Wychwood Ruckman box – HALF PRICE DEAL!

Carp and pike anglers will love today’s new tackle deal on gofishingoffers.co.uk – a HALF PRICE Wychwood Maximiser Ruckman Box.

A great hybrid tackle item which many carp, pike, specimen, and pleasure anglers will love keeping next to their chairs or inside their shelters.

They sell for £79.99, but we’ve got a limited number for just £39.99 plus p&p – that’s half price.

It has all the benefits of a storage carryall bag with the strength of a sturdy aluminium frame to keep it rigid on the bank and provide a stable base for tackle storage, rig making and baiting up.

Lift the lid and there’s a drop in bivvy table for you to tie rigs while underneath is the main compartment which houses a large Wychwood tackle box with room for loads more gear, bait tubs, and even a few butties!

“This is a hard working tackle bag/box which will not only organise your tackle but make sure you can access it easily and transport it to the bank without breaking your back,” said Angling Times’ Steve Fitzpatrick.

The new Shimano Tribal Longcast carp rod really hits the mark

Launched earlier this year, the Shimano Tribal carp rods are thought by many top carp anglers to be the finest rods the company has produced to date.

There are three rods in the range - Carp, Longcast and Extreme - each of which is available in various test curves, and all of which have been manufactured using Shimano’s new HPC (high pressure carbon) procedure, hailed by many as a major breakthrough in rod design.

The process is claimed to improve the blank’s overall strength by more than 50 per cent - and without compromising its action.

Other new features on the Longcast rods include large diameter 50mm SiC butt guides that prevent ‘frap-ups’ (line wrapping around the butt guide on the cast), as well specially designed smooth-profile tip rings that prevent the reel line from catching during the cast.

Finished with an easy-grip handle that incorporates an oversized screw lock and 1k carbon reel seat, the thin profile of the demure blank matches elegantly with the sleek lightweight lined guides, giving the whole rod a modern-yet-classic understated look.

For the live test I had chosen to use the standard 12ft, 3lb test curve version of the Tribal Longcast range, as this length and test curve of blank is by far the most popular size of modern carp rods sold in this country today.

And, if they were going to prove to me that they are worth the £199 asking price, then they would need to be able to provide me with enough casting power to propel a good-sized lead and solid PVA bag a decent distance. All this while providing enough softness and subtlety to safely play out any double figure fish hooked at long range without ripping the hook out.

Carping in the colder water conditions of early winter can still be very productive, provided you adhere to a couple of golden rules.

First you will have to spend a little time finding them. Signs include any large flat spots, ‘bubblers’ and coloured areas of water, as well as the more obvious ‘head and shouldering’. In short, as long as you can find them and reach them, then they are most certainly still catchable in even the harshest of conditions.

The above scenario is exactly what happened when I took the Shimano rods with me to Peterborough’s prolific Maxey Lake, where I found the fish showing themselves at a range of between 90 and 100yds - perfect for seeing if the Longcast rods could really live up to their name. Both rods had been coupled with new Shimano Baitrunner XTR 1000 RA reels loaded with quick sinking 12lb Shimano Technium line.

The end rig incorporated a small brightly coloured hair-rigged hookbait, with a 3oz inline lead placed inside a small, solid PVA bag filled with pellets. Holding the rod directly above my head I pushed my weight forward, pulling my left hand quickly into my chest, while punching my right arm forward, causing the blank to fully compress and sending the payload sailing out across the water, hitting the 100yd mark with ease. First cast, and I was already mightily impressed.

In spite of its ‘grunt’, the tip of the rod was still soft enough to feel the weight of the bag hit the lakebed and before I even had the chance to bait up and cast out the second rod, I was in!

The Longcast handled the spirited fight of the upper double-figure common with aplomb, all the while plenty of feeling being transmitted through the blank, without it ever feeling sloppy or soft.

This was a scenario that was to be repeated a staggering 15 times over the next three hours, with the end result the same on each occasion. As the light began to fade, I packed up a tired, but very happy man.

My final verdict on the Shimano Tribal Longcast? In a nutshell, it’s a great-looking rod boasting impressive hidden reserves of power, yet one which still retains a superb fish-playing action that is perfectly matched to the rod’s test curve.

Record UK carp venue to open its doors to all anglers

Average anglers will soon be able to target the historic fish stocks of one of the UK’s most famous record-breaking venues, Angling Times can exclusively reveal.

Conningbrook Lake, in Kent, once home to the famous British record carp Two Tone, was previously only accessible to a select group of anglers.

But now the man at the helm of Mid Kent Fisheries, which controls the lake, wants the stock - that includes many specimens to 50lb - to be available to any angler who becomes a member of MKF - a ticket that can be purchased by anyone.

Chris Logsdon also has plans to stock the venue with new fish when he makes the changes to the water’s accessibility next year, while revealing that anglers fishing Conningbrook will be in with a chance of hooking a fish created using the sperm taken from Two Tone which has the potential to tip the scales at the weights reached by the late British best.

“It’s my belief that quality specimen carp waters holding truly exceptional fish shouldn’t be out of the reach of the average angler who doesn’t have the time or money to be a part of an exclusive syndicate,” Chris told AT.

“The only reason that just the 75 anglers had access to Conningbrook in the past was because I had to make sure that there wasn’t too much pressure on Two Tone.

“But now I want to open up this water and many anglers don’t realise it contains around 50 other exceptional fish, as well as the offspring of Two Tone, a fish I’ve seen several times that’s packing on weight just like the fish that came before him.

“I’m very excited about the fact that the stock of this historic and iconic fishery can now be made available to more anglers.”

The news comes just weeks after it was announced that South East Water signed the massive Mid Kent portfolio of waters over to Chris, giving him a free rein to improve and expand what is one of the biggest and most successful group of waters in the UK.

The move is what has allowed the prestigious Conningbrook Lake to be opened up to hundreds of anglers and is something that is celebrated by former British carp recordholder and member of Mid Kent Fisheries, Lee Jackson.

“I think it’s great news for carp angling because even though Two Tone’s gone, there are still loads of huge fish in there to be caught,” said Lee.

“But this lake isn’t just about the fish. I’ve spent many years here and it just has a very special, relaxing feeling about it and I’d advise any carp angler to join up and have a go because it truly is a magical place.”

Keith Arthur: Angling's future is a world full of carp

Reading what Russ Fowler, formerly of Goldthorpe Angling, now Fishing Republic and Richard Foster, boss of Fosters of Birmingham have to say, there is no doubt that commercial fisheries have saved angling. Or have they?

I’m sure that FR make far more on 300kg of pellets than they would on 200 gallons of maggots. The profit margin is probably much higher too and there is zero waste.

It only takes a quick glance at rod licence figures to show that the number of coarse anglers has risen dramatically since the coincidence of the closed season ending and the commercial fishery boom. What worries me is the niggling question that it may not be sustainable.

My main concern is for the ‘fish that saved angling’: Cyprinus carpio, the king carp. Sooner or later, koi herpes virus, KHV, will be endemic and fisheries with massively overstocked pools will find much of their stock dying off.

Carp have saved angling, not commercials, because the specialist side of our sport is probably the best growth area and the massive majority of those specialist anglers target carp.

If carp disappeared tomorrow, you could wave goodbye to most tackle shops, most fisheries and most anglers. Carp are greedy fish that, when kept in sufficient numbers in conditions where there is little or no natural food, will feed heavily and therefore get caught easily.

Go back 25 years and the average Joe sitting by a river or gravel pit chucking out a feeder needed a fair degree of skill or luck to catch a reasonable fish. Now that same Joe can turn up at a pond stuffed with fish, close his eyes and cast out a baited hook. In normal circumstances, he won’t have to wait long for his rod to be dragged round.

That ‘success’ makes him believe he can fish, so he buys another rod, a bedchair and a bivvy and the other ‘essentials’ for carp fishing.

When the Apocalypse comes, they will go because there are no other fish as daft as carp, or as hungry. Because they grow bigger they eat more so even twice as many bream will not produce as many bites as half as many carp.

Maybe we’ll end up like China, where everyone fishes for fish similar to F1s.
Even the real specialist carpers, the people whose names you probably won’t know, whose waters you will have never heard of and whose fish don’t have names will become a dying breed because the fish that they fish for are dying of old age and replacements are considered ‘stockies’ and unworthy.

What can be done? Well, you probably won’t believe me but in my opinion it is vital that every angler on the bank should support zero importation of fish, or any living thing that needs water, animal or vegetable. SVC, KHV, signal crayfish, floating pennywort all came here and escaped or were released into the wild and all have caused, are causing and will cause massive problems for angling.

Anglers who illegally transfer fish ¬ yes, those who moan about otters eating fish but happily fish for illegally stocked zander that consume far more fish than 20 times the otters we have now.

So, as far as the future of angling is concerned, I reckon that without carp, there isn’t one.

Biggest haul of specimen carp ever topped by whopping 80lb 6oz mirror carp

With a total weight of carp over 2,000lb and featuring an 80lb 6oz mirror carp, the haul was taken by fishing fanatic Dave Thompson as he fished his way through 140 kilos of bait during a two-week session.

The amazing catch not only saw Dave slip the net under his giant personal-best carp, the famous ‘Briggsy’s fish’, but also go on to take a staggering list of 48 specimens that included a 77lb 6oz fish and four carp over 60lb.

The self-employed builder fished in the daunting, snaggy depths of France’s famous Rainbow Lake to land 10 carp over 50lb, 14 fish topping the 40lb barrier, plus 13  ‘30s’ and five ‘20s’.

In order to take such a huge haul the Leicester-based carper used a boat to deliver his rig at 150 yards range and introduced around 7kg of boilies, particles and pellets after every fish landed.

“I started with around 120 kilos of bait, but after the first week I had to cut down because I thought I was going to run out. I still ended up buying a load extra because the more I put in the more I caught,” Dave told Angling Times.

“Catching carp from waters like goldfish bowls does nothing for me, and that’s why I like to fish waters like this because it’s a huge challenge.

But I never dreamed that I’d catch so many massive carp in one session, and I couldn’t believe they just kept coming.” “Many ‘carpers’ get intimidated by venues like this and think it’s far beyond their capability, but I’m just an everyday working man that loves his carp fishing, and more anglers should give fishing like this a go because the excitement and satisfaction you get from hooking these giant fish in such a wild environment is beyond compare.” Before Dave began the session of a lifetime his personal best stood at 69lb, but that was soon smashed when he overcame the minefield of islands and underwater snags with the help of 40lb Berkeley Fireline, size 4 hooks and Drennan ESP Striptease hooklength material.

The 48-year-old is good friends with respected carp angler Rob Hughes who, despite rumours that the venue has produced bigger catches in the past, is of the opinion that Dave’s catch is the best in the history of the sport.

“I’ve fished venues on the Continent for many years and this far exceeds anything I’ve ever heard of before,” Rob told AT, “I’ve caught some big carp in my time, but I can’t begin to imagine what it’s like to have a session like this.

“Dave’s a great angler and many fishermen wouldn’t be able to comprehend the hard work it takes to make a catch like this. It just shows you what’s possible if you get everything right.

Paul Garner catches massive 54lb 8oz carp on bream tackle

Although he was targeting the specimen bream in St Ives Lagoon, Cambs, Paul Garner certainly wasn’t complaining when he slipped his net under the venue’s most sought-after resident – The Fat Lady at a weight of 54lb 8oz.

The huge mirror smashed the West Midlands-based all-rounder’s previous carp pb of 32lb, and came from a gravel seam at 40yds just one hour after he baited the feature with 80 balls of groundbait.

“I saw a carp show right over the bait an hour after I’d catapulted it in and had the take a few minutes later,” said Paul. “Because there was a heavy algal bloom I couldn’t see what I’d hooked during the fight and it was only when I saw it in the net that I realised which fish I’d caught.”

His tactics consisted of a trimmed-down boilie mounted on a size 12 Korda Mixa hook. The following morning he banked one of his target species – a 12lb 9oz bream.

Is this the next British record carp?

Could this be the picture of the next British record carp? That’s the question being asked after fishery bosses predicted that angling’s history books will be rewritten by commercially-run waters that are open to everyone.

Following the recent death of the previous UK best - Two Tone which weighed 67lb 14 oz at its peak - it’s thought that stock from fast-growing strains such as this huge 49lb 4oz lake record hold the key to the future of specimen carp fishing.

The fish, caught from The Avenue, in Shropshire, piled on over 9lb in only two months and is just one of many huge specimens that reside in a group of managed big-fish waters owned by angling entrepreneur Rob Hales. His massive growth rates are being achieved by both careful management and controversial growing-on techniques that include the constant feeding of high-protein baits through timed machines.

Rob’s is just one of a growing number of accessible fisheries that boast potential record-breakers.

“I believe that a managed water will produce a record fish very soon,” said Rob.

“Managed fisheries like mine offer much more than just a ‘named’ individual specimen that’s only available to angling’s elite.” Another water that could soon contain one or more fish over 60lb is Pavyotts Mill Fishery in Yeovil, Somerset.

This day-ticket complex currently boasts a venue record named Sylvia that has reached a top weight of 52lb 8oz ¬ having put on an incredible 20lb in just 18 months.

“I will put money that one if not more of my fish top the 60lb mark,” said Steve Couch, owner of Pavyotts.

“The aim of this fishery is to bring carp fishing back to the average man and we now have a handful of fish that are around the 50lb mark.” However there are some anglers who believe this type of managed fishery is ‘immoral’. They argue that the high stocking densities, coupled with lack of natural food, will allow fish in natural waters to outgrow those in manufactured fisheries.

“Fishing at these waters has become so artificial that catching the fish in them is meaningless,” said Ian Chillcott, top carp angler and co-founder of the English Carp Heritage Organisation.

“Two Tone dominated history for so long because it lived in a huge, natural water with very few other fish and plenty of natural food.”

Expert anglers already searching for the next potential record carp

I know where there’s a carp already big enough to take the British record - and it’s being fished for now. These are the words of a high-profile carper this week following the death of the famous record-holding fish, ‘Two Tone’.

The big-name angler wouldn’t give away the location of the venue, but was adamant that at the right time of year, the ‘secret’ water - thought to be in Essex - contains a specimen more than capable of toppling the current record weight of 67lb 14oz.

The disclosure about this claimed ‘record in waiting’ will serve to add further fuel to the speculation about where the next ‘big one’ will come from, a subject that has been hotly debated since Two Tone, the male mirror carp that has dominated the top spot of UK carp angling for almost a decade, was found dead at its Conningbrook Lake home in Kent just over a week ago.

Although there are many well-known 50lb-plus fish across Britain, there is no clear successor to the Conningbrook specimen, a situation that appears to have created a ‘record race’, with fisheries and anglers trying to work out where the next carp capable of taking the crown will come from.

Rob Hales, owner of RH Fisheries, with such waters as The Monument and Acton, said: “There are plenty of fifties around, but it takes real ruthlessness for a UK fishery to produce a carp in the upper sixties. You need an extremely low stocking density with only high-quality feed, and the fish have to be of the best strain. The record will fall to a fish that comes from a fishery that’s managed in that way.” Also talking on the subject was highly-respected carp angler Rich Wilby, of Nash Tackle.

“It’s sad that Two Tone’s dead, but it’s also a very exciting time for big carp,” said Rich.

“There have been several 50lb fish caught recently and there are also quite a few young 40-pounders coming through. In the next five to 10 years these could well be contenders for the record, especially male fish that have been put in the right environment.”

Larford Lakes' Phil Briscoe furious at smear campaign

The owner of one of the UK’s biggest and most successful commercial fisheries has admitted to almost closing the complex for good after ‘losing faith in modern anglers’.

Phil Briscoe, owner of Larford Lakes in Worcestershire, told Angling Times that he’s furious with anglers who started ‘vicious and damaging’ rumours which threatened the reputation and future of the award-winning fishery.

The stories that appeared on internet forums, and are said to have flooded into local tackle shops, ranged from Larford’s stocks having been ravaged by the killer Koi Herpes Virus (KHV), to rumours that JCB diggers had been seen removing dead fish from its lakes.

The Maver UK boss is pointing the finger of blame at certain groups of club anglers who began to ‘threaten the reputation of the fishery’ after he temporarily closed its lakes due to problems with low oxygen levels. He said that the reaction of anglers to responsible measures to protect his stock had left him and his staff ‘heartbroken and disillusioned’.

“We’ve worked our fingers to the bone to create the best fishery possible for our anglers, but after this I feel like throwing in the towel,” Phil told Angling Times.

“I closed this fishery for a week as a precaution after we discovered low oxygen levels. But all anglers could do was spread rumours that the lakes were finished and all the fish were dead.” In light of this, Phil has already started limiting club bookings for 2010-2011, refunding deposits to certain groups of anglers he suspects were part of the ‘scaremongering’.

“I’m not surprised that many of the stories were started by club anglers, they’re the first to blame the fishery if they can’t catch,” Phil said.

“The most hurtful thing is that it was regulars who know us that started many of the rumours. These people know who they are and I’m telling them now I don’t want them within a mile of the complex ever again,” he added.

One man who can sympathise with Phil is Cyril Brewster, owner of Cudmore Fishery in Staffordshire and chairman of the Premier Fisheries group.

“Heavily-stocked fisheries lose a few fish every year, that’s just the nature of the beast.” Cyril told AT.

“Anglers must realise how damaging rumours can be and if they want the stocking levels that give them huge catches, then they have to let fishery owners manage their water how they deem fit.

“I really believe that commercial fisheries have created this monster where every angler who buys their day ticket expects to catch 100lb and if they don’t they blame the fishery or assume they’re aren’t enough fish.”

Many carp will die as Defra decides not to tackle KHV

Senior figures from within the sport have rounded on the Government following an announcement that it has decided not to undertake an eradication programme for KHV disease.

Despite years of campaigning by angling interests to eradicate the deadly virus, the contentious decision by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to declare England and Wales as ‘infected’ to the rest of the world killed any hopes of getting rid of KHV, which many believe will continue to cost angling millions of pounds.

Defra said: “A thorough assessment concluded that this is the most pragmatic approach after considering the likelihood of success in trying to eradicate the disease. Passive surveillance will continue, the disease will remain notifiable and existing control arrangements will stay in place when an outbreak is confirmed.

Imports of susceptible species from countries outside the EU and movements from other Member States will continue in line with the current rules.”

Rather than adopting such a ‘passive’ stance, many in angling had argued that vaccinating carp was the best way of stopping KHV, while others argued for the eradication of infected fisheries and a ban on the import of susceptible species.

“This decision could potentially cost angling billions over the next 20 years,” warned Angling Trust chairman Mike Heylin.

“We campaigned for a control and eradication regime because we recognise just how serious a risk KHV poses to the sport as a whole. Now we’ll never be rid of that threat, and the lack of import controls means diseased fish can still enter the UK.”

The English Carp Heritage Organisation (ECHO), the campaign group that fights for tighter controls of carp movements and imports in the ongoing battle against fish disease, was also upset by the news.

“We’re bitterly disappointed, but we’ll keep fighting. We really wanted to see a restriction on imports. Now there’s no way of guaranteeing KHV won’t find its way into the country from abroad,” insisted ECHO chairman Ruth Lockwood.

One of the largest hauls of surface-caught carp in history

A father-and-son duo have shared one of the biggest hauls of surface-caught carp ever recorded after landing over 800lb of fish in just 12 hours.

Steve Lee took his 10-year-old son Louis to Drayton Reservoir in Daventry, Northants, to hone his carp fishing skillsŠbut they both got more than they bargained for when they netted 100 carp to 17lb.

The anglers, from Marston Moretaine, Beds, arrived at pegs 36 and 37 on the famous ‘boards’ at 6am and as soon as their surface rigs, baited with imitation dog biscuits, hit the water, they were battling with carp.

It was the pair’s constant spodding of Chum Mixers that kept a huge shoal of carp feeding and by the time they’d packed away their rods, that were rigged up with 10lb line, size 10 hooks and Nash bubble floats, they had fed an astounding 5kg of the bait.

“I’ve never experienced anything like that day at Drayton because I don’t think we once managed to get both rods in the rests for the whole 12 hours,” Steve told Angling Times.

“We were having to spod out our freebies and then cast over the top because the hookbait would have been taken before we had a chance to feed. In the end the action was so prolific that Louis was getting a bit bored - we didn’t get a minute’s rest all day!” he added.

A great time was had by all at the first Gofishing Forum fish-in at Larford Lakes

Yesterday, 8th July 2010, a group of avid Gofishing Forum members descended upon Larford Lakes commercial carp fishery in Worcestershire to not only put faces to usernames, but also to enjoy the warm British weather, catch as many fish as possible and enjoy a day of good-humoured banter, organised by Jack244 – a long-standing member of the Gofishing Forum.

After many handshakes at 9am the squad of 14 anglers either used Larford Lakes’ quad bike and trailer, or carried their masses of tackle, to pegs 10-26 of the specimen lake, their target to catch as many of the venue’s big carp, bream, tench and roach as possible.

We were fishing from 10.30am to 4pm so everyone got their heads down setting up poles, pellet wagglers, float rigs and Method feeders, plumbing the depth and deciding upon their approach for the day.

The weather proved perfect for a match. There was a good ripple on the water pushing down the lake from pegs 26 towards pegs 10, the sky was overcast and the water temperature was high. Everyone was certain they’d be latching into a good few carp and some good weights would be on the cards.

As the whistle blew the sound of Larford’s own pellets hitting the water could be heard from most pegs, together with the odd splash from Method feeders and bait being cupped in.

If1sky, on peg 13, wetted his landing net first. In a matter of minutes he’d catapulted enough 8mm pellets over his distant line and roused the attention of a sizeable bream which was steadily skimmed across the surface to the net.

That marked the start of a very different day indeed. Most anglers fishing the match knew the lake contained bream, but we all were ready to hit into the carp. Little did we know that the vast majority of weights were to be made up of mainly bream. And not bream caught on the deck either – these were cruising mid-water, chasing the feed as it fell through the depths.

Working from the higher pegs down we had JohnRH on peg 26. Unfortunately for John he was having one of those days, but was quick to laugh it off!

“Everything that has gone wrong did go wrong,” he said. “I lost three good carp in the first hour, my hook box blew into the water scattering them everywhere and I almost fell of the platform backwards!”

AintreeAngler’s father Larry Jones had peg 24. Intent on latching into the lake’s carp he’d set up a feeder rod and stuck with it all day. It was a wise move too. Although the carp didn’t show in great numbers, Larry’s tip wasn’t stationary for very long at any point in the match.

AintreeAngler – another key Forum member – sat it out on peg 23. He’d opted to tackle the venue on pole and Method feeder. With paste producing the goods on the lake the previous weeks he’d chosen that as his main bait on the pole but blustery conditions proved awkward. The constant push of the wind against his rig continually affected presentation, pulling the hook from the paste and putting an end to that tactic. I quick change to corn on the hook and alternating between the pole-fished corn and Method feeder saw him latch into a decent double-figure mixed haul.

To his left sat Brain, aka Sperko, on peg 21. As well as providing great banter and intriguing stories of drumming alongside members of Deep Purple and Black Sabbath (what a claim to fame!) he’d kept a constant rhythm with his Method feeder, regularly hitting the same spot.

He’d taken great steps to get his mix right, which comprised Marine Halibut and SwimStim, mixed 50/50 together with a scattering of hemp. His hookbait was corn. He’d certainly got this worked out, but had drawn a bad section and only managed a few bream.

Upping the tempo of the chat and providing us all with a good laugh was John, otherwise known as 7barble. A regular visitor to Larford Lakes, John knew what to do and how he needed to do it. He’d chosen a waggler approach but again the luck of the draw meant that his weight wasn’t quite up to scratch, not for want of any tactical or feeding changes.

Judd Gill, on peg 18, had quickly found that the larger fish in the lake weren’t going to play ball where he fished and was quick to react. He opted to maximise on his peg’s potential and pole-fished a variety of baits on a light set up with No3 elastic. Roach and skimmers were his target.

The hero of the day Ray Oldfield – Jack244 – who had arranged the day, the match, the bacon sandwiches, the meal afterwards and the route needed, sat it out on peg 17. He too had no other option than to make the most of the smaller silvers in his swim. He rigged up a feeder rod with a delicate and sensitive tip and caught roach and skimmer bream steadily – between walking the length and snapping as many action photos as he could.

Andy, fishing peg 16, managed to cope with the blustery breeze and present his pole-fished paste for long enough to catch a dozen skimmers before the undercurrents became too strong to hold his rig steady. After that it was a session fishing the Method feeder and pellet waggler to make up the rest of his weight.

Forum moderator and long-standing member Alan Spacey - Tenchstar - sat it out on peg 15. Like so many others fishing the match, he chose a couple of lines of attack – the pole at around 10m and Method feeder at range. Although he’d caught skimmers on the feeder, the best method for him on the day proved to be the pole.

The Gofishing team had peg 14. We had chosen a pellet waggler and pole approach, feeding two pole swims, one with pellet and corn which proved good, the other with riddled meat and meat cubes, which never produced a fish. Iain Toombs began the session for the team, spraying 4mm pellets over the waggler line and caught a few skimmers shallow and soon had to give up his seatbox for Rose to take over. Having only fished the pole for 10 minutes previously, she soon got to grips with the technique and alternated between the pellet waggler and short 8m pole for the remainder of the session, catching a decent stamp of skimmer bream.

Behind the bush to our left sat If1sky, real name Ian Fisk. An avid match angler, Ian knew his stuff and worked damn hard throughout the day feeding, casting, retrieving and bringing a steady stream of skimmers, a tench and a handful of quality carp to the landing net.

He had set up an ingenious up-in-the-water rig comprising an insert waggler with the sight tip removed to provide casting weight, then a fluoro sight bobbin as a bite indicator, then an 8mm pellet strapped to the shank of the hook using a lasso. That was the killer method of the day, proving very effective indeed.

Ian had also set up a Method feeder which he used at the start of the match. In the first hour he’d lost “a real donkey” on it.

It was plain to see that Ian’s tactics were paying off. He’d maximised every area of his swim to take top honours with a superb weight of 122lb 7oz. Well done fella!

On next peg, 12, sat Jerry, aka Hogweed. He’d set up two options: pole and feeder. Fishing with Ringers paste on the deck proved fishless for Jerry, so he quickly changed bait and alternated between pellet fished hard on the bottom and off the deck. With fish being caught either side, Jerry had to do something else drastically to keep in touch with the field so out came the Method feeder, which proved to be a wise decision.

Nick Walters, Norfolkinesox’s mate and travelling partner had peg 11. Making himself very comfortable in his adjustable chair, Nick set to work fishing a cage feeder at the start of the session. Although he caught on the feeder, bites coming as the hookbait fell to the bottom made Nick change tactics to fishing a pellet waggler fishing 8mm pellet on the hook set well off the bottom.

He began his pellet waggler session fishing only 2ft deep in around 10ft of water, but had to deepen off to 4ft to keep in touch with the many fish in his swim. All-in-all Nick had a great session, weighing in a superb mixed bag to take him to third place.

On end peg, where the wind was blowing into, sat Simon (Norfolkinesox). He’d drawn the best end of the lake and had chosen his attack wisely. He started on pole, feeding really heavily to catch a few skimmers and roach. He wasn’t happy with the speed in which the pole produced fish so changed tactics to pellet waggler at around 25m out. Switching the depth of his suspended 8mm pellet found the optimum depth as 3.5ft. That led to the downfall of many decent bream and a handful of weighty carp.

Simon fished a great match and got the most out of his peg, catching the most carp of anyone and taking second place in the match.

After the match the pools money was distributed to the top two anglers and everyone walked away with a prize. Then we all motored down to the New Inn to enjoy a few well-earned drinks and a slap-up three-course meal.

Match results

1 If1sky 122lb 7oz
2 Norfolkinesox 103lb 13oz
3 Nick Walters 46lb 9oz
4 Larry Jones 41lb 4oz
5 JohnRH 27lb 2oz
6 Rose 26lb 11oz
7 Hogweed 17lb 14oz
8 Andy 17lb
9 AintreeAngler 15lb 20z
10 Tenchstar 11lb 3oz
11 Severnbarbel 6lb 14oz
12 Sperko 6lb 13oz
13 Jud Gill 4lb 12oz
14 Jack244 DNW (but did catch)

A few images from the day...

AintreeAngler checks the weight of his 15lb 2oz mixed catch

Coming in fourth with a great 41lb 4oz catch was Larry Jones

Hogweed in action playing another bream on the feeder

Match winner If1sky lands another bream on the feeder...

...and he couldn't stop catching these on the feeder or the pellet waggler

Only a third of If1sky's 122lb 7oz match winning weight

JohnRH with his 27lb 2oz mixed catch. He lost three quality carp.

Nick Walters unhooks yet another skimmer caught on the pellet waggler

Nick came in third with an impressive 46lb 9oz catch

Norfolkinesox lands an impressive bream on the pellet waggler

He kept the bait going in on his pellet waggler line throughout the day

Gofishing's Rose gets ready to slip another bream in her keepnet

There were plenty of laughs at the weigh in, overseen by Larford Lakes' fishery manager

Huge 38lb carp caught by design on fly fishing tactics

Flyfishing for carp is a rapidly growing area of the sport, and it’s easy to see why with spoils like this 36lb common on offer. 

The impressive fish was caught by Roger Still picture right who, after spotting two carp in the weeds at a lake in Norfolk, coaxed them into open water with a handful of floating dog biscuits, before getting them to take a deerhair fly pattern.

The antiques dealer, who lives near Bury St Edmunds, in Suffolk, used an 8/9 weight Sage travel rod with floating line and a 13lb fluorocarbon leader to beat the
specimen.

“It took me about two hours to coax the fish out from the weeds, but it was well worth it because the fly had instant success,” Roger told Angling Times.

Chris Tarrant backs National Fishing Month 2010

Famous angler and TV personality Chris Tarrant, presenter of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, has thrown his support behind National Fishing Month 2010 – the Environment Agency and angling trade-sponsored drive to get more newcomers into the sport.

Set to be launched at the Go Fishing Show on July 17, and running until August 15, National Fishing Month allows clubs and fisheries to run events where beginners can try their hand at angling by receiving a free coaching session with tackle and bait provided.

Fanatical angler Chris, photographed here with a 60lb-plus brace of carp shared with A Passion For Angling presenter Bob James, is keen for everyone to take part.

“Fishing has kept me focused and I can’t imagine life without it. That’s why I believe a concept like National Fishing Month gives anyone and everyone the chance to have a go and enjoy the sport I love so much,” said Chris.

2010 World Angling Championships preview and daily reports

The 2010 World Angling Championships are just days away and here's where you'll find up to date reports from the matches in Spain, result analysis, team stats and prospects before any other fishing website.

Following a last minute change of venue by the Spanish organisers, it looks like being anyone’s guess as to who will lift the title come Sunday afternoon!

Originally scheduled for Vicario Reservoir in Central Spain, poor catches and high water levels in the months before the event forced fishing World Champs organisers to up sticks and move the whole competition an hour west to the River Guadiana at Merida, near the Portuguese border.

This river is a completely different proposition to the small carassio carp of Vicario. Instead, anglers will be faced with big carp, barbel and a smattering of carassio plus bleak and assorted other small fish and in practice away from the match length, Drennan Team England have already been catching 90lb weights in three hours fishing.

“The lads have reported back and the news is good,” said England Co-Manager Mark Addy. “It seems that carp and barbel will be the main fish as the bleak tend to get caught in practice and then don’t show again. We’re happy to be fishing somewhere like the Guadiana as I think it’ll be a true test of angling skill, not a fish race like Vicario would have been.”

How this last minute switch will affect the 30-plus teams fishing is anyone’s guess but several have already had a sneak peak in hastily arranged knock up matches on the sections to be used. England haven’t fished yet but with team man Steve Gardener spying during those events, he reckons there shouldn’t be too many surprises in store.

England will of course start as one of the favourites along with the big guns of Italy and France but in Spain, the home side and neighbours Portugal can never be ignored.

Daily updates on the event

For daily reports, tactics, reaction and analysis plus exclusive interviews and hopefully some videos on the World Championships keep checking out www.gofishing.co.uk. Coverage starts on the evening of Friday June 25 with updates on Saturday and Sunday. The official result is expected to be announced around 3pm on Sunday afternoon.

Click to find out which anglers will fish the 2010 World Champs in Spain.

World record carp smashed by 99lb giant

This is a picture of the biggest carp ever caught on rod and line, and a new world record carp, weighing in at a colossal 99lb.

The captor, British angler Ambrose Smith, admitted he ‘felt like doing a somersault’ after catching the new world record carp from The Graviers fishery, near Dijon, in France.

As well as smashing the former record, set by fellow UK angler Martin Locke in January with a 94lb carp from another French venue, Rainbow Lake, the huge mirror, which is known as the ‘Scar Fish’, also obliterated Ambrose’s personal best of 57lb.

The 40-year-old, from Denham in Buckinghamshire, said: “I had a 58-pounder on the Sunday morning, and then was having dinner in my swim with the family that evening when I received the bite from the big one. The fish put up an absolutely terrific fight for half an hour, during which my daughter joked that it could be ‘The Scar’. After I netted it and realised she was right, I felt like doing a somersault!”

Since news of the capture began to spread, internet forums have gone into meltdown, with many questioning the weight of the fish, which was last caught five weeks ago at 91lb. However, Ambrose was quick to silence the doubters.

“I’ve read what people have written, but I don’t need to justify myself. The fish was fully hydrated prior to spawning, so I took extra care with the weighing process, which was completed as carefully and quickly as possible.

It weighed 102lb 8oz in the sling, which itself weighed 3lb 8oz, giving a final scales reading of 99lb. The fish was in superb condition and shot off like a rocket when released, sending a big bow wave across the water.” Now back in the UK, Ambrose intends to spend the rest of the summer targeting big carp and catfish at a number of southern venues, even though he admitted to still being in a mild state of shock at becoming the new world record carp holder.

“I had been hoping for a 60-pounder this year ¬ that was the goal, so I haven’t come back down to earth yet. I’d particularly like to thank my wife and kids, who came to France for a week’s sunbathing and ended up having to be very patient as I went about my fishing,” he added.

Ambrose used an Elite Baits Ocean Fruit bottom bait, balanced out with a Christmas Cracker pop-up and presented on a 3oz running lead set-up made from 25lb ESP Sinklink and a size 8 Korda Wide Gape hook.

The death of Heather the leather - Get a grip lads !

Regular readers of this column are going to start thinking I’m anti carp fishing. Which I’m not. I love fishing for them, especially in the summer and especially off the top.

Carping might not be my idea of angling nirvana, but I can think of worse things you can do with a rod. Like fly fishing. But I digress...

No, it’s the people that target them rather than the fish themselves I find myself having repeated issue with. Not all of them, of course, and not even the vast majority. It’s just those at the top end, the fanatics, the obsessives, the hard-core bivvy brigade, the men who seem to have a lost a complete grip on reality that I’m talking about.

Take this week, and the death of the  leather carp known as ‘Heather’, as an example. Notwithstanding the creature’s size - during its life it reached weights over 50lb - it was, ultimately, just a fish. Granted, a big one, but a fish none-the-less.

That fact, though, seems to have been lost among some of the carp fishing world. Lost in a tidal wave of tears and entirely misplaced grief.

Consider the language used on one forum to describe the passing of the Car Park Lake’s most famous resident.

“RIP beautiful,” said one. “Goodbye and God bless to the queen of British carp fishing,” added another.

It gets worse.

“I am still truly devastated, and the cider hasn’t even taken the edge off it,” wrote one more.

“Just got back from holiday, my mate text me while I was away and it ruined my week,” said another.

And these are just excerpts. This was a thread that ran for 20 pages. Twenty pages of condolence, sympathy, comfort and commiseration. For a fish. To the outside world, indeed to those outside this carp-shaped inner sanctum, it must look bizarre.

How, they’ll ask, can anglers mourn the death of a creature they once pursued and then use words more in keeping with a relative’s funeral? I can’t be the only one shielding my ears against the contradiction.

But in carping circles, this is nothing exceptional. The same outpouring of grief accompanies the death of many of these named creatures. In fact in some cases, it extends even further.

When a mirror known as Bazil died in 2001 regulars erected a gravestone in its honour. Yes, you read that correctly. A gravestone. Presumably to allow the grieving a chance to pay their last respects and to leave flowers - or maybe a packet of the deceased’s favourite boilies. A similar monument is currently being proposed for Heather.

Look, I can understand fishery owners being distraught at the death of a prized asset - when Benson, Bluebell Lakes’ famous common, went fins up, boss Tony Bridgefoot reckoned it would cost him £20k a year - but anglers less so.

These are the same people, remember, who employ an arsenal of state-of-the-art tackle and bait to assist in removing the subject of their desire from the comfort of its home. For nigh on 365 days a year, these carp are under constant angling pressure. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that process I take exception to - it’s the way these same anglers then shed tears when the fish die. It’s hypocrisy with a capital ‘H’.

Think about it. If, as the words and actions indicate, they really have such strength of feeling for the carp, why stick a hook in them in the first place?

These, I repeat, are fish. Big, coveted and desirable, but fish all the same. And the moment we forget that fact is the moment we tread on unsafe ground. By making these creatures, regardless of size, anything more than things with fins that are there for sport, we elevate them to something more than they are.

Aren’t, I would argue, we in danger of turning them into something akin to pets? Anthropomorphism - the process of giving animals human qualities - gives these fish a status they don’t deserve. They do not live in aquariums.

They are a wild, sporting quarry there to provide anglers with enjoyment and pleasure. When that becomes blurred we should all take a long, hard look at what fishing has become.

We’ve always defended angling on the basis that fish are essentially stupid creatures without either intelligence or the ability to feel pain. But by giving them names, creating characters and generally humanising our quarry, we undermine that argument, potentially giving ammunition to the antis.

Please, please, please let sanity be restored. And let the death of the next big carp pass without these embarrassing obituaries.

50 great river stretches to try on opening day

With the rivers fishable again on June 16th, we delve into the Gofishing.co.uk crystal ball to predict where the vast majority of fish will be caught...

Here we've broken down our list into the main river species and provided a brief guide to the best rivers to catch them so early in the season.

If it's anything like previous new river seasons, we think we've got it pretty much spot on...

Roach

Even-depth swims with a weed-free gravel bottom and a good flow are prime hotspots. The well-oxygenated water in the tail of a weirpool are also worth a cast, especially in low water, while bigger roach will seek sanctuary under moored boats and trees.
Great baits: Maggots, casters, hemp, tares, bread

River Don
The faster waters of Sprotbrough Falls are your best bet, with pegs around the Boat Inn and nature reserve the ones to head for. Waggler or pole are all you need, fishing maggots, casters and a little hemp.
Doncaster Angling Centre 01302 363629

Dorset Stour
The bottom end of Beat 2 going into Beat 3 is prime roach territory as it runs deeper and slower. The float works best using classic river roach baits like maggots, casters, hemp and tares.
Ringwood Tackle 01425 475155

Hampshire Avon
Avon roach are hard to find, but the Fordingbridge Park section does give you a very real chance of a fish of a lifetime 3lb specimen! A big fish approach is needed here, fishing float or leger with bread, maggots or corn over hemp.
Ringwood Tackle 01425 475155

River Nene
A moody river for roach, but the Railworld section in Peterborough and Stibbington, Water Newton and Oundle on the upper reaches always have good early-season form, with maggot or pinkie over balled-in groundbait best.
Wade’s Fishing Tackle 01733 565159

River Yare
Always a river to hit roach form straight away, pegs to the left of the Beauchamp Arms pub in Roach Bay are good, while if you don’t mind a walk, head off to the right just past the boards in the reeds. Fish long pole with maggot and caster over plenty of groundbait.
Angling Direct 01603 400757

Sussex Ouse
Haven is a famed section for good mixed fishing and it holds its fair share of quality roach. Any method will catch, although the float is best for redfins, with Iron Bridge, Boreham Street and Middle Bridge highly fancied early season.
Polegate Angling 01323 486379

River Trent
The Nottingham Embankment showed good early-season roach form last year, but a better bet is the Notts AA section at East Bridgford where the running line rules. Classic waggler and maggot or stick float and caster are the No1 approach.
Matchman Supplies 01159 813834

River Medway
Teston Bridge up to the weir at the top end of the section offers great roach fishing in swims with good flow. This is classic stick float territory with maggot, hemp and caster fished a rodlength out best.
Medway Tackle 01732 360690

Yorkshire Ouse
Below York, the Fulford stretch is good roach water with an average depth of 6ft to 8ft and a long rod approach with the stick float, fishing hemp and caster will score well.
York Tackle 01904 411210

River Thames
Roach are spread all the way through the Medley section, but the gate at the end of the track near the boatyard is favoured by locals. This is great waggler and maggot water.
Fat Phil’s Angling Centre 01865 201020

The Thames at Medley offers superb Roach sport

Chub

Any cover such as overhanging trees, reeds or weedbeds. Chub also like to hang around man-made objects such as bridges and moored boats. Failing that, look for parts of the river that have drop-offs into deeper water.
Great baits: Worms, maggots, bread, pellets, boilies

Hampshire Avon
The Concrete Plinth below the weir at Lifelands is prime chub territory on a day ticket and you can fish classic stick tactics with hemp and caster or a more static approach with big baits, such as pellet or luncheon meat.
Ringwood Tackle 01425 475155

River Thames
The Channel in the Botley Road area has produced some huge chub to 8lb plus in the past and is THE area around Oxford for consistent nets of fish. Fish a little waggler run through against the far bank with maggot.
Fat Phil’s Angling Centre 01865 201020

The Ivel lends itself to leger tactics for the many chub.

River Ivel
A classic river full of bends and far-bank vegetation, the angler wandering downstream of Biggleswade road bridge will find plenty of cracking swims. Leger tactics with bread, worms and maggots is as complicated it gets.
Walker’s Pitch 01767 316700

River Mole
The Dorking DAS water at Dorking and Leatherhead is a super chub water, with the Stepping Stones on the North Bank at Dorking or Mickleham famed sections. A little waggler with caster is all you need and you’ll normally find the chub in the shallowest water.
KC Angling 0208 6426222

River Dane
Bay Malton AC controls two prime stretches at Pimlott’s and Cotton Farm. Bigger baits, such as pellets and boilies, have scored in recent seasons, but old favourites like worms and bread will still catch.
Dave’s of Middlewich 01606 833853

River Ribble
Warrington AA controls the Hurst Green section, a noted area for chub, while Elston is always capable of throwing up a net of smaller fish to a small bait approach. Maggot and caster works for these chublets, with classic baits like bread and cheese to pick out a 5lb-plus fish.
Ted Carter Preston 01772 253476

River Severn
Holt Fleet is a great day-ticket section and the chub live right in the weirpool and can be caught on either float of feeder. The Kidderminster water either side of Bewdley town is another good early-season stretch with Hawkesbatch perhaps the pick.
Mark’s Tackle 01299 871735

River Wear
Durham City Centre is noted for its chub throughout the year and they don’t move far in early summer. The Baths area and Feren’s Bridge are famous and standing in the river fishing waggler or stick float with maggot and caster in classic fashion will also take roach and dace.
Cleveland Angling Centre 01642 677000

River Ure
Above the North Bridge in Ripon offers day-ticket sport for the float angler fishing the waggler or a big stick float with maggot and caster or a tip approach with worm for the bigger fish.
Harrogate Angling Supplies 01423 883270

Warwickshire Avon
Locally it’s known as Wasperton, but the Leamington and Birmingham AA sections at Manor Farm are great for chub and the Aeroplane swim is particularly good, floatfishing maggot.
Bailey’s of Warwick 01926 490636

Barbel

Any swift, well-oxygenated area of water attracts barbel. Weirpools, side streams and shallow water holding good beds of streamer weed are likely spots, better still if there’s cover, such as overhanging willows. Avoid slow, deep areas which will be a little too turgid for barbel.
Great baits: Pellets, boilies, paste, luncheon meat, maggots

The River Trent produces lots of early season barbel, especially in the evenings.

River Trent
Close to Nottingham, the Clifton Grove and high numbers at Holme Sluice areas are well worth a look fishing pellet and boilies on a strong leger set-up. Beeston Weir can also produce early doors.
Matchman Supplies 01159 813834

Hampshire Avon
You’ll find barbel living happily alongside the chub on the Lifelands section and the Concrete Plinth is well recommended for a big fish. Sit-and-wait approach with big baits like pellet.
Ringwood Tackle 01425 475155

Dorset Stour
Throop is barbel heaven with Beat 2 good for numbers of fish on the float or feeder with pellet, paste and boilies.
Ringwood Tackle 01425 475155

River Thames
For good numbers of smaller barbel and free fishing to boot, the mouth of the River Mole at Hampton Court is a hotspot. The feeder or a straight lead with pellet is the method.
KC Angling 0208 6426222

River Ribble
The Elston section on the Wigan AA book is a good barbel section while on a day ticket, behind the Tickled Trout pub in Preston and the Bonsai Nurseries section hold barbel.
Ted Carter Preston 01772 253476

River Swale
The first two pegs at the point of access at Myton are noted barbel haunts with mid-river leger or feeder tactics working best. Small baits like maggot and caster work in clear water, a large piece of meat best in coloured conditions.
Harrogate Angling Supplies 01423 883270

Warwickshire Avon
The upper end of Wasperton is faster and shallower while in Stratford upon Avon, the Lido’s sand bar area and Lucy’s Mill hold a handful of barbel. Big baits like pellets, boilies and meat will avoid nuisance fish.
Bailey’s of Warwick 01926 490636

River Kennet
The Reading DAA-controlled Benyons sections are prolific and barbel can be found in most areas. Take your pick from a specimen approach with pellet and boilies or a more active maggot attack.
Reading Angling Centre 01189 872216

River Witham
The upper reaches hold few barbel but they are big and not too difficult to locate. Check out the weirs at Long Bennington and Foston fishing pellet, boilie or worms.
Dave’s Peg 01529 415896

River Great Ouse
Two sections in the village of Haversham are prolific for barbel, namely Whitingstone Park and the Galleon. Fish pellets, boilies and maggots.
Milton Keynes Angling Centre 01908 374400

Bream

Slow flowing rivers are prime bream territory, but they can be found in swift water as well. A typical area is down the middle of the river in the deepest water, which not only gives the fish maximum sanctuary but also a wide area of riverbed for them to browse over.
Great baits: Worms, maggots, pellets, boilies, sweetcorn

River Great Ouse
There are bream in most pegs from Ely through to Littleport in the heart of the Fens, but good areas in recent years have been the high numbers at Littleport, the Pymoor section just out of the town and the Wissey Mouth to Denver Sluice sections at Ten Mile Bank.
Benwick Sports 01353 721009

Twenty Foot Drain
A mass of water to go at here, but highlights for bream include the Chain Bridge section of the 20ft Drain at March or Beggar’s Bridge near Whittlesey where a small feeder or straight lead with worm will catch.
Wade’s Fishing Tackle 01733 565159

River Witham
National Bend at Southery is the stuff of legend among matchmen and the bream are still there. The bridges at Tattershall and Kirkstead also act as magnets with the dozen or so pegs either side worth putting in some time on.
Harrison’s Tackle 01522 523834

Bristol Avon
The Fry’s AA water near the chocolate factory is a noted hotspot with pegs from the mid 40s to 52 and 14 to 24 best while Bathampton AA’s water at Newbridge is prolific, especially pegs 50 to 64.
Bristol Angling Centre 01179 508723

River Trent
Not too many bream show early in the season on the Trent, but Burton Joyce, at the bottom end of the road stretch, is normally reliable. A classic groundbait feeder approach with worm and maggot will produce.
Matchman Supplies 01159 813834

River Welland
The Spalding end is less weedy but noted areas are above Crowland Bridge on the bend or pegs in the late 500s and early 600s on the feeder with worm and maggot.
Wade’s Fishing Tackle 01733 565159

River Thames
The Canbury Gardens section at Kingston is free fishing with the Half Mile Tree just below Canbury very good. Standard bream tactics apply here, with groundbait feeder and a worm and maggot or caster cocktail sorting out the better bream.
KC Angling 0208 6426222

Tackle the Northwich town centre stretch of the Weaver for year-round bream sport.

River Weaver
Northwich town centre has the famous floating hotel and Dane mouth swims within close proximity of each other and they are great year-round bream areas on the feeder or long pole. Upstream, it’s well worth trying the bottom end of the boatyard stretch.
Dave’s of Middlewich 01606 833853

River Bure
The St Benet’s Abbey area is prolific with a groundbait feeder fished two thirds of the way over a great area especially opposite the mouth of South Walsham Broad.
Angling Direct 01603 400757

Warwickshire Avon
The slower, deeper water downstream of Stratford is bream territory and Luddington is a hotspot fishing groundbait feeder and worm although with colour in the river, the long pole can also score.
Bailey’s of Warwick 01926 490636

Perch

Being predators, perch will conceal themselves under cover to strike at prey. This makes landing stages, weir stanchions, lock cuttings, trees, reeds and lily beds all great spots. Smaller fish will swim in shoals and can be found in more open water where they feed on smaller prey.
Great baits: Maggots, casters, worms, livebaits, lures

River Tees
Last winter saw brilliant perch nets, including fish to 3lb but come the start of the season, they move into the Yarm area to spawn. You can find them anywhere through here and a chopped worm feeder with lobworm on the hook will pick out the big perch as well as a few bream.
Cleveland Angling 01642 677000

River Welland
The Stamford Meadows section holds good numbers of perch with a 2lb specimen not out of the question. Lobworms are the No1 bait fished on a light leger underneath or close to any far-bank vegetation.
Stamford Tackle 01780 754541

River Lea
Dobb’s Weir might be more famous for producing a former record chub, but its perch are also worth talking about and fishing for! Worms or a bunch of maggots presented in the slacks just off the main flow of the pool are likely spots, while the run-off will also hold perch hunting small prey fish.
Oakwood Angling 0208 8826821

River Thames
Weybridge Weirpool is a perch hotspot, but generally these fish are little elusive early on. The early pegs at Walton Bridge and Desborough Island are also places to have a cast and on the tactics front, straight lead and lobworm will do fine.
Apollo Angling 01932 340000

River Nene
Lock cuttings up and down the Nene are prolific for numbers of perch, with most fish weighing in at over 1lb and falling to lobworms. On more open sections such as Milton, Orton and the Peterborough Embankment, fishing worm against any marginal weed will always score, especially when the river’s clear.
Wade’s Fishing Tackle 01733 565159

Carp

It is often a case of setting a trap and waiting for river carp, and the best approach is to spend a bit of time scouting, looking for signs of carp. Good spots are those out of the main flow such as dead arms, quiet backwaters or long-term moored boats, but carp will regularly move out into the main flow to feed, so it’s well worth having one rod fished down the middle of the river.
Great baits: Boilies, pellets, paste, bread, sweetcorn

River Nene
The Milton area will be a carp hotspot this season as a lot of fish have already been seen in the pegs in the 350s, while best of all is the section above Milton Ferry Bridge heading towards Alwalton. This holds some huge fish, but a little scouting mission beforehand will be needed to locate them.
Wade’s Fishing Tackle 01733 565159

River Thames
The Thames is producing more and more carp and Donnington in Oxford city centre is famed, but a little off the beaten track is the mouth of the Seacourt Stream at Carrot’s Ham, where a big fish sit-and-wait approach can produce some surprising specimens!
Fat Phil’s Angling Centre 01865 201020

River Weaver
The boatyard on the edge of Northwich town centre is steeped in carp history and even produces match winners with one 20lb fish! Boilies fished under the boats is the method, but there aren’t masses of fish so it can be a sit and wait job but when you get a run, it could be a pb.
Vale Royal Angling Centre 01606 46060

River Severn
Small populations of carp live in Lincoln Weir just out of Stourport town centre and are often caught by barbel anglers fishing pellets. You might have to put up with barbel and bream but a dedicated angler should have a little joy – make sure you fish strong tackle!
Mark’s Tackle 01299 871735

Warwickshire Avon
There are loads of carp in the Avon now and if you fancy fishing in the shadow of history, Myton Fields in Warwick upstream of the castle is a good place to try. The fish range from 5lb well into the 20s and standard carp tactics with pellets and boilies will catch them.
Bailey’s of Warwick 01926 490636

New world record common carp banked

The world common carp record has been broken with the capture of this colossal 87lb 3oz fish.

It is the second time that German angler Nermin Caro has banked the mighty specimen, which is known as Mary, having banked it from the same German syndicate water last September at 86lb 6oz.

“I can’t believe I’ve done it again! The battle was amazing and lasted 45 minutes,” said Nermin, who used a 15mm Dynamite Baits Fluoro Strawberry and Scopex pop-up soaked in a prototype liquid and fished snowman-style with a new prototype boilie from the same company.

FREE carp fishing tips magazine with this week's Angling Times

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