Hampshire Avon sessions and another 6lb chub
Well my cold had been still around and was in the 3rd week. I was though feeling well enough to tread the banks of the river. I have to say also the death of my Mum in September had the fishing put on the back burner. The appetite just wasn't there. So with my mojo returning it was time to get →
Dorset Frome grayling fishing, Tench Fishers AGM and Iain McDonalds talk
After returning from Cape Verde and holiday I caught a lovely dose of cold on the plane me thinks. This laid me low for a couple of weeks. I did manage a few visits to the river. Neil Maidment kindly invited me to fish the river Frome in Dorset. I was going to try and catch a few grayling from this →
First double for me from the Wye
I fished with Andy again a couple of days after Chew on the river Wye. The river was low and clear making it difficult again. I put Andy into the swim that normally produces a few fish whilst I wandered down to a swim I had not fished for a while. Soon Andy was into a nice barbel which he thought →
Chew Valley piking and a 16lbs 12oz trout
My annual trip with Andy (you should have been here yesterday) Cowley to Chew was disappointing for me. However Andy was over joyed at landing what is probably the biggest trout we have seen from the lake. it went 16lbs 12oz . Andy let a few expletives go when he saw it jump for the first time. All around us people →
Andy and Stu barbel fish the river Wye
Now going back about 4 years ago I guided Andy on the river with his mate Paul and he caught a 10lb barbel. The river was in flood at that time in mid summer so almost perfect conditions. This time around the river was low and clear and not looking too good. We were to fish for 2 days as we →
Scott and Dad Paul fishing the river Wye
Sadly my dear Mum passed away towards the end of September and so fishing was put onto the back burner for a while. What I did though was to honor my clients who had booked with me. My appetite for fishing myself just wasn't there. Paul had caught a few barbel before however his Dad Paul had never caught one. So →
Paul and Geoff on the river Wye and a 11lb barbel
Normally I guide Geoff Paul and Jeff barbel fishing on the river Wye also some tench fishing. This time there was to be only two as sadly Jeff had passed away at a young age. I was so sorry to hear about this. We met for a 2 days session on a very moody Wye. The beginning of the week with →
David and Mike on the river Wye
I had guided Dave before on numerous occasions. Tench, pike, barbel and chub. This time he wanted to have a session with Mike one of his friends. Mike is a keen sea fisherman and had never caught a barbel before. Dave wanted to give Mike a special day as within the week Mike was going off to live in Australia. So we →
Fishing with Roger and Colin on the river Wye
I had guided Roger and Colin a few times before and in May they had caught some impressive tench from Horsehoe lake. They always like a session on the river Wye for barbel. The only problem for them is because of their busy life we need to book months in advance so can never tell what the river conditions would →
River Severn and a session on the Bristol Avon
A couple of trips one to the lower Severn after the large barbel that swim there. It’s the very first time I had dipped a line in the river. I had joined a syndicate there to fish during the late autumn and winter when the H.Avon is in flood. My first visit is just a look and see. I like very →
Hampshire Avon some great 6lb chub
I have had little time for writing up my blogs or posts. Life has been hectic with guiding and fishing. I have been fortunate to be able to fish the H.Avon a good few times too. I have been fishing with Andy (you should have been here yesterday) Cowley for most of the time and in August Mark Woodage decided →
Harry and Geoff fish the river Wye for the very first time.
Harry and Dad Geoff I met Harry about 3 years ago now working on a building project and we soon found out we had a common interest for angling. I gave him my business card and said if he wanted a guiding session the he could always contact me. Times goes on and out of the blue he contacts me, or his →
Bill and Dan fishing the river Wye again
I have guided Bill and Dan before and they are a pleasure to fish with. Dan and his brother had bought his Dad Bill a days guiding with me for a fathers day present. The choice was the river Wye. We met early in the morning ready to find the large barbel that frequent. The river has been low and clear →
Andrea and Giovanni (Gi Gi) barbel fishing on the river Wye
Fishing the river Wye can lead you to become complacent with the fish and particularly the barbel. However others far and wide return to fish it. Andrea and I had been friends for it must be 4 years now. He lives in Italy and travels the world with his job. Whenever he is in the UK he stays with Mrs →
A few more visits to the H.Avon in less than ideal conditions hot hot hot.
The H.Avon has been calling for me to chase the chub and barbel. I fished with Andy and we both blanked, not uncommon that. I spent 5 hrs walking before wetting a line. Andy’s knees have been playing up so he can’t do all the walking. I’m surprised he hasn’t asked me to carry his tackle, having said that I’ve always →
Tench Fishers teach-in at Summer Pit with Farnham AS
I'm not going to start to explain the reasons behind holding a Tench Fishers teach-in on the summer pit at Yateley in conjunction with Farnham Angling Society. The main reason was down to Bazz trying to sort out a venue for the Tench Fishers to fish and it all began to take shape with Ian Gray Tony King and myself doing →
Hampshire Avon for a couple of short sessions in very hot conditions
Had a couple of short session on the H.Avon recently. I have been spending more time looking and feeding the barbel rather than fishing. The river has been painfully low this year and it’s only the prolific weed growth that has kept flow back. Without this we would be in dire trouble for sure. I bumped into John McGough Walking one day →
Ross and Mike
I had guided Mike and Ross a good few times over the years and I really enjoy their company. Both are good anglers fishing for most species although recently they had a few days fly fishing on the Wyle, Avon and Nadder. Ross had just returned from Scotland fishing for salmon. We were now off to the river Wye this →
Bill, Andy and Graham go on a Wye adventure
Bill and Andy Graham a pall of mine asked if I could guide two of his mates on the Wye catching barbel. Also would it be possible for him to tag along and make it a bit of a social. So the three of us met at 7am on the banks of the beautiful river. The conditions were to be set fair →
Tim and a new pb barbel
Well here we go the first guiding session on the rivers. My guest for the day was none other than Tim a chap I guided in the winter on the river Itchen. He enjoyed himself so much that he booked me again to fish for barbel on the river Wye. Now this could have been down to my expert ability in →
Start of the river season with Andy (you should have been here yesterday)
Lets just clear the statement, Andy at this point on June 16th did not say you should have been here yesterday!!!!!! Well the river season came around quickly and Andy and I were going to spend 4 days fishing the H.Avon. Things got off to a disastrous start with me having my fishing tackle stolen on the Thursday evening as we looked →
Colin and Roger Tench fishing
I still hadn’t done much tench fishing for the season because of Mum’s health. Roger and Colin had asked me earlier in the year to guide them tench fishing. So time we duly up and we headed off for a couple of days tenching. I had got to the swim the day before to do a bit of prebaiting and couldn’t →
2x 9lb and 10lbs 4oz Tench what a session.
Having started off on a flier with a 7lbs 14oz male tench last visit I was beginning to hope that the big girls (tench) would start to move in. Arriving at the swim I wanted to fish found it free. Knowing the swim and area's of gravel well I was soon sending out spombs of hemp, caster and small mixed →
First tench session 2017
First I need to apologise for not producing many accounts of my blog. This is mainly around my dear old Mum not being too well and having to spend 8 weeks in 4 different hospitals as not being fun for her. So my fishing time has been none existent. Bless her heart she is still in hospital but looking as →