Happy New Year ! My 2017 species hunt has begun In 2010 I managed to catch 24 species of freshwater fish in a calendar year, in 2012 I managed 31. 2 young children have put a serious dent in my fishing time for the last few years, but I have been blessed with a 4 […]
Its been a while since I opened my fly tying kit box – but pictures of friends fleas on facebook have inspired me to get the string, fur and feathers out again. Being an avid upstream nympher I absolutely adore shaggy heavy point flies so naturally this is where my evening fumblings were focused. Partridge […]
A bit rubbish – probably the most accurate description of my recent fishing trips Family (baby and toddler) circumstances dictate that most of my spare time is spent on paternal entertainment duties. Recent fishing trips have been restricted to a couple of 30 – 45 minutes slots on the Rochdale Canal and Queensmere Dam in […]
I recently turned 50 – ouch So instead of allowing my family to inflict a birthday party on me – I organised a pre-emptive strike and booked a couple of weeks away in the sun…Tenerife this time. I usually take lots of fishing tackle away with me – but with a baby just beginning to […]
The Irwell Imp – a variation of the GRHE tied with red wire that’s a killer pattern on North Manchester Rivers – or a three year old who insists on going fishing with his Dad because its the best way to celebrate his Mum and Dads wedding anniversary. My little imp loves his fishing – […]
Sitting in the office, looking out of my window at the sunshine….2.30pm and the day is beginning to drag,,,, my mind wandering towards dreaming about fishing things Phone rings,, screen tells me its the wife………I’d better answer it I know whats good for me.. Delight its my 3 year old calling to tell me that […]
Two itches got a scratching today Poorly Tommy with a bout of chicken pox, and my own mental itch which developed after catching a score or more of small roach in less than an hour last time out on Sainsburys Pond. Fishing with a toddler is always going to be a short and sweet trip, […]
Catching lots of fish, or a big fish can certainly make your day – but as we all know its possible to have a great days fishing without catching very much at all. As you might have already guessed – I didn’t catch much today – but had a great time out doors with a […]
I’ve never had that much success when shore fishing whilst on holiday abroad – and a recent trip to Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands didn’t buck the trend. Despite visiting this island on a number of occasions over the years, this was the first time I’ve ever taken a fishing rod (and two kids). Somehow […]
Its been a long held ambition of mine to catch a Salmon from my local River Irwell. A flight of fancy maybe and until the late 1990s an impossibility. But since Salmon started to make a reappearance in the Mersey system in the early 2000s, and with Irwell water quality improving beyond recognition its no […]
