stevetheangler

This is the start of my blog which will follow my angling exploits from late March 2013 and will also include comments on angling events and suchlike.

At the moment we’re not off to a good start really – a planned trip for today was abandoned late yesterday as temps dipped and a forecast of heavy snow overnight was received. Forecast totally correct – but also winds have been gale like at times so glad we never ventured out.

Anyway, a bit about me to kick off…
I’m Steve, aged 62, in the West Midlands and fished from the age of probably 5 or 6 going with my Dad and then progressing into going ‘lunker hunting’ with my great buddy, Terry, until the mid/late 80’s when due to circumstances I packed in for a while. Restarted again in earnest in January 2011 – after becoming addicted to ‘Rapala Tournament Fishing’ on the partner’s Wii console! :D

I’m a member of a local club, on the waiting list of another, and take out season cards on a few other local waters. Fished with my old-time buddy too a couple of times too recently :)

Main fishing is in search of larger-than-average fish – although no longer a ‘lunker hunter’ per se  I do tend to try employ tactics/baits to try to deter the smaller fish and encourage the larger… :) Fish for most species – except roach/rudd which I tend to regard as having been placed on the Earth purely for pike bait. Top species for me is pike with, in no particular order, tench, perch, chub, barbel and bream on my top list. Would love to catch some zander, catfish and sturgeon too but none as of the current time mainly due to the waters I fish not having any! Not a great carp fan either – well, common carp anyway unless double figures – crucians (lovely comical fellows they being) and grass carp (also on the ‘to be caught’ list although there are small numbers in the waters I frequent) do appear on the list in a more favourable position. I also love small stream/river roving and fishing good looking swims or stalking seen fish. Also enjoy the local canals in the summer, going on short early morning sessions (ca 4am-10am) to beat the heavy boat traffic, when good quality fish can be caught – and in the winter on these same canals during the day, lure fishing for pike and perch.

I fish quite often with my partner, Liz, generally once a week in the summer and frequently the rest of the year. Tried to catch her her first pike this past autumn/winter but we failed so still she has that pleasure to come. She had a little previous experience of fishing previously but started coming out with me almost since I restarted and sets up her tackle and devises and puts into action her tactics for the various sessions – good accurate caster – and her PB carp of 18lb 1oz exceeds my 15lb PB one.

Anyway, that’s it for now… just waiting for the weather to improve but looking at the forecast its going to be a while! :(