Homemade bait tempts big chub from Great Ouse

Leighton McDonnell proved that rewards are there to be had from flooded rivers when he banked this huge 7lb 4oz chub.

Fishing a tough stretch of the Great Ouse, the specialist from Tring, Herts, found two spots that featured slack marginal swims and introduced 25 small pieces of fishmeal paste.

His home-made bait certainly did the trick when he slipped the net under the specimen after it took his hookbait that he had moulded around two hair-rigged 13mm cork balls and attached to a size 4 Nash Fang Uni hook.

“I spotted some crystalline ginger in the cupboard so I finely chopped a couple of lumps and it gave my bait a really distinct hot ginger smell,” said Leighton.

Galleon Stretch Of The Grand Union Offers Excellent Fishing

There are not many canal stretches in the UK which can offer a 30lb plus net of fish for under £10 a year but that’s exactly what anglers in the Milton Keynes area have on their doorstep with the Galleon stretch of the Grand Union Canal at Wolverton.

With so much good canal sport in the Milton Keynes area this section of cut has gone under the radar in recent times but the quality of fishing is as good as anywhere. This stretch is renowned for its big perch with fish to 3lb plus commonplace and worth targeting.

There are also the odd specimen carp but most anglers like to visit the canal in winter for a nice mixed net of roach, skimmers and gudgeon as well as the stripeys. The early pegs by the Galleon Pub, of which the stretch is named after, are around 25m wide and can be attacked by using a small feeder or waggler cast two-thirds to tight across. Bream to 5lb as well as the odd tench reside in this wide section so baits such as worm, caster and maggot are worth having on your bait tray.

The narrower pegs beyond this are around 10-12m across and have plenty of cover in the form of brambles and rushes. These pegs are excellent for perch as well as plenty of small fish. For a mixed net, fish small baits such as squatts and pinkies over a little groundbait on one line and then fish a little chopped worm down the middle of the canal for the perch. Here you will find the deepest water, around 5-6ft, so a heavier rig with slightly bigger hooks should be used with pieces of worm or maggot on the hook. Remember this is winter canal fishing so don’t feed too much at the start of your session.

TIP: Try squirting some Bait-Tech Predator Plus liquid to your chopped worm mix to help attract the big perch.

Prices: £6 a year Galleon Pub to aquaduct, Galleon AC,
Location: Grand Union Canal, Galleon Stretch, Wolverton, Bucks, MK12 5NL
Contact: Gone Fishin, 01908 313158
Rules: No carp in keepnets, no fires

40lb mirror carp from Cotswold Water Park

This cracking 40lb mirror was landed by Rich Price during a recent session at the tricky Bradley’s Lake on the Cotswold Water Park.

The Gloucestershire-based angling bailiff targeted a long-range feature at 105 yards which he baited heavily with Solar Quench boilies.

Over the top of this he offered a matching flavoured hookbait and eventually beat his prize after a spirited scrap.

Five thirties in big haul from Suffolk Water Park

Dean Vaughan and his fishing companion James Swayze enjoyed a memorable session on Suffolk Water Park’s Big Fish Lake, landing 19 fish between them.

The Norfolk-based duo’s haul included five different thirties to 34lb and all came after a change of swims 24 hours in to their five night session.

“The lake was packed with anglers when we arrived so we dropped in to pegs five and six which were free. We’d heard that pegs 10 and 11 had done a couple of thirties earlier in the week, so when the lake quietened down we decided to move as we hadn’t seen any signs of fish in our original swims,” said Dean.

Spreading their rods between the central channel and the far margin the pair enjoyed the majority of their sport during the hours of darkness.

“The fish were obviously using the channel to move from one area of the lake and into deeper water water during the night,” explained Dave. “I managed fish of 34lb, 31lb 8oz and 31lb 12oz along with several twenties and a couple of doubles, and James had a common of 32lb 8oz, a mirror of 32lb 12oz and a three twenties.”

They both put their faith in snowman rigs using a new boilie on test for Carp Baits UK on Korda Kurv Shank hooks and IQ fluorocarbon hooklinks.

26lb pike after four year break

A four year break from angling did nothing to curtail the efforts of Ian Buss who returned to his favourite venue and landed this huge 26lb 8oz pike.

The fish took the 24-year-old’s trotted roach livebait from a Hull and District Angling Association stretch of the River Hull.

“I used to fish the waterway for pike all the time and have caught them to 30lb from before so I knew there was the chance of a big fish,” said Ian. “I am on leave from the Royal Navy and just decided to get back into fishing - I’m glad I did.”

Ian’s rig included a 30lb trace and size 6 treble hooks.

Elusive roach falls to breadflake for Alan Blair

A roving approach on the River Test provided Alan Blair with roach of 1lb 15oz and 2lb.
The Nash Tackle operations director fished bread to tempt the specimens as the light faded.

He said: “I spent the days wandering the river fishing for grayling and chub, then on both evenings I tucked myself into deeper guides in search of the elusive roach.

“I had the 1lb 15oz on liquidised bread in a cage feeder, with a 0.10 hooklink and a size 12 hook with a big piece of flake. I was really chuffed but did feel I had cheated a little, so I returned to the same spot the following evening, this time with a centrepin.
 
“The first few run-throughs resulted in chub and then on last knockings, as I could barely see the tip of the float, I had the two-pounder.”

Great River Sport On The Avon At Barford

Most people associate the Warwickshire Avon with a net of roach caught on a slow moving river. However, there is one stretch near Warwick where this couldn’t be further from the truth.

The Barford Angling Association 50-peg section below the weir at Barford is often called the mini River Wye due to its fast flow and ability to produce some cracking nets of barbel and chub.

Of course there are plenty of roach to be had and some anglers like to target the dace for nets to 20lb but the majority that like to fish here do so because they can enjoy fishing you would only usually find some 70 miles west at places like Hereford and Shrewsbury. The fishing here isn’t easy though as good river craft and the ability to trott a stick float for example, are a must if you are to enjoy a successful day. There are plenty of fish in here including barbel to 15lb but averaging around 8lb, bream to double-figures, roach, dace, perch to 4lb-plus as well as chub.

The depth on this stretch is only around 3-6ft and there are plenty of boils, eddies and slacks that make great fish holding features. With conditions similar to that found on rivers like the Wye, tactics required are pretty similar too. Wire-stem stick floats of around 7 no. 8’s are ideal for most swims using rods of 13ft plus for control.

You can fish this way in conjunction with loose-fed maggots or caster and hemp, around ten maggots a cast to be exact for a nice mixed net of fish including smaller barbel. Take a few pints of them as you can get through a bit of bait on a stretch like this. A whip with a mini waggler float may also be useful here if you want to catch a net of dace while big baits, strong rods and ledger rigs can also be used for specimen fish such as big barbel.

Tip: When fishing loose-fed maggots, try flavouring with turmeric spice to add more colour and also to degrease the maggots, making them sink faster in the flow.

Price: £45 a season, Barford AA, Over 65 £20, memberships are half price after Dec 15th
Contact: Barford AA, 01564 77741, www.barford-angling.co.uk
Location: River Avon, Barford, Warwickshire, (Access supplied upon membership approval)
Rules: No night fishing, no braid, no litter, no fishing between platforms

47lb mirror carp is new Cottington Lakes venue record

John Castle broke the Cottington Lakes’ venue record with the capture of this 47lb mirror during a 72 hour session.

Fishing tight to a clump of reeds in the margins of Pepper Lake on the Kent day-ticket complex, the Cornwall-based 70-year-old baited up with 10 Mainline Cell boilies and a bed of mixed particles.

He backed up his new personal best with a 22lb common and beat both fish with rigs comprising size 7 Nash Fang hooks and 15lb Korda N-Trap Soft coated braid hooklinks.

Sticky Krill nets 27lb 9oz common carp

Sandhurst has a reputation as one of the UK’s best winter carp venues and with fish like this cracking 27lb 9oz common on offer it’s easy to see why.

The impressive specimen was caught by Chris Beasley who baited up a silty area at 60yds range on the Yateley day-ticket water with around 20 16mm Sticky Krill freezer baits.

The 27-year-old from Thatcham said: “As the day went on I saw two fish show to the right of my swim and then at 6am the following morning I received a blistering take. Nothing else got caught that night and only one other fish came out in the three days I was there.”

Chris presented a 15mm White Chocolate pop-up on a size 6 JRC 360 hook and a 20lb Korda IQ2 hooklink.

Second-time lucky with 22lb pike

When the treble hooks on Nathan Edgell’s lure unexpectedly snapped, causing the loss of a large pike from a southern river, he was determined to settle the score.
And a week later that’s exactly what he did, catching the same 22lb 2oz specimen on his first cast. The 30-Plus-backed rod hooked the fish from a slack water swim using a Blue X Rattler plug.

“I was very sad to leave parts of a treble in this pike’s mouth in the first place. In all my years of fishing I have never had this happen before. I changed my lure and I couldn’t believe it when she took it straight away again. I was able to carefully extract the original trebles and gave her a few minutes to recover before she swam off none the worse for wear,” he said.

Unique cased lamprey could save club

A rare brace of cased fish expected to fetch thousands of pounds at auction could secure the future of one of the country’s oldest angling clubs.

Crewe Amalgamated Angling Association control a variety of waters in the local area, with over 150 members of the social club they operate from regularly meeting for a day on the bank. But now the outfit have run into financial trouble and have been searching for ways to raise funds.

In a bid to reverse their fortunes they plan to sell a pair of lamprey that were cased by the legendary J. Cooper & Sons taxidermists after they were caught from the River Severn by a club member in 1924.

Early estimates from Peter Wilson Fine Art Auctioneers – the business charged with conducting the bidding process – suggest that it could fetch over £8,000.

Committee memberJeff Soper is desperate to see the association remain intact and said: “I have been fishing almost all my life and I am now 60-years-old. This club has given me so much throughout that time.

“We need money to keep our clubhouse going as without it no one will get together and the fishing section will almost certainly die off.”

Auctioneer Chris Large believes the unique item will prove a popular lot during the event at their premises in Nantwich on November 27 and 28. “It is unusual to find a single lamprey preserved and mounted, but exceptionally rare, if not unique, to find a pair,” he told Angling Times.

“The fact that the preservation and display work was carried out by Cooper only adds to its importance. The high quality of their work and uncompromising attention to detail is unrivalled.”

Who are J.Cooper & Sons?
John Cooper was born in 1825 and began taxidermy of birds, fish and mammals in 1844. In 1850 his son – also named John – joined the business, with both of them skilfully casing hundreds of fish until they handed the business over to the Griggs family in the 1930s. Their work is highly sought after, with collectors travelling the length and breadth of the country to visit auctions where their pieces are on sale.

Excellent Winter Fishing At Lingmere

The sudden drop in temperatures has had an effect on sport at numerous waters but at Lingmere Fishery sport is still excellent, with big mixed bags falling every day.

The complex is situated on the Wirral, close to the Irish Sea meaning that winter temperatures are often a touch warmer than those further inland, making for some great cold weather sport.

Mirror and common carp are plentiful on the fishery’s two lakes but they have taken a backseat of late with impressive hauls of skimmers, F1s, tench, ide and barbel making the headlines in nets to 50lb.
Both waters are home to a variety of species but it is the Match Lake which has been the main focus. Pole fishing fanatics have managed to keep the bites coming via a number of approaches, with big F1s to over 5lb falling frequently to baits fished up in the water between 9m and 13m out. Use a 6mm banded pellet and feed a few 4mm offerings every few seconds to keep a constant trickle of bait going through the water. Those in search of barbel have presented big beds of maggots or casters either down the edge or at the bottom of the nearside ledge 5m out. Specimens to over 7lb have been landed this year so make sure you are geared up properly, using a hooklink of at least 0.14mm diameter.

Down on the Pleasure Lake the F1s are still very active in the open water areas although the bigger carp – which run to over 20lb – are taking Mainline Cell boilies and or large lumps of meat presented tight to the islands. Lingmere Fishery is a truly mixed haven and when the float disappears it is impossible to guess what is attached to the other end.

The Match Lake is only open for day-ticket anglers on Monday, Tuesday and Fridays. The fishery also offers novice anglers tuition on-site, if required.

Tip: Try flavouring your maggots with Krill to add scent to the bait to help pick out the bigger barbel and keep the bites coming.

Price: £7 one rod, £9 two rods.
Contact: Call 0151 6777911 or visit www.lingmere-fishery.co.uk
Location: Lingmere Fishery, Lingmere Cottage, Lingham Lane, Moreton, CH46 4TB.
Facilities: Café, tackle shop, parking, toilets.
Rules: No more than 2kg of groundbait per session, all fish must be netted.

Match ace Andrew Murphy wins £10,000 Riverfest

Few events are voted a resounding success in their first year when it comes to matchfishing, but no one had any complaints about the inaugural RiverFest contest.

The event got the thumbs up from all competing in this big money final – none more so than from Welsh angler Andrew Murphy. He held his nerve to take the £10,000 top prize in a match that saw the result in doubt right up to the final hooter.

Big barbel and chub were expected to throw a spanner in the works on the sections of river above Hereford, but they didn’t really figure. That left silverfish to pave the way for Andrew, known on the match scene as ‘Spud’, as he tallied up 44-9-0 to get ahead of a dramatic three-way tie for second.

That saw Paul Bick, Michael Dalziel and Chris Parr all finish with 41-1-0. After checking and rechecking the weights, they couldn’t be separated and so had the money for the next three places shared out. John Urruty on 40-14-0 took fifth and £1,000, with Scott Geens earning himself £700 for sixth with 39-6-0.

The weekend was all about Spud though, the Welsh international digging deep into his vast reservoir of experience on the Wye. The Ebbw Vale man has won the Wye Champs and the big charity match held on the river annually, and he needed that nous on a river that proved a very different mistress on Day 2.

“On the first day I drew peg 24 at Belmont, a decent chub peg and took nine fish on the maggot feeder casting right across to the tree line with triple maggot on the hook,” Spud revealed. “This was the big fish end of my draw so I was delighted with 26-8-0 and joint third overall as a lot of pegs can be hard in that area. It can ruin your chances before they’ve got going and I guess it was a bit of a gamble playing the sit and wait game and seeing if they’d feed or not because the chub hadn’t gone mad in the run-up to the match.”

But a good weight on Day 1 would count for nothing if the draw bag dealt poorly on Day 2 in the town centre where roach and dace would dominate. Spud couldn’t have drawn any better with the same peg that Paul Bick had won the match off the day before, next to the town bridge. With the peg below empty as one angler had to go home the day before, Spud may even have allowed himself a few seconds to think his name was on the trophy. But he would have been wrong.

“I was expecting 30lb without much trouble and fancied it big time and so attacked the swim with lots of feed on the stick float a few rods out just as Paul had done the day before,” he said. “The first hour was good and I was on target but the wheels came off from then on and I was really scratching about for a few fish. I had a few words with myself and set a revised target of 15lb to 20lb to do well. I also cut the feeding back.”

Slowly Spud began to put a few fish together using a 8x4 stick float and double bronze maggot but with rumours flying around of Richie Reynolds having 30lb of chub on the end peg at Belmont and four big barbel on the Ferry Meadow section, Spud couldn’t be sure where he stood and needed a good final hour or so – and thankfully he got it.

Event creator Dave Harrell was delighted with the event. “It couldn’t have gone any better and what a terrific tribute to river fishing the weekend has been,” said Dave. “The river was just perfect and we couldn’t call the winner right up until the end. To have such close weights in the final reckoning is unreal and I’m sure those boys will be cursing a lost fish or a decision to spend too long on the feeder!”

“Credit to Spud though. He’s been one of the best anglers on the Wye, won all there is to win and can add RiverFest to that. We’ll be back next year with more qualifiers, new venues and with luck, more money for the final. Watch this event go!” Dave added.

Result: 1 A Murphy, Tredegar Angling, 44-9-0; jt2 P Bick, Shakespeare, M Dalziel, RAF and C Parr, Sensas Thyers, all 41-1-0; 5 J Urruty, Alfreton Angling, 40-14-0; 6 S Geens, Preston Innovations, 39-6-0.

New fishery record for Frimley Pit 3 with 49lb common carp

Scott Sullivan has completed his incredible year on Frimley Pit 3 in style with the capture of Charlie’s Mate at new fishery record weight of 49lb 10oz.

On his previous session the 29-year-old from Reigate in Surrey had landed a heavily scaled mirror of 39lb and a 35lb common so was eager to return to the 11-acre venue.

Arriving on the Saturday morning, Scott set up in a swim which allowed him to target a slightly deeper, silty area of the lake where he had a feeling the fish were holding up.

He said: “I used a throwing stick to spread 1.5kg of 15mm Obsession Carp Baits Nut Mix boilies over the area after casting out three matching cork ball pop-ups on chod rigs.

“The night was uneventful, but at 6.45am I received a slow take and after a good scrap I had my target fish in the net. At 49lb 10oz it was not only a new personal best common for myself but also a new lake and complex record. It was my 48th fish from the venue since April this year and really was the cherry on the cake,” he added.

Scott constructed his chod rigs with size 6 G-Force Straight Point hooks and 15lb ESP Stiff Rig Bristle Filament.

Big boost for Fish O'Mania with more cash and more pegs

Fish O'Mania is set to receive a major overhaul after tournament bosses revealed plans to boost the prize pot and increase the amount of places available in the qualifiers.

Each year thousands of anglers clamber for a spot in one of the 16 heats of the big money match fishing competition and officials have now decided to remove the ‘winner takes all’ element by signing a deal that will see the second and third placed anglers in the final receive a financial reward.

The winner will still walk away with a cheque for £30,000, with the pay-out for those who just missed out on the top spot still under negotiation.

From next year anglers will have a greater chance than ever to compete in the qualifiers, with places increased to almost 2,500. Five of the rounds will host 150 anglers, two will accommodate 180 fishermen and Lindholme Lakes will host a 300-peg match.

There have also been changes in the venues being used, with Yorkshire’s Hayfield Lakes and Nottinghamshire’s Hallcroft Fishery replacing Aston Park and Messingham Sands.

Matchroom Sport Media Director Luke Riches believes the changes will make the 21st anniversary pf the event even more spectacular and he told Angling Times: “This competition is hugely oversubscribed and this is our way of accommodating even more anglers.

“We have decided to create a prize for those that come second and third to keep the match alive if someone dominates from the start like last year’s winner Jamie Hughes did.

“It will make it a nail-biting affair right until the last minute and I’m confident this will be the best Fish O’Mania ever,” he added.

Former winner Warren Martin is hoping to regain his crown next year and is looking forward to taking part in the refreshed event. “I think the idea of adding extra pegs is excellent as it gives more people a chance,” he said. “It might make the fishing a bit harder but if you are turning up purely for a good day’s sport then Fish O’Mania isn’t for you anyway.

“Creating prizes for second and third will definitely add to the excitement and I think this is the right way forward.”
 
**Online entry will open to Angling Trust members on January 14 and close on February 4, with each ticket priced at £25.**

**Fish O’Mania Facts**
- Last year 5,254 separate bids were made for the qualifiers with less than half of those successful, with 2,250 spaces on offer.
- Garbolino’s Neil Machin took the biggest Fish O’Mania final weight ever when he hauled out 217lb 8oz from Hayfield Lakes in 1996. Angling journalist Jon Arthur took the biggest net in a qualifier with 252lb 11oz from Viaduct Fishery in 2011.
- The final has been held at four different venues. Leicestershire’s Mallory Park hosted the inaugural contest in 1994 before it switched to Hallcroft Fishery in Nottinghamshire for 1995 and 1996. Yorkshire’s Hayfield Lakes staged it between 1997 and 2007 before it was handed to Cudmore Fishery in 2008.
- Only one man has bagged the title twice, with Matt Hall securing his name in the record books with victories in 2003 and 2009.
- Did you know that qualifiers weren’t always held solely on commercial fisheries? Up until 2005, natural waters were used, with the likes of River Soar and Weaver hosting heats.

Huge zander to a deadbait

Big fish enthusiast Geoff Collins has continued his breath-taking run of form - catching this 18lb 5oz zander from a Midlands stillwater.

Only a month earlier the Northamptonshire rod landed the biggest barbel brace of the year with fish of 18lb 10oz and 15lb 12oz from an undisclosed river, and he struck gold once again when the impressive predator fell for his floatfished deadbait.
Bright skies and clear water provided less than ideal conditions, but undeterred he headed to a deep spot which had a good track record for producing specimen zander.

The first bite of the day came to his boat partner, Chris Ebden, resulting in a zander of 9lb. Shortly afterwards Geoff received a tentative take.

“I initially thought it was a small zander as it didn’t put up much of a fight but it suddenly realised it was hooked and made repeated efforts to bore for the bottom,” said Geoff, who was used 15lb mainline, a 20lb Drennan 7 Strand wire trace and size 8 treble hooks. 

“When I got a glance at the fish it was clear it was enormous and thankfully it went into the net on the first attempt. Once on the boat I realised I’d how lucky I’d been as the hook was only just in its mouth.

“I don’t have that much time to get on the bank with family and work commitments but this catch –which beats my previous best for the species by 6lb - shows that a little research can be vital. It’s always better to spend an hour in the right place rather than 10 hours in the wrong one.”

With the temperatures expected to plummet in the coming weeks Geoff has now set his sights on increasing his pb of another predatory species: “It’s been a fair few years since I had a really big perch so I’d love to bag one around the magical 5lb-mark,” he added.

31lb linear from southern syndicate

This stunning 31lb 2oz linear was caught by Dan Gilbert during a two night session on a southern syndicate water.

Targeting a long range patch of silt 100 yards from the bank, the 32-year-old from Marlborough fished two rods with chod rigs over a scattering of Sticky Krill boilies and one with a bottom bait over a bed of Krill and Bloodworm pellets and broken boilies.
The bottom bait rod produced his first fish of the session in the form of a short and chunky 31lb 2oz mirror before the big linear and a smaller fish of 27lb 6oz fell to his chod rigs.

Dan tied his rigs with 25lb ESP Stiff Rig Bristle Filament and size 5 Atomic Chodda hooks.

Target 40lb carp from close in

A short evening session on a southern park lake saw James Kelly land his target fish from the venue at a weight of 41lb 6oz.

The London-based Gerry’s of Wimbledon employee had seen a few fish cruising up and down the shallow margins and after closely observing the exact route that they had been taking he waded out and carefully lowered a single Obsession Carp Baits Nut Mix boilie on to a spot which he thought the fish would be most likely to stop and feed on.
Shortly afterwards his alarm signalled a slow take and after a spirited scrap he landed a stunning low-twenty linear.

“As I knew there was obviously a few fish feeding in the area, I quickly tied on a fresh rig and hookbait and waded it back out to the same spot,” he told Angling Times. “Within an hour I received another slow take with my bobbin slowly tightening up to the rod. I lifted in the fish and a savage fight followed before I had the lakes most sought after resident, Single, in my net. Once weighed at 41lb 6oz it set a new personal best and was also my first English forty,” he added.

176lb catfish on 40th birthday

Gareth Williams could not have asked for a better fortieth birthday present than this 176lb catfish from the River Ebro.

The County Offaly, Ireland-based rod had booked a long weekend on the famous Spanish waterway to celebrate and targeting a stretch at Benifallet he landed a number of catfish between 35lb and 45lb as well as carp to 22lb.

With just an hour of his session remaining Gareth received the bite he’d been hoping for. “The fish tore off on a 150 yards run. After over half an hour I netted a huge catfish which measured 220cm and tipped the scales at 176lb.”

2lb roach shock in barbel session

When Dave Chambers received a series of little knocks during a barbel session on the River Thames, he scaled down his tackle expecting chub to be the culprits - instead, he hooked in to this quality roach weighing 2lb 4oz.

Fishing over a bed of Vitalin, pellet and boilies, the 51-year-old used a piece of prototype Wraysbury Bait paste on a size 8 G Force hook and a 10lb Drennan Double Strength hooklink.

“It’s ironic that I spent years trying to catch a 2lb roach from the Thames by design and the best I managed was 1lb 13oz, before I gave up. Now I’ve caught one on a barbel trip! I’ll definitely be back for these big roach because there are cartainly more of them in the river these days,” he said.