2013 Alderney Lure Only 24 Hour Species Hunt
Tronixpro & Alderney Angling are very proud to announce the "2013 Alderney Lure Only 24 Hour Species Hunt" in association with Sea Angler Magazine, The Lure Forum, Marukyu, Nice Fish Distribution and Lure Heaven.
Tronixpro & Alderney Angling are inviting all lure anglers to join them on the magnificent island of Alderney to fish a lure only species hunt from midday Saturday 14th September to midday Sunday 15th September 2013.
The competition is being sponsored by many of the world's leading lure manufacturers and lure angling media outlets.
For futher details call 01481 824884.
88lb brace of carp for Martin Pick
MARTIN Pick has landed a huge brace of specimen carp with two fish for a combined weight of just under 90lb.
The Leicestershire-based Trakker-backed rod has enjoyed a memorable year so far on the famous Wellington Country Park in Berkshire, and a couple of months ago he ended a decade long wait for a new pb with a 45lb 10oz mirror.
And he came close to beating it again on his latest trip with a mirror known as the Clean Fish which tipped the scales at 45lb 2oz.
“I’d seen a fish showing in an area of the venue where I’d never actually seen them show before so I packed my gear back on to the barrow and set off round the lake,” Martin said. “As I got to the swim I saw a couple more fish show so I quickly got a couple of rods and my landing net out of the holdall and cast a couple of rigs out to the area. Shortly after one of the rods pulled round and I was in. My waders were still back on the barrow so I just waded out – and at 45lb 2oz the fish was certainly worth getting wet for!”
He then had to wait 48 hours for his next take, but it was certainly worth it as it resulted in a 43lb 6oz mirror called Shoulders. This fish came from a spot which he had baited with around 4kg of 15mm DT Baits Cold Water Mix and N-Blend boilies.
Over the top of this he cast a cork ball pop-up on a reverse combi-rig comprising 25lb Korda Mouthtrap and 20lb N-Trap with a size 6 Choddy hook.
Join The Canal Tench Rush At Bottesford
Not many canals in the UK can boast 30lb plus catches of tench but the extremely narrow Grantham Canal near Grantham offers just that and June is the time to target them.
Anglers who know the potential of the canal around here have been making their annual pilgrimages to the waterway over the last couple of weeks in search of the tench which always appear here every year in good numbers, fishing before the weed, which blights this barely navigable canal, later in the summer.
The canal winds its way from the centre of Grantham from which it acquired its name, to West Bridgeford in Nottinghamshire, 33 miles later, where it joins the river Trent. The whole venue is stuffed with tench and silverfish but it is the stretch at Bottesford which is one of the best and most peaceful. The tench, which go to around 5lb, lurk around the reeds, stick ups and weed beds that seemingly adorn every peg here and these can be caught by fishing the pole or waggler around 4ins over-depth to lay a bait still on the bottom. The top bait here as you’d expect for these species is chopped worm and caster and this should be feed on two lines either across the far-side or two thirds of the way over. You can also use pellets and corn and these are worth trying especially if you are being blighted by small fish. Don’t fish too light as you will struggle in the weed and snags so fish something like 0.16 straight through with strong elastic such as black hydro.
As the summer wears on the weed will become a problem and make swim selection more difficult but as we speak plans are finally coming to fruition by The Grantham Canal Society to restore the canal fully for navigation which, although means anglers will have boats to contend with, at least weed won’t be such a problem in future.
Prices: £3 a day or £20 a season on the bank, Bottesford AA
Contact: Mick Calcraft, Bottesford AA 01949 842776
Location: Grantham Canal, Woolsthorpe Lane, Bottesford, Grantham, Lincs
Rules: no bloodworm & joker
Big fish hit the back of footballer's net
West Ham footballer Matt Taylor indulged his passion for fishing last week, banking fish to 58lb.
The former Portsmouth and Bolton player travelled to Fishabil in France for a three-day session and caught mirrors to 32lb, grass carp to 48lb and catfish to 58lb.
The 31-year-old has now rejoined his team-mates for pre-season training in Ireland but told West Ham’s official website: “I really enjoy my fishing and I was lucky enough to manage to get a trip to France. I really enjoyed it and I think it is something I’ll be making into an annual holiday.
“We got some nice fish as well, which was good, but it was nice just to get away with some friends. It was a social road trip as much as a fishing trip so it was really good and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
“I’ve always fished at home but I’d never been to France. I got the opportunity to go this year and I took it and will definitely be doing it again. It’s something I really enjoy and my friends do too. The even better thing is that I try to take my son as often as I can and get him into it.”
150lb Mixed Nets at Meremoor Fishery
Weights are set to soar at Meremoor as the mid to late summer months are the most productive at this North-West fishery which is already seeing weights over 150lb being recorded from the match lakes.
Situated amongst the rolling countryside of southern Cheshire, Meremoor compromises of four pools, two match pools a pleasure lake as well as a specimen pond for carpers. The two match pools, with 34 pegs in total and depths averaging 4-7ft, are both heavily stocked with carp averaging around 3-8lb along with the odd double-figure fish and these can be caught on a variety of tactics to suit. The tactic winning all the matches at the moment though is the pellet waggler. Feeding small pellets consistently over the top and fishing say a 6 or 8mm version over the top is the way to go and with this method you can easily explore your swim and fish up in the water in search of fish. Bags over 250lb have been caught during the summer months here using this method but let’s not ignore the pole which can also be productive particularly when fishing the margins or tight to the lakes numerous islands. Here you can feed a little groundbait, corn or meat to catch carp to 10lb. The lake also holds plenty of orfe, ide, crucians as well as silverfish, which can be targeted separately using hemp for nets well into double-figures.
The pleasure lake (12 pegs) is similarly stocked to the match pools but the fish are much bigger and more selective on here. The carp are bigger, averaging around 8-10lb but many anglers fish for the smaller species such as silverfish and crucians to catch a nice net over 50lb, enjoying plenty of bites along the way. For big carp however, head to the complex’s Specimen Pool. This lake has 14 swims and is available for night bookings. With carp up to 28lb 8oz including plenty of big doubles it is well worth a visit if boilies, pva bags and bivvys are your thing.
TIP: Feed little and often for best sport on all lakes. Keep the bait going in throughout the session, feeding to bites.
Prices: £5 a day or £10 a night session, specimen lake is £10 a day or £15 a night, 24 hours £25
Contact: 07563 636991, www.meremoorfisheries.co.uk
Location: Meremore Fisheries, Barthomley Road, Alsager, Cheshire, CW2 5NT
Facilities: Toilets
Rules: Barbless only, unhooking mats for carp, no keepnets, no lead core, no fixed leads
Tench session results in huge bream haul
THE decision to abandon a dour tench fishing session and switch focus to big bream proved a wise move for Gary Knowles as he went on to land seven double figure specimens to 12lb 6oz during a manic overnight stint.
The Dynamite Baits-backed angler had struggled to attract his intended species while fishing a tricky North West stillwater but had been plagued by line bites throughout. Convinced the indications were being caused by bream moving into a shallow bay, he drove home to pick up tackle more suitable for targeting slabs.
On his return he put out a large bed of hemp and pellets at 50 yards with a Spomb and cast two mag-aligner rigs over the top.
A 10lb-plus bream then signalled the start of a frantic spell of action which saw six other doubles and a brace of 9lb fish landed in a five hour period.
“I was certain that the line bites were bream moving towards the weed to spawn but before they began I knew they’d be unable to resist feeding.
“From previous experiences I thought a few fish could be possible but I didn’t expect the best multiple catch of my career,” explained Gary, who used 9lb Korum Xpert mainline, a 20lb Kryston Jackal hooklink and a size 10 hook.
Forty off the top
EDWARD Matthews caught his first ever UK forty in the form of this cracking 41lb mirror off the surface of Acton Burnell Top Lake in Shropshire.
The 32-year-old Korum consultant arrived at the venue late in the afternoon to find six other anglers on, and after a brisk walk round he found a group of fish cruising along the bank which was receiving the least pressure.
“I spodded out some Sonubaits Oily Floaters up wind of the fish and waited for a response,” Ed told Angling Times. “They weren’t too interested and only took the odd one when the breeze died down. I persevered and continued to spod out mixers but the reaction was the same as before.
“With my rod set up and the wind dying down again I could make out a fish bow-waving from left to right across the swim about 50yds out so I cast well beyond the fish and reeled my controller back until my hookbait was on the same line the fish was swimming.”
With a huge eruption of the water the carp took his hookbait straight away and powered off on a 70 yard run.
“I had to apply plenty of pressure to avoid a snag in the lake. Thankfully my tackle held strong and I managed to turn the fish which then plodded around. Luckily she went in the net on the first attempt and on the scales she went 41lb exactly – beating my UK pb by 3lb and my surface caught best by 7lb.”
Ed’s successful floater rig consisted of a Sonubaits Oily Floater hair-rigged to a size 8 Korum Specialised hook and 11lb Xpert line.
Kevin Green 1973-2013
Kevin Green 1973-2013
Improve Your Coarse Fishing magazine Editor Kevin Green has passed away after a short illness. He was 40 years old.
Starting his career as a reporter on Angling Times in August 1994, Kevin was instrumental in many of the title’s biggest successes, leading the news team with big exclusives, must-read stories, and inspirational features.
His enthusiasm for the sport shone through in everything he did and he was handpicked to present, and star in, several TV series including Carp Crew, Predators, and Angling Times TV for Discovery Channel.
He was also the driving force behind the creation, launch, and editing of Angling Times’ UKCarp magazine, and for several years organised the Go Fishing Show at Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre.
It was at the Go Fishing event where Kevin discovered his passion for coaching others – both young and old – and he worked tirelessly to encourage newcomers and teach fishing skills at many nationwide shows and events. These skills made him the perfect Editor for Improve Your Coarse Fishing, a position he took up in June 2005.
Each month he inspired readers with cutting-edge instruction and tactics, brilliant photography, and honest tackle reviews. In keeping with his passion for teaching, earlier this year he created and launched a nationwide Fish Camp scheme to inspire and help anglers of all abilities to catch more fish at their favourite fisheries.
As a talented angler himself, Kevin is perhaps remembered best for his carp fishing exploits and captures, but in truth he enjoyed all disciplines of the sport from fishing rivers for winter chub, to floatfishing for bream and perch on stillwaters and early season tench.
Born in Wigan, Kevin read politics at the University of Hull, and then moved to Peterborough to follow his passion for fishing at the Angling Times headquarters.
Steve Prentice, Managing Director of Sport & Angling for Improve’s parent company Bauer Media, said: “Kevin will be greatly missed by everyone at Bauer and he made a fantastic contribution to the angling division over the years. Our thoughts are with his family at this time.’
He leaves a wife, Joanne, and two children.
A celebration of Kevin’s life will appear in the July 16 issue of Angling Times.
Biggest tench brace of 2013
OVER a decade of hard work and dedication paid off for Stewart Moss when he banked the biggest tench brace of 2013 with these huge fish topping the scales at 11lb 3oz and 9lb 15oz.
After arriving at a local Oxfordshire gravel pit to find that all of the best swims were already taken, he decided to target an un-favoured, featureless area that was choked with thick weed rising over 3 feet off the lakebed.
While many anglers might have been put off by such conditions, Stewart spent the next two hours out in a boat hauling up huge amounts of weed to clear a spot big enough to accommodate his two maggot feeder rigs.
After finally setting his trap over the top of a bed of hemp the Drennan International employee was woken at 4.45am by a screaming take that ended in the capture of a fish that was just 1oz short of the double figure mark – a target he’d been trying to reach for years.
But just a few minutes after re-casting his helicopter rig - made from 10lb mainline, an ESP Soft Ghost fluorocarbon hooklink and a size 14 hook - he connected with his new personal best.
“I must admit that I almost felt like going home as the last thing I really wanted to be doing after work on Friday was getting soaked head to toe while spending hours raking out seemingly endless piles of weed,” Stewart told Angling Times.
“But all of my hard work not only cleared a spot for me but it created huge clouds of silt to puff up off the bottom, which I thought would attract any fish that were pushing their way through the maze of weed.”
Stewart’s hookbait consisted of three hair-rigged imitation casters and two live maggots soaked in Nash strawberry flavouring directly on the hook.
“I put a lot of hard work and effort into my fishing and I’ve had my fair share of hard-times and many blanks sessions. The fact that it’s taken me this long to finally achieve my goal makes this capture taste all the more sweeter,” he added.
Yateley forty from the margins
ON HIS first session of the year on a Yateley stillwater, Michael ‘Chewy’ French landed this stunning 42lb 5oz mirror.
He began his session in a quiet corner of the lake where he’d seen a few fish but after an uneventful night he decided to have a rethink of his tactics.
“The following morning I spent a bit of time climbing trees and sneaking about in the bushes and found that I needed to move down a swim to improve my chances of catching,” the London-based rod said.
“I’d seen some fish extremely close in the margins and a stealthy approach was definitely required, so I spent the next two nights kipping under the stars without the brolly.”
Michael carefully lowered his rigs, baited with Carp Company Natural Impact 16mm pop-ups, on a patch of silt just half a metre from the bank and followed them up with a handful of freebies.
“I got the kettle on and sat quietly watching the fish in my margin. They were all over me and as the day went on and the light started to fade I decided to get to bed early hoping that by tucking myself away and staying quiet the fish wouldn’t suss my presence.
“I awoke at 5am and noticed there was the odd bubble popping on the surface over my rigs. These subtle signs were suddenly followed by the shrill tone of one of my Neville alarms bursting in to life.
Grabbing the rod I made contact with the fish which charged around trying to find sanctuary in the bushes along the margins. Thankfully, it finally gave up and slipped over the landing net cord. At 42lb 5oz it marked an epic first session – fingers crossed I can return for another trip soon,” he added.
His winning rig consisted of a size 5 Gardner Covert Chod hook attached to half an inch of 25lb Trip Wire and 8ins of 15lb Sly Skin coated braid.
50lb Nets on The Tidal Trent at Laughterton
Like all tidal river stretches, these days the Trent sadly sees few anglers on its banks and most people who fish commercial venues week in, week out will be daunted by the prospect of setting up on a stretch like the one at Laughterton in Lincolnshire. Let me assure you however, that fishing here is not only excellent but far more simple than you think.
The river here is as much as 100m wide in places but don’t let that put you off as all that is required to catch a nice net of barbel, skimmers, roach, perch and chub which are usually taken, is a standard quiver rod and some open ended feeders. You’ll need stronger line than on a stillwater, say 10lb mainline with around 0.17 hooklink and a size 14 hook. Use a feeder around 3oz in weight but you can use a lighter version as long as you take some lead straps to add weight to the feeder for when the flow increases. The rig is not important as the rest as you can use it both free running or loop style for bream whatever you prefer. The barbel average around 5-6lb, with theskimmers going around 1-2lb. The trick is to fill the feeder with chopped worm and caster and then plug the ends with a standard bream style groundbait, such as Sensas Bream. Cast it our every two to three minutes at the start of the session to get some feed down as well as attract the fish but if you start catching barbel reduce this to around 5 casts an hour. You need to remember to point your rod up in the air at around 60 degrees to keep plenty of line out of the water and reduce drag, so setup your rests to achieve this before you start fishing. You also need to remember to fish further up the bank and away from the waters edge than usual, to allow for the rising tide as well as boat wash. After this it’s just a case of sitting back and enjoying the fishing which is often prolific at times here with nets to 50lb.
TIP: This venue fishes better when the tide is high or very low. To find out exactly when high and low tide are for any given day go to www.tidetimes.org.uk and add about one hour to the times given.
Prices: £4 a day on the bank, Lincoln & District AA
Contact: Lincoln DAA Secretary 01777 228133
Location: River Trent, Marsh Lane, Laughterton, Lincs, LN1 2JX
Rules: No live bait, no bloodworm or joker, no fires, no parking on the bank
Mirfield's River Calder Offers Anglers So Much Choice
Having recently been chosen as a venue for the new Angling Trust RiverFest competition, the River Calder at Mirfield is a proven water which attracts anglers from all over the north.
The thing about this river is that one swim can be totally different to next depending on where you fish. As there are areas where bream dominate, while in others its chub and roach. However, don’t let that put you off as with a little local knowledge along with common sense you can pitch yourself on a peg where you can have some idea of what to expect and plan for them accordingly.
At the top of the stretch above Pear Tree Inn Bridge, on Old Bank Working Men’s Club water, it is all about the chub, dace and roach. Here you can fish a stick float or 3BB waggler depending on flow and use a strung out shotting pattern, loose-feeding caster, hemp or maggot over the top. Nets to 30lb can be achieved on a good day and the chub go up to 4lb in here so expect a fight if you hook some of the bigger fish. Below the bridge where Mirfield Angling Club’s water begins, you can sometimes find bream in these shallows and these can also be targeted using a waggler with maggot or caster. Further down at the Calder Road Bridge the fishing gets even better. These are deeper at around 6ft and hold bream to 8lb. a 40lb bag is achievable here using either a slightly heavier waggler with caster or maggot or a light feeder setup. Then there is The Ship Inn Bridge. Here chub nets to 50lb are not uncommon from the pegs 200 yards below the structure going down to the bend. There are also plenty of chub in the swims on the weir. Again it is waggler tactics which are most productive, so fish a float of around 3BB with strung out No.8’s and feed caster or maggot over the top, using a double red maggot or caster on the hook. The chub in here average around 2lb so expect plenty of bites when the fish are feeding. There are also some big perch to 2lb in here and of course roach.
TIP: Fish a straight 3 or 4BB peacock waggler for extra bounancy, particularly when the river is flowing. Take some heavier models in case you need to search for fish further out or if its windy.
Prices: £3 a day from local tackle shops, Old Bank Working Mens Club and Mirfield AC
Contact: Calder Angling Supplies, 01484 711063
Location: River Calder, Wood Lane, Huddersfield Road, Mirfield, W Yorks, WF14 9DL
Rules: No litter, rod licences required, all fish to be returned
North sea record porbeagle caught off Whitby
A MAMMOTH three hour tug of war ended in victory for Sam Ward with the shock capture of this huge porbeagle estimated at 365lb – the biggest ever caught off the North Yorkshire coast.
The fish, which is also believed to be a North Sea record, was captured by the 41-year-old angler from Holbeach, Lincolnshire, during a two day trip aboard Shy Torque out of Whitby.
Anchored around 30 miles offshore, the giant shark was taken after two other porbeagles - weighing over 200lb and 175lb - had been landed by his companions Steve Herrick and Richard Furness. Sam, who’s previous biggest fish was a 38lb carp, admitted he was in total shock after battling with the fish of a lifetime. “We didn’t even see the fish for over two hours and it took me over three hours to actually land it – I was completely exhausted by the end.”
The fish dived to a depth of around 75m in just 20 seconds after taking Sam’s whole mackerel bait and even managed to spin the boat during the scrap. Measuring 90 inches long and 56 inches thick at the head it was estimated by skipper Rich Ward to weigh around 365lb.
The official world record porbeagle is 507lb which was landed off Pentland Firth, Scotland in 1993 by Christopher Bennett. Fish of this size are extremely rare, however, and only a few captures over 400lb have ever been reported including a rumoured 500lb-plus fish landed by Graeme Pullen off Cornwall last year.
Shark fishing fanatic Dave Turner - who is one of only a handful anglers to have boated blue, mako and porbeagle sharks exceeding 100lb in British waters - believes the capture is even more remarkable due to the location where it was made. “These species have become more popular in the last decade but the biggest fish are very localised and not often associated with the North Sea.
“Most of the big fish are found off the coasts of Cornwall or the West of Scotland so this capture is extremely special,” he said.
Sam, whose previous sea fishing experience amounts to catching cod and flatfish, now can’t wait to get out again. “I didn’t expect to catch anything like this when I agreed to the trip but now I want some more of the action and have booked the boat again for later in the year.”
Anyone interested in fishing on Shy Torque can do so by contacting skipper Rich Ward on 07733 233352 or 07747 848406.
Huge pike on the fly
THIS huge 39lb fly-caught pike is sure to make hundreds of predator anglers green with envy as it was landed by Russell Cowell during his first ever session targeting the species.
Fishing at Chew Valley Reservior in Somerset, widely regarded as the UK’s finest big pike water, the 34-year-old from the Isle of Wight set out to achieve his ambition of catching his first pike with four friends, including Northants-based fly-fishing legend Mike Green.
Due to tough conditions the party only had a handful of single-figure fish to show for their first day efforts, but that all changed on the second afternoon.
Mike had tied a replica of the ‘Jamie’s Jonah’ fly that he used to catch a 40lb 8oz pike from the same venue in 2009 and Russell used it to devastating effect to land the new personal best – a fish that he admits he is unlikely to ever better.
“I’ve lived on the Isle of Wight all of my life so I mainly go sea and game fishing, but I’ve always wanted to catch a pike,” Russell told Angling Times.
“Even though I was well aware of what this water is capable of nothing could have prepared me for this fish and the thrilling experience that it brought me. The fight was amazing and it almost leapt completely out of the water on a couple of occasions.
“Having never caught a pike before I didn’t know how big the fish actually was until it rolled over in the net and I saw the girth of it, which truly was a sight to behold .
“I might be new to pike fishing, but I do appreciate how rare a fish like this is and I am great full and honoured to have caught it because I’m almost certain it won’t happen again.”
Russell used a nine-weight fly fishing rod coupled with a 100lb bite leader to get the best of his prize.
PB common for Bartropp
EXPERIENCED carp angler has landed his second forty in as many weeks from Wellington Country Park in the form of this personal best 49lb 12oz common.
The impressive specimen was taken by the Essex-based Mistral Baits and Gardner Tackle-backed rod on his favoured hinged-stiff rig which was tied using a 15lb Tripwire curved pop-up section and a size 5 Gardner Covert Chod hook.
On to this he mounted one of his own Mistral 4Season Fluro White pop-ups.
50lb-plus common caught off the surface
ONE of the biggest carp ever caught off the surface has been landed by Jason Connolly who banked the sought after Snake Pit common at its biggest ever weight of 51lb 4oz.
Incredibly, he landed the impressive specimen on his first ever session on the Colchester Angling Preservation Society water.
Arriving for a short overnighter he had a quick look round and settled on a swim where he’d seen a few fish moving about and started catapulting out a few mixers.
“The fish weren’t showing much interest so I spent the next hour plumbing about and baiting a spot with 2kg of Tails Up Pro Fish boilies,” he said. “I kept the mixers going in but the fish were being really cagey and only taking the odd biscuit.”
By the time he’d had a bite to eat, however, the fish were starting to grow in confidence and were readily taking his free offerings. Quickly casting out a trimmed-down Enterprise Imitation Mixer on a size 12 Korda Mix hook alongside a Kruiser controller float he hooked in to and landed a 21lb common almost straight away.
“I couldn’t believe I’d caught one on my first night as in my mind I was fully expecting a long wait before any of the notoriously tricky Snake Pit carp ended in my net.”
The best was still to come though, and shortly after casting out a fresh rig he was connected with another fish.
“I managed to keep the fish away from a weedbed to my right and pumped it slowly back towards the bank. It felt much heavier than the previous fish and when its shoulders broke the surface at 15yds range my mate simply stated, ‘it’s a lump’.
“After three more lunges she went in the net and when I peeled back the mesh I was blown away by what was laying at the bottom of it. Colossal didn’t come close to describing how big she looked.
“To catch on my first trip down to Snake Pit was enough for me, but to land one of the most sought-after commons in England at a new lake record weight on a mixer was surreal.”
New flagship centre gets them hooked
IN A deprived corner of Greater London, a refreshing new example of angling serving young people and the community is fast emerging.
Get Hooked On Fishing officially launches its flagship scheme in Ealing on June 22 and it’s set to be the first social enterprise of its kind with classrooms overlooking its existing day ticket fishery for both teaching and use by the general public. It will be the charity’s fifteenth nationwide project and already it’s making a difference to local life.
“When I came here I’d never seen poverty like it,” said regional organiser James Thornhill. “Some people here can’t even afford £10 for a fishing set and one bloke who comes to the lakes hasn’t changed his clothes for six months.
“Before we took control of the park there were big problems with anti-social behaviour and stories of fish being cut up and barbequed. Now there’s a real sense of community and respect about the site. People look after it, do litter picks and volunteer to coach others,” he said.
The Ealing project is unique because everything about it is sustainable and it operates as a non-profit business. Up until recently the six lakes had existed in a state of neglect but GHOF has replanted them and restocked the waters with small carp and various silverfish. It now operates as a day-ticket lake as well as a platform for coaching. The site is overlooked by two huge mounds, which were made using waste rubble from the old Wembley Stadium and the earth dug from the lakes’ construction. Its main classroom holds regular fishing and nature-based talks for school children, and it is also hired out to other local functions and groups.
Although it opened its doors in September 2012, James told Angling Times that it has already generated several success stories.
“Let me give you an example of what fishing does. One of our regulars is Nathan - a 14-year-old who has been expelled from school and has mixed with the wrong people in the past. But to watch him coach others you’d never guess, and last week he came fourth individually in the London Youth Games match. People like this often make the best role models and he’s a fantastic young man.
“Then there’s Charlie, whose apprenticeship at Sparsholt College is being funded by us. He gets good fisheries management and business experience at Ealing, but it’s not just young people we help. The other day I was asked to reunite a young girl with her parents, after six years apart while she was in care. We sat and fished for the afternoon and it was much less awkward than if the three of them were sat round a table,” he said.
Typically coaching programmes consist of five or six lessons, starting with basic tackle and plumbing up and ending in the individual being able to teach another. Its initial 12 month target of introducing 400 young people to the sport is already close to being surpassed with three months to go. None of it would be possibly, however, without the support of the local Ealing Borough Council, funding from other parties such as the Environment Agency, and important donations from tackle companies.
“My own background is in business and in fishing, so I’m keen to show the youngsters we work with that angling can be your career as well as your hobby. Many people round here don’t have a job, or come from families where nobody has had a job for generations. If we can create jobs or help them get jobs in fishing and fisheries, we can turn out some very well rounded young men and women who add even more to the community,” he said.
There is, however, much more to GHOF than just the new Ealing venture. Chief Executive Sarah Collins hopes that this centre will operate as a hub for the South East, where it currently has a lack of schemes, and is looking to create a network of projects in this popular angling area. In 2012 the charity enjoyed its best year ever in terms of numbers of people introduced to the sport, and it is growing all the time.
“We’ve currently got schemes in Oxfordshire, Wiltshire and Bristol in the pipeline. My ultimate vision is to have a huge nationwide presence and to get GHOF on every street corner. This is so as many as people as possible can experience the social and community benefits which angling brings,” she concluded.
GET INVOLVED
GHOF is always looking for new volunteers and potential coaches. For more information on your local schemes visit the website www.ghof.org.uk. For enquiries contact Sarah Collins at hello@ghof.org.uk
GHOF in numbers
8,539 The total number of new anglers put through GHOF schemes in 2012
31,137 The total number of hour spent coaching in 2012
2,500 GHOF’s most successful project ( Shropshire) coached this many people in
15 There are 15 projects across the UK , run by 13 designated managers
£5 The mere price of a day ticket at GHOF’s Ealing fishery (£3 for concessions)
Margin spot produces 49lb 8oz mirror
DAREN Norman’s impressive run of form on CWA Fisheries Roach Pit has continued with the capture of this stunning 49lb 8oz mirror.
The catch came just a couple of weeks after the 40-year-old papermaker landed a fish of 50lb 4oz from the Hampshire venue.
Arriving at 9pm the Kent-based Sticky consultant spent three hours walking round in the dark listening for fish showing. He eventually saw a big fish roll close in and cast out two single Krill boilies.
He said: “After an uneventful night I found a bar and baited with 3kg of boilies and put my third rod down the margin on a gravel spot along with 2kg of bait.
“During the night I caught six large tench and lost two off the bar. Then at 5.30am the margin rod hooped round and after a good fight I landed a gorgeous 49lb 8oz mirror.”
Daren used a 35lb Seaguar hooklink attached to a size 6 Korda Longshank X hook along with a 4oz flat pear lead.
Overnight stunner
AN OVERNIGHT session on the Woolpack syndicate in Cambridgeshire produced this 32lb mirror for John Smith.
The 46-year-old fire fighter targeted a firm area surrounded by light weed 30 yards from the bank which he baited with a scattering of 12mm and 16mm Sticky Baits Krill boilies soaked in a matching flavoured liquid.
Over the top of this he cast a 16mm pop-up hookbait on a hinged-stiff rig tied with Amnesia and 25lb Korda Mouthtrap and a size 5 ESP Stiff Rigger hook.
Visit Hill View Fishery For a Triple Ton Bag
Thanks to a well maintained stocking programme anglers visiting Hill View Fishery have been enjoying some bumper weights in recent weeks with nets topping 300lb making for some of the best fishing in the country.
All the lakes are fishing well but for the biggest weights and bigger carp you are better off setting up on the venues Heron or Moorhen Lakes which have 40 pegs between them. These two lakes are stocked the same to cater for the bigger matches so they are both well-stocked with carp averaging anything between 6-12lb. There are also plenty of silver fish including F1 carp which can be caught on corn or pellet on the pole. To make the most of your swim though you are best targeting the carp and the top tactic for these is to loose-feed pellet at around 9m and fish pellet or corn over the top. You can use the fake varieties on the hook to save time if necessary but you will need to move in closer to the near bank as the session goes on as the fish grow in confidence. In the last hour or so you will even find fish under your platform.
If the fishing is hard, which it rarely is, you can use the Method feeder or bomb further out or tight to the islands with small pop-up boilies or pellet.
For a nice pleasure net or if you prefer smaller carp then there are the 12m strip canals. These four canals, each with 14 pegs are shaped like a proper canal and have depths to around 6ft down the track. All four are stock the same with a good head of carp from 1-3lb as well as loads of small tench. Thr trick here is to start across the far side on the pole feeding pellet before moving down the track or on the near shelf later in the session. A net of 200lb is easily possible here.
Prices: £7 one rod £8 for two, fishing is from 8am-8pm non-residents, dawn til dusk for residents. Pleasure anglers must contact the fishery prior to fishing on weekends.
Contact: 01684 296719 or 078405 79087, www.hillviewlakes.biz
Location: Cherry Orchard Lane, Twyning, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, GL20 6JH
Facilities: Toilets, bait shop, café (Wed, Sat, Sun) BnB, lodge accomodation
Rules: No keepnets, barbless only, no hemp, no bloodworm or joker, no groundbait, fishery own pellets
