Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 3681 i Angling Times

I‘M SURE anyone who has been in a tackle shop over the last few years will have noticed that the prices of most items have crept up. Those small paper bags of bits and bobs seem to become a bigger investment every year! This isn’t something that’s happened only in angling – pretty much everything , from food to clothes, has rocketed in price. So it came as somewhat unexpected, but incredibly welcome, news this week that one major bait company is bucking the trend of price increases that we’ve all become so used to, and cutting the prices of some of its products by 10 to 15 per cent. Ironically, I was speaking to one of my colleagues just the other day about junior participation and the impact the…

IS BAD BEHAVIOUR ON THE RISE? WHILE driving back from a recent session I listened to a radio talk show where they were discussing how many people’s behaviour seems to have changed recently. There was a focus on dishonesty, and how normally decent people are now starting to act more disrespectfully because ‘other people are doing it’. Crowd culture, or ‘pack ethics’, in full effect. Can the same be said for anglers? I think in the main, we’re a decent bunch, but there are always a few incidents of anti-social behaviour on certain venues. The match world has been rocked by cheating allegations, too. Ultimately, it’s a matter of respect, so are our standards slipping? Let’s take the simple task of following fishery rules as an example. Everyone knows what…

IF YOU fish a river for silverfish such as roach and dace, then you’ll know full well just how lightning-fast the bites can be – and there is no better tool to hit them at speed than the pole. The relatively short length of line between pole-tip and float allows you to connect with the indication almost instantly, dramatically increasing the chances of you firmly setting the hook. Keeping control of the float, feeding correctly and setting your rig up appropriately are just three of the key elements with this style of fishing and, if you can master the basics, there’s no reason why you can’t hit every single bite. GIVE IT A GO 1 CREATE THE ‘TARGET ZONE’ If I’m in a swim where I think 30lb is possible…

THE JOY OF FISHING HOW you fish plays a bit part in how much you enjoy it. Sure, a screaming bite alarm is nice, but it can’t compare to a length of peacock quill dithering in the surface film before levitating out of the water and lying flat. Such classic bites have delighted me for decades, so it was high time I once again tried the lift method. I was on my way to a southern gravel pit for a night session in pursuit of eels, but an early start meant I could stop en route for a spot of floatfishing. I didn’t relish a 4am alarm call, but I knew I’d curse myself if I didn’t make the effort so, bleary-eyed, I headed into the garage to get the…

I’ve just started to fish natural waters for bream, and I’m unsure as to feeder choice. Which should I use, and when?RICHARD HEATH, MANSFIELD FISHING for bream has changed significantly over the years, and the shelves of tackle shops are now filled with many different feeder options. It can become confusing for even experienced anglers at times, never mind someone new to the game! It’s a matter of breaking your choices down into several categories and then making your decision based on your conclusions. WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION The two things to consider at the start of the process are the distance you intend to fish at and how good your casting is. If you are fishing quite far out, or need a little help hitting the spot every time, then a…

WHERE TO FISH IN ASSOCIATION WITH BLYTHE Waters has undergone a major transformation over the last 12 months, and the sport on offer has benefited greatly from the move. There are five waters at the West Midlands complex, and arguably the most popular of the lot is Willow Pool. This is a lake that snakes round in various directions to provide options for pretty much every tactic you can think of, and it can accommodate up to 26 anglers at a time. So whether you fancy fishing the long pole towards cover, catching silvers in open water or trying to locate a few lumps in the margins, this lake will keep you on your toes. HOW TO FISH IT VENUE BAILIFF NEIL POWELL “ROTATING between two or more lines is…

LAST CAST WITH DOM AM I ALONE in being quite happy with a cooler, wetter summer? How many diehard anglers really want Britain to resemble the Costa del Sol? Every time I pick a calm, settled and sunny day I seem to take a kicking. That “ahhhhh… life’s good again” feeling lasts about half-a-dozen biteless casts before you start thinking about the beer garden. After all, fish like breeze and commotion, whether you’re after stillwater trout or going beachcasting. My recent messy, overcast days have easily beaten those that looked like a postcard. A lure fishing foray was a great example. The sea resembled a millpond, and I could have taken 100 scenic photos, but where the heck were the fish? Draw your own conclusions here, but fish and humans…

“ONE OF MY FAVOURITE CATCHES” George Cornwell – 14lb 7oz barbel “THE Dorset Stour had run clear since the start of the season but, with heavy rain forecast, I felt that rolling a big piece of Spam would give me a good chance. I knew the extra water, and the fact that the tactic is under-used on the Stour, would work in my favour. “To get the bait where I wanted it, I had to wade out so I could get the right angle to target an overhanging snag. “My efforts paid off, and the bite came two minutes after casting. The fish put up a great scrap, and I had to wade downstream to get below the fish after it buried itself in a weedbed. Having waders on was…

SONUBAITS OOZING BARBEL AND CARP PELLETS THESE will help barbel find your hookbait in the worst of murky floodwater conditions, thanks to their pungent flavourings and colourings. They are equally effective for warm-water carping. The hard baits can be drilled and hair-rigged or banded. Once submerged, the oozing effect will continue in the water for up to 24 hours. Dumbell shaped, they are available in two sizes and three flavours – Cheesy Garlic, Halibut and Spicy Sausage. Price: £4.99, www.sonubaits.com MAINLINE BAITS BIG RIVER BARBEL SPECIMEN MIX A PUNGENT, fishy groundbait mix that will draw fish in from far and wide. The specialist mix of ground high-oil pellets, quality fishmeals and active ingredients includes crushed hemp and garlic. High leakage, and with a controlled breakdown, it can be used in…

STEVE RINGER World Feeder champ and a constantly successful matchman NICK SPEED Match legend and winner of multiple big titles DAVE HARRELL Top running-water matchman and the man behind RiverFest PAUL GARNER Weekly Angling Times columnist and bait expert PHIL RINGER Top match angler and England Feeder squad international SCOTT LLOYD Successful big-carp angler and carp fishing guide DAI GRIBBLE Two-time Drennan Cup champion and ace all-rounder HOW TO WORK A RIVER FEEDER SWIM When feeder fishing on a big river, where should I start casting – up or downstream? Howard Jacobs, email A Most anglers do indeed start their session by casting downstream at roughly a 45-degree angle. This is fine if you’re casting to just upstream of a feature, but most of the time on big rivers your…

BAIT CLINIC Honest advice to help you to catch more fish on every trip, without breaking the bank WATCHING big tail patterns appear right next to your float is real heart-in-mouth stuff. Catching in the margins is not all plain sailing , though. Baits and tactics only need to be relatively simple, but we still need to take into account the conditions, and plan our approach wisely. One reason that carp come into the margins is because the shallow water warms up quickly. Fish love warmth, and so will make a beeline for such areas. If the margin you’re targeting is on the windward side of the lake, even better, because there will be more oxygen and lower light levels, and the wave action will encourage the fish to come…

OUR MAN ON THE BANK YESTERDAY I was in the Shropshire countryside with two customers on a barbel guide day when suddenly, out of nowhere, we spotted a female goshawk flying less than 50ft above our heads. It soared there for a few minutes, and we stared in awe at this magnificent creature. The silence was broken only when one of the lads said: “How lucky are you to be out here seeing this kind of thing most days?” Well, sometimes I need to be reminded how fortunate I am, and it made me think about what I have seen just this past week. Obviously, a few barbel have been landed by my customers and me and, with the water almost the colour of tea without milk, the fish appear…

MY SON, Finlay Ellett, is 14 years old, and has autism and ADHD. He started off sea fishing and took up coarse fishing in 2020, through his school. He now fishes with his dad every week, and it really helps to keep him focused and stress-free. He tells everyone that fishing is his safe space and keeps him calm. He’s progressing every session and, at the start of the year, he won the Committee Cup for Most Improved Angler and the Committee Fish Plaque for being Fisherman of the Year with his local fishing club – Seaford AC. He’s hoping to study Fisheries and Aquatic Science at college in the near future, so that he can improve his skills and knowledge further. I hope his story will encourage other people…

THIS WEEK WHEN it comes to catching big eels, most anglers will tell you that the south of England is the place to be. But Neil Hardy proved they can be also found much further north by landing this impressive fish of 7lb 3oz from an East Yorkshire pit. The Wakefield angler has spent the last 15 years targeting the species, and took this one on a gudgeon deadbait at 7.30pm. “Usually, I catch them at night, so couldn’t believe it when I connected with this fish so early in the evening,” he said. “It gave me the best fight I’ve ever had, but at first I thought it might’ve been a carp, as I didn’t feel the characteristic ‘bangs’ down the line of an eel. The fish…

E-S-P BUZZ BARS WHAT THEY SAY: These uniquely engineered, fixed length buzz bars come in two- and three-rod versions. The two rod models come in 4ins, 5ins and 6ins lengths, the three-rod is available at 8ins, 10ins and 12ins. The E-S-P buzz bars feature stainless steel inserts for permanently aligning alarms and back rests quickly and easily without the need for locking rings or rubber O-rings. Each buzz bar comes with a tool for securing the grub screw inserts. They are machined in-house at E-S-P’s UK factory from solid aluminium bar stock, before being treated with a classy black, hard-wearing anodised finish. WHAT WE SAY: These superb buzz bars are the hottest big-carp tackle item currently on the market. Solid and sturdy, they are sure to be well accepted by…

THE EDGE Join top match anglers Lee Kerry and Rob Wootton each week as they unveil the tactics and techniques that really make a difference A LARGE part of fishing is creating theories about what’s going on underwater, and our conclusions then define the tactics we go on to use. We may think we are on the right track, but we can never be 100 per cent sure, and there are likely to be tweaks that could elevate our results by another notch. Lee and I recently had the luxury of being able to put an underwater camera in the 2ft-deep margins of a fishery with good water clarity, to give us an insight into how baiting the margins in certain ways affected fish behaviour and how they fed. There…

CHAMP’S DIARY THIS was one of my busiest weeks of the year, and I spent a lot of time in the van. First up it was the two-day festival at bagging venue Monkhall Fishery. Day one I drew peg 13 of Buzzard and really fancied it but, after not getting a single bite short on pellets early, I was a tad worried! Thankfully, pellets towards the island got the carp going and I ended with 189lb to edge out Charlie Law by 10lb and win the section. The day two draw put me on peg 9 of Owl – a decent area, but on one of the pools that rarely throws up a huge weight. I had a lovely day’s fishing, catching F1s across and in the edge and 40lb…

Luke Dexter 5lb bream, local club lake, Middlesbrough, Teesside Archie Jones Perch, Fort Rowner Moat, Gosport, Hants, maggots Jack Pilcher 7lb 8oz bream, River Avon, maggots Soloman Downar Mirror carp, Viaduct Fishery, Somerton, Somerset, pellet Leila Hall 10lb common, Carter Hall Fishery, Sheffield, casters Nancy Leyden Mirror carp, Newbridge Lakes, Kirkby, Merseyside, maggots Ralph Tudge 9lb barbel, River Teme, Ludlow Levi Oldham 14lb sturgeon, local water, Yorkshire, Peperami Reuben Dawson Perch, Woodland Lakes, Thirsk, North Yorkshire Ted Ranshaw 16lb 10oz common, North Thoresby, Lincs, pop-up Lottie Riley Tench, Willmott Pool, Reading, Berkshire Teddie Burrows 35lb common carp, Bluebell Lakes, Northants, boilie Elise Jukes Common, Dents Farm Fishery, Hilgay, Norfolk, boilie Cameron Dolby 7lb barbel, River Trent, pellet Reggie Merrills Mirror carp, undisclosed stillwater SEND IN YOUR PICTURES Email us your…