Close Season Blues

Funny thing the 'Close Season', that time of year when the 'Dark Months' (both physical and literal) come around again and all us anglers traditionally spend the hours cleaning and checking gear; rods, lines, reels, waders, nets and clothing. Many hoping Christmas will bring a new toy or two.
Angling books read and re-read, and fly boxes replenished.

All the traditional things we do to while away the 'Winter Blues' while we sit and wait for the days to tick away until the new season finally arrives.

Aye Right.

Close season for browns maybe, but open season for rainbows (and grayling for those lucky enough to live within reasonable striking distance of them) and a change from the 'Far Flung' wild trek over the moors and peat bogs, to the more sedate stroll around well tended grassy banks, gravel footpaths of the local fishery with coffee and bacon rolls at the best of them. (And civilised toilets, it can be cold in the woods)

Nowadays 'Close Season Blues' refer to a certain colour strain of rainbow trout.

Ok not for all is the 'Artificial' style of angling found at a put and take fishery and some may choose not to venture forth as in 'Days of Youre', and others, as previously suggested, may be blessed with good accessable grayling close by. But for us lads in Scotlands North East it's away with the 'Traditional Flees' and out with the 'Okay Dokies', 'Damsels', 'Vivas', 'Apts Bloodworms' and, dare i say it 'Blobs' (along with a host of other things only fit to grace the Christmas Tree)

Dark in days and dark in nature to the traditionalist are these days of the Winter Blues, but if you've read this far then too late. Maybe i should have said at the start if you're not a fan then look away now.

'Fat flabby and not very fit,' (aye ok i really do need to go to the gym more often) is the often used description of the put and take rainbow quarry, but thankfully more often than not nowadays this isn't the case.

Moral dilemma? Chasing the artificial on my concience? Not really. Fact is i enjoy it and treat it as a wee break from my March to October wild troot chasing norm. Yes it looks like fishing but it isn't real (as quoted by old pal Bob Wyatt) but it's fishing none the less, a different style and different aspect of the sport.

Live and let live, we're all 'Brothers of the Angle' afterall are we not?

What a good quality Rainbow Trout should look like. 

Article written by Allan Liddle.

In association with the fantastic Scottish Angler forum discussing all things fly fishing.

Hugh's Big Fish Fight

Around half of the fish caught by fishermen in the North Sea are unnecessarily thrown back into the ocean dead.

The problem is that in a mixed fishery where many different fish live together, fishermen cannot control the species that they catch.

Fishing for one species often means catching another, and if people don’t want them or fishermen are not allowed to land them, the only option is to throw them overboard. The vast majority of these discarded fish will die.
Because discards are not monitored, it is difficult to know exactly how many fish are being thrown away. The EU estimates that in the North Sea, discards are between 40% and 60% of the total catch. Many of these fish are species that have fallen out of fashion: we can help to prevent their discard just by rediscovering our taste for them.
Others are prime cod, haddock, plaice and other popular food species that are “over-quota”. The quota system is intended to protect fish stocks by setting limits on how many fish of a certain species should be caught.

Fishermen are not allowed to land any over-quota fish; if they accidentally catch them – which they can’t help but do - there is no choice but to throw them overboard before they reach the docks.

Bennetts of Sheffield Update

Following on from our post earlier in the week, the clearance sales planned at the store have cancelled. For latest details, please see the Bennetts of Sheffield web site.



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Bennets Of Sheffield Ceases Trading

We would like to give people a heads up that Bennets of Sheffield has unfortunately ceased trading.

The sad news was broken to us today, and as such we are helping to spread the word and make anglers aware of the situation. If you are waiting for an order from Bennetts you can contact the liquidators at the following address:

Wilson Field
The Annexe The Manor House
260 Ecclesall Road South
Sheffield S11 9PS
Tel: 0114 235 6780

In the meantime however, there appears to be sales at the store itself each of the next two Saturdays (6th November and 13th November), so if you are around about Sheffield then there must be massive bargains to be had!



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