Justafewdayslater,Bertiewasbackoutonthelakewithhisfather.He was fishing one of the big spoons again, determined to catch something that would put him in the same fishing league as the rest of his family. He had caught a few pike before, but it was only ever the small jacks which seemed to come to his lure. Even at 6 years old, a bit of a competitive edge was appearing in his psyche.
Everything started out like any other day. His father caught a couple of smallish pike and a good perch, while Bertie, who had insisted on using the biggest spoon in the box, was
A glass of sloe gin later, shaking hands beginning to calm down, he went back into the water to try again. Almost immediately he heard the snuffle snuffle of an otter coming through the pool on the surface. That was no great surprise, because the Deveron had a healthy population of otters throughout its system. They were part of the delights of nighttime fishing on the river, and Robert listened to the animal until it went on up towards the pool above him.
He resumed casting and stayed in the same position for half an hour without any more takes. He was comfo
‘Kingfish,’ said his friend and guide, Phil, as he eased his small boat slowly away from the tackle-snapping anchor chains and towards open water. ‘Only one fish out here that fights like that and you’ve got it.’
Martin couldn’t believe the sheer power and aggression of the fish. As he continued to fight it vertically, he kept glancing back at the harbour and city buildings, wondering whether there was anywhere back in the UK where he could be encountering a fish like this so close to a major metropolis. He finally boated a magnificent 13-pound kingfish, look
Full List of areas covered on our Gloucestershire Fishing Lake Directory:
Ablington, Adlestrop, Alderley, Alderton, Aldsworth, Alstone, Alvington, Amberley, Ampney Crucis, Ampney St Mary, Ampney St Peter, Andoversford, Apperley, Arlingham, Arlington, Ashchurch, Ashleworth, Ashley, Aston Cross, Aston Magna, Aston Subedge, Avening, Awre, Aylburton, Badgeworth, Bagendon, Barnsley, Barnwood, Barton, Barton End, Batsford, Baunton, Beachley, Bentham, Berkeley, Berry Hill, Beverstone, Bevington, Bibury, Birdlip, Birdwood, Bishop’s Cleeve, Bisley, Blackwells End, Blaisdon, Blakeney, Bledington, Blockley, Boddington, Botloe’s Green, Boughspring, Bournes Green, Bourton-on-the-Hill, Bourton-on-the-Water, Box, Boxbush, Brand Green, Breadstone, Bream, Brierley, Brimpsfield, Broad Campden, Broadwell, Brockweir, Brockworth, Bromsberrow Heath, Brookend, Brookthorpe, Broom’s Green, Buckland, Bulley, Bussage, Calmsden, Cam, Cambridge, Cannop, Cerney Wick, Chaceley, Chalford, Charingworth, Charlton Abbots, Charlton Kings, Chedworth, Cheltenham, Cherington, Chipping Campden, Christchurch, Churcham, Churchdown, Cinderford, Cirencester, Clapton-on-the-Hill, Clearwell, Cleeve Hill, Clifford’s Mesne, Coaley, Coates, Coberley, Cold Aston, Coleford, Colesbourne, Coln Rogers, Coln St Aldwyns, Coln St Dennis, Compton Abdale, Condicote, Coombe Hill, Cowley, Cranham, Crossways, Culkerton, Cutsdean, Daglingworth, Daylesford, Deerhurst, Didmarton, Dixton, Donnington, Doughton, Dowdeswell, Down Ampney, Down Hatherley, Draycott, Driffield, Drybrook, Dumbleton, Dunfield, Duntisbourne Abbots, Duntisbourne Leer, Duntisbourne Rouse, Dursley, Dymock, Eastcombe, Eastington, Eastleach Martin, Eastleach Turville, Ebrington, Edge, Edge End, Edgeworth, Elkstone, Ellwood, Elmore, Elmore Back, Elmstone Hardwicke, Elton, English Bicknor, Evenlode, Ewen, Fairford, Farleys End, Farmcote, Farmington, Fiddington, Flaxley, Ford, Forthampton, Foscot, Foss Cross, Fossebridge, Foxcote, Frampton Mansell, Frampton on Severn, Frocester, Fyfield, Glasshouse Hill, Gloucester, Golden Valley, Gorsley, Gorsley Common, Gotherington, Great Barrington, Great Rissington, Great Washbourne, Great Witcombe, Greet, Gretton, Guiting Power, Halmore, Ham, Hampnett, Hardwicke, Harescombe, Haresfield, Harnhill, Hartpury, Hasfield, Hatherop, Hawling, Hazleton, Hempsted, Hewelsfield, Hewelsfield Common, Hidcote Boyce, High Wollaston, Highleadon, Highnam, Horsley, Hucclecote, Huntley, Hyde, Icomb, Innsworth, Kemble, Kempley, Kempley Green, Kempsford, Kent’s Green, Kilcot, Kilkenny, Kineton, King’s Green, King’s Stanley, Kingscote, Kingswood, Knockdown, Lasborough, Lassington, Laverton, Lechlade, Leck-hampton, Leigh, Leighterton, Leonard Stanley, Little Barrington, Little Rissington, Little Witcombe, Little-dean, Long Newnton, Longborough, Longford, Longhope, Longney, Lower Apperley, Lower Berry Hill, Lower Cam, Lower Lemington, Lower Lydbrook, Lower Oddington, Lower Slaughter, Lower Swell, Lydney, Maisemore, Matson, Maugersbury, Meysey Hampton, Mickleton, Mile End, Milkwall, Minchinhampton, Minsterworth, Miserden, Mitcheldean, Moreton Valence, Moreton-in-Marsh, Mork, Nailbridge, Nailsworth, Naunton, Netherend, New Town, Newent, Newerne, Newington Bagpath, Newland, Newnham, Newport, Nibley, North Cerney, North Nibley, Northleach, Northway, Northwood Green, Norton, Notgrove, Nup End, Nympsfield, Oakle Street, Oakridge, Oldbury on the Hill, Oxenton, Ozleworth, Painswick, Pamington, Parkend, Paxford, Pilley, Pillowell, Pitchcombe, Poole Keynes, Poolhill, Poulton, Prestbury, Preston, Puddlebrook, Purton, Putloe, Quedgeley, Quenington, Randwick, Redmarley D’Abitot, Rendcomb, Rodborough, Rodley, Rodmarton, Ruardean, Ruardean Woodside, Rudford, Ruspidge, Ryton, Saintbury, Salperton, Sandhurst, Sapperton, Saul, Sedbury, Seven Springs, Sevenhampton, Sharpness, Sheepscombe, Sherborne, Shipton, Shipton Moyne, Shorncote, Shurdington, Shuthonger, Siddington, Slad, Slimbridge, Snig’s End, Snowshill, Somerford Keynes, South Cerney, Southam, Southrop, St Briavels, Stanton, Stanway, Staunton, Staverton, Staverton Bridge, Stinchcombe, Stoke Orchard, Stone, Stonehouse, Stowe, Stowell, Stow-on-the-Wold, Stratford, Stratton, Stroat, Stroud, Stroud Green, Sudgrove, Sunhill, Swindon, Syde, Tarlton, Taynton, Teddington, Temple Guiting, Tetbury, Tetbury Upton, Tewkesbury, The Camp, The Eaves, The Mythe, Thrupp, Tibberton, Tidenham, Tidenham Chase, Tillers’ Green, Tiltups End, Tirley, Toddington, Todenham, Tredington, Trow Green, Tuffley, Turkdean, Tutshill, Twigworth, Twyning, Twyning Green, Uckington, Uley, Ullenwood, Up Hatherley, Upleadon, Upper Coberley, Upper Framilode, Upper Lydbrook, Upper Oddington, Upper Slaughter, Upper Soudley, Upper Swell, Upton St Leonards, Viney Hill, Walton Cardiff, Wanswell, Welsh Bicknor, Westbury-on-Severn, Westcote, Weston Subedge, Westonbirt, Whaddon, Wheatenhurst, Whelford, White End, Whitecroft, Whiteshill, Whiteway, Whitminster, Whittington, Wibdon, Willersey, Winchcombe, Windrush, Winson, Winstone, Withington, Woodchester, Woodcroft, Woodford, Woodmancote, Woolaston, Wormington, Wortley, Wotton-under-Edge, Wyck Rissington, Yanworth, Yorkley
