No Sleep 'Til St Ives! Q&A With Gordy Howes

Gordy Howes has a fearsome bark, but ssh, don’t tell anyone, he also has a heart of gold. I first met Gordy around 2009, when I was writing Bivvy Tramps, about the Lagoon and the Fat Lady. I was a bit intimidated and anxious about getting things right, but he was super chilled. He is a mine of information when it comes to fishery management and the history of carp fishing in Cambridgeshire. I sat down with him recently to explore how he manages the awesome St Ives Lakes Fishery, and talk about his own fishing, past, present and future.

MARTIN LAWRENCE: We’re here on the T-bar of Meadow in January 2024. How’s it going?
GORDY HOWES: “Slow and wet. I think I’m about to get flooded out as water is coming in from Longreach. Let’s just say, unlike last year, it hasn’t done many bites this winter. On the plus side, it’s quiet. They’ll eat at some point and I’ll be here.”

Most people know you as the fishery manager of St Ives, but where else have you fished?
“I’ve fished lots of waters in the South of England since 1985. I started venturing outside St Ives when the gravel company ARC brought all their waters under one ticket, beginning with Wimblington, where I caught my first carp. I had my first thirty from Sulby Reservoir in Northamptonshire. I also did stints on Harrow, Great Linford and Stanwick Lakes. Closer to home, I’ve fished on Ferry Lagoon, Waterways, Eggets Lake, the Woolpack and the river.”

You have a long history with St Ives Lakes. When did it start, and what was the fishery like when you first got involved? 
“I grew up in St Ives. My dad fished the lakes and on the river, so I was around them as a kid. At that time, Birmingham Anglers Association ran the Meadow/Longreach side, and St Ives Fish Preservation and Angling Society ran the Lagoon side. In the early ’80s there weren’t many carp in any of the fishery’s lakes, and the whole area was still being worked by ARC. The lakes were being dug and later backfilled, so it was quite a changing industrial environment.

“I did a Youth Training Scheme as an assistant fishery manager with ARC from 1986 to 1988, working across Cambridgeshire with Bernard Hunt. It was around this time that carp were introduced at St Ives. At one point there were a lot of fish in Lagoon, but the venue flooded out and they went down the river. When the Lagoon became well known and was attracting a lot of attention, there were only around twenty fish in there.

“After my YTS I worked for the Environment Agency for 20 years, starting in 1988—initially it was called the Anglian Water Fishery Unit, then it was under the National Rivers Authority. I did a number of things, all based around fishery management, fish health, management of capital projects, etc. It was a great experience and I learned a lot.

“I was a bailiff on St Ives in the early 2000s and was fishing the Lagoon pretty hard at that time. I caught the Fat Lady in 2003 at 51lb 8oz.”

I love that photo of you with the Fat Lady. She was an awesome fish for the time and I can see why anglers were visiting from all over the country. It seems as though, since you took charge in 2008, you’ve run the fishery as somewhere you would want to fish yourself. What do you look for in a carp fishery?
“Yeah, that’s right. I wouldn’t want a fishery that doesn’t appeal to me as an angler. I suppose, if you boil down to it, I prefer lakes that have a lower stock compared to a lot of modern carp lakes, not that I think the St Ives waters are low stock as such. For example, if you compare the present stock in Lagoon and Meadow, say, to what was in there when the Fat Lady and Black Jack were about.

“I like lakes with space, so they’re not overcrowded with syndicate members and don’t have swims packed in. It just creates aggro when swims offer access to the same water. Things are much more chilled if everyone can do their own thing with as little interference as possible. Of course, having the right anglers on the syndicate helps massively, so we try to select those who will fit in and not make too many waves.

“I’m also keen on not having the place overly manicured, shall we say. I know it’s the fashion, but you won’t find bark chip and railway sleepers in St Ives swims. I like the lakes to have a more natural feel. Why would you want to feel as though you’re fishing someone’s garden?”

How did the Fat Lady dying affect the fishery and your approach, and how has it changed over the last decade?
“She died about four years into my time running the lakes, and while she was alive, I really didn’t want to change too much on Lagoon. As you say, anglers were coming from across the country to target her, so she was an important fish for the business. Once she was gone, Lagoon became deserted. I then started to restock.

“Over the years I’ve stocked mainly AJS and VS Fisheries carp, procured through the business and with the help of Kev Knight from Mainline. It has taken over a decade to get things to where they are today. Lagoon now has a good head of thirties, and new forties are coming through every year. Callum’s Common is currently the biggest and was caught at 48lb 10oz last year. It’s had an impressive and consistent growth curve and could well nudge 50lb at the right time in 2024.

“Shallow has been the primary big-fish lake in recent years, with anglers focusing on catching Colin. She died a couple of years ago, but her demise coincided with Laney’s really taking off and doing bites consistently at 50lb-plus. I was lucky enough to catch her at 56lb last summer. There is a good stock of thirties and a few other forties in there, though, and a fair head of twenties coming through, too.

“Longreach has always been a bit special. It’s not for the faint-hearted, but the potential rewards are there. Last year, Joe Morgan had Starburst at 47lb-plus, and Simon Kenny had the Fully at 45lb-plus. Then there’s Mutleys, which is also an upper-forty, and a good few high thirty-pounders. There are younger fish coming through as well. There’s also the Friendly Common, which seems to have become rather unfriendly. Fish do go missing in there, though. Then they’ll suddenly turn up. The Fully went five years without doing a bite.

“The lakes currently getting a lot of attention are Meadow and Fjords. I’m really pleased how the different stock I introduced a while back have come through. The Brown is still going strong, having topped 50lb a few times, but there is a fantastic crop of new forty-pounders, too. These include a fish we call Scar. That’s done 47lb 14oz. Every year new forties appear, along with uncaught thirties. I think that’s what’s attracting a lot of anglers. Of course, the other attraction is that, at over 100 acres, there is a lot of water have a go at and a lot of space to explore. The fish can be well spread out. You can be fishing at 150 yards on Meadow, but then as you know, under your rod tip on Stake Pit and Fjords.”

Yes, I love it on there. Fjords and Stake Pit really suit my margin approach. Actually, though, all the lakes are great for stalking, and all do plenty of daytime bites if you’re prepared to put in the effort. I know managing this fishery of nine lakes on the edge of the town has its ups and downs. What are the stresses of running the fishery, and what are the rewards?
“It can be pretty stressful, yes. It’s a big site with lots of stakeholders, such as Cambridgeshire County Council, and the sailing and waterskiing clubs. I have to navigate my way through relationships with them and protect the angling, and that’s not always easy.

“The site is too big and too complex for fencing to be an option, so we have a constant stream of trespassers (of the human variety)…. oh, and birdwatchers! Are they human? They’re bloody annoying whatever species they are! And, of course, predators are a pain from time to time, but we have to live with them as best we can. The latest issue has been the sudden appearance of mitten crabs, which have migrated from the river.

“On the plus side, being your own boss is great. I manage my own time and work outdoors, and I do something I love on a fishery I have been around all my life. That’s pretty special. It has been a bit of a rollercoaster ride and there are ongoing challenges. It’s great, though, to see how other anglers seem to love the place, and how the stock is now getting to where I wanted it to be.”

You stocked some 20lb-plus VS fish into Shallow in 2022 and asked Simon Scott to select fewer scaly fish. Why was that?
“I wanted fish that fitted the character of those that were already in the lake. Lagoon has lots of scaly fish, but most of Shallow’s aren’t. It’s good to have stock diversity across the site—I also hoped they might grow a bit faster.”

You seem to have really enjoyed your fishing during the last year or so, and you’ve landed some bangers. What keeps you motivated?
“I’ve got naff all else to do! Seriously, the best way to look after a fishery is to be around. Beyond that, fish the lakes yourself. You’ll then know what’s happening and what they are like to fish. I experienced health issues for a couple of years, so I quit drinking. It was a bit of a wake-up call. I need to look after myself a bit better, and throwing myself back into fishing has been great. I still love it!

“Also, I don’t mind blanking. I enjoy grinding it out. I’m funny like that, and bloody-minded, I guess. Motivation to keep going comes from knowing that you are doing everything right, and that if you keep at it, at some point, it will happen. Fortunately, it did happen on Shallow last year. Just a few big fish each year do me fine. How many carp do you need to catch in one lifetime?”

Whenever I see you, you seem to have an impressive selection of pop-ups. Are they a big part of your fishing? 
“I am a partial to a pop-up. They come in convenient little tubs that wink at you when you walk into a tackle shop!”

I think you said you caught Laney’s on a single pop-up. Why did you go down that route on Shallow?
“I’d tried fishing over bait and had had limited success. As they can be a bit shy of beds of bait at times on there, I thought I’d fish at range with a single. It was something different to what I had been doing. If you ring the changes and keep turning up, sometimes you get lucky.”

After catching Laney’s you moved back onto Lagoon in search of Callum’s Common. It’s the biggest common on site at present, so I assume that’s a target for 2024?
“Yes, I fancy having that one in the album, hopefully at 50lb. I caught the White Tip Common at 35lb-plus from Lagoon a couple of years ago, and I will certainly be giving it another good go this year. I also have a couple of trips booked to Labyrinth Lake in France. I’ve been going there for several years. I always enjoy the crack of a week abroad with mates. I had a 49lb mirror from there last year, so I’m hoping to top that.”

You’ve always enjoyed your predator fishing, and you encourage anglers to target the other species in the lakes. Why is that important to you? 
“The best carp fisheries are healthy aquatic environments with lots of weed, rich larders of natural food and a diverse range of fish. These all promote good water quality and healthy carp. Believe it or not, there is also more to life than carp fishing. As you say, I love my predator fishing, so having lots of prey fish in the lakes is good for that. Big tench are majestic, and we are lucky (yes, really) to have bream up to 19lb as well. To those who appreciate them, they’re equivalent to 60lb carp.”

You love a tackle upgrade, Gordy. What have been your most recent purchases?
“I bought some Technium Mags recently. I love them. They’re beautifully engineered and they seem to have stood up well to a winter on Meadow.

“I have some fairly new Delkims, but they’ve not brought such a positive experience. They seem to still be a bit temperamental in the rain, and the sounder box uses a battery a week. Sorry, I’m just telling it as it is.

“And don’t even get me started on bait boats! To allow me to fish effectively (for the tufties, perhaps!) on Meadow this winter, I decided to buy a new boat. The first one I purchased—I won’t mention the manufacturer—had to go back as it had a number of faults when it arrived. Then I went for a BearCreeks Scavenger Pro. Whilst it had teething problems, Darren Ridley has sorted those. It’s now proving a big asset in my campaign. Admittedly, up until now, I seem to be mainly feeding the birds in the middle of the pond, but come on you carp, you know you want it!”

And finally, looking back through the decades, which has been your favourite capture?
“That’s a tricky one, as I’ve been fortunate to have banked a few special ones. I’d say probably the low-forty known as the Woolpack Fish from Ferry Lagoon. I don’t remember exactly when I became aware that the big ’uns were being caught from that lake, but there was either a front cover or an article with a picture of the big linear and the Woolpack Fish together, caught as a brace. They were proper fish in a big pond and they grabbed my attention. I stared at that picture for ages, and I stuck it up by my desk at work.

“A few years later, after catching the Fat Lady, I was at a loss as what to do next. My mentor from my early St Ives days, Bernard, got in touch to congratulate me on my success. He offered me a place on Ferry Lagoon, down the road at Fen Drayton. Bernard had been running the fishing for many years, and he still does. After arranging to meet with him, we had a wander and he recommended the third point. He had no recent intel, and I had very little knowledge of the lake, so I set up on the third point for a night, as he’d suggested. The next morning, the tufties all over me… beep, beep, beep! A short while later I had a one-toner. It was obviously no duck, and as they say, the rest is history. Following an epic battle I had one in the net, on my very first session. Amazingly too, it was one of the most sought-after forties in the lake. A more detailed account of the story behind the Woolpack Fish can be found in Finding The Time To Cast, a book compiled by Chris Currie and illustrated by me.”

Thanks, Gordy! Now for the bit you’ve been looking forward to, those annoying quick-fire questions!   

QUICK-FIRE WITH GORDY HOWES 
My favourite… Line is Thinking Anglers’ OGX.
Hooks are J Precision’s hand-sharpened Advanced Curves and Longshanks, along with Gardner’s Muggas.
Boilie flavour of all time is Hutchy’s Mulberry Florentine.
Band is Motörhead.
Drummer is John Bonham.
Album is ‘Forty-two, thirty-nine, fifty-six… You could say she’s got it all…’ If You Want Blood You’ve Got It, by AC/DC.
Bankside food is Thai green or red curry.
Dog breeds are Labs, spaniels, border terriers… & Tucker!
The lake I never fished but wish I had… None. If I fancied it, I fished it, and that includes Redmire.
The carp I never caught but wish I had was The Long One from Harrow.
Best decade for carp fishing was the 1980s. It was fresh and all-happening. There were the new waters, the tackle, boilies…
Tea or coffee? Coffee, of course. Who drinks tea?
Maccy D’s or KFC? Maccy D’s for breakfast. KFC for lunch and dinner.