Wycoller, East Lancashire - A sunday afternoon wal...

It's been a long time since we went for a walk and we both needed to get out of the house for a breath of fresh air. We elected to go to Wycoller, after I'd seen the photographs of it on the 'Images of Lancashire' blog by Paul Brookfield (see below).

Wycoller and the surrounding area is designated a country park and no cars are allowed in the village except for residents and disabled visitors although there is ample car parking on the road from Trawden.

As we didn't have anywhere we needed to be in a a hurry, we ambled through this beautiful unspoiled village, stopping at every bridge, house, stream or even tree for a closer look. The first photograph (don't forget that you can click on the images to see an enlargement) is of one of seven bridges crossing Wycoller Beck and is of the Packhorse bridge and adjacent ford.

This next image is of Wycoller Hall, thought to be the inspiration for Ferndean Manor in the novel Jane Eyre written by Charlotte Bronte. Much of the stone has been taken and used for other building throughout the ages but this has now been stopped since preventative restoration work begin in 1950.

We had a quick stop at the visitors centre, the Aisled barn, which was originally built in the 1630's and is listed as being of historic and architectural interest (Grade 2). Unfortunately it was too dark inside the building to take any pictures but it is well worth a visit just to see the scale and size of it - it's huge.

We crossed over another ancient bridge and had a quick look at some amazing willow sculptures. These have undoubtedly increased the appeal of this remarkable hamlet and are evidence of a good working partnership between the local community and the council - helping increase the 'value' of Wycoller without destroying it's heart.

This photograph is of a tunnel and bower made out of living willow. This is fantastic, in the summer it is covered in bright green leaves and I can imagine in the winter the branches covered in frost - it must be great when it snows.

A little further upstream are a few benches next to a couple of ponds, obviously man made but done very well and teaming with wildlife. We stopped here for a quick snack and watched the world go by for a while.

Throughout the village the trees were full of fruit and it was good to see that every so often, an information plate had been placed near the tree with it's species clearly marked. The most spectacular were the Rowan or Mountain Ash (Sorbus aucuparia).

After our rest we headed southeast out of the village along the many paths and bridle ways that are well marked in the area. I took a lot of photographs - the best of which are below.

The Atom.

Looking south east along the Pendle Way.

Wycoller from Combe Hill.

Pendle Hill - my favourite photo of the walk.

So overall, a great day out in a beautiful area - I recommend it to everyone.
Wycoller is to east of Colne (at the eastern end of the M65). OS ref SD 931393 (Landranger 103 or Explorer OL21)

Tags: bridge, hiking, lancashire, photography, rowan, ruin, walking, willow, wycoller

Images of Lancashire

Images of Lancashire. Here's another one to have a look at - some great views of our lovely county on this blog by Paul Brookfield.

Tags: lancashire, photography

James' blog - Fell Walking

Check out James' blog - it's only just started but looking at the photos it's going to be worth looking in on in the future.

Tags: lancashire, walking

Sea Fishing Tackle Part 2 - Reels

Continuing on from part 1 of my description of the sea fishing tackle we use and why, this installment explains the different types of reels we use.

The main reel I use is the Abu Garcia 6500C3 CT Mag Elite (pictured to the left). I have a pair of these multiplier (or baitcaster) reels set up in exactly the same way just in case the line breaks and I have to change over in a hurry. They are a great casting reel, are easy to control (for a multiplier!) and I match them with my Tip Tornado rods when fishing mainly 'clean' beaches or areas where massive winching power is not an issue. These reels are good with line of about 15lbs breaking strain.

Wendy has a pair of Penn Surfmaster fixed spool reels, in fact these are the first proper reels we got and have been very reliable and with two spools for each she is able to load different line for different applications / types of venue (usually 2 x 15lbs, 1 x 18lbs and the last at 25lbs breaking strain).

Fixed spool reels are much easier to control than multipliers, especially in the dark, and although they have a much faster line retrieve rate they can lack power on retrieving line when a lot of weed is in the water. These reels are used with the Zziplex 3500 for the majority of Wendys fishing where distance is an issue.

We each have a light / medium sized fixed spool reel for our lighter 'Odessa Bass' rods. These are Okuma Epix Pro 50's and again they both come with extra spools so we can put different line on each. We use these for light fishing in estuaries and amongst the rocks close to shore for Bass. They also make excellent heavy spinning reels when fishing for predatory fish such as pollock. They have a system called 'rear drag' where you can easily adjust the tension of the line while playing a fish. I also use mine on my light Daiwa spinning rod as if necessary I can use one of the Mag Elites on my Bass rod. We normal have line of around 12lb breaking strain on these.

This summer we bought a Mitchell Avocet 4000 for use with Wendys Daiwa spinning rod and as a light spinning reel this has been very good. We've only had it for a month so we'll see how well it puts up with the rest of the summers fishing.

For heavy rock fishing I have a Daiwa Sealine SL30SH (nicknamed SLOSH 30). This reel has massive winching power and coupled with the Tip Tornado Sport is more than capable of landing fish from the most demanding areas. Although it doesn't cast well due to its size and the thickness of line I usually have on it, the venues where it is used are usually rock ledges and give access to deep water close in. This reel is also used by some as a medium sized boat fishing reel. I normally have 25lb breaking strain on this reel.

The reels we use to cast any distance with have a leader ( of approx. 10lbs breaking strain per 1oz of weight or sinker / lead) attached to the main line to absorb some of the shock of the cast. This also protects the line when fishing close in to the rocks where a light line can easily by cut by sharp edges.

Here is an excellent article by John Holden on the pros and cons of fixed spool and multiplier reels for surfcasting, titled 'Choosing Surf Reels'. The site is an excellent resource for anyone who casts a rod from the beach and John's book - Long distance Casting is a classic in this field.

With reels it does seem the more you spend the better quality / performance you get and my advice is get the best reel (no matter what type) that you can afford as given a bit of care it will easily outlast any cheaper model. Remember though, a reel is just a 'thing' to hold line, release it in a controlled way to the distance you require and retrieve your end tackle, with or without a fish. You can have the best gear money can buy, but if you are fishing in the wrong place at the wrong time or even using the wrong bait non of it will matter. There will be more on what is termed 'watercraft' in a later article.

The next tackle installment with be all about the business end of the tackle, or rigs as they are called.

Tags: baitcaster, beach fishing, fishing reel, fishing tackle, fixed spool, multiplier, rock fishing, sea fishing, spinning

Walking Along the River Douglas, Lancashire

After saying in my last post that the weather was a bit grotty, last Sunday afternoon the sun came out so I went for a walk down to the boatyard and along the banks of the River Douglas.

I've been walking along this stretch of our local river since I was a child (a long time ago) and my father used to keep his boat on a fixed mooring in a creek off the river - I remember going out in the middle of the night fishing off Blackpool and not being able to come back until the tide came back in.

After getting to the boatyard I turned left and walked along the top of the embankment that keeps the flood tide out of the fields.

This tree stump has been here almost as long as I can remember. The tide floods the area I was stood on during spring tides so it must weigh a good few tones not to have been washed out to sea.

Continuing on, the river bends to the left and heads almost in a straight line until it joins the River Ribble which then meets the sea at Lytham.

I didn't walk that far although it is possible to get fairly close to the Ribble where plans have been submitted by the RSPB to re-flood the reclaimed land and create a wetland nature reserve called Hesketh Out Marsh. This would be fantastic and would be a great addition to the RSPB reserve at Marshside, Southport.

You can see in the photos that the panorama that evening was stunning and I was almost alone for the entire walk except for a few Shelducks, Black-headed gulls, Barnacle geese and Swallows, all taking advantage of the lovely evening to grab a bite to eat.

Before heading back inland I came across these sheep, the land is continually grazed by both sheep and cows owned by the local farmers - these are, in essence, the managers of the river banks, keeping the plants manageable and fertilising them at the same time.

In the spring walkers need to be aware that the sheep will be lambing and dogs should either be left at home or kept on a lead. I used to walk my dog, a yellow labrador called Elsa, along hear about 20 years ago and apart from a few new boats at the yard it hasn't changed a bit - long may it stay that way.

Tags: barnacle goose, black-headed gull, boatyard, cows, environment, hesketh out marsh, lancashire, river douglas, sheep, shelduck, swallow, walking

Sea Fishing Tackle Part 1 - Rods

This entry marks a bit of a departure from the normal. As we're not fishing at the moment and the weather is a bit wet for walking I'll be outlining some of the gear we use in our sea fishing.

This first installment is all about the rods we use, why we bought them and what we use them for.

Before buying a new rod or even going into a tackle shop ask yourself a few basic questions. What type of fish do you want to catch, where do you want to catch them from and how do you want to catch them.

Once you've answered these questions you'll have a much better idea one what it is you're looking for. Have a look in the sea angling magazines for reviews on the type of rod you're after, go into your local tackle shop and speak to the staff - most will be only to happy to help but the best advice I can give is 'try before you buy'. Most clubs or groups of anglers have regular get togethers or matches and will be happy to let you 'have a go'.

Remember, money isn't everything, just becasue a rod cost a lot does not mean it is suitable for you - if you can't us the rod in the way you want too, your well earned cash has been wasted. Remember, a rod is just a method to get the baited trace into the sea and out to the feeding fish - no amount of money or fancy label / brand will change this.

To the left you can see the rods that we currently use (going from the left)

1. Century Tip Tornado Match - My main rod, used in just about any situation where distance is the issue and a weight of between 4 and 6oz is needed to tow the bait to the fish. Although this was expensive I've been very pleased with it - it's light (for a beach caster) and suits my style of casting well. I also have a 'Sport' version (rated to cast 4-8oz) of this rod which has a bit more 'poke' but I only bring it out when the weather is horrific or I'm after very big fish such as conger eels from the rock.

2. Zziplex 3500 - Wendy's main rod. Although the same length and diameter as the Tip Tornado (13 foot long) this rod is much lighter (rated to cast 3 - 5oz) to use and easier to compress (the bend in the rod generated from casting). This suits Wendy very well as being quite short and a woman (obviously) she doesn't have as much upper body strength as me which you need to get the most out of modern hi-performance rods. It's 'rung' for a fixed-spool reel but I'll go into that in a later post.

3. Shakespeare Odessa Bass - This year we bought a couple of these and at appox. £50 they have been great value. At 11.5 feet long these are ideal light rods for estuary fishing, light beach fishing or heavy spinning of the rocks. They will cast 2 - 4oz a huge distance if needed with very little effort and we've used them almost constantly over the summer. We could have got something lighter (which would have been nice) but we didn't want to spend to much until we were convinced of their usefulness and also as we take them on the rocks a lot £50 is a lot less than £100 upwards to scratch, bash or break.

4. Daiwa 10 foot Whisker Spin - We have one of these each for light float fishing and spinning / plugging. The rods are fantastic fun and during the summer we take them everywhere. They are very, very light but as they are designed for Salmon fishing are incredibly strong and we've both had some sizeable fish on them. Catching a single 1.5lb Mackerel on one of these will open your eyes to light tackle fishing - great fun and although expensive at the time (3 years ago) they've been great value.

Most of the rods have been purchased from Gerry's of Morecambe where the service has been second to none and build quality where the rods were custom built (my two Tip Tornados and Wendy's Zziplex 3500) has been superb - I recommend them to everyone if you want to see what you're getting or talk to someone who know all about fishing.

So that's it, we've also had or still have rods from Penn or Greys but the above are what we mainly use. Next up - reels...

Tags: beach fishing, fishing rod, fishing tackle, rock fishing, sea fishing, spinning

Anglesey July / August 2006 - Part 2, Sea Fishing

After the long hot and wind free July we were looking forward to some lazy days fishing from the rocks on Anglesey. Alas the weather gods had a different plan for us and after lazing around in the sun on, of all things, Sunday (what else...) we woke on Monday to rain and a strong Westerly wind which dented our plans a little so we did a bit of walking instead.

After a while, I'm not sure which day we meandered over to our favorite spot of the year, a mark called 'flagpole' near Beaumaris where we found shelter as the wind was blowing over our heads. The bait we took was frozen sandeel but no bites were forthcoming so i had a rummage around the rocks and found 2 crabs and, almost exactly the same as in may, Wendy managed to land her first proper Bass, only a small school fish but as you can see she was very, very pleased. I didn't get a bite but this fish more than made up for it.

Our next attempt at a few fish was Ravens Point on the west side of Holy Island. Here the water is very deep and although the weather didn't look to promising, with quite a swell on the sea I tried a bit of bottom fishing for rays or even dogfish while Wendy as per usual got the first fish, a sizable Ballan Wrasse on a small hard crab.

She then proceeded to catch a mackerel and it was looking little desperate for me so in desperation a got out the feathers and had a bash until I got one as well. At this point the rain came down and it started to become a bit precarious on the rocks so as the heavens opened we made a scramble up the rocks, back to the car.

It was beginning to look more and more like I wasn't going to catch anything of quantity or quality as the holiday progressed and to make matters worse the wind picked up even though the rain stayed away.

In our quest to find calmer waters we ended up doing an afternoon / early evening session at Llanbadrig on the rocks to the north side of Anglesey. The scenery here is stunning and the church itself is well worth a visit as it tells the story of St. Patrick being wrecked on 'Middle mouse' and later founding the church.

It was a good job the views were good because the fishing itself was grim although I did manage to break my duck with a couple of dogfish.

As the sun dropped and it looked like packing up time Wendy had a last 'chuck' with a Storm rubber sandeel and even though I'd done exactly the same, in the same spot only half an hour earlier, managed to snag this lively little pollock.

You can see by the look on her face that she was a little bit chuffed. As the sun set we made our way back up to the church where we watched some other people fish on the rocks below for a while (thankfully they weren't catching either so I didn't feel to bad!) before heading back to the cottage.

A new day dawned, still a bit breezy but sunny so we planned another session to the flagpole as we'd managed to acquire a score of peeler crabs. Bass lookout - here we come!

The weather was perfect for this venue and again, what little wind there was was over our backs so it felt calm and hot. We tried everything but even though we were getting bites we just couldn't hook into anything until I managed to hook this little fellow - finally - a Bass - although not the size we wanted so back he went.

We watched the boats drift by, also fishing for Bass I think and continued to miss bites all afternoon but the bigger fish just weren't there and the only fish we saw was the small one in the photo above. I think the reason we kept missing the fish was due to the fact we were after the big ones with size 3/0 hooks and the only fish there were to small to get their mouths around the bait properly. Unlike our May visit where the mouth of the 2lb+ fish could have swallowed a tennis ball.

Throughout the holiday we also fished a mark called 'Whitebeach', park where it says Fedw Fawr an walk east (right on the map) over the field and down to an old quarry, where the swell made fishing almost impossible but once again Wendy caught a Mackerel and I blanked. We did see a couple of Porpoises chasing some fish though - only about 100 feet or so out so that more than made up for the lack of fish.

We even tried Llandona beach, fishing the high tide into darkness with freshly dug lugworms from Sandy beach (the best lug digging beach on the island) but after an hour of fighting with the weed on the line we gave up.

So overall the fishing wasn't very good and we've put it down to a couple of things; the massive change in the weather for the beginning of August and our increased knowledge of the area. This may sound odd but where as when we first started fishing any fish would do, we now tend to target specific areas for specific species of fish and this method inevitably leads to either good days or bad days - unfortunately we had more of the bad than good but did we enjoy ourselves, you bet we did. Will we do it again - oh yes!

Tags: anglesey, bass, beaumaris, dogfish, llanbadrig, mackerel, north wales, pollock, ravens point, sea fishing, wrasse

Anglesey July / August 2006 - Part 1, Walking

Well we've got back from our two week jaunt to Anglesey and I'm splitting this blog into two bits, walking and fishing.

The weather was 'interesting' during the first week with west featuring predominantly in the wind direction which made fishing difficult so rather than stay inside on these blustery days we went out and explored the wonderful coastline that surrounds anglesey.

The first photograph is of the cliffs around the South Stack area where we had a quick look at the RSPB station. There's quite a lot of information on South Stack on the BBC Wales website here. We didn't see many birds on the cliffs although there were a few Kittiwakes with chicks still in residence and on the way back to the car a Chough flew up the cliff face towards us as we were having a drink - I've only ever seen them in the distance before so this was a fantastic site.

As the weather didn't seem to be getting any better we called into ABC tackle at Beaumaris to ask Malcolm about fishing the straits. He suggested giving an area around Moel-y-don a go so on the way back to the cottage we went for a quick walk along the Menai Straits, North to the start of the Nation trust Land at Plas Newydd.

You get a strange sensation standing on the shores of anglesey looking back towards the North Wales mainland, it's as if you're not on an island at all and only a river separates these two pieces of land, thats is until you see a shoal of Mackerel go past...

As the weather brightened up during the second week we did more fishing until just before coming back home. On the Friday we were 'fished out' so went for a walk around Point Lynas which is the North East corner and offers fantastic views in almost every direction.

We were hoping to see some Porpoises but the sea was to choppy to spot anything on the surface. We did manage to spot a flock of Gannets in the distance plunging into the sea, diving into what we assume was a large shoal of Mackerel - unfortunately they were too far away to get any photo's.

Yesterday I took this photo of the Spaniel puppies that had just started to open their eyes, the owner of the cottage where we stayed is a gamekeeper and it was wonderful watching these little chaps take their first steps.

And then it was time to come home. Once again another fantastic visit to this magical island which thankfully is still almost unspoiled by modern tourism.

Tags: anglesey, chough, gannet, hiking, kittiwake, moel y don, north wales, point lynas, porth eilian, south stack, walking