Today is Little Tales Birthday…..

Tags

Birthday, Cod, Featherweight, Record, Sharpes

Record Cod caught

Little Tales is celebrating a birthday today,giving me eight wonderful years of watching him grow up. He has managed to out-fish me over the last couple of seasons and with his eye on a prized bass or sea-trout this year the challenge is on. His Grandpa sent him a press cutting of a record sized Cod just to spur him on…

I tried to buy him a small vintage cane rod today, we had our eye on one all week on that well-known online auction site but managed to get out bid right at the last second by a dealer using Bid Sniper…so we’ll just have to be patient and look for another small Sharpes Featherweight cane rod.

Happy Birthday Little Tales, may your lines be tight this year.

An afternoon on the Hampshire Wey

Tags

Artificial fly, Brown Trout, Farnham, Fish, Fly Fishing, Nymph, River Wey, River Wye, Scotland, Shaun Madle, Water

Mayfly hatch on the Wey

After a swift drive down the A31 we arrived the other side of Farnham to spend a late Saturday afternoon fishing the Syndicated water of the Hampshire Wey as a guest of my good friend and life long fishing companion Shaun Madle. We tackled up with a small Farlow’s cane rod and my dependable Hardy Deluxe Smuggler #5 and for our young enthusiast a 7ft #4 paired to a Hardy Viscount 130 reel.

The deep pool

Young ‘Tales‘ was on a quest to catch a fish and in the late afternoon sun. We walked the lush green banks of the small Hampshire river. It wasn’t long before a fish was spotted taking duns from the water under the shadow of a willow. A line or two were cast with a small dry-fly but met will little interest. After about 20 mins of stalking this fish there was one half-hearted take and then a dark shape of a reasonable sized fish took flight downstream and into the weed.

A River Wey brown trout

Several hours had passed when Shaun hooked a fish on a Mayfly nymph only to find that the fish spat the hook out moments later only then to take the fly again. Once landed,  a quick observation from young Tales alerted us to the fact that this small brown trout was packed with perch fry, to the extent that its mouth was so full they were falling out on the ground. Not only had Shaun caught the only trout of the afternoon but also four perch.

A Wey brown trout packed with fry

There were a few Mayfly on the water but most of the action seemed to be sub-surface. Young Tales enjoyed his afternoon even though he spent most of it in terror from a field full of inquisitive horse that took a keen interest in him.

We will return another day to try to tempt one of these wily Wey trout into the net. Our thanks to our host who showed us how to do it.

70 Years on we pay tribute to 617 Squadron…Precision Bombing Squadron

Tags

617 Squadron, Dambuster, Lancaster, Limited Edition Print, RAF, Scampton, Sergeant Leslie Charles Hazell

617 Squadron ‘Dambuster’ Lancaster Limited Edition signed print.

The sky is full of cloud, unlike the evening 70 years ago. There is a chill in the air at RAF Scampton, today we pay tribute to those brave men and women who orchestrated one of the most audacious raids of the Second World War, the raid on the Möhne Dam, known as the ‘Dambuster Raid‘ by 617 Squadron.

Of Those 19 Lancaster and selected 133 crew who under a full moon flew at tree-top level to deliver a devastating attack,many were not to return, in fact only 77 men came back, the rest gave the ultimate sacrifice. We pay tribute with a sun set ceremony.

We as a family are lucky to have a signed Limited Edition print of some of the remaining crew of that raid. Having been adopted by my stepfather whose father was Capt Leslie Charles Hazell who flew for 9th Squadron and was sadly killed on December 20th 1942, young ‘Tales‘ and a Hazell by name is in awe of what he has witnessed. Young ‘Tales’ has seen several times the BBMF at both Goodwood and the Bournemouth Air Show and still his eyes light up, he always says ‘is that what grandpa’s daddy flew’…

In the autumn we went to RAF Coningsby to the home of the Battle Of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) and ‘Little Tales’ saw first hand Thumper being readied for its duties for 2013, like so many of us he started to realise the enormity of what those young men took on, at the age of 7 and a bit he realises what his great-grandfather and so many other young men with so much courage and commitment gave, full knowing that many would never return.

http://www.thedambusters.org.uk/mohne_attack.html

Lest we forget

Watching the Pink…

Tags

Bass, Fishing, Native plant, Nature, Sea Pink, Wild Flowers

In early May on rocky outcrops, cliff tops and wind-swept grass banks ’Thrift or Sea Pink’ push up their tightly packed globe like flower heads from their low basal rosettes of fine grass like leaves. A mass of light and dark pink flower sets them apart from other early flowering species. For me Thrift is one of natures calling cards, there is much to be learned from mother nature.

For those who are into bass fishing this is the first sign that the crabs will be moulting their hard shells and that with a peeler crab used as bait you may well attract a predatory sea bass.

In my garden in a small terracotta pot I have two established native plants, one a tight bun of about 3 inches in diameter and the other a good 8 inches, neither are in flower, so for me a good indication that the bass are not around yet in any meaningful numbers, however as soon as these plants flower I will be off to the Sussex Coast.

The Spiegeltent & The Black Sea Gentlemen

Tags

Black Sea, Brighton, Brighton Fringe, charles Rangeley-Wilson, La Clique, Old Steine, Saturday, Spiegeltent

Trout stream through the woods

With the Bank Holiday Weekend behind us and the vision of catching small trout from a woodland stream now a fading memory it was time to focus on the issues of work, well if going to a performance at The Famous Spiegel Garden qualifies as work.

Inside The Spiegeltent

In the late afternoon sun we drove towards the lush green South Downs and onwards to Brighton, there we were to meet an old friend of mine, Julian who has put together this year’s Brighton Fringe, an event covering cabaret, comedy, dance, film, literature, music, theatre, visual arts and workshops. The key attraction this year is The Spiegeltent and  the acclaimed show La Clique. Though another event this coming Saturday caught my attention, this being both Charles Rangeley-Wilson and John Andrews musing on the delights of fishing, the allure of the rivers and the glories of the English landscape. Author and conservationist Charles Rangeley-Wilson will discuss his new book – Silt Road - The Story of a Lost River in the Brighton Dome Founders Room at 3pm.

The Black Sea Gentleman

As the sun started drop low in the sky it was still bright enough to illuminate the stained glass of The Spiegeltent, this magnificent structure located at The Old Steine was to house an evening of music, cabaret, circus and the curious. The first act on stage, well, on top of a piano was Mikelangelo & The Black Sea Gentlemen with their signature sound of Balkan melodies and European Kabaret - an infectious fusion that plumbs the depths of sophisticated irreverence. This act Captained by Mikelangelo’s extraordinary, sonorous vocals and his crew sail their ship through oceans of tragic comedy, storms of melodrama and waves of eccentricity, this is an act not to miss nor is La Clique, with its array of dangerously charismatic characters who are sexy, funny, outrageous and unforgettable. If you find it all too much you can chill out in the Spiegel Garden with an Aperol Spritz.

If you are looking for something to brighten your year then you should head south before the 2nd June and indulge your senses at the Brighton Fringe and Festival. http://www.brightonfringe.org but make sure you book a ticket for The Spiegeltent. http://www.spiegltent.net

It’s a small world…

Tags

Brown Trout, Dry Fly, Fly Fishing, Robinswood Fishery, Surrey

Robinswood Trout Fishery near Farnham

It was late morning before we decided to head south to the Surrey Hills and fish a small trout fishery called Robinswood.

This venue I have fished with my good friend and fishing companion Shaun Madle for over two decades, each time it has proved to be challenging and yesterday was no exception.

Lower Pool at Robinswood Fishery

The bright sun managed to put this fish down into deeper pockets of water. Occasionally a fish would break the surface chasing hatching buzzers to the surface. There was a good hatch of olives and dark sedge flies but these wily trout were taking the smallest of flies in the surface film. It had taken me a good three hours to work out what was going on. Both my son Little Tales and me looked at each small lake trying to read the water and the hatching rise, opting to use small nymphs fished 18 inches or so below the surface but to no avail. Having changed the fly several times from a trusted pheasant tail to a small red-cheeked buzzer we finally tied on a small Cul De Canard olive hatching buzzer.

Having dropped down to the bottom lake where there was dappled sunlight we cast our lines towards the back of an outflow pipe from the top lake, the water still full of colour we let the fly drop and pull round with the current and towards some slack water. In a swirl of water we had hooked a small but perfect wild brown trout, its glimmering smoke silver under-body and distinctive dots on its flanks iridescent in the late afternoon sun.

Small is beautiful, a Robinswood wild brown trout

We may not have caught the trout for supper that we had hoped for but this small but perfect wild brown trout was a better prize.

Maybe your stature as a fly fisherman isn’t determined by how big a trout you can catch, but by how small a trout you can catch without being disappointed. — John Gierach

A trip to Sloane Street via Arcadia

Tags

Arcadia, Fly Fishing, Gin, Hardy's of Alnwick, River Test, Salmon Priest, Sloane's, Spitalfields Antiques Market, The Steeples Times, Trout, Vinatge

Andrews of Arcadia

As the sun shone on another warm May afternoon I couldn’t resist a trip to Spitalfields Market to see Andrews of Arcadia. Earlier in the week I had missed out on an evening of verse, visual and banter for a get together of the Caught By The River Social Club, this time held at the Queen’s Head in Denman Street.

Vinatge Salmon Priest Found At Spitalfields

I scoured the stalls for vintage glassware for my new gin project but little was to be found that ticked the visual boxes. However I did find a rather large salmon priest, a Hardy svelte reel pouch and a Stanley fly rod. Two of these items ended up in the Tales collection of vintage fishing tackle.

After an hour of conversation about fishing, tackle, conservation and the art of writing with Mr Andrews and fellow fisher Marc Simperallan, Marc and I adjourned to a near by watering hole for a pint of Broadside. On a chance meeting it was clear that Marc and I had the same passion for trout fishing. What I was to learn was that Marc knew of many waters that I had passed by in Norfolk that were to be the hunting ground of small wild trout.

Vinatge Hardy Reel Pouch

Upon the downing of a second jar it was time to part company and it was on my cut through the market back to Liverpool St Station that I was to stumble upon a large salmon priest, resembling a rather large matchstick, its egg sized lead head married to a malacca shaft. The other item was an olive green Hardy reel pouch, unfortunately the sewn label was detached but all the same for the price of a pint of Broadside a worthwhile purchase.

Late yesterday afternoon I was to meet with Mr Matthew Steeples of The Steeples Times an erudite gentleman who words may be profound and sometimes controversial but none the less a stimulating observation of day-to-day life. We sat in the afternoon sun to discuss the vertues of the growing gin market and to sample Sloane’s Gin, the award-winning Dutch Dry Gin. A gin much to Mr Steeple liking though his personal gin of choice is Miller’s Gin.

As the evening sun started to set I could only think about those summer evenings spent by the River Test, Compton beat on the Sopwith Estate where a G&T was order of the day before the evening rise.

At the gates of Heaven…

Tags

Allcock, Fishing Reel, Sunbury Antiques Market, Vintage

Milbro Fishing Reel Box

Under blue skies the gates of Kempton Park opened to the hoards of dealers, collectors, stylists, yummy mummies and visitors from a far for the Sunbury Antiques Market.

Allcock Stanley Reel

On a stand close to the entrance I found a Milbro Reel box with its retro graphics in clean order printed in blue and black on a white card background. Within the box was an Allcock Stanley Reel, this was a first for me. The reel was in good condition and came with its original leaflet. Its design seemed somewhat cumbersome but a great piece of engineering.

Earlier I had found a few K. P. Morritts reels,a couple of Eaton Sun reels, various pike bungs, a mounted pike head, the usual landing nets and a Holmes three-piece cane rod.

Found at Sunbury Antiques Market a Type 35 Bugatti pedal car.

Star find of the morning for me was a beautiful Type 35 Bugatti childs pedal car in gleaming blue paint. See http://www.sunburyantiques.com

Tonight there is a gathering of the Caught By The River Social Club at The Queens Head at the back of Piccadilly, where readings,verse, pictures and film will be spoken and viewed, I hope to be there.

Cross the border…..

Tags

Fly Fishing, Fly Reel, Hardy's, Multiplier, Orvis Battenkill

Orvis Battenkill Multiplier 5-6#

Found over the other side of the Seven Bridge a Orvis Battenkill Multiplier 5/6# reel.

The Orvis Battenkill is a well made and robust reel if slightly heavier than my prefered Hardy Lightweight range but all the same will perform well. It’s slightly heavier feel will balance well with my Hardy Perfection 8 1/2 ft 5# cane rod. This is the only Orvis reel I have owned and is now quite a rare find especially in this condition.

Orvis Battenkill Mulitplier

The Orvis Battenkill Multiplier was made by BFR, it is a great reel to play bigger fish that you need to control quickly with a drag system that will slow even the most energetic of fish, in fact I’ve heard some people say they would stop a speed boat…

Silt Rivers…

Tags

Barnes Common, Beverley Brook, charles Rangeley-Wilson, Home Counties, London, Lost Rivers, Putney, Richmond Park, River Thames, thames

Beverley Brook cuts a path through Barnes Common in Southwest London.

For many years I have been interested in the hidden rivers of London and the Home Counties. Their paths just etched marks across fields and many just lined culverts through housing estates, industrial sites municipal recreational grounds, car parks and waste land.

Silt Rivers – Beverley Brook at the back of the Lion House Estate near Barnes

Rivers that once flowed through the City are now underground with their final flow into the Thames through grids and outflow pipes. One of these small rivers cuts through the Lion Estate in Barnes across the playing fields at Rocks Lane and flows past the Wetland Centre and out into the Thames near Putney, this is a stream known as Beverley Brook.

As the stream passes through Richmond Park it holds a good head of chub and other silver fish, however these fish never seem to migrate further downstream via the allotments near Palewell Park or Priory Bridge and into the slow flowing reach at the back of Barnes Common, well not until now.

Silt Rivers – Beverley Brook near Barnes

On walking back from the railway station I took time to look over the bridge that allows the stream to flow under Station Road, there in the bright sunlight against the silt bottom I noticed some small fish about an inch long, some slightly larger. Clearly there has been some work done on Beverley Brook so is this part of a new stocking program or that with the heavy winter rains that new life has been brought back to the Brook.

With the recent publication of the Silt Road by Charles Rangeley-Wilson I hope this will nurture more interest in these silent arteries of our land.