Autumn Glory

I think any fisherman will agree that the autumn is probably the most beautiful time to be out on the bank. As the days turn colder and the nights grow longer the leaves on the trees change to a multitude of colours as nature paints an awesome water colour that lifts the heart to be out in and to be a part of.

It is as autumn approaches that I begin to think of where to go along the river to reaquaint myself with one of our most beautiful coarse fish the Perch.

Most anglers have caught a Perch. Infact the Perch is usually one of the first fish we catch as children as we first try are arm at the sport, The Perch is so greedy that the small ones can prove to be an utter nuicence as they snaffle the baits intended for largr pray. But anyone who has caught a larger Perch can only agree that they are indeed a beautiful fish that always give a good account of themselves in the fight.

I am lucky enough to live in a village alongside the Dorset Stour, Like all of the uk's waterways the Stour was badly affected by the deasease that all but wiped out our larger Perch. Thankfully in recent years they have recovered and it is once again posible to set out in pursuit of a specimen Perch and i believe that there is no better time than early autumn in which to do that. It is then that their fantastic colours are most vibrant and when they are at their fighting best.

I find the most enjoyable way to fish for these autumn treasures is with a float set-up carrying only minimal gear so that I can walk the banks unhindered as I look for my prey in their favourite pools. I am not alone in that as I found out when I read the Book ""How To Fish" by Chris yates.

Chris is a Perch fanatic, he too fishes along the same stretches of the River Stour, I had'nt known this before i read his book but he desribes the river in such a way that i could almost see the pools he writes about fishing. Infact in one chapter he described a bend in the River in such a way hat I felt sure I knew where he had been and on a day that suited Perch fishing I paid that bend a visit, It may or may not have been the same bend but it proved to be a real Perch hotspot! In the hour before dusk that I fished, I caught 8 specimen Perch all of which were over 2lb with the three biggest weighing 3lb 4oz, 3lb 6oz and a new PB for me 3lb 10 0z. It was without doubt one of the best hours fishing I have ever had, the fish were in fantastic condititon and it is hard to describe how impressive a Perch of that size is. I must of coarse give thanks and credit to Chris Yates because I never would have fished the swim if it had'nt been for his book.

"How to Fish" is a great read, it describes the joy of fishing for Perch and with his usual skill Chris brings the scene to life through his descriptive narratives. If you have never fished for Perch then give it a read as I am sure it will ignite an interest, If like me do enjoy hunting autumn Perch on our rivers then reading "How to fish" will help prepare your mind for the coming year and you never know may even prompt you too find the Perch hole of a lifetime!

if you want to read "How to fish" by Chris Yates you can order now by simply clicking this link

'Sixty Years a Fisherman' by John Wilson

'Sixty Years A Fisherman' is John Wilson's new Autobiography.



Published by Green Umbrella Publishing the book charts Johns rise from his modest beginnings in Endfield, North London to the heady heights of being one of Angling's biggest celebrities.

John Wilson is probably Angling's best known personality. With over 30 hardback books and his famed TV series 'Go Fishing' to his name.

But this is just a small part of Johns life and in this Autobiography 'Sixty Years A Fisherman' he tells of all the twists and turns that have made him one of fishing's biggest stars.

In 400 pages John shares his life from his birth in Endfield, North London and his beginnings as an Angler. To his formative years as a hairdresser on a cruise ship where he got to fish all over the globe. He then tells how after a brief stint managing a hair salon in Barbados with his new wife, it was back to England to realise his dream of owning a Tackle shop. John opened 'John's Tackle Den' in Norwich near to his beloved River Wensum. At this time John was also a budding Angling journalist and featured regularly in the national Angling press, He wrote and published the first of his many Angling books. As well as creating and building his own Fishery. These things alone had helped him to become well known amongst Britain's anglers. But it was 'Go Fishing' his first Angling television series that launched him to become a household name. The series 'Go Fishing' was to run for over 17 years with over 100 episodes and was to be followed with other hits like 'John Wilson's, Fishing Safari'. These television programmes and his many books all helped to endear him to the nations Anglers.

'Go fishing' was to become hugely popular and in it John encapsulated the joy of the sport and encouraged a whole new generation to 'Go fishing' Be it River, Lake, Sea or Fly fishing John included it in his wonderful programmes. In later series of the show John started filming abroad and we saw him fishing in fabulous locations for everything from Golden Masheer in India to trolling for Marlin in the tropics. 'John Wilson's Fishing Safari' took this even further and saw him Fishing in countries across the globe.

John Wilson is without doubt one of Angling's Top Stars but he is first and foremost an Angler. John like me is happiest when he is out on a river bank long trotting for Roach but he's also at home fishing for Cod on a Norwegian ford or fishing for Tarpon in the Florida Keys. It is this diversity and exceptional skill and his love for the sport that has made him a firm favourite in the world of angling.

In its 400 pages with all its fantastic colour pictures 'Sixty Years A Fisherman' gives a clear picture of John Wilson's interesting and incredible life. John Wilson has worked hard to secure his place in Angling's accolades and deserves his success.'Sixty Years a Fisherman' is a cracking good read and gives a clear insight into How,When and Why John Wilson became and remains one of the worlds top anglers.

To see more information or order your copy click the link below

'Roach-The Gentle Giants' by John Bailey

'Roach-The Gentle Giants' by John Bailey was first published by The Crowood press in 1987 and some twenty years later it is still 'The' book for any Roach enthusiast.
The book covers many of the techniques used by today's Roach specialists and although it is true that Fishing tackle has moved on tremendously in the years since the book was written the methods it describes are sound and proven and when encompassed with modern tackle can only improve your results.

John Bailey is without doubt one of the countries best Anglers and a well known Angling author. John is now commonly seen on our TV screens presenting his many fascinating Fishing programmes such as the 'On The fly' series. 'Roach-The Gentle Giants' was Johns first really successful book and is on the topic for which he probably knows best. John Bailey has been famed as a true Roach specialist since the early seventies when he caught a huge amount of gigantic Roach from the once legendary River Wensum. The Wensum was without doubt the best river in England for Specimen Roach from the late sixties to the mid-eighties and it helped launch both John Bailey and John Wilson's angling careers as they featured week in, week out in the national angling press with Staggering catches of specimen Roach from that River.

Bailey wrote this book just as that golden age of Roach angling was coming to an end and he talks about the decline of Roach fishing on the Wensum and across England and tries to surmise what caused it. It is still fair to say that even to date there has not been a river that could even come close to producing the same number of specimen Roach as the Wensum in the seventies.

'Roach-The Gentle Giants' gives an overview of the countries top Roach venues as it looks chapter by chapter at the different areas of the country and encompasses every major Roach venue. Most of the chapters are written by Bailey himself but there are also entries from some of the leading Roach specialists of the time, many of which are now high profile angling specialists such as John Wilson, Tony Miles and Martin James as well as past legends like Archie Braddock, Owen Wentworth and John Cadd. Although there have been huge advancements in fishing tackle, the Roach is one fish that it has little effect on. Specimen Roach are without doubt one of the hardest coarse fish to target and an understanding of the fish and its habits is equally, if not more important than your approach. Bailey explains many of the best techniques from ledgering bread flake to simple trotting patterns that put with a good knowledge of the fishes behaviour will certainly help you catch more Specimen Roach.

The book features many shots of John holding those prized specimens from the seventies including fish over 3lbs! In the book there are also many quality line drawings which show and explain the different rigs.

'Roach-The Gentle Giants' may now be more than twenty years old but the methods it describes are timeless and I feel that it is still the best book available for anyone who is serious about pursuing Specimen Roach. 9/10

If you would like to order a copy of 'Roach-The Gentle Giants' simply click this link to order now