Category: Other bits and bobs


A Whale called Hope

Filed under: Natural history, Other bits and bobs — Leave a comment
January 4, 2018

This morning Catriona and I took Pippa to Euston station for her journey back to university in Glasgow. Not wanting to miss the opportunities available in the heart of London, we discussed places that we might visit. On account of it being my birthday, I was offered the casting vote and decided that we ought to go whale watching.

“Hope” is the name given to the 22 metre blue whale skeleton displayed in the Hintze Hall of the Natural History Museum. She is a real show stopper. She was stranded in Wexford Harbour in Ireland in 1891 and was bought by the museum which was only 10 years old at that time.  She is the only whale skeleton in the world to be displayed in a diving lunge feeding position and has been the headline act here since July 2017 when this amazing display was revealed to the public for the first time. Continue reading →

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Barbel and Baubles

Filed under: Fish and fishing, Fishing reports, Folks I know, Natural history, Other bits and bobs — 6 Comments
December 30, 2017

I don´t know about you but I´ve spent the Christmas period sitting on my arse with my feet up on the coffee table. I noticed that some idiot left an open box of Quality Street lying around. They won´t do that again in a hurry!

This shameful self-indulgence is tolerated and even encouraged at this time of year and usually acts as a catalyst to sign up to healthy new year´s resolution like marathon running, cross-channel swimming, mountain climbing or at least taking the dogs for a walk. Continue reading →

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Meet the family

Filed under: Fish and fishing, Folks I know, Other bits and bobs — 7 Comments
December 28, 2017

One of the great benefits of the blog, as far as I´m concerned, is that it has introduced me to a new extended family made up of other fly fishermen and like-minded souls. Many live overseas and have been in touch from time to time. Others I have had a chance to meet up with in person, often on the river bank. Continue reading →

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The missing link

Filed under: Fish and fishing, Fishing reports, Folks I know, Other bits and bobs — 3 Comments
November 23, 2017

You may be aware, following the recent screening of an episode of “Jara y Sedal” that I have become a major A list film star! As a matter of fact I am waiting by the phone for the calls that should come in from Hollywood agents as I write this!

In one of my regular tongue-in-cheek exchanges with my beloved wife I said that I hope that fame does not change me. She said simply “I hope it does!” Continue reading →

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On the Telly

Filed under: Fish and fishing, Fishing reports, Folks I know, Other bits and bobs — 10 Comments
November 19, 2017

Three years ago a film crew from Madrid drove down to my local river to make a film about fly fishing for gypsy barbel. The makers of the popular TV series “Jara y Sedal” had been in touch with John Langridge, a veteran of several fishing programmes and author of many books on fishing, and they asked of he would like to be part of a feature on the Río Guadalhorce. Continue reading →

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A tale of two flies

Filed under: Fish and fishing, Fishing reports, Flies and fly tying, Other bits and bobs — 2 Comments
November 14, 2017

Whenever I have finished fishing for the day, or when a change of fly is needed, I deposit whatever fly I have removed from my line into a little tupperware box where it joins comrades recently retired from active duty.

There are two flies in that box at the moment that, in my view at least, are quite interesting for one reason or another. Continue reading →

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The Man who stares at Goats

Filed under: Other bits and bobs — 2 Comments
November 10, 2017

You should never underestimate the usefulness of goats. Down at the river I come a across flocks of these all the time and last Saturday, when I finally managed to track down a few fish in a shallow pool on the Río Grande, a flock materialised and went tramping noisily among the far bank. The goat herders keep dogs which are about the size of horses and which act as communal bodyguards for the goats and a couple of these giants decided to jump into the river to intimidate me. Continue reading →

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The Río Grande Nymph

Filed under: Fish and fishing, Flies and fly tying, Other bits and bobs — Leave a comment
November 4, 2017

If some clown comes up to you and says “listen, I´ve got this fly pattern that never fails” you should treat him with distrust. I was going to say “contempt” but that´s a bit strong. After all, the guy may be well-meaning although a bit weak in the head.

Let´s face it, anything he says should be taken with a pinch of salt. In fact you are probably better putting some distance between the two of you. He may be a decent enough chap and his intentions may be good but, fundamentally, he is not to be trusted. You probably know all this already. Continue reading →

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Felix and the Fish

Filed under: Fish and fishing, Fishing reports, Flies and fly tying, Other bits and bobs — 4 Comments
October 29, 2017

I went to El Chorro yesterday afternoon not knowing if fly fishing held any real prospects and, somewhat to my surprise, I managed to catch a lovely carp. The water level has fallen since my last visit which was perhaps 6 weeks ago and the the Río Turón was little more than a shallow trickle as it spilled into the reservoir. Continue reading →

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Painting a perch

Filed under: Other bits and bobs — 8 Comments
October 21, 2017

For some time now I have been working on a watercolour painting of a perch. I laid the keel, so to speak, back in June when I sketched a pencil outline but then the project when on hold during the summer when my “painting room” was occupied by Grandad and I succumbed to a prolonged apathy that seems to afflict everyone here during the height of the summer.

Recently though, when life was simplified by the departure of guests and the sting had come out of the summer heat, I wandered back into Grandad´s room, dug out the perch and continued to work on it. Continue reading →

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