Welcome to PredatorAngling.co.uk

July 23rd 1979. the day it all began, my Dad had been given instruction to buy my sister her first birthday present on his way back from work…”no soft toys” my mother shouted as he left for work that morning. Of course my sister got a huge old English sheep dog (soft toy), but he also had something for me. I was just five at the time, and ripping the package open on my Woollies fishing kit I couldn’t wait to get out and use it. “3lb line, size 20 hook-to-nylon and a quarter pint of mixed maggots” that was my shopping list to collect from the local hardware store, to collect before the cake was cut. Like many others before and since my first fishing session was on the local canal, and to fit with tradition my first fish was a Perch. It’s funny how almost thirty years on and I still remember it as though it was yesterday. Over the coming years I progressed on to larger fish, mostly Carp then Pike, with a few decent Tench and Bream along the way.

And then I quit…. the early 90’s saw the introduction of the commercial fishery, and I hated them with a passion. I was probably blinkered in that I expected all fisheries to end up the same. So I gave the gear away, gave all the books away (would be worth thousands now!) binned the photos and vowed never to fish again How wrong I was! 2002 saw me back on the bank , by myself initially and then shortly after with my young son. I fished for carp a little and tench and bream a little and Pike a lot. So much so that at the beginning of 2007 I decided to concentrate on angling for Predators.

PredatorAngling is a diary of my successes and failures. nothing left out, when I fish like a fool it'll be here, when my testicles have a golden glow, it'll be here too... not that it happens much! I'll also include my thoughts on how I'm going to tackle certain waters, plans A,B C and when it all goes tits up Plan Z version 23. I'll also explain about the rigs I'm using and why, though be warned I do try and keep things simple unless there's a particular problem I'm trying to get around.

I'm involved with a national single species group at committee level (www.nationalanguillaclub.co.uk) and as of this year I'm going to be joining in with Birmingham region of the Pike Anglers Club of Great Britain. so my thoughts on PredatorAngling clubs and angling politics will no doubt find there way onto the site too.

Hope you enjoy the site
Tight lines

Dave Smith