It’s always a pleasure to meet young anglers, especially those who like to fish in the footsteps of Mr. Crabtree.  Jimmy Sallis is one of those anglers; he’s lucky enough to be able to fish every day, and he fishes for all species – Mr. Crabtree would be proud.

Jimmy is predominantly a river angler and you’ll soon be seeing more of him right here on the Crabtree website as he shares his river exploits with us. Jimmy can also be found on twitter as @jimmysallis – go say hello – in the meantime we grabbed 10 minutes with him to get the low down on his angling credentials. 

How often do you fish and what do you fish for?

I try to fish every day, work and weather permitting. Obviously the summer months are the best for me as the nights are longer, however I  always try and fish through dusk and into the dark and this time can be the best part of any session.  By far my favourite fish is the Chub. I generally target Chub & Barbel, but dependent on how I’m fishing, I’m happy for any species to find my hook bait.

Where do you fish and what kit do you tend to use?

95% of my fishing is done on my local water, the River Arrow. I’m a member of three different clubs and I have some private water  all on the Arrow, about 3 miles all in all. I only ever fish with one rod at a time and rarely take more to the river than my chair, bag, rod, landing net and a single rod rest. Occasionally I take two rods –  I have one set up with my centre pin reel – and it’s quick and easy to run a float through a swim hoping for an opportunist fish.

What are your earliest fishing memories? Who taught you?

My earliest fishing memories are with the man that taught me how to fish and that’s my Grandad. For the years when I was not old enough to drive, my grandad and I would  cycle to a private stretch of water that we had the permission to fish. He has never had a driving licence so we tied our rods to the cross bars of our bikes and off we went.  I learned so much from him and he has shaped me into the angler I am.

Give us some PB stats – what are you most proud of and why?

My PB fish are not worthy of any trophies. I think it’s because I rarely fish a swim for more than one fish – I catch and move on, so as not to pressure the water and fish.

Chub is 4lb exactly

Barbel is 7lb 14oz

Perch is 2lb 1oz

Like I said, very average weights and fish but above average for the Arrow. I have caught plenty of Bream, Eel & Pike amongst other species but never weigh them. I purely love fishing, the size of the fish really doesn’t matter to me.

How influential has Mr. Crabtree been in your angling life?

My Grandad had the original Mr. Crabtree book, pages missing and falling apart, and I was still mesmerised by it. I know it would have been influential in my Grandad’s life and therefore it has been in mine. I believe it’s the reason I stick to the simple and more traditional style of fishing that seems to be fast dying out amongst anglers.

Is there anything in fishing you haven’t done? What are your ambitions?

There is plenty in fishing I haven’t done and I’m always keen to learn. I also have plenty of fishing ambitions but the biggest would probably to go fishing on the river Nile in Egypt for Nile Perch. History really interests me and I love perch, so to catch a monster Nile Perch in such an historic country as Egypt would be special.

What do you think are the most pressing issues in angling today?

I hear a lot of talk about otters and cormorants and of course these are indeed pressing issues. However my biggest concern is lack of people on the river banks, especially youngsters. The river is where I have learned my trade and, in my opinion, if you can figure out the rivers and catch a wild fish then you can catch a fish anywhere. River fishing tackle is cheap and readily available and so are the baits, and the surroundings in which you can fish on a river can be breathtaking. I do understand why everyone wants to catch the biggest fish but to me a 1lb river roach can be as beautiful and as satisfying to catch as a 20lb commercial common carp.

Do you have any angling heroes? What do you most admire about them?

Obviously all the TV guys have been a big influence; John Bailey; John Wilson and Matt Hayes are all great to watch and they have some great books, but my biggest hero is my Grandad. He got me into the sport so I have him to thank for that. I’ve got some great fishing friends, Beasley and Braz and my mate Tom comes along to keep me company and always has his camera with him. I admire them all in their own ways but most of all for putting up with me!

What lessons would you pass on to today’s young anglers?

Talk, read, watch and listen, all of the things I wish I had done a lot more of, especially at school! There is so much you can learn from other anglers just by talking, watching and listening to what they do. Reading is as important, books, fishing magazines and online forums can teach you so much. Above all just fish as much as you can, there is no substitute for experience.

Describe your favourite ‘Crabtree moment’…

It was the first day of the 2013 river season and after walking up and down the river bank for about an hour I decided to settle on a very narrow and shallow swim just behind a fallen Willow tree. I had seen a few Chub and a Barbel or two nervously swimming out from the safety of the tree to feed on a gravel bed. They knew I was there and I knew dropping in a lead or feeder would instantly spook them out of the swim and they wouldn’t return. I decided to fish free line on the centre pin and on the bread flake. I flicked in a few pieces and noted that only once they had passed under the tree would the fish take them. So, I decided to fish downstream and flick the bread as close to the back of the tree as possible. Almost instantly two chub came darting out from under the tree and were competing for my bread as it drifted in the flow. The first one took a snap at it and missed but his friend was on the money and on my hook. After a good old fight the fish was safely in my net. Creeping up on these fish and then watching them in the water was a magical feeling that’s hard to beat.