Richard Chave Interview

Hi Rich, thank you so much for agreeing to do this interview;

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you first got into fishing and the first fish you caught?

I’ve been fishing since I was about 4 or 5, I lived with my mum and every year we used to go on holiday in Devon with relatives and my uncle Jim was a keen fisherman so every holiday would always include a few trips to the rocks where we’d catch wrasse or in the estuary where mullet were the species. I never had a mullet when I was really young as it meant a big cast but I caught plenty of wrasse and they were probably my first fish.

I was really keen to keep going when back at home and a neighbour used to take me. The local club, Tisbury AC had a ruling that juniors couldn’t fish until they were 11 unless with an adult so mum, bless her heart joined and took me, she never really fished she would just sit behind me and let me do it to overcome the age ruling.

What’s your favourite style of fishing?

Anything that catches fish, pole, whip, rod and line, perhaps my least favourite is tip fishing, I’ll do it and have had plenty of match wins on the feeder, opens, Riverfest qualifiers, super league matches, etc but I don’t think you can beat the sight of a float disappearing under the water.

Your favourite venue?

I love fishing rivers, the Thames, possibly being my favourite, I’ve had a bit of success on the Thames festival around the Abingdon area in the last 10 years, it changes every year and you have to be top of your game there, I’ve had bags of bream (on the feeder) roach and bleak on the whip and roach on the pole, bolo and waggler there and been runner up in the festival 3 times, each time having the same points as the winner but losing on weight. It’s an event I’d love to win but unfortunately it won’t be this year as due to a date change I can’t fish it.

Favourite species?

Whatever’s in my keepnet, I fish with the philosophy of catching what’s in front of you, catching everything that swims, but I do like catching big roach.

What’s your biggest fish? 

Possibly a carp around 12lb or maybe a pike of a similar size? Both caught by accident as I hate both species, ha ha!

As your preference seems to be for natural venues, can you tell us why and do you ever venture onto commercials?

You’re right, commercial venues don’t flow!

But they are convenient, as you know I like popping up to Revels every now and again to fish for the ‘silvers’, a term I absolutely hate by the way! After a weekend of boats, bikes, walkers, dog poo and pike it’s rather pleasant to go there and not be bothered by the things I just mentioned, the only annoying thing is the carp, something I hate more that the term silvers, but I suppose it gives everyone something to go for.

After a long career in the fire service, you retrained as a paramedic and you’re also a rep for Colmic, how did that come about? And could you tell us a bit about what it entails?

Yes I joined the whole time fire service after I left school at 18 and retired at 50, had a couple of years part time before leaving and joined the ambulance service as an ECA (basically a paramedics assistant, I drive the patients to hospitals as fast as I can and the paramedic makes sure they are still alive when I get there!). A divorce and starting a mortgage again meant I had to start (proper) work again. I took on the South West agents job when I retired, before I did this I had a deal with them, I’ve used their tackle and groundbait for 10 or 11 years now and love it.

I pop out and visit shops or get in touch over the phone every week, and take a trip out to Italy every year to see new products, it’s an anglers dream, I remember my first visit out there, I was like a fat kid in a sweet shop! They do absolutely top quality tackle and supply lots of world championship teams, you be surprised who uses our hooks/ line /floats etc

Do you get involved in product development and testing with Colmic and are there any exciting new products we should be looking out for?

We occasionally get asked about products but don’t really have a say in what they produce, it’s only the 16m pole they manufacture specifically for the UK market.

The 16m pole is essentially staying the same, it’s a great project, but I saw some beautiful new 13m poles for the European market (which you can also buy in the UK) incidentally I have a 13m Superior which I love using as I very rarely fish past this distance (I’ll use the Nucleare 16m if I do) there’s a new 13m commercial fishery pole on its way which is top quality in its price range, I also saw them putting graphics on the new boxes and along with the poles there seems to be a dark blue theme with less orange this year, there’s new float patterns on the way (I’ll send you pictures Jamie) and I had a lovely chat with Jacopo about float design, the Italians use a lot of body up designs even for lake fishing which is fascinating but now I know why.

There’s some new eyed feeder hooks coming which look really nice if you like that sort of thing, ha ha, along with some new float rods, feeder rods and a super new landing net pole.

And what is your favourite Colmic product?

Blimey there’s loads! I use everything from the groundbait up! The master series blends of Impressive and Black Monster are probably my most used and I have the utmost confidence in it, for roach and skimmers on rivers and canals I don’t think it can be beaten!

Hooks I have great confidence in the Hayabusa 128, but unfortunately I can’t get them anymore as another distributor has the sole rights to sell them in the UK ☹️ but our b2000 long shank hooks are great for speed fishing and the N600’s are my chopped  worm hooks for big fish on the rivers. Line, well what more can I say about Teck Stream? It’s probably the most used hooklength line by anglers sponsored by other brands, (I won’t mention them) everyone in the know is using it as it ties beautifully, doesn’t twist and is incredibly strong! And it’s Steel Resistance for mainline and reel line. The poles, rods, whips  and landing net poles are all brilliant, the keepnets will outlast any other keepnet out there! My big top one that I regularly use is over 10 years old!

Have you any angling heroes or anyone who has inspired you?

Obviously other than my uncle Jim who started me off, local anglers like Simon Stevens who used to pick me up and take me to the open matches on the K&A canal back in the 80’s I can’t thank him enough.

I reckon I’ve read every match angling book, an old favourite was ‘My Way With The Pole’ by Dickie Carr and I’ve watched him fish a few times back in the day so I’d suppose he was my first angling hero.

The average age of anglers these days seems to be a little on the high side, how do we get more youngsters into fishing or do we just accept our numbers are dwindling?

The Canal and Rivers Trust are doing a great job with their Let’s Fish campaign getting kids out onto the canals, I’m sure plenty of kids still fish but we don’ t see many on matches as they are in my mind too costly to fish, we are starting to see the odd junior at revels on Tuesdays as it’s the summer holidays and it’s great value there.

I recently did a silverfish coaching day with Dorchester juniors at Revels and it was well attended so they are out there! But matches need to be cheaper and more accessible for younger anglers to encourage them.

If you had a time machine is there one moment in fishing you wish you could go back and change? i.e. a dream fish coming off at the net or a decision in a match that’s cost you a title?

I’ve had tons of runner up spots but I can’t think of a time when a particular fish has made  a difference.

Similarly, you have a long list of match wins to your name, are there are any big competitions you would dearly love to win?

The division one national, in my mind is the pinnacle of match wins, forget fishomania, and all the other big money matches it’s the div one for me.

Have you got one piece of advice that will help the readers put more fish in their nets?

If you think it, do it! For example if you think the fish are shallower, adjust your float straight away, you can always switch back if it doesn’t work, I’m forever switching lines, feeding, swapping, picking the waggler up or switching to a whip, have a go if what your doing isn’t quite right.

What’s the one item in your tackle box that you couldn’t live without?

A Colmic Jolly

Match fishing has been steadily becoming more professional with anglers smartening up their appearance, big money televised events and more and more sponsored anglers but there are still only a handful of full time anglers, do you think there will ever be a time when match angling can become a viable career, like say professional footballers?

No, and I hope it doesn’t either, it won’t be the fishing I started doing over 50 years ago if it does.

Well thank you for giving up your time but before I let you go, here’s a few more quick-fire questions,

What’s your favourite drink?

I don’t ‘drink’ so for me it’s an oat latte or a coke

Favourite meal?

I do like a curry, so a king prawn dish, for years I would have said a Jalfresi, but for some reason I can’t take the heat anymore so it’s a balti of bhuna, some tarka dhal and a nan.

Do you support a football team?

Yes I’m a lifelong spurs supporter (so I’m well used to disappointment) but this is our year! Big Ange has had a whole season and a couple of transfer windows so it’ll be his team now and we’ve had a load of youngsters move up to the first team, (hopefully) watch this space!

Favourite film?

Any of the Star Wars franchise, New Hope was the first film I went to see in a cinema on my own as a nipper, and my son George loves them too, it’s almost religion for him!

TV show?

I don’t watch too much TV, but I do watch a bit on iPlayer, any comedy really, I enjoyed ‘This Country’ and recently me and Deb binge watched ‘The Detectorists’ and I can’t not mention ‘Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing’.

What music do you listen to?

Absolutely everything, Radio 6 music is my station of choice in the car.

What’s your idea of a perfect day?

Winter, snowboarding all day in fresh powder, I’ve been riding for the last 27 years. I absolutely love it! Much better than sitting by a frozen canal or flooded river in the winter…

However, in the summer it’s sat in my shorts on a flowing river catching roach of all sizes.

Many thanks again Rich, from Against Men and Fish

*All photos courtesy of Richard Chave