anglers are!”
Steve Pitts with his giant 10lb 2oz eel
Landing the Burghfield Common
Only 14 men in history have banked this impressive carp. Topping out at over 60lb, it is one of the country’s biggest commons, and the challenge starts with just getting a ticket for the 96-acre Burghfield Lake near Reading. Once you’re there, you then have to deal with the labyrinthine nature of the lake itself, a vast amount of which is inaccessible. You’ll soon be questioning your sanity!
Scott Lloyd, who banked the highly-sought after fish in April 2017 said:
“It takes about two hours to walk around Burghfield, and it’s blood, sweat and tears because it’s so overgrown in places. You have to go through brambles to get to the water’s edge. I soon developed a passionate hatred of brambles! Unless you’ve been there you will never have enough respect for that lake or that fish.”
Scott Lloyd with the incredible Burghfield Common
Boating a giant shark
AT columnist Martin Bowler knows more than most about tough fishing challenges – after all, he wrote an acclaimed book all about tracking down some of the rarest fish in our waters called ‘Catching the Impossible’!
For him the ultimate angling challenge is to target truly wild fish. He said:
“In the UK that is far from easy, but there are a few fish I’d still like to tempt onto my hooks! The sea offers the epitome of wild fishing, and with only two mako sharks ever having been caught since I was born in 1971, I think this isn’t just the ultimate challenge, but an almost impossible one!
“Failing that, catching a sixgill shark would also be fabulous!”
“This isn’t just the ultimate challenge, but an almost impossible one!”
Win one of the ‘big three’
For match anglers there are three main big money events – Fish O’Mania, Match This and the Golden Reel. Match ace Jamie Hughes believes scooping just one of these Blue Riband events deserves a place amongst angling’s toughest challenges.
“Your reputation means nothing,” he said.
“First of all, you need to qualify and that means fishing unfamiliar venues miles from home against talented anglers, many of whom are often local experts. Once you get through, then there’s the final itself and those you’re up against will practice intensely for it. Then, on the day you need to draw a peg that gives you half a chance, and then you need to pray it fishes to form. I’ve drawn some belting pegs in finals that have turned out to be rancid! You also need to remember that the match can be won and lost in the last 10 minutes!”
“On the day you need to draw a peg that gives you half a chance, and then you need to pray it fishes to form”
Catching a 30lb-plus pike from a non-trout water
Any pike over 30lb is impressive, but fish of such size are far more common in trout reservoirs than they are in rivers, canals or any other natural venue. Reigning Drennan Cup champ Rich Wilby believes catching a ‘thirty’ from such a venue is right up there.
“I spend a lot of my piking time on the Norfolk Broads and can count on one hand the number of known 30lb pike that have been caught there in recent times,” said Rich.
“Predation has a lot to do with their demise, as the larger ones are an easy meal for otters in the spawning season, and cormorants have all but wiped out the prey fish in many places, which big pike obviously need to sustain their weight.”
Huge pike like this are more common in trout reservoirs
7lb-plus UK perch "on the horizon" say experts
LATE last autumn the angling world was rocked by the capture of a record-breaking 6lb 4oz perch, the latest in a long line of huge stripeys to be reported over the past few seasons.
During that time specimens over 4lb have become relatively common, with two- and three-pounders barely getting a mention in despatches. As impressive as this ‘new normal’ for the species has become, experts believe that even larger specimens prowl in our waters, thriving on a perfect storm of environmental conditions and a ready supply of food.
Experts believe that even larger specimens prowl in our waters
Thriving populations
Perch are arguably the most accessible of our native coarse species, found everywhere from vast open lakes to muddy canals.
Scroll back 50 years, though, and the situation was far different. Ravaged by a virulent disease, they were pushed to the brink of existence. So how have they made such a remarkable recovery?
Kye Jerrom, Senior Fisheries Officer at the Environment Agency, revealed that a number of factors have contributed to their success. He said:
“We’ve been monitoring perch populations since 1975, and since then there’s been a substantial increase in not only their numbers, but also their size.
“Many of our coarse fish populations have flourished in recent years, aided by excellent spawning success due to the recent long, warm summers.
“As a result, there’s plenty of food for perch, and in the correct environment they can display exceptional growth.”
This ‘correct environment’ ideally features – alongside an abundance of prey fish – a lack of other predators for competition, little angling pressure, and good water clarity. When all these factors come together, alarming growth rates have been witnessed, as Kye went on to reveal.
“Analysis we’ve done in such conditions showed that perch can grow to over 15cm in their first year and to over 3lb in weight in less than four years. For a species that lives for around eight years, this leaves plenty of time for them to reach record proportions.”
Perch can grow to over 3lb in weight in less than four years
All the rage
But there are other reasons why we’re seeing so many big perch being caught today, as Andy Cheetham, chairman of the Perchfishers club, told us.
“It’s been many years since they were wiped out by disease, so right now they’re at the peak of their recovery, resulting in bigger fish and larger populations. Add to this the fact that lure angling has soared in popularity, with thousands of anglers now at it, and that lure fishing is a great way to single out the biggest perch, and it’s little surprise that we’re seeing so many big fish being caught. Perch have also become quite a ‘trendy’ fish, with ever more carpers fishing for them over the winter months.”
Andy Cheetham with a fine 5lb 11oz perch from a Midlands river
A rosy future
Nobody can fail to be impressed by pictures of Matt Atkins’ potential new British record of 6lb 4oz, banked in October 2020, but Andy Cheetham believes even bigger fish are on the cards… if they haven’t been banked already.
“I certainly think there are bigger fish on the horizon, and have actually been told of fish to over 7lb having been caught in this country. You have to remember that many anglers don’t report catches nowadays, especially from a water that’s on form. Perch are cyclical and may fade from a venue for years before suddenly reappearing, so people like to make the most of quality fishing while it’s there – without competition from other anglers.
“The best perch fishing I ever experienced came from a stretch of river most people had given up on. I hit on a small group of very big fish, and over a five-year period I landed 11 four-pounders and five fish over 5lb,” Andy added.
Matt Atkins’ potential new British record of 6lb 4oz
Overseas example
With the average stamp of perch in the UK on the rise, the question remains whether one day the nation’s specimen hunters could be catching fish of five, even six pounds, with some regularity.
Across the North Sea in the Netherlands, fishing like that is already on offer, and Dutch specialist Tim Janssen firmly believes the UK could one day witness a similar level of sport because all the necessary foundations are in place.
“One of the reasons we have big perch is because of our big river systems connected to large gravel pits,” Tim explained.
“These are filled with clear, healthy water as well as loads of small bait fish for the perch to hunt, as well as a fish we call the ‘donal grondel’ (a small freshwater goby), and millions of crayfish.
“The UK has gravel pits with a good balance of food and clear and healthy water, so perhaps one day the perch should reach a similar level to ours.”
Whilst Britain does indeed have large gravel pits, they’re not on the same scale as those found in Holland, and most are not connected to rivers. Perhaps the closest we have to this model is the Norfolk Broads and, interestingly, that is a county that was geographically connected to Holland some 10,000 years ago. With the Broads already known to have produced perch to over 5lb in recent seasons to publicity-shy anglers, and with a rising number of crayfish and an abundance of bait fish in our waters, who knows what the future might hold?
One thing’s for sure: it’s an exhilarating time to be a British perch angler!
This huge Dutch perch of 6lb 11oz fell to Tim Janssen
Massive barbel landed from rising Hampshire Avon
Heavy rain and strong winds are great conditions for barbel, and river ace Simon Daley proved just why with the capture of this 17lb 3oz fish from the Hampshire Avon.
Arriving to find the river and water temperature rising, Simon introduced some bait before setting up. After landing an early 6lb 7oz specimen, the rod wrapped round again, but this time a stronger battle ensued.
He told us:
“I’ve been after a 17lb-plus barbel for three years and had fallen short by just a few ounces last season, so catching this fish made me a very happy man indeed.”
A homemade boilie fished alongside a PVA bag filled with the same baits whole and crumbed proved the downfall of this fish.
Simon Daley – 17lb 3oz barbel
Is the EA failing our fisheries?
The man who helped launch the Voluntary Bailiff Service (VBS) has denounced it as “a pointless waste” of millions of pounds of public cash because, he says, the Environment Agency rarely acts on the intelligence gathered.
Dilip Sarkar resigned in frustration as the Angling Trust’s national enforcement support manager last summer after eight years in the post. He’s meeting junior Defra minister Rebecca Pow to seek an independent review into the allocation of £6m of rod-licence money.
Are our fisheries getting the protection rod licences pay for?
‘Wasted intelligence’
Dilip says the VBS, which began in 2012 and trains unpaid anglers to provide ‘eyes and ears’ on the bank, is a successful model copied by police forces to combat other areas of rural crime. But he claims the EA – which funds the scheme through rod-licence sales – has failed to act on reports, rendering the VBS toothless.
He said:
“Unless the EA delivers the required end result, which is co-operating, engaging and acting upon intelligence received, the whole thing – through no fault of either the Trust’s Fisheries Enforcement Support Service (FESS) or the VBS – is a pointless waste of substantial public funds. The EA must be called to account.”
Dilip Sarkar resigned in frustration as the Angling Trust’s national enforcement support manager last summer
Lockdown inaction
Dilip said his disappointment peaked during the first lockdown when the EA kept its fishery enforcement officers (FEOs) at home despite the Home Office calling for partner agencies to take pressure off police. With angling banned the VBS received reports of fisheries remaining open. He said:
“It was suggested to the EA that as their FEOs were at home, on full pay – not furloughed – they should be provided details of errant fisheries to contact and hopefully resolve these issues without the police service involved.
“The attitude of the Environment Agency was that the matter wasn’t its responsibility, and nor was it for the EA to become a ‘substitute for the police service’. This, frankly, beggared belief.”
During initial lockdown, 154 voluntary bailiffs completed 1,791 patrols and reported 255 incidents of illegal fishing, generating 91 intelligence logs. Dilip added:
“The EA’s dismal performance crystallised everything that’s wrong with the whole set-up.”
“During the first lockdown the EA kept its fishery enforcement officers at home”
Funding model
Between August 2015 and October 2020 the EA paid the Angling Trust just over £6m of rod-licence cash to run the National Angling Strategic Services (NASS) contract, of which the VBS is part. That money also covered the Trust’s Fisheries Enforcement Support Service (FESS), which uses paid staff to oversee the VBS network.
The EA said it estimates around £1.3m of rod-licence money has been spent directly on the VBS as part of the NASS between May 2012 and October 2020.
“Clearly, the total spent on VBS and FESS would be a substantial proportion of the overall cost [of the £6m awarded],” said Dilip.
“This is a great concern because the EA is not capitalising on the demonstrable benefits the FESS and VBS provide. The EA, despite financing the exercise, has consistently obstructed progress and failed to cooperate.”
The EA estimates around £1.3m of rod-licence money has been spent directly on the VBS
VBS resignations
The strained relationship between the VBS and EA has led to resignations from the Trust’s paid regional enforcement managers (REMs) and, Dilip claims, a downing of tools by many disillusioned volunteer bailiffs.
Chris Wood of Shrewsbury Anglers Club was a VBS area co-ordinator until resigning last year. He said:
“In four years I never once had a FEO attend an incident I’d reported. No matter how many reports you posted, you would never, ever get an officer to come out.”
Mr Wood praised the VBS concept and said he would return to the service if the EA issues were resolved.
A former Trust REM who resigned added:
“The FESS and VBS are a superb resource. The AT, VBS and angling public are doing their bit by reporting matters. The sad truth is the EA are institutionally hostile to the VBS and don’t see the benefit volunteers and their intelligence can bring. It’s time for the EA to resolve these issues or pass fisheries enforcement to an agency that will improve things for the benefit of all.”
“It’s time for the EA to resolve these issues or pass fisheries enforcement to an agency that will improve things”
AGENCY Response
We asked the EA if it was satisfied with the proportion of VBS-reported incidents its officers respond to.
“Yes,” said a spokesman.
“Incident response, patrols and operations as a result of intelligence analysis are separate issues. Intelligence logs from the trust are sent to the EA’s National Intelligence Team. Most of these are included within a monthly intelligence report, which is used to help influence where and when patrols are best deployed to combat the illegal activity reported. We could do more if we had more resources available.”
Trust CEO Jamie Cook said he wished he could have worked with Dilip to address his concerns, adding Mr Sarkar should be proud of what he created, making it
“all the more bizarre he should be seeking to trash his own work and argue the team he led was ineffective”.
He added:
“The Trust has pressed the EA at every level to increase its enforcement activity. During the last lockdown we wrote to Sir James Bevan [EA CEO] on this subject making it clear that we expect EA enforcement services to continue to operate alongside the country’s other frontline public and enforcement services.”
“The Trust has pressed the EA at every level to increase its enforcement activity”
Barbel best is a 'dream come true' - Aaron Bentley
“Recent downpours had caused the Thames to flood, but with rising air temperatures forecast, conditions were perfect for a big barbel so I headed to a local weir pool.
“The river was chugging through, so I clipped on my heaviest 6oz feeder before attaching a homemade boilie to the hair and casting the rig out.
“After two hours I’d only had a chub knock, so I wound in to re-bait and make my third cast. I was waiting for the feeder to settle when my rod-tip walloped over as something huge tore off with my bait!
“Over the next 20 minutes I enjoyed the hardest fight I’ve ever had, and I was convinced it was a 40lb carp. Eventually it tired, and I was able to slip my net under a gorgeous barbel.
“For the last 20 years I’ve fished for nothing but barbel. My PB has been 10lb for a decade, so to catch one of this size was a dream come true.”
Aaron Bentley – 14lb 2oz barbel
Target achieved with a 4lb-plus river perch - Ryan Dabbs
“This winter I challenged myself to catch a 4lb river perch, and over the last three weeks things started to go to plan, as I banked five two-pounders and a ‘three’.
“During my latest session, though, all the stars aligned and I achieved my target with a 4lb 3oz PB!
“I was bouncing a Z-Man TicklerZ lure along the bottom when it was nailed out of nowhere. The fight was incredible and at first I thought I was attached to a pike. I had to follow it upstream, but luckily I had my friend Sam with me who grabbed the net.
“After three minutes or so the fish surfaced and we both looked at each other in awe – the sheer size of it was a sight to behold and it only just fitted into my net!
“We hoisted her up on the scales and when the needle went past the magical 4lb mark I was shaking! A few snaps later and she swam off strongly.”
Ryan Dabbs – 4lb 3oz perch
WIN a dream trip to Wilson's Thailand fishery!
ANGLERS are being given the chance to win a dream fishing holiday at John Wilson’s Thailand resort thanks to the launch of an online fundraiser.
Anglers have the chance to win a dream fishing holiday at John Wilson’s Thailand resort
One lucky winner and a friend will be entitled to a seven-day exclusive booking at the Bung Sawan estate, eight nights’ accommodation in a local hotel, free airport transfers and £2,000 cash to spend during the stay.
The fantastic prize has been offered by Gillhams Holidays UK Ltd in a bid to raise vital funds for the John Wilson Fishing Enterprise (JWFE) – a social care initiative which uses fishing to help improve the mental health of kids and young adults.
The prize has been offered in a bid to raise funds for the John Wilson Fishing Enterprise
John’s daughter Lisa, who’s a highly qualified social worker and founder of the enterprise, said:
“Covid-19 was a real setback for the JWFE in 2020 as it just wasn’t possible to get large groups of people out on the bank.
“When restrictions are eased during the spring and summer, the cash generated from this fundraiser will help our staff of licensed fishing coaches to make up for lost time and start making a significant difference to the lives of people suffering with poor mental health.”
Tickets for the fundraiser cost £7.99 each and can be purchased from the competitions section at www.gillhamsholidays.co.uk
You could enjoy catching fish from Wilson’s lake!
The buzz of the take is fishing's most exciting moment - Des Taylor
THE other day I was talking to Angling Times editor-in-chief Steve Fitzpatrick about what we thought was the most exciting thing about fishing.
Was it the waiting and the anticipation of that next bite? Was it the take, the playing of the fish, or the landing of our prize? We agreed that it had to be the take every time.
Is it a float lifting and then slowly sinking below the surface that sets your pulses racing? Maybe it’s a predator slamming into a lure, or a chub tapping on the quivertip before pulling it round 90 degrees? If you’re a carp angler, it’s probably all about sitting in your shelter on a still, silent night when out of the blue the indicator flies up and the buzzer screams a one-toner as a big fat mirror hits the lead on a bolt rig.
A float amongst the bubbles, the excitement when it goes under is unrivalled
Whenever a fish takes, our heart rate steps up a gear and with boyish enthusiasm we hope and pray it’s the biggest fish in the lake. Even if that fish turns out to be a 2lb carp or 1lb chub, you didn’t know that at the time you first made contact did you? No – when the moment came it was your first 20lb carp or 6lb chub. Just keep at it, and eventually your dreams will become reality.
On my barbel guiding days I can see what the take does to an angler. When the rod bends over double I tell them not to panic, and to just pick the rod up without striking. The answer is always the same: “No problem, I’ve been fishing for years so I won’t panic.”
But after a wait which may be one minute or one hour the rod thumps over as though a sack of spuds has hit the line. My pupil lurches forward, sometimes falling off his chair as the rod is being pulled off the rest. In blind panic he strikes!
“The rod thumps over as though a sack of spuds has hit the line”
Of course, the fish is traveling at 100mph and the angler strikes on powerful line in the opposite direction and is nearly pulled off his feet. But that’s what it’s all about, and he’ll remember that take for the rest of his life, whether it’s from his first double or a 6lb barbel.
Later he may well recall the playing of the fish and the photo of his prize, but it’s the take that will really stick in his memory.
It’s the same for me – even now, after so many years, it’s that buzz of the take that keeps me going back for more.
Only the other day on the Severn I was sitting there with two rods, hoping for a chub or a barbel on the boilie, but because of cold water entering the river overnight I was hardly confident of a bite. I’d been almost comatose, looking at the stationary tip, and then suddenly it doubled over.
What a take, what a chub, and just like one of my customers I was all over the place once it was in the net. I tell you, the day I don’t get that feeling is the day I will pack up. Will that be soon? No chance!
“I’d been almost comatose, looking at the stationary tip, and then suddenly it doubled over”
Fishing ‘Wembley’ is set to reopen
A stretch of the Warwickshire Avon once known as ‘the Wembley of river fishing’ is set to reopen this summer following a major rejuvenation project.
The famous Twyford Farm Fishery once hosted huge 100-peg events, but hasn’t been fished for many years after its owners removed the pegs and closed it to anglers.
The famous Twyford Farm Fishery once hosted huge 100-peg events
Now a return to the glory days looks on the cards after Manor Angling Ltd took control of the stretch and unveiled exciting plans for the future.
The company’s boss Howard Kaye said:
“Matches and festivals for the next river season starting on June 16 are already selling out, and we’ve got a RiverFest qualifier booked in too.
“We’ll also be opening a new tackle shop on site and digging a teaching pool at the top of the stretch for juniors, with tackle hire available.
“It’s going to be a fantastic venue, with big chub, barbel, roach, dace and bream. I’ll start building the pegs now, and we may even have a few ready for the last few weeks of the current season. Watch this space!” he added.
Howard Kaye wants the stretch to return to the glory days
'Good six' taken on the float - Dean Derbyshire
“My mate wanted to learn some winter chub fishing tactics so we headed to the Dorset Stour to see if we could catch one on the float.
“We set up in a swim with a steady glide and I began baiting it with maggots for half-an-hour before making my first trot through.
“After a few attempts, I let the float carry right to the end of the swim where it buried out of sight. The fish made a run downstream, leaving my 14ft Ultralight waggler rod bent right through!
“It was a solid and typically dogged fight from a big chub, but with slow and steady pressure for around five minutes I was able to bring the fish back upstream.
“My mate and I high-fived the second it went in the net and we both looked down saying that we thought it was a good ‘six’. We were right, too, as the scales soon confirmed a weight of 6lb 7oz.
“I was chuffed with the catch, but even more so because my mate had learned how to catch winter chub!”
Dean Derbyshire with his 6lb 7oz Stour chub
Angling coaches in every store!
TACKLE giant Angling Direct has revealed an ambitious plan to train 80 members of staff to become professional angling coaches and work in the company’s stores around the country, offering free advice to anyone who enters.
The initiative, which will see the retailer partnering with the Angling Trust, is geared towards catering for the new wave of anglers who entered the sport last year.
Angling Direct marketing manager Oliver Harper said:
“In a few months’ time there will be an Angling Trust Level 1 coach in each of our 38 stores, which will add more of a community feel. We’ll be training staff across the brand, so alongside people on the shop floor, we’ll have people in our customer service team, as well as the media team who are qualified coaches and are able to offer professional advice.”
There will be an Angling Trust Level 1 coach in each of the 38 AD stores
Giant chub falls for sausage hookbait
GERARD O’Sullivan proved the pulling power of Peperami when this 7lb 8oz chub snaffled his sausage hookbait during a short evening trip.
The 29-year-old had prebaited his local stretch of the River Lea with pellets and chopped Peperami before returning two days later to try his luck – but he had no idea he’d be battling a new chub personal best within 10 minutes of casting out!
“After a crazy battle this old brute popped up and headed straight for the landing net, leaving me in complete shock,” Gerard said.
“I’ve only ever caught chub to 2lb so this catch was really something special for me.”
Gerard O’Sullivan’s 7lb 8oz chub fell to a sausage hookbait
'Perch of a lifetime' falls to livebait
Alfie Russell struck into what he described as the ‘perch of a lifetime’ when this stunning 5lb 3oz specimen engulfed his roach livebait during a recent session.
The 22-year-old Londoner first targeted his chosen southern stillwater with lures, before returning for another session and switching to legered to livebait tactics once he’d discovered a shoal of big perch were present.
“After a slow and steady take, I struck into the fish and instantly knew it was a good one as there wasn’t much headshaking going on and my 1.5lb Drennan twin tip rod was hooped right over,” he said.
“After a dogged fight she finally went into the net – I feel truly blessed to have seen a fish like that in my lifetime!”
Alfie Russell and his giant 5lb 2oz perch
Fundraising campaign launched for 'Blue Planet style' film on British fish
Anglers are being asked to chip in to help a one-hour film showcasing the secret lives of Britain’s fish – narrated by Jeremy Wade – go into production.
Acclaimed underwater cameraman and angler Jack Perks is behind Britain’s Hidden Fishes, but the not-for-profit venture needs £30,000 to come to fruition.
We spoke to Jack ahead of the launch of his crowdfunding drive.
Acclaimed underwater cameraman and angler Jack Perks is behind the project
What’s this all about?
Britain’s fish are often overlooked and under-appreciated, and it’s about time we put them in the spotlight. We have many amazing wildlife spectacles unfolding beneath the water and this film aims to showcase hidden and untold stories about British fish.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get a cinematic-looking film made on some of the most incredible creatures we have, everything from tiny sticklebacks right up to behemoth basking sharks.
How much will it cost?
I’m aiming for £30,000, which sounds like a lot, but when you think about the millions it takes to produce some wildlife programmes it’s a drop in the sea. It’s the lowest amount I know I can do it for and it’s all or nothing – if we don’t hit the target we won’t be able to make it.
Is this a solo project?
I’m overseeing it and will do some of the filming, but we’ve got a whole team who will be paid for their work.
I’ve got a drone pilot who’s interested in wildlife, a composer to create new music, and one of the cameramen from the BBC Wildlife series Dynasties, Lindsay McCrae, has an interest in Scottish salmon and has agreed to be involved. And we’ve got Jeremy Wade on board as narrator.
Britain’s fish are often overlooked and under-appreciated
That’s quite a coup. How did that come about?
I knew Jeremy and had fished with him, through our mutual friend Dr Mark Everard. Jeremy is very good at what he does and he lends the project some extra weight and credibility. He’s known for travelling all over the world, but he’s also a biologist who loves fishing closer to home.
Why not get a TV company to fund the project?
I’ve tried banging on various TV company doors to tell these stories but they don’t want to listen, so as the old adage goes, if you want something doing properly you have to do it yourself.
It it a struggle to sell fish to a wider audience?
TV companies have got better, but it’s always going to be a badger or some kind of bird that wins out. And you have to remember that fish are hard – they’re not easy to film! It’s not like you can look out of your back door and see them. But I want to prove to people that they’re not brown, slimy and boring – they are fascinating.
“If you want something doing properly you have to do it yourself”
Are you inspired by previous fishing productions, and will you emulate them?
A Passion for Angling is the best angling show ever and I’m definitely trying to get that feel, just without the anglers! It’ll be full of really good cinematography with misty sunrises and frosty mornings – a feast for the eyes is what I’m aiming for.
What fish will you be looking to film?
There will be a big variety of freshwater and sea fish, including brown trout, because you find them everywhere, and things like barbel spawning. I’d also love to film tuna off Cornwall, plus sharks and much smaller species.
How long will filming take?
If we reach our goal it’ll begin straight away because spring is when everything kicks off underwater. I’m aiming for two years’ filming, so I’ve got two chances at recording each behaviour and we’ll be filming all year round.
There will be a big variety of freshwater and sea fish
Might we see things we don’t expect?
There’s lots of stuff that has never been filmed properly before, like perch and roach spawning. No-one has ever filmed that, which is incredible. It’s like someone saying ‘I’ve never seen a robin’s nest’.
There are other things like perch and eels co-operating when hunting. Perch know that eels will go along the bottom looking for prey and will send smaller fish shooting up into the water, so they swim above the eels, knowing they can get an easy meal.
There are also mullet in Lewes, where thousands gather in a little carrier stream before spawning. It’s like a spa – they arrive covered in fungus and spend time in the stream cleaning themselves off before spawning. I’m also keen to hear from anglers if they spot anything unusual.
Where will the film be shown?
At the moment it’s planned that this will go online so everyone can see it, so it’ll be on YouTube. I would love to have a premiere, though, even if it’s just online.
If there’s interest then it could be sold to TV, but it is non-profit so I’d either have to give it away for nothing or charge and then donate the money to a charity, probably a fish charity.
Find out more and how YOU can help here.
Big barbel strikes on the second cast - Sophie Costello
“The barbel fishing on my local river has been tough going in the cold, so when the air temperature shot up overnight I hoped the fish would switch on.
“Settling into my favourite swim at dusk, I cast out an inline lead with two chunks of Spam on the hook, and chucked in a handful of Scopex Squid boilies over the top.
“On my second cast my rod-tip wobbled and then slammed over!
“It had been almost two months since I’d last had a barbel, so my heart was properly racing, but I had to focus as the fish was heading straight for a snag. I pulled her away from danger just in time.
“After a few more runs she was safely landed, and that’s when I realised this was a known fish for the stretch, one I’d been desperate to catch ever since I saw pictures of her on Facebook.
“At 15lb 1oz she was a personal best by 3lb – I’m not sure any other catch I make will top that moment.”
Sophie Costello – 15lb 1oz barbel
Monster Lea chub banked
DESPITE his local River Lea being the colour of tea, Matt Hayes fished through the unsavoury conditions to bank this huge chub weighing 8lb 2oz.
Targeting a small slack on the far bank, the 43-year-old had to wait only a few minutes after casting out before his quivertip smashed over.
He told us:
“At first I thought it was a barbel as it was so heavy, but then this thing that looked like a grass carp surfaced, and I realised I’d hooked a truly monster chub!”
Matt’s new PB took a hair-rigged cork ball wrapped in cheesepaste.
Matt Hayes and his 8lb 2oz chub
Let's hope common sense prevails on Brexit bait issue - Rob Hughes
Going to France for an annual carp fishing pilgrimage is something many big fish anglers have enjoyed in the past. Match and predator fishing fans have done likewise to places like Holland, Denmark and Spain, but sadly these jaunts are currently little more than distant memories. This isn’t just because of the dreaded Covid, but now also the new import and export regulations that are in place. Yep, Brexit has bitten back.
There was a story on the news that, while almost laughable, has deeper connotations. A British truck driver was stopped going into Holland and had his ham sandwich confiscated. This is because cereal and meat-based products are not allowed to be taken into Europe without paperwork.
While you may not be too concerned about your packed lunch, you’ll be more concerned about your boilies, groundbaits and maggots, as they’re on the banned list too! Then there’s the food we take – simple, innocuous things such the milk for cups of tea – and all manner of other things that we have taken for granted whenever we cross a border.
The fear is that Europe will want to make an example of the UK, or try to prove a point, and that may well make life difficult for years to come.
Let’s hope that common sense prevails, and when we do actually get to travel freely again – whether that’s this year or next – we won’t be met with the type of frosty reception the truck driver was forced to endure.
Thinking of taking boilies in to Europe? Think again!
Brace of Trent sixes banked prior to floods - David Fry
“Having a free afternoon I headed to my local stretch of the Trent in search of a bite. Out went my 80g cage feeder loaded with mashed bread and it didn’t take long before something took an interest in my garlic cheesepaste hookbait.
“Eventually the tip swung round and I connected with a lovely 5lb 7oz fish. My next bite was instant and resulted in a chub of 6lb 1oz. Knowing I’d located a decent shoal of chub, I just had to get back to the swim the following afternoon and I didn’t have to wait long for the tip to smack round again!
“This fish was a completely different class to the others and I netted a new PB of 6lb 10oz. The next cast produced a 5lb 15oz fish and half an hour later I had chub of 3lb and 6lb 6oz were landed. I was mega happy with my brace of Trent sixes in one afternoon!”
David Fry and his 6lb 10oz Trent chub