Whisky and water…

Tags

Advent, Barnes, Christmas, Cutty Sark. Glenrothes, Grayling, Perch, Vintage Tackle

Under bright skies the farmers market was quieter then usual, some new vendors stalled amoungst the regulars and the usual banter filled the air, then one stall holder shouted  ‘Downton how are you?, that’s the nickname given to me by Ed the purveyor of Sushi, I have to say it is rather good, better than what you’ll get in M&S, Yo Sushi and other fast food outlets.

Having spent a good part of the morning in the loft looking for the Christmas decorations and trying to have a good tidy up, just that I need to find some space to store things before Mum comes for Christmas. Having a passion for collecting art and an eclectic mix of decorative items I’ve seemed to have collected enough to fill Downton Abbey let alone our humble home which is comfortable but a bit on the small size, I guess that’s the compromise for living in this leafy part of London. Amoungst all the boxes of collectables, paperwork, mirrors, old furniture and obsolete electrical goods. However, in one area of the loft are several boxes of Speyside Whisky, a collection put together over several years and have remain unopened for at least a decade.

I have always had a passion for whisky in fact I was fortunate enough to work for the well respected merchant of fine wines and spirits, Berry Bros & Rudd. The heritage of the company in St James’s spans over 300 years and the owners of the  Glenrothes brand and that familiar tipple when on holiday, Cutty Sark, which they have now sold on. For me the crisp winter nights becon a dram or two of a fine malt and a dash of Franklin & Sons Artesian Water which comes from a well know Scottish spring.  I’ve still not acquired any whisky stones yet as I have in the past used a large round ice mould to chill my glass down so maybe a trip to Whisky World this week to see what new releases there are to add to the Christmas drinks list.

I’m behind this year on my writing and sadly I’m behind on my Advent posts so I will aim to put one together for tomorrow. With the loss of my father earlier this year, a new job which has become all consuming and with little opportunity to fish, source vintage tackle or walk the shoreline I’ve been short on inspiration, hopefully I’ll get back to more activity in the New Year. For now I’ll raise a glass of the fine spirit and think about returning to the water over the Christmas holidays for an early frosty and crisp mornings Perch or Grayling fishing…now there’s a thought.

Cornwall…this way

Tags

Antiques, Chough, Cornwall, Curio, Falmouth Corporation Fishery, Fishing, Fly Fishing, Gin, Hayle, Holdsworth, Lizard, Mullion Cove, Richard Nott, Travel, Tribute, Vintage

Last Friday I took the decision to drive on my own to Cornwall to visit Rubina and William Tyler-Street,owners of the Curio Spirits Company based in Mullion Cove. We had things to discuss on brand development and it was good to see developments at the distillery. It was also an opportunity to catch up with friends who I share the same passions with, drinking gin, art, antiques and a coastal lifestyle – that’s if you can call mine that for living on the banks of the Thames.

 The evening light started to fade as I drove down the A303 and onwards to the A30, the rear lights of the cars in front forming a snake like trail across the Southern Counties through Surrey, Hampshire, Wiltshire, Sommerset, Devon and on to Cornwall. Stonehenge always seems to slow the traffic down as people look at one of the wonders of the world. It took a good few hours to get to what I feel are the ends of the earth, a sky so dark that the stars shine like diamonds, trees bent over from the Atlantic winds their branches encrusted with moss and the smell of the sea, distant crashing of waves and the odd Cornish chough call.

As I pulled into the car park of the Mullion Cove Hotel, Willaim peered through the passenger window to greet me. We sat talking for a few hours sipping at out pints of Tribute after a meal of locally caught fish and reared beef. We talked about distilling, shipwrecks, Customs Officers, poets, the sea and what next to create. As a seasoned brand ambassador I presented my Franklin & Sons Tonic range the bar manager and General Manager, which they seemed to like.

Saturday morning arrived after a good nights sleep, but I missed my morning cuddle with young Tales. Breakfast rolled into our meeting to discuss what next and after a few hours we felt we’d made enough ground to wrap up after a tour around the grounds and a conversation on how to develop the business further, the possibility of a visitor centre for the distillery and it’s expansion – certainly I noted the amount of knocks on the door by gin enthusiasts as they came to purchase their bootles of gin, much in the same way as when I was in my early teens and people coming to Quill Hall Farm for their eggs and milk, how times change.

Without giving too much away we had conceptualised a great new brand.

 It’s now down to us to turn creative scribbles and research into an award winning brand in both visual and liquid terms. I am very excited by the new journey we have embarked on. With more knocks on the door by gin enthusiast it was time I made passage to Hayle on my whirlwind journey to Cornwall, however there was one detour to make, the Lizard, and a visit to ‘Cornwall’, a small antiques and decorative interiors shop owned by our good friend Debbie who appeared on TV a few nights before my trip. The shop is a real cornucopia, an eclectic mix of old and new items…it’s difficult for me not to want to take most of it home but I was told in no uncertain terms that Mrs Tales said I have too much already. Debbie kindly gave me a small booklet on Falmouth Corporation Fishery, printed in 1963 and detailed popular patterns of flies on the Corpoartion water, Black Spider, Wickhams’s Fancy, Peter Ross, Coch-y-Bondhu and one of my favourites the Alexander, noting that the Sedge Fly fished wet or dry was deadly – that then prompted me that as time was of the essence I should make haste to Hayle but not before one last drop in to Last Stop, for me one of the best tackle shops around and certainly the best in Cornwall – a bass fishers paradise. Unfortunately when I arrived Chris wasn’t there but that didn’t stop me buying a 28g Tsunami Frenzy Jig in sliver/orange as a point jig for young Tales next excursion to the South Coast.

  
 My thoughts went back my last visit in July when I attended the Gin Festival in St Ives, giving us the opportunity to visit our friends who live on the Lizard and in St Ives. Part of my excitement this time was to see Richard Nott my artist friend and to see his new studio in Hayle, a former forge and known as the Forge. This new studio gives him a great space to work in.

Nestled in the back of the car was my trusted W F Holdsworth ‘Equipe’road bike which I offered Richard back in the summer. Richard, a keen cyclist would make better use of this 70’s icon of British road racing rather than for it to endure the harsh elements of another winter propped up against the potting shed, or rather Gin Shed as it’s now known. Whilst walking around Richard’s studio I was thinking about what a great distillery building it would make. Richard was in the middle of creating some new works, I was then thinking about a big white wall at home that one would look great on…

 Talking about gin sheds, Curio have a fine one that houses their still and the production hub of their Curio Rock Samphire Gin and crafted vodkas. In a secluded spot on the outskirts of Mullion, on the edge of a wind blown coppice surrounded by a stone wall their still house made of a stone structure painted in what I call Tiffany Blue an out-building to the farm which itself has a rich history and by all accounts has had a dwelling sited there for over a 1,000 years. The old farmhouse once an armoury is allegedly haunted – you can tell that a rich history seeps from it’s walls. I urge you to visit the Curio Distillery if you are that way inclined to learn where your gin comes from.

Within 24 hours it was time to head back to SW London, a shame to be leaving so soon but I know not for long there is something about Cornwall that draws you back time and time again.

Fishing the evening tide…

Tags

Abu Cardinal, Atlantic, Bass, High Tide, Lugworm, Mackerel, Mitchell 300, Newhaven Angler, Reel, Seaford, Sussex Coast, Vintage

After a slow start to the day we eventually get ourselves together and made our way to Seaford for an afternoons fishing. The  forecast was promising, a late high tide and the wind that blew for most of the day would drop by early evening. With a brief stop at Newhaven Angler for some lugworm we were set for a good afternoons fishing.

We set up a couple of vintage rods, an Abu Atlantic 4 paired to a Cardinal 759 and an old Masterline spinning rod paired to vintage Mitchell reel that was acquired a couple of years ago from a car boot sale in Norfolk.

As a good couple of hours passed by with not even a knock it was clearly going to be a tough afternoon. Young Tales, kept his focus , as dusk set in he was rewarded with a Horse Mackerel  

    
   

Deceivers…

Tags

Abu, Andrews of Arcadia, Antiques, lure, Shoreditch House, Spitalfields, St Ives, Toby, Vintage Tackle

Found under the glass roof of Spitalfields Market today a cluster of home-made and vintage lures.

Over recent months it has been noticeable of the absence of Andrews of Arcadia, no longer a dedicated piscatorial stall fills a space at the far end of the market, no more mugs of victory tea, banter, stories of trips to the ends of the island in search of ‘Vintage Tackle For The Soul’ – this an now only be found by viewing on my iPad.

Spitalfields Market always excites me in much the same as Sunbury Antiques Market who’s home is Kempton Racecourse. You simply never know what you may find but if you wish for something you’ll always manage to find it.

Having attended a meeting at Shoreditch House I decided to stroll back through the Market towards Liveool Street Station. Dealers sat chatting to each other and punters browsed the eclectic mix of items, boxes of bone, silverware, vintage watches, paintings, glassware, vintage furniture, shop fittings, clothing – yes this list is endless.

Having picked up a vintage Festival of Britain branded glass and a 50’s button badge from someone’s holiday souvenirs from St Ives I came across a table of odds and ends and a handful of vintage lures. Some whittled from wood, others a combination of wire and lead weights, others vintage manufactures lures, similar to Heddon and one painted Abu Toby, this I had to have. What intrigued me most was that someone had taken the time to sit and make some lures that they thought would deceive a fish…today they caught the eye of a fisherman, as my wife say’s, tackle is there to catch fishermen not fish.

Back on the trail again…

Tags

Bruce & Walker, Dai Jones, Fishing, Fly, Franklin & Sons, Gin, Intrepid Gearfly, Kenmore, Planet Co., Reel, Rod, sea-trout, Tionic, Wales

It’s frustrating when whilst I the middle of a writing a post it seems to disappear, however I will have another go. Fishing trips have been far and few between this year in fact I’m not even sure we’ve been on one. I know we’ve put the rods in the car, bags and all the other stuff, but the time spent by the water fishing just hasn’t happened.

Also in my pursuit of all things vintage there have been no trips to Sunbury Antiques Market and I think I’ve only been to my favourite West London Car Boot once. I’ve purchased a couple of things out of local charity shops, these being an Intrepid Gearfly Reel and Spool along with a pristine Diawa Salmon spinning rod.ba recent online purchase of a colapsable canvas fishing creel from the turn of the last century was a good find, made by the Planet Co of Westfield, Mass. Planet seem to make a range of colapsable canvas fishing items, bait buckets, minnow traps and a creel. Although missing it’s carrying strap it looks like new, no faded material and the metal struts in good condition. It was listed as a live bait bag but after having done some research it was note as a Creel and across the Pond a valued item trading at $145 in fair condition.

My other recent purchase has been a ‘New Era’ Bruce & Walker Fly Rod #7/9 an ideal Sea -Trout or Grilse rod. This rod I want to try out on a West Wales river before the season ends. Having purchased some Sea-Trout flies from Dai Jones, serviced the Gearfly reel and cleaned the lines ready for use, I just need to pick up the rod from Toby on the South Coast and head for the hills of mid Wales. For over two seasons your Tales and I have talked about a trip to catch a bar of silver out of a Welsh river but to date we just haven’t found the time to do it. In fact we had also discussed a trip up to the Tay in Scotland, once an annual pilgrimage for myself to fish on the Kenmore stretch of the river during the end of September or early October.

Having taken on the role of launching a new range of tonics and soft drinks under the Franklin & Sons brand who’s heritage dates back to 1886, the precious time I once had to fish with young Tales has now been absorbed in attending Gin Festivals across the country most weekends. Hopefully, whilst the summer holidays are upon us we’ll get the odd afternoon to head South to the Itchen on the outskirts of Winchester to fish, there a couple of seasons ago young Tales caught his first Sea-Trout, an experience he will never forget or will I.

Fishing in what ever form has been a great pastime for us to enjoy, building lasting memories and bonding us together in a way no other sport has done to date, well except our love for cars and motorsport but it’s not quite the same. I do hope we can enjoy more time by the river or sea together- simply we need to make time to do it.

  

Boiling water…

Tags

Fly Fishing, Hampton Court, Hardy, JLH, Princess, River, sea-trout, Wales, West Country

Having missed a good three months of the official trout fishing season I do find myself missing the feeling of a  line tighten as a trout takes a fly.

With nearly a full moon in the night sky and the Thames tides showing more of the foreshore than I have seen for some time my thoughts turn to the excitement of a nights sea-trout fishing. For sure they run the Thames and I have seen them caught at Isleworth and Hampton Court on the fly. However, there is nothing quite like a night out on a river in the West Country or West Wales.

Usually I have fished light in the past using a 9ft #6 rod and JLH Hardy reel with floating line, light tackle can give heart stopping excitememt but most I know go for a slightly longer, stiffer rod using a weight 7/8 line on a Hardy Marquis or Princess Reel if being a traditionalist. One good vintage rod is a Bruce & Walker ‘ New Era’ Sea Trout rod that will handle a 8/9 line for double figure fish. Choice of flies are inportand and Dai Jones ties some good patterns, snake flies , tandems, needle flies and surface wake or bubblers flies proving successful.

When the opportunity has arisen I have purchased boxes of old sea-trout flies from the West County or Wales as I know local patterns work well, they have been tried a tested. In a recent article in Trout & Salmon on Sea-Trout fishing it covered the tackle required, techniques and flies to be tried, it’s was certainly worth the read. With the run of Sea-Trout now well underway I hope to get a long weekend in the West give me vintage tackle an airing and the chance for young Tales to once agin put me to shame, for the last couple of seasons he has out-fished me in both terms of number of fish caught and the size. His first ever Sea-Trout caught on the Itchen was a shade under 9lb.

With a couple of warm days and late low tides it may temp me to venture out on the Thames or to book day/night out on a river in the West.

Casting in the sun

Tags

1886, Beer, Festival, Fishing, Franklin & Sons, Gin, Hardy, River, Sea, St Ives, Tonic

With the start of the new coarse fishing season underway only the fool hardy ventured out under the grey skies and pouring rain – clearly as I get older I have turned into a fair weather fisherman. Gone are the days when I would head out whatever the weather in pursuit of a trout from a chalkstream or a trace full of mackerel and a prized sea bream from the sea.

Any sort of fishing recently has been put on hold. The course rods and reels were put away back in March, there has been little time to venture to the Sussex Coast for any sea fishing and the collection of trusted Hardy fly rods and reels have remained in situ since the end of last season.

Having had my Father pass away recently it brings home how precious time is, how missed opportunities with young Tales by the river watching his face light up as he catches even the smallest of fish or purely the sheer enjoyment of  just being spending time out together, so the rod will be dusted off and packed into the car as we head off to the West. 

Fortuitously work this weekend takes me to one of the furthest points West, glorious St Ives, where this I will be working at the Gin Festival UK promoting Gin and Franklin & Sons tonics and mixers, a range of soft drinks produced since 1886 on the edge of the metropolis along the Metropolitan Line in Rickmansworth. As a child I remember finding the old Franklin branded glass bottles on the spoil heap of the local farm and occasionally I see one in the bottom of the River Chess and more often in hedgerows along the footpaths leading to the river, probably discarded by school boys on their way home. Occasionally when on the banks of the River Thames you can find the old black vulcanite stoppers, recently I found a Franklin ‘F’ branded bottle stopper and at a local table sale an old glass branded green bottle.

Hopefully if we get a good day on Sunday and with a little sun young Tales and I can get a couple of hours in hurling a Dexters out to sea. In recent years in-shore mackerel have been far and few between but the odd pollock has often broken cover in the rocky coves to take the odd lure when presented.

I’m certainly looking forward to a catch up with some old friends, the odd pint in The Sloop Inn or cocktail in the Rum & Crab Shack and without question a Gin and Tonic if Col has anything to do with what we’ll be drinking.

    

No April Fool…

Tags

Fly Box, Fly Fishing, Hampshire, Hardy, Reel, Rivers, Wheatley

Slowly the blossom is starting to open up on the tree beyond the sitting room, to watch the seasons come and go as buds form, flowers unfurl, leaves flourish in the summer sun only to turn amber, red and then fall to the graphite grey pavement and that indicates the passing of another year. Now it is the time for the white blossom to form like clouds of shimmering light, the bees will soon swarm around on warm days so many of them that there is a constant hum during daylight hours.

The cold days of March are now behind us and as April heralds in the start of the river trout season it is time to plan a few days out with young Tales. Fishing so far this year has been put on hold because of the state of the rivers, running fast, high and heavily coloured it gave us little chance to fish. We’re not really into managed lakes preferring to chance our luck on meandering rivers however in February we did venture to a small fishery just off the A31 which proved to change our views on such places that when the weather warms up and the coarse season starts again we will return to watch the hot orange paint of the tip of a cork float dip beneath the indego coloured water.

With boxes of game fishing tackle stored in the loft it is now time to get them out, dust off them off and compile sets of tackle for fishing the rivers of Hampshire, Wiltshire and the trickling streams of the West Country. There are Wheatley boxes of nymphs, emergers,  drys, wets and the classic Mayfly. Hardy reels with double taper dry lines, sink tips and intermediates – every option is covered with an abundance of spare spools in order to change the presentation quickly. Light tackle to heavier rods and reels for Sea-Trout fishing later in the year…yes, there us a lot of ‘stuff’ as Mrs Tales would point out.

For me April is still too early to fish, the bankside vegetation is only just starting to grow, Robins still till the soil for earthworms and grubs and the temperature of the water still too cold for fish to start to feed properly. Those of you that head to the rivers will now doubt find it hard going. The lack of camouflage from the bankside vegitation means that fish are easily spooked with only juvenile fish eager to take the fly more out of their inquisitive nature to chase a moving object, the larger fish are no ‘April Fools’ being tempted by larger patterns they simply tuck themselves close to the bank occasionally moving into mid stream to check out the odd dislodged snail or displaced matter.

This month is about planning and preparation, putting the time in now will pay dividends in the months to come. Depending on the enthusiasm of young Tales to venture out fishing we could find ourselves out before the end of the month however I sense it will be May for that first trip to the river.

   
   

New Year, new directions…

Tags

Abereiddy, Coast, Fishing, Flood, Pembrokeshire, Slate, St David's, Wales

Christmas is just a distant memory and the New Year was spent as far West as one could get tucked away in a friends cottage with the warmth of an AGA. The cottage was situated on the shoreline of Abereiddy, once a slate workings where the only indication of its industrial past was a row of derelict cottages and the main slate working now flooded to form a lagoon.

There was no mobile signal or internet access, no village shop or pub, we were miles away from it all. We had packed all the food and drink we needed, warm jumpers, Barbours, wellingtons and slippers.

The rain fell continuously and the wind blew, only occasionally would the patchwork grey sky give way to the odd ray of sunshine, the presense of a cobalt blue patch a welcome sight. To many this may seem a remote and glum place to be but there was a beauty about it. Certainly it was a key location for those willing to brave the element to surf and those that took to the coastal path for a bracing walk on what was a breathtaking coastline.

It wouldn’t be a normal Tales adventure without the use of a fishing rod. We had packed a beachcaster, rigs, weights and a fixed spool reel the only thing we didn’t have was any bait, however there were enough limpits on the rocks to use. The surf was high and powerful so the water was coloured like builders tea, not ideal conditions but it was more about being out there.

The torrential rain that most of the country has endured for weeks kept up over the three day vacation and what was a small stream from the hills became a broader river in flood cutting off access to the whole beach, you needed wellingtons to breach it, each day it flowed faster and deeper.

We took time to visit St David’s with its grand cathedral that seems to be built on an incline so if you stand at the back of it you look upwards towards the alter. To think how long ago it was built adds to the grandeur of the magnificent construction and to look back at it through the trees dappled in winter sun gave an air of romance about it. It inspired me to paint a quick picture of what I could see on an off-cut of wood with some acrylic paints I took with me.

I would like to spend some more time exploring the Pembrokeshire coastline with the family here in late spring so for sure we will make this a destination for our travels in 2016.

For all of you may I wish you a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year. Whatever you do and wherever you go enjoy.

It is Christmas Day!

Tags

Christmas, Fishing, Greetings, New Year

To all of you brothers of the angle, shutter and paintbrush, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas, may you all find peace and love not only over the Christmas season but for evermore.

For those of you heading to the river or sea tomorrow may your lines be tight and smiles put upon your face.

I bless you all for a prosperous New Year.