Prebaiting campaign ends with 15lb 7oz river barbel

A two-month prebaiting campaign saw top specialist Adrian Eves beat his barbel personal best with this 15lb 7oz River Thames specimen.
Catching big fish by design can often be about sheer patience and determination, and Adrian has these attributes in abundance – as he showed when he visited his chosen stretch twice a week for two months to introduce a few handfuls of boilies each time.
It was this careful preparation, designed to get the resident barbel feeding in a certain spot without filling them up, that finally paid dividends for the Fox and Dynamite Baits-backed angler.
“Too many anglers just pile a load of bait in the night before and think that there’s a chance the fish are going to be there ready and waiting,” said Adrian.
“But I’ve found that small quantities of bait introduced on a more regular basis is the way forward, especially if the fish in your chosen river are fished for a fair bit.”
Despite semi-flooded conditions, the new personal best provided the Surrey-based specialist with the only bite of his session when it took a Dynamite Baits The Crave boilie that was fished in conjunction with a coated braid hooklink and a size 6 Kuro S2 hook.
It’s a fish that beats his previous best for the species that stood at 15lb and was banked from the River Kennet in Berkshire.
“It was just one of those days when I knew something was going to happen. I said to someone that morning that I knew I was going to catch a big barbel, and I was right,” Adrian continued.
“To make all that effort in visiting the river to introduce the bait might seem a lot of work to some people but, believe me, if you put the time in, you’ll reap the rewards.”

World Pairs is now even richer!

A guaranteed 20,000 Euros awaits match anglers in Ireland’s richest-ever match, Angling Times can reveal.
The Lakeland & Inland Waterways World Pairs is back for 2016, and in addition to the big prize pot, the ever-popular Daiwa Cup running alongside has increased its share of the spoils to £10,000 of top-notch tackle vouchers and equipment.
Won by brothers Phil and Steve Ringer in 2015, the series attracts a who’s-who of UK match anglers, plus rods from abroad, including as far away as Malaysia.
Entry for this year stays the same at just £170 per pair. Anglers booking through the event’s travel partner Ireland Travel Plus will benefit from a £30 discount. To enter the optional Daiwa Cup, running alongside the main event, you’ll have to pay a further £140.
It all takes place from Monday, September 5 until Friday, September 9 with the central ‘hubs’ the same as in 2015 – Loughs Garadice and Erne – alongside some new waters.
“We strive to improve this event every year and 2016 will see improved access on some of the venues, which will help a lot,” said organising committee member Helen Rainsford.
“There’s also a warm-up match based on venues south of the border on Sunday, September 4. Daiwa’s increased commitment only helps make the Pairs even bigger.”
Lurgan angler and member of Garbolino Feeder Team Ireland, Philip Jackson won the event in both 2012 and 2013 with Galway’s Cathal Hughes.
“The World Pairs is one Irish festival not to be missed – the fishing is brilliant, as is the organisation and hospitality every year,” said Philip.
“It’s a great opportunity for Irish anglers to fish alongside those from overseas, and the Daiwa Cup match running alongside gives everyone a chance to win some section money too.
“In fact, it’s a fabulous first introduction to angling in Ireland.”
To take part in the World Pairs, visit the website www.worldpairsangling.com or call 07711 607200.

Two fifties and host of forties in a crazy two-day mild spell at the Avenue

Mild temperatures and energising winds whipped the fish into a frenzy at the Avenue, as two fifties and a host of forties fell in a couple of days.
The Shropshire venue, which is part of Rob Hales’ portfolio of carp waters, sprang to life as mirrors of 53lb 7oz, 50lb 6oz and 49lb 14oz hit the bank.
“It’s been unreal, almost better than it’s been all summer,” said Rob.
Biggest of the bunch, Black Scar, fell to John Lee, while Trakker’s Jon Jones caught the 50lb 6oz mirror known as Sweet Cheeks and Andrew Evans snared Captain Scarlett at 49lb 14oz.
“We’ve now got seven fish that have weighed over 48lb, but haven’t yet made 50lb. There are already four fifties in there – two mirrors and two commons – and 30 different recorded forties,” said Rob.
John Lee, from Lancashire, used a Mainline Cell wafter on a Korda IQ D-rig and fed 50 matching boilies and 1kg of particles over the spot.
Jon Jones said: “I broke my pb down there in December with a 48lb 6oz fish, and now I’ve had my first UK fifty at 50lb 6oz – it’s not been a bad winter!
“I arrived in the morning and all the usual areas were taken, but I happened to see a couple of fish show in an area where nobody was fishing and I slung a single hookbait to the spot. Within a couple of hours, it was away.”
Jon presented a Mainline Pineapple wafter on a nylon D-rig and lead clip arrangement.
Venue regular Luke Edwards also got in on the act with fish of 22lb 2oz, 32lb, 37lb and a 42lb 2oz mirror known as Richie. “All the bites came in the dark and coincided with very mild conditions,” the Wolverhampton angler told Angling Times.
Luke used Mainline Cell and Hybrid boilies on simple blowback rigs made with 20lb Fox Illusion and size 6 Kuro hooks.

Embryo’s big boost for UK’s waters

Korda Tackle boss Danny Fairbrass is calling for anglers to be part of a ground-breaking scheme to create the fisheries of the future.

Danny and his team at Embryo Angling Habitats (EAH) have this week revealed the progress they have made since its launch, with a host of venues stocked, enhanced and improved in their quest to provide better fishing for the nation’s anglers and protect waters from otter predation.

The non-profit organisation, headed by Matt Pettitt, has already seen anglers take advantage of almost half a million pounds’ worth of investment.

Newly-stocked lakes from Hull to Cornwall are set to produce big catches in the coming months.

But Danny has revealed that this is just the beginning and now he wants anglers and clubs to come forward to help spread Embryo’s growing network of venues that provide quality, affordable fishing for local anglers.

“Every one of the projects has been started because we’ve been contacted by local anglers and clubs about venues that have potential,” Danny told Angling Times.

“The venues that we now have in the portfolio are just the beginning. I know that, with anglers’ help, we can create so many more.

“Some people out there think that this is just some money-making exercise, but I’m not in this to make a penny.

“We’ve spent well over £450,000 and received around £13,000 back in ticket money, so it’s clear that this isn’t a model set-up to make a profit.

“Our experienced team is ready and waiting to start work on our next projects, so pick up the phone or drop us an email and let’s get things started.”

Founded by Danny in summer 2014, Embryo Angling Habitats is not only repeatedly fulfilling its objective in opening up new fishing opportunities, but it’s also leading the way in protecting waters against predation.

The organisation has an experienced fencing team that has protected Embryo’s own waters, and has also provided cut-price fencing for angling clubs and advice for those that are experiencing problems with predators.

Matt has been instrumental in the success that EAH has already enjoyed and is also this week urging clubs and associations which need help with otter fencing projects to come forward.

“The progress we’ve made has been fantastic and the relationships we’ve built with clubs and fishery owners have been invaluable,” he said.

“We’ve got the equipment and the expertise to be able to assist clubs and associations look at effective and affordable ways to protect their waters,” Matt added.

“It can be very expensive to fence your venue, but as long as we can cover our costs we are here to give fisheries all the help that they need.

“Whether you know of a lake that we could develop for fishing, or have a venue with an otter problem, please contact us because the real success stories that we have had to date have been the result of anglers getting in touch. We can only help if we know about the problem!”

40lb pike tops a massive opening week at Chew

A huge 40lb 4oz pike caught on a homemade rod tops an incredible week at the famous Chew Valley Reservoir, which also saw a record-breaking brace of predators landed.
It was the first time that Guy Elson had ever fished at the Somerset venue, and he christened his new hand-built rod with the specimen that smashed his personal best by more than 25lb during the latest pike fishing trials. It also saw an incredible venue record brace of fish weighing 37lb and 35lb taken from Picnic Area 2 off the North Shore.
Guy was fishing with boat partner and close friend Craig Holiehead, and the fish-of-a-lifetime provided the only pike of the day for the duo at the Bristol Water-controlled venue, which produced a total of 19 predators reported over the 30lb barrier, as well as the 40lb 4oz fish.
“We turned up with a bucket and a couple of rods each at this vast venue, surrounded by other anglers who were obviously super serious about their piking. That was a little daunting, to say the least,” said Guy, who’s based in Kent.
“The weather turned nasty, so we headed around the back of an island and cast float-legered mackerel baits into a hole about 18ft deep.
“I had a slow, ponderous take, and when the fish began to take line off a tight clutch I knew this was no ordinary pike.
“This was the first fish on my new rod, my first visit to Chew and probably the biggest pike I’ll ever catch. It just goes to show what an incredible venue this is. Anyone with a bait in the water has a chance of a dream fish like this.”
It proved yet again why ‘Chew’ is regarded as the UK’s finest and most consistent big-pike venue after producing many fish over the 35lb mark, one of them topping the scales at 35lb 12oz and landed by Somerset’s Andy Berwick.
Angling Times columnists Martin Bowler and Steve Rowley were among the many visitors who banked pike over the 30lb barrier.
“Chew is a factory for producing huge pike, and there’s nowhere else that comes close,” said Martin.
“If I’d caught a fish of 34lb 12oz at any other venue it would be a safe bet that it would be the best of the day, but I think the day I was fishing it was the third biggest, which really puts into perspective how amazing this venue is.
Steve Rowley joined Martin for his two-day session and also got among the seemingly endless stock of huge predators when he won the battle with this 34lb 2oz (above) with size 4 Drennan semi barbless trebles.
His fish fell to a sardine hookbait just as the light began to fade on their final day’s fishing.
“Though social media and the press may give people the impression that Chew is an easy water, this is far from the truth,” said Steve.
“The fact that most anglers’ expectations are high when they fish Chew makes it twice as tough if they fail here. But the truth is that anyone can apply for a ticket and have a shot at a huge pike.”
There’s always a special buzz among the dedicated staff at Chew when pike anglers from all over the country descend on the venue for the highly anticipated pike fishing trials.
And with eight days left of the winter trials, and a venue record that stands at 44lb 6oz, many believe there’s no other venue in the country that’s got a better chance of producing over the current 46lb 13oz British best.
“It’s always really exciting for everyone at this incredible fishery,” said fisheries manager John Harris.
“The sheer number of huge pike caught on a daily basis never ceases to amaze us. I’m sure that the remaining days of fishing in February are going to produce the goods... something really special is always a possibility.”

2lb roach milestone

Danny Taylor achieved his ambition to catch a roach over the 2lb mark with this impressive specimen.
To make it even more special, he banked the 2lb 1oz fish from a stillwater in the North West, where such a specimen is extremely rare, when he feederfished maggots on a helicopter-style rig.
They were tactics that also saw him net roach weighing 1lb 13oz and 1lb 11oz.
“My personal best for the species stood at 1lb 15 oz for a long time, so this is a milestone for me,” he said.

Drop shotting lures canal perch cracker

Urban fishing has enjoyed a boom in popularity in recent months and Ant Glascoe Jnr showed why when he netted this big perch from a northern canal.
High winds threatened to ruin his eagerly awaited day on the towpath, but the Manchester angler battled against the elements with drop shotting tactics.
With a Savage Gear Bleak Real Tail on the line the rod-tip soon indicated a take and it didn’t take long for before the specimen was in the net.
“I’ve caught perch from venues all over Europe but these inner-city fish are some of the best looking ones I’ve ever seen,” explained Ant.

Truth behind carp record scales

The scales used to weigh the new British record carp were accurate, Angling Times can exclusively reveal.
When tested ‘from cold’, the digital scales used to weigh the Parrot were found to be spot on by Weights and Measures officials.
The record will be claimed based on the original 68lb 1oz reading taken on the bank at Berkshire’s Wasing Estate last month.
The results of the stringent official tests lifted a huge weight off the mind of captor Dean Fletcher, who enlisted the help of Angling Times to get the scales calibrated.
He told us: “I had trouble sleeping the night before the results were due in, but now I’m over the moon!
“Even though it’s been in the paper and I’ve been on the radio twice I still wasn’t sure it would be a record.”
The greengrocer added: “After all that it’s such a relief – if it wasn’t a record I would look a right plum!”
The scales were checked by the Weights and Measures division of Cambridgeshire County Council’s Trading Standards team in a room set to 20ºC and 50 per cent humidity – as stipulated in the Weights and Measures Act of 1985.
Under BRFC rules, the Reuben Heaton Sportscales were first loaded with brass weights until the digital display read 68lb 1oz. Then the scales were loaded with enough weights to read 68lb and 68lb 2oz. Each time, the readout on the £80 unit perfectly matched the weight applied to them.
The same tests were repeated two more times, during which the scales sometimes ‘under-read’ (meaning a fish could be bigger than indicated) by up to 40g (1.41oz), though tester Paul Street told Angling Times: “When we tried the first application of weights we didn’t find any error.
“What we did first of all was convert 68lb 1oz into metric and round that to the nearest 25g (1oz), as that’s the division used by the fishing scales. That figure was 30.875kg.
“The first time we put that weight on the scales we got that exact reading, there was no error.
“Once the machine [the scales] got used to the weight hanging on it, warming up a bit, it lost its idea of weight slightly, but only by a maximum of two divisions (2oz).
“I can confirm that the minimum weight when applied to the scale that gave a reading of 30.875kg (68lb 1oz) was 30.875kg.”
Paul, whose council lab can test weights down to a millionth of a gram, added: “Electronic scales are usually quite good for accuracy unless they have been mistreated or damaged.”
Dean, who caught the Parrot just an hour after casting out at Cranwell Lake on the Wasing Estate, added: “They’re the Wasing Estate’s scales that are there for just this type of occasion.
“We weighed the fish on two sets of scales and on the dial scales (which went up in 4oz divisions) it went over 68lb, so we took the digital reading which told us exactly what it was.
“I’ll now send off all the paperwork to the British Record Fish Committee and hopefully it’ll be accepted. I suppose with carp it’s not likely to be a question of identity – it’s not like it’s going to be crossed with a gudgeon!”

Dovetail Games Euro Fishing, coming to Xbox One in May 2016

Euro Fishing immerses you deep into the adrenaline-packed action, fun and beauty of some of Europe’s most famous lakes. Master your rod, line and tactics, and refine your technique to become a top angler. This is the closest you can get to real fishing from the comfort of your own sofa. Welcome to the Great Indoors!

Whether you’re a fishing beginner or angling pro, Euro Fishing accurately and authentically replicates the feeling of actual fishing using our unique physics-based casting and reeling system, ‘Total Cast Control’.
 
Start by learning the basics of casting with in-game tutorials, or dive straight into one of the five unique European locations included, such as Digger Lakes and the famous St John’s Lake at Linear Fisheries, each posing their own unique challenge to land the big catch and a new digital PB.

Using advanced AI and customisable environment effects, fish respond to water temperature, time of day, weather conditions and baits as they do in real life. Spot fish ‘shows’ before casting into the right area from a pre-set peg or the lake bank, and customise your angling equipment for the best chance of landing a catch.
 
In Euro Fishing, you can fish by yourself or compete against friends and opponents in single player or hosted multiplayer tournaments, tracking and comparing catches in real time.

Head over to Facebook now and ‘Like’ us and for the latest news about Euro Fishing coming to ID@Xbox in May 2016 head over to dtgfishing.com.

15lb 4oz bream best

Bream aren’t always welcomed by carp anglers, but Dan Bailey certainly didn’t mind when this 15lb 4oz bream turned up.
The Fleet, Hants, angler was fishing on the South Lake, which is part of the famous Yateley complex, when he received the bite from the new personal best after it picked up a popped-up corn hookbait presented on a KD rig.
His session also produced an 18lb mirror carp that was also beaten with a size 10 hook.

6lb chub brace was well worth the wait

Years of effort to land a 6lb-plus chub ended spectacularly for Rob Thompson when he landed a brace over the barrier from a Bedfordshire river.
The Korum-backed star had tried in vain to achieve his goal on his local Derbyshire Derwent, but eventually conceded defeat and headed further south in his quest.
Link legering cheese paste coated in Sonubaits Cheese and Garlic Flavour Shaker, he was soon into a brace weighing 4lb 4oz and 5lb 5oz.
But the best was yet to come, with fish of 6lb 5oz and 6lb 6oz showing up in quick succession.

Two new venues for 2016 Old Ghost UK Champs

The 2016 Old Ghost UK Angling Championships will see two new venues – The Glebe Fishery and Boddington Reservoir – replacing Maver Larford Lakes and Bait-Tech Viaduct Fishery.
Backed again by Old Ghost, the competition is open to any UK angler, with the top 40 from last year qualifying. The remaining 40 places will be decided by a one-off qualifier in April.
The top four from each section will go through and registration is via www.ukanglingchampionship.co.uk.
Each round will be televised as competitors try to emulate 2015 champion Jon Arthur, who was crowned victorious for the third time in his career.
“We’ve two new venues as we move from Larford and Viaduct, which we’ve used for the last few years, to The Glebe and to Boddington Reservoir,” said organiser and owner of Barston Lakes Nigel Harrhy.

Schoolboy banks 5lb 12oz river perch

The capture of a 5lb 12oz perch from one of the UK’s most famous river systems is the biggest talking point in yet another incredible week for huge stripeys.
Schoolboy Edward Frost had a big surprise during a session on the River Bure with his father when a lure intended for pike was taken by the huge perch that measured 46ins long and he said was as wide as a carp.
The 14-year-old local from Wroxham was working his 15cm Savage Gear lure in a swim at Horning when the fish proved why this river with the many others that make up the vast Broads system are regarded as some of the best predator venues in the land.
“I’ve caught perch to 2lb 8oz before, but this fish was incredible and as wide across the back as a 5lb carp,” said Edward.
“I didn’t have any scales with me, so my mum brought my proper scales that I use for carping down in the car and I weighed it twice really carefully to make sure it was all correct.”
A spokesperson from The Perchfishers added: “The Broads have a history of big perch. Oulton Broad used to produce big fish a while ago and, more recently, the River Glen in Lincolnshire produced one of 5lb-plus, so the Broads and other relatively lightly fished areas are capable of producing huge fish.”
Edward and his dad weren’t the only anglers celebrating, as Cotswold Specimen Anglers members Mark Woodage and Matt Wood netted fish weighing 5lb 1oz and 4lb 6oz.
The bigger of the impressive brace fell to Swindon-based Mark, who fished the popular drop shotting tactic with a Fox Lemon Tiger bait attached to Drennan Supplex fluorocarbon to set a new personal best for the species.
It was a bed of red maggots with a lobworm presented over the top that was the method of choice for Matt, who works at the Tackle Den and lives in Malmesbury, during the pair’s session on a Gloucestershire stillwater.
“We’ve had two fish over the 5lb mark and seven ‘fours’ in January from this incredible venue and there are plenty more huge fish just waiting to be caught,” Mark said.
Richard Hall also beat his personal best for the species when the drive from his Doncaster home to a gravel pit in the Midlands produced a handsome reward in the shape of a 4lb 11oz perch.
The 30-year-old backed the specimen up with another perch weighing 2lb 15oz when he worked a 7cm rubber shad through his chosen venue.  
“I’ve been targeting perch on and off for the last few winters with limited success, so this more than makes up for all my hard work,”
he said.
Some  areas of river are simply inaccessible by foot, but Paul Straughair made the most of his small boat to access a likely spot and was rewarded with the capture of a fine 4lb 7oz perch.
Fishing his favourite stretch of the Lower Stour at Christchurch, the 45-year-old cast a grub lure deep through the swim and was soon met by a powerful take from the prized specimen.

Wellington’s Unknown Mirror at 53lb 12oz best

Paul Wyatt tapped into Wellington Country Park’s unrivalled stock of big fish with this 53lb 12oz lump.
The fish, called the Unknown Mirror, came at its biggest-ever weight during a weekend session at the Berkshire venue.
Paul, from Headley in Hampshire, said: “I arrived to find it very busy on the Saturday. Having had a walk around, I decided my only option was a swim called Laurie’s. The fish had been showing at distance over the last few weeks in the ‘Bermuda Triangle’ around there, so I set up and got the rods out at around 90 yards using the end of the main island as a marker.
“That night I lost a good fish at the net, which I was disappointed with. The wind and rain were very strong and coming straight at me, and at about 9pm on the Sunday evening I had a couple of bleeps and a drop back. I hit it and tried to catch up with the fish, which had now started making a run for a bay to my left.
“After a 10-minute battle I had the Unknown Mirror in the net. At 53lb 12oz it was its top weight so far and it looked fantastic – there was not a mark on it and it is such a well-proportioned fish.”
Paul fished snowman rigs made with fluorocarbon hooklinks and size 4 hooks. He used Nutcracker boilies from Urban Bait.

Prices frozen on club books for 2016

Angling was given another major boost this week after dozens of the country’s biggest clubs revealed they are freezing membership prices this season.
Clubs throughout the UK have been widely praised for their commitment to providing the best value sport on offer, and they have signalled their intention to continue that trend with the latest slice of good news.
The decision comes a week after the Environment Agency announced a major overhaul of the rod licence system that is aimed at increasing participation and helping anglers save money.
Cheshire’s Warrington AA has charge £45 for several years for access to a vast array of canals, rivers and stillwaters, and the committee has rubber-stamped a deal to keep that price in place.
Chairman Frank Lythgoe believes the freeze will benefit all involved, and he told Angling Times: “We are a non-profit organisation that is run for the benefit of the members and we see no reason to increase prices at a time when we have sufficient funds to meet our outgoings.
“I am confident that this policy will be well received by our current members and also play a big part in attracting new faces into the club.”
Other big-name clubs, including Birmingham AA, Hereford DAA, Earl of Harrington’s AC and Wigan DAA, have followed suit in holding their price structure, with officials hoping the decision will also help attract an influx of new permit-holders.
Moves have also been made to make sure that the sport’s declining numbers of junior anglers are halted and then reversed, with a number of clubs handing out free memberships to children.
Todmorden AS is among them, and club secretary Ray Barber said: “This brand new scheme provides under-12s with a free annual ticket and we have brought it in to try and get more young people to take up fishing. We felt it was important to do our bit to secure a solid future for fishing.”

Record year for UK fish stockings

A record-breaking winter has seen almost two million fish stocked nationwide by the Environment Agency.
Hundreds of rivers and stillwaters have benefited following an improvement in breeding techniques at the EA’s Calverton fish farm in Nottinghamshire, and more fish left the rod licence-funded facility than ever before.
The figures were published in the EA’s annual report which also revealed how more than £21m in rod licence sales has been ploughed back into fishery improvements, operations to tackle illegal angling and more.
The stockings, which saw nearly half-a-million juvenile chub, dace, barbel and crucians leave the unit along with 1.3m fish larvae, will not only improve sport, but also help to secure the future of some of the sport’s most popular and cherished waters.
Alan Henshaw, team leader at Calverton, explained why 2015 was so good for rearing fish: “Many of our industrialised rivers have improved dramatically in water quality in the last 30 years and concerted restocking from Calverton has accelerated the restoration of natural fish stocks and viable fisheries,” he said.
“Last year was no exception, and while it wasn’t a good summer for getting a tan it was perfect for growing fish. Growth and production rates of fish over 18 months on the farm have been the highest recorded at Calverton.”
Along with numerous park lakes, dozens of rivers including the Yorkshire Derwent, the Nene in Cambridgeshire and the Brue in Somerset, have benefited from the EA’s work in 2015.
Angling Times columnist Dave Harrell is just one of many to welcome the news: “Most of our rivers in the UK are as good now as they have ever been, and that’s thanks to restocking programmes like these,” he said.
“It’s great to see the continued investment in our waterways, and competitions like RiverFest are a testament to all the positive work which is being done. I just wish more people would fish running water to enjoy it.” 
According to the report recently published by the EA, 1.2m rod licences were purchased by UK anglers last year, helping to fund a raft of fishery improvements including 324 projects such as fish pass construction and fish habitat improvement work.
EA staff also rescued 800,000 fish in 2015 and enforcement officers worked around the clock to tackle illegal angling and poaching by carrying out patrols and checking nearly 70,000 licences, resulting in more than 2,000 prosecutions.
Nonetheless, EA head of fisheries Sarah Chare believes there is still more to be done: “We must continue to improve water quality and habitats to benefit all fish populations in our rivers and enable them to thrive,” she said.
“Our stillwater coarse fisheries need to be well managed so that they are resilient to extremes of weather. We must also work together to reverse the declining numbers of anglers and falling licence sales – without rod licence income we will be able to deliver very little.”

Fish O’ Mania off to a flyer

It’s a record breaker! Just days after going on sale, every ticket for this year’s new-look Fish O’Mania qualifiers has been snapped up as Britain’s match anglers bid for the £50,000 top prize.
Organiser the Angling Trust has revealed that it received a record 7,200 applications for the 4,380 tickets available last week, dispelling initial fears that a format change for this year’s event would hit the number of applications.
Instead of a one-day match, for the first time Fish O’ will see a 32-peg semi-final at Staffordshire’s Cudmore Fisheries on Friday, July 8, followed by the final the next day which will again be fished by 16 anglers.
“We had over 1,200 individuals apply for tickets, with a total of 7,200 entries applied against tickets,” said Angling Trust competitions & events manager Sandra Drew.
“Every qualifier is full and there’s a long list of reserves, some running into the hundreds on the more popular venues.
“The change to qualification is radical, but gives more anglers the chance of winning Fish O’ as now more than one person goes through from each eliminator. The competition has been so popular that it made sense to enlarge it to offer more chances to more people.”
This year’s figures compare favourably against those of 2015, when 6,000-plus entries were received. The news comes just days after the Maver Mega Match This event reported an increase in overall sales on the same time last year, showing the healthy state of British match angling when it comes to big-money competitions.

Hat trick of fifties thanks for kingfishers!

Rob Hughes took a lead from the greatest anglers of all and banked three fifties in two days – thanks to the hunting habits of a pair of kingfishers.
The nimble birds kept returning to the same bush at a freezing venue and, with no other signs to go on, Rob cast to the area and immediately started hauling.
In all, the Carp Team England manager caught 13 fish including three fifties to 53lb 12oz, four forties and four thirties during a 48-hour stay at Lake Chanteboeuf near Limoges, in France.
He said: “Over the space of a few hours I watched the birds hunting and noticed that every now and again they would return to the same bush.
“After this had happened a few times I thought that even though they never caught anything they were going there for a reason.
“I moved a rod to the bush and within half an hour I’d nabbed a 36-pounder.
“I got the rod back out around dusk and it rattled off just after dark with a 52lb 2oz fish, then shortly afterwards with another of 53lb 12oz.”
When Rob began his session there was cat ice on the lake after a -5ºC night, but once he found the fish the bites kept coming.
He said: “I thought I was looking down the barrel of a blank but the kingfishers and a helping of watercraft saved the day. It goes to show it’s always worth making the effort and also how much the fish can group up in winter.”
Rob, who said he was “blown away” by the session, continued to catch during his second day.
He said: “The next day it snowed but sadly it didn’t stick. I put two rods close to each other on the spot and the action continued all day.
“I landed another seven fish including three thirties and two forties while nothing showed anywhere else. Darkness didn’t produce a fish but the following morning I capped it with another three – two over 40lb and a third fifty at 50lb 8oz.”
Rob used size 7 Fox SSBP hooks with a long hair and 2oz leads.
He baited with a handful of maize and five boilies for each bite and presented a DNA PB snowman over the top.

Homemade cheese paste lures 7lb 12oz chub

A Homemade piece of cheese paste the size of a golf ball was the secret behind the capture of this 7lb 12oz river chub.
Nathan Leney hadn’t been chub fishing for several months, but the recent mild spell inspired him to take a trip to the tough River Lea in Hertfordshire.
There the 36-year-old from Aylesbury relied purely on the pulling power of his homemade hookbait – made from shortcrust pastry, blue cheese, oil and flour – to attract the attention of the huge fish.
“I hadn’t come up to the river for over two months, but there’s always a big opportunity when big fish are concerned after a noticeable rise in temperature,” Nathan said.
“The most simple tactics are more often than not the most effective, so the only thing on the end of my line is a big hook and a golf ball-sized lump of cheese 0paste.
“Using something this size also gives me the option of trundling it around the swim, because it’s so heavy.”
The all-important bite from a fish that falls just short of his current chub pb came as he visited his last swim before heading home. He beat the specimen on 12lb line tied straight through to a size 1 hook.
“Cheese paste couldn’t be easier to make – I use four blocks of blue cheese to one shop-bought pack of pastry,” Nathan continued.
“I then add a little oil and then flour to obtain the perfect consistency for the hook.
“The only time I will feed at this time of the year is if I retrieve my hookbait and the paste is still on.
“I then remove this, form a couple of small balls from the leftover hookbait and flick them into the swim – that’s all it takes.”

16lb 10oz barbel taken on mince

A packet of supermarket mince and a huge home-made feeder were instrumental in the capture of a 16lb 10oz personal-best barbel.
This combination not only helped Gary Walsh land his biggest ever fish, but also provided him with three others over the 15lb mark weighing 15lb 8oz, 15lb 6oz and 15lb 2oz.
The Oxfordshire specialist admitted that he’s never known the fishing to be so good on the River Thames and this, combined with an unusual feeder mix coupled with a meat hookbait, has helped him capitalise on the incredible big-fish form of the waterway.
“I put the mince in a washing-up bowl, separated it with a fork and added a sprinkling of Krill-flavoured groundbait, then left it to stand for an hour or so,” said Gary.
“Then I repeated the process, which not only imparts a great flavour into the meat, but also helps separate it so that the meat doesn’t just become a solid lump in the feeder.
Gary also used his engineering background effectively as he made his own feeder with a metal mesh that he shaped around an aerosol can.
He then covered the outside of the feeder with glue and rolled it in wood chippings to create a camouflage, which helped him tempt these huge fish from highly-pressured areas.
“You don’t get many chances from these fish. You’re often fishing for a single bite, so that’s why I only make two highly accurate casts and then leave the rig in the water without reeling in,” Gary said.
“This might seem like a lot of effort to some people, but it’s these little edges that will set your presentation apart from someone else’s.
“I also dust my meat hookbait with the same meat groundbait that I add to the mince.”