Many of the top names in angling are now writing regularly for us, and all of the disciplines of our sport are so very well represented. With many anglers talking about a reduction in the numbers taking up the sport, and the anti anglers out there to get us at any opportunity, I am pleased…

A couple of pals had called me to join them on an overnight/ all-day trip but I couldn’t make the night session as Maggi and I had tickets to a concert. Instead, I lay in bed till 8.30am when the phone rang. It was the boys. They wanted to know when I was arriving and…

Obviously, there is no great cut-off point, where you suddenly decide that in the next field you have moved from, say, the upper river to the middle river, and therefore a change of approach is needed. The transition from one area to another, and the change of approach that is required, is much more subtle…

Some entrepreneurial individuals have taken their own designs and begun to make them commercially. Some R/C boats on the market can best be described as toy remote controlled boats with an adaptation for anglers, but they do have the advantage of being quite cheap. Others have been designed from the ground up (or is it…

Carp, pike, salmon or catfish will usually feature, depending upon the anglers range of knowledge. If a sea angler is there he will probably chuck in a shark or two. (Tell him to shut up though because there are no freshwater sharks in this country). You can’t blame people for getting it wrong because there…

I know that I am not alone in this, so it is a good time to talk about the welfare of our pike and zander stocks. Although often portrayed as ferocious predators, once on the bank these fish are amongst the most delicate you will ever come across. Big pike and zander are rare creatures….

It was a day of bright sunshine and blue sky with a temperature about 80°f, perhaps even higher. A day when animals, birds and sensible anglers sought out a cool shady place to rest or fish. I chose the spreading branches of an oak tree that conveniently leaned out over the river, I couldn’t have…

Ian Wakeford Ian Wakeford has been fishing since he first caught crabs and gobies at the tender age of 7. (A dose of antibiotics soon cleared it up!) He crafted his piscatorial arts in and around West London, on the Thames and Royal Parks and further afield gravel pits when he learned to drive. Nowadays…

The one noticeable thing about these mini rivers, is that you can often winkle out fish during the day using stalking tactics. Freelined worm will often catch a carp or two. No need for big rods here, just a light through actioned rod and strong hooks! These fish are very wary, and will shy away…

This year I started my pike fishing on September 1st on the River Trent. I had not fished the river seriously since 1989, but news that the pike had grown a bit bigger was enough to get me down there. No not thirties, but one or two over 25lbs was a considerable improvement over the…