David Slater of Newark-on-Trent

[Deaf Cat]

Love your Fishing Gazette pieces; thanks for the link to the treasure trove. It should give me weeks of pleasure!

[Leigh]

As above, thanks for taking the time to share

[Liphook]

Interesting! They are massive trout even for the mighty Corrib which many would say is the home of Irish dapping (often using live mayfly as opposed to imitation/dressed fly patterns)

[Barbelseeker]

Very interesting read, myself coming from Newark, Mr Slater has always impressed me with his fine reels which can be a treasure to own. Luckerly, I have been able to fish some of the swims mentioned but have yet to encounter a salmon or sturgeon, but have caught a tench, brown trout and a flat fish - (dab) from the afore mentioned swims, along with the more common dace, chub, eel, barbel, gudgeon (although these are seemingly rare these days), roach, and 1 grayling, although I assume the building of Staythorpe weir and the many floods over the years have changed it beyond recognition as regards the depth and pace of swims. The remnants of the old Averham and Kelham stick weirs can occasionally be seen, but are becoming less as either flood waters rip them out or time disintegrates them.

Nice to travel back and imagine how the river may have looked. Have never fished Oxton Lake. Thank you

[Martin James]

A very good and interesting read, that brightened my day, thank you.