Gill Cluster out at 41lb 10oz is new personal best
This 41lb 10oz mirror provided Jonny Fletcher with a new personal best at Cambridgeshire’s Monks Pit.
The 26-year-old Peterborough angler tempted the fish, known as Gill Cluster, on the second morning of his session.
He said: “It wasn’t until it was 10 yards out that I could see it was the of the big girls. I was soon to slip the net under it and could see it was a fish know as Gill Cluster.”
Jonny used a Mainline Hybrid bottom bait tipped with half a pineapple pop-up.
41lb 8oz common carp from historic Fox Pool
Derek Mallows declared himself ‘over the moon’ after bagging this 40-pounder the historic Fox Pool at Longfield Fishery.
The big common, which smashed Derek’s personal best, weighed 41lb 8oz and was his first fish from the water.
“The run came at 4am on Wednesday, September 10, and was my first carp from the lake,” said Derek. “To say I was over the moon would be an understatement. The fish weighed 41lb 8oz and is by far a new personal-best common for me.”
He added: “The fish was hooked at 80 yards on a smooth hard area which I had baited with 2kg of Richworth’s S-Core boilies in 18mm and 14mm sizes. The common was caught on a snowman rig made up of a size 8 Korda Kaptor Kurv Shank hook, 25lb Kryston Merlin hooklink and 17lb X Line mainline.”
Fox Pool was well known in the emerging carp scene of the 1960s onwards and was immortalised in Rob Maylin’s classic book of the same name. Following the collapse of the Cemex Angling empire, the venue has been under new ownership since 2012.
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Lochnaw delivers trio of 2lb roach
Stuart Jessop’s trip to Scottish roach mecca Loch Naw paid off with a trio of 2lb-plus redfins.
The Collingham, Nottinghamshire man landed two specimens of 2lb 10oz and one of 2lb 7oz from the 48-acre venue near Stranraer.
Stuart took all his fish using 10mm Dynamite Baits Source boilies on a helicopter rig consisting of a 6lb hooklink and a size 12 hook in conjunction with a small feeder filled with 4mm Source pellets and Sonubaits Hemp and Hali Crush groundbait.
“I had one of the 2lb 10oz fish and the 2lb 7oz roach in quick succession. This place is absolutely gorgeous and Kevin the fishery manager could not be more helpful and works tirelessly to run a superb fishery,” he said.
For more information visit www.lochnawcastle.co.uk.
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20lb pike caught while fishing for perch
This cracking 20lb 3oz pike gave Sam Edmonds an incredible fight on his light spinning gear.
The Hertfordshire-based 20-year-old boated the impressive specimen from Grafham Water while fishing with his dad, Gary.
Sam said: “When we arrived it was flat calm and sunny – not ideal conditions for pike. We decided to have a change of plan and fish jigs and drop-shot rigs for perch and zander.”
Despite the change in tactics his first fish of the day was a small pike of around 6lb which grabbed his purple Berkley Ripple Shad.
“10 minutes later I had an almighty whack and hooked into a very heavy fish – I knew straight away it was a good pike by the way it was tearing off line. It was an incredible fight on my light Abu Veritas spinning rod and 1000 sized reel,” he added.
Drennan Cup celebrates its greatest ever summer
Angling's most prestigious big fish competition is celebrating one of best summers in its history as the UK’s best specimen anglers battle it out in this season’s Drennan Cup.
Despite only being at the halfway stage no less than 60 weekly awards have been earned by anglers vying to be crowned the 2014/2015 Drennan Cup Champion.
Huge predators dominated the headlines early on but May and June saw big tench and bream go on the feed with no less than 13 weekly prizes given for double-figure tench and Alan Stagg took one of the biggest bream braces of all-time weighing 34lb 11oz.
The nation’s rivers haven’t disappointed either with barbel to 17lb 12oz and several 7lb-plus chub landed. But the real talking point of this season’s competition so far has been the number of huge 3lb-plus rudd caught, with six weekly awards handed out as opposed to just two for the species in the 2013/2014 season.
“The fine settled weather most of the UK has experienced this summer has resulted in the capture of some really spectacular fish, of various species. In fact, the sheer volume of caught-by-design specimens – means our little Drennan Cup Awards committee, in conjunction with Angling Times, often has a tough call debating which ones are most deserving of an award each week,” said Stuart Moss at Drennan International.
“A settled winter is likely to see some monstrous barbel, chub, perch and pike caught in particular, and some of the nation’s finest specimen anglers are already emerging as leading contenders to take the cup from 2013-14 winner Jamie Cartwright next Spring”
Leading the way so far and already boasting four weekly awards is respected big fish angler Alan Stagg.
The Gardner Tackle employee had huge bream to thank for his first two awards as May saw him land a brace of specimens of 17lb 3oz and 16lb 12oz, but the best was yet to come as he followed this up with one of the biggest braces in angling history with slabs weighing 17lb 6oz and 17lb 5oz.
A 15lb 8oz barbel from the River Thames and a 3lb 5oz rudd caught from a southern stillwater earned Alan his remaining two awards.
He said: “This summer has been of the highest quality for big fish as both the rivers and stillwaters have been in top form. It has really made for a great start to the Drennan campaign, not just for myself but also for many of the other anglers in the running.
“So far everything has gone right for me and all of my home-work has paid off. I’m honoured to have four awards at this stage, but the beauty of this competition is that it’s still wide open.
Angling Times columnist, Paul Garner, is hot on Alan’s heel with three weekly awards thanks to tench of 12lb 10oz, 3lb 11oz rudd and a 4lb 2oz 8dr.
Other anglers including former Drennan Cup Champion Darran Goulder, Jim Mathews, Mike Lyddon and up-and-coming specimen angler James Champkin are currently on two awards.
Four thirties taken in one overnighter
An overnight session yielded four 30-pounders in what Duncan Arrandale called his best quick-hit trip in 27 years’ angling.
The Mistral and Wychwood-backed angler netted commons of 35lb 12oz, 33lb 2oz, 32lb and 30lb 10oz in just 13 hours at the Carp Society’s Farriers Lake.
The 40-year-old said: “Four 30lb-plus commons in one night is probably my best cumulative catch on a quick night session in 27 years of carp fishing.”
He added: “I found a few fish milling around in a swim that receives very little angling pressure. The lake was busy so I decided to have a go for them, unsure if they would stay for the night. Baits were swung out on underarm casts and a handful of bait thrown in around each rig. The first fish came quickly after casting in, two came in the night and the final fish came as I was loading the barrow to get off to work, with just the rods left in.”
Duncan, from Evesham in Worcestershire, targeted a clearing amid weed and floating algae at 20 yards and baited with Mistral i40 boilies – introducing 30 baits after each fish.
He fished snowman presentation on combi rigs tied with Korda Mouthtrap, Avid Pindown braid and size 6 Fox SSSP hooks.
Double-figure barbel from tiny Midlands river
An 18ins-deep river produced this surprise double-figure barbel for Chris Long.
The Worksop angler caught it from the River Ryton, a tributary of the Idle, in Nottinghamshire.
“The river is 8ft wide and 18ins deep at best,” said the 36-year-old. “I’ve fished it for years and had fantastic results with 5lb-plus chub, but my recent outing resulted in two barbel – one of them being 10lb 2oz.
“I have since been back and have spotted more than 20 barbel, chub, and pike.”
Chris used maggots held on the bottom with 3 SSG splitshot.
Mega week for big roach
Autumn is traditionally a time for big roach and this season certainly looks set to follow that pattern with a raft of huge fish falling this week.
Leading the way on a fantastic week for the species was Ryan Hayden who banked a personal best 2lb 14oz redfin from the Hampshire Avon.
Faced with low and clear conditions, the Northants-based angler decided to use a link leger rig with a big piece of breadflake on the hook.
Using a small shot allowed the bait to bounce through the swim gently and as it reached the end of the peg the tip wrapped round.
“As it got close to the net I was certain it was a small chub, but then it came up into the fast water and rose to the surface. I could not believe it when I saw it was a huge roach,” said Ryan.
“After a couple of near misses with the net it finally slid over the net. I was speechless after landing a fish of a lifetime,” he added.
Over on the Dorset Stour Stuart Andrews used identical tactics to locate a new pb roach of 2lb 5oz.
Having spotted a shoal residing under an overhanging tree, he flicked out a piece of flake and it was soon spotted by the fish.
Floatfishing has also scored well, with Alistair Ogilvie displaying the silverfish potential of the River Trent with an eye-catching 52lb 12oz haul of roach.
The Lincolnshire rod fished a stickfloat and maggots on the Dunham stretch of the famous waterway to attract a bite almost every run through. His rig was made up of 2.5lb mainline and an 0.10mm hooklink to a size 18 hook.
Youngster sets record at Cromwell Lake
Schoolboy Morgan Wigglesworth broke the venue record at Nottinghamshire’s Cromwell Lake with this 44lb 6oz mirror.
The 16-year-old banked Rose at her top weight and also managed another mirror of 29lb 10oz at the Newark fishery.
“This was the first time I had ever been to this lake so I didn’t have any preconceived ideas, I just went hoping to catch a big fish and beat my personal best. So when I pulled Rose out she was a definite bonus!”
Morgan fished a 2ins chod rig at 90 yards over a bed of bird seeds, hemp, maize and tinned tuna. The big mirror came 10 hours into the session. Morgan said: “At 5.15am the reel roared off. It took about 15 minutes to land after a dogged fight over and through weed.
“After I had come back down to earth due to it being the lake record and my own pb, my second rod went and I pulled out a 29lb 10oz mirror.”
The teenager, from Sunnyside in Rotherham, South Yorks, caught both fish on white Mainline Toffee pop-ups.
Pike champ banks 9lb zander from weir
Bill Dowding got his autumn predator fishing campaign off to a great start by landing this specimen 9lb zander.
The 2013 British Pike Angling Champion paid a visit to Carthergena Weir on the River Lea in Broxbourne, Herts, where he netted this fish along with a double-figure pike trotting a small float fished roach deadbait under an over-hanging tree.
Bill’s tackle consisted of 30lb braided mainline a 20lb wire trace with two size 8 trebles.
Apply now for government funding to save local fisheries
Angling clubs are being urged to take advantage of a funding scheme that could see them receive thousands of pounds to take control of new waters before it comes to an end.
With council budgets being slashed in recent years, hundreds of community venues with bags of potential are on the verge of being lost to angling due to a lack of management.
In a last ditch bid to create a positive future for these fisheries, the Angling Trust is leading the drive to get clubs to apply for up to £10,000 of government backing.
The Community Assets and Service Grants Programme has been running for several years but the scheme is set to end within weeks, with all applications for the final round of bidding required by October 31.
National Angling Strategy Manager Rick Warner believes the project offers clubs the ideal opportunity to expand their portfolio of waters and he said: “Angling is not a priority to many local councils due to a lack of finance and we need clubs to come forward to help manager waters that will otherwise be neglected.
“The Angling Trust is on hand to help clubs process these applications and hopefully put in successful bids that will benefit both the clubs and local community,” he added.
Derbyshire’s Earl of Harrington’s AC are among those that have already taken on and transformed abandoned waters, including a series of park lakes which are now top class fisheries. Club treasurer Teresa Parr believes the club has benefitted massively as a result of the move. She told Angling Times: “The illegal fishing and neglect that the park lakes suffered from is now under control and each one is improving, producing some fantastic sport for a variety of species.
“We have sold loads of day and season permits as a result of acquiring these and I would definitely advocate clubs applying for this funding to take ownership of similar venues,” she added.
For more information call Rick on 07850 774857 or email rick.warner@anglingtrust.net
Triumphant return with 43lb mirror carp
Ted Bryan bounced back from a bad back to take this 43lb mirror on his return to fishing.
The Londoner targeted a Kent stillwater and snared the fish from the margins.
He said: “After a very long lay-off because of bad back problems and family camping holidays I finally got the rods back out again and I went for a quick overnighter on a Kent lake.
“I was having a good walk around the lake when I saw a few fish showing, not too far out from the bank. So I got my gear and got set up. I put two rods along the marginal shelf in 10ft of water and one out at about 40 yards in about 12ft of water. I then put 100 Nash Tandoori Spice 15ml boilies over each rod and at 2.40am left-hand margin rod was off.
“I pulled into a very big fish and had a good 10-minute battle. I landed the fish and in the moonlight I could see that it was a very large mirror. I weighed it and got my mate to come and do the pics, and later that day I packed up and went home a very happy man.”
Ted tackled up with Nash rods and reels and used rigs made of 25lb Nash Missing Link, size 8 Nash Fang X hooks and two Tandoori Spice bottom baits.
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Irish common skate record broken with 225lb fish
The Irish common skate record has been broken with the capture of this 225lb fish.
It was landed by Irishman Billy Wallace who was fishing aboard Declan Kilgannons "Kiwi Girl" during a day trip to a known mark in Donegal Bay, County Sligo. The huge specimen which was taken on a 2lb coalfish deadbait soaked in Declan’s own fish oil cocktail, was the biggest of a five fish haul recorded by the crew.
The weight was estimated using an accepted formula from the wingspan and length measurements before the fish was returned alive, meaning Billy’s catch will never be made official. The official Irish record was caught in 1913 off Ballycotton and weighed in at 221lb.
Record-shaking Grafham pike caught
This impressive 34lb 8oz pike is one of the largest-ever from Grafham Water and fell to the lure of Marek Maciejewski.
The impressive predator, which measured 3ft 9ins in length, was hooked while fishing between the north tower and hedge end area of the 1,550 acre reservoir in Cambridgeshire and is the biggest this year from the venue.
Grafham’s pike record currently stands at 38lb and the fishery is also noted for its huge perch and zander. In the last few weeks it has seen some huge perch fall to lure anglers, with a 4lb fish to Gary Edmonds and several 3lb-plus specimens too. Fishing with both deadbaits and artificial baits is allowed at Grafham water from October 1.
UK Carp Shakespeare Suit Facebook Competition Winner
Congratulations to Robin Milner from Suffolk! You have won a Shakespeare Two Piece Breathable Rain Suit RRP £120 in size XL thanks to UK Carp Magazine in the latest Angling Times Facebook competition. Your prize will be posted out shortly.
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New venue record set at Baden Hall Fishery
A father-and-son duo crowned a memorable debut session at Baden Hall with three thirties and the venue’s biggest-ever fish.
Alex Jaundrell, who was fishing with his father Neil, banked the Big Common at an all-time high of 47lb 8oz from Quarry Pool at the Staffordshire complex.
“It really was a dream fish, just a stunning carp,” said 20-year-old Alex, who also banked a 35lb 3oz common and a 22lb mirror. Dad Neil added commons of 31lb 10oz and 32lb 8oz to the tally during the pair’s four-day stay.
The South Wales anglers arrived at the lake on Thursday afternoon to find very few fish had been coming out.
“With an easterly breeze sweeping across the lake, we opted to fish the sheltered bay area of the and were lucky to bag the two swims available,” said Alex. The pair baited regularly, introducing 4.5kg of Pro Baits UK Squid and Orange boilies around spots in the margins and close to an island, but had to wait until Saturday morning for their first bite – a 31lb 10oz common for Neil.
At first light on Sunday morning, Alex bagged a 35lb 3oz common from a margin spot and Neil had a 32lb 8oz common not long afterwards.
A 22lb mirror greeted Alex on the last morning of the session, before he received another take at 7am. “I struck into the fish and it just stopped. I thought I had caught a snag on the bottom of the lake, but then it began a run that caught me by surprise – this was no ordinary fish!
“Several runs later the fish weeded itself, but I kept the pressure on and slowly he emerged, surrounded by a ball of weed, but done with his fight.
“In the net I could not believe my eyes at the sheer size of it. As I lifted it I just knew it was a forty! My dad took one look and said, ‘I reckon that’s the Big Common – biggest fish in the lake’. We just stood, speechless, looking in awe at this magnificent creature. I was in total shock!”
Alex used 5ins Fox Camotex Stiff KD rigs with size 6 Fox Arma Point SSC hooks.
Fishfinders to be used in matches?
Fishfinders have been a common sight among specimen anglers for years – but they could soon be making an appearance on the match circuit according to one former Fish O’Mania finalist.
Essex-based rod Tony Curd has won countless contests during his career, using innovative ideas on numerous occasions to come out on top. And after recently getting his hands on the new Deeper Fishfinder, he instantly recognised the value it could have in events. The device can be hooked on to a pole rig and lowered in, showing information such as the contours and depth of your swim as well as the number of fish present on a mobile phone app that can be downloaded for free.
He said: “During the trial I tied it on to a heavy length of line and shipped my pole out to where I'd been catching from. I could see the pellets I was feeding falling through the water on my phone and it showed that every time I fed, more fish came in to the swim.
“It was also clear that some bigger fish were sat up in the water so I shallowed up and caught a number of large F1s.
“It could be a fantastic tool in matches in cool weather, helping you to locate a shoal of fish without having to spend an age searching your peg. It would definitely be very effective but I have to admit it’s inevitable that some places would ban it in matches,” he added.
One fishery owner that is open to the idea of such technology is Lindholme Lakes boss Neil Grantham. He told Angling Times: “I don’t have a problem with anyone who wants to come here and use this kind of equipment as long as it’s safe and doesn’t interfere with anyone else’s fishing.
“Fish shoal up as it gets colder and I can see the benefits of a fish finder and how it would be useful for anglers that want to locate them quickly.”
On the other side of the fence, however, is Westwood Lakes owner Alan Coupland. “Match fishing is about working your swim out and then attacking it,” he said. “This technology would take that element away and spoil things and we wouldn’t allow it in our contests.”
17lb 1oz bream ends three month campaign
This huge 17lb 1oz bream is perfect proof that perseverance is the key when targeting specimen fish after Mark Simmonds smashed his personal best from a venue that hadn’t produced a bite for three months.
He’d been focusing his attentions on a lake in Cambridgeshire and until his latest session he hadn’t even seen a sign of his intended quarry.
But that all changed when the St Neots, Cambs-based specialist decided to follow the wind and introduce a large bed of mixed particles, pellets and boilies over a spot between two gravel bars.
He fished three rods, that were all finished with different hookbaits, in conjunction with PVA bags. And it was two home-made 11mm fishmeal boilies tipped with a 10mm Top Baits Condensed Milk pop-up that produced his first bite.
“Up until this weekend I had nothing to show for almost three months - I hadn’t had so much as a bleep or seen a single fish show itself,” Mark told Angling Times.
“I had my own 40th birthday party to attend in the evening and I wasn’t expecting much action but I had a huge drop-back bite at 6.30am on the final morning of the trip.
“The fight was unspectacular and my friend was soon slipping the net under a proper dustbin lid of a fish it was almost as tall as it was long and around five inches across the back. When my friend read the weight off the scales I nearly fell over with shock and I had to check them myself just to be sure!
After losing another fish an hour later he rounded off the session with a second double figure bream weighing 11lb 12oz and his biggest fish smashes his previous personal best that stood at 14lb 2oz.
“I continued to get liners, but I had to sort my party out which was a bit gutting in a way as all that time trying to locate them was finally paying off,” added Mark, who used 25lb braided mainlines and coated braid hooklinks with size 10 hooks.
Small pit yields 31lb 12oz mirror carp
Fresh from banking an unknown 40lb common a Cambridgeshire gravel pit, Marcus Fretwell has turned his attentions to a smaller water and continued his run of good form.
This 31lb 2oz mirror was caught alongside a 20lb common during the 25-year-old scaffolder’s first overnighter at the venue.
He said: “This was a 24-hour visit to a new lake for me, a little two-acre Cambridgeshire pit. I walked round the lake and saw the fish feeding in the margins, so got the rods set up and fished to a weed bed just five yards out on a naked chod rig with a Sticky Krill pop-up.
“Within half an hour I had a take and it was a 20lb common. When the second rod ripped off it was one of the better ones, a 31lb 2oz mirror!”
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360-mile round trip is rewarded with two 40lb-plus carp
Round trips of 360 miles haven’t stopped Simon Harbottle from enjoying success at Cambridgeshire’s Monks Pit in recent weeks.
The Stockton-on-Tees angler has made the long trip south to bank two forties in two sessions at the well-known syndicate water.
First up was a 41lb 1oz mirror, which came from the No Carp Corner swim.
Simon told Angling Times: “I had my usual lap of the lake and a chat with a few anglers before deciding on my chosen swim. I had a lead about and chose to fish on a clay area next to a Canadian weed bed at 80 yards.
“I fished all three rods at the same range and baited quite a tight area, trickling in a few Spombs of 10mm Nash Scopex Squid boilies and Scopex Squid Monster Carp Pellets.
“Just as it was starting to get light I hooked into a scaly 23lb 14oz mirror, and the 41lb 1oz mirror followed shortly after I’d topped up the area with more bait.”
Simon hoped to get in the same swim on his next visit, but it was occupied so he settled into a peg known as The Rota where he had seen showing fish. “I employed the same tactics,” he said, “and the fish continued to show into dark so I was confident that one would make a mistake.
“A fish known as Moonscale was the one that did, just as it was getting light. It weighed 43lb 9oz and the most satisfying thing was I had it on my homemade Scopex Squid corkdust wafters.”
