ADVICE FROM AN EXPERT BY JAN PORTER

INTRODUCTION

Earlier on in the week I found myself picking the brains of one of England's most famous anglers, I presented my blog to Jan and asked him for his advice on blogging and how to become a pro angler. I thought it would be a good idea to share his advice with the viewers and I hope you enjoy the read as much as I did. I would like to take the opportunity once again to thank Jan for taking the time to not only check out the blog but but offer great advice too!

Jan Porter's advice! 

 I get asked a lot by younger anglers how to get a deal with tackle companies and become a pro. There's no fast answer but I always suggest record of log of your sessions, write blogs like you are doing. Invest in some reasonable camera equipment and hone photography skills. Obviously it's important to learn techniques and better to be a master of one style/species at a time than jack of all trades. I believe that catching fish on a float loose feeding little and often is a great starting point, location is paramount. Balanced tackle, local knowledge and watching the water is essential in fast tracking to experience. There are so many helpful resources on youtube, in the printed media and via company DVDs there has never been more knowledge to hand. Above all this it's crucial to get a decent job as ones mainstay income until you are in a position to make a decent living out of being a full time angler. By that I don't mean signing every day but working behind the scenes with your partner company having built up a credible reputation on the boat/bank. Always think carefully about aligning your brand with a tackle/bait company just for cheap bait. This is fine as a hobbyist but jumping from one company to another can/will possibly devalue your worth and it's a downward spiral. I've been with Shimano for nearly twenty years but I was at the top of my game when they took me on I had some smaller non conflict of interest deals prior but all with blue chip brands. Octoplus, Van Den Eynde plus Richworth and Realtree. Hope this helps. Jan

COARSE FISH AND LATIN NAMES

ROACH- RUTILUS RUTILUS

BARBEL- BARBUS BARBUS

CARP- CYPRINUS CARPIO

RUDD- SCARDINIUS ERYTHROPHTHALMUS

ZANDER- STIZOSTEDION LUCIOPERCA

CHUB- LEUCISCUS CEPHALUS

BREAM- ABRAMIS BRAMA

TENCH- TINCA TINCA

PERCH- PERCA FLUVIATILIS

PIKE- ESOX LUCIUS

DACE- LEUCISCUS LEUCISCUS

WELS CATFISH- SILURUS GLANIS

ATTACK OF THE OTTERS

The Otter was re- introduced into Great Britain in the 1970's and ever since they have made a massive impact on our fisheries, destroying a large number of not only our fish species but also lots of our other land going creatures to.
  Although they may appear to be nothing more than cute fury creatures they are actually a devastating predator which prey on many small animal species such as land nesting birds, our indigenous snake species and many fish species.
  I first came across this problem holiday on the river Bure in the Norfolk broads, although I had heard about the damage caused by the Otters in the Norfolk area it was usually on the upper reaches of rivers which were out of the way of more populated areas.
 On this trip we set out pike fishing as usual but after 2-3 days we was still without a single run. I had spoken to the local workmen in the area and they explained that in the past year or so the otters had moved further down stream and had caused a huge amount of damage to there fish stocks including the big Pike which the river is famous for, this was hard to take in as exactly 12 months earlier we had enjoyed an incredible weeks fishing catching 3-4 Pike per day and had caught them to over 24 lb.
  I went for a short walk with my granddad and came across five large pike up to about the 15 lb mark laying on the bank with huge great holes in them we the Otters had killed them and dragged them onto the bank and simply left them there.
  The Otter population has now started to spread and has continued to decimate carp fisheries and rivers allover the country causing fishery owners thousands of pounds worth of damage.
  If anything i do believe that the Environment Agency should take control of the situation and try to put a stop to this shocking situation, giving fishery owners the permission they need to control the species, It was the Environment Agency that helped re- introduce the species in the first place and its now time they take responsibility for there actions.

FISHING FOR THE DISABLED ANGLER

My introduction and experiences whilst fishing with the disabled.

I guess disabled angling has been a huge part of my fishing from a very young age, I have an older step brother 'Andrew' who is blind and has attended the regular family fishing trips since before I was born.
  As many of my family members are keen fishermen and women our fishing trips were never the usual and usually consisted of the whole family! We would  arrive on the banks of the river Trent on a weekend and set out for a relaxing days fishing. As I grew older and I turned into a more competent angler I would always pair up with Andrew on fishing trips to take the weight off my dads and my granddads shoulders who for years had spent there time on the bank teaching others rather than having a relaxing days fishing to themselves.
 From there on I developed a huge love for helping out my step brother Andrew with his fishing and this more than anything started off my obsession with the sport. As using the usual float tackle was simply impossible for him we invested in bite alarms and this made his fishing much more independent, being able to hook and play the fish independently and the more he learnt the happier and more confident he became.
  From there I went on to help show him how to bait up his feeders and after a couple of years I taught him how to pole fish, the pole fishing was a good change as there were no casting involved and he could ship out the pole and land fish on his own, one thing that always amazed me was how he would feel bites through vibrations in the rod or pole sometimes before there had been any visual indications what so ever. In my view this shows an amazing connection between angler and nature that you cant get from any other sport in the world.

Angling facilities for disabled anglers

  I believe that disabled access is now a key in the modern fishing world especially as many more disabled individuals are now taking up the sport.

I must say i do believe there is a huge lack of appropriate facilities for disabled anglers and it has to be said that much more could be done by fishery owners and the EA to make our fisheries much safer.

  The majority the fishing I did when fishing with my blind step-brother was on commercial waters, not because of the fishing but because the banks seem to be much better and easier for disabled people to access especially those who require pegs suitable for wheel chairs. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the fisheries in the UK who do cater the needs of disabled anglers like my brother Andrew and would like to give a huge thank you to Aston park fisheries which have been great to not only my step brother but also to many other disabled anglers and i would recommend there fishery to anyone looking for a fantastic days fishing!

COMMERCIAL FISHING

MY INTRODUCTION TO COMMERCIAL FISHERIES

In modern fishing, match fishing in-particular commercials have defiantly taken over! giving people the opportunity to bag up with silvers and carp even when the conditions are against them. even the most un-skilled anglers can catch plenty of fish on these venues therefore they are the choice of many youngsters coming into angling as they can often visit venue for there first time fishing and pull out a 10lb carp.

   when fishing the few matches that i have fished I've had that opportunity to fish the best venues in Yorkshire such as Portland waters and Lindholme lakes and i have enjoyed the fishing greatly, however i will admit that the commercials don't seem to offer the passion of the more natural rivers and lakes and they are built more to catch the angler. most commercial lakes are small and massively overstocked with fish to make the anglers job easier, however i think sometimes this goes too far and the fishing can be just too easy and do not require much skill at all, the other bad point about commercial fishing is that most of the time there is a board telling you exactly what species are in the lake and what size they grow to, this to me takes some of the art out of the sport as you know every species and size of fish you're lightly to catch.

  In conclusion i do have to admit that commercial fisheries are a great place to enjoy a days fishing especially with the good quality pegs and banks which are perfect for the disabled or elderly who may struggle on other venues were banks are un-even. 

A WAY WITH WATERCRAFT

Introduction

The most important thing no matter which venue you choose to fish is always location, good watercraft skills are usually built up over a period of time as you gain knowledge on how fish feed and where they will be in certain conditions.  I think one big thing to remember is that no matter how good your rigs and baits are if they are in the wrong place they simply wont catch anything. Once you have learnt the basics of watercraft It's always important to remember that each venue whether river or lake has its own rules, like a code that you have to unlock by spending time on the water finding out there feeding patterns and where the fish are in different situations. I like to think of a lake as if its a board game where the rules are changing continuously and you have to keep adapting to these slight changes in order to get the best out of your fishing.

Rivers

Small rivers

The obvious places to find fish on small rivers is large snags and overhanging trees, all snags from sunken trees to reed beds and lily pads will be great places to hold fish. Another good area to find fish on small rivers is a 'crease' a crease is where to faster flowing water meets the slack water, these are usually caused by large obstructions in a river or on a bend where the water will usually hit the bank and flow around one side of the water then pushing the water on the opposite side back on itself and the crease between the two is where food particles will be forced to by the water, one thing to remember when fishing here is that branches and other materials will also be trapped here so they can often be snaggy spots.
The biggest fish tend to stay in the bottom layers of water where to flow is usually a little slower meaning they don't have to work as hard in the harsh currents and can move into the fast water to feed on passing food items and then quickly return to the depths so a legered bait is always a good place to start when trying to pick out the larger specimens.

Large rivers

when fishing large rivers the same principles still apply as when fishing small rivers but some large rivers lack features and are more like giant flowing canals, in the instance the thing to look for is any sudden changes in depth for example many rivers will have a shelf on either side where to depths shelves of from the shallower margins to the deeper water towards the middle, any deep holes or underwater snags are also a good thing to look for and can be good fish holding areas.

Flooded rivers

Many beginners find it hard to fish on flooded rivers, this is usually because they don't know where to start as a flooded river can be a huge mass of raging water. When rivers are in flood the last place fish want to be is in the center of a ragging current fighting against the water, the fish will usually move into the marginal areas where to water is slower or behind big snags which will slow down the current. If there are tributaries or off cuts leading into the river they are also a great place to try as the water will be much slower therefore easier for the fish to maneuver in, these little tributaries often throw up huge surprises and if present they're a must when picking your chosen spot.

Lakes

When tackling lakes the first thing to look for is the more obvious visual features which will are deffinatly going to attract fish such as lily pads, reed beds and tree lined banks and islands, these are always going to be a good place to start as they will provide natural food which the fish will feed on throughout the summer months, the other great thing about these features is that they provide shade from the sun on those bright days and they provide a place for the smaller fish to hide from the predators.

Follow the wind

In warm conditions the fish with often follow the wind as the natural bait gets pushed in this  direction, for this reason although it can be uncomfortable I like to fish with with wind in my face.
however in winter or very cold conditions the fish tend to hold off the back of the wind in calmer areas where the water tends to be a little warms.

Temperature

Temperature is also a good thing to beep in mind when tracking down fish. In summer when the weather is warmer the shallower parts of the lake will tend to be the better places to target as the fish bask in the shallowest parts of the lake as in winter I usually look for the deepest parts of a lake as this is usually where the water temperatures are much more stable and this is often where the fish shoal up over the winter.