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00:00So, this next challenge is going to push me to the limit.
00:04My aim is to catch four different species of fish in one week.
00:09Now, that might sound, to start with, easy, but it won't be,
00:14because I've got two rules.
00:15The first one is, I've either got to catch a species that I've never caught before,
00:21or, if it is a species I've caught before,
00:24it's got to be a new personal bet, or it doesn't count.
00:28And if you still think that's easy,
00:30I'm going to attempt to do this in the middle of winter,
00:34when conditions are at their absolute worst for fishing.
00:38And in all seriousness, I genuinely think this could be a really tough challenge.
00:44My first location is the River Test in southern England.
00:48It's one of the iconic chalk streams that are unique to this part of the world.
00:53Famous for their gin-clear waters,
00:55it's where I've arranged to meet river keeper Johnny Walker.
00:58If I can find him, that is.
01:00Mental note to self, the idea of taking a shortcut cross-country
01:04probably wasn't one of my best.
01:07I think he's on a bridge up here somewhere.
01:11Ah, there he is.
01:13Johnny.
01:14Good morning, Tom.
01:18Johnny guides anglers from around the world on some of the best fishing beats in the country,
01:24including this one.
01:25But today, I've pretty much got the place to myself, and there's a good reason for that.
01:34People come from all over the world to come and fish these chalk streams because they are gin-clear.
01:41You can spot the fish.
01:43However, today, with the amount of rain that we've had, it's murky.
01:48Actually, murky's an understatement. Builder's tea would be more accurate.
01:53Now, the fish I want to catch is a grayling, a beautiful freshwater fish, often called the lady of the
01:59stream.
02:00Growing towards two kilos, they're one of the few fish you can catch in truly wintry conditions, provided the water's
02:06clear.
02:08If, however, I could use a maggot, some sweet corn, I'm almost certain that I could catch.
02:16But no, not on this place.
02:18For over a hundred years, people have had rules.
02:22This is the birthplace of the etiquette of fly fishing.
02:26Honestly, you would not believe the lengths that these guys will go to to catch a fish in a specific
02:33way.
02:33There's only two methods allowed.
02:35The first one is a dry fly, so a fly that's presented on the surface and the trout comes up
02:40to eat it.
02:41And here's a few different ones, different colours, different sizes.
02:45If I spot a grayling feeding on a certain type of fly, I've got to try and imitate that fly.
02:50The other method is a nymph or a wet fly, which is essentially the life stage of an insect when
02:59it lives under the water
03:00and it's before it grows wings and emerges to the surface.
03:04Now, fly anglers have been arguing over which technique is best for well over a hundred years.
03:10It is ridiculous.
03:12Some of them say you can't even use nymphs.
03:14Added to that, wherever you're stood on the bank, you can only fish the upstream section.
03:19You can't cast downstream.
03:21So I've got to stick to the rules, but I just wanted to tell you those things because on a
03:26day like today,
03:29if I can get one opportunity, I think that's going to be a good result.
03:37Johnny recommends this stretch to try first.
03:39He's spotted a couple of fish rising, so at least we know there are fish here, even if we can
03:44hardly see them.
03:48So first of all, we're trying to spot the fish.
03:50I'm trying to make sure that he doesn't see me.
03:52I actually want to get below his line of sight.
03:55I'm then casting upstream.
03:57And we've got a reasonable amount of flow today, which is good, because he's only got a split second to
04:04make a decision,
04:05and he either goes for it or he doesn't.
04:07I've done a lot of fishing around the world, and this is difficult, but it's so exciting.
04:15I think I'll... Is that it on the front?
04:18You just sat there?
04:19Yep.
04:19Is that one there?
04:20Yep, that's a fish, definitely.
04:22Right, the next five minutes is going to be critical.
04:26Oh, this wind is...
04:30That's perfect.
04:31I like it when you say things like that.
04:37You see how that took that straight away?
04:39That's generally the way it happens.
04:41If they want it and you get it to land perfectly in front of them, they will take it immediately.
04:46Oh, that hurts. It hurts so much.
04:49You know what I was saying about having one chance and needing to take it?
04:54Well, let's just hope that wasn't it.
04:57Right, at least I've found a fly that they like.
05:00If he did, he came out straight away and hit it.
05:03Right, positives, positives.
05:06You know, there's types of fishing which are more you kind of set a trap, you put your baits out.
05:12And this is very, it's visual, it's so exciting.
05:15Right, getting the hang of the casting now, I think.
05:18Now, when I say things like that, it's usually the kiss of death.
05:22Yes!
05:23Yes!
05:24But not this time.
05:33Don't mess this up, Tom.
05:36Oh, yes!
05:37Superb, good one.
05:42I'm going to have a heart attack.
05:45Excuse the overreaction, but excitement does tend to get the better of me.
05:49And in these conditions, I can't begin to tell you what result this is.
05:54Wow.
05:55Well, it's not the grayling that we're after.
05:58Nope.
05:58But...
05:59Bending the rod though, isn't it?
06:01This is a brown trout.
06:02They're in beautiful condition.
06:03They are, aren't they?
06:04Certainly for this time of year as well.
06:06Superb!
06:06One thing that makes these fish, these freshwater fish, so different to any other course fish,
06:11is this adipose fin at the back.
06:13It's between the dorsal fin and the tail.
06:15And that denotes them into the salmon family.
06:18I can't tell you, since I was probably five years old and I first started fishing,
06:25this type of angling has been the thing that I've just always dreamed of.
06:30Just superb!
06:33So, popping back.
06:36Although it's a lovely fish, it's not the grayling I want.
06:40So, sadly, it won't count as part of my challenge.
06:42My largest ever grayling was tiny, so even a small one might tick the box.
06:47And with that in mind, Johnny suggests I try my luck upstream at a spot called Grayling Alley.
06:53Sounds great.
06:55But it soon becomes apparent why we didn't start there first.
07:00The wind is horrendous.
07:05Oh, in the tree!
07:13Oh, please go away, wind!
07:17Oh!
07:19The most disheartening bit is I've spent my whole fishing career dreaming of certain styles of fishing,
07:28and this is one of them.
07:30It's certainly in my top three.
07:33These rivers are unique in the world.
07:37The one that we're on right now is probably the best example of a chalk stream that you will find,
07:43certainly in the UK, probably anywhere in the world.
07:48And I've got one day to try and catch a grayling, the lady of the stream.
07:56And the gods aren't helping me.
07:58The weather is very tricky.
08:01It's tricky enough at this time of year anyway, but this is virtually impossible today.
08:08I'm pretty gutted, to be honest.
08:10Johnny!
08:12No good, mate. I'm struggling.
08:14I've drawn a blank up a grayling alley.
08:19It was way too windy.
08:20What do you think?
08:22It's like a different world down here, mate.
08:24Yeah?
08:24Completely out the wind.
08:25I've seen some lovely fish.
08:26I think it's really worth you coming down here, mate.
08:29Oh, yeah?
08:29Have you spotted any?
08:30Yeah, it's a beautiful fish, mate.
08:37Oh, that's two.
08:40Oh, that might...
08:41That was definitely a bite.
08:43This was more like it.
08:44The fish are doing their part.
08:46All that remains is for me to do mine.
08:50That's right down the inside.
08:51That's a bite.
08:53Oh, I just...
08:54I thought that was...
08:57And that wasn't it.
08:59With the sun starting to plunge towards the horizon,
09:02Johnny's keen for us to try one last spot
09:04about 200 yards further along the river.
09:09Right.
09:10Here we go.
09:12We've spotted a grayling.
09:15I think I've got one chance.
09:17There's one.
09:19It's right near the inside bank.
09:21It's probably three or four foot from the bank.
09:24And it's the only one we've actually seen all day.
09:32Yep.
09:35He's only gone and bagged it.
09:37Oh, my God.
09:38Right, we're on.
09:39I thought that was a trout to start with.
09:42Oh, my God, it's a grayling.
09:44It's a grayling.
09:44We've got one.
09:46Oh, I've hooked one.
09:47Right, pray.
09:49Do anything you can to keep this on.
09:51I'm being quiet.
09:52Look at it.
09:52Oh, my God, look at it.
10:00At long last.
10:01At long, long last.
10:04I don't think I've ever worked so hard for a fish all day.
10:09It has been hard work.
10:10Look, the sun is just about to go over the horizon.
10:15Just so beautiful.
10:17Look at the mouth.
10:19Tiny, delicate little mouth.
10:22Beautiful.
10:24Oh.
10:26What are you going to give me for that?
10:27That's got to be £1.10, £1.11.
10:30Yep.
10:30Maybe a little bit more.
10:32That is a personal best.
10:33Yeah?
10:33Yeah.
10:34Fantastic.
10:34Biggest one of these I've ever had.
10:38Right, I'm going to pop her back.
10:41There you go.
10:42Got your strength back?
10:44Tell you what.
10:46I'll see you another day.
10:50Unbelievable.
10:59It's definitely beer o'clock by my watch and time to pull stumps.
11:03Happy in the knowledge that despite everything, Johnny was right to have faith in the wonderfully enigmatic River Test.
11:10And it's given me my first species.
11:21Now I head down to the Solent and the plan was to hop on a boat and do a spot
11:24of sea fishing.
11:25A cod might have been nice.
11:27But instead, I'm greeted with 100km an hour winds.
11:31So my challenge of catching four different species that I either haven't caught before or that beat my personal best
11:37in just a week could go badly wrong.
11:40But fear not, I have a plan.
11:43I jump in the car and head for a great angling location.
11:46Berryhill Lakes in Surrey.
11:50Given how much the rain has coloured what was normally the crystal clear waters of the river Test, you can
11:56imagine what it's done to everywhere else.
11:58So, I've decided to target a species which is actually very well adapted to low visibility conditions.
12:08And it's one that I've never caught before.
12:10It's the Xander.
12:13Now these fearsome predators can grow to over 10 kilos in the UK, but on the continent they've been known
12:19to grow to well over 15 and over a metre in length.
12:23They have exceptional eyesight and often hunt at night in deeper, darker parts of the river or lake.
12:37It's day three and I arrive early at the water, maybe too early.
12:42Plans of fishing now are rendered impossible by the harsh weather.
12:46It's been wet, it's been windy, it's been horrible and it's been cold.
12:50I need a cup of tea and I need someone to come and give me a few tips.
13:02And that's what I've got.
13:04Today, Eric and John, two fellas that take the word experience to a whole new level, have agreed to pitch
13:10in.
13:12We've got the whole day.
13:13I'm going to make you call it first thing this morning.
13:15What are our chances out of 10?
13:17With 10 being we'll definitely catch.
13:19What's the chances today?
13:20Seven.
13:21Do you reckon?
13:22Yes.
13:22That's good, that fills me with a lot of confidence.
13:25I think we're looking at later.
13:26Yeah?
13:27Rather than now.
13:28Let's get started, I'm super keen.
13:31And while you might not want them on the last leg of a 4x100 metre relay, when it comes to
13:36Zander fishing, these are definitely the first names on the team sheet.
13:41Having these two, they're local experts, it's absolutely invaluable.
13:45They could draw you a picture of this lake underwater, everything.
13:48Where the streams come in, the shallow bits, the deep bits.
13:52After a tricky night, I'm actually feeling pretty confident this morning.
13:57Still got to get one on the bank.
13:59Right, Eric, I've got to pick your brains.
14:02This is a question I did want to ask, because I've done a lot of pike fishing, but they're quite
14:08delicate in their feeding pattern, aren't they?
14:10They're very delicate, and the Zander are actually more delicate than the pike.
14:14The Zander will sit on the bottom, it will push the bait around in a big, big circle for ages.
14:19So when do you know when to strike?
14:20You don't, that's the big problem.
14:22You'll get on an alarm, you'll get a little bleep, bleep, but get ready, because when it goes, it'll go
14:28bleep, bleep, bleep, it won't go fast.
14:30Yeah.
14:31You've got to pick the rod up, make sure that the line's travelling, and then you just pull into it.
14:36Right, okay.
14:36Not a massive strike.
14:37Right.
14:38This is tricky fishing.
14:39It puts a lot of people off, this is the problem with it.
14:42And if we get one, how big is it going to be?
14:45Average size 6s, 7s, 8s.
14:47Happy just to see one in the flesh.
14:49Yeah.
14:50Can I steal one of your rigs?
14:51Yes, you can.
14:52Yeah.
14:53Good.
14:55The rig consists of a hook onto which we'll be putting a dead bait.
14:59A weight to keep it near the bottom, and a wire trace to connect the two, so the Zander's sharp
15:04teeth don't cut the line.
15:08The first couple of rods I'm going to be using bite alarms, which pick up any movement of the line.
15:13For this style of fishing, you have to be aware of a bite or an indication immediately, so although they
15:23make a bit of a noise, they're perfect for just letting you know any vibrations, any just tiny bit of
15:34bite, and then I can be aware.
15:36For my third rod, I'm going old school and using the float.
15:40I personally prefer this method, as there's nothing quite like seeing your float bob under the surface when you get
15:46a bite.
15:47Or not as the case may be.
15:51And as time ticks by, the latter scenario looks more and more likely.
15:57It's been a good few hours now.
16:01And this is looking a bit grim.
16:05Now this is where experience counts.
16:08I'm either waiting for the alarm to scream off, or for my float to plunge beneath the surface.
16:13But wily old Eric is looking for something much more subtle, and is convinced that the gentle twitches on the
16:20float indicate something nibbling at the bait.
16:24This one's gone.
16:26That one's definitely gone.
16:28Yeah.
16:29Well, let's trip it back over.
16:31Right.
16:33Where are we?
16:33Just tighten up to it.
16:36Oh, fish on.
16:38Fish on.
16:39Depends what it is though.
16:40Fish on.
16:40Doing close.
16:42In close.
16:43On the float.
16:45Is it going to be a pike or a Xander?
16:47Come on, be a Xander.
16:48It's only a small one.
16:49I'll take anything on a day like today.
16:52Oh, here's a Xander.
16:55Oh, we've got Xander.
16:57Yes, we've got Xander.
16:59I thought that was going to be a pike.
17:02Oh, come on.
17:03Oh, yeah, it's just nicked in the top.
17:06It's a nice size.
17:10I was convinced that was going to be a pike.
17:14I wasn't.
17:15This fish carries with it a sure sign of why we've had to wait so long for our first bite.
17:21Leeches.
17:23These fish, they only get leeches on them when it's incredibly cold.
17:27The temperature of the water means they're so lethargic.
17:30They sit on the bottom and the leeches live in the silt in the mud on the bottom of the
17:35lake.
17:35It's the eye.
17:37The eye gets me the most.
17:38Like, look how big it is.
17:41They're just such a predator designed to hunt at night in murky water like this.
17:47What an absolute, my first Xander ever.
17:51Right.
17:55What a place.
17:58Having caught one Xander, I naturally now consider myself something of a Xander expert.
18:03So I decide to set off in a boat to see if I can land an even bigger one from
18:07the other side of the island.
18:14Eric and John politely decline my offer of a boat trip with a knowing look in their eye.
18:20And after ten minutes, I can see why.
18:26Can't feel my fingers anymore.
18:29And just to rub it in, as I come back to shore like a drowned rat,
18:33the boys are calmly reeling in a pike, ensuring that I not only feel wet, but inadequate as well.
18:39Thanks, guys.
18:42The only way to show them is to catch a bigger Xander.
18:46So I cross my fingers and just as the light is fading, my perseverance is rewarded.
18:52Yes, right. Come on. Here we go.
18:57Yeah, fish on.
19:00Ah, yes.
19:05It's another Z.
19:06Yes.
19:09Another Z.
19:13He's really good Nick, that one. Spot on his teeth.
19:16They are in immaculate condition.
19:19Yeah.
19:19I reckon that's six pound, that.
19:21Yeah.
19:21It's heavy.
19:23They look like vampires, don't they, with their fangs and they come out at night.
19:27Yeah, it's that pointed mouth that don't help, is it?
19:31Look at his eyes.
19:33That's one of the blackest eyed ones I've seen for a long, long time.
19:36Well, the sun's going down and I'm glad I came out.
19:41It's been hard today, but it's totally worth it when you get one like this.
19:47Right, she's got to go back.
19:49Brilliant finish to a brilliant day.
19:55Woo-hoo-hoo!
20:00So, I'm two species down and I've got two to go.
20:03And for my third fish, I've got a long drive ahead, because I'm going across the border into Wales.
20:22Now, this is the Brecon Beacons in Wales.
20:27And let me tell you, it's cold, it's rugged and it's wild.
20:33Down in the village, it wasn't that bad.
20:36Up here, it's pretty full on.
20:39There's a lot of wind and I'm feeling the cold.
20:41And there is a reason that the SAS do their training here.
20:46This is one of the toughest environments in the UK.
20:50There she is.
20:51This is Panty Lynn.
20:53One of the highest freshwater lakes in the Brecon Beacons.
20:57And this is special.
21:00In fishing terms, this is very, very special.
21:04The reason I've come here is to catch a particular strain of wild carp
21:08that some people believe was brought here over 900 years ago,
21:13possibly by the monks who use them for food.
21:15They can live for 20 years and grow to 14 kilos.
21:19So, I've enlisted the help of aptly named Adam Fisher,
21:23an angling guide, one of the few who fishes here.
21:27Hey, Tom. Adam.
21:29How you doing? Not too bad.
21:31Found it all right.
21:33It's a hell of a long way, mate.
21:35Good to see you.
21:35What do you reckon of the fishing chances today?
21:38It's going to be tough.
21:40Yeah.
21:40But you never know.
21:42We can try, can't we?
21:43And something bright, winter carp tactics, we might be all right.
21:48Well, it's going to be a hell of a day.
21:49It is. It is. It'll be an experience.
21:54Now, what makes these fish so unique is that whilst other carp across the rest of the world
21:59have come into contact with other strains, interbred and mutated,
22:03this isolated group of fish have remained here on top of the mountain alone
22:08and therefore unchanged for 900 years.
22:18So these mystery carp, what do they eat? It's so harsh up here. There can't be that much invertebrate life.
22:25Yeah, the last place you'd think the carp would survive would be somewhere like this.
22:29But looking around here, especially around the margins, I think it's the weed.
22:34It's renowned to be so weedy in the summer.
22:36Yeah.
22:37And I think that's the difference of this lake.
22:39There is a lot of food.
22:41Whereas on the face of it, you wouldn't think there was.
22:43Do you think there's quite a lot of invertebrate life in and amongst that weed then?
22:47Yeah, I do.
22:48This must get frozen over.
22:50How thick does it get there, the ice?
22:51Well, I think it was nearly a foot deep in 2010.
22:54The ice was a foot thick?
22:55Yeah.
22:56We had it frozen.
22:58You know, it didn't get above freezing for the whole of December, I think.
23:01So in terms of where they are, how high they are, where they came from and what they survive,
23:09these must be the toughest carp in the UK.
23:12It almost makes you feel like you could turn round and it would be just as peculiar to see a
23:18giraffe walk past.
23:19Yeah, I know.
23:21It is really bizarre.
23:23Do you know anyone that's come up here at this time of year before?
23:27No.
23:28No, I think we're the only ones mad enough to.
23:33The longer I sit here, the more mysterious these fish and those ancient monks seem to become.
23:46Now, freshwater fish used to be a real staple part of their diet.
23:51And we do know through history that they would have transported them in barrels.
23:57But seriously, a mile and a half from the nearest road, would you have carried or rolled a barrel for
24:03a mile and a half just to come to a lake that's in the middle of nowhere?
24:08You know, it's this place is just as tough as it is today.
24:17There's just something that's incredibly intriguing about it.
24:21Like it, it's like you're trying to work out a riddle. You're trying to put yourself in the mind frame
24:26of something that was the better part of eight, nine hundred years ago.
24:32And it just is so fascinating.
24:36Having had no joy at one end of the lake, it's time to up sticks and try another spot.
24:42With the temperature still rock bottom and the wind still howling, this is one fishing trip that is definitely not
24:48for the faint hearted.
24:49If we can get a bit of PMA on the go, then anything's possible.
25:00Adam keeps mentioning this phrase, PMA, PMA, positive mental attitude.
25:10Look at him, he's tucked in just behind the rocks up there. He's perfectly happy.
25:16He's having just as nice a day as if it was the summer and he was catching lots and having
25:20a picnic.
25:22No one's been here for months.
25:26So what does clever old Tommy do?
25:28He thinks that'd be a good time of year to go, be a challenge.
25:33After another two hours of nothing, there is suddenly a brief glimmer of hope.
25:39I felt the fish on.
25:41What?
25:41I said to you it had gone slack, didn't I?
25:43Yeah, yeah.
25:44Bug, I'm gonna get that back out there.
25:46Yeah.
25:46He's had a bite, hooked a fish, had it bump a couple of times and then has ended up coming
25:52in.
25:52There's loads of weed on the line, but I've got to be honest.
25:56I didn't think we were going to catch at all today, but we've had a bit of action.
26:00So I'm going to recast my rod because this could be, they often feed for just like half an hour
26:07during the day.
26:08And this, if this is the period, we've got to go now.
26:14It's funny how just half a little opportunity, suddenly I don't feel so cold anymore.
26:21The concentrations come back.
26:24So if we're going to get one, it's going to be very, very shortly.
26:28But despite our best efforts, this is destined to be one of those days.
26:33And with a long walk back to civilization, I have no choice but to chuck in the towel and admit
26:39defeat.
26:39Well, it seems like these mysterious fish and this mysterious lake are going to remain a mystery, to me at
26:47least, for a bit longer.
26:57So I've still got two species to catch and I've only got three days left.
27:01And well, forgive me for stating the obvious, but I need to go and find somewhere that I can actually
27:08catch a fish.
27:09And I'm seriously, in winter, running out of options.
27:18I've had a think and I've come up with something radical.
27:22And I travel most of the day to end up in London.
27:25It's one of the biggest, busiest and most densely populated areas on the planet.
27:30Now, I can forgive you for thinking that I've officially lost the plot, but bear with me.
27:35There's method in my madness.
27:37And ironically, the man whose help I need works for the emergency services.
27:42Right, well, I think I'm in the right place.
27:46Let's try this.
27:50Apparently, he's not only a master fisherman, but he's the governor of this place.
27:58Phil.
27:58Hello, Tom.
28:00Good to meet you.
28:01Nice to meet you too.
28:01How are you?
28:02Thank you so much.
28:02Yeah, brilliant.
28:04This is Phil Morton, a hugely respected angler who regularly gets into the fishing magazines for catching big fish.
28:12Many of them right here in London.
28:14Phil recommends that we try our luck on a nearby river called the Hogs Mill.
28:18No, I didn't know there was another river other than the Thames either.
28:22Turns out there's quite a few.
28:24What are we going for?
28:25I think Chubb and Dace tomorrow is our best bet.
28:28Big?
28:29Fingers crossed, yes.
28:30They run to six pounds in there, so with any luck we'll get amongst the good ones.
28:34With my personal best Chubb being just two and a half pounds, this is sounding too good to be true.
28:40So we arrange to meet the next day.
28:48So this is it, the river Hogs Mill.
28:51I think I'm meeting Phil down here and I must be in the right spot because there's another angler.
28:57But looking at it for the first time, central London, really fish here?
29:05I've got my doubts.
29:09What I need from these brown chilli waters is a Chubb.
29:13It's a thick-set fish with a blunt head.
29:15The dorsal fin is grey-green with the other fins being orange and red.
29:19They'll eat anything and they're best hunted in areas with overhanging branches.
29:25Phil.
29:26Morning, Tom.
29:27How are you?
29:27Good, yeah.
29:28If I'm honest, it's not looking as pretty as the places I normally fish.
29:33It's certainly a quiet taste, but there's plenty of fish down there.
29:36Mmm.
29:37And that's the main thing.
29:38Well, I'll believe that when I've caught one or two.
29:41First, we need to cross the river and although the water level is lower than yesterday,
29:45I need waders to get through.
29:47Phil's go up to his neck, mine don't.
29:51Great start.
29:52I'm not loving the location and I don't even have the right gear.
29:55Don't stand in the dark water.
29:57That's the deep bit.
29:58And how deep are we talking?
30:00Just over the top of your waders, I reckon.
30:04Are you sure I'm going to make this?
30:05Oh, I'm absolutely positive.
30:07Right.
30:07What could go wrong?
30:10Well, plenty actually.
30:11I just hope the chub are going to turn up and make it all worthwhile.
30:15They're there, I promise.
30:18Trust me.
30:19When I catch one, when I catch one.
30:22The fish are probably equally as big in here, if not bigger than many of the wonderful rivers
30:27you'd associate with really big fish around the country.
30:29Really?
30:30You're looking at fish close to record proportions in here.
30:33The tactics are to use good old traditional maggots on a hook under a float.
30:38Right.
30:38So I'd start your trot.
30:40Yeah.
30:40Just adjacent to the beginning, just off the point of the snag there.
30:44And try and hold it back as much as you can for the first sort of metre.
30:48Right.
30:48You got it.
30:49Spot on.
30:49First one.
30:50Okay.
30:51First trot down.
30:52Now, at this point I really ought to tell you that hidden beneath the water in front of
30:57me is a child's bike and a shopping trolley.
31:00And that's just what we know about.
31:02So I've got to be careful not to get snagged as my float heads downstream.
31:06And if by some miracle I actually catch a fish, I've got to negotiate it back through
31:11again.
31:12Hmm.
31:13Got me excited now.
31:15Oh.
31:16Did first trot down.
31:18Had a bite.
31:20Well, well, well.
31:22Phil offers me the use of his centre pin reel, which gives far more delicate control.
31:27But being a typical bloke, I decide to use my own reel because I think I know better.
31:35Perfect.
31:42As I miss bite.
31:44Got it?
31:44Yes.
31:44Well done.
31:46Blimey.
31:47Again.
31:49After bite.
31:52Got him.
31:54After bite.
31:56There we go.
31:57Here we go.
31:57Right.
31:58Here we go.
31:58Oh.
32:00Phil.
32:00Are you giving me blunt hooks?
32:02It soon becomes apparent that I don't know best.
32:06What's happening?
32:07They're laughing at us now.
32:08You realise that?
32:10Let him take it.
32:11Go on.
32:12No.
32:12Oh, it's trickier than I thought.
32:15And after being incredibly patient, Phil eventually, and rather tactfully, suggests
32:20that he has a go with his centre pin reel.
32:22You know, the one he offered me right at the start.
32:29I think it's time to show him who's boss.
32:31I'll roll one through and show you how it's done on the pin.
32:34Come on then.
32:35If you catch on, I'm in trouble.
32:37I'm in big trouble if you catch on.
32:43So obviously with the pin, we've got a bit of resistance naturally so you can see it's
32:47just holding the float back through the swim.
32:49So you can really hold it back perfectly smoothly as it goes through where we know the
32:54fish are living.
32:55Oh, it is a lot slower.
32:56You see how it just slows the float down all the way.
32:59Can you feel the bite as well?
33:01You can feel the bite.
33:02So I'm just using my thumb on the edge of the spool just to slow it down slightly.
33:06And of course you're in direct contact with the float as well.
33:09As you say, you can actually feel them when they grab the bait.
33:16I'll give over, Phil.
33:19There we go.
33:19So it's important to get the line this side.
33:21You can see he's trying to go for the snag in front of us there.
33:23So we'll just try and bring him through the gap.
33:27It's quite hard as he goes over there.
33:30Is it a proper one?
33:31It's not huge.
33:34Right.
33:35I'm going to have to be gilly.
33:36You don't know how much pride I'm swallowing here.
33:39It's a chub.
33:45It's what we came for.
33:46Can I knock it off?
33:47You can.
33:48Go for your life.
33:49There we go.
33:55There we go.
33:56Well done, sir.
33:57It's all the real, to be honest.
33:59Fair play.
33:59Now, this is what we were after.
34:03I grew up catching these fish on my local river.
34:06And look at the size of the mouth.
34:08They're actually predators as well.
34:09They actually eat small fish as well as other snails and crustaceans.
34:13And I'm genuinely lost for words that such a beautiful beast
34:18can exist in and around, you know, in this city.
34:22Pop him back and we'll get a big one.
34:24Absolutely.
34:24Absolutely.
34:25Absolutely.
34:29So, having taken the hint, I decide that maybe I should stop being an idiot and take up Phil's
34:35kind offer.
34:36Ah.
34:37That's it.
34:38So, now that should just be free running.
34:39Right.
34:39This is new to me.
34:41And you'll never guess what.
34:43Got him.
34:44Yes.
34:45Oh, Phil.
34:46It's all about the kit.
34:47Oh, this is.
34:48Lucky rod.
34:49I'm going to come the other side of you so you've got a bit of room.
34:51Right.
34:51Oh, he's going into that snag.
34:53Yeah, give him some stick.
34:55Right.
34:55Doing his best to get under that.
35:01Oh.
35:03Close.
35:09Right.
35:09Got it.
35:09Three well done.
35:10Around the other obstacles.
35:12Oh.
35:17Oh, come on.
35:18Right.
35:19Don't let me down on the net, Phil.
35:21Yeah.
35:23Revenge is sweet.
35:26Put it there, buddy.
35:29Good job.
35:30Good job.
35:31You got him.
35:32Oh, at last.
35:34Makes all the effort worthwhile, doesn't it?
35:35Oh, what a beauty.
35:37God, I'm going to have a heart attack.
35:41It's a bit brutal, isn't it?
35:44Solid.
35:46And, er, I'd like to just mention at this point as well, Phil, it is bigger than the
35:52one that you caught.
35:53You've topped me there.
35:54I'll give you that.
35:54What an absolute beauty.
35:58And, what's more, it's a personal best.
36:05So powerful.
36:07So powerful.
36:08Put it there.
36:09Well done.
36:15Well, as you can probably hear, the local school has come out for playtime and the fish
36:20have decided they don't want to play anymore.
36:29So I've managed three species, but I'm in the last chance saloon.
36:33It's my final day and I've got to catch a personal best or a new species.
36:38I'm banking everything on a reservoir in Walthamstow, East London, to come up with the goods.
36:44It belongs to Thames Water, who supply every one of London's taps.
36:49And it is one of the capital's hidden gems, providing a vital habitat for tens of thousands
36:54of birds and a multitude of other wildlife.
36:58And most importantly for me, it's also an excellent fishery containing lots of freshwater fish.
37:05The only downside is that overnight temperatures have plummeted, which, as we've already discussed,
37:12makes fish very lethargic.
37:14Let's just hope that firefighter Phil Morton can rescue me one more time.
37:23Good morning, mate.
37:24Hello, mate.
37:25How are you, Tom?
37:26Great.
37:27We've picked a cold one, haven't we?
37:29Oh, mate, it's bitter.
37:30It's absolutely bitter.
37:32Have you got the tea on?
37:33I've got the tea on.
37:34You're here in the nick of time, as usual.
37:36Perfect.
37:38The species I've set my heart on is bream.
37:41My personal best is four and a half kilos, but these dark slab of a fish can grow to almost
37:47ten kilos in these waters.
37:49With their protrudable mouths, they're the perfect bottom feeder, able to root around for
37:54all manner of food in the silt and the mud, meaning they're often caught by the same techniques
37:58you'd use for catching carp.
38:01So we're baiting between the tree directly in front, the first tree of the same species
38:05on the right-hand side.
38:06Okay.
38:07So right in between those two?
38:08Absolutely.
38:09So as long as it falls between those two trees, we'll put one of our fishing rods on the left,
38:13one on the right, and one bang in the middle.
38:15Right.
38:15And that's a deeper channel.
38:17So we're kind of setting a trap.
38:19Absolutely.
38:20Right.
38:20In that deepest part of the lake where we think the fish are going to be residing during
38:24the winter.
38:24Okay.
38:25Obviously the water's a little bit warmer at depth.
38:28To get the bait out there, we're using something called a spomb, which opens on impact with
38:33the water.
38:33This is not a technique I'm familiar with and it's a lot harder than it looks.
38:38So apologies to all you experts out there while I make a complete hash of it.
38:46Right.
38:47That's the third time I've cast one out and the spomb hasn't opened.
38:56Woo!
38:56Right.
38:58Getting the hang of this now.
39:02The next thing is to cast the rig with a hook into the same spark.
39:07To do that involves marking the same length of line, putting it in a clip on the reel,
39:11which means it will only cast out to that exact length.
39:16As for the rig, it's a complicated affair called a helicopter rig.
39:20It involves a weight, swivel and on the hook, a combination of plastic corn to add buoyancy
39:25and real maggots for taste appeal.
39:28This is some of the most technical, but clever, well thought out ways of fishing for you to
39:36be so accurate, to get your bait out there.
39:39It's astonishing.
39:41Like normally I just like going fishing, I'm more of a watercraft guy.
39:44Okay.
39:45So I go fishing, I try and read the lake, I try and think like a fish.
39:48You guys, you've thought about everything.
39:50Absolutely.
39:51Well it's about using all that watercraft and all that knowledge and thinking like a fish as you say
39:55and then putting on the technical side of it on top of that as well, just to get that extra
39:59few percent,
40:00which on a day like today might just mean we can nick a fish.
40:04I'm with the right type of guy.
40:06I like this, I like this.
40:09Phil's done this before and I haven't.
40:15It shows.
40:19God, you've got me so precise with this.
40:26With the lines in the bite alarm, it's now a waiting game.
40:30What's the chances?
40:31One to ten.
40:32With ten being, yeah, we'll definitely catch, one being probably zero chance.
40:37I'll give you a one.
40:38Oh.
40:39At best.
40:40Really?
40:41That's a conservative one.
40:42Really?
40:42It's very, very cold today.
40:44I like to make it difficult for myself.
40:47But I think I've just bitten off more than I can chew with this one, Phil.
40:50Absolutely.
40:50I think we may have.
40:53Brilliant.
40:54Just what I wanted to hear.
40:56I haven't done much of this type of fishing before.
41:00I've got a feeling that Phil thinks I'm a bit of an idiot.
41:05Do you think he thinks I'm an idiot?
41:08There's a lot of very, very high-tech stuff here.
41:15To be honest, I'm starting to wonder if I'm a bit of an idiot of this type of fishing too.
41:19And as the hours slowly tick by, Phil's ominous prediction is looking more and more likely to come true.
41:30Come on!
41:32Right.
41:32Tea, Phil?
41:33Yes, please, mate.
41:34Love one.
41:34Sugar, milk?
41:35Just milk, please, buddy.
41:37Just milk.
41:37Alright.
41:39I know you're a fan of staying in one position, but I'm tempted to try somewhere else for an hour
41:46or two.
41:46I think we're just getting to that witching hour now, that perfect time of day.
41:50So I'd be keen to stay put if I were you, but you're more than welcome to try a different
41:54spot if you fancy it.
41:58Oh, thank you, mate.
41:59That is much needed.
42:01London Fire Brigade.
42:02That's my one.
42:03Cheers, buddy.
42:04Cheers, mate.
42:05But I think as dusk approaches, they'll start to come into this deeper area.
42:09Most of what we've done today so far is in preparation for the next hour or so.
42:13Do you reckon?
42:14So, yeah.
42:15But as the witching hour passes us by, it seems the cold weather has defeated our clever tactics.
42:22It's incredibly frustrating, and as London's nightlife starts up, it's time for me to pack up.
42:30Or is it?
42:35Yeah, it's it, it's it, it's it, it's it.
42:37Right.
42:38One down.
42:40Ginny, Ginny, Ginny, Ginny, Ginny, Ginny's little hook.
42:42All we wanted was one chance and we got one chance.
42:45Is it a bream or a small carp?
42:47I can't tell, but what I do know is I must not lose this fish.
42:52So, Phil grabs me the landing there.
42:56Oh, I've got to go so gently.
42:59Fabulous.
43:00Well done, that man.
43:01Oh, I can't believe it.
43:03Right, I'm going to keep him out of the way of these other ones.
43:05As I get the fish closer, I realise that it is, thank heavens, a bream.
43:11He's in.
43:12He's yours.
43:12We've done it.
43:13We've done it.
43:14Fabulous.
43:15Well done, that man.
43:16Mate, we were going to pack up ten minutes ago.
43:18Oh, wow.
43:19Well done.
43:20Well, it's not the biggest in the lake, but it's a bream.
43:23Mate, that's bigger than my personal best.
43:26Fabulous.
43:27Well done, that man.
43:28Phil, you have done me proud, my friend.
43:32That might just be your double, Tom.
43:34That might just be your double.
43:35This goes ten pound.
43:36Oh, my God.
43:37I can't even get my hands around it.
43:39Look at the size of it.
43:41Have a look at the mouth.
43:43Perfectly designed.
43:44If you can see how it extends, that's why we were critically balancing the baits.
43:49As soon as that mouth opens, we wanted that buoyant bait to go straight in.
43:56My challenge is to either bag a personal best or a species I haven't caught before.
44:01And my personal best for bream is four and a half kilos or about nine pounds.
44:06I know I'm agonizingly close, but it's impossible to tell just by looking.
44:11She weighs ten pounds, twelve ounces.
44:15You've done it, buddy.
44:16Congratulations.
44:17Mate, you know I said I'd buy you a pint?
44:20Yes, you did.
44:20I'm going to buy you a gallon.
44:22Brilliant.
44:23I hope she'll remember that.
44:24Last chance saloon, though.
44:26We were going to pack up.
44:27We talked about packing up ten minutes ago.
44:29We did.
44:29We did.
44:30I was sat there freezing cold and then it scared the life out of me.
44:35I even ran down there, took my gloves off and threw my phone in the boot.
44:40It's down there somewhere.
44:41We'll find it, mate.
44:42We'll find it.
44:43Would you ever believe that the water that comes out of the tap has these beauties swimming
44:48round in it?
44:50Right, I've got to get her back.
44:52Go and put your prize back, mate.
44:54What did I say?
44:55We wanted one chance and we had one chance right at the death.
45:01God, I'm getting lucky at this fishing thing.
45:07Oh my God, I can't feel my hands.
45:14Look at that.
45:15It's what we call dustbin lids.
45:18Right, just give her a minute to get her breath back.
45:24Go on then.
45:29Somehow, we've snuck one out at the last minute.
45:33I cannot believe it.
45:36And let's go find your phone.
45:38I owe you a pint mate.
45:40I owe you a pint mate.
45:40You're going wild.
45:40Oh my God.