Following that up with Martin Bowler’s ‘Catching the Impossible’, I wanted Bernard to be Martin’s angling companion and because he is such a good angler, he never failed us when required to catch a particular fish. CARPOLOGY: Monster Myths was the episode that captured viewers’ imagination more than any other; could you tell us who suggested the lake to you, or who found it? Harry took one look at it and said, without any hesitation, “Oh no, it’s bigger than that,” so yes, it would easily have been a record at the time.” Sources familiar with the case said that the couple had been "naïve" in allowing the leaflets to be printed but insisted there had been no dishonesty. The ACA declined to comment on whether its disciplinary committee had formally found against the couple.

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.

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last five years, anglers are once again beginning to catch these silver beauties … so congratulations and 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. 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’. Like all creative endeavours, making films is an inexact art, there is no right or wrong … which is probably why I was able to earn a living making wildlife films! I have made over sixty now, for all the worlds major TV companies, so I guess I got some of it right. Whatever the truth, it was a privilege to go to so many wild places to share my life with charismatic animals and meet so many great guys and gals. I mention the perch last as Martin had already caught twenty-three perch of that size and we thought it would be easy to achieve. Wrong! The challenge nearly broke our resolve but in the end we didn’t just hit the target, Martin actually caught a perch of five pounds four ounces. The Angling Times informed us that it was the biggest perch ever caught from a river, [not any more], but at the time we were blown away by it’s size – and we still are!

Four and a half years in the making, we all took a lot of trouble to make the six films as well as we could and we are constantly grateful, even surprised that you think we made some good decisions.HUGH MILES:“I was up on the scaffolding and we saw the fish approach. We’d agreed a signal, Chris whistled, the line tightened and it all went solid. Then ping! “Shall we go and have a cup of tea?” I think Bob said straight after! Martin caught so many big fish that it’s difficult to believe but I was there with the camera to record the truth and we all know the camera never lies don’t we! Among our targets was a forty pound carp on the float, a fifteen pound barbel, a seven pound chub, a one pound dace, a ten pound tench, a thirty pound pike and a perch of over four pounds. More remarkable was the fact that it came from a swim just thirty yards downstream of where Chris Yates and young Peter caught a barbel in the first programme of ‘A Passion for Angling’. It’s called ’Childhood Dreams’ and catching a barbel will always remain a dream, a happy one. Martin Bowler, who co-starred with Bernard in the ‘Catching the Impossible’ series, said: “Bernard’s voice was the essence of angling and my time with him filming Catching the Impossible was both an honour and an education. A wonderful English gentleman.”

Thank you for your continuing enthusiasm for what has become a cultural icon, “A Passion for Angling”. wildlife films. I miss my colleagues and all the great locals I used to work with in far-flung places Bernard Cribbins, who has died aged 93 after a career as a much-loved character actor spanning more than 75 years, was a great ambassador for angling who will be sorely missed. It’s difficult to believe, but our series ‘A Passion for Angling’ was first shown on BBC 2 in 1993, keen to join the readers of my ramblings on gardening, angling, wildlife and conservation then pleaseHUGH MILES:“Sixty-odd, on the basis of those measurements. Chris had a picture of his record fish from Redmire and Harry took one look at it and said, without any hesitation, “Oh no, it’s bigger than that,” so yes, it would easily have been a record at the time.” So with so many happy memories of his time there, Chris was keen to return, not so that he could catch yet more big carp but so that he could finally try out his eccentric idea of a fishing scarecrow! A three-pound roach was also on the list and at the time was far from impossible. After all, even I had caught four of that size so Martin raised the stakes and decided that the challenge should be a three-pound roach … but from a river. Now this was impossible, for after the squadrons of killer cormorants had invaded our rivers, even two-pound roach are very rare. Some also claim‘Impossible’ to be better even than ‘Passion’, others disagree ; you’ll have to decide yourselves. Incidentally, we planned to catch a 3lb rudd for the series but that did prove impossible!

Many in the angling world will remember Bernard as the voice of ‘Passion for Angling’ in which he described the adventures of Chris Yates and Bob James, and for his contributions in the ‘Catching the Impossible’ series with Martin Bowler, which featured some of the best angling films ever produced.I’m still trying to support the invaluable work of Dorset Wildlife Trust, the Salmon and Trout Association and Angling Trust by making films for them. Our rivers are in crisis and need all the help we can give them, so education is one way of making people aware of what they can do to help. However, when it comes to volunteering, Sue is trying to teach me to say no! I’m bound to say that because I filmed and produced them, along with funding their production but because so many folk write complimentary letters constantly assuring us that they are the best fishing films that have ever been made, who are we to argue! Many of you will be less aware of the charms of our film ‘Caught in Time’ but it’s a classic story of Bernard has been described as a creative genius and none of us could ever doubt that. His extraordinary variety of talents means he will be missed by us all and having had the privilege of sharing a tiny portion of his life, his passing brings a tear to my eyes. Casting at the Sun, Medlar Press limited edition 1986, Classics edition 2006 ( ISBN 978-1899600366)