The underrated chub. Very often save a blank - and in this case six or seven of them saved a pike/barbel blank! Swans on the other hand - don't get me started on swans...
3 hours ago
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Essential Reading
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Warwickshire Avon - Barbelistic and Bedraggled - The final day of the river season always arrives a bit like the last day of school equal parts excitement, nostalgia, and the quiet suspicion that someth...
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Rollers on the river - Big, big winds, 45-50 mph in gusts and plenty of flying limbs. Piking the only option. Low rods and hunkered down. Pike Pro lifters being shoddy and crap...
3 hours ago -
End of river season poem - 14/3/2026 8am until 12pm The rivers may or may not of been fishable. I didn't take the risk, I went to Tilcon. Worms as bait. Cold overnight. Was not ...
3 hours ago -
10/03/2026 - Last chance saloon - Well the February water situation report for the Midlands wasn't really a surprise, all river catchments receiving well above normal rainfall during the ...
2 days ago -
Pre-trip reconnaissance. - I popped out with my mate Ryan on Sunday evening, for a couple of hours’ fishing at Newhaven Harbour. Ryan had never caught a viviparous blenny before, s...
3 days ago -
Dylan - In the early hours of Saturday 7th March, Dylan, our dad, died peacefully at home surrounded by his family and so much love. To continue the story from h...
4 days ago -
Onwards and Upwards... - *Wheatears *are here already. Also *Sand Martins* and *Little Ringed Plovers*. Which is lovely of course, and a galvanising source of inspiration for the...
5 days ago -
Johns - A Piker's Progression by John Wilson Ah this could be difficult… Through the 1980’s John Watson was something of a hero to this (at the time!) teenage ...6 days ago
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Bathampton open Bristol Avon Newbridge - My last chance to fish the river this season and I was able to fish a match being run by Ben Rendall at Newbridge. Bream had been coming out to pleasure a...
6 days ago -
Making Hay - Yesterday, me and The Chubmeister General recorded another podcast, this time "live on the bank" of the local river, on a very deep, slow stretch. We chuck...
1 week ago -
Boston XCD Skiing 2026 - This winter has been off the charts - great snow in Boston! I skied a lot, mostly ungroomed, wild spots, close to home. And it is not over yet, even thou...
1 week ago -
01/03/26 - Harescombe - Match - *Weight - 9lb 13oz* *Catch - 4 Carp* *Weather - Drizzly start, dry later becoming increasingly breezy* *Match - Teams of 4 (40 fished) - 8th in section* Rou...1 week ago
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FEBRUARY 2026 THE RIVER BECKONS NEWSLETTER - *Contents:* *- weather blues* *- reflections on the British Fly Fishing International * *- Graham Stevenson's art* *- cataloguing a fly fishing book...
1 week ago -
First Trip Of The Year - What a bloody awful winter. However, come the first of March, and I've seen Celendine on the riverbank, whilst the frogs and toads have spawned in my po...1 week ago
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WHERE DO YOU GO TO MY LOVELY? - I have some questions about Perch. The club water consists of two decent lakes which I shall refer to as the large one and the small one. For donkey's...
3 weeks ago -
February 2026 - First outing of the year for me. Tried Clousers and Microjigs for predators like Hybrid Striped Bass, White Bass, Crappies, Yellow Bass... not takers. ...
3 weeks ago -
Water Water, Celine Dion and a Boy with Heavy Bones - Erm, what to write? Apologies, did I say that out loud? Well you can see by the photos that it has been raining a lot, with the sun seemingly on a sabb...
4 weeks ago -
2026 and it starts with the BFFI - To say the least, It will be interesting to see what this year brings . This year will bring full retirement and apart from the obvious lifestyle cha...
4 weeks ago -
Nieuw jaar - Het jaar was wat moeizaam begonnen. Druk, griep, andere verplichtingen en ijs op het water. Maar deze ochtend toch naar het water gegaan om de eerste sch...
1 month ago -
Arrow double - I have been after a river Arrow barbel for a little while now. A tributary of the Warwickshire Avon, its barbel population is not significant and like ma...1 month ago
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GREENLAND WILDLIFE - Only six weeks ago, I opened my latest blog with a picture of nesting barnacle geese in Greenland as a way of celebrating seasonal change, little knowin...
1 month ago -
Slim Pickings, Happy New Year All! - I've barely fished since my last blog post, work and family reign supreme, that said I have been out twice, both in search of Roach, where I am curre...
1 month ago -
Monster Mind 2 - Some of the new characters created for Monster Mind 2 - twenty years after the first one - my illustration style hasn’t changed much… Pumpkin Head Th...
1 month ago -
Fall Carp Fishing Surprise - I headed out in early November for one last opportunity to do some fall carp fishing. The primary spot was closed today for some parking lot repairs, so we...
2 months ago -
Just When I Thought..... - .......it couldn't get worse, it did. Murphy the weather man was alive, well and kicking brutally throughout 2025. I finished the last post, Stark Cont...
3 months ago -
Tomatoes and Turkish Grilling Chillies - Two very different but delicious crops, we've never grown Crimson Blush Tomatoes before, they're a beef tomato, and they were just purchased to ...6 months ago
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Spring & 2/3rds of Summer - Not a lot to report since my last update in March. I didn't fish at all in the traditional closed season. Prolonged periods of warm, dry weather and pa...
6 months ago -
Spring & 2/3rds of Summer - Not a lot to report since my last update in March. I didn't fish at all in the traditional closed season. Prolonged periods of warm, dry weather and pa...
6 months ago
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I,m back - As a lot of you will be aware, i had my van stolen back in mid july, with over £4000 worth of tackle in the back, i got up on that sunday morning , looked ...
2 years ago -
Differing days on the Wye - *June 26th & 27th 2023* • River Wye at Ashford on the water EA measuring gauge at .29 water crystal clear • Weather partly sunny short shower late after...
2 years ago -
The first post of 2023...... - I have not fished many matches this year hence the lack of activity on this Blog. I did fish a match on the Gloucester Canal back in early January but I ...
3 years ago -
Grindr - Variety is indeed the spice of life and my lack of update here is principally due to the fact I've been doing the same thing over and over again for some...
3 years ago -
After work chub - I usually try and fit in a short session after work at least once during my 5 days on, usually arriving at the chosen river after 22:00hrs and setting off ...6 years ago
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The Pre and Post Christmas Rush - PRE-CHRISTMAS Sinking into the marsh, subsequent steps no deeper than before but each consistently sucked in by the peat-like soil, slowed the walk but...
6 years ago -
Time to start updating again! - Six months since I last looked on this blog, with available time and fishing motivation failing me somewhat. I have been fishing, but often seemed to be fi...
6 years ago -
DYCKERS FIBRE BAITFISH ,step by step - *BIG BAITFISH* WITH DYCKERS FIBRE ive mentioned a lot lately about with dyckers fibre , the stuff is really amazing and has outclassed the traditional E...
6 years ago -
Canal Fishing - Another Great Session - 31/8/19 (Video 126) - The video of my lastest session is now available to watch by clicking the link below. *Canal Fishing - Another Great Session - 31/8/19 (Video 126)*
6 years ago -
Romanian Angling Club UK spring predator race - Hawksbury junction - I was really looking forward to this match being put on by the Romanian Angling Club. Along with the Polish anglers I see regularly on the local lure ci...
6 years ago -
EXCITING NEWS FOR 2019 FROM EXOTIC FISHING THAILAND - A lot of people have been asking why we don't do our regular blog/catch reports any more. The main reason is that our focus has been more on Facebook, Tw...
6 years ago -
Almost There! - Well it's that time of year again, when anticipation of the new brown trout season only a mere 24 hours away got the club members out onto the banks but no...
6 years ago -
Taff Grayling and Trout - I'm not sure the advertising gurus at Starbucks had thought this one through!? It did amuse us though when we called in for a coffee on our way to South ...
7 years ago -
Simple Float ledger Rig For Pike Fishing - Hello and a warm welcome to this weeks angling blog i hope i find you all well and your nets wet. The first frosts have arrived and for some on social med...
7 years ago -
Swansong - Opening day of the 2018 trout fishing season and a first blog post in almost 18 months. It is also the last, a swansong of sorts as I admit defeat and unde...
7 years ago -
Unfinished Business - Numbskulls - I have a great deal of never-published-material in the IQ archive. This article was probably worth putting your way at the time of writing. But I started, ...
8 years ago -
Looking Back and Looking Forward - Well its time for a round up of last year and it was eventful for the first 6 months of the year then it all sort of went down hill. I decided early on ...
8 years ago -
New Rods – Making Moves - I expect most keen coarse anglers own a rod or two dedicated to fairly specialist tasks – perhaps a crisp, fast action float rod, designed solely with long...8 years ago
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I'm Back - The clanging of agricultural gates and rutted roadways. The dodging of the cow pat and nervously passing my bovine companions. Pigeons arguing among the...
8 years ago -
Canal Tench - Something Green, Somewhere New - In spite of living within relatively close proximity to the Grand Western Canal for a decade now, there are still parts of it that I have not fished proper...
8 years ago -
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A Suriname Adventure. - Each January for the past several years I have travelled to South America along with Joe Taylor and other likeminded anglers. Joe is the linchpin having ...
9 years ago -
Fish Leather Books, New Website & Blog! - Greetings to everyone. You may or may not have noticed a few changes afoot with my site and blog. There is also some rather exciting news to share, which I...9 years ago
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Back with a Whimper - A whole year without blogging, what's that all about? Well last year my confidence was shaken, I have to admit it. Pike fishing is going in directions I do...
9 years ago -
Ouch..... - Popped down to the river for a couple of hours last Saturday morning and conditions were pretty un-inspiring as they have been in general this season. To ...
9 years ago -
2016 Diary - The End - *Date:* Sunday 13th March 2016 *Venue:* River Tone, Somerset It might not be final day until tomorrow, but today was my last chance to cast a line on runni...
10 years ago -
I'll be back…(again) - Well the last couple of years have been a blur. Lots of time on the beach fortunately with many memorable catches, with spring fast approaching I find mys...
10 years ago -
Popped up herring tail does the business again - Dawn was breaking when I arrived and a pike swirled on the surface in front of the first swim I stopped at. A wind was blowing across the lake and this w...
10 years ago -
Pike don't like Mondays - or do they..? - This one hit the lure and threw it in a tailwalk, before it chased it half way across the drain and nailed it under my feet. Not the biggest pike I've ...
10 years ago -
Blimey I’ve not posted here for a while! - I’ve been fishing a fair bit, but in my opinion badly. Blanking for tench, carp barbel and big bream seem to have taken up most of my summer. It’s been h...
10 years ago -
Check it.. - I post a bit on face book these days and have a "This Angling Life" face book page. It's far easier to use than blogger especially on a mobile or tablet...
10 years ago -
Seriously!? - The bloggers challenge is working it's magic... More spare time, more opportunity for reconnecting with our glorious English countryside and the motivation...
10 years ago -
Back on the perch - It seemed to be over in a flash. The river season is well and truly closed now and it's time to look elsewhere. I've had a little dabble on the canal and ...
10 years ago -
Early morning double - My last session was again on the wonderful Wye, I arrived just before dawn with a plan of fishing as the first rays of light for the day were popping over ...
11 years ago -
Mayfly Reflection - There hasn't been much time for fishing recently - my degree has taken priority over the last year and subsequently hobbies have taken a back seat. I did h...
11 years ago -
Suspenders! - Now that the rivers are forbidden, we have to turn our attentions to lakes, pools and canals. There's a very small pool 5 minutes drive away which, despite...
11 years ago -
The land that time forgot - You could be forgiven if you know nothing about Ashton-under-Lyne. I live just three miles from this quite large town and until a cruel illness rendered m...12 years ago
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How to combine two hobbies - Here is how to combine two hobbies - I created a drying machine for my tube flies out of the LEGO Technic blocks. The machine is remotely controlled, it ha...
12 years ago -
"Lean fourteen" to avoid a blank. - After catching my very respectable 24.5lb pike yesterday in trying conditions...i knew my window of opportunity was diminishing by the hour (as is on the W...
12 years ago -
Another Deer hair diver. - A different color setup, The black gives a good contrast against the light colors. A good silhouette for Northern Pike to follow and als...
12 years ago -
Tuesday 19th February 2013 - Weather -3c Start Brightening up later I've managed to temp my son Dean out today for a rare midweek trip. As usual we start the day with a full cooked brea...
12 years ago -
04/03 Trent - Recovery day following mates stag weekend...played 9 holes of golf then off to the river. Was looking forward to a good days fishing with the weather a bit...13 years ago
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Peter Green PAC Lifetime Achievement Award - The PAC would like to congratulate Peter Green on his Lifetime achievement award, which was awarded for his commitment and dedication to the PAC. Peter h...
13 years ago -
Barbel on the float! - I was intending on posting sooner than this, however after a few disappointing sessions this has led to me have little enthusiasm for blogging. A day trot...
14 years ago -
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Records & Challenges
Updated: 13/12/2025
Ongoing: 35 Pike (to 22lb 2oz)
Total: 13 Pike (to 19lb 10oz)
Archives & Stats
Total: 27 Challenges
Previous Seasons: 16 Reviews
Winning: 40 Posts
Man & Fish: 79 Photos
18 Seasons: 377 Pike
16 Seasons: 1,942 Barbel
Side Quest: 48 Species
Personal Bests
Pike Blog: Links
Visitors: Last 30 Days
"There are two types of fish: Pike and Bait"
Decent chub that. Swans, never, ever let them think they have got the better of you.
ReplyDeleteNot monsters but beautiful fish. Swans know what they’re doing!
DeleteSwans have their issues, but I have mellowed towards them. But chub? I'm dragging the Boy from his sick bed tomorrow and I'll be chasing them.
ReplyDeleteThey're on the feed and in great condition (the chub, not the swans) - best of luck tomorrow.
DeleteHopefully its not your "Swan song" for the season! I will be out this weekend, its been a while
ReplyDeleteNot my Swan Song, got a couple of weeks left of the season. Good luck on the weekend - I'll look forward to the report...
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