Cool Chub And A Belting Barbel – Martin James
Radio Broadcaster and widely travelled angler, Martin James gives us another extract from his excellent new book, Caught At The Water’s Edge… It all started when I got a telephone call from a fellow presenter at BBC Radio Lancashire who told me that comedian singer song-writer, Phil Cool wanted to meet me. I said, “Tell [...]
Back End Barbel
As we neared the end of a recent season I sat down with three of my fellow Don Valley Specimen Group (DVSG) mates and discussed prospects and tactics for the final onslaught. These are the musings of Matt Brown, Lee Swords and Adam Roberts… Bob: Hi guys, only a couple of weeks to go before the season [...]
Float Fishing For Barbel
For a number of seasons my Trent barbel fishing was pretty much one dimensional. Okay, I may have experimented with rigs, with baits and tactical approaches but if you boil it down to basics, I would turn up, chuck in some bait and fish over it with two rods pointing skywards. Now come on guys, where’s [...]
Refining Barbel Tactics
This is the article that nearly got away. Written for and submitted to Coarse Fisherman magazine, it would have been in the next issue had the magazine not ceased trading. Some things are not meant to be, and although I’m sure it would have been snapped up by another publication I’ve decided to let it [...]
2011 – Mid January Blog
As we finally emerge from the iron grip of the recent arctic blast perhaps it’s time to take stock of how our fish have been faring. I’ve heard reports of one commercial fishery being severely hit with thousands of fish carcasses clearly visible beneath the ice. Small, heavily stocked lakes will be hit hardest, I suspect. [...]
2011 – Happy New Year!
Well there’s no mistaking it’s the pantomime season, is there? (Oh, yes there is…) But enough of Mr B for now! Welcome to the ice age folks. With a bit of time on my hands what else can I do better than treat you all to a bonus blog, filled with Christmas cheer? There’s even a good [...]
2010 Almost Xmas!
Bloody Hell! Where did the snow go? One minute we’ve a foot of the stuff and the side roads are sheeted in ice, the next it simply all vanished. Of course that means the rivers are rising at a rapid rate of knots, swelled with snow melt and only the hardiest and daftest anglers will [...]
Dinsmores Launch Bait Bropper
When Thamesley ceased trading the race was on for anglers to snap up every last remaining bait dropper. Stu Walker bought every single one he could find and I’m told Steph Horak did the same. But droppers are expendables. You lose them, especially when there are rocks and snags to contend with. 18 months ago [...]
2010 – Early December Blog
I dropped in on the River Don today at Sprotborough, just with a lure rod plus a bunch of rubber lures and spinner baits. The river above the weir is controlled by Rotherham UAF and it is stuffed with fish. The drawback is it’s deep, probably averaging 15 feet or more, but the bottom is littered [...]
Coaching – Summer 2011
The Wye Valley Experience – 2011 Do you dream of fishing wild waters in an unspoiled anglers paradise? Imagine catching pristine barbel and chub that may never have seen a hook, never mind been caught before. The majestic Wye Valley offers you a chance to indulge your fishing fantasies. Last year Peter Smith and I [...]
