Angling legend John Wilson dies aged 75
TV’s Mr Angling John Wilson has died following a stroke at his home in Thailand.
Famous for bringing fishing to mainstream TV in the 80’s with his popular Go Fishing series that went on to run for over a decade, Londoner John was no mean angler either with a string of massive fish both at home and abroad to his credit with roach remaining his favourite species.
Often controversial with views on water abstraction and predation in the UK, John moved to Thailand in 2013 and passed away surrounded by his family and friends. He was 75.
Tributes have been pouring in from all over the angling world about the passing of angling legend John Wilson.
Angling Times Columnist Keith Arthur had this to say on Facebook:
Big Fish off Star Ali Hamidi also commented on the influence that John Wilson had on getting fishing on mainstream TV and the influence that he had on future shows.
Dean Macey also made his own touching video tribute to John Wilson:
Matt Hayes has also paid tribute, he had this to say: “So sad to hear about the passing of John Wilson.
I met John and worked with him at angling shows over many years and came to like and respect him.
He is undoubtedly one of angling's greats and his influence will live on. Rest in Peace, John, and thanks for the memories.”
BBC One Show reporter Joe Crowley said on twitter: “So sorry to hear this. Growing up in Norfolk, John Wilson was a childhood hero and inspired my love of fishing through his TV series.
Anyone could watch and enjoy Go Fishing because he had such a lovely, warm chuckle - you’ve never seen a man laugh more - it was infectious. A sad day.”
Top match man and Angling Times columnist Steve Ringer had this to say:
“Without doubt the most influential angler of our time. I remember as a kid sitting transfixed to the Tele when 'Go Fishing' was on. His catch phrases were also legendary with my personal favourite being 'what a clonker’.
“Rip John you'll be sadly missed”
Guru dedicated this 14lb 14oz barbel to John Wilson after a day of filming today.
Fox International said this on Facebook:
“There cannot be many anglers in the UK who were not inspired by John and his angling exploits on TV. Our best wishes go to John’s family at this extremely sad time.”
Anglers urged to help change fishing
Thousands of anglers will have the chance to shape the future of fishing for 2020 and beyond by participating in the new National Angling Survey.
The study, to be unveiled by the Environment Agency at the end of this week, will seek the opinions of both current and lapsed rod licence holders via a simple online questionnaire.
This will be the biggest survey into what anglers want for the continued development and progression of their sport since the last big survey in 2002.
Back then an estimated 300,000 anglers took part and helped to bring in much-needed change.
These changes included the creation of free rod licences for juniors, a 365-day permit, and the new ‘carp’ licence which allows anglers to use three rods on one licence.
An EA spokesman said: “Just like last time, anglers’ views really count and will help shape the new National Angling Strategy, which will be delivered through partnerships working across the angling community to develop and promote the sport further.”
The latest survey will be run by the study group Research at Substance on behalf of the EA, and is open to both freshwater and sea anglers.
It will be publicised through the rod licence database as well as partner organisations such as the Angling Trust.
Dr Adam Brown, head of research at Substance, said: “This is a really important opportunity for anglers to get involved by telling us about their experience and giving us their views.
“We need as many anglers as possible to suggest how angling should be developed and who should do it.”
The National Angling Strategy will be top of the agenda at the Angling Trust’s Future Angling Conference on November 17 in Solihull too.
The conference is free to attend, and will be another opportunity for anglers to provide input into the strategy.
Huge rudd in early hours on fake corn
Alan Rio proved that rudd aren’t just a summer species with the capture of this stunning 2lb 13oz fish.
Targeting a Farnham AS water, Alan caught the fish on fake corn presented on a helicopter rig over hemp and liquidised corn.
The rudd is a new personal best for the Woking, Surrey, angler, who believes that the early hours of the morning is the best time to target the species at this time of year.
Up early for a monster irish pike of 34lb 8oz
An early start was worthwhile for Stuart Heasty when he landed this mammoth 34lb 8oz pike at 5am.
Targeting a water in Southern Ireland, Stuart used a sardine on a float-leger set-up to tempt the predator. Stuart got the take after only half-an-hour’s fishing, and the fish put up an almighty scrap.
“The rod was doubled right over and all I could do was hang on with both hands as line peeled off the reel. I knew the fish was something special, and it’s a personal best that I’m sure won’t be beaten,” he said.
It’s not too late for a big crucian
A pair of 4lb crucians topped another superb week for the species – which also saw numerous fish over 3lb banked.
The larger of the two taken by Mike Lyddon went 4lb 1oz, closely followed by another bang on the 4lb mark.
Targeting Johnsons Lake, a Godalming AS water in Surrey, Mike cast out a small flatbed Method feeder with hair-rigged artificial casters as hookbait.
He added: “All my fish came at night – I didn’t have a single bite in daylight.”
Alongside these clonking fish, the Gardner Tackle-backed angler landed seven other crucians that all tipped the scales at 3lb-plus.
Mike’s latest catches, viewed alongside his previous track record with the species, further cement his position as one of the most successful crucian anglers of all time.
He said: “Since first targeting them I’ve now caught nearly 350 crucians over 3lb and 11 four-pounders, which is an achievement I’m tremendously proud of.”
Andy Childs also fished Johnson’s Lake for a 3lb 14oz crucian, part of an excellent haul that also included carp to over 20lb and a 2lb 1oz roach.
Another angler to get in on the crucian action was David Brice, who again used a Method feeder with a fake caster hookbait to land a 3lb 11oz fish from an undisclosed water.
David put down a bed of casters and groundbait with a spod and fished for carp while he allowed the crucians to settle on his feed.
Daniel Woolcott also opted for a Method feeder with fake casters to land two 3lb 7oz crucians from a southern lake, one of which was caught during the day and the other after night had fallen.
This incredible week was rounded off by Dereck Wood, who landed a 3lb 8oz crucian from the Hambrook Lakes day-ticket water in Hampshire on two grains of hair-rigged corn fished on a Method feeder. Dereck said: “I couldn’t believe my eyes when the fish came to the surface!”
Super Trent barbel and carp double
The River Trent is well known for its barbel, but the carp sport it can offer is not to be sniffed at either.
Robert Bown proved that beyond doubt when he landed this sizeable 15lb 10oz barbel and coupled it with a carp weighing 27lb 8oz.
Both captures fish are personal bests for the Nottingham angler, who fished Redemption boilies presented alongside a PVA bag filled with free offerings.
And that wasn’t all. Robert, who is sponsored by 3 Foot Twitch Baits and used size 6 hooks to tame the two fish, caught another carp of 12lb 3oz and a second barbel at 13lb 6oz in the same productive session.
Call to legalise UK tuna fishing
A campaign group has been formed in a bid to allow catch-and-release tuna fishing around the UK.
Bluefin Tuna UK and the Angling Trust met with MPs at the House of Commons last week to launch the bid to establish a properly regulated, science-based, live release UK tuna fishery. Currently, tuna fishing is not allowed around the UK coastline.
The news comes as more and more huge Atlantic bluefin tuna have appeared around the UK over recent summers, while a fishing quota forbids recreational and commercial anglers from deliberately targeting these huge fish off the British coast.
During this period, dozens of tuna to 320kg have been hooked accidentally but released safely by anglers fishing for sharks – highlighting the fact that there is a healthy population of tuna visiting the UK.
David Mitchell, Marine Environmental Campaigns Manager at the Angling Trust, said: “The return of giant bluefin tuna to our shores provides the UK with a once-in-a-generation opportunity to establish a sustainable, economically optimal, scientifically important fishery for the species right here in Britain.
“The authorised involvement of committed and conservation-minded anglers would not only add significantly to our knowledge of these tremendous fish but would guard against moves to reinstate unsustainable commercial harvesting and the inevitable illegal fishing that would occur if no-one was looking out for the stocks.
“A live release recreational fishery would be a win-win-win by contributing to better science, allowing the rebuilding and recovery of the population and delivering huge economic and employment benefits to coastal communities from Cornwall to the west coast of Scotland.”
Outlined in the campaigners’ plans to allow anglers to target tuna is the proposition of a tagging system, meaning that any tuna caught can be monitored.
Steve Murphy, director of Bluefin Tuna UK, added: “Tagging programmes are taking place across Europe, using recreational angling to gather much-needed scientific data
to help understand the stock better.
“A large-scale research programme, as part of any UK live release fishery, would allow anglers to contribute to essential scientific research of the stock and its future management.”
l For further updates concerning the progression of the campaign, please visit the Bluefin Tuna UK website at www.bluefintuna.co.uk
3lb 14oz roach is the biggest of the season
A slight temperature drop has sent shoals of big roach into a feeding frenzy in what has been a phenomenal week for catches.
Despite a combination of blustery winds and frosty conditions, ravenous redfins have been on the feed across the UK.
The largest roach banked fell to James Brown, the season’s best so far at 3lb 14oz.
It took a washed-out pink Moretakes Promatein Liver pop-up boilie presented on scaled-down carp tackle, proving that sometimes bigger baits are needed to get through to the larger roach. The NHS paramedic from Suffolk told Angling Times: “I had been enjoying a Friday afternoon to Monday morning carp session at Highbridge Fisheries in Norfolk, but by Sunday all I’d had was a low double.
“I noticed quite a few roach topping on the shelf line on Sunday morning where I had been baiting up all weekend, and decided that if it was a quiet night for carp I’d have a go.”
By Monday morning the roach could still be seen breaking the surface over James’ spot 25 yards from the bank, so after introducing more corn, pellets and Moretakes Promatein Liver boilies he cast out his free-running pop-up rig. “I spoke at length to one of the syndicate specimen roach hunters about my intention to get the feeders, maggots and quivertips out, but he suggested that boilies were more effective on a running lead for these fish,” James added.
“After following his instructions it wasn’t long before I had a twitchy take which I knew was a roach, but because I was using gear intended for 40lb carp the fight was fairly subdued.
“Considering I hadn’t initially planned on fishing for the roach I was very happy with the result.”
A huge piece of breadflake was key to the next roach capture – a chunky 2lb 10oz redfin for specimen hunter Simon Daley.
The 42-year-old roofer trotted the enticing bait along a far-bank crease on a stretch of the Hampshire Avon, and received a positive bite just before nightfall.
He said: “I had a take about 30 yards down the run and I knew when I set the hook that it was a big fish.
“It surfaced halfway up the run and my legs just turned to jelly.”
Arron Seder was next to cash in on the recent roach form with a 2lb 4oz specimen.
It was a new personal best for Arron, who targeted a southern chalk stream with maggots and hempseed.
A single white maggot proved to be the downfall of the fish, as well as a 5lb chub, a bag of grayling and two small perch.
Just a couple of weeks after catching a 3lb 2oz roach in the annual Avon Roach Project match, Mark Everard visited a stretch of the Bristol Avon to take another redfin, this time weighing 2lb 4oz.
Making the most of a tight 20-minute feeding window, Mark legered breadflake over liquidised bread to take the fine fish along with a string of others to 1lb 12oz.
Finally, Andy Childs rounded off the list of specimen roach catches when a 2lb 1oz fish picked up his hookbait during a crucian fishing session on Godalming AS’s Johnson’s Lake in Surrey.
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Monster perch on the munch!
The perch season has exploded into action in one of the best weeks so far for this exciting species.
Last week we reported Matt Atkins’ phenomenal 5lb 6oz stripey... and now he’s followed it up with a stunning 5lb 5oz fish.
In the same session, the predator ace also landed one of 4lb 3oz and a couple of three-pounders.
Matt said: “It’s unbelievable really. I was happy to have caught the 4lb fish, but to catch this latest 5lb 5oz perch is incredible.”
Targeting the same Lea Valley venue as before, he put his faith in a feeder-fished lobworm.
Chris West also got in on the big perch action with a 4lb 12oz fish from Kings Weir fishery on the River Lea. Chris told Angling Times: “I initially thought the fish was a pike, but my legs turned to jelly when I saw it turn and realised it was a perch.” The fish nailed a 7.5cm Fox Curly Tail soft plastic lure in a perch pattern, and is a personal best for the Herefordshire angler.
Edward Matthews added to the week’s perch haul with a 3lb 13oz specimen taken from a Midlands reservoir. He used a vibrantly coloured jig to bring the bite from an equally flamboyant golden fish.
Sam Witan continued the action with a cracking 3lb 11oz perch from Reading’s Wasing Estate Fishery. Using a lobworm on a jig head, Sam was twitching his bait along the deck when the striped specimen engulfed his bait.
A mobile approach was the key to success for Dan Eaves, who landed a 3lb 7oz perch alongside several other good fish. Targeting a Thames tributary in Surrey, Dan found a few pockets of fry and cast out a chartreuse Kopyto Shad. After a very subtle take, Dan hit into the fish, and after a few heavy head shakes he knew it was a quality specimen.
Simon Rumsey rounded the week off with an ancient-looking 3lb 5oz perch.
The fish, which is a new personal best for Simon, took a Savage Gear lure and fought hard for the safety of marginal snags.
After the capture, Simon said: “I was totally blown away and was pretty much in a daze the whole of the next day.”
7lb 9oz Stour chub from free stretch
Despite foggy and freezing cold conditions Paul Potter still managed to persuade this chunky 7lb 9oz chub to feed.
Targeting a free-to-fish stretch of the Dorset Stour at Longham, Paul fed a bed of hemp and cast a bolt rig with a Hinders Elips pellet hookbait mounted on a size 8 Drennan Specialist hook to help winkle out a bite.
“The fish came from a free stretch, and considering fishing can be an expensive game that some can’t afford – especially with the cost of some of the club books down south – I wish good luck to those who want to target this river and try and catch a new personal best like I did,” said Paul.
Biggest pike of the season hits bank at 39lb 3oz
The biggest pike of the season so far has been caught from Chew Reservoir – a 39lb 3oz monster.
The huge predator was banked by 46-year-old Paul Slade during a two-day session at the Bristol water. It’s the venue’s largest recorded pike of 2018 since its gates were opened to bait and lure anglers at the beginning of October.
Paul struck gold on the second day of the trip after the first provided very little – a lone jack pike providing the only sport for him and his fishing buddy.
Paul told Angling Times: “On day one we fished Walley Bank, and although my mate managed a jack, I didn’t have a single run all day.
“We decided on a new location for the next day and got to the bank for 6am.
“I dropped my gear at my chosen swim but a quick search with the torch suggested there might be too much weed directly in front of me, so reluctantly I moved further down the bank to try and avoid it.”
Once settled in his new swim and finding out it was clear of weed, he used a bait boat to deposit his deadbaits in an area with a depth of 9ft.
Come 9.30am and Paul’s bite alarm sprang into life – indicating something large had picked up his joey mackerel offering.
“My strike met with solid resistance and the fish almost immediately came to the surface and kited left – even at distance you could see it was big, but as it got closer it simply got bigger,” Paul explained.
“It gave a great account of itself and I was more than happy to let it do its own thing a bit further out, high in the water and away from the weed.
“That ploy worked a treat, and I took the opportunity to hopefully steer it past the weed into the waiting net.
“My fishing buddy Ralph netted it first time – no dramas, apart from the fact that I was staring at the back of a fish so wide you could ride on it!
“The rest of the day was a bit of a haze, but I managed a jack, a double and then a very hollow
27-pounder.
“I was over the moon with the day, especially seeing it’s been so tough on Chew this term.”
Sweet sixteens! amazing week of big barbel
A host of 16lb-plus barbel have been landed this week in the latest instalment of what’s turning out to be a bumper autumn for specimen anglers.
Many rivers may still be running unseasonably low and clear, but that hasn’t stopped the species from feeding hard in many venues. As expected, the Rivers Trent and Thames are once again dominating proceedings.
The largest fish of the week – a 16lb 7oz beauty – fell to Bracknell, Berkshire angler Mike Taylor, who smashed his barbel personal best twice after making the 300-mile round trip to fish two nights on the Trent at Gunthorpe.
He told Angling Times: “I had three barbel averaging 6lb on the Friday afternoon, followed by an 11lb 12oz fish at 5.30pm.
“On the Saturday morning I managed a 12lb 10oz barbel, then a new personal best of 13lb 10oz.
“I was already over the moon with this, but the rod quickly lurched over again and I was into another really hard-fighting fish.
“I couldn’t believe my eyes when it topped in front of the net, and was mighty relieved when it was finally on the unhooking mat.
“Weighing in at 16lb 7oz, my good day had just turned into a great day with another Trent pb.
“I packed up at about 11am on Sunday morning without another bite, but no matter – I was a very happy bunny.”
Another angler making the most of the late-season feeding spree this week was Reading, Berkshire specimen hunter Richard Cottrell, who banked a superb barbel weighing 16lb 4oz.
Targeting his local stretch of the River Thames, Richard cast a Pallatrax Multiworm boilie hookbait hair-rigged to a size 6 Gripz hook into a deep hole in the hope of a quick bite.
He said: “It was a thrilling, screaming take in the dark, and I was unsure of the fish’s size until I lifted it from the water.
“I’ve only caught bream and chub from this stretch recently, so this barbel is a real turn-up for the books.”
Scarborough, North Yorkshire angler Duane McClymont also got in on the big-fish action with a thickset 16lb 1oz barbel from a tricky stretch of the River Trent. Duane fished boilies into the main flow on a 4oz running leger rig incorporating a 6ft fluorocarbon hooklink.
He told Angling Times: “Just after dark the bream moved over my bait and I had four in quick succession. A bit later, my alarm let out a single beep and I lifted into what I thought was another bream…. until it powered off!
“As it lay on the mat I was blown away by the sheer size of the fish.”
Five minutes with renowned fish photographer Jack Perks
With a new series of Autumnwatch currently airing on BBC2, regular programme contributor Jack Perks is fast gaining a reputation as one of the UK’s leading wildlife photographers.
Famous for his stunning underwater images of fish, when he’s not filming Jack loves nothing more than a spot of fishing.
Dom Garnett caught up with him to discover more about his love of watery worlds and his new book, the Field Guide to River and Pond Life of Britain and Europe...
Q) How did you get into aquatic wildlife? Taking pictures of birds and other animals is one thing, but actually immersing yourself and a camera must have been quite a leap – or plunge.
Jack Perks As far back as I can remember I’ve had a interest in rivers, ponds and lakes. I used to catch bullheads and sticklebacks with a net and enjoy watching the tadpoles develop in my pond. There’s just something tranquil about being next to a river, hearing the water passing or the sound of a kingfisher whistling by. There’s no place I’d rather be.
Q) We know you’re an active contributor to programmes such as BBC Springwatch and Autumnwatch, and The One Show, but what have you been up to most recently?
JP One of my projects has been to film every species of freshwater fish in Britain. I have only four left: the vendace, river lamprey, allis shad and pink salmon, so I’ve been busy tracking them down. With next year being the International Year of the Salmon I’ve been getting closer to these amazing fish too, filming them in chalk streams, and I plan to get footage of them spawning.
Q) You’re also a keen angler. What kind of fishing have you been enjoying the most this season?
JP It ought to be a bit of a busman’s holiday for me, but I do love it and I wet a line when I can. I did a bit of fly fishing in the Cairngorms – beautiful, but I blanked. Otherwise, I’ve enjoyed centrepin fishing for roach and chub on my local River Trent.
Q) Do you think getting underwater gives you a better understanding of how to catch fish? Or does it take away some of the mystery that anglers love?
JP I’ve had anglers joke that I’ve ruined fishing for them because they can see exactly what goes on beneath the waterline, which for me is a huge compliment! I think it greatly helps to understand the fish from how they react to other species, what natural food they prefer and the habitats they spend the most time in.
Q) What are your favourite fish species to film or photograph when you’re in the water? We’re guessing some must be a lot more co-operative than others!
JP There aren’t any fish I dislike, to be honest, even lampreys. Grayling are my absolute favourite, but barbel come a close second. I’ve filmed lots of aspects of grayling life from males fighting, spawning, feeding and communicating. Some days I’ve had grayling hit me in the face when snorkelling, they can be that curious.
Q) Your most recent book, the Field Guide to Pond and River Wildlife, hit the shelves recently. What can readers expect?
JP There are, of course, plenty of fish featured in the book but also many other species you’re likely to come across on the riverbank, from insects to birdlife and plants. It gives a full spectrum of aquatic species. It’s an easy read with all the information you need to perhaps name and describe some of those species you’ve seen but not been able to identify.
Q) Many of us were taught to be quiet and keep a low profile when fishing, but is this key when fishing do you think? How easily can fish detect us under the surface?
JP It’s a funny one, as I can be flopping about in the water and some days the fish really don’t care, and when I place my remote cameras within a minute or two of me entering the water fish can be on the camera. Yet sometimes they can take hours to come out. I truly believe that fish have certain characteristics, almost personalities, making them more confident in certain places. They have a lateral line so can pick up on our footsteps and voices. Some species have very good eyesight, too, so a silhouette on the skyline will soon clear them off. Anglers scare more fish than they imagine.
Q) Can anyone now be an underwater film maker? What impact is technology having on the industry?
JP Since I started there’ are certainly more people putting GoPros and other cameras into rivers to film fish. On the one hand, it’s great people are taking a interest but it does dilute the market somewhat. That said, it takes serious time and commitment to get the best footage and I think most anglers would rather be fishing! I use fairly specialised kit and techniques and taken years to build up a network of locations and contacts for the best filming opportunities.
Q) What is the weirdest or most surprising thing you’ve ever seen while filming?
JP Well, the obligatory shopping trolleys and traffic cones make regular appearances. I did some filming in the Regent’s Canal for the Canal & River Trust a few years ago and I’ve found all kinds of weird items like iPads, a gun and even adult toys underwater. I also once filmed a 30lb-plus pike in the centre of London – a monster!
Q) As someone who literally spends hours under the surface of our lakes and rivers, are you optimistic about the future of these environments?
JP Rivers have improved in water quality but many are still in a pretty bad shape. The amount of chemicals and toxins that enters our rivers is shameful. Habitat degradation is another issue. If we improved nursery areas and channels for fish to get out of winter floods we’d see a marked difference in fish recruitment. It’s great to see the improvements now on rivers now like the Severn and the Trent, including fish passes and better protection from predators. It’s up to all of us to do our bit, though, and support river conservation groups and the Angling Trust.
Anglers weigh in £1.4 billion
Anglers pump a phenomenal £1.4 billion into the English economy every year, according to a study conducted by the Environment Agency.
This income supports up to 27,000 full time equivalent jobs, and highlights the huge contribution anglers make to the economy.
The study, titled ‘A Survey of Freshwater Angling in England’, is the first major investigation of its kind since 2005, and results were gathered after a review from 10,000 rod licence holders.
Mark Lloyd, Chief Executive of the Angling Trust, outlined just why the results are so significant.
He said: “These figures confirm that angling makes a huge contribution to the economy, alongside the many benefits it brings to the health and wellbeing of millions of people each year.
“The Angling Trust, working with the Environment Agency, are focused on the protection and growth of angling, not only as an important contributor to our economy, but also to our society as a whole.”
The survey also discovered other interesting facts, such as the amount of days spent fishing every year, as well as the nation’s most targeted species.
An almighty 19 million days are spent coarse fishing, making it England’s most popular form of angling.
Incredibly, seven million of these days are spent fishing for carp, making them the nation’s most popular species.
These impressive figures are supported by investment of rod licence income, as Kevin Austin, Deputy Director for Agriculture, Fisheries and the Natural Environment at the Environment Agency, believes.
He added: “All income from fishing licence sales is used to fund our work to protect and improve fish stocks and fisheries.
“This includes improving habitats for fish, facilities for anglers and tackling illegal fishing. We also work with partners such as the Angling Trust, Get Hooked on Fishing, the Canal and River Trust and the Angling Trade Association to encourage people to give fishing a go.”
Key Stats from the survey
£1.4 billion contributed by freshwater anglers annually into the economy
27,000 jobs supported
10,000 licence holders surveyed
Average annual angler expenditure
£400 on tackle
£110 on club or syndicate fees
Type of water fished
70% lakes, ponds and reservoirs
30% rivers and canals
14lb bream falls for micro pellet
Brett Longthorne added to his recent run of impressive form when he scooped up this cracking 14lb 1oz bream during his latest session.
The Manchester-based angler targeted a Northern stillwater with a Method feeder approach with scalded micro pellets around the frame to tempt the fine fish into a feed. He used a 10mm 3FT wafter on the hook which proved too irresistible for the slab.
Brett said: “At 7.30am I had a take, and after a short fight I managed to net the bream, which is my third over the 14lb mark this season.”
Three stripeys for 14lb!
An angler targeting a Lee Valley water has produced one of the greatest hauls of perch ever recorded in the form of a trio of stripeys totalling more than 14lb in weight.
The phenomenal triple-catch was made by local angler Matt Satkins who made use of feeder-fished lobworm tactics to tempt specimens of 4lb 1oz, 4lb 10oz and 5lb 6oz to the net – in what he described as ‘the fishing session of a lifetime.’
Matt’s 5lb 6oz monster
The 41-year-old’s determination in catching a new personal best paid off in spades when he discovered the perch’s patrol route on his chosen water, but little did he know he was about to enter the record books with the capture of three huge sergeants – of which the largest is now the biggest recorded perch of the season so far.
Speaking to Angling Times, an elated Matt described his session.
He said: “I’m absolutely over the moon.
“The five-pounder is a new personal best and the catch of a lifetime – probably equal to catching a 3lb roach!
“I had fished this location last year but could only catch a 2lb perch but once I found their patrol route this year, bites started to come thick and fast.”
Targeting an area of thick weed, Matt enticed his quarry by used a running feeder rig which was loaded with chopped worm and dead maggots.
On the business end was a section of lobworm mounted on a big hook attached to a 6lb fluorocarbon hooklink.
“In the morning I caught the two 4lb fish and I was already over the moon with this result,” Matt added. “Later that day I received another take and I knew from the off it was a much bigger fish.
“The classic headshakes followed and I had to play it hard to steer it away from the dense weedbed. “The moment it went over the net cord was one of sheer relief – it really was the fish of a lifetime.” Matt used two light barbel rods coupled with light bobbins to help catch all three.
Paste fools monster chub
A PASTE-wrapped Sticky Krill dumbbell boilie has helped Alex Warren put this chunky 7lb 4oz chub in the back of the net.
The West Sussex-based angler targeted the prolific Throop Fishery on the Dorset Stour to claim the fine chevin, which beat his personal best by exactly 2lb.
He told Angling Times: “The pictured fish was caught an hour before sunset, after trickle-feeding boilies and resting the swim for a couple of hours.
“I had barely put the rod on the rest when it knocked once and whacked round. “After a short but intense fight, I scooped the net under a massive, weed covered fish.”
Season's biggest roach landed.
An adapted inline maggot feeder rig has accounted for the biggest roach of the season –this 3lb 2oz beauty.
It was caught by Hampshire-specimen ace Dan Gale from a tidal stretch of Dorset’s River Frome and is a fish that he described as being ‘at the top of the list of all the catches that he’s ever made.’
Speaking exclusively to Angling Times, the 35-year-old discussed his session and the capture of such a rare and special roach.
He said: “The bite came during a short evening trip when the tide was a couple of hours into the ebb.
“After a fruitless 30 minutes in one swim, I moved downstream into an area with deeper water, and used a small baitdropper to deposit a couple of pinches of hempseed.
“I then cast my adapted inline maggot feeder with a short hooklink onto the spot, and another just downstream of this into the middle channel.”
For a hookbait, Dan threaded a fake maggot onto the shank of a size 14 barbed hook. No live maggots were used on the hook to help him avoid catching smaller ‘nuisance’ roach.
Dan added: “The bite came on the downstream rod after just a couple of minutes, and straight away I knew it was a special fish. It rolled mid-river early in the fight, and I was under no illusion that I had hooked a monster.
“After a really dogged scrap, the fish finally came to the landing net and I was able to take in its true dimensions.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to catch some really special fish over the last couple of years, but I think a river ‘three-pounder’ might just be top of the list!
“It is a new personal best and one that I do not envisage breaking any time soon! I think this fish is up on a pedestal, compared to the other fish that I’ve caught.”
Dan wins a weekly Drennan Cup award for the catch, his third of the season so far.
Five minutes with A Passion For Angling creator Hugh Miles
Twenty-five years on from the iconic TV series ‘A Passion For Angling’, its creator Hugh Miles is as passionate as ever about fishing.
Dom Garnett met up with him at the opening of Pinnock Lake, a crucian carp and tench water set up by Wimborne DAC with support from the Angling Trust...
Q: Can you believe it has been 25 years since ‘A Passion For Angling’? How does it feel?
Hugh Miles: It’s quite remarkable and it’s lovely that people still appreciate ‘Passion’ after all this time. We still get some great letters and messages. Some of my favourites have been those from non-anglers who loved it, or the fisherman’s wife who wrote to say: “I now understand why my husband has to go fishing.”
There was one guy who claimed it had helped save his life as he watched it in hospital with a life-threatening illness. He even had a special ‘A Passion for Angling’ tattoo done on his thigh!
What’s nicest of all, though, is that we now have guys who watched it with their dads and are now doing the same with their own children.
That always makes me smile.
Q: What do you think explains the show’s longevity?
HM: Besides the great angling sequences, I think it captured a subtler essence. There were so many strands to this and we managed to get the atmosphere of fishing. The banter and interplay between Chris Yates and Bob James was terrific. The narration from Bernard Cribbins and music from Jenny Muskett were also lovely, along with the quotes from Chris Sandford. It’s the reflective moments between the action that add something perhaps lacking in many other shows.
Q:Do you have a favourite moment or quote from the series?
HM: I love the classic angling quotes set to Jenny’s music, accompanied by natural sights and sounds, like the early morning mist and birdsong. The beauty of the British countryside at dawn still gets me every time.
As for individual moments, Chris Yates and the scarecrow at Redmire has to be up there. In the end, I felt he waited for too long. But when you see it you still think “wow!” It’s so perfectly eccentric, but it worked.
Away from the camera, there were lots of great moments too. We played Frisbee by the Kennet on winter evenings, there were hangovers after we toasted to successful sessions, and there were boilie fights with catapults.
Q: Do you watch any of today’s fishing shows?
HM: I don’t watch a heck of a lot, but I’ve been enjoying a bit of Mortimer and Whitehouse. I was clamouring for a little more fishing footage, but I found it very nice viewing. It’s always great to see fishing on TV, full stop, to reach a wider audience.
Q: As someone with a keen eye on the state of our rivers, are you hopeful about the future?
HM: I’m fairly hopeful, but the reality is that things are pretty challenging, especially with an expanding population and increased water use.
Rivers are shrinking compared with 30 years ago, and fish populations with them.
Angler apathy is a main obstacle and it’s up to all of us to act. We need to save water and limit abstraction. We also need angling clubs to apply for cormorant licences where possible. They are far more of an issue than otters as far as I’m concerned, and are destroying freshwater ecosystems. The roach fishing in places has declined dramatically.
I’m hopeful when I see active clubs like Wimborne and District.
On an individual level, the obvious answer is to join the Angling Trust. It sounds simple, but it does a tremendous job and could do so much more with a bigger membership. Politicians would have to listen harder and we’d have more clout.
Q: What do you think would surprise people most about the making of the show?
HM: The amount of time and effort, probably. With me having to keep going with the ‘day job’ of wildlife filming to finance the project, it took four-and-a-half years to film in total. Getting some of the sequences was hard because I was very picky about the light.
Some of the time Bob and Chris wanted to fish, but they couldn’t because the conditions weren’t perfect. It was certainly a test of their patience! Chris was a bit challenging with timing (it’s okay, he’s here today but I don’t think he can hear me!). In some of the dawn sequences, we were up so early that he and Bob were three-quarters dead!
They could probably have strangled me sometimes.
Q: Tell us a little bit about the Angling Trust’s Crucian Conservation Project and today’s event. Are they a favourite species?
HM: I’ve loved crucians for as long as I can remember. Perhaps for similar reasons to roach; they can be subtle and elusive at times, especially when they get big. They’re such special fish and, even better, they take you to some of the most beautiful places in the English countryside.
Our leading crucian expert is Peter Rolfe, and I’ve known him for many years. I’ve fished at his fisheries and contributed to his books, so it was inevitable I would be involved with the special Angling Trust project.
In the past, so many crucian populations have been destroyed, with lakes ruined for the sake of carp. It should be illegal! Thankfully, though, things are changing. Lots of clubs have got on board with the project and are developing lakes, and the Environment Agency is now providing genuine crucians to stock, as is the case here.
A crucian lake should be crystal-clear, natural, weedy, and free of carp. Crucians pair very well with tench, hence these are also stocked here in the new Pinnock Lake.