Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 3689 i Angling Times

AS A SPORT, we’ve been blessed with some great storytellers over the years who have kept audiences entertained with their adventures and campaigns. Bernard Venables, Fred Buller, Richard Walker and Chris Yates will be forever etched into the history of angling , thanks to their mastery of the written word. Terry Hearn is another of my favourites, and I challenge anyone to read one of his carp books and not want to embark on a campaign on large low-stock gravel pit. I think some people just have a natural talent to captivate audiences. They possess the skill to take the reader on the journey with them. As times change, this is something that we see more and more in video format, as opposed to words on a page. And while…

THIS WEEK THE ANGLING community is deeply saddened by the untimely passing of Joe Lowe, a respected figure known for his warmth, professionalism and contributions to the sport. The 63-year-old held senior roles at Maver, Preston Innovations, Fosters of Birmingham and Angling Direct – and beyond his vocational achievements, he was a much-loved and respected competitor on the Black Country match fishing circuit. Joe leaves behind his wife, Jan, and two children, Jess and Will. Tributes have poured in from across fishing, with Joe being fondly remembered for his great sense of humour, and fellow anglers describing him as a ‘gentleman’, and a ‘lovely man’.…

A DEEP-HITTING one this week, so buckle up and imagine this unsavoury scene… teams of licensed and approved government gangs armed with nets and traps, catching songbirds living a wild and free existence. They’re then kept in cages before being transported miles away to battery chicken sheds, where they spend the rest of their days cooped up in pens with the chickens. Unable to fly free. Why their relocation? Factory-farmed chickens are kept in such dire conditions, they suffer infestations of lice and other parasites. Lots die long before they ever become a burger or a supermarket fillet. Everyone knows it’s a problem, and without a change in farming practice, no one can solve it. Someone in a suit somewhere comes up with the ‘environmentally friendly’ answer of putting songbirds…

OVER the years I’ve adopted a slightly different approach for specimen bream, targeting multiple spots and feeding small amounts over each with pinpoint accuracy. I spend time looking for areas that the fish are feeding over, mapping out the swim and searching for any bars, humps, or even marginal slopes that the fish might be patrolling. The venues I target are generally of a low stock, with the fish spending lots of their time swimming around off bottom. I think they only drop down briefly to feed, so having a small but attractive pile of bait, with my rig and hookbait bang on top, stacks the odds in my favour. Autumn is a great time for a big bream, so if you’re after one over the coming months, give my…

SOLID elastics were the first to hit the market. They are much favoured by many matchmen in their lower ratings for silverfish. In their higher ratings they undoubtedly have more stopping power than any other elastic, making them ideal for hit-and-hold situations. Pro: Lots of stopping power as the elastic tightens Pro: Lightweight in smaller sizes, and ideal in short lengths for small fish Con: Needs lubricating for smooth running Con: Prone to stretching out and needing re-tightening HOLLOW elastics are probably the best-selling elastics on the market, and are a popular choice with commercial fishery anglers catching carp. They are prone to stretching that bit further than solid elastics, and they are a tad more forgiving when under stress from bigger fish, leading to fewer losses. In their largest…

JOIN TOP MATCH anglers Lee Kerry and Rob Wootton each week as they unveil the tactics and techniques that really make a difference I’VE GOT a series of big matches coming up at Doncaster’s Southfield Reservoir. That means I’m now in full-on feeder fishing mode. Southfield is a shallow, featureless water where bream and skimmers are the dominant species. The sport can be tricky, to put it mildly. I’ve had a few practice sessions recently, and I’ve been amazed at how autumnal the fishing is. The mood of the fish can change in an instant, which is not the type of behaviour that I’d expect to see until late October or even November. KICK OFF CAUTIOUSLY A series of cold mornings recently has had an instant impact on waters less…

THE OUTLAW PRO UK Angling Championships is an event that I’ve always wanted to win and, after multiple second places in years gone by, I’ve finally got over the line in 2024! I was the only angler to win my section in each of the four rounds, giving me a perfect score at the end. But what was the key to success? In this week’s column I’ll take a one-off break from my usual format of answering your questions to run through each match, and the tactical edges that made all the difference. “Had I stayed on my original line, I’d have ended up nowhere...” ROUND ONE – MAKINS FISHERY It was an incredibly hot day, and peg A2 on Lake Two didn’t fill me with confidence, but it did…

NEW JUNCTION CANAL, DONCASTER, S YORKS Quality bream can be caught on the long pole and feeder. Feed groundbait and try worm and dead maggot on the hook. Contact: Stainforth Angling Centre, 01302 846623 LANCASTER CANAL, LANCASHIRE Pole fishing tactics are key here, with caster, chopped worm and groundbait the winning baits. Contact: Lancaster Fishing and Leisure, 01524 844970 LEEDS AND LIVERPOOL CANAL, WIGAN Head for the wider section for bream on the waggler. Controlled by Wigan DAC, it can be fished on an affordable ticket. Contact: Leigh Tackle & Bait, 01942 604125 BIRMINGHAM-FAZELEY CANAL, WEST MIDS Some good bream are to be had on the pole. Try a few lines at different depths to find the fish. Contact: Birmingham AA, 01562 882116 GRAND UNION, SHREWLEY, WARKS Tunnel Barn Farm…

Toby Hall 13lb common carp, unnamed club lake, Kent, bread Mickey Pybus 14lb 5oz common, Candy Corner, Doncaster, pellet Jude Buckner 5lb mirror carp, Mill Cotton Fishery, Northants, pellet Axel Embling 25lb 8oz mirror carp, Trent View Fisheries, Notts, wafter Cohan Barlow 14lb 7oz barbel, River Trent, Notts, luncheon meat Bethany-Rose Greaves Common carp, club water, Shropshire, maggot Harry Neesam 6lb 11oz bream, Ellerbeck Fisheries, Cumbria, meat Alfie Perkins 8lb 6oz koi carp, Players Club, Bristol, floater Ella Wilkes & Tommy O’Callaghan Common carp, local lake, Somersham, Cambs, wafter Teddy Cole Mirror carp, Docklow Pools, Herefordshire Jack Morrall 10lb 5oz common, Holme Grange, Wokingham, pellet Oliver Mills 5lb common carp, Ringstead, Northants, maggot Ben Kay 4lb 6oz eel, Brough complex, Hull, Peperami Max Remington 10lb 8oz barbel, River Severn, Shropshire,…

SEND US YOUR PICS • newsdesk@anglingtimes.co.uk l Make sure your pics are hi-res and that you are in them “I WAS SHOCKED TO SEE THIS HUGE ROACH” Dylan Dean – 2lb roach “I WENT to my local river to leger corn for big roach, and managed to land a few fish around the pound mark early on. “I was pleased to catch these, but I knew there were bigger ones out there, as I could see them in the swim. “It wasn’t long before the quivertip rattled and I struck into what I knew was a better fish. In fact, at first I thought it was a small chub, as it stripped line from the drag. “But, as it neared the net, I was shocked to see this huge roach.…

THE JOY OF FISHING ONE OF the many reasons I enjoy fishing so much is that it gives me the chance to experience the many varied faces of the wonderful British Isles. Anyone who doesn’t believe our country is beautiful is walking around with their eyes shut. Within a day’s car journey I can be trout fishing in the shadow of an imposing Scottish mountain, enjoying the rugged Wye Valley, or exploring the solitude of the Norfolk Broads, before finally making a cast into the salty English Channel. Maybe this is why I’ve never denied my wanderlust, and the last couple of days were a perfect case in point. London, and the M25 circling it, does little for me – but even here you can discover oases of green spaces…

STEVE RINGER World Feeder champ and a constantly successful matchman STEVE MAHER Elite match angler and expert on the River Severn DES SHIPP England ace and multiple Parkdean Masters champion ALAN STAGG 2015 Drennan Cup winner and marketing boss at Gardner Tackle NEILL STEPHEN Big-fish ace who is joint holder of the British perch record SIMON ASHTON Dace record holder and AT’s ‘Speci Angler of the Year’ 2023 ANDY MAY 2016 Fish O’ champ and triple Kamasan Matchman of the Year LIGHT STICK FLOAT RIG There’s a little backwater near me that holds some surprisingly good dace and roach. What sort of float rig would be best to target these? Alistair Hamilton, Gloucester A The river’s depth and flow should dictate what set-up you use. Let’s say it’s 5ft deep…

Honest advice to help you to catch more fish on every trip, without breaking the bank WHETHER you are fishing for carp, barbel, bream or tench, the chances are that boilies will figure somewhere in your bait list. I still often make my own baits, but there are times when the convenience of ready-made baits just can’t be beaten. I use both frozen and shelf-life baits, and have never really found one to be superior to the other. What does make a difference, though, is how you use them. Rarely do I use baits straight from the bag , as there are so many ways to increase their attractiveness. SIMPLE CHOPS One of the simplest ways to improve the performance of your boilies is to break them up by chopping…

WHERE TO FISH IN ASSOCIATION WITH WHETHER you want to land your first ever double-figure carp or winkle out a silverfish every drop on the float, the Old Lake at Lovells can cater for your needs. Located to the north of Peterborough, the popularity of this two-lake complex continues to climb, with its versatility being one of the reasons it is rated so highly. Features are scattered throughout this mature and scenic lake, with marginal reeds, overhanging trees and numerous lily beds spread around the water, making for some very interesting fishing! Depths vary quite drastically, with anything from 4ft to 15ft available, depending on where you set out your stall. The fish are well spread out at this time of year but, as is the case on any lake,…

WITNESS, if you will, the complete abandon with which fish feed where fishing isn’t permitted. Or, indeed, anglers’ brazen attempts to flout the rules in order to get to these no-go zones. Not that I’m playing Mr Innocence here – once or twice I might just have miraculously not seen the massive ‘No Fishing’ sign put up by local killjoys. In between drastically overfished swims and the cast-and-be-condemned zones, however, lie a wealth of opportunities. There are awkward swims that steal tackle for fun, require waders or even a boat to access. This is where my latest attempt comes in. For several seasons I’d been looking at a dilapidated pier on family trips to the seaside. But before the thought of sneaking a rod into the boot even occurred, I…

BARSTON Lakes was where I headed for my first trip of the week, to compete in the final round of the UK Championships. This series had gone quite well for me thus far, and I was still in the hunt to win. Peg 90 stuck to my hand at the draw, but to say it wasn’t the best would be an understatement! There aren’t many carp in this area of the lake, but it’s all about winning your section and, with the other swims around me not particularly hot either, I still fancied I could achieve that. I decided to start on the Method to see if I could snare a carp, and I got lucky, as a 9lb lump came on the second chuck. That was my lot, and…

A FEW years ago now, I remember hearing about the Irish skippers who were catching bluefin tuna over on the far west coast. At the time I seriously thought about having a go for them but, for some reason or other, I never got around to booking myself a trip. Then, of course, came the news some five years ago that the tuna had hit the UK coast. Once again I fancied a trip – but once again other adventures seemed to take priority, and so it was only last year when I had my first serious attempt at catching these giant game fish. Sadly, the weather was cruel to me, and my mate Steve Greenway and I blanked for the two days – but we saw enough potential in…