Mitchell mania...

Iv'e always had a soft spot for the dinky Mitchell 304 - there is something about it that I find most appealing. The look I guess. The round body, satisfying clunk of the bail arm, the tick of the ratchet and many more. There were not many variations over the years - a small change here and there.....for those who need to satisfy their thirst I can only direct you to the Mitchell Reel Museum where you should find all you need. 

I have fished with them everywhere and for everything. My friend Pete and I had a rule one season where we would only use 304's - we caught our first River Wye barbel (pioneering days) using them in the late 1980's early 1990's and even used them at Redmire Pool. If I see one on my travels I just can't resist them!   

Market Finds No 25

The wonderful world of Winfield...a magnificent market find which was tucked away out of sight. Just waiting to be put back into service with half a pint of white gentles, a few reds and a generous sprinkling of curry powder. Change from a pound for this childhood memory - I had quite a lot of Winfield tackle as a nipper.

Market Finds No 24

You will return one more to the bank of lake and river- who can resist a market find such as this? Less than the price of a Dorset pint and this reel, I would imagine, has a tale or two to tell. A bit of TLC in the Straker Tackle Shed and it will be purring once more!  

Market Finds No 23

"to remind you of the sport we both love so well" - what fine words indeed by the Skipper, fine roach man of the Hampshire Avon, Captain LA Parker. I know the coarse fishing season is now over and we bimble towards the opening of the trout season down here in Wessex (this weekend), but a recent market find needed recording.

I was lucky, some years ago, to purchase a signed copy of his fine book "This Fishing or Angling Arts and Artifices" which details his time angling for roach around Downton, Breamore and Fordingbridge from his base at The Bull Hotel in Downton (now a shadow of its former self I might add). This went very nicely with my old Bull Hotel fishing tie that does get an occasional airing by the river on special roach days!

More recently I managed to purchase a later edition of the book which has a lovely picture of The Skipper on the cover - what a fine and happy fellow he looks. A fine market find indeed.  

Fossil Findings

Now the coarse fishing season is over I do like to have a break before getting the fly rods out and there is nothing better than poking about on the beach for findings. The book you see above was a market finding and a very cheap one at that - who could resist such a cover? The art very similar to that in some of the Shell naturalist guides and classroom posters - I like it very much.

I have not had too much too much in the way of fossil finds these last few weeks - not enough rough seas to make them easier to find or, most likely, I am getting beaten by the "early morning" hunters who get there before me and find the treasure. Good luck to them, they deserve it! It is enjoyable to see some of the more exposed rocks that have fossils within - some of them are huge and you would need a tractor to get them home - best left where they are I say.

Record Breakers?

Hardly! The roach you see here were about as big as they got, but who cares. They are delightful and show what fine fettle the river is in as they cover all the year classes and sometimes, just sometimes you may get lucky and catch the roach of your dreams.

It was an opportunity for me to use a recent market find - the Allcock Record Breaker reel would look much more at home on the rod of the same name, but coupled with my 1950's Hardy General it looked just the ticket.

Not a free running trotting reel, it needed more than a helping hand to trot my River Stour glide, but enjoyable all the same. 

I was joined at the river by Chris and Merv and a very welcome gather it was too. By nature I am a solitary angler, but these last few weeks of the season usually involve fishing with friends which make them a much looked forward to season in my anglers calendar - Chris nabbed hooks and bait from Merv and I a float - this is pretty much how it goes these days. One of us usually forgets something and all being well the more organised among us has what we are after. Thanks Merv! 

A glorious late afternoon that chilled quickly at last knockings saw a slow, but steady trickle of roachlings, chublings and dace come to my float fished curried maggots. As has been the norm over the last few weeks the scene was sound tracked by the most wonderful bird song - song thrush and blackbird singing in perfect harmony. 

I was for once grateful of a thick jumper but annoyed at forgetting fingerless gloves and a flask. These early days of bright spring flowers can catch you out. Slight warmth by day and quickly chilling as the afternoon wends its way into evening.

There aren't many days left now before the season closes on March 14th, but each trip will be eagerly expected just as we do for the glorious opening on the 16th June - we anglers are lucky, not only to fish in such wonderful landscapes, but it brings out the little boy in us all, the feeling you get before Christmas and long may it continue.  

We trudged back to the cars as darkness quickly descended, sharing our tales of fish caught and plans for the last two weeks of the season, but as always ever grateful for what the river has given us..........and Merv of course for floats, bait and hooks!

A thought for the unknown pike angler

I was given this delightful picture a while ago by a chap I have sometimes bought treasures from - you know how it goes - "here Dickie, you would like this" - "yes, I certainly would, thanks".

I like the cut of his jib. He's nicely turned out, almost casual and a mighty fine hat to boot. The pike might actually be for his supper as it certainly looks like this specimen is not to be returned to wherever it was caught. Is that a wall, or an allotment behind? The houses seem to have plentiful gardens - an Irish scene? Who knows, but he is welcome in my study and I shall give him a nod when I return home from a pike adventure and raise my glass to him.

A new rod for the Epiphany

I do have a liking for glass fibre rods. I know that may come as a shock to some, but I don't just fish with rods made of bamboo!  

You can imagine my pleasure, over the Christmas break, when I came across this old school glass fibre pike rod. The Blenheim (made by Vortex, ET Barlow & Sons of Thames Ditton) - no doubt named after that fine Capability Brown landscaped park at Woodstock in Oxfordshire that has a mighty fine lake which contains some mighty fine pike. The punt fishing for pike is still available and very good too, although my memories are of cold days, not enough flasks of soup and gin clear water which invariably led to no pike!

The rod was too good to pass up at about the equivalent of three pints of your finest ale - a bargain! 

Today is the Ephiphany and one of my traditions is to fish at some stage on this day, return home for King Cake and a glass of amber by the fire where we will burn holly and mistletoe that decorated the house and look forward to the year ahead.

I will be casting a line at last knockings, hoping for a a pike on the Stour, but if I end up fishless I will still be happy - happy in the knowledge that after my experience I will at least be king for part of the day.     

A pork pie is for life and not just for Christmas

This will probably sound odd, but I have long had a fascination with porcine products - I think it not only comes from my love of sausages, pork pies, brawn and black puddings but as a child I had a much loved Hornby Palethorpes' Sausages wagon. A fine wagon it was too - long lost now, but there was a rather lovely butchers bunch of sausages on the side and very appealing they were too. And so the spark was ignited. 

A pork pie, especially a fine artisan pie, is something I look forward to at this time of year - one to slice on Boxing Day accompanied by a home made chutney or a pickled walnut perhaps?

I hope you enjoy yours if you like such things and just to keep you going until the magic day here is a selection of goodies I have picked up over the years. Pass the knife Gramps....

Market Finds No 22

A Dorset Book Of Folk Songs - published by The English Folk Dance & Song Society in 1948 and illustrated by Joyce Davey.

I think I may have said before that some market finds are just waiting to be found. Right time, right place and maybe the right person. This is one such find. A rummage in a box of ephemera under a table and you just don't know what might turn up. The other day it was this..........."how much squire?" says I, "give us a quid" says he. Lovely. A delightful small booklet with most pleasing covers. Here is a selection of the contents and i'll bid you good health to the barley mow.

A very nice find Mr Wilkes

I wrote about a pre Storm Angus trip last week and the local rivers are only just about fishable now. I managed to squeeze a short afternoon on the Stour just before this cold and frosty snap. The weather is up and down like a you know what and recently, what with the ground as dry as a bone, the run off into the river was a sight to see. It came up as quick as anything. Don't get me started on maize crops near the river either, a real beef of mine, which has seen some of my local rivers resemble chocolate soup rather than a river in flood. 

Anyway, this short trip was fruitful - not only did I catch my first river perch of the season, but I also used a new winch. Yes, another market find and one which is very pleasing to the eye and pleasing to use as well.

Bakelite and made by Henry Wilkes & Co Ltd of Studley, Redditch, England - what a name and what an address. Hopefully Mr Wilkes had his workshops on the banks or within sight of that lovely river the Arrow? Who knows, but it spins well, looks good and is a fine match for the Hardy General. It will look even better on my 1946 Hardy General which it will be joining once I can shift myself from the fireside armchair. 

The fishing was slow to start with on trotted maggot using my old Ambidex reel. A nice bag of roach and dace were coming together and all went quiet after catching the perch. As soon as I changed to the Wilkes it was like fishing a different river - lobworm tail was the bait and anchored to the bed using a couple of swan shot resulted in roach after roach and some lovey fish needing the net as well.  

This continued as dusk gathered and the owls called - I packed up and said a hearty thank you to Mr Wilkes as I walked back to the car in an already clear and freezing landscape. Thank you very much indeed.

Market Finds No 21

This "market find" has given me the most pleasure in a long while. I first heard about this book many years ago when me old muckers lovely Mum told me about it - she said I would enjoy it and very generously let me borrow her very own copy. It's a rare book and I had to swear that I would not only look after it but absolutely promise to return it to her. I did both and loved the book. Never seen a copy since.

This copy was nestled in a box of "tat" and just reached out to me, it wanted to be found - needless to say I am now reading it again as we head into our own, much smaller, garden renovation here in Dorset. I know the landscape, of Herefordshire, that Monty writes about well and it's a pleasure to be reacquainted with it. 

I like Monty Don. He wears good boots and writes well. He has an honest way about how he approaches his craft. The Prickotty Bush is another welcome addition to my bookshelf and in some ways I think it was meant to be.  

Market Finds No 20

A run of books.You never know what you might come across and these came as a job lot - from the library of a keen pike man and then sold on for profit by a man of the market. No longer needed, but given a good home here at Straker Towers. We all win.

I have not seen the Wolfgang Zeiske book before - with a cover like that I just had to have it! The endpapers are just as evocative.........it looks a lovely read. I won't make you weep at the cost of this little bundle, but no more than two pints of your finest ale. 

The perfect lure

With only a few days left of the traditional coarse fishing season you wouldn't want to miss out on that giant end of season pike would you? You would not fail with one of these in your tackle bag. I know the box says bass, but who cares? It's coloured and shiny with a red end. With a name like that how could you fail?  

Market Finds No 19

A few good finds of late - it is like fishing, the expectation, lure of the float and then it dips and we are away. You just never know what will turn up.

There are always rods and reels, but more often than not they are either overpriced, seized, cranky or just plain crap. I don't often use a Mitchell, but this 300 runs well and with plenty of change from a £10 note it will be cleaned and go into the "reel stable".

The small bait tin is delightful. Again, it will be cleaned and enter service this week. Ideal for an evening supply of lobworms. It came with some macabre looking pike tackle that will find a place in my cabinet of curiosities.