Huge roach from famed carp water

This 2lb 14oz roach proves that specimen fisheries hold much more than just big carp.

Captor Luke Sparkes was fishing a carp match on Brasenose 2 on the award-winning Linear Fisheries in Oxfordshire when he hooked the fish of a lifetime.

The Grimsby rod cast out a small bunch of maggots over a bed of red grubs that he’d introduced 120 yards out on the venue which has an ever-growing reputation for producing big roach, bream and tench.

“I couldn’t believe my eyes when the big roach popped up. This is a truly special fish to me,” he said.

“Even though I was after carp I aim to fish with rigs that give me the chance of catching other species too, as I class myself as an all-round angler.”

Black Country lads nick Division Two National by just a point

Angling Trust Division 2 National (Sat)
Birmingham/Fazeley Canal (28 teams)

Team result: 1 Sensas Black Country AS, 205pts; 2 Matrix Halifax CRFT, 204 (weight); 3 Drennan Oxford, 204; 4 Browning West Midlands, 202; 5 Drennan NW, 201; 6 Sensas Dams & Lock, 197; 7 Sensas Strike Angling, 192; 8 Maver Midlands, 187; 9 Scunthorpe Blue, 170; 10 Browning Central, 164; 11 Scunthorpe Dynamite Baits, 161; 12 Maver Coleman’s Bait & Tackle/Matchpack, 157; 13 Canal & River Trust AC, 154 (weight); 14 Tubertini Apollo, 154; 15 Browning Wickford, 153; 16 Slaithwaite DAA, 147; 17 Colin Barlow AC Sale, 134; 18 Stoke-on-Trent AA, 128; 19 Sensas Coleman’s Bait & Tackle, 124; 20 Long Eaton Federation, 117; 21 Tang Hall MG, 106; 22 Tring Anglers, 102 (weight); 23 Notts AA, 102; 24 Coleman’s Cottage Fishery, 96; 25 Littleport AC, 90; 26 Listerhills Old Boys AA, 79; 27 Chelmsford Angling, 73; 28 Washington & Harraton AC, 70.

Sensas Black Country made their in-depth knowledge of the Fazeley Canal worth its weight in medals as they won the Division Two National crown by a single point.

The local lads, most of whom live within a 20-minute drive of the venue, are all regulars on the canal and the feeling was that if they got a half decent draw they could ‘do a job’ in captain Mark Hardman’s words. 

Promotion, though, was their main aim, and they felt that their mass of experience should bring home the bacon.

“There are 192 pegs on the Dams & Lock stretch and we fish the Summer League each year with two teams, but this year we rotated the lads around the various areas so they could all get a feel for it,” Mark said.

“We knew almost every peg that was in, but of course, they don’t always fish as you think they might. I looked at the draw and it was steady, no screaming flyers but importantly, only one shocker in G section where I thought our lad would do well to get a handful of points.

“Bream were likely to show as conditions were perfect but the boys knew that whether they had to ship in 250 little fish or go for bream, they could do it – that’s where knowing the water so well comes into play,” Mark continued. “We did, however, think that the fish were sick of seeing chopped worm so we based a lot of our bonus fish work around just casters alongside the more standard squatt and groundbait fishing for little fish.”

The general plan for Black Country was to fish a short line near the keepnet for a few perch while their other lines settled, then go three-quarters of the way across in 2ft or 2ft 6ins of water for bread-and-butter roach, perch and gudgeon on squatts. Big-fish lines went at the same range of 11m but at angles just into the deeper boat track with double caster as hookbait.

“We knew that if we drew a peg with skimmers or bream we’d need to spend a good amount of time trying for them, whereas in an out-and-out small-fish swim it was a case of heads down and keep something going in the net with the odd look for a bonus,” Mark revealed. 

“We got back to HQ and from half of the side we’d scored 130 points, so we reasoned that 210 or 220 would see us in the top five and promoted. 

“When the results were read out, Browning West Midlands, who we thought had done really well, were only fourth so for a moment I did think that we might not have made the top 10! Simon Nickless soon told me to stop being so daft and reckoned we might have won it! 

“So we’re in Division One on the Shropshire Union Canal next summer, and that’s another canal we know really well. Our deal with Sensas has really helped us and we’ve now got the perfect mix of experienced old heads and some great youngsters coming through,” Mark added.

222lb Siamese carp!

This incredible picture shows one of the world’s biggest Siamese carp – snared on the Method feeder.

It was caught by Tim Webb, the owner of the award-winning Palm Tree Lagoon in Thailand. 

The specimen weighed 222lb and smashed his previous best for the species of 180lb.

He was battling the fish for an hour-and-a-halfbefore it was brought under control with a 50lb braided hooklink and a size 1 hook. “This is, by far, the biggest Siamese carp I’ve ever heard of, let alone seen,” Tim told Angling Times.

“I caught it from an undisclosed stillwater, but I bought the fish and in the photo I am about to stock it into Palm Tree Lagoon. Now anyone can come and try to catch this enormous specimen,” he added.

To find out about Palm Tree Lagoon visit: www.palmtreelagoon.co.uk

Lucky peg 13 brings Welsh forty

Welsh day-ticket water has produced its first 40-pounder in more than two years.

The 40lb 1oz mirror was caught by Shropshire angler Nick Burrage on only his second visit to White Springs, near Swansea.

Fishing with friend Mick Stacey on the Specimen Lake, Nick settled into swim 13, the only peg available when he made the booking a month earlier.

“It was very warm and sunny as we set up, but I like to get my rods out first to make use of every minute on the bank,” said Nick. 

“Within two hours of the rods being out, the one over on the nearby island let out a beep, and with the line lifting in the rings slightly I felt it and drew it back a foot at a time. Without being able to feel the lead at any point, I lifted the rod and was left reeling in lots of slack – until I reached the fish that was swimming towards me!

“By the time I was bent into the fish, it had powered through two of Mike’s lines and we quickly took the bail-arms off to stop the fish using the tight lines like a disgorger to unhook itself. 

“A close-in battle with rolls and boils at my feet continued for
10 minutes, showing her power and fitness. Then, soon enough, she popped up and after one last roll she found my net. 

“The guy came round from next door to see and the scales swung round to 40lb 1oz. We all checked and checked again. The capture became a talking point around the lake and on the internet – I suppose not everyone will be happy about a Shropshire lad catching this fish!

“The lake owner came down, and he’s a great guy. He was telling me about the restocking, so it’s well worth a visit if you’re in that neck of the woods.”

Thousands more angling recruits

The future of angling is bright thanks to the success of this year’s National Fishing Month, which introduced nearly 14,000 new people to the sport over the summer.

The initiative, which is the country’s largest angling participation programme, held a record-breaking 326 special events throughout July and August in a bid to promote fishing to a much wider audience. 

During the six-week period, newcomers across the country were able to learn about fishing and gain new skills thanks to round-the-clock help from licensed coaches and angling bodies such as the Canal & River Trust, the Angling Trust and the Professional Anglers Association. 

Naidre Werner, Chair of the Angling Trades Association (ATA) which runs National Fishing Month, told Angling Times: “I’m over the moon that our NFM participant numbers continue to reflect how important NFM is in creating awareness of angling to the general public. 

“We really do fly the flag for fishing… and people love it!” 

The real key to NFM’s ongoing success is without doubt attributable to the enthusiastic and steadfast support of the voluntary organisers and coaches who actually plan and deliver the events every year. 

“It’s thanks to their hard work that the sport is exposed to so many people – and they deserve our greatest thanks and gratitude for helping recruit the next generation of anglers to our wonderful sport,” Naidre said.

One body that contributed to the overall success of the campaign was the Canal & River Trust, whose partnership with the National Fishing Month campaign helped expose the country’s waterways to hundreds of people. 

John Ellis, Fisheries Manager for the Canal & River Trust, said:
“We are delighted with how well our new partnership with National Fishing Month worked out this year – engaging with nearly 1000 participants. 

“We are already planning a larger programme of events on our canals and rivers in 2017 to make sure that even more people get the fishing habit.”

National Fishing Month was also popular with top fishing brands Daiwa, Fladen, Fox, Leeda and Pure Fishing, who collectively helped make the campaign a reality and a success. 

Naidre Werner added: “These establishments have demonstrated the admirable virtue of ‘putting something back into angling’, and I applaud them for it.”

To find out more information about the event, visit: www.nationalfishingmonth.com

Spider-web rod and WW1 fishing hero revealed on hit BBC show

A rod built by an angler whose fishing skills saved his life in the First World War has appeared on the BBC television series the Antiques Roadshow.

The 17ft ‘spider-web rod’, which uses mechanics similar to those of a crane to support the extra length that revolutionised fishing at longer distances, was built before the First World War by John Henry Hirst. It was valued at £3,000 during the latest episode of the BBC1 series.

But the spider-web rod was just one part of the incredible story of a man who was so good at fishing that he was pulled out of the trenches in 1915 to help feed his comrades.

The Yorkshireman, who died in 1963 aged 75, kept a highly detailed fishing diary between 1901 and 1948 that tells the incredible tale of how he took fishing tackle to the Western Front and braved machine gun fire to fish the rivers, canals and ponds of the Somme and around Ypres in Belgium in order to collect food.

The rod was presented to experts on the show by current owner Victor Bonutto, who has has been collecting and valuing vintage tackle for nearly 30 years and decided to buy it after hearing about it from Hirst’s daughter. 

He told Angling Times: “John was an incredibly brave man and a fantastic angler, hence the reason he was charged with catching fish to feed the troops. 

“I had no idea the rod existed until Hirst’s daughter approached me at an angling fair and told me the whole story, and it just blew me away. He patented its design and won countless events on his return. fom the war”

Hirst also ran a successful local newspaper and wrote angling reports, while his glittering match angling career saw him captain the famous Bradford team in the 1930s and win medals fishing in the All England Nationals. 

He was even quoted as saying that he was so good he would let his fellow competitors have a head start at the beginning of matches. 

The rod, that was partially made from bamboo, had been sitting in his daughter’s attic for 60 years until Victor and the family made contact. 

The Welshman then set to work on restoring it: “The rod was in really poor condition but it was well made,” he said.

 “It wasn’t just an ordinary rod with bits stuck on it, was actually designed and made from scratch – it’s an amazing piece of equipment, which I believe John wanted to commercialise for mass production, hence the reason for the patent he took out on the design.”

Antiques Roadshow’s Adam Schoon, who valued both the rod and two stuffed carp which John caught during the war, was equally amazed at the story. During the broadcast he said: “It’s not just the uniqueness and age of the items that make them incredible, it is the story behind it that’s so fascinating.” 

Would you like advice on a piece of antique tackle? Contact Victor on 07977 599218, email: tinca@gwlad.eclipse.co.uk

You can check out the episode of Antiques Roadshow featuring the rod on BBC iPlayer.

Personal best perch is a joy to (be)hold…

Catching big fish is all about being able to adapt, and Marcus Joy did just that when a barbel fishing session produced this 3lb 12oz perch.

He spotted the predator during a visit to a local river, so he dashed back to his car and exchanged his barbel fishing gear for a spinning outfit.

It was an inspired decision by the Lone Angler Team member. from Gainsborough, Lincs, as he returned to the water and the new personal best took his small rubber lure on the second cast.

“I’m going to keep the spinning rod in the boot for the rest of the season, but I doubt I’ll beat my new pb for quite a while,” he said.

Traffic jam is to thank for giant Severn zander!

Garry Bagley had a 10-mile traffic jam to thank for the capture of this 17lb 2oz river zander.

Having been sat bumper to bumper for over an hour, the predator fishing fanatic decided that he’d rather be sitting on the banks of the River Severn than in his stationary car on the M5.

After turning off the notoriously troublesome motorway, the 58-year-old from Stourbridge admitted that he didn’t expect to get a single run after casting out a small roach deadbait – in bright, warm conditions the odds seemed stacked against him.

But Garry got one of the biggest surprises of his angling career when the huge fish made off with his bait, legered just a few rodlengths out from the bank.

“Conditions couldn’t have been worse for fishing but I’d much rather be on the river than sat staring at the car in front of me,” Garry told Angling Times.

“To say that it was a big surprise when I got the bite would be an understatement, but not as big a shock as when the fish came to the surface.”

His impromptu session on a lower section of the famous waterway was rewarded when he positioned his bait close to a snaggy area with a rig made from 65lb braid, a 30lb wire trace and size 8 trebles.

“If it wasn’t for that traffic jam I would never have caught this fish – I wouldn’t have even bothered under those conditions. It just shows you how unpredictable fishing can be,” Garry said. “This is a huge fish for this time of the year, so you can imagine how big it could be come the winter.”

Second 50lb carp of 2016

A best man is there to support the groom through his big day – and that’s just what Phil Horton did as his mate Carl Sharp banked his second fifty of 2016.

Carl had booked Meadows Lake at Holme Fen in Cambridgeshire for a week-long stag do with a group of friends and hooked into this 52lb 7oz mirror five minutes after Phil arrived in his swim. 

“He wasn’t supposed to get there until later that evening,” said West Midlander Carl, “but he managed to leave work early and I met him at the gate just as I was coming back from the shops.

“I was in the Party Point swim, so I told him to double up in there with me. I’d just cast my first rod back out and was wrapping up the second one when I got the bite.”

The Willenhall Angling Direct shop manager, who gets married in Greece later this year, also managed a 46lb 7oz mirror on the penultimate morning of the week-long session.

After a slow start, Carl’s fifty arrived on the fourth day after resting one of his spots.

“There’s a small clear channel at 70 yards down the centre of the lake, which I baited and fished over to begin with, but on the second day I saw fish showing at range and put all three rods on single hookbaits at about 130 yards,” said Carl, who banked a 54lb Rosemere mirror in April.

After keeping his rods at range, the 32-year-old added a bit more bait to the shorter spot but did not fish there until just before his bite. 

He said: “I put a single hookbait on the spot after coming back from having a shower and popping to the shops, and it was away before I could get the second rod in.”

Best man Phil was rewarded for bringing a dose of good luck by catching his own forty, at 43lb 12oz, the next day. 

Fellow stag-party member Lee Rolfe also caught a personal best of 45lb 2oz.

“It’s just off the scale,” said Carl of the average size of fish. “You can go to France and still have to wade through twenties, so for us to have four fish over 40lb is incredible.”

September heatwave promises a bonanza of personal bests

Fisheries across the UK have hit their best form of the year for big carp, following some of the hottest September temperatures since records began.

Traditionally, this time of year is deemed by some of the sport’s biggest names as the best for beating carp personal bests as the nights draw in and fish go on the feed in readiness for winter.

It’s a theory that’s being proved at some of the top big-carp waters. In addition, commercial fisheries that hold larger carp are also reporting a huge increase in the capture of high double-figure fish, with specimens reaching 20lb.

Now, with record-breaking temperatures bringing warm water conditions, experts and fishery owners are saying there’s never been a better time for anglers to get down to their local carp venue and reap the rewards.

“It’s the best time of the year to target big carp and you’d be foolish not to be out there, especially with the recent high temperatures,” said Andrew Ellis, owner of AE Fisheries

“Some very high-profile carp anglers are all saying that this is the best chance of a monster.

“The only thing on a carp’s mind at this time of the year is feeding up ready for the winter and building up its stores of fat. 

“I feed my carp more now than at any other time of year. This feeding behaviour is being mirrored at thousands of fisheries across the country.”

Iain Macmillan with a fine late summer common.

Respected Shimano-backed carper Iain Macmillan echoed Andrew’s sentiments: “There are often more big carp caught between now and Christmas than at any other time of the year.

“There’s every reason to get really excited as this is the time when it’s not just about catching the really huge fish, but also big hits are on the cards.”

It’s not just day-ticket venues such as Oxfordshire’s Linear Fisheries and Staffordshire’s Baden Hall that have continued their incredible summer form for big fish. 

‘Runs’ waters like Northamptonshire’s Drayton Reservoir, Stafford Moor in Devon and Barston Lakes in the West Midlands are also in top fettle.

“There are loads of big doubles coming out at the moment, as a recent match was won with many carp between 16lb and 20lb,” said Barston Lakes boss Nigel Harrhy.

“Guys who just come here for runs are regularly upping their personal bests, and this time of the year is always spot-on for the bigger fish to switch on to the feed,” he added.

Big fish decide 2016 Carp Cup winners

The big fish came out to play for the final of this year’s British Carp Cup at Branston Water Park in Staffordshire.

Three thirties were caught and two anglers broke their personal bests in the 48-hour event, which pits the winners of the Northern, Southern and Midlands Carp Cups against each other.

The title was won by experienced pair Callum Gutteridge and Karl Palmer, who landed five fish for 107lb 3oz.

Ashley Izzard and Darren Pearse came second with two fish for 56lb 14oz, including a 32lb 9oz mirror for Darren. 

Paul Butler and Kevin Durling, who stormed into an early lead, came third with three fish for 52lb 2oz.

All the fish came during daylight hours, including a 32lb 14oz common to Ricky Dummer, fishing with his brother Billy. In all, 17 carp were caught at the 29-acre gravel pit at an average of over 18lb.

This year’s team event was won at a canter by DNA Baits, who had three pairs in the final.

Prebait helps tempt bream of 16lb 1oz

Prebaiting paid off handsomely for specimen hunter Paul Faint when he banked three double-figure bream topped by this 16lb 1oz fish.

His session at a Lea Valley gravel pit got off to a steady start after an initial introduction of pellets, corn and dead maggots the afternoon before.

First fish to fall for Paul’s traps were a small carp, a tench and a 7lb 12oz bream.

The big-fish hunter from Waltham Abbey, Essex, then topped up his swim and his imitation pop-up corn hookbait accounted for bream weighing 10lb 5oz and 10lb 1oz before his new personal best graced the landing net.

Captor’s five-year-old witnesses a 41lb 8oz common

A week of overnight sessions for James Winters was crowned by a very special moment with his daughter.

This 41lb 8oz common was the pick of a string of fish, and was witnessed by five-year-old Hattie.

In a hectic week that saw James fish four separate overnighters at the Carp Society’s Farriers Lake in Gloucestershire, he banked two doubles, three twenties to 29lb and a 36lb common, plus the forty.

It was the final session of the week that produced the biggest fish. Said James: “I was due to go on holiday on the Thursday so on the Tuesday I decided on one last quick overnighter. This time, though, I took my five-year-old daughter Hattie along. 

“We arrived at the lake at around 5pm and I knew getting back in the peg I was in before would be unlikely. It can be busy, especially if it’s done a few fish.

“Unsurprisingly, the peg was taken so we went just around the corner so I could get fairly close to the area I’d fished at the weekend.

“It was building up to a full moon and there were a few fish about, so I gave them a bit more bait than usual – around half-a-kilo of Sticky Manilla boilies per rod.”

After a fitful night’s sleep interrupted by tench and line bites, James eventually got a carp bite as dawn broke.

“It wasn’t much of a fight,” he said. “It did pick up my other line but within a few minutes it was in the net. 

“With no sleep I was absolutely hanging, and Hattie had slept through the lot, but to have to wake her to share the moment of catching a forty made it all very special indeed.”

Club-record chub

Just 60 minutes was all David Sansom needed to land this record-breaking 7lb 8oz chub.

The Bedfordshire angler netted the huge fish from a Vauxhall Angling Club stretch of the River Great Ouse near his home. 

It’s a specimen that sets a new club record for the species by 2oz, and was tempted by the club bailiff when he used a boilie hookbait hair-rigged to the back of a size 10 hook.

A fish that tipped the scales at 4lb 13oz also showed up during his short session, which began with the introduction of a handful of broken boilies.

Andy powers ahead for UK Champs title

Preston Innovations star Andy Power joined a select band of anglers with his second Old Ghost UK Angling Championships victory in a nail-biting final round at Barston Lakes.

Scoring eight points across the four-match series, the Somerset angler tied on points with Dale Shepherd, but tallied 210-558 against the 204-713 of Maver man Dale to win the £4,000 top prize and get his name etched on to the famous claret jug alongside his 2013 victory.

Sitting on six points heading into the final match, former Match This champ Andy drew in the same section at the Solihull lake just pegs away from his rival. Dale duly won his section to finish with eight points, Andy taking second to bring weight into play with just six kilos in it.

“I had reservations about Boddington Reservoir. I was told it was peggy and hard fishing,” Wells-based Andy said. “Round one at Lindholme couldn’t have gone any better but I came back down to earth with a bump on the Glebe with a fifth in section, and I thought I’d blown it. My only hope was to win my section in the final two matches.”

Boddington gave Andy a section win after drawing a reasonable area and so it all boiled down to Barston. With his nearest rivals also suffering at Boddington or the Glebe, Andy was leading by one point.

“When Dale drew peg 124 I thought it was game over. That peg is a guaranteed section win so I was fishing for second. If I could do that, I felt I’d win on weight,” he continued. “Pellet waggler gave me six big carp plus a few F1s but at the whistle I had no idea where I’d finished.

“Dale had won the section and people reckoned Greg Norris had caught 80lb while I thought I’d got 75lb – but as it turned out I beat Greg into second by 2lb and did it on weight.”

The final round was won by Geoff Vallance with 61-225 off peg 18 on the river bank. The Preston Innovations Delcac man went for broke on the Method feeder all day for a weight, but with little to show and just half-an-hour remaining he plopped the feeder into the margins and brought his total weight of carp to approximately 125lb. “That effectively won me the match and the £1,000 prize!” said Geoff.

Result: 1 Geoff Vallance, Preston Innovations Delcac, 61-225; 2 Adam Rooney, Guru, 55-325; 3 Paul Holland, Guru, 51-000; 4 Dale Shepherd, Maver, 48-547; 5 Phil Canning, Frenzee, 44-850; 6 Paul Hiller, Daiwa Dorking, 36-796.

Final league: 1 Andy Power, Preston Innovations, 8pts (210-558); 2 Dale Shepherd, Maver, 8 (204-713); 3 Chris Barley, Dynamite Baits, 10; 4 Andy Kinder, Maver/Marukyu, 12 (172-324); 5 Zak Brown, Preston Innovations, 12 (150-215); 6 Adam Wakelin, Preston Innovations, 12 (141-511).

Is this Britain’s biggest barbel?

This is the image of what could be the biggest barbel in the UK.

Weighing a colossal 19lb 4oz, the fish was caught by specimen angler Gary Johnson from an undisclosed stretch of the River Nene.

The incredible capture, which was first reported in Angling Times last week, was the result of a frustrating four-day campaign which saw the Cambridgeshire man trying numerous approaches before finally tempting his prize on a specially made John Baker bait. 

Gary told Angling Times: “I visited the venue a number of times to feed the fish, which were visible in the shallow water. However, I just couldn’t get the specimen to take my bait, despite tinkering with different set-ups and hooklength variations.” 

Gary finally found the right combination, using 5ft of 10lb Gardner Hydroflow with a size 16 Target hook and a meshed bait to avoid the hordes of roach and dace in his swim. 

If confirmed, the fish will set a new record for the venue, beating Nigel Bryan’s 18lb 3oz fish from earlier in the season.

Whincup victorious in £70,000 peg-to-peg thriller!

Jon Whincup earned himself £70,000 and the title of Maver Mega Match This Champion 2016 with a blistering display of commercial carp fishing at Maver Hayfield Lakes.

The Peterborough angler posted a record-breaking 105.75 kg (233.1lb) catch of carp to 12lb in an incredible match that saw a remarkable 1,123.82kg of fish was caught by the 24 competitors.

That equalled an average weight of 46.826kg (103.2lb) per man, together with the largest prize fund ever paid out in a UK fishing competition. 

Spectators on the Island Lake at the Doncaster venue were treated to a real tussle between Jon on peg 49 and Jamie Hughes on adjacent peg 51. Although many thought double Fish O’ champion Jamie had the edge, the scales showed that he fell just short with 93.925kg as Jon’s earlier run of big fish stole the show.

“It’s unbelievable really, it’s everything I’ve worked for over the past 20 years of fishing,” beamed Jon. 

“This is what we all go fishing for now, to win something big like this. It was the simplest match I’ve ever fished, but I thought I’d blown my chance in the last hour. I actually had a big lead, but I didn’t know about that at the time. 

“This definitely makes up for last year, when I sat between first and second place in the final.
It just didn’t happen for me. I was so close to the action that I felt how much I wanted it, so I got on with it again this year and it’s all come good now!” he said.

Within minutes of the start, it became obvious that the 2016 Match This was going to be something special. Carp were coming out all over the place, with Simon Skelton, on peg 57, getting off to a flyer and Jamie Hughes surging into the lead at the close of the first hour on the feeder. But Jon’s pole line was becoming stronger and stronger and in the second hour he put an estimated 70lb of carp in his keepnets, cementing his place among the front runners. 

Despite his swim going quiet in the last hour, when Jamie piled on the pressure, the damage had already been done. It was an enthralling battle between the pair that left spectators unsure which way to look!

“I knew Jamie was catching – we could hear what was going on over the Tannoy – but I didn’t looked round once for the first four hours. I told myself to concentrate on my float, as every bite could result in a crucial big fish. In the last hour my peg started to go a bit funny and I was foul-hooking fish. I only caught three or four,” said Jon. 

“Then I was looking round and it was the most tense hour’s fishing of my life. Of all the times to have a bad hour, why did it have to be now? Luckily, I had a 10lb carp right on the whistle, although I didn’t actually need it. 

“I said before the match that somebody would catch on the short pole all day, and thankfully it was me! 

“I’d like to thank my sponsors Frenzee and Bait-Tech and my long-suffering partner, Ivy. She sat behind me all day in the rain and she said she couldn’t bear to watch at times!” he smiled.

Jamie’s late rally helped him to the runner’s-up cheque of £5,000 and Maver’s own Simon Skelton was third and secured £3,000 with his 81kg 950g catch.

Best weight on the other side of the lake was by England star Des Shipp, but his fourth-placed 65kg 300g was only good enough for one of four £1,000 section prizes! 

Result: 1 J Whincup, Frenzee/Bait-Tech, 105-750; 2 J Hughes, MAP/Bag ‘Em, 93-925; 3 S Skelton, Maver UK, 81-950; 4 D Shipp, Preston Innovations/Sonubaits, 65-300; 5 D Shires, Garbolino Lindholme, 60-245; 6 A Power, Preston Innovations/Sonubaits 59-425; 7 R Brennan, Garbolino, 57-550; 8 S Openshaw, Lingmere, 56-100; 9 M Godfrey, Drennan Barnsley, 54-175;
10 D Burley, Champion Feed, 48-157; 11 L Bamford, Notts, 47-225; 12 S Davis, West Malling Angling, 43-375; 13 D Brown Jnr, Poplars AC, 40-250; 14 J Ashwell, Maver Midlands, 40-200; 15 R Harold, Matrix, 39-000; 16 A Playford, Dersingham AC, 38-675; 17 S Fry, Garbolino, 30-625; 18 P Cook, Maver, 29-325; 19 M Arnold, Decoy Lakes, 28-100; 20 J Smalley, Decoy Lakes, 26-800; 21 A Richards, Browning, 25-350; 22 G Bell, Lakeland Fishery, 24-075; 23 P Stone, Spro/ Gamakatsu, 14-300; 24 M Jones, Tredegar AC, 13-925. 

Fish for a golden £50,000 with new big-match series

QUALIFIERS IN 2017

March 4: Decoy Lakes, Cambs
March 11: Coleman’s Cottage, Essex
March 18: Larford Lakes, Worcs
March 25: Viaduct Fishery, Somerset
April 1: Monk Lakes, Kent
April 9: Larford Lakes, Worcs
April 15: Westwood Lakes, Lincs
April 22: Heronbrook Fisheries, Staffs
April 23: The Glebe Fishery, Leics
April 26: Partridge Lakes, Cheshire
May 6: Viaduct Fishery, Somerset
May 13: Lindholme Lakes, Doncaster
May 17: Decoy Lakes, Cambs
May 24: The Glebe Fishery, Leics
May 27: Barston Lakes, West Mids
June 3: Gold Valley Lakes, Hants
June 10: Lindholme Lakes, Doncaster
June 17: Larford Lakes, Worcs
June 23: Partridge Lakes, Cheshire
July 1: The Glebe Fishery, Leics
July 8: Larford Lakes, Worcs
July 15: Heronbrook Fishery, Staffs
July 19: The Glebe Fishery, Leics
July 29: Tunnel Barn Farm, Warks

Angling Times has teamed up with the creator of some of the richest matches in history to launch a competition in which the winner will scoop a guaranteed £50,000.

The new event is the brainchild of fishery owner Phil Briscoe, who is inviting anglers to take part in the Golden Reel contest for a prize pot of at least £62,000.

A series of 24 qualifying matches will be staged at some of the best commercial fisheries in the country, where the winner from each will make it through to the grand final at Phil’s own Larford Lakes complex in Stourport on August 19, 2017.

The winner of the individual open-to-all competition, of which Angling Times is the media partner, will then scoop the £50,000 first prize. 

The runner-up will win £5,000, with third place taking £3,000. Four section winners will pocket £1,000 apiece.

Phil, who was behind the incredibly successful Maver Mega Match This event has pledged that the Golden Reel – which is a totally separate competition – will be a huge hit with anglers and that the prize pot could be even bigger if the qualifiers sell out.

“I’ve been involved in creating and running big matches for 20 years and there’s already a huge buzz surrounding the Golden Reel,” Phil told Angling Times.

“The national spread of the qualifying matches means that everyone will have a match taking place at a fishery within manageable travelling distance.

“If the qualifiers begin to sell out, the prize pot will increase. Big-money matches like this are not only great for anglers that want to compete for incredible prizes like this, but they also serve to boost the sport’s profile, which is what fishing deserves.”

Tickets for each of the qualifiers (listed above) cost £50, and anglers wishing to book their place can do so from Monday, September 19 via the website at www.goldenreelangling.co.uk

Preston Innovations-backed match ace Andy Power, who has won the Maver Mega Match This Final and taken the UK Championships title twice, is one of the top matchmen who are supporting Phil’s new event.

“I’m right behind this competition, and I know there will be so many anglers that will jump at the chance to compete in another match with a massive first prize,” he said.

“The beauty of this competition is that anyone who gets a ticket to fish one of the qualifiers has a chance of winning the £50,000 top prize.”

TV giant BT Sport covers all of angling’s major competitions, and Phil Briscoe hopes that the Golden Reel will be included in its schedule.

Respected angler and TV presenter Rob Hughes has been involved in the coverage of countless big-money events, and is a driving force in getting angling on to mainstream television.

“The launch of the Golden Reel won’t just come as music to the ears of anglers that will be queuing up to fish the qualifiers,” said Rob.

“It also proves how the profile of the sport is being raised all the time.

 “This is what will get fishing more and more coverage on TV as we move forward.” commented Rob.

50lb Wellington common best of three in 121lb total

Lewis Read has banked his second 50lb-plus common in a month as a midweek overnighter produced three fish for more than 121lb.

Fishing Berkshire’s Wellington Country Park, the Gardner employee caught the Chinese Common at exactly 50lb, a 44lb ghostie and a 27lb 8oz mirror – all before packing up and heading to work.

Having lost a “blooming behemoth of a fish” on the morning of another midweek overnighter, Lewis returned to the same spot after work the same day.

He said: “I checked the area I had fished and there were a few fish about, so I wrapped up for the same spots that I had baited the previous night and got the three rods in tight to the far margin, with just one chuck needed on each rod.

“I restricted baiting to 30 boilies per rod as I had put a fair bit in the night before and, thanks to minimal casting, I had a quick bite on the long rod that turned out to be a chunk of a 44lb ghostie.

“Luckily, some very excitable campers were walking past and they oooed and aaaahed as I held the fish up and ‘dad’ did a great job with the camera!

“A few hours later the short rod lit up, pulling the bobbin up tight – and I was on the locked-up rod walking back up the slope behind the swim and leading the fish away from the far-bank snags.

“I had a bit of a brutal battle with this one – it did the dirty and went round a bush to my left, but gentle teasing eventually drew her round and then she did a couple of hugely powerful runs across the bay. Good old 15lb GT-HD mainline did its job and it turned out to be the Chinese Common at exactly 50lb! Oh my days, that’ll do!”

Lewis added: “Just as I started packing up I lost a fish on the same rod – and as I reeled in the right-hander the middle rod pulled up tight and I cajoled a lovely 27lb 8oz mirror to the waiting net. 

“It was a bit of a hectic work night by Welly standards, but then again everywhere seems to be fishing well with the cooler longer nights that have become so noticeable all of a sudden.”

7lb 14oz chub tops an amazing week

The incredible run of big chub from venues nationwide continued this week with the capture of a 7lb 14oz heavyweight from a canal!

In what has been a fantastic week for catches of the species, carp angler Richard Hogg was left shell-shocked when he netted the monster specimen from a seldom-fished section of the Staffs and Worcester Canal.

Targeting a swim where he had previously caught carp, the Brownhills-based angler set his stall out by scattering a few boilies by hand. 

Then he carefully cast a wafter hookbait into the swim. 

“When the alarm sounded I thought it was a small carp but then, when I lifted up the net, I was confronted by the biggest chub I’ve ever seen,” he said. 

“It wasn’t my target species, but I will take that fish any day of the week.” 

It’s not the first big chub to be caught by the West Midlander. Richard’s previous best stands at an impressive 7lb 8oz, and you can see more of his catches by visiting his Facebook page, Canal Carp Diary. 

It’s not just on canals where anglers have been enjoying some superb chub sport, though, as Alfie Naylor proved when he smashed his personal best for the third time this season with a
7lb 8oz fish from the River Trent. 

Just a few weeks after landing a 7lb 2oz chub, the Nottinghamshire rod revisited his local stretch and went one better. 

“I visited the swim a few times leading up to the session and scattered a few 110 Baits Redball Plum boilies around before fishing it with just a small PVA bag of five or six boilies dusted in krill powder tight in one spot,” he said. 

Alfie’s set-up was made up of a short section of 20lb Drennan Sink Link hooklength tied to a size 6 hook.