As the line came round in front of the tree there was a slight tug, but Tom couldn’t decide whether it was a fish or one of the submerged branches. He cast again in the same place and let the line come round, whereupon there was another tentative nibble, then the line went solid. He struck and everything went manic, as the tiger fish, much bigger than anything he had encountered thus far, came out of the water and showed all the splendour of its striped flanks, and even its outlandish teeth. It went straight out towards the middle of the current and turned downs
Humans are not the only high-level predators at sea, but we are unique in treating fishing as a sport. Most other marine hunters need to catch fish to survive and will be looking for the easiest opportunity to snatch a meal.
aving travelled all the way home from China to England with a newborn baby when the Second World War broke out, with very little money or help of any kind, not many things in later life threw Barbara Kershaw. But even she was in for a serious shock when she realised a lifetime’s ambition and went to fish for salmon in Alaska.
Barbara,
Once those two were in the boat, Peter started the engine and motored back towards the top of the drift again. ‘We’ve been out from the dock about an hour,’ he shouted above the noise of the engine. ‘I take it we’ll be heading back now?’
George kept a straight face. ‘Well, perhaps just another 10 minutes.’ Peter laughed and pointed a finger. ‘Told you so!’
After three hours’ fishing, they had landed 10 salmon, hooked and lost a further half dozen and had countless swirls and pulls at the flies, as well as seeing well over 100 fish show on the surface up an
Full List of areas covered on our Oxfordshire Fishing Lake Directory:
Abingdon, Adderbury, Adwell, Alkerton, Alvescot, Ambrosden, Appleford, Appleton, Ardington, Ardley, Ascott-under-Wychwood, Ashbury, Asthall, Asthall Leigh, Aston, Aston Rowant, Aston Tirrold, Aston Upthorpe, Balscote, Bampton, Banbury, Barford St John, Barford St Michael, Baulking, Baynards Green, Beckley, Begbroke, Benson, Berinsfield, Berrick Salome, Bessels Leigh, Bicester, Binfield Heath, Bix, Black Bourton, Blackthorn, Bladon, Bletchingdon, Blewbury, Bloxham, Boars Hill, Bodicote, Botley, Bourton, Brighthampton, Brightwell, Brightwell Baldwin, Britwell Salome, Brize Norton, Broadwell, Broughton, Broughton Poggs, Buckland, Bucknell, Burcot, Burford, Buscot, Cane End, Carswell Marsh, Carterton, Cassington, Caulcott, Caversfield, Chadlington, Chalgrove, Charlbury, Charlton, Charlton-on-Otmoor, Charney Bassett, Charterville Allotments, Chastleton, Chawley, Checkendon, Chesterton, Childrey, Chilson, Chilton, Chimney, Chinnor, Chipping Norton, Chislehampton, Cholsey, Christmas Common, Church Enstone, Church Hanborough, Churchill, Clanfield, Claydon, Cleeve, Clifton, Clifton Hampden, Coleshill, Combe, Compton Beauchamp, Cookley Green, Cornwell, Cote, Cothill, Cottisford, Cowley, Crawley, Cray’s Pond, Cropredy, Crowmarsh Gifford, Cuddesdon, Culham, Cumnor, Curbridge, Cuxham, Dean, Deddington, Denchworth, Denton, Didcot, Ditchley, Dorchester, Drayton, Drayton St Leonard, Dry Sandford, Ducklington, Duns Tew, Dunsden Green, Easington, East Challow, East End, East Ginge, East Hagbourne, East Hanney, East Hendred, Eastend, Eaton, Eaton Hastings, Elsfield, Emmington, Enstone, Epwell, Ewelme, Exlade Street, Eynsham, Faringdon, Farmoor, Fawler, Fencott, Fernham, Fewcott, Fifield, Filkins, Finmere, Finstock, Fordwells, Forest Hill, Freeland, Frilford, Fringford, Fritwell, Fulbrook, Fulwell, Fyfield, Gagingwell, Gallowstree Common, Garford, Garsington, Glympton, Goosey, Goring, Grafton, Great Bourton, Great Coxwell, Great Haseley, Great Milton, Great Rollright, Great Tew, Greenfield, Greys Green, Grimsbury, Grove, Hailey, Hampton Poyle, Hanwell, Hardwick, Harpsden, Harwell, Hatford, Headington, Hempton, Henley-on-Thames, Henton, Hethe, Heythrop, High Cogges, Highmoor Cross, Hinton Waldrist, Holton, Holwell, Hook Norton, Hopcrofts Holt, Horley, Hornton, Horspath, Horton-cum-Studley, Idbury, Idstone, Iffley, Ipsden, Islip, Kelmscott, Kencott, Kennington, Kiddington, Kidlington, Kidmore End, Kingham, Kingston Bagpuize, Kingston Blount, Kingston Lisle, Kirtlington, Langford, Launton, Leafield, Ledwell, Letcombe Bassett, Letcombe Regis, Lew, Lewknor, Lidstone, Little Coxwell, Little Faringdon, Little Haseley, Little Milton, Little Tew, Little Wittenham, Littlemore, Littleworth, Long Hanborough, Long Wittenham, Longcot, Longworth, Lower Assendon, Lower Heyford, Lower Shiplake, Lyford, Lyneham, Marcham, Marsh Baldon, Marston, Merton, Middle Assendon, Middle Aston, Middle Barton, Middleton Stoney, Milcombe, Milton, Milton Hill, Milton-under-Wychwood, Minster Lovell, Mixbury, Mollington, Moreton, Moulsford, Murcott, Nether Worton, Nethercott, Netherton, Nettlebed, New Yatt, Newbridge, Newington, Newton Purcell, Noke, North Aston, North Hinksey, North Leigh, North Moreton, North Newington, North Stoke, Northbrook, Northmoor, Nuffield, Nuneham Courtenay, Oddington, Osney, Over Kiddington, Over Norton, Over Worton, Oxford, Park Corner, Piddington, Pishill, Play Hatch, Poffley End, Postcombe, Pusey, Pyrton, Radcot, Radford, Radley, Ramsden, Rotherfield Greys, Rotherfield Peppard, Rousham, Rousham Gap, Rowstock, Russell’s Water, Salford, Sandford St Martin, Sandford-on-Thames, Sandleigh, Sarsden, Shellingford, Shenington, Shepherd’s Green, Shifford, Shillingford, Shilton, Shiplake, Shippon, Shipton-on-Cherwell, Shipton-under-Wychwood, Shirburn, Shrivenham, Shutford, Sibford Ferris, Sibford Gower, Somerton, Sonning Common, Sonning Eye, Souldern, South Hinksey, South Leigh, South Moreton, South Newington, South Stoke, South Weston, Sparsholt, Spelsbury, Stadhampton, Standlake, Stanford in the Vale, Stanton Harcourt, Stanton St John, Steeple Aston, Steeple Barton, Steventon, Stoke Lyne, Stoke Row, Stoke Talmage, Stonesfield, Stonor, Stratton Audley, Summertown, Sunningwell, Sunnymead, Sutton, Sutton Courtenay, Sutton Wick, Swalcliffe, Swerford, Swinbrook, Swinford, Sydenham, Tackley, Tadmarton, Taston, Taynton, Tetsworth, Thame, Thrupp, Tiddington, Tokers Green, Toot Baldon, Towersey, Tubney, Twyford, Uffington, Upper Arncott, Upper Heyford, Upper Wardington, Upton, Wallingford, Wantage, Warborough, Wardington, Watchfield, Water Eaton, Waterperry, Waterstock, Watlington, Weald, Wendlebury, West Challow, West End, West Ginge, West Hagbourne, West Hanney, West Hendred, West Lockinge, Westcott Barton, Weston-on-the-Green, Westwell, Wheatley, Whitchurch, Whitchurch Hill, Wigginton, Williamscot, Witney, Wolvercote, Woodcote, Woodeaton, Woodstock, Woolstone, Wootton, Wroxton, Wytham, Yarnton, Yelford
