I’m glad that I liked this DVD box set, as I have a sneaky suspicion that it’s actually physically impossible to write anything bad about Bob Nudd. It’s probably illegal, at least. It’ll be written in the Magna Carta somewhere!
Bob Nudd is widely regarded as one of the nicest men in angling. Over the years, my own personal dealings with him haven’t been vast, but he has always been more helpful than I could ever have expected from him, without ever asking for anything in return. I think that side of Bob Nudd comes across in his television productions, which is why they work. I could sit next to the most skilful angler in the world (actually, that might well be Bob Nudd!), but if his personality and approach weren’t geared towards helping a fellow angler to learn, then my time would be wasted. You only have to think back to school; I know from my own experience that I learnt a lot more from the teachers with warm personalities than I did from the miserable old codgers. And there were plenty of those at my school!
I have to put my hands up straight away and admit that match-style angling isn’t something I really get involved in. I have nothing against it, it’s just that we all have our own ‘branches’ of the sport that we pursue more and mine are sea angling, river fishing and carp fishing. I’ve dabbled a bit in lure fishing, but the world of small hooks and thin lines is a fumbly one for me, as my regular angling buddy will agree. He finds it hilarious when I struggle with size 18’s and any line under about 5lb! Still, I generally give it a shot; it’s my duty in life to amuse my fellow anglers! The fact that I’m far from being an expert means that I can probably gain a lot more from an instructional DVD than most, so for the purposes of this review, my relative inexperience is actually a bonus. There’s a first!
As the DVD collection is a three-piece affair, I’ll cover each DVD individually, albeit briefly:
Canal Fishing On The Waggler
This is a great introduction to canal fishing and covers everything from mixing groundbait, right through to unhooking your catch, with a liberal spattering of rig making, plumbing, inducing bites and various other top techniques thrown in.
Seriously, if you can tie a hook and cast a line, that’s about all you’d need to know to get the most out of this DVD. Bob Nudd explains the rest, quite plainly. None of it is rocket-science, but it’s all simple, sensible practice that has made Nuddy a four-times world champion! If you were fishing a canal with a rod and reel for the first time, or just wanting to brush up on your basic knowledge, you couldn’t really go wrong with this DVD.
Canal Fishing On The Pole
Pole fishing is where Bob Nudd really excels. The pole is more often than not the match angler’s weapon of choice and Bob knows his way around one!
The great thing about a pole is that rigs can become more finely tuned and bait placement, both hookbait and groundbait, become precision exercises.
Not only does Bob guide you through the basics, as in the waggler DVD, but he also teaches you how to use boat traffic and current to your advantage, as well as offering a host of other tips to help you bag up.
Canal Fishing – Advanced Techniques
In the third DVD, we get to see Bob getting a bit more technical. With the skills already learnt in the previous two DVD’s, this final chapter (not that there ever is a final chapter when learning how to fish!) takes the angler a step beyond the basics, ensuring that he or she catches as many quality fish per session as possible, which is what this style of fishing is all about.
There’s a more in-depth look at baits and pole rigs, as well as the all-important feeding.
I love angling – how many other sports have ‘celebrities’ like Bob Nudd, who are so free and easy with their knowledge? Okay, the DVD box set is £19.99, but that’s peanuts when you consider that you are getting nearly three hours of honest advice from a man who really is a font of match-angling knowledge.
The DVD’s are produced and directed by Liam Dale, a man who’s vastly experienced on both sides of the camera, and whilst they take in a bit of the surrounding countryside, they concentrate on the fishing and don’t waste time trying to be ‘arty’.
This three DVD box set comes packaged nicely by Duke and would, obviously, make an ideal gift for a canal angler. At £19.99, you can’t really go wrong.
Visit www.dukevideo.com for ordering details, as well as details of other angling titles.
