Fishing

Happiness Shared

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Fishing has been described as ‘an excuse for being there’ – close to nature, in touch with the seasons, with time to contemplate and gain or regain perspective. In other words, there’s more to fishing than catching fish.

Certainly fishing alone is better than not fishing at all, but for many anglers (myself included) sharing time on the banks with friends or family is infinitely more enjoyable. As Christopher McCandless concludes in one of my favourite films ‘Into the Wild’, “happiness is only real when shared“.

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Off to a Flyer

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The season for brown trout fishing on rivers in the UK typically ends this month or, in certain cases, some time in October. This year has flown by and I only managed to get out twice, both trips taking place on consecutive weekends back at the start of the season in April.

I got off to a flyer on the first trip, but then was brought back down to Earth with a bump on the second. But hey, that’s what’s great about fishing – just when you think you’ve got it mastered, nature twists and turns and puts you back in your place. There’s always more to learn.

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A First Winter’s Grayling Fishing – Part 2

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Following on from the previous week’s post, this second instalment of my look back through last winter’s grayling fishing recalls a great day on the river Ure, followed by two disastorous sessions on the Wharfe. Nonetheless, despite finishing the season on somewhat of a low, there were plenty of positives and good lessons learnt to take into winter 2018/19.

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A First Winter’s Grayling Fishing – Part 1

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In fly fishing circles, the grayling was for many years considered a nuisance fish. Falsely considered to prevent the more ‘noble’ brown trout colonising our rivers and streams, the species was even culled in certain parts of the UK. However, as angling attitudes have become more enlightened, increasingly grayling are viewed as a prize quarry. This is particularly so in the winter months when the trout are busy spawning and ‘the lady of the stream’ (as the grayling is affectionately known) is in peak condition.

My first attempt specifically targeting grayling in winter was on Lancashire’s river Hodder in 2016 (see Banter in Bowland). I hit the jackpot with two lovely fish gracing my net. Inspired by that success, I vowed to devote some more time to chasing this beautiful fish over the winter of 2017/18. Here’s a look back at how the season went.

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Florida Fishing Part 2: Street Fishing Stateside

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If you’re a keen fisherman, you’ll know that it’s almost impossible to cross a river or pass a lake without pausing to take a look. Any body of water represents the chance of untold adventure. You ponder what lies beneath, scour the surface for signs of life, and contemplate where or how you would fish it.

On my family’s recent holiday to Florida there was a tempting pond in the most unlikely of locations that fell into this category.

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Florida Fishing Part 1: Bass Bustin’

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The largemouth bass is North America’s most popular game fish – driving a billion-dollar industry and a tournament fishing scene with all the glitz and glamour you would expect of a professional sport.

After six months away from my family on a recent business assignment, we had planned a holiday to Disneyland in Florida to celebrate being back together. Whilst my wife and daughter were getting excited about the thrills and spills of the theme parks, I was looking forward to trying my hand at bass fishing and seeing what all the fuss is about.

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Banter in Bowland!

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As a British family living and working in Russia, quality time with our family back home is scarce. Focus on the daily grind, and the trials and tribulations of modern life, means that weeks easily slip into months and even months into years without us seeing our nearest and dearest. With this in mind, my wife and I have resolved to ensure that each year we spend some extra-quality time with our parents. For my part, last year this meant booking a boys’ night away with my brother and Dad for his 65th birthday and, in order that my Mum would not feel left out, my wife arranged – no laughing please – a mother-and-son spa day.

The location for the boys’ night away was to be the Inn at Whitewell – fine food and plenty to drink, a bit of rambling, and a spot of grayling fishing was the plan.

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Review: Best lures from Finland 2017

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Following on from recent posts about my first trips to Finland, I thought I would give a rundown on the most productive lures from last year’s trip.

Whilst for the second year in a row I failed to get beyond the jacks (small pike), what they lacked in size they certainly made up for in number and on light tackle provided great sport on a variety of methods and baits. Several pike and perch fell to float-fished live and dead baits, but most were taken on artificial lures – from surface poppers and frogs, to deep diving plugs and big spoons.

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Simple Grilled Brown Trout

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The first fish I caught and ate myself was a brown trout. I was probably around seven and caught it with my Dad on a float-fished worm on the River Wharfe. Since then, I have eaten many and cooked them in numerous ways, but this is my current favourite recipe – very simple, but absolutely delicious.

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