Innholdsfortegnelse for 3231 i Angling Times

ROACH stocks in Britain’s most popular canals are set to receive a boost with the launch of a forward-thinking project. The Canal & River Trust has revealed its plans to entice thousands of lapsed canal anglers, among them an initiative aimed at producing more roach for anglers to target. The Grand Union Canal will be the first place where the Roach Restoration Project will be trialled. Thousands of pounds are set to be invested after numerous angling clubs complained that stocks on the waterway were in serious decline. It is hoped the scheme will be rolled out nationally if it proves to be a success. However, rather than stocking roach bred on fish farms, the project will instead go about working to protect fish already in the canal and encourage…

DAN, 35, S WALES  The traditionalist of the group who usually goes fishing from a coracle. Dan has done some sea fishing with rod and line and describes himself as a jack of all trades. EMMA, 53, DORSET  Predominantly a fly angler who has fished since she was a child. Staying in one spot is not to her liking, as she prefers to get involved in roving sessions in search of her quarry. GEOFF, 65, HAY-ON-WYE His angling adventures started over 50 years ago when he handlined for mackerel, but salmon are his big passion these days. Born in London, he achieved a dream by moving next to his favourite rivers. JAMES, 33, NORTHUMBERLAND  A salesman by day, this is a man driven by targets, even when on the bank.…

IT’S 40 years ago now that London anglers first discovered the massive potential of some neglected sections of the Grand Union Canal. The inner-city and country sections had always provided winter sport for clubs when the Thames and Lea were flooded... otherwise, who would bother with the cut when there was close to 50 miles of free river to go at? When the old size limits were abolished in 1975, some anglers started exploring the sections around Southall, Acton, Perivale and Greenford, all either very industrial or residential. The fishing was amazing, with double figures of roach averaging eight to the pound on punched bread from virtually every swim. Superb caster fish on other reaches, all caught on 3m-4m whips or short-lining with a pole, weren’t found until anglers actually…

IT’S good to see fishing of some kind back on the BBC, although it does seem that the ‘reality’ aspect of ‘Earth’s Wildest Waters: The Big Fish’ will be more relevant to viewers than the sport itself – not even the first ‘fishing’ programme of its kind, then! From the description I’ve seen, it appears more like Big Brother Thirty Minute Bake-Off by Masterchef than A Passion for Angling, but I suppose we have to be thankful for small mercies. And I promise you that isn’t sour grapes, because I currently have my own proposal on the desk at a free-to-air channel. And it will be more like Location, Location, Location...…

THE pound shops of Birmingham aren’t the only places in England’s second city where you can find a bargain. Just a stone’s throw from the city centre runs a canal where you can get more than your day ticket money’s worth for less than the price of a pint. And the value for money doesn’t stop there. Soho Loop regular Lee Williams told Angling Times he could catch 20lb of fish with just 50 pence worth of bait. With the gauntlet well and truly thrown, we joined him on the towpath of this little-known waterway. “The canal here is only around a mile long, but it joins on to the Birmingham Main Line Canal so plenty of fish have moved into this stretch and found a place they love,” said…

BOASTING 15 waters and nearly 400 pegs, Partridge Lakes Fishery in Warrington is one of the North’s leading commercial fisheries in terms of what it offers to those visiting its banks. Each lake has been meticulously designed with all types off angler in mind – so whether you’re a big-fish hunter, a pleasure angler or a matchman, your needs are sure to be met during your visit here. There’s also no better time to come and wet a line at Partridge. In a recent match, the top six anglers all finished with more than 80lb of mixed fish – proving just how good the quality of fishing is at this fantastic venue. Why not give it a go this weekend? PINE AND TWEED (30 PEGS) These two 15-peg waters are…

IN ASSOCIATION WITH 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…

WHAT LENGTH HOOKLENGTH? Q I want to start tying my own hooklengths for river fishing. What length should they be? Mike Wainwright A There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to tying your own, as some anglers use long hooklengths and others prefer them shorter. I use 35cm for floatfishing and half that length for most pole fishing situations. For feeder fishing, try 90cm for starters, but be prepared to shorten or lengthen the hooklength as the session progresses. CAN I FREEZE CASTERS? Q Is it possible to freeze casters and use them at a later date? Kevin Gale A It’s not something I do very often, but I have done it, and for fish like barbel and chub, where you often need a lot of bait,…

M AVER revealed its stunning array of new match fishing products last week, and the Angling Times cameras were there to bring them to you in this exclusive preview. As you might expect from a compamy famed for its poles there was plenty of new carbon on display, and the three European-built Darkside models were real eye-catchers. These commercial all-rounders will supersede the old Elite Carp range. They come with a superb spares package and exhibit outstanding power and balance. I also caught a glimpse of Maver’s two new soon-to-be-released Oculus models which, although not yet quite ready to go, are quite plainly special. I would go so far to say that the 16m 999 model is as good as, if not better than, anything I have previously seen at…

DUNCAN Arrandale capitalised on a week’s holiday by banking four fish averaging more than 40lb at Acton Burnell. The Wychwood and Richworth consultant caught mirrors of 46lb 4oz, 41lb and 39lb 2oz, plus a common of 37lb 8oz during his seven-night session at the Shropshire big-fish water. The 41-year-old got off the mark almost immediately and never looked back. He said: “I was fortunate to find a group of fish feeding when I arrived, and fishing single hookbaits to bubblers for the first four hours resulted in a 41lb mirror. “The fish then drifted off, but on Tuesday morning I saw a fish show to my right. An S-Core pop-up cast to the area resulted in a 39lb 2oz mirror. “The lake then seemed to switch off but I had…

1 Take Dark Matter braid, Krank hooks (size 6) and 0.75mm silicone tubing. 2 Start by taking a 12ins length of this super-heavy braid from the spool. 3 Pass the braid through the back of the hook’s eye, like this. 4 Then pass it back through again, like this, to form a loop. 5 Now simply form a small loop in the doubled-up braid. 6 Pass the end of the doubled-up braid through that loop. 7 Now pass the hook itself through the loop, like this. 8 The Palomar knot is almost complete –just tighten it down. 9 Now pass the tag end through the front of the hook’s eye. 10 Form the hair loop, to which your bait will be attached. 11 Slide a small piece of silicone tubing…

A GUY asked me how I can be so enthusiastic about fishing when I have been doing it for more than 50 years. Well, that’s easy. I love being out in the fresh air, and every day is different. I love Nature and I love pitting my wits against a fish and getting a bend in my rod. One cold morning this week I sat looking down on a misty river and thought to myself: “You lucky man, Desmond. Call this work?” TUESDAY Popped down to my secret swim for an evening’s barbel fishing. I fancied it – the rain had put a bit of colour in the river and stepped up the pace, which usually brings the barbel on the feed. I fed boilies for an hour before I…

SPIDERS THIS is when you’ll see more spiders than at any other time of the year. There are more than 600 species in the UK and I think most of them are in our house! SLUGS THE other day I couldn’t shut my tackle box because a huge slug had made its way in there. Never use slug pellets, though, because they will kill the creatures that eat the slugs. AUTUMN LEAVES WHAT a great time to be fishing. As the days get shorter the leaves change to many shades of yellow, brown and red. Welcome to my office in the great outdoors!…

NORFOLK’S Pete Swann topped the Earlham Silvers event on the River Yare at the Beauchamp Arms with 21-15-0 of roach to 1lb on whip-fished maggot and caster, while Martin Charnock tackled the Thames at Walton with pole and maggot to win the Carshalton DAS match with 25-4-0 of redfins. Prolific Arran’s Lake saw Dan Cavanagh weigh in 565-15-0 of carp on corn to top the Woodford AS match, and Jonathan Hanks had 402-8-0 on meat to win the Gaslight AS contest. Derek Lockwood also topped 400lb in the Wednesday Club match at Chart Fishery with 417-0-0. Best of the rest was Elm Park & Hornchurch man Colin Luff’s 396-12-0 from Tyler’s Common.…

MONDAY TO SATURDAY Coleman’s Cottage Fishery (Thurs) Pathfield Lake (12 pegs) Result: 1 K Choppin, Cariers RAPS, 191-0-0; 2 C Nada, Coleman’s Bait & Tackle, 166-0-0; 3 G Church, Maver Coleman’s Bait & Tackle/ Matchpack, 134-0-0. Dynamite Baits Oakfield Fishery (Weds) Red Kite Lake (13 pegs) Result: 1 M Talbot, Kamasan/GOT Baits, 63-3-0; 2 P Alland, Dynamite Oakfield, 59-3-0; 3 B Eddy, Dynamite Oakfield, 51-7-0. Framfield Fishery (Weds) Spring Lake (18 pegs) Result: 1 M Woodington, Framfield, 243-8-0; 2 C Dimmock, Hemming’s Tackle, 238-6-0; 3 K Harper, Warlingham, 227-3-0. Lake John Bottom Lake (17 pegs) Result: 1 P Hyde, Browning Wickford Angling, 99-0-0; 2 K O’Brien, Lake John, 89-0-0; 3 P Grant, Redbridge, 44-0-0. Lake John (Weds) Top Lake (19 pegs) Result: 1 D Lipscombe, Oakwood Angling, 61-8-0; 2 D…

ONE of the South West’s biggest river matches of the year is looming on the horizon as final plans are put in place for the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal event taking place this year on Sunday, November 8 on the Bristol Avon. This year’s match will also be held in memory of Bill Milton and takes in the river between Keynsham and Bath. The draw is at 8am at the Stothert & Pitt Rugby Club, fishing from 10am until 3pm with tickets at £5 plus pools. These are available from all major tackle shops in the Bristol Area or by phoning 07979 262918.…

MONDAY TO SATURDAY Alvechurch Fishery (Thurs) Horseshoe Lake (16 pegs) Result: 1 R Gandley, Alvechurch, 124-6-0; 2 W Beech, Alvechurch, 84-5-0; 3 P Evans, Alvechurch, 80-1-0. Barford Lakes Match Lake (13 pegs) Result: 1 K Ford, Barford Tackle, 80-12-0; 2 D Jarvis, Angling Direct Suffolk, 69-0-0; 3 M Jermey, Barford Tackle, 58-4-0. Cross Drove Fishery (Weds) Hockwold (13 pegs) Result: 1 D Pearce Snr, Wisbech, 42-4-0; 2 R Finch, Deben, 41-0-0; 3 T Guy, Venue Expert, 39-8-0. Cross Drove Fishery Hockwold (14 pegs) Result: 1 C Vandervleit, Drennan/Bowler’s/ Bait-Tech, 90-15-0; 2 N Parkinson, Dynamite Baits, 70-10-0; 3 S Wheeler, Daiwa/Van Den Eynde, 43-12-0. Daiwa Hallcroft Fishery Canal & Reed Pools (19 pegs) Result: 1 B Holmes, Matrix Dynamite Baits Trentmen, 136-4-0; 2 J Masson, Colmic/ Marukyu, 131-10-0; 3 G Mumby,…

SHERWOOD Forest Fishery’s Holemdale Lake plays host to a league with a difference this year as, despite its notoriety for big carp weights, the Edwinstowe, Notts water is running a silverfish league targeting the vast stocks of roach and skimmers. Starting on Sunday, December 13, another five rounds take place before the winner is decided, with the best five results counting, the result being decided on section points. Entry into the league is £20 plus £20 pools per match and carp will count at 1lb apiece no matter how big they are! To book in, call the fishery on 07721 316334: Dates: Sunday, December 13; Sunday, December 20; Sunday, January 10; Sunday, January 24; Sunday, February 7; Sunday, February 21…

MONDAY TO SATURDAY Brookside Fisheries Snake Lake (20 pegs) Result: 1 S Carrier, Widnes Angling Centre, 55-14-0; 2 M Pleavin, Lionel’s Tackle, 44-14-0; 3 S Birchall, Challinor Sports, 40-14-0. Dynamite Baits/Scunthorpe DAA Thursday League (Thurs) River Trent, South Clifton (15 pegs) Result: 1 T Bontoft, Winterton AC, 27-5-0; 2 M Firmstone, Lincoln Whisby AS, 16-0-0; 3 D Thornley, Matlock AC, 11-10-0. Highfield Fisheries Over 60s (Fri) Beech Lake (21 pegs) Result: 1 P Smith, Fylde Angling, 35-12-0; 2 G Draycott, Fylde Angling, 29-3-0; 3 M Knox, Highfield, 25-4-0. Highfield Fisheries Over 60s (Weds) Oak Lake (22 pegs) Result: 1 M Ashcroft, Furtoba, 35-2-0; 2 S Barker, Ted Carter Preston, 31-4-0; 3 T Hardy, Tonge Moor, 29-6-0. Highfield Fisheries Rover Oak & Beech Lakes (18 pegs) Result: 1 M Robinson, Gerry’s…

Editor-in-Chief Steve Fitzpatrick – 01733 395097 steve.fitzpatrick@bauermedia.co.uk Deputy Editor Kevin Wilmot – 01733 395098 kevin.wilmot@bauermedia.co.uk Deputy Editor James Furness – 01733 395104 james.furness@bauermedia.co.uk Editorial Secretary Mary-Ann Payne – 01733 395105 mary-ann.payne@bauermedia.co.uk Tackle Editor Mark Sawyer – 01733 395107 mark.sawyer@bauermedia.co.uk Features Editor Richard Grange – 01733 395109 richard.grange@bauermedia.co.uk Features Editor Mark Parker – 01733 395140 mark.parker@bauermedia.co.uk Senior Feature Writer Ben Fisk – 01733 395101 ben.fisk@bauermedia.co.uk News Editor Ben Miles – 01733 395102 ben.miles@bauermedia.co.uk Senior Reporter Thom Airs – 01733 395106 thom.airs@bauermedia.co.uk Senior Reporter Tony Grigorjevs – 01733 395100 tony.grigorjevs@bauermedia.co.uk Senior Reporter Mark Peck – 01733 395103 mark.peck@bauermedia.co.uk News Reporter Ian Jones – 01733 395111 ian.jones@bauermedia.co.uk Digital Media Manager Rose Lloyd – 01733 395108 rose.lloyd@bauermedia.co.uk Head of photography Mick Rouse mick.rouse@bauermedia.co.uk Staff photographer Lloyd Rogers lloyd.rogers@bauermedia.co.uk Studio photographer Jacques Portal jacques.portal@bauermedia.co.uk Join…

POLICE and an angling club are appealing for a man to come forward after he was purposely pushed into a Coventry lake while fishing. Footage of the incident, which happened at Swanswell Pool in Hillfields on September 19, was uploaded to YouTube and then Facebook. Unemployed Brendan Cleary, of Gloucester Street, Spon End, has since pleaded guilty to assault and criminal damage at Coventry Magistrates, but Leamington Spa Angling Association is now offering free membership to the assaulted angler, who can call the police on 101.…

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: 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. WA Stevenson: 07505 792484 SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25 Daventry Country Park. Tony Doolan: 07889 080087 Englefield Lagoon, Reading, Berks. Steve Parker: 07918 025472…

THIS WEEK’S 2 FOR 1WATERS 1Alderfen Fisheries, Lincs 2 Grange Park Fisheries, N Lincs 3Gweryd Lakes, Denbighshire 4Lingmere Fishery, Merseyside 5Lloyds Meadow Fishery, Cheshire 6 Pendle View Fishery, Lancs 7Westfield Country Park, Yorks 8 Buttonhole Fishery, Cambs 9Cudmore Fisheries, Staffs 10 Dents of Hilgay, Norfolk 11Little John Lakes, Notts 12 Watermeadows Fishery, Lincs 13Weston Lawns, Warks 14 Yoke Hill Farm Fishery, Northants 15Churchgate Lakes, Essex 16How End Fisheries, Beds 17Summerhayes Fishery, Somerset 18 The Willows Fishery, Kent 19Todber Manor, Dorset 20 Windmill Fishery, Glos 2 FOR 1FISHING VOUCHER This week’s venues  Alderfen Fisheries • Grange Park Fisheries • Gweryd Lakes • Lingmere Fishery • Lloyds Meadow Fishery • Pendle View Fishery • Westfield Country Park • Buttonhole Fishery • Cudmore Fisheries • Dents of Hilgay •  Little John Lakes • Watermeadows Fishery • Weston Lawns • Yoke Hill Farm Fishery • Churchgate Lakes…

IF YOU’VE GOT A CATCH TO REPORT CALL OUR HOTLINE ON 01733 395103 RIVERS AND CANALS KENNET & AVON CANAL, LIMPLEY STOKE, SOMERSET THE Dundas Basin area is good for roach and skimmers, with perch on the chopped worm line. Contact:Bacons Tackle, 01225 448850 Prices:£3 a day from Bacons Tackle Bath, Bathampton AA RIVER AVON, BRITFORD, SALISBURY, WILTS The river is low and clear but at the lower end of the fishery, Kitts Island is seeing bags of chub to over 2lb along with grayling and dace. Contact:Reids Tackle, 01722 711616 Prices:£10 on the bank, London AA RIVER CHELMER, ULTING, ESSEX Silverfish are being caught with bonus chub and the odd carp. Cheese paste or lobworms work well for the chub. Contact:JP Tackle, 01621 854588 Prices:£6 in advance from JP…

BOATS  Most anglers will refeed as soon as a boat goes through the swim but this can be the kiss of depth. Instead, drop your rig in the moment the boat has gone and the chances are your float will shoot under seconds later. DEPTH  The far bank may be a magnet for big fish but it is important to find a depth that they will feel comfortable feeding in. Plumb around carefully and aim to find a clear patch that has between 18 inches and 2ft of water. TOUGH TACKLE  Scaling down your tackle can be a recipe for disaster and it is best to use a setup that guarantees you will land everything that swims. Amer uses 0.19mm mainline straight through to a strong size 14 hook. BEAT…

IF YOU have set your heart on catching a big carp, autumn is definitely the best time to try. Fooling a specimen fish of any species is never easy, but over the next few weeks carp will go on a feeding spree that leaves them wide open to making a mistake! They know that winter is on its way, and they take anglers’ baits, especially boilies, with gusto as they race to pack on fat reserves. So these are my number one choice. Fishmeals are packed with everything a carp craves, particularly if you coat them in oil once they come out of the freezer. Armed with a few kilos of the best I can buy, I will head to any lake full of confidence, although there are still certain…

1 The base of this groundbait is Dynamite Baits’ Marine Halibut Method Mix, to which I add a bag of the coarser NashBait Crab & Krill Method Mix. This combination contains lots of particles, and binds well to the feeder. 2 To the water add about 10 per cent liquid molasses. This doesn’t need to be measured out exactly, and its purpose is to sweeten and darken the groundbait mix. 3 Next add a teaspoonful of liquid betaine. This additive is well known for keeping the bream feeding in the swim for longer. 4 Gradually mix the groundbait, adding the water slowly and stirring at all times to prevent lumps forming. 5 Add a good handful of 3mm pellets to the groundbait mix. This increases the food value and will…

Getting the best from this section Rigs Baits Venues Tackle Species Float Feeder Pole How do I find bigger roach on the rivers? I’M constantly being pestered by small roach on a river that is home to lots of 1lb-plus fish. How can I get through these nuisance silvers? Chris Lyvers, Daventry, Northants SMALL roach will attack almost any baits that they can get their mouths around, and if your swim is full of these, bread, pinkies and maggots are unlikely to help you find the specimen redfins. The answer to the problem is hempseed. Its tough nature means the small fish are unable to easily swallow the bait and therefore they are likely to ignore it. Regular feeding of hemp is important, introducing a small pouchful every time you…

ROSS Ryder bounced back from a week in hospital to score his first UK 50-pounder with the capture of this 50lb 4oz mirror. The new personal best was the perfect tonic for Ross, who had four other carp including a 29lb 4oz mirror and a 28lb 2oz common. The Dynamite Baits-backed angler said: “Once I was discharged there was only one thing on my mind, and that was getting a carp fix. I rushed home, loaded up the van and headed down to my local Ringwood syndicate. “On arrival I noticed a close friend fishing in a peg next door to one where I’d had success previously, making this the perfect choice. “There were fish in the area and I had the added bonus of a social with a friend…

IT’S all too easy to feel gloomy and disheartened about the end of summer and the coming of the colder weather, but there’s no need to. At this time of year you can enjoy some productive fishing if you are prepared for the changing conditions. If the wind suddenly becomes warm and strong (a bout of ‘Indian summer’ weather that can often happen in October), the fish will probably follow it, so it helps to be mobile. Such southerly winds – I’m including southeasterly and south-westerly – push all but the last of the summer’s hot water in one direction before the onset of our colder northerly winds, which bring with them the clear nights and the start of frosts. Still, that’s all to come. Here we’re talking about swollen…

DES TAYLOR’S DIARY OF A COUNTRYMAN THIS WEEK’S CATCHES IN KINGFISHER CLUB QUIZ OF THIS WEEK’S NEWS AND CROSSWORD NOT BARBEL FISHING SO MUCH AS ‘GLAMPING’ WHERE will it all end? Pods for barbel fishing on the Trent? I know the ‘anglers’ that fish weeks on end for them only do so because they lack the skill to catch them in a day session, but does their laziness really warrant a deluxe pod to sleep in while waiting for their self-hooking rigs to do the damage? I only hope the pod owners supply a big enough bin to take all of their rubbish. Martyn Wallis, Newark NATURE REVEALED TO THIS ANGLER ON a recent outing to a commercial fishery in the Scottish Borders the fishing was dead, but it was…

A FAMOUS angler had just joined an equally-famous bait company, and for his presentation at one of Angling Times’ Go Fishing shows he was revealing how he used a carp pop-up boilie rig. Right in the middle of the front row in the audience, a gentleman was ‘living’ every single word. The talk ended and the chap wandered off, only to return shortly afterwards with a tub of the very same pop-ups the sponsored angler had been discussing. “I know he was fishing his pop-ups two inches off the bottom, but how far will these ones pop up?” he asked. “Well, they float, so they’ll pop up as far as you want them to,” was my confused retort. “Yes, but how far do they pop up?” he repeated. “As far…

UK Angling Championship 2015 Tuesday, October 6, 5pm Round One of the the 2015 UK Angling Champs. A whole host of the nation’s top match anglers battle it out at Lindholme Lakes, but who will come out on top? Lake Escapes Thursday, October 8, 8:30pm Top all-rounder Matt Hayes heads to Lapland. He can’t spot Santa, but he is happy to settle for beautiful brown trout within the epic Fluka Lake system. Robson’s Extreme Fishing... Friday, October 9, 12:50am Robson Green visits Tanzania, where he tries to catch wahoo, ruby snapper and rusty jobfish. In Zanzibar, he must paddle a canoe in pursuit of reef fish. Maver Match This Final Friday, October 9, 5.30pm A complete highlights package from the match at Larford Lakes where big names compete for the…

Did your club share in the £50,000 funding project? LAST week Angling Times exclusively reported that 12 clubs, a charity and a council-run fishery successfully bid for a share of £50,000 worth of funding available to angling projects in England. The winning projects received cash from the second round of the Angling Improvement Fund, administered by the Angling Trust and funded with rod licence income from the Environment Agency. Here’s where the money is going: Astwood Bank AC, Worcestershire – Repairs and replacement of fishing platforms at Bevington fishery to enable junior matches and training sessions to be held. Kingsbury Water Park – Providing ‘floating islands’ at the Warwickshire complex to serve as refuges for fish from cormorants and other predators. Christchurch AC – Erection of an otter-proof fence. Earl…

IN ASSOCIATION WITH JAMES FROM COVENTRY ASKS: Q When I went skimmer fishing I was frustrated by liners and foul-hookers. I tried shallowing up but got no bites. How do I get a swim full of big skimmers to feed properly? A The weather will have played a big role in this I’m sure. The bright blue skies and high pressure of late will have sent the fish into the upper layers of the lake and I’ve had this scenario myself – you attract the fish with your feed but they then sit above it and give you liners! Catching them shallow is usually a non-starter so the way forward is to alter your feeding to try and force some fish down to the deck where they will feed. Regular…

Tuesday, October 6 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 55’s – Neil 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…

MONDAY TO SATURDAY Alvechurch Fishery Canal Lake (20 pegs) Matchwinner Rob Gandley is the man to beat at this fishery right now as he took his second win in a week and made it five wins out of six matches. Drawn on peg 1, he fished chopped worm and caster short for half of the match and then fished over to the rushes on the long pole line for 51-8-0. Result: 1 R Gandley, Alvechurch, 51-8-0; 2 W Beech, Alvechurch, 39-2-0; 3 T Hodges, Alvechurch, 34-0-0; 4 S Bellion, Alvechurch, 31-0-0. Barford AA Warks Avon, Barford (30 pegs) Winner Dan Wooding included a specimen 10lb 4oz barbel taken on pole and worm in his winning 27-5-0 haul at peg 62, the Solihull Angling Centre man adding seven chub on the…

Middy/Lakeview Fishery £4,000 Grand Final Canal, Marina, River, Stream & Serpent Pools (50 pegs) THE summer series culminated in 50 qualifiers competing for the grand prize of £2,000, but low overnight temperatures made the fishing hard, although weights were still reasonable. Daiwa Dons man Andy Bailey scooped the big pay day from peg 21 on the Marina Pool, weighing in 123-11-0 of carp to 3lb plus F1s and a few skimmers on pellet fished down the track and in the margins. Andy also took home a trophy, champagne and won the random pairs on the day earning him an extra £50! Venue regular Ken Daws drawn on unfancied peg 17 on the Canal Pool caught steadily throughout the day to record 98-9-0 for second, taking carp and F1s to 4lb…

MONDAY TO SATURDAY Angling Trust Heronbrook Fisheries Winter League (rnd 1) Canal, Bridge, Meadow & Match Pools (48 pegs) Round 1 kicked off with victory for the Maver Gold side, who scored 17 points ahead of Maver Midlands. They also provided the individual winner in Darren Johnson with 123-1-0 off peg 13 on the Canal Pool. He fished pellet shallow across to the far bank at 13m to take 50 F1s and six carp. Result: 1 D Johnson, Maver Gold, 123-1-0; 2 C Barlow, Drennan NW, 114-12-0; 3 D Brown, Maver Midlands, 105-6-0; 4 A King, Maver Gold, 102-6-0. Teams: 1 Maver Gold, 17pts; 2 Maver Midlands, 22; 3 Browning Lifestlye, 26; 4 Oakengates Angling Centre, 28; 5Drennan NW, 30; 6 Eddie’s Bait Supplies, 42. Aston Park Fishery £1,000 Super…

Messingham Sands Autumn Festival (Mon-Fri) Sawn Pond & Islands Lake (38 pegs) A SUDDEN drop in water temperature just before the start of the festival meant that the big weights of carp taken in recent matches did not materialise. That meant anglers who targeted both silverfish and carp dominated the festival. Scunthorpe angler Jack Turner, who has been in close contention in previous festivals, claimed the £1,000 first prize with 11 points, just edging out Steve Ellis and Gary Hansford, who were a point behind. Steve took the £600 for second place on weight. Top weight of the week went to Steve with 121-15-0 on the opening day, Ian Thompson taking the only other 100lb daily winning weight with 110-14-0 on Thursday. Daily winners: Day 1 - S Ellis, Scunthorpe,…

on September 24 and 25. “We were looking for a final venue that offered something special to the competition,” said event organiser Lee Kerry. “In Bough Beech Reservoir I believe we have found that. Having fished the water myself I know the potential it has to offer, and following a recent visit we knew we had the right venue for the final. The final will be a two-day competition based on weight, so it really is anyone’s to win!” Entry for qualifiers will be via the Angling Trust website from January 1, 2016.…

ONE of the first areas to stop producing on commercial fisheries in autumn is the margins. The shallows clear rapidly, forcing carp back out into the deeper water, but that doesn’t mean you should bin all thoughts of catching in the edge just yet. Until the first frosts, the margins will still play a vital part in a match but you’ll have to think about how you feed, and when and for how long you fish the edge. There will be brief windows in five hours of fishing to give you that opportunity. Even three big fish can be a mighty fine bonus when others are struggling further out. However, confidence is important. You may only get three bites from this area all day and it would be easy to…

ONE of the country’s finest angling clubs has restructured its ticketing policy to give even more people the shot at a potential record fish. Dorset’s Christchurch AC-controlled waters on the Hampshire Avon and tributaries are home to barbel over 17lb, chub nudging 9lb and 3lb-plus roach. Now officials have now made a club book more affordable with a direct debit scheme. Adult members will be able to pay less than £12 a month for full access to Christchurch waters, with new seven and 14-day permits created to allow anglers holidaying in the area a shot at unlocking the specimen potential. The number of fisheries open to day-ticket anglers has also increased, and under-18s will be allowed to fish for free when sharing a peg with a full member. For more…

A CAMPAIGN to get more juniors into angling has taken a major step forward after plans to give out free rod licences to children were suggested. Environment Agency bosses have pitched the idea to high-ranking government officials in a bid to get more kids into the sport. The move comes after recently released figures by the EA showed that sales in licences for 12 to 16-year-olds had more than halved in five years, despite increased sales of adult licences this year. In order to stop the decline, bosses have opened up dialogue with staff at the Treasury and the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) about the possibility of making price alterations, along with a raft of other changes to the rod licence system for 2017. The current…

COULD this be the image of the next record perch? That is the question being asked after Charles Martin claimed this enormous 6lb 2oz specimen from Grafham Reservoir. The predator season started with a bang as big fish were landed across the country, but the Suffolk angler stole the show when he took the specimen – which is just 1oz off the UK best – from the Cambridgeshire venue. Despite having fished the water for five years, he had never landed a perch during that time, but he put the record straight when the giant specimen fell for a Mepps spinner. “I knew it was a huge perch as soon as I got it in the net but it wasn’t until I got back to land that I was told…

A BRAND new angling TV show starring one of the sport’s biggest names is set to air for the first time this week in a prime time slot on the BBC. Top all-rounder Matt Hayes will be joined by TV personality Ben Fogle to present the six-part series entitled ‘Earth’s Wildest Waters: The Big Fish’. The first episode is being screened on BBC 2 at 8pm this Sunday. Eight contestants are set to go head to head in a variety of locations around the world, with each undergoing a number of tasks during the expeditions. Ben, Matt and a local judge will then analyse the performances before voting one off each week. The first episode is filmed in Iceland, where the anglers brave extreme wind and rain to fish in…

SO the Canal and River Trust is looking to use the Avon Roach Project concept of spawning boards for roach on some of its waters, notably canals (see page 2). I have to ask the following...whose back garden will it use for growing on the fry? Whose conservatory will be converted to a brine shrimp production unit each spring? And where will the ponds be that grow fish on for up to four years before they are deemed fit for release? I ask these questions because roach will be spawning, they will be finding the Fontinalis moss on which they prefer to lay their eggs, or some substitute. Roach have not stopped breeding on the Avon after all – it’s recruitment of the fry that is the big issue, with…

IF YOU’VE GOT A CATCH TO REPORT CALL OUR HOTLINE ON 01733 395103 RIVERS & CANALS RIVER DON, BARNBY DUN, SOUTH YORKSHIRE BIG bags of roach and dace on this tidal stretch to floatfished maggot. The water can rise up to 3ft in a day here so check tide times online. Contact:Paul’s Fishing Tackle, 01709 862558 Prices: Free fishing HUDDERSFIELD NARROW CANAL, SLAITHWAITE, W YORKS Quality silverfish, particularly bream on caster and worm. Contact:Chris Roberts Tackle, 01484 545032 Prices:£5 from Chris Roberts Tackle, Slaithwaite DAA LEEDS & LIVERPOOL CANAL, PARBOLD, LANCS Pegs on the rushes are producing big skimmers and perch to casters. Contact:Sams Tackle & Bait, 01942 322085 Prices: £2 on the bank Wigan DAA RIPON CANAL, RIPON, N YORKS Good bags of silvers to chopped worm and caster,…

IF YOU’VE GOT A CATCH TO REPORT CALL OUR HOTLINE ON 01733 395103 RIVERS AND CANALS RIVER TRENT, NOTTINGHAM EMBANKMENT, NOTTS WAGGLER fishing with maggots is taking good roach and the odd chub. If the water level rises, feeder fishing for bream will be worth a go. Contact:Matchman Supplies, 01159 813834 Prices:Free fishing BIRMINGHAM WORCESTER CANAL, WORCESTER, WORCS At Perdiswell, the brambles pegs by the leisure centre are producing chub, carp and silverfish. Prices:£6 a day, Worcester & District UAA GRAND UNION CANAL, BLISWORTH, NORTHANTS Pegs through the village centre are producing roach, and perch to 2lb. Contact:Northampton Nene AC, 01604 761173 Prices:£5 on the bank, Northampton Nene AC NORTH LEVEL DRAIN, TYDD GOTE, LINCS Big bags of small fish, mainly near the pumps. Contact:Tydd Gote AC, 01945 463913 Prices:£4…

FOR me, late September to early November is short pole and meat time! Why does this method work so well right now? Well, I believe it’s because the carp are looking to enjoy one last feed before winter sets in, and anyway, they have had a summer full of pellets so they may be looking for a change of diet. However, just because the carp are hungry, that doesn’t mean they’re easy to catch. So how do I stay one step ahead of the fish in autumn with meat? Read on… FIND THE FEEDING SPOTS When fishing short I always try to find the bottom of the near slope. This is an area where carp are used to finding food, so for me it makes perfect sense to fish there.…

THE Derby Railway AC controlled length of the River Trent has seen some memorable matches down the years. A couple of seasons ago I had two barbel for more than 20lb here and lost another fish in the same session that would easily have put me over 30lb. I’ve also won a match here with 15lb of waggler-caught perch from a swim than looked anything but ‘perchy’. Add to these species roach, dace and bream and you’ve got quite a complex piece of water in terms of approaches. I drew here on day two of the recent three-day Coors Trent Festival, one swim above where I’d caught those perch two years ago. It looked great, and careful plumbing revealed a swim about 8ft deep in front, shallowing up all the…

1 Mix one bag of Dynamite Baits’ Marine Halibut Method Mix with a bag of Sensas Explosive Feeder. The latter groundbait encourages the mix to break down and cloud up in the water. 2 Add six tablespoonfuls of sugar to the dry groundbait mix. Bream like a sweet taste and sugar complements the fishmeal, especially if smaller bream and skimmers are your target. 3 Split the groundbait mix in two. Mix the first half as normal so that it can easily be formed into balls for the initial bait bombardment. 4 Mix the second half much drier, so that it only just binds together. This is for use in the feeder and will ensure that it has maximum activity. 5 Add your chosen feed to the mix. This could be…

WHEN you think of big-fi sh baits, boilies are no doubt the first choice for many. However, for whatever reason, you’ll find boilies are often banned on commercial fisheries. So what’s the next option? Particle baits aren’t as selective, nor are natural options such as worms or maggots. What about pellets? Big fish in most fisheries are used to large quantities of these being fed, but are also aware of the risk of being caught on them. The solution is simple – personalise your pellets to get around the rules and enjoy some great autumn sport! BOOST YOUR PELLETS So what can you do to make your pellets ultra-attractive and give yourself a carp-catching edge? The only thing holding you back is your imagination! Both tackle shops and supermarkets can…

TALK to any angler about the best kit on the planet and Daiwa is bound to be mentioned. The global tackle giant, with its massive manufacturing plant in Lanarkshire, is hugely respected by some of the greatest names in the sport, and every year Daiwa manages to raise the bar still further. Nowhere is this more evident than with big ticket items such as top-end poles, rods and reels. This year that happy upward trend continues, as we quickly discovered when the Angling Times cameras were given an exclusive one-off opportunity to view and review all Daiwa’s latest, and until then unseen, new equipment. In a cavalcade of new releases covering all disciplines from carp fishing to match angling and specialist big-fish and lure tactics, there was truly something for…

THE highs and lows of carp fishing were summed up in an extraordinary session for Dan Johannessen. During an eventful stay at Eric’s Willows Lake in Yorkshire, the Hull rod caught one of the water’s biggest fish, only for it to escape from the net before it could be weighed or photographed. Amazingly, he dusted himself off to land a 40lb common, followed by a £1,400 betting win and then a 46lb leather. Dan, who fished peg 19, banked a 37lb leather and a stockie on his first night, then a 3.30am take and subsequent boat battle on day three kicked off the drama. “I started to row back to my swim, knowing I had one of the big commons. I got the sling into the water and collapsed the…

Matt’s back on TV – and what a show! IT’S great to see Hayesy back on the telly! This Sunday sees the launch of his new ‘Big Fish’ series on BBC2, and early impressions of the first show reveal this will be the talk of fishing for weeks to come. If you’re tuning in expecting a new version of ‘A Passion for Angling’ then you’re going to be disappointed. Fishing, and TV viewing, has moved on from that original BBC show. This series follows the in-vogue style of programming on every channel you can click on these days – think Bake Off, Big Brother, The Apprentice, Strictly – where individuals are set challenges and are voted off, or saved, in this case according to their angling skills. That formula works…

1 RIVER THAMES Since 2008, two different 6lb-plus perch have been reported with pictures, but never officially verified. In 2008 a claimed 6lb 2oz fish by Robert Townsend was rejected as a record after it emerged the captor was fishing without a rod licence inside Thames Ditton marina. 2 GREAT OUSE  Who could forget Martin Bowler’s fabulous 5lb 4oz perch caught while filming ‘Catching the Impossible’? His relative John Wilson also made the river famous with some huge fish in the ‘Go Fishing’ films. 3 STREAM VALLEY LAKES The Sussex venue has twice held the British perch record, first in 2006 by a 5lb 15oz fish to Les Brown, then the current joint record of 6lb 3oz by Neill Stephen in 2011. 4 WILSTONE RESERVOIR Wilstone has a history of…

100AC, Grand Union Canal, Catherine De Barnes: 1 T Brunn, 2-13-8, breadpunch, roach; 2 R Snape, 2-7-8; 3 J Pedley, 1-12-12. 55th Division, Lathom Lakes: 1 L Furze, 38-6-0, pellet, mixed; 2 B Webster, 31-4-0; 3 R Harwood, 23-12-10. Alliance & Leicester Liverpool, Chapel Pool: K Bradshaw, 196-8-0, meat, carp; 2 C Smith, 188-8-0; 3 G Jones, 181-12-0. Alliance & Leicester Liverpool, Whitmore Fisheries, East Canal: 1 G Carter, 45-6-0, maggot, ide/barbel; 2 D Pellow, 40-8-0; 3 R Kennersley, 36-6-0. Alvis AC, Parker’s Fishery: 1 B Baddelly, 50-8-0, maggot, carp/skimmers; 2 B Prue, 30-8-0; 3 R Chater, 20-0-0. Andy’s Mob, Framfield Fishery: 1 A Webb, 312-0-0, paste, carp; 2 B Rowden, 250-0-0; 3 J Barlow, 236-0-0. Angel AC, Daiwa Hallcroft Fishery: 1 D Teal, 62-14-0, meat, carp; 2 M Bissell,…

MONDAY TO SATURDAY Angling Trust RiverFest Qualifier River Thames, Medley & Abingdon (60 pegs) A top-quality line-up on a difficult, gin-clear river saw the form pegs produce the top weights. Leading the field home was venue expert Paul Passmore, the Devizes rod putting a fine 33-7-0 net on the scales to comfortably take him into the grand final. Paul started by fishing chopped worm and caster and put six big perch in the net, topping them up with a net of roach taken on the waggler with caster from the end peg at Medley. Also on the Medley stretch was runner-up Mike Bedding, who weighed in 19-9-0 of quality roach taken on the pole. Result:1 P Passmore, Devizes, 33-7-0; 2 M Bedding, Sensas WB Clarke, 19-9-0; 3 J Taylor, Tubertini…

White Acres Maver Festival 2015 Twin Oaks, Trelawney, Bolingey, Pollawyn, Trewaters & Jenny’s Lakes & Porth Reservoir (178 pegs) IT’S been quite a month for John Whincup as the Frenzee/Bait-Tech man qualified last knockings for the big-money Maver Match This final in early September, and then rounded the four weeks off by winning this Maverbacked festival to achieve a long-held ambition. Scoring 35 points, John matched the tally of runner-up and White Acres festival winner already this year, Paul Holland, and third-placed Simon Colclough, but when it came down to it, John had a better dropped section score to win the £4,000 top prize. Day 1 put him on peg 27 of the Twin Oaks Lake where feeder tactics gave him 90-3-0 of carp and a section win. Porth Reservoir…

Frank Barlow Memorial (Weds) River Trent, Burton upon Trent (62 pegs) SIXTY-two anglers lined the banks of the Trent to pay homage to the legendary Frank Barlow and other dearly departed anglers as the 19th memorial event moved to a new home in the Coors AC stretch of river at Burton upon Trent. Winner was Andy Taft, who drew a swim with a shallow glide below a footbridge and targeting the slack water with pole and maggot over groundbait immediately below one of the bridge stanchions. He was rewarded with a great run of dace and roach. As bites tailed off he then continued to plunder more fish to 10oz by running a light pole rig further down his swim, ending up with approximately 135 fish for an impressive 20-2-0.…

Norwich DAA Thurne Festival (Weds & Thurs) River Thurne, Martham, Coldharbour & Womack (72 pegs) FISHED across the Coldharbour, Martham and Womack sections of the Thurne. Total weight was needed to decide the eventual winner, with Kevin Paynter getting the nod on 44-9-0 against the 32-13-0 of Robert Hubbard as both men ended the two days on three points apiece, Kevin winning £420 for his efforts. Day 1 saw the champion win the match overall with 28-6-0 of skimmers on feeder and worm from the Womack section, followed by a section second on Day 2 with 16-3-0 of skimmers from the Martham zone. Day 2 victory went the way of Richard Watson at Martham with 21-5-0 of skimmers again on the feeder with maggot and worm. Day 1 result: 1…

Jeff Moors Memorial Cudmore Fisheries, Arena, Moors, Panama & Suez Canal Lakes (58 pegs) THERE was a fitting winner to this year’s memorial as Neil Machin, who Jeff coached during his days as Border Fishery manager, took the trophy. The former Fish O’Mania and Parkdean champion drew peg 22 on the Panama Lake and weighed in 71-11-0 of carp to 3lb fishing paste short and pellet, corn and maggot across at 13m. That left John Glover Junior on Arena Pool peg 21 to finish second with 56-5-0. Result:1 N Machin, Garbolino/Bag’em Baits, 71-11-0; 2 J Glover Jnr, Team Cudmore, 56-5-0; 3 P Gibson, Heronbrook, 50-2-0; 4 A May, MAP/ Bait-Tech, 45-14-0; 5 R Parr, Team Cudmore, 43-12-0; 6 P Williamson, Browning Lifestyle, 40-11-0.…

COMMERCIAL FISHERIES Barston Lakes, Solihull – Sunday April 24, 2016 Maver Larford Lakes, Stourport – Saturday April 30, 2016 Gold Valley Lakes, Aldershot – Sunday May 29, 2016 Daiwa Hallcroft Fishery, Retford – Saturday June 4, 2016 Boddington Reservoir, Boddington – Sunday June 5, 2016 NATURAL LAKES Lough Erne, Ireland – Saturday May 7, 2016 Southfield Reservoir, Doncaster – Sunday May 22, 2016 Holland Venue (TBC) – Friday June 10, 2016 Ferry Meadows Country Park, Peterborough–Sunday June 26, 2016 Carr Mill Dam, St Helen’s – Sunday July 3, 2016 Bough Beech Reservoir, Sevenoaks – Sunday July 10, 2016 Lough Muckno, Ireland (TBC) – September 2016 RIVERS Tidal River Trent, Dunham, Laughterton and North Clifton – Saturday July 9, 2016 River Tees, Bowesfield – Sunday July 17, 2016 River Yare, Langley…