Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 3670 i Angling Times

IT WAS exciting to see a new format of match fishing make its mark on the big-money event calendar last week. In The Ultimate Fishing Competition, twenty anglers battled it out for a £30,000 top prize at Cob House Fishery, in Worcestershire. This event differed from anything previously seen, as there were no qualifiers, and all the finalists were picked at random after purchasing tickets via Capital Catch Competitions. So, unlike most other big-money matches, where anglers need to have the spare time and finances to potentially fish numerous qualifying rounds, this new format gave any angler of any ability the chance of winning a life-changing sum of money. I hope that after the success of this first event the concept might be rolled out across other disciplines, as I…

TIME FOR TICKETS IT’S renewal time. EA rod licences for a start, but a lot of club ‘subs’ are also due around about now. I’m a member of two, and both have gone up. I will re-join both, but one has gone up 25 per cent over the last couple of years. That’s not a lot of money in the general scale of things, but the club has almost doubled in size, so its coffers should be pretty full. Admittedly, there are some extra stretches of river and, of course, all this costs money, but it’s yet another rise in the cost of what we do. I’ve been looking slightly farther afield at some new clubs to join, but I’ve been quite surprised at some of the extra ticket fees.…

KORUM GLIDE TROTTING TRAY WHAT THEY SAY: This cleverly thought-out tray can be worn as a waist belt or used free-standing on a bankstick or tripod as a superb tackle and bait station. It features slots that will house one-pint bait tubs securely, a catapult hole, a locator for an included Bits Blox, and even somewhere to hang spare rigs – ideal for trotting but useful for other forms of angling too. Each tray includes small and large gated needles, a small hair needle, a Bits Blox, a specimen disgorger, an adjustable waist belt and a threaded adaptor for a bankstick. WHAT WE SAY: A great little set, worth the money just for the accessories it comes with! It’s brilliant for travelling light and for pegs where you need to…

What’s the best way to target a big reservoir at this time of year that holds a large head of 5lb-15lb carp? Paul Butler, Banbury LONG-RANGE Method feeder work has been the main tactic on fisheries such as Boddington Reservoir this spring but now, as temperatures have crept up, the fish have been coming closer to the bank. They know full well that this will help them to find more food from anglers who are working a catapult. Bomb and pellet can be deadly in this situation, with the regular trickle of bait helping to draw and hold big fish in the swim. FEEDING REGIME Keeping the fish on the bottom is key to getting regular bites on the bomb, as well as how you feed your swim. I don’t…

Honest advice to help you to catch more fish on every trip, without breaking the bank HAVING originally been developed for the multi-billion-pound fish farming industry, pellets are now a staple of the modern angling scene, but the volume we use is a mere drop in the ocean compared to global production. From African tilapia to arctic halibut, there are pellets tailored to the nutritional needs of a wide range of commercial fish species. On top of this, bait companies are able to produce bespoke pellets containing colours and attractants specifically for the fish we are looking to catch. The choice on your local tackle shop’s shelves can be vast, and often bewildering , so it’s essential to choose the right ones that complement the species you are targeting. COARSE…

OUR MAN ON THE BANK A MONTH to go before the start of the river season, and I bet you’re looking forward to it. You’ll have changed the line on your reels, made up new rigs, and in some cases already bought a load of bait. Chances are you’ll already have picked out the swim, or at least the area of the river, that you’ll be dropping into come June 16. But have you been down to the swims you fancy to put some bait in? Or, after the wettest winter on record, checked to see if the swim is still there? Every year anglers tell me that their river never fishes well for the first few weeks “because the fish have seen no bait.” Well, I assure you that…

DON’T FALL BACK INTO BAD HABITS HAVING read the recent article about the resurgence in match angling on our rivers, I'd like to point out the two sides of the coin. I, too, remember the heydays of match fishing during the 1970s and 1980s, when each week hundreds of anglers pounded the riverbanks. Since the mass exodus of the match lads to the commercials in the 1990s the riverbanks have recovered tenfold. Trees and vegetation grow in abundance, and even the wildlife has made a successful return. During the match days this wasn't the case. Trees were put to the axe, the vegetation was cut down to the roots, and the only wildlife spotted were rats rummaging among the piles of discarded litter. It's taken decades for the river banks…

1. THE RIGHT ROD Bream might not fight all that hard – but they can be weighty and often sit at range, so you need a rod that sits in that sweet spot between powerful and yet forgiving, in terms of its action. DRENNAN SPECIALIST 12FT TWIN TIP DUO 1.5LB A PLEASING action from a balanced, high-modulus carbon blank, plus two dedicated top sections – the first is Avon style, ideal for float and specialist work, while the second quiver section comes with a 2oz glass and a 3oz carbon tip, perfect for both still and running water situations. Price: £124.99, www.drennantackle.com PRESTON INNOVATIONS MONSTER X METHOD 12FT IDEAL for mid- to long-range work with both conventional and Method feeders when using a quivertip. It comes with 1.5oz, 2oz and…

I WAS a spectator for my first outing of the week, when I headed to Worcestershire’s Cob House Fishery to watch the first-ever Ultimate Fishing Competition match. A field of 20 anglers had all entered an online raffle, with those drawn out fishing for an incredible £30,000! There were so many fish cruising on the surface on the day and it was nice to watch the action unfold without the pressure of being involved! Jason Powell won the money with 164lb of big carp, all caught by mugging – well done that man! It was then back to business for me with a Fish O’ qualifier at The Oaks at the weekend. I drew peg 21 on Sycamore, and I was delighted. This lake always gives you a chance of…

Henry Gardiner Common carp, Kingsland Reservoir, Pboro, bread Tommy Miller Perch, Birch House Fishery, Derbyshire, maggots Noah Holmes 33lb sturgeon, Woodland Lakes, North Yorkshire Zach Polfrey 26lb mirror carp, Gingerbread Lake, Cambridgeshire, boilie Persephone Russell-Dixon Common carp, Lower Kilcott Farm, South Glos, maggots Stanley Winter 12lb common carp, local club water, Farnham, bread Fletcher Smith Goldfish, Barford Lakes, Norfolk, sweetcorn Beau Bright Tench, Clawford Vineyard Fishery, Devon, worm Declan Richard 10lb 2oz bream, Farlows Lake, Bucks, wafter William Nuttall 22lb mirror, 7 Lakes Country Park, Scunthorpe, boilie Noah Grierson 12lb common carp, local farm pond, wafter Arthur Clarke 36lb 7oz common carp, park lake, Essex, boilie Lewis Hardyman-Richards Common carp, undisclosed stillwater, pellet Maria Greenstreet 30lb roach bag, Five House Fishery, Herts, maggots Matthew Cooper 6lb mirror carp, Milton Pools,…

IN A TRUE underdog story for our times, the World Feeder Championships have been won by Ireland, with team member Michael Buchwalder completing the fairytale by claiming individual gold. The landmark victory took place on the Guadiana River in Merida, Spain, and is Ireland’s first podium since they took a silver medal on Inniscarra a decade ago. It’s the side’s first-ever podium finish overseas, with Michael Buchwalder taking the team’s first individual gold medal in 40 years, after Bobby Smithers became World Champion on Switzerland’s River Theille in 1984. Alongside Michael, the NCFFI Feeder Team consisted of Johnny McKinley, James O’Doherty, Charlie Richards and Rory Dunne, and was managed by Brenton Sweeney. Their final score of 59 points pipped Lithuania into second place (60 points), while Germany (62 points) took…

RINGERS DARK COCO BASED on the original Ringers Dark, but with an added sweet and active ingredient, this was formulated by the Ringers’ feeder team, where it was used to great effect on venues with mixed sizes of silverfish that are used to hunting out fishmeal and pellets. WHY WE LOVE IT: Strong in fishmeal, yet with a sweet twang, this new groundbait is already winning matches. Price: £4.99 for 1kg DYNAMITE BAITS SILVER X FEEDER FORMULATED especially for feeder work, and full of active and attractive particles such as hemp and ground pellets, this mix is available as Explosive, for maximum pulling power, and Specimen, for bigger chub, barbel, bream, tench and carp. WHY WE LOVE IT: Perfect for rivers and larger venues, these two mixes are highly rated…

STEVE RINGER World Feeder champ and a constantly successful matchman KRISTIAN JONES Former FishO’ champ and double Maver Match This winner DAI GRIBBLE Double Drennan Cup champ with many big fish to his name PAUL GARNER All-round bait expert and weekly Angling Times columnist FRANKIE GIANONCELLI Guru-backed star and member of the Barnsley Blacks squad MIKEY WILLIAMS Welsh international and Guru-backed match angler MIKE LYDDON Specimen hunter with many impressive catches to his name CATFISH RIG I want to try for my first catfish – what sort of rig should I be using? Danny Haycroft, email A While certainly not the prettiest of fish, I think catfish are magnificent beasts and a worthy target – and they are at their most catchable from now through to the end of summer.…

WHERE TO FISH IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE science behind getting the best out of a lake has evolved in recent years. A lull in sport would make some venue owners think about adding more fish, but it has now been proved that removing some of the stock can actually work far better. That is exactly what has happened at Fosse Way Fisheries in Warwickshire, where Lake One has been in scintillating form since a netting operation early in the year. Successful breeding had left the lake with a large head of hand-sized carp, reducing space for the bigger residents. The small fish have all been taken out and relocated, leaving the water with a healthy head of 7lb-25lb mirrors, commons and grassies that have responded well to the move. And,…

(* indicates an anagram) ACROSS 1 ___ Fields fishery, B'ham venue of Fish Midlands 2024 (*sort man) (7)5 River Chess is in this county (abbrev.) (5)8 Over-the-hill? (4)9 Month of Lough Ree's International Pike Festival (5)10 __ rig, aka snig rig, for catching eels (4)11 ___ ___, ex double World Fly Champ (*air brain!) (4,4)12/26ac. Another name for groats (*Nat soaked) (5,4)14 Thoroughly wets e.g. bait in enhancer (6)16 Type of goose (*gel, Gary) (7)18 Food supply of larval fish (*scaly, OK) (4,3)21 A Mick Wilkinson dibber-style float... and US biscuit (6)22 Nickname for small carp (*is a pet) (6)24 Non-dissolvable, woven hookbait tubing (*smear ham) (4,4)26 See 12ac.28 Revolving part of fixed-spool reel (5)29 Tight, as line needs to be for fishing to snags (4)30 Stick floats are either…