Fishing?s Constant Waterside Companions

Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA) · Jun 23, 2008

Old Tag Barnes was indeed a remarkable character. Many is the time I spent fishing with him with fly rod, after pike or on the Yorkshire rivers in search of barbel and chub.

Tag, who's real name was Ernest Barnes, was a Sergeant in the Green Berets under Wingate where he was decorated for bravery after carrying a wounded officer from behind enemy lines. He was trained in the "Rambo" style in terms of covert operations and was mentioned in dispatches on several occasions.

He always had his commando knife in full display on the wall in his lounge.

NIGE K · Jun 23, 2008

nice article lee i had a robin sat in my maggot box the other day i think he got more maggotsthan the fish did.

Poshpaul (Angling Trust and PaSC) · Jun 23, 2008

Great little article Lee,

One of the joys of deciding to have a look at my local stretch of the Mersey is the vast variety of birdlife I have come across. Peewits, yellow wagtails, but the real gem has been the discovery of two colonies of sand martins nesting in the banks. I have yet to see kingfishers but I am assured they are there... sure I heard one last week. As for the herons - I think I rather disturbed an over- inquisitive chav when I suddenly doffed my Fishingmagic.com cap as one flew over. (An old country superstition - of acknowledging somebody who is a better fisherperson than you'll ever be....I have done it since I was a kid....failure to do so means bad luck.....my fishing is so bad at the moment I don't take any risks!!)

I have often just stopped fishing to admire wildlife - it is part of the fishing experience as far as I am concerned.

I was once having an absolute golden tench session on a water in Shropshire - I stopped for over an hour to just sit and watch a barn owl quartering the fields around where I was fishing.

That was magic.

Donald Bain · Jun 23, 2008

Totally agree, part of the joy of fishing for me is to be able to sit and watch the wildlife, except for those damned rats!

The other day I was mesmerised by the antics of a stoat hunting. Brilliant! It's just like "Springwatch" without Bill Oddie!

I think that this is one way to educate kids into appreciating the environment and the ecology around them, far better than a classroom!

Cheers mes amis,

Don

Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA) · Jun 23, 2008

"except for those damned rats"

And magpies and grey squirrels and Canada geese and cormorants!

NIGE K · Jun 23, 2008

i hate the rats.

Fred Bonney · Jun 23, 2008

Nice little piece Lee.

Many a time i've done just that, and abandoned my fishing for the fauna watch.

We can see such a lot of our natural wildlife by just being there, and being quiet.

Most of the time,. if you're not prepared with the camera, it remains just a great memory.

Thanks

Derek Gibson · Jun 23, 2008

Yes Ron, good old Tag, brings back memories of the old '' Riding's specimen group''. Tag was a countryman through and through.

Old Fred J was equally accomplished in the countryside. He got the jump on Tag ''literally'' on the Ouse by jumping over Tag's head into the river.

By the way Tag was the name given to poachers if I remember right. Oh and the knife would be the '' Sykes Fairburn''.

Mr Cholmondeley-Corker (PaSC) · Jun 23, 2008

A splendid article Lee, with an important message as usual.

Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA) · Jun 23, 2008

The Ridings Specimen Group consisted of Charles Derrick, Roy Shaw, Tag Barnes, Teddy Hinchliffe, Derek Gibson, Reg Brotherton and me.

The memories come flooding back.

Old Tag was as passionate about bird watching as angling. There was never a dull moment on the bank when Tag was around,even when the fish were not biting.

Gary Dolman · Jun 23, 2008

Great article Lee!

I spent a good part of last wednesday evening feeding the local wildlife, chaffinches, a blackbird, a family of newly hatched ducklings. Isn't it amazing that when you sit quietly in the background how much wildlife you see. I fail to see the animosity some birdwatching groups feel towards anglers, since so many of us are keen amateur naturalists as well. My own fishing experiences would be so much poorer without the priviledge of seeing so much wildlife.

Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA) · Jun 23, 2008

Let us also not forget another truly great angler and writer of the English countryside:

Denys Watkins-Pitchford who lived at the same time as Tag Barnes. Indeed I do believe that Tag met BB (his pen name) on several occasions.

I count myself lucky as having read most of the works of BB, a writer who was also acknowledged as one of the best by JRR Tolkien.

Lee Swords · Jun 23, 2008

Glad you all enjoyed the article!

/forum/smilies/smile_smiley.gif

John Heelis · Jun 23, 2008

Nice piece Lee

It is a joy to be sat on the bank waiting for a bite, surrounded by the beautiful sights and sounds of nature. I now have to take a small tray of corn or bird feed with me, once i've got myself sorted within 5 mins i end up with a family of ducks waiting for a feed. If i don't feed them they start nicking maggots or groundbait. Pain in the backside really, but it does make the session that bit more enjoyable.

Keith M · Jun 23, 2008

Wildlife forms a great part of my enjoyment too. whether its watching a Heron stalking fish followed closely by a magpie hoping to snatch something that the heron drops, or hearing starlings imitate an Optonic alarm, or waching Kingfishers catching fry or just seeing the blue flash as they fly by. Seeing a muntjac drinking from a lake in the very early dawn or a fox sitting close behind me watching me fish without being spooked, or a Barn Owl quartering a meadow, or ...(I could list a hundred things that I've seen) us anglersare lucky people who often see things that most people have only seen on TV or in books (unless you only ever fish commercials or crowded waters or fish with your eyes closed). We even see at close range; more than most bird twitchers see with their binoculars.

Enjoyed your article Lee. /forum/smilies/smile_smiley.gif

Derek Gibson · Jun 23, 2008

Just read Lee's piece.

Well done mate, your piece encapsulates all the facets of what the complete angler really means.

Brings to mind that oft ridiculed term ''There's more to fishing than just catching fish''.

''It works ror me mate''.

Wolfman Woody · Jun 23, 2008

With the exception of wasps and rats (and rats only coemout second because they eat wasp's nests) all other beasties are more than welcome and I've had some fond emcounters with many of them at one time or another.

Don't forget the trees, herbage and insect life too. They're all part of nature's glorious bounty.

Good one though, Lee.

Mr Cholmondeley-Corker (PaSC) · Jun 23, 2008

Trent swans are a pleasure too aren't they Lee!

The Monk · Jun 23, 2008

Nice article Lee, I enjoyed reading that, I love bankside wildlife, indeed on one of the waters I fish, if you are extreme quite, you can often get a ruffe slapper to sit on the end of the bedchair

Wobbly Face (As Per Ed) · Jun 23, 2008

Nice atricle Lee.

I often get distracted by watching the insect life, never mind the animals and birds.

Heard a tale at my local water where an heron had caught a fish and put on the bank while it cleaned it's beak, unbeknown to the heron, a fox sneaked in and took the fish.

I have put a photo in my gallery section of a dragon fly eating a daddylonglegs whilest sat on my leg.

Aint fishing great.

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