All the gear, no idea

“All the gear, no idea” is an accusation often aimed at anglers who have more kit than wit. More money than sense. Shiny tackle but dim-bulb knowledge. Believe me, many times I’ve sneered at men who think they can ‘buy’ fish on the bank by flashing the cash in the tackle shop. Yet recently, I proved myself to be exactly that type of witless, shortcutting, piscatorial pretender.

Let me set the scene. It’s February. Sea fishing is off. Gale-force winds and essential repairs have left me landlocked. So I gamely suggested to my pals Paul Quagliana and Small Paul (by way of differentiation) that we go zander fishing in the Grand Union Canal.

“I haven’t dirtied my tackle on a zander for years”

I have been an avid zanderman for