You all may assume that Martin is well known among coarse anglers not only in the UK, but all over in Europe. I am lucky to be the one who is translating Martin’s articles into Hungarian helping my countrymen getting an insight into his vast experience and incredible knowledge about angling.
He is portraying angling like no one else I know does, and his work is not only helping anglers in Hungary learning methods making them more successful, but giving a perfect insight into the British angling culture. Latter added value may assist many of us in convincing our old-fashioned fellow anglers that our fisheries and our beloved sport can only survive in my country if we are ready to change the existing wide-spread habit of harvesting the fish we caught and start practicing catch & release.
After months of working together with Martin, he invited me for a fishing trip to the River Wye, magnificent water I’ve only seen before in Martin’s film “A Fish for all Seasons”, and actually never thought I’ll have a chance to fish there once. Finally we stood there on the bank together in the lovely English – and Welsh – countryside, buzzards above us, wild flowers around and long shaped shadows down in the fast water.
Unlike a typical Hungarian angler I fancy spinning above all methods and warned Martin prior to the trip that I have not much clue about targeted barbel fishing, in fact I did not caught any barbel before. He however was very confident, gave me precise instructions and demonstration how shall I cast, where shall I fish. Further he provided his pro barbel gear including the heavy barbel rod he recently designed for Drennan and a special paste developed by him especially for barbel which shall become a product available soon, from Richworth. I can assure you barbel just loved it.
After loosing the first one, I’ve caught one fish after the other, it was for me simply incredible how many fish were there in the swim, but not alone the number of fish made me wonders. These wild barbel were fighting like hell, no matter what size they’ve had. I’m just smiling when thinking back while I’m typing these words, amazing, and unparalleled fishing. Dusk came and my arms were aching when again and again these torpedoes ran upstream despite of me bending into the rod heavily. Loved every minute of it!
I’ve stopped counting but I’ve must have landed at least a dozen decent fish in the two days we’ve spent there – a nice chub among them to my pleasure – and few lost (including a better pike, which may have attacked smaller fish feeding on the pellets and got hooked, sadly not good enough, it was a double I reckon). All this on a week-end in August, when literally hundreds of canoeing tourists paddled downstream, disturbing fish in the shallows and anglers on the bank, latter willing rather listen to the peaceful sounds of nature.
With 8 pounds and 1 ounce my personal best of barbel is set now somewhat high, especially considering the fact that I shall beat that more than 1000 miles away from the wonderful Wye, in our rivers back in Hungary.
That will not be easy, believe me. I’ll miss the picture of the dawn mist above the water with lean salmon leaping occasionally, breaking the mirror-like surface and splashing back down and that of bronze-back barbel hoovering pellets from the gravel and heading towards my hookbait.
Thank you very much, Martin!
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