Season’s largest grayling – from the Frome

This is the picture of the biggest grayling of the season weighing 3lb 8oz.

Two sessions on the River Frome produced this huge fish and another of 3lb for Tim Lennon at the first opportunity he had to fish for the species following months of high, coloured water.

Both came to trotted maggot tactics from the famous venue in Dorset, underneath a four-SSG Drennan Loafer float.

Angling guide Tim used 4lb Sensor line direct to a size 12 specimen hook in 6ft swims, with the bigger fish falling 2oz short of his personal best.

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“For the previous couple of weeks the river had been in the fields,” said Tim.”The first session produced the 3lb grayling and the second, when the river had dropped slightly, the 3lb 8oz. Hopefully, there might be an even bigger one to be caught before the season ends.”

Bailiffs hit banks in big crackdown

Record numbers of highly-trained bailiffs will be patrolling UK waters this coming closed season for what will be the biggest ever crackdown on illegal angling.
Operation Clampdown 4 – a joint initiative involving the Environment Agency, the Angling Trust and dozens of police forces  – begins on March 15 and will see anti-poaching patrols on both running and stillwater fisheries.
The news comes in the same week that the Angling Trust revealed the completion of a nationwide rollout of its Voluntary Bailiff Service (VBS).
The initiative has recruited dozens of new bailiffs from six different regions who will partner EA officers and police on patrols.
Previously the service was confined to the South East, but with the Trust’s recent enrolment of six ex-policemen as regional enforcement officers, five
other regions have been given the green light to enrol their own members and train them on the best ways to report poachers.
Angling Trust national enforcement manager Dilip Sarkar believes the volunteers will help to make a huge difference.
“VBS agents fulfil a crucial role, reporting information and evidence for the police and Environment Agency to act upon.
“This is because the entire system is intelligence-led – meaning that such reports, and those from anglers and the wider public, are absolutely essential,” he said.
They are trained to make reports to a high standard, and help raise awareness. Policing methods have changed, so to properly support the Environment Agency in particular, we have to respond to this.”
Sarah Chare, deputy director for fisheries at the Environment Agency, echoed those sentiments.
“I really welcome our partnership with the Angling Trust volunteers, which is funded entirely by anglers’ rod licence fees. This will make a huge contribution to our efforts to reduce illegal fishing and rod licence evasion.”
One of the latest rounds of recruitment was held last week in the Midlands, which saw 33 successful applicants from counties such as Leicestershire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Herefordshire signing up.
These will help bolster anti-poaching efforts which are now at an all-time high, according to Dilip.
“Fishery enforcement has never been so strong and that’s not only down to the voluntary efforts of  the recruited anglers, but the fact that everyone is working together to achieve the same goal.”

Firebugs set pensioner’s tackle ablaze

The angling community has united to come to the aid of a heartbroken pensioner whose tackle collection was destroyed by vandals.
Roger Adams (71), from Hull, had packed his vehicle the night before leaving for his annual carp trip to France, but, sadly, it proved to be a journey that he would never make.
He was woken early the next morning by the fire brigade, who had battled to extinguish a blaze that destroyed his car – after it had been vandalised.
More than £500 worth of the retired clergyman’s prized tackle, including two Abu Garcia reels that he’d owned for almost 40 years, were destroyed.
A video camera and a GPS device were stolen from his car before it was set alight.
“I was ready to leave in the morning but when I woke up my car was a wreck,” Roger told Angling Times.
“I’ve lost a new Shakespeare seatbox with all my terminal tackle although the worst loss are my Abu Garcia 155 and 55 reels – as I’ve had them for so many years.
“This really has left me feeling so low because my fishing means the world to me and I have a big pike fishing match at the end of the month, but all my predator tackle went up with the car.”
As soon as this heart-wrenching story broke both Roger and the Angling Times offices were inundated with messages of support and offers to donate tackle to the disabled pensioner.
One of those has come from Grimsby-based Baitbox, which has offered to supply Roger with a selection of gear to enable him to compete in the competition.
“This is a tragic story and we would like to do all that we can to help keep Roger fishing through this difficult time,” said Vicky Zakrzewski, co-owner of the Baitbox.
Passionate angler and head uk consultant for Savage Gear Ant Glascoe Jnr was left shocked by the story and has vowed to help Roger build his tackle collection back up again.
“I know I’m not alone when I say that scumbags like this really are the lowest of the low. How could they do this to someone like Roger who even had a disabled sticker in his car?” asked Ant.
“I feel it’s my duty to help in times like this and I’ll rally the troops and sort him out with what he needs. I’d be delighted if he wants to come fishing with me one day soon. Me and my crew will cheer him up.”

Linch Hill 43lb carp on freezing night

Christchurch at Linch Hill has produced a spate of stunners, this 43lb 4oz mirror being the latest.
Mal Battenbough made the trip to the Oxfordshire venue from his home in Swansea and was rewarded with Baby Poolie’s after moving swims.
The 45-year-old soldier had endured two blank nights before dropping in behind in-form Adam Smith, who recently had an 18-fish hit from the lake.
“The temperature dropped really quickly as the light faded and, with no signs of fish, I climbed into my sleeping bag with the intention of getting some heat back into my body,” said Mal.
“At around 1.15am four or five quick bleeps on my receiver saw me out of bed inspecting my rods. My left-hand bobbin had lifted to the blank so I raised the rod and was into a fish.”
In the -3ºC cold, Mal struggled to contain the carp’s lunges and it weeded solid for 10 minutes.
“I put the rod back on the alarm and went for the boat,” said Mal. “When I went to sleep the boat was behind my swim, but now it had gone, so I headed back into my swim and lifted the rod once more. This time I felt the fish kick and without giving it a chance to weed itself again
I began to pump it over the top of the weed bed in front.”
With help from the angler next door, the scaly mirror was landed, weighed and identified.
Mal fished Sticky Manilla hookbaits over mushed-up freebies.


St John’s 39-pounder tops 10-fish winter haul

Paddy Ramsden jumped on St John’s at the end of a pike match and took 10 carp to almost 40lb in temperatures as low as -50C.
The Chorley angler relished the chance of fishing in some “proper winter weather” and caught from the off at the Oxfordshire day-ticket water after the predator competition ended.
He said: “Around 4pm the hooter blew and we could choose a swim. Having spent the afternoon observing the water I knew where I wanted to be.
“Heading for the Point, an area I had never fished before, I knew with 48 hours in front of me that I had to take the risk of leading around for some spots. An hour or so later I had a good idea of the swim and had found a lovely little area out at range.”
While baiting up with mashed corn and crumbed CC Moore Live System boilies soaked in Amino 365 liquid, Paddy’s right-hand rod signalled a take and he landed a mid-twenty. That night, after baiting up again at midnight, he had three more fish including two doubles and another twenty.
On day two Paddy continued to trickle small amounts of bait into his swim. He said: “As the light began to fade, my left-hand alarm sounded and I was into another fish. This felt a lot bigger, kiting on a long line until I managed to turn it away from my mate’s lines next door. After 10 minutes in the deep margins I slipped the net under a fish that went 39lb 3oz. I was elated at the capture.”
The temperature continued to fall during the night, eventually getting down to -50C,  but this didn’t stop the fish feeding and I had four more between 18lb and 22lb, all from my middle rod.”
A 27-pounder at 6am completed a memorable session before Paddy, who fished white CC Moore Live System hookbaits, packed up at first light.


Monster chub fall as closed season loomed

The last week of the season shaped up to be one to remember as UK rivers hit top form and produce a spate of monster chub.
Pleasure and specimen rods all over the country have reported numerous big chub with two seven pounders and dozens of fish over 6lb landed in the last week.
Leading the way was Drennan-backed Mike Davidson, who used a small piece of bread to tempt a personal-best 7lb 10oz specimen from the River Thames.
Fishing an undisclosed stretch, Mike spent 10 minutes flicking in a few nuggets of Mother’s Pride before casting out a simple link leger rig made up of a 2lb 6oz Drennan Supplex fluorocarbon hooklength and a size 6 Drennan specimen hook.
After banking two chub over 5lb followed by a 7lb bream, his biggest specimen was hooked to end a hectic hour-long session.
“I’d fished the same swim six times over the last month or so with only one chub of 5lb 13oz to show for my efforts, but just had a hunch it could produce something much bigger. I’m so glad I stuck it out,” he said.
Another angler flying high was Bedfordshire’s Rob Creswell.
The 28-year-old followed up the capture of a huge a 7lb 1oz specimen banked  last month, when he headed  to a Vauxhall Angling Club stretch of the River Great Ouse near his home.
Rob adopted a traditional approach by using a small loafer float with 4lb mainline and a size 18 hook.
Trickling in a steady stream of red maggots with two on the hook, he tempted numerous chub before landing a brace of specimens which tipped the scales at 6lb 6oz and a whopping 7lb 1oz.
Chub Study Group member Terry Theobald was another angler who used float tactics to score with the species.
The Cardiff rod waited weeks for perfect conditions on the Dorset Stour, finally paying the waterway a visit where he bagged 10 specimen-sized fish topped by a stunning
6lb 14oz chub.
Like Rob, Terry used a loafer float with red maggots, constantly feeding handfuls of offerings down a steady glide to get the chub feeding.
By the end of his eight-hour session, he had bagged no fewer than eight fish between 4lb and
5lb 13oz and would have fished on had he not run out of bait.
“I usually take a gallon, but only took five pints this time,” he told Angling Times.
 “I’m gutted, as it was only after I had fed most of the bait that the fish were really having it at the end,” he said.
Adam Perna recorded a new personal best during a visit to the River Great Ouse with the capture of a 6lb 13oz specimen.
The Oxfordshire man prebaited a swim with just six boilies before returning some hours later when the huge specimen took his Blakes Baits Frank ’n’ Spice 18mm dumbell wrapped in paste.


Former champ Jamie Hughes wins year’s first Fish O’ qualifier

This year’s Fish O’Mania kicked off at Tunnel Barn and already there’s one big name heading to Cudmore in July for the semi-final eliminator as Jamie Hughes took a strong field apart to win.
The MAP/Bag’em Baits rod had already won the event twice and will be eyeing up a hat-trick after weighing in
141-5-0 to win by almost 60lb! Drawing peg 1 on the Canal Pool, Jamie landed carp to 8lb plus F1s dobbing bread on the long pole to the end of the island and fishing maggot short at 6m.
The same approach on nearby peg 6 saw Welsh rod Andrew Mann into second as the Frenzee angler landed carp to 3lb plus F1s for 83-14-0.
Result: 1 J Hughes, MAP/Bag’em Baits, 141-5-0; 2 A Mann, Frenzee, 83-14-0; 3 A Neal, Milo/Bait-Tech, 65-8-0; 4 A Geldart, Matrix/Dynamite Baits, 58-4-0; 5 S Collett, Guru/Dynamite Baits 57-7-0; 6 J Thirkhill, Middy, 57-6-0.


Captor of 51lb Fryerning carp admits: ‘She was much bigger than I thought’

One of Fryerning Fisheries’ three fifties surprised its captor after an early-morning battle.

Mark Shildrake caught the mirror known as the Boss at 51lb during a weekend session at the Essex venue but did not initially appreciate its size.

“At first I didn’t think she was that big,” said the Chelmsford angler, “but I then carefully lifted her out and placed her into the cradle and realised the fish was much bigger than I thought.

“A nearby angler kindly provided a tripod and the needle on my scales that had already been zeroed shot round to 51lb!”

It was the second time the 53-year-old insurance broker had caught the mirror, having been the first angler to land her at over 50lb last year.

“I believe it’s only the third time she has been out over the past 18 months,” said Mark.

Explaining his tactics, he added: “I turned up early on Saturday morning to find the lake quite busy and with the wind pushing towards the dam-wall end. I decided to fish a middle swim called the Logs, feeling the fish wouldn’t be on the end of the wind because it was so strong.

“I fished three rods over a spot baited with roughly a kilo of DT Baits’ Cold Water Green Beast spread over the area by a Spomb. My chosen bait was a white Cold Water Green Beast wafter, as I’d had success earlier in the year on it, landing another fish called the Wood Carving at 44lb.

“Nothing happened during the day or early evening other than a few bleeps as the Stow bobbins were blown around.

“However, at around 2.30am I was woken  up by a single bleep on the middle rod. A minute later the right-hand rod bleeped once, twice and then turned into a single toner,” he said.

“I struck into the fish and it kited left then right, but after 10 minutes and several powerful runs I was able to

net it successfully.”

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‘Gut feeling’ leads to 31lb pike capture

Mike Lyddon demonstrated perfectly why trusting your instincts is vital to catching a new personal best when he won the battle with this stunning 31lb pike.
Perch were his initial target, but after getting what he described as a ‘hunch’ that told him that a big pike was on the cards, he stuffed some deadbaits into his rucksack and made his way to a large stillwater in the south of the UK.
Having found a small weedbed surrounded by 8ft of water, the experienced Gardner Tackle-backed all-rounder cast out a float-legered joey mackerel hookbait.
Mike was just minutes away from moving swims because he doesn’t tend to favour coloured water for targeting pike – but then the huge personal best fell into his trap.
“Every now and again I get a feeling about the species I should be going for, and even though I intended to try for perch something inside me said it wasn’t the right thing to do. I’ve learned to listen to these hunches,” said Mike.
“I had a 6lb pike and then the water started to colour up, so I gave it another five minutes. Just as I was going to reel in, it rattled off.
“The fish plodded around and when it rolled on the surface I could see just one point of my trebles was nicked into its bottom jaw. As I drew it over the net, it shook the hook.
“It rolled over and was as wide as a dog across the back. Then I realised how close I came to losing it.”
The fish smashed his previous personal best that stood at 23lb 10oz. It was beaten with a rig made from 50lb braid, a 40lb wire trace and size 4 trebles.


Brit angler breaks world cod record

This picture shows the biggest ever shore-caught cod, weighing 66lb 8oz.
Sea fishing fanatic Tom Ascott made angling history when he won a battle against the odds by hauling it up through the deep, icy waters of Saltstraumen in Norway.
The venue boasts the world’s strongest tidal current, with water moving at up to
25 knots...and the cod used this to its advantage when it stripped more than 200m of line from the Dorset angler’s reel not once, but twice during the 30-minute fight.
This shore-caught specimen is almost 20lb heavier than any other cod ever landed.
The mighty fish took a piece of herring on a size 10/0 hook to a 150lb trace, fished 100m down.
“This cod was so big it didn’t look real, and I could have fitted my head inside its mouth,” said Tom.
“As soon as it stripped my reel on its first run and I felt the braid grating through the snags I thought I was going to lose this fish, but Lady Luck was definitely on my side.
“It absolutely destroyed me. I was just praying that it wasn’t going to go on another run because I don’t think my back could have taken any more.
“The fact that I’ve caught the biggest cod from the shore hasn’t begun to sink in yet.”
Tom was fishing with Guided Fishing Norway. It’s no stranger to huge fish, as it holds the world shore-caught ling record with a fish of 59lb 8oz taken by British angler
Phil Hambrook last year.
Unfortunately Tom’s fish will not be recognised as an official world record. The International Game Fishing Association (IGFA) does not differentiate between boat and shore caught specimens – but he is claiming a line class world record for the species and a European shore-caught record.
Guided Fishing Norway boss John Strange was absolutely blown away by the capture.
“To say that the ground we fish over is extreme would be a huge understatement. That, coupled with the strongest current in the world, meant that Tom’s feat was nothing short of incredible,” he said.
“There were many times when the fish could have been lost because of steep underwater ledges and snags, but despite it spooling him twice everything went right. This catch was meant to be.”
The fish measured more than 4ft 9ins long, with a girth of 2ft 11ins.
The biggest-ever cod caught from a boat on rod and line tipped the scales at 103lb, and was again caught from Norway.
“It would have been some feat to have caught this fish from a boat, let alone from the shore,” John said.
“I’ve seen some big cod in my time, but this thing was immense, and the longer we looked at it, the bigger it seemed to get.
“A big thanks must go to Tom’s friend Stu Andrews, who jumped down an 8ft wall to haul the huge fish from the water.”

- To find out more about Guided Fishing Norway, visit John Strange’s Facebook page.


Nene double barbel delight

This is Dan Whitelock’s first ever double-figure barbel from the Nene – at a weight of 15lb 1oz.
Taking a break from his local Great Ouse, he targeted the Cambs waterway and chose a new stretch that produced the specimen.
The successful baits were two MAD Baits Pandemic boilies fished in conjunction with a small pva bag filled with crushed baits.
Dan’s winning rig was constructed with 10lb mainline and a 15lb fluorocarbon hooklink.


48-pounders in Wellington carp haul

The irrepressible Kris Ollington has been at it again on Wellington Country Park.
The reigning Angling Times Carp Angler of the Year, whose 2015 tally featured six different fifties, caught two 48-pounders and two thirties in a weekend at the Berkshire super water.
All four fish are new to the Surrey angler, who is rapidly working his way through the syndicate lake’s stock. The two smaller carp were commons weighing 33lb 8oz and 38lb 10oz, while the 48-pounders were a common and a ghostie.
“This awesome venue never fails to surprise me,” said Kris.
“It’s an absolute pleasure to be part of the place, not only for the fish but the syndicate as a whole – from the members to the bailiff team, it’s just perfect.”
The electrician, who fished at 140yds “into a brutal headwind” added: “I was keen to get down that weekend, as it was a full moon and the lake usually responds well to that particular phase.”
He added: “I had two fish on Saturday evening and two early Sunday morning – unreal fishing for mid-February!”
Kris used multi rigs tied with Gardner end tackle and used 15mm Mainline Milky Toffee pop-ups over 2kg of 18mm Mainline Cell boilies.


One Frome session – two grayling bests

Laurence Hanger had the session of a lifetime when he beat his grayling personal best twice.
Armed with simple float fishing tackle and a few pints of maggots, he set his sights on the River Frome.
He only gets the chance to fish the waterway once a year and he made the most of it when he banked quality fish with the best at 3lb and 2lb 8oz.
All his fish were beaten with 4.4lb Drennan mainline, a size 16 hook on to which he threaded a red maggot hookbait.
“I started by walking a mile or so to get to the end of the stretch and then worked my way back, giving every likely-looking spot 15 or 20 minutes and it worked a treat,” said Laurence.


“Shaking with excitement” after four-year quest

A social session with a friend gave Simon Brockbank his first 40-pounder in the shape of this 44lb 11oz mirror.
A four-year quest for a fish called Shoulders ended for Simon, when the 44lb 11oz mirror tripped up during a 48-hour visit to a Lincs syndicate venue with Phil Holmes.
“I was ecstatic with my first forty, a new personal best and my target fish to boot,” said Simon. “It was the most memorable session and it was shared with a good friend.”
Simon found three clear spots amid the weed and presented Key Baits All Season pop-ups over matching freebies and hemp.
The second day brought a 22lb mirror before Shoulders arrived that night.
Simon said: “At 4am the same rod was away with a slow take. As soon as I lifted into the fish, I felt it was a good one. The fish plodded away in the margins for a few minutes, then took a gulp of air before I pulled her over the waiting net.
“I was shaking with excitement, so Phil did the honours with the weighing and the needle settled on 44lb 11oz.”
A 23lb 11oz common fell before the session was over to complete a memorable 48 hours.

Pair take perch bests

White Springs Fishery yet again proved its big perch credentials when two anglers smashed their personal bests for the species.
Experienced specimen hunters Graeme King and Vaughan Witton made the trip down from the Midlands to the popular complex in Swansea, Wales worthwhile when Graham banked the biggest perch at 4lb 9oz.
Vaughan’s personal-best stripey topped the scales at 3lb 9oz and he backed it up with perch weighing 3lb 7oz and 3lb 1oz.


Agonisingly close to target of a 7lb chub

Paul Elt came agonisingly close to catching a 7lb river chub on the float with this 6lb 14oz fish.
The St Neots-based Dynamite Baits-backed rod fed three pints of maggots flavoured with liquid Crave to score on a rig made with 4.2lb mainline, 3lb 6oz hooklink and size 16 hook.
“It was blowing a gale, and I was on my way back to the car when I found a short stretch offering some shelter,” said Paul.
“There I took seven chub, including my 6lb 14oz fish and a high five-pounder.”


‘Dazed’ after a fourth 50lb carp

“I had waited seven years to land my first 50lb carp and here I was, about to hold my fourth in as many months.”
Those were the words of in-form Ian Stott as he recounted the capture of this 59lb 2oz beast from Wellington Country Park.
The St Neots rod has been on a stunning run at the Berkshire venue recently, but this fish is his biggest so far.
He added: “As I peered into the net a load of expletives erupted from my mouth. I was looking down on a carp that was close on a foot across its back, and it dwarfed the size of a carp I had caught a few months previously.”
Ian arrived at Welly at 6.30pm on a Friday but found anglers in the swims he wanted, so he spent the night in his van before moving into a swim vacated by a bailiff the next morning.
Having cast his rigs to a spot at 130 yards, the bite came at about 3pm.
“I was sitting in the bivvy having a cup of tea when the right-hand indicator just dropped all the way down and hit the surface of the water in the margins before going all the way up to the top where it then absolutely tore off,” he said.
After a tough battle lasting nearly 20 minutes, Ian secured the fish in the net.
“I was soon left alone with one of the biggest smiles on my face imaginable,” he continued.
“Dazed would be about the best way to describe how I was feeling, dazed but extremely happy.”
Ian used Denham Element L boilies on rigs made with size 4 Gardner Covert Dark Mugga hooks and 10ins of 25lb TrickLink.