Innholdsfortegnelse for 5th August 2015 i Angling Times

FISH O’Mania is to undergo the biggest revamp in its history after organisers revealed new plans that will see the winner scoop £50,000. Every element of match fishing’s premier event – now in its 23rd year – is set to be transformed, but a change in the format of the final is arguably the most significant of them all. Next year, a semi-final on the Friday will see 32 qualifiers fish against each other, with the top 16 going through to the final the day after to compete for a first prize that has been increased from £30,000 to a massive £50,000. And in a bold move, the traditional final draw will be replaced by a rover format with the semi-final winner getting first choice of pegs, the runner-up second…

BARBEL anglers are smashing their personal bests as some of the nation’s premier venues begin to hit top form. Conditions have tested UK specimen anglers with many rivers running low and clear, but rivers such as the Trent, Severn and Wye have been producing exceptional fish for travelling anglers. The best fish of the week sets a new personal best for Trent fanatic Steven Dawber when he won the battle with a 15lb 5oz specimen. A feederfished halibut pellet tipped with a piece of imitation corn proved to be the winning tactic for the 18-year-old from Worksop, who beat the fish with 15lb mainline, a 10lb monofilament hooklink and a size 8 hook. “I fish this river at least once a week because the sheer number of big barbel is…

PROLIFIC bagging water Arran’s Lake once again produced the biggest weight of the year when Phil Spry hauled out a colossal 897lb during a recent match. Fishery rules at the Essex complex insist on six-hour matches being split into two with a weigh-in at half time and the Hertfordshire rod netted 430lb in the first session before going even better in the afternoon with 467lb. All his carp to 9lb were taken on meat at close range. His nearest rival was more than 400lb behind.…

ROBBIE Northman proved that you don’t have to fish quiet, secluded spots to catch the biggest fish when he slipped the net under this 6lb 2oz chub. Fishing the River Wensum in Norwich town centre, he cast a slug hookbait towards a small bush growing from concrete on the popular wall and it was soon taken by the new personal best. He beat the specimen with 8lb mainline and a size 6 hook, while friend Jordan Lee Mortlock also got in on the action when he also broke his pb with a chub of 4lb 10oz.…

SITTING it out for bonus fish paid off for Mark Newman when he banked an 11lb 12oz barbel during a match on the Warwickshire Avon. Drawn on peg 33 at Evesham in the Wychavon Champs qualifier, he used the maggot feeder and landed several eels and perch before the double-figure specimen found his hookbait. His total weight of 15lb 4oz was enough to gain second place, with Shakespeare Superteam’s Tony Marshall securing pole position with 15lb 15oz of roach from peg 19.…

IF the saying: “The sun always shines on the righteous” is true, then I must be one of the ‘wrongeous’. While helping out with some angling participation events it rained almost non-stop. On the first we had one month’s worth of rain in 12 hours, on the second there was less rain but a northerly wind kept the temperature down to 13ºC. But we still had takers! The first was a ‘launch’ day for the new Get Hooked on Fishing project at Alders Farm fishery near Milton Keynes. New owners, Lewis and Charlotte and fishery manager Trevor Price, have put in a huge amount of work and the place looks a picture. They have also replaced many of the tatty carp and other fish with new stock. Despite the rain,…

A VENUE has banned fishing in the margins because it’s too easy – not the first if memory serves (see page 5). I’m all for making angling a challenge but if the fish want to be there it’s bonkers not to be allowed to fish for them. There have been suggestions of reducing fish numbers but that won’t work, guaranteed, unless they are all removed. Carp love margins, whether that’s islands out of reach, or the near bank. It’s as simple as that. Taking some out will reduce overall catches but I’ll bet the margin munters favour the same locations. Perhaps the answer is to remove all carp. – and all anglers at the same time, because carp are what most anglers want to catch!…

THIS WEEK’S 2FOR1 WATERS 1 Aldin Grange Farm Fishery, Durham 2 Grange Park Fisheries, North Lincs 3 Gweryd Lakes, Denbighshire 4 Lakeside Fishery, Nottinghamshire 5 Lingmere Fishery, Merseyside 6 Lloyds Meadow Fishery, Cheshire 7 Rosemary Wood Fishery, Lancashire 8 Buttonhole Lake, Cambridgeshire 9 Coppice Lane Pools, Staffordshire 10 Makins Fishery, Warwickshire 11 Stanwick Lakes, Northamptonshire 12 Waterloo Farm Leisure, Leics 13 Watermeadows Fishery, Lincolnshire 14 Woodland View, Worcestershire 15 Greensands Day Ticket Fishery, Beds 16 Orchard Place Farm Fishing Lakes, Kent 17 Puddledock Farm Fishery, Essex 18 Todber Manor Fisheries, Dorset 19 Windmill Fishery, Bristol 20 Oakfield Fishery, Buckinghamshire Turn to find out how these waters are fishing, plus loads more in your area…

IF YOU’VE GOT A CATCH TO REPORT CALL OUR HOTLINE ON 01733 395103 RIVERS AND CANALS RIVER YARE, LANGLEY, NORFOLK Groundbait feeder tactics working well for nets of bream and skimmers from the pegs on the boards. Contact:Angling Direct Norwich, 01603 400870 Prices:£4 a day on the bank, Great Yarmouth AC MIDDLE LEVEL DRAIN, KINGS LYNN, NORFOLK Nets of skimmers to 25lb have been recorded at Peppers. Bream to 4lb have been showing in mixed nets between St Peters and Neepes. Contact:Shipshape Tackle, 01553 764058 Prices:£5, Kings Lynn AA RIVER NENE, OUNDLE, NORTHANTS The rugby field bend is worth a visit for a bag of roach, perch and dace. Try polefished caster or hemp over groundbait. Contact:Wades Tackle, 01733 565159 Prices:£5, Oundle AS RIVER SEVERN, BRIDGNORTH, SHROPS The day-ticket golf…

REGARDED by many as one of the best specimen fisheries in the South, Churchwood certainly has the goods to produce your next personal best. And we don’t just mean carp, as there are catfish, crucians, tench, roach, rudd and perch to large sizes. You are well catered for at an angler-friendly lodge where you can microwave food, charge your phone or simply relax. JENKINS LAKE ONLY two anglers at a time can fish this lake so you need to book a place – worthwhile because the fishing is incredible. The swim with the old oak tree is a hotspot and features a deep 8ft hole to the right. Big boilies or pellets will tempt both carp and catfish into feeding in this area. The margins or the aerator are also…

1 LIGHT FEEDING IS CRUCIAL (BUT REMEMBER TO MAKE A NOISE!) THE great thing about this method is that you can pretty much start a swim up from scratch. I will look to drip a few hard pellets in via a big pot 30 minutes or so before I’m ready to have a look down the edge. Then, when I make the switch I will pot 6-8 pellets over the top of the float. This needs to be done from a height so the pellets make a proper plop as they hit the water because it’s this noise that helps to pull the fish into the swim. If I don’t get any signs after two minutes I'll drip another 6-8 pellets in. As I’m not feeding lots of bait it’s…

WHEN I came up with the RiverFest idea I wanted to create something special that all river anglers would like to be a part of. The past two years have proven that it was wanted because the demand for places has been incredible. We’re now into year three and the competition has already seen some amazing matches. The latest qualifier on the Trent at Holme Marsh saw a new top weight for the competition when Alistair Ogilvie put 162lb 5oz of bream on the scales from a swim in the famous weir field. More huge weights followed, but RiverFest works on three different zones for qualification to the final, so there was plenty to go at for those not drawn on the hot pegs. I drew peg 81 in the…

1 FIND a large bucket or sealed tub. The bigger the container, the more stable the environment will be, and the better the worms produced. 2 DRILL 6mm holes in the lid and the base to ensure a decent flow of water through the container, and so the water will not collect in the base. 3 PUT pebbles in the bottom of the container and then start to fill it with layers of damp newspaper and soil. 4 ADD a few pieces of potato skin to the top of the tub to encourage the worms to feed. 5 EVERY few days sprinkle some water into the tub, then replace the lid. Check for any dead worms laying on the surface of the soil. 6 STORE the wormery in a dark…

WHEN you are choosing your baits, just how much thought do you put into their colour? If your answer is ‘not a lot!’ then you need to change the way you think, as colour can make a massive difference to your results. Fish may not see colour in the same way as humans, but the fact is that certain bait colours work better than others in different conditions. Here’s our guide to some of the best baits to use in both clear and coloured water. FAVOURITE OPTIONS FOR SUCCESS COLOURED-WATER BAITS RED MICRO PELLETS THERE are lots of products on the market that will dye your baits and red is definitely a winner in coloured water. Dampen your micro pellets and then add a couple of teaspoons of your chosen…

NAME: Amer Jawad AGE: 46 FAVOURITE SPECIES: Roach FAVOURITE VENUE: Chestnut Pool Fishery BIGGEST WEIGHT OF FISH: 306lb of carp from Rolf’s Lake, Oxfordshire IN MY CD PLAYER: Foo Fighters GREEDY, crafty and a fish that loves to find snags – that’s how I would sum up wild river chub. I’ve loved to fish for the species ever since I was a boy when I’d catch them on the upper reaches of the River Severn and its Welsh tributaries. Chub are a shoal fish and tend to gather in bigger shoals when they are smaller. Once they reach 3lb-plus I usually find they swim in small shoals or even just pairs. I’ve fished swims that have screamed chub to look at, and also swims that seem unlikely to produce, and…

CHUB LEUCISCUS CEPHALUS OFFICIAL BRITISH RECORD  9lb 5oz by Andy Maker from a Southern stillwater, 2007 IDENTIFICATION  SMALL chub have very silvery flanks but, as the fish matures, it takes on a grey-brown or dark green back with pale gold or bronze flanks in some venues. Its most notable feature is its mouth with huge white rubbery lips and blunt snout, below a thickset head. Smaller chub can be confused with dace that have concave anal and dorsal fins, compared to the convex fins of the chub. The large tail fin is a blue-grey forked paddle that gives the fish its acceleration and strong fighting qualities. From above you can identify chub in the water as this fin appears to have a black outline. BEST BAITS  CHUB will take all…

CARP brand Nash has just introduced these two new compact big-pit reels. The multi-bearing BP4 fast drag is the smaller of them and looks the ideal partner for lighter test-curve Nash Scope and Dwarf rods, including the popular Sawn-Off and Dwarf 6ft models. Versatile enough to handle anything from floaterfishing, commercial fishery work, and even drop-shotting and light lure tactics. The BP4 is also said to be equally at home with tench and bream as well as hefty carp. The larger bodied and spooled BP6 combines big-pit reel performance with micro-engineering at its best. A single turn of the multi-disk drag system takes the BP6 from virtually freespool tension to almost fully locked, making it ideal for snag fishing. The reel’s clinical flat line lay ensures long, smooth casting. Built…

KIT yourself out with every float you’ll need this season with our exclusive offers from Premier Floats. With summer fishing in full swing there’s no better time to stock up on gear – and these superb sets are perfect for commercial carp, rivers, and traditional stillwater fishing. Family-run business Premier prides itself on quality handmade products, and these floats are finished to the highest possible standards. There are seven sets to choose from this week, from carp-proof commercial fishery patterns to river sets for chub, roach, and barbel, and a complete set of Locslide leger floats. SET 1 25 ASSORTED FLOATS AND STORAGE TUBE A SET of 25 assorted British-made river and lake floats containing a mix of river, stillwater, commercial carp, and classic patterns. These floats come in a…

ADAM Penning’s run of good form has continued with the capture of this magnificent 47lb 6oz mirror. The former Thinking Tackle presenter caught the long mirror, which measured more than 4ft from mouth to tail, just a couple of weeks after banking new zig and floater-caught personal bests. This latest fish, which came from an exclusive Essex syndicate, is the same one that Terry Hearn caught in September 2013 at a weight of 45lb 10oz. It is one of the lake’s most elusive residents. He told fans on his Facebook page: “Yesterday evening I had a meeting with a carp that I have been chasing [for] the last few months. “Finally, he gave himself up – the first time he’s been caught in almost a year. He weighed 47lb 6oz…

IF YOU need proof that unfancied stretches of canal can produce big carp then Dan Sibley’s debut-session common might just convince you to go exploring. On his first session on the Grand Union Canal, the 21-year-old snared this 29lb 14oz common and a scaly 18lb 2oz mirror. He said: “I was completely knocked back at what was lying at the bottom of my net – I had just had a scraper-thirty from the canal! I had thought I’d be catching doubles but how wrong I was – truly a trip I will never forget!” The Leicester angler’s success came after he recalled some rumours he heard a number of years ago, and a long period of pre-baiting. After an initial fruitless search, a non-angling work colleague told of him fish…

ONE of Britian’s most recognisable carp has died. The Royal Forty, which resided in London’s Richmond Park Lake, has been caught by a number of top anglers including Terry Hearn and Ritchie McDonald over the last two decades. Its distinctive dorsal fin and habit of being caught on June 16 endeared the fish to many carp anglers. Former captor Lewis Read told Angling Times: “The Royal was a spectacular long chestnut mirror, reputed to be of the Leney legacy – it certainly had the physical traits – and was for a long time probably the carp in South London to angle for. “It was a wonderful carp that was pretty eccentric – shy of anglers but happy to put up with the din and disturbance of the park on the…

DES GETS TO GRIPS WITH SOME SEVERN BARBEL YOUR LATEST CATCHES IN OUR KINGFISHER CLUB TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE IN THIS WEEK’S QUIZ KEEP A CLOSE EYE OUT FOR SNARES ON YOUR WATERS We run a small community pond in a deprived area of Liverpool. Three friends and I have started maintenance on the pond and arranged stocking and are really excited about the project ahead. But we keep finding snares around the pond. We have removed them and informed the Environment Agency who will collect them. We have a large Eastern European community and we suspect they may be involved in these actions. Keep a close eye on your lakes or your stocks could suddenly start to dwindle. Steve Blackall, email WELL DONE ADAM! First of all, I would like…

MY son Connor is nine and plays rugby in St Helens, Merseyside, where the training pitch runs alongside the old St Helens Canal. While he is training, I often walk the dog near the old canal. At the bottom of the Staircase Lock there is a small pool where I noticed a couple of carp and a few decent bream. I showed them to Connor after training, and the following day we decided to try and catch them, so we loaded up the push bikes with a short rod, a pint of maggots and a few bits. Connor caught a small tench, a perch, two bream and a few roach while catapulting bait everywhere! We started to pack up as it was getting dark, when the rod arched over and…

FOLLOW Angling Times on Twitter at @angling_timesand Angling Times Editor Steve Fitzpatrick on @AnglingTimesEdfor all the latest news and competitions. ‘Like’ our Facebook page www.facebook.com/anglingtimesfor weekly competitions, news, a first look at new products and much, much more. Fishing on the box River Monsters: Untold Stories Tuesday 4 August 6pm Jeremy Wade reveals how fish have evolved deadly weapons, from stabbing spines to toxic barbs and electric shocks. The Ultimate Fishing Show Wednesday 5 August 11:30pm Following angling adventures aboard the Ultimate Lady, which features a variety of gadgets. Jungle Hooks Thursday 6 August 6am The quest for the largest freshwater fish – the mighty Amazonian pirarucu. Jeremy Wade gets up close and personal. On Coarse with Dean Macey Thursday 6 August 5pm Olympic decathlete Dean Macey goes in search…

If your match allows them, they can beat every other bait and method hands down – as Jack Fitzpatrick proved by winning his White Hart Dagenham club’s match at Tyler’s Common with a massive 437-12-0 of carp on the pole and biscuit approach. It must have been a good decision too because second-placed matchman Ron Bullard and third man Michael Elsom used the same approach to also bag 400lb weights!…

Tuesday, August 4 Acorn Fishery Tuesday Tenner, Kingston Seymour - Mike 01179 497310 Aston Park Fisheries, Sheffi eld - Alex 07743 845737 Coleman’s Cottage Fishery, Witham – Gerry 01376 516383 Daiwa Hallcroft Fishery, Retford – Nick 01777 710448 Decoy, Eastrea – Di 01733 202230 Garbolino Lindholme Lakes, Epworth – Neil 01427 872905 Great Yarmouth DAA, River Yare – Andy 07990 572729 Heronbrook Fisheries, Slindon – Neil 07879 441282 Ivy House Lakes, Grittenham - Andy 07977 093170 Janson’s, Elton - 07976 317864 Kobra, Dynamite Baits Makin’s Fishery, Wolvey – John 07749 284823 Little John Lakes, Ollerton - Steve 07715 096738 Meadow View Fisheries OAP & Dis, Warrington – Brian 01925 757985 Moorlands Farm, Kidderminster - Mal 07967 107913 Oaks, Sessay - Chris 07885 553323 Old Hough Fishery, Middlewich – Doug 07976…

White Acres Residents Rover (Thurs) All lakes (54 pegs) TARDIS Tackle man Kev Hale won the rover with a massive 200-13-0 of carp from peg 15 on the Twin Oaks Lake, where he used pellet feeder and banded 8mm pellet cast to the far bank. Dan Simper was on next door peg 17, ending up second with 161-0-0 of carp using Method feeder and pellet across and meat in the margins. Result:1 K Hale, Tardis Tackle, 200-13-0; 2 D Simper, Frenzee/ Bag’em Baits, 161-0-0; 3 B Pelling, Ashton Angling Supplies, 154-10-0; 4 S Taylor, Welly Ex-Servicemen’s Club, 140-8-0; 5 A Pickford, Sheffield, 114-3-0; 6 I Mansfield, Noah’s Ark, 113-3-0. Lady:K Sellars, 74-9-0. Junior:B Broadhurst, 60-0-0.…

This latest qualifier took in a new stretch to this year’s event and it promised some bumper sport from the resident bream shoals, which didn’t disappoint! All the talk at the draw was about the famous Weir Field pegs from 4 to 13, and these pegs produced the top four in the match. Winner on the day was Maver Image man and Trent regular Alistair Ogilvie on peg 5 from where he plundered over 40 bream to 5lb to run away with the match and book his place in the prestigious final with a weight of 162-5-0, all of his slabs taken on the groundbait feeder with worm and caster fished at 50 yards. Second on the day was Kamasan Starlets river expert Hadrian Whittle on peg 9. Hadrian had…

Angling Trust Veterans National Championship 2015 (Weds) Dynamite Baits Makins Fishery (157 pegs) ENGLAND Veterans International Roger Marlow lifted the silverware after weighing in 118-12-0 from corner peg 15 on Lake 5, where he was one of the few to catch steadily all day. Fishing 8mm banded pellet and maggot on the pole at 5m and down the edge later in the match, the Drennan Leicester Sensas angler caught 22 carp to 12lb and plenty of skimmers. Jeff Church, at peg 33 on the Lizard Lake, also netted carp to 12lb and skimmers fishing paste and meat on the pole down the edge to finish second with 93-12-0. Result:1 R Marlow, Drennan Leicester Sensas, 118-12-0; 2 J Church, Coleman’s Bait & Tackle, 93-12-0; 3 T Phillips, Attleborough Sports, 88-0-0; jt4…

KDAA Bewdley Angling Festival (Mon, Weds & Fri) River Severn, Bewdley (75 pegs) A BIG winning weight on the opening day of this festival helped Steve Colwell to victory and the £1,500 first prize, the Sussex angler finishing with a three-day aggregate of 68-11-0 to just get ahead of local lad Steve Rowen’s 66-12-0, which earned him £1,000. Winner Colwell kicked off the festival with 51-4-0 from peg D4 to win on Monday, netting barbel and chub on the feeder with meat and pellet. Friday saw him take second overall with 17-5-0 – three barbel on pellet from peg 1 – to see him home. Wednesday winner was Mark’s Tackle man Jason Williams with 35-3-0 of barbel on bomb and meat from peg 113. Friday’s honours went to Barford AA’s…

DRENNAN’S Lee Klimczuk is no stranger to tasting success in Ireland, sharing thousands of pounds in winnings with his travelling partner Mark Pollard in recent years. The Cambridgeshire man added another £3,500 to that tally after winning this five-day event with a weight aggregate of 61-210. Hitting the front after Day 3 to lead, Lee held on despite fierce competition from those just behind him, sealing the win a section-winning 14-620 from the White Island section to see him end up more than six kilos clear. The pole, as opposed to the feeder, seemed to be the better approach across the various sections, feeding heavily with maggots instead of the more standard worm and caster approach, targeting roach and hybrids. Nets of 15kg on Days 2 and 3 helped put…

A TIGHT finish to this event, which is Ireland’s oldest one-day championship, saw local angler Fergal Smith lift the trophy with an 11-000 net from Killykeen, depriving World Pairs winner Cathal Hughes by just 200g! Fergal’s net included roach, skimmers and hybrids that he took on a small groundbait feeder with maggot and the pole at 11m, using the same bait over groundbait with worm and caster. Cathal, on the Town Lake, had to settle for second place with a 10-800 haul of mainly skimmers on the pole and feeder. Top lady angler was Mary Tigwell with 6-300, which included two tench from Killykeen. Result: 1 F Smith, Killeshandra, 11-000; 2 C Hughes, Daiwa/Bait-Tech, 10-800; 3 B Nesbitt, Eastbourne, 9-740; 4 L Symonds, Killeshandra, 9-320; 5 B Smith, Eniskillen, 8-520;…

MONDAY TO SATURDAY Blundell’s Fishery Rover (Thurs PM) East & West Lodges, Ash & Pine Pools (16 pegs) Result: 1 C Mullholland, JW Pole Repairs, 83-14-0; 2 K Rich, Middy, 82-0-0; 3 K Webster, Urmston, 71-7-0. Fleets Dam (Weds) Barnsley (14 pegs) Result: 1 G Tissington, Barnsley, 38-10-0; 2 R Firth, Barnsley, 31-3-0; 3 S Saxton, Fleets Dam, 27-14-0. Fleets Dam Barnsley (15 pegs) Result: 1 G Tissington, Barnsley, 50-13-0; 2 S Gelder, Barnsley, 34-2-0; 3 D Wright, Barnsley, 32-0-0. Highfield Fisheries Beech Lake (18 pegs) Result: 1 N Lumb, Highfield, 137-6-0; 2 P Cassons, Ted Carter Preston, 81-8-0; 3 B Peggs, Gerry’s of Morecambe, 79-8-0. Highfield Fisheries Rover (Tues PM) Oak & Beech Lakes (15 pegs) Result: 1 B Smith, Highfield, 52-4-0; 2 G Carter, Ted Carter Preston, 49-10-0;…

Hooked for Heroes Garbolino Lindholme Lakes, Beeches, Strip, Loco, Laurels & Benny’s Lakes (132 pegs) THE Hooked for Heroes match concept is growing and growing, and although this original flagship event at Lindholme is still held annually, many more fundraisers are also springing up. Organised by David Stott and his team, the matches raise money for the Help For Heroes charity, and often have ex-servicemen and women taking part. The Lindholme match itself raised £2,725 for the cause, and it was local angler Ryan Lidgard who took the spoils on the day with a cracking 145-12-0 of mainly F1s from peg 2 on the Loco Lake. Benefiting from a bit of space, Ryan took around 30lb of fish on hard pellets fished on the bottom, before coming up-in-the-water and finding…

Editor-in-Chief Steve Fitzpatrick – 01733 395097steve.fitzpatrick@bauermedia.co.uk Deputy Editor Kevin Wilmot – 01733 395098kevin.wilmot@bauermedia.co.uk Deputy Editor James Furness – 01733 395104james.furness@bauermedia.co.uk Editorial Secretary Mary-Ann Payne – 01733 395105mary-ann.payne@bauermedia.co.uk Tackle Editor Mark Sawyer – 01733 395107mark.sawyer@bauermedia.co.uk Features Editor Richard Grange – 01733 395109richard.grange@bauermedia.co.uk Features Editor Mark Parker – 01733 395140mark.parker@bauermedia.co.uk Senior Feature Writer Ben Fisk – 01733 395101ben.fisk@bauermedia.co.uk News Editor Ben Miles – 01733 395102ben.miles@bauermedia.co.uk Senior Reporter Thom Airs – 01733 395106thom.airs@bauermedia.co.uk Senior Reporter Tony Grigorjevs – 01733 395100tony.grigorjevs@bauermedia.co.uk Senior Reporter Mark Peck – 01733 395103mark.peck@bauermedia.co.uk News Reporter Ian Jones – 01733 395111ian.jones@bauermedia.co.uk Digital Media Manager Rose Lloyd – 01733 395108rose.lloyd@bauermedia.co.uk Head of photography Mick Rousemick.rouse@bauermedia.co.uk Staff photographer Lloyd Rogerslloyd.rogers@bauermedia.co.uk Studio photographer Jacques Portaljacques.portal@bauermedia.co.uk Join us online at www.gofishing.co.uk Twitter @Angling_Times @AnglingTimesEd www.facebook.com/anglingtimes GOT A STORY? GIVE US A CALL! 01733 395105…

A FREE scheme aimed at rewarding clubs for their hard work in local communities has been launched. The Angling Trust has created Fishmark that will be handed to associations which can display they are managed properly, taking child protection seriously and promoting equality. Gaining accreditation will provide the successful organisations with numerous benefits, including better access to professional coaching, and support on links with schools to help bolster membership. Any club that is a member of the governing body can apply. Find out more by calling 01568 620447.…

MANY young anglers begin their fishing careers with a few small roach or perch, but Oliver Smith took six barbel to 9lb as well as this fine 5lb 4oz chub in a recent session. The four-year-old from Boston, Lincolnshire, put his dad to shame during the outing on a section of the River Trent by catching the fish on a slice of hair-rigged Peperami. Oliver’s dad, Chris, said: “He completely annihilated me! I had four barbel and he had six, plus the big chub. He picked the rod he wanted to fish with and decided where it was going to be cast. I’ve got to admit that Oliver is already a better angler than me and beat me fair and square.”…

WELL done to young Ryan Hayden for wanting to catch a barbel on the float (see pages 20/21). I’ve caught hundreds over the years, the majority on float gear, but this is becoming rarer as many anglers consider barbel the equivalent of carp, the only difference is they seek barbel in rivers. Same rods, reels and bait! Nothing – and I mean nothing – in UK freshwater fishing is more exciting than watching a float go under, striking and the tip just staying there until the fish encounters resistance then off it goes. If they can be persuaded upstream there is a better than average chance of landing them. If they go the other way – well, patience, skill and a full spool is the answer – although there is…

IF YOU’VE GOT A CATCH TO REPORT CALL OUR HOTLINE ON 01733 395103 RIVERS & CANALS LEEDS & LIVERPOOL CANAL, BURSCOUGH, LANCS 15lb nets of skimmers and roach showing. Fish bread on one line, hemp on another for roach. Contact:Sam’s Tackle, 01942 322085 Prices:£2 on the bank, Wigan DAA BRIDGEWATER CANAL, LEIGH, LANCS Pegs on Marsland Green Basin producing quality fish on worm and caster, mainly bream to 4lb. Contact:Leigh Tackle, 01942 604125 Prices:£2.50 a day on the bank, Leigh DAA LEVEN CANAL, SANDHOLME, E YORKS Bags of small fish on the pole here fishing maggot over groundbait. Expect roach and rudd to over 1lb. Contact:01964 543528 Prices:£4 a day from Sandholme Caravan Park RIVER CALDER, MIRFIELD, W YORKS The Sands Lane stretch produced some cracking weights in a recent…

TWIN OAKS LAKES (36 PEGS) THESE two canal-styled strips are full of carp to 5lb. The Method feeder to the far bank and pole short or in the margins are hot tactics. NELSON’S LAKE (24 PEGS) SOME of the biggest carp on site reside in this specimen water, with fish over 20lb regularly falling. From the 45 fish that are stocked in here, there are several ghost carp over 20lb, with the best recorded at 27lb. TRELAWNEY LAKE (32 PEGS) DEAD maggot, corn and pellets down the edge can find lumps to double figures later in the day. There is also a large head of F1s, barbel, skimmers, roach and perch. CANAL LAKE (20 PEGS) A HUGE head of F1s make sure that you are never waiting long for the…

HOOKLENGTH  My hook choice is a size 18 Guru LWG eyed with a bait band sitting just off the back of the bend of the hook. Hooklength is 4ins of 0.13mm N-Gauge line. SHOTTING  I use a strung bulk of No10 shot with the bottom shot set 5ins from the hook and the rest of the droppers spaced at 1.5ins intervals above it. LIGHT FLOAT  Fishing light is key when using hard pellets down the edge, so my float choice is a 4x10 KC Carpa Ape float to an 0.15mm N-Gauge mainline – perfect for 2-5lb carp. WHEN fishing hard pellets in the edge I’m a big believer in working the rig to make a fish ‘have it’ instead of waiting for one to do so. The best way of…

AFTER a patchy start to the season, things are now settling down and it would appear that there are some good weights to be had from many of our rivers. This week, we’re looking at swims where there is smooth pace and depths from 4ft to 8ft. Swims like these at this time of the year normally hold plenty of fish as the water is well oxygenated and even if the river is running clear, the depth gives the fish confidence to still feed. My favourite way of tackling a swim like this is with an Alloy Dome sticks in sizes ranging from 2No4 up to 8No4. I hardly ever use No4 shot for floats of these sizes though as I much prefer to break down the load into smaller…

Getting the best from this section Rigs Species Baits Float Venues Feeder Tackle Pole HOW TO MAKE ‘SLOP’ 1 The day before your session, tip a bag of groundbait into a bowl before adding a full kettle full of boiling water. Allow it to cool. 2 Mix the water in using your hands. At first it will look like an over wetted mess but placing it in the fridge overnight will help it set. 3 By morning the mix should be stiff enough to mould into a ball and throw, but sloppy enough to explode when it hits water. 4 Feed a small nugget on a regular basis and you will create a fish-attracting cloud in the water. “It can work for a number of species, but it is most…

OPEN-END FEEDER Phil’s feeder sat at the end of a home-made link set-up incorporating fluorocarbon and crimps. HOOKLENGTH Hooklength was 6lb to a Kamasan B983 size 12 hook. Phil’s was tied to a twisted boom to eliminate tangles. HOOKBAIT CHOICE Small boilies or sweetcorn will always sort out the bigger fish. Phil’s first ‘two’ fell to corn. THERE are many angling benchmarks where a fish becomes a ‘specimen’ or even a ‘fish of a lifetime’ and the most classic of them all is a 2lb roach. While many species have steadily grown in size, the magical status of a 2lb roach has stood the test of time. A 2lb roach means as much to an angler of the 1960s as it does today. My friend Phil Nicholls had long harboured…

CHUB can be very crafty one minute and incredibly bold the next, making them something of an enigma when it comes to choosing the right tackle and feeding strategy. However, I’m not a fan of scaling down tackle or cutting back on bait in summer as I always count on the fish being in an aggressive mood. Plenty of maggots or casters and hemp, sensible hooks and line and a powerful enough rod to persuade fish out of snags are must-haves and use a deep landing net to restrain them! LOADS OF MAGGOTS  SOMETHING you should never be short of for chub is plenty of maggots – it pays to carry several pints. Two or three pints simply isn’t enough to get through the small fish and switch on the…

WHILE it may be tempting to rig up a feeder or bomb rod to cast up against far bank cover on a river, the float will offer so much more versatility. Because chub are a fish that can feed anywhere from a few inches deep to on the bottom, the angler who presents a bait falling through the water and constantly drifting through the swim with the flow has more chance of catching than the one adopting a static feeder approach. On a typical chub session I will set up two waggler rods using straight peacock floats, one to fish with the bait dragged along the riverbed and the other to try and catch chub that have come up in the water to get the loosefeed. The stick float can…

CONSTRUCTION The Super 36 features a sturdy back panel that not only enhances the look of the box, but also adds strength. FITTINGS The Matrix clips used on the new Super 36 are sturdy and have been long-proven to work effortlessly. SPIRIT-LEVEL SEAT The comfortable pole seat features a built-in spirit level to ensure that the box is properly set up. LEGS The legs on the Super 36 have an increased diameter for extra stability. FITTINGS The new box features snag-free fittings all round. IF THE amount of interest this new seatbox caused among the match anglers in the Angling Times office is anything to go by, then innovative match brand Matrix looks all set to take the seatbox market by storm with the release of its new Super 36…

A NEW day-ticket water produced two different fifties in a week. Meadows Lake at Holme Fen Fishery in Cambridgeshire only opened to the public last month but has already produced a number of huge fish. Ryan Randles had the mirror known as Captain Jack at 55lb, while England international Mark Bartlett bagged a fish at 53lb 12oz (above) – the first time it has been caught at over 50lb. Said Mark: “I was there fishing with Mark Jarvis, who kindly supported the Predation Action Group by making a donation to fish with me on a session for 48 hours. We tackled the large gravel pit by finding an area where there was less weed and it was a small spot where we introduced around 20kg of hemp, pellets, sweetcorn and…

ENGLAND’S new international carp team has been completed with the addition of a venue expert ahead of this year’s World Champs on the River Ebro. Manager Rob Hughes had previously announced seven of the eight-man squad and has now confirmed Paul Booth as his final man. Paul lives in Spain and runs Ebro Crazy Cats guiding trips. “It’s an honour and privilege to have been picked as part of the squad and I hope my knowledge of the river will help bring back a victory,” he said. The World Champs will take place in October but England will begin practising this month. The other seven team members are Harry Charrington, Alexei Bygrave, Billy Flowers, Jamie Londors, Mark Bartlett, Chris Holmes and Neil Rivers.…

Graffiti carp cover is simply stunning THE worlds of fishing and street art don’t often meet but this week we’re proud to bring you both with our exclusive graffiti front cover of UKCarp magazine. A couple of weeks ago our pal ‘Dusto’, a renowned graffiti artist from Ireland, popped over for a bit of fishing and we asked him to spare a few hours in the office to help us create a unique piece of fishing artwork. The music was cranked up, the spray cans came out and he set to work painting our giant cover. You may have seen Dusto on the Angling Trust stand at this year’s Big One Show in Farnborough where he spray-painted huge roach, tench, and pike in front of admiring visitors, turning a blank…

1 FIRST EVER FINAL There were a lot of nervous figures when the Fish O’Mania campaign got underway. Would it work? Would anglers like the concept? It turned out to be a roaring success and it was Worksop’s Ian Turner who took the inaugural title with 13kg 150g from Leicestershire’s Mallory Park. 2 MACHIN’S MEGA HAUL When Neil Machin drew the end peg at Hayfield Lakes everyone knew it was game over but nobody could predict the staggering catch he would put together. In just five hours, the Garbolino and Bag’em Matchbaits man hauled out a colossal 98kg 690g – the biggest ever weight in the final. 3 SILVER SUCCESS Boiling hot conditions meant that the 1997 final at Hayfield Lakes was always going to be tough. Many pinned their…

Fishing at the Forest YOUNG anglers from Nottinghamshire enjoyed their first taste of angling competition at Sherwood Forest Fishery last week thanks to the work of county police. Organised by PCSO Romek Kordecki, the event was fished in a fantastic spirit with anglers of all abilities trying new skills under the guidance of licenced angling coach Cliff Clark, and some impressive catches were recorded. Josh Payling, on peg 12 of Langdale Lake, took home the top prize after he weighed in 12.20kg of carp, barbel and ide. Entry was free thanks to funding and support from county councillors Diana Meale and Darren Langton. Romek’s efforts should be applauded and it was great to see so many young people starting their summer holidays with a spot of fishing. Renew your licence…

PHIL STEADMAN, FROM GLOUCESTER, ASKS: Q How does towing water affect your bait choices when feeder fishing? I plan a bream session on a large lake; it’s not very deep and I know from float fishing it that the water can tow a lot. Does this influence your choice of groundbait as well? A That’s a great question and yes, tow can influence groundbait choice. You need to have an understanding of how much the lake can tow and to gauge this I like to select a rod tip which I think is right. Then after clipping a bomb on to the rig, I cast out to the range I expect to be fishing and put the rod on the rest while I set up the rest of my tackle.…

OCKENDON Bait & Tackle A lead overall following their 15-point win on the day, Pups ending up third to now sit three points behind. The day’s winners were ably led by Jason Collins who weighed in 229-6-0 of carp, barbel and F1s from peg 51 on Lake 2, where he used pellet shallow at 14.5m and down the side. Team-mate Steve James was second from peg 120 on Lake 3 with 219-0-0. Result:1 J Collins, Ockendon Bait & Tackle A, 229-6-0; 2 S James, Ockendon Bait & Tackle A, 219-0-0; 3 M McMillan, Monk Lakes, 213-8-0; 4 P Upperton, Pups, 212-4-0; 5 E Green, Pups, 182-2-0; 6 S Davies, Maver Cardinals, 177-8-0. Teams:1 Ockendon Bait & Tackle A, 15pts; 2 Monk Lakes, 17; 3 Pups, 25; 4 Bowler’s, 28; 5…

Daiwa Gordon League (Weds) Gloucester Canal, Docks – Hempsted Bridge (50 pegs) FISHED on pegs that will make up A Section in the Division 1 National, plenty of skimmers showed to long pole, maggot and groundbait. Lee Edwards made the most of an end-peg draw at A21 in Monk Meadow Dock to win with 21-15-0 of fish to 2lb. Sean Ashby was also in the dock on peg A14 and he weighed 16-13-0 of skimmers. Result:1 L Edwards, Garbolino/ABC, 21-15-0; 2 S Ashby, Sensas/Rive, 16-13-0; 3 D Micklewright, Daiwa Gordon League, 12-12-0; 4 P Waddington, Daiwa Gordon League, 12-11-0; 5 I Didcote, Garbolino/ Bait-Tech, 8-14-0; 6 J Deakin, Daiwa Dons, 8-3-0.…

A FULL house witnessed an incredibly tight finish with just 4oz dividing first and second. Maghull man Matt Higgins just got the nod to take his place in the September £50,000 final after weighing in 206-4-0 against the 206-0-0 of Adam Wakelin! Neptune Angling-backed Matt drew peg 44 on Pool 3 at the Glebe and netted carp to 11lb on pellet fished on the deck at 5m and down to the boards at 13m. Meanwhile, Preston Innovations man Adam was on Foundation Lake peg 28, where he used caster shallow at 16m to the island to also find carp to double figures but be left agonisingly adrift. Result:1 M Higgins, Neptune Angling, 206-4-0; 2 A Wakelin, Preston Innovations, 206-0-0; 3 W Shepherd, Ringer Baits, 151-8-0; 4 D Ashington, Sensas, 146-8-0;…

Woodland Lakes Partridge, Skylark, Curlew & Wagtail Lakes (58 pegs) WOODLAND-Tackle backed rod Mark Longhirst put 123-1-0 on the scales from Curlew Lake peg 14 to top a strong field. He started on the short pole line and caught well on corn, and then in the last two hours came into the margins again on corn to take some big carp to see him well clear of the chasing pack. Result;1 M Longhirst, Woodland Tackle, 123-1-0; 2 A Stock, Daiwa Cleveland Angling Centre, 103-5-0; 3 K Granger, Matrix Halifax, 103-3-0; 4 D Smith, Woodland Tackle, 102-0-0.…

JEFF Smeeton had a welcome surprise when a tench session produced this 3lb 2oz personal best perch. The Surrey-based specialist was fishing Horcott Lakes when his hair-rigged imitation maggots, fished in conjunction with a bolt rig and 10lb fluorocarbon fished straight through to a size 12 hook, produced the perch. He lured the fish into the swim with a bed of casters and dead maggots that he spodded over a spot at 32yds. “I caught a few tench during the day, but this perch really was the icing on the cake because there aren’t many more impressive fish than a big perch like this.”…

A POPULAR fishery has restricted margin fishing during matches after competitors complained that fishing at the venue had become ‘too easy’. Mick Martin, match organiser at Kingfisher Pools in Bulkington, Warwickshire, has enforced the new rule after recent competitions saw venue records tumble, with anglers recording 300lb-plus mixed nets solely by fishing down the edge. In response the fishery decided to limit fishing in the margins to after the first two-and-a-half hours of competition following complaints from regulars who said that the fishing on the venue’s 52-peg Kingfisher Lake was becoming one-dimensional. Mick, who now uses a whistle to notify when competitors can move shorter than four pole sections out into the lake, explained his decision. “Attendances to the matches were starting to drop and the lake has become so…

A BARBEL session resulted in a big surprise for big-fish man Neil Macdonald when he landed this personal-best chub. Weighing 7lb 2oz, the specimen was taken on a double 14mm boilie hookbait from a Reading & District AA stretch of the River Kennet in Berkshire. The prize beat the 38-year-old angler’s previous best by 13oz and was no match for his beefy barbel set-up consisting of 10lb mainline and size 8 pallatrax hook.…

THE more rod licence checks there are, the more anglers will be found fishing without them (see pages 6/7). I will be interested to see the figures because it always hovered around 8 per cent nationally but that was before the crazy rule was introduced that allows three (or four!) rods, requiring two licences. Much of this success is down to the Angling Trust’s Voluntary Bailiff Service and various ‘operations’ involving local police and EA officers. However, there have been anglers reported for ‘crimes’ such as sitting too far away from their rods, or having them too far apart. Now, be honest, do you know the rules regarding such things? If the answer is no, it’s because you haven’t looked them up. My point is that unless the rules and…

IF YOU’VE GOT A CATCH TO REPORT CALL OUR HOTLINE ON 01733 395103 RIVERS AND CANALS KENNET & AVON CANAL, PADWORTH, WILTSHIRE Perch showing on worm and maggot; roach can also be found fishing squatts or caster. Contact:Reading DAA, 01189 867430 Prices:£10 a day, Reading DAA GLOUCESTER CANAL, SHEPHERDS PATCH, GLOUCESTERSHIRE Splatt Drive produced some huge weights of bream and skimmers in a recent match. Balling in and fishing the pole is outscoring the feeder. Contact:Lobby’s Tackle: 01453 791417 Prices:£4 a day, Winget Angling Club GRAND UNION CANAL, MILTON KEYNES, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE The Newlands cut for mixed bags to 10lb on worm and maggot. Try Bletchley Boatyard for skimmers and odd tench. Contact:Gone Fishin MK, 01908 313158 Prices:£6 on the bank, Milton Keynes AA RIVER AVON, WINKTON, DORSET Good bags of…

POUND for pound, the barbel is the hardest-fighting species that this country has to offer. Many anglers have enjoyed the thrill of landing them on the feeder, but what about grappling with a big ‘whiskers’ on float tackle? I’ve caught plenty of barbel employing a sit-and-wait approach with bolt rigs, but my first ever attempt at catching these powerful creatures on the float converted me in an instant. There’s no doubt that trotting a big loafer float through a swim requires a lot more effort, but the rewards are certainly there for those who go the extra mile. My first experience of this tactic was on the River Wye last week, and now I can’t wait to go there and do it again! PERFECT PRESENTATION The feeder might be a…

Catch carp on sloppy pellets GET on sloppy pellets! If you’re fishing on a stillwater then you’ve got to try this simple pole fishing tactic – it’s perfect for catching carp and F1s from shallow water. In this exclusive Angling Times video Steve reveals how you can make the perfect pellets and the best way to feed them to draw fish into your swim and keep them there. He also shows you why heavier rigs are crucial for success and explains how you can set up such a rig. How to fish Steve’s Hybrid feeders  JOIN Steve at Bishops Bowl Fishery as he puts the new Guru Hybrid feeders through their paces. Learn the best way to set up the feeders – including information on mainlines and the best hooks…

I WILL often set out on a few trips each summer with no bait at all, challenging myself to collect all of my bait while on the bank. This is not as difficult as it might sound, and many garden pests make great baits, along with loads of other fruits and insects that you might come across along our river banks and hedgerows. Here are some of my favourites… SLUGS AND SNAILS ONE of the easiest to collect, yet most effective baits are slugs. They have a very long history as a chub bait. Being relatively heavy, yet quite slow sinking, they are ideal for freelining. Look for chub on the surface and then launch a bait just upstream. The fish will home in on the bait and take it…

I WANT to catch more bream on my local river. Is there any advice you can offer that will help me towards a bumper net of quality slabs? Mike Wilson, Tyne and Wear RUNNING waterways, including the Trent, Thames and Tees, have produced good nets of slabs, but a little homework is required before you fill your nets. Silverfish, such as roach and perch, are present to some degree in every peg, but bream will hold up in huge shoals in certain areas. Look at the match results in Angling Times and make a note of the pegs, as these fish will often sit in the same zones for long periods. It is also worth walking along the river bank in the evening, looking for signs of fish rolling at…

3 STEPS TO SUCCESS 1 LEARN THE SKILLS Read this guide – it has all the rigs, baits and tips to help you complete your challenge... 2 CATCH A FISH Pick a suitable fishery near you and then get out there and catch your target fish... 3 CLAIM YOUR PRIZE Take a pic of your catch and email it to us – we’ll send you a special certificate to show your mates! COMPLETE THE CHALLENGE AND GET AN EXCLUSIVE CERTIFICATE EMAIL CHALLENGE@ANGLINGTIMES.CO.UK  WITH YOUR PICTURES “MY CHALLENGE TO YOU IS TO CATCH A RIVER CHUB ON THE FLOAT” Amer Jawad, top matchman…

1 FEEDING TRIICKS  Sometimes, I will feed four pouches of maggots but not cast, cre eatikng a safe environment for the chub to venture out into. I will then cast past the feed area and many times catch a chub on its way back out of the feed area, a good tip that worked on the day of the fe eature over the page. 2 SINGLE OR DOUBLE MAGGOT?  This is a change that on many occasions can add a fish or two to your net. Chub are deemed as greedy fish but there will be sessions when they happily take a single maggot but won’t touch a double maggot. Change hookbait size and you stand a good chance of getting one to have a go. 3 SMALL FISH TROUBLE…

RIVER NENE, OUNDLE, NORTHANTS The middle stretch of the Nene is classic chub territory with overhanging trees and sweeping bends. The best area is known as Bushy Corner on a bend with lots of far-bank cover that holds plenty of chub. Waggler and maggot cast close to the trees will work best with a 5lb fish not out of the question. POSTCODE: PE8 4HN CONTACT: 01832 274010 RIVER WYE, HEREFORD, HEREFORDSHIRE Walk upstream from the old railway bridge to reach the Belmont section, which produced the river match record of over 300lb of chub for Lee Edwards several years ago. This area is shallow and fast flowing with far-bank tree cover holding lots of chub but you’ll need an accurate feeder tight to the branches to catch using maggots or…

VERSATILITY IS THE KEY The rod has a full cork handle and two equal-length sections with a line rating of 4lb-10lb. There’s plenty of power to comfortably launch 2oz feeders when you’re targeting fish over the pound mark. QUIVERTIPS The 1oz and 2oz carbon quivertips and well-matched to the rod with the stiff 2oz tip first choice for using with a Method. The lighter tip would be great on rivers. IF YOU’RE the sort of angler who likes to divide his bankside time between rivers, natural lakes, large canals and commercial pools, wouldn’t it be great to have one rod to suit them all? This super-versatile tool has two equal-length sections and comes with two spare 1oz and 2oz push-in carbon quivers. It really does have a multitude of uses…

WHAT YOU CAN WIN... MIDDY has certainly set tongues wagging with its eye catching new range of Xtreme luggage. The complete set involves everything from mega match holdalls and carryalls, with acres of space for larger items, to small, padded cases for more delicate items. Now Angling Times has teamed up with the top tackle company to offer four lucky readers the chance to get their hands on a complete match/ coarse set up, each worth a total of £266.93. You’ll be the envy of your mates with a set of this smart, black gear, which carries the Xtreme name and is designed for all-weather fishing. Each piece is tough and hard-wearing but, more importantly, has been designed for a specific purpose in mind. Star of the show is the…

NOT many people can boast two 50lb commons from the same venue, but Darren Belton is now one of them. Berkshire’s Wellington Country Park has provided the Chub-backed angler with the pair following the capture of this 50lb 4oz fish known as the Small Tail Common. Darren said: “I managed to bag a swim that I had been trying to get into for a few weeks and I quickly set about finding some silty spots in open water. I had soon spread a few kilos of Mainline Hybrid across the area, followed by my Clockwork Orange hookbaits. “At about 3.30am a screaming take resulted in a pristine common of 28lb. I had to wait until 6pm when my right-hand rod melted off and a heavy weight stripped about 60 yards…

A CHANGE of swims rewarded Darren Hilton with four bites in 16 hours, topped by this 43lb mirror known as Hercules. It is the fourth forty the Carp Couture boss has landed from Kent’s Darenth Tip Lake and was backed up by a 28lb mirror and a 26lb common. “Sessions like this are rare and one I won’t forget in a hurry,” he said. Darren initially set up in a swim called The Rushes after seeing a number of fish in the area. He said: “After getting the rods out the wind picked up and changed, and the shows and fizzing stopped. I kept watching the water and noticed a lot of activity four swims down, so in came the rods and everything was moved.” The move paid dividends at…

I WAS upset to hear that Tight Lines will no longer be on our television but my mood improved somewhat when I heard that Keith Arthur is planning a return to our screens. He has played a huge part in promoting our sport to the general public, hosting Tight Lines and his own radio show on TalkSport and also his column in Angling Times. He has an ability to make everything sound simple and I have certainly learned a thing or two from him over the years. It was clear that some guests were a little nervous in the first half of some shows but Keith’s professionalism definitely brought the best out of everyone and quickly made them comfortable. There is no doubt that there is room for another TV…

EVEN by my own busy standards I’ve just had an incredibly hectic week. Still, read on and you’ll discover how all my hard work paid off handsomely… TUESDAY and WEDNESDAY A two-day guiding trip with Gary Springett from down south. Gary wanted to learn about fishing big rivers such as the Severn so we spent one day at Coalport on the Rowley water and a day at Hampton Loade on the Kinver Freeliners stretch. Anyway, he took to the river like a pro and ended up catching 13 barbel. I still love to see an angler’s face when the first bite of the day comes from a barbel. It doesn’t matter how hard you prepare for it, the force of a barbel take still frightens first-timers to death when that…

Active Angling, Sam’s Lake: 1 T Buck, 107-0-0, pellet, mixed; 2 P Fairbrass, 70-8-0; 3 P Conway, 53-8-0. Alliance & Leicester Liverpool AS, Chapel Pool: 1 S Cain, 216-12-0, corn, carp; 2 I Pritchard, 172-4-0; 3 C Pullen, 156-12-0. Alliance & Leicester Liverpool, Firswood Fishery: 1 D Langton, 110-12-0, pellet, carp; 2 S Cain, 92-10-0; 3 I Pritchard, 84-8-0. Alvis AC, The Riddings Fishery: 1 A Horton, 58-0-0, meat, carp; 2 N Edwards, 41-0-0; 3 D Badderly, 36-12-0. Angel AC, Barnburgh Lakes: 1 J Stones, 95-5-0, pellet, carp; 2 P Taylor, 90-9-0; 3 D Ludlam, 79-6-0. Barton Victory AC, Pasture House Fishery: 1 G Lawrence, 7-9-0, corn/meat, carp; 2 K Smith, 6-4-0; 3 W Eyre, 5-14-0. Beccles AC, Haddiscoe Lake: 1 J Hembling, 52-1-0, bread, carp; 2 P Ginger, 27-1-0;…

MONDAY TO SATURDAY Bait-Tech Viaduct Fishery Cary Lake (13 pegs) Result: 1 P Cardwell, Bait-Tech Viaduct, 156-12-0; 2 E Drysdale, Keynsham, 124-4-0; 3 M Murray, Bait-Tech Viaduct, 87-15-0. Silvers: J Rock, Army, 23-6-0. Coleman’s Cottage Fishery (Thurs) Pathfield Lake (12 pegs) Result: 1 G Bridge, Browning Wickford Angling, 119-8-0; 2 P Binks, Coleman’s Bait & Tackle, 118-0-0; 3 G Church, Maver Coleman’s Bait & Tackle/Match Pack, 96-8-0. Coleman’s Cottage Fishery (Tues) Wood Lake (12 pegs) Result: 1 F Thomas, Browning Wickford Angling, 215-0-0; 2 P Binks, Coleman’s Bait & Tackle, 197-0-0; 3 A Lee, Bill’s Tackle, 191-8-0. Dynamite Baits Edenbridge AS (Weds) Weir Wood Reservoir (12 pegs) Result: 1 F Brown, Sensas SE, 24-8-0; 2 R Draisey, Edenbridge AS, 24-0-0; 3 J Hewitt, Edenbridge AS, 21-0-0. Lake John Bottom Lake…

Pole Rigs Random Pairs Monk Lakes, Lake 2 (26 pegs) THIS was another day of good fishing at Monk Lakes. Pete Allen won from favoured peg 45 where he fished pellet and paste to take fish at 4m and down the edge, ending up with 192-10-0 of carp and barbel. His partner Shaun Mahoney used paste in front and down the edge and finished fourth in his section with 113-0-0 from peg 75 to give them top spot with five points. Result:1 P Allen, Pole Rigs A&I, 192-10-0; 2 P Kay, Drennan Bordon Angling, 177-2-0; 3 N Allen, Pole Rigs A&I, 147-12-0. Pairs:1 P Allen and S Mahoney, 5pts; 2 R Wood and A Thomas, 9.…

MONDAY TO SATURDAY Alvechurch Fishery (Thurs) Horseshoe Lake (16 pegs) Result: 1 D Tresigne, Colmic, 115-11-0; 2 S Round, Alvechurch, 75-11-0; 3 W Beach, Alvechurch, 74-14-0. Alvechurch Fishery Horseshoe Lake (20 pegs) Result: 1 T Hodges, Alvechurch, 90-8-0; 2 P Gartshore, 77-13-0; 3 A Heath, 69-10-0; 4 T Keating, 65-0-0. Barford Lakes Railway Lake (20 pegs) Result: 1 D Cooper, Norwich, 83-8-0; 2 P Ashford, Barford Tackle, 63-13-0; 3 A Major, Wensum Valley Angling, 56-8-0. Daiwa Hallcroft Fishery (Tues PM) Moat Pool (12 pegs) Result: 1 D Whiting, Button Hole AC, 124-13-0; 2 S Barraclough, Doncaster, 104-4-0; 3 S Bargh, Leegem Angling, 91-5-0. Daiwa Hallcroft Fishery Vets (Mon) Bridge Pool (12 pegs) Result: 1 N Footitt, Retford, 77-8-0; 2 D Farr, New Ollerton, 54-4-0; 3 K Stacey, Leegem Angling, 51-15-0.…