News 2020

Anglers will always read about the successes of others, and try to emulate their tactics and catches.

I only wish that when people read these articles, they think about when and where they can apply the information they’ve learned to their own fishing.

If you read about an angler fishing the tidal reaches of the River Trent using two beefy 3lb test curve rods pointed to the sky, 5oz leads, 15lb mainline and clonking great size 4 hooks, it doesn’t mean that this is the way you should fish on the middle Severn in low water conditions, targeting a spot under a tree down the near margin.

On the Severn and other rivers like it, fishing with mega heavy gear will eliminate all of the pleasure you get from playing a fish. What’s more, in many cases it would also lessen your chances of catching. It’s not rocket science to realise that fishing down the near margin with rods pointing skywards would cause the mainline to come up vertically from the rig, spooking any feeding fish!

This is where the local tackle shop proves its worth, with a good local angler behind the counter. He’s the chap who will put you right concerning the kit you need for your local water.

It’s much the same in carp fishing. When experts are writing about chucking 150yds with heavy gear to target 50lb-plus fish, the same tactics won’t apply to the smaller water you’re planning to fish. There’s no real pleasure to be had in playing a 15lb carp on super-strong gear, but there’s a lot of fun to be had doing so using a 2lb test curve rod and a smaller reel loaded with 10lb line, which is more than strong enough!

This year I’ve seen anglers using gear that’s way too heavy for the venue they’re fishing. I’ve watched them bully fish in, then moan about the lack of fight. I can see why match anglers would want to get fish in quickly, but does it really matter on a pleasure session?

On the Severn I use a 1.75lb test curve, through-actioned rod and 10lb line and enjoy every barbel that I hook. Most of the fish are around 5lb, with a good one just reaching double figures. I’d be able to land them more quickly on stronger gear, but it wouldn’t be as much fun. And surely that’s what it’s all about. You can only catch what’s in your venue, so make sure you get the balance right between the size of fish being targeted and the tackle you are using. That way, you’ll get full enjoyment out of every fish that you hook!

**Using the right gear means I enjoy every fish that I hook.**

For more from ‘Our Man On The Bank’ pick up Angling Times every Tuesday.

PEOPLE are constantly asking me what I’m doing with my time, now that I can’t go fishing.

Well, throughout this shutdown I’ve been feeling positive and doing positive things. Already I have rebooked my two cancelled trips – one to Holland after monster perch and the other a week in Texas after giant alligator garfish. Having something like that to look forward to with my mates really raises the spirits.

My wife Maggie, in turn, has rebooked a cancelled golfing trip with the girls to Portugal. When she’s away I always book a week’s fishing from my bivvy somewhere in the UK, so happy days for us both.

I think it’s important that we start planning for the future and hold on to our dreams. If one thing has come out of this shutdown it’s been a chance to look in the mirror and perhaps resolve to change something in our lives.

I hope that all you anglers who have been watching DVDs, downloads and YouTube, or reading books about fishing, will take some of this on board and not just return to sitting around a commercial two days a week.

Isn’t that what you have been doing for the past 10 years, and aren’t you getting a little bored with it?

The lockdown has certainly made me think about some of my friends that I haven’t been on the bank with for years – good friends and good company, but perhaps, in my eagerness to catch big fish on my own, I haven’t made the time for them that they deserve. That must change, because friends are more important than fish.

On the subject of angling films, it gave me a lift when my son-in-law sent me a photo of my granddaughter watching my own films that I released only a couple of weeks ago. I feel happy that in years to come she will be able to share some of the great memories fishing have given me with her friends and, later, maybe her husband, children and even her grandchildren. I like that.

Right now I’m busy getting my thousands of angling photographs into some kind of order, something I’ve been meaning to do for years. They are bringing me so much joy and highlighting so many things that I take for granted in this great sport of ours. Of course, there are the trophy photos of big fish, but the ones that bring the most smiles to my face are the dawn shots, the sun going down, the wildlife seen while I’m fishing and photos of new friends made in other parts of the country or indeed the world.

So many good times – and remember, there are so many still to come, so stay cheerful.