JAA's Interweb Links

Web-sites are supposed to have a 'links page'. Apparently.

There is a fine line between reciprocal links inserted purely to convince the crawler 'bots of the world that one's website is a 'good resource of its type' and those just providing links to stuff one likes in the broad interests of the casual reader.

You would be surprised how many rum emails I get promising me instant business and suggesting it would be nice if we linked to each other. That many of these are selling products that I would never endorse, and in many instances have heaped vitriol on, suggests that the senders are either 'machines' or 'wildly optimistic' or, with the worrying march of technology, 'both'. As for those missives insisting that with the right arcane tweaks, provided for a small fee, my site would reach so many more customers... In addition, others may care to note, I am well served in respect of a wife and have no need of pharmaceutical encouragement.

I keep firmly to the right side of this line; if it amuses me or I like it, it will be on this page somewhere. If it does not, then it never will.

There.

Blogs and Forums
Must Have
Other Interesting Links
YouTube Channels and Videos
All the Site's Pages

just a hook...(and back to the top of the page)

...and a loaf of bread

just a hook...

...and a loaf of bread

just a hook...

...and a loaf of bread

just a hook...

...and a loaf of bread

just a hook...

...and a loaf of bread

just a hook...

...and a loaf of bread

just a hook...

'Blogs and Forums

These are displayed in the reverse date order of their addition to the site - so newest at the top...

Where Green Roads Meet...and Time Stands Still: Dickie Straker's fascinating 'blog. Is it easy to like the writings of a self-confessed 'inveterate daydreamer, loafer and enthusiast of many things from Tunnocks Tea Cakes to collecting driftwood' especially someone who lists one of his many eclectic interests as "leaning on gates". You'll like it.

One of the marvels of the modern age is that I can read 'Where Green Roads Meet' while leaning on my own gate. Heh.

The Avon DiaryThe Fabulous Avon Diary This quite wonderful record of a stretch of the Avon at Somerley is well worth dipping into on a regular basis. It's nicely recorded and focuses on the subjects themselves: fishing, the environment, the water meadows and their other denizens. Give it a go.

Look Ye Also"The Wonder of the World, The Beauty and the Power, The Shapes of Things, Their Colours Lights and Shades, These I Saw, Look Ye Also While Life Lasts." - Denys Watkins-Pitchford: The author writes: "This Blog is a record of my love of the countryside, all things in it, especially old tractors, growing good food, drinking good tea and taking time out to enjoy life!"

This is a lovely, gentle and honest 'blog. Do take a look.

The Idler's QuestJolly hard for me to resist the blog of one who writes, in respect of roach fishing, that ''...so we have stick float fishing on rivers at the top and bolt rigged swim-feeder fishing on gravel pits at the very bottom of the admissible method list and in their respective positions because the one takes a great deal of skill, practice and hard work to perfect and the other, none whatsoever.'': Jolly hard for me to resist the blog of one who writes, in respect of roach fishing, that "...so we have stick float fishing on rivers at the top and bolt rigged swim-feeder fishing on gravel pits at the very bottom of the admissible method list and in their respective positions because the one takes a great deal of skill, practice and hard work to perfect and the other, none whatsoever." When you add in the home made floats and stuff about the advantages of grey as a colour, well, it's just good to know there are more of us.

Just got a bit of a cold, that's all... Well worth a read is CarpspottingThe New Confessions of a Carp Fisher - I was put onto this gem by The Scottish Correspondent, one similarly Soulhooked and after a read through, find that I can at last admit the truth. I'm a recovering carp addict, I can give it up any time I want, I can handle it, I'm just a bit tired that's all. Obviously, 'recovering' is a subjective term. Nice work Greg.

Hugh Miles - Wildlife AdventuresHugh Miles - Wildlife Adventures: Hugh Miles is a British filmmaker who specialises in wildlife films. An award-winning cinematographer, Hugh likes to be involved in as many aspects of the filmmaking process as possible, even appearing in front of the camera to help the audience get closer to the experience of actually being out on location.

His blog is always beautifully shot and is well worth a visit at any time.

Retiarius - Angling Ancient & (quite) ModernRetiarius - Angling Ancient & (quite) Modern. Creative use of the word "modern".

Salt and FreshThe life and times of a hopeless fishing addict. The life and times of a hopeless fishing addict. What? You're hopeless and coincidentally a fishing addict? A very bad fishing addict? Very addicted to fishing? What? Ah well. Well you said it Putnamsmif...

Worth a visit for the most wonderfully evocative photography.

Monty Dalrymple and the View From Yat RockMonty Dalrymple and the View From Yat Rock. Possibly a rant. Possibly a blog. Hard to tell really. One must bring one's own soapbox...

The Tuesday SwimA dog dangling kinda day to go fishing... is a place, a moment, a thought, that sometimes exists but on occasions may just emerge from the imagination. The Tuesday Swim uses fundamental tackle that gives pleasure in its simplicity in the pursuit of touching nature, encapsulating everything that is important and dismisses all that is trivial. The Tuesday Swim is a constant state of discovery.

The Path by the WaterThe forum has reopened forum was founded in July 2011 to provide a temporary home to the dispossessed of 'Pure Piscator' among others and still potters along. The site is run by 'JAA', webmaster, watchman and adjuster of technical things. "TPBTW" is a cyber-space shed with kettle, for like-minded anglers who place as much emphasis (well almost) on the type of biscuit or cake as they do the rod, reel or bait. It's much less about tackle and rigs and much more about ethos.

There is a smattering of 'traditional' tackle here, but we are not a "traditionalist re-enactment group". For the most part, it doesn't matter what your fishing rod is made of or what reel you use. We do care about your fishing exploits, your fettling and anything vaguely fishing related. Or even things that are not fishing related, 'beyond the rabbit-proof fence' as it were.

We like meandering threads. "A good web discussion should be like a good pub chat - beginning with a notion, weaving back and forth into the proposition at regular intervals but going off like a specimen fish played on light tackle, with a thumb on the reel and the expectation it will be netted in the end (mixing metaphors along the way of course)." - 'Gluey'

The name is borrowed from the A. R. B. Haldane's account of his early days of trout fishing as a boy in the Ochil hills and then onto trout waters in Argyll and the water meadows of Hampshire. It's an evocative and wonderful account, all fishermen should read this and dream.

The Forum Moved Home in early 2020, leaving its original URL behind. This was to consolidate server space and reduce the running costs; otherwise the place is unchanged, as is the commitment to keeping it 'live' as long as anyone is posting.

crucian...(and back to the top of the page)

Carassius Carassius

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Must Have

The Avon Roach ProjectThe latest entry covers this years spawning, the changing future plans and their hopes for barbel.. Trevor Harrop's and Budgie Price's indefatigable project to restore the Avon roach stocks. It's well worth keeping up to date on this and my spies tell me roach are again being caught on the Avon.

The Avon Roach Project main website is hereThis is what real conservation looks like..

The Crucian Website. The website of Peter Rolfe (A.K.A. "The Crucian Crusader") who thought it was high time that the crucian had a website of its own. The idea is to provide a database of information and to gather together ideas and experiences to try to build up a really reliable resource for anglers, naturalists, conservationists, scientists, land-owners, fish farmers and dealers - in fact anyone who's interested in the species.

JAA is privileged to be Peter Rolfe's webmaster.

Fish Legal (formerly the ACA) is a unique, non-profit making organisation set up to use the law to fight pollution and other damage to the water environment - both freshwater and marine - and to protect the rights of anglers and angling.

They act for fishing clubs, fishery owners, syndicates, commercial fisheries across the whole of the UK. In England only, they are the legal arm of the Angling Trust. They act independently in the rest of the UK.

Water pollution, over-abstraction, commercial fisheries, fish-farming and other activities can all cause huge impacts on aquatic ecosystems, wild fisheries and angling. Fish Legal aims to stop this damage happening and fights for compensation for their members when it does.

The Angling Trust. The Angling Trust is the new, single organisation to represent all game, coarse and sea anglers and angling in England. The formation of Angling Trust brings with it a positive new future for angling. For the first time ever, there is a single body to take cohesive action to solve all the problems that affect our sport.

So join...

I have a dream in which all the anglers of the country join the Angling Trust, making it the most powerful and well funded lobby group in the country. It turns out that 'herding cats' is easier than getting most fishermen to make any sacrifice for the greater good. Ah well.

The Environment Agency. Where you get your Rod Licence. And you can get it online now...so do get one. It really is a bargain. If only the EA would get off their botties and prosecute polluters instead of leaving Fish Legal to clean up in their wake.

A bunch of hooks found in my pike box...(and back to the top of the page)

A bunch of hooks found in my pike box

Other Sites with Stuff I Like

The Fine Art of Fishing is a collection of Limited Edition Fine Art prints of illustrations & photography by Robert Olsen. Simply stunning stuff, you must go and look.

Mike Ladle's amazing Fishing site'Operation Sea Angler' is all here.. More information here about catching fish than you can shake a stick at, especially sea fishing. The best collection of actually useful information and tips I've ever read anywhere.

Eel FishingWhether you're a beginner or a more experienced angler, 'Eelfishing.co.uk' has something for you.. Their aim is to provide the best eel angling information website on the internet and hope to provide a user friendly easy to navigate angling website with plenty of information for eel anglers of all experiences. Read this, find out about eels and how amazing they are and stop killing them, even the little ones.

Playing Battleships. Fly fishing for Pike on Rutland Water by Ian Wakeford. I was sent this link by the bother, it's a fabulous read and a good example of leaving the beaten track.

L'etang de La Morinais"This must be the most peaceful & unspoilt fishery on earth to go fishing."...is an ideal carp fishery if your preferred approach is float fishing the margins, free-lining, casting to bubblers, fishing floaters or snooping about looking & waiting for that opportunity. Or alternatively, not bothering to cast at all; finding a comfortable trunk to rest your back against, dipping your hat over your eyes & having a little snooze.

L'etang de La Morinais does not claim to have several tons of pellet reliant carp crammed into a surface area of water, where fish health issues remain a real risk. There are around 160 carp from double figures through to forty pounds. The first thirty was landed in 2006, the first forty in 2007, with forties now being caught regularly.

JAA personally endorses its fine fish, atmosphere, location and hospitality, and has been five times...so far.

The Grayling Society...was formed in 1977 by a small group of enthusiastic game fishermen who wished to conserve and establish the grayling as a true, wild, game fish. It's hard to put it any better than that.

Free Fishing on the ThamesThe Runneymede stretch and Marlow are not on this list. Wonder why?

Yes, really. There seems to be less than there was, more River Thames free fishingA much longer list... stretches are listed here.

Paul's Fishing Kites. This excellent site from New Zealand, shows one way to get that bait 500 yards off-shore. Saves all that spodding...

The Medlar Press.

"No other publisher in the UK offers angling books of such consistent literary class or aesthetic excellence." - Barbel Fisher.

Medlar's fishing books include some of the great classics of angling literature but also many books from contemporary authors - works of historical or biological research, and literary works deserving of a wide audience. There is a good search facility on their site so whatever you wish to find, whether it be an author, title or simply a fish species, you should be directed quickly to the books that fit your criteria.

The Waterlog Magazine. The World's Finest Angling magazine:

"About as much use to a match angler as a chocolate teapot" Nobby Budd
"The best angling magazine since I was a lad" Izaak Walton

Talisker Whisky. I like most whisky, but I have a soft spot for Talisker, possible due to the newly wed Anotheranglers' visit, heads heavy with cold, being started with a large one popped into your hand as you pass through the door. Now that's marketing. It's not a bad cold cure either.

The Ten Year old is peaty, smoky with a hint of the sea and a sip takes me straight back to the shores of Loch Harport in 1994. It's probably sacrilege but a tot in a flask of Ceylon, brightens those colourless winter days by the waterside. And a large one with a spot of hot water is perfect for the head-cold of Mrs AA. Despite herself professing no love of whisky, my bottle always seems to evaporate through the cork if I am away from home...

A wonderful smokey warming malt. Buy some, drink it, appreciate it, buy some more. It is not tricky.

I like porcupine quill floats...(and back to the top of the page)

I really like porcupine quill floats...

YouTube Channels and Videos

Various YouTube videos I am fond of and some YouTube Channels I quite like. These are displayed in the reverse date order of their addition to the site - so newest at the top.

Restoration at Barton Court Estate trout fishery. Lovely little video about the start of the Kennet restoration project at Barton Court Estate. Work is under way to create a habitat that promotes a healthy head of wild trout, as well as creating a diverse and varied fishery for anglers.

I have fished here a few times and alway enjoyed the place and it is good to hear that the habitat is being restored 'first'. This is the approach taken at the ...an idyllic and very fine fishery that was the product of many years of careful managementSaxon Ponds: water and environment first, fish second, anglers third.

Catching Small Bass in a Tiny Spillway. Fishing 618 is well worth a watch. Although possibly at odds with UK techniques, the enthusiasm is infectious, the editing is nicely done, the soundtracks are well chosen and played at a 'background' volume. Plus, there is a fascinating array of fish and where else do you see folk catching turtles by mistake and having to avoid snakes?

In his own words: Fishing the ponds, lakes, rivers, and creeks from the midwest and beyond! You will find videos featuring gear from the lightest of ultra light to the heaviest of heavy. This channel is dedicated to fishing purely for the fun and excitement of fishing! Enjoy!"

Carp Fly Fishing from Korea. I could watch this guy cast for hours. Wonderful.