Reeling in a record-breaker
Shooting Times & Country|March 11, 2020
Helping to land a friend’s personal best pike makes for a memorable outing on the Great Ouse
RICHARD NEGUS
Reeling in a record-breaker

For some, the end of the game shooting season can induce a bout of melancholy so complete that only the poet WH Auden could be more wretched. I am of a more positive persuasion. Therefore, rather than displaying my angst by stopping clocks or cutting off the telephone, I simply went to my shed.

Among the array of hazel rods, mole traps and camouflage nets hangs my fishing tackle. My salve to allay any end-of-season blues was to try my hand at pike fishing. I undertook a stocktake of my current kit. This revealed I own three fly, two saltwater rusty ringed spinning, and one float rod.

To take on toothy aquatic leviathans, I believed I would require some meatier equipment than I currently possess. I planned to fish with the sort of vintage tackle that is found festering away in the sheds of many Shooting Times readers. To achieve this, I placed a pitiful request for help on social media. This resulted in the generous loan of a 10ft Hardy’s fibralite spinning rod and KP Morritt Intrepid reel — both circa 1972 — by Calum McRoberts, the head gillie from the Meikleour fishery on the Tay. Another kind soul, Peter Lowth from Somerset, posted me a bundle of vintage pike plugs. I added to these some eBay purchases — decrepit lures and cork floats — and I was ready.

The best pike fishing is to be had in late winter and there are fewer places more wintry, gnarly or pike-y than the Fens in February. By a bit of luck, my gunstock guru pal, Adam Bragg, is an arch pike fisherman and owns a boat that he moors at the Twentypence marina near Wilburton. Adam readily agreed for me to tag along with him.

River cruiser

Bu hikaye Shooting Times & Country dergisinin March 11, 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye Shooting Times & Country dergisinin March 11, 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

SHOOTING TIMES & COUNTRY DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
United we stand
Shooting Times & Country

United we stand

Following United Utilities' decision to end grouse shooting on its land, Lindsay Waddell asks what will happen if we ignore our vital moors

time-read
5 dak  |
August 02, 2023
Serious matters
Shooting Times & Country

Serious matters

An old gamebook prompts a contemplation on punt-gunning

time-read
3 dak  |
August 02, 2023
They're not always as easy as they seem
Shooting Times & Country

They're not always as easy as they seem

While coneys of the furry variety don't pose a problem for Blue Zulu, he's left frustrated once again by bolting bunnies of the clay sort

time-read
5 dak  |
August 02, 2023
Debutant gundogs
Shooting Times & Country

Debutant gundogs

There's lots to think about when it comes to making the decision about when to introduce your dog to shooting

time-read
4 dak  |
August 02, 2023
When the going gets rough
Shooting Times & Country

When the going gets rough

Al Gabriel returns to the West London Shooting School to brush up on his rough shooting technique

time-read
5 dak  |
August 02, 2023
The Field Guide To British Deer - BDS 60th Anniversary Edition
Shooting Times & Country

The Field Guide To British Deer - BDS 60th Anniversary Edition

In this excerpt from the 60th anniversary edition of the BDS's Field Guide To British Deer, Charles Smith-Jones considers the noise they make

time-read
4 dak  |
August 02, 2023
A step too far?
Shooting Times & Country

A step too far?

Simon Garnham wonders whether a new dog, a new gun and two different fields in need of protection might have been asking too much for one afternoon's work

time-read
6 dak  |
August 02, 2023
Two bucks before breakfast
Shooting Times & Country

Two bucks before breakfast

A journey from old South London to rural Hertfordshire to stalk muntjac suggests that the two aren't as far detached as they might seem

time-read
6 dak  |
August 02, 2023
Stalking Diary
Shooting Times & Country

Stalking Diary

Stalkers can be a sentimental bunch, and they often carry a huge attachment to their hill

time-read
2 dak  |
August 02, 2023
Gamekeeper
Shooting Times & Country

Gamekeeper

Alan Edwards believes unique, private experiences can help keepers become more competent and passionate custodians of the countryside

time-read
3 dak  |
August 02, 2023