#9 GARRETT FALLON - Fallon's Angler Magazine

In this episode of CREEL podcast I speak to writer, angler and naturalist Kevin Parr. Kevin's work brings together a lifelong curiosity about rivers and his new edition of his book Rivers Run revisits places that have shaped his life, tracing the idea that a river's uncertain beginnings, changing course and many tributaries echo the journeys we make throughout our lives. As we walk the banks, we recall fishing waters as young boys, trout beneath brambles, minnows in the shallows, and the excitement of discovering creatures like stone loach and water shrews. But this isn't simply a fishing story. Along the way, we talk about how rivers and their habitats change, the wildlife that thrives where wetlands are restored, and the spread of signal crayfish. We also wander further afield, from the birds of Exmoor to Kevin's enduring love of Scotland and the wild beauty of Mull. Kevin shares how Rivers Run came back into print, why a river can sometimes be difficult to define, and what it means to return to familiar places with fresh eyes. Our conversation moves from childhood memories and the pleasure of watching nature to the questions of conservation, landscape and belonging. Settle and join us for a walk along the river. It's a place where observation, storytelling and a deep affection for the natural world meet.

In an age where knocking a fish on the head has thankfully fallen out of fashion, anglers are often looking for other ways to celebrate the capture of a specimen fish. Without a body the taxidermist's skill is no longer required - step in Edward Barrett a skilled fish sculptor from Dorset.    Using his skills as a modelmaker Edward crafts beautiful reproductions of the fish, setting them within glass-fronted, wooden cases, to accurately reproduce the style of the classic  'stuffed fish' that we see in pubs, fishing huts, and tackle shops around the country.   Painstakingly matched to the original dimensions, individual scales, hand-built eyes, and wonderful translucent fins are created by Edward in his workshop where the fish is finished in a case adorned with traditional gilded lettering.    In this episode of CREELpodcast Edward talks to Joff about the fishing on his doorstep and his love of vintage tackle. His reels include a Hardy Altex, little 3 inch aerial and an Aerial T6. His rod a Wallis Wizard.   Light the fire, sit back and enjoy 40 minutes of inspiring angling talk.   

THE BIGGEST TENCH OF THE YEAR! - float caught giant tops mega spell for fans of the species.   This was the headline in Angling Times that threw Chris Netto into the angling limelight. Attending as a steward at the Tenchfishers  2025 Tench Championships held at Linear Fisheries Chris stayed on for a few extra days. After a fruitless 24 hours bar a tiny Jack pike Chris nearly packed up and went home, but after chatting to fellow tenchfishers decided to persevere and stay on overnight. The rest as they say is history with Chris catching the largest float caught tench on record.  Listen to Chris tell Joff of his early days in angling and how he progressed through meeting the right people to become a multi species angler who is equally at home in salt water, modern LLF fishing or with a fly rod in his hand.    Plenty of other anglers get a name-check in this episode: Tony King Chris Turnbull Tom Critchel Peter Rolfe Gary Boyce Mike Simmons Dean Bradshaw Graham Elliot Ben Kennedy John Fox Stuart Stevens Adam Bojar Les Bamford Steve Chambers Graham Elliot John Fox Stuart Stevens Paul (a friend from Farnham angling) Ian Roper For more episodes head over to EFGEECO.COM Keen on tench? Listen to episode #6 where I speak to Phil Jackson of The tenchfishers.    

In this episode Joff heads south to meet up with wild carp fanatic Dan Rudgley. Dan, has become well known in recent years for his dedication to tracking down hidden pools in his hunt for wild carp - carp that are descended from ancient fish stocked into stew ponds, moats, and lakes, as a food source for 14th century monasteries, farmers, and well off landowners.  Dan writes for the quarterly magazine Fallons Angler and is the star of two of their short films Wildie II, and Desert Tench both of which can be viewed on the website fallonsangler.net  Garret Fallon, founder of the magazine, was the guest on episode #9 of this podcast.  Local information, folklore, pub tales, and a sixth sense will often find Dan pushing through long wet grass, past crumbling boat houses and onto the banks of pools where these prussian blue shapes glide between snaking stems of lilies in the dappled shade of willows and scum filled corners.  While stalking surface feeding carp Dan shares his journey from childhood on the Romney Marsh, fishing ancient drainage ditches, to his current passion for tracking down waters, sometimes tiny, that contain this elusive fish. Aided by OS maps and Google Earth, he discovers potential waters, securing permission in one instance for just a five-hour fishing window.  Dan discusses his seasonal approach to other species - wild carp in summer, tench, then chub and perch in winter.  Press play and transport yourself to the bankside to enjoy the excitement punctuated by a backdrop of glorious May birdsong.

Welcome to episode nine where Joff delves into the world of angling through the lens of Garrett Fallon, creator of Fallon's Angler magazine. Born in County Meath, Ireland, Garrett's passion for fishing began at just five years old, watching salmon jump in the river near his family home. Following in his father's footsteps - a journalist, author, and passionate angler who wrote "Fly Fishing for Irish Trout" - Garrett has created more than just a magazine; he's crafted a celebration of fishing culture. Fallon's Angler isn't just about catching fish, but about the stories, landscapes, and experiences that make angling special. With a beautifully designed print publication, a compelling YouTube channel featuring over 30 videos with 600,000 views, and a stable of talented writers such as  Chris Yates, Garrett has built a platform that captures the very soul of angling.

Jean Williams shares her lifelong connection to Usk, having been born and raised in the town. She worked at Sweets Fishing Shop for 60 years, starting in the early 1960s, and became an integral part of the local fishing community. The shop, originally owned by Harry Powell and later run by Lionel and Molly Sweet, was an important hub for game fishing enthusiasts. In this episode Jean talks to Joff and recalls working closely with Lionel Sweet, who was not just a shop owner but also an accomplished fly-tier and casting instructor. The shop developed several notable fly patterns, including the Scrub and Amber Nymph. They served many famous customers, including celebrities like Jeremy Paxman and Vanessa Redgrave, who appreciated the shop's discretion and tranquil atmosphere. A significant part of Jean's life was her involvement with the Brownies, where she was known as 'Brown Owl' for over 55 years. She loved watching generations of children grow up and become interested in fishing and outdoor activities. The shop specialised in game fishing equipment, offering expert advice and local river information. When Jean finally closed the shop in 2022, it marked the end of a significant era in Usk's fishing history. She continues to sell fishing tickets and maintain connections with the local fishing community. We mention that the shop is for sale. I believe it is now sold.

In this episode Joff Elphick is up at 2:30 in the morning to travel the 250 miles through Somerset, and Devon before and passing through Cornwall to its southern tip and Penzance. From here a 28 mile journey by  ferry, plane, or helicopter gets me to the Isles of Scilly an archipelago of over 200 islands lying 28 miles off Cornwall's coast. The Islands have been part of the Duchy of Cornwall since the 14th century with the Duchy owning most of the land and approximately one-third of residential buildings across the islands, of which only five are inhabited: St Mary's, Tresco, St Martin's, St Agnes, and Bryher. Joff is here to meet Jof Hicks a Designer/maker from St Agnes who fishes commercially for lobsters  without the help of internal combustion engines, rowing or when possible using wind power to get his zero plastic lobster pots and gear to the most productive locations around the Island. Any angler who enjoys using traditional tackle such as cane rods or centrepin reels should enjoy the ingenuity Jof employs with his methods and materials to get his hand-crafted pots amongst the rocks and reefs that surround these beautiful islands.  We discuss Pilot Gigs. Inkwell Lobster pots and their construction. Manilla rope and cork buoys. And Bait. You can hear the storm raging outside Jof's workshop. Tourism dominates the local economy, accounting for 85 percent of economic activity and employing 70 percent of the population. Flower farming, particularly the cultivation of scented narcissi, has been significant since the 1860s. At its peak in the early 1900s, over 40 tonnes of flowers were shipped weekly to London markets. The islands' mild climate, characterized by rare frost and snow, creates ideal growing conditions in the sheltered, small square fields. Designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1975, the islands feature pristine beaches, granite headlands, white sandy coves, and rugged moorland. The Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust manages 60 percent of the area, including uninhabited islands, paying a symbolic annual rent to the Duchy of one daffodil. And yes. That's two Jof/Joffs!        

In this episode of CREEL podcast from EFGEECO.COM Joff talks to Phil Jackson from The Tenchfishers.  We get visits from Hugh Tempest Sheringham. Mr Crabtree and Peter, Izaak Walton and The Rev William Houghton. Phil tells us where the fishing bug started for him. How he thought he may have been 'a bit of an annoying little prat' in Ted Oliver's shop Olivers of Knebworth. He was at school with Dick Walker's sons and to this day regrets failing to take up the offer of a visit to Dick's house to get some cutting edge carp fishing advice.  He discusses the start of The Tenchfishers, it's demise, and its resurrection in the late sixties. Phil remembers well his first visit to The Tenchfishers AGM where he got to waggle a rod with Len Head. Other names from the world of tench fishing get a mention too. Pete Jackson. Barrie Rickards, John Ellis, Harry Green, Les Millington, Tony Marris, Dai Gribble, Jack Walpole, Kenny Parsons, and Pete Davis. The Tenchfishers book TINCA TINCA gets discussed as does Tenchfishers TV which along with the website is a shop front for the group. We discuss the bulletin, The national Tench Heritage Alliance, and Sywell Resevoir. Many thanks to Phil for taking time out to discuss his fishing life and the group. To find out more go to www.tenchfishers.com      

In this episode of Creel Podcast from EFGEECO.COM Joff Elphick talks to Fennel Hudson of The Wild Carp Trust. At a young age Fennel was invited to join the prestigeous group of anglers The Golden Scale Club and soon found himself rubbing shoulders with the likes of Bernard Venables, Richard Walker, Maurice Ingham, Peter Stone, Mike Winters, and Peter Wheat. The discussion covers a range of subjects including 'on being a traditional angler' - The inception of The Wild Carp Trust - Breeding wild carp - What are wild carp? - Creating a wild carp 'ark' - The surprising challenges of collecting fry - The perils of a hot summer -  Everything you need to know about the trust. Other anglers get a mention too - Rafe Gabriel of Piscators Journal. Steven Murgatroyd former guest on this podcast. John Bailey President of the trust, and Chris Yates who first invited Fennel into the Golden Scale Club. Izaak Walton is persuaded to pop in to the studio and gives his recipe for producing your own boilies (you'll need some flesh of a cat or a rabbit) and offers instructions on making what must have been the worlds first shelf-life boilie.  Rev. William Houghton offers his thoughts on the history of carp in the UK. Fennel is put on the spot and gives his ideal rod and reel if only restricted to one of each. If your float has wavered or you interest been piqued go to www.wildcarptrust.org  Fennel can be found at Fennels Priory here. Did you know we have a Facebook page here. We're on instagram too. Simply search  for Efgeeco.

My guest in this episode is Steven Murgatroyd. We connected on a zoom call to discuss his book THE LAST CHANCE FISHING CLUB profits of which he is donating to The Wild Carp Trust. Stephen has been a fanatical fisherman for over fifty years and these days he fishes almost exclusively with the fly rod; eagerly pursuing game, coarse and saltwater species. He also enjoys listening to music and documenting his various piscine escapades, resulting in his first book. His writing has been featured in a variety of well-known fishing-related print and digital publications, having won various awards including first prize in the Balvenie 'Story to Tell' competition, the Grayling Society Righyni Roose Award for excellence in the written word, and first place in the Fish and Fly writing competition. He is a trustee of The Wild Carp Trust and a life member of The Wild Trout Trust. He lives on the Welsh borders with his family and at the bottom of the garden, youve guessed there's a trout stream!!  Go to Efgeeco.com to read articles about or related to traditional angling and to listen to more episodes of this podcast. Joff