160lb blue shark on first outing

Barry Edwards’ first ever shark trip resulted in a series of huge blues - this 160lb specimen the highlight.

The Southend-on-Sea-based rod was in a party of four anglers which shared a total of 51 predators during two days with renowned charter skipper Andrew Allsop, out of Milford Haven in Pembrokeshire.

Barry, 45, also beat specimens of 144lb, 124lb and 110lb in his eight shark catch aboard White Water, using frozen mackerel baits over a chum slick. Previous to this the biggest fish he had caught was a 54lb conger eel.

“We took it in turns to hit runs and the first one I got turned out to be 144lb. It just carried on one long run for ages and I think I was playing it for about 40 minutes. On the second day I had a few smaller ones before the 160lb shark. And just as I was reeling the very last bait in at the end of the day I got a take from one of 110lb.”

 

Calls to save our crucians

Experts have warned that crucian carp could become extinct unless action is taken by fisheries and angling organisations.

Often referred to as a ‘bar of gold’, the fish has long been seen as an iconic British species but numbers of the species are declining fast. Many hybrids, caused by a mix of crucian carp and goldfish or king carp, are mistaken for true crucians and Simon Scott, a lecturer at Sparsholt Fisheries College and fish farm owner, said the future is looking bleak.

“Proper crucian carp have been on the decline for 20-years now. They breed with other fish so readily, especially goldfish, and a cross like this is somewhere in the middle of a different species. When you get hybrids crossing with crucians for 10–15 years in a lake they become very hard to tell apart. Goldfish are stocked so readily all over the UK now and it only takes a few unwanted fish from a tank to go into a pond for this to escalate,” he explained.

Efforts are being made to conserve the true crucian carp strain, however, especially in Norfolk. At Rockland Mere Fishery, strains of king carp are being removed to ensure the crucian population does not breed with other species. It’s part of a North Norfolk Biodiversity Action Plan to protect them and create good habitats for them. Chris Turnbull of the Norfolk Anglers Conservation Association is involved and said he wants to see other areas of the country doing the same.

“True crucians are very much small pond fish and don’t breed very well in big lakes and pits. Sadly these small ponds are steadily drying up or being neglected. Unless we make special efforts, we face having just a handful of waters in the country which hold them and that situation is a big risk. It’s commercially viable to create lakes with crucian carp and no king carp, because catching these fish has become a rarity these days. Just look at the success of waters such as Marsh Farm in Surrey which is recognised as one of the best,” he said.

Famous angling writer Chris Yates is a huge fan of crucian carp and said he welcomes any efforts to encourage them.

“I believe it is the only native carp to the UK and it would be a great shame to destroy a population which is at least 5,000 years old. It’s a wonderful, fun fish and I enjoy the subtlety and light tackle required to catch this challenging species.”

Leeda reveals new gear for 2014

Leeda Tackle – which also incorporates match, specimen and sea fishing brands MAP, Wychwood and Mustad – flung open the doors of its first trade show of the year to reveal a stunning array of highly innovative products.

Under the guidance of brand manager Mike Robinson MAP already has many super-successful products in its portfolio, including what is regarded by many as the best meat cutter on the market, the space-saving Parabolix STI luggage system and the awesome TKS poles, the latest of which – the flagship 901 – was exclusively live tested in Angling Times two weeks ago.

Now the wraps have come off a brilliant new pole roller and many more handy tackle items that all match anglers will want.

Specimen brand Wychwood has unveiled new Solace rods, sleeping bags that would keep you snug and warm on a mountain top, and one of the best rucksacks I have ever seen.

For the sea angler the classic Leeda Icon name has been given to three stunning new beachcasting rods, while Mustad has released a simply perfect luggage range for shore fishermen.    

MAP Double V Flat roller
This clever pole roller makes for quick and easy double shipping. Two centrally positioned upright rollers prevent expensive pole sections from colliding, while a single roller design either side of the flat V layout means that resting sections cannot be rolled off. Fitted with the established flat fold and three way extending leg systems, it is the ideal roller for all situations.
Price: £74.99

MAP Dual Hooklength Box
With a clear UV protective lid, this box has unique adjustable pins with length measurements on the slider to ensure consistent hooklengths every time. A bottom layer features a magnetic hook storage tray and enough space to house scissors, snippers and loop-tyers.
Price: £14.99

MAP EVA Bait Luggage
Light and easy to carry, these EVA bowls, bait waiters and groundbait buckets allow all kinds of baits to be housed in a neat and compact manner. They wipe clean in a trice.
Prices: EVA Complete Bait set £34.99; groundbait bowls with lid £9.99/£10.99; EVA Bait Compartments £3.99 (small), £5.99 (medium), £6.99 (large); groundbait bowls £6.99 (small), £8.50 (large)

MAP XL Stink Bag
Fed up with the smell of wet? Then treat yourself to one of these new XL Stink Net bags in durable plastic. The bright MAP blue bag will take up to three keepnets plus landing net heads, and there are handy screw-capped drainage holes on either side.
Price: £34.99

Wychwood Morpheus Ultra 7 sleeping bag
This bag has been tested down to minus 15ºC. All of the materials have heat regulating properties, so it can be used all year round
Price: £149.99

Wychwood Dispatch 750 Spod reel
Oversized gearing will easily cope with the rigours of spod and Spomb work. Other features include a bail-arm lock and a wide long cast spool, but best of all the reel comes pre-loaded with 20lb (0.26mm) braid, and will retrieve in an impressive one metre of line per handle crank.
Price: £69.99

Wychwood Epic Packsmart rucksack
This rucksack will awallow a large amount of bait and tackle. With a built-in groundsheet, the Packsmart opens out to reveal five see-through zip pouches to pack away everything from clothing to bait.
Price: £79.99

Wychwood Epic Flatstack bags
These Wychwood Flatstack on and off-barrow bags will slide easily under a bed chair, and with an impressive 30-litre capacity they swallow up bait and gear. Interconnectable, they have heavy duty adjustable retention straps that will fit any barrow.
Price: £49.99 (Flatstack starter pack including chill and accessory bags) 

Solace Specialist and Specimen rods
The perfect choice for anglers targeting barbel, chub, tench and big bream, these quality rods feature retro full cork handles, gunmetal trim rings and custom-spaced SG braid-friendly guides.
Prices: £59.99 to £89.99 

Wychwood Firefly baiting needles
Five differenct baiting needle heads and a bait drill all have stainless needles securely fitted into moulded glow-in-the-dark handles, CAD-engineered for comfort.
Price: £2.99

Wychwood Worm Wraps
These will protect your rods in transit. The one-piece design that does not degrade or clog up is handy for a multitude of connecting uses.
Price: £1.99 per pack

LED Lenser head torches
These quite superb head torches from LED Lenser will turn the darkest night into day. Six styles all have a powerful LED lumen output, are comfortable to wear, and between them will suit all styles of angling and depths of pocket.
Prices: £34.99-£139.99

Wychwood Agitator Predator rods
For casting big deadbaits or just flicking out small lures, the Agitator series has it covered. High modulus carbon blanks feature braid-friendly guides triple leg guides guaranteed for the life of the rod.
Prices: £39.99-£69.99

Mustad Sea fishing luggage range
Zip-less and proofed against saltwater, the 35-litre features a special quiver grip back support, with built-in rain cover, safety whistle, side pockets and front fixing points.
Prices £11.99-£49.99

Leeda M-Sport Icon beach rods
The classic Icon brand is back with three impressive beachcasters. The two piece M-Sport blanks feature improved rings, full-length Japanese shrink wrapped handle and a finish that simply oozes class. Available in Match, Power and Ultra Power for rough ground work, these are destined to be popular for the imminent cod season.
Price: £149.99

 
















England on top of the world

Drennan England have regained their title as the best fishing team on the planet after a dominant performance at the World Champs.

The side of Alan Scotthorne, Des Shipp, William Raison, Sean Ashby, and Steve Hemingray, plus support from stalwart Steve Gardener scooped their 13th team gold medal in what turned out to be a roach-fest on Poland’s Zeranski Channel.

There were celebrations on the individual front too as Leicester’s Steve Hemingray – making his debut at the event – and five times champ Alan Scotthorne both posted perfect scores over the two days with two section wins apiece.

However, the England duo were denied gold by France’s Didier Delannoy who landed two big bream late on day two to win a weight countback and push Hemingray into second overall and Scotthorne into the bronze medal position.

The team kicked off the event in emphatic fashion recording an incredible first day total of just 7 points – one of the biggest single day victories in World Champs history.

That came courtesy of FOUR section wins and a third place and put them streets ahead of their main rivals and home nation Poland.

The dominant score sent the other country’s into a major rethink for day two but England stood firm on the venue our lads likened to the Stainforth & Keadby Canal to post two more section wins in their 15 point, Day 2 tally. It was enough to retain the World Champs title England last won in 2010.


Huge common out at 57lb 4oz

Britain's biggest living common carp has been banked at 57lb 4oz.

The fish, known as Lee Jackson, came from Kent’s Strawberry Fields and fell to the rods of Dave Farmer.

He said: “I managed to bag the fish on a quick overnight session before work after the conditions seemed right for a bite.

 “The fish took my pop -up hookbait at around midnight and gave me a really hard time for about 30 minutes before being netted, luckily, first time.

“The fish looked colossal in the net and was in stunning condition. When the scales rocked around to over 57lb I was over the moon!”

Dave added: “The fish was stocked at only 5lb in the 1993/94 season. The funny thing is the owner, Len, did not believe this fish would grow but by 2003 it had already reached 30lb. It has continued to mature into a true monster and could have the potential to beat the British record set for a common carp.”

The Tunbridge Wells angler fed broken and chopped boilies into a marginal spot but did not cast out until after dark. The common was tamed on a size eight hook attached to a 3oz lead and was winched in using a Daiwa SS3000 reel and a Free Spirit rod.


Barbel record will fall in weeks

Experts have predicted that 2013 could be the best year ever for big barbel.

An unprecedented number of specimen sized fish have already been taken from waterways all over the country, and sport is expected to improve even further over the coming months as the fish reach their peak weights.

Back in March Dave Currell came within 10oz of breaking Grahame King’s 2006 British record of 21lb 1oz with a 20lb 7oz specimen from an undisclosed river. It was the first barbel over the 20lb-barrier to be banked from a UK river since the capture of a 20lb 12oz fish from the River Wensum by Mark Rylands in 2008.
At the time Dave told Angling Times that he wouldn’t be surprised if the fish topped the British record weight by the end of the year, a view shared by some of the sports leading names.

Phil Smith - who has caught double figure barbel from 23 different rivers and 15lb-plus fish from five of these – expects even bigger fish to be landed in the coming weeks. “At the moment we’re seeing big fish getting caught in conditions that aren’t really conductive to producing large fish. If we get some rain and a bit of water pushing through then it stands to reason that these fish could easily gain a couple of pounds in weight and it wouldn’t surprise me if the record was broken.”

In recent years many people have expressed fears for the future of specimen barbel fishing in the UK with factors such as otter predation leading to the demise of some of the county’s biggest fish – including the record fish The Traveller from Adams Mill on the Great Ouse and The Beast from the Wensum. Despite this, there are now more rivers than ever before capable of producing 16lb-plus barbel with the River Nene and Derbyshire Derwent being two of the most prolific in recent months.

A river record of 17lb 4oz was recently caught from The Earl of Harrington’s Angling Club controlled stretch of the Derwent and club treasurer Teresa Parr said: “I have no doubt that the barbel have always been in the river but we’ve done a lot of work over the last year to build and improve pegs on our stretch. This season, our members have been able to fish from pegs which didn’t even exist last year which gives them a much better chance of catching.”

Barbel Society chairman Steve Pope believes there has never been a better time to target the species: “There’s too much doom and gloom from a lot of people. Yes otters eat some barbel and certain rivers have suffered more than others. But they can’t eat all the barbel and you only need to look at the fish that are being reported to see this. You can fish some parts of the Trent, for example, and catch over 20 barbel in day now which is something you simply couldn’t do years ago.
“I’ve also been around long enough to realise that a lot of rivers are cyclical. There are waterways that are in the doldrums at the moment but in the future will no doubt be producing big fish again. And vice versa.”

**2013’s Biggest Barbel**
- Chad Critchley: 16lb 15oz Derbyshire Derwent
- Steve Russell: 16lb 6oz and 15lb 1oz River Nene brace
- Paul Garner: 16lb 8oz River Dove
- Steve Russell: 15lb 5oz, River Nene
- Tommy Rowe: 15lb 9oz, River Nene
- Barry Jarvis: 16lb 4oz, River Ivel
- Justin Beale: 15lb 9oz, River Thames
- Wayne Tooth: 17lb 4oz, River Derwent (record)
- Ian Hartley: 16lb 12oz, River Derwent
- Duncan Kay: 16lb 8oz, River Nene
- Michael Sables: 16lb, River Dove
- Andy Cartlidge: 15lb 14oz, River Dove
- Ivan Tee: 15lb 1oz, River Nene
- Trevor Pole: 16lb 2oz, River Great Ouse
- Dave Currell: 20lb 7oz, undisclosed river
- Alan Cornwell: 17lb 1oz, River Dove
- Christophe Pelhate: 15lb 6oz, River Arun
- Dean Derbyshire – 15lb 6oz Dorset Stour
- Ashley Burton: 14lb 3oz, Warwickshire Avon
- James Crameri: 17lb 7oz and 16lb 10oz, midlands river

**Rivers to try**
- River Trent – Collingham Angling Association, 01636 892573
- River Dove – Stoke-on-Trent Angling Society, www.sotangling.co.uk
- Derbyshire Derwent – The Earl of Harrington’s Angling Club, www.theearlofharringtonsac.co.uk
- River Nene – Peterborough and District Angling Association, 01733 380768
- River Ouse – Milton Keynes Angling Association, www.mkaa.co.uk
- Hampshire Avon – Davis Tackle, 01202 485169
- River Stour – Ringwood and District Anglers Association, www.ringwoodfishing.co.uk
- River Ivel – Ivel Protection Association, 01992 558902
- River Lea – The Fishers Green Consortium, www.fishersgreencon.co.uk







New Angling Times Issue 3126 out now!

In this week’s Angling Times we celebrate the end of summer with a fantastic array of features to keep you catching as the weather starts to cool. We’ve Martin Bowler on tench, Dean Brook on chub, Paul Garner on carp, and Dave Harrell on the species you can expect to catch on rivers over the next few weeks, all in this week’s issue. We’ve also got all the weekend’s match results, a huge Carp News section and brilliant tackle reviews. Out on the iPad every Monday, in shops every Tuesday.


Nine fish from Gaunts for Daniel Fellows

Fresh from banking a 44lb 2oz common from one of Linear’s syndicate waters earlier this summer, Daniel Fellows has got among the fish again.

The 26-year-old Birmingham angler traded Unity Lake for Gaunts at the Oxfordshire complex and was rewarded with nine fish to 25lb.

He said: “These fish came from Gaunts over the August Bank Holiday weekend. The biggest was 25lb and I had nine fish including some lovely scaly stockies.
“I also had two double takes. I’ve got two biggies left to catch in there.”

Daniel fished over a scattering of boilies applied with a throwing stick tight to an island about 80 yards out.


30lb barbel brace for father and son

Father and son duo Steve and Will Freeman both got in on the action landing a brace of barbel for over 30lb from the Hampshire Avon.

After baiting a gravel patch with a generous helping of halibut pellets Steve’s rod was pulled round on his first cast of the day.

Heavy pressure was applied to keep the fish away from snags and shortly afterwards a new personal best of 15lb 12oz was sat in the net.

As he was unhooking the specimen, Will received a bite which resulted in a 14lb 8oz barbel.

Both anglers used an identical rig made up of 12lb mainline, a 2oz lead and a size 8 hook baited with a large pellet.



6lb Wensum chub taken on breadflake

A classic bit of link legering saw Tom Martin continue his run of form on the River Wensum with this 6lb 2oz chub.

Targeting the Norfolk waterway at dusk, the 33-year-old crept into position and presented a piece of breadflake close to the bank slightly downstream.

Using 6lb line straight through to a size 8 hook, the Norwich rod fought to keep the fish away from snags before it was safely netted.

The chub is the latest in a string of 6lb-plus specimens he has landed from the venue.


New lake gets me buzzing - Terry Hearn

Earlier this year I was lucky enough to secure a ticket for a small syndicate water set deep in the Essex countryside. Although I'd not actually seen the water before, I'd already heard a little about it and knew it was a nice quiet place, surrounded by open farmland with only a limited membership. Nowadays the most important thing to me is fishing the quieter waters, even when the fish aren't particularly big, but this venue seemed to have it all. Not only was it peaceful, it also contained some good fish. One of which really caught my attention when I first saw it in the angling press last year. At a weight of 44lb - 45lb it's a very big carp, but more importantly it's a real good looker. Long, lean and scaley - just how I like them.

I've always enjoyed starting on a new water, and sorting out my kit for my first trip I was buzzing. Checking out the route on Google Earth I could see that it was going to be a fair old drive, close to two hours, and so I planned to leave early as arriving first thing in the morning would put me in with the best chance of finding some feeding fish.

Something that is very rarely written about nowadays is the preparation and planning, yet to me it's one of the most important parts of my fishing. If there’s something I can do at home to put me in with a better chance of catching then I'll do it - even if it’s only going to increase my chances by 1 per cent. It might be something as simple as making sure I've got enough food and water supplies, so that I don't have to reel in to go to the shops mid-session, or something more important like rolling a perfect batch of pop-ups or choosing the sharpest hooks from a packet of 10.

Without knowing the venue it's always tricky to decide on which rigs to tie but I wanted the rods set up and ready to go in case I was lucky enough to roll up and find fish from the off. In the end, I thought it best to stick with what I have most faith in and so all three rods were rigged up with leadcore leaders and my faithful hinge-stiff links. Bait needed little thinking about and I dropped a couple of kilos of Dynamite’s Crave into the bag, knowing that if I managed to get on fish it was sure to do the business. 

Arriving in the car park it was nice to see that there were only two other anglers on the lake. One of these introduced himself as Steve and gave me a quick run-down of the different swims and what had been caught over the previous couple of weeks. He was also kind enough to show me some video footage of the lake’s big'un from last January, and seeing the great fish in its winter colours of oranges and reds helped to fuel the buzz no end. This is what I like most about small syndicate waters, the anglers are always friendly and willing to help out where they can.

From the exposed sections of bank it was clear to see that the water level was well down, and Steve explained that this was due to a dry summer and the local farmer who regularly pumped water from the lake. In comparison to when the lake is full it might not have been looking its best, but to me it still looked lovely, and with depths down to 10ft plus there was still plenty of areas that took my fancy.

By the time I'd completed my first stroll round I was yet to see a sign of a carp. But then on my second circuit I stopped off at a narrow, weed filled channel behind an island. Like I say, the lake seemed very quiet but when it's like that you only need a small sign, and I'd noticed a few tiny pin prick bubbles breaking the surface in a gap between the weed, no more than five feet from the bank. I must have been sat there for 10 minutes or so, trying to decide whether or not the bubbling was being caused by a carp when one pushed its head out and flopped over on the surface. A big shower of penny sized bubbles fizzed to the surface as it plunged its head back into the silty bottom, and seconds later I headed back to the car for my kit.

I'd tied on my pop-ups the evening before, and so I was ready to lower a couple of rigs in within minutes of getting my tackle in the swim. Unfortunately, the feeding spell was pretty much over by this time, but I can think of plenty of occasions in the past were making sure the rods are ready to go and then arriving at very first light has helped to catch me a carp soon after turning up.

Just to the left of the swim the weed was pretty thick, with a nice covering of miniature pads covering the surface, and I felt sure that any carp in the area would have drifted beneath their cover for the day. It wasn't until early evening that I saw the tell-tale signs of carp waking from a day of inactivity. The miniature pads twitched and trembled as a carp brushed against their stems, and as I strained to get a better look through the gaps between the leaves, I made out the ghostly outline of a fish breaking free from their cover before heading in the direction of my baits. Seconds later a big fizz of bubbles appeared over the top of my left-hand bait and I inched closer to the rods knowing a take was imminent. For the next few minutes I watched as bubbles continued to break the surface, and then just as I was beginning to worry about my presentation the buzzer let out a few bleeps and the bobbin slammed into the butt - I was into my first fish. I'd set the clutches fairly tight and so it only made it a little way into the pads before I was able to turn it and continue the fight beneath the tip in nice weed free water. A couple of minutes later it was mine. A long lean mirror of 26lb 2oz was a nice prize for my first day and first carp from the lake.

I thought there might have been a chance of catching another one during the night but by the following afternoon I'd not seen anymore signs so I moved into a different swim a bit further up the same bank. Whereas my previous swim was tight with very little water to go at, this swim had loads of carpy looking features. The most obvious was an island with overhanging willows to the left, which just screamed for a bait. To the right was a lovely little pad fringed bay, and out in front was a nice area of open water. I chose to have a rod on each spot, and the following morning I winkled out another mirror of 19lb's from the bay. Not a monster, but for my first trip to a new water it was another nice result.

I felt like I'd learnt a lot, and driving home I could feel that big carp buzz brewing up inside of me, something I'd not felt in quite some time. Although it’s possible to catch big carp just by going through the motions, for me I have to have the right mind-set, something that only a true big fish angler will understand. With thoughts of the big'un, its character and its past and present day movements all racing around in my head, along with a picture of the long scaley beast purposely placed on the passenger seat beside me as an aid to keeping the buzz going all the way home, I knew that mind-set was back. What a feeling!

TerryHearn1.jpg
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Scan your way to a day-ticket

An angling club from the midlands is attempting to revolutionise the way anglers buy day-tickets on the bank by using special barcodes which allow anglers to pay using their mobile phone.

The Lure Anglers Canal Club, who control of a large stretch of the Grand Union Canal at Leamington Spa, have decided to use QR codes printed on signs at the venue in order to make it easier for people to fish.

Club chairman and Angling Trust coordinator, John Cheyne said: “With over 12 miles of the Grand Union Canal to patrol we didn't think it was fair to ask our bailiffs to take money for day-tickets on the bank as it makes them a target for muggings. We were keen, however, to make it easy for guest anglers to fish legally and buy a permit so we started by making tickets available to purchase on our website and it seemed like a natural step for us to include QR codes on our fishery.”

**How does it work?**

Download a QR code reader app on your smartphone and then aim your camera at the QR code on the sign. This will take your straight to the part of the club’s website where you can buy a day-ticket. Payment is via Paypal so as long as you have a Paypal account or a credit or Debit card you just follow the on screen instructions and your day ticket can be emailed straight to your phone.
More details of the club at www.lureanglerscanalclub.co.uk


Youngster's 30lb bag of roach and bream

Junior angler Tyler Thomas made the most of a day on the in-form Bough Beech Reservoir by netting a 30lb bag of roach and bream in a session.

The 11-year-old made the journey to the Kent fishery with his dad and venue bailiff Andy and managed to land a series of small silverfish during daylight on waggler and corn tactics.

Rather than pack up once darkness arrived, he placed a starlight on his float to allow him to see the tip and the action then peaked, with roach up to 1lb 8oz and bream over 4lb moved in over his bed of groundbait and pellets.

For more details on the venue visit www.boughbeechfishing.com

 


Two 30lb-plus commons and both personal bests

A clear spot in the weed produced two personal best commons of 30lb 8oz and 32lb 6oz for Kai Richards.

The Hampshire-based 13-year-old fished over a bed of spodded particles and Mainline Cell boilies and the night before had even told his friend that he thought he was going to catch one of his syndicate’s big commons.

“I awoke to a screaming take at 6.30am and straight away it felt like a decent fish,” said the Gardner-backed youngster. “I soon got a glimpse of it and at first I thought it was mid-twenty, but when I got a better look I noticed it was a decent common and I soon slipped the net under it.

“I popped it in a sack for a few minutes and went to grab my mate. I commented about my prediction the evening before as we walked back to my swim. The scales read 30lb 8oz – a new PB common and I couldn’t believe it.”

Kai banked another common of 21lb 8oz and a mirror of 16lb 14oz before topping up the swim with bait.

“As I was tying some fresh rigs I had another take,” said Kai, “I called my mate over to help with the net and in the clear water I saw it was another big common. On the mat we soon recognised it as a named fish and it looked bigger than the one I’d had only a few hours before. The scales read 32lb 6oz – two common PBs in a day, what more could I have wanted!”
All the fish fell to a 15mm Cell boilie topped with a 12mm Clockwork Orange pop-up with a rig featuring 25lb Sink Skin and a size six Covert Incizor hook.


Surprise 62lb catfish

Chris Lambert received a welcome surprise while carp fishing at Anglers Paradise in the form of this 62lb 3oz catfish.

The keen specimen angler, who recently joined owner, Zyg Gregorek's club the 5c's, was on the venue’s Main Lake when at around 3am the giant predator took his 14mm Paradise Baits Raspberry pop-up and a 40 minute battle commenced.

The fish is his biggest ever cat and was landed during a session which also included eight carp to 20lb 2oz. Chris lured all the fish with a small solid PVA bags filled with pellets and crushed Mainline Cell boilies along with rigs comprising 4inch 25lb Camotex Soft hooklinks, size 8 Arma Point hooks and a 3oz inline lead.


Barbel to 12lb-plus on River Wey

A brace of short sessions on the River Wey ended with Jack Pells taking a series of barbel to 12lb 11oz.

The local rod decided to embark on a debut session on a club controlled stretch of the Dorset waterway and introduced several bait-droppers full of pellets.
It didn’t take long for him to receive his first bite, with a fish of 6lb falling for his boilie hookbait.

As the light began to fade the tip bent round again and after an energetic battle he netted a 12lb 11oz specimen.

A couple of days later he used the same tactics and was rewarded with a duo of 8lb specimens before the memorable week was capped off with a fin-perfect 12lb 10oz barbel.

His rig was made up of 10lb mainline, a 15lb Drennan Sink Braid hooklink and a size 10 hook.


One more night pays with forty

Faced with a flat-calm lake and no signs of fish, Pat Jordan was all set to pack up before this lake-record mirror arrived.

The Cambridgeshire rod had endured a biteless two nights but decided to stay for one more and hit the jackpot with the 41lb 3oz specimen on his final morning at Lake Geneva at Nar Valley Fisheries in Norfolk.

The 48-year-old fencer told Angling Times: “It was fishing really slowly, the wind had been blowing in the wrong direction and it was just really stagnant. I was going to pack up the day before but decided to stay one more night and this was my first bite.

“I was packing up on the Friday morning and my right-hand rod gave a bleep. I looked up and thought it was a bird – I was watching out for a grebe when the rod starting running off nice and slow.

“I was fishing about 150 yards out so I went back up the bank to try to get as much line out of the water and away from the weed, and luckily the fish swam towards me. I drop the lead every time there so it came to the surface but it wasn’t until 40 yards out that I saw it and my legs started shaking!”

Pat, who has also banked carp of 38lb 8oz and 30lb 4oz from the venue in recent weeks, added: “I knew it wasn’t a small fish but I certainly wasn’t expecting a forty!”
He fished a tight bed of CC Moore boilies on a bar in about 4.5ft of water at long range. He used a critically balanced hookbait on a long hair tied to a short hooklength.


A triple hit at Linch Hill

Baz Lloyd has continued his impressive run of form on Linch Hill’s Christchurch Lake, with this cracking 34lb 14oz common the latest of its residents to visit his net.

The 26-year-old Cheshire-based overhead linesman also landed fish of 29lb 8oz and 20lb 4oz during a three night session on the Oxfordshire day-ticket water.

The two twenties were both stalked from within three feet of the bank and the biggest of the trio was taken over 5kg of washed out Sticky The Krill boilies.

Scott mounted his hookbaits on rigs tied with 25lb Korda N-Trap and size 6 hooks.


24lb pike from River Derwent

A legered mackerel tail saw Steve Meynell bank this personal best 24lb pike during a short session on the Derbyshire Derwent.

The Earl of Harrington’s AC member had witnessed his cousin land a 19lb specimen from the waterway a week before and returned to the same spot on the club controlled stretch to try and land an even bigger predator.

It didn’t take long for him to achieve his goal and he said: “When I hooked the fish I was convinced it wasn’t very big as it came in easily to start with. That all changed when it broke the surface and went ballistic. It filled a large landing net and more than doubled my previous best for the species of 11lb,” he added.