KEVIN PERKINS | |
Never mind smelling the flowers, don’t forget to take time out to see the satirical side of fishing life and grab a laugh along the way as well. So here’s a regular column from Kevin Perkins to remind us that life is for laughing at, or taking the p*** out of, whenever we can. |
THE ALTERNATIVE FISHING PARTY Election fever is all the rage, three or four or five million anglers equates to three or four or five million votes. Just think, we could form our very own Fishing Party, to look after our interests (if Kilroy Silk can do it….) Just a pipe dream, perhaps, but there would need a shadow cabinet, or opposition spokespersons. Several names just seem perfect for a number of these plum positions. Party Leader Shadow Chancellor Shadow Home Secretary Shadow Minister for Overseas Development Shadow Transport Minister Shadow Foreign Secretary Shadow Education Secretary Shadow Health Minister Party Publicist Spin Doctor Culture Spokesperson Now all we need is someone to do Peter Mandelson’s job (whatever that is this week, he doesn’t do too badly for a bloke that gets fired more often than the lunchtime gun at Edinburgh castle) and the Fisherman’s Party is up and running. Any suggestions? MIXED BAG Is it just me, or have you noticed an imperceptible shift in attitudes towards ‘grouping’ fish together. We appear to be moving away from the almost compulsory single species approach, which has been very prevalent of late. It is now acceptable to fish for both carp and barbel, similar tactics, tackle and baits seem to work. Now that is becoming the norm, will anglers add to their preferred fish list, or perhaps select different groupings? There has, of course, always been that age-old duo of pike and perch, which could seamlessly incorporate the upstart new boys, zander. Equally predatory is the chub, so that would be a natural progression. If you are fishing for any of those fish, you may have occasion to go livebaiting. This means you will have already acquired the necessary skills and knowledge of how to catch dace or roach. From there it is only a small step up to fishing for bream. Whilst you are bream angling, there is always a chance of coming across a tench or two. Who knows, after piling in all that tench groundbait it just might be that a carp comes along and snaffles your bait…. Once in a while you may not be able to go carp fishing, but having got the gear, why not have a try for barbel. You can always try for the usually obliging chub if there are no barbel about. From there, almost no need to change tackle or tactics and the next fish in the net might be a perch. Appetite whetted for predators, you will of course be keen to try for zander or pike, not forgetting that you might want to catch some roach or dace livebaits, that might lead on to bream, tench, carp, barbel…. No, wait a minute, all round anglers, that is never going to happen – is it? |