Gig review: And you will know us by the trail of dead & The Rock of Travolta

What better on a Friday night than some extreme guitar noize.  Having got myself on the Rock of Travolta's list I made the trip to the top of my road to the O2 academy (Formerly the Zodiac) to see tRoT supporting Texas art rock/post punk act And you will know us by the trail of dead.  Not familiar with the work of either of these acts I didn't really know what to expect.  What I got was ROCK.

Mahseer fishing Part 1. Karnataka, India. November 2010.

It is time I wrote of my best fishing adventure to date.  An unforgettable trip to South India to fish for the legendary Mahseer.  This was my second attempt at mahseer fishing in India. The first having been in February 2010 and probably subject of a post to come.  This time I actually got to see a mahseer.

Lure review: Savage gear soft 4-play ready-to-fish. First impressions.

A shoal of soft 4-plays

The arrival of the Savage gear soft 4-play was hotly anticipated by lure fans. Combining the sinuous swimming action of the popular hard 4-play with the fishbiting economy & versatility of softbaits, these new lures sold out all over the place.

Dead man's plugs & Hands across the canal.



Top to bottom:  Savage-Gear 13cm soft 4-play, Bagley Kill-R BII, Heddon Zara Spook,
Chub Creek Pikie (note Teeth marks by middle hook), Mepps Lusox.

 I nipped into Predator tackle shop in Kidlington for some maggots and Tony was selling off the lure collection of an angler who had passed away. Presumably on behalf of the widow.
Never one to pass up a lure bargain I picked out...
a Mepps Lusox (brilliant French spinner)
a Heddon Zara Spook topwater lure, small Creek chub pikie & a Bagleys Kill-R B.(all classic US lures)
All mint for £12! Ace.

The halfway house, Pitney, Somerset. Best pub in England?

Halfway house for dinner last night. Beer - superb. Food fantastic as ever. I've been all over the world and eaten a lot of chips. Nowhere do the chips come close to the chips here.

My best pike. 21lb. Late July 2010

Here's the story of the biggest pike I ever caught.   Probably my best angling achievement because it was proper skill and a fitting pay off for thinking angling.

Restaurant Review: On the Hill - Ruthin

My new favourite restaurant

I've been working away a lot in the last few weeks and no fishing has been happening.  As well as fishing I also enjoy eating a lot.  True in both interpretations of the sentence.  So, to further the diversity of D.Heaps Fishing Adventures blog, here is a restaurant review.

On the Hill
One experience which many people find uncomfortable is eating alone in a restaurant.  I would say that I used to but I have to do it so often when I am working away from home that it does not upset me anymore.  Indeed, it can be a very pleasant experience as just happened to me while working in Ruthin, Denbighshire.

http://www.onthehillrestaurant.co.uk/

Top Tips. #1 Bait...

Maggots. The number one bait.

When you are planning on going fishing on Sunday remember to check to see if the maggots you left in the fridge have turned on Saturday and buy more, if required, while the tackle shop is open.

ex-maggots

My planned trip to the canal on Sunday was ruined by a failure to do this.  I didn't go.  hence the lack of posts in this blog since the river season finished.

Season 2010-2011. A brief review of my sporting year.

A fond look back at the season of 2010-2011.  Regrets....  I have a few....

India trip 1.  This is all I got

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Last day of the season (for me)

It was actually the second-last day of the season and it was to be another attempt at a 6lb chub from the Thames.  Notable not for chub but for a couple encounters with pike and local types.