Anglers are misunderstood creatures. Rather than curmudgeonly misfits, we are proud custodians of our waterways, says Kevin Parr As in every walk of life, there are a handful of anglers who give the pastime a bad name. But for every litterer or poacher there are dozens of like minded souls who regard the environment inContinue reading “Countryfile Magazine article: In defence of Angling”
Perch….
Is there a more perfect late autumn fish than a perch? All stripes and prickles with fins dipped in liquid saffron and a burly bristle both in and out of the water. When they are small they are greedy and competitive, swallowing worms as long as themselves and scattering minnows. The older fish, those whoContinue reading “Perch….”
Countryfile magazine feature: Soaring Buzzards
From a population of just 5,000 pairs in the early ’60’s the buzzard is now our most common bird of prey, and has spread from isolated pockets of the west and north, right across the British Isles. Not everyone is happy though. Calls have been made for buzzards to be culled in order to preventContinue reading “Countryfile magazine feature: Soaring Buzzards”
Symbiosis
Whenever I’m creeping around the woods with a mushroom basket on my arm, my eyes regularly flick skyward. I’m not looking for birds, or checking for rain clouds but keeping in eye on the trees and more specifically the species beneath which I am walking. Fungal mycelium form a network of strands within the soilContinue reading “Symbiosis”
Fallon’s Angler
I received an email earlier in the year from Garrett Fallon. He had long toyed with the idea of an angling magazine that focused upon the quality of its writing rather than the fish themselves, and he was finally doing something about it. He invited me to pitch an article and I am very gladContinue reading “Fallon’s Angler”
Sparra’s
Our local house sparrow population has boomed this year. They seem to have been turning out fledglings at a regular rate since April and even now, as we approach October, there are still a few youngsters whirring their wings to get fed. At my parents house in Beaminster the house martins made a late decisionContinue reading “Sparra’s”
Indian Summer
For many years I believed the term Indian Summer was derived from the sub-continent. Where light and dark take an equal share of the day and leave little time for grey. Dusk is so brief that bad light could end a day’s cricket before the sun had even set. I felt slightly disappointed to learnContinue reading “Indian Summer”
The Deathcap
The source of the poison that ended the life and reign of Emperor Claudius in AD 54 is much debated. Whether through tainted food or the dealings of his double-crossing physician, what is without argument is that Claudius suffered a slow, painful death. A popular belief is that he was poisoned by a mushroom, andContinue reading “The Deathcap”
Bales
The autumn equinox is still a fortnight away and yet everything seems to be where it should. The mornings are late, dew laden and chilly but by lunchtime the insects are buzzing with the vigour of summer. Chiffchaffs and willow warblers are passing through but clearing their throats as they do and in a lightContinue reading “Bales”
Hornets
An early autumn walk in the woods is almost eerily silent. The songsters – blackcap, garden warbler and blackbird – have either gone quiet or simply gone. Instead there is the quiet pipe of long tailed tits and busy flit of goldcrests working the canopy. Only the wistful robin offers more than a couple ofContinue reading “Hornets”
Kevin Parr 