Angling by Trevor Johnson: December 6
CATCHING fish is what some people live for – but it is NEVER worth dying for!
And, after a very near miss, city angler Jake Stratton now knows better than most how easily the unexpected can catch you out.
On a family shore-fishing trip in Devon, he clambered down the side of a rock-built jetty to land a 7lb conger – and came within an ace of joining the eel in the whirling maelstrom below.
As he stepped down, a wave, whipped up by high winds, crashed ashore, soaking him from head to foot but, thankfully, failed to suck him in.
“Fortunately it was more spray than wave – just – and I was able to laugh it off with nothing worse than a very cold soaking. Had it been a bit bigger it would have been very iffy...” said Jake, who is pictured above with part of his 16 chub in an afternoon catch from the Stony Ouse last winter.
His grandfather, Roger, witnessed the episode and urged others to take extreme care wherever they fish. He said: “It was really frightening. He could so easily have become a tragic statistic in the blink of an eye.
“People don’t seem to realise just how easy it is to get caught out wherever you are.
“I fished the Ouzel this morning and, a couple of times while reaching for my net (the butterfly season – so soon?) slipped and all but went in. With six feet of cold, moving, water you would struggle to get out again on those banks.
“We all need to realise that, just because we’ve always got away with it doesn’t mean we always will.”
MK’s longest established – under one owner – tackle shop, MK Angling Centre, is up for sale. Proprietor Brian Haynes took the Bletchley business over in the 80s and has decided to finally retire in the coming year.
Interested? Call him on 01908 374400... But don’t expect to mess about until the last minute in the hope a cheap deal. If he can’t get a sensible price he would rather just shut up shop than let it go for pennies.
The Stony Ouse was just edging on fishable for MKAA’s Christmas match, Saturday, when Paul Ash found 8-10 of perch on Toombes. Rupert Ash had a 5-1 bream-brace on Hollands with Mick Reynolds getting 5lb and Ernie Sattler 4-12.
Next day Leighton Buzzard’s Peter Taylor had a 5-12 chub on flake from Whitings. Osprey, Lakeside: Peter Carter 19-12, Mark Wilson 19-8, Mark Carter 19-4.
MKAA junior Xmas match, Willowbridge marina: Adam Dale 2lb, Brandon White 0-12.
Calvert fur and feather, Ouse in Buckingham, Derek Bishop 1-8, John Weatherall 0-6 – everyone caught!
DATS, Cosgrove cut: Gary Britton 1-11-12, Paul Neave 1-3, Kevin Osborne 0-10.
Fixtures: Sat Dec 15, Olney Xmas match 01234 240061; Jan 1 MKAA ‘hangover Ouse open and, Jan 13, start of MKAA teams of four winter league 07703 556788.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Milton Keynes
Sunday 26 May 2013
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 5 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 7 C to 16 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: South west
