White Springs
   Fishery

Self Employed Plasterer/Builder Richard Sheppard (44) from Fforestfach, Swansea is a very sucessful plasterer/builder and has been for the last 24 years. He has been very sucessful in both his working and personal life and is considered a master tradesman, however like many of us he has known what it is like first hand to experiance the ups and downs that life can throw at you. Despite this Richard has always held his head up high and taken the rough with the smooth and it is this attitude towards life that has made him the man and the fisherman that he is today. This weekends session was no different as the fish we believe due to the sudden cold spell went quiet earlier in the week, and didnt start back up on the feed until the first day of the weekend. Thinking that he was going home empty handed, good fortune smiled on him this weekend and on the last day of his session he struck gold not once but twice with two fantastic catches, one 18 1/2lb in the morning and then romping in this fantastic 23lb14oz Mirror carp in the last few hours of his session this Sunday. Fate has a funny way of looking after those good people I believe and this weekend was a shining example of this on the famously difficult Specimen lake.

Richard is no stranger to the quirks of the Specimen Lake as he has fished here at White Springs off and on for the last 15 years and has watched the site grow from strength to strength, he can remember when there was trout fishing here at the Springs and has seen some lovely fish come out in his time. A self taught fisherman who takes pride in everything he has done, he is one of those genuine fisherman that seems to grace our banks that has a real love for the sport and a real love and passion for the fish, and meeting and talking to him for the first time this weekend was a real pleasure.

Richard has a personal best of 29lb 15oz Mirror which was caught roughly 3 months previous here at White Springs just missing out on the 30 Club by a whisker, he is determined however that he will achieve his goal of hitting that magical 30 and over and if anyone can do it I believe Richard is the type of man that will do it.

He started fishing as many do with a mate of his and since that start has grown a love for fishing that has given him so much pleasure over the years. He told me that he loves the relaxation and pleasure that fishing can bring and the wonderful escape that only fishing can bring from the stresses of work and life.

"I just love being outdoors Al, I have never been an indoor type of person I just love the countryside, love being outdoors and I love the sense of peace and tranquility that something like fishing can bring you."

Using his Grey Prodigys with his Diawa Entoh 5000 spooled with 17lb Adrenaline with a inline running 2oz flat pear lead and a Korda kurv-shank size 8 he caught both fish today and also his PB previously using a 10ml Spicy Sausage Popup.

Asking him which was his best bit of tackle he told me that it was his Delkin Alarms Tx1+ and asking him what advice he would give to up and coming fishermen he recommended that people should read as much as they can on fishing as this has helped him greatly over the years, his only regret was that he didnt read more on fishing earlier in his life.

He also spoke passionately about the importance of fish care and recommends any fisherman to invest in a fish care/medi kit, a sound bit of advice in my book and says that you should just enjoy fishing as each days fishing is a new experiance and never the same twice. That is so true

If anyone is looking for a real master craftsman in building and plastering and for a job to be well done they can contact Richard on 07875357012.

We wish you all the best Richard and hope that you get that magical 30lb very soon.

Tight Lines mate.