Innholdsfortegnelse for 3261 i Angling Times

PREDATOR fishing legend Gord Burton got a big shock when he netted this 2lb 1oz roach from a northern canal – while fishing for livebaits to go piking! Using a floatfished double red maggot hookbait, he found a few small silvers before the action stepped up a notch. “When it came to the surface I couldn’t believe such a stunning big roach was staring back at me,” he said. After returning the redfin, Gord wetted a line for pike later in the day and was rewarded with a pair of fish to 21lb 12oz.…

Bob Nudd, Four Times World Champion “Jan and I fished together for the mighty Essex County team, and also shared a great fishing trip to the US. In his later years when he had stopped match fishing I met him at various game fairs and kept in touch. RIP my dear friend.” Bob Roberts, Legendary Trent Angler “25 years ago we sat in the cafe at Tyram Fisheries discussing life, the universe and everything. We shared a great fear of reaching the age of 42 years. It had deep significance for us both. All I can say is we beat it man! RIP old friend. God speed.” Dave Harrell, Angling Times columnist “I first met Jan in a nightclub in Denmark in the early 80s and we instantly became good…

WHEN commercials first started I wrote that they would need to evolve, as carp would outgrow match fishing and fisheries would either need to remove them and start again or change shape somewhat and cater for the more carp-orientated angler. Carp match fishing came along at the right time for many of the larger waters, such as Barston Lakes, which also holds a huge head of bream, while Drayton Reservoir is a classic example of a venue that has changed its way of working completely. It is now a genuine ‘runs’ water where ‘proper’ carp anglers can expect big hits right through the year. The thinning out of carp, with 2,500 being moved to Thorpe Lea, allowed the remainder to grow on well. Swims have changed to cater for the…

ON my latest Big Adventure to Key West I’ve caught my first jolt-head porgy, Tim Watson had a snowflake eel and Roy Marlow caught a slippery dick. Funniest moment so far, though, was when Chris Gadsden was bitten by a barracuda. It shouldn’t have been funny but when I tell you that it was one of Tim’s giants that had to be dispatched due to being deeply hooked and used as bait, and had been dead two whole days, you can maybe see the funny side. We were moving spots, the ’cuda was on the bait table and a wave knocked it off. It landed teeth-first on ‘Crispy Duck’s’ ankle. Oops!…

STILLWATERS ASTON SPRINGS FISHERY, SHEFFIELD, SOUTH YORKSHIRE Stable is one of the most consistent lakes on the complex thanks to its abundant shoals of silverfish. The long and short pole, feeder and waggler all work on this lake, with maggot proving the best hookbait. You can expect 50lb bags of bream, roach, chub, perch and ide, although the odd carp and tench will muscle their way in. Contact: 01142 470876 Postcode: S26 5EP BRIARCROFT FISHERY, PRESTON, LANCASHIRE Worm is the best bait to use on both the lakes here, especially for the perch and bream, which have been feeding really well recently. A 50lb mixed net of bream is possible for those using chopped worm and caster in open water and on the deck. Contact: 01995 679456 Postcode: PR3…

SUMMER is upon us, and although carp, tench and bream will be on our minds, we simply can’t forget about the magnificent roach! Those cunning redfins feed well during the transition from spring to summer, so there’s no better time to get out and bag yourself a 30lb haul or a potential 3lb specimen. We at Angling Times have picked out four of the finest waters currently on form for the species. Why not give one a try this weekend? FOUR TOP ROACH WATERS BLUEBELL LAKES, OUNDLE, NORTHANTS It’s not just big carp that inhabit Bluebell Lake, as roach to 2lb are stocked in big numbers too and they have been coming out over the last few weeks. Cast a maggot feeder to the middle of the lake to find…

BISHOPS BOWL, LEAMINGTON, WARKS Night anglers on Greenhills taking carp to over 20lb on pop-up boilies and PVA bags . Contact: 01926 612379 Postcode: CV47 2SR COPPICE LANE POOLS, LICHFIELD Great sport on Bridge Pool. Target the island with the pole at 14m. Fish on top of the shelf with banded 6mm pellets over micros for 5lb carp. Contact: 0121 351 5198 Postcode: WS7 0LB FROGGATTS POOLS, LUDLOW, SHROPS Use a 6mm banded pellet on the hook on Malpitt and drip feed 4mm pellets. Contact: 01584 831232 Postcode: SY8 4DL GRAND UNION CANAL, NORTHANTS Try between Grafton and Stoke at Bozenham Mill for near double-figure skimmer nets. Contact: Northampton Nene AC, 01604 761173 Prices: £5 on the bank, Northampton Nene AC MILL ROAD FISHERY, NORFOLK Target the islands on the…

WYLANDS LAKES, BATTLE, EAST SUSSEX The Wylands complex is widely known as one of the best angling holiday destinations in the South and with nine lakes to choose from you’ll be spoilt for choice. The Field, Kell and Snake lakes that are fishing superbly well, with match and big-fish catches being reported. With chalets, caravans, touring and camping prospects – your lodgings are more than equipped for your needs during your holiday. Prices: Accommodation packages from £270 a week Contact: 01424 893394 or visit www.wylands.co.uk Postcode: TN33 0SU…

“With a spod it’s a much more even spread of bait that covers a much larger area than a feeder. This is what the bream want” REGULAR readers of this column will know that one venue I love heading to every season is Ferry Meadows near Peterborough, purely for the big bream fishing it offers. It’s mainly open-end feeder work but recently I’ve been trying another method, with impressive results. It’s quite simply a combination of a big Hybrid feeder and a spod for the initial feed. WHY SPOD? If there are carp anglers on a water – as there are at Ferry Meadows – the chances are that the bream will become attuned to the noise of a spod hitting the water, and rather than being spooked they are…

Switch your style of waggler IDEAL WHEN: Fish start to wise up to your attack THERE are many types of waggler available and it pays to have a wide selection in your box. A chunky pellet waggler-style float that makes lots of noise could work at first but changing to a more traditional float later in the day could bring extra bites when the carp and F1s back away from the commotion caused. Adjust your hair rigs IDEAL WHEN: You suddenly start missing bites VERY few pay attention to the length of their hair rig for F1s but it is important to use one that almost touches the hook shank. Otherwise the fish will suck in the bait and eject it. If small fish are a problem use a slightly…

AFTER the dull greys of winter, myriad shades of green are taking control of the countryside. Beneath the surface, though, silver roach gather in shoals, growing in number every day as the time to spawn approaches. Joining forces, the fish separate themselves into year classes, and as the females become pigeon-chested I would argue that now, not winter, is the time to catch them at their biggest and best-looking. They will be in their finest fettle with a tinge of blue to their livery and not a scale dislodged. Come June, once egg-laying has taken place, scales will be dislodged and the shine removed so for all these reasons, as well as a decent appetite and a willingness to take an angler’s bait, roach are a worthy quarry to consider.…

I FISH a small pond full of little rudd. Should I use a normal top and bottom pole float on the whip or a small waggler instead? Clive Rounce, Sidcup WHIP fishing is all about speed, and the waggler will give you this compared to a top and bottom float, especially if there is any sort of breeze blowing. A waggler will let you bury the line briefly under the surface to improve presentation and also offers a little more casting weight to swing the rig out when compared to a normal pole float. Look at a small canal-style dart float taking up to a couple of BB shot with a fine insert and shot this to leave just a centimetre of float tip showing. Many anglers use a few…

STEP 1 – Mainline should always be one diameter heavier than the hooklength, so the latter is the first to break. As a guide, use 0.12mm to 0.10mm for silvers and 0.16mm to 0.14mm for carp. STEP 2 – Connect the mainline to a top kit. There are lots of different types of connector available on the market but I prefer the Dacron versions as I believe they help provide a better presentation. STEP 3 – Pay careful attention to float choice, then thread it on to the mainline. A rugby ball-shaped pattern will cover a lot of different eventualities, especially if you are fishing in open water. STEP 4 – Slide three small rubbers on to the mainline and run them over the float stem. Make sure the rubbers…

MATCH MAGIC FROM STEVE GREGORY DEVELOPED by former UK match record-holder Steve Gregory, these brilliant Chair Leg wagglers and Pellet Bombs are must-have summer accessories for all commercial fishery anglers. The loaded wagglers come in 8g and 10g versionss, and will not dive on impact. Nor will they be dragged around by tow or wind, making them ideal for large open-water venues. The superb Pellet Bombs are critically balanced to just sink under the weight of a pellet. Small shot can be used to make them work with 6mm, 8mm or 11mm hard pellets…. straight lead and pellet tactics will never be the same again! Visit: www. Miraclebaits.com Email: Sales@miraclebaits.com GET ALL KITTED OUT FOR DROP SHOTTING THIS stunning array of AT Products’ drop shot items includes everything you need…

THE TOOLS  Two basic tools are needed – a small vice for holding the hook and a file. Both are available in most tackle shops. A jeweller’s loupe, or magnifying eyepiece, will help when inspecting the hooks. MASS-produced hooks are sharp, but used correctly a handheld file will make them even sharper and convert more pick-ups into hooked fish. Hand sharpening is a skill that requires practice and good technique. It’s worth collecting a few used hooks and practising. Test the sharpness of your hooks on a fingernail, or by lightly pricking your skin. 1 Most sharpening files work in one direction, so don’t rub backwards and forwards. Slide the file in the direction of the hookpoint and only sharpen the area between the barb and the point. 2 You…

CARP Team England geared up to defend their world title with an international friendly event at the weekend (May 5/6). Rob Hughes’s men took on France, Italy, Ukraine, Holland and Lithuania at Lac de Bourdon, which will later host this year’s World Champs. The result was unconfirmed as we went to press, but Rob said: “It’s the first time any of the lads will have seen the venue, and the newcomers will get the chance to fish and gain a cap for their country. “It will be a great recce and shakedown as the event will be fished very closely to the FIPS World Championships rules.”…

The Big Fish Offbrings welcome humour to the sport we all love I’VE been watching the new series of The Big Fish Off on ITV4 and would like to congratulate everyone involved in the show. At a time when our sport is desperate to bring newcomers into it, something drastically different from the old tactics of trying to recruit people was needed, and this is just that. Ali Hamidi and Dean Macey show the excitement and passion associated with fishing but also get across the message that it doesn’t have to be taken too seriously. A lot of the venues they visit are day-ticket fisheries, and that is very refreshing. Over the years I have looked on in awe at the catches taken by Matt Hayes and John Wilson, but…

DENNIS Pye was arguably the most famous pike angler of the 1960s, with claimed catches of several 30-pounders from the Norfolk Broads. But one fish considerably smaller than that also made the evening papers. Eaton Park in Norwich had a fine lily pond full of goldfish, whose tranquility was disturbed when some wag sneaked in a pike from the nearby River Yare. Now, any local schoolboy could probably have hooked the predator back out in minutes – after all, the pond wasn’t that big, and quite shallow. But the park keeper with his trademark flat hat and bell, known to all and sundry as ‘Reggie’, wanted his five minutes of fame and instead enlisted Mr Pye to come and do the honours. For hours Dennis, who ran a chippie when…

HAVING enjoyed the mildest winter for as long as I can remember we now have the coldest spring temperatures for many a year. Every morning the past week there has been a frost down the Severn valley, and a couple were proper good ones at that. But daytime temperatures are starting to rise and there is a feel of summer in the air. Down the valley birds have eggs or young in their nests, trees are coming into leaf and blossoming and most fish species are ready to begin spawning. I am thinking about getting my fishing shorts out of the wardrobe and getting some colour on these legs of mine, which look like two milk bottles! Here’s how my week went… THURSDAY Went down the local tackle shop in…

THE Netherlands is a relatively untapped fishing destination for British anglers but this week you have the chance to sample the fantastic sport on offer in the land of tulips, windmills and clogs – thanks to Anglers World Holidays, Britain’s number one angling holiday company. On offer is a seven-day stay at the premier Arendshorst site in central Holland to one lucky reader and a friend in September or October. Accommodation and ferry travel are included, as is top advice from local guides to help put you on the fish from the word go. Situated on the banks of the River Vechte near the town of Ommen near the German border, and just an easy two-hour drive from the Hook of Holland ferry port, you’ll be staying in the middle…

PROOF that you should always go to your draw no matter how bad it may seem was served by Chris Senter in the Bank Holiday Maver Classic Final as the Worcester man turned an on paper shocker of a peg into a winner to win £1,000 first prize. Fished by 72 qualifiers across two days at the Maver Larford Lakes complex, Shakespeare Bait-Tech man Chris scored section wins on both days to emerge as the only angler to record a perfect score. Runner-up Neil McKinnon and third-placed Max Galaszewski finished on three points each with weight needed to separate them. Chris went into the match unsure as to how the cold weather would affect Larford, but was pleased to draw on the Match Lake for the opening day, as this…

OUR PICK OF THE WEEK DAIWA HALLCROFT FISHERY (FRI PM) Moat Pool (27 pegs) Jamie Wilde scored another Hallcroft win as the Colmic-backed former Parkdean Masters winner strolled home in this afternoon event, weighing in 173-6-0 of carp into double figures off peg 40. He caught on maggot in both margins. Pete Miles ended up well off the pace with 89-8-0 of carp to 8lb for second, catching on corn at 5m from peg 21. Result: 1 J Wilde, Colmic, 173-6-0; 2 P Miles, Doncaster, 89-8-0; 3 C Eves, Worksop, 80-8-0; 4 R Walker, Rotherham, 73-12-0; 5 S Pimperton, Sheffield, 67-6-0. DAIWA HALLCROFT FISHERY VETS (THURS) Bridge & Croft Pools (28 pegs) The cooler weather put the brakes on any chances of big weights, Daz Oldham bagging 66-6-0 to win…

IF bites are what you’re after, look no further than a match at Notts water Sherwood Forest Fishery as the results below demonstrate! From their Tuesday silverfish matches on the Sherwood Lake to the prolific Holmedale carp water that hosts Sunday and Wednesday opens, weights are always impressive, and you can pick from a range of methods and baits to catch. SHERWOOD FOREST FISHERY (SUN) Holmedale Lake (24 pegs) Result: 1 P Carline, Alfreton Angling, 77-14-0; 2 A Kitt, Worksop Juniors, 75-7-0; 3 M Stanhope, Gateford Angling Supplies, 65-1-0. SHERWOOD FOREST FISHERY (WEDS) Holmedale Lake (19 pegs) Result: 1 C Brazier, Gateford Angling Supplies, 86-15-0; 2 M Langton, Sherwood Forest Fishery, 81-9-0; 3 P Hodgetts, Sherwood Forest Fishery, 80-8-0. SHERWOOD FOREST FISHERY (TUES) Sherwood Lake (16 pegs) Result: 1 M…

PREBAITING paid off for Craig Woolhouse when he made an huge haul of bream topped by the best specimen of 2016 so far. At 17lb 2oz, not only is it a lake record, but it also smashes the 35-year-old’s personal best. He visited his targeted venue in his home county of Leicestershire the day before he began fishing and prebaited a spot at 98 yards with two tins of corn and two kilos of pellets to get the bream grubbing around on the lakebed. His tactics paid dividends as hair-rigged hookbaits saw him land an impressive string of slabs to back up his new pb. They included bream weighing 14lb 12oz, 11lb 10oz, 11lb 9oz, 11lb 4oz, 10lb 12oz and 10lb 8oz. “I’ve had some massive hits of big bream…

“Trentmen were the Manchester United of angling” “I caught 28 tench to 9lb 10oz and three 30lb carp on tench tactics” THIS week Angling Times celebrates the life of Jan Porter, the immensely popular all-rounder who has sadly lost his battle with cancer. A true legend of the sport, the charismatic 60-year-old really was a man who had done it all. He ran his own tackle shop, was one of the most noticeable figures on the match scene and built up a personal best list that would make many anglers green with envy. He inspired a generation, and his colourful character made him one of the most liked and respected men in the sport. Three years ago Angling Times interviewed ‘The Man in Red’ as part of our ‘My Life…

PAUL Garner’s excellent piece this week about feed for the Method got me thinking about the evolution of this supremely effective technique. The first version was based around an Emstat frame feeder with a paternoster hooklink incorporating pole elastic, while the creations we have available today sound like instruments played by a one-man-band. Method feed has changed too, from rock-hard mixes through to the ‘Easter egg’ (soft outer and stiff core) to today’s super-mixes – even pellets sticky enough to bind to a feeder as it descends. Add on the style where PVA bags of bait are fixed to it and there’s plenty to go at. As Paul Garner explains this week, think hard and work hard at your bait... but don’t mix it too hard!…

STILLWATERS BEAVER FARM FISHERY, LINGFIELD, SURREY Jeff’s and Major’s Lakes are both good for bream to 8lb. Introduce a lot of pellets, groundbait, and corn to attract the shoals and fish a mini feeder over the top to catch. Chopped worm is an invaluable hookbait. Contact: 07710 656041 Postcode: RH7 6HL BULLOCK FARM FISHERIES, KINGSTON SEYMOUR, SOMERSET In the South Pool, specimen bream to 5lb are continuing to show. They are being caught on bread rather than corn at the moment, but take a mixture of other baits including casters, maggots, worm and even prawns for insurance. Contact: 01934 835020, Postcode: BS21 6XA BURY HILL FISHERY, DORKING , SURREY The Old Lake is in great form, with anglers bagging over 100lb of bream in recent matches. The pole, at…

AVALON FISHERIES, SOMERSET Moors is an excellent pellet waggler water. Aim to fish around 2ft from the centre and keep pinging in 8mm pellets over your swim to keep the fish up in the water. Expect carp to double figures. Contact: 07977 210078 Postcode: BA6 9TT FURNACE BROOK FISHERY, HAILSHAM, EAST SUSSEX On the Main Lake, fish expander pellets over a mixture of groundbait, maggots and hemp to catch plenty of bream, skimmers and big roach. Contact: 01435 830835 Postcode: BN27 4QR OAKLEY ROAD FISHERY, BROMLEY, LONDON Fish the pole on the deck at around 5m with corn and 6mm expander pellets over a bed of micros to tempt the skimmers and carp into feeding. Some 50lb-plus bags are easily recorded this way. Contact: 07414 941774 Postcode: BR2 8HQ TODBER…

HOOKLENGTH  The light 2lb hooklength is kept short at either 4ins or 6ins long, to enable the shot to be placed near it on the mainline. It’s finished with a size 18 Kamasan B911 barbless hook. MICRO-PELLETS  A great carpet feed for finicky fish such as crucians and F1s. Using a piece of bread or an expander pellet over the top you’ve got a good target for fish to home in on. TELL TALE SHOT  Place the last dropper shot just above the connection with the mainline. It’s a tell tale No11 shot to help register shy bites, together with another 5ins-6ins above, and a bulk above that. BREAD  Make sure you flatten your bread slice first before you punch a piece out of it, to make sure that it…

FEW other tactics combine simplicity with the fish-catching powers of the Method feeder. Yet despite the flat feeder becoming the most popular carp-catching tactic in the UK, many anglers do not get the best from it, simply because the pellets or groundbait they use are not mixed correctly. This is particularly so with pellets, which are not particularly sticky. They can easily become dislodged from the feeder, either on the cast or when the payload hits the water. At close range you can often see if the pellets are flying off on the cast, but beyond about 20m the problem is not only exacerbated – because the feeder hits the water harder – but it is difficult to tell if the pellets have fallen off. I will often carefully wind…

1 Arrange your equipment close to hand – a seatbox side tray is very useful for this. Get comfortable and ensure your seatbox is level. 2 Find a spot in your swim to fish to. Use a lead to feel for the make-up of the bottom and imagine you are a fish. Where would you like to be? 3 Avoid inaccurate casting by using a far-bank marker and the reel spool clip to hit the same spot every time. 4 Sticky’s N’butyric and Pineapple bait spray squirted over a pint of maggots so the grubs coat themselves is a great added attractant. 5 The warmest water will be in the lee of both a chill and a mild wind such as a southwesterly. Don’t ignore it.…

I’VE found a small lake that holds some big perch, but also lots of roach and bream. Which baits will avoid the silverfish and catch the perch? Paul Rowe, Chichester PERCH love worms, but so do roach and bream so it may not be worth spending lots of money on a bag of worms only to be plagued by the wrong fish. If your lake allows livebaiting, a small roach can spring a real surprise and indulging in a little light jig or drop shot fishing may also single out the perch. However, if you prefer more traditional bait fishing, you really don’t need to look much further than prawns. This is a big, fishy bait that all coarse fish love and has the knack of catching big perch. Go…

IS there a right and a wrong way to hook corn? Bob Shefford, Carshalton THE way you hook a grain of corn can vary, depending on the method you are fishing. For example, on the pole you can simply nick a grain on to the hook but if you need to cast using the waggler or feeder, you will be far better off threading the hook through the corn, leaving the point protruding from the rounded end of the grain. This will withstand the cast easily. It is also worth hooking corn like this if small fish are a problem or the fishing is hard and bites are few. DO I need to use the clutch on my reel or can I play a big carp off the backwind facility?…

MANY of the finest day-ticket and commercial fisheries are large open expanses of water where long-range and big Method feeder tactics tend to rule the roost. All the super-popular venues such as Barston in the West Midlands, Coventry’s stunning Meadowlands Fisheries, Worcestershire’s Larford Lakes, and bag-up waters such as Boddington, Drayton and Earlswood Reservoirs respond year-round to the Method. Casting a long way, or indeed using a heavier than normal Method feeder (or straight lead and bread in winter) doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to load up your reels with extra-heavy lines. As a matter of fact this would work against you, as thicker diameter line slows down its speed of travel through the guides and shortens your cast. As in most things tackle-related, what you’re looking for is…

THIS 41lb 10oz Cambridgeshire mirror fell to Julian Barnes on a Mad Baits Pandemic pop-up on a frosty morning. THIS 30lb 2oz mirror topped an 11-fish haul for Ryan Butt on a Natures Baits Alpha wafter. A LEICESTERSHIRE lake produced this 33lb 8oz mirror for Melton Mowbray’s Nathan Sharp on a Nash Citruz pop-up. THE Front Lake at Essex’s Par Fisheries gave Alex Maguire-Smith this 25lb 4oz mirror on a CC Moore Northern Special. THIS 30lb common fell to Bradley Wegner from Elsons on the Stanwick Lakes site in Northamptonshire.…

WRAYSBURY One will be the venue for this year’s qualifier for the World Carp Classic match. The well-established pairs event will conclude at Lake Novomlynska in the Czech Republic in September, and the winners of the English qualifier will be among that final field. Just 20 swims on the historic 75-acre Berkshire venue, now run by RK Leisure, will be set aside for the qualifier and entry will cost £250 per pair. The event takes place between August 4 and 7, and prizes will be awarded for the biggest fish and the top three pairs. To enter, visit www.worldcarpclassic.com or call Dave Richards on 02392 571571.…

MEMORIES of Jan ‘The Man in Red’ Porter came flooding back as we heard of his passing last week. I was proud to have spent time with him over the years, both socially and working with him on his weekly Angling Times column, and I fondly remember what a great story teller he was – he’d been and fished everywhere and with everyone! The only time I saw Jan speechless was when I met him at one of our local lakes for a feature a couple of seasons back. We’d been talking about his ‘Jan & Dan’ cartoon strip that ran in Angling Times in the 1990s and he mentioned that he’d love to see them again. He even wondered if there was any way I could dig out some…

GET AN EXCLUSIVE Angling Times CERTIFICATE FOR YOUR CATCHES SEND IN YOUR PICTURES Email your details, including your name, address, the weight of the fish, where and how you caught it, plus an attached photograph, to kingfisherclub@anglingtimes.co.uk OR send a photograph with your name, address, weight of fish, and details of where and how you caught it to: Kingfisher Club, Angling Times, Bauer Media, Media House, Lynch Wood, Peterborough PE2 6EA…

ANGLING Trust members can get at least 10 per cent discount on more than 100 waters, including the Thames Water fisheries at Walthamstow and Farmoor. Catches in recent months include a 31lb 8oz pike caught on a fly by Tom Cosford (see pic on this week’s news pages). Walthamstow’s seven coarse fishing waters hold good stocks of large fish – carp to 46lb, pike to 35lb, bream to 18lb, tench to 9lb 8oz, perch to 4lb, barbel to 12lb, chub to 8lb and eels to 4lb. Farmoor in Oxfordshire is annually stocked with over 35,000 brown and rainbow trout and offers fishing for anglers of all abilities. Trust members can save over £30 on coarse fishing season tickets at Walthamstow and up to £60 on season-long fishing at Farmoor. Check…

THE young lions to do battle for Drennan Team England in this year’s Under 23 World Championships have been announced. Three of the team who fished last year’s event are being retained along with two new caps as the lads head to Portugal’s River Sorraia in August. Alex Clements, Matt Barnett, Rory Jones all travel again along with Bradley Gibbons, who progresses from the Under 18 team. Sheffield’s Ricky Marshall will win his first England cap as the team get to grips with the river in Corruche. “This is a good team, all capable of fishing the float at distance but also at home putting 200 small fish on the scales,” said manager Mark Downes.…

SKIMMERS have played a big part in the leading Clubman weights this week, Steve Peters having the best of them with a massive 106-8-0 to win the Medway Trotters match at Pittlands Fishery as he caught on long pole and pellet. Old hand Bob Fitzjohn took a more conservative 37-0-0 to top the Phil’s Old Boys match on the Farm Shop Lake at Dent’s fishery in Norfolk as he caught on worm. The same bait scored for Terry Allen as he topped the Freemasons AS match on the Grand Union Canal at Berkhampsted. Bream paved the way for Les Braunton on Chard Reservoir. He won the Chard DAC match with 40-2-0 of them on feeder and corn. Best of the carp weights was another Medway Trotters man, Kev Hill, who…

PRESTON INNOVATIONS FEEDERMASTERS QUALIFIER (SAT) Maver Larford Lakes (60 pegs) DAIWA Dorking legend Paul ‘Tommy’ Hiller booked his spot in September’s Final after winning this qualifier at Maver Larford. He bagged 93-6-0 off peg 26 on the Match Lake, just edging out Les Thompson by a little under 7lb, and all after only getting in on the match a few days earlier as a reserve! Paul fished Method feeder and dead red maggot across to the island to take carp between 1lb and 8lb in spells throughout the match, although it was only in the final 40 minutes of the match when he overtook Les to just nick it. Les, on next door peg 28, also used the Method feeder to the island and in the margins. Fellow qualifiers with…

OUR PICK OF THE WEEK BAIT-TECH VIADUCT FISHERY (SAT) Campbell, Cary & Lodge Lakes (40 pegs) Despite the changeable weather, Viaduct still produced a double ton to the winner as Phil Hardwick bagged 200-1-0 from peg 123 on the Campbell Lake using long pole and pellet at 14m and down the edge for a net of carp to 9lb. Second went to Kieran Bailey on peg 80 of the Cary Lake with 155-11-0 of carp to 12lb as he caught on pellet in the margins and on the bomb. Result: 1 P Hardwick, Bait-Tech Viaduct, 200-1-0; 2 K Bailey, Minehead, 155-11-0; 3 S Trivett, Maver Bathampton, 149-11-0; 4 M Poppleton, MFS, 145-14-0; 5 G Bailey, Silver Fox, 143-15-0; 6 A Bradley, Truro, 138-2-0. Top silverfish weight: N Bartlett, Preston Innovations…

DYNAMITE BAITS OAKFIELD FISHERY (WEDS) Red Kite Lake (14 pegs) Result:1 B Eddy, Dynamite Oakfield, 64-10-0; 2 M Talbot, Kamasan/GOT Baits, 61-6-0; 3 J Emmerson, Dynamite Oakfield, 56-2-0. GOLD VALLEY LAKES (SAT) Gold Lake (16 pegs) Result:1 K Wells, Daiwa Dorking, 106-4-0; 2 J Attwood, Gold Valley, 39-10-0; 3 S Westlake, Gold Valley, 32-10-0. GOLD VALLEY LAKES (SUN) Middle Lake (16 pegs) Result:1 C Dalton, Gold Valley, 70-10-0; 2 G Hellier, Gold Valley, 70-4-0; 3 J Attwood, Gold Valley, 65-8-0. MONK LAKES (WEDS) Lake 2 (15 pegs) Result:1 C Bishop, Meatbashers, 125-8-0; 2 J Davis, West Malling Angling, 122-6-0; 3 A Bishop, Meatbashers, 58-12-0.…

THIS is one of the biggest braces of roach in the history of angling. The specimens, with a combined weight of 7lb 5oz, were caught by roach fishing fanatic Mark Mclennan from the renowned redfin complex, Highbridge Lakes. Weighing 4lb 1oz and 3lb 4oz, they were tempted on 15mm Nash 4G squid boilies during a three-night session at the Norfolk fishery. A change in tactics provided Mark with the once-in-a-lifetime catch, prompted by what he called ‘nuisance fish’. He said: “I switched from fishing standard maggot feeder tactics to helicopter-style rigs with broken boilies in blockend feeders in order to avoid nuisance perch, which seem to have exploded in numbers this year.” Fishing just four rodlengths out, the change worked a treat, and the 55-year-old from Bedfordshire was soon breaking…

THIS year’s PartyPoker Fish O’Mania XXIII final will be the best ever, with a host of exciting new plans for the big day. The 16-man final will remain unchanged, with half-hourly weigh-ins in front of the live Sky Sports cameras, but fished alongside it will be a six-peg International Masters. This will see match fishing greats from England, Holland, Italy, Scandinavia, Germany and France fight it out on the Arena Pool for the trophy and a £3,000 first prize. Spectators will have the chance to leave Cudmore quids in, thanks to a ‘guess the winning weight’ competition from Fish O’ sponsor PartyPoker. Just sign up to the PartyPoker website, go to fishomania.net and have a shot at winning £2,000 by estimating the winning weight. Three £1,000 runner-up prizes will keep…

Q Who was your fishing hero that fuelled the fire in the early years? A There were several, and those include Johnny Moult, all the Trentmen and, of course, my dad. Q What fishing venue have you spent most time on? A It has to be the River Trent. Q What’s your most memorable session/catch? A It was at Linear Fisheries this year when I caught 28 tench to 9lb 10oz and three 30lb-plus carp on tench fishing tactics. Q Is there anywhere you have always wanted to fish, but haven’t? A The brook at the bottom of my garden. I love fishing intricate little waterways! Q What’s your favourite fishing venue of all time? A The River Trent at Burton Joyce. Q What interests do you have outside of…

SUCH sad news that my old friend Jan Porter has passed away. I fished with ‘The Man in Red’ in his match fishing heyday when he became one of the first anglers to create a character for himself, almost a match fishing superhero. That was a very brave move because there are always snipers ready, but Jan carried it off with his smiling, gentle demeanour. When match fishing began its downward spiral with the decline of sport on all our great rivers Jan didn’t follow the flock, as most of us did, on to stillwater matches but re-invented himself as a specialist angler...literally ‘The Man in Camo’! He was heavily associated with the Shimano Tribal brand and even had a camo fishing van with a T21BAL licence plate. I’ve mentioned…

THIS WEEK’S WATERS 1 Angel of the North Fishing Lakes, Co Durham 2 Candy Corner Fisheries, S Yorks 3 Fields Farm Fishery, Cheshire 4 Hallcroft Fishery, Notts 5 Hambleton Fishery, Lancs 6 Lingmere Fishery, Merseyside 7 Viking Fishery, E Yorks 8 Bishops Bowl Fishery, Warks 9 Coppice Lane Pools, Staffs 10 Froggatts Pools, Shropshire 11 Mill Road Fishery, Norfolk 12 Modder Pools, W Mids 13 Northampton Nene AC, Northants 14 Sherwood Forest Fishery, Notts 15 Avalon Fisheries, Somerset 16 Furnace Brook Fishery, E Sussex 17 Oakley Road Fishery, London 18 Todber Manor Fishery, Dorset 19 Willows Lakes, Herts 20 Wylands International AC, E Sussex…

ANGEL OF THE NORTH, DURHAM Bowes Lake holds huge slabs in the deeper water. Target them with corn and pellets. Contact: 0191 410 0449 Postcode: DH3 1RF CANDY CORNER FISHERIES, S YORKS AJ’s offers carp, koi, golden tench, barbel, bream and ide. Contact: 01302 775062 Postcode: DN9 3DZ FIELDS FARM FISHERY, CHESHIRE The Big Beam Pool offers carp and silverfish. Fish 14m to the far bank with corn or pellet for carp to 10lb. Contact: 01270 753074 Postcode: CW11 4TE HALLCROFT FISHERY, NOTTS Moat and Bridge Pool are worth targeting their shoals of bream. Moat Pool has 190 pegs. Its bream are over 8lb. Contact: 01777 710448 Postcode: DN22 7RA HAMBLETON FISHERY, LANCS Features including reed-clad islands and margins. Fish 6mm expanders on Lodge Lake tight to a reedbed for…

STILLWATERS A1 PITS – SOUTH MUSKHAM FISHERY, NEWARK, NOTTINGHAMSHIRE Here anglers will find specimen carp and bream spread over multiple pits. Pit 4 is the best for runs, especially if you want to catch big slabs. Fish Method feeders with banded halibut pellets or fake corn on the hair to catch. Contact: 07970 209433 Postcode: NG23 6EQ ALVECHURCH FISHERIES, BIRMINGHAM, WEST MIDLANDS There are four pools to choose from here. Some 100lb-plus catches on Horseshoe Lake are falling on the Method feeder to the island with single or double red maggot on the hook. Expect carp to 14lb, barbel and crucian carp. Contact: 0121 4454274 Postcode: B45 8BW BODDINGTON RESERVOIR, DAVENTRY, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE Boddingtons is a Canal & River Trust-run venue containing a huge head of carp to over 20lb. Bomb,…

6mm pellets fished over micros. Pleasure anglers can have a red-letter day on Cary, which offers 100lb nets. PRICES: £8 a day, £6 concessions, £5 for juniors CONTACT: 01458 274022 or visit www.viaductfishery.com POSTCODE: TA11 6LJ WHAT makes Viaduct our recommended South fishery? Well, it’s producing 50lb nets of bream and 100lb-plus nets of carp across Campbell, Cary and Spring Lakes. The early pegs on Spring are fishing well for bream, with anglers taking fish to 5lb on banded…

Wood and Pathfield Lakes are in superb form, with current match weights well exceeding the 100lb barrier. Fishing to features is a vital tactic for bagging up so make sure you have an island line and a margin line prepped. Fish expanders over micros tight over and dead maggot over groundbait down the edge late out to take carp to double figures, F1s, tench and plenty of silvers. Contact: 01376 516383 or visit www.colemansfisheries.co.uk Location: CM8 3EX…

WITH double-figure tench, giant bream, once-in-a-lifetime roach and monster carp there are few better specimen fish venues than Linear. The 11-pool Oxfordshire venue is in fine form, and not just for big carp, as EastEnders star Scott Maslen showed in last week’s Angling Times with his 10lb 2oz tench. Back in January Angling Times reported the capture of a 3lb 2oz roach by a carp angler from Brasenose Two but Oxlease, Hardwick and Brasenose One also hold big redfins. BRASENOSE ONE CARP anglers are obsessed with long range carping in here so it may be worth fishing closer in for the tench, which run to 9lb, and bream, which go to a whopping 15lb. The car park end is the shallower side and fishes well in summer. The many carp…

FINE FLOATS You’ll need a fine bristled float to spot a crucian bite, such as these KC Carpa Silvers. Fishing close in you’re unlikely to need a float heavier than 4 x 16 (0.5g). BREAD Pick a thick white toastie type bread for your hookbait. The Warburtons version (in the orange and white packet) stays on the hook well. SOFT ELASTIC You’ll lose crucians if your elastic is too strong and tight. Pink (4-6) and orange (6-8) Hydrolastic are ideal, being light and hollow. LIGHT LINE Crucians rarely tolerate big hooks and thick lines, so it pays to fish light tackle. I favour 0.10mm or 0.11mm (around 2lb) Shimano Aspire Silk Shock hooklengths. PUNCH SELECTION My starting ploy is with a 7mm brass punch to make the bait. As more…

PVA BAG TRICKS Get the best out of PVA bags for carp. Steve reveals the secrets you need for bigger catches as he takes us through a bagging session at Boddington Reservoir. HYBRID HEAVEN Probably the most deadly tactic for carp right now, in this video you’ll learn how to fish a Hybrid feeder the right way with Steve’s expert advice. MATCH SECRETS Follow Steve as he takes us through the essential tricks which won him the last round of the Winter League at Meadowlands. See the whole series at GoFishingOnline…

MANY commercial fisheries insist that you use their own pellets bought on site. This can be a problem if you are accustomed to using other brands, but fortunately any type of pellet can be made to stick together well by following these six easy steps. Try this on your next trip! 1 Add a teaspoonful of Monster Crab flavour to a pint of water used to dampen your pellets. 2 Soak some 3mm fishery pellets in the flavoured water for around three minutes. 3 Pour the wet pellets on to a groundbait sieve so all the excess water runs though. 4 Allow the pellets to stand for 10 minutes. All the water soaks in and they soften right through. 5 Give the pellets a light dusting of sticky pellet powder,…

BAIT-TECH has added more products to its already impressive line-up of baits and feeds. New for 2016 are hookbaits in the award-winning big-carp Poloni Boilie range, as well as a unique salted Maple Spod Mix, and three flavours of Super CSL liquids. But it isn’t all about specialist carpers. New match baits include Sticky Method Pellets and a Poloni Method Mix that looks ideal for any commercial fishery that contains a head of carp. BLOODWORM LIQUID  This rich, thick liquid is made from real bloodworms, the single most natural, nutritious and attractive food for all fish. Add it to groundbaits and spod mixes, or use it to to soak pellets and particles. Price: £8.99 BIG CARP STICKY PELLETS  Easy to prepare and hugely appealing to all species of fish, Bait-Tech’s…

DONCASTER angler Adam Freeborn used a white Sticky Krill pop-up to fool this 33lb 10oz Northamptonshire common. GRANT Allen broke his pb with this 36lb 10oz common at Essex’s Fryerning Fisheries after prebaiting an unfancied swim. SWANSEA’S White Springs produced this 34lb 2oz common called Sonny for Hywell Lloyd-Jones as part of a three-fish hit. ALSO at White Springs, Jamie Ryan had two fish including this mirror known as Drop Tail at 32lb 6oz. KURT Tregale bagged this 19lb 4oz mirror from the Spit on Lodge Lake at Devon’s Stafford Moor complex. AT BEATTIES Lake on the same site, venue regular Julie Carnell caught this common while fishing with husband Adrian.…

THIS characterful 27lb mirror was caught from Lower Maynard on the Walthamstow complex by John Barnes on Sticky Manilla. A SOUTH Yorkshire stillwater gave firefighter John Smith this golden-coloured common weighing in at 23lb 8oz. THIS old mirror known as Bertie weighed 32lb 10oz and fell to Josh Daynes at Cambridgeshire’s Woolpack syndicate. YATELEY Sandhurst produced this 26lb 8oz mirror for Scott Dove over a heavily baited area of Sticky Manilla and pellets.…

What to look forward to... INSIDE this brilliant new 132-page book you’ll find a wealth of top tips and tactical advice from the biggest names in the sport. The world of carp fishing can seem a minefield, with complex rigs and bait recipes and confusing tackle choices. However, the easy-to-follow advice and well illustrated features in this book will dispel the myths and help you to put a new personal best on the bank! The book covers everything from choosing the right rod, reel and terminal tackle, to picking the best bait and tying top quality rigs. You’ll learn to cast like a pro, and how best to play big carp so that you never lose another one! What’s more, the Expert Masterclass taps into the knowledge of some the…

THE Angling Trust and Fish Legal joined forces to help flood-hit anglers in Cumbria who got an unpleasant shock when the River Kent’s water levels finally began to fall this spring. A cloudy discharge of sewage effluent became evident, gushing from temporary outfall pipes at United Utilities’ Kendal Waste Water Treatment Works, which had suffered serious damage from Storm Desmond. The Lake District beauty spot, which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Special Area of Conservation (SAC), is an important river for salmon and trout fishing. Following the intervention of the Angling Trust and Fish Legal, remedial works that were going to take up to a year are now due to be completed by the end of May to stop the ongoing pollution. HELP A FRIEND GET…

KENT’S River Medway will play host to a mini-festival this July. The two-day event will offer an entry-dependent £500 first prize decided on overall weight, meaning that you can go from zero to hero by catching a few after a bad first day! It’s fished on Barming section on Saturday and Sunday July 2 and 3. Entry is limited to 50 pegs with tickets at £40 all in, alongside an optional £10 super pool across the weekend. To book in, call Mick Roberts on 07703 431930 or email mickroberts59@gmail.com OUR ALL-NEW MATCH RESULTS WEBSITE IS LIVE! UPDATED DAILY www.atmatchresults.com…

OUR PICK OF THE WEEK BLUNDELL’S FISHERY ROVER (SAT) East Lodge & Trio Pools (30 pegs) Weights took a dip in the cold on Saturday and Paul Coyle found his 63-9-0 enough to win as he picked peg 9 on the East Lodge and fished pellet tight across at 14m to land carp to 5lb plus F1s. That relegated Stuart Carroll into second on Trio Pool peg 13, where he worked a Method feeder and banded pellet against the island to take 61-10-0 of carp to 3lb and F1s. Result:1 P Coyle, Preston Innovations, 63-9-0; 2 S Carroll, Matrix Leigh Tackle & Bait, 61-10-0; 3 J Rodgers, Leigh Tackle & Bait, 57-9-0; 4 J Kerwin, Fisherman’s Way Bury, 41-8-0; 5 D McGuire, Mosella/Ted Carter Preston, 39-1-0; 6 A Sharman, Garbolino…

A COUPLE of rounds ago the Pups side looked out of contention to defend the title they win last year, but a superb final few matches, including this one, saw them just squeak home by a single point to win again with 79 points against Drennan Bordon Angling’s 80, Pups winning the match with an impressive four man nine point tally. They were led by the top two individuals, Zac Brown (right) winning with 170-8-0 of carp, F1s and barbel from peg 67 on Lake 2 where he caught on pellet at 14m and meat at 5m. Robbie Taylor finished second with 162-0-0, although he could even have won had he not gone 14lb over in one of his nets to be knocked back! Result: 1 Z Brown, Pups, 170-8-0;…

“Catching what you could, while you could, was going to be vital” DRENNAN Barnsley Blacks are beginning to like the Angling Trust Stillwater Championship event. Having won two and finished second in the previous three matches, the Yorkshire side chalked up victory number three on a cold Lindholme complex by the narrowest of margins. Scoring 193 points, Barnsley took the gold medals and the prize money by just a point from Matrix Dynamite Baits Trentmen, with Drennan NW taking an eventual third after a results mix-up following the presentation. They ended up just two points adrift of Trentmen. Despite being shorn of some world-class talent, including Alan Scotthorne and Matt Godfrey, Barnsley showed the awesome strength that their squad needed to win. But it was never going to be easy…

I MUST have been about 13, and casting a spinner at the time, when an old fisherman offered perhaps the best and worst of all angling advice: ‘You won’t catch many fish without taking a risk or two.’ A quarter of a century later I’ve certainly managed to catch a few – it’s just that I shudder to even imagine the number of lures, floats and flies I’ve lost in the process. You could probably restock half a tackle shop with my various accidents. Nor am I the only one. Take a glimpse at any craggy waterway and you’ll find a whole collection of random losses. Some of them result from unlucky casts that missed by that mere inch. Others fall into the ‘how the heck did they manage that?’…