At The Waters Edge 

Since my last diary piece, life has been quite hectic both on the angling and work front. As the weather wasn’t so good I split my time between working on a new book Pulled Strings Bent Sticks at the Waters Edge due for publication in October.  I spent several early morning (four o’clock) sessions in the studio putting together some programmes for my At the Waters Edge programme. I also spent time planning my saltwater fly fishing school in the UAE. Of course I went fishing. Life would be pretty boring with out a pulled string and bent stick.

 

 

This year I visited the Farnborough Big One show meeting up with some old friends, recording a few interviews for my At the Waters Edge programme on BBC Radio Lancashire also the internet bbc.co.uk/Lancashire click on listen again then At the Waters Edge which can be heard for 7 days. After the show it was onto the Kennet for an evening session, I was lucky to get a 5-4-0 chub and a couple of barbel one about six pounds the other eight plus. I fished on until about 10-0pm Monday the temperature was up a degree, after a visit to the local supermarket for some bread. I was back on the river. I caught some nice chub and barbel, so I was more than happy.

 

 

Several early mornings were spent on my Ribble fishery deterring the cormorants and checking my mink and grey squirrel traps results were 2 cormorants 2 mink and 4 squirrels, by trapping these two latter predators the song and ground nesting birds will have a better chance of survival. Sadly for several miles up and down stream of my fishery to the best of my knowledge no one can b e bothered to trap the vermin or apply for a cormorant licence to cull or scare off the birds.

 

One early morning session I found a vehicle parked in a lay-by, I was quickly on my guard, driving to the local farm I borrowed their dog. Though it’s a real softy, it barks at everything. Arriving back at the pool I found my uninvited guests spinning. Making a detour I blocked their escape rout. As I approached I asked for a rod licence not really thinking they would have such an item. I then grabbed the two outfits before giving them a sever tongue lashing and sending them on their way which meant a hike of some two miles back to the car. When they did arrive the tires would need inflating. Those scum bags wouldn’t be back in a hurry.

 

For the past few weeks we have had hedgehogs visiting the feeding stations, Kate has set up in the garden, forget the nonsense written by some people who should know better when they state “Hedgehogs hibernate right though the winter”. Our hedgehogs have been visiting since Christmas if a hog doesn’t weight at least a pound and a quarter when it goes into hibernation it want survive the winter. Again we get told that newts and frogs all leave our garden ponds for the winter. Don’t you believe it; I often find both newts and frogs when I visit the pond late in the evening with a torch. Perhaps my amphibians haven’t read the right books or newspapers.

 

Brendan Ince and I travelled south to Berkshire for the last week of the season planning to fish the Kennet, Avon and Loddon if conditions were good, sadly the Loddon and Avon were out, we still had the Kennet. After sorting out accommodation I walked the Aldermaston beat of the Wasing syndicate fishery, despite the water temperature of just 40 degrees F I put in half a dozen pieces of Pallatrax cheese feast in a couple of known chub swims then went off for dinner. During the week we caught some nice fish, missed a lot of bites but I couldn’t work out why we were missing them. The highlight of the week was Brendan catching his first double figure barbel of 12-8-0.

April 3^rd Kate and I flew out to the UAE on an Emirates flight from Manchester for Dubai. The first week we spent at my daughter’s house in Dubai, as they were away in New York for a couple of weeks. The first four days I was busy with press conferences, radio interviews and filming. It was nice sitting in the garden with the warm sunshine on my back having breakfast and listening to all the birds.

 

We then travelled down to the Le Meridien Al Aqua hotel where I was based for two weeks. The first weekend was for boys and girls between 11 and 17 years of age. They were taught how to tie knots, make up leaders using a tie fast tool. We discussed tackle roods reels lines and flies. A lot of time was spent on the casting court. It’s surprising how quickly the youngsters learnt the art of casting a fly. My adult classes prove interesting; in the first three day course I had American servicemen who were good company and quick learners.

 

Then I took them twenty miles offshore to target dorado and yellowfin tuna. They were successful with the former. Chris catching a very good fish. Many anglers will tell you it’s not possible to catch the milk fish, not true. Brian Hearne an American based in Abu Dhabi has caught some good fish. On flies tied up to look like algae.

 

Anther class was a mixture of men and woman who were eager to learn and practise. They proved excellent students. So good were they I gave up my free day to give them further fly casting lessons. I reckon they will all be tackling the big fish offshore in a few weeks time.

 

I travelled up to Abu Dhabi for a day where I spent time with two of my pupils Bryan and Chris fly fishing for queen fish. It proved well worth it with lots of pulled strings and some good fish. The lat couple of days were spent in Dubai with my daughter Sharon her husband Greg and my grand daughter Jessica. We arrived home on the 26^th April, thankfully we were in business class making the flight most enjoyable. Back home I spent three days on the river helping my clients to improve their casting and water craft.   May 9^th I wil be at the Barbel Society Conference, if you are there say hello and if you have any question I will certainly find time to answer them.