Lady of the stream and Robbie the bank stick…

Tags

Abu 1044, Czech Woven Nymph, Fishing, Fly Fishing, Grayling, River Itchen, Samuel Palmer, Trotting

The title may lead you to think I’m about to review a new children’s title by Julia Donaldson & Alex Scheffler, but no this is about our day out on the banks of the River Itchen on a damp January day.

Having been away up in Derbyshire over the past couple of day I promised young Tales that we would head out fishing over the weekend, I did give him the option to spend time flying his new remote control Super Cub S, a rather substantial model plane but with low cloud and damp conditions fishing was the preferred option. 

It took a few trips up to the loft to store away the Christmas decorations and find a couple of bags of tackle and rods that had been put up there to clear space before my Mother arrived for the Christmas period, I could locate everything we needed however enough to tackle up a fly rod and a 11ft float rod for trotting.

Our destination today was on the outskirts of Winchester, we a fish a section fish the Itchen that run through meadowlands, flanked by trees and with the distant silhouette of Chuch spteeples whilst cattle graze on new shoots as mild conditions and no snow allows the grass to be lush the time of year, occasionally tugging at the holly trees that over hand from the boundary of the hedgerow with the river. The river path was well trodden as it is a popular spot for destination ramblers as well as local dog walkers and those who just want to take to the country to fill their lungs with fresh air and feel the chill wind against their faces.

It didn’t take us too long to commute the 68 miles but as the rain pelted the windscreen we glanced at each other wondering if we were just completely mad or were those clouds going to break to give us an hour or two of solace on the water, for us a pilgrimage as both the Itchen, Test and Avon are for us as much a Mecca for our fishing.

The river was running clear not quite gin clear but clear enough to feel confident if the fish were around we’d tempt one or two out on what would be our first fishing trip of 2017, may they continue in the months to come with greater frequency than last year. After we had the rods set up we walked down the hill from the Station where you can park to the small bridge that marks the start of the free fishing beat. Armed with a mixed box of maggots for trotting and a Wheatley box full of woven Czech nymphs we felt we had all we needed plus ‘lady luck’. 

As we walked the riverbank it was not long before we can across a father and son fishing, trotting their float mid-water and as we watched the tip of the rod started to bend, they played a grayling into the margin before we picked up conversation with them. I did notice the use of a closed face Abu reel, vintage and still in my mind one of the best river trotting reels I’ve ever used the Abu 1044. Fishing a mix of casters and maggots they seem to have had success so that indicated a way forward.

Young Tales took up the fly rod, with his first cast the yellow woven nymph pulled around with the current only to be taken by an eager grayling close in the margins, however after a momentary tug the fish was off.

The scenery in this valley of Hampshire reminds me of the etchings of that truer British romantic artist/etcher Samuel Palmer,distant church spires, grazing cows, streams, woodlands and low flying barn owls- it is truest a magical place that is only just over an hour from London. I am lucky to own a collection of Palmer’s work and the scene today reminded me of ‘The Willow’. It was under a willow that young Tales was casting, several follows but no takes so we moved upstream past a small a weir or flow regulato, here the water runs dark, deeper and through a narrower channel lined with reeds giving you between 18 inches and a yard to fish from if you are without waders. 

The drips of water from the hood of my Barbour ran consistently indicating that the drizzle had now turned into train, soon the rain passed over and fishing resumed. The bright orange tip meandering through the pale gray reflective water, in and out of shadows and momentarily pulling back in an eddy as the current flowed over a submerged tree trunk and clump of weed, most of the weed in the river has broken off as it decays before it starts it new growth. As the float swung to the left of a channel it disappeared beneath the surface at the same time the top of the rod bowed to the water and the line pulled tight. There displaying her pewter coloured scales and crimson dorsal fin a ‘lady of the stream’ gracefully made her way to the straw coloured reeds and deep green cress that grace the margins. For young Tales a beaming smile and a voice full of excitement as his is what we came for. Several trotts later another pewter bar came drop the depths. These fish are strong, if you try to handle one they have immense strength that pushes against your grip. Having returned the fish and taken time to observe the flow of the river we where joined by two Officers from the Environment Agency, they had come to check that we were carrying our Lisence to fish, to some this is an unwelcome visit however this is the first time for many years I’ve been asked. I have to say I was please to see these Officers of our sport, for it is the revenue from our licenses that help manage the waterways we fish.

The rain had set in and my old Barbour was leaking, classic it may be but not as functional/waterproof as more contemporary outerware. As Mrs Tales points out my old Barbour not only smells like a pocket full of change but stiffens in the cold and from age is more like a sieve. The warmth of home seemed more inviting than another hour on the river so we started to make our way back to the car, we stopped for one last cast and out of the corner of his eye young Tales spotted a stick, not any old stick but a home-made bankstick. Made of bamboo, brass, alloy with silk whippings and a Hazel twig fork at the top. Buried deep into the bank and on the edge of reeds to most it would be unnoticeable, it had probably been there for sometime and only now visible because the surrounding vegitation had died back. On inspection it was thoughtfully constructed, along the shaft was a paper tape measure varnished along the bamboo length but it was showing signs of weathering but did have the name ‘Robbie’ written in ink beneath the varnish. After much debate we decided to take the bank stick home with us..we will take ‘Robbie’ out on another adventure and should ‘Robbie’s’ owner get in touch then happily return it. As you can imagine ‘Stickmam’ came to mind and young Tales was quite chuffed with his riverbank find.

On the 4th day of Advent

Tags

Abu Toby, Advent, Fishing, pike, salmon, Vintage Tackle

Found on a table at a sale of vintage and collectables this disguised Abu Toby lure. Clearly decorated in the original owners favourite colours I wonder if this was for predatory fish or for a Spring or Autumn Salmon. I guess the only way to find out is to fish with it, but in the meantime it can be used as a decoration on the tree, once the treble has been removed. 

 

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.

The Amwell

Tags

Cane, Chapman, Fishing, Grayling, Hardy, Redditch, Rod, Tackle, Vintage

Having not really invested in any vintage tackle this year I couldn’t but help notice the sale of a Chapman of Ware cane fishing rod on thatcwell known online auction site. 

Having followed it over a few days I noticed that it sold for £162.50, a good amount and more than I sold mine for a year ago at the Vintage Tackle Fair in Redditch. My pristine example was purchased by a German collector for £135.

In early November those of the brotherhood of the angel will take to the roads early in the morning and head to the Mecca of all things piscatorial for the Vintage Tackle Fair, however  tempting it is, but I realise I’ll come back with more than I left to sell and that doesn’t please Mrs Tales.

I do have four Chapman rods to sell, a couple of Chapman 500’s and a sought after 550 which was refurbished by the respected Mr Paul Cook, which reminds me I have a Hardy LRH cane Salmon spinning rod to refurbish and a friends Farlow Elf that needs a new top section.

With little fishing done this year I’ve decided to reduce the amount of rods and reels in the collection, even young Tales realised that although it’s nice to have a cane rod the practicalities of a more modern rod means that you’ll use it more, much like the classic car only being driven on dry days.

Well it’s time to head to bed to read the most recent copy of Trout & Salmon, scroll through the feeds on the twitter account and look at all those lucky enough to be Grayling fishing this week.

Perched on the edge…

Tags

Autumn, Donnington, Ginetta, Perch Fishing, Sunbury, Track Day

From the tranquil Thames to Donington Park Circuit life couldn’t be more different however ‘perched on the edge’ seems an apt headline.

On Sunday the air was full of the scent on autum, earthy notes of decaying bankside vegitation, smoke in the air from burning leaves and that damp smell you get in the dappled light of October. For some the next six weeks are a highlight of their year.

With less fishing done this year we ventured out with a couple of short  lure rods for a little bit of Perch fishing with soft lures and Mepps spinners, Rovex and Shimano reels attached to our Rovex and Ron Thompson Tyran Travel Spinning Rod.

Young  Tales was perched on the edge of a concert wall beneath a motorway bridge searching out a predatory fish, unfortunately there were few fish around or not interested in our offerings. We moved on to a favourite mark near Green Street in Lowet Sunbury but again nothing wanted to bite. Fallen apples bobbed in the margins and the sky reflected in the water indicated little flow in the river. The water coloured by recent rainfall gave little hope for a fish.

Today I also was perched on the edge but in a very different way. Being privileged to attend a track day at Donington hosted by Rally Champion Steve Perez and Ginetta. With the opportunity to be driven and drive a host of Ginetta race cars and tutored by some very young and tallented drivers who put me through my paces as conditions changed during the day.

  
In wet conditions I managed to take to the grass and bring out the yellow flag but by the end of the session I felt I had made good progress with my track craft and conquered my fears of pushing hard in wet condition on a glassy track surface with a day’s rubber and oil laid down and

 on a track I barely know having only done a dozen or so laps around, well maybe 20 or so if I include those driven by Tom Ingram, Sennan Proctor and Jody a young star of GT racing.

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 Part II…

Tags

Flies, River, sea-trout, Stockbridge, Test, thames

There are many ways of deceiving game fish, well any fish for that matter as you can catch coarse fish on the fly and Carp do like a dog busciut.

Earlier today I had to revisit some account from last week so this meant a trip to Stockbridge in the valley of the Test. Nestled in the high street is a tackle shop, independent and stocked with high quality tackle, clothing and everything you may need for a day, week or month on e river.

Under the orders of young Tales I was intucted to squire some very realistic flies for his next fishing foray. I have to say these are real imitations, in fact I feel too close to the real thing, that cheating comes to mind.

As the weekend is upon us my dear son has requested that we go fishing, at £3 a chuck I hope these flies stay on for most of the day, however if he doesn’t catch anything on these I will asking for my money back.

For me it’s not about  the catching but the time out and away from the iPad that counts. Hopefully we’ll have something positive to report tomorrow.

Just as an observation, late into the evening we’ve seen the odd bar of silver break the water on the Thames, I’d like to think it’s Salmon but I know it’s a run of Sea-Trout heading up stream.

Hopefully one of Dai Jones flies or one of theses will deceive a trout or two.

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.

Masters of disguise…

Tags

Brown Trout, Clear, Festival, Gin, River Test, Stockbridge

In the middle of the high street in the town of Stockbridge a small stream runs in front of the shops to one side, in fact at varying points between the houses you will find small channels of water, some gin clear with bright green weed and other clear but with a tope coloured sediment. Disguised through the rippling water are wonderful specimens of brown trout, hard to spot but the size of some will take your breath away.