Angling Times/Bait-Tech Supercup 2019 rules
Angling Times/Bait-Tech Supercup 2019 rules
How to enter
Each club must enter a squad of anglers into the event. Along with an entry form and the £30 entrance fee, each secretary or captain must supply a squad list of anglers (minimum 10 anglers, maximum 20 anglers) that will be used to fish the competition.
Squads
Squad names can be changed only with the permission of Angling Times. Should any team wish to make a change at any point in the competition, they must submit written notification to Angling Times BY POST ONLY – NOT BY TELEPHONE. Please note that teams will be allowed to request their opposition’s team sheets before the match. Should the team on the day not match that on the submitted teamsheet AND Angling Times has not been notified of any changes made then the team in question will be disqualified immediately.
Sponsorship.
With more anglers turning their back on the open match scene and settling into the club scene, the standard of angler fishing Supercup has increased somewhat. With this in mind, our sponsored angler policy is as follows:
Teams:
Any team with sponsorship from a tackle or bait company will not be allowed to fish, even if this ‘deal’ means a few bags of bait or clothing. Shops fishing under a tackle shop or fishery banner are permitted. If a club is deemed to be the above, that side will be refused entry.
Individuals:
Any angler with a consultancy or sponsorship from a tackle or bait company will not be allowed to fish, even if this ‘deal’ means a few bags of bait or clothing or a few floats. This also includes field testers. Anglers of a high profile will also be barred from entering as Supercup is not the event aimed at them.
Angling Times and Bait-Tech only will judge what ‘high profile’ means and captains will be informed of any changes that need making to their teams. If a team does fish an angler deemed to be either of the above, that side will be disqualified immediately, not just the angler.
Sponsorship mid-competition
If a team has one of their registered members join a sponsored team or gain personal sponsorship from tackle or bait companies during the 2019 campaign, then they will not be allowed to take any further part in the competition. They will also not be allowed to take part any further in the future of the event until their sponsorship ends, even if they are a valid team member. If an individual has sponsorship through being employed full time by a tackle or bait company (not sponsored), then this acceptable.
Non-transferable anglers
Teams can enter as many squads as they like, but if fishing two sides, they must supply two separate squad lists with two different sets of anglers. These respective squad members will be non-transferable between the two squads whether they have fished or not.
Cup tied
Likewise, an angler who fishes for one team in the competition, cannot then transfer to another that he/she is a member of – this angler will in effect be ‘cup tied’ and unable to take part further in the event for any side.
Ties
The number of rounds to be fished will depend upon the number of teams that enter in each area with the format being two knockout rounds, one Semi-Final in your own region, and the final.
Round one will be a knockout between two or three teams, depending on the draw and the number of teams entered in your local area.
Round two is a match with again two or occasionally three teams competing, again with one team drawn as the home side as before, the other team coming from the same region.
The winning team from this round goes through to their regional Semi Final, either the North, Midlands or South, the top seven from these Semis then going through to the Grand Final.
The draw
The draw details for each round will be fair and independent and the first round draw will be published in Angling Times in Tuesday March 5 2019.
All home-drawn teams will be instructed on who to contact from their rival team or teams and, at each side’s request, all sides will be expected to supply their squad list to the other team involved in the match.
Venue selection
Home-drawn teams will have the choice of venue for the fixture ONLY. These venues must be large enough to comfortably accommodate the match and give every angler and equal chance to fish every method at their disposal.
Match dates
The date for ALL first round Supercup ties will be the weekend of Saturday April 13 and Sunday April 14 2019. These are the ONLY dates matches can be fished unless of cancellations owing to severe weather, in which case an extension will be granted. It is expected that teams will decide amongst themselves which day their tie is to be fished. Second round matches are to be fished on the weekend of Saturday June 22 and Sunday June 23 2019 and the same protocol is to be followed.
If a team has a prior booking that clashes with these dates, then they must decide between fishing the Supercup of forfeiting their place in the event to honour their original commitment.
Locality
If you enter Supercup and are drawn as a home team then your chosen venue is expected to be within easy travelling distance for all teams concerned – not the other side of London or three counties away!
Practice dates
The home side should also allow the away team to practice twice on the fishery chosen for the match and must designate the pegs or rough area of the venue to be used, whether it is a club or privately owned water. If these pegs change, all parties MUST be informed. These practice dates must be weekend dates and not midweek.
Fishery rules.
Fishery rules will apply, whether a commercial or club water. Home teams are expected to make their opposition fully aware of these rules to avoid confusion on the day. The home team will have no power to dictate fishery rules unless they own the venue in question.
Number of anglers.
All first and second round Supercup ties will be SIX A SIDE.
Scoring.
ALL Supercup matches will be decided on section points, NOT weight. Sections will contain one angler from each competing team, so will be made up of two or three anglers and will be decided as follows in a tie of three teams:
One point for a section win
Two points for section second
Three points for a section third
In the event of a blank, the angler in question will receive one more point than the last in section score. So, in a two team tie, a blank will score three points. If there is a tie on weight, both anglers will receive the points score for that position, not half points.
In the event of a tie on points overall, section countback will be used to decide the winners – for example, the team with more section wins or seconds will triumph. If there is still a tie after this then aggregate weight will come into play.
Length of match.
All Supercup matches will be five hours long.
Placing of anglers
NO TEAM WILL BE ALLOWED TO PLACE ANGLERS UNLESS MORE THAN ONE LAKE IS IN USE
Severe weather
In the event of cancellation due to severe weather conditions, matches will be granted an extension for the tie to be fished. ONLY severe weather conditions will permit this, not any other reason.
Semi finals
The three Semi finals are to be held at venues to be announced and at this stage, teams will be restricted to teams of SIX anglers to allow us to fit the matches in on these waters. The winners will be judged on section points.
The final say
The adjudication of Angling Times and Bait-Tech on any matter relating to the competition will be final and absolutely no correspondence will be entered into.
“fishing must change to survive” claim experts
Trendy’, ‘cool’ and ‘sexy’ aren’t words usually associated with the public image of angling. However, experts believe this needs to change quickly if we are to secure a safe future for our sport, Angling Times can reveal.
The news comes out of a specially organised ‘think tank’ at Solihull’s Barston Lakes, where leading figures from the sport’s governing bodies and concerned anglers met to formulate a plan to reverse the current decline in rod licence sales.
Their ideas would be used to contribute to the forthcoming National Angling Strategy – an initiative designed to increase participation in angling over the next few years.
Adam Browning, of the Angling Trust, and the Environment Agency’s Tom Sherwood pitched the Strategy after statistics revealed an 11.5 per cent decline in rod licence sales.
They told the audience: “Angling is an asset of immense significance, generating £1.4 billion for the British economy every year, as well as supporting 27,000 full time equivalent jobs.
“After the sharp decline in rod licence sales it’s essential that we act to present angling to a new audience.”
Most agreed that to the uninitiated, the public image of fishing is a negative one – typically a middle-aged man sat on a riverbank, in the rain, catching nothing.
Carp Team England manager and TV presenter, Rob Hughes, strongly believes it’s this image which needs to change quickly to attract new anglers.
He told us: “We need to make fishing trendy and sexy to disprove the stereotypical image of a boring and lonely angler on the bank.
“Using digital media to convey this is pivotal to its success, and by making exciting and engaging content we can introduce the public to angling in a different light.”
As an example of the potential impact of of online angling promotion, it was revealed that an image of David Beckham fishing with his sons generated the most interest of any angling-based social media post in years, quickly amassing over two million ‘likes’.
Sarah Collins, CEO of Get Hooked On Fishing, endorsed Rob’s idea.
She said: “When I first walked into a tackle shop I found it an uncomfortable place where I was looked upon in an unfriendly light.
“For angling to appeal to a wider audience we must give it a fun, safe, family-friendly image. Without this people are put off before they’ve even wet a line.”
John Wilson's greatest catches through the years.
John Wilson, who passed away at his home in Thailand earlier this month, enjoyed some outstanding moments during his 60-plus years as an angler.
Here are some of the highlights, in his own words… Extracts taken from ‘Sixty Years a Fisherman’, published in 2008 by G2 Publishing and available via Amazon in Kindle format
1940s
Young Wilson, who must have been six or seven at the time, spent his pocket money on some size 20 hooks to nylon, 10 yards of green flax linen line and a small tin of ‘gentles’, as maggots were commonly called in those days. I also invested in a brightly-coloured ‘Day-Glo’ bobber float.
Few of the fish we caught in those days, though we didn’t realise it at the time, had the physical strength to pull such bulbous floats under. Hence the term ‘bobber floats’ I suppose, because all they ever did was ‘bob’.
A cheap and noisy ‘clicker’ (centrepin) reel was fixed with insulating tape to my designer ‘garden cane’ rod which Dad furnished with rod rings made from safety pins.
With this outfit I happily caught tiddlers from Whitewebbs Park Brook in North Enfield and the New River, which then flowed swiftly, sweet and pure right through Enfield and around the town park.
1950s
My regular fishing mate, Doug, and I fancied fishing further afield from our local River Lea – where we would stand a chance of catching really big roach and bream. We answered an advertisement in Angling Times and had a week’s fishing holiday at the Watch House Inn in Bungay, Suffolk, which was just a short walk from the then magical River Waveney.
We joined the Bungay Cherry Tree AC which controlled much of the fishing and, employing simple trotting tactics, caught mountains of quality roach from the main river and the many streams using stewed wheat. Even the tiniest drainage dykes were so full of roach it was staggering, and there and then I vowed one day to live among the roach-rich rivers of Norfolk and Suffolk. Ironically that reason for living in East Anglia no longer exists, thanks to cormorants, abstraction and farming policies. From the deep and swirling Falcon weir pool in the centre of Bungay I even caught my first-ever 2lb roach, also on a grain of stewed wheat.
As its massive head-shaking shape came up through the clear water I just couldn’t believe roach grew that huge. I can still picture it now, lying on the landing net, immensely deep in the flank, with shimmering scales etched in silvery blue and fins of red. All 2lb 2oz of it. It made a 15-year-old a roach angler for life.
1960s
IN my late teens in the early 1960s I used to relish all-night bream bashing sessions on the middle reaches of the Great Ouse. They averaged perhaps 2lb-3lb with the odd 2lb-plus hybrid for good measure.
By legering bread paste or flake, eels were avoided and in favourable conditions bites could be expected consistently throughout the night, following heavy groundbaiting with mashed bread and bran.
The St Neots to Little Paxton beat was my favourite, particularly St Neots Common where a flood dyke joined the main stream.
1970s
Remember 1976 and that heatwave? No sophisticated electronic bite alarms and boilies, thermal one-pieces and two-man bivvies, no carbon, boron or Kevlar wrapped rods, although I did atest fish that year with one of the first prototype carbon trotting rods ever produced. But we did have one precious asset which for the most part is not there today: roach in our rivers. Personally, I would much prefer to go back to those days of less gadgetry when you could trot a swim that actually had roach in it.
My diary book started in January 1976 with a mountainous glut of incredibly large roach, because the clear-flowing upper reaches of Norfolk and Suffolk rivers were as prolific with quality roach then as they are barren today. My diary entries for 4 January 1976 – despite a severe overnight frost and snow showers – included roach of 2lb 9oz and
2lb 10½oz from the Wensum at Taverham in the ‘rushes’ stretch. Both came long trotting.
On January 5 I caught a roach of 2lb 2½oz plus a string of others over 1lb. On January 7 I achieved a huge bag including five over 2lb, the best being 2lb 13oz. The next day I got a roach of 2lb 3oz followed, on January 11, by fish of 2lb 1oz and a 2lb 7oz. Then I caught a 2lb 4oz roach on January 12. Many of these came in very short sessions fitted in before I had to set off to open the shop. It was fairy-tale fishing. It was just too good – unreal almost.
1980s
Cauvery River, India. No sooner had I feathered the bait down to the bottom following a long-cast from halfway along the straight, where a huge slab of rock hung out over the river, than there came an arm-wrenching pull, which almost had me off balance and into the swirling water. Instinctively I knew immediately that this fish was big, very big. I had never before felt such awesome power and I immediately started to worry that it might zoom off downriver and over the rapids, a situation I would have been powerless to stop.
Fortunately, it spent the best part of the hour-long battle under my own bank, within a huge undercut, where current force over countless years had carved out a veritable underwater cavern. Try as I might, I could not prise the unseen monster from its lair and out into open water. I was at a complete loss, using up most of my own energy and powerless to stop the line shredding each time the mahseer lunged with its huge tail and bored further into the undercut. My arms were aching, my wrists were aching and my stomach was extremely painful where the rod butt dug in. I never believed that a close-range struggle could be so tiring, and every so often I had to ease off the pressure to relieve the pressure on my own spine – I obviously wasn’t as fit as I had thought.
By now Andy and Bola were also crouched on the rocks with cameras rolling and it was Bola who offered to climb down to water level and heave the huge mahseer on to terra firma. It was something he did with unbelievable strength and agility. That was amazing because Bola couldn’t possibly have weighed much more than the mahseer which scaled an incredible 92lb.
1990s
During September 1994 I was to make one of my finest catches ever by landing no fewer than nine double-figure bream in one session from a 13 foot deep swim in a secluded 25 acre Norfolk still water I call the ‘forgotten lake’. I marked an area in the middle of the lake with a buoy and heavily prebaited it for the two previous evenings with a mixture of stewed wheat, casters, maggots, chopped lobworms and brown breadcrumbs.
I was confident of some action and arranged for the video cameras to be there. A thick mist hugged the lake from dawn until late morning which, although it restricted our filming early on, encouraged the shoal of bream to continue feeding far longer than they would normally have done.
This resulted in my enjoying unprecedented sport using a sliding float rig baited with a lob tail. Initially I had started with two 13 foot float rods but quickly put one away as bites were happening within a short time of the lob tail settling on the bottom. I had the choice of accumulating the largest catch of huge bream ever recorded, or taking the time whilst fishing to go through baits and explain in detail my sliding float arrangement with all the inevitable waiting around (when I could have been catching) that filming demands. Frankly I reckon I could have caught 20 or even 30 of those ravenous bream.
2000s
Fraser River, Canada. On our first move downriver I immediately connected with something very large, which treated us to a couple of classical ‘polaris’ style leaps. After a wonderful battle lasting around 15 minutes a sturgeon came alongside the boat and was ready to be photographed, all six and a half feet, and 160lbs of it. Fred and I then accounted for another biggy, perhaps 20lbs larger.
Later on that afternoon, I finally banged into a real whopper sturgeon which put up an incredible scrap for over half an hour and which measured eight foot two inches long. Fred estimated it at least 300lb, and being my largest freshwater fish ever I was ecstatic.
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.
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
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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
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.
Catch a crucian winners revealed
The winners of the third annual Catch a Crucian Photographic Competition have been announced.
According to organisers, this year’s competition – run throughout the summer – saw its highest standard of entries so far, with Matt Minter taking the prize for the Best Crucian Picture with a classic shot of a 2lb 5oz fish.
Lying alongside traditional crucian tackle of a centrepin reel, split cane rod and a delicate waggler float, the fish on the picture is a perfect example of the species. Matt caught it from a southern stillwater using paste on float tackle.
The Best Junior Picture prize was awarded to eight-year-old Lauren Stevens, who posed proudly it with her first-ever crucian.
The stunning fish was caught in grim conditions, but Lauren’s beaming expression brightens the image. Her crucian was caught from Hinkshay Top Pool, and beats her father’s personal best!
Rhys Kolze Jones took the prize for the Best Scenic Picture with an idyllic image of dawn at Onslow Estate Long Pool in Shropshire. Using a low angle above some yellow water lilies, Rhys photographed the sun rising above the trees, capturing a traditional crucian angler’s morning scene.
The entries were judged by a panel of leading crucian experts including ‘A Passion for Angling’ film maker and crucian conservationist Hugh Miles.
He said: “I was honoured to be asked to judge this competition again this year, not just because crucians are such wonderful creatures, but because the quality of the photography was even better than last time.
“Interest and investment in these splendid fish has increased a lot recently, and we can thank the Angling Trust and Environment Agency for all they’ve done to make this happen.”
James Champkin, Angling Trust campaigns officer who manages entries into the Catch a Crucian competition, added: “I certainly believe that the competition has encouraged many more people to get out there and target this wonderful species. It’s particularly uplifting to see so many young anglers proudly holding their first crucian.
“Hopefully they will become motivated to join the efforts of the National Crucian Conservation Project to conserve this charismatic fish.”
Don't panic rod licence sales may just be a statistical blip
Despite an apparent decline in the numbers of those who fish, it’s not all doom and gloom, Angling Times can reveal
The Environment Agency has revealed that during August there was a 14 per cent decline in licence sales compared to the same time last year.
However, according to an EA spokesman there are several important factors to be taken into account regarding the figures.
“These monthly comparison figures don’t take into account the popular introduction of the 365-day licence and three-rod licence.” he said.
“We know these licences have changed sales patterns and we will be able to make an accurate comparison next April. The Environment Agency produces figures for fishing licence sales each financial year. The new figures won’t be available until April 2019, when we can make accurate year-on-year comparions .”
While acknowledging that now is not the best time to assess the data, the Angling Trust has called for all branches of the sport to pull together to reverse the situation. The Trust’s Chief Executive, Mark Lloyd, commented: “We need stronger engagement from the angling trade and from government if we are to make progress.
“We need to make angling part of young people’s everyday lives and we will campaign and build programmes to get angling into the school curriculum and part of the growing Scouts and Guides movement.
“With these stats in mind, it’s worth recognising that despite the many challenges facing angling it’s important to remain positive and fully support strategies aimed at bringing newcomers to the sport.”
He also mentioned cultural changes that have led to a decline in participation of other sports, including football and tennis.
Highlights of the Trust’s efforts to increase participation in angling include over 1,800 events held across the country which introduced over 47,000 adults and 30,000 juniors to
the sport.
In addition to these events, the Environment Agency is constantly working on developing a National Angling Strategy aimed at conveying the health and social benefits of angling, and how it can be used to help drive environmental improvements.
Disappointment for England at World Lure Champs
Team Estonia have won the prestigious World Lure Boat Championships after a gruelling two-day battle on Rutland Water.
In the competition’s 11th year of running it was the first time England had hosted the championships, although wet and windy conditions brought by Storm Callum did make fishing very difficult for the 16 competing nations.
The poor weather didn’t didn’t faze Estonia however after they took the first-place position with a catch of 24 fish, including mostly perch and big pike.
Czech Republic came second with an immense 66 fish haul, whereas Latvia took third place with the captures of 17 larger fish.
With the advantage of home soil team England hoped to compete with the Eastern European nations who have dominated in recent years, however after a valiant effort they could only muster a 14th placed-position.
James Dobie from team England told Angling Times: “We expected the zander to show in numbers, but we could only catch perch over the two days.
“Nonetheless, I think we have fished very well considering our opposition are world class anglers and the fact that we are a fairly new team.
“We’ll certainly come back fighting in next year’s championships.”
For a full report and scores of the 2018 World Lure Boat Championships, please visit the Angling Trust Competitions Facebook page.
The Big One Show gets bigger!
The UK’s largest fishing show – The Big One – is set to be even bigger in 2019 as plans were unveiled for a huge second hall packed with new tackle and visitor entertainment at the Farnborough location.
And in a double delight for the nation’s fishermen, Angling Times can also exclusively reveal there will be a SECOND BIG ONE SHOW in 2019 as organisers launch a new Midlands event at Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire!
The news comes as tickets for both two-day shows have been announced to go on sale Tuesday the 23rd of October, and anglers are being urged to get in quick to take advantage of brilliant early-bird offers and special VIP packages.
Over 3,000 square metres of covered exhibition space has been added to the Farnborough event on Saturday and Sunday March 23 and 24 to fit in more exhibitors and allow the world’s biggest tackle brands and retailers to expand their stands to show off more new gear and bargains.
The 2019 Farnborough event will also showcase two new additions, including a huge, interactive ‘Lure Live’ area dedicated to lure fishing fans and the unveiling of a new Super Demo Arena.
Complete with an indoor fishing lake, this demo area will ensure visitors can get first hand advice from Britain’s top anglers, and meet some celebrity guests too.
Big One show director, Vince Davies, told Angling Times: “So many exciting things are happening this year, and this is mostly accredited to the 3,000m2 of additional space we now have.
“The new lake area and theatre is certainly going to be a big hit, and will be used for coaching sessions, tackle demos, games, as well as great talks by top anglers.
“There’ll also be more exhibitors at the 2019 show and we’re still taking bookings for places.
“Lengthy negotiations are also being carried out to ensure this year’s parking issues don’t happen again in 2019.
“2018’s VIP tickets, which were linked to preferential parking spaces, sold out very quickly so we’ve also increased this for 2019’s show – make sure you grab yours before they run out!”
Vince also believes that Midlands-based anglers have been missing out on big events in their area and has worked hard to create a new show – The Big One Stoneleigh in April.
This new show – the biggest in the Midlands – will take place inside the two flagship halls at the easy-access location and will see a host of big manufacturers, retailers, and anglers in attendance.
It will be a unique opportunity for all coarse and carp anglers to see the best new gear for the 2019 season, and get buying advice from the experts who created it.
With the UK’s top retailers there too, you’ll be able to not only try new tackle, but get your hands on it at bargain prices with many show exclusives to take advantage of. “The Midlands show is something that’s been in demand for a while and is now gaining an enormous amount of attraction from exhibitors,” Vince added.
“We found the perfect venue at Stoneleigh as it met our requirements for access and parking.
“This show will reach out to a large part of the country who perhaps couldn’t have made the previous Farnborough shows.
“Anyone who wants to keep up with updates on the shows should check out the Big One website at www.thebigoneshow.co.uk.”
The two shows
Farnborough airfield Sat Nav GU14 6AZ
• More space! Additional 3,000m2 of show space for the 2019 event
• 200-plus stands! All the UK’s biggest tackle manufacturers and retailers will be there
• More gear – see the best new gear and buy it at bargain prices at the UK’s biggest show
• NEW Lure Live area packed with stands and demos for lure anglers
• NEW Super Demo Arena for expert tips and celebrity guests
• NEW Shop and Drop facility for you to leave bulky items
Opening times: Advance Ticket holders can get in at 8.30am on both days. Tickets on the door from 9am. The event closes at 5pm Saturday, 4.30pm Sunday.
Stoneleigh park, kenilworth, warks Sat Nav CV8 2LG
• Huge indoor event taking over the two main halls at Stoneleigh
• The UK’s biggest tackle manufacturers and retailers
• More gear - see the best new gear for 2019
• Hot deals! Kit yourself out for the season with tackle and bait at bargain prices
• Super Theatre – watch top anglers deliver great demos and meet celebrity guests
• FREE parking on site
Opening times: Advance Ticket holders can get in at 9am Saturday and 9.30am on Sunday. Tickets can be purchased on the door from 9:30am. The event closes at 5pm Saturday, 4.30pm Sunday.
Barbel record set to fall this winter!
The capture of two 20lb-plus barbel from the River Thames has led many experts to predict that the national record is set to be smashed out of sight this winter.
Simon Cook banked a fish weighing 20lb 2oz from a stretch of the river while targeting carp – a fish believed to be the second-largest barbel ever caught from the waterway.
It is a different fish to the 20lb 9oz giant exclusively reported by Angling Times when it was caught by Rob Phillips in March.
However, this week camera phone pictures of what could be an even bigger fish have emerged, with some believing that it could be the new record-in-waiting.
It was caught by Paul Buckley, and despite the poor quality of the image, clearly shows a barbel of truly immense proportions.
Paul’s brother Steven confirmed that the fish went unweighed at the time, as the pair were not targeting barbel, and were in fact legering maggots with 4lb line off the back of a friend’s boat in the Walton Bridge area when they latched into the giant.
Steven told Angling Times: “We didn’t weigh it and wanted to get the fish back into the water quickly – it took a long time to land because of our undergunned tackle. We just took a quick shot and returned it to the landing net to rest in the flow. If I were to estimate its weight I would say somewhere around 20lb.”
The Thames is forecast to be the most likely candidate to break the record, and rumours of fish over the 21lb 1oz British best have circulated for several years.
In 2017 a 21lb 10oz fish was caught by a carp angler who decided not to report the catch to the press or circulate the photos.
But while the Thames remains many people’s banker bet to wrestle the title from the Great Ouse, it faces stiff competition from the River Trent, which has produced a staggering array of monster barbel to almost 20lb over the past year. And there are other rivers that rank as contenders too, with some anglers citing tidal southern rivers such as the Arun and Rother as more than capable of causing an upset.
So why are Britain’s rivers experiencing such a surge in the numbers of outsize barbel?
Many believe that it’s down to the vast amounts of high-protein baits such as pellets and boilies being introduced into rivers, along with other food sources such as mitten crabs and crayfish. However, Dr Paul Garner gave an alternative explanation.
He said: “Barbel from rivers in all four corners of the country have got markedly bigger over the past two decades, and not just those in the Trent and Thames. It’s a boom time for the species, unlike anything we’ve ever witnessed before. But the reason can’t just be down to anglers’ baits, because our rivers receive vastly different amounts of pressure.
“While some rivers hold crays and crabs, many don’t – yet their barbel have still put on huge growth. It has to be climate-related. If, in the space of a year, the water temperaturer rises by one degree, it can make a huge difference to their growth potential.
“Barbel only really ‘grow’ in water above about 12°C . Below that they just maintain their weight. Small changes in temperature can have a profound effect on a barbel’s metabolism and, therefore, its growth.”
what the experts say...
Adrian Eves
“For me it’s a two-way fight between the Thames and the Trent, and I’d marginally favour the former. There seem to be a number of different big, back-up fish and there are many stretches of the Thames that don’t see any pressure at all, so big fish can turn up anywhere.”
Paul Garner
“I think the Thames is the most likely to beat the record. It’s slower flowing, and is further south, so is slightly warmer. I’ve heard of big fish from the Henley area for years, and there are plenty of stretches that get little angling pressure where big fish could tuck themselves away. As for ‘dark horses’, I’d say that one of the tidal Sussex rivers, such as the Arun or Rother, could produce a real surprise. They get carp-fished these days, so more bait is going in, and it only takes a big fish to disappear down into the tidal reaches for a few years and then come back much bigger.”
Bob Roberts
“For me the next record has to come from either the Thames or the Trent. I’d probably favour the Thames, as it has a better record for producing fish over 18lb. But the Trent is a magnificent river, with plenty of anglers fishing it, so If we have a mild winter, who knows? I can’t see any other river throwing up a surprise to contend with these two. Many overlook stillwaters, of course, which have thrown up some very big barbel.”
Redmire pool is drained
Britain’s most famous carp lake has been drained as work begins to restore it to its former glory.
Photographs have emerged on social media of an almost empty Redmire Pool after Angling Times revealed plans for its rejuvenation earlier this year.
The work is being managed by fisheries scientist and Ashmead Fishery owner Mark Walsingham, who said: “After two exceptionally hard days’ work by the netting team, we have successfully removed all the fish in good health.”
Talking exclusively to Angling Times, Mark added: “I will let everyone know what’s happening as each stage of the project is completed.
Before work began, Mark confirmed the intended plan for Redmire, stating that de-silting is a major aspect of the work.
He continued: “It’s an invasive process and care must be taken, as there’s always a risk to the fish.
“To prevent future silt build-up, silt traps will be installed, and the agricultural ground surrounding the lake will be used for grazing as opposed to farming.
“We will also inspect the dam to make sure it’s sound and secure, and we plan to otter-fence the fishery to protect the stock.
“All this is as much about preserving the fish as it is the lake. As such, the rogue ghost carp that ended up in the water will be removed, as will any fish not in photographs from 14 years ago.
“This will ensure that the remaining stock will be from the true Galician carp bloodline of Donald Leney’s stocking all those years ago. We also have to sustain the element of mystery at Redmire, so only a select few will know what remains.”
In the past, Redmire Pool has produced British record carp for Dick Walker and Chris Yates.
Five minutes with Sarah Thompson
IN 2018 the Angling Trade Association’s National Fishing Month campaign introduced nearly 10,000 new people to the world of fishing.
More than 275 special National Fishing Month events held across six weeks during July, August and September gave thousands of people the opportunity to fish for the very first time, and a large percentage of those who attended were children.
One fishery that dedicated a lot of its time to helping kids get into the sport over NFM was Norfolk’s Barford Lakes, who received a lot of interest in their free coaching sessions held at the complex.
Angling Times spoke to the fishery’s owner Sarah Thompson to pick her brains on the fishery’s contribution to helping more people take up fishing…
AT: It’s fantastic to see a fishery that’s so passionate about introducing new people to fishing. What sparked the decision to help out? When did this happen?
ST: The passion has always been there, I'm lucky to have the support of my family business – even luckier with the excellent group of people gravitated to our coaching team. Angling's not the easy, entry level sport it used to be with less free fishing suitable for juniors. We ran junior matches in the late 90’s, got a team in the Junior National and had an individual 2nd and 6th. Ivan Marks and his son also came and helped us in practise. I found that without an abundant coaching team the good got better, but the ‘not-so’ didn't go so much. 5 years ago the Angling Trust had a Volunteer Champion scheme which helped us start to form the core of the coaching team. With a free coaching day a year leading to the last 2 years we've run 20 free sessions each year - half for National Fishing Month and half for Angling Trust's Free Family fishing schemes. It’s the future and we’re playing the long game.
AT: How many licenced fishing coaches do you now have on-site?
ST: We have 2 Level 2 coaches and 2x Level 1 coaches and a bank of about 8 tremendously awesome volunteers - 4 of which are under 18, which is great as some youngsters relate better to young people nearer their own age. We feel blessed by the team that has grown.
AT: We understand you’ve been hosting free coaching sessions. How popular have these been?
ST: Very popular, this year it's been filling up two weeks in advance. We had about 300 people through and the same again this year. About 50:50 returning from last year and new people. It's a younger starting age now due to distractions of life, phones and social media - we're trying to make it affordable and accessible for young families, that’s why we try and keep the sessions free.
AT: Are the coaching sessions more popular with kids or adults? Or are the results equal?
ST: Fairly equal but probably younger families. The parents with a child who has an interest in fishing but no-one in their family fishes. Returning anglers. Parents who have fished as a child who want their child to experience fishing - but their knowledge is limited to when they were a kid too.
AT: How valuable have the Angling Trust and angling bursaries been in helping you achieve your goal at Barford?
ST: Hugely. The Angling Trust and Active Norfolk have been great with bursaries and our Angling Participation officer has helped with additional bespoke volunteer training. The Angling Trust's Volunteer Champion scheme 5 years ago was a starting block for forming our team. It gave training on risk assessing, safe guarding and positive public image giving volunteers more confidence and some clothing which added pride and identity. The participation officers are a valued arm of the Angling Trust. The ATA's National Fishing Month scheme has been awesome too for help with tackle from the trade.
AT: Can you explain more about your Tackle Bank Scheme? Have any big-named anglers donated their old tackle to the cause?
ST: The more coaching we do the more our customers wanted to help put something back to the sport too. We had their unused poles, rods, luggage and even boxes donated to us. We now have a small area with donated tackle we've started to donate back out to young anglers. Giving some a more professional set up, replacing broken rods to get them fishing again, quiver tip rods to juniors fishing the method on a waggler rod. Julian Watson from Drennan gave us his very first Drennan Macthbox box – which the young grandson of one of our coaches now uses. 100 words
AT: The Norfolk School Games Angling Final was held at your fishery again this year. Can you tell us more about what happens during this event?
ST: It’s run by Active Norfolk, with 18 other sports involved. Young anglers are from 11-15 years old. 6 of the 8 Norfolk School Sports Partnership qualifiers are held at our lakes where we also coach at the same time as competing. The 48 peg final (each SSP sends 2 teams of 3) is supported well by the trade. Finalists get a goodie bag with at least a plummet, disgorger and decent hook length, along with other goodies we can find. There are team and top individual tackle prizes too.
AT: We’ve now come to the end of National Fishing Month. How has Barford contributed to the cause this year?
ST: Every week we held a session over NFM linked to this brilliant initiative. We support all the trade's participation schemes as we all work for the same common cause. Plus I'm an associate director of the Angling Trades Association who run the scheme (not the most well attended director as we're always so busy at the fishery!). They've helped with publicity, tackle and participant goodies and a great log book and fish ID booklet.
AT: What would you urge other fisheries to do to help get people near them to take up fishing? Is there a way they can apply for funding?
ST: There's lots of help out there. Contact angling coaches (AT or PAA). Run one event next year - imagine what new opportunities we'd all create for people to join our sport. Get in touch with your Angling Trust Participation officer (they'll help you find funding and ideas to gain volunteers), National Fishing Month, PAA. Get involved and enthused - it's rewarding - challenging and frustrating sometimes but rewarding all the same. Build a team of volunteers - they're key to our sport's future.
AT: What do you think the biggest challenge is in terms of getting kids into fishing, or any other sport for that matter?
ST: Opportunity, availability and cost. There's always been the distraction of computer games but now we've got social media we have to introduce angling to kids when they’re younger, before they own a phone which means getting families involved. Families don't have a lot of spare cash nowadays so keeping the costs down helps. If you've experienced angling as a child you will want your child to do the same – we'll not see a customer for 7 years and they'll turn up with their 7 year old to teach them to fish.
AT: What’s next in-line for Barford? Do you have any further plans or ideas to get more people into fishing?
ST: Where do I start! First we’d like to start a junior angling club at the fishery. We’d also like to make more links with other junior sections in clubs and hope to get them competing against each other. Using social media more is also a plan – Instagram ups the 'cool' of anything to do with youngsters nowadays so we'll be signing up soon. We’ll also be advancing the Tackle Bank so we get more tackle in and out to families who will use it. Personally I want to redevelop the Starter Lake here so we can have a solid double peg for electric wheelchair users and work more with the BDAA and local special needs schools we have links with. It’s certainly going to be a busy task!
Tommy Pickering steps down as England Feeder team manager
Tommy Pickering is handing over the reigns after seven glorious years
The search for a new manager for the Preston Innovations England Feeder team begins following the announcement by boss Tommy Pickering that he is to stand down from the role with immediate effect.
A glittering few years at the helm of the team has seen Tommy lead them to two golds, a silver and three bronze medals while seeing Steve Ringer crowned World Champion in 2014 but he admits the time has come to call it quits and hand over to someone ‘with a younger mind and a younger brain’.
“I thought I would go to South Africa but toe be frank, I’ve lost the enthusiasm for the job and feel that it is time to let someone else take over,” Tommy told Angling Times. “Managing the team has taken its toll on me and things have been non-stop going from managing the England Ladies for many years to the Feeder team. You do sacrifice so much of your time and your fishing plus I’m also not getting any younger and have a few ambitions to achieve before I pack in.”
“I said when I began managing the team that it’d take them five years to get used to international fishing but they’ve surpassed that and are now brilliant – they go all over Europe and smash up the matches they fish. I honestly don’t think I can take them any further,” he admitted. “They’re above me in terms of the fishing and tactics so it’s time for someone younger and hungrier to step in!”
Angling Times and Parkers crown best off-roader 2019
Parkers.co.uk and Angling Times have chosen the new Dacia Duster as the Best Off-Roader in the Parkers New Car Awards 2019.
The impressive new small SUV was praised for its long excellent finance and value for money, as well as being good to drive and having a tough and spacious interior.
The Duster is the perfect choice for the first Parkers Best Off-Roader award. The old model proved itself unstoppable in some of the world’s most hostile environments, and this one looks set to continue that car’s lead.
But the new Duster is more refined, better to drive, and has a much higher quality interior than what’s gone before, making this an excellent SUV for families who enjoy adventuring. The compelling price merely sweetens the deal.
The new Dacia Duster is a worthy winner
Parkers editor Keith Adams said: “The Duster really is all things to all people, and clear proof that Dacia is a car manufacturer on the move.
“Low-cost PCP and keen list prices might drive people into showrooms for this family SUV with great off-road potential, but the car’s all-round excellence is what will have them returning time and time again.”
The winning off-roader has been tested rigorously by the Parkers.co.uk team, which judged the best cars on a combination of running costs, value for money, cost-per-month figures and fitness-for-purpose.
It beat the highly recommended runners-up, the Jeep Wrangler and Toyota Land Cruiser, both of which have enviable reputations for their off-roading prowess.
Ideal for all your fishing kit, and very competitively priced
Keith Adams, Parkers.co.uk editor, added: “In the second year of running the New Car Awards, we’re excited to have come up with such an interesting selection of winners.
“We’ve applied what we know about what our users are viewing on Parkers, with the combined team’s century of editorial expertise. We’re happy to award the Dacia top honours alongside Angling Times.”
See more on the winning cars at www.parkers.co.uk/awards
Lindholme Lakes set for revamp
One of the country’s best-known commercial fisheries is set for major reinvention in 2019... including computer touch screens to help anglers choose the perfect peg.
Lindholme Lakes Country Park near Doncaster, South Yorkshire, already boasts an impressive 10 lakes but bosses have revealed that a further two match lakes will be built as well as a specimen-style water, adding something new to the primarily match and pleasure-dominated complex.
In support of the new lakes a 6,000 sq ft tackle store will be built, stocked with a variety of tackle from Drennan – Lindholme’s new sponsor.
It will cater for match and carp anglers alike, and will include a dedicated pole alley, as well as a ‘Big Fish Boys Toys’ section, featuring bivvies, rods, reels and a wide selection of baits.
Additionally, plans are in place for a new café/restaurant and pub, alongside 40 new lodges and 40 touring caravan pitches.
These new features will be in addition to Lindholme’s existing facilities for visiting anglers and holidaymakers, and are designed to make the complex even more popular.
If these developments weren’t enough, a unique ‘touchscreen presentation room’ will be added to the attractions, where anglers can use iPads to access detailed, up-to-date information on their chosen lake.
This will include advice on the best baits and tactics to use, as well as up-to-date news on which pegs have been successful in recent matches.
Fishery owner Neil Grantham is delighted with the new developments. “This all sounds too good to be true, but I said when I bought Lindholme Lakes 17 years ago that I was going to make it into something special,” he said. “Now, it will be.”
