Meeting with a Giant of Carp Fishing

Monday was one of those lovely soft autumn days, warm with no wind and low light conditions, what I call a ‘Roach fishers day’. It wasn't roach I started fishing for on Edisford Hall water on the river Ribble, it was salmon with a floating line fishing a size eight General Practitioner fly on a nine foot 12 lb tippet. Around 10 o’clock I hooked a fish just below the big rock at the Clay Hole which was quickly subdued, a very coloured cock fish about 8lbs which was quickly released. Back in the cabin I had a quick brew, as I sat watching the river I a cormorant fly low up the river. This sea going predator then started hunting in a weir pool. Finishing my brew I decided I didn’t want to catch any more coloured salmon and packed away my gear.

As I was checking my mink traps I could see some grayling feeding on tiny flies, instead of going off downstream I decided to fish for these delightful fish often called ‘Lady of the Stream’ I chose to use my new eight foot five weight Thomas and Thomas fibreglass Heirloom model. The rod has a lovely action very much like fishing with a cane rod. I matched it with a small Ross reel and a floating Wulff triangle taper floating line. In the gin clear water I chose a fifteen foot leader tapered down to a two pound tippet; With a large number of very tiny midge type flies hovering over the water I picked a size 20 Grey Duster. It’s a pattern that imitates nothing special but grayling will often take them for something they like.

Grayling are a shoal fish where you often spend some time searching, often trying several spots before contacting the fish. It might be a school of ten fish, there could be fifty fish. Grayling can also be fished for with trotting gear and small red worms though I reckon sweet corn is better bait and you don’t usually catch so many trout. Having fished the first pool without seeing any signs of fish I moved downstream to the ‘Big Rock pool’ where I immediately spotted the rise of a grayling as it quietly sipped down a tiny insect. As I pushed my way through the shoulder high Himalayan Balsam a fox cub took flight, across the river a pheasant shot skywards and downstream a magpie was being mobbed. Using a wading staff I waded out into the river so I could get a better cast, pulling off some line I made a back cast then shot the line. Just as it was going to land on the water I put a wriggle in the rod which transferred a wriggle to the line giving me a better drag free drift.

After three casts without a fish I rested the spot for five minutes. Grayling are easily spooked by the line going over their heads. Restarting I hooked a nice fish on my second drift, in eight casts I caught five fish averaging about a pound and a quarter. Sitting on the bank I watched for further activity I didn’t see a single rise and with polarising glasses, I could see every stone on the bottom, apart from a small trout I didn’t’ see a grayling. It was time to move. Having carried on for a fishless hour I gave up for the day. I was most impressed with the new Heirloom fibreglass rod. Close your eyes when casting and you will think you have a bamboo rod in your hand. As the Thomas and Thomas brochure quotes - Claude Monet, Auguste Renoir, Paul Cezanne, Edgar Degas – the masters of French Impressionism. Each purist attempted to record his vision of reality using transient effects of light and colour. And for today’s angling purists, like Pro Staff member Martin James who delights in a fly rod that virtually “paints” the fly on the water. T&T created the Heirloom series. The Americans certainly have a way with words. In my book they have created a master piece.

Today Tuesday after some over night rain the River Ribble had a rise of about ten inches, I spent the morning in Radio Lancashire studio working on some programme material until lunchtime then it was off to the river to check my mink traps which have to be inspected every 24 hours. Back home I had a quick lunch, after a few telephone calls I caught up on my correspondence including some fifty odd e-mails. In no time at all it was dinner, after an hour break away from my desk I got back to work until about nine o’clock. Finally spending an hour reading Len Arbery’s book Ripples and Reflections published by Little Egret Press before going off to bed.

Wednesday I was surprised to see the River Ribble holding its level, it looked great for coarse and salmon angling. Moving down river most anglers were fly fishing for this great game fish, no doubt knowing the season comes to an end this month. Today it was my pleasure to host three army officers Major Stewart Heaton, Major Ian Parker and Sergeant Tam Miller on the River Ribble for a days angling in the peaceful Lancashire countryside, and we must never forget those who get killed or badly injured protecting our safety both at home and abroad. I reckon it would be nice to see all angling clubs, syndicates and associations offer our men and woman home on leave from Iraq or Afghanistan a days fishing. It’s the least we can do.

Though no salmon were caught we all had a great days fishing, I suppose the highlight was the all day breakfast in the café at Mitton. During the afternoon session the guys were served tea and biscuits at the water edge. After they left the river bank for home, I went off down river to fish for chub and barbel catching both species on legered crust. I missed the first three bites that really whacked the rod tip round; I was wandering what I needed to do to get a hook up. Thankfully I hit the next one and several more. I had one very long chub which going by its length should have gone five pounds plus. This fish was more like a stick and might just have gone four pounds. As the darkness and the icy cold fog enveloped me the bites become less frequent. I decided to call it a day, making my way back to the car I stumbled and staggered through the small copse until I reached the open field. Then back at the car I realised I had left my landing net on the bank so I had to retrace my steps. Back home I had some dinner then read a bit more of Ripples and Reflections before going off to bed.

Today I Caught Some Chub and Barbel

Thursday I am back on the river again and as I walk to my chosen swim I found a sheep barely alive, it could just lift its head off the ground a few inches. No way could I leave an animal in distress, the fish would wait. I went of and told the farmers wife about the sheep and its location. An hour later I am back on the river where I had baited a couple of swims the evening before with mashed bread, broken boilies and chunks of sausage meat. I chose to start off with crust bouncing it down the stream with just one LG shot stopped six inches from a size 4 barbless hook. First cast a chub about three pounds which was quickly followed by five more fish about the same size.

It was time for a bait change, switching to free lined sausage meat I immediately caught a barbel about six pounds then a very good fish which I estimated at about nine pounds. For an hour or more I remained bite less. Asking myself the question “Why had they stopped biting”. I couldn’t come up with an answer. I tried two other swims without success then called it a day. I then drove further upriver to check my mink traps for the tenth day they were all empty, perhaps I have trapped them all from this area. Knowing they will travel a mile or two over night others will no doubt move into the area. Collecting all my traps I washed them off then stored them away for a couple of weeks. I will now concentrate on the cormorants. Back home I dealt with several urgent e-mails then it was dinner time. After which I sat reading Ripples and Reflections until I had completed it. It’s certainly a book I can recommend.

Shepherd leaves sick Sheep to Suffer

Friday Was a great day to be back on the river weather was perfect very warm with a light mist and very low light levels ‘A roach Fishers Day” I thought, I couldn’t make up my mind if I should go off after the roach or chase the chub and barbel I chose the latter. As I went across the field to the river, I spotted the poor sheep from the day before still laying in the mud barely able to move its head. I was an angry man. Once more I went off to the farm and told them I had called the RSPCA about the sheep’s condition. Saying “Why didn’t you put the poor animal out of its misery” I then got told “You shouldn’t have called the RSPCA and its had an injection and sheep cost a lot of money” I said “Why was it left to lay in the mud, in my book that’s being cruel to an animal that doesn’t deserve this treatment” With that I just walked away in disgust. In my book this is a shepherd who doesn’t care. I then called some other shepherds who said “What you say about the condition of that sheep an injection wasn’t going to help. I personally don’t reckon this particular shepherd was bothered. After all this I went off fishing but I couldn’t settle, after an hour without a touch I packed up. On the way home I called into the butchers in Chatburn and collected twenty pound of sausage meat, which I freeze. I then have plenty of bait when it’s needed.

Carp Fishers Mecca

Saturday morning Martin Salisbury a solicitor from Leyland picked me up at 6 o’clock for the trip down to Redmire Pool in Herefordshire to meet Martin Mumby a bailiff and Eddie Price who caught a 40-12-0 carp on a cold September morning in 1959 whose Fishing Diary’s are being published shortly. Martin Will Carter I would then fish the River Wye. Within three hours of leaving Lancashire we were sitting in a café in Ross on Wye having breakfast. After a visit to Wye Angling Tel 01989 566986 and getting information on the fishing. We then went off to Redmire a place I last visited in 1987; it still had its magic, mystery and beauty. I suppose we spent about two hours at the pool, where the highlight was meeting one of the giants of carp fishing Eddie Price who was one of the pioneers back in those far off days.

While Eddie sat on the Dam looking up the Pool and no doubt thinking back to the grand old days of carping. Martin Mumby and I walked the banks of this romantic pool as he told me about his love for the place and his previous meeting with Eddie who he described as a charismatic figure and one of the giants of carp fishing. After the recording with Martin I rejoined Eddie who then told me about the day he caught his huge fish, then the second largest carp caught at that time. You can hear the interview on BBC Radio Lancashire at 7-30pm 8th November and Saturday morning at 0600 hrs if you live outside the BBC Radio Lancashire broadcasting region you can listen via the internet www.bbc.co.uk/lancashire click on sport click on fishing. As I recorded the programme Martin and Will walked around the Pool taking many pictures and enjoying the flavour of this special place in the hearts of so many carp fishers.

Chub and Barbel from the Wye

Having said our good byes to Eddie and his family, Martin Mumby and his wife it was off to the White Lion, after booking in where I chose the room with the double bed I gave the other room with twin beds to Will and Martin who are avid football fans. One supports Southampton the other Preston, I was sure they would have fun. After a quick lunch it was off to the Ross town stretch of the River Wye. Having walked some distance looking for suitable swims, I found two available which I gave too the youngsters, deciding I would sit behind Martin brewing tea and listening to the cricket. An hour later I went for a walk to see if any swims were available, I was in luck, one of the anglers was packing up so I decided to move into the swim even though he hadn’t caught.

For half an hour I sat feeding in bait size pieces of bread flake and the occasional handful of bread crumb, I chose to fish with a three foot long tail with two LG shot and a size 4 barbless hook to 6lb Gamma line for the chub, My other outfit for barbel was 12lb Gamma line a size 4 barbless hook and one LG shot about three feet from the hook. Baits would be sausage meat and bread flake. reel on both outfits were fixed spools. I quickly had three chub including a fish estimated about 4-8-0 all on bread. Just on dusk I noticed the tip of the heavier rod baited with a big chunk of bread flake move slightly, picking up the rod I pushed it forward to give some slack. The line tightened as the tip slowly dipped I set the hook. I was rewarded with a beautiful gold coloured barbel. In fact we all agreed it was one of the best looking barbel we had ever seen. I ended the session with seven chub best at 5-1-0 and three barbel best at 8-6-0.

Back at the White Lion we showered then went down for dinner with a glass of red whine. After chatting with Mine Host about the fishing, we then watched the Rugby World Cup semi final France against England on a big screen. When Josh Lewsey scored the first try I nearly punched the ceiling in my joy. Though I must admit the last few minutes were probably some of the longest minutes in my life. It was great seeing our boys put one over on the French. I reckon it was another Agincourt without long bows, let’s hope they can do the same to the South African. After making a few telephone calls I went off to bed, but Martin and Will were on the river until around two in the morning. The end of another good week