Euro Aqua sets record brace of carp
World-record venue Euro Aqua produced the biggest brace in carp history to a Brit last week.
Manchester angler Warren Harrison caught this 94lb mirror and backed it up with an 87-pounder for a two-fish weight of 181lb.
Fellow Briton Stephen Weir also got in the act at the Hungarian water with an incredible multiple catch. In just two days he notched up fish of 84lb, 77lb, 75lb 8oz, 75lb and 71lb.
Euro Aqua set the world carp record in 2012 with a 101lb specimen.
For the full story see Angling Times out Tuesday September 23, 2014.
Click here for more angling news...
Two share tally of 18 fish to 24lb from Linear
A 24-hour session at Linear Fisheries gave Cyrus Richards and James McCartney an 18-fish haul.
Cyrus, whose biggest fish of the trip weighed 24lb, said: “It was a cracking 24 hours, Linear is by far the best day-ticket water in the country.
“I was fishing 80 yards out over a lovely silt patch just in front of some gravel, using 15mm CC Moore Equinox boilies, hemp and corn as my spod mix. After putting roughly 20 spods out to start with, the trap was set. I had my first take within 20 minutes! Then my second not long after, followed by a double take. By this time James had already had five fish himself!”
65lb common carp is lake best from Mar-Pêche
David Cunningham bagged this, the biggest common in France’s Mar-Pêche, at a weight of 65lb 4oz.
The spawned-out capture was the highlight of a 10-fish catch that also featured a 62lb mirror, two fifties and three forties for the Oldham rod.
Using a combination of real and fake tiger nuts as hookbaits, the 30Plus-backed angler baited six different spots and alternated them during his 10-day session, leaving his lines in the water for up to 48 hours at a time.
Eight fish from St John's in just two hours
A frenetic two-hour feeding spell helped Benedict Fowler to a 14-fish hit at Linear St John’s.
The Taska and CC Moore-backed 15-year-old caught mirrors of 31lb 8oz and 30lb 7oz during his 48-hour session on the Oxfordshire water.
Most of the action came during his second night, with two double takes and a total of eight fish falling in just 120 minutes.
Said Benedict: “I decided I wanted to start a little autumn on St John’s. I arrived on Thursday evening when the lake was pretty empty, so I was able to get in my favourite swim, The Beach.
“I decided to fish on the closest bar at 20 wraps. I started by putting about 40 Spombs on the spot and fishing two rods on little mesh bags on top of the bar, both on white CC Moore NS1 wafters.
“Within the first hour of having the rods in the water the right rod ripped off and I landed a beautiful 30lb 7oz mirror. After the early action all was quiet until about 2am when I hit a shoal of doubles. By the morning I had banked five fish in total.
“By 9am there wasn’t a fish to be seen, which is par for the course at St John’s. Through the day I took the rods off the spot and chucked some single zigs about but didn’t get a touch. At about 4pm I put another bucket of bait out and put the rods on the spot again, but changed the colour of the hookbait to red.
“Within three minutes I had a 31lb 8oz mirror. As usual, the next bite came at about 2am, which is when it all went crazy. Within two hours I had two double takes and landed eight fish including two twenties and one known as The Warrior. By the morning I had banked 14 fish in total – two twenties and two thirties. It was an awesome session.”
GHOF's Family Fishing season a huge success
The first Family Fishing season has been hailed a huge success with thousands of people introduced to the sport across the UK.
Organised by angling charity Get Hooked on Fishing and the Angling Trust, the national campaign saw events taking place at dozens of venues, with experts on hand to help newcomers catch their first fish.
Sarah Collins, Get Hooked on Fishing’s chief executive officer, said: “We wanted to show how fishing is a fun activity that families can do together.”
Angling Trust chief Mark Lloyd also hailed the initiative a success. “It has introduced thousands of people of all ages to the joys of fishing in a family-friendly, safe environment, with the help of hundreds of coaches licensed by the Angling Trust,” he said, “And it would not have been possible without licence funding from the Environment Agency and sponsors such as Glasgow Angling Centre. We are already working up plans for more and bigger events throughout the year to build a sustainable future for our sport.”
15,000 anglers introduced to the sport in one month
Over 15,000 new anglers have been recruited to the sport thanks to the success of this year’s National Fishing Month.
The nationwide campaign was staged by clubs and fisheries in a bid to attract new blood into the sport, with 310 free tuition and taster sessions being run during the campaign.
Organisers have now revealed that the event – which ran between July 18 and August 31 to coincide with school holidays – has once again been a major success. Chief coordinator Naidre Werner told Angling Times: “National Fishing Month remains the sport’s most important recruiting sergeant, and I am delighted that our numbers once again reflect this.
“We are already planning next year’s effort and are confident we can include more events and draw in even more participants,” she added.
One group that was heavily involved in NFM was the Kevin Green Academy which was set up in memory of the former Improve Your Coarse Fishing editor who sadly passed away last year.
Coaches from the outfit passed on their knowledge to over 600 children during days at Essex’s Puddledock Farm and chairman Martin Rosseler said: “Everybody had a fantastic time and we had a significant number of new visitors attend. We also noted a marked increase in the number of girls who participated which is a great thing to see.”
Those views were shared by Gloucestershire’s South Cerney AC who used Cotswold Water Park for their activities.
“Some of those involved had never even considered fishing before and they certainly seemed ‘hooked’ by the end,” said committee member Craig Hunt. “National Fishing Month is an essential tool to growing our sport and we are proud to be involved,” he added.
Teenager bags 400lb of River Trent barbel
Teenage angler Kaylan Cooper-Guinness may be in the early years of his career but he’ll struggle to ever beat his latest session after banking an incredible 400lb of barbel from the River Trent.
The Nottingham-based youth arrived at dusk and cast out a maggot feeder packed with hemp with three grains of corn on the hook.
Indications came almost instantly and it wasn’t long before he was doing battle with his first fish of the session.
Over the next six hours the 18-year-old slipped the net under a total of 51 fish, with the best specimen going 14lb 2oz on the scales.
“I have been fishing since I was seven-years-old and I have never experienced anything like it,” explained Kaylan.
“I barely had a second to rest, with fish taking the bait as soon as it hit the bottom. It was a session I’ll never forget,” he added.
Three perch for 11lb in the space of an hour!
Sam Edmonds landed three perch for a combined weight of 11lb in the space of an hour – this 3lb 12oz specimen the highlight.
The Hertfordshire-based rod targeted a local stretch of river with his dad, Gary, but with only one fish each to show for their efforts by mid-afternoon they decided to relocate to another area of the waterway.
“Within 20 minutes of arriving I had a good whack and hooked in to a perch that weighed 3lb 9oz, caught on a jigged Berkley Ripple Shad,” said Sam. “On my very next cast I landed a fish of 3lb 11oz.”
The best was still to come, however, and after casting tight to a large snag he landed the largest perch of the day, which measured 48cm.
“The bigger fish were very empty and I think all three will probably weigh over 4lbs towards the end of the season,” he added.
Youngster banks a 12lb 4oz Wye barbel
Teenager Charlie Dempsey proved that you don’t need years of experience to catch big barbel when he landed this 12lb 4oz specimen.
The 16-year-old from Newport, South Wales, was fishing a middle section of the River Wye in a spot where he had previously caught his personal best, a fish weighing 13lb, just weeks earlier. Charlie tempted the prized fish using a 3oz Korum cage feeder with 15lb flouro hooklink and a double pellet mounted on a size 7 Drennan Barbel hook.
Its Not All Specimen Carp At Orchid Lakes
Described as ‘the home of the thirties’, Orchid Lakes, in Dorchester on Thames, Oxford is living up to its reputation with a host of 30lb plus fish being recorded over the last 2 weeks. These have all been banked from the fishery’s specimen lake known as the Orchid which is where you should head if you want to catch your first ever 20lb carp.
Compromising 17.6 acres of water, Orchid holds around 300 carp to 30lbs and a scattering of 30lb-plus specimens – ensuring you a chance of a challenging bonus catch this weekend. Conventional carp tactics are popular here with cell boilies and fake corn both proving exceptional hookbaits in the past. The spacious pegs here are all named after the lake’s features, with ‘Pads’ proving the most popular for the 30lbers for anyone who can brave the snags that give this swim its name.
Alternatively, head to the Club Lake if big carp aren’t your thing as this 2 acre gem can produce 100lb bags of coarse fish solely on sweetcorn. Tench and bream to 4lb will feature the most in your catch which are stocked regularly to fuel the appetites of the catfish which also reside here. Simply lay a small bed of micro pellets down at around 5m out and float fish over the top with sweetcorn or worm on the hook to keep the bites coming all day long.
Orchid Lakes, Dorchester on Thames, Oxford
Prices: £25 for 24 hrs. Orchid Lake, £10 a day Club Lake, £350 a season
Contact: 01865 341810, www.orchid-lakes.co.uk
Location: Orchid Lakes, Abingdon Road, Dorchester on Thames, OX10 7LP
Rules: General: No more rods to be used at any one time than outlined on your ticket conditions ie 2 rods Club and 3 rods Orchid, no keepnets sacks or tubes to be used, all fish to be returned to the water immediately, do not leave baited hooks unattended, use only micro barb or barbless hooks no nuts, beans or peas or maize, no wading, swim raking or swimming, do not damage bankside vegetation or trees, please report all specimen fish caught, bait boats must be used with a safety line, no leaders are allowed regardless if they are safe zone or not.
Carp: No snag leaders, shock leaders or lead-core line, no bent hooks or braided main lines, no fixed rigs, no leaders are allowed regardless if they are safe zone or not, suitably sized unhooking mats must be used at all times.
Catfish: A minimum of 10lb breaking strain must be used, no wire traces or barbed hooks, single hooks only, unhooking mats to be used at all times, no live or dead coarse baits are allowed.
Facilities: Café, shower, male/female toilets, disabled access
Giant common carp from Rainbow Lake
This giant common tipped the scales to 74lb 8oz on a trip to Rainbow Lake.
Sam Rozier caught the fish from peg 21 at the historic French venue on the third day of his trip.
The fish, known as The Perfect Common, fell to Solar’s Seafood Take-Away boilies and is a new personal best for the Kent rod.
Rainbow Lake, also known as Lac de Curton, is located south of Bordeaux and was stocked 20 years ago. It has produced a range of giant carp to over 90lb.
Sam, who works for Solar, presented his hookbait over matching freebies and a bed of Solar Salty Sweet particles.
Click here for more angling news...
Visit to new water results in two forties
As first sessions on a new water go, Darren Belton’s was about as good as they get.
The experienced Kent rod travelled to Wellington Country Park in Berkshire and caught mirrors of 44lb, 42lb 4oz and 38lb.
The Chub and Mainline-backed angler – who has now caught 21 different UK carp over 40lb – initially mistook the first of his haul for something much smaller. He said: “After a few issues with the lake being closed due to an algae bloom, I finally got a chance to fish my first session on my new syndicate water, and what a session it turned out to be!
“On my first night I had a stuttery take that I was convinced was a bream. However, as the rod hooped over I soon changed my mind. A tense battle ensued, but eventually I ended up with a large mirror sulking in the net. On the scales she went 44lb exactly. This was a very special fish to me as it was my 20th different UK 40-pounder.
“The following afternoon a screaming take resulted in a 38lb mirror, and later that night I backed it up with yet another forty, this time weighing in at 42lb 4oz.”
Darren added: “I was buzzing when I got back home, only to find out the incredibly sad news about the death of ex-Chub marketing manager Andy Charlton. It puts a lot of what we do into perspective, and my deepest sympathies go to his wife and family.”
Eighth double figure barbel of the year for Thomas Finney
This 15lb 4oz barbel is Thomas Finney’s eighth double figure specimen of the year from the River Ouse.
The Bedfordshire-based 23-year-old adopted his usual roving approach and after blanking in several swims he found a spot with two submerged trees and dropped a baited rig alongside one of them.
He said: “Around 20 minutes had passed and I was on my phone when the rod was nearly pulled off the rest. I jumped out of my chair and lost my footing on the steep slippery bank and slid down but managed to grab my rod in the process! The fish did its best to find sanctuary in the trees but thankfully I was able to safely steer it towards the net.”
Night out leads to 6lb 3oz chub from the Wear
A 20-year campaign to land a 6lb-plus chub from the River Wear finally came to an end for Simon Ashton when he landed this 6lb 3oz specimen.
The County Durham all-rounder has caught countless big fish from waters across the country but one of his biggest targets was to crack his local venue.
After spotting a shoal of chub while gazing at the water on a night out, he decided to see whether he could entice them to feed the day after.
He began pinging maggots in to the swim and once he had the fish competing he flicked out a waggler rig baited with two white grubs.
“On the fifth run through the swim the float buried,” said Simon. “Once I’d hooked it I had to play it very carefully as there was a canoeing event going on and they were flying through the swim as I brought it in. I’ve landed three fish of 5lb 15oz from the venue in the past and I was starting to wonder whether it would ever happen,” he added.
Secret formula to growing record roach
A fisheries expert has this week revealed his secret formula to growing record-sized roach.
Andrew Ellis, owner of A&E Fisheries Consultancy has used his years of experience to come up with five simple steps for fishery owners and clubs to follow if they want to boost the size of the redfins in their waters - and what’s more it will barely cost a penny.
Cotswolds-based Andrew, who has worked in the industry for over two decades, believes clubs and fisheries have to actively manage their lakes in order to achieve results. Speaking exclusively to Angling Times he said: “One of the main pointers to breeding bigger roach is cropping your stock every year. By doing so you can not only make money from the excess fish but it makes for a healthier lake and bigger fish.
“It is amazing how many fisheries just keep re-stocking every time sport slows but throwing fish at the problem is not the answer.”
Andrew has already put his methods into practice with great results at Lemington Lakes. A number of other UK venues have also taken up his advice which includes ideas such as keeping a varied mix of stock, feeding fish with cereal based pellets or maize, as well as checking the health of the water. Chris Mack, owner of Bartles Lodge Fishery in Dereham, Norfolk is just one of many reaping the rewards. He said: “I have literally spent no money since stocking my lakes a few years ago as with the help from Andrew we have cropped the stock on the lakes as he advised and the fishing has been excellent for all species. We have a lake with mainly roach in and in just three years they are already up to 1.5lb it’s amazing.”
Another venue set to follow Andrew’s advice is Norfolk’s Highbridge Lakes which hit the headlines last week following the capture of a record shaking 4lb 1oz roach by carp angler Sean Jackson. Fishery manager Dale McLachlan said: “We haven’t done it in the past but we are now planning to crop the stocks during a netting operation at the end of the month. The fish here have reached massive weights without any work, so hopefully removing the smaller fish will see them get even bigger.”
Five Steps To Grow a Record Roach
• Try to have more than one species present in your pool to help keep a balance. Carp are good because they help to colour the water and keep weed growth down.
• Net your lake every year and crop the fish by removing anything between 6-8oz.
• Feed regularly with maize or cereal pellets to keep the fish well fed and healthy.
• Do not restock unless you’ve had a fish kill or your numbers were originally low.
• Check the health of your water regularly including plant life and acidity and make sure it is kept well oxygenated.
Andrew runs his own fishery consultancy business which offers full fishery health reports and further advice on growing fish. Anyone interested in his services can do so by calling him on: 07966 250399 or visiting: www.aefisheries.co.uk
Click here for more angling news...
Teacher and pupil bag up at Chad Lakes
A tutorial session on Chad Lakes provided Martyn Harvey with his first-ever British thirty, followed quickly by his second.
The Wiltshire rod booked a five-night session on Home Pool at the Oxfordshire venue and landed a 32lb 10oz common and a 35lb 8oz mirror, alongside a number of other fish. Not to be outdone, Martyn’s tutor for the week, Hinders of Swindon boss Bryan Jarrett, caught The Red Fish at 41lb.
“I just love tutorials,” said Bryan, “I love seeing people catch the fish they dream of catching. I think this is Martyn’s eighth tutorial with me and he’s a pleasure to fish with. He was desperate to catch a British thirty, and he ended up with two!”
“We went down on the Sunday afternoon and fished through to Friday, but it was bloody hard work! The lake is very small, probably about 1.5 acres and 2ft to 3ft deep, so you are scared to move, let alone cast a rig!
“When we arrived, Martyn saw a big orange koi in the water and said it was the one he wanted to catch. And after having nothing the first night, he had that one at 10am the next morning, which was great. Then the following morning he had the 32lb 10oz common and he was just ecstatic.”
Martyn’s new pb didn’t last long, as an evening bite later in the week produced a fish known as Two Tone at 35lb 8oz. “He’s still on Cloud Nine about it,” said Bryan, “It’s great to see such a nice bloke catch the fish he deserves.”
He added: “I fluked out a 41lb mirror, which fought like a lunatic in the shallow water, and it was a great session.”
The pair baited with tiger nuts, hemp, Carp Krunch particles and Little Gemz pellets, plus Mainline Hybrid and Hinders Snailz boilies. Hookbaits were presented on Korda and Fox rig bits.
3lb 4oz perch tops off best-ever angling week
This 3lb 4oz perch was the highlight of a productive week’s angling for Ollie Jenkinson which also included a 6lb 5oz chub.
Both of the fish were taken by the 15-year-old all-rounder from an area of marginal cover on a stretch of the Great Ouse.
Upon spotting the predator under a far bank bush, he took off the initial 3 AAA shot on his leger set-up and freelined a small fish on a size 7 hook.
“The livebait swung round in the current past the perch and which grabbed it just as it was sinking into the deeper water,“ explained Ollie. “It was one of the best anglers weeks of my life,” he added.
Click here for more angling news...
Canal fishing gets big boost
The future looks bright for canal angling after it was revealed that plans are being put in place to implement large scale improvements to waterways in order to boost sport and attract more anglers.
Following the findings of a national survey by the Canal & River Trust, which saw over 200 angling clubs representing around 60,000 members quizzed about what they wanted from their stretches, the charity are now using the data to generate an action plan to encourage anglers to return to ‘the cut’.
In a series of telephone interviews, clubs who run CRT owned stretches were asked questions ranging from what could be done to improve fishing to their views on how they could get more people – particularly youngsters – involved in the sport. Half of the clubs revealed they ran no junior section and 63 per cent said they have never ran an event to attract newcomers to fishing. Two-thirds also said they would like to see improved access or the restocking of waters.
The findings are now being fed into 11 regional angling action plans which will be overseen by a regional fishery manager and National Fisheries and Angling Manager John Ellis. Each plan will be locally focussed and will consider areas such as stocking, access and parking, towpath management, water quality and volunteering with initiatives to help grow club memberships and funding to help attract new people to the sport.
Simon Salem, marketing and fundraising director for the Trust, said: “Angling clubs are right at the heart of what we’re trying to achieve as a Trust; encouraging people to take ownership of their local stretch and, importantly, getting more people involved. “That’s why it’s so important that we build close relationships with clubs and give them the support they need to help bring a new generation of people into the sport and onto the waterways.”
Mark Lloyd, chief executive of the Angling Trust said; “It’s great that the Canal & River Trust has taken the time and trouble to ask the clubs what they want to see done to improve their fishing. “Anglers have noticed a significant change in attitude to angling since the formation of the Trust and we are now being recognised for the contribution we make to a vibrant waterway environment.”
For the findings of the survey go to - https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/media/library/7098-2014-angling-survey-results.pdf
Click here for more angling news...
Three Welsh thirties in 'best session ever'
“The best fishing ever” is how Simon Weston described his session that yielded three thirties and four twenties.
The five-day trip to Commonwood Fishery in Wrexham, North Wales, produced a new personal best mirror of 33lb 4oz and commons of 30lb 10oz and 30lb 15oz.
Simon, who fished CBS Entice boiles on KD rigs at Snowdon Lake on the six-lake complex, said: “I have just returned from a five-day stay and had the best fishing ever, catching seven carp including a new personal best. All the fish were stunning. It’s the best session I think I will ever have.
“I caught some on a sunken island and some in the margin. It’s a hard water, so to catch that many and get my pb is just fantastic. I noticed them feeding on the sunken island, with their tails right out of the water, so I was raring to go when I saw that.
“I’m still lost for words. I can’t believe what I caught, and I can’t wait to go back!”
Third 40lb-plus carp of the year for Ian Lewis
Ian Lewis chalked up one of his ‘all-time favourite captures’ in the shape of his third UK forty of the year.
The 43lb 14oz mirror, named Enoch, fell to a stealthy marginal trap at a southern stillwater and was part of a four-fish catch.
Gardner Tackle-backed Ian, from Berkshire, said: “I've been lucky to have landed three 40lb-plus mirrors this year, making it a monumental season for me.
“This fish will unquestionably go down as one of my all-time favourite captures; one I will relive in my mind for years to come.”
Ian added: “After a good few sessions learning the topography of the lakebed in an area of the lake that receives a good ripple from a south-westerly wind, I decided to concentrate my efforts on this area when I could get in there.
“I decided to fish to my strengths, what I like to call 'trap fishing', a dedicated approach when you're looking for that one special bite rather than a big hit out in the pond.
“No more than two hours after setting the trap, the locked-up Torrix rod was compressed round a storm stick, causing the fish to kite out from its bolt hole. After a frantic minute or so my dream carp was languishing in the folds of my net in the most dreamy dark winter-like colours, looking absolutely huge!”
Ian fed hemp and 10mm Peach and Black Pepper Fluoro boilies from Velocity Baits. His matching pop-up hookbait was glugged in hemp oil and presented on a short 15lb Gardner Disruption hooklink and a size 6 Wide Gape Talon Tip hook. The setup was pinned down with 4ft of Camflex lead-free leader and Critical Mass putty.
