Kindred Spirits.

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Chris Hammond

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Hi Mark,

We must be kindred spirits mate, Jack Hargreaves was my absolute hero too. I've also given up the chance of more than one fish in an effort not to disturb something I've been watching.

I think we're from the same area, if so, have you noticed the big increase (Over the last decade or so.)of Marsh Harriers on the Cambs fens? There's often one sitting on a post on the Upware flood plain, and I've had them get up from virtually under my feet on the banks of Burwell lode.

Good read mate!

Regards Chris.
 
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The Monk

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Good feature Mark, why havent you been on the bait box bird threads?. Got both of Jacks books, excellent reading, remember Country Boy on the telly, great Bill Oddie fan these days, he writes well, shame the BBC dont have any plans to produce his TV series in Video format. The RSPB have done much to help the Marsh Harrier and as such it is making a marked increase in numbers
 
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The Monk

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I would poiint out though that I'm not a twitcher, I am a nature watcher, I would not run about the country, phoning birdline for all the rareties then fly off the Scilly or the Hebs, Angling gives the ideal opportunity for wildlife study, especially, I have found, long stay carp angling, I cut an extra hold in the rear of all my bivvies and fix a bivvy table behind my bivvy and lace it with wild bird food, now thats what a bivvy table was made for. In the Staes, I've watched chipmonk (no pun) and racoon from close quarters, quite a privillege really, Middle Eastern sparrows and African Waders on my foreign trips, if the fishing is slow, then check out the wildlife, it really is what its all about
 
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Ian Whittaker

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I'll echo that Monk. Fishing has always gone hand in hand with my bird /animal watching.
 
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The Monk

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Its funny really Ian, I always presumed that nearly all anglers felt the same way about nature and had a basic understanding, it was however brought home to me once when I was at a local club meeting talking about the cormorant issues when I was surprised just how many anglers didnt know what a cormorant actually looked like, some thought it was a heron, no shit, I couldnt believe it? Is your average club angler natural history aware?
 
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The Monk

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Sorry, in view of a few emails I've since recieved, I'm not against Twitchers, God forbid, everyone to his own, I'm just not one, hope that clarifies my posting.
 
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Dave Silvers

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Probably not Monk - the "average club angler" in this area (The Killing Triangle as Ron once referred to it) is only interested in pole fishing on a pond for 5 hours and then sodding off to the pub.
The only wildlife they ever see is when they go home to the wife.
 
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Chris Hammond

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Hi Monk,

I can relate to much of what you say, I've been known, in the past, to set the bivvy up for an all nighter ten miles from the nearest water! (lol. Trying to photograph Roe deer.)

It's a bit embarrasing to admit it, I'll be forty in a few weeks, but last year I spent several evenings sitting in an Oak tree (Sometimes without even a camera.)to watch Muntjac and a family of foxes. It's incredible how much closer wildlife will get, if you get a few feet above the ground. Especially foxes, that can smell a human on even the tiniest hint of a breeze.
I managed a couple of beautiful portrait shots of a young vixen eventually.

Regards Chris
 
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The Monk

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Nice one Dave, no disrespect to those guys, but I personally find it a bit sad, still whos to say they are wrong?
 
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Chris Bishop

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A few weeks back an otter popped up almost right under my rods. Totally awesome.

Things like this make you realise how privileged we are.

I've also been sitting on the Cut Off, minding my own business, when a coachload of twitchers turned up looking for a lesser spotted something or other.
 
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The Monk

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Man after me heart Chris, I've got a bat meter and get Bat News delivered, I sit in trees and walk round the woods at night and get excited with insects and fungi (sad aint I)?
 
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Ian Whittaker

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I suppose twitchers are like anglers in that they all have different values. I love the "thing" that surrounds fishing- you oldies know exactly what I mean. The "thing " is the very essence of fishing.Something that you cannot get by fishing in a sterile enviroment.
 
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Dave Silvers

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They might not be wrong Monk but they are missing out on so much, although in fairness it's only as I've got older that my interest iin wildlife began to grow.
I agree totally with you and the others when you say that fishing and wildlife go hand in hand, I usually carry a pair of "bins" just in case.
Also I think Discovery Channel and National Geographic Channel have something to do with it. They are the most popular channels in our house.
 
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Chris Bishop

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Top picture Mark, I remember Jack Hargreaves too.

I wonder if the return of the marsh harrier has anything to do with certain pesticides being outlawed.
 
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Chris Hammond

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Chris,

The year before last I watched a couple playing like kittens on the Teme in Worcestershire. The river was bowling through but, in between diving and play-fighting, they were lying on their backs and bobbing along nonchantly without a care in the world. I was above them on a high cliff-like bank and they were completely unaware of me. I dropped the barbel gear and followed them for at least a hundred yards downstream. As you say, 'awesome'

Regards Chris
 
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The Monk

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Know what you are saying Chris, I hate the sterile type commercial waters, I like to fish for wild fish in wild enviroments regardless of size, much prefer the unknown quantity, I dont want to catch Arthur at 40 LBs
 
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Chris Bishop

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I think as you get older you start appreciating the bigger picture and the way that fishing lets you interact with the environment, whether it's the robin nicking a few of Mark's maggots or the lost seals I sometimes see miles from the sea in the mmiddle of the Fens.

One drain I fish has a heronry nearby and as you creep the banks first thing you sometimes see them, all keeping a respectful distance from each other, staring intently at the water.
 
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The Monk

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Hi Chris

Yes pesticides and insecticide are significant along with the demise of so call modern farming practices, inituative which are bringing back many of our rarer species, we still howver have much work to do
 
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The Monk

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The last time I went carp fishing on a local water, I used to take a special pack of boilies especially for the hedgehogs (they love strawberry by the way), unusual for insectorvores dont you think?
 
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Chris Bishop

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The otter was a one-off. The really ironic thing was I'd done a piece on them for a newspaper supplement a few weeks before and the otter buff I interviewed said anglers stood a better chance than most of seeing one because they were out and about in the remoter places at dawn and dusk, when they're most active. Needless to say I told him I'd never seen one.
 
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