An Interesting Week and the Departure of a Dear Friend

It’s been an interesting week for me, On Sunday the River Ribble was bank high, no good for fly fishing but the chub and barbel fed well for some anglers, Paul Jenkins had three barbel with the best at 11-6-0 on soft paste bait. After spending a couple of hours checking mink traps and resetting them I met up with some anglers in the fishing cabin on the Edisford Hall water for a mug of tea where we discussed the problems of poaching. Its important that we are all on our guard at this time of the year. Should anyone see people at the waterside with nets, snatching gear or acting suspiciously please call the EA hot line immediately on 0800 80 70 60. Remember it’s our sport these thieves are destroying.

Monday I was on the river just after dawn for an early session with the fly rod in search of salmon using a sinking line and a tube fly I was fortunate enough to catch a chrome bright fish estimated at about 31-32 inches, then I lost two fish which were on for just seconds. I reckon if more readers and listerners fished some early sessions they might just get more fish. Its great being at the waterside as it starts to get light. After a late breakfast I went off to the BBC Radio Lancashire studio to work on a programme. At about one o’clock I left work planning to have another session on the river. On the way I passed over the River Calder where I noticed foamy cream coloured water pouring into the river just below the A59 road bridge over the Calder downstream of Whalley. Stopping at the first lay-by I called the EA on the hot line umber 0800-80 70 60 The EA were on the scene within half an hour. When I got to the Ribble it was rising and not fishable.

Tuesday morning I met up with a couple of Army officers to share a days fishing with them on the Edisford Hall water sadly it didn’t happen, the river was bank high. I called Frank Casson at Barnsfold Water who agreed to host them where they enjoyed some good sport fly fishing for rainbows. After inspecting the mink traps and emptying the rubbish bins, I went across to the River Aire where there has been a problem with night lines. After finding four set lines I approached two people to see their club cards. It was the usual excuse, they said “We don’t have card we want a day ticket”. On the notice boards, it states quite clearly ‘Private Fishing’ I get fed up with these people who don’t respect other peoples fishing or property.

Wednesday I should have taken Jane Dodding of Standish to the River Ribble trout fishing, with the cold north easterly wind and fast flowing river, I didn’t think it was suitable to take a beginner trout fishing. I suggested we went on the River Aire fishing for chub. In some five or six hours of fishing all my usually reliable swims we didn’t get a single take. We tried crust and flavoured luncheon meat, but the chub were not interested. The weather was horrid very cold gusting wind with showers; the highlight of our day was seeing four kingfishers and a group of goldfinches. What surprised me was between three and four o’clock small fish were rising everywhere feeding on midges that were hatching. There is always something to make us think why a certain thing is happening. As I did about all those rising fish. I couldn’t make out if they were small trout, dace or chub,

Thursday - I got a call at nine this morning from Steve Bodsworth to say his father John had just passed away, having just finished breakfast I just sat and thought about all the good times we had together over the past forty odd years, our travels in South America, Middle East, then there the exciting times in Ireland during the seventies and eighties both in the north and south. John was a good all round angler and first class shot with both rifle and shotgun. I will miss him greatly. His last few days fishing were with me and Will Carter on the Wasing estate water, I remember putting him in a swim where he caught a 10-6-0 barbel and two big nines.

Two weeks ago Will Carter and I went down to Hayward’s Heath in Sussex to see John. For some two or three hours we chatted abut old times, we certainly had a few laughs. My lasting memory is seeing him sitting on a chair having a good laugh. On my next fishing trip to the Kennet I will dedicate the first fish to John’s memory. ‘Rest in peace John’ after a couple of hours sitting and thinking about my old friend I decided to visit the river Ribble.
I was surprised to see three salmon anglers all casting with Spey rods despite the very cold gusting wind, it was great to see. After some shopping I called into the local tackle shop for a chat and catch up on the latest news. Back home after a late lunch I spent some time working on my new book, looking out of my study window I could see a sparrow hawk perched on the compost bin feeding on its prey, on the archway was perched another sparrow hawk. This is the first time I have seen two of these birds together in my garden.

Friday I was on the river at first light, checking mink traps and scaring off cormorants which usually target the fishery at dawn, I now have my licence for scaring off these predators on our valuable fish stocks. I just wished more fishery owners and club would take action against the mink and cormorants. Remember the more mink we trap the more our ground nesting and song birds will survive Back home for breakfast about 8’oclock for breakfast, I then checked my e-mails. Today I had 217 some of them rubbish which I just delete; I managed to get the sensible ones answered by midday.

After a quick lunch it was on to the River Ribble with Mick Holgate of Standish to try for the brown trout knowing the last day of the season was Sunday 30th September. With a strong downstream wind from the north east, I decided to try for salmon. As I did so I was surprised to see a number of brown trout feeding in the surface film. An hour later despite the strong wind I decided to fish for the trout using a four weight and floating line fishing a size 18 emerger on a twelve foot leader with a two pound tippet. In an hours fishing I had seven good brown trout with the best at 17 inches a fine looking cock fish in all its mating colours. It looked magnificent. As Mick Holgate said “What a great looking fish” it was time for a mug of tea. As we sat drinking tea our friend Anthony Morris called to say he had just caught a Ribble chub of 5-1-0 on luncheon meat. Unable to see the fly in the fading light it was time to leave the river to the bats, owls and the two bailiffs.

Saturday morning I was in the studio just after 4am working on a special programme, at six it was time for tea and toast. As I sat working on a script I got a call from Wally Brockwell to say he had caught a barbel of 12-10-0 from the River Ribble on two lobworms when salmon fishing. Eight o’clock Martin Salisbury arrived at the BBC Radio Lancashire studio to join me for a trip up to Cleveley Mere where some members of Morecambe and District junior anglers were having a forty eight hour fish in. After talking to the group and recording some interviews for my At The Waters Edge programme, it was off to ‘Something Fishy’ where I recorded some more interviews. Back in the Blackburn studio I finished work on a programme before I went into town for a later lunch. Then it was on to the River Ribble to chat with some anglers where I learnt that David Jones of Bury had caught a chrome bright cock fish of 13lbs. After checking the mink traps it was off to the car wash then back home where I finished off some letters and sorted out some tackle for my next fishing trip. Another week was over; it’s surprising how quick the time goes.