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00:04So, this next challenge is going to push me to the limit.
00:09My aim is to catch four different species of fish in one week.
00:14Now, that might sound, to start with, easy, but it won't be, because I've got two rules.
00:20The first one is I've either got to catch a species that I've never caught before,
00:25or, if it is a species I've caught before, it's got to be a new personal bet, or it doesn't
00:31count.
00:32And if you still think that's easy, I'm going to attempt to do this in the middle of winter,
00:38when conditions are at their absolute worst for fishing.
00:43And in all seriousness, I genuinely think this could be a really tough challenge.
00:49My first location is the River Test in southern England.
00:52It's one of the iconic chalk streams that are unique to this part of the world.
00:57Famous for their gin-clear waters, it's where I've arranged to meet river keeper Johnny Walker.
01:03If I can find him, that is.
01:05Mental note to self, the idea of taking a shortcut cross-country probably wasn't one of my best.
01:12I think he's on a bridge up here somewhere.
01:16Ah, there he is.
01:18Johnny.
01:19Good morning, Tom.
01:23Johnny guides anglers from around the world on some of the best fishing beats in the country,
01:28including this one.
01:29But today, I've pretty much got the place to myself, and there's a good reason for that.
01:39People come from all over the world to come and fish these chalk streams,
01:43because they are gin-clear.
01:45You can spot the fish.
01:47However, today, with the amount of rain that we've had, it's murky.
01:53Actually, murky's an understatement.
01:55Builder's tea would be more accurate.
01:57Now, the fish I want to catch is a grayling, a beautiful freshwater fish, often called the lady of the
02:03stream.
02:04Growing towards two kilos, they're one of the few fish you can catch in truly wintry conditions,
02:10provided the waters clear.
02:12If, however, I could use a maggot, some sweet corn, I'm almost certain that I could catch.
02:20But no, not on this place.
02:23For over a hundred years, people have had rules.
02:27This is the birthplace of the etiquette of fly fishing.
02:31Honestly, you would not believe the lengths that these guys will go to to catch a fish in a specific
02:37way.
02:38There's only two methods allowed.
02:39The first one is a dry fly, so a fly that's presented on the surface, and the trout comes up
02:45to eat it.
02:45And here's a few different ones, different colours, different sizes.
02:50If I spot a grayling feeding on a certain type of fly, I've got to try and imitate that fly.
02:54The other method is a nymph, or a wet fly, which is essentially the life stage of an insect when
03:03it lives under the water,
03:04and it's before it grows wings and emerges to the surface.
03:08Now, fly anglers have been arguing over which technique is best for well over a hundred years.
03:15It is ridiculous.
03:17Some of them say you can't even use nymphs.
03:19Added to that, wherever you're stood on the bank, you can only fish the upstream section.
03:24You can't cast downstream, so I've got to stick to the rules.
03:27But I just wanted to tell you those things, because on a day like today,
03:33if I can get one opportunity, I think that's going to be a good result.
03:41Johnny recommends this stretch to try first.
03:44He's spotted a couple of fish rising, so at least we know there are fish here,
03:47even if we can hardly see them.
03:52So, first of all, we're trying to spot the fish.
03:55I'm trying to make sure that he doesn't see me.
03:57I actually want to get below his line of sight.
04:00I'm then casting upstream, and we've got a reasonable amount of flow today, which is good,
04:07because he's only got a split second to make a decision,
04:10and he either goes for it or he doesn't.
04:12I've done a lot of fishing around the world, and this is difficult, but it's so exciting.
04:20I think I'll...
04:21Ah, is that it on the front?
04:22He just sat there?
04:23Yep.
04:24Is that one there?
04:25Yep, that's a fish, definitely.
04:26Right, the next five minutes is going to be critical.
04:30Oh, this wind is so...
04:35That's perfect.
04:36I like it when you say things like that.
04:39You are weak.
04:42Do you see how that took that straight away?
04:44That's generally the way it happens.
04:45If they want it and you get it to land perfectly in front of them,
04:48they will take it immediately.
04:50Oh, that hurts.
04:51It hurts so much.
04:54You know what I was saying about having one chance and needing to take it?
04:58Well, let's just hope that wasn't it.
05:01Right, at least I've found a fly that they like.
05:04If it did, it came out straight away and hit it.
05:08Right, positives, positives.
05:10You know, there's types of fishing which are more you kind of set a trap,
05:15you put your baits out, and this is very, it's visual, it's so exciting.
05:19All right, getting the hang of the casting now, I think.
05:22Now, when I say things like that, it's usually the kiss of death.
05:27Yes!
05:28But not this time.
05:38Don't mess this up, Tom.
05:41Superb, good man.
05:47I'm going to have a heart attack.
05:50Excuse the overreaction, but excitement does tend to get the better of me,
05:54and in these conditions, I can't begin to tell you what result this is.
05:59Wow.
05:59Well, it's not the grayling that we're after.
06:02Nope.
06:03But...
06:04Bending the rod, though, isn't it?
06:05This is a brown trout.
06:06They're in beautiful condition.
06:08They are, aren't they, certainly, for this time of year as well.
06:10Superb.
06:10So the one thing that makes these fish, these freshwater fish,
06:13so different to any other course fish is this adipose fin at the back.
06:17It's between the dorsal fin and the tail,
06:19and that denotes them into the salmon family.
06:22I can't tell you, since I was probably five years old and I first started fishing,
06:30this type of angling has been the thing that I've just always dreamed of.
06:35Just superb.
06:37So, I'm popping back.
06:41Although it's a lovely fish, it's not the grayling I want,
06:44so sadly it won't count as part of my challenge.
06:47My largest ever grayling was tiny,
06:49so even a small one might tick the box.
06:52And with that in mind,
06:53Johnny suggests I try my luck upstream at a spot called Grayling Alley.
06:57Sounds great.
07:00But it soon becomes apparent why we didn't start there first.
07:04The wind is horrendous.
07:10Oh, in the tree.
07:18Oh, please go away, wind.
07:22Oh.
07:24The most disheartening bit is
07:28I've spent my whole fishing career
07:30dreaming of certain styles of fishing,
07:33and this is one of them.
07:35It's certainly in my top three.
07:38These rivers are unique in the world.
07:41The one that we're on right now
07:43is probably the best example
07:45of a chalk stream that you will find,
07:47certainly in the UK,
07:49probably anywhere in the world.
07:52And I've got one day to try and catch a grayling,
07:55the lady of the stream.
07:59And, er,
08:01the gods aren't helping me.
08:03The weather is very tricky.
08:05It's tricky enough at this time of year anyway,
08:07but
08:08this is virtually impossible today.
08:12I'm pretty gutted, to be honest.
08:15Johnny!
08:17No good, mate.
08:18I'm struggling.
08:19I've, um,
08:19drawn a blank up a grayling alley.
08:22Um,
08:23it was way too windy.
08:25Er, what do you think?
08:26It's like a different world down here, mate.
08:28Yeah?
08:29Completely out of the wind.
08:30I've seen some lovely fish.
08:31I think it's really worth you coming down here, mate.
08:33Oh, yeah?
08:34Have you spotted any?
08:35Yeah, it's a beautiful fish, mate.
08:41Oh, that's two.
08:45Ooh, that might...
08:46That was definitely a bite.
08:47This was more like it.
08:49The fish are doing their part.
08:50All that remains is for me to do mine.
08:54That's right down the inside.
08:56That's a bite.
08:58No, I just...
08:59I thought that was...
09:02And that wasn't it.
09:03With the sun starting to plunge towards the horizon,
09:06Johnny's keen for us to try one last spot
09:08about 200 yards further along the river.
09:14Right.
09:15Here we go.
09:16We've spotted a grayling.
09:19I think I've got one chance.
09:21There's one.
09:24It's right near the inside bank.
09:26It's probably three or four foot from the bank.
09:29And it's the only one we've actually seen all day.
09:37Yep.
09:40He's only gone and bagged it.
09:42Oh, my God.
09:43Right, we're on.
09:44I thought that was a trout to start with.
09:47Oh, my God, it's a grayling.
09:48It's a grayling.
09:49We've got one.
09:50Oh, I've hooked one.
09:52Right, pray.
09:53Do anything you can to keep this on.
09:55I'm being quiet.
09:57Oh, my God, look at it.
10:04At long last.
10:06At long, long last.
10:08I don't think I've ever worked so hard for a fish all day.
10:13It has been hard work.
10:15Look, the sun is just about to go over the horizon.
10:19Just so beautiful.
10:22Look at the mouth.
10:23Tiny, delicate little mouth.
10:27Beautiful.
10:30What are you going to give me for that?
10:32That's got to be £1.10, £1.11.
10:35Yeah.
10:35Maybe a little bit more.
10:36That is a personal best.
10:38Yeah?
10:38Yeah.
10:38Fantastic.
10:39Biggest one of these I've ever had.
10:43Right, I'm going to pop her back.
10:45There you go.
10:47Got your strength back?
10:49Tell you what, I'll see you another day.
10:54Unbelievable.
10:59Woo!
11:04It's definitely beer o'clock by my watch and time to pull stumps.
11:08Happy in the knowledge that despite everything, Johnny was right to have faith in the wonderfully
11:13enigmatic river test.
11:14And it's given me my first species.
11:25Now I head down to the Solent and the plan was to hop on a boat and do a spot
11:29of sea fishing.
11:30A cod might have been nice.
11:31But instead, I'm greeted with 100km an hour winds.
11:36So my challenge of catching four different species that I either haven't caught before
11:40or that beat my personal best in just a week could go badly wrong.
11:45But fear not, I have a plan.
11:47I jump in the car and head for a great angling location, Berryhill Lakes in Surrey.
11:54Given how much the rain has coloured what was normally the crystal clear waters of the
11:59river test, you can imagine what it's done to everywhere else.
12:03So, I've decided to target a species which is actually very well adapted to low visibility
12:11conditions.
12:12And, it's one that I've never caught before.
12:15It's the Xander.
12:18Now these fearsome predators can grow to over 10 kilos in the UK.
12:22But on the continent, they've been known to grow to well over 15 and over a metre in length.
12:28They have exceptional eyesight and often hunt at night in deeper, darker parts of the river
12:33or lake.
12:41It's day three and I arrive early at the water, maybe too early.
12:46Plans of fishing now are rendered impossible by the harsh weather.
12:51It's been wet, it's been windy, it's been horrible and it's been cold.
12:55I need a cup of tea and I need someone to come and give me a few tips.
13:07And that's what I've got.
13:08Today, Eric and John, two fellas that take the word experience to a whole new level, have
13:14agreed to pitch in.
13:16We've got the whole day.
13:18I'm going to make you call it first thing this morning.
13:20What are our chances out of 10?
13:22With 10 being, we'll definitely catch.
13:24What's the chances today?
13:25Seven.
13:25Do you reckon?
13:26Yes.
13:27That's good.
13:27That fills me with a lot of confidence.
13:29We're looking at later rather than now.
13:32Let's get started.
13:33I'm super keen.
13:35And while you might not want them on the last leg of a four by 100 metre relay, when it
13:41comes
13:41to Xander fishing, these are definitely the first names on the team sheet.
13:45Having these two, they're local experts.
13:48It's absolutely invaluable.
13:50They could draw you a picture of this lake underwater, everything, where the streams come
13:54in, the shallow bits, the deep bits.
13:56After a tricky night, I'm actually feeling pretty confident this morning.
14:02So I've got to get one on the bank.
14:04Right, Eric, I've got to pick your brains.
14:07This is a question I did want to ask, because I've done a lot of pike fishing, but they're
14:12quite delicate in their feeding pattern, aren't they?
14:14They're very delicate.
14:15And the Xander are actually more delicate than the pike.
14:18The Xander will sit on the bottom.
14:20It will push the bait around in a big, big circle for ages.
14:24So when do you know when to strike?
14:25You don't, that's the big problem.
14:27You'll get on an alarm, you'll get a little bleep, bleep, but get ready, because when
14:31it goes, it'll go bleep, bleep, bleep.
14:33It won't go fast.
14:35Yeah.
14:35You've got to pick the rod up, make sure that the line's travelling, and then you just pull
14:39into it.
14:40Right.
14:40Not a massive strike.
14:42Right.
14:42Right.
14:42This is tricky fishing.
14:44It puts a lot of people off.
14:45This is the problem with it.
14:46And if we get one, how big's it going to be?
14:49Average size, 67s, 8s.
14:52Happy just to see one in the flesh.
14:54Yeah.
14:54Can I steal one of your rigs?
14:56Yes, you can.
14:57Yeah.
14:58Good.
14:58Yeah.
15:00The rig consists of a hook onto which we'll be putting a dead bait, a weight to keep
15:05it near the bottom, and a wire trace to connect the two, so the Xander's sharp teeth don't
15:09cut the line.
15:12The first couple of rods, I'm going to be using bite alarms, which pick up any movement
15:17of the line.
15:18For this style of fishing, you have to be aware of a bite or an indication immediately.
15:26So, although they make a bit of a noise, they're perfect for just letting you know any
15:36vibrations, any just tiny bit of bite, and then I can be aware.
15:41For my third rod, I'm going old school and using the float.
15:44I personally prefer this method, as there's nothing quite like seeing your float bob under
15:49the surface when you get a bite.
15:51Or not as the case may be.
15:56And as time ticks by, the latter scenario looks more and more likely.
16:02It's been a good few hours now, and this is looking a bit grim.
16:09Now this is where experience counts.
16:13I'm either waiting for the alarm to scream off, or for my float to plunge beneath the surface.
16:18But wily old Eric is looking for something much more subtle, and is convinced that the
16:23gentle twitches on the float indicate something nibbling at the bait.
16:28This one's gone.
16:31That one's definitely gone.
16:32Yeah.
16:34Wait a minute, let's clip it back over.
16:36Right.
16:37Where are we?
16:38Just tighten up to it.
16:41Oh, fish on.
16:43Fish on.
16:43Depends what it is though.
16:45Fish on.
16:45In close.
16:46In close.
16:47On the float.
16:49Is it going to be a pike or a Xander?
16:52Come on, be a Xander.
16:53It's only a small one.
16:54I'll take anything on a day like today.
16:56Oh, here's a Xander.
17:00Oh, we've got Xander.
17:01Yes, we've got Xander.
17:03I thought that was going to be a pike.
17:06Oh, come on.
17:07Oh, yeah, it's just nicked in the top.
17:11It's a nice size.
17:15I was convinced that was going to be a pike.
17:18I wasn't.
17:19This fish carries with it a sure sign of why we've had to wait so long for our first bite.
17:26Leeches.
17:27These fish, they only get leeches on them when it's incredibly cold.
17:32The temperature of the water means they're so lethargic.
17:35They sit on the bottom and the leeches live in the silt in the mud on the bottom of the
17:39lake.
17:40It's the eye, the eye gets me the most.
17:43Like, look how big it is.
17:45They're just such a predator designed to hunt at night in murky water like this.
17:51What an absolute, my first Xander ever.
17:55Right.
17:59What a place.
18:02Having caught one Xander, I naturally now consider myself something of a Xander expert.
18:08So I decide to set off in a boat to see if I can land an even bigger one from
18:12the other
18:12side of the island.
18:19Eric and John politely decline my offer of a boat trip with a knowing look in their eye.
18:25And after ten minutes, I can see why.
18:28Ooh, I can't feel my fingers anymore.
18:33And just to rub it in, as I come back to shore like a drowned rat, the boys are calmly
18:39reeling
18:39in a pike, ensuring that I not only feel wet, but inadequate as well.
18:44Thanks guys.
18:47The only way to show them is to catch a bigger Xander.
18:50So I cross my fingers, and just as the light is fading, my perseverance is rewarded.
18:57Yes.
18:57Right.
18:58Come on.
18:58Here we go.
19:02Yep, fish on.
19:05Yes.
19:10So another Z.
19:11Yes.
19:14Another Z.
19:15Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.
19:18Really good, Nick that one.
19:20Spot on these teeth.
19:21They are in immaculate condition.
19:24Yeah.
19:24I reckon that's six pound that.
19:26Yeah, it's all heavy.
19:27Yeah, it's.
19:27Look how, they look like vampires, don't they,
19:30with their fangs and they come out at night.
19:32Yeah, it's that pointed mouth that don't help, isn't it?
19:35Look at his eyes.
19:37That's one of the blackest-eyed ones I've seen for a long, long time.
19:41Well, the sun's going down and I'm glad I came out.
19:46It's been hard today,
19:48but it's totally worth it when you get one like this.
19:52Right, she's got to go back.
19:54Brilliant finish to a brilliant day.
20:04So, I'm two species down and I've got two to go.
20:08And for my third fish, I've got a long drive ahead
20:11because I'm going across the border into Wales.
20:26Now, this is the Brecon Beacons in Wales.
20:32And let me tell you, it's cold, it's rugged and it's wild.
20:38Down in the village, it wasn't that bad.
20:40Up here, it's pretty full on.
20:44There's a lot of wind and I'm feeling the cold.
20:46And there is a reason that the SAS do their training here.
20:50Here, this is one of the toughest environments in the UK.
20:54There she is.
20:56This is Panty Lynn,
20:58one of the highest freshwater lakes in the Brecon Beacons.
21:02And this is special.
21:04In fishing terms, this is very, very special.
21:09The reason I've come here is to catch a particular strain of wild carp
21:13that some people believe was brought here over 900 years ago,
21:17possibly by the monks who use them for food.
21:20They can live for 20 years and grow to 14 kilos.
21:24So I've enlisted the help of aptly named Adam Fisher,
21:27an angling guide, one of the few who fishes here.
21:32Hey, Tom.
21:33Adam.
21:34How you doing?
21:34Not too bad.
21:36Found it all right.
21:37Hell of a long way, mate.
21:39Good to see you.
21:40What do you reckon the fishing chances today?
21:43It's going to be tough.
21:44Yeah.
21:45But you never know.
21:46We can try, can't we?
21:47And something bright, winter carp tactics, we might be all right.
21:51Well, it's going to be a hell of a day.
21:54It is.
21:55It is.
21:55It'll be an experience.
21:58Now, what makes these fish so unique
22:01is that whilst other carp across the rest of the world
22:04have come into contact with other strains,
22:06interbred and mutated,
22:08this isolated group of fish have remained here
22:10on top of the mountain alone
22:12and therefore unchanged for 900 years.
22:23So these mystery carp, what do they eat?
22:26It's so harsh up here.
22:27There can't be that much invertebrate life.
22:30Yeah, the last place you'd think the carp would survive
22:32would be somewhere like this,
22:34but looking around here, especially around the margins,
22:37I think it's the weed.
22:39It's renowned to be so weedy in the summer.
22:41Yeah.
22:41And I think that's the difference with this lake.
22:44There is a lot of food,
22:45whereas on the face of it, you wouldn't think there was.
22:48Do you think there's quite a lot of invertebrate life
22:50in and amongst that weed then?
22:51Yeah, I do.
22:52This must get frozen over.
22:54How thick does it get there, the ice?
22:55Well, I think it was nearly a foot deep in 2010.
22:59The ice was a foot thick?
23:00Yeah.
23:01We had it frozen.
23:02You know, it didn't get above freezing
23:04like for the whole of December, I think.
23:05So in terms of where they are, how high they are,
23:10where they came from and what they survive,
23:14these must be the toughest carp in the UK.
23:16It almost makes you feel like you could turn round
23:20and it would be just as peculiar to see a giraffe walk past.
23:24Yeah, I know.
23:24You know?
23:25It is really bizarre.
23:27Do you know anyone that's come up here
23:30at this time of year before?
23:31No.
23:32No, I think we're the only ones mad enough to.
23:38The longer I sit here,
23:40the more mysterious these fish
23:42and those ancient monks seem to become.
23:51Now, freshwater fish used to be
23:53a real staple part of their diet
23:56and we do know through history
23:58that they would have transported them in barrels.
24:01But seriously, a mile and a half
24:03from the nearest road
24:05would you have carried or rolled a barrel
24:08for a mile and a half
24:09just to come to a lake that's in the middle of nowhere?
24:12You know, it's...
24:16This place is just as tough as it is today.
24:21There's just something that's incredibly intriguing about it.
24:25Like, it's like you're trying to work out a riddle.
24:28You're trying to put yourself in the mind frame
24:30of something that was the better part of eight, nine hundred years ago.
24:36And it just is so fascinating.
24:41Having had no joy at one end of the lake,
24:43it's time to up sticks and try another spot.
24:46With the temperature still rock bottom
24:48and the wind still howling,
24:50this is one fishing trip
24:51that is definitely not for the faint-hearted.
24:54If we can get a bit of PMA on the go,
24:57then anything's possible.
25:05Adam keeps mentioning this phrase,
25:08PMA, PMA,
25:10positive mental attitude.
25:14Look at him, he's tucked in
25:16just behind the rocks up there.
25:19He's perfectly happy.
25:20He's having just as nice a day
25:22as if it was the summer
25:23and he was catching lots and having a picnic.
25:27No-one's been here for months.
25:30So what does clever old Tommy do?
25:32Thanks.
25:34That'd be a good time of year to go.
25:36Be a challenge.
25:38After another two hours of nothing,
25:41there is suddenly a brief glimmer of hope.
25:43I felt the fish on.
25:45What, um...
25:46I said to you it had gone slack, didn't I?
25:48Yeah, yeah.
25:49Bug, I'm going to get that back out there.
25:50Yeah, yeah.
25:51He's had a bite,
25:52hooked a fish,
25:53had it bump a couple of times
25:55and then has ended up coming in.
25:57There's loads of weed on the line, but...
26:00God, I've got to be honest,
26:01I didn't think we were going to catch at all today.
26:04But we've had a bit of action, so...
26:07I'm going to recast my rod
26:08because this could be...
26:09They often feed for just like half an hour
26:12during the day
26:13and if this is the period,
26:14we've got to go now.
26:19It's funny how, um,
26:21just half a little opportunity,
26:23suddenly I don't feel so cold anymore.
26:26The concentration's come back.
26:29So if we're going to get one,
26:30it's going to be very, very shortly.
26:32But despite our best efforts,
26:35this is destined to be one of those days.
26:37And with the long walk back to civilisation,
26:39I have no choice
26:41but to chuck in the towel
26:42and admit defeat.
26:44Well, it seems like
26:45these mysterious fish
26:47and this mysterious lake
26:50are going to remain a mystery,
26:51to me at least,
26:53for a bit longer.
27:02So I've still got two species to catch
27:04and I've only got three days left
27:06and, well, forgive me for stating the obvious,
27:09but I need to go and find somewhere
27:11that I can actually catch a fish
27:13and I'm seriously, in winter,
27:16running out of options.
27:23I've had a think
27:24and I've come up with something radical
27:26and I travel most of the day
27:28to end up in London.
27:29It's one of the biggest, busiest
27:31and most densely populated areas
27:33on the planet.
27:35Now, I can forgive you for thinking
27:37that I've officially lost the plot
27:38but bear with me.
27:40There's method in my madness
27:42and, ironically,
27:43the man whose help I need
27:44works for the emergency services.
27:47Right, well, I think I'm in the right place.
27:51Let's try this.
27:55Apparently, he's not only a master fisherman
27:57but he's the governor of this place.
28:02Phil.
28:03Hello, Tom.
28:04Good to meet you.
28:05Nice to meet you too.
28:06Thank you so much.
28:07Yeah, brilliant.
28:07My pleasure.
28:08Come on in.
28:08This is Phil Morton,
28:10a hugely respected angler
28:12who regularly gets into the fishing magazines
28:14for catching big fish.
28:16Many of them right here in London.
28:19Phil recommends that we try our luck
28:20on a nearby river called the Hogs Mill.
28:23No, I didn't know there was another river
28:25other than the Thames either.
28:27Turns out there's quite a few.
28:28What are we going for?
28:29I think chub.
28:30Chub and dace tomorrow
28:31is our best bet.
28:32Big?
28:34Fingers crossed, yes.
28:35They run to six pounds in there.
28:36Oh, right, OK.
28:37So, with any luck,
28:37we'll get amongst the good ones.
28:39With my personal best chub
28:40being just two and a half pounds,
28:42this is sounding too good to be true.
28:44So we arrange to meet the next day.
28:53So this is it,
28:54the river Hogs Mill.
28:56I think I'm meeting Phil down here
28:58and I must be in the right spot
28:59because there's another angler.
29:02But looking at it for the first time,
29:04central London,
29:06really fish here?
29:09I've got my doubts.
29:14What I need from these brown chilli waters
29:16is a chub.
29:17It's a thick-set fish with a blunt head.
29:20The dorsal fin is grey-green
29:21with the other fins being orange and red.
29:24They'll eat anything
29:25and they're best hunted in areas
29:27with overhanging branches.
29:30Phil.
29:31Morning, Tom. How are you?
29:32Good, yeah.
29:33If I'm honest,
29:34it's not looking as pretty
29:35as the places I normally fish.
29:37It's certainly a quiet taste,
29:39but there's plenty of fish down there
29:41and that's the main thing.
29:43Well, I'll believe that
29:44when I've caught one or two.
29:46First, we need to cross the river
29:48and although the water level
29:49is lower than yesterday,
29:50I need waders to get through.
29:52Phil's go up to his neck,
29:53mine don't.
29:55Great start.
29:56I'm not loving the location
29:57and I don't even have the right gear.
29:59Don't stand in the dark water.
30:01That's the deep bit.
30:02And how deep are we talking?
30:05Just over the top of your waders, I reckon.
30:08Are you sure I'm going to make this?
30:10Oh, I'm absolutely positive.
30:11Right.
30:12What could go wrong?
30:14Well, plenty, actually.
30:15I just hope the chub are going to turn up
30:17and make it all worthwhile.
30:20They're there, I promise.
30:23Trust me.
30:23When I catch one.
30:25When I catch one.
30:26the fish are probably equally as big in here,
30:28if not bigger than many of the wonderful rivers
30:31you'd associate with really big fish
30:33around the country.
30:34You're looking at fish
30:35close to record proportions in here.
30:37The tactics are to use
30:39good old traditional maggots on a hook
30:41under a float.
30:42Right.
30:43So I'll start your trot
30:45just adjacent to the beginning,
30:46just off the point of the snag there
30:48and try and hold it back as much as you can
30:50for the first sort of metre.
30:52Right.
30:53You got it?
30:53Spot on.
30:53First one.
30:55First trot down.
30:56Now, at this point, I really ought to tell you
30:59that hidden beneath the water in front of me
31:01is a child's bike
31:03and a shopping trolley.
31:04And that's just what we know about.
31:06So I've got to be careful
31:07not to get snagged as my float heads downstream.
31:10And if by some miracle
31:11I actually catch a fish,
31:13I've got to negotiate it back through again.
31:17Hmm.
31:18Got me excited now.
31:19Oh.
31:21Did first trot down, had a bite.
31:24Well, well, well.
31:27Phil offers me the use of his centre pin reel,
31:29which gives far more delicate control.
31:32But being a typical bloke,
31:33I decide to use my own reel
31:35because I think I know better.
31:46as I miss bite.
31:48Got it?
31:48Yes.
31:49Well done.
31:50Oh, blimey.
31:51Oh, no.
31:52Again.
31:53After bite.
31:56Got him?
31:58After bite.
32:01There we go.
32:02There we go.
32:02Right, right.
32:02Here we go.
32:03Oh, Phil.
32:05Are you giving me blunt hooks?
32:07It soon becomes apparent
32:09that I don't know best.
32:10What's happening?
32:12They're laughing at us now.
32:13You realise that.
32:14Let him take it.
32:15Go on.
32:16Oh, no.
32:17Oh, it's trickier than I thought.
32:19And after being incredibly patient,
32:22Phil eventually,
32:23and rather tactfully,
32:24suggests that he has a go
32:25with his centre pin reel.
32:27You know,
32:28the one he offered me right at the start.
32:34I think it's time to show him who's boss.
32:35I'll roll one through
32:37and show you how it's done on the pin.
32:38Go on, then.
32:39If you catch one,
32:40I'm in trouble.
32:42I'm in big trouble.
32:43If you catch one.
32:48So, obviously, with the pin,
32:49we've got a bit of resistance naturally
32:51so you can see it's just holding the float back
32:53through the swim.
32:54So you can really hold it back
32:56perfectly smoothly
32:57as it goes through
32:57where we know the fish are living.
32:59Oh, it is a lot slower.
33:00You see how it just slows the float down.
33:02all the way.
33:04Can you feel the bite as well?
33:06You can feel the bite.
33:06So I'm just using my thumb
33:07on the edge of the spool
33:08just to slow it down slightly.
33:11And, of course,
33:12you're in direct contact
33:12with the float as well.
33:13So, as you say,
33:15you can actually feel them
33:15when they grab the bait.
33:21I'll give over, Phil.
33:23There we go.
33:24So it's important
33:24to get the line this side.
33:26You can see he's trying to go
33:26for the snag in front of us there.
33:28So we'll just try
33:29and bring him through the gap.
33:32It's quite hard.
33:33It goes over there.
33:34Is that a proper one?
33:35It's not huge.
33:38Right.
33:39I'm going to have to be gilly.
33:41You don't know how much
33:42pride I'm swallowing here.
33:48It's a chub.
33:50It's what we came for.
33:51Can I knock it off?
33:51You can.
33:52Go for your life.
33:53There we go.
33:59There we go.
34:01Well done, sir.
34:02It's all the real,
34:03to be honest.
34:03Fair play.
34:05Now, this is what we were after.
34:07I grew up catching these fish
34:09on my local river
34:10and look at the size of the mouth.
34:12They're actually predators as well.
34:14They actually eat small fish
34:15as well as other snails
34:16and crustaceans.
34:17And I'm genuinely lost for words
34:20that such a beautiful beast
34:22can exist in and around,
34:24you know,
34:25in this city.
34:26Pop him back
34:27and we'll get a big one.
34:28Absolutely.
34:29Yeah.
34:29Absolutely.
34:33So, having taken the hint,
34:35I decide that maybe
34:36I should stop being an idiot
34:38and take up Phil's kind offer.
34:41Ah.
34:42So now that's your
34:43Right, this is new to me.
34:45And you'll never guess what.
34:48Got him.
34:48Yes.
34:50Oh, Phil,
34:50it's all about the kit.
34:52Oh, this is...
34:53Lucky rod.
34:53I'm going to come the other side of you
34:54so you've got a bit of room.
34:55Right, oh, he's going into that snag.
34:58Yeah, give him some stick.
35:00Doing his best to get under there.
35:05Oh.
35:07Close.
35:13Right, got a free while done.
35:15Around the other obstacles.
35:21Oh, come on.
35:22Right.
35:23Don't let me down on the net, Phil.
35:26Yeah.
35:27Revenge is sweet.
35:31Put it there, buddy.
35:33Good job.
35:34Good job.
35:35You got him.
35:37Oh, at last.
35:38Makes all the effort worthwhile,
35:40Oh, what a beauty.
35:42God, I'm going to have a heart attack.
35:45It's a bit brutal, isn't it?
35:48Solid.
35:51And I'd like to just mention at this point as well,
35:54Phil,
35:54it is bigger than the one that you caught.
35:57You've topped me there,
35:58I'll give you that.
35:59What an absolute beauty.
36:02And what's more,
36:04it's a personal best.
36:07Oh.
36:07Oh, so powerful.
36:11Oh, so powerful.
36:11Guys, so powerful.
36:12Put it there.
36:13Well done.
36:19Well, as you can probably hear,
36:21the local school has come out for playtime,
36:24and the fish have decided they don't want to play anymore.
36:34So I've managed three species,
36:36but I'm in the last chance saloon.
36:38It's my final day,
36:39and I've got to catch a personal best or a new species.
36:42I'm banking everything on a reservoir
36:45in Walthamstow, East London,
36:46to come up with the goods.
36:49It belongs to Thames Water,
36:51who supply every one of London's taps,
36:53and it is one of the capital's hidden gems,
36:56providing a vital habitat for tens of thousands of birds
36:59and a multitude of other wildlife.
37:03And most importantly for me,
37:05it's also an excellent fishery
37:07containing lots of freshwater fish.
37:10The only downside
37:11is that overnight temperatures have plummeted,
37:14which, as we've already discussed,
37:16makes fish very lethargic.
37:19Let's just hope that firefighter Phil Morton
37:21can rescue me one more time.
37:26Ha-ha!
37:27Morning, mate.
37:28Hello, mate.
37:29How are you, Tom?
37:30Great.
37:32We've picked a cold one, haven't we?
37:33Oh, mate, it's bitter.
37:34It's absolutely bitter.
37:36Have you got the tea on?
37:37I've got the tea on.
37:38You're here in the nick of time, as usual.
37:41Perfect.
37:42The species I've set my heart on is bream.
37:46My personal best is four and a half kilos,
37:48but these dark slab of a fish
37:50can grow to almost ten kilos in these waters.
37:53With their protrudable mouths,
37:55they're the perfect bottom feeder,
37:57able to root around for all manner of food
37:59in the silt and the mud,
38:00meaning they're often caught
38:02by the same techniques you'd use for catching carp.
38:05So we're baiting between the tree directly in front,
38:08the first tree of the same species on the right-hand side.
38:11OK, so right in between those two?
38:13Absolutely.
38:13So as long as it falls between those two trees,
38:15we'll put one of our fishing rods on the left,
38:18one on the right,
38:18and one bang in the middle.
38:20Right, and that's a deeper channel,
38:21so we're kind of setting a trap.
38:24Absolutely.
38:24In that deepest part of the lake
38:26where we think the fish are going to be residing during the winter.
38:29OK.
38:29Obviously, the water's a little bit warmer at depth.
38:32To get the bait out there,
38:34we're using something called a spomb,
38:36which opens on impact with the water.
38:38This is not a technique I'm familiar with,
38:40and it's a lot harder than it looks.
38:42So apologies to all you experts out there
38:44while I make a complete hash of it.
38:51Right, that's the third time I've cast one out,
38:53and this spomb hasn't opened.
39:00Whoo!
39:02Right, getting the hang of this now.
39:07The next thing is to cast the rig with a hook into the same spot.
39:11To do that involves marking the same length of line
39:14putting it in a clip on the reel,
39:16which means it will only cast out to that exact length.
39:20As for the rig,
39:21it's a complicated affair called a helicopter rig.
39:24It involves a weight, swivel,
39:26and on the hook,
39:27a combination of plastic corn to add buoyancy
39:30and reel maggots for taste appeal.
39:33This is some of the most technical,
39:35but clever, well-thought-out ways of fishing
39:40for you to be so accurate,
39:42to get your bait out there.
39:44It's astonishing.
39:45Like, normally, I just like going fishing.
39:47I'm more of a watercraft guy.
39:49OK.
39:49So I go fishing, I try and read the lake,
39:51I try and think like a fish.
39:52You guys, you've thought about everything.
39:55Absolutely.
39:55Well, it's about using all that watercraft
39:57and all that knowledge
39:58and thinking like a fish, as you say,
39:59and then putting on the technical side of it
40:02on top of that as well,
40:03just to get that extra few percent,
40:05which, you know, on a day like today
40:06might just mean we can nick a fish.
40:09I'm with the right type of guy.
40:11I like this.
40:12I like this.
40:14Phil's done this before,
40:15and I haven't.
40:19It shows.
40:23God, you've got me so precise with this.
40:30With the lines in the bite alarm,
40:32it's now a waiting game.
40:35What's the chances?
40:36One to ten.
40:37With ten being, yeah, we'll definitely catch,
40:39one being probably zero chance.
40:42I'll give you a one.
40:44At best.
40:45Really?
40:45That's a conservative one.
40:46Really?
40:47It's very, very cold today.
40:48I like to make it difficult for myself,
40:51but I think I've just bitten off
40:53more than I can chew with this one, Phil.
40:55I think we might have.
40:57Brilliant.
40:58Just what I wanted to hear.
41:01I haven't done much of this type of fishing before.
41:05I've got a feeling that Phil thinks I'm a bit of an idiot.
41:09Do you think he thinks I'm an idiot?
41:13There's a lot of very, very high-tech stuff here.
41:19To be honest, I'm starting to wonder
41:21if I'm a bit of an idiot of this type of fishing too.
41:24And as the hours slowly tick by,
41:27Phil's ominous prediction
41:28is looking more and more likely to come true.
41:34Come on!
41:36Right, tea, Phil?
41:38Yes, please, mate.
41:39Sugar?
41:39Milk?
41:40Oh, just milk, please, buddy.
41:41Just milk, all right.
41:44I know you're a fan of staying in one position,
41:47but I'm tempted to try somewhere else for an hour or two.
41:51I think we're just getting to that witching hour now,
41:53that perfect time of day.
41:55So I'd be keen to stay put if I were you,
41:57but you're more than welcome to try a different spot
41:59if you fancy it.
42:03Oh, thank you, mate.
42:04That is much needed.
42:06London Fire Brigade.
42:06That's my one.
42:08Cheers, buddy.
42:08Cheers, mate.
42:09But I think as dusk approaches,
42:11they'll start to come into this deeper area.
42:13Most of what we've done today so far
42:15is in preparation for the next hour or so.
42:18Do you reckon?
42:18So, yeah.
42:20But as the witching hour passes us by,
42:22it seems the cold weather has defeated our clever tactics.
42:26It's incredibly frustrating,
42:28and as London's nightlife starts up,
42:30it's time for me to pack up.
42:34Or is it?
42:40Yeah, it's it, it's it, it's it, it's it.
42:42Right.
42:43Well done.
42:44Gently, gently, gently.
42:45Gently, gently slow work.
42:46All we wanted was one chance,
42:48so we got one chance.
42:50Is it a bream or a small carp?
42:52I can't tell, but what I do know is
42:54I must not lose this fish.
42:56So Phil grabs me the landing net.
43:01Oh, I've got to go so gently.
43:03Fabulous.
43:04Well done, that man.
43:05Oh, I can't believe it.
43:07Right, I'm going to keep them out of the way
43:08of these other ones.
43:10As I get the fish closer,
43:11I realise that it is, thank heavens, a bream.
43:16He's in.
43:16He's yours.
43:17We've done it.
43:18You've done it.
43:19Fabulous.
43:20Well done, that man.
43:21Mate, we were going to pack up ten minutes ago.
43:23Oh, wow.
43:24Well done.
43:25Well, it's not the biggest in the lake,
43:26but it's a bream.
43:27Mate, that's bigger than my personal best.
43:30Fabulous.
43:31Well done, that man.
43:32Phil, you have done me proud, my friend.
43:37That might just be your double, Tom.
43:38This guy's ten pounds.
43:40Oh, my God.
43:41I can't even get my hands around it.
43:44Look at the size of it.
43:45Have a look at the mouth.
43:47Perfectly designed.
43:48If you can see how it extends,
43:50that's why we were critically balancing the baits.
43:53As soon as that mouth opens,
43:55we wanted that buoyant bait to go straight in.
44:00My challenge is to either bag a personal best
44:03or a species I haven't caught before.
44:05And my personal best for bream is four and a half kilos
44:08or about nine pounds.
44:10I know I'm agonizingly close,
44:13but it's impossible to tell just by looking.
44:15He weighs ten pounds, twelve ounces.
44:19You've done it, buddy.
44:22Mate, you know I said I'd buy you a pint?
44:24Yes, you did.
44:25I'm going to buy you a gallon.
44:27Brilliant.
44:27I hope you remember that.
44:29Last chance saloon, though.
44:30We were going to pack up.
44:31We talked about packing up ten minutes ago.
44:33We did, we did.
44:34I was sat there freezing cold,
44:37and then it scared the life out of me.
44:40I even ran down there,
44:41took my gloves off,
44:42and threw my phone in the boot.
44:44I was down there somewhere.
44:45We'll find it, mate.
44:46We'll find it.
44:48Would you ever believe
44:49that the water that comes out of the tap
44:51has these beauties swimming round in it?
44:55Right, I've got to get her back.
44:57Go and put your prize back, mate.
44:59What did I say?
45:00We wanted one chance,
45:01and we had one chance right at the death.
45:05God, I'm getting lucky at this fishing thing.
45:12Oh, my God.
45:13I can't feel my hands.
45:19Look at that.
45:20It's what we call dustbin lids.
45:22Right, just give her a minute
45:23to get her breath back.
45:29Go on, then.
45:34Somehow, we've snuck one out
45:36at the last minute.
45:37I cannot believe it.
45:41And let's go find your phone.
45:43I owe you a pint, mate.
45:46I wanted to catch four different species
45:49in utterly different locations in one week,
45:51and I succeeded.
45:53Only the desolate Welsh lake
45:55and the mountain carp beat me.
45:57Elsewhere, I proved that
45:58although I don't always know best,
46:00I don't give up easily.
46:02I notched up three personal bests
46:04amongst the catches,
46:05and I can't wait to find out
46:07where I end up next.
46:09All I need to do now
46:10is find my mobile phone.
46:13Can you ring it?
46:14Yeah, I am, mate.
46:19Oh, it's going straight to answer phone,
46:20I'm afraid.
46:21Oh, you're kidding.
46:22Oh, you're good.
46:22Untertitelung des ZDF für funk, 2017