There are a lot of big roach around at present and I’m praying for a good draw on one of the shallow roach pegs when the festivals get underway. My best ever roach catch came from the Portora stretch of the Erne back in 1992.That day I took seventy one kilos of roach on strong…

Tench are at their best from early April through to late June, this period being narrower or wider, or the time band shifting either earlier or later in the year, according to the conditions at the time. If that period is particularly mild then the tench will begin feeding earlier and will spawn earlier, or…

1. The Breakaway Impact Lead.For me this is the most significant advance in terminal tackle in a long time. Not only does the Impact lead have a streamlined shape, aiding casting, and excellent holding properties but more importantly it provides a near failsafe release of the hook every time. I have been using these leads…

A pair of rods supported by a tripod aim skywards on a stoney beach. They look like big, tasty rods, maybe a pair of heavy beachcasters? Hung beneath them are a matched pair of multipliers loaded with strong line, 50lb braid by the looks of it. The rod tips nod gently with the current as…

During the 19th and early 20th century anglers would cast wet and dry flies for coarse and game fish in rivers and still waters. Sadly all this changed during the early 1920’s when fly fishing for the coarse fish become unfashionable, and with the shortage of suitable waters, it seemed that brown trout and salmon…

My fascination with pike fishing in the West of Ireland was first stirred by Fred Buller’s amazing Domesday Book of Mammoth Pike. Entries such as the account of the 46 pounder netted from Ballygary Bay enthralled me and I read them time and time again. If that book had never been written, I think the…

For some reason, up until that time I had not really considered fishing for big bream, but this year everything clicked into place and I just HAD to have a little try. No extensive campaigns or anything like that you understand, just a few days out to try and break my duck. My good friend…

Surprising too that few of the modern reels surpass the quality of their pre-war counterparts. I suspect though that many of these reels, old or new, never see the riverbank, being safely tucked away in either a cupboard, or a collection. It is very difficult to part with a centrepin, even if you never use…

Travel Gear Naturally this has to be very compact and functional. l use two Shakespeare travel fly rods; a six piece 9ft AFTM 6/7 and a five piece 7 1/2ft AFTM 4/5. Both these rods break down to about 18 inches. Friends tell me that Shakespeare have improved on these original models in the “Ariel…

This scene of death is taking place on the surface of an ocean where a group of big hungry hard fighting scaly predators known as Jack Crevalles roam the warm waters in search of food. It’s the result of an ambush on a shoal of bait size fish. The water erupts again with swirling, diving…