QUOTES OF 2018

From the happy to the sad, the sublime to the ridiculous. The past year has been a vintage one for memorable words from the world of angling...

RiveR MonsteRs has been a big part of my life for many years. When a series comes to an end it’s usually because viewing figures are on the way down, but this certainly isn’t the case, it’s still so strong” – Jeremy Wade on River Monsters Series 9 – the last one! JanuaRy “the best venue and performance was the River seine, Paris, in 2001 – not for the fishing but the location and crowds, and that england beat the French in their own backyard!” – Peter Drennan recalls his favourite moment in 25 years of sponsoring the England team in 2018 JanuaRy “it’s ouR duty to safeguard our native fish and i’m delighted and honoured we’ve been able to make a difference” – Trevor Harrop – Avon Roach Project, now rolled out to more rivers FebRuaRy the RiveR closed season should be scrapped. this would bring it into line with stillwaters which were opened 23 years ago and canals 18 years ago” – Dave Harrell on the Environment Agency’s proposed closed season vote FebRuaRy “eveRy RiveR in the uK deserves a break, and i believe it’s our duty as sport, conservation, and wildlife lovers to give something back to the fish” – Chris Yates on the Environment Agency’s proposed closed season vote FebRuaRy “it’s Just daFt!” – England Feeder team manager Tom Pickering on potential rule and name changes to the World Feeder Champs to allow bomb fishing. They were thrown out FebRuaRy

“a day’s fishing i’ve

waited for all my life” – John Rushworth after banking pike of 40lb 2oz and 36lb 8oz from an undisclosed trout fishery FebRuaRy to catch a Five pounder is a dream, but to catch two in a session... the big one looked like a breeze block in my landing net” – Andy Cheetham on his perch brace of 5lb 11oz (fourth-biggest perch ever) and 5lb 2oz from a Midlands river MaRch “i’d had a few jacks in the morning but when i wound down into the fish i knew i’d hooked something completely different” – Brendan Guilar on the moment he hooked a 44lb 12oz pike, the biggest of the season, while drifter float fishing at Ravensthorpe Reservoir MaRch

“that’s the beauty of the thames – you just don’t know what

to expect” – Rob Phillips reflects on his 20lb 9oz River Thames record barbel (third-biggest of all time) MaRch

“FilMing this yeaR Was easy – we had some blinding celebs and all we had to do was stand back and let

it happen” – Dean Macey on the launch of The Big Fish Off TV Series 4 which hit our screens in March and April. Guests included legends such as Jimmy Bullard, Tony Bellew, Linford Christie and Wayne Bridge MaRch “it’s liKe Winning the Fa cuP – to do it twice in three years is something i never dreamt would happen. Winning it shows my non-fishing friends and family that i’m actually not a bad angler” – Dai Gribble on winning the Drennan Cup aPRil “it’s impossible to put a set number on how many fish we’ve actually stocked this year but we could just tell that it was a huge amount, simply by how many times we had to go back to move the fish from the stews into the tanks!” – Avon Roach Project boss Trevor Harrop commenting on making a huge stocking of roach into the Hampshire Avon aPRil

you Won’t believe some of the things i’ve seen

in fisheries” – Beneath British Waters pro diver Mark Barrow on finding mannequins, scary dolls, and huge ‘bait balls’ of roach May “each year an estimated 400 million metres of line is either discarded or lost across the uK – enough line to reach the moon” – Anglers National Line Recycling Scheme volunteer Viv Shears talking about fishing line wastage May “i don’t pleasure-fish any more. i wouldn’t know how to” – Three-times Fish O’Mania champion Jamie Hughes May to have caught tWo different bream over 20lb is mind-blowing, and unless you know different i’m probably the first bream angler to have done so! talk about being ecstatic is to say the least!” – James Crameri after catching a second bream over the 20lb barrier May “it’s gReat to have a hobby where you can completely switch off” – Multi-award-winning star of BBC’s This Country, Charlie Cooper, reveals why fishing is so important to him June

“It ripped my bobbin off and melted line off my reel” – Carper Jack Sharlotte got a shock when a 40lb 3oz pike picked up his piece of fake corn at Pasture Wood Fishery in East Yorks June I fIshed two lakes on the complex and backed up the two big tench with 12 nines to 9lb 15oz, 10 eights to 8lb 15oz, 20 sevens and 20 that were 6lb or under” – Darryn Stolworthy commenting on what’s possibly the best tench haul ever recorded June

“It’s with great sadness that I have to report that the Big Plated has been found dead in the Carp Lake

at Wingham” – Wingham boss Steve Burke commenting on the death of the unofficial British carp record known as the Big Plated. It was caught at 83lb 4oz June

“Before Bob Mortimer and I die of heart disease, we’re going fishing all around the

country” – TV comedy legend Paul Whitehouse sums up his new BBC TV series, Gone Fishing, in the most honest manner… June “I’ve lost count of the number of 100lb bags of silvers we’ve had” – Lake John owner Colin Bartlett enjoys the success of his work as the venue celebrates 25 years JuLy “I’M stILL shaking with excitement” – Tony Arbery on landing a 10lb 2oz eel, just 1lb short of the record and his best catch in a 50-year angling career. JuLy

“It’s not just about fishing, it’s about cleaning up our

rivers” – Paul Floyde on the formation of the new River Anglers Conservation Group JuLy “AngLIng tIMes hAs inspired me to keep fishing. happy 65th Anniversary!” – Lifelong reader Stan Gower (82) has bought every issue, appeared in the fourth issue in July 1953, and helped us celebrate our 65th Anniversary JuLy “the finished shows looked epic, and I’m sure that people enjoyed watching them, whatever type of fishing they were into themselves” – The words of Monster Carp TV production panager Gary Newman concerning the third season JuLy “It’s reALLy doWn to just keeping things simple” – Matchman Ross Harold after winning 14 open matches on the trot August hAvIng fIshed Murchison falls many times I know what an incredible feat it is to land a beast of this size. It’s a remarkable fish, and hats off to tim” – John Wilson after hearing of Tim Webb’s 263lb Nile perch August “When I consider my records I am reminded that it is actually an amazing Cv for someone who enjoys angling as a hobby and has no sponsorship” – Kent shark ace Andy Griffith, after achieving the Shark Grand Slam with the capture of three threshers. August

“the float would shoot under and line just blitzed

off the reel” – The words of Mike Burnett after hooking a monster blue shark from the Celtic Deeps aboard a kayak sePteMBer “fishing… the most exciting sport in the world” – England football legend Paul Gascoigne during an Angling Times interview sePteMBer every Week I go to the garage and go straight to Angling times – I love looking at happy people and their catches” – England football legend Paul Gascoigne during an Angling Times interview sePteMBer “thIs Is A reAL tIMe-CAPsuLe of A Book. Bernard was a wonderful man with incredible skills. this book is the best of that writing from an unforgettable time for fishing” – Peter Rogers, close family friend and fellow author talking about Bernard Venables’ ‘lost tome.’ sePteMBer

“the Big one has got so big now we’ve had to add another hall… and create a

second show!” – The Big One show director Vince Davies reveals the Farnborough event just keeps growing and will now be joined by an event in Stoneleigh Park in the Midlands in 2019 oCtoBer “the fIve Pounder Is A new personal best and the catch of a lifetime – probably equal to catching a 3lb roach!” – The words of Matt Atkins after he caught a whopping 5lb 6oz perch oCtoBer “the fight of the biggest sturgeon (190lb) was mental, as it took me 90 minutes to tire out and bring to the bank” – Seb Nash describing playing a massive sturgeon on an elasticated pole! oCtoBer I WAnted to ProduCe An AngLIng serIes and decided to find the right angler and make some pilot programmes. I found John Wilson, who apart from being a pretty good angler in his own right, was also a very good wordsmith. there is a valued postscript to all that’s been said about John in a letter sent to me from the programme controller of Itv, who said: “go fishing is the best tv angling series ever made and will never be bettered.” I think that says it all. thank you John” – The words of Go Fishing producer, Peter Akehurst noveMBer “obviously we are going to be plagued by haters, but I would like to claim it for the simple reason that I’ve been fishing since 1982 for carp and I’m no spring chicken – this is the five minutes of fame that I’ve been dreaming of for 36 years” – The words of Vinny Parker after submitting a request for his capture of a 69lb 10oz carp to be ratified as the new official British record noveMBer the fIshIng hAs Been frAntIC at times, with bites coming as soon as the worm has hit the bottom” –James Champkin after catching nine perch over 3lb, to a best of 4lb 4oz