Catching the Impossible

Angling is a pastime that transports us to another world. When Bernard and Martin were young and inspired by nature, they discovered an underwater world populated by many large fish, including the "impossible" barbel.

All forms of angling create a kind of magic when we're by the waterside. Regardless of age, gender or race, everyone can enjoy fishing, matching fishing or specimen hunting, from young girls catching their first trout to grey-haired old men excited by the capture of a wonderful pike. These are their stories.

The summer brings out the best of the underwater world: large tench come out of hiding, predatory catfish are on the prowl, glorious rudd feed enthusiastically and a near-record crucian carp comes to join us as we bask in the sun.

Exploring our rivers and lakes through the seasons provides the angler with endless variety and excitement. After catching big bream and dace, Bernard and Martin are joined by Britain's most famous angler John Wilson who helps Bernard catch a carp on a fly, then catches his record-equalling pike from the Norfolk Broads.

Bernard and Martin take a glorious journey down the famous Hampshire Avon from source to sea, observing the underwater wildlife, including spawning trout and salmon in the headwaters and catching grayling and roach. Finally, they join friends to catch big carp, barbel, salmon and mullet.

The winter season provides some of the best fishing of the year for Bernard, Martin and company. They ignore the cold and catch zander on a prawn, some pike on the fly, large barbel in a flood, "impossible" chub, grayling, perch and a truly monstrous roach from the River Stour.

Searching Scotland for salmon leads Bernard and Martin to close encounters with red squirrels and plunging ospreys.

In another attempt to prove that there is no such thing as impossible, Bernard and Martin catch some large tench, perch and pike.

The amusing behind-the-scenes film suggests that catching large fish isn't always as easy as it might appear, though Bernard and Martin prove that the big ones don't always get away.