UK
Angling & Fishing Videos
and DVD’s on the joys of
being by the waterside with
Chris Yates, Bob James and Hugh
Miles.
January 2013
It’s difficult to believe, but our series ‘A Passion for Angling’ was first shown on BBC 2 in 1993,
so September this year is our 20th Anniversary.
We actually started filming at Redmire on June 14th 1989 – no, we didn’t cast in until dawn on the 16th! – so it’s been a while. Some of Chris’s children hadn’t even been born and now they are all grown up … and as for us, we have grown old but certainly not wiser. Let’s face it, we haven’t even got the good sense to go fishing enough these days. The book of the series that takes us into another world might still be available on eBay.
Chris Yates on the dam at Redmire
The important cause for celebration is that the series of six fifty minute films are unchanged with the passing of time, depicting a peaceful world when there were lots of fish in our rivers and seemingly more time to catch them.
Happy Days with Bob and Chris + 2lb roach of course
The DVD is still available – and always will be – and is still considered by many to be the best fishing series ever made. Sales remain strong year after year, with new generations of anglers discovering that there is a whole world of fishing out there that doesn’t have to revolve entirely around carp, bolt-rigs and boilies.
Ten 2lb roach - not a bad day!
Sadly, production costs of the DVD and several postage increases mean the price for the complete set of six films is now £38.50 [incl. UK p&p and VAT]. This is the first increase EVER and we regret having to do so but Fisheries Minister Richard Benyon thinks it’s worth it!
Chris Yates film on carp fishing ‘Caught in Time’ is still £20 [incl. UK p&p and VAT]. We might add to this series one day, but book writing and film making mean we don’t have time at present.
Close friends Martin and Jo Bowler have added the series to their on-line shop and they have PayPal set up too. [We don’t have enough turn- over to justify the expense].
www.martinbowler.co.uk
Anyway, Happy New Year to you all, even if the turn of the year seems a long way off already. May this year be better than the last for you … dryer and sunnier too hopefully.
Thank you to all our loyal customers. The appeal of ‘Passion’ never seems to wain and like fishing, is passed on from generation to generation. Folk still claim that it is the best fishing series ever made and though it’s not up to us to comment, it is gratifying that it still appeals to so many for so long.
Equally satisfying, it’s finding new audiences too and if it attracts anglers to a more varied and ‘naturalistic’ form of fishing on rivers and wild lakes then we’ll be pleased. There’s a whole world of wildlife out there to enjoy and our fish life is a vital part of our ecosystems too.
As mentioned above, 2013 is our 20th Anniversary and by any standards, that’s some kind of a record for a TV programme. We all hope it continues, for though it will never make us rich, it helps to eke out the meagre pensions of Bob, Chris and ourselves … ‘every little helps’.
Sue has done her best to make sure you all received your copies during the busy pre-Christmas period, though many more are throwing us a challenge by leaving ordering until the very last minute. You ‘must try harder’ this year! Almost inevitably it seems, a few orders went missing but for those unfortunates, we hope you got the replacements in time for Father Christmas. Sue sends out your orders more or less daily.
For better or worse, probably worse, we have decided to start writing blog … “Hugh Miles –Wildlife Adventures”. We completed seven films last year for various wildlife charities, particularly our local Dorset Wildlife Trust along with the Angling Trust as part of our long running cormorant campaign. More of that on the blog but we’re hoping we might win a concession on their protected status that will help our precious fish life to survive.
The films we make are all gratis, (just in case you think we are trying to line our pockets at the expense of your subscriptions). It’s our way if you like of ‘putting something back’. Please join the Angling Trust and the Salmon and Trout Association. They are doing a great job and without them our rivers would be in greater danger then ever. We’ll put the films we’ve made up on the blog so that you can see what the threats are to our freshwater world. We hope you have time to view them.
In the meantime, have a great year and be lucky. Here’s Sue and I with flags
– well it was the Year of the Olympics and we did win ‘everything’!
With our best wishes,
Hugh & Sue
'Made for the Dorset Wildlife Trust, this little film about our local River Allen is a celebration of our treasured and unique chalk streams. 'Liquid Gold' is the title and appropriate it is too, for the Allen is one of the finest rivers in the country - a real jewel in our crown'.
January 2012
We all say it, but what happened to last year? It just flew by! It's been so busy that I don't know how I ever had time to spend my life making wildlife films. But thankfully, the year has been a lot of fun, not only because I got to make a few films - I love it - but also went fishing...not a lot...but being out there is always a treat, especially with close friends Trevor Harrop and Chris Yates.
Just like everyone else, we were frozen up last January but an escape to the Indian sun with friends in February was more enjoyable than ever, with several large mahseer to over 30lbs falling to my rod and several over 50lbs to a few lucky ones. Two absolute monsters were hooked but they turned out to have legs! After long and potentially dangerous fights, the lines were cut, but not before one of the rods was broken in half. Scaly crocodiles instead of shaggy dog stories to take home.
My favourite roach received some attention in March and a memorable trip to Oxfordshire working on a feature for the Anglers Mail with Gary Newman produced several three pounders and big twos. What a great two days they were.
March also saw the start of a project that will run for several years, an attempt to highlight the plight of our rivers. "Liquid Gold" is a little introduction to our local River Allen, a classic chalk stream with a rich diversity of wildlife, not only otters and water voles but a healthy population of the native white-clawed crayfish. Beautiful brown trout and even salmon and sea-trout spawn on the rivers' gravel riffles that have been created by anglers. The rich variety of fish life in the river provides an opportunity to inform wildlife enthusiasts and school children about the importance of nature that they can't easily see. ‘Out of sight, out of mind’ is something I am passionate about overcoming in the years to come so the film has been made for the Dorset Wildlife Trust and Salmon and Trout Association. The Angling Trust are showing it on their website too.
I'm working on a film for the Trust this winter, highlighting the excessive predation of our fish life by cormorants and the long term damage this may be doing to our bio-diversity. Without fish, our herons, grebes and kingfishers might decline, along with bitterns, and who knows, even those perennial favourites, our otters and ospreys might suffer too. We need a "Royal Society for the Protection of Fish" and the sooner our conservation organisations realise the urgent need to protect our rivers and lakes, the more likely we are to save our diversity of wetland wildlife.
Non-native cormorants of the continental sinensis race have colonised the UK in alarming numbers in recent years. Scientists have calculated that the numbers over-wintering total about 23,000 and that they need a pound of fish a day to survive...so they eat 23,000 lbs of fish EVERY DAY. This equates to about 12,000 two pound trout and/or 1,200 tons of fish every winter, twice the yearly tonnage produced by the largest trout farm in the UK!
There are also inland breeding cormorants, 2,096 at the last count in 2005, so the pressure on our freshwater fish is relentless and surely unsustainable. This is damaging our bio-diversity, and some rivers have already been denuded of their fish life. Members of the Avon Roach Project created a petition to attempt to change the law and make it easier for us to protect our wildlife from excessive cormorant predation. We plan to deliver the 16,000+ signature petition to the Fisheries Minister in February.
The Avon Roach Project led by friends Trevor Harrop and Budgie Price released hundreds and hundreds of three year old roach into the Hampshire Avon in December in an attempt to re-establish self-sustaining populations of this iconic species. The river was once famous for its' roach fishing and this is the best chance we'll ever have to see those glorious days returning. It might take ten years work, but we're up for the challenge. More details of this inspiring project can be seen on: www.avonroachproject.co.uk - and the little film I made on this website too.
Most experiences are more enjoyable when shared with close friends and a May visit to Skomer Island with Robin, who I've known since childhood was particularly memorable, with puffins and flowers covering the island. Sharing the roach fishing with Trevor at Sway was always enjoyable and on two summer days I managed to catch sixteen two pound roach up to 2lbs 12oz, though the angling press ignored this story in favour of yet more carp stories - a sad reflection on their judgement of 'priorities' in angling.
Late May saw an invasion to our garden when our Corfe Mullen BioBlitz visited, experts identifying well over two hundred species of wildlife in just a few hours and a total of over seven hundred in the whole village; inspiring stuff.
In June I fulfilled a long held ambition to return to the Fens where I grew up. A 2lb rudd was my ambition and I caught an absolute beauty of 2lbs 4oz. The weather was gorgeous too and the wildlife better than ever, with lots of Marsh Harriers and Bearded Tits to enjoy, along with hunting Barn Owls in the early morning mist and evening twilight. I'll be back to my favourite "Land of Skies", for I met some really friendly anglers as well as catching lots of fish.
Also managed a few days fishing with friends in the summer. Our computer guru Chris Wild landed a PB roach of 1lb 15oz. Mahseer Magic pal Steve Darby joined me in some mullet madness, Gary Newman too. Martin Bowler joined me for some Avon barbelling and we had the rare treat of a get-together with Bernard Cribbins for a "Catching the Impossible" 'fluff-fling' on the River Test with friend John Slader. We caught lots of brown trout too.
Daughter Katie came to enjoy the sunshine and wildlife, though we have fewer fish in the garden now as an otter set up home for six weeks and caused mayhem in the ponds. Sad to see twenty year old fish maimed or eaten but we weren't alone as whole villages had their ponds emptied. It certainly points to an alarming imbalance of predator/prey relations in our wetlands, where lack of fish and particularly the endangered eels is putting pressure on hungry otters. Sadly, 'ours' was killed on the road just outside the garden.
In October we enjoyed a little holiday with Michael and Penny Richards on Islay, where 37,000 Barnacle Geese, lots of Golden Eagles and a total of 92 species kept our walks inspiring. I first visited the island nearly 50 years ago and each time it seems better than ever.
Looking back, the year does seem to be full of enjoyment - and it was - but I did do some work (which I enjoy too), finishing the River Allen film, along with the Avon Roach Project film, helped the BBC with one or two projects and made a start on a barbel film with Pete Reading and a predation film too. I plan to add to the chalk stream project, edit an otter story and maybe even make a bass fishing film, so watch this space.
On the dark side, we still suffer from pirates who illegally copy our series and these thieves are stealing the money that allows us to make films that in turn try to help our freshwater wildlife and especially our fish. So please don't buy these counterfeit copies. They might be cheap but they are of inferior quality and threaten to stop us making any more films because we can't afford to make a loss.
Thank you all for your orders of "Passion..." (and "Catching the Impossible"). Sue worked hard to make sure you received them before Christmas but some orders didn't even arrive until Christmas Eve, so I guess we can blame the G.P.O for that.
Do have a happy and rewarding 2012 and a fish filled one too if that is what floats your boat.
With our best wishes,
Hugh & Sue
Message from Hugh & Sue Miles January 2011
A Passion for Angling Newsletter
Sue and I do hope you had a really good Christmas break, and that 2011 proves to be a cracker. We certainly had some really Arctic weather didn't we. In fact, Sue had to go by foot to the post each day with your orders because we were snowed in.
We really tried to get the films to you in time but the GPO were obviously struggling because one of your orders was posted on the 1st December and we didn't receive it until the 18th! Despite the difficulties, we hope you received your DVDs on time.
Copies do sometimes go 'missing' in the post, either lost or stolen and we are still plagued by thieves that seem to think that counterfeit copies sold on eBay are fair game, even claiming they don't infringe copyright. These criminals are simply stealing money from us, so please note that we are the only suppliers of "A Passion for Angling". Their copies are of inferior quality too, so please don't encourage them by buying their rubbish.
Going fishing is fun, especially with friends, and a days' roaching on the River Test with my pal Martin Salter was a real treat. Sue and I were honoured to join him and other fishing friends and VIP’s for his birthday party at the House of Commons. The dinner also served to celebrate all that he had done for angling during his 13 years as an MP. He's now in Australia catching many wonderful fish but "he'll be back" - and helping to support the Angling Trust and others in the battles ahead.
We have been trying to raise the profile of our beleaguered rivers and freshwater fish too, not only by keeping 'Passion' alive, but by spending six years making our series "Catching the Impossible" ... more of which on that website – www.catchingtheimpossible.info - We also created the Salmon and Trout Association film for their website to promote their invaluable work and just recently, made a little film on the River Wye to celebrate it being voted ‘Britain's Best River’. I made this for the Angling Trust, the World Wildlife Fund, the RSPB and the S&T.A. in the hope that it would help to 'build bridges' between conservationists, something I believe is vital if our freshwater fish are to be respected as essential parts of our dwindling wildlife. Without fish, there would be no herons or kingfishers, bitterns or great crested grebes and eventually, that great conservation success story, the return of otters to almost every county in the UK might be cut short by a lack of food. Maybe it is our stand against the forces of "progress" that was the reason I was honoured with the Arthur Oglesby Award at the Game Fair for services to angling.
Taking friends fishing is always more rewarding than going it alone, so sharing "mullet madness" with Brian from Norfolk was especially enjoyable. Summer days spent crucian fishing with close friend Chris Yates are always a treat and I helped Annabelle and young Joe catch their very first fish and all washed down with tea and Sue's delicious Victoria Sponge.
You often ask, and yes, Chris and I are discussing making further episodes of "Caught in Time", but with so many pirates out there, I'm losing heart at the prospect of getting yet more DVDs stolen. Profit margins are so small that this can tip it over the edge. Maybe we should just go fishing more often!
The very cold weather was hard for everyone out there, especially our wildlife, and I was very sad when this lovely buzzard that had adopted us in the garden finally succumbed to starvation. We had kept it alive for weeks with scraps of squirrel and rabbit but the weather cut off our supplies and with a foot of snow and ice covering the ground, there was nothing for it to eat. However, we still have twelve long-tailed tits though, thanks to the RSPB's fat-filled coconut treats .... they love 'em
Have a great year and thank you for your letters of encouragement and support.
Hugh & Sue
Message from Hugh & Sue Miles July 2009
Dear All,
Thank you for your continuing enthusiasm for what has become a cultural icon, “A Passion for Angling”.
The series of six one hour films was first shown on BBC2 in September 1993, and it is amazing that it is still showing on Discovery Channel after all these years. Few programmes can match “Passion” for television longevity, and considering all the changes that have taken place in the world and in angling these past sixteen years…not all for the good!...it is heartening that our portrait of the joys of angling can still pull the right emotional strings.
Your orders still arrive almost every day, often accompanied by charming letters, for which we are most grateful…and we always try to reply to the letters when we have a moment.
We always have stocks of the DVD, plus those of Chris Yates’ portrait of a carp lake, “Caught in Time”, and Sue tries to turn around your orders within a week, and quicker if we are asked to do so.
Work on our new series “Catching the Impossible” has been relentless, and we are delighted that the next three films of the series will be on sale at the beginning of August, and for more details and a view of some clips, visit www.catchingtheimpossible.info.
The response to the first three films has been the equal of your comments on ‘Passion’ and your enthusiasm has been a great encouragement to us in what has become a relentless but none the less enjoyable work load. Not much time for fishing, but I sure have been lucky when I’ve managed to escape. So thank you for your orders and encouragement…here’s hoping you are all enjoying life.
Avon chub of 7lb 1oz
2lb 10oz roach
June 16th joy with Chris Yates + Sue’s Cake!
With our best wishes …… Hugh and Sue.
Message
from Hugh
& Sue
Miles
9th.
September
2008
Dear
All,
Judging by all your complimentary letters and numerous comments on website forums and blogs, it seems that “A Passion for Angling” is still the brand leader when it comes to fishing films. This is most encouraging of course, but as Sue and I are well aware, there will be many who do not agree with this perception, so we’ve been working hard to provide alternative “cannon fodder” for the critics!
As some of you will be aware, Martin Bowler, Bernard Cribbins and I have been working hard for more than four years to create a series of eight films titled “Catching the Impossible”. These TV Programmes are a celebration of angling and Britain’s rich and varied freshwater world.
It’s been an exciting journey of discovery and revelation, particularly of the underwater life of our treasured fish and along with a galaxy of good friends, we’ve managed to film the catching of some amazingly big fish. Many of the pictures on this website are of those wonderful creatures, but if you want to see more, and learn more about the series, then please visit: www.catchingtheimpossible.info where we will be selling DVD copies of programmes 1-3 this autumn, along with the accompanying ‘book of the series’.
I love writing, which is fortunate, because this will be my fifth book…..and the biggest! Martin and I have contrived to write over 100, 000 words between us (….you don’t have to read them all!)….and the 372 pages are adorned with over 400 pictures, including the film strips of the actual images from the programmes. We also have over forty illustrations from that leading sporting artist Rodger McPhail, so the book certainly looks good, and as I said, it is BIG! In fact, if you have a boat, it will make a good anchor!
There is more about the book on our website, and we hope you’ll feel the films are a step up from the fishing programmes the TV companies seem to serve up these days. Amazingly, “A Passion for Angling” is still showing on TV, fifteen years after first broadcast on BBC2, so we must have got something right. We are certainly still selling lots of copies of the DVD every week and apart from sharing out the small profit between Chris Yates, Bob James and Bernard Cribbins, our share is being ploughed back into this new series.
We are still exasperated by the scum who steal from us by selling illegal copies on
eBay and You Tube, but thank you to those loyal clients who have tipped us off when
they’ve purchased these inferior quality copies. Please note that we are the only suppliers of copies of P.F.A. along with the film I made with Chris Yates, “Caught in
Time”. The law will soon be pursuing those who breach our copyright, so you’d
better stop doing it right now!
We plan to set up a credit card system for P.F.A. & C.I.T. payments very soon, and
this will be clarified elsewhere on the website.
With all this creative activity, I haven’t had much time to go fishing….in fact I’ve
only been twice this season, but I did manage to catch that 3lb 12oz PB crucian that
heads this newsletter….a couple of years ago. It’s time I went out again!
So, if you do go fishing, catch one for me.
With best wishes
Hugh & Sue Miles
Message
from Hugh
& Sue
Miles
15th.
September
2007
Dear
All,
Do hope
you avoided
the worst
effects
of our wonderful
“summer”
and kept
your feet
dry. The
lack of
sunshine
certainly
made filming
difficult
but that
is of little
concern
compared
with you
poor folk
who got
flooded
out.
Firstly,
thank you
again for
all your
orders but
above all
for your
many letters
of praise
and encouragement
and even
phone calls
explaining
your enthusiasm
for “A
Passion
for Angling”
and “Caught
in Time”.
I always
pass these
letters
on to Bob
and Chris
and I know
they appreciate
them too.
We’ll
have lots
of copies
available
for Christmas
presents
so if you
have friends
or fishing
pals who
don’t
know where
we are,
please pass
on our website
details.
One point
of concern
is the continuing
illegal
copying
of ‘Passion’
for sale
on Ebay
etc. This
is against
the law
and is stealing,
so any thieves
out there
making copies
should know
that the
police are
coming after
you. But
I feel sorry
for those
who’ve
been unfortunate
to buy these
counterfeit
copies because
they will
be of seriously
inferior
quality.
We are the
ONLY suppliers
of these
titles so
don’t
encourage
the thieves
by buying
rubbish...
and thank
you to those
customers
who have
kindly informed
us of these
illegal
copies.
As the pictures
alongside
this indicate,
we’ve
been out
with the
cameras
whenever
the sun
has shone
to continue
filming
our new
series “Catching
the Impossible”.
This portrait
of angling
has been
three years
in the making,
with the
eight one
hour films
revealing
the underwater
world of
freshwater
as never
before,
along with
catching
some seriously
big fish.
The Spring
sunshine
saw us on
the River
Dee with
England’s
Youth Fly
Fishing
captain
Lisa Isles
and I’m
happy to
report that
Lisa recently
returned
from the
World Championships
in America
with a Bronze
medal, the
team having
beaten the
hosts into
fourth place
- so congrats
to you Lisa.
We also
filmed her
fly fishing
at Lechlade
with Des
Taylor,
catching
some beaut.
brownies.
May saw
us in Scotland
on the beautiful
River Spey
with Salmon
and Trout
Association
chairman
James Carr.
The salmon
proved elusive
but we got
lovely film
of ospreys
and red
squirrels
while catching
brownies
among the
dippers
and grey
wagtails.
We caught
some gorgeous
carp with
Frank Warwick
at Linear
Fisheries
near Oxford.
Then Bernard
and John
Wilson had
some fun
trying to
catch carp
using a
fly rod...
quite tricky
when the
weather
is cold
but lots
of laughter
too - yes
that
laugh!
Then we’ve
just finished
a sequence
of ‘mullet
mayhem’
in Christchurch
Harbour,
where the
mullet gave
us a serious
beating...
they sure
can pull!
So we’re
still on
schedule
to complete
the series
by the winter
of 2008.
Still lots
of editing
to do so
in the meantime,
please go
and catch
a fish for
me and enjoy.
With best
wishes,
Hugh and
Sue.
Message
from Hugh
& Sue
Miles
22nd February
2007
‘Dear
All,
Thanks to
all your
orders,
Sue had
a busy time
before Christmas
trying to
ensure you
all received
your DVD's
for the
festive
season...
we hope
we achieved
that. Inevitably
it seems,
there is
always the
odd one
that goes
missing
when with
the G.P.O.,
or that
have technical
faults,
so if you
are one
of the unfortunate
ones, please
let us know.
But whatever
the cause,
we will
always replace
problematic
DVD's...
and we still
have lots
of DVD's
(and VHS's
if you'd
prefer)
of both
titles.
As the new
pictures
indicate,
we've been
very busy
filming
the new
series 'Catching
the Impossible',
our eight
one hour
programmes
on the underwater
world and
the catching
of some
of Britain's
biggest
fish. Recent
highlights
included
the madness
of floodwater
barbel fishing,
inspiring
underwater
images of
big carp
wintering
under some
trees, big
roach on
the Hampshire
Avon, River
Wye piking,
Young Abe
catching
his first...
and second
pike - a
thirteen
pounder,
film of
a kingfisher
on the rod
and Bernard
Cribbins
catching
a large
pike but
more of
that another
time.
We've also
been out
fishing
with that
famous big
fish duo
and close
friends
Terry Lampard
and Tim
Norman and
you'll notice
on our website
details
of Terry's
book 'First
Cast' and
where you
can purchase
a copy.
I can assure
you that
it is the
best assembly
of stories
about big
fish that
I've ever
had the
joy to share.
I used to
fish with
Terry and
Tim for
the same
giant roach
that lived
on the River
Stour in
the heady
days when
we caught
three pounders
and that
chapter
is as good
as anything
ever written
about fishing.
And it was
wonderful
that last
winter we
filmed Terry
catching
a 3lb 5oz
roach from
the River
Stour, his
first three
pound roach
since 1990
and equal
to his largest
ever, as
mentioned
in his book.
It really
is a great
read.
Editing
of the series
is continuing
day and
night and
the programmes
are looking
promising;
we hope
to have
them finished
by the winter
of 2008.
No time
for me to
go fishing
but I'll
be out roaching
before the
end of the
season.
Hope you're
all enjoying
life too.
With best
wishes,
Hugh and
Sue
Message
from Hugh
& Sue
Miles
25th
November
2006
‘Dear
All,
“I
don’t
go fishing,
I don’t
even like
fishing,
but I’m
hooked”
So wrote
a viewer
on a postcard
after
the first
showing
of A Passion
for Angling
on BBC2
in 1993.
This series
of six
one hour
films,
a fishing
adventure
around
Britain
that I
produced
with Chris
Yates
and Bob
James
has since
been widely
recognised
as ‘the
best fishing
series
ever made’
and we
still
receive
numerous
letters
of enthusiasm
and gratitude.
Many bear
repeating
but here
are just
a few
clips...............and
they aren’t
made up!
“Thank
you for
changing
my son’s
life.
Before
seeing
‘Passion
for Angling’
his favourite
hobby
was stealing
expensive
cars!”
“........now
my wife
understands
why I
have to
go fishing”
“To
you I
say the
biggest
thank
you of
all for
finding
the time
to film
my dreams”
“My
wife was
diagnosed
with cancer
and through
our darkest
hours
‘Passion
for Angling’
became
a great
comfort
to us
both,
and still
does”
“I
am not
a fisherwoman
but I
love watching
‘A
Passion
for Angling’.
It is
my de-stress
material
and being
a mother
of five
children
I need
it!”
“Even
though
I’ve
watched
it so
many times
and know
it off
by heart,
I never
tire of
it”
“Passion
for Angling’
had a
huge impact
upon my
life and
turned
a minor
interest
with fishing
into an
obsession”
“It
really
is the
best fishing
film/documentary
ever made,
I remember
first
watching
it when
I was
13 on
TV. I’m
26 now
and it
still
is”
There
are many
similar
letters
and I
think
you’ll
agree
that to
receive
messages
like this
is both
moving
and an
honour.
I’ve
never
made a
film that
has touched
the audience
so deeply
or for
so long
as ‘A
Passion
for Angling’
and that’s
despite
a lifetime
making
wildlife
films
around
the world.
Our recent
snow leopard
film received
the honour
of an
EMMY nomination,
which
considering
the number
of TV
films
in America
each year
is pretty
amazing.
I have
won EMMYs
in the
past,
no luck
this time
but awards
are always
a pleasant
surprise.
The Special
Achievement
Award
for Snow
Leopard
from the
Japan
Film Festival
certainly
was and
winning
Best of
Festival
in France
came with
a bonus
- Euros!
which
I’ve
already
spent
on our
new series
‘Catching
the Impossible’.
Filming
has been
going
well,
and here’s
a few
images
from this
years
adventures.
Every
waking hour
is spent editing
on the computer
and we plan
to have the
film available
by Winter 2008..
We’ve had
so much success
that the series
has grown from
six to eight
one hours, so
we’ve got
our time cut
out.
We get lots
of enquiries
about ‘Caught
in Time’
Part II, but
sadly, completing
that will have
to wait until
this series
with Martin
Bowler and Bernard
Cribbins is
complete.
As Christmas
is coming up
fast, Sue and
I thought we’d
assure you that
there are plenty
of DVD copies
available of
both ‘A
Passion for
Angling’
and ‘Caught
in Time’
and for those
still in the
dark ages, we
also have video/VHS
copies of them
both too. Sue
can let you
have them in
a few days but
as they make
the ideal Christmas
present, please
let us know
in plenty of
time so the
GPO don’t
let you down.
Sue and I wish
you all an enjoyable
Christmas and
a happy and
prosperous year.
It’s all
rush these days,
so don’t
forget to smell
the roses along
the way.....and
go fishing.....it’s
a wonderful
world out there.
Hugh & Sue
Message
from Hugh
& Sue
Miles
9th
July 2006
Dear
All,
We do hope you
are enjoying
your fishing
while we have
been busy on
our new project
'Catching the
Impossible'.
I have managed
a few casts
while filming,
including the
capture of three
true crucians
over 3lbs to
a "PB"
of 3lb 12ozs
from a beautiful
little lake
in the Cranborne
Chase. We filmed
there with Chris
Yates and Martin
Bowler last
week for programme
one, and in
another lovely
lake nearby
with Bernard
Cribbins for
programme six.
The film looks
gorgeous...early
morning mist,
sun kissed lilies
and golden crucians
and tench...in
true 'Passion
for Angling'
style of course.
We still have
lots of copies
of 'A Passion
for Angling'
in both DVD
and VHS, along
with the portrait
of Chris (Yates')
favourite carp
lake called
'Caught in Time'.
so any orders
will be with
you speedily
as Sue turns
them round at
least twice
a week. We hear
of several 'pirate'
versions which
is quite distressing
as we need the
small profit
from each sale
to help fund
this new production.
We are the ONLY
suppliers of
DVD's and VHS's
so don't waste
your money on
inferior quality
copies or on
expensive 'ebay'
purchases.
A lot has happened
since our last
message in November
'05. Chris and
I haven't had
time to do any
more filming
for 'Caught
in Time' Part
II but Chris
has now finished
his new book
'How
to Fish' and
it will be available
in all good
book shops from
the end of September.
Chris has written
an account of
a days fishing
on a river which
becomes a story
of his fishing
philosophy.
Perch and many
other fish swim
through the
pages and it's
a cracking read.
Our Snow Leopard
film went out
on ITV on Jan
2nd and we recieved
dozens of messages
from folk about
how much they'd
enjoyed it,
so thankyou
for those. It
is most gratifying
after more than
four years of
hard labour
in the mountains
to recieve such
encouragement
so we hope you'll
enjoy our new
series 'Catching
the Impossible'
as that will
take four and
a half years
too!
We are nearly
two years into
the project
and during the
last six months
we have filmed
some remarkable
events. As you'll
see from our
previous message
our targets
included a 30lb
pike and a 3lb
river roach...'not
just impossible
but crazy'.
Well, on Nov.
30th we caught
a 32lb 6oz pike
and on Jan.
18th we fished
with Terry Lampard
and he caught
a 3lb 5oz roach
from the River
Stour. On Dec
22nd Pete Reading
caught a near
3lb grayling
and on Jan.
26th Martin
caught a 1lb
2oz Kennet Dace,
followed by
a 2lb 15oz roach
from a lake
near Oxford.
As if that wasn't
enough, Martin
then caught
a 5lb 4oz perch
frm the Great
Ouse - the biggest
ever from a
river according
to the Angling
Times - it's
capture on a
pole sure makes
an impressive
sequence. Then
Des Taylor caught
us a 39lb catfish
and to cap it
all Martin caught
a 44lb 4oz common
carp from a
beautiful lake
in Shropshire
- on a float
- and an Osprey
came and fished
in the background.
So the series
promises to
be memorable.
We have at least
two years work
to go but will
keep you informed
of progress.
Hope you enjoy
the pictures
in the gallery
of some of our
lovely fish.
With best wishes,
Hugh and Sue
P.S.
We have just
received some
great news from
the U.S.A.,
our ‘Searching
for the Snow
Leopard’
film has been
nominated for
an EMMY, in
the category
for outstanding
achievement
in science and
documentary...
so fingers crossed!
Message
from Hugh
& Sue Miles
5th
November
2005
Dear
All,
As a result of
your enthusiastic
response to “A
Passion for Angling”
and “Caught
in Time”
Sue and I thought
you might like
an update on progress
with our various
projects.
Firstly, for those
logging on for
the first time
, we still have
lots of copies
of both DVD’s
and VHS’s
of both programmes,
so those looking
for Christmas
presents, there’s
no problem. Sue
turns round your
orders in just
a few days so
speed of delivery
depends on the
G.P.O. Best if
you allow a week
to ten days.
As a full-time
film-maker, I’ve
produced more
than fifty wildlife
films but I still
suffer from “follow
that!” syndrome,
especially when
a film has been
an award winner.
This was certainly
the case with
“A Passion
for Angling”.
It’s been
so well received
by so many it’s
been described
as a “classic”
- whatever that
is?! So for years
Chris Yates and
I hesitated before
making “Caught
in Time”
Part I. We feared
comparison with
‘Passion’
but needn’t
have worried as
all of you seem
to love it. The
film is a story
of Chris’
favourite carp
lake (which is
also the location
of his best selling
book “Secret
Carp”).
Many of you have
asked about Parts
II and III and
though we’ve
filmed some sequences
for these, Chris
is so busy writing
a new book that
we’ve had
to put them on
hold.
As some of you
may be aware from
the angling press,
we’ve embarked
on a series of
six one hour films
with Martin Bowler
and friends called
“Catching
the Impossible”
- impossible because
of the size of
fish we’re
trying to catch.
Our ‘targets’
would make a specimen
hunters eyes water,
but after our
first years filming,
we’ve got
several ‘in
the can’.
15lb. barbel,
4lb. crucian,
10lb. tench and
a 7lb. chub. Then
there’s several
near misses...
2lb. 11oz. rudd,
12lb. 10oz. bream,
36lb. carp and
27lb. 8oz. pike.
We’re after
a thirty pound
pike next week,
and a three pound
river roach before
Christmas... not
just impossible
but crazy!
We’ve had
generous help
from many landowners
and friends, including
John Wilson, Des
Taylor, Terry
Lampard, Tim Norman,
Bob Church, Chris
Yates, Nigel Williams,
John Everard,
Peter Orchard,
Peter Drennan,
Frank Warwick,
Pete Reading,
Jerry Hammond,
Terry Theobold
and Bernard Cribbins,
who actually gets
to fish this time,
so the whole series
should be entertaining.
But there’s
more to a fishing
series than catching
big fish, so the
beauty of the
lakes and rivers
and its’
wildlife throughout
the seasons is
a major component,
as it was for
“Passion”.
In contrast to
‘Passion’,
we’re striving
to show folk the
natural history
of the under -
water world and
the extraordinary
fish that live
out their unseen
lives all around
us. We are shooting
this in the wild
in the actual
places we are
fishing and so
far the results
are a revelation
- and beautiful
too. So we hope
that like “Passion”,
this series will
appeal to anglers
and non anglers
alike. We’re
hoping it will
also benefit angling
as a whole and
encourage a positive
attitude to the
sport we love.
We have two more
years shooting
and a years editing
so we hope it
might be out on
TV in 2008. We’ll
keep you up to
date with progress.
In the meantime,
enjoy your fishing
and catch a few
for me.
P.S.
If only to prove
I occasionally
get a cast, here’s
yours truly with
a lovely Kennet
roach brace, best
2lb. 5oz. and
a brace of perch,
best 3lb. 1oz...
and Sue and I
with a brace of
Bucks Fiz on her
birthday!
Bernard
Cribbins.
5lb. Tench, Estate Lake.
Terry
Lampard.
7lb.4oz. Chub, Dorset
Stour.
Terry’s
3lb.5oz.
Roach, River Stour
Martin Bowler with
32lb.6oz.
Pike
John
Wilson.
27lb.8oz. Pike, Norfolk
Broads.
Bob
Church with
16lb Pike, Bedfordshire
Lake.
Martin
and Des Taylor with
27lb.
8oz. Catfish
Martin
with
10lb.
Tench
Martin
with
5lb.4oz.
Perch, Great Ouse
Martin’s
44lb.4oz.
Common Carp
Martin
with
2lb
15oz. Roach
15lb.7oz.
Barbel, Great Ouse.
Peter
Orchard.
24lb.12oz. Common Carp,
Hampshire Avon.
Peter
Reading with
12lb.10oz. Barbel, Hampshire
Avon.
