Tench pond – this week’s adventure. The instant I saw it, I felt like a kid againSuccess !! At a writing impasse I was in need of some inspiration and boy did I get it !The Flaming Lips / Beta Band – mega uplifting at Halifax’s wonderful Piece Hall The joy of a secret spot ! Mooch to do about something- pod ep coming soon ! Article for Fallons Angler issue 42 Wade in the waters & listen to a man and his season unravel – Playhappy – Field Notes – link below or wherever you get your podcasts
Weekly ramble now available on a variety of streaming platforms including Apple & SpotifyTrout on the dry fly, moving cake crafty, Osprey’s and a Hare came to call – ep 6Cake stealth – ep 6
Wed 4th March -With the wise words of Funkadelic reminding me of our ongoing punch up with time – My search for a rare spring salmon launched – I Enjoyed 2hrs fishing a run above Balderstone – all quiet apart from a distant woodpecker. Took the 11ft switch rod – I felt under gunned – the 15ft is more at home here on the big rib. I’ll fish every lift now.
1st outing on the Ribble – the sunshine brought the energy needed to join the knots A season in a bag
2026 – The Master Plan – Note to self
Fish more – Coarse and Game – explore forgotten places and be more versatile in my approach. Ring every drop out of time and environment. Celebrate glorious mistakes and successes in equal measure, while perusing epic, tiny adventures.
Remember not to forget – friendships old and new. Nurture relationships. Playhappy
I waded through the constant noise of fact, fiction, post-truth, new truth and fake news. I was maintaining and functioning, but with a fevered kind of neo-bewilderment. Anarchy Pie – A Penny a Bee
2026 starts with a blank !
Had two sun-kissed, cold hours on the Rib – exploring a couple of runs for elusive Grayling – missed a couple of pulls but quiet. What I did while happily dabbling was start to notice the landscape. This time of year has a lower heartbeat. The woods seemed more brooding. Part of me wished I had a bait box full of maggots. Next outing I think I’ll trot on the Calder.
Out now the revised 3rd edition of TC
Whatever doesn’t kill you
Such a lovely evening speaking to the Leeds Fly Dressers Guild Great day on the EdenPart of a rare hat-trick
Recently I was privy to the contents of a great salmon anglers fly box. Surprisingly he only had one box containing 40 flies – just these two home tied patterns in various sizes. If you had to choose two patterns what would they be?
Great couple of days on the Ribble – TC’s Red Shrimp & TC’S Black Shrimp Two patterns only 19th June – into the darkness or is it the light. Waiting for dark – very quiet – not a splash
June 16th
Two hour session after tea – lovely Chub took a Black Sea Trout double Running on slicks – two tough sessions – water was coloured up yesterday- harsh downstream wind – 4 hrs yesterday – 2hrs today
Had a lively five hours for my second Ribble trip of the season. Spun the tails and deeper water because of high winds. Then had the last two hours with the fly rod. Lost a huge Brownie, landed a chub and then lost a belligerent fresh run sea trout 3 – 4lb that went berserk. Deer, sand martins, egrets, heron, lapwings, oyster catchers all present but the star of the show was a fishing common tern – who worked the river and treated me to some epic dives. I saw one running salmon. Top evening
Where the wild things go 9th JuneA touch coloured but beggars etc – still can’t believe that this is my first Ribble outing of the season – every season is a mysteryMooching
A new year always feels exciting to me. Show winter the door and carefully head for spring. The wheel of the year turns and returns with themes of reincarnation, renewal and rebirth. The chance to roll the dice again.
First outing of the year took us to a booked days fishing on Warwick Halls Park Beat. The river keeper Graham showed us the pools and we got to it. Lovely well kept beat. Easy access. I fished most of it in the day. A nasty north easterly made casting in some of the pools unpleasant so rather than flog it the sensible option was to fish those with cover twice. Gin clear water maybe a touch low. We never saw anything but it’s still very early. I’d like to revisit late April or May after a bit of water.
It gave me a chance to try some newly acquired gear – 12ft double density tips. I think they’re really made to go with true skagit line rather than a WF full floater. The minute I hit the wind my cast landed awkwardly. I switched to a 3 ips 10ft airflow and everything felt more balanced.
Excellent day, had a real good laugh with my mates Marc & Ste. We will all be back.
Warwick Hall / Park beat on the Eden march 14thSome really nice pools and runs. Nothing seen or touched
2024 drifts into a warm soft focus and Janus shows us a gateway to a new year full of possibilities & adventures.
Suggested seasoning – all my books come with playlists. Suggested Seasoning – music that’s inspired the writing – a natural confluenceAutumn on the Calder 7 Grayling in 2hrs – trotting maggot – great fun – Padiham Angling Centre is a lovely place – old school tackle shopWater bottle Float box – simple solutions Let’s welcome winter The start of the season vs the end of it Lovely day with my friend & guest Damon on Clitheroe AA7lb cock fish 23/10/24Getting lucky in Jonas on the Ribble Afternoon mooch – 7lb cock fish – a friend of mine used the term “winkle one out” it’s very apt as that’s what this season has been all about.
4/10 magic morn on the lower river – one landed and returned – one lost. Always worth a roll of the dice 3rd of October- river looked stunning – some days you just have to marvel at the splendour of it all. My friend Paul D had a 17lb hen fish – returned30/9 Keep the faith – aprox 15lb – went back fine – off the mark for 2024 on the Ribble at last ! Magic momentsChapter from the next book & first printed in Fly Culture Spring 2024
Top morning on the Ribble today 28/9 – my mate MH landed 3 salmon and another friend PB got a nice cleanish Grilse – I can’t buy a pull but you just have to keep going and keep the faith. My mate was blanking on the rib this morning then 3 hrs later he’s had 3 !
Enjoying an awayday on the river Eden. 1 landed – 1 lostThought I’d cracked it – big big chub New tick for me Great Egret
August slips into September – the last week in August gave our beats perfect water – perfect water is at best fleeting and usually not that perfect either. You get what you get. Managing expectations is part of the gig. For 4hrs a session for five days I thought “next cast”. Brownies, sea trout and grayling all obliged but no salmo – maybe a light pull but I didn’t even see one. I did hear of five caught above and 3 from our area. The river is on at least plus 20 that I know of ( not including Paas, Bowland, Southport, Warrington, Wigan, settle and RADAC numbers ) so it’s probably plus 50. The river has still been a source of superb entertainment and solace. It’s a good job I enjoy trying . So with 8 wks left – maybe next cast !
Sea Trout adventures on the Ribble RAA Hodder beat We had fished a slightly too high river back to the car park – while we took this photo – a 9lb sea licer was landed up by the weir4.30am start never disappoints – pink moon, sea trout and brown trout caught River Calder RAA – forgotten spots No trout but this was the largest of 3 out of season chub – for a moment it had me fooled Swinging spiders in the sunshine Pendle ChillFound an early 19th century stoneware ink bottle Inspired by my love of a rare afternoon wild nap by the river “recumbent man”Fantastic afternoon swinging spiders, exploring, cooking and having a nap in the grass outside our hut, oystercatcher, sand martins, little egret, pied wagtails and common sandpiper all presentLarge abstract now sold Now sold – mixed media on a tile We are the Robots – large canvas and cover for Anarchy Pie £800 Commission work – large canvas – now in Edinburgh TC is ten – it changed the landscape – I’m immensely proud of it Fallons Angler Fly Culture lovely reviewAhabs new mobile Ribchester – bottom of Morts Trout spots – mixed media on canvas now sold Lamont Big fish 2009 – Im not shaving until I get oneIts too bright to catch a salmon today – you never know…Ghost hunt for the angling elite – a chapter from the next book which featured in Fallons AnglerSmug pet quote taken from the book – artwork by Danny Davidson August 2014 on the fly (2nd of the day). This fish was caught in a deep pool with a fair bit of water on it, so the scrap was immense – I shouted for Lamont but nobody could hear me – netting it was a challenge to say the leastAnother photo sent in by a reader. The Dali Lama – salmon fishing would test his patience – Artwork by Danny Davidson When you see the sun rise – just for a moment it all makes sensePaul & Lamont River Dee Boo & LamontLarge action painting on canvas now sold Now sold Now sold
