Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 3651 i Angling Times

AS THIS is our final issue of 2023, it seems like a fitting time to reflect on the last 12 months with the introduction of a new feature – ‘The 50 Most Influential People in Angling’. Over the years we’ve highlighted many iconic anglers in our various anniversary and special issues, but never before have we done one where we specifically rank the people who have had the biggest impact on the sport over the previous 12 months. From top anglers and entrepreneurial notables, to inspirational individuals pushing to bring about change, we wanted to shine a light on all those who have been a driving force in the sport and had an impact on how we enjoy our hobby. So, after drawing up an extensive list of more than…

SURPRISE winter catches from running water don’t come much bigger than the one Duncan Hayward enjoyed recently when he hooked and landed this grass carp weighing nearly 30lb! He was fishing the River Thames, in an area where he’d located a small group of carp sitting high in the water. Targeting them with floating hookbaits at night, he cast out and listened out for the ‘slurp’ of taking fish. “I’d only managed to entice two of them to take my free breadcrust offerings before I heard the clutch of my reel give a short burst of clicks,” he told us. “I wound down to be met with very little resistance, and I thought I’d hooked a bream. But, as I tried to coax it into the net, the water in…

THROUGH the cold and the darkness, the moon’s reflection is framed by the window, and frost fingers creep across the pane. Inside, flames flicker as the firelight dances across the ceiling. A comfy seat, a wee dram, and the scene is set for a fishing tale to be told… Winter had a firm grip on the valley after days of sub-zero temperatures, and the river was running glacial blue. The pale sun lacked the strength to combat the chill, but it illuminated the banks of trees encrusted in ice, and the water sparkled like diamonds as it swept by. I didn’t want to respond to my early alarm call, but the winter landscape was irresistible. Sure enough, my meeting point with fellow angler Adam Fisher lived up to its spectacular…

TIPS & TACTICS LOOSEFEEDING baits that your target species craves is the way forward in almost every angling situation… but there are always exceptions to the rule. For big perch you need to introduce a mix that will prove attractive to small silverfish, so that your target’s predatory instincts lead to them following in the roach and rudd. Commercial fishery fanatic Mat Linforth loves nothing more than to bag a few big stripeys in winter, and has come up with a simple yet very effective way to draw them into his peg. “I feed the margins with a groundbait slop containing a handful of dead maggots, casters and minced worms, and it works on so many levels,” Matt explained. “It clouds the water up and this instantly draws the small…

IN A MOMENTOUS decision for British big game fishing, the government has announced its intention to open a much bigger recreational catch-and-release Bluefin tuna fishery in 2024. However, experts are already warning that this could lead to the current tightly-regulated system descending into a messy open access arrangement. Responding to a cross section of skippers, private boat owners and general anglers, Defra has outlined a much more open vision than the previous CHART programme, which only allowed strictly licensed and trained operators to fish for tuna. Previous results spoke for themselves, with major economic gains for coastal regions and a hugely successful record for sustainability. Almost all Bluefin tuna were shown to survive capture thanks to specialist tackle and rigorous fish care standards. “This risks creating a fishery with minimal…

“UNFORTUNATELY I’D FORGOTTEN MY SCALES!” Justin Grapes – 50cm perch “ON A RECENT trip to a Midlands stillwater I landed three good perch, all of which were probably over my 3lb 15oz personal best, but unfortunately I’d forgotten my scales! “I did measure them at 50cm, 48cm and 46cm, and all were in great condition – the 50cm fish being particularly fat. “Drop shot tactics using small creature baits from Fox Rage were successful, targeting areas near big shoals of baitfish. We’d caught nothing for the first part of the day, but at around 3pm the fish switched on. In fact these three perch came in consecutive casts!” “I DECIDED TO CHANCE IT” Liam Smith – 9lb 12oz barbel “THIS week I ventured on to my local council ticket on…

EVERY angler in the UK has, in some way, been influenced by the people on this list, which is the first ranking of its kind to be created in the history of our sport. Whether you’ve read an article, bought a certain item of tackle, watched a clip on YouTube, liked a social media post or fished a particular venue, chances are that the 50 individuals detailed on the following pages will have in some way contributed to the experience. As a collective bunch, their reach is certainly impressive. Of course, the meaning of the word ‘influencer’ has changed quite markedly over the past few decades. Scroll back 30 or 40 years and those who helped form opinion and inspire others were, in the main, masters of the written word…

TRY REVERSE DRAGGING SOMETIMES the fish won’t look at a bait that’s run through the swim at the speed of the flow. You need to slow things down which, unlike on the pole, isn’t easy on rod and line! The solution is ‘reverse dragging’, with most of the hooklength laid on the riverbed. This will slow the progress of the rig right down and offer a totally different presentation. A thick straight peacock waggler will be needed, though, offering enough buoyancy to prevent it being dragged under. COME OFF BOTTOM EVEN in cold weather, fish will come off bottom, especially chub and roach late in the day. In this instance, swapping to an insert waggler will do the trick, fished with just a few small shot down the line. You…

AS TIME runs out in the race to protect wild Atlantic salmon, The Missing Salmon Alliance (MSA) hosted an evening to spread awareness and support at the iconic Curzon Cinema in Mayfair, which fittingly brought out the stars. In the last 25 years, wild Atlantic salmon have faced a 70 per cent decline due to a lack of cold, clean water across Britain’s rivers and seas. The MSA is embarking on a “combined effort across the UK to ensure the species has a future”, says its ambassador, Peter Landale. At the event, presentations were made and short films were shown, highlighting the extensive work being undertaken to save the species. Guests included cast members from Netflix’s The Crown, with Dominic West and Jim Murray, who portray Prince Charles and…

IN AN era of jeopardy for Britain’s running waters, anglers are happier than ever to see amazing catches still coming through. With threats ranging from sewage pollution to invasive species and predators, both furred and feathered, 2023 was still a vintage year for the Thames. Huge barbel, roach, perch and chub all made headlines, and these were just the fish you reported! Even more startling are some of the catches that were kept secret, including a rumoured British record barbel. However, the longer-term picture of the river is less certain. One less palatable phenomenon is that huge individual fish can occur in spite of, or even because of, other pressures at work. PEAK OF THE CYCLE? One man who’s reaped as many rewards from the Thames as anyone is top…

THE END OF AN ERA I WAS disappointed to read (Angling Times, December 12) that from next year the Environment Agency will no longer provide anglers with rod licence cards. While I can see the financial sense in the move, I have enjoyed collecting the cards over the years and enjoy seeing which piece of amazing David Miller artwork will be featured each season. I hope the £230k stated in the article is indeed invested into fisheries as the EA proposes because, from a practical point of view, I would obviously like to see my money spent on things which improve the sport. But the sentimental part of me will miss the old licences. Opening up a text message just isn’t quite the same as having the beautifully illustrated card…

THE ‘ANGLING OSCARS’, 1999 THE Tight Lines ‘Angling Oscars’ were the brainchild of then-producer Andy Storey, on the basis that the Beeb’s Sports Personality of the Year basically excluded angling. I’m sure you’ll recall the Bob Nudd debacle when, after his second World Championships gold medal in 1991, the BBC received a huge number of votes – in excess of 20,000 – for him, but denied him victory on a technicality. Bob subsequently attained celebrity status with a wider public after appearing on Terry Wogan’s chat show and fielding some rather banal questions about angling with aplomb! When Alan Scotthorne was similarly ignored after his third triumph 1999, my old show decided to put that right, and commissioned the Angling Writers’ Association to compile a list of anglers who’d had…

FAULT FIXERS Expert help to give your match fishing the edge THE LESSON BEGIN ON BREAD At the start of a match there will always be some F1s that can be caught before any feed goes into the swim. For a quick opening hit, nothing beats a bomb and bread combo. Chuck out three discs of 8mm punched bread, fished to sit a little way off the bottom. SWAP TO THE FEEDER When the bomb fails, try fishing a Method feeder on the bottom with a small neat pile of micro pellets and a bright yellow hookbait. Feeding pellets might not seem sensible in winter, but you have to do it. Fishing on the deck with no feed is bound to draw a blank. REPEAT THE PROCESS Cast the feeder…