It’s been a Busy Few Weeks

My last report covered the last two weeks of the 2007/08 coarse fishing season which I spent on the Rivers Loddon Kennet and several gravel pits in Berkshire on the Wasing Estate. Since the coarse fishing season on rivers and streams ended on March 14th, the weather has been quite cold often with gale force winds, certainly not spring trouting weather. Though the trout season started on March 15th most anglers didn't bother. During the first couple of weeks I fished a weighted nymph a few times without success. Most of the time I have been very busy with habitat work, due to the extremely cold nights I covered my pond with bubble pack and heavy sheeting to protect the frog spawn, then later the very tiny tadpoles. As I write this in the third week of April all seems to be going well. On the Edisford Hall fishing on the River Ribble Mick Holgate of Standish and Brendan Ince of Blackburn have been a great help in erecting several hundred yards of fencing and barbed wire at various sections of the fishery, Most of the stiles have now been covered in chicken wire, just one remains to be finished.

Two nest boxes in the big wood have been taken over by Great tits; in the small wood I have seen several sightings of a Tawny Owl and some Roe Deer. There is a major problem with deer poaching. I have joined with others and we now have a good team of anti poaching people with some rather fierce dogs which should help. Several mink and grey squirrels have been trapped and shot, which will help the water fowl, ground nesting and song birds. Thankfully the weather improved around April 12th though it still wasn't good trout fishing conditions with a dry fly. In fact very few flies have been seen over or on the water. We need some warm nights with rain and warm south westerly winds. What was encouraging is the report of a 20lb plus salmon caught from the River Ribble on a fly.

Some time has been spent indoors working on a new book, also writing several features for Countryman's Weekly. In early April I attended the Wigan region of the PAC presentation evening which was well attended and a great success. It was nice to see so many pike anglers gathered together. On the 9th April I attended the Prince Albert AS induction meeting in Macclesfield of new member where many game and coarse fishers were made welcome, including several ladies and the odd junior, I would like to see more dads and granddads getting their youngsters introduced to this great sport, pastime or passion. I reckon it’s a bit of all three.

I have been out and about recording programmes for At The Waters Edge on Thursday evening at 7-30pm and Tales from the River Bank on Friday afternoons for BBC Radio Lancashire. Giving some ladies casting lessons and helping them choose the right equipment. I visited a couple of small commercial coarse fisheries where anglers can fish all through the year; I recorded a programme from Ted Carters tackle shop Church Street Preston where I interviewed Martin Salisbury, Brendan Ince, Alan Roe and Arlene Harris. It’s not all been work, I did get to go fishing, which included a trip to the river Wharfe where I manage one brown trout on a weighted nymph. All recorded live for At the Waters Edge on BBC Radio Lancashire. I hope you enjoy that programme.

On the 10th April I flew out to the United Arab Emirates on an Emirates airline flight from Manchester to see my second grandchild, Jessica Holly who was born on December 24th 2007. Having arrived at Greg and Sharon's (my daughter and son-in law’s) home in the early hours of the morning. I went off to bed a very weary traveller. I suppose it was around lunchtime when I got my first look at Jessica who gave me a lovely smile. In fact within a few days I had passed my test wheeling the buggy around the shops. There was another reason for my trip to the UAE, I had also been asked to do some filming at the Le Meridian Al Aqah hotel in Fujairah and off the east coast of the UAE which offers excellent saltwater fly and spin fishing. Many of the anglers just spend their time trolling, I can't think of anything more boring. I would rather watch the grass grow or the paint to dry.

Once again my skipper and guide was Wayne De-Jagger a jovial South African with many good jokes and stories, but above all a very good angler and experience skipper with safety in mind at all times when we were on the ocean. I had come equipped with Thomas and Thomas saltwater fly fishing rods which I reckon are the best made today, made by dedicated American rod builders, these are not some carbon stick from China. But a top quality product. My saltwater fly reels were made exclusively in the United States by Gilmore, Tibor and Abel. My tropical saltwater fly lines are Wulff Triangle taper which perform extremely well in the harsh conditions. During the filming sessions I was featured taking part in some of the hotel activities, working out in the gym having a massage teaching beginners to cast a fly and generally enjoying myself. The sunshine and the warm Indian Ocean certainly helped. But I reckon the best bit was moving out from the rugged shoreline of the Harjar mountains roll down to meet the ocean, as we sailed eastwards I watched in awe as the sun was slowly rising from the ocean like a huge ball of fire. Certainly an impressive sight. Thirty minutes later we were several miles offshore ready to cast a fly to a fish that might go six pounds but perhaps sixty pounds or more.