Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 3667 i Angling Times

THIS WEEK SHOCK catches come in all shapes and sizes, but few can be more welcome than this 3lb 2oz roach, caught by match angler Sam Brown while fishing for bream on a Midlands pit. Sam, perhaps best known for having won the £50k Maver Match This final in 2022, was out testing some new Dynamite Baits groundbait, and was fishing with a Method feeder and a yellow 7mm Washter hookbait. “The first two bites of the day were classic bream pull-rounds, resulting in fish over 6lb,” he said. “But the next one was more delicate, with the tip just tapping away. I lifted into what I thought was a small bream, but when a huge roach surfaced, I shouted over to Ian, the cameraman. We were both blown…

“THE SESSION OF A LIFETIME!” Neale Woodward – 15lb 5oz bream “ON A RECENT trip to a southern reservoir I enjoyed a fantastic bream session, landing 11 doubles topped by this 15lb 5oz fish. “The others ran up to 14lb 12oz, including five 13-pounders. “All the fish came after I’d made a swim move to an area where they’d been shoaled up. “Once the guy who’d been in there left, I got straight into the area, and all the fish came in two-and-a-half hours. It was the session of a lifetime! “The successful tactic was helicopter rigs and swimfeeders, with corn and maggot hookbaits.” “WE CYCLED DOWN THE DAY BEFORE” Amos Draper and Max Walker – 7lb 8oz tench “ME and my best mate Max had a trip planned on…

TACKLING large, open expanses of water for bream and tench can be a daunting business – but by following a few simple guidelines, the rewards are there to be had. These venues often have no islands to cast to, while underwater bars and ledges are tricky to locate. This can leave you scratching your head with regard to where you should focus your attack, but there will always be a few clues to help. Wind direction is the first thing to consider, and heading for the end of the lake that the breeze has been hacking into is often a wise move because natural food will have washed down with it, and hungry fish will follow. But location is only part of the equation, and knowing how much bait to…

Expert help to give your match fishing the edge THE TUTOR DARREN MASSEY One of the most accomplished canal anglers in the land, he’s a key member of the Cadence Superteam that has won plenty of silverware on these venues over the years. THE LESSON 1 PICK YOUR SPOT Quality roach are easily spooked. Heavy footfall on the towpath or boats ploughing through the swim will unsettle them, so you’ll need far-bank features if you want to attract and hold them in your zone. Overhanging trees or moored boats are the perfect places to concentrate your efforts on when fishing with the seed. 2 SET THE TONE Use other baits such as bread and pinkies elsewhere in your swim in the early stages of a match, but feed your zone…

MONK LAKES, MARDEN, KENT Bridges is one of the venue’s specimen lakes, and while fish to over 25lb can be banked on boilies and wafters, there are also plenty of silverfish to target for those wanting to use lighter tackle. Pole fishing at 13m with expanders over micros and groundbait will attract skimmers to 3lb, but a small Method feeder dropped over the same zone will be equally as prolific. Tel: 01622 833332 MANOR FARM LEISURE, EVESHAM, WORCESTERSHIRE Bottom Pool is packed with skimmers, and 50lb-plus nets are always a possibility. A small cage feeder or the long pole with expander pellet hookbaits will bring plenty of bites from fish to 2lb. There is also a solid head of F1s and carp to 12lb. Fishing down the edge with corn…

THIS WEEK EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW FROM THE WORLD OF FISHING CARP angling’s history books have a new entry this week following the capture of the UK’s heaviest-ever common. Weighing in at an almighty 66lb 8oz, it was landed by Kieran Duff during a wet and windy night at Waterside Fishery in Buckinghamshire. Kieran, an electrician by trade, tempted it on a 15mm pop-up from Kingfisher Lake, where the famous big common had gone uncaught for the previous nine months. “I arrived with my daughter, Nancy, who was with me for the first day of a week-long session,” he told us. “There’s an island at the end of the lake close to which, every year for the past few years, the big common has been caught in early April,…

THE MOST iconic crucian carp venue in the land reaches a milestone this month – 20 years of jaw-dropping catches. And the owners are confident those sky-high standards are here to stay. Marsh Farm Fisheries in Surrey is home to three day-ticket waters – Harris, Hill and Richardson – all of which have a solid reputation for giant crucians. No wonder anglers are willing to travel from all over the country to sample the unrivalled action. Opened in April, 2004 to members of the controlling club, Godalming AS, the Farm has gone on to produce countless personal bests, with fish in the 3lb-4lb bracket being almost commonplace. The complex is within a stone’s throw of where the official British record was caught – Johnson’s Lake, which produced an astonishing 4lb…

I BEGAN my angling career as an excited boy, desperate for anything with fins to pull my float under! I didn't have a clue what I was doing, and this was the best bit, because that mixture of naivety and mystery is what I miss the most. As I cycled to and from the Grand Union Canal, little did I know that I was destined for some great fishing adventures – but I can never replicate those magical early days. We all have to grow up, and I duly deserted the canal for bigger quarry. That said, when I visited my local tackle shop, Premier Angling, and heard their social media manager Gareth Mayers talking about his spring tenching trips to the Kennet & Avon, I was all ears. Judging…

THIS WEEK ANGLING clubs and fisheries wanting to protect their waters from predation can apply for substantial funding to help their cause. The Angling Improvement Fund (AIF) has just been reopened, with £150,000 of rod licence money available to projects aimed at deterring fish-eating mammals and birds. It’s administered by the Angling Trust, and its funding manager, Andy Petch, said:“This initiative represents a vital effort to safeguard our fisheries against predation pressures and ensure the health and sustainability of fish populations. We urge clubs and fisheries to consider taking advantage of this funding opportunity.” The closing date for applications is May 17. • To apply, simply visit: www.anglingtrust.net/funding/aif…

DAIWA BITZ BOXES A SUPERB collection of five different-sized tackle boxes. The small eight-compartment version is ideal for swivels and terminal tackle items, while the bigger 10, 12 and 20 compartment boxes have larger sections with removable dividers that can take packets of hooks, pole floats, lures or feeders. There is even a deep version of the 20 compartment box which can accommodate bigger feeders or spools of line. With sealing lids and finger handles for carrying, the larger boxes feature additional clips for security too. WHY WE WOULD BUY ONE: Dead cheap and available in a convenient range of sizes, they do a good job of storing all sorts of gear, fuss-free. Size: 8 - 14cm x 8.7cm x 1.7cm; 10 - 23cm x 17.5cm x 5cm; 12 -…

AS TEMPERATURES creep up and the number of daylight hours increases, many anglers believe this a cue to pile more bait in. There’s no doubt that the fish in your local venue will have recently experienced an upturn in their appetites, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you can go from loosefeeding a thimbleful of freebies to larruping them in without a care. Some will adopt a feeding strategy at the start of a session and apply it to every area of their swim, but commercial fishery expert Alex Dawson believes you can be bold in parts of your peg, while holding back in others. “Consider the depth of water you are fishing in before you decide how you are going to feed it,” explained Alex. “Pretty much every species…

THE North West canal system has the reputation of being a tough nut to crack. But one venue is proving the exception to the rule, with a variety of species rewarding those setting out their stall from its towpath. Anglers visiting the Bridgewater Canal on the outskirts of Leigh recently have been enjoying great early spring sport, with everything from hand-sized roach to large bream and tench ending up in their keepnets. The stretch off Marsland Green Lane is a local hotspot, one where 30lb-plus netfuls are possible under the right conditions. A car park is located within a short walk of some of the best swims, and the firm concrete towpath provides easy access and won’t leave your kit caked in mud. IMPRESSIVE COMEBACK There’s no hiding from the…

ALMOST 30 years ago the late Kevin Green provided us with a story that originally looked like it wouldn’t have a happy ending. The fishing on two ponds on Clapham Common had been free for years, but Lambeth Council removed this right at a stroke. The ponds had provided thousands of youngsters with their first fish, and many of those kids had continued in the sport to target the bigger roach, tench and carp. I recall the MP Kate Hoey – now Baroness Hoey – standing up for anglers against the council, pointing out that the decision had been taken with no consultation, especially with anglers – and that it needed reviewing urgently. The story made national news and, from this, Ms Hoey has become a staunch supporter of all…