The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

A slight variant on the My year/my season scenario. Just found these I wrote for David Hall's Specialist Fishing Magazine. A mixed season of chub, carp, catfish, salmon and pike. Just as the doctor ordered. The highlight of my season was photographing a 43 lb 2 oz pike! Thought it may be of interest to some. Sorry if not.

Superb read Thank-you

I've still got those 2 magazines (in amongst a rake of others) at my dads house ! Also at his house is a VHS tape with your Claydon catfish telly thing you did on that Tony Francis Central TV programme ! VHS, whatever happened to it ?!

I had a fall out with Central TV over that one. They stitched me up and still I have never been paid for it.

As you remember they did the catfish slot (first time they had been filmed by a TV crew I believe) immediately after a swan rescue piece where it showed them taking anglers lines and hooks from swans. So the general public was lead into my catfish piece a little anti angler.

I caught a bream on my mackerel bait intended for cats and bullied it in away from the baited swim (used to catch a lot of bream on mackerel as per the chub picture above) and was slipping the hook out in the edge of a very lively fish as I hadn't given it a chance to shake its head on the end of the line when the Director asked me to hold it up for the camera. I did this and the inevitable happened. Push it out to the camera the Director screeched, make it look bigger. I did this and of course it flipped and I lost my grip on it as I wasn't holding it how I would. The Director assured me they wouldn't use that clip but they did.

I also caught much better fish as per the picture used above rather than what made it onto the screen.

So all in all I was very disappointed to be used as even more potential anti angling ammunition and as I already mentioned to rub salt into the wound I never received my cheque either. I have done a bit of TV stuff since but not for Kingfisher who operated for Central TV. Tony Francis never did like anglers from what I later heard.

I seem to remember Vic Gillings and maybe the Wrathall's in a shot too.

Caractacus Potts wrote:I seem to remember Vic Gillings and maybe the Wrathall's in a shot too.

Yes I used to meet up with Vic every Wednesday there. Got quite a lot of Vhs footage off Vic's camera including a 100lb plus haul we shared. There is an amusing bit on that where Simon Wrathall walks off in disgust as I lift another good fish to the surface.
I really miss Vic and his stories. Hopefully he is resting in peace by some tranquil pool.
Vic could never catch on the mackerel as I did. It was so strange until I brought some mackerel for him. It turned out his local mackerel were out the North sea but my mackerel I brought by the box full from the fish market still in sea ice were from the Atlantic. Those Claydon fish loved tnem but not the North Sea ones. Makes you think a bit doesn't it?