Recommended
Barbel fishing on the River Severn
Source: Barbel Catchers Club
It’s now almost a decade since Howard caught his former British record fish from the lower reaches of the Severn. I recently read an article by Steve Stayner in one of the angling monthlies where he briefly mentions the capture of this memorable fish. He then goes on to talk about the many people who have since tried to catch it, or a different fish of a similar size, from the lower river. In my experience these people that Steve talks about, don’t exist. The river never did see the influx of anglers that many of Britain’s smaller rivers see when a huge fish is caught. In short the Severn’s most popular period was at the very beginning of the barbel boom in the mid to late eighties. In my opinion this will always remain the case, because other rivers produce fish of an equal size, or in many cases bigger, that are in the majority of cases far easier to locate and catch. We often hear the term anyone can catch from the lower Severn, and while this is certainly true, fish of say 12.08 plus are not common, and fish of 14 plus are rare creatures indeed.
So what chances a Severn monster? Obviously location is the key factor here or is it? Most of the better fish I have caught came from swims which only produced the one fish on the day. A lack of smaller fish may indicate the opportunity for a better fish to move in on any feed present. Note I said on the day, because I feel these larger fish could turn up in any swim on any stretch between Worcester’s Diglis weir and Tewkesbury weir. I feel swim type has very little bearing on whether large barbel will or will not feed in them. The most important factor being a lack of run of the mill fish, again on the day. Could it be that these larger specimens perhaps only move around as solitary fish, or at most in groups of two or three fish of a similar size, and may prefer not to compete with other smaller barbel for any food in a given area. Another thing about these larger Severn fish is that they can turn up at any time of the day. Whilst most Severn regulars prefer to fish in the hours of darkness, myself included, my two thirteens from the river both came in daylight, and one of these in mid-July with an air temperature of 27°c under a blazing hot sun in water as low and clear as it gets on the lower river.
So how would I go about catching one of these truly large Severn fish? As I said earlier, I feel swim type is not that important. But having said that I always feel more confident in a swim that has less of a slope on it from the margins out towards the middle of the river, say fourteen foot deep one and a half rod lengths out, to around eighteen to nineteen foot in the middle, as opposed to say only ten foot deep one and a half rod lengths out. In shallower areas of the river, say around Diglis, the same applies, the only thing that changes is the overall depth, which may only be eleven foot in the middle so eight foot of water one and a half rod lengths would be ideal. I would be looking to place my bait around two rod lengths.
One of the most useful pieces of kit that I have used over the last two seasons has been the ‘Smartcast’, Now some people may cringe at the use of this, saying that it is unfair, but believe me if like myself the lower Severn is your usual venue, you will find it invaluable. Since first using it I have discovered that in most areas the river has no shelves apart from the marginal one which may be only a few inches deep when the river is at it’s lowest. It will also find snags and you will get used to spotting these after using the unit for a period of time and getting used to it. One other thing about the ‘Smartcast’ is don’t buy one if you are expecting it to find your fish for you, in reality it’s a pretty crude piece of kit. Believe me, having worked in the marine industry for the past eighteen years, it is only really useful as a guide.
As far as baits and baiting the swim are concerned, boilies would be my first choice in daylight, with a sausage meat concoction, donkey choker size, courtesy of ‘The Cullen Guide To Anti-social Barbel Baits’, Millennium editon, as an after dark option. Feeding the swim would be done using no more than twelve to fifteen boilies, fishing only two rod lengths out makes it easy to place loose feed by hand. I would be looking to feed an area say 20’ x 10’, putting in large amounts of loose feed in my opinion, and especially after dark, only encourages smaller barbel in numbers, or bream, and believe me once they move in forget your barbel. Once you start fishing below Upton they are definitely the river’s most predominant fish, and fish approaching double figures can reasonably be expected.
Once the swim has been fed I don’t wait to put a bait in, I can’t see the point, life’s too short and past experience tells me the biggest fish invariably comes out first, especially if you have had no action in the first half hour. Always a good sign that smaller fish and the dreaded bream are not present. My theory is that if your hook bait is untouched or you have had no rod top indications your loose feed will also be uneaten and intact.
Rigs used are simple and uncomplicated. Hooklengths are braid, either or ‘Silkworm’ or ‘ESP Sinklink’, around sixteen inches long for boilies and around thirty inches for meat. I never fish with bolt rigs in the true sense of the term, although a two to three ounce running lead will, I believe, to some extent have the same effect. I don’t see the need for fancy rigs and any modifications I make are usually to make life easier for me. For example incorporating a Fox Safe-lok with a one inch long piece of rig tube placed over it for security will make it easy to change hooklengths after dark. My views on Fluro-carbon lines are that the disadvantages far outweigh the advantages. So I will not use them, even in a gin clear river. Having said that Fox Illusion seems to be getting some excellent reviews at the moment, so I will see how Martin gets on with it over this winter with a view to using it as a hooklength next season. When fishing the large meat baits everything Martin has talked about in his articles applies. To give an idea of the bait size I use, all the ingredients weigh around 1.3 kilos. This makes around fifteen baits!
So what exactly constitutes a Severn monster? Fifteen plus is probably not an unreasonable target if you fish the river week in week out, three members have all taken fish of this size. One of the most important things to note about most barbel anglers on the lower river is that none of them are from the ‘Catch at all costs’ brigade. I think if you take this misguided approach, you will be in for a very lean time. Personally I go in the hope of catching a personal best, and if I don’t then there is always next weekend. I will probably get some stick for saying this but once you get down below Severn Stoke, don’t forget the chub. They don’t come out very often, but when you do hook one it will probably be well worth catching. In barbel anging terms my biggest ambition is to catch a lower river fifteen. Who knows, one day I may just get lucky and achieve it. Now what about that double figure bream??!!
Many thanks to The Barbel Catchers Club and Stuart Watkins for allowing UK Fisherman to reproduce this article.
Visit their excellent website at: www.barbelcatchersclub.co.uk
UK Fisherman would be delighted to here from you if you would like to comment on any of the fishing articles or if you would like to submit an article of your own.To do so, please visit the CONTACT page.
Preston Stotz Shot
Description:
Preston stotz are a hydrid shot designed for use on larger diameter lines (they also work perfectly on fine diameters!). The wide groove makes placing them on the line quick and easy. Another advantage is the increased surface area that grips the line. This prevents damage and also stops them 'pinging' off the line under stress. The flat ends also produce a neat bulk when they are grouped together. They are available in 4 sizes.
Review:
I tried out the Stotz Shot in three sizes....8,9 & 10
I found them much easier to actually pinch onto the line than equivalent sizes in regular shot. They do seem to grip the line better due to the increased surface area in contact with the line and I didn't suffer with shot falling off the line all day. In adidition I wasted far fewer shot than normal as they are much easier to handle having a rectangular rather than spherical shape. When bulked down the line, they seemed to give a much neater and aerodynamic presentation which aided casting.
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Where to buy:
Stotz Shot are available from a wide range of fishing tackle outlets although UK Fisherman recommends you buy yours from Eccleston Angling Centre. Many thanks to Bun and all at Eccleston Angling Centre for supplying the Stotz Shot for review.
Click Here to Purchase
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Skinz hookbait pellets
Description:
Skinz hookbait pellets from Sonu Baits are an advanced, skinned, hookable pellet type bait full of powerful fish attractants. The skin is full of soluble feeding triggers that go to work immediately once immersed in water.
The skin has an elastic type property that grips the hook and prevents the bait from falling off during casting or on the strike.
You can use Skinz Hookbait Pellets straight from the bag for a slow sinking bait. This is very effective when fishing on-the-drop for fish feeding off the bottom. Alternatively, they can be soaked for a few minutes. This produces a soft hookbait that can be hooked directly on the hook or hair rigged.
Review:
Spending most of my time fishing at commercial fisheries these days, I have come to rely quite heavily on pellets. I have also grown increasingly frustrated with my search for a soft hooker pellet that stays on the hook when cast even a short distance.
Well my search is at an end! Skinz hook pellets are far and away the best hook pellets I have ever come across. They can be used straight from the packet or can be pre-soaked for only 10 minutes or so to produce a much softer pellet. I did have some difficulty with the unsoaked pellets as it can be quite difficult to penetrate the hard outer shell. For me though, they really come into their own when soaked.
I tried them out at a commercial fishery and found that keeping the bait on the hook even when casting quite long distances is a doddle. These pellets really do grip the hook exceptionally well and the outer skin transforms when wet into a consistency I can only compare to cheese on a pizza....stringy but tough. The bait doesn't fall off the hook every time you strike at a bite so you don't have to re-bait every cast. I actually caught 4 fish using the same pellet which for a soft hookbait pellet is unheard of. All species of fish seem attracted to the Skinz Pellets. I caught carp to 10lb, roach, rudd, bream, crucians and tench in one day with the Skinz Pellets.
Believe the hype - highly recommended !!
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Where to buy:
Skinz Hookbait Pellets are available from a wide range of fishing tackle outlets although UK Fisherman recommends you buy yours from Eccleston Angling Centre. Many thanks to Bun and all at Eccleston Angling Centre for supplying the Skinz Hookbait Pellets for review.
Click Here to Purchase
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Cheap Match Fishing Roads
I hope that you’re reading this article just after it’s published, as I have a feeling that some of the rods I’m about to mention will be sold out very quickly!
Internet stalwart, and clearance retailer for quality mail order fishing tackle, TackleBargains have been in touch today, as they are moving premises. Although they’re staying on the same industrial park and actually moving to a larger warehouse, the thought of moving so much stock at the hottest time of the year has got the boss, Dave, quaking in his boots! Ever the workshy so-and-so, he’s come up with the ultimate solution……discount the stock EVEN MORE and sell it before the big move takes place!
Please click here to view these bargain match rods on the TackleBargains site.
Here is a selection of the match rods on offer:
Masterline XL 12ft Match Rod - Plus Half Price Reel - Blowout!!!
An incredible value match rod built on a natural carbon finish blank. Ceramic lined guides throughout with blue whippings , screw reel seat, cork/EVA handle. These rods have excellent mellow actions so necessary where mixed bags are expected. Supplied with a cloth rod bag.
For every purchase of this rod, we will offer you the chance to add the Elite 5 ball bearing Size 10 Reel by Lineaeffe of Italy PLUS a FREE 200 metre spool of quality John Wilson 3lb Co-Polymer line for only £12.47 which is half our normal already discounted price.
Normark Avenger 3000 13 - 15ft - Cosmetic Second - Save 60% - LAST FEW TO CLEAR
Normark have been at the forefront of Match fishing rod excellence for over 25 years. Quite simply, the best quality Match rods there are - and this is the top of the range model.
Fuji SIC guides, Fuji reel seat, 'AAAA' grade cork, super slim over-fit joints, the ultimate waggler and long range match rod.
The RRP on these rods is £450, and we have a very limited supply where the Normark logo has not been applied to quite the standard demanded by Normark - otherwise the rods are 100% perfect. The offending logos have been removed, so a nominal amount of re-finishing may be required in this area. These rods are supplied without a bag, and with standard 12 month warranty only (as the price is around £100 less than the normal trade, we can hardly expect Normark to honour the normal 10 year unconditional).
Masterline Ideal XL Avon Quiver System - Save 20% plus Free Reel
A superb and incredibly versatile all round 11ft rod. Designed by John Wilson and built on an excellent quality blank. Supplied with 2 top sections, one of which is ideal for float or swing tip work the other is supplied with 2 different strength tip sections for quiver/light feeder work. Supplied with a cloth rod bag.
RRP £59.99
While stocks last, we are including absolutely FREE, the Rapid GT De-luxe 3BB Reel by Lineaffe of Italy. Alternatively, you can upgrade to the 10BB Elite Reel by Lineaffe of Italy for just £10
The purpose built tool for handling carp on commercial waters. This light weight smooth progressive rod is also the perfect choice for heavy stick work for chub and barbel.
- Powerful action with forgiving tip
- Light weight guides maintain action
- Comfortable power hump reel seat
- Suitable lines 4-8lb
- Manufacturer's unconditional original owner's lifetime guarantee
John Wilson Signature System Trotter - New 2005 - Save £30
Highly adaptable specialist trotting rod, which comes with an 18" extension enabling it to be fished at either 12ft or 13ft6". Ideal for an wide range of venues, from the smallest stream to wide fast flowing rivers. Innovative spacing on the first three guides above the handle make this rod ideal for fishing with a centrepin, but equally suitable for those who prefer a fixed spool reel. With its crisp but forgiving action, the system trotter has been designed for use with lines of up to 4lb, so ideal for Dace, Roach, Grayling, and Chub.
RRP £125.00
UK Fisherman would be delighted to here from you if you would like to comment on any of our reviews. To do so, use the comment box below.Alternatively if you would to submit a review of your own or submit an item for review at UK Fisherman, please visit the CONTACT page.
Korum Quick Change Beads
Description:
Quick change beads enable you to change your hooklength instantly and also act
as a shock bead when fishing a running feeder. Simple to use and totally
reliable they are perfect for stillwater and river styles of feeder and bomb
fishing.
Review:
Being from the old school of fishing, I very rarely used to use little gadgets like the Korum Quick Change Beads...in fact I very rarely used to use hooklengths at all.
All that has changed nowadays, not only as we become more aware of fish care in general and constantly stive for things that make our lives, and our fishing that little bit easier.
The Korum Quick Change Bead is one such device. Although it at first appears quite fiddly to use, this is not the case at all. Simply tie your main line to one end of the insert, hook your hooklength over the other end and push the whole thing into the bead casing. If you need to change your hook length for any reason, pull out the insert, remove the old hooklength and replace with another.
Everything the manufacturers claim about this ingenious device is true. They are simple to use and totally reliable (they’ve been thoroughly tested in extreme conditions and will never let you down). I fished with them for a day at a commercial fishery and cuaght carp to over 10lb with no problems at all. Retailing at around £1.99 for five, they won't break the bank either.
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Where to buy:
Korum Quick Change Beads are available from a wide range of fishing tackle outlets although UK Fisherman recommends you buy yours from Eccleston Angling Centre. Many thanks to Bun and all at Eccleston Angling Centre for supplying the Korum Beads for review.
UK Fisherman would be delighted to here from you if you would like to comment on any of our reviews. To do so, use the comment box below.Alternatively if you would to submit a review of your own or submit an item for review at UK Fisherman, please visit the CONTACT page.
Pondwood Fisheries, Berkshire
Pondwood Fisheries, Berkshire
Located in Berkshire, Pondwood Fisheries is the premier fishing facility for anglers of all categories with three coarse fishing waters, one of which dates back to medieval times and one which is in excess of 30 years old. In addition there is the Snake, a still water course dating back to medieval times which was opened for day tickets in 2002 after widening and extension.
Pondwood fisheries offer carp, roach, chub, perch, rudd and tench fishing as well as some of the best catfish fishing in the South of England.
Reader Review - Jason Barnes, Berkshire - July 2007
Just thought I would let you all know about a lake I go to called Pondwood Fishery. It is the only place I know about where you can guarantee to have an amazing day's fishing.
It has 2 lakes and a snake river. The first lake has an amazing amount of catfish and some big carp in it - it is the only catfish lake I know where you can guarantee to catch a cat in the day time. Some of the catfish I have caught (pictured below) are a 32lb 5oz fish and the other was 38lb 7oz. I have caught so many cats here it would take the whole site up to show you them all - like I said before, AMAZING !!
The second lake is great for the whole family. It has a lot of carp and anyone can catch in this one. I took my little boy fishing for the first time the other week and below is a picture of him with his first carp ... now I can’t keep him away from the place. So much for my peaceful weekend away from the kids ha ha !! But thats what kind of place Pondwood is - great family run lakes.
The last water at Pondwood is called the snake river which has carp, tench, roach, perch and pike. This is where I caught my personal best carp of 32lb floating bread of the top ... amazing !! I know it seems like I’m going on a bit but if you’ve been there you will feel the same way as I do. All this for a tenner a day ... can’t be beaten.
Uk Fisherman would love to hear from any other anglers who have good or bad experiences of Pondwood Fishery. We would especially like to hear from anyone connected with Pondwood Fishery who would like to comment on this review.
Paul @ UK Fisherman
Please note the views expressed on these review pages are not necessarily endorsed by UK Fisherman.
UK Fisherman would be delighted to here from you if you would like to comment on any of our reviews. To do so, use the comment box below.Alternatively if you would to submit a review of your own or submit an item for review at UK Fisherman, please visit the CONTACT page.
Frant Lakes, Kent
Frant Lakes, Kent
Located just outside the village of Bells Yew Green near Tunbridge Wells, around 40 minutes drive from the South London area, Frant Lakes offers mixed and specimen fishing on eight lakes set in 200 acres of parkland as well as a fifty swim section of the River Teise. They offer disabled anglers more than 20 dedicated swims with adjacent car spaces.
Reader Review - Jel Holyoake, Kent - May 2007
This may sound silly but what planet do some fishery owners live on??
I recently went to Frant Lakes off the A21 in Kent. I arrived at 2.45pm and wanted to single rod surface fish the 'snags' (speciman lake) until the complex closed, 7pm. I was told by the bailiff that I would have to pay for an entire day, £15. I told the bailiff it was only for a few hours but he insisted that the owners would not let me fish unless I paid the full price. As there were only 3 cars in the car park I could quite clearly see that the complex was empty, but my £7.50 wasn't enough.
Are they so detatched from reality that they can't understand that some people only wish to fish for half a day and that on most waters there is a half day ticket policy.
I went down the road to Elphicks where I was sold a ticket for £6 and had 20 fish. I like Frant Lakes, but I think I'm going to struggle to go back there, a place I have intermittantly fished over the last-at least 15 years when Les Bowman (the present owners father) ran it.
How times change. When Les knew I was coming down by train he used to pick me up from the station and chuck my bike in the back of his little white van with his alsation. They were the times when the complex was struggling for anglers and he was consistantly fighting the council for planning permission. I was also the person whom he asked to tell all my friends that Frant was back on it's feet years ago when they had a big fish kill after witnessing the first 20 out, they thought all the big fish were dead.
Sometimes the little £7.50's are better than the no pounds-no pence at all, and us people who get the odd half day off can fish at a fair price.
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Editor: Definitley a lesson for fishery owners to learn there then ! Don't alienate your regular customers as they will vote with their feet. With so many "rival" fisheries in Kent, perhaps Frant Lakes need to re-consider their pricing policy.
Reader Review - Anne - November 2007
Half day tickets are available at Frant Lakes as my sons and I have used them since we first came to the lakes around June this year.
As we have football in the mornings at the weekends we have only ever used the half day ticket and have paid monies to many people in the ticket office. We have found both Mr Bowman and his wife to be most helpful and polite on this our first season of fishing. Bailifs have also taken the time to offer us advice and tips to make the most of our time at the lakes.
We would highly recommend these beautiful well stocked lakes and hope that the previous review has not put people off.
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Editor: Just goes to show there are always two sides to every coin.
Uk Fisherman would love to hear from any other anglers who have good or bad experiences of Frant Lakes. We would especially like to hear from anyone connected with Frant Lakes who would like to comment on this review.
Paul @ Uk Fisherman
Please note the views expressed on these review pages are not necessarily endorsed by UK Fisherman.
UK Fisherman would be delighted to here from you if you would like to comment on any of our reviews. To do so, use the comment box below.Alternatively if you would to submit a review of your own or submit an item for review at UK Fisherman, please visit the CONTACT page.
DreamLakes, France
DreamLakes, France
The DreamLake Complex, consisting of six mature, tree-lined lakes offers excellent carp and catfish angling on either an Inclusive Package or Voyage Self-Drive basis. Currently five of the lakes are open, the sixth housing a huge number of stock fish, ensuring future growth and development.
DreamLakes aim to provide anglers with the highest quality French carp fishing holiday. Offering the size and numbers of carp you would never hope to find in any English water, the peace and tranquillity of the beautiful Champagne countryside only serve to enhance the DreamLake Experience. DreamLakes 3, 4 and 5 are able to offer a great experience for anglers who want to do their own pioneering in France. Only four hours drive from Calais, and with the advantage of knowing that there is always someone on hand to give expert help and advice, you have the freedom to enjoy some really impressive ‘all action style’ carp angling.
Reader Review - Luke "crazy carper" Thomas - August 2007
DreamLakes !!! - Lake 3
We arrived in Relyon Car park, Dover, at 9.45pm ready and set to make our
long voyage over to Dreamlakes. We were absolutly buzzing by now and couldn't
wait to get over there and wet a line. The two 36 seater coaches arrived,
briskly picked us up, along with all our gear, and bombed off for the ferry
port. The ferry journey over was about an hour and a half and we got
ourselves aquainted with everyone we would be spending the week wit ... what a
class bunch of guys !
After 5 hours following the ferry journey we arrived at Dreamlakes, met by a
bacon roll and tea, coffee etc. How welcome it was ! The sun was just
starting to come up and it looked like it was shaping up to be a lovely day.
We managed to settle into our swims and get set up, wandered around for a
chat and then cast in. Our Bailiff for the week, Garry, informed us that the
lake wasn't fishing as well as it should and that the previous week, the swim
I was in had blanked. I was a little apprehensive but took the approach "it's
about time they were here" and got on with it. I knew alot of bait would be
the kiss of death so stuck with tiny bags of pellets with plastic corn as
hookbait and within 2 hours I was in to the first fish. It went like stink,
taking out 1 of my other lines and nearly snagging me up, until I managed
to get its head up and land it. The scales flew round to 23lb 10oz Mirror Carp
and a lovely first fish it was.
I then went the next day without so much of a sniff. I was starting to worry
a little now and decided that a change of bait was in order, something a
little more attractive and smelly than my tutti-fruitti pop-up corn ! This
new bait was to be Mainline's Pulse boilies which we had pre-ordered. That
night I was to reap the rewards as a 34lb 8oz Mirror Carp and a 31lb 4oz
Mirror Carp graced my net. I was over the moon with these as my change of
tactics had paid off and what fish to catch !
The following night using these tactics I managed a 34lb 12oz Mirror Carp, the
biggest yet, and was happy that what I was doing was right. It was clear now
that the majority of the fish were coming out at night and that my efforts
should be doubled for the hours of darkness so I could catch consistently.
The next day Bruce, Dean and I were talking about how it would be nice to
catch a lovely common as all the fish we had caught were Mirrors.
Unfortunatly that night Ii failed to catch at all and morale was lowering a
little.
They finally dragged themselves out of bed and they're reaction when they first saw it was un-printable. We made sure the scales were zeroed first ... weighed it several times ... and then photographed it ... all 47lb 10oz of it !!!!!
I was absolutely smashed, never did Idream I was to catch a fish of that callibur. Phil and Andy (Andy incidently is in the final of the Welsh Carp Masters and is a top bloke !) came round to congradulate and lend a hand. Thanks alot lads !
That was the last fish I caught, Bruce managed 5 fish to 42.08lbs (Common) and Dean managed 3 fish to 34lb 12oz (Cracking Mirror). So overall it was great !
Would like to give a special mention to all the other guys on lakes 3, 4 and 5 it was a great laugh and must do it again next year !
Get yourselves to Dreamlakes, its the place to be !
Luke Thomas
Crazy_carper
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Uk Fisherman would love to hear from any other anglers who have Dream Lakes in France. We would especially like to hear from anyone connected with Dream Lakes who would like to comment on this review.
Paul @ UK Fisherman
Please note the views expressed on these review pages are not necessarily endorsed by UK Fisherman.
UK Fisherman would be delighted to here from you if you would like to comment on any of our reviews. To do so, use the comment box below.Alternatively if you would to submit a review of your own or submit an item for review at UK Fisherman, please visit the CONTACT page.
The Primeval Pike DVD
Description:
This fascinating fish has been around for over 60 million years. The PRIMEVAL PIKE gives us an historical perspective and looks at pike biology and behaviour. Dedicated pike anglers show us their most successful baiting methods and we are treated to the joy of watching them land pike after pike of all sizes.
Highly Acclaimed angler and presenter Andy Nicholson joins forces with the British Museum and fellow expert anglers Ray Baker, Dr Bruno Broughton, Martyn Page, Vic "the rig" Bellars and Max Cottis to raise the profile of this ancient species and to make a compelling case for treating the pike with care and respect.
Chapters:
- History of the Pike - with Awyne Wheeler of the British Museum
- Fly Fishing For Pike - with Ray Baker
- Pike Biology & Behaviour - with Dr Bruno Broughton
- Dead Baiting - with Vic Bellars & Martyn Page
- Lure, Plug & Spinning baiting - with Andy Nicholson
- Mackerel as Bait - with Max Cottis
Running Time: approximately 105 mins
Review:
Right from the start I have to say that this is a cracking DVD full of interesting and useful information about the pike itself, it's history and habits as well as how best to catch one.
Before the DVD even gets to any fishing action we see Andy talking to Awyne Wheeler a pike expert at the British museum who provides loads of fascinating information about the history of this pre-historic fish. Another of the sections I found particularly enlightening was the section dealing with pike biology and behaviour. Bruno Broughton brings his vast experience to play when detailing the pikes feeding and behavioural patterns, vital information for any angler who wished to target this elusive predator.
By now my appetite was wetted for some actual fishing and I wasn't disappointed here either. Great care is taken to detail the methods used by the various participants and the following chapters of the DVD outline fly fishing for pike, dead baiting, lure, plug and spinning and using mackerel as bait for pike. The DVD covers nearly all the methods that can be used for pike fishing and I certainly picked up some really useful tips which will no doubt stand me in good stead this winter.
Throughout the whole DVD it is clear that those taking part are real enthusiats for the art of pike fishing and proper care of the fish they caught was something that was highlighted throughout.
There are some cracking underwater shots of the Pike splattered throughout this DVD and they really bring the whole "pike in their natural habitat" issue to life and make the whole DVD that much more enjoyable.
I would highly recommend this DVD to anyone who wants to find out a bit more about tactics for catching pike and anyone who is interested in the history of the fish we catch in this country. It is a well thought out publication that manages to create a fine balance between the history of the pike and the methods for catching them.
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Where to buy The Primeval Pike:
The Primeval Pike is available to puchase from Beckmann Visual Publishing in either DVD or VHS video format and is priced at £16.99 for the DVD or £17.99 for the VHS.
To order this excellent DVD, visit www.beckmanndirect.com
A big thank you to Kelly Smith and all at Beckmann Visual Publishing for supplying UK Fisherman with this DVD for review.
UK Fisherman would be delighted to here from you if you would like to comment on any of our reviews. To do so, use the comment box below.Alternatively if you would to submit a review of your own or submit an item for review at UK Fisherman, please visit the CONTACT page.
Fly Fishing in Iceland DVD
Fly Fishing in Iceland - courtesy of Beckmann Visual Publishing
Description:
This ambitious and exciting film about fly fishing in Iceland follows Icelandic local fishermen as they pursue their catch - Arctic Salmon, Sea Trout and Arctic Char.
This is a unique fishing film allowing you to see the different fishing culture of Iceland first hand. Iceland is beautiful and a fish-rich, enchanting setting for fishermen keen to share with you their expertise and experiences. Though the northern summers are short, the fish are plentiful, offering up many unforgettable fights between man and his quarry.
The producer Eggert Skulason is the editor of the premier Icelandic fishing magazine called "Veidimadurinn" (The Fishermam). He has been fishing in Iceland for over three decades and has all the skills needed to point out the best places to fish and explain the tactics that work. Eggert is also a veteran producer having produced over 40 fishing films.
Five very different rivers are fished in this film, providing great variety. Among them is the River Hofsa, visited by Prince Charles for many years and a small but beautiful river in an isolated fjord that gets invaded by arctic Char every summer. The film contains some stunning unerwater footage including a big Char chasing and eventually catching the fly.
The DVD also includes maps of locations fished in the programme
Running Time: approximately 67 mins
Review:
Right from the start, I should say that I am neither a fly fishermen, neither have I ever been to Iceland. After watching this video though, I am seriously considering doing both!!
This is not fly fishing as most of us probably know it. Rather than well stocked commercial trout fisheries, this is fishing at its best, on wild natural rivers that tumble their way through some dramatic and stunning scenery.
The DVD manages to create just the right balance between technical fishing information about line, flies & techniques, footage of fish being played and caught and just unashamed shots of the wondeful Icelandic scenery. Underwater footage of fish in the natural habitat is almost obligatory in fishing videos these days and Fly Fishing in Iceland is no exception. It brings the whole experiece so much more to life.
I really enjoyed Fly Fishing In Iceland and would highly recommend it. Sitting at home in London on a miserable January afternoon, it has certainly made me want to get on my bike and experience other countries and the fishing they offer. If UK Fisherman doesn't get updated for while cos I've gone travelling, you can blame this film !!
Cheers for now ... Paul@UK Fisherman
Score:
Where to buy Fly Fishing In Iceland:
Fly Fishing in Iceland is available to puchase from Beckmann Visual Publishing in DVD format and is priced at £16.99.
To order this excellent DVD, visit www.beckmanndirect.com
A big thank you to Kelly Smith and all at Beckmann Visual Publishing for supplying UK Fisherman with this DVD for review.
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