Fishery ban bait which was winning too many matches

One of the UK’s premier commercial fisheries has banned a bait because the angler using it was winning too many matches.

Matchman Paul Newell has won hundreds of open competitions at Tunnel Barn Farm thanks to his prowess with a simple ‘bread slop’ feed. But now the venue has outlawed the approach following complaints from other competitors, resulting in a drop in attendances.

The move has angered Redditch, Worcestershire-based Paul to such a degree that he is now boycotting the venue, which he has visited every week for the past 16 years.

He told AT: “When fish are coming in for the bread slop it’s awesome, and it can seem like every carp in the lake comes into your peg. But some of the other regulars think of themselves as ‘purists’ and like to poke their poles to islands and pot in small amounts of bait. If I didn’t keep winning money they wouldn’t be bothered how I was fishing. These same backstabbers have now convinced the owner that my results are keeping people away and hitting him where it hurts, in his pocket.”

“In truth other anglers do just as well as me fishing worms, maggots, pellets and groundbait, so that tells you that bread is just another bait that works - it’s not the be all and end all,” he added.

A statement from the fishery confirmed that they have taken the decision because of ‘the number of anglers who do not like the method’. It also claimed that competitors have gone elsewhere, presenting a ‘significant drop in revenue to Tunnel Barn Farm’. Fishery representative Sarah

Hamlington said some midweek matches had seen nobody turn up at all. 

“Paul may feel victimised but it’s nothing against him personally, it’s purely because anglers don’t like what he’s doing and they’re voting with their feet. It’s put us in a difficult situation and it’s not a decision we’ve taken lightly. We don’t like to restrict anglers and we pride ourselves on the minimal amount of rules we have here,” she said.

Dates revealed for British Carp & Angling Show

Some of the biggest names in angling are set to make an appearance at the British Carp & Angling Show which is set be staged on January 19 and 20 2013 at the Royal Norfolk Showground.

Matt Hayes, Bob Nudd and John Wilson will be amongst the stars sharing their greatest tips and tactics with visitors, while top name tackle brands such as Nash and Korda will display their latest releases.

Various group talks will be staged by industry experts, with a ‘Bait Kitchen’ also being created to give you the knowledge to make the most of your next session on the bank.

Advance tickets are £8 for adults, £2 for under 16s and you can find out more by visiting www.britishcarpshow.co.uk

National Angling Awards 2012 - cast your vote

IT’S BEEN a year packed with memorable big fish catches, exceptional tackle innovations and shocking news stories - and now it’s your turn to vote for your favourites in the 2012 Angling Awards.

Almost 40 different categories have been created to honour the pride of the sport, with angler of the year, lifetime achievement and best river and stillwater just a selection of the topics that need your feedback to help pick the overall winners.

Tackle manufacturers will also be looking on eagerly as they battle it out to take victory in a range of fields including best flagship pole, top float rod and greatest innovation.

Angling Times editor Steve Fitzpatrick is urging everyone in the sport to get involved with the awards: “This is a fantastic opportunity for anglers to vote for who they feel are the big achievers in fishing this year and help their choices gain the recognition they deserve. There’s been so many great catches made and tackle items released this year that some of the categories are just too close to call.

“There may be other awards in angling but these are the ones the nominees really want to win and only you can help your favourites take the glory,” he added.

Voting is now underway and the all-important results will be revealed in the December 18 Christmas Special edition of Angling Times.

For a full list of categories and to place your votes visit: www.gofishing.co.uk/awards2012

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Fishery has 'too many big roach'

ROACH anglers across the nation are being invited to fill their nets with specimens to over 3lb in a bid to remove the species from a popular big carp water after members complained that there are just ‘too many huge fish’.

Over the last few years the resident redfins in Wyre Lake, which is part of the popular Wyreside complex in Lancashire, have been gorging themselves on boilies and other high-protein baits intended for the carp. This has seen them pile on weight at a rate of knots, and the sheer numbers of roach in the fishery has now become a problem.

In a bid to thin out the stocks, over the last four months match and pleasure anglers have been using rod and line to remove over a tonne of fish, with the biggest individual topping the scales at 2lb 12oz. All of the fish caught have been moved into Fox’s Lake, which already holds large numbers of the species and has produced fish to over 3lb in the past year.

But venue bosses are now asking for help from Angling Times readers with the ongoing ‘destocking’ programme, which is scheduled to continue throughout the winter.

“The carpers are getting so inundated with big roach that it has become a bit of a problem, so we’ve been trying to thin them out. There has already been a staggering number caught, but we need more help,” said Sally Hughes, owner of Wyreside Lakes.

“These fish have grown so quickly, and there’s no coincidence that the biggest ones have been caught on boilies. It would be great if AT readers would come along to catch these fish. Not only will they be helping us and the carp anglers out, but there’s a realistic chance of catching the fish of a lifetime.”

The invite will come as music to the ears of many roach enthusiasts and fish scientist Mark Everard, who’s written books on the species, is of the opinion that if he was to go in search of a British record he’d concentrate his efforts on fisheries such as Wyreside Lakes.

“They are a perfect breeding ground for huge roach. As well as there being an endless supply of high protein bait, the number of people on the banks helps to deter predators such as otters and cormorants,” said Mark.

“If I lived closer I’d be there like a shot. I’d strongly advise any roach angler to take Sally up on her offer because there’s no doubt in my mind that the next record will come from a water like this.”

*To find out more about Wyreside Lakes visit: www.wyresidelakes.co.uk or call 01524 792093

Ireland to host World Champs?

The coarse fishing World Championships could finally be set for a return to the UK and Ireland with the completion of major improvements to Lough Muckno.

Previous access issues at the venue in Castleblaney, Monaghan have been resolved with the construction of 3,500m of road which is directly linked to 225 permanent pegs.
The move has seen it vetted as a possible location for both the World Feeder and World Police Championships.

At a massive 1,000 acres, Muckno recently hosted sections of the £50,000 Lakelands and Inland Waterways World Pairs Angling Championship as well as the European Police Championship, but now organisations in the country have bigger fish in their sights.

In a joint project between the Irish Angling Development Alliance (IADA), Inland Fisheries Ireland and Monaghan County Council, the venue has been revamped to meet the strict criteria required to host a world event.

Dick Caplice, former national team manager and the current chairman of the IADA said: “Every section now has seven or eight car parks so it’s easy to unload a lot of gear close to the pegs. Local hotels and guest houses are getting on board too, realising it is set to become an angling mecca.
“In both big events we’ve hosted recently we’ve had some great feedback from anglers all over Europe who think the set up, and fishing, is A-class.

“As far as I’m concerned it’s the best wild coarse venue in Europe. The next phase is to open up another stretch of this huge lough, to take the peg capacity up to around 350,” he added.

Former England international Mark Pollard won £10,000 for coming second in the World Pairs tournament, during which he caught almost 20lb of roach from Muckno.

“It’s a very picturesque place but at the same time it’s full of fish, especially roach, with bonus skimmers and hybrids too,” he said. “I think it’s so good because it’s so vast, the fish shoals just keep coming and they don’t get plundered. We don’t have anything on this scale in England for another “World Champs, Holme Pierrepont was full of roach but it’s faded away,” he added.

Neil Wayte joins Wychwood

Wychwood are pleased to announce that highly respected specialist angler Neil Wayte has joined the consultancy team with immediate effect.

Neil has spent over 40 years fishing a huge variety of waters targeting a number of different species the length and breadth of the UK. Neil is also the author of River Carping, it was these hours of time spent on UK rivers where he fell in love with all the other species our moving waters have to offer. This has enabled him to progress into a hugely successful all rounder that has resulted in double figure Barbel from 7 different UK waters.

Commenting on Neil’s appointment Wychwood Brand manager Mick Barnes said “I have known Neil for longer than I care to admit and have always had great respect for him as an angler. His unique approach to specimen angling will undoubtedly add an enormous amount to us as a brand and puts Wychwood in a great position to keep bringing UK anglers the very best specimen tackle.” 

Neil will work as a consultant in the true sense of the word and the bulk of his duties will be behind the scenes working closely with the Brand Manager Mick Barnes to develop special and different product to add to the Wychwood portfolio. Neil will also being writing some very special features in his own unique style throughout 2013.

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Robson Green unveiled as face of new high-street tackle brand

“My thirst for truly wild fishing is as keen as ever.”

Those are the words of Robson Green, who this week was unveiled as the face of a new high-street tackle brand. The Geordie actor, whose Extreme Fishing programme will return in February, will lead Dunlop’s foray into the angling world in a venture that will see its products go on sale at the Sports Direct chain of stores.

Like most things he’s done, including antagonising some coarse anglers, Green is honest about how things have turned out.

A self-confessed “ugly caster”, the 47-year-old is openly surprised his fishing show — “the most natural thing I’ve ever done” — is soon to enter its seventh series.
We spoke to him about his busy schedule, his preference for eating his quarry and bringing fishing to the masses.

AT: What are you up to, fishing-wise, at the moment?
RG: “I’ve just come back from finishing off series seven. I was out in the Middle East, in Dubai, then we went to Tanzania in search of enormous Nile perch, then Zanzibar, the birth place of Freddie Mercury, so we did a little bit on that. I was also on Rubondo Island, where we were charged by a bull elephant.”

AT: Why have you become involved with Dunlop?
RG: “Like the Extreme Fishing series it was completely unexpected. Dunlop approached me and said will you be the face of our brand, because Extreme Fishing is so popular and reaches an extraordinary demographic, and obviously Dunlop are associated with excellence and quality. It’s an honour and a privilege. I’ve never said I’m an angling expert, my casting action is quite ugly, but the fish don’t seem to mind.

AT: You have always preferred to eat what you catch, have you had more experience with coarse fishing recently or do you intend to?
RG: I do understand carp fishing, and I’ve eaten them in Thailand, but no, I find some methods of angling inactive and I like mine to be more active.

AT: Have you been surprised by the enduring popularity of Extreme Fishing?
RG: “I know when it first took off a lot of people thought ‘what’s this guy doing?’ but it’s just turned into an extraordinary adventure. It doesn’t celebrate the complexities of fishing, but focuses on who you are with, where you are and what you are after, and when you have all three you have angling alchemy. We show the fun side of fishing.”

AT: How much more mileage is there in the format, are there still plenty of ‘extreme’ locations to visit?
RG: “Fish tend not to reside in ugly places. There are many locations that you and I will not have heard of, and many are absolute havens for many fish. At the moment there are over 200 countries on this planet and I’ve only visited a quarter of that.
“It’s the most natural thing I’ve ever done in my life. I’ve been an actor 28 years, faking sincerity, but I don’t have to fake anything when I’m fishing, it’s really from the heart.”

AT: Do you have a favourite memory from your time filming the show?
RG: “Cuba. Bonefishing on the fly. I thought salmon fishing was the most unreal fishing activity, but then I hooked a 6lb bonefish. It took off, stripping 150 yards of line of my reel, right to the backing, then snapped. The place and the people are also so colourful in all respects.”

AT: Do you see yourself as an angling ambassador at all?
RG: “Not at all. Other people do, but I don’t have an objective view of myself. With fishing I just live the experience, I genuinely enjoy it. I’m just someone who loves what they do.”

AT: Do you have a favourite method of fishing or species of fish?
RG: “Using a six-weight fly rod, catching a trout on the fly. Nothing beats it.”

AT: Is there anything that annoys you about fishing itself or the politics of the sport?
RG: “I joined the Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall campaign (Hugh’s Fish Fight, which aimed to reduce wasteful fish discards). I just think don’t kill a fish you’re not going to eat.”

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80,000 fish saved from Trent and Mersey Canal collapse

Anglers from the North-West have the Canal and River Trust to thank after the charity rescued a staggering quantity of fish from a canal near Rochdale.

Heavy rain from last month’s storms caused a small section of the Trent & Mersey Canal to collapse, sending gallons of water and debris into a nearby field, leaving around 80,000 fish stranded.

The incident occurred on the stretch of canal at Dutton, near Preston Brook which is run by
Warrington Angling Association. Specialist contractors, MEM Fisheries, and officers from the Trust rescued the fish from both the field and a small hold of water left in the cut, placing them into the safety of an un-affected section further along the waterway.

The vast majority of the 3,370lb of fish rescued were roach and perch but there were also plenty of decent sized chub, double figure carp and a good number of eels.

Helen Hall, a Trust press officer for the North-West region was extremely satisfied by how well the rescue went: “It was pleasing to see good numbers of eels present as they are a declining species and this short section of canal affected by the breech represented a very healthy fishery.

“Once the repair work has been completed these fish will move back in to the section and repopulate the area again,” she said.

Frank Lythgoe of Warrington D.A.A, the club which controls the stretch, was not surprised by the quality of fish in the canal:

“I knew there were some good fish in there as it is section with plenty of features and is not overly fished so I was glad the rescue was a success.

“This is a nice picturesque stretch which is a pleasure to fish all-year-round,” he added.
Repair work for the canal is set to top £1.5m which will come from the Trusts contingency fund as well as donations from the general public.

Korda Team England World Carp Cup report

The Korda Team England have recently returned from the World Carp Cup in Romania where they finished eighteenth.

Korda's James Armstrong accompanied the team and you can read his report on the match and interview with team coach Ian Huntington below...

Youth, energy, experience, quality and enthusiasm; Just a few words that describe this exciting new England Team.

The selection process was a long, hard, affair and the only way to choose our future team fairly was to hold some trials. This gave several of the UK’s best carp-match anglers the chance to shine and gain a seat on the prestigious plane to Romania.

Korda: Why did you have trials?

Ian: Those that have been to the World Championships before obviously have experience and a head-start. It’s a great baptism for all these anglers because from whatever they’ve done before, there had never been a selection process like this before. We had three trials – the theme of the first being the endurance-side of things which as it turned out was extremely important, whereas on the next trial was on a technical basis, where the anglers were catching bigger fish in a more traditional carp fishing scenario. This had less relevance as it turned out as luck, as in most English Carp matches, played too big a part with most of the fish ending up in one area of the lake. The third trial reflected team-work and the guys working together, sharing information while they’re on the bank, which is something that is totally unheard of in English competition carp fishing. These guys normally fish against each other, so to have them fish together as a team, and share that information is normally against their nature, so we’ve broken all those moulds, to effectively create what we want as a team. This whole process is about selecting a team, which did mean that some very good individual pairs that fished did not become part of the team.
The management team were to keep a very close eye on each pair, and individual, throughout the trial period and narrowed it down to four pairs. Three that would begin the match in Romania and a substitute pair if required. One thing that was clear; this was a team event and each individual had to work well with others, as well as retain the qualities required to be considered in such a major event.

Korda: How the team was chosen?

Ian: The venue Lacul Corbu only received ratification from FIPSed in late May this year and a report issued in mid-June through the FIPSed Italian delegation who inspected the venue. This rubber stamped its use for the world championships. We knew from this report that the venue swims had only been built in March /April and the venue only stocked at the beginning of May with hundreds of tons of small fish, consequently the action would be non-stop as we have experienced previously in the World Championships in South Africa. Based on all the information from FIPSed the results from the RIGS series of tournaments held on the venue, together with all the trials information the team was chosen. The focus being on World Championships experience, team spirit and endurance the final team selected was as follows:

Jake and Dan Wildbore - Jake is a former British junior champion and with Dan his brother has been second in the BCAC at senior level. Dan and Jake were also the best performing English pair at last year’s world championships in Italy, beating GP Knell of South Africa, a two times individual and four times team World Champion off the next peg.

Billy Flowers and Jamie Londors - Three times world silver medalists in four previous attempts at both team and individual level make them a formidable duo whose work rate at these events is second to none and makes them a formidable pair.

Mark Bartlett and Kev Hewitt - Having never before competed in the World Championships, however they need little introduction. Bart and Kev smashed the 48 hour World and British enduro records in the first trial at Drayton. The rest of the world knew all about these guys before they arrived and they were certainly one the most feared pairs in the competition.

Jack Stamp and Kia Sanger - Also having never before competed in the World Championships, however they have been consistent winners in their BCAC qualifiers on big hit waters, also very solid performances throughout the England trials process winning two out of three sections, not to mention being UK Carp master’s winners.
All in all a formidable team I think you will agree.

Of course, one of the most important factors in succeeding in an event of such magnitude is preparation. Ian and Pete had placed a lot of thought in rig mechanics and bait. They even visited the venue months in advance to form a strategic plan.

Korda: How did you decide on the tactics for the 2012 World Champs?

Ian: Bait, it was clear from the visit that our main strategy should be formed by fishing Boilies over free offerings of the same. Fishmeal type Boilies and soluballs were evident in every swim and it is clearly what the fish are used to being fed on. The throwing stick will play a major part. Pasting baits and fishing in conjunction with two bait stringers. Maximum range fishing should be with pasted singles.
We even discussed this with some of the finest bait brains in the country upon our return. Unfortunately the key to the match and what we did not know was the lake had been corrupted onto one single type of bait. Since the fish were stocked in May 2012 and while at the fish farm prior to this they had been fed solely on this bait. Consequently countries that had been and practiced were aware of this and managed to get some local bait to enable them at least to take part in the event. The Bulgarians who are next door to Romania commissioned their own bait based on what had been fed to the fish. Portugal and Serbians had contacts in Romania who provided local bait. The fish were fed daily throughout the summer by boat on the Romanian bait on fixed lines parallel with the bank so the host countries were not taking any chances. Imagine feeding a lake in this country with only one bait for a year and then holding a match on it, the outcome would be just the same as Romania. Those with the introduced bait would do well and the rest would really struggle to get a bite.
From our point of view and bearing in mind you are kept behind lines when you visit it’s difficult to have foreseen this coming without actually practicing on the venue and within two hours of the match starting we were asking ourselves questions about the bait. We later found out from the South African team and the French team consultant Ronnie De- Groot that they had also brought different English bait from two other leading English manufactures, most of which stayed on the pallets and was not used at all in the case of South Africa. That’s 1.5 ton of bait or 10k of bait left on pallets.

The lads touched down in Romania and were instantly transported to the meet a great event that included a Hog roast and live traditional Romanian entertainment. From the viewpoint of an outsider it was completely overwhelming. The time and effort that had been invested into the organisation of the initial nights entertainment was spellbinding.

Korda: Did you imagine the event to be as big as it was?

Ian: Having fished in five previous World Championships with Pete we were still amazed our hosts had put on such an amazing event. The South African event had been amazing and the teams silver medal very satisfying, however the sheer scale of expense the Romanians had gone too with three different themed gala dinners, open top bus parades around the city not to mention the spectacular fireworks displays really set this event apart.
It was then completely eclipsed by the second nights opening party where all 21 countries plus press and invited guests were treated to a ball room banquet fit for Kings which when compared to all previous carp fishing tournaments we had attended really did stand head and shoulders above.

The following day did however bring with it the draw and the start of the match so slowly and unsurprising quite reluctantly the management of the participating countries began to call time and usher the competing anglers back to their hotel. 

The draw, as expected, was a nervy, tense moment and without doubt the most important part in any match. This was short-lived however, when each of Team England received a pleasing draw. The talented Hewitt and Bartlett drawing a renowned productive end peg in Section A was the most notable.

It was clear that the England Team meant business and worked tirelessly throughout that first day and night to grasp this daunting venue. However, by morning they were well behind. The local knowledge fired Romania into a huge lead and by the morning of the second day they were already ahead on points with over 800kg. They where chased by Bulgaria, Portugal and the Serbians.

Unfortunately, this was the theme of the match. As England moved further and further behind, it was clear that something was wrong. They were fishing out of their skin, far more methodical and accurate than other pairings that flanked the English, yet they where unable to buy any consistency in their catch rate. Their efforts could not be questioned.

The Romanians had been canny. The newly stocked carp had been born and bred on a certain bait and indicated an almost inherent urge to feed on this certain boilie. Unfortunately, this was the instrumental component that lead to the demise of the English attack and ultimately to the success of the Romanian catch rate.

The carp were so preoccupied by this now “natural” food source that they would rarely feed on anything else. It dealt the killer blow to the England and we feel that this edge would certainly have given England the necessary tools to have competed for a medal.
 
By the end of this epic match which saw Romania and Bulgaria battling it for first place, and England finishing in a disappointing 18th, the home nation succeeded by a whisker.

Looking forward to 2013 the England team having now fully debriefed and are looking forward to Portugal. Korda have expressed their huge confidences in this young team and will continue to be a supporting element to the team.

It’s set to be yet another highly contestant event with all participating nations feeling confident of a good result.

Korda: Changes for 2013 – and the team you have built?

Ian: Hard lessons have been learnt and it has been a very difficult experience to pick the team and ourselves up after this event. Team sponsors have also invested money and support and many people have given up their time as volunteers in the trials to try and raise our chances of winning the team gold medal for the first time.
Firstly the corruption of the water as described above, while this is strictly not against the rules and the Romanians freely admitted to doing this there is the morale issue here and in the interests of fair play and fair contest this can’t be right. I have already spoken to Dick Clegg about this and he is going to take the issue up with FIPSed at this year’s November meeting in Italy. While we appreciate the Lac Corbul is unique and its fish stock brand new thus making this corruption of the water more possible, it will not ultimately deter other host nations following suit leading to a potential breakup of the competition.
Practicing, the team needs to go and practice a number of times prior to the world champs. The days of just turning up and hopefully being lucky with our approach from information gained off the internet are over. Unfortunately this all takes time and significant money which has to be found if we are to compete. The South Africans spent 100k this year and went home without a medal. The Bulgarians said they spent 80k and they live next door and went home with silver. The Romanians spent in excess of two million euros creating the venue and hosting the event.
As a management duo we have generally sacrificed our whole fishing season organizing the trials, team meetings, workshops with specialist consultants, all for this event. The only shining light in all this is the team’s own preparation and commitment to the process and each other which has been something really special to behold and be extremely proud of. If we were going back tomorrow we would still take the same team as what we witnessed in Romania was a true English team spirit and grit in the face of extreme adversity. As mentioned, this all takes time and a commitment to the England cause and also means giving most of their other fishing up next year to solely concentrate on the world championships venue in Portugal, if we are to have any chance of winning a gold medal.

England team member Jake Wildbore commented “As a team we have been through highs and massive lows. The team is more unified than ever before. This year’s event had all the necessary elements to ensure the team a good result. The unforeseen and unfortunate circumstances that restricted our efforts have been forgotten and the team will learn from this year and approach Portugal with a clear head and even more conviction.”

Dick Clegg OBE. International Events Director for the Angling Trust stated.
‘ When Ian and Pete took over the roles of manager and coach of England’s Carp team I was convinced that I had appointed two people who were capable of winning Gold. This result although extremely disappointing for all has not changed my mind. I have seen the professional way that they conducted all the pre match practices and organised the logistics of transporting both team and equipment to Romania and I know that we will soon be back on the podium.
It is obvious from the information that I have received that questions need to be asked about certain aspects of the event.
I am due to attend a FIPSed technical meeting in mid November and I will certainly require an explanation to a number of problems arising from these championships.’  
Dick also mentioned that he and the Angling Trust Team would like to thank Korda for all their help and support along this journey.

New type of 'killer shrimp' in UK waters

Anglers in the Midlands are being asked to be extra vigilant after a second species of non-native ‘killer shrimp’ was found at a number of popular fishing venues.

Environment Agency officers discovered the Dikerogammarus haemobaphes on the River River Severn at Tewkesbury, and Bevere near Worcester as, well as on the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal and the Worcester and Birmingham.

David Throup, Environment Manager for the EA said, “We now have a dedicated team whose focus is to establish the degree of the problem, and whether the shrimp has spread wider than the locations already found. We are treating this as a priority.”

The new discovery is a relative of Dikerogammarus villosus, an invasive species that has spread from Eastern Europe. According to scientists, it is a voracious predator that ‘kills a range of native species, including young fish, and can significantly alter ecosystems’.

The Environment Agency and Canal & River Trust are urging all water users to help slow its spread by checking, cleaning and drying all their equipment after use and before using it at another location.

Bradshaw Fisheries reveal half price ticket offer

A popular commercial fishery has revealed it is set to slash day ticket prices in half for one day only.

Bosses at Lancashire’s Bradshaw Hall Fisheries will implement the generous offer this Saturday (October 6) to celebrate achieving 1000 ‘likes’ on its Facebook page.

Anyone mentioning Facebook to the bailiff on the day will be given the discount when purchasing their permit. For more details visit www.bradshawhallfisheries.co.uk

Korum Fishing Made Easy DVD

Korum Tackle’s new two part DVD is now available for FREE from all Korum stockists.

The company’s aim has always been to make fishing easy, with gear designed to improve your fishing results, get you organised and fishing more effectively.

Their team of angling consultants personify this ethos, and what better way to explain the ways they catch fish than with the brand's latest media offering, the  'Fishing Made Easy' DVD.

These are available FREE through Korum stockists, but for those of you who just cannot wait to see the DVD, you can watch it online at www.korum.co.uk/DVD_Archive.php

In Part 1, join Dai Gribble and Nigel Botherway on the gorgeous River Wye, as they show you how easy it can be to catch chub and barbel from a rising river. They reveal all their inside knowledge on reading large rivers, and what tactics work best when chasing big fish.

In Part 2, meanwhile, it's non-stop action with Chris Ponsford and Duncan Charman, who reveal their first class approach for carp and silver fish from stillwaters. With top advice on fishing the Method feeder from Chris and ingenious anti-tangle rigs from Duncan, it's a thoroughly enjoyable watch with loads of fish and loads of tactical fishing tips.

Join Team Korum as they reveal all the latest approaches and modern fishing tactics in the Fishing Made Easy DVD. Designed to improve your coarse fishing with invaluable tips and advice from some of the country's best all-round anglers.

• For more information, visit www.korum.co.uk or www.fb.me/korum.angling

Fears for Lough Ern

The future of angling at one of Ireland’s most famous venues could be under threat after permission was given to begin a controversial industrial operation that has previously caused countless environmental problems.

For years fishermen have flocked from all over the UK to take advantage of the fantastic sport on offer at Lough Ern,  but that could soon become a thing of the past after a company gained permission to drill for gas using a contentious approach known as ‘fracking’.

Petrochemical firm Tamboran Resources has been given the green light to use the procedure, which involves drilling deep into the lakebed to extract gas, but environmentalists are calling for the operation to be halted due to fears it could pollute the area and lead to large-scale fish deaths.

A number of the world’s best anglers visit the lough regularly, among them top matchmen Bob Nudd, Alan Scotthorne and Mark Pollard. The last-named has just competed in the World Pairs Angling Champs at the venue, and he believes every measure possible needs to be taken to protect the angling at Lough Erne: “It would be devastating to the whole area if any pollution did occur, as the lough is connected to the whole Erne system which is a huge area of water.

“Any pollution would be terrible to not only the anglers who come here for the fantastic fishing but anyone who comes to Ireland as a whole” he said.

Fracking operations around the globe have led to numerous environmental complications in the past, particularly in the US. Local residents and farmers around Lough Erne are understandably worried about the possible side effects of the drilling. No Fracking Ireland, an environmental group against the plans, believes the rcological impacts could far outweigh the financial benefits.

John Cronogue, representing the group said: “It would be an environmental disaster if things go wrong like they have in other parts of the world. If you are an angler that fishes the lough, this might just be your worst nightmare” he added.

However, while many are worried about the effects of the plans, others believe it will bring prosperity to a region currently struggling with the economic crisis. Describing the project as ‘an energy and economic game changer for Northern Ireland’, Richard Moorman, Chief Executive of Tamboran said: “Our initial analysis suggests very substantial shale gas reserves in the southwest Fermanagh area. The energy and economic benefits of abstracting this gas would be tremendous for Northern Ireland” he added.

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Concerns for future of England team

Despite returning from last weekend’s World Championships without a medal, Drennan Team England have been the most successful international team of the past decade with five world titles to their name - but many are concerned for the future.

The current squad is packed with experience, depth and talent to secure more golds in the coming years but there are concerns about what’s coming through on the international front, not regarding ability but related more to the lack of exposure to the skills needed and ways of international match angling.

New World Champion Sean Ashby is one of those who wonders what the future will hold, having seen first-hand the chasm in difference between the UK scene and that held abroad, something he fears will see the England team in a couple of decades time short on anglers familiar with what’s needed to win medals at international level.

“There will come a time when the current side retires and the next generation comes through,” Sean said. “We’re lucky that we have several good anglers currently on the circuit who are comfortable in fishing to international rules and can make the step up but what happens after that? Steve Sanders has spoken about how at under-18 level anglers have never fished with pole and bait limits in the UK. I can’t see where that experience is going to come from if that continues.”

The likes of Tommy Pickering when he managed the England Ladies team have said much the same thing and Steve, who leads the Sensas Under-18 side on world duty, is of the same opinion. Despite his team still winning medals, he’s always looking ahead to the next generation coming through.

“The system is not there in the UK to allow them to come through with the experience needed,” said Steve. “When we go to the World Champs the lads are up against anglers that only fish matches to international rules so for us to win a medal is unbelievable when effectively, the whole of the team is fishing an international rules match for the first time. The desire and ability is there but the opportunities aren’t. A start would be to have the Angling Trust Junior Nationals fished to these rules or at least float only so we can expose them to what’s needed in those anglers that do come through to England honours at an early age.”

For the full interview with new World Champion Sean Ashby, see the issue of Angling Times on sale September 25.

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