Introduction

[Mark_Leathwood]

Hi Everyone,
I'm an experienced predator angler from Winsford in Cheshire. I've spent much of the last 25 years fishing for pike and, more recently, I'm spending more time fishing for perch. I'm primarily a fly / lure angler. I don't do much bait fishing of any kind, and I tie all my own flies for pike and perch.

I've been involved in angling admin. in various national committee roles with PAC, NAC, SAA and more locally as an R.O. with PAC and head bailiff and chairman with one of the local clubs. I'm a qualified Level 2 Coach although at present I'm happy just to concentrate on my fishing without getting involved again in anything else. When I'm not fishing my other main interest is music and I've taught guitar professionally for more than 15 years now.

 

[john step]

Welcome to FM. There are a few pikers on here and a few more perchers. Its nice to hear from people on the HOW DID YOU GET ON thread.
Obviously no location secrets though!

 

[rayner]

Welcome Mark, watch out for sharks we have a few.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

Hello Mark, and Welcome to FishingMagic . . . . .

 

[markcw]

Welcome to the forum, I used to fish the Weaver a few years ago, was a bailiff for Lymm until this year, .

 

[Mark_Leathwood]

Thank you for the welcome. I love the Weaver, I've fished it all my life. Sadly I do think it's been hammered for pike and it isn't what it was. My local association has good bailiffs, who are more than competent, and genuinely try and promote good angling practice, but you still see anglers, who think they know better, doing things you'd rather they didn't. I guess it's the same everywhere.

 

[Keith M]

Hi Mark, welcome to the forum.

Keith

 

[markcw]

Thank you for the welcome. I love the Weaver, I've fished it all my life. Sadly I do think it's been hammered for pike and it isn't what it was. My local association has good bailiffs, who are more than competent, and genuinely try and promote good angling practice, but you still see anglers, who think they know better, doing things you'd rather they didn't. I guess it's the same everywhere.

Sadly it is, I gave up bailiffing due to moving down to Oxford, I still did it when called back up to warrington,
I think a lot of pike were removed from from waters around the north west by" fish for the pot fishermen".one minute a prolific water,next minute struggle to catch.

 

[Mark_Leathwood]

Yes, there's certainly evidence that many fisheries have suffered at the hands of some of those you mention. I know that plenty of efforts have been made to try and 'include' and 'educate' but it's frustrating when these efforts are rebuffed and the offenders just carry on as before. Still, all we can do is keep trying, try to effect change where we can, and hope that our fisheries will one day recover.

 

[steve2]

Good to see another lure angler on board

 

[mikench]

Welcome to the forum Mark which I'm sure you will enjoy. It's good to see another Cheshire angler aboard.