The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

There is something about gudgeon that puts a smile on your face and warms the heart!

I'm lucky enough to be the warden of the River Wallington which has an abundance of very good sized Gonks, I always enjoy catching them

When me and my mate Hughesie started, we had no idea really. Catching nothing from my local canal. In the best traditions of the sport, a kindly passer by took pity on us and told us about some stretch much further along which was better for fishing.

We never caught anything of any size. However it was stuffed with gudgeon and the bobs and taps on the float, and even catching a few, got us both hooked.

Without gudgeon we would have probably packed it in. Hence the eternal soft spot I have for them.

As a boy using a bamboo garden cane, bent pin and a medicine bottle cork float I needed to get out further to catch.

Shoes and socks off I waded in the gravelly end of the pond on Tooting Bec Common. Caught a couple of tiny Roach and a Gudgeon. Well pleased, my best catch to date, never caught three before.

My toes felt tickly - looking down I clearly saw Gudgeon nibbling my toes!

You pay for that in posh spa's now!

Late 70's we kept a 40 foot narrowboat at Slapton on the GU. Close to where the Great Train Robbery took place.

One cold end of Feburary day I crossed the top gate of the nearby lock, the bottom gates were open and it was empty.

I heard a sort of whispering noise. Looking down, the cill of the top gate was absolutely alive with Gudgeon spawning - hundreds of them. In an inch or so of weedy water.

Never seen anything like it before or since.