Double-figure zander boated from Grafham

A 350-mile round trip in search of a big zander produced a great result for Gary Knowles when he boated a 12lb 2oz specimen.

The Cheshire angler made the long journey to Grafham Water in Cambridgeshire and headed straight for deep water.

Using a 40g jig head with a Quantum Freddie Shad lure, he had a take on his first cast but lost the battle. Determined to set the record straight, he instantly chucked the bait back into the same spot and was immediately rewarded with the biggest predator of the trip.

Returning the next day, Gary carried on the action with several other zeds to a best of 10lb 4oz.

New campaign to help save predator stocks

Angling Times readers are being called to back a campaign to help protect one of the UK’s most sought-after species.

‘Stop the persecution of Zander in British waters’ is a campaign which has been created to try to bring about a change in the law which currently prohibits the species being returned to our waterways once caught.

The online petition, which has already received hundreds of signatures, was created by Buckingham-based angler James Aris.

He not only wants to see the species given more protection, but a radical change in attitude towards these fish. 

 “Zander have been in England since 1878 and should be more universally accepted,” he told Angling Times.

“An ever-growing number of lure anglers spend a lot of money on all the accoutrements needed to successfully target the species. Despite this, thousands are destroyed in netting or electro-fishing operations each year. 

“There are hundreds of venues which have licences to stock the species and miles of unfished canal – those fish could be returned to these areas instead,” he said.

Currently there are grey areas regarding the law about not returning zander to the water from which they are caught. 

English law currently allows individuals to return zander when they catch one from a water where the species is ‘already established’, but doesn’t allow netting operators on man-made venues like canals to do the same.  

The Canal & River Trust oversees dozens of such operations on its waterways each year. 

However, the charity says its hands are tied when it comes to keeping anglers happy while remaining within the law.

 A CRT spokesperson said: “We have not been granted permission to keep zander on canals and so we believe that we could inadvertently be breaking the law if we told an angler that it was okay to return a non-native fish species to the cut.

“In our day-to-day fisheries work, when we encounter a non-native species we are bound by the Keeping and Introduction of Fish (KIPF) Regulations not to return the fish in question to the water. We can only restock fish we find if the new venue has a licence to stock the species.”

It is this law which a growing number of predator anglers like James Aris wants to see changed.

Recently a Facebook page called ‘Save the Zander’ appeared online and some of the sport’s top names have also voiced their concerns, including Zander Anglers’ Club member Dilip Sarkar. 

He told Angling Times “Zander are here, fact. They do not decimate fish populations as was once feared.

 Over time, they have become an accepted part of the aquatic environment they now live in. 

“In waters where they are established, nature has balanced itself out. Take the Severn, for example… the river is in fine fettle, full of fish, and produces pike to 30lb and zander to 20lb-plus. 

“Were there not sufficient food, that would not be the case. 

“The canals where culling is ongoing are actually full of silvefish, so there really isn’t a problem. 

“Even if there were, it would be physically and practically impossible to eradicate zander, whether or not they remain on the invasive species list.”

THE LAW ASIT STANDS

When asked by Angling Times what the law is regarding zander, an Environment Agency spokesperson said: “The keeping or releasing of zander in your fishery (unless it’s a totally enclosed stillwater) is an offence under the Import of Live Fish Act unless the Fishery concerned has an official licence to hold the species. 

“If an angler catches a zander from a water where they are already established they can decide whether to return it or, making sure they have the fishery owner’s permission, to take it.”

To sign the petition visit: www.petition.parliament.uk/petitions/167921 or look for ‘save the Zander’ on Facebook.

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.”

18lb 13oz zander from the Severn

The River Severn has produced a 18lb 13oz zander, Angling Times can exclusively reveal.
Current British record-holder for the species, James Benfield, legered a bleak deadbait just a few feet from the bank on the famous waterway to lure the fish.
The capture comes just nine years after the 28-year-old from Malvern, Worcs, made history by banking the 21lb 5oz British best from the same venue.
It was the slightest tap on the rod-tip that signalled the bite from the shy predator during his latest session on the rver.
“These zander are very timid, so I use my 1.45lb test curve rod like a quivertip and strike at any movement. If I hadn’t been fishing like this and relied on a bite alarm the fish might have ejected the bait before I’d have even known about it,” James told Angling Times.
His latest specimen is the highlight of a productive start to his 2016 river campaign which has produced many fish to around 7lb – but James admitted that the 18-pounder came as a shock.
“Having caught lots of small zander since the start of the season, I knew that this fish was something special straight away.
“Then these huge boils starting appearing on the surface and I just wanted it in the net. My heart was in my mouth,” he said.
“To have the record and then to catch another huge fish like this is beyond words.
“I fully appreciate what an achievement it is to land a double-figure zander, let alone two for 40lb.”
A simple running rig made up with 12lb mainline, a 3oz lead and a single size 6 treble was the winning set-up for James, who went on to bank four other zander on the day.