CATEGORIES

Anglo-Saxon Stunner

I have very fond memories of my first forays into metal detecting: my late father had bought a cheap detector from Maplin in order to investigate the local beach – we didn’t find much but had a fantastic time.

Seeking mini monsters with Jeremy Wade

The natural history photographer has fi lmed all 53 UK freshwater fi sh species, and this week he reveals how he went about capturing ruffe.

River rumble in flooded jungle

LOOKING through my old diaries, I can see that I predominantly fish for barbel in the autumn and early winter months.

Is this the best-ever haul of big UK perch?

8 giants over 4 lb 5 lb 2 oz stunner Contest win, too

Fooling finicky bream

As temperatures fall, bream become trickier to catch, often giving false indications when conventional groundbait feeders are being used. All is not lost though, as I’ve sussed out a way to fool these finicky fish with a simple pellet feeder rig.

Dream ‘20' for Fred

Jamie helps a veteran angling pal catch a yearned for fish

Autumn Salmon's Return

Large-scale commercial fishing in the ’70s largely put an end to fresh autumn salmon but Arthur Oglesby’s perseverance was rewarded.

Any Time, Any Place, Anywhere

Tom Sykes was keen to get his hands on an all-purpose over-and-under suited to both the saltings and the pheasant peg and to this end tried the Yildiz Wildfowler Extreme and Pro Sporter over a season.

Be Prepared

Geoff Garrod says checking and repairing equipment reaps rewards over the season and urges people to make their general licence case in the Defra survey.

Cover All The Bases

Jon Snowdon prepares for the deer season as much as he can in the light of the changing climatic conditions

My Kingdom For A Hawk

Ed Cook relishes the time he has with birds of prey in the form of a Harris hawk and female red-tail, which are a most useful ally in his quest to quell the rabbit population

Skin And Bone

Mange is an unpleasant condition passed on by mites that results in hair loss and an agonising death for the fox. Patrick Hook says there is only one humane solution.

Stoat Mustela Erminea

Charles Smith-Jones looks at the diminutive but fierce stoat, scourge of the rabbit and adversary of many a gamekeeper as a result of its taste for ground-nesting birds as well as their chicks

16-bore — A Gauge For All Reasons

Recent years have seen a revival of the 16-bore, as people appreciate the combination of light weight and firepower, says Diggory Hadoke

Simply Boar-some

The atmospheric oak forests of France offered an ideal backdrop for Jamie Tusting to try a masterclass in boar hunting

Gamekeeper Abroad

British gamekeepers are considered the best in the world — and several have already made the move abroad, says Jeremy Hobson

The Perfect Day

The arrival of autumn brings no gloom for Richard Hardy, for it heralds the start of the hunting season.

71-Pounder Smashes British Carp Record!

What a high for Lowe! Martyn Lowe’s magnificent mirror carp scaled 71 lb, but he won’t be claiming it as a British record.

The Perfect Recipe For Chub Success

Leighton McDonnell makes the headlines in Angler’s Mail every winter, as he’s a master at catching big chub, especially from the Great Ouse. The chartered surveyor from Tring, in Hertfordshire, who penned the books Fishing On The Edge (2006) and Pulling Against Fish (2016), describes the approach that has banked him 17 chub of over 7 lb.

River Masterclass Debrief

JOHN BAILEY You’ll always learn loads and be inspired by this vastly experienced traditional angler, who also relishes exploring the latest coarse techniques… with help from his friends.

Confidence Trickster

STEVE COLLETT Britain’s leading all-round angler loves taking on challenges at all kinds of venues. Read his triumphs and disasters, warts ‘n’ all, exclusively in AM.

Zooming In On Barbel And Shad

JACK PERKS- The natural history photographer has filmed all 53 UK freshwater fish species, and this week he looks at barbel and shad.

Ensuring A Noble End

We all know people who are good Shots but, in the interests of ethics, marking pricked birds is an equally vital skill, says Richard Negus

Bagging A Brace On The Brora

Spey casting in a gale in the peat-stained waters of Sutherland’s fickle River Brora proves to be something of a challenge, until our correspondent deploys a Willie Gunn fly

Fish Are Our Shoal Food

Our ancestors knew the value of the bounty that existed in oceans and lakes — and we still use their methods today, says Philip Siddell

Woodcock right, left and centre

It is rather fashionable to say that you don’t shoot woodcock but for many little shoots, they provide an important part of the bag and can be shot sustainably

It's not such a fine romance

Ducks pair for a season but geese will mate for life — and it’s purely convenience, says Mike Swan

Going for a Macnab

Ed Wills has long dreamed of bagging an elusive Macnab — a brace of grouse, a salmon and a stag in one day. Would it be third time lucky?

All Eyes

Ridgemonkey Winner

Huge Pike Was Larger Than New World Record

140 cm Bulgaria hulk longer than Czech giant 55 lb 12 oz weight beats recognized No.1