Specimen fish fall in high water conditions
After water levels shot up in the recent wet spell, specimen anglers have been enjoying phenomenal sport as our rivers fined down to their normal state.
Here are this week’s top catches…
CHRISTOPHER MENDELSOHN – 16lb BARBEL
Christopher Mendelsohn of bait company 3 Foot Twitch has been in unbelievable form on his local River Trent, and he added to his impressive catch list this week with a brace of barbel for 30lb.
The bigger of the pair was this immaculate 16-pounder, which fell in high water conditions from a slacker area of the river in between two stands of trees.
He caught them both within two hours of starting, using his regular rig of a 5oz lead, 6ins Kryston hooklink and size 2 Partridge Curve hook. The effective bait was a 3 Foot Twitch D-Liver boilie over a bed of hemp, maize, chopped worms and SG1 boilies.
JOE ROYFFE – 4lb 11oz PERCH
Hertfordshire delivery driver Joe Royffe continued a fine season of hunting specimen fish with the capture of this monster 4lb 11oz perch.
Arriving at 6am on the River Lea, Joe latched into a fish of 4lb 1oz before it even got light, and the second giant came moments later.
Both fish fell to gudgeon livebaits presented on size 8 Kamasan B983 hooks on sunken paternoster rigs with 8lb Daiwa Sensor mainline.
JAMES CHAMPKIN – 15lb 9oz BARBEL
A rapidly rising southern river provided James Champkin with his new personal-best barbel of 15lb 9oz.
“It gave a great account of itself after a typically savage bite that wrenched the rod-tip round. After losing a very big fish from the same stretch a few days previously, I was massively relieved when this one was finally landed!” James said.
The fine whisker was caught on double 12mm Dynamite The Source boilie hookbaits fished over a bed of small pellets and hemp. At the rig end, James used a 15lb braided hooklink down to a size 8 hook and a 3oz gripper lead.
3lb 10oz rudd tops late season haul...
One of the best rudd catches of the season has been made by Daniel Woolcott, who banked this 3lb 10oz specimen after a long campaign.
In a rare autumn haul, Daniel added fish of 3lb 1oz and 2lb 8oz.
Targeting a big northern gravel pit, Daniel had spent all summer chasing big rudd, but it wasn’t until his very last session that he enjoyed the catch of a lifetime.
“The lake is very tricky and for me is a long four-hour drive away,” Daniel explained.
“With other species to target at this time of year I thought my chances had gone.
“But I’m pleased to report that after an extreme amount of effort through the summer trying to bag a big rudd I finally succeeded on my last trip of the season.
“I actually fished four different waters, bagging ‘twos’ from all of them, but I finally hit the jackpot on a large tough gravel pit in the north of England.
“Within a very short feeding spell I managed three rudd including fish of 2lb 8oz, 3lb 1oz and the monster 3lb 10oz fish that beats my previous personal best by 2oz.”
All Daniel’s fish fell to 10mm fluoro Dynamite Baits Source pop-up dumbells presented over a bed of Dynamite Baits Krill Pulses and Particles.
Inside britain’s biggest carp farm
We are fast approaching that time of year when fisheries around the country are looking to top up their stocks – but what exactly goes into farming these fish?
This week Angling Times takes an inside look at one of the largest carp producers in the UK – VS Fisheries.
Who are VS Fisheries?
Formed in 2005, VS Fisheries is the brainchild of former Sparsholt College fisheries management lecturers Viv Shears and Simon Scott.
Both men have made their mark on the angling world in other areas too, with Simon’s many appearances on Korda’s Thinking Tackle series leading to him now being known as ‘half man, half carp’. Viv, meanwhile, has recently hit the spotlight for his work with the Anglers National Line Recycling Scheme.
Since the farm’s inception, it has grown from 15 ponds across five acres to a mammoth project incorporating 60 production ponds across 50 acres – all with the sole purpose of producing carp for UK fisheries.
The list of waters stocked by VS Fisheries includes Linear Fisheries, Savay, Wraysbury, Horton Church Lake and the most famous carp water of them all, Redmire Pool.
But how exactly does farming carp work? Unlike some of the many other fish farms across the UK, VS Fisheries has the advantage of growing fish right from the start, from fertilising a small egg right through to adulthood.
This has allowed VS over the years to experiment and create strong strains of carp through selective breeding.
Every year in the hatchery, staff cross many different historic bloodlines in their quest for the perfect carp, resulting in a final product of attractive, healthy and fast-growing fish.
Spawning carp
Simon Scott’s expertise comes at this early stage of the rearing process, as he selects strains to cross breed from the established broodstock on site.
“These brood carp are then brought in from their outdoor ponds into a special hatchery tank, where the water is warmed to 23ºC and the fish are injected with a spawning-inducing hormone called Ovaprim,” he explained. “With the eggs from the female stripped into a bowl, a drip of the male’s milt is added, enough to fertilise the lot!”
After the eggs are stirred to remove their natural stickiness they are transferred to jars and within 72 hours they hatch into small larvae which travel through a pipe to a holding tank.
“Once the fish are hatched, we feed them a plankton diet called Artemia (brine shrimp) – as much as 10 times per day,” added Simon. “Just over a week later the fish are ready to go to a pre-prepared outdoor pond where they will really start growing.”
Growing carp
The ponds are prepared through a process of draining and liming, which kills any parasites or life that may be detrimental to the fish in the early stages of development.
Each pond is covered with netting to ensure the fish can grow quickly without the stress imposed by predators.
Within two growing summers the carp (C2s) will be averaging 1lb 8oz to 2lb, thanks to a regimented pellet feeding programme.
“After four growing summers the carp will be three years six months old and weigh up to 10lb – a perfect size for stocking into specimen carp fisheries, although we sell fish at each stage of development, from two-inch C1s right through to 25lb C6s,” said Viv.
VS Fisheries in numbers
850 Number of venues stocked since opening
30,000 The number of miles clocked up by staff while delivering fish
85 Tonnes of pellets fed each year. Five to eight tonnes of wheat are also fed
47lb 12oz The farm’s biggest stocked fish to date. ‘White Belly’ was stocked into Mustang at 15lb and is now 14 years old
SIX The number of staff who make it all possible – two full-time and four seasonal employees (plus Viv and Simon!)
Nation’s rivers hit top form
The UK’s rivers have been in superb form for a multitude of species over the last week and some truly impressive specimens have been banked.
Here’s the pick of the very best catches to help whet your appetites for the weekend ahead…
Justin Stoddart 16lb 10oz barbel
Fishing through floodwater proved to be a smart move for Justin Stoddart when he went on to bank a sturgeon and this 16lb 10oz barbel.
Targeting an area of slack water on the tidal Trent, the Retford angler fished big cage feeders loaded with scalded pellets and broken boilies with a paste-wrapped boilie hookbait.
He said: “At 2am I had a run on the downstream rod and landed a 2lb 3oz sturgeon! Then, at 4am, my upstream rod ripped off and I slipped the net under a PB barbel.”
Josh Haine estimated 7lb-plus chub
Josh Haine has been targeting the well-known free stretch of the Dorset Stour at Longham for big chub and this week claimed his biggest ever – but forgot to bring the scales!
Having caught chub to just under 7lb from the stretch before, Josh was certain this specimen was much larger than his previous catches.
The fine fish fell to a legered boilie on a German rig and lead clip set-up surrounded by a scattering of broken boilies.
Chris Haydon 2lb roach
Angling Times’ own Chris Haydon had the surprise of his life when he hooked this 2lb roach on the Bristol Avon.
Fishing the pole around 6m out in a weirpool, Chris fed his swim with a few balls of groundbait, and regularly loosefed hemp over the top.
“Initially I was plagued by small fish, so I bulked my rig down and used a tare hookbait to get through to the bigger stamp,” he said. “When I saw the big roach roll on the surface I couldn’t believe my eyes, and when it tipped the scales round to 2lb exactly I was ecstatic.”
Stripey season off to a flyer!
October has got off to a flying start for many perch enthusiasts who have been relying on lure tactics to bank a number of stunning specimens.
Hampshire police officer Dan Eaves had the pick of the bunch when his lure session on Grafham Water yielded 17 stripeys – 15 of which were over 3lb, with the best two registering 4lb 4oz and 4lb 2oz.
Despite being greeted by rough weather, Dan used this to his advantage on the day, as he explained further…
“The water was very turbulent and my boat was rocking and rolling as you’d expect,” he said.
“I decided to fish the lures static and let the water slosh them around, which was enough to encourage 90 per cent of what I caught that day to take them.
“I started with fish of 3lb 5oz and 3lb 11oz before I had the 4lb 2oz perch, which I initially thought was a zander. It was a really good start.”
During the rest of the afternoon Dan’s trip turned into a real red- letter day and he boated 14 other perch including fish of 3lb 10oz, 3lb 11oz and 3lb 15oz. But the best was yet to come.
“It was turning out to be the most incredible day’s perch fishing I’ve ever experienced, but then I hooked something that gave an especially good account of itself,” Dan added.
“Once it was under control I could see that this was another special fish, and indeed it was at 4lb 4oz! While I never expect I’ll ever beat my personal-best perch of 4lb 13oz, these fish were my fifth and sixth over 4lb!
“I’m certainly feeling blessed by the perch gods right now.”
Both Dan’s 4lb perch fell to a Zman Hula Stick in the colour purple.
Fishing a static lure also proved effective during Martin Welch’s latest session when he banked a stunning 3lb-plus stripey.
The Mansfield, Notts, angler dropped his Zman White Lightning TRD lure into a deep hole on a stretch of the River Trent and didn’t have to wait long before he received a bite.
He said: “On my first cast into the hole I felt a small pull, so I let the TRD go static for a few seconds, then came a proper hit on the lure.
“A short but powerful fight soon saw a nice perch surface from the highly coloured water and into the net.”
...and another four pounder!
Most anglers wait a lifetime to catch a 4lb perch, but George Killan has managed it at the age of just 11!
This 4lb 1oz specimen grabbed the Hertfordshire lad’s rubber crayfish lure during a trip to the River Lea, and it wasn’t the only big perch of the session.
His dad, John, told Angling Times: “A couple of days prior to the session George caught a 3lb perch, and this inspired him to come back and give it another go.
“Both fish were special catches for George, as perch are by far his favourite species.”
The bream lake where 200lb is common...
Llandegfedd Reservoir is shaping up to be the greatest bream fishery in the UK according to local anglers, who have been enjoying bumper 150lb-plus nets of the species in recent weeks.
David Healey, 34, lives just two miles from the Welsh Water-run venue best known for predators and has been targeting its bream stocks for the last 10 years.
Now he and other locals are urging anglers from all over the country to give it a try after new management has taken big steps to improve coarse fishing on the water in 2019.
David said: “I think there is a huge market in angling now for people who want to catch huge bags of bream and Llandegfedd is now the place to do that.
“There are monstrous shoals of bream and hybrids and my friend Chris Ponsford and I have enjoyed many 150lb-200lb bags in recent years. I know of many pleasure anglers who have had red letter days with 400lb nets.
“The water is so big that the bream and silver fish are just left to thrive, and if you can get on the right pegs at the right time you can really have a session to remember.
“We’ve started to run open matches and have even hosted a festival this year to try and showcase the fishing. They’ve all been tremendously popular – with many anglers travelling from far and wide to fish the venue that reflects Irish waters from back in the day.
“We want this to be a regular sight at Llandegfedd.”
Accessing the 430-plus acre reservoir has previously been a big problem for anglers although Welsh Water has now improved its system, as David explained.
“Until this year you had to pay £21 for a boat to take you to your swim but new management at Welsh Water only charges £5 for this service.”
“You can get your trolly and all of your gear into these boats and it’s completely hassle free.
“The idea of an access road being built has also been lobbied, meaning that anglers could potentially drive to their pegs in the future. The fishing potential is huge and access is now great – so it’s just a matter of getting bums on seats.”
The appeal of Llandegfedd has not only drawn regular anglers to its banks as a number of familiar faces have also made an appearance this year to sample the fine sport on offer.
Preston Innovations-backed ace Des Shipp was one and he reckons the Welsh venue has the potential to be the very best bream water in the UK.
He said: “Llandegfedd is one of those places where if you go once, you want to come back time and time again.
“The quality of the roach, bream and hybrid fishing is second to none and because the venue is vast and natural you’re pretty much catching fish that have never seen a hook before.
“The sport is only going to get better if more anglers fish it and more bait goes in. The fish need time to get used to the bait. When they do, triple-figure nets will be a regular occurrence.
“The management is also taking steps to improve access and when you combine this with the fishing, Llandegfedd’s potential is enormous.”
Shock 2lb 10oz roach from Yorkshire river
Colin Hebb got the shock of his life when this sublime 2lb 10oz roach grabbed his breadflake offering during his latest fishing trip.
The East Yorkshire angler targeted an undisclosed stretch of a local river and spent the day trotting for a variety of species – with no idea a big roach was on the cards.
He said: “On my second cast I hooked this beautiful roach which is a new pb, and from a river with a lot of otters in it.
“She put up one hell of a scrap and at first I thought I had hooked a bream.
“I was shocked – I thought all the big roach had disappeared from this waterway.”
Have your say on cormorant control
Anglers and fishery owners are being urged to have their say on the control of fish-eating birds.
The in-depth survey has been launched by the government’s Department for the Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs (Defra), which wants to review the country’s current General Licence for bird control.
Over the next three months, the Government is expected to be asked to remove some birds currently covered by the licence – but The Angling Trust claims new birds need to be added to the list, including cormorants.
Stuart Singleton-White, Head of Campaigns at the Angling Trust, said: “Many birds that pose the greatest threat to our fish and fisheries are not covered by the General Licence. While non-lethal methods of control are always the preferred option, they are not always possible.
“This consultation and the broader review of the General Licence is an opportunity to place birds such as cormorants on to the General Licence.
“It’s illogical that birds which pose a severe threat to fish populations are afforded high levels of protection, while fish are not. In a perfect world, the predator-prey relationship would find a natural balance. Unfortunately, with the massive rise in cormorant numbers, and with all the pressures our rivers and freshwater venues face, this is not the case.”
The option to review the current General Licence is music to the ears of many anglers, who believe that a clampdown on cormorant numbers will hugely benefit silverfish stocks.
Angling Times columnist Dave Harrell said: “I applaud this move. Cormorants and goosanders have been a major problem. Although you can apply for a licence to shoot a small number of these birds it isn’t enough to make a difference.
“At some venues, I’ve spotted at least 40-50 cormorants, so I sympathise with those people whose livelihood is running a fishery – they simply don’t have the law on their side. It’s got to the point where nature can’t step in and level things out, and yet these birds are just left to thrive.”
To take part in the consultation type bit.ly/WildBirdSurvey into your web browser and follow the steps outlined there.
Get Involved
Your views and evidence are needed to help decide how General Licences should be used in the future to:
1- Kill or take wild birds to: conserve wild birds and to conserve flora (plants) and fauna (other animals)
2- Kill or take wild birds to: preserve public health or public safety
3- Kill or take wild birds to: prevent serious damage to livestock, foodstuffs for livestock, crops, vegetables, fruit, growing timber, fisheries or inland waters.
The consultation will close on Thursday, December 5, 2019.
Tom Pickering back in the england fold
Former world champion Tom Pickering will get the chance to add to his huge international medal collection after being called up to the Masters team for the 2020 World Championships.
One of England’s most decorated matchmen, 64-year-old Tom revealed the news last week... and he’s delighted
“Representing my country is something I’ve always wanted to do and to receive that call-up again is one of the best feelings in the world,” he said.
“I was surprised to get into the Masters team as being 64-years-old I had aimed to apply for the Veterans team at 65 next year. To get into the Masters team for 55-65 years olds is a real bonus.
“We’ve got a superb team with plenty of experience and I’m very happy to have the opportunity to contribute to the cause in Slovenia.”
The Doncaster man was first selected to represent England back in 1985 in Italy – an event he and his England team mates would go on to win.
In 1989 he won the world individual gold medal in Bulgaria and more recently managed England to two World Feeder Championship team and one individual win, as well as leading England ladies to three team and individual golds.
It was this experience that couldn’t be ignored, according to England Masters Team Manager Joe Roberts.
“I’m really pleased that we have Tom on board not only for his wealth of knowledge and skill as an angler, but for the fact that he’s experienced this all before,” said Joe.
“Between both the Masters and Veterans teams we now have seven ex-World Champs winners so I am very optimistic going into next year’s match.”
Double- figure barbel still on the feed...
Reports of double-figure barbel continue to flood into the Angling Times newsdesk from rivers up and down the country.
Could this be the year we see a new record? If recent captures are anything to go by, the prospects are looking very good indeed…
Peter Morgan | 15lb 12oz
Peter Morgan secured his new personal-best barbel during a day session on the River Lea’s famous Kings Weir Fishery in Hertfordshire.
After a bad start, which resulted in Peter getting a soaking on the way to his swim, his luck changed when his reel screamed off with this immaculate 15lb 12oz specimen.
The superb fish fell to a hair-rigged piece of luncheon meat alongside a feeder packed with groundbait and pellets.
Brett Longthorne | 14lb 12oz
High pressure and low, clear water didn’t stop Brett Longthorne from catching ‘the best-looking barbel he has ever seen’ at 14lb 12oz. Fishing a section of the tidal Trent, Brett connected with a slow take and was soon doing battle with the huge-framed fish, which he is sure will be even bigger in the winter months.
The stunning barbel fell to a Nutrabaits River Plus boilie fished on a size 8 Banktackle hook over a bed of hemp and maize.
Scott dethick – 15lb 15oz
Scott Dethick’s only bite of the session accounted for this superb 15lb 15oz barbel.
It was a new personal best for the 26-year-old, who targeted the far bank on his local stretch of the River Trent with lead and boilie tactics.
Scott’s successful rig incorporated a 6oz lead and 2ft of braided line to a 15mm Krill boilie mounted on a size 6 E-S-P hook.
9lb 1oz Trent Chub rock UK record
A chub of 9lb 1oz – just 4oz short of the British record – has been landed from the Trent, obliterating the previous best for the river.
The monster fish fell to Trent regular Christopher Mendelsohn during his fortnightly trip to the popular Midlands waterway.
Christopher prebaited every night for two weeks prior to the session with boilies, maize, buckwheat and more than 500 worms – sometimes introducing as much as 10kg in one go!
His swim had earlier produced big barbel and carp, and on his previous visit he’d seen big chub surfacing.
A gobsmacked Christopher said: “When I saw the fish’s head come up in the water, I went into pure panic – it was a real monster. It still hasn’t sunk in and yet remarkably, about 20 minutes later, I lost one which looked to be of a similar size!
“I had seen a group of chub jumping and taking stuff off the top on my last visit to the river, so I decided to add more natural baits to my mix to try and get them feeding on my bait.
“I don’t get out fishing anywhere near as much as I would like, the plus side being, when I do go out, I fish much better – often not sleeping at all through the night.”
The nine-pounder is the largest known reported chub from the Trent, but Chris is diffident about claiming a river record. “I’m not really interested in records and I know that the pictures won’t convince some people – but they are the best we could get on my phone camera.
“I had my two sons with me and none of us could believe the size of this chub, so just to have been able to catch it is reward enough for me.
“We could have kept it out of the water longer to get more details, but I just wanted to get it back as quickly and safely as possible,” he said.
The fish is the second Trent chub over 8lb reported to Angling Times this season and Christopher has his own theories on why these fish are thriving.
“Chub are a very underrated fish in the Trent and a lot of people catch them by accident while barbel fishing,” he said.
“When they get older they become very predatory and this makes them harder to catch – luckily mine made a mistake.
“The amount of bait going into the Trent nowadays is making these fish grow very large and they are better at getting away with it than barbel – I’ve seen them eject baits like carp!”
Christopher’s near-record fell to a double 18mm 3ft Twitch Liver and Krill boilie on a size 4 Partridge Curve hook to a 5ins Kryston hooklink with a 5oz flat pear lead. Six more chub made for an historic session.
Five Minutes With: Matt Godfrey
A few week’s ago Matt Godfrey came within a whisker of becoming World Champion at this year’s showpiece event in Serbia.
His result in the World Championships on the canal at Novi Sad capped a quite remarkable rise for the affable 28-year-old from Yorkshire.
The multiple World Youth Champion finished fourth – still a mightily impressive finish in his first senior Championships.
Of course, Matt is no stranger to the big-match podium. After all, he won three golds in World Youth Championships and is a key member of the all-conquering Drennan Barnsley Blacks side. He is also now a TV star, featuring in the recently transmitted Fishing Allstars series.
To those who know him, he’s a larger than life character brimming with cheeriness and an unbridled love for the sport.
Not content with his own fishing, though, Matt is also heavily-involved with bringing on the next generation of match anglers into the England fold as coach of the England Under 15s side.
The Guru media & marketing co-ordinator looks set for a long and distinguished career with England, current boss Mark Downes being quoted as saying it’s a case of ‘when’, not ‘if’, he becomes World Champion.
Is there no end to Matt Godfrey’s talents? Angling Times caught up with the ‘ginger ninja’ to find out…
Q: You made your full Men’s World Champs debut in Serbia – was it just like you’d never been away or very different from the World Youth Champs that you fished?
Matt Godfrey: It’s similar in the way the event works. I fish a lot of matches to international rules, such as the Sensas Challenge and World Club Champs, so it’s not as though I wasn’t in touch with what was needed. It was pleasing to see many of the anglers in other teams I’d fished against at youth level so yes, it was like I’d never been away!
Q: England boss Mark Downes says you have ‘the best angling brain’ he’s ever seen. Is much of this down to natural talent, or do you have to work hard to stay on top?
MG: Natural ability only achieves so much. I enjoy fishing and I enjoy competing. I like to work out the best way to catch the best weight as quickly as possible, be it F1s at Tunnel Barn Farm in winter or carp and catfish on a Spanish river. All this involves a lot of preparation, practice and sourcing information, then you must bring it all together on the bank.
I see it as a challenge, I thrive on it and I have a competitive streak that must have helped me get to where I am .
Q: After winning three World Youth titles, did you think ‘that’s it’ regarding England or did it make you want to go all the way?
MG: I was fortunate that a year after I’d finished my Youth fishing, Mark Downes and Mark Addy invited me to be in the European Champs team. It was a big step up but the next one that I had to take and I won my section, which made me think ‘I can do this, I can and should be fishing at this level’ and from that point you have an eye on the World Champs, all things being equal.
By fishing the World Club Champs regularly I was taking part in the right matches to help with England so there were few doubts – but taking in all that I’d achieved before those Euro Champs, I didn’t feel that I shouldn’t have belonged in the team.
Q: Most of us will never fish for England. Can you describe the difference in mindset between fishing a match in the UK and for England abroad?
MG: I think this is down to what goes on outside of the actual match itself. If I’m fishing an open at Hallcroft, for example, I may make up some rigs the night before and perhaps have a quick practice, but a World Champs is entirely different in terms of the work involved..
Take this year in Serbia, for example – there’s a journey of over 1,400 miles in a van, two weeks of practice, early starts to prepare bait, late finishes with team meetings – not to mention the weeks spent tying rigs and hooks and finding out information about the venue. It’s all incredibly intense for eight hours of fishing.
Q: There seems to be a decreasing level of interest in international match fishing. How can it be taken back to the 1990s when everyone wanted to know how England had got on?
MG: A lot can be done to raise the profile of international fishing and I think it needs everyone involved in match angling to get together and create an agenda that we can all work to. That mean the anglers, the management, the media and the Angling Trust all knocking heads and working together.
Social media is a massive part of this and I’m positive we could generate huge interest this way, but it has to begin from the level above the media and anglers and then go from there. I’d love to see it happen, as the World Champs is the biggest event out there, but it seems to be in the shade now compared to Fish O’Mania, Match This and even FeederMasters among the fishing public.
Q: Now being involved in the England Under 15 side, is there anyone who stands out as a future full cap?
MG: They could all be the next Will Raison or Alan Scotthorne but no one knows how their lives will go over the next decade. I hope they’ll continue to develop, and I’m buzzing to be playing a part in it all. I think that just as at school, where the learning curve is very fast, so it’s the same in fishing.
Of the current squad, Charlie Sibley and Billy Kirk are the two that have caught my eye this year – they are both very, very good.
Q: What will the Under 15s need to do in the next 15 to 20 years to try to break into the men’s team?
MG: It’s not necessarily about fishing international matches, more about fishing at a high level. I wouldn’t want to see the lads fishing junior matches and would urge them to fish against the men and learn. That might be big match qualifiers, feeder matches, the Sensas Challenge, all of which will make them more rounded anglers. Joining a team helps, but it has to be a good side with good anglers to learn from.
It’s not all about winning, though – fishing against the likes of Sean Ashby, Will Raison and Lee Kerry and then picking their brains is the thing to do.
Q: We know the exuberant and lively Matt Godfrey from the TV and online. Does this transfer into your match fishing, or do you become a totally different beast when the whistle goes?
MG: For me, it’s about being myself until the match starts. Then I want to beat everyone and I become quite evil in my single-mindedness. That’s the competitive side of me, I suppose, but I do believe that I have been brought up to be a good sportsman so there are never any grudges held or sulking. It’s so important to conduct yourself properly, as you can influence other anglers, but I don’t let that get in the way of my results. So if you see me on the bank in a match and I’m not talking, it’s nothing personal and I’ll buy you a pint afterwards!
Q: Participation – now there’s a thorny subject. How can angling encourage more youngsters to take up fishing and stick with it?
MG: A whole new project is needed to get youngsters and adults to start fishing and then stick with it. The Guru Match Academy and Talent Pathway is great for developing match talent, but not for gaining numbers from the grass roots.
I believe that we need to get fishing into schools in some fashion and everyone – the tackle and bait industry, media, fisheries and governing body – need in the next 10 years to get together and work. We all know each other, and the benefits of more people starting fishing will be mutual across the board. It does come down to money and that’s the sticking point. Who is going to put their hand in their pocket?
Pellets just the job for massive 15lb 6oz bream
Fishing pellet hookbaits over a bed of corn and hemp simply proved too much for this chunky 15lb 6oz bream to resist.
The large slab was a new personal best for Chris Higham who targeted his local syndicate water after being tempted by improved weather conditions.
He said: “My right-hand rod’s bobbin shot to the alarm around midnight and I was in.
“As the fish rose to the surface and into my net I knew it was my new biggest.
“I was elated with my first bream from the syndicate which sent the scales round to 15lb 6oz – a proper bin lid!”
shock 7lb eel from kent stillwater
Samuel Kelly got the shock of his life when this 7lb eel devoured his worm hookbait intended for a big perch.
The predator enthusiast from Kent targeted a local stillwater and used a light 8g drop-shot rod in conjunction with a feeder loaded with chopped worms in attempt to bank a new personal best stripey.
Halfway through the session the light tip of his drop-shot rod signalled a powerful take, but much to Samuel’s surprise it was a fine eel that proved to be the culprit.
THE CURIOUS CASE OF THE ‘MISSING’ TENCH
Double-figure tench are once again being caught from Horseshoe Lake after apparently disappearing from the famous venue nearly a decade ago.
The Carp Society’s 62-acre water, which resides on the Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire border, has long been a popular destination for anglers pursuing monster tincas and even showcased on TV programmes such as the Great Rod Race and Record Breaking Fish with Matt Hayes and Mick Brown.
Since the show’s airing, however, the once prolific tench water suffered a steady decline of specimen fish being caught, leaving the local tench enthusiasts and on-site bailiffs completely baffled.
The huge tench that Horseshoe were famed for were feared dead until the last few seasons where double-figure specimens have once again made an appearance.
Horseshoe Lake manager Miles Carter told Angling Times: “The tench have come back with a vengeance over the last few years and this year The Tenchfishers club has had a fantastic season, reporting specimens of up to 12lb. I was worried that the tench had gone, but these are obviously not new fish being caught, they are the same older residents that for some reason are coming out again in numbers.”
This isn’t the first case of tench disappearing for anglers with the phnomenon also being noticed on other venues across the country.
Fish Scientist and Angling Times columnist Dr Paul Garner was happy to provide a possible explanation for this so called ‘disappearing act’.
He said: “I’ve seen and heard of this happening before.
“I think the fish are just so preoccupied on natural food, to the extent that they become very difficult to catch for two main reasons. Firstly, they ignore most baits. Certainly, anything bigger than a caster is likely to not get picked up.
“Secondly, they move around very little when feeding, basically just sucking in mouthfuls of food, sorting it, then spitting out what they don’t want on the spot.
“This makes most rigs highly inefficient.
“There are probably other factors playing a part, but it all proves the point that you cannot write off a tench water just because it has a bad year or two – the same goes for big bream waters as well.”
Tenchfishers member Paul Hawkins with a recent 11lb fish from Horseshoe.
WANT TO FISH
HORSESHOE LAKE?
Location: Horseshoe Lake, Burford Road, Lechlade, GL7 3QQ
Contact: 01367 253959
Prices: To fish Horseshoe you must be a member of The Carp Society which costs:
£25 per year for adults and £10 per year for juniors
Fishing on the lake then costs £1 per hour for two rods
Rules: No leadcore, no leaders, barbless hooks only, no nuts, no braided mainlines
Website: www.thecarpsociety.com
Facilities: Toilets, showers, tackle shop, catering facilities
£110,000 WINNINGS IN JUST TWO WEEKS!
Jamie Hughes has confirmed his status as the country’s greatest big-money matchman by winning £110,000 in just two weeks of competition angling.
The three-times Fish O’Mania winner is no stranger to the pressure of huge events, as shown when he secured victory in the Golden Reel final on September 15.
Fishing from unfancied peg 60 on the Match Lake at Larford Lakes in Shropshire, Jamie defied the odds and fished his way to a superb £50,000 pay cheque – a fine accompaniment to the £60,000 winnings he secured during the Maver Match This final just two weeks earlier.
Talking to Angling Times, the Matrix and Spotted Fin-backed champ said: “I don’t know how to feel about it at the moment to win Maver is ridiculous, but I honestly never thought I had a chance at the Golden Reel from the peg I was in.
“I don’t know what’s next, but I know I just love competing in these big-money events.
“This might just take off some of the pressure, so I can really go all out for it again next year.”
Jamie told Angling Times how he has planned to spend his
well-earned winnings…
“I have paid off the house with the Maver money and I’m going to get a new van. The rest will go to the family,” he said.
Jamie’s win highlights the growing demand for big-money matches like these, which are becoming increasingly popular around the country.
And his top tip to those who may be looking to enter one? “There is a lot of pressure in these matches and it can be quite demoralising at times, trying to get to the final,” he said.
“If it’s what you really want, my main advice is to be persistent and just keep going.”
Regular feeding results in fine roach
Baiting little and often certainly proved fruitful for Matthew Fernandez with the capture of this fine 2lb 9oz river roach.
Targeting the redfins in his local River Itchen with stick float tactics, the Hampshire angler fed maggots and hemp into the swim every cast to get them into a feeding frenzy.
He said: “I struck into a confident bite, and after a hairy fight a big roach graced my net. At 2lb 9oz, it was a new river personal best for me.”
Matt’s two-pounder fell to a single maggot fished on a size 16 hook.
Giant perch ends lea angler’s run of tiny stripeys
Sometimes in fishing you’ve got to kiss a few frogs to get a prince. Adam Perna certainly did that before slipping the net under this pristine 4lb perch.
The Blakes Baits-backed angler fished lobworms tipped with maggots on the River Lea and had 11 bites before the big stripey struck.
Adam said: “I ended the session with 12 fish – none of the others were bigger than my hand!
“After those 11 tiddlers the swim I was fishing went quiet, and the next time the tip wrapped around I was attached to this brute!”
Adam used a running leger set up with a quarter-ounce lead and a foot-long 5lb fluoro hooklink to a size 8 hook.
5,000 new recruits in boost to angling
More than 5,000 people have been introduced to angling for the first time through this year’s National Fishing Month (NFM)scheme.
Held between July 26 and September 1, the Angling Trades Association-run project encouraged the public to have a go at fishing across hundreds of events in the UK.
During NFM’s most recent showcase event at The Game Fair at Hatfield House, Herts, coaching teams from the Professional Anglers Association and the Game Angling Instructors Association gave free coaching sessions to hundreds of youngsters and adults.
For many first-time anglers there were unforgettable moments as they caught carp and pike on the lake.
River Monsters star Jeremy Wade joined the PAA coaches on the day to offer his support. He said: “National Fishing Month is a great way for people to learn the angling basics and appreciate the outdoors.
“By introducing newcomers
to the sport, you pass on a gift that stays with them throughout their lives.”
Clubs also took advantage of NFM to get more people fishing.
Organisers at South Cerney AC, Goldsworth Park AC, Firtree Fishery, Barford Lakes and Gipping Valley AC all helped to give first-catch memories to Scout groups, specialist schools, vulnerable youngsters and adults.
The results across the six-week programme were encouraging to ATA officials, who were quick to thank the many organisations which made NFM 2019 possible.
John Loftus, chairman of the Angling Trades Association, said: “We owe a debt of gratitude to the enthusiastic, loyal support of the voluntary organisers and coaches who plan and deliver the events every year.
“It’s down to their hard work that so many people are introduced to angling, and they are the ones who help build initiatives like NFM to recruit the next generation of anglers.
“Our thanks go to Angling Direct for its financial support, to Dinsmores and Fladen for their product donations, and to the Environment Agency for its fishing licence waivers.
“I’m encouraged with the results from this year’s events, but I know that we have an even greater opportunity to grow these events in the future.”
Specimen barbel are booming
IAN Potts hasn’t been the only angler to enjoy barbel success on the Trent and other rivers as specialists have shown with a string of big-fish catches.
Here are three more barbel reports to whet your appetite for some superb autumn trips…
Alfie Naylor | 14lb 7oz & 15lb 9oz
You can imagine Alfie Naylor’s elation when he slipped the net under a brace of barbel for 30lb on his latest trip to the River Trent.
The Newark, Notts, angler said: “That evening I had several good fish, but when I had a double take it left me trembling. The bigger fish was landed at 15lb 9oz, a new personal best, then the second came in at 14lb 7oz.”
Both fish fell to Nutrabaits Chilli Crab wafter hookbaits fished in conjunction with a 20p-size bag of matching pellets liberally sprayed in matching glug.
Gemma Savage | 15lb barbel
Friday the 13th certainly wasn’t unlucky for Gemma Savage when she smashed her barbel personal best with the capture of this 15lb beauty.
Fishing a night session on the River Trent at Gunthorpe with her boyfriend Shane, Gemma didn’t have long to wait before her Sonubaits Oozing Spicy Sausage pellet was snaffled by the big double just before midnight.
Luke Agacy | 16lb 10oz
A midweek after-work session was all Luke Agacy needed to bank this sublime personal best 16lb 10oz barbel.
The Reading-based angler targeted two swims on an undisclosed southern river and after struggling to get a bite in the first he didn’t have to wait long before finding success in the second…
Luke’s new barbel best fell to a fishmeal boilie in conjunction with a running rig.
