Archive for February, 2014


What Harry has been getting up to

Filed under: Fish and fishing, Fishing reports, Folks I know — Leave a comment
February 28, 2014

If you cast an eye over this blog from time to time you may remember a guy Called Harry Abbott. Harry lives here in Spain and we meet up from time to time to go fishing together. He is not only an accomplished fly fisherman, but a fellow float tuber, a bird watcher and wildlife enthusiast. He is also great fun and his après pêche “raconteuring” over a beer or two always winds up a day´s fishing perfectly.

For the last few years he has been setting off on fishing adventures in Thailand and New Zealand and sends me back pictures and updates from his travels. I try extremely hard to contain my jealousy! Continue reading →

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The Apes of Gibraltar

Filed under: Folks I know, Natural history — 1 Comment
February 24, 2014

If you have ever been to Gibraltar you won´t need me to remind you of what a quirky place it is. It prides itself as being a little bit of Britain, complete with bobbies on the beat, big red post boxes,  BHS and Marks and Spencer on the main drag and plenty of pubs showing premiership football where you can sink a pint of London Pride. But then you look a little closer and you see people walking around in T shirts during a February afternoon and you hear the fusion of English and Spanish spoken by the locals. Look behind you and you will see, above the buildings, an enormous slab of Jurassic limestone piercing the blue sky. The air is full of the screeches of Mediterranean gulls and the northern coast of Morocco, a continent apart, is only separated from you by a slither of water. Continue reading →

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Tying flies with Norman

Filed under: Fish and fishing, Flies and fly tying, Folks I know — Leave a comment
February 18, 2014

On Sunday I met up with Norman Smith and showed him some of the rudiments of fly tying. Norman was introduced to fishing at the age of three and there is not much he doesn´t know about it, but fishing with a fly rod is a relatively new interest, and fly tying is newer still. Continue reading →

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Caviar anyone?

Filed under: Fish and fishing, Natural history — 1 Comment
February 15, 2014

Last Thursday I organised a trip inland to visit a fish farm which grows both rainbow trout and, more interestingly, sturgeon from which they obtain caviar.

The caviar, not unexpectedly, does not come cheap. A kilo will set you back 2500 euros and a tiddly little 10g can costs 25 euros.

Caviar eating is a rich man´s game and I will leave the well heeled to get on with knocking back the stuff. I am far more interested in the sturgeon themselves. Continue reading →

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A trout from the mountain lough

Filed under: Fish and fishing, Other bits and bobs — Leave a comment
February 8, 2014

For some time I had been hoping to make a painting of the lovely brown trout my pal Mark McCann caught up in the Lough in Leitrim that we simply call the “Mountain Lough.” And, finally, I have completed it after several false starts and the usual distractions. Continue reading →

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Annoying little bastards: Part 3 – Sandflies

Filed under: Flies and fly tying, Natural history — Leave a comment
February 5, 2014

If you have ever been fortunate enough to visit New Zealand and fish for the trout for which the country has become famous, you will know all about sandflies. Continue reading →

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The Giant Trout of Gore

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February 3, 2014

There is a brown trout in Gore, on Southland´s famous Mataura river, that must be fifteen feet long at the very least. Maybe more. I have often stood in awe beside it. If you don´t believe me you just need to look at the photo Harry sent me. I´m hardly going to make up something like that! Continue reading →

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Annoying little bastards: Part 2 – midges

Filed under: Fish and fishing, Flies and fly tying, Natural history, Other bits and bobs — Leave a comment
February 1, 2014

Midges don´t have many friends, particularly up in Scotland, where the little devils devour everyone in sight and can make a hell of a nuisance of themselves. The real villian is one of the biting midges, a nasty little son of a bitch known as the highland biting midge, Culicoides impunctatus. As with mosquitos,it is the female who sucks blood, and for the same reason, to be able to produce a batch of eggs. Continue reading →

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