Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 3646 i Angling Times

THIS WEEKEVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW FROM THE WORLD OF FISHING MANY river fish gain weight through the autumn months, but we’ve had one fish reported that, if it continues its current growth rate, will be pushing the British Record come March! In August, Berkshire angler Jack Jacura landed a superb barbel from the Thames, weighing 17lb 12oz – an late summer fish that was clearly spawned out. Well, he’s just caught that same fish again, but this time it weighed a mammoth 19lb 3oz. That’s nearly a pound and a half in just under four months. “I used an inline lead with a fluorocarbon hooklink to a size 8 wide gape hook,” Jack told us. “I’ve had a great few months on the river, landing multiple doubles plus…

SEND US YOUR PICS • newsdesk@anglingtimes.co.uk • Make sure your pics are hi-res and that you are in them “IT GAVE ME A BATTERING!” Matt Buttery – 30lb 14oz pike “ON OUR first trip to Chew Valley Lake, my boat partner, Dom, and I headed to a popular area. Once we’d found some baitfish, we dropped anchor then cast out mackerel hookbaits. “All that followed were a few dropped runs and a big rainbow trout, so we moved to one of the bays, where we noticed a number of baitfish being chased about 80 yards from the bank. “Here, there was a drop-off into around 11ft of water. We anchored up and got the rods out, and within 10 minutes one of my floats disappeared. “I wound down and struck…

YOU can have the warmest clothing money can buy, but if you let it get wet, it becomes next to useless. Most anglers opt for an all-season waterproof set that can be used for lighter summer use, or as an outer shell over your warmer layers in winter. As with any waterproofs, material choice needs to be your first port of call. A 5K fabric will keep you dry in moderate rain, while 10K to 15K will withstand heavy storms. But 20K+ is the gold standard, and the only choice if you are planning on sitting out in a downpour all day without a brolly. Breathability is also worth considering. A plastic bag, for example, is 100 per cent waterproof, but sit outside in one and you will soon end…

INSIDE YOUR GUIDE... •Blackthorn Gate • Rookery Waters • Taswood Lakes• Tinney Waters • Meadow Lakes • Springfield Meadows• Woodland Waters• ...and more! BITES GALORE AT NORFOLK GEM Reepham offers a fish-filled week in one of Britain’s best spots THE well-established Reepham Fishery is incredibly popular with holidaymakers, match and pleasure anglers alike. You’ll find four healthily stocked spring-fed lakes on site, filled with all types of carp, plus roach, rudd, tench, and F1s. Match-style tactics score, with the pole, waggler and feeder all working on their day, meaning you can fish in a way you enjoy and always be sure of a few bites. There’s a range of accommodation on offer here, with quality lodges overlooking the fishing lakes that’ll sleep up to four people. These are equipped with…

FAULT FIXERS Expert help to give your match fishing the edge THE LESSON 1 TIGHT TO THE ISLAND MUD Features are a bonus with winter approaching, and islands fall into that category. Many anglers think the water is too shallow around an island to hold enough fish – they’re right if we’re talking only 6ins of depth! So plumb up thoroughly along and around the island, identifying the deepest areas. These should ideally be tight to the island mud, to prevent fish from swimming behind the rig and giving false indications. Between 2ft and 3ft is just about perfect. 2 PING OR POT? Feeding with a pot guarantees accuracy and lets you regulate how much bait is going in. The catapult still plays a part, though, but very much as…

THIS WEEKEVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW FROM THE WORLD OF FISHING WILD weather may have battered Britain recently, but that hasn’t stopped the nation’s perch fishing fanatics from kicking up a storm of their own by making some truly sublime catches. Huge fish have been reported from a wide variety of venues, from secluded syndicate waters to rivers – and even a holiday park – in what has been a landmark week for the species. Among those to hit the big-fish trail was Durham specialist Simon Ashton, who slipped the net under a magnificent 5lb 4oz fish from the same northern stillwater where he landed a PB of 4lb 8oz a few weeks earlier. “Conditions weren’t ideal, with bright sunshine forecast all day,” he told us. “My tactic was to…

WHETHER it’s taking a first-timer fishing or vital hands-on work to help fisheries, where would angling be without the vast army of people pitching in to make things better? From getting kids on the bank to helping those battling mental health issues, many anglers have an interest in taking part but never quite get round to it. So, what’s really involved? To get a deeper insight into one of angling’s oldest and most successful charities, we caught up with Sarah Collins and Keith Arthur of Get Hooked on Fishing (GHoF). Existing since 2000, it has made a huge difference to the lives of children across the country through angling. Nor can there be many more knowledgeable people in the sector than CEO Sarah Collins, and our own Keith Arthur, who…

THE GAME CHANGER ROGER MELTON – 1LB 2OZ DACE “A LITTLE river in Surrey, a Thames tributary, holds some lovely dace, and fish often gather here in the colder months. “It can lose its colour very quickly after rain, but I’ve learned to prepare for these clear-water conditions. By using a unique groundbait mix, I’m able to keep the bites coming. “I shuffled my feet around to agitate the bottom and send a cloud of mud downstream” “On a recent trip the river was running gin-clear, but I wasn’t too worried – I broke out my mix, the bulk of which consists of three loaves of liquidised bread. There’s a playground upstream where parents bring their kids to feed the ducks, so bread is a natural choice. But rather than…

SEND YOUR PICS AND LETTERS TO: ATLETTERS@BAUERMEDIA.CO.UK CARP OUT OF THIN AIR! WHILE fishing a natural lake in the New Forest I found several good fish in the margins, where a westerly wind had blown all sorts of floating debris into the bank. Several casts later, I'd spooked two of the better fish. Opting to play the waiting game, I soaked some floaters and bread crusts in a liquid flavouring and threw them into the margin under some trees. Soon I heard a carp sucking at my free offerings, so I gently cast a piece of crust just ahead of two nice fish. The pair took turns nudging it, only to decide my bait wasn't safe, and turned away. I noticed that the carp were refusing to take my…

GET OFF TO A QUICK START FEEDING groundbait will immediately focus the fish in one part of the swim, where you can then catch them. How much to feed is the million-dollar question, and this is all dependent on how many fish you are expecting to catch. On prolific rivers, where this may be getting on for 200 small fish, potting or throwing in four large balls packed with particles isn’t too much. On the flip side, if it’s a harder venue with 60 fish the target, one or two balls is a better bet. After that initial hit, look for signs telling you when to top up the swim again with more groundbait. These normally include the fish drifting down the peg, the arrival of small perch, or bites…

THIS WEEKEVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW FROM THE WORLD OF FISHING ENGLAND’S new Freestyle Feeder team has been given a huge boost ahead of their first World Champs after signing sponsorship deals with both Ringer Baits and Dragon Energy. The side, captained by angling legend Tommy Pickering, is set to compete in Valencia, Spain, on November 18 and 19. This unique event will allow Method, banjo and pellet feeders to be used, alongside short hooklinks and pellet and boilie hookbaits. “Support like this makes a massive difference to our ability to focus and perform at international level,” said skipper Tommy. “I can’t thank Geoff and the team at Ringer Baits, plus Chris at Dragon Energy, enough for their backing. We’ll be giving it all on the bank this week!”…

THE JOY OF FISHING IN THE last 50 years – nearly my entire lifetime – the world has become an ever-more turbulent place. But even when the Gulf War started, and social media took off to a degree nobody could ever have foreseen, life on a small estate lake carried on as it always had. The carp continued to grow, neither knowing nor caring what we were up to, only that the water was clean, well oxygenated and rich in food. Maybe my increasingly complex world and the placid existence of those ancient fish should have never collided, but I couldn’t pass up an invitation to visit this lake and discover whether its inhabitants still swam unmolested after all these years. Autumn was in full swing, the trees ablaze with…

TIPS & TACTICS WALK along a canal and most of the swims will look uninviting, with bare far banks and perhaps a straggly bush overhanging the water if you’re lucky. Find a peg that’s in the mouth of a marina, however, and it’s an altogether different story! Wider and deeper than the pegs around it, this type of swim also offers cover in the shape of moored boats, and acts as a magnet for fish shoaling up ahead of the winter weather. Small fish are present in abundance, along with plenty of ‘bonuses’ like big perch and skimmers to provide something that pulls back a bit. Yet such a swim can be confusing, given so many options to explore. That’s why I will always keep things as simple as I…

River Wye Running Line Challenge (Weds) River Wye, Hereford (57 pegs) THIS new event drew a good crowd who were all limited to float or feeder. No poles or whips were allowed and, with bleak not counting either, that left barbel as the main target on a high and coloured river following rain and releases of dam water from upstream. This being ‘big fish or bust’, many dry-netted. The main action was centred on pegs at the end of the tennis courts section where Joe Holloway and Jim Brockie slugged it out, Joe winning with 39-8-0 against the 33-11-0 of Jim. Drawing end peg 102, Bewdley rod Joe fished blockend feeder with maggot for nine barbel, one ahead of Jim on nearby peg 100. He was one of the few…

LAST CAST WITH DOM THERE’S a definite place for specimen hunting in miniature. Mini beasts such as ruffe and dragonets will often win as many admiring glances as much larger fish like carp or pike. Every year, I try to expand my personal species tally. From the scrawlings in my diary, you can see various targets I’ve hit and missed. It’s a never-ending process, but suffice to say the list of fish species in my home county alone could keep a fish geek busy for decades. One magical factor in these adventures is the lure fishing community. LRF fans are as nerdy and obsessive as birdwatchers, and incredibly friendly. You ask a question, you get an answer. You bring enthusiasm and you get it right back. If you want treasure,…