Donavan and Ridge are Northern Carp Cup champs

Chris Donovan and Craig Ridge are the 2016 Northern Carp Cup champions following a dominant display at Wyreside Lakes Fishery.

After a sluggish start, the pair caught seven fish for a total weight of 106lb 3oz on Sunnyside Two at the seven-lake complex.

Fishing from peg 1 on the Road Bank, Chris and Craig banked all but one of their fish in a hectic spell between 10.30am and 7pm on day two of the 48-hour match. 

They also caught the biggest fish of the weekend, a 24lb 10oz common.  

“They had all sorts of weather, from strong wind, to heavy rain, to bright and hot sunshine,” said organiser Belinda Coxon.

With the fish well spread out, eight of the 12 pairs caught a total of 22 carp. Second place went to Simon Bury, who fished without partner Steve Blow, with four fish for 66lb 15oz, only just ahead of Dan Robson and Shane Fletcher, who also caught four fish for a total of 65lb 11oz.

The winners collected £2,000, with second place netting £1,000 and third £500. The event, along with other British Carp Cup events, will be screened on BT Sport this November.

First-ever barbel weighs in at 16lb!

A debut barbel fishing session produced two fish with a combined weight of more than 30lb for Scott Smith.

The 24-year-old, from Crowmarsh in Oxfordshire, became the envy of many when his first-ever of the species topped the scales at 16lb and was quickly followed by a 15lb 4oz barbel .

He targeted a local stretch of the River Thames, hair-rigging a Sticky Baits Krill boilie in conjunction with a PVA bag of boilies and pellets.

“I’ve never caught a barbel before so to catch two was brilliant, but I wasn’t expecting anything of this size,” said Scott.

“My mate, who knows all about fishing for barbel and carp on running water, gave me some tips which I think really helped me, plus this was the first time I’d tried fishing my own rigs. They were nothing fancy at all because I’m still learning.

“I really can’t believe my luck because I wouldn’t have caught the second barbel if I hadn’t decided to leave one of my rods out for five more minutes as I packed away the rest of my gear.

“It’s by far the best session on a river I’ve ever had.”

Up until this incredible catch, Scott’s biggest river fish was a 5lb chub. The simple rig that proved the downfall of his two barbel consisted of a Korda 20lb N-Trap coated braid hooklink attached to a size 6 hook.

Barnsley storm to National Victory

Drennan Barnsley Blacks swept to victory in this year’s Angling Trust Division One National on the River Trent.

The Yorkshire outfit had to be content with third place in 2015 but they settled the score this time around, walking away with the title thanks to an impressive 380-point total.

Conditions leading up to the event had been ideal but the weather took a turn for the worse come match day, with the 450 entrants forced to battle against gale-force winds.

Peior to the match hours of practice had been put in by the teams to try to develop a winning plan, but Barnsley Blacks captain Glenn Lawrence admitted that everything they had learned went out of the window on the day. 

“We had been doing a lot of floatfishing on the river, but the wind was so bad that we knew there was going to be hardly any fish caught on the pole, waggler or stick float as presentation would be nigh on impossible. 

“We only caught one fish on the float between us!” he said.

Rather than enforce a strict team plan, the decision was made to allow the squad – which included such big names as Alan Scotthorne and Lee Kerry – to fish their pegs as they saw fit.

That trusting approach paid dividends, with every member finishing in the top 15 of their 45 peg sections, with Will Freeman and Matt Godfrey among their best performers.

“Every peg on the River Trent is different and when you have anglers of that calibre you know that they are going to be able to come up with a plan that will give them the best chance of doing well.

“That is exactly what happened and we are absolutely delighted to have won the Division One National.”

Barnsley’s success leaves them one step closer to making their way into the history books, with the team now just one National win away from matching the eight titles recorded by the legendary Leeds DASA side.

The victory also gives them the chance to represent the UK in the 2017 World Club Championships, the venue for which will be revealed in the coming months.

Several other star teams, including the formidable Daiwa Dorking, were on show at this year’s National, but local knowledge proved key to landing the framing spots.

Lincoln & District AC took the runners-up spot after they accumulated 367 points, with Scunthorpe back in third on 345 points.

Result: 1 Drennan Barnsley Blacks, 380pts; 2 Lincoln & District AC, 367; 3 Scunthorpe Tackle, 345; 4 Daiwa Dorking, 341; 5 Derbyshire Angling Fed, 326; 6 Browning Hotrods, 314; 7 Starlets AC,  308; 8 Lincs County, 300; 9 Daiwa Gordon League, 293; 10 Winterton AC, 290.

Extreme fishing gets its reward with 47lb 12oz common carp

It was a bit of an epic Saturday morning” is how Dan Taylor described the extreme lengths he went to to land this giant 47lb 12oz common.

The 28-year-old came up with an ingenious plan to hook the fish just a foot from the bank in an unpopular swim containing a “savage gravel ledge” that severely hampers line lay.

But that was just half the battle at the Kent syndicate, as the fish surged through five weedbeds and led him a merry dance in a boat before eventually succumbing.

“It’s an unpopular swim that no-one fishes because it basically contains a cliff face and a savage gravel ledge,” said the tree surgeon. “But I’d seen this big common in the area a week before and decided to prebait.

“I had to give it a bit of thought to be able to fish the swim, but in the end I put a second buzzer bar on a storm pole and draped the slack line over it to avoid the ledge.

“Having prebaited, I placed just a single hookbait on a really short hooklink and a big lead in the edge. At 5am I woke and hadn’t had anything and I was just making the first tea of the day when I received the take.

“The lake is about 90 per cent weed at the moment and the fish powered through it all, hit the surface and just ground to a halt.”

The Ashford angler took to a boat and patiently kept the fish moving through a succession of weedbeds before it “absolutely powered off around the lake”.

Eventually, though, Dan won the battle and was able to admire a fish that had not been caught this year. “It was last caught at 52lb,” he said, “but it doesn’t matter about the weight – it’s a huge fish and must have been 4ft long.

“It took a bit of thought and process to catch it, which made it all the more rewarding.”

Pre-baiting pays off as big chub go on summer spree

Our rivers are producing their best big chub sport of the summer so far.

The first such fish scaled 7lb 2oz and was caught by river fishing fanatic Alfie Naylor, who makes the most of living close to the Trent, one of the UK’s most
in-form and sought-after venues. 

The commitment needed to catch the biggest specimens was clear when he fed half-a-kilo of 110% Baits Redball plum boilies into his swim for several evenings before finally wetting a line.

Then, after finishing work, the specialist from Newark, Notts, headed down to see if his carefully-laid trap had tempted one of the resident chub into the area. His answer came just seconds after he dropped his rod into the rest.

“I’d been on the bank for less than five minutes, and my left-hand rod ripped off just after the boilie hookbait hit the deck,” Alfie told Angling Times.

“I’ve had a run of double-figure barbel on the river and some big carp, so to smash my chub personal best is incredible.”

He’s since been back to the river, backing up his ‘seven’ with another chub weighing 6lb.

Richard Hart was also celebrating the capture of a huge chub just a few weeks after beating his pb for the species. This time round it was a 7lb fish from a Midlands river for the angler from Heanor, Derbyshire.

“I’d been trotting pellets for about two hours when I decided to move,” he said. 

“I was getting my gear together when I looked back to see what I thought was a barbel of around 8lb move across the river to the far bank.

“I decided to give a legered lobworm a go and bounce it around under the tree where the fish headed – and sure enough, about five minutes later I got a great drop-back bite.

“This fish made my former personal best from a few weeks back look very small in comparison.”

Winning crucian pics are revealed

THE WINNERS

Crucian – Richie Martin
Specimen Crucian – Andy Lewis
Scenic Crucian Waters – John Spilsbury
Junior Crucian Anglers – Michael Ewing

Each winner was given a £100 tackle voucher, a £35 crucian-themed bucket of products from Bait-Tech and a copy of Peter Rolfe’s book about the species, ‘Crock of Gold’.

There were eight runners-up who each received the Bait-Tech bucket.

Here are the results of a competition aimed at raising the profile of one of the UK’s most iconic fish!

The photographic contest was run in conjunction with ‘Catch a Crucian Month’ – an initiative aimed at raising awareness of the troubled species – and attracted hundreds of entries.

After hours of deliberation by a panel of species experts, a stunning shot of four fish in the net caught from Surrey’s Marsh Farm by Ringwood’s Richie Martin scooped the ‘Crucian Picture’ award, while seven-year-old Michael Ewing, of Godalming, was handed the ‘Junior Crucian Anglers’ accolade.

Stockport angler John Spilsbury’s inspiring image of a traditional float next to the lily pads won the ‘Scenic Waters’ category, while Andy Lewis from Warwickshire bagged the ‘Specimen Crucian’ silverware for a 2lb 5oz fish. He said: “I think it is a brilliant idea and I entered to try to help raise awareness of true crucians. I never expected to win, but I am delighted I have.

“Unless something is done, crucians could be extinct in a decade. I think this campaign is just what is needed to provide a bright future for the species.”

Numbers of ‘true’ crucians have declined at an alarming rate in recent years due to hybridisation with other species. This is the reason the Angling Trust has teamed up with the Association of Crucian Anglers to launch the National Crucian Conservation Project (NCCP).

One of the project’s many objectives is to encourage fishery owners and clubsto stock more true examples of the species while also persuading anglers to target them regularly.

Trust Campaign Coordinator Martin Salter played a big part in the process, and he said: “We have been delighted with the response to ‘Catch a Crucian Month’ and the accompanying photo competition. 

“Many entries encapsulated the charm and beauty of crucians and the delightful and intimate waters that they inhabit.

“There is no doubt that the project has inspired many clubs and fishery owners to create bespoke fisheries and think more carefully about how stocks are managed. 

“I’m sure this competition will go from strength to strength in future years.”

Renowned big-fish angler Chris Turnbull has a series of big crucians to his name and is an ambassador for various schemes dedicated to their protection. He said: “They are one of the UK’s most loved summer species, but within a short space of time they have become highly endangered.

“It is really important that we work to prevent their demise, and the first step must be the education of anglers.

“This competition is a great step forward in that process.”

To find out more about the National Crucian Conservation Project (NCCP) visit www.anglingtrust.net.

River Trent match record shaken

"If I hadn’t broken around 20 hooklinks on the snags I would have smashed the river record out of sight,” said match fishing ace Paul Goulding, following an amazing contest on the Trent.

As it was, Paul still came agonisingly close to the five-hour target when he banked a catch weighing 177lb 7oz.

He was fishing a swim that he described as being ‘four feet deep with five feet of fish’ during a contest on the famous waterway at Holme Marsh.

The classic combination of a groundbait feeder teamed with a worm hookbait saw him hook a fish on his very first cast, and from the on the Daiwa Dons angler from Worksop never looked back.

“I knew I was on the right peg, especially when I netted 10 bream in as many casts. I was even getting bites before the feeder had a chance to hit the deck,” Paul told Angling Times.

“It was absolutely incredible. This guy carrying a deck chair came up and parked himself behind me. He told me he fishes the river all the time, and he said ‘you don’t mind if I sit behind you, do you?’ 

“I said ‘not at all, but can you do me a favour and go and borrow another net off of someone… and he kindly did just that.”

But it wasn’t all plain sailing for Paul, as an underwater snag cost the loss of what he estimates to be more than 20 fish

Had he landed those he would have smashed the current five-hour River Trent record that stands at 192lb 8oz and was taken by Mick Vials in August last year.

Despite the frustration,Paul stuck with his trusty feeder rig in throughout the match in order to keep the bites coming. 

It consisted of a 6lb Daiwa mainline, a 4lb hooklink and a size 14 Drennan Super Spade.

A feeder packed with groundbait and chopped worms with a single dendrobaena on the hook saw him land more than 50 bream in the incredible catch, which is his biggest ever from a river.

“There’s no doubt in my mind I would have had over 250lb if I hadn’t had to contend with that snag, but how can you complain about a day’s fishing like that?” Paul continued.

“The guy who sat behind me who I talked about earlier said he’d never seen anything like it before, and I speak for both of us when I say that neither of us probably ever will again.”

46lb Ashmead carp falls to guest

A guest session on Ashmead gave Spencer Wright one of the venue’s most resilient residents.

The 46lb 4oz mirror, known as Moonscale, was attacked by an otter as a much younger fish, but has since gone from strength to strength.

Spencer, from the Isle of Wight, said: “I was fortunate enough to be asked to join some friends on a weekend social to this very special lake. 

“I was lucky enough to have fished it a couple of years back as a guest, so I knew what a testing lake it could be.”

Plotting up in the New North swim at the Somerset venue and finding a hole in the weed, the 43-year-old had to wait until the Sunday of the weekend session for a fish to enter his water.

He said: “I estimated it to be a mid-twenty from its position low down In the water. It cruised about around the weedbeds for an hour or so, before I noticed it swirling just to the left of the spot I’d found the previous day.

“Fifteen minutes later, while attempting to take a photo of a young grebe catching rudd, my rod bent over as my Neville screeched and line was ripped from a tight clutch.”

Although the fish swam straight into a weedbed, Spencer applied pressure and walked backwards up the bank, guiding the fish into his net just two minutes after getting the bite. 

He added: “The scales settled at 46lb 4oz. I was completely blown away by what was happening. I stood in the water holding her, totally in awe of the special fish and the history it had and all the anglers who had caught it over the years. For those couple of minutes, it was my time.”

Huge weights ‘a step too far’

The owner of one of the UK’s top commercial fisheries may well ban a popular bagging tactic to reduce catches after weights sky-rocketed.

Countless colossal hauls have been landed this summer, including the biggest-ever match haul last week by an angler who took 1514lb in six hours from Arran’s Lake.

The huge Essex catch has divided opinion, with many anglers and fishery owners claiming that match weights have spiralled out of control.

Lincolnshire’s Westwood Lakes has seen records fall many times since water temperatures reached summer levels, but while many are excited at the red hot form, boss Alan Coupland is less than impressed.

In a bid to bring weights more in line with his expectations he is now toying with the idea of banning the prolific big-weight tactic known as ‘slapping’.

 He told Angling Times: “I’d always liked the idea of having a fishery where maybe 170lb could be seen as a great weight, but we’ve reached the point where 300lb catches are becoming fairly common – in my book that’s going too far.

“My rule is that match anglers must split their catch between three nets, and while that is being abided by, I’m ending up with up to 100lb of fish in each keepnet. I don’t like that.

 “Most of the big weights are taken by anglers who slap the water with their pole rigs to imitate bait being fed. While it is extremely effective, I could well ban it in the future as it’s playing a big part in these huge weights we are seeing.

“Some anglers might look elsewhere if I did bring a ban in, and they are entitled to do that, but I have to think about the welfare of my fish stocks. Current weights are not what I envisaged at Westwood Lakes.”

If the ban on slapping is imposed, Westwood will join a growing list of fisheries that have taken the same stance. North Yorkshire’s Woodlands Lakes introduced the restriction last year, and boss Craig Kent has no regrets. He said: “People were catching 200lb on just their hookbait, and that presented a number of problems.

“First, the fish weren’t getting fed, which wouldn’t have done them any good. Second, a lot of skill was removed from catching big weights. Take away the need to feed and putting together a big weight becomes a lot easier.

“My attendances are now bigger than ever and that just goes to show I was right to ban the tactic.”

Further south in Milton Keynes, Alders Farm officials experienced a similar conundrum last year after weights rose over 500lb.

In a bid to draw back anglers who had looked elsewhere due to the ease of sport, thousands of pounds of carp were removed to make the fishing more challenging. Owner Lewis Monk believes the action has had the desired effect.

“Soon after taking over in October 2014, we realised that the match weights had got completely out of control,” explained Lewis.

“When we decided to net the lakes we did get a few negative comments – however, we felt confident we had done the best thing for the fishery and the anglers. 

“We now average winning summer weights around 200lb, which has attracted far more anglers back to Alders, and we certainly have no regrets about the action we took.”

Playford powers to the Match This final

The road to the 2016 Maver Match This final is rapidly reaching its conclusion after the penultimate two qualifiers were decided.

Adam Playford, at Decoy Lakes, and Steve Openshaw (page 64), at Tunnel Barn Farm, were the latest anglers to secure their spot for the huge money final at Maver Hayfield Lakes on September 3. 

Both anglers recorded huge 200lb-plus catches of F1 carp on caster shallow tactics, a technique which has been dominating many commercial fisheries this summer.

A top class field turned out for the midweek qualifier at the prolific Decoy Lakes in Cambridgeshire, but the match wasn’t without its drama. 

Dersingham AC man Adam won with 208-9-0 from peg 29 on Beastie, taking full advantage of the pegs either side of him not being drawn. 

But it could have been so different as third-placed Andy Bayley (Daiwa Dons) had enough weight in the four keepnets he used to topple this from peg 23. 

But he exceeded the 50lb limit in three of them and was given an official recording of 164lb 2oz, instead of his actual 219lb.

“Andy’s pole was in my line of sight and I knew he’d caught really well,” said Adam.

“I’ve fished here quite a bit, so I used a clicker and tried not to go over 50lb in any of my nets. 

“I started on the Method feeder to the island with pellets and had a 10lb carp first chuck. Then I caught a few smaller ones before it died, so I went onto my 13m shallow line where I’d been firing casters. I caught well here for an hour, but I’d been throwing casters down to the tree to my left with a view to catching shallow there too as it’s deep and snaggy. I spent the rest of the match on this close line with heavier gear, catching mainly F1s and barbel,” he said.  

With the much fancied Strip Lakes failing to produce any catch in excess of 150lb, it paved the way for Beastie Lake to take four of the top five places in the match. Winner Adam fished 11 hollo elastic, a 0.11m hooklength and a size 18 hook with banded caster in open water and a 12-16 Middy Shockcore, 0.15mm hooklength and size 16 hook in the snaggy margins. He fed sparingly with just three pints of casters over the match. 

Result

1 A Playford (Dersingham AC) 208-9-0;
2 A Szczupak (Decoy Lakes) 170-11-0;
3 A Bailey (Daiwa Dons) 164-2-0; 4 A Geldart (Matrix/Dynamite) 147-14-0;
5 R Lidgard (Sturgeon Baits) 145-6-0.

Three crucian bests in one session

Carl Hill broke his crucian personal best three times in a session with fish of 3lb 3oz, 3lb 4oz and 3lb 9oz.

The specialist from Barrow upon Soar, Leicestershire, visited the famous Marsh Farm complex run by Godalming Angling Society, where he hair-rigged a single buoyant imitation maggot to a size 16 hook.

This hookbait was fished alongside a Method feeder carrying 2mm pellets cast at range. 

His three best crucians from the Surrey venue were backed up by another that weighed in at 2lb 14oz.

53lb 4lb mirror carp practically rips the rod from the rest

David Crouch didn’t let a hit-and-run driver ruin his fishing. He dusted off his van and went on to bank this 53lb 4oz mirror.

The day before his weekend session at Grenville Lake, a vehicle caused £3,000 of damage to his fishing transport, but with the van still driveable, David wouldn’t be beaten.

“It’s a day I will never forget, I have to say,” he recalled after catching the big mirror from the Cambridgeshire venue.

Arriving to find only six other anglers occupying the 72-acre lake, David had a good look around with the aid of his bicycle and settled on peg 12 after seeing a fish at long range.

Having found a clear spot next to a weedbed 80 yards out, David baited with 20 Spombs of CC Moore Odyssey XXX boilies and managed a 21lb 4oz mirror on one of his 12mm Northern Special hookbaits at 3am.

“Nothing happened until about 8.30am, when I was watching the water and seeing a lot of fish showing at about 150 yards out. 

“The next thing the rod I had recast in the night was ripping off, nearly being dragged from the rest. I pulled into this and felt a big weight. I could tell straightaway that this fish was altogether different from the other.”

A fraught battle, which saw David get into the water in his waders, eventually came to an end after 10 minutes.

“I could see this was indeed a good fish,” he said. “Once I was happy I lifted the net out, and oh my god, this was a special fish, it felt very heavy! On to the mat and peeling back the net, a huge mirror carp lay in front of me. I was gobsmacked –this was massive!”

David beckoned two passing members to help weigh and photograph the fish. 

“It was an immense male carp,” he said. “A real brute of a fish, and we all stood in awe of him.”

16lb 12oz barbel takes bait just six feet from the bank

A hookbait lowered in just six feet from the bank saw Jerry Gleeson smash his barbel personal best with this impressive 16lb 12oz specimen.

Targeting a stretch of the River Derwent, he started his session by introducing a bed of MAD Baits Pandemic pellets and broken boilies, then left his swim to settle before starting to fish.

When the time felt right a single 14mm Pandemic dumbell and a PVA bag filled with pellets and broken baits was carefully dropped on the spot – and minutes later the huge fish fell into his carefully-laid trap.

“It’s my target fish, and to have it at such a big weight so early in the season is a right result,” said Jerry.

“I found a deep crevice in the riverbed earlier in the year where the fish tend to hold up, and this is where I had her from. It goes to show that doing your homework and knowing the make-up of your chosen spot can really pay off.”

It beats his previous personal best, a 14lb 12oz River Trent fish.

The Stockport specialist took his latest specimen on a running rig with a fluorocarbon hooklink and a hookbait on a long hair.

“By fishing a longer hair rig you get more positive bites, and it helps deter chub which can be a pest when you’re setting your stall out for big barbel,” Jerry told Angling Times.

“I always set myself a goal at the start of the season and this barbel is right up there with the best moments of my angling career.”

‘Nets In The Sun’ is a huge success

Fisheries nationwide have thrown their support behind an Angling Times campaign to help protect commercial fish stocks.

Angling Times joined many UK waters in the fight to raise awareness about preventing the spread of the deadly Koi Herpes Virus (KHV), following recent outbreaks of the disease at several popular fisheries.

Research has suggested that it can be transferred on keepnets and landing nets that haven’t been exposed to sunlight and properly dried out before use.

This saw the launch of the Angling Times ‘Nets In The Sun’ campaign, and bosses at several top commercials have now introduced new rules to help eradicate the virus.

Devon’s Stafford Moor hasn’t experienced KHV and owner Joanne Coombes is determined to keep it that way. She said: “Anglers must now dip all nets and stink bags and once they get to their peg, lay them out to dry. These are proven methods of killing diseases that could otherwise wreak havoc.

“We have invested thousands of pounds into the venue and we aren’t prepared to take any risks with our fish stocks. Everybody understands the need to put these measures in place, and anyone caught on CCTV flouting the rules will be asked to leave.”

Anglers are also being asked to dry their nets at home, and Packington Somers chief John Burchell believes the message has got through loud and clear. He said: “We are stressing the need to arrive here with dry nets, and so far everybody has done so, which is great to see. We are considering a stink bag ban as well.”

Boom time for river fishing

It's shaping up to be a record year for anglers returning to running water venues.

Sales of traditional river tackle have risen by 200 per cent, and clubs are having to print more books to meet the demand. 

With many of the nation’s top waterways now offering some of the best sport seen in decades, more and more are joining clubs and celebrating the variety of sport to be had there.

The trend has seen a welcome spike in demand for floatfishing tackle, and one manufacturer is reporting a huge increase in sales of its centrepin reels. 

TF Gear’s direct marketing manager, Alan Crawford-Plane, has revealed that sales of reels of this type have doubled since the company began selling them back in 2012. 

He told Angling Times: “Over the last couple of years we have noticed a big hike in sales of river fishing gear, and none more so than our range of ’pins. 

“We started with just one model but as demand rose we’ve had to increase that to four, to offer anglers of all pockets a choice. 

“The increase isn’t just because anglers are choosing traditional tackle, but because more people are back on the rivers. This has been reflected in strong sales of items like barbel rods too.”

It’s not just running water fishing tackle that has experienced a huge rise in sales. 

Dozens of angling clubs who offer stretches of river are seeing new members flocking to join. 

One such club is Nottingham Federation of Anglers. 

The club is going through one of its biggest recruitment drives in recent history, and club secretary Ian McLaughlin said: “We have sold more books this year than at any time in the last decade… so much so that we needed a reprint this season. 

“We run several sections of the River Trent and because our venues are fishing well and we’ve spent money improving access to them there’s been a noticeable increase in numbers. I think that’s true of many other clubs too. It’s great for us and the sport.”

These sentiments were echoed by river specialist and Angling Times columnist Dave Harrell.

 “It’s great to see more anglers coming back to the rivers,” he said.

“We’ve had a few good spawning years recently and this has seen sport improve dramatically on UK rivers.

“This, along with the high cost of fishing commercials, is helping to encourage anglers back to running water. 

“Because of this there has been a noticeable increase in the number of matches held on rivers in the last couple of seasons, and Riverfest has sold out again this year. It’s been so popular I have decided to begin planning a second pairs-style competition for 2017.

“It’s an exciting time to be a river angler, and fishing this year is just going to get better and better.”

Short sessions yield huge roach

Short sessions are often the key to catching big summer fish, and Stewart Barnes proved exactly that when he banked a string of huge specimens topped by two 2lb roach.

The specialist from Hemel Hempstead set his sights on a tributary of the River Ouse after spotting big roach back in the winter, and a series of short sessions before and after work saw him net his biggest-ever roach along with 10 other fish to a best of 1lb 10oz.

But his river success didn’t end there. The Big Fish Gear team member became the envy of countless big-fish hunters when he also netted several barbel to double figures and a huge chub weighing 6lb 4oz.

“Sometimes I’ll get down to the river in my lunch hour and only get 30 minutes’ fishing, but it’s well worth it, as these fish prove,” enthused Stewart.

“To catch one 2lb river roach at this time of the year is incredible, but to land two is an unbelievable achievement.”

In order to create a feeding frenzy in his swim, Stewart cast out a simple leger rig with a single 10mm halibut pellet hookbait and then fed 3mm pellets constantly over the top.

He also fished his hookbait as tight as possible to the back of his size 10 hook with a short hair rig.

“Lots of anglers just cast out a lead with a PVA bag and then wait,” he said. “But feeding by hand over the top really creates competition in the swim and the fish soon become preoccupied with the free offerings.

“This makes them much easier to catch.”

43lb 4oz personal best carp after family bereavement

An emotional Eddie Warde caught the fish of his dreams just days after his dad passed away.

Having lost his father Wez to cancer, the Northamptonshire angler was determined to fulfil
a long-standing social session – and it turned into a trip he will never forget.

“Two weeks before the trip my dad Wez was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and just five days before the planned outing I received the heart-wrenching news that he had sadly died,”
said Eddie. 

“I was devastated but adamant the trip should still go ahead. I told friends and family members that something special would grace my net, but I had one particular fish in mind that I really wanted and I said Wez would give it to me!”

Eddie and Rushden Angling Centre owner Nick Whitmill headed to nearby Ecton Lakes in search of that special fish.

On the first night, Eddie went to bed at about 11pm and told Nick “I’m having the Big Lin”.

Four hours later, Eddie was woken by a single bleep and hit into a fish. “The rod was solid with rafts of floating weed covering the line,” said the Higham Ferrers angler, who donned his waders to help with the fight.

“Gradually the fish came into view and it was one of the lake’s two big linears! At this point I
was shaking and thinking ‘could
it really be the one?’.”

Indeed it was – 11 months after its last capture, the Big Lin at a personal-best weight of 43lb 4oz. 

“Nick was speechless and I was in pieces, so after weighing we sacked her as sunrise was almost upon us and raised a celebratory beer to my beloved dad, knowing he’d made my dreams come true. 

“I just sat in the water with the Big Lin, sobbing until sunrise. 

“A monumental moment in our hearts and minds, a trip that will never be forgotten.”

18lb 3oz monster sets a new River Nene barbel record

The River Nene barbel record has been smashed with the capture of a massive 18lb 3oz specimen.

The incredible fish was landed by big-fish ace Nigel Bryans, who tempted it on a trimmed-down 3ft Twitch Lamprey and Smoked Herring boilie.

It was a short unplanned evening session that turned into the trip of a lifetime for the 53-year-old Lincolnshire angler, and Nigel has now beaten his own official record for the waterway, which he has held since 2012, by 11oz.

Fishing on a Peterborough & District Angling Association stretch of the river, Nigel initially fed a swim with freebie boilies.

But he was soon upping sticks after making what would turn out to be a huge discovery: “I have fished the venue for years and usually start in the same swim, but after feeding the spot I went for a walk and spotted this huge fish hiding in the weed. 

“I knew it was one of the bigger barbel in the stretch, so I moved my gear and decided to go after it,” he said. 

Within an hour of casting out his leger rig attached to a PVA bag of matching broken and whole boilies, Nigel’s tip flew round. Despite a spirited fight the fish was no match for his size 14 hook, 2ft of 15lb Gardner Trickster braid hooklength and 18lb braided mainline.

The barbel, thought to be the same specimen that was banked at a weight of 18lb by Gary Johnson back in June, was weighed and returned with the help of a witness, allowing Nigel to claim a new venue record. 

“I am really proud to break my own personal record for the river – the fishing has been hard this year, so to catch this fish, especially with the river being so low and clear, is really satisfying,” he added.

Records tumble at Arran’s Lake with 1,514lb match winner

THE RESULT

1 Michael Jones – 1,514lb
2 Michael Corsini – 1,341lb
3 Nathan Gooderham – 1,020lb
4 Douglas Richardson – 947lb
5 John Hague – 928lb
6 Louis Johnson – 612lb

The biggest weight in the history of world competitive fishing has been taken at a colossal 1,514lb.

Arran’s Lake in Essex has a reputation for producing monster catches in summer, but even the most ambitious of expectations were obliterated when Michael Jones netted more than 350 carp averaging 4lb during a six-hour contest.

That wasn’t the only talking point on the day, because Michael Corsini took what is now the second-biggest match weight anywhere in the UK, an incredible 1,341lb for runner-up spot. And spare a thought for sixth-placed Louis Johnson, who didn’t win a penny despite bagging 612lb.

Warm temperatures and a gentle ripple greeted the field on the day. The match was split into two three-hour events with a weigh-in at half time to conform with fishery rules.

Using pellet 5m out, Michael Jones put 705lb in the net in the first session, stepping up his efforts after the break to collar another 809lb.

Runner-up and match organiser Michael Corsini relied on corn close in and recorded 582lb in the first half and 759lb in the second. He told Angling Times: “We all knew that big catches were going to be on the cards, but never in our wildest dreams did we expect weights like these.

“It was a literally a fish-a-chuck and by the end of the match I was so exhausted that I felt like I’d run a marathon!

“You couldn’t get the bait in quickly enough and during each half I had 10 keepnets in the water to conform with weight limits, reducing the amount of space I had to fish into.”

News of the huge catches has divided opinion in the match angling world. 

Some people are claiming that the big-weight culture has gone too far, but Michael disagrees with the criticism.

“People have this perception that fish are dragged in on stupidly heavy tackle and in bad condition, but that couldn’t be further than the truth,” he said.

“I use 0.21mm line and a sensible elastic. It’s all about the technique of getting fish in, rather than piling on a ridiculous amount of pressure that could cause them damage.

“The fish are always breeding, which shows they are happy in their environment, and the owner regularly nets out smaller carp to create space for the bigger ones. 

“Sensible rules and good fishery management are applied, and I’d say that Arrans is just a special and unique fishery.”

Several other matches are set to be staged in the coming months, with a winter league also pencilled in at the complex.

You can find out more or book a spot by calling Michael on 07522 149186.

This season's biggest crucian carp

This is the picture of the biggest true crucian of the season. It topped the scales at 3lb 13oz and was banked by Korum-backed specialist Ed Matthews.

The specimen came from a little-known venue in Shropshire that Ed himself stocked with the species seven years ago.

He started his short afternoon session at Sutton Carp Syndicate in style with a brace of impressive fish of 3lb 4oz and 3lb 2oz, but the best was yet to come.

After rebaiting his spot with balls of groundbait laced with pellets and then recasting his simple feeder rigs over the top, it wasn’t long before the huge fish sucked up an 8mm Sonubaits oozing pineapple boilie.

Ed said: “I was so chuffed to have two three pounders I called my mate to come and take pictures and, as we were getting the shots, my rod rattled off again.

“As soon as it was in the net I could tell it was much bigger as it was much rounder with a higher back. I was overwhelmed, as I stocked these crucians when they were around 1in long and cared for them for so many years just hoping one day that they’d weigh over 3lb.

“Now it’s got me wondering just how big they could go."

His session-to-remember also produced fish weighing 2lb 10oz and 2lb 5oz, which were all taken on rigs that featured Korum Easy Feeders that were packed with 2mm pellets.

There are very few venues in the UK that hold genuine crucians because of the hybridisation that occurs with other fish.

Ed’s a supporter of the National Crucian Conservation Project (NCCP) which helps promote and protect the future of true crucians. Now he says he hopes the fish he’s nurtured will help inspire other fishery owners and managers to increase the spread of this popular but declining species.

“The exciting thing about this catch is how young the fish look. I hope the lake produces many more like it in what is a testing time for crucians,” he said.

“Their growth shows what’s possible. I just hope that what I’ve done helps inspire others to do the same and get on board with initiatives like the NCCP to play their part in seeing numbers of this wonderful species increase across the country.”