Fishing

‘Dream Team’, Chris Tarrant, Geoffrey Palmer and yours truly, successfully defended our winners’ title in the 2013 ‘River Test One Fly’ competition by coming joint first with the ‘Fly Fish Map’ team, each with an equal 1510 points.

Around 2004/5, my wife Gelly and I spent most of our holiday time fishing around the world. Here are two little ‘home movies’, shot on domestic camcorders, that give you an idea of how great the fishing can be in both New Zealand and Florida.

Here is a montage of me fishing for some memorable fish over the years. We travelled to such diverse locations as Florida, France, New Zealand and the UK. We had a great time...enjoy.

From my book A Wellie Full of Water published by Medlar Press. I’ve known him for over twenty-five years, he’s one of the UK’s finest character actors, he’s cheered up our TV screens with his performances in Butterflies and As Time Goes By, and his supporting roles in countless movies are always a treat.

A Shaggy Fish Story from Waterlog Magazine. The sign at the lodge gate says ‘Priorywood Retirement Home’ but this thirty-five acres of rolling countryside with its stately mansion is known locally as ‘Whisperer’s Hall’. The security check is friendly enough, but there is a professional thoroughness when the contents of one’s car boot are examined.

I don’t remember when I first read about Miss Ballantyne’s record 64lb salmon that she caught on the Tay in 1922, but I do remember thinking, ‘Good for her. Everyone needs a bit of luck!’ Over the years, I’ve read most of the theories about why lady anglers catch bigger and better fish than us chaps...

Another Shaggy Fish Story from Waterlog Magazine. Collecting vintage fishing tackle is a game of highs and lows: great excitement when one finds that obscure and rare reel, and stultifying misery when one comes across a scarce item that is so badly distressed through lack of care, that the finest restorer in the land would...

I don’t think I’ve ever given a public airing to my toast ‘rant’. You see, I love toast, but it’s got to be ‘just right’ . . . it can be white or brown, I don’t mind, but as self-proclaimed ‘Toast Master’, white bread, toasted golden brown, would probably get my highest marks...

In 2010, I was flattered to be invited to join Chris Tarrant in Bob James’s ‘Dream Team’ to fish the River Test ‘One Fly’ competition organised by Simon Cooper’s company ‘Fishing Breaks’. We didn’t win, so in 2011 we thought we’d have another go!