The bit you should read.

I’ve always been an angler and after around the country moving I wanted to discover and document the best places to fish (where ever I might be) in the way of rivers, lakes, canals and ponds. When previously fishing in South Wales I often fished in club and winter league matches, however living up north presented me with new challenges, venues and angling clubs that I acquainted myself with. Now down in the South West I plan to do the same.

This fishing blog details my angling adventures around the UK (although depending where I am in the country I also sea fish from both Boat and Shore, Carp, Pike and Fly fish). I will be giving a summary of 3 values considered by most anglers as well as the additional Disabled Access rating. Since being diagnosed with CIDP and regaining my motor function Disabled angling and Disabled access is now something I always consider when visiting venues. They will all be rated on a scale of 1* to 5*;

1. Fishability *****

2. Accessability *****

3. Value for Money *****

4. Disabled Access *****

I think these 4 points are the key issues which are readily identifiable with all anglers. Feel free to take a look and add your own comments along the way!

Sunday 30 October 2011

Trip #12 – River Aire - 2 Days, 2 Methods

Saturday – Stick float

I was at the point of no return with the River Aire. I have been assured that there are big chub in there but I was as yet to see or catch one. So this weekend I resolved to give it my best efforts using various methods to try and put my doubts to rest. I waited for the weather to abate as the morning had been blustery, and I arrived on the river bank to a warm mid afternoon with much less of the earlier wind. I would be using maggots, casters, bread and worm in the hope of catching a river Aire chub.


Monday 24 October 2011

Tackle Store Review - Garry Evans

From the outside of Garry Evans Tackle Centres it strikes you as peculiar that the stores are spread between 105 and 109 Whitchurch Road. That is until you go in and ask why? For years the store had been split between the 2 stores, but 107 has now been bought by the company and, at some point in the not too distant future it will be converted and knocked through, forming 1 huge store combining all three premises!



Monday 17 October 2011

Trip #11 - Tricky Trout from the Taff!

Trip #11 – River Taff, Part 1, Sophia Gardens
I’ve been home recently and when I was there I thought it would be a good idea to try and catch a few of the River Taff’s plentiful Trout and Grayling.

Arriving at the river bank after buying our tickets from Garry Evans Tackle Store we found an angler standing in the middle of the river, Spey casting for salmon. We took this as a good sign and although salmon were not our intended target we gathered our equipment together, slung on the chest waders and made our way to the river bank.


My father and I were fly fishing and my brother was using the less conventional pellet waggler, adapted for river fishing...


Tuesday 11 October 2011

Environment Agency Fishing Lists!

I was searching for a list on fisheries, although there are many suggestions on both Maggotdrowners.com and YorkshireFishing.com I wanted something tangible that I could print off and have look over. A few simple searches later and I had found a fairly comprehensive list (region based) of fisheries throughout the UK courtesy of the Environment Agency! Despite them being slightly out of date they are definitely worth looking at if you’re sitting on your PC (there is a downloading element so might be unwise on a mobile device, roughly 5 – 6mb each).

Here are the links;







Welsh Fisheries guide


Hope you find them useful!!!

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Sunday 9 October 2011

Trip #10 - None Go Bye Farm – Top Lake - Fish to the features or your feet!

I was asked some time ago by my girlfriends father if I could show him how to fish the pole so, when the chance came about I decided to take him None Go Bye Farm to introduce him to the world of pole fishing. We arrived at the lakes to a cold breeze and overcast skies. Having fished the bottom lake previously we both decided to fish the first and largest lake. We choose 2 pegs, one either side of a water inlet, I would be fishing into open water and Jeff would be fishing towards a small island about 12 meters away. After setting Jeff up with a silver fish rig and a variety of bait I set up and began plumbing up my own swim. 

Jeff was set up and ready to fish in a matter of minutes!
I quickly found out that the lake was a constant 3 feet deep, which made setting up my other rigs easier. Baiting swims to my left, right and out into open water meant there was (despite no real features), plenty of potential for catching fish...



Monday 3 October 2011

Tackle Store Review – Angling and Countrysports, Otley

I found out about this tackle store from the internet and when I arrived at Cross Green I would have walked past Angling & Countrysports had I not done a double take. There was half a second when I thought I was about to walk through someone’s front door.




On entering it looked like an old and established fishing store. Walking in I could immediately see a fair selection of groundbaits on the right, with fishing rods and other equipment on the left. There was also a very helpful section on a small board which displayed adverts of a variety of fisheries in the county, from trout and fly fishing to river and match coarse fishing...