Fox Blog

Having arrived at St Cassien to find dreamlike conditions, including high water levels, good weather and relatively few anglers, my friend Chris and I had decided to fish the northern arm, towards the barrage. After a busy evening setting up the rods and baiting up, we spent the first part of the night listening to distant noises of carp crashing on the surface, hoping those fish would move into the swim. If the night remained calm with little action except from the odd bream or two, the next morning proved to be very different indeed…
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I fished a club match at Samphire Hoe sea wall at Dover midweek and it collided with an easterly gale and conditions, to say the least, were very difficult. The venue is as extreme in terms of rough ground as you can get, in fact I have fished all around the UK and have never fished anywhere more snaggy – However, as with most snaggy sea beds how you fish and the tackle you use are the answers to getting your gear back consistently. I was kitted out with my usual Fox Envoy beachcaster, but with a fast retrieve Daiwa SL20SH (nicknamed the slosh) multiplier, well loaded with 20lb mono and a 60lb leader – rig was a Pulley Pennell. I chose size 1/0 Kamasan uptide hooks because with that gear they can be pulled out of the worse snags because they bend. Bait was a cocktail of peeler crab and ragworm.
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So there it was, Tuesday morning had arrived and I felt surprisingly calm about it all. Sipping my first cup of coffee I wondered if it was all just an April fool’s day practical joke, or if I was really going to fish St Cassien again after such a long absence. By the time I dropped off my little boy at school and got to my workshop to load the gear the mood had changed though, and the same thrill caught up with me once again. This very peculiar cocktail of anxiety and anticipation was however made much more bearable by the nature of the trip itself: two friends reunited for a few days with the only aim of escaping the long lasting harsh alpine winter conditions!
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The return of winter weather just as spring was arriving has dampened enthusiasm with the mass crab moult which usually improves the shore and inshore boat fishing put on hold by the low temperatures.
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Being used to mild springs and active fish in this part of the world, we all tend to get edgy by the end of March, and it was the case for one of my regular clients who could not wait any longer to go out on the bank. Our local still waters being still very cold, we headed south to the next valley to meet up with a friend and fish a large gravel pit. The water was much colder than expected, and levels were at an all time low. To make things worse, the weather was nothing like the forecast and a bitter north easterly breeze was taking air temperatures down to just a few degrees above zero. It was always going to be tough, but Matthew was keen to learn how to try to turn such conditions to his advantage…
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Hello everyone. It has been a while since my last post, having been kept very busy with translating the exciting new Fox Carp Brochure and having had to guide my first parties of the year in very challenging conditions! What goes around comes around as they say, and after having enjoyed a stunningly mild and dry February, the Easter egg hunt will involve some snow digging for my little ones! I take my hat off to the first UK anglers to join me this year and who battled hard and got rewarded as we took some nice carp shots with snowy peaks for background!

This feature marks the end of the SAFETY ZONE series, after which I will be taking on the daunting challenge of writing a diary of the coming season. I am this week looking at another central piece of equipment with dramatic effects on success rate and huge hazard potential: lead arrangements.
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The Go Fishing show at the NEC Birmingham was disappointing for many of the visiting sea anglers with the sea angling content very limited. Myself and Chris Clark did our best with a rigs clinic and I did a short stint on the casting pond talking and demonstrating bass lure fishing. One bright spot was the Tony’s Tackle stand because he had all of the Fox shore rod range available as well as the new book – The Fox guide to modern sea angling. Judging by the number I signed they went well. I have had lots of good comments about the shore book which not only includes all the latest rig designs, but ID and pics of all the sea species, plus tactics, tackle and a large section on baits. It’s priced at £12.99 and is available from your Fox dealers, check it out on this web site.
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What a friendly place Glasgow is! I was overwhelmed with the warm welcome from the local Glasgow pike anglers for my evening talk before the shop open weekend. Over 150 turned up and we talked about fishing until well after midnight. Thanks to the Glasgow PAC branch for donating a cheque for £200 for my charity, The Manderson Trust for the Disabled. That’s well on the way to buying another safe platform!
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It’s a hectic time for me at the moment. In between getting in as much fishing as I can before the season ends, I’ve got lots of other commitments to attend to. The Pike Master Class that I hold for the Carp Society at their Horseshoe Lake is now a regular event for me and I really look forward to it. It’s one of those jobs that’s a pleasure to do and I always look forward to meeting old friends and new faces alike.
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It only took me a few seconds to take up Matt Hayes offer to have a chub session on the Throop fishery on the Dorset Stour. I was in need of a break from what had been quite a difficult pike season so far. The fishing on this popular venue can be very hard and I knew that I would have to fish fine to even get a bite. A Challenger 13ft match rod and a reel loaded with 4 lb main line felt a bit odd to me after using pike rods all winter but I was up for the challenge. With a 2.7 lb fluorocarbon hook link and a spade end size sixteen Power Point hook I was ready to go.
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