‘Peter, you’re joking, aren’t you? I wouldn’t walk down the riverbank, let alone go out in a boat on the lough in this lot.’
‘Well now, I’ve fished here all my life and I’ve not lost an angler yet. I dare say I’ll not be starting with either of you two today.’
Helen winced. ‘But the wind, Peter, and the rain? Surely no selfrespecting salmon’s going to take in these conditions.’
The grin widened. ‘You’ll wait your whole life for a day like this on the salmon. Trust me. The wind’s veering into the south and that alone means it’ll be worth a cast or two. C
Greg held the blade end, took careful aim and brought the handle of the paddle crashing down on the pike’s head.
‘Again, just to make sure.’
He hit it again twice, whereupon a great shudder went through the pike’s body and it lay still. They knelt there for ages, gazing down and admiring the fish in disbelief that this was happening to them. Eventually, they collected the rest of their tackle into the knapsacks and looked around for something to help them carry the fish. Greg found a branch that he broke off to a manageable length, which they stuck into th
However, rather than dive away to safety, it proceeded to swim slowly round the boat, eyeing up the two men while it continued to shake its head and rid itself of the final pieces of plastic. Then, with a great slash of its tail, it dived away out of sight and was gone.
The boatman was grinning inanely, out of sheer relief rather than with humour, Steve suspected. The man reached out his hand.
‘Very good, sir. Bloody glad it wasn’t great white, though.’
BONES, PERMIT AND TARPON
Fishing for exotic species in spectacular locations and balmy weather is
Full List of areas covered on our Kent Fishing Lake Directory:
Acol, Acrise Place, Addington, Adisham, Aldington, Alkham, Allhallows, Appledore, Appledore Heath, Ashenden, Ashford, Ashley, Ashurst, Aylesford, Aylesham, Badgers Mount, Badlesmere, Bapchild, Barfreston, Barham, Bayham Abbey, Beachborough, Bean, Bearsted, Bedgebury Cross, Bekesbourne, Beltinge, Beltring, Benenden, Benover, Bethersden, Betsham, Betteshanger, Bicknor, Bidborough, Biddenden, Bilsington, Bilting, Birchington, Birling, Bishopsbourne, Bladbean, Blean, Blue Bell Hill, Bobbing, Bodsham Green, Bonnington, Borden, Borough Green, Borstal, Bossingham, Bough Beech, Boughton Aluph, Boughton Green, Boughton Lees, Boughton Malherbe, Boughton Street, Boxley, Boyden Gate, Brabourne, Brabourne Lees, Bramling, Brasted, Brasted Chart, Breach, Bredgar, Bredhurst, Brenchley, Brenzett, Bridge, Broad Street, Broadoak, Broadstairs, Bromley Green, Brompton, Brook, Brook Street, Brookland, Broomfield, Buckland, Bull Green, Burham, Burmarsh, Calcott, Camer, Canterbury, Capel, Capel le Ferne, Capstone, Chainhurst, Chalk, Challock, Charing, Chart Corner, Chart Sutton, Chartham, Chartham Hatch, Chatham, Chattenden, Cheeseman’s Green, Cheriton, Chestfield, Chevening, Chiddingstone, Chiddingstone Causeway, Chiddingstone Hoath, Chilham, Chillenden, Chipstead, Chislet, Church Street, Clapham Hill, Claydene, Claygate, Claygate Cross, Cliffe, Cliffe Woods, Cliffs End, Cliftonville, Cobham, Coldred, Collier Street, Conyer, Cooling, Cooper’s Corner, Cop Street, Court-at-Street, Cowden, Cowden Pound, Coxheath, Cranbrook, Cranbrook Common, Crockenhill, Crockham Hill, Crockhurst Street, Cross-at-Hand, Crouch, Crundale, Culverstone Green, Curteis’ Corner, Curtisden Green, Cuxton, Darenth, Dargate, Dartford, Deal, Dean Street, Densole, Denton, Derringstone, Detling, Ditton, Doddington, Dover, Drellingore, Dunkirk, Dunk’s Green, Dunton Green, Dymchurch, Easole Street, East Barming, East End, East Farleigh, East Langdon, East Malling, East Peckham, East Stourmouth, East Studdal, Eastchurch, Eastling, Eastry, Eccles, Edenbridge, Egerton, Egerton Forstal, Elham, Elmstone, Elvington, Etchinghill, Ewell Minnis, Eyhorne Street, Eynsford, Eythorne, Fairseat, Farningham, Farthingloe, Faversham, Fawkham Green, Finglesham, Five Oak Green, Five Wents, Flishinghurst, Folkestone, Fordcombe, Fordwich, Four Elms, Four Throws, Frindsbury, Frinsted, Frith, Frittenden, Gillingham, Gill’s Green, Glassenbury, Godmersham, Golden Green, Goodnestone, Goose Green, Gore Street, Goudhurst, Grafty Green, Grain, Grange, Graveney, Gravesend, Great Chart, Great Mongeham, Great Stonar, Greatstone-on-Sea, Green Street Green, Greenhithe, Grove, Guston, Hacklinge, Hadlow, Haffenden Quarter, Hale Street, Hales Place, Halfway Houses, Halling, Halstead, Ham, Ham Hill, Hamstreet, Harbledown, Harrietsham, Hartley, Hartlip, Harvel, Hassell Street, Hastingleigh, Hawkenbury, Hawkhurst, Hawkinge, Hawley, Headcorn, Heaverham, Hengherst, Herne, Herne Bay, Herne Common, Hernhill, Hersden, Hever, Hextable, High Brooms, High Halden, High Halstow, High Street, Higham, Higham Wood, Highstead, Highsted, Hilden Park, Hildenborough, Hillborough, Hinxhill, Hoaden, Hoath, Holborough, Hole Park, Hollingbourne, Honey Hill, Hoo, Hook Green, Horsmonden, Horton Kirby, Hothfield, Hucking, Hunters Forstal, Hunton, Hythe, Ickham, Ide Hill, Iden Green, Ightham, Istead Rise, Ivy Hatch, Ivychurch, Iwade, Kemsing, Kemsley, Kenardington, Kennington, Kent Street, Kilndown, Kingsdown, Kingsgate, Kingsnorth, Kingsnorth Power Station, Kingston, Kingswood, Kipping’s Cross, Knockholt, Knockholt Pound, Knowlton, Laddingford, Lamberhurst, Lamberhurst Quarter, Lane End, Langley, Langley Heath, Langton Green, Leaveland, Leeds, Leigh, Leigh Green, Lenham, Lenham Heath, Leybourne, Leysdown-on-Sea, Lidsing, Linkhill, Linton, Little Chart, Littlebourne, Littlestone-on-Sea, Liverton Street, London Beach, Longfield, Longfield Hill, Loose, Lower Green, Lower Halstow, Lower Hardres, Lower Higham, Lower Stoke, Luddenham Court, Luddesdown, Luton, Lydd, Lydden, Lydd-on-Sea, Lymbridge Green, Lyminge, Lympne, Lynsted, Maidstone, Maltman’s Hill, Manston, Marden, Marden Beech, Marden Thorn, Margate, Markbeech, Marlpit Hill, Marsh Green, Marshborough, Matfield, Maxton, Maypole, Meopham, Meopham Green, Mereworth, Mersham, Milebush, Milstead, Milton Regis, Minster, Mockbeggar, Molash, Monkton, Murston, Nackington, Nettlestead, Nettlestead Green, New Ash Green, New Barn, New Hythe, New Romney, Newbarn, Newchurch, Newenden, Newington, Newnham, Nizels, Nonington, North Street, Northbourne, Northfleet, Oad Street, Oare, Offham, Old Romney, Old Wives Lees, Oldbury, Ospringe, Otford, Otham, Otterden Place, Ottinge, Oversland, Paddlesworth, Paddock Wood, Patrixbourne, Pean Hill, Pembury, Penshurst, Perry Street, Petham, Platt, Plaxtol, Pluckley, Pluckley Thorne, Postling, Poundsbridge, Preston, Queen Street, Queenborough, Rainham, Ram Lane, Ramsgate, Reading Street, Reculver, Redbrook Street, Rhodes Minnis, Ridley, Ringwould, Ripple, Riverhead, Rochester, Rodmersham, Rolvenden, Rolvenden Layne, Romney Street, Rough Common, Royal British Legion Village, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Ruckinge, Rusthall, Ryarsh, Saltwood, Sandgate, Sandhurst, Sandling, Sandway, Sandwich, Sarre, Seal, Seasalter, Sellindge, Selling, Selstead, Sevenoaks, Sevenoaks Weald, Sevington, Shadoxhurst, Shalmsford Street, Sheerness, Sheldwich, Shepherdswell or Sibertswold, Shepway, Shipbourne, Sholden, Shoreham, Shorne, Shorne Ridgeway, Shottenden, Singlewell or Ifield, Sissinghurst, Sittingbourne, Sixmile Cottages, Small Hythe, Smarden, Smeeth, Snargate, Snave, Snodland, Sole Street, South Darenth, South Street, South Willesborough, Southborough, Southfleet, Speldhurst, St Leonard’s Street, St Margaret’s at Cliffe, St Mary in the Marsh, St Mary’s Bay, St Mary’s Hoo, St Michaels, St Nicholas at Wade, St Peter’s, Stalisfield Green, Standen, Stanford, Stansted, Staple, Staplehurst, Stelling Minnis, Stockbury, Stodmarsh, Stoke, Stonar Cut, Stone, Stone Cross, Stone Street, Stonestreet Green, Stowting, Street End, Strood, Sturry, Sugarloaf, Sundridge, Sutton, Sutton at Hone, Sutton Valence, Swalecliffe, Swanley, Swanscombe, Swingfield Minnis, Temple Ewell, Tenterden, Teston, Teynham, Thanington, The Knowle, The Leacon, The Moor, The Stocks, Thong, Three Chimneys, Throwley, Thurnham, Tilmanstone, Tonbridge, Tovil, Toy’s Hill, Trottiscliffe, Tudeley, Tunstall, Tyler Hill, Ulcombe, Underriver, Upchurch, Uplees, Upper Halling, Upper Hardres Court, Upper Upnor, Upstreet, Vigo Village, Wainscott, Walderslade, Wallend, Walmer, Waltham, Warden, Ware, Warehorne, Warmlake, Warren Street, Wateringbury, Well Hill, West Cliffe, West End, West Farleigh, West Hougham, West Hythe, West Kingsdown, West Langdon, West Malling, West Minster, West Peckham, West Stourmouth, West Street, Westbere, Westerham, Westgate on Sea, Westmarsh, Westwell, Westwell Leacon, Whetsted, Whitehill, Whitfield, Whitley Row, Whitstable, Wichling, Wick Hill, Wickhambreaux, Wigmore, Willesborough, Willesborough Lees, Wilmington, Wilsley Green, Winchet Hill, Wingham, Wingmore, Wittersham, Womenswold, Woodchurch, Woodnesborough, Woollage Green, Wootton, Wormshill, Worth, Wouldham, Wrotham, Wrotham Heath, Wrotham Hill, Wye, Yalding, Yorkletts
