Angling Trust unveils new website
Planning your next fishing trip has just become a whole lot easier thanks to a new website which has been launched by the Angling Trust.
Fishinginfo.co.uk combines data and resources from The Met Office, The Environment Agency, The Post Office and the Angling Trust to give anglers a mobile-ready, online tool which allows anglers to find a venue as well as view fishery contact information, water levels, weather data and even buy a rod licence to fish it. The site, which is viewable on PCs smartphones and tablets, also allows you to locate tackle shops, coaches, clubs and charter boats all over the UK making it easier when travelling to new parts of the country. Users can save their favourite venues interactively on the site to view at any time and there is also a full map, including an Ordance Survey option to make finding new venues easy.
Paul Sharman, Head of communications at the Trust believes the new tool will help anglers make decisions more readily when it comes to deciding on a venue: “It is a great resource for anglers in that it pools together all the data which was only previously available on separate websites and makes it far simpler for anglers to prepare for a day’s fishing at their favourite venue or find a new water nearby.”
Currently the website, which was developed by IT specialists, Shoothill, is more suited to freshwater anglers but the Trust are planning a second version of the site which will include saltwater venues. The site may also be launched as an app available for most smartphones in the near future.
Visit the site at: www.fishinginfo.co.uk
**FISHINGINFO.CO.UK FEATURES**
• Find every EA river gauge to view the current water levels
• Thousands of stillwaters, rivers and canal fisheries in your area or elsewhere
• Provides either a road map or google satellite view of the venue you are viewing to help you pick a swim
• View information for your chosen venue including permit prices, fish stocks and telephone numbers
• Add your own venue on the map, if it does not appear on the site
• Buy a rod licence
Trio of twenties and two personal bests from Berkshire stillwater
A change of swims paid off for Paul Codman who went on to land three carp, including two new personal bests, during a recent session on a Berkshire stillwater.
After a blank first night and spotting a fish show in another part of the 10-acre lake, the Hampshire-based rod decided to up sticks and move.
He said: “I’d settled by lunchtime and had my rods positioned where I’d seen the fish top. At 4pm one of my indicators let out a few bleeps and I struck in to a 22lb 14oz common. The next morning I landed fish of 26lb 12oz and 24lb 8oz.”
Paul used a simple pop-up tiger nut rig with 15lb fluorocarbon mainline.
Following the fizz nets Kev Hewitt a 31lb mirror from Milton Abbas
A guest session on the incredible Milton Abbas syndicate in Dorset produced this 31lb 14oz mirror for Kev Hewitt.
The Cotswold Angling manager had seen fish fizzing at the opposite end of the lake to where he was set up so he wasted no time taking a single rod up to the swim and casting out a single CC Moore 15mm Equinox cork ball pop-up 50yds to where he’d seen the activity.
He said: “Less than two hours later I had a stunning 31lb 14oz linear in the bottom of my net. I also managed to land a smaller mirror of 17lb during the 48 hour session.”
Kev beat his prize with a hinged-stiff rig constructed with seven inches of 25lb ESP Strip Teaze and an ESP ready tied chod rig.
RiverFest expands
Keen to strike while the iron is hot, Angling Trust RiverFest creator Dave Harrell is already planning the 2014 event and is appealing for interested parties to come forward and put their local waterways into the melting pot for next summer’s qualifiers.
Basking in the glow of what was unanimously voted a hit, Dave has exclusively revealed to Angling Times that a number of new rivers will host eliminators in 2014 including the River Don, Warwickshire Avon and River Weaver as well as the likes of the Thames that hosted matches this year being lined up for another heat elsewhere on its length.
However, nothing has been finalised and Dave is all ears to any venue as he strives to achieve the right demographic to allow as many anglers around the UK as possible to take part.
“The event surpassed even my expectations so I want to get next year’s competition underway and that means appealing to match organisers and clubs that control rivers to put their waters forward,” Dave explained. “While I was happy with most of the venues used in 2013 there are some I’d like to replace simply to provide anglers with better fishing and to spread the matches around a bit more. I’ve already had enquiries but with so many rivers to consider I think we can make next year’s River Fest brilliant.”
Dave is also hoping to secure more sponsorship for the final, upping the prize for the winner from an already substantial £10,000 and putting the match on a par with Fish O’Mania and Maver Match This in terms of money on offer.
“I’m sure we can secure more sponsorship as RiverFest goes from strength to strength but from talking to a lot of the finalists last weekend, they were more than happy to see river fishing get the same big match treatment that commercial carp waters get. The cash was secondary really.”
**Any organisations or water owners interested in running a qualifier on their stretch of river should email: info@daveharrellangling.com**
Fish For Free On The River Hull
Great redfin sport on the tidal Hull
The tidal River Hull Isn’t often the first running water venue which springs to mind when choosing a river to fish in Yorkshire but this under-rated fishery offers a great days sport and will barely cost you a penny.
The recent River Hull Championship match saw some terrific roach nets over 30lb being caught from the shipyard area with individual fish to 1lb being landed. With the river being tidal and with a pacey flow, many local anglers like to opt for stick float and maggot tactics. Set your rig, which should be as light as you can get away with to just off bottom and trot it down, loose-feeding 10 maggots or more every cast for redfins averaging around 6oz.
Generally the venue doesn’t respond to the balling-in approach but the pole is still a deadly tactic on the right day as you can attack the far-side boats at around 14-16m more accurately. Here you will find quality fish including bream to 4lb and skimmers which average around 1lb. There are also some nice perch over 3lb lurking amongst the steel of the small ships that dock here and these can be caught fishing large pieces of worm or maggot.
The whole stretch fishes well but the hot pegs are generally the 3-4 pegs immediately above the bridge.
Prices: Free fishing
Location: River Hull, Beverley, E Yorks, HU17 0HQ
Contact: Hull Angling Centre, 01482 374201
Rules: No fires, no litter, no carp in sacks
England net bronze in World Feeder Champs in South Africa
The Preston Innovations England Feeder team’s African quest to be crowned world champions fell just short on the sprawling Bloemhof Dam as Tommy Pickering’s men had to settle for the bronze medal after trying with Hungary on points and missing out on second place by aggregate weight.
“Frustrated and disappointed” were two of the words used by Tommy as he reflected on a job that was so near yet so far, host nation South Africa cruising to the gold on both team and individual fronts as their vast knowledge of the dam came into play to trounce all-comers.
At the halfway point however, it was looking good for England as they were just a point behind South Africa and looking good to mount a serious challenge as the side got to grips with the long range feeder work needed and the carp that unlike UK fish had very soft mouths meaning lost fish, not to mention lots of snags from lost tackle over the practice week.
Angling Times columnist Steve Ringer was England’s leading man, recording a section second and fifth to end up in the top ten but well away from a medal, although drawing two pegs that in his own words were absolute ‘snag pits’ didn’t help the cause, the appearance of small carp on day two also throwing England a curve ball and stealing a few valuable points from their final tally.
World Feeder Angling Championships
Bloemhof Dam, South Africa (16 teams)
Mixed emotions were no doubt coursing through the minds of the Preston Innovations Englanf Feeder team after they signed off their marathon trek to South Africa for the feeder world championships with a team bronze medal - but it could all have been so much more.
Scoring 48 points, England were eight off the pace set by host nation South Africa but tied with Hungary only to see aggregate weight deny them a silver, not that the team would deep down have been happy with that as they headed south of the equator with gold medals firmly on the menu.
However, South Africa and their wealth of experience and knowledge of the massive Bloemhof Dam proved just too strong for the other 15 competing teams, England included and they proved their mastery of the event by winning the individual gold too to send England back home with plenty of questions to answer as to why a great position after day one slipped away.
“We had a chance to win but weren’t able to take it,” admitted boss Tommy Pickering. “We were excellent on Saturday and then fell apart on day two but that’s life and I’ve seen it happen in match fishing plenty of times. It doesn’t soften the blow and we’ve had two fantastic weeks fishing an awesome venue with brilliant fishing and when you reflect on it, you think ‘well we could have been fourth and have no medal’. I know I always say we go to win gold and we do and of course, we should think that way but I think when we get home we’ll be pleased with a medal.”
Practice has seen England catch plenty of carp, aided by a local angler and friend of
Tommy’s who sorted the side out with local groundbaits and flavourings, these additives proving key to catching the wild carp of Bloemhof and Tommy acknowledges that without them, England’s challenge may well have been scuppered before it go going.
Sticking to the same team for both days of Tommy, Mick Vials, Adam Wakelin and Phil and Steve Ringer, with Grant Albutt the man to sit out the weekend’s action, England soon learnt that fishing one main line at around 40m or 50m depending on the depth and then casting around that immediate area was the key to catching.
“We used big cage and open end feeders with 50cm hooklengths and fed the local groundbait mix that looks like ground popcorn,” Tommy explained. “Those flavours were added to this – one was a strong banana flavour and the other a secret blend. God only knows what was in that but they seemed to work over a plain mix. To the crumb we added corn and lots of hemp fishing a single piece of corn on size 12 or 14 hooks.”
“The carp in the dam were wild and had never been caught before to we used pretty crude tackle with 0.19mm to 0.125mm hooklengths and big hooks but it didn’t seem to matter,” he added. “Being patient was also vital and in practice we set a target for the opening day of 10 carp but we actually needed nearer 20! What did upset the cart a little was the appearance of small carp on day two and some teams seemed to have these sussed and knew how to catch them whereas we didn’t.”
“We came to South Africa confident because the style of fishing and the target fish aren’t alien to us but we always knew we had to beat South Africa to win. They even had maps of the lake showing the depths and where the snags were plus flavourings and additives galore. It’s always difficult to beat the home team but I’m proud of the performance yet brassed off to have missed out after being so well-placed after day one. We can soul search for months to come about what went wrong but I don’t think any of us will be able to say for definite – you just put it down to experience.”
30Plus End Tackle Facebook Competition Winners
Congratulations to Sean Salmon from Wiltshire, Martin Reed from Exeter and Belinda Punter from Plymouth! You have each won a a selection of 30Plus Kodex End Tackle worth £53.99! Your prize will be posted out shortly.
Up until Christmas we will be running an Angling Times Advent Calendar competition on our Facebook page with a new prize up for grabs. For more information go to our Facebook page - www.facebook.com/anglingtimes
Angling Times Facebook Advent Calendar Winners
Congratulations to the following winners:
Day 1 - Fox Zig Disc - Dave Butler from West Midlands
Day 2 - Matrix Feeder rest - Wayne Franklin from Swindon
Day 3 - 2 Fox Rage Warrior Micro Fry Packs - Paul Michael Arthur Thompson from Herts
Day 4 - Fox Slik Bobbin - Kevin Lomas from Cheshire
Day 5 - five Matrix Method feeders & a mould - Steve Power from Southend
Day 6 - a Fox Rage Jointed Replicant - Jan Fuller from Colchester
Day 7 - a Fox Carp Baiting Spoon & Handle - Anthony Cullen from Huntingdon
Day 8 - a Fox 12l and 16l bait bucket - Peter Robins from Manchester
Day 9 - a Fox X Long Nose Unhooking Pliers - Stacey Stokes from Cleveland
Day 10 - Matrix 10 litre round bowl - Jason Ram from Southampton
Day 11 - two Fox Zig Aligna kits - Nicola Lemmon from Cambridge
Day 12 - 24" Specialist landing net - Martyn Russ from South Glamorgan
Day 13 - 9cm Slick Stick Lure - Pauline Hill from Middlesborough
Day 14 - Matrix Hooklength Retainer 7.5cm-25cm - Gerry Hill from Walsall
Day 15 - Trace Blades - Cathy James from Essex
Day 16 - Fox 20lb Camotex Soft 20m - Martin Rix from Watford
Day 17 - Fox Specialist Compact Mat - Frankie Dodds, from Wiltshire
Day 18 - Fox Rage Jig Silk Braid - Dean Skimin from Doncaster
Day 19 - 55cm Matrix Carp Landing Net - Alan Canning from Essex
Day 20 - Fox Mini Halo Zig Float Kit - Peter George from Somerset
Day 21 - Fox Predator Pike Swinger - Tom York from Glasgow
Day 22 - Fox Rage Ultron Rod Sleeve 1.3m - Michelle Williams from Oxfordshire
Day 23 - two spools of Matrix Submerge Sinking Feeder Mono - Gary Fawkes from Bracknell
Day 24 - Fox Micron MXR+ 2 rod set worth £249.99 - Chris Thomas from Sandy
Many thanks to Fox International, Matrix, Fox Rage and Fox Predator for providing these fantastic prizes.
Check out the Angling Times Facebook page for more great competitions - www.facebook.com/anglingtimes
Commercials respond to silvers boom
Millions of silverfish are set to be stocked into a host of the UK’s biggest commercials in a bid to keep anglers catching this winter.
Huge catches of carp dominated the headlines during the summer and several venue bosses have now shown their commitment to keep the prolific action going by intoducing large quantities of roach, bream, tench and perch.
Officials at Woodlands Lakes in Thirsk, North Yorkshire, were among the first to alter their stocking policy after calls from match and pleasure rods to bring in more silverfish. Fishery manager Jimmy Kent told Angling Times: “It’s all about keeping anglers busy and it’s not uncommon for visitors to take 30lb nets – even on the coldest days.
“We have regulars that used to put their tackle away for winter but the abundance of roach and skimmers in our waters means they now fish all-year round.”
Further south, Oxfordshire specimen complex Linear Fisheries has placed hundreds of quality tench and perch into Hunts Corner Pond, with Devon’s Stafford Moor undertaking a similar process on Tanners Lake.
Staff at Surrey’s Bury Hill Fisheries have stocked large numbers of roach to 2lb and owner David deVere said: “There is a bigger demand from anglers for quality silverfish now than ever before. Only last week a visitor had a brace of 2lb-plus roach and the more word gets out about such catches, the more people want to have a go for them.”
Other venues have taken even bigger steps to promote silverfish action, with Staffordshire’s Baden Hall and Berkshire’s New Farm Fisheries both opening new lakes where carp will barely feature.
The increase in demand has seen numerous fish farms struggle to keep up with the sudden surge of interest and Quiet Sports chief Steve Barnes claims he and his staff are working at their limit.
“Quality bream and roach are as popular as ever and last year we ran out of fish,” he said. “We anticipate the same problem this year and urge people to get their orders in quickly to avoid disappointment.”
34lb 10oz pike tops week of bumper hauls
There has never been a better time of year to catch a big river pike after a string of specimens to 34lb 10oz were reported.
The predator fishing headlines have recently been dominated by trout reservoir fish but this week it was the turn of their running water counterparts as they pack on weight ready for the onset of winter.
Pick of the catches was this 34lb 10oz monster to Nathan Edgell from an undisclosed southern river, but there were also several impressive 20lb-plus fish from both the Hampshire and Bristol Avon.
Nathan banked his new personal best just days after landing a 22lb fish from the same waterway. The Dorset man described his capture as ‘a dream’ after spending five years trying to better his river best pike. The specimen came during one of the 30 Plus-backed rod’s trademark roving sessions, from an area of slack water behind a willow tree.
“Things had not gone to plan and I’d had nothing all morning except for one lost fish,” he told Angling Times. “I’d told my wife I would be home for 1pm but it was 2.30pm when I returned to a swim I’ve always had a good feeling about despite having never caught a pike from it. I dropped my float as close to the edge of the submerged branches as I dared and by the time it reappeared from the cast I suddenly saw a flash and it shot under. I struck hard, there was a huge boil, and I could tell straight away that it was a big pike.
“She went straight towards the tree but with plenty of side strain and 50lb braid mainline, I was able to stop her. If I had been on 15lb monofilament I don’t think I would have stood a chance. Slowly I managed to gain line but she scrapped and protested all the way in and at one point she came tail walking right out of the water. My heart was in my mouth and I can remember thinking ‘she’s a thirty!’
“Panic set in and suddenly all those rod hours, heartbreaks and cold frosty mornings came down to this one moment. What a fish, strong spirited and wild. Finally I slipped her over the net. River thirties are as rare as the proverbial rocking horse poo these days and she has the potential to become an upper-thirty at the back end of the river season,” he said.
Nathan emphasised the importance of not being under gunned for large pike. He fished a strong wire trace, a single pair of trebles and a rudd bait, together with a 2.75lb test curve 30 Plus V3 Big Fish rod and 50lb braid.
Elsewhere, the famous Royalty Fishery on the Hampshire Avon has been on top form with a 28lb pike reported, although the captor wished to remain anonymous, plus a 25lb 2oz specimen to Ron Brooke from ‘The Piles’ swim on a smelt bait. Local man Terry Findlay managed to catch a 23lb 9oz fish on a dead roach from this prolific stretch too.
Mark Squire equalled his biggest pike with a 21lb 12oz predator, also from the Hampshire Avon, which was part of a four fish catch over two days.
And the Bristol Avon produced a 22lb 7oz predator for Carl Marchant as he smashed his personal best twice in the same session, following a 16lb 8oz pike earlier that day. Baiting up with a mush of mackerel and cod liver oil tablets, Bath angler Carl took the impressive brace from the Bathampton AA stretch at Newbridge on a smelt, having only started pike fishing a few months ago.
A boilie-only approach fools a pair of thirties
Ed Betteridge has reaped the rewards of a boilie only approach taking a brace of 30lb-plus from the ultra-tough Burghfield Lake in Berkshire.
The Derbyshire-based Greys media manager had been pre-baiting a long range spot on the daunting 96-acre venue since September with just Mainline Baits Hybrid boilies to reduce the number of nuisance fish picking up his baits.
This certainly did the trick and his first bite produced a 32lb 12oz linear. “The fish was completely hollowed out as if it had recently spawned, which is crazy for the time of year,” Ed told Angling Times.
His second take almost 24 hours later, resulting in a chunky 37lb mirror. “I was really pleased to bank this fish because it meant I had caught a full house of thirties in every pound increment from 30lb to 39lb this season! This was especially pleasing because the two waters that I have done it on are both very low-stocked where a few fish a year is classed as an achievement.”
Both fish were taken on Ed’s favoured hinged-stiff rig presentation with pop-up hookbaits.
“Previously I had been baiting up with a mixture of boilies and pellets but the smaller nuisance species were beginning to become a bit of a problem. Thankfully, ditching the pellets and only using boilies seems to have solved it,” he added.
Tenth UK Forty for Mark Munson
Navitas Apparel boss Mark Munson has caught his tenth UK forty in the shape of this 44lb 9oz common from a local syndicate lake.
The Essex-based rod targeted an area of thick weed and cast solid PVA bags filled with crushed boilies and Hinders Elips pellets over a small clear area at 50 yards range.
He said: “I’ve been really busy with work and not had much time for fishing recently. But with the weather looking so good I felt sure one of the bigg’uns was due out so squeezed in a few overnighters. The first night produced a 29lb 10oz common then I had a 30lb 12oz mirror before catching the forty just before I had to fly to China.”
Mark used snowman style hookbaits consisting of 18mm Exel Baits Mulberry Shellfish bottom baits tipped with 10mm CC Moore Northern Special pop-ups.
37lb 3oz 'Angie' in first session
A 350-mile round trip to Orchid Lake paid off for Derek Stewart who bagged one of the water’s biggest residents on his first visit.
The Oldham rod travelled to the Oxfordshire gravel pit with son Dale and the pair banked five carp including the mirror known as Angie at 37lb 3oz.
Derek, who caught the fish on the first night of a 48-hour session in the Boards swim, said: “I was fishing to a hard patch a couple of rod lengths from the island and I spodded out about 2kg of Dynamite mixed particles.
“The bite came at about 8.30pm and it was an absolute belter. I knew it was a decent fish as soon as I hit it, and it was 25 minutes before I even saw it. It plodded around at range but when it got in close it shot off again. The whole fight lasted 40 minutes!”
The new personal best fell to a Mainline Cell boilie tipped with buoyant plastic corn on a size 6 Korda Wide Gape hook tied to coated braid.
Fishing next door in the New Middles swim, son Dale had four carp to 22lb 4oz. Elsewhere at the venue, Birkenhead angler John Kearney snared an immaculate 31lb common from the Alamo swim.
Orchid has now reduced its prices for winter, with 24-hour tickets down from £20 to £15. For venue information visit www.orchid-lakes.co.uk
Classic trotting tactics fool huge Test roach
This 2lb 4oz roach caught by Tim Lennon is a prime example of why the River Test is regarded as one of the best venues for the species in the UK.
The 52-year-old from Ringwood adopted classic trotting tactics and tempted the specimen redfin with a piece of breadflake on a size 12 hook and 3lb hooklink fished close to the bottom where he had been feeding small balls of mashed bread and brown crumb.
He said: “There are some fantastic roach in this beat and I have witnessed them to 2lb 12oz. This particular fish came from a very narrow swim and was just 2oz short of my personal best from the river.”
**Fancy catching a 2lb roach like this? If so, Tim runs guided trips on this exclusive stretch of the Test. For more information call: 07743 484621.**
10lb zander banked after just a few minutes in to session
Mark Simmonds’ zander fishing campaign got off to a flying start when he banked this 10lb 11oz specimen.
The St Neots, Cambs-based rod hooked the fish just a few minutes after casting out a legered mackerel head into the middle of the Great River Ouse.
His free-running rig, consisting of a Drennan wire trace and size 8 trebles, also attracted the attention of an 11lb pike and a 3lb eel.
“I was in two minds whether to fish because the river was still heavily coloured from the recent rains, but thank god that I did,” said Mark.
First thirty in months for Haydn Hoskins
The dip in temperatures hasn’t stopped the fish feeding at the Surrey’s Frimley complex, as this mid-thirty shows.
Local angler Haydn Hoskins snared the 35lb 6oz common during an overnight session and believes the fish are still eating readily.
He said: “I was pleased to have this fish as I have been having success on overnight sessions but hadn't landed a 30lb-plus fish in several months.
“The red belly of the fish and how solid it was tells me they are still clearly feeding hard. The only question is how long will it last.”
Haydn baited with about a kilo of frozen 15mm NashBait Scopex boilies and fished matching bottom baits on his rigs
Hunstrete giant falls during 24-hour match
The Bathampton Angling Association carp record has been broken by Les Walter with the capture of this 40lb 5oz mirror from Hunstrete Lake.
This fish was caught by the venue regular during a 24 hour carp match on the venue and is the first carp over the magical 40lb-barrier to be caught from any of the club’s waters.
Les said: “The fish took about 15 minutes to land after four powerful runs. She looked in good health and put up a good fight.”
His successful setup consisted of a single 18mm boilie on a size 6 barbless hook attached via a knotless knot to a Sufix Camo Skin hooklink.
Mirror from the margins at Rockford
Having worked into darkness to spruce up one of his club waters, John Sudworth was rewarded with this 36lb 14oz mirror after deciding to fish the night.
The Ringwood and District AA committee member had been carrying out maintenance at Rockford Lake but finished late and decided to get his rods out for a quick overnighter.
The 41-year-old said: “It was dark by the time I finished working and I found a spot just behind a gravel patch right under the rod tips just deep enough to avoid the swans gobbling up my bait!
“At 1am I had a few bleeps and on lifting the rod I thought there was a fish on but couldn’t be sure as it was stuck solid in the weed. I put the rod back on the rests to see if anything happened and waited, and waited. I had virtually given up hope but some six and a half hours later I received a few more bleeps and on picking up the rod this time I knew there was a fish on. At this stage I had confidence that the size 8 Fox Arma hook would hold.”
John, who fished trimmed-down 20mm Cultured Carp Baits Fruits of the Sea boilies with a matching PVA stick mix, added: “Since acquiring the lake this year I have fallen in love with the place, hence the very long hours I work there for the benefit of our members. I just hope that more and more people get to share the joys of this amazing carp water.”
Surprise 14lb barbel from Great Ouse when carp fishing
A session targeting carp on the River Great Ouse produced a worthwhile surprise for angler Paul Andrew when he landed this fine 14lb 11oz barbel on a boilie.
The Olney & Clifton Fishing Association member, was fishing a wide deep stretch at Olney in Buckinghamshire when the huge fish tore off with his hookbait during an early morning session on the waterway. Witness, Dave Partridge said: “It was a shock because he caught it in an area which is not known for barbel while targeting carp but I’m sure he will be happy with this capture.”
20th catfish over 220lb for 'Black Cat' catfish guiding tours
German angler Sven Weide celebrated a special milestone for the popular ‘Black Cat’ catfish guiding tours by landing the company’s 20th specimen over the 220lb-barrier.
The huge predator was caught on a deadbait with the help of tour employees Stefan Seuß and Benjamin Gründer during a session on the middle reaches of the River Po in northern Italy. Weide said: "Just after we started to play it from the dinghy, the fish planted itself under a sunken tree and wouldn't move. Heavy mist added to the difficulty of attempting to land the fish. Finally, with the help of a second boat, Benjamin and I worked the fish free.”
The River Po is well known among specimen anglers for its massive wels catfish and produced the current IGFA record for the species of 297lb 9oz in March 2010.
