Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 3704 i Angling Times

THE SEARCH is on for the nation’s next international angling superstars, following the opening of applications for this year’s Talent Pathway. Keen anglers over 10 years of age who wish to represent their country are invited to apply as part of the recruitment drive to find new members for the Guru Team England Under 15s side, which picked up double gold at last year’s World Champs in Serbia. Team manager, Matt Godfrey, said: “There are 40 places available, and all successful applicants will be invited to fish in three assessment and coaching days in front of the team’s managers.” l Apply via the Coarse Talent Pathway page on the Angling Trust website before February 10.…

WHENEVER I think of the River Waveney, an image of a young John Wilson trotting stewed wheat springs to mind. He began his love affair with Norfolk and Suffolk on the river around Bungay, and this is why I was keen to join my friend Eddie Mounce for a chance to walk in the footsteps of the great man. We’d be fishing water controlled by Bungay Cherry Tree AC, the club that John joined on his first holiday to the region. And I couldn’t wait to get going! Eddie, like me, is a Wilson disciple who I met through John in Thailand, and for a while we shared a common business interest in the Jurassic fishing resort. We remained in contact when he returned to England with his family, and…

WINTER deadbaiting conjures up an image of being tucked away behind the rods and a brolly, sheltering from the wind and hoping that a big pike will happen to come along. But a far more productive approach is to stay mobile and try to find the fish, rather than hoping one will eventually turn up. I don’t even take a chair, although I do keep a gas stove in the van for the odd warming brew! On rivers, I’ve found this approach to be particularly effective. You can easily rove a stretch, spending a quick half-hour in an inviting swim before reeling in and dropping into the next area. My busy approach isn’t just about keeping on the move – I’ll regularly change my presentation and baits, as well as…

1. USE THE CORRECT ROD LENGTH A rod of 6ft-8ft is ideal. The length should be matched to the type of fishing you favour. If you often target structures on the far bank or your own margin, a short rod is more manageable. Conversely, a longer rod can help to reach over nearside marginal ledges or dense undergrowth. 2. CHOOSE A SOFT TIP A solid-tipped rod with a fast or extra-fast action is ideal. The soft tip enables fish to engulf the lure, even against a tight line, without feeling any resistance. This is especially important when fishing for perch. 3. BANK ON BRAID Braid is the best option as a mainline, as it provides far more feedback up the line than mono ever will. Fluorocarbon can also be used…

(* indicates an anagram) ACROSS 1Sleek in-line spinner bait – taunter? (6)5 It has feelers, as well as taste buds over its body (7)9 Name of two Pembrokeshire rivers (*add clue) (7)10 ___ rig has long, curved, shrink tubing – strip of pasta (6) 11 ___ Rivers, England Carp squad manager 2024 (*line) (4)12 Famous salmon river of N. Scotland (*yokel) (5)13 Staffs town on the Churnet; Welsh emblem (4) 14 Spray dispenser (*oar items) (8)16 Tacky like rig putty (6)18 Fished – in Pang, Ledbury (6) 20 Lincolnshire town on River Welland (*pig lands!) (8)22 Recedes like the tide (4)24 Part of river entering sea (5)25 Small truncheon for dispatching fish (4)26/5dn. Shallow-water crystal waggler (*lurched up deck) (6,7)28 Blake Hall Fishery is near this Staffs market town (*eel,…

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW FROM THE WORLD OF FISHING TODAY’S big-pike landscape is dominated by reservoir fish, but the wild, expansive waters of Ireland still hold some heavyweight surprises, as Geoff Cowan proved by landing this mighty 42lb 6oz predator. Just 6oz off the Irish pike record, it obliterates his previous PB for the species of 30lb 5oz, which was a fish he never thought he’d better. He caught it on a floatfished deadbait while fishing from a boat with his son, Mark, who recalled how the epic catch unfolded on the day. “We were in two minds whether to go out at all, because 30mph winds and 50mph gusts were forecast,” he told us. “But we headed out and had the rods in position by around 8am. “An…

AFTER receiving a new 9ft float rod for Christmas, Connor Sweeney went to test it out on his local River Wey and gave it the best possible debut by using it to bank this superb chub of 7lb 7oz using trotting tactics. It’s a huge fish for any river but a particularly rare catch for the diminutive southern waterway. Connor, who spent time priming the swim with maggots before making his first cast, said: “Five minutes in, I hooked a fish that felt big but which came off, but a few trots later the float dipped and I struck to feel the thuds of a heavy fish.” After a few minutes, Connor had the huge specimen safely in the landing net. “I instantly knew that I’d caught the fish…

“THE ‘JAG-JAG GLIDE’ OF A BIG ROACH...” Dave Owen – 2lb 8dr roach “I’VE had a long-standing target to catch a 2lb river roach on the float, and recently headed to a small Midlands river in the hope of achieving this. “Trotting breadflake over liquidised feed, I had fish of 1lb 1oz and 1lb 5oz straight away before the swim went dead. “I fed a few more ‘Jaffas’ of feed and left the swim alone for over an hour. “On my first cast after the rest, I hooked what I initially thought was a chub until I felt the tell-tale ‘jag-jag glide’ of a good roach, followed by the sight of a flash of silver. “I knew it was a good roach, and at 2lb 8dr the fish only just…

FEVA THE brainchild of the team at Wovencrest International Ltd, FEVA is a new UK brand that’s set to make its debut on the match fishing scene. You may not have heard of Wovencrest, but it’s been around for 30 years as a wholesale supplier to the trade. It specialises in supplying independent retailers, and realised through its extensive contacts and knowledge of the market that it could create a range of match items especially for those independent shops. In late 2024, the FEVA brand was born, and its first batch of products is due in the shops in spring 2025. The range will eventually cover all the needs of anglers, including, rods, poles, luggage and a vast array of accessories. www.fevafish.com HELIXA Q1 HOOKS THESE incredibly strong pre-tied hooks…

LIGHT lure fishing has become all the rage in recent years with anglers in search of a new personal best perch. Staying mobile and carrying minimal tackle allows you to plunder plenty of different spots, affording more chances to seek out bigger fish. It’s proved its effectiveness on countless occasions but, as with any tactic, lure fishing does have its limitations. Faced with a situation where drawing in small prey fish or targeting a known holding area for perch is the name of the game, other methods can be more effective, and Chris Telling believes that this is precisely when a pole fishing approach is unbeatable. An angler who is equally at home on commercials as he is on natural waters, Chris has caught plenty of big perch on canals…

SURFACE POPPERS These lightweight, floating lures are meant to be either steadily cranked back or flicked back across the surface. Their flattened ‘noses’ create masses of disturbance that mimics frogs or voles. They are at their most effective in summer and autumn in clear, fairly shallow water. SLOW SINKERS A slow sinker is a lure that won’t dive on the retrieve, but once cast out it will sink very slowly – roughly a foot every few seconds. Once it reaches the required depth, you slowly crank the reel to retrieve it, keeping it at that level in the water column. It has a really lifelike swimming action, and is a great choice for targeting all predators throughout the year, particularly winter perch. SHALLOW DIVERS These floating lures have vanes that…

WHEN I think of most modern day match anglers turning up to fish a commercial, the major bait preparation will be opening a couple of bags of pellets and/or groundbait, followed by a tub of hook pellets or wafters. Groundbait will have to be mixed, some pellets soaked, maybe even a few pumped for hookbaits. They could even be enhanced with the latest ‘guaranteed-to-knock-’em-dead’ flavour. How different it was in what I still consider the halcyon days of match fishing. In the featured story, Ivan Marks describes how to breed his version of ‘special’ maggots and many, many match anglers would be doing the same back then. “I’ve read and been told dozens of ‘recipes’ for breeding gozzers” Turning your own casters was also a necessity until the 1970s, because…

THIS giant catfish weighing exactly 150lb could be set for a place in the history books, as it eclipses the current record for the species by 7lb. It was caught by Shaun Ing, who was fishing with his wife at Chigborough Fishery in Essex, where the pair are bailiffs. It’s the same venue that Darren Reitz’ current 143lb British best was caught from, but this specimen is a completely different fish. An official application for a new record has been made by Shaun, who is awaiting a verdict from the British Record Fish Committee. “I’d cast my rig tight to the island, using a solid PVA bag packed with pellets and a small yellow hookbait,” he told us. “A few hours later I had the bite, which was followed…

TWO of angling’s most influential figures are set for a trip to Buckingham Palace this summer, having been named in the 2025 New Years Honours List. Long-standing England Manager Mark Downes has been awarded a Member of the Order of the British Empire medal (MBE) for five decades of service to international angling , joining fellow match angling legends Dick Clegg , Alan Scotthorne, and Bob Nudd in having received royal honours. Additionally, Trevor Harrop, co-founder of the Avon Roach Project (ARP), has been recognised with a British Empire Medal (BEM), not only for his services to angling, but in recognition of his environmental stewardship after restoring declining roach populations on the Hampshire Avon to levels unseen for a generation. “I’m just blown away by it all,” a delighted Trevor…

SUMNERS PONDS WINTER LEAGUE Match Lake (Rnd 1) DOZENS of matches around the country were cancelled last week because of heavy snow and flooding. But down in West Sussex, Pete Upperton proved there were still plenty of fish to be caught at venues that beat the Arctic blast by winning the first round of the winter league at Sumners Ponds. Drawn on peg 9 of the Match Lake, he soon realised there were plenty of carp in front of him, and put in a masterful display to put over 25 fish in the net for an impressive winning total of 128lb 6oz. Incredibly, it was Pete’s first visit to the complex in over a decade, but his lack of current venue knowledge clearly proved no hindrance. Angling Times caught up…

HOW WE TEST OUR GEAR Our team of tackle experts use their years of angling experience to test new gear to its limits. Dan Webb, Tackle Tester REMINISCING about the past is always a tricky thing for an angling journalist to do. However old or experienced you are, there is always someone out there who can tell you all about what fishing was like before you were born. It doesn’t matter if it’s just a few decades ago or right back to the golden age of angling , we all look back through rose tinted glasses. My boss, Tackle Editor Mark Sawyer, as many of you will know, was a big name in canal fishing ‘back in the day’. Having cut my teeth on the Grand Union Canal in more…

THE Ned rig has gained a well-earned reputation for being one of the most effective lure fishing tactics for perch and zander, especially when the water is cold. The upturned hook on this rig reduces snagging and allows the lure to be retrieved very slowly along the bottom. Uniquely, when fishing a Ned, the lure should be in contact with the bottom at all times. Braided mainline, which has no stretch, ensures that you can feel the lure is in contact with it at all times. Snagging cannot be completely eliminated, so use a slightly stronger braid and leader with this rig to increase the chances of retrieving a lure that gets caught up. Ned lures generally have a very simple design and are naturally buoyant, helping to keep the…

MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE THIS winter, many of our waters have been hit harder than ever by cormorants. In reality, what effective steps have been taken since Angling Times’ famous cover photograph, taken in 1996? Many of the waters in my area are devoid of all bar a few big fish, and these are now being preyed on by otters. I firmly believe we need to put the sport we love into critical care – especially since the effect on the natural small bird population is starting to become obvious as well. What can we do? So many options have been tried and, in reality, they have failed. I think we are at the point where we have no choice but to ask for an opportunity to cull more…