FOND FISHING LICENCE FAREWELL
With my fishing licence renewal fast approaching, it’s a great shame that this year we will not be receiving the stunning artwork that David Miller has gifted us for over 15 years. It was always so exciting to guess what species would feature next, and for many anglers, all those cards either lived in your wallet or purse for the duration, or were stashed away in your bits and bobs drawer while you slowly expanded your sensational set of species. Of course, we can understand the logic behind not providing a hard copy licence when we need to do everything to protect our environment, but that doesn’t dispel any of the disappointment around the end of something incredibly popular which has been loved by so many anglers. With the bronze bream an absolute favourite fish of mine, bringing warm memories of stunning slabs caught from the Shannon on many visits to the emerald isle, the 2019-20 Environment Agency UK Rod Licence had particularly strong sentimental value for me. As luck would have
BOOK OBSESSION!
How to Catch Them series: Occasionally, we all happen upon things that really resonate with us, and when we feel a connection to something we inevitably want more... Having picked up a copy of Perch – How to Catch Them at a market stall for £2 a few years back, my obsession began. With a book dedicated to every species and tactic, this series of pocket-sized hardbacks were originally published back in the 1950s, however the knowledge within can be just as effective today as it was all those years ago. My collection of these little gems has grown over the years and If I know what species I'm targeting on my next session, I often slip the related book into my fishing bag as a reference point. It's great to be out there, sat on the bank absorbing knowledge from a past era that can really give you the edge when in persuit of your quarry. One of my favourite extracts from the Perch book sends us back even further in time – taken from an 1863 title – which details the placing of a few live m
