England ladies - World number 1
England can add yet more gold to its international angling cabinet after the Angling Trust England Ladies team returned from Slovenia as world champions following a rousing Day 2 comeback that saw them catapult from eighth to top spot on the River Sava around Radece.
The team, made up of Julie Abbott, Emma Pickering, Samantha Sim, Helen Dagnall and Jeanette Halliday and managed by Dave Brooks Jnr and Joe Roberts racked up 18 points on the second day of action to 'absolutely smash it' in the world of Joe and take gold ahead of Croatia with a 56 point tally.
"After Day 1 we were 12 points adrift but it was still tight and we fancied it," Joe said. "We altered the groundbait mix, cutting down on the levels on activity that had brought too many small fish into the pegs on the first day and this worked a treat. All of the girls had 10 kilos on Day 2 and we won it by a mile!"
Top performer individually was Helen Dagnall with five points but incredibly England didn't score a section win over the whole weekend and still took gold, catching mainly vimba, small roach and the odd barbel on bunches of maggot fished on proper tackle and feeding their full 17 litre groundbait allowance on each day.
513lb in five hours
The glut of mammoth weights taken from commercial fisheries hit new heights this week when a top match angler filled an astonishing 13 keepnets during a five hour event.
Preston Innovations ace Lee Kerry was competing in the Drennan Knockout Cup semi-final at Worcestershire’s Cob House Fisheries on the prolific Wyatts Lake and hauled out 513lb 13oz of carp to seal the win and smash the complex record.
In order to comply with the venue’s strict 50lb limit, he was forced to stake nets throughout his swim, severely restricting his options of where he could actually fish come the final whistle.
Incredibly, last placed Ian Didcote still caught an enormous 375lb and required eight keepnets.
Over 2,200lb was shared between the five competitors and Lee told Angling Times: “The managers supply all the nets and when they gave us 100 to share at the beginning I thought they were mad.
“I used caster shallow over groundbait in the margins and at one point I was catching a fish a minute. I enjoyed it and obliterated my previous best of 225lb, but I’m not sure I could face doing it again in the near future,” he added.
Runner up Michael Buchwalder placed 452lb 5oz on the scales and will now compete against Lee in the final at Docklow Pools later this year. “I’ve fished a few bagging waters during my career but this is by far the biggest stocking I’ve ever seen - I had 188 carp averaging over 3lb each,” he said.
“I probably spent half an hour putting nets in and working out where to put them! It was an incredible day and I don’ think I’ll ever experience anything like that again.”
Venue bosses have seen countless huge weights recorded in recent years and owner Helen Taylor insists that fish welfare is their top priority. She said: “With the calibre of anglers on show I felt a record was on the cards. Our net limits help keep the stocks in top condition and everybody involved commented on the great shape all the carp were in.”
Match angler nets 77lb carp
Top match angler Steve Mayo made the long haul trek to Thailand more than worthwhile when he banked this stunning 77lb Siamese carp.
The Maver-backed rod decided to take a break from the competitive side of the sport and booked a trip to the prolific Gillhams Resort.
During an action packed holiday, he kept fish coming to the net at a regular basis, with big Siamese carp and Mekong catfish to 180lb falling to his legered pellet attack.
He rounded the trip off in style, taking a 300lb arapaima on the final day of the memorable break.
For more details on the complex visit www.gillhamsfishingresorts.com
Tommy Pickering books Maver Match This final spot
Maver Match This Qualifier
Oaks Lakes, Cedar, Ash, Sycamore & Beech Lakes (48 pegs)
A lower than expected turnout at this in-form fishery saw Preston Innovations man Tommy Pickering comfortably take top spot with 128-6-0.
Fishing on a venue he knows well, the England Feeder team boss and ex-World Champion drew Beech Lake peg 25 and with the comfort of an empty peg next door fished into a corner it wasn’t long after the starting whistle that he was into fish.
Tommy then caught carp to 3lb steadily all day on pellet fished shallow to see him into the grand final at Maver Larford Lakes later in the year.
Runner-up was venue expert Rob Minikin who was on Cedar Lake peg 6 and fished pellet at 14m over to the island putting 105-4-0 of carp to 5lb and small F1 hybrids on the scales.
Result: 1 T Pickering, Preston Innovations, 128-6-0; 2 R Minikin, Sonu Baits, 105-4-0; 3 J Hughes, Maver/Bag ‘Em Baits, 100-2-0; 4 L Thornton, Middy/Bag ‘Em Baits, 89-14-0; 5 A Scotthorne, Drennan/Sensas, 89-4-0; 6 J Allerton, Tri-Cast, 88-14-0.
Charity event arranged at Tunnel Barn Farm
Bosses at a top commercial fishery have teamed up with a popular charity to arrange a fundraising event at the complex.
Warwickshire’s Tunnel Barn Farm has decided to raise money for the Acorns Children’s Hospice Trust in memory of keen junior fishermen Steve Steadman who sadly passed away at the age of 16.
The big event will be staged on September 29, with tickets now on sale priced at £20 each.
To secure your spot call Dave on 07787 379390.
Anglers share mammoth haul at Rolfs Lake
Bagging haven Rolfs Lake showed its true colours during a recent event as the 14 man field shared over 2,000lb of carp between them.
Leading the way on the day was venue regular Michael Corsini who fished at various lengths on the pole with pellet from peg 9 for a backbreaking 364lb 14oz total.
Runner up Eddie Taylor-Green managed the double ton with 260lb 5oz, with third placed Neil Riddy placing 208lb 10oz on the scales from peg 11.
For more details visit www.rolfslake.com
Huge eel landed in Stafford Moor contest
Keen match angler Mick Simpson was given a major shock during the latest event at Stafford Moor when he banked a 5lb 12oz eel.
The Worksop-based rod had made the 550-mile round trip to the Devon complex and drew peg 8 on Tanners Lake in the contest.
Several carp to 8lb fell for his bomb and pellet attack in the early stages before the specimen made its way into the net.
It isn’t the first large eel to be reported from the venue, with unconfirmed rumours suggesting fish to 10lb have been taken in the past.
Venue expert smashes Cudmore Fisheries record
Cudmore Fisheries expert Andy May proved he is the man to beat at the venue when he smashed the Suez Canal match record with 208lb 10oz.
The MAP backed rod drew peg 22 at the Staffordshire complex and fished caster up in the water at 11m to take carp to 4lb and plenty of ide.
Second placed Adam Barns placed 193lb 8oz on the scales while Andy North completed the frame with 175lb 10oz.
Big money match at Arrow Valley Lake
A big money contest is set to be staged at one of the country’s best bream fishing waters this summer.
Redditch’s Arrow Valley Lake has produced multiple 100lb plus hauls of slabs in recent years and squads of three are being invited to enter the tournament on August 10, with over £1,500 in cash set to be dished out.
Tickets are priced at £100 per team and you can book your spot call John Bushell on 07879 624248
Will Raison bags trio of Gold Valley wins
Former world champion Will Raison has clearly tweaked his Method feeder to great effect after he won three matches on the trot at Gold Valley by using the tactic.
The Daiwa rod started the run by taking 135lb 12oz during an open event and managed to bag an even bigger weight just days later when he placed 146lb 10oz in the net.
He secured the hat-trick is much tougher conditions, beating off the competition to take victory with 63lb 12oz.
Records tumble at Bank End Fishery
The fish at Bank End Fishery have clearly switched on to the feed after Steve Cawston broke the match record with 226lb 15oz.
After drawing peg 15 on the Match Lake at the Doncaster complex the R&R Sports rod decided to use the waggler and pellet at various depths and kept carp to 5lb coming to the net throughout the day.
Weights then dropped off drastically, with Dean Foster securing second place with 81lb 4oz of mirrors and commons.
Big chub catch wins Shropshire Union match
Bonus fish were key during the latest match on the Shropshire Union Canal and Richard Buxton included several chub to 5lb in his winning 29lb catch.
The Willenhall Angling man drew peg 11 during the Wolverhampton AA contest at Brewood in Staffordshire and used a bold worm and caster attack to take seven big specimens.
Maver Tipton Van Den Eynde ace Jamie Edgerton was also kept busy but had to settle for second place with a 17lb 5oz mixed net.
Quarmby bags festival win at Rolfs Lake
Top bagging water Rolfs Lake produced its biggest weight of the year when Andy Quarmby hauled out a colossal 214lb 5oz of carp.
The Middy-backed ace drew peg 14 at the Oxfordshire fishery and caught from the starting whistle with mirrors and commons to double figures falling to maggots presented on the long pole line.
To add extra shine to the achievement, he also recorded a perfect score in the three day tournament and was crowned overall champion.
For more details on the venue visit www.rolfslake.com
An evening with Bob Nudd
Four times world champion Bob Nudd is set to recall some of his most entertaining tales during an evening with a packed audience on April 9.
The Browning backed rod is set to appear at the Albert Halls in Bolton to talk about his achievements during a career which has spanned over several decades.
A question and answer session will also be held, with comedian Steve Shanyaski playing host for the special event.
Tickets are currently available at £12.50 and you can book yours by calling 01204 334400.
Huge hauls of silverfish at None-Go-Bye-Farm
Big bags of silverfish have been dominating at Yorkshire’s None-Go-Bye-Farm and Darren Briggs needed an impressive 37lb 1oz of roach to top the field in a recent match.
The Baildon-based rod drew peg 6 on the Bottom Lake and used caster on the long pole line from peg 6 to net fish to 1lb at regular intervals.
Days later it was skimmers that helped Chris Kendall claim victory, with the Middy man using pellet from peg 9 on the Middle Lake for 49lb 5oz of them.
Angler bags £1,000 prize in Docklow Pools match
A cash prize of £1,000 was up for grabs during the latest event at Docklow Pools and it was Steve Greaves who walked away with the honours after he banked 20lb 12oz.
After drawing peg 20 on the Match Pool at the Herefordshire fishery, the venue regular made the decision to fish maggot and corn on the pole during the Classic Final for carp and silvers.
Huddersfield’s Steve Todd fell agonisingly short of topping up his bank balance, bagging 19lb 14oz on the day.
Win a coaching day with Steve Ringer
Fancy a day’s coaching with Steve Ringer? If so, then why not get involved in an auction aimed at raising thousands of pounds for a good cause.
In an effort to help rake in cash in for a highly respected cancer care charity, the Angling Times columnist is inviting people to bid for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spend a day with the former Fish O’Mania champion.
The angler putting in the highest bid by April 3 will win the coveted prize, with the venue and date to be set by mutual agreement. To stake an offer email andypell999@gmail.com
Female angler dominates Passies Pond match
Match angling may be dominated by men but Samantha Sim proved the ladies have also got the skills to fish against the best by winning the latest round of the Passies Ponds silverfish league with 52lb 8oz.
The Preston Innovations Delcac rod used the pole at various lengths at the West Sussex complex with maggot and pellet to tempt plenty of bream to 4lb along with a brace of bonus perch.
Second place was taken by her team mate Jamie Grainger who used a similar attack for a 46lb 6oz haul.
Alders Farm to stage three day tournament
One of the country’s top bagging waters has revealed it is on the hunt for competitors to take place in a three day festival.
Buckinghamshire’s Alders Farm Fishery has produced match weights to over 500lb in previous years and officials are set to host the big event between March 29 and March 31.
The prolific Ash and Pine Lakes will be used for the tournament, with tickets priced at £100. For more details call Trevor Price on 07860 235655.
Barford Lakes to run big money festival
The owners of a popular commercial fishery are on the hunt for competitors to take part in a two day festival where over £1,000 in cash prizes will be dished out.
Norwich’s Barford Lakes is set to host the contest on April 20 and 21, with the prolific Match and Willow Lakes set to be used.
Daily pay-outs will be made to the winners of each water and tickets for the tournament are currently available for £50. To book your spot call 01603 759624.
