21 Friday Oct 2011
Posted in General
October has been a fine month for cloud appreciation. I am no expert but the Cloud Appreciation Society people are or at worst, upwardly enthusiastic. Below are my observations for the month.
17 Monday Oct 2011
Posted in General
12 Wednesday Oct 2011
Posted in Pike
Tags
abu, baitcasting, canal, fishing, Hi Lo, lea, london, marco, navigation, pike, plugs, river, rod
Last weekend the tuesday swim was at sea on the Lea Navigation next to the Middlesex filter beds in Hackney (not to be confused with the area of North West London). I was canal boat sitting for the weekend and in search of my first pike of the season.
My pike fishing is generally divided into two disciplines, casting dead-baits into lakes usually down in Sussex in the dead of winter and secondly short sessions spent plug fishing on the Lea Navigation and River Lea. Urban or canal pike fishing has a special place in my heart as it suites the targeted species, often the location is as remote and as still as the lone pike. Pike are often described as ‘angry’ fish, I disagree on this matter, pike by nature have to be still, solitary, lurk in darkened holes awaiting unsuspecting prey. When pike target a fish, they do it in the most economical manner, ‘anger’ doesn’t come into it, ‘lazy’ could be used to describe the pike’s behaviour, ‘efficient’ would be my favoured description of the pike.
Arriving at the boat a perfect scene lay before me, the moon was just rising, a warm wind blew, perhaps a little too warm for my first pike session but as darkness fell I cast out a blue Abu HI-Lo plug.
As the canal deepened it tone from grey to black, some kids opposite in the local park started up a mini-moto and put pay to the peace for the next hour, so slightly irritated I packed away the little bait-casting rod and headed inside the boat and lit the wood burner. After an hour or so the mini-moto had been ridden away into a nearby estate and I stood alone on the boat with wood smoke in the air with a cool light breeze …stillness had returned and the moon appeared almost in a full phase.
The next morning I was expecting visitors including various kids, so the fishing became more of a tutorial in casting and pike location, in the end our efforts were fruitless but the blustery autumnal day fired my hunger to seek out a lone esox lucius on another and probably a more wintery day…
07 Friday Oct 2011
Posted in General fishing
For ten years the tuesday swim lived in Leonard Street, EC2 living the life of a young hipster/fashion photographer but never once considered casting a fly until now!
Now retired to the leafy land known as Victoria Park I shall tie an appropriate fly and take a chauffeured trip to the city.
Coming soon, another fly fishing tip from Steve Edge, next time in the vale of Mile End Park.
If you wish to don the river bank dressed appropriately then these guys maybe able to help you out…www.workhardfishhard.com
26 Monday Sep 2011
Posted in Tackle
Tags
450, 500, 550, 700, brick, chapman, chapman's, east, fibreglass, fishing, lane, london, market, rod, ware
Whist roaming around the more desperate but interesting end of Brick Lane market, I came across a Chapman 450 rod in fair condition and complete. Measuring 9′ 2″, cane coloured but made of fibreglass, the rod is a mystery, is it a spinning rod? The design is like that of a 550, 500 and 700, detachable handle with a two piece section. I’m a big fan of these rods as they are nice and compact to take on the motorbike and I don’t feel too precious about them. This one I will strip and replace the rings (once I’ve sourced some). If anyone can shine some light on the Chapman 450, I will add it to this post, nothing comes up on the internet.
24 Saturday Sep 2011
Posted in Reading
Tags
1877, angle, angling, blakey, book, fishing, groom, hackney, horse, how, lea, london, marsh, marshes, river, robert, victorian, White
Here is an extract from ‘Angling’ or ‘How to angle and where to go’ by Robert Blakey from 1877.
‘The White Horse, Hackney Marsh, is a locality much frequented. The liberty of fishing here is let out either by the year, or by the day. The subscription for the season is ten shillings and sixpence; this includes the right of trolling for trout or jack. One shilling is the charge for a day’s sport, including fly fishing and bottom fishing, but not trolling. There are great numbers of fish here; and some capital sport is occasionally obtained.’
‘The Horse & Groom, at Lea Bridge, is a very old angling station, having been used as such for upwards of a century. The angler has here the liberty of two miles of water on each side of the house; and the terms are precisely the same as at the White Horse. The fish are commonly more numerous here than on any other portion of the river, chiefly on account of the locks being here, and the fish can ascend no further unless a passage be opened out for them. Sometimes the fish may be seen in immense shoals about the vicinity of the locks, and may readily be taken by even lowering naked hooks amongst them. Trout of twelve, pike of twenty-five ,barbel of nine, and chub of four pounds, have been taken out of the Lea in this locality.’
24 Wednesday Aug 2011
Posted in Tackle
Tags
andrews, arcadia, ash, ashtray, asti, design, efgeeco, fishing, line, london, market, milan, milano, plastic, sergio, spitalfields, sylcast, tray
Last thursday saw me at Andrews of Arcadia in Spitalfields market to pick up a 1960’s Sylcast ashtray. After some speculation with John, it is unclear of the history behind it but a few clues lead us to believe it was designed by Sergio Asti possibly for Sylcast salesmen to place in tackle shops across the land. On the base it reads R2S Made in Italy tel 598279 – Milano. If anyone has any more information on this please drop me a email or leave a comment…
Aside from speculative talk of ashtray provenance, there were the usual regulars dropping in for a pursue and a catch up on previous summer fishing adventures, stories of Port Eliot Festival and a long anticipated autumn trip on the Tweed.
A fishing tackle stall for the soul…oh and much tea was drunk!
It’s well worth dropping in to see Mr Andrews and all the other stall holders at Spitalfields market on a thursday, whether you are in search of saucy 1930’s postcards, a TWA penknife, a copy of Magazine’s Real Life or a Efgeeco rod bag.
You can also find Andrews of Arcadia here… http://www.andrewsofarcadia.com/
17 Wednesday Aug 2011
Posted in Carp
After attending a pirate’s party with some ‘continuos cruisers’ (canal boat people) a fortnight ago, I decided to leave before the proceedings got too uncomfortable for a ‘drylander’. Smelling of wood smoke and suitably lubricated with Rioja I set off along the Lea navigation just by Springfield Marina. As the sound of 90’s techno and laughter slowly faded the canal took on a ghostly calm, the night was still warm, with a light breeze and the moon was bright, shadows were cast across the water creating patches of inky blackness broken by sparkling ripples.
Not expecting to stay so late I had no lights on my bike, the view up ahead was limited, as I turned a corner a lone figure appeared quite abruptly, there a young man was anticipating a cast. Swinging on his line was a PVA parcel backlit by the moon and packed with boillies, this brother of the angle was risking his safety in search of London canal carp!
As I passed I gave him a comforting look to say that I was not of a dangerous nature. I slowed in respect, gave him a friendly nod and passed on my way. That night, kids were rioting just two miles away in search of 42″ plasmas but this hero stood alone stalking for carp in the dead of night.
The tuesday swim salutes you sir!
the tuesday swim... 