Innholdsfortegnelse for 30th September 2015 i Angling Times

THE River Nene barbel record has been rocked after Nigel Bryans slipped the net under this stunning 17lb 4oz specimen. Fishing on an undisclosed stretch of the waterway, the 52-year-old came agonisingly close to breaking the 17lb 8oz venue best that he already holds when the fish fell for a Three Foot Twitch Dubby boilie. Upon reaching the river, he paced the bank and fed a number of inviting swims before even wetting a line. “Looking for areas where barbel are likely to feed is something I prefer to do. I was on the hunt for clear and shallow areas where a few fish could hide,” he said. A few handfuls of bait were fed in each likely spot, before Nigel spotted signs of life in one of his target…

DOZENS of wooden ‘pods’ are to be built on the banks of the Trent in a bid to turn a stretch of the river into a luxury destination for anglers. A length of the river near Newark that hasn’t been fished for almost a decade has been earmarked for the trial, with work getting under way shortly to start building them. And with the river showing brilliant form for barbel this year, hopes are high that the pods will soon be booked by anglers wanting a personal best. Leaseholder Joe Fox believes the move could start a trend. He told Angling Times: “I want anglers to be able to come here and not only catch fish but also stay in comfort, bring their families with them and enjoy the surroundings,…

GAMBLING on a water that had never before been fished for eels paid off handsomely for Mark Salt when he banked this incredible 8lb 2oz fish from a Middlesex stillwater. The Hertfordshire angler had spent more than four years trying to beat his personal best, and he finally struck gold on a stillwater that had no form for the species. Fully aware that eels can turn up in the most unlikely of spots, the National Anguilla Club committee member signed up to a syndicate lake noted for its big carp. Early sessions failed to bear fruit, but he was given reason for encouragement when he eventually banked a 6lb 1oz fish. Confident that bigger specimens were swimming beneath the surface, Mark returned days later in less than ideal circumstances. He…

A NEW website for Garbolino Lindholme Lakes Fishery and Country Park is now live. The site features information on all eight well-stocked lakes at the venue near Doncaster, with top tips provided by former World Champions Alan Scotthorne and Tommy Pickering. There are also detailed sections on accommodation, including lodges and caravans, plus a news blog, match results and a special offers page from its onsite tackle shop. For more details visit www.lindholmelakes.co.uk…

ANGLING is set to receive a major cash boost of more than £500,000, thanks to soaring rod licence sales. The huge cash injection is being released by the Environment Agency after bosses revealed that the overall sale of UK rod licences has hit the million mark for 2015 – ending six years of decline. In an exclusive interview with Angling Times, the Environment Agency’s Head of Fisheries, Sarah Chare, revealed that the sport will benefit financially from the trend, saying: “For the first time since 2009 we have seen overall licence sales climb, rather than drop like we expected. “This is great news for angling, as cash made from these extra sales will be ploughed straight back into the sport. The more licences we sell, the more money we have…

THE Angling Trust has written to thousands of influential figures in the hope of getting major changes implemented to help protect UK rivers. MPs, officials from the House of Lords and leaders from across the farming community have been targeted with the review, which provides recommendations that could help safeguard fish stocks. Key suggestions in the document include working on methods to reduce the amount of fertilisers that work their way into waterways, and restricting the access that livestock have to venues.…

IT CAME as a genuine shock o learn that the Country Landowners Association Game Fair is to be no more. Apparently the event has been loss-making, and that can’t be allowed to continue. For a few years, along with other coarse anglers, I was there to promote coarse fishing, encouraging more retailers and manufacturers to exhibit and enhancing and enlarging Fisherman’s Row. After three years I had to drop out, and a couple of years after that the CLA committee upset me when they stopped using Ian Heaps, who had supported the event for 27 years, while retaining the services of anglers that came for free with their sponsors. Recently the event has been used as the launch of National Fishing Month but often the available water was completely unsuitable.…

DROP shotting has become the ‘next big thing’ for sure, although in my experience some anglers are using the term to describe all soft-lure fishing. I have learned a great deal watching fish react to the lure. However, I now tend to be more selective and carry two rods with me – one for the drop shot, the other with a jig head. It was Sam Edmonds, currently on duty with the England Lure squad, who gave me the tip to find the fish using retrieved lures – soft plastics on jigheads (my preferred tactic) or crankbaits, occasionally spinnerbaits, then a switch to drop shotting. My main education has come in the need to match weight to lure. A weight that is too light won’t allow the lure to be…

IF YOU’VE GOT A CATCH TO REPORT CALL OUR HOTLINE ON 01733 395103 RIVERS & CANALS STAINFORTH & KEADBY CANAL, THORNE, SOUTH YORKSHIRE THE cooler weather should start to bring the roach to the ‘boats’ section, and here they can be caught on hemp, bread or pinkies. Contact:Stainforth Angling Centre, 01302 846623 Prices: £3.50 on the bank, Thorne DAA AIRE & CALDER CANAL, GREAT HECK, N YORKS Long pole and caster is taking lots of roach to 1lb. Contact:01482 842707 Prices:£3 from local Costcutter stores or £6 on the bank, Boothferry Aire & Calder Joint Canal Committee LEEDS & LIVERPOOL CANAL, ARMLEY, W YORKS Drop shotting and jigging has taken perch to over 2lb from the lower end of the stretch. Contact:Leeds Angling Centre, 01132 639333 Prices:£2 a day, Listerhills…

WILTSHIRE’S Ivy House Lakes is a top example of a commercial fishery where the needs of the angler are just as important as the fishing itself. With its three new lakes, both matchmen and pleasure anglers can now enjoy a refreshed environment, as well as sample the same quality fishing that has given the complex such popularity over the years. With triple-figure mixed nets of fish still coming out, there’s still a good chance you can enjoy a red-letter day before the cold weather sets in. Here’s Angling Times’ exclusive guide to what you can expect at the rejuvenated Ivy House Lakes: NEW CANAL (18 PEGS) This snake lake offers classic match fishing in a stunning environment without the robotic action of catching just carp. There’s a big head of…

I RECENTLY fished a swim on the Trent at Burton that I’d always fancied the look of. It’s on the Coors AC water just below the bridge at Broadholme Island. The reason I always fancied this stretch was that there appeared to be so many different ways to tackle it. The river is quite wide here, so I figured anything could work – waggler, stick float, Bolo or pole. I therefore set up a load of different rigs to try to sort it out. RIG No1 On the near side of the swim there were two well-defined areas of weed - the stuff that looks like long thick grass – and I immediately suspected that there might be some perch hiding in among it. The flow was fairly steady here,…

AFTER returning from our World Pairs victory in Ireland, brother Phil and I have fished a couple of matches on Ferry Meadows… with mixed results. My first match was a practice for the Ivan Marks Memorial, where I drew peg 43 on the high bank of Gunwade and caught 17 decent skimmers and a few bits for 30lb and second, all on open-end feeder and hair-rigged worm. As you can imagine, I was feeling quite confident for the Memorial match but it wasn’t to be, and while I still had a nice day’s fishing, my 20lb of mainly skimmers was never going to trouble the leader board. Both these matches – and my experiences in Ireland – served as a timely reminder of some of the important lessons I have…

1 Use a back lead with bolt rigs to avoid line bites – although this might not be suitable for snaggy bottoms or powerful flows. 2 To help the lead hold station on the riverbed let out a 20ft bow of line after casting. 3 A length of leadcore keeps the hooklength from the lead close to the bottom – I use E-S-P ready tied ones. 4 With a straight lead and PVA mesh bag of free offerings I use a safety lead clip system. For a feeder I prefer a helicopter set-up. 5 A long coated hooklength is very robust, but in clear water I prefer a long nylon hooklength made of something like 12lb Syncro XT with the final two inches made from braid and the two connected…

CARP Carp have such a wide diet that it is almost impossible to say that one additive is head and shoulders above all others. Forced to pick one, though, it would have to be liquid crustacean extract. This additive really pongs, but the carp really love it, whether it’s used on floating pellets, in groundbaits or as a boilie dip. BREAM It has to be liquid molasses for bream, especially when used with fishmeal groundbaits. This sweet liquid acts like a bream magnet, drawing shoals of fish in from long distances on lakes with a strong undertow. TENCH Old tinca goes loopy for the smell of krill, I guess because some of the active ingredients are similar to those given out by their natural invertebrate food. I have found both…

DROP shotting already has a cult following, and a lot of the tackle is designed to catch anglers as well as fish. Wearing a baseball cap and carrying a tackle bag bearing the logo of your favourite specialist predator gear manufacturer does no harm. But in no other branch of angling does the saying ‘it’s not what you’ve got but how you use it’ ring more true. The action you impart to that little plastic lure is far more important than the lure itself, and although some anglers swear by lures of a certain colour in clear or murky water, there are always exceptions to the rule. Specialist drop shot weights and hooks are useful, and spooling up with braid does give you a huge edge as you can feel…

THE long-awaited Drennan Acolyte Feeder rods are finally here – and fans of the brand are sure to be delighted at the news. Users of the company’s superb flagship Acolyte Ultra Float rods have been crying out for a family of feeder rods made to the same top-end specifications, but this particular project has taken the guys at Drennan a considerable amount of time, effort and energy to see to its conclusion. Only now, after lengthy field-testing and fine-tuning of every element of the design, are the Drennan design team happy with the end result – and confident that anglers will be too! So what exactly do we have here? For starters, the deceptively strong blanks look and feel every bit as slim and light as their Acolyte Ultra Float…

THINGS fell into place for Mark Cookson on only his second trip to Christchurch at Linch Hill as he banked the Box Common at 41lb 8oz – part of a three-fish catch. The Cheshire angler made the trip down to the Oxfordshire venue for a nine-night stay and had to move with the wind to stay on the fish. The 27-year-old said: “Having done a trip last year, I was itching to get back. The fish are amazing and with a bit of holiday booked, I was desperate to catch one of the many large carp in there. “It took a few nights to really get on the fish but I eventually found a few showing in the teeth of a warm southerly wind.” Mark scattered a few 16mm Stick…

Drop shot the way to get youngsters into fishing THE phenomenon of drop shot fishing for perch, zander and pike in the UK shows no sign of slowing down if the amount of new tackle I’m seeing being launched is anything to go by. I’ve been to several trade shows over the past few weeks – with many more booked for the forthcoming month – and apart from the usual carp and match gear being shown off it would seem that everyone we’ve seen so far has gone to town on drop shot kit for 2016. I’ve never seen so many little rubber fish, tiny reels and fine-tipped predator rods in my life! And the price for getting kitted out is less than some spend on a night on the…

1 RECORD ZANDER ON A PELLET When James Benfield, 19, tackled the River Severn with halibut pellets in 2007 he wasn’t bargaining on catching a 21lb 5oz zander on his Method feeder rig. The specimen set a new British record by exactly 2lb. 2 ‘LINCOLNSHIRE SNAKEHEAD’ Lincoln angler Andy Alder claimed to have caught a tropical snakehead in his local River Witham in 2008, and had a picture to prove it. Angling Times subsequently took a call from a lady claiming to be a relative of Andy, who told us the fish was actually found dead in the street! 3 64lb STURGEON ON THE POLE Top match angler Jason Le Bosquet knew there were a few surprises in the stock pond at Lindholme Lakes near Doncaster when he set up…

GOLDCREST  WHILE barbel fishing at Coalport on the Severn one of these birds was dancing about in the tree above me for a good 10 minutes. It’s our smallest British bird. LONG-TAILED TIT  ON THE Warwickshire Avon I saw a flock of mainly long-tailed tits, along with great and blue tits, gathering together for the winter, as they do each year at this time. APPLES  THE trees are loaded with apples, both in the garden and in the wild. Years ago I fished a pool where apples fell into the water and the chub we caught would excrete apple purée from their vents!…

SEPTEMBER can still be a prime time for big weights from commercials, as Freemasons AS demonstrated this week. They visited the prolific Arran’s Lake in Essex and enjoyed a real bonanza with an incredible average weight of 411lb per man. Phil Spry won with 621-0-0, using meat on the short pole to net carp into double figures. Terry Allen took 523-0-0 for second and Steve Hall had 522-0-0 for third. Still in Essex, the Willow Lake on the Tyler’s Common complex was in equally impressive form, Doug Howell crashing out 374-8-0 of carp on polefished pellet and meat to win. Brian Harmer and Steve Cable also took 300lb-plus weights to claim second and third. Warren Peaty is no stranger to big weights, and the Lee Green AC man set about…

MONDAY TO SATURDAY Bait-TechViaductFishery(Thurs) Campbell & Cary Lakes (26 pegs) Result:1 D Chedzoy, Bait-Tech Viaduct, 140-0-0; 2 D White, Bait-Tech Viaduct, 127-9-0; 3 A Perkins, Bait-Tech Viaduct, 115-7-0; Silvers:S Kedge, Somerset Angling, 39-3-0. Bait-TechViaductFishery Campbell Lake (16 pegs) Result:1 M Wynne, Bait-Tech Viaduct, 160-14-0;2 J Grey, Bait-Tech Viaduct, 154-9-0; 3 P Cardwell, Bait-Tech Viaduct, 135-0-0. Silvers:G O’Shea, Preston Innovations Thatcher’s, 36-0-0. Coleman’sCottageFishery(Tues) Wood Lake (11 pegs) Result:1 G Church, Maver Coleman’s Bait & Tackle/Matchpack, 269-0-0; 2 P Binks, Coleman’s Bait & Tackle, 263-0-0; 3 A Lee, Bill’s Tackle, 156-8-0. MBK Leisure Juniors Coloured Ponds (14 pegs) 13-17 year old result: 1 C Smith, Alton, 11-0-0; 2 N Blackwell, Farnborough, 7-10-0; 3 K Clarke, Bishops Waltham, 3-4-0. 9-12 year old result: 1 E Sanders, Clanfield, 7-5-0; 2 J Carter, Alton, 5-6-0;…

MONDAY TO SATURDAY Alvechurch Fishery (Thurs) Horseshoe Lake (12 pegs) Result: 1 W Beech, Alvechurch, 87-13-0; 2 P Watts, Alvechurch, 81-15-0; 3 T Keeting, Alvechurch, 79-2-0. Alvechurch Fishery Horseshoe Lake (12 pegs) Result: 1 S Bellion, Alvechurch, 112-12-0; 2 L Ayres, Alvechurch, 88-12-0; 3 M Bloom, Alvechurch, 59-10-0. Cross Drove Fishery (Weds) Hockwold (19 pegs) Result: 1 T Watling Snr, St Neots, 33-14-0; 2 N Moore, Avenue Angling, 30-13-0; 3 R Finch, Deben, 27-12-0. Cross Drove Fishery Hockwold (19 pegs) Result: 1 A Tuck, Van Den Eynde/Angling Direct Suffolk, 74-4-0; 2 S Wheeler, Daiwa/ Van Den Eynde, 50-11-0; 3 C Vandervleit, Drennan/ Bowler’s/Bait-Tech, 33-12-0. Daiwa Hallcroft Fishery Moat Pool (19 pegs) Result: 1 A Whitehouse, Scunthorpe Tackle Centre, 119-15-0; 2 S Gray, Worksop, 95-1-0; 3 A Sellars, R&R Sports, 71-8-0.…

Great Yarmouth DAA River Yare, Calxton - Langley (42 pegs) THIS was the final round of an excellent summer series on the river and, with an ebb tide and very little colour, it was yet another roach day with the top six anglers all putting double-figure weights on the scales. First place from peg 62 on the boards was Wayne Anderson. The Daiwa Angling Direct rod fed heavily with groundbait on the pole line and alternated between maggot and caster on the hook to finish with an unbeatable 22-5-0 catch. Over the 12-match series with eight weights to count, it was a close call with Brian Weavers taking the honours with his 153-11-0 total. Runner-up Paul Abbott just missed out by 2oz with 153-9-0. Result:1 W Anderson, Daiwa Angling Direct,…

MONDAY TO SATURDAY Blundell’s Fishery Rover All lakes (25 pegs) Picking peg 35 on the Trio Pool, Urmston’s Karl Webster won again as he took 162-14-0, pellet and corn in the margins seeing him land carp to 5lb and F1s. He just got clear of Matt Higgins on Ash Lake peg 57, pellet at 14m and on the bomb seeing him net carp to 10lb for 161-4-0. Result:1 K Webster, Urmston, 162-14-0; 2 M Higgins, Neptune Tackle, 161-4-0; 3 R Norbury, Trafford Angling, 159-5-0; 4 S Carroll, Leigh Tackle & Bait, 136-4-0; 5 M Stokes, Marukyu, 134-6-0; 6 M Kaye, Elton Tackle, 105-3-0. Brookside Fisheries Snake Lake (18 pegs) A tight frame saw Mosella man Andy Grimes just get the nod with 67-14-0 from peg 21 where he fished maggot…

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CARL Stansfield described his two-day session on the River Trent as his ‘best ever’ after slipping his net under 23 barbel, 13 of which were double-figure fish. The first day alone produced 15 specimens for the Rotherham angler, with the biggest weighing an impressive 12lb 15oz, before a fish of 11lb 4oz was fooled shortly afterwards. Stota Bait Developments’ 15mm River Rami and Wandering Dragon boilies did the business for Carl, together with a feeder filled with 4mm pellets. “I’ve never experienced barbel fishing like it! I was only casting 20 yards or so out into the river with 12lb mainline, a 12lb braided hooklink and a 14 Korum Expert Power hook on,” said a delighted Carl.…

THE traditional tench season may have finished, but Nigel Grindle proved they are still on the feed when he banked well over 50lb of them from the River Ancholme in Lincolnshire. Using a simple worm and caster attack on the long pole from a peg on the Cake Mills stretch near Brigg, the Grimsby rod banked 12 big tench, the three heaviest weighing 7lb 4oz, 6lb 11oz and 6lb 5oz. “I’ve had plenty of big catches from this stretch over the years, but this is well up there with the best of them,” explained Nigel.…

YET more evidence that exotic species are lying off our shores came to light this week when the British stingray shore record was smashed by a 78lb 6oz giant. Devon angler Guy Spriggs was the man who got his name into the history books during a session on Dorset’s Chesil Beach. The impressive specimen – which, if accepted, would blow away the former record of 67lb 12oz – is thought to be one of the biggest fish of any species ever to be landed on an English beach, and was lured on a large Bluey and squid hookbait. Guy, who is awaiting a reply from the British Record Fish Committee to claim the record, said: “At first I dismissed the possibility of it being a stingray, as we never get…

A CHALLENGE to land 50lb of roach from Wold Farm Fisheries was easily beaten during Mel Baxter’s latest session. The venue regular set his stall out from peg 23 on Oaks Lake at the Northamptonshire complex and worked with hemp to take quality redfins to 1lb almost every drop-in. Plenty of big skimmers and carp to 8lb were added to the catch, giving Mel a combined total of well over 150lb. For more details on the venue visit www.woldfarmfisheries.co.uk…

THE final of the annual Angling Trust Pike Champs takes place on the Whittlesey AA waters, Cambs, on Saturday, November 7, 2015, and only those anglers who qualified from a preliminary round may apply to fish it. The closing date for entries is Friday, October 9, 2015. The latest qualifying dates are: SUNDAY OCTOBER 4 Ramsey 40ft Drain, B1096, Cambs. Keith Rayment: 07551 840409 Smeatons Lakes, Newark, Notts. W. A. Stevenson: 07505 792484 SATURDAY OCTOBER 10 Scoulton Mere Fishery, Norfolk. Matthew Morley: 07977 106717 SUNDAY OCTOBER 11 Tydd Gote, Wisbech. Michael Mumby: 01406 363779/07749 100145 SUNDAY OCTOBER 18 Mapperley Reservoir, nr Ilkeston, Derbys. W. A. Stevenson: 07505 792484…

NATIONAL ANGLING FUND The latest stage of this project saw 12 angling clubs, a charity and a council-run fishery successfully bid for a share of £50,000 in the second round of funding, following the first round earlier in the year. More than £25,000 was shared between five angling clubs to help provide coaching and improved facilities for junior fishing. With this funding alone, the projects are forecast to generate 2,700 new fishing experiences in the first year. The £500,000 boost will help this scheme to run again, benefiting hundreds of angling causes across the land. EA TEAMS Officials will hand over £370,000 to 23 EA local fishery teams to complete work relating to: Fishery habitat improvements Anti-predation measures Environmental improvements Fish stock surveys and restockings…

A UTILITY company has been fined almost £500,000 after it was found guilty of allowing sewage to leak into a Yorkshire fishery. Severn Trent was hit by the penalty after a pipe it owned burst twice within a month early in the year, killing more than 30 bream in the Sheffield Piscatorial Society-controlled Slacks Pond. The company pleaded guilty to both charges and was fined £240,000 for each offence and also ordered to pay prosecution costs of £13,675.38 following a trial at Sheffield Crown Court. Fishing was temporarily suspended at the venue. Severn Trent has since paid for a restocking programme.…

IT’S impossible to have missed the return to form of river fishing over the past few years here in the UK. Waterways as far apart as the Thames and Trent have enjoyed a resurgence many would have thought impossible, and as a result anglers are returning in their droves to fish them. But it’s not just our big rivers that are coming back with a bang. Bubbling away beneath the surface, an equally impressive recovery is taking place on smaller natural waters that rarely make the headlines. Just to the east of Hull is the tiny Winestead Drain. Although it is less than 10 miles long, it used to stage 100-peg-plus matches every week in the 1970s and 1980s, with big nets of bream winning every time. Although the match…

IF YOU’VE GOT A CATCH TO REPORT CALL OUR HOTLINE ON 01733 395103 RIVERS AND CANALS RIVER THAMES, HOME PARK, WINDSOR, BERKS MAGGOT on the pole or stick float is taking some cracking 20lb-plus nets of roach and dace. Prices:£3 a day from local tackle shops, Old Windsor AC BRIDGWATER AND TAUNTON CANAL, TAUNTON, SOMERSET Target Firepool Lock with lures for specimen perch and small pike. Contact:Enterprise Angling, 01823 282623 Prices:£7 a day from local tackle shops, Taunton AA GRAND UNION CANAL, LEIGHTON BUZZARD, BEDS On the Globe Inn stretch nets of skimmers to 4lb and carp are coming our on pole to the far bank with pellets and corn. Contact:Luton AC, 077044 62635 Prices:£5 on the bank, Luton AC GRAND UNION CANAL, NORTHCHURCH, HERTS Red maggots are taking mixed…

ONE minute you’re trotting your float to the right, five minutes later it’s travelling to your left! Scenarios like this are why Jim Evans loves the challenge offered by coarse fishing on the tidal sections of the nation’s rivers. From the mighty Thames and Trent to small, intimate venues, lower reaches of rivers affected by the tides at sea can offer great sport. But as Jim has discovered on his local stretches of the River Don, few anglers bother to battle the changing flows and levels. You could be forgiven for wondering how a river around Doncaster, 40 miles from the coast, could be subject to such effects from Mother Nature, but you’d be surprised! “When I started fishing this morning I had 6ft of water in front of me.…

DACE PROBLEMS QI recently fished a stretch of the Wye and had a bite every cast on a stick float rig – from dace! Problem was, I missed most of them! The swim in question is shallow, and the fish were boiling on the top, so what’s the best way to hit more bites? AI would suggest that you were using the wrong float. Try using a small waggler next time with just one or two small shots down the line. Cast out, fire your bait with a catapult, then draw the float back into the feed. Fish one or two maggots on a size 16 hook and in a situation like you’ve described, you’ll definitely catch more fish than you would with a stick float. HOW CAN I TEMPT…

MANY anglers over the years have searched for the ultimate irresistible bait, but there’s no such thing. Some baits, though, are most certainly better than others, and very often it is the additives that make all the difference. This could be a tiny amount of liquid flavour or powdered extract added to the bait that transforms it from good to great – yet even with the best additives around, success is never a given. I have tested a lot of additives over the years both in tanks and ponds and while filming fish in the wild, and it is often startling how different the results can be. Within the confines of a large tank, carp and other coarse fish will often start digging up the bottom in their search for…

IF YOU haven’t already tried drop shotting, chances are you know someone who has! This style of fishing for perch is a tactic that’s sweeping through the angling world quicker than a brush fire. And it’s easy to see why what could be regarded as a relatively niche lure-fishing technique has so suddenly grabbed angling by the scruff of its neck. It’s active, dynamic, easy to master, great fun and, best of all, you need a minimal amount of tackle to enjoy its rewards. Unlike other forms of angling, with drop shotting all you need is a small, very light rod and reel, a pocket full of terminal bits and a few tiny lures. Just a 30-minute session is enough to put you in with a chance of catching a…

WORK THE LURE Using very light and ‘tippy’ rods, you are able to impart bags of action into the lure, with the minimum of wrist movement THE TAKING ZONE Having the hook permanently fixed on the leader, the lure remains in the ‘taking zone’ for the entire time ADJUST THE DEPTH To adjust the depth the lure works, move the weight up or down the leader. The ideal size of weight is 1g per foot THE advantages of this unique presentation are many. The first is that by having the hook and lure up the leader and the small weight on the deck, means that the lure is always ‘working’ in the taking zone, unlike a typical lure that has to be cast and retrieved. By keeping a tight line…

AS PROMISED, Preston Innovations this week showed off hundreds of new tackle items to the angling press. Last week’s sneak preview of upcoming poles, carp kit, rods, clothing and accessories was just the tip of the iceberg. The Preston, Avid and Korum brands took over West Midlands fishery Barston Lakes, where there was enough space to reveal the Full Monty, and the Angling Times cameras were kept busy snapping the new arrivals. From feeders to floats, fixed-spool reels to pole rollers, the mix of new kit for 2016 was a joy to see, and I wasted no time in picking out the best for our readers to drool over. Here are some of the highlights… Preston Competition Pro luggage ELEVEN new items include six, eight and 10-tube holdalls, two sizes…

THE decision to stay an extra night at East Yorkshire’s Emmotland complex paid off in style for Dez Smith when he banked this 41lb 12oz common. The fish, known as Big C, came from Pond Three at the day-ticket venue after Dez’s mate had seen activity over one of his spots. “I was fishing a one-night session to start with,” said Dez, “and the next morning my pal Marcus Brown said he had seen a good fish lump out right over my spot under a bush. After hearing this I decided to go for another night, saying in jest that I had a good feeling about it!” Having repositioned all three rods under the bush, Dez settled in for an impromptu second night. “At around 4.30am I awoke to three…

WORLD-record venue Euro Aqua has thrown up another huge hit of monster fish for a British angler. Greys/Chub-backed Dave Moore has recently returned from the Hungarian super venue, which is home to 100lb-plus carp, with an incredible catch sheet. Staggeringly, Dave managed 37 carp between 50lb and 66lb, plus a dozen over 66lb. His biggest 12 carp included two seventies, an 84-pounder, an 86-pounder, an 87-pounder and a 90lb 8oz fish. “My recent trip has been my best so far and, to be honest, quite unbelievable,” Dave told Angling Times. Look out for a full report of his session in the November issue of UKCarp, which is free with Angling Times on November 3.…

ONE of the most forward-thinking carp anglers has been creating history in Lincolnshire in recent weeks with a string of incredible captures. Mark Holmes, known for his unique approach to bait and tactics, became the first angler to publically report two different British 60-pounders earlier this month and now he’s caught the fish he really wanted. Just eight days after he caught a 60lb 4oz mirror at Lincolnshire’s Deepings syndicate, the Chub/Greys-backed angler slipped the net under this 52lb 14oz beast, which we can exclusively show you this week. “In the last six weeks I’ve caught fish of 37lb, 38lb, 39lb, 45lb 1oz, 44lb 9oz, 48lb 14oz, 60lb 4oz and 52lb 14oz,” Mark told Angling Times. “This is the one I really wanted. It’s a once-a-year fish and it’s a…

LAST week I’d planned a three-day session on the Trent with Ray Cutler, but BBC weather girl Carol Kirkwood forecast heavy rain, strong winds and localised flooding – so we gave it a miss. The wind was non-existent, the rain never came and we had a beautiful couple of days. It’s a good job I love Carol or I’d have been very upset. To be honest I was glad of the rest – I’ve been on the bank four days a week all summer, so easing a foot off the gas will have done me good... TUESDAY My worst session of the year by far. Ray Cutler picked me up at 1pm for a short session on the Warwickshire Avon, just for a change of venue. Soon after our arrival…

IN ASSOCIATION WITH PETER DOYLE, CANVEY ISLAND, ESSEX ASKS Q It won’t be long now until the weather turns cold. How do you target bigger carp in matches under these conditions, as I’m never sure how much to feed? A In late autumn and early winter, fishing for carp is very much down to locating where the fish are in your swim before you even think about what baits to use! However, once I’ve found a few carp I like to use single hookbaits to begin with and that means either a couple of pieces of hair-rigged Bait-Tech Scopex Corn or several large pieces of breadpunch fished on a simple bomb set-up. Once you have located the fish, you can then possibly start introducing a few free off erings. I…

Tuesday, September 29 Acorn Fishery Tuesday Tenner, Kingston Seymour - Mike 01179 497310 Alders Farm, Affordable Open, Great Brickhill – Trevor 07860 235655 Aston Park Fisheries, Sheffie d - 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 Heronbrook Over 55s, Nei 07879 441288 Janson’s, Elton - 07976 317864 Kobra, Dynamite Ba ts Mak n’s Fishery, Wolvey – John 07749 284823 Little John Lakes, Ollerton Steve 07715 096738 Meadow View Fisheries OAP & Dis, Warrington Br an 01925 757985 Moorlands Farm, Kidderminster Mal 07967 107913 Oaks, Sessay Chris 07885 553323 Old Hough Fishery, Midd ewich – Doug 07976 381996 Partridge Lakes, Culceth Me /Ne 07950 057613…

Dave Pankhurst Memorial Trophy River Medway, Barming (49 pegs) ROACH were the key to victory for winner Richard Taylor on the River Medway. The Drennan/Van Den Eynde man weighed-in 17-4-0 of redfins from peg 12, fishing maggot over groundbait on the long pole to net fish to 8oz. Runner-up Guy Usmar also found the roach and using the same approach he replied with a 13-0-0 net. Result:1 R Taylor, Drennan/Van Den Eynde, 17-4-0; 2 G Usmar, Maidstone Victory, 13-0-0; 3 I Germaney, Maver Cardinals, 10-4-0; 4 S Palmer, Maver Cardinals, 8-4-0; 5 K Pack, Drennan Bordon Angling, 7-12-0; 6 K Dacey, Maidstone Victory, 7-11-0.…

MONDAY TO SATURDAY Barford AA Teams of Six (round 3) Warks Avon, Barford (54 pegs) A brace of barbel made sure that Alex Graham came out on top with 23-15-8. The Match Box team member drew peg 93 and used a maggot feeder for chub and dace before the bonus fish arrived. Colin Perry was second with 15-1-0 of roach and perch from peg 48. Shakespeare top of the league. Result:1 A Graham, Match Box, 23-15-8; 2 C Perry, Barford AA, 15-1-0; 3 D Partridge, Bailey’s, 14-1-0; 4 P Millard, Bailey’s, 13-3-0; 5 P Morris, Sensas WB Clarke, 11-11-0; 6 S Powlowski, Match Box, 11-4-0. Teams: 1 Shakespeare, 19pts; 2 Match Box, 24; 3 Sensas WB Clarke, 24; 4 Lane’s Bait, 24; 5 Bailey’s, 25; 6 Sensas Portway, 32. League:…

Garbolino RAF East Anglian Wednesday League Summer League (Weds) Decoy Lakes, Beastie and Yew Lakes (25 pegs) THE final round before the RAF Championships next week attracted another good midweek turnout, so the match was spread across both the Beastie and Yew Lakes. It was Beastie that produced the winner in Ray Torrington at peg 6. He finished with 126-14-0, the majority of which were barbel caught short on cat meat and later on with maggot in the margins. Runner-up and top on the Yew Lake was Graham Welton on fancied peg 16. There, he alternated betweem corn short and to his right hand margin for a final 121-4-0 of mainly carp to 8lb. Result:1 R Torrington, Associate Member, 126-14-0; 2 G Welton, RAF Old Lags, 121-4-0; 3 C Shaw,…

EVER seen a catch picture on the internet that doesn’t quite look as big as the angler is claiming? If so, the secret of how they make their fish look like a whopper could be revealed after a company admits to creating a brand new gadget! The Fish Fingers device allows anglers to hold a fish further away from their body to make it look much bigger than it really is. Danish company Moef initially designed it as an April Fool’s Day stunt, but following a surge in popularity on social media, staff members decided to put the fishy fingers into full production.…

THE home of Fish O’Mania is set to see even better sport after staff revealed they had stocked thousands of new fish across the complex. Staffordshire’s Cudmore Fisheries attracts thousands of match and pleasure anglers each year, and several lakes across the complex have been given a top-up, with carp, F1s and silverfish being introduced. Major changes have also been made to the layout, with work currently ongoing to create more bank space on several pools, including the popular Drumble. For more details visit: www.cudmorefisheries.co.uk…

A 300-mile round trip in search of a big river roach proved more than worthwhile for Pete McCleary, when he banked this 2lb specimen from the Hampshire Avon. The 69-year-old made the draining journey from his Shropshire home to the Britford stretch of the prolific silverfish venue and relied on floatfished breadflake tactics. Several smaller samples were taken in the early stages of the session, before the elusive big redfin took the bait.…

THE last-ever day-ticket predator season at Bury Hill Fisheries is set to get under way this week. Pike to over 20lb and zander well into double figures are landed every winter from the Surrey complex, with the action set to begin this Thursday (October 1) before coming to an end on March 14, 2016. This will be the last season that anglers will be able to target the predators on a day permit after owners revealed plans to turn the venue into a members-only site next spring. For more details visit www.buryhillfisheries.co.uk…

IT’S been a week of shock captures, and none more so than that of schoolboy Harvey Booth, who banked a 25lb-plus pike on a floating dog biscuit! The 12-year-old from Worksop, Notts, had been fishing seriously only for a few months, but he left thousands of dedicated predator anglers envious when he won the battle with his first-ever pike during a session at the SYPAC-controlled Westwoodside Lakes. Relying on a surface fishing attack, he was soon getting plenty of action from the resident carp, but then the day took an unexpected twist. Harvey’s dad, Andy, was on hand to witness the lad bank the unlikely personal best. “As soon as the fish took the bait we knew it was a lot bigger than anything we had landed that day, but…

AN ELDERLY angler who was forced to give up his sport almost 10 years ago after he lost his sight is back fishing again – thanks to the help of a charity. Blind Veterans UK helps former military personnel who struggle with their vision, and recently staged a fishing week in Llandudno, North Wales. Former Army member John Endres, who is 86 years old, was one of the first to sign up and made the most of the opportunity, catching a variety of species including a big bull huss on his long overdue return to the sea.…

ONE of my favourite phenomena is a river that ‘comes back from the dead’. Plant and invertebrate life invariably recovers first, providing a plentiful larder for fish when they return. The first species will usually be eels and sticklebacks, eels making their own mysterious way, and sticklebacks coming probably via herons. Once gudgeon and dace arrive, by fair means or foul, they grow rapidly. They are short-lived, based on my experience of the rivers Wandle, Crane and Blackwater and the Pymmes Brook, a Lea tributary that was polluted by an old-fashioned gasworks. This water would frequently run so dark from coal washing, us kids christened it The Black Ditch. Once the gasworks went, the fish spread and the dace were magnificent. So, those lucky anglers who now have access to…

THIS WEEK’S 2 FOR 1 WATERS 1 Croft Fisheries, Lancs 2 Folly Wood Lakes, N Yorks 3 Hudsons Farm, Lancs 4 Majestic Pool, E Yorks 5 Oham lakes, N Lincs 6 Partridge Lakes, Cheshire 7 Raker Lakes, Yorks 8 Arden Lakes, Warks 9 Furnace Mill Fishery, Worcs 10 Pipehill Fisheries, Staffs 11 Sherwood Forest Fishery, Notts 12 Sion Farm Fishery, Worcs 13 Spring Lea Fishery, Shrops 14 Wold Farm Fishery, Northants 15 Ivy House Lakes, Wilts 16 Emerald Pool Fishery, Somerset 17 Lake John, Essex 18 New Farm Cat/Coarse Fishery, Berks 19 Rookley Country Park, Isle of Wight 20 Stonnes Fishery, Kent 2 FOR 1 FISHING VOUCHER This week’s venues  Croft Fisheries • Folly Wood Lakes • Hudsons Farm • Majestic Pool • Oham Lakes • Partridge Lakes • Raker Lakes • Arden Lakes • Furnace Mill Fishery…

IF YOU’VE GOT A CATCH TO REPORT CALL OUR HOTLINE ON 01733 395103 RIVERS AND CANALS ZOUCH CANAL, LOUGHBOROUGH, LEICS FISHING the top two sections of your pole is all you need do to catch some stonking perch on maggots and worms. Try the pegs by the pub. Contact:Bennetts Angling, 0116 2302818 Prices:£5 from local tackle shops, Loughborough Soar AS BEESTON CANAL, BEESTON, NOTTINGHAM, NOTTS Plenty of roach and skimmers on polefished caster by the back of the boats section. Contact:Notts AA, 01159 199500 Prices:£3 on the bank, Notts AA RIVER AVON, FLADBURY, WORCS Quality chub and barbel at dawn on feeder or bomb to meat and pellet. Contact:The Bait Box, 01386 424997 Prices:£6 a day in advance from local tackle shops, Birmingham AA RIVER TRENT, BURTON ON TRENT, STAFFS…

STOTZ JIM uses Preston Stotz to shot his stick float rig – they are very easy to attach due to the wide, deep groove. He uses No8s, and being softer than shot they don’t damage the light 0.14mm (3lb) mainline so readily. STICK FLOAT HIS favourite stick float is this 7 x No4 Pete Warren wire stemmed version. In strong flows he uses a bulk shot 18ins from the hook. As the tide backs up and the river stands, he opens the bulk up and spreads the Stotz in pairs with big gaps between. TACKLE CHOICE A SIZE 20 hook is used with a 2lb (0.10mm) hooklength of Silstar Match Team to fool big dace and roach. The reel line is a thin hi-tech 3lb version. A 15ft float rod…

SOME 20 years ago I night fished for barbel with the traditional approach of a taut line direct to the lead – and blanked. Occasionally a barbel would spook and give me a brief line bite, but despite the swim being full of fish I failed to connect with even one. Then came the epiphany. If I’d been fishing for stillwater carp like that I wouldn’t have caught anything, so why would I do the same with river barbel? Next time out I semi-fixed a small coffin lead 6ft up the line between two float stops to create a back lead, and from then on I never looked back. I can’t be sure I was the first to cotton on to pinning down the line in running water – but…

I LIKE to coat baits with a layer of attraction, combining a sticky liquid additive and a fine powder. Add a small amount of the liquid to the bait and shake well. Boilie food dips are a good choice. Then add powdered additive to form an outer coating. PAUL’S NEW BOOK PAUL’S new book, ‘Scratching the Surface’, has just been launched to critical acclaim. Chronicling Paul’s angling adventures in the UK and around the world, this 320-page book is packed with advice on catching big fish from one of the most consistent anglers around. Go to www.drpaulgarner.co.uk to find out more. NEXT WEEK FEEDER fishing for bream is on the agenda as we enter a terrific time for bagging up on big slabs. From cage feeder groundbait mixes to modern…

Q: HOW DO YOU TIE ON THE HOOK? A The easiest way to tie on a drop shot hook is to use the Palomor knot. Not only is the Palomar dead easyto tie, it also helps the hook sit at right angles to the line which is exactly what you want. Follow the sequence on the right and you’ll soon master it... Q: WHICH IS THE BEST COLOUR LURE TO USE? A Choosing the right coloured soft bait is very important. Dull colours in clear water and bright colours such as chartreuse, pink or yellow in muddy waters, or for fishing in low light conditions, is the basic rule of thumb. Black or white lures are also excellent as they create a lot of contrast in the swim, regardless of…

DES TAYLOR’S DIARY OF A COUNTRYMAN THIS WEEK’S CATCHES IN KINGFISHER CLUB QUIZ OF THIS WEEK’S NEWS AND CROSSWORD DICK WALKER WAS THE DADDY – SO WAS HIS PRIZE FLY! WHEN I was about 12 years old I took up fly tying, and as part of my birthday present my father got me a copy of ‘Fly Dressing Innovations’ by Richard Walker. He had also managed to get it signed by the great man, who had been kind enough to attach one of his Daddy-longlegs flies, as described on page 90 of the book. It still has pride of place in my collection of fishing books. Tony Barnett, email WE DESPERATELY NEED NEW BLOOD ANGLERS love to moan to their mates about the issues dogging angling, but now they have…

WE’VE all had our fair share of pike take a roach or two off the hook in our time – it can be frustrating, but it’s part and parcel of fishing natural venues! I can’t seem to get away from them, however, and I often come on the tidal Don to target them in winter, when there are some real crocodiles over 20lb! On the day of the feature, I’d managed to avoid pike for a change, although I’d had a couple swirl at silverfish as I brought them under the rod-tip. Going into the afternoon, I’d just landed an 8oz roach so the photographer told me to keep it in the landing net briefly to give it a rest and so he could put a different lens on. The…

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 John Wilson’s Dream Fishing Tuesday, September 29, 6:20am Angling ace John journeys to Norway this week, and teams up with old buddy Dave Lewis aboard the ‘Skarungen’ for some frantic nocturnal cod fishing. Jungle Hooks: India Wednesday, September 30, 1pm Jeremy Wade explores India’s lakes for more unusual species, but will he be able to land anything special? Greater Rod Race Thursday, October 1, 8:30am Mick Brown delivers a masterclass in spinning and jerk baits, while Matt Hayes is hunting pike. But how close are they to their…

100 AC, Warks Avon, Twyning: 1 P Hunt, 2-5-0, maggot, bleak; 2 M Truman, 2-1-0; 3 J Lee, 1-12-12. AJAX, The Riddings Fishery: 1 D Martin, 26-13-0, corn, carp; 2 D Tyson, 26-5-0; 3 P McCranor, 23-3-0. Alvis AC, Maynes Pool: 1 B Baddeley, 42-4-0, maggot, carp; 2 A Horton, 20-4-0; 3 R Chater, 14-8-0. Anvil AC, Janson’s Fishery: 1 B Dent, 109-12-0, worm, carp; 2 M Hix, 71-11-0; 3 D Revill, 71-11-0. Birmingham Thursday Club, Barston Lakes: 1 M Marshall, 23-8-0, maggot, skimmers; 2 S Stone, 18-12-0; 3 D Crozier, 17-4-0. Black Diamond AC, Bait-Tech/Frenzee Hayfield Lakes: 1 C Newton, 40-8-0, corn, carp; 2 D Robinson, 33-6-0; 3 B Simpson, 25-10-0. Cariers RAPS, Lakelands Fishery: 1 M Leake, 65-8-0, pellet, carp; 2 R Nice, 63-8-0; jt3 G Upjohn and…

MONDAY TO SATURDAY Dynamite Baits Oakfield Fishery (Weds) Red Kite Lake (16 pegs) An overnight frost made for a very slow start for most and pushed the fish out further than have been for several months. Top weight fell to Richard Ives on peg 14 who had carp to 9lb on maggot shallow on the long pole for 101-15-0. Result: 1 R Ives, Ernest Turner, 101-15-0; 2 J Brewster, Dynamite Oakfield, 81-7-0; 3 J Emmerson, Dynamite Oakfield, 71-7-0; 4 B Eddy, Dynamite Oakfield, 71-0-0; 5 A Foulkes, Dynamite Oakfield, 62-4-0; jt6 K Worthington, Dynamite Oakfield and P Neal, Oakfield, both 56-5-0. Dynamite Baits Oakfield Fishery Red Kite & Woodpecker Lakes (25 pegs) The top weights all came from Woodpecker Lake with maggot shallow on the long pole being the winning…

Westwood Lakes Two Day £1,000 Final Skylark & Falcon Lakes (58 pegs) DAVIS Gurton walked away from the final £1,000 better off after winning on weight countback. Anglers in this final couldn’t have wished for a better weekend weather-wise with glorious autumn sunshine on both days. Day 1 saw the anglers draw randomly to either fish the Skylark or Falcon Lake in five man sections. On Falcon, Jimmy Brooks, Middy, was on peg 25 and fished shallow on his top kit to win the lake with 166-6-0 of F1s on banded pellet. Skylark Lake was a little harder, Janusz Kedzierski winning the lake from peg 15 with 117-7-0 fishing tight in the margins with red maggot to catch a mixed bag. Day 2 saw anglers swap lakes and at the…

MONDAY TO SATURDAY Blundell’s Fishery Rover (Weds) Ash & Trio Pools (15 pegs) Result: 1 A Hartley, Widnes Angling Centre, 163-7-0; 2 P Jones, Brookside, 124-1-0; 3 S Langley, B&K Baits, 121-15-0. Calder Anglers Series (Tues) Oaks Lakes, Cedar Lake (17 pegs) Result: 1 A Barker, The Oaks, 81-1-0; 2 A Lumb, Lowhills AC, 60-8-0; 3 T Barlow, Maver NW, 45-15-0. Dynamite Baits/Scunthorpe DAA Thursday League (Thurs) River Trent, South Clifton (11 pegs) Result: 1 R Moses, Brigg AC, 2-2-0; 2 D Thornley, Matlock AC, 1-14-0; 3 T Moroz, Worksop AC, 1-8-0. Highfield Fisheries Beech & Oak Lakes (16 pegs) Result: 1 S Kennedy, Highfield, 87-10-0; 2 N Lumb, Highfield, 80-0-0; 3 P Casson, Highfield, 70-8-0. Leeds DASA Kippax Park Fishery, Osprey Lake (15 pegs) Result: 1 S Rogers, Leeds,…