Fishing has been a major passion of mine for over 30 years now, I can still remember walking miles and miles over muddy fields from my parents house in Kent to reach the river Medway to fish for the Pike. Livebaiting in the locks at Yalding, just watching and waiting for the Pike float to slide beneath the surface of the water was all I seemed to live for. I never was one for playing football or other sports during my youth, and instead spent my time trudging the banks of local rivers and lakes in search of something special.
At the ripe old age of 23 I decided to join the forces and enlisted in the Army, working on building sites since I had left school held no challenge for me anymore, so after several weeks of intense training at The Army Training Regiment in Bassingbourn Hertfordshire, I was of to join my new regiment for a 3 year tour of Northern Ireland, I now had the challenge I had been looking for, the fishing was on hold for now !!!
A 3 year tour of Northern Ireland, followed by another 3 year tour of Cyprus that followed left me with very little time for fishing, apart from the odd session Carp fishing at the dam near to Limmassol, 6 month tours of the Falklands and another in Northern Ireland followed again with relatively few opportunities to fish, so when I was told that I was to be promoted and posted back to ATR Bassingbourn as an instructor I was sure that I was going to be able to get back into some regular fishing once more.
Bassingbourn has a large 12 acre man made lake within the training area, it was dug by Royal engineer plant operator class 1 students, under the supervision of SSGT B Long of the Royal engineers plants roads and airfields wing between 1983 and 1986 and had matured greatly over the eight years since it was dug. I found out however on my arrival that there was no club in place and no one looking after the lake, what an opportunity I thought and set about trying to establish what exactly was in the lake. Several sessions and a few months later I found that the lake held a large quantity of very nice Carp, all in the mid double to 20lb bracket, nearly all uncaught before and in fantastic condition.
Along with a couple of other military anglers we set about a stocking and planting programme at the lake for which we are now some 12 years on reaping monumental results, with Carp to nearly 40lb and Catfish to nearly 80lb being caught aswell as specimen Tench, Bream, Roach and Pike, this is a lake where dreams come true.
I left Bassingbourn and the military in 1997 after a long period of service, I still live close to Bassingbourn and fish it very regularly, most weekends in fact if I am not fishing in either France or Spain, I fish mainly for Catfish now, the power these fish have is just incredible, and I have been very lucky to have fished some fantastic waters for these creatures, including Woburn Abbey (see the home page article), Horton Boat Pool, Withy Pool etc to name but a few, and continue to be in awe at the beauty of these fish.
I have fished for Catfish in France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Spain and England and caught some truly awesome beasts along the way, I have also lost countless fish who have taught me that thay are not to be underestimated by any means. As with any specimen hunter angler I still strive for the elusive fish of dreams and I now hunt for a 200lb plus Catfish, I have come close with a personal best fish so far of 189lb, but with every lure I cast, every bait I place and every hour, day and week I sit behind carefully placed rods I can only wait and hope that I will fullfill my quest.
Thank you for taking the time to look at my site and read my stories, please pop back again on a regular basis as I am always fishing and therefore will always be updating the pictures etc.
