The Good the Bad and the Ugly no.6

My name is Jim O’Donnell. I work in the wonderful world of British saltwater angling and have done so for the past 13 years. I’m a qualified charter skipper, small boat handling instructor and fishing guide and I also work as a freelance angling juorno/writer and photographer. Basically I’ll do anything to keep myself fishing and on the water, rather than get a real job! Life’s too short! I love it!

Who would be your ideal dinner guests?

Truthfully… just a bunch of normal everyday anglers. I love meeting normal, non famous, anglers and talking shop about the big wide world of fishing, with a pint and a bit of banter! You learn so much from just chatting with other like-minded anglers 

If you are not fishing/writing/photographing what would we normally find you doing in your spare time?

I have 4 girls, ages 2, 4, 9 and 15, so I like to chill with them. We tend to be an outdoors family, so we’re always of hiking or visiting somewhere. Other than that I love food and I love to cook!

What was your favourite year and why?

2005 – the year I caught my first 100lb+ Tarpon, which was 130lb. I like that year because it marked a big change in my personal angling. Florida opened up my eyes to what a protected sport-fishing fishery could be like here in the UK.

If you were a animal what kind of animal would you be and why?

Animals can’t afford expensive fishing tackle!

If you could trade places with any other person for a week, famous or not famous, living or dead, real or fictional. with whom would it be?

Honestly, nobody. I enjoy being myself – I love my life and I love what I do, however being me, with a shorter list of jobs to do, would be even better!

What is your worst quality?

I’m ridiculously anal. I strive for perfection and sometimes drive myself to frustration. Photographing products for instance… they always look messy and I’m forever trying to arrange them so that they look all neat and tidy, but it never works.

What is your most prized angling related item you have and why?

Aha this can change daily! Currently it’s my Ima RBB floatation vest. A proper man gadget. Makes me feel like Arnie in the film Commando!!

If you could only fish for one fish for the rest of your life what would it be and why?

Tarpon because they have it all. You can’t beat sight fishing for a 100lb plus fish, that swims in just a few feet of water – they can only run one way. I love their torque and power – the fact that they can drag a boat around for hours and their aerobatic displays and, and, and…!

Don’t get me talking about Tarpon. Those things are my drug!

Angling is supposed to be one of the most relaxing hobbies around so what one thing really pisses you off about our wonderful sport?

People who blag fish sizes. I fully understand that estimating is difficult, but there’s too many liars out there, especially in the UK. Seems to be a bit of “my Willy’s bigger than your Willy!” thing that goes on over here, which you don’t seem to get as much elsewhere.

Who or what got you into angling?

A plastic kids setup with string for line, which I bought from a seafront shop in Weymouth. My dad never fished and the setup was crap, so in the end a friend of the family took me Perch fishing for the day and I’ve never looked back.

Where do you see your self in fishing in the next 5 years?

Quote “You put that line in the water and you don't know what's on the other end.  Your imagination is under there.”  ~Robert Altman

Going with the flow, like I do now! I quite like the fact that life has it’s own twists, turns and surprises. You can’t guarantee what you’re going to catch, and you certainly can’t guarantee what tomorrow will bring!  

Who or what has influenced your angling to get you to the stage you are now?

Seriously, no word of a lie, all the normal day-to-day anglers I’ve met on my travels – that’s why a bunch of normal anglers would be my ideal dinner guests!

The Good the Bad and the Ugly No.5

Jim Clohessy, I am a boat angler based in Cork Ireland. My real job involves running training courses. I write the monthly “Dinghy Angler” article for Irish Angler magazine and have been doing so since 2004. I do my fishing from my Warrior 175 “SKUA” and of course my Honwave Rubber Duck. From wrecks 40 miles out to creeping around in a foot of water…I love it!

Clohessy getting up and personal with the local wildlife......Only the Irish :-)

 Who would be your ideal dinner guests? - I think I’d like to sit in a Cuban restaurant with Ernest Hemingway, Zane Grey and maybe John Wayne…back in the days of experimenting with big game angling…of course I’d like to have today’s rods and reels!

If you are not fishing/writing/photographing what would we normally find you doing in your spare time? - More than likely doing something “boaty” or near the sea. That could be anything from tinkering around with kit to tramping over some beach or cliff with family or friends.

What was your favourite year and why? - In fishing terms most years bring highs and lows. Last year was an incredibly enjoyable year from a fishing perspective, mostly spent lure angling for bass. There were a few great years a while back when the offshore wrecks were humming… One year tends to roll into another but on balance it’s all great!

If you were a animal what kind of animal would you be and why? - I suppose it would have to be a donkey… (I call enough fellows donkeys!)

If you could trade places with any other person for a week, famous or not famous, living or dead, real or fictional. with whom would it be? - If it’s only for a week: Jean Luc Picard – Fishing on the holodeck anyone?

What is your worst quality? - I am told that sometimes I can be moody/cranky …  I like to call it attention to detail!

Nice Bass nailed on a Fiiish, Black Minnow

What is your most prized angling related item you have and why? - It would have to be my boat or any boat for that matter. Boat=fishing!
If you could only fish for one fish for the rest of your life what would it be and why? - I suppose it would have to be bass. So many different ways to catch them and I don’t think you ever get tired of the fight.

Angling is supposed to be one of the most relaxing hobbies around so what one thing really pisses you off about our wonderful sport? - Angling relaxing? You must be joking! Try fishing the Cork Small Boats Festival-Four days of madness Mars bars and Red Bull! Boat angling is usually hectic but that said it is different from the normal grind and therefore relaxing if you get my drift! In the meantime the things that piss me off about angling are bureaucracy, bullshitters and fellows trying to bleed you dry for information and not passing any back in return!

Who or what got you into angling? - Parents, especially my father: first rod, first trip, first boat. Respect!

Where do you see your self in fishing in the next 5 years? - I would like to be still enjoying my fishing and able to do it. I would still like to be writing about it and take a few trips abroad to sample fishing in warmer waters during the winter.

Who or what has influenced your angling to get you to the stage you are now? - I have met some cracking anglers while fishing and most have helped me along the way or have managed to teach me something. Local madman and nice guy Donal Domeney deserves a mention as does UK angler Gordon Thornes – these guys answered the innumerable questions and demonstrated techniques – something I am always prepared to do now when asked – just don’t ask me for marks for bass!

2012 biggest Duck Sucker so far!

Fished today on a local venue where since crimbo there has been a fair few 20plussers come out to dead baits and lives so being the forward thinkin lure angler i am soon gave me the get-up and go to hit the water armed to the teeth with glides and swimbaits and joining me was my girlfriend Gemma who i had managed to blag for netting duties and a bonus nice afternoons walk :-) we headed down to the banks and in the first swim had a fish of around 10lb follow up and nose around the lure but couldnt get a take, i had a good idea of how to hit this venue and didnt hang around long in the first swims so me and Gemma walked down in search of Monster Duck Suckers........ it wasnt long before we found some nice deep water with awesome clarity it just screamed PIKE i walked down down to literally the first pool and could see 15-16ft out a proper wompa stompa cruising just under the surface over the shallow bar at the edge of the pool i clipped on a really natural looking Lucky Craft Real Cali cast it out and wham!

19lb 6oz Lure caught Duck Sucker

This beaut smashed the lure and charged off upstream and destroyed off 10-15yards of line upstream with some lumpy head shakes and strong surges to the centre of the pool i turned her where i got my first proper look at the beast! this is where panic sets in, i got Gemma to scramble down the mud with the net ready and waiting. after one more good belting run i slowly dragged her to the net where Gemma lifted and the pike was ours! looked all of 20lb but after gently getting the hooks out and weighed she went a cracking 19lb 6oz bloody chuffed! i slipped her back and after a quick look at the photos carried on luring, with 3 more follows of decent fish with no hits it was time to crack on home as it was getting dark! all in all a fabby afternoon out and me and Gemma enjoyed the fresh air and nice walk with a chunk banked which is always good :-) tackle used was:- butch light rod, Shimano CalaisDC 30lb PP and various glides and swimbaits from Lucky Craft, Savage, Lucky Strike and Sebile.

Interview No.4

Henry Gilbey
I work in fishing full time as a writer, photographer, consultant and occasional TV/video presenter. Been fishing since the age of 7 and I guess that with this obsession I had no choice but to try and make a living out of it. Most of the time I think I’ve done the right thing………….Who would be your ideal dinner guests?
Chuck Shuldiner – the man behind the band Death who sadly died far too young. Quorthon - the man behind the Swedish band Bathory, also died far too young. Martin Scorsese, the designers behind IMA and MegaBass (and speaking fluent English as well !!) and of course Martin Johnson, better known as GOD to me.

If you are not fishing/writing/photographing what would we normally find you doing in your spare time?
Fishing, writing or photographing. Or spending plenty of time with my wife and two girls. Reading. Walking. Watching films.

What was your favourite year and why?
November 22nd 2003 – the day that England won the Rugby World Cup. Simple !! Doesn’t get any better than that.

If you were a animal what kind of animal would you be and why?
I would want to be a fish, and that fish would be a giant trevally. They are the baddest fish on the flats and I have a feeling that if they were people they would be big time black metal fans.

If you could trade places with any other person for a week, famous or not famous, living or dead, real or fictional, with whom would it be?
Well I despise the whole fame and celebrity culture thing, so for me it would have to be Dave Lombardo from Slayer. Just give me a week behind that drum kit out on tour, bashing out the best Slayer tunes night after night. Oh, and a dose of his drumming talent as well to help me out !!

What is your worst quality?
A lack of patience, and especially with stupid or ignorant people.

What is your most prized angling related item you have and why?
I get to test and play with a lot of different bits of fishing gear via my work, so I am not that materialistic about fishing tackle – except perhaps for my 8’ Daiwa France Morethan Branzino lure rod. I think I feel tackle lust for that particular rod !!

If you could only fish for one fish for the rest of your life what would it be and why?
I am lucky as I get to see all kinds of different fish all around the world, but for me it would have to be the bass. Other fish grow bigger and fight far harder pound for pound, but I just dig the way we fish for them, and of course by choosing bass it would force me to spend more and more time over in Ireland – which is my favourite place on earth.

Angling is supposed to be one of the most relaxing hobbies around so what one thing really pisses you off about our wonderful sport?
Conspiracy theories. I just wish that people would get it out of their heads that there are all these fishing tackle companies out there who like to pay regular people vast fortunes to fish with their gear. Dream on !!

Who or what got you into angling?
My grandmother bought me a Woolworths starter kit when I was seven years old and took me fishing on a trout loch up in Scotland.

Where do you see yourself in fishing in the next 5 years?
I just can’t answer that one as I don’t know. I would hope to be doing more of what I am doing now, but I have various plans and ideas that I like to think I would have brought to fruition………….

Who or what has influenced your angling to get you to the stage you are now?
Nobody and nothing. I am not at a “stage”. I am just a regular angler who happens to work in fishing. I can’t help it if some anglers have watched those TV programmes I did and then assumed that because this bloke Henry is on the box he must be some kind of “super angler” !! Because I’m not. But I love my fishing and I love what I do and I will always try to make fishing look as awesome as possible.
http://www.henry-gilbey.com/

The Good, The Bad and the Ugly interview No.3

Steve Collett 39, CEO harris sportsmail, Div 1 National winner, only person to have ever won, prestigeous Sea match, Flyfishing match, and Coarse match in a week .ex uk record holder match weights drayton, boddington, AT angler of the year finalist, MA Allrounder of the year finalist, drennan cup weekly winner numerous times, and evil villan.Who would be your ideal dinner guests? - Adolf Hitler and Ghandi at the same table

If you are not fishing/writing/photographing what would we normally find you doing in your spare time? - Horse Racing and perfecting the art of being a international playboy!

What was your favourite year and why? - 2010 winning the Div 1 National a childhood dream achieved in a sport I love, it doesnt get much better than that

If you were a animal what kind of animal would you be and why? - A Panda, I hate them with a passion, but over the years mankind has raised over 80 million pounds to make them mate, I would mate all day for half of that.

If you could trade places with any other person for a week, famous or not famous, living or dead, real or fictional. with whom would it be? - It would have to be HRH Prince Phillip, to find out if the Queen does “trumps” in bed

What is your worst quality? - Boldness and Baldness !!What is your most prized angling related item you have and why? - A pair of ABU 55s that a very famous angler gave to me, 20 years after he saw me looking at them in his shop, but could never afford them, he gave them to me and said, go out and catch everything from sticklebacks to stingrays, don’t just fish for Carp, if you do, you will be out of the sport in 3 years !! he was right

If you could only fish for one fish for the rest of your life what would it be and why? - Mackerel on a 5 weight fly rod, this has bought a smile to my face on many occasion, a real sporting fish when tackling them on matched gear, and then eat them !

Angling is supposed to be one of the most relaxing hobbies around so what one thing really pisses you off about our wonderful sport? - Forum Fantasists, anglers that 2 weeks ago were asking for advice, but now seem to know everything about everything, and belittle newcomers to our sport after they have reached a 1000 post status, you know what I mean Mr P ;)

Who or what got you into angling? - My dad, and then mother nature did the rest, all of us who have been lucky enough to get into this great sport have witnessed stuff that non anglers could only dream about.

Where do you see your self in fishing in the next 5 years? -Hopefully putting something back into the sport, wether that be on a coaching level, or teaching, I love watching others catch as well as representing my country in Angling.

Who or what has influenced your angling to get you to the stage you are now? - The next man !! we all like a bit of competition and along with great pals, we still like to whoop there asses, the competitive streak in me , has spoiled great days and made them, and long may it continue.

Interviews No.2

Hello, my name is Ant Glascoe JR, am 29 years old, and i have been fishing since i was 3, i grew up fishing on my oldmans boat from Anglesey, targeting Bass,Pollock and Tope, to taking on some of the biggest lakes and Scottish Lochs fishing for Pike. We have always had a boat as long as i can remember and the whole family are all keen anglers including my Mom, we are all Scottish, Irish and Norwegian decent so the fishing is deep within our Celtic blood. Having Family that live in some beautyfull places in the UK and Ireland i get to fish some breath taking places. I have been involved in the tackle industry for 15 years writing features,Product development and just basically being a ghost in the background of the industry.Getting involved with some of the biggest brands in the world has gained me to meet lots of great pals in the industry, and now i am a consultant for Savage Gear and Okuma, taking care of the Predator side of things both freshwater and sea. I just like to get on with my fishing, i hate politics in Angling, i just dont get it, Its fishing for F$%cks sakes its suppose to be fun. "Rock N Roll"

Who would be your ideal dinner guests? - My ideal Dinner Guest, Hmnn hard one that,there are many folk on my list, purely just to tell them face to face what a C$%t they are. But on a serious note ill have to go for Frankie Sandford, and deffo put chilli on her badly wrapped Kebab.

If you are not fishing/writing/photographing what would we normally find you doing in your spare time? - In my spare time, i like to drop kick drum kits, listen to my Tunes Buck Fizz im goin mad for at the Moment, drink beer and eat Kebabs. "I watch my soaps too, love Corrie"

What was your favourite year and why? - My Fav year, now thats got to be 1969, Woodstock, why, Because i wasnt born, and i would of love to of been..

If you were a animal what kind of animal would you be and why? - If i was an animal, Hmmnnn, id have to be a trout, but only living in Chew, just purley for the challenge, or a Blenny.

If you could trade places with any other person for a week, famous or not famous, living or dead, real or fictional. with whom would it be? - If i could trade places for a week with some one dead or alive, it would have to be Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top the guy is cool as F*$k, but on the other hand Adrian Smith, Iron Maiden the guy is a Legend, then i could enjoy fishing and be apart of Maiden.

What is your worst quality? - My worst Quality, chat up lines for Birds, Body Popping i just cant seem to crack it, and i cant tie Granny Knots. What is your most prized angling related item you have and why? - My most Prized peice of Angling Gear has to be a Batterd Jointed Rapala my dad bought me for Bass fishing for my 8th birthday, its in my safe for memories.

If you could only fish for one fish for the rest of your life what would it be and why? -Now if i could fish for one species for ever it would 100% be Pollock, one of the first fish i caught, i just cant get enough of them.

Angling is supposed to be one of the most relaxing hobbies around so what one thing really pisses you off about our wonderful sport? -What really pisses me off about this sport, Many things to be honest, for starters, two face people really bug me, especially the ones that call ya behind ya back as well as Ass Lick,, but not realiseing they are calling ya to a real mate (There is always a Fly on the wall). Infact my dad has always said, "if you cant say anything good then dont say anything at all", say no more.

Who or what got you into angling? - My oldman got me in to Angling and pointed me in the right direction, i grew up Sea and Freshwater fishing Boat,shore,river and Lochs as a family we do it all, which to me is very important its just the Norm with in the Glascoe Clan, Thanks Mom and Dad.

Where do you see your self in fishing in the next 5 years? - In the Next 5 years, even Fatter, i am aiming to Sherman Klump standards, am just going to keep riding the roller coaster, enjoying the fishing and getting on with life, helping others in the sport too.

Who or what has influenced your angling to get you to the stage you are now? - My Influence has to be my Oldman, he is a great guy and angler,.

The Good, The Bad and the Ugly!

Right then Guys as fishing here is a bit quieter at the mo iv taken the time out to get some interviews done with people in the fishing world that iv worked with or fish with over the years and some guys i think are key to todays angling world from fresh and salt water! so i hope you guys like what your going to read in these "in your own words" interviews over the next few weeks

So here you go...... Interview no.1 :-)

Dave Barham – I’m the owner/publisher/editor of Boat Fishing Monthly magazine. I’ve been editing/ working on sea fishing mags for over 17 years now, being editor of BFM for the past 5 ½ years, editor of Total Sea Fishing for 7 years before that, and staff writer on Improve Your Sea Angling for 4 ½ years. I’ve been lucky really to do what I love for a living so far. I’ve also been lucky enough to play with most of the new tackle that has come out over that time as well. Fishing is a way of life for me, a religion of sorts. I really don’t know what I’d do if I couldn’t ever fish again.

Who would be your ideal dinner guests? - John Bonham, Keith Moon and The Pussycat Dolls – Now that’s a party!

If you are not fishing/writing/photographing what would we normally find you doing in your spare time? - What spare time? Cooking, looking after my family, drinking Jameson and thinking about fishing.

What was your favourite year and why? - To be honest, I have a feeling that 2012 is gonna be my favourite year, because I’ve just taken ownership of Boat Fishing Monthly Magazine.

If you were a animal what kind of animal would you be and why? - I’d be an Osprey, because I love traveling and I love fishing.

If you could trade places with any other person for a week, famous or not famous, living or dead, real or fictional. with whom would it be? - That would have to be Animal from the Muppets!

What is your worst quality? - I’m a lazy SOB sometimes.What is your prized angling related item you have and why? - This is the toughest question on the list. I guess if I had to choose, it would be my trusty Shimano Talica 10II multiplier. It’s fairly new, but it’s by far the best reel that I have ever owned/ used, anywhere in the world.

If you could only fish for one fish for the rest of your life what would it be and why? - If we’re talking UK then bass! Do I really need to explain why? Abroad it would be marlin, because they are just amazing to hook and fight.

Angling is supposed to be one of the most relaxing hobbies around so what one thing really pisses you off about our wonderful sport? - The politics and lack of cohesion between the sea angling disciplines (shore/boat). I guess it’s just the lack of direction we have as a united group of anglers really.

Who or what got you into angling? - My dad, he used to take me charter boat fishing every other weekend from the age of four until I started in the sea angling mag business.

Where do you see yourself in fishing in the next 5 years? - I’ve been lucky enough to travel around the world fishing in recent years. I have a passion for boat fishing out of Malindi, Kenya. That place is really special to me – so hopefully I’ll be out there fishing once or twice in the next 5 years.

Who or what has influenced your angling to get you to the stage you are now? - Working on, and editing sea fishing mags for the past 17 years has given me access to some of the biggest names in the business. I’ve been lucky enough to fish alongside shore anglers such as Alan Yates, Steve Allmark, Paul ‘Shakey’ Stevens, and from the boats I’ve fished with some of the best skippers in the country, along with countless top rods such as Jim Whippy, Bobby King etc. That’s what I love about angling though, you never stop learning – no matter how old you are. There’s no such thing as an angling ‘expert!’