Snags home to giant Lea perch - Simon Baker
“I was overjoyed to catch this 4lb 4oz perch – my second over four of the season.
“Fishing the River Lea, I targeted a slack in the stretch tight against a nearside snag, where I suspected perch mught be hanging out.
“I had a few sharp taps on the top and struck into what I first thought was a pike! A hectic fight followed, as the fish tried to head back into the snags next to where I hooked it.
“When it rolled on the surface I knew it was another huge perch, and I was so pleased to get it in the net. A small roach livebait fished on a sunken paternoster rig did the trick.”
Simon Baker – 4lb 4oz perch
Big river roach on the float
A two-month campaign for a big roach paid off in fine style for London angler Adam Jones, in the shape of this immense 2lb 10oz fish.
Fishing a local river, Adam opted for his favoured stick float tactics, loosefeeding hemp and maggots for a while before casting out, in the hope of drawing fish into his swim from the deeper, inaccessible pool below.
He said:
“I’d just been catching minnows and tiny dace, and as the light started fading, I could only just make out my float.
“As it neared the end of my swim it dipped, and I was fully expecting to connect with another minnow.
“My strike, however, met with solid resistance, and a huge roach immediately surfaced.
“The rest is just a blur, but I can confirm I’m still shaking from the catch. I can’t believe what happened!”
Adam Jones – 2lb 10oz roach
Vicious fighting grayling - Jack Perks
“As anglers we give grayling this whimsical tag the ‘Lady of the Stream’, but they’re more ‘Bruisers of the Brook’!
“In spring, the males will turn quite black and dark and they rut with each other like deer. They don’t have teeth, but they’re really violent – biting and slapping each other for the right to mate with the females. It’s really quite shocking to watch!
“This happens in spring, when anglers aren’t fishing for them, so most people won’t have seen it, but I’ve filmed it in the Peak District in Derbyshire and you’ll see this in all waters that contain grayling.”
Help fund new fish film
Jack is currently crowdfunding to produce a free film called Britain’s Hidden Fishes, narrated by Jeremy Wade. To help get this project off the ground, visit the website here.
Schoolboy bags brace of a lifetime!
DAY sessions don’t get much better than the one enjoyed by Kyle Brayne recently.
At just 13 years old, he became the envy of many a seasoned big-fish specialist when he braced a 7lb 10oz chub with a 17lb 14oz barbel.
After being stuck inside for weeks, Kyle had been itching to get out fishing, and he got his wish when his dad’s friend Robert Bown offered to take him to a local stretch of the middle River Trent a mile from home.
“The river is within walking distance of both our houses,” Robert told us,
“so Kyle and I spent the few days leading up to the session baiting a swim we fancied.
“When Wednesday arrived, we got to the bank for 9.30am, and it wasn’t long before we were into fish, the first being the huge chub. Kyle played it like a professional, and after a few minutes’ battle the fish was netted.
“Unsurprisingly it’s a personal best for him, and we ended up chatting for hours about his extraordinary catch.”
Kyle Brayne and his monster 7lb 10oz chub
The pair decided to pack up late in the afternoon, but just before they called time, the right-hand rod roared off again.
“This fish went on a series of big powerful runs, but Kyle again played it brilliantly, coaxing the fish out of a snag that it had kited into,” Rob revealed.
“We saw a huge barbel surface, and on the scales it registered 17lb 14oz – another big PB for Kyle!
“A little later I picked up my rod to reel in and head for home, and it almost tore off in my hand, with a smaller barbel being the culprit. It’s sod’s law that I landed the smallest fish, but it was Kyle’s day, so him landing the biggest was only right.
“We walked home wet and muddy but over the moon. What a day session!”
Kyle backed up the chub with this huge 17lb 14oz barbel
Perfect conditions bring huge Avon chub
Making the most of perfect conditions resulted in this immaculate 7lb 12oz Hampshire Avon chub for Gavin Barrett.
Arriving after lunch and creeping into position, Gavin found the river in great shape, with a tinge of colour and rapidly warming water following a long cold spell.
“I lowered a lump of paste on to a crease off the rod-tip where I was able to fish a slack line” he told us.
“After 10 minutes, it suddenly whipped tight, and I struck into a fish already trying to get under my own bank. Fortunately, it stayed in the calm water, and after netting it I was greeted by the most pristine chub I’ve ever witnessed.
“If it hadn’t been for travelling restrictions, I’d probably have been fishing for roach. But catching this chub has certainly made my season!”
Gavin Barrett – 7lb 12oz chub
Big game bonanza!
ANGLERS should soon be able to legally fish for Atlantic bluefin tuna off UK shores, with a realistic chance of catching them for the first time in more than a generation.
In a development that seemed inconceivable only a decade ago, charter boat customers look certain to be allowed to participate in a thriving British big game fishery, the likes of which hasn’t been seen for the better part of 70 years.
The exciting news comes after the EU gave the UK 0.25 per cent – almost 50 tonnes – of its international bluefin quota as part of the Brexit Deal. Initially modelled on the Republic of Ireland’s successful scientific catch-and-release-tagging (CHART) tuna fishery run on registered charter boats, these British fisheries could grow in size and scale over coming years.
Anglers should soon be able to legally fish for Atlantic bluefin tuna off UK shores
“Over the past two years experts from the recreational angling sector and the scientific community have worked tirelessly alongside civil servants to thoroughly address all the issues required to establish sustainable, world-leading recreational live-release Atlantic bluefin fisheries in UK waters,”
explained Steve Murphy, the driving force behind Bluefin Tuna UK, a campaign launched in late 2018 which called for a recreational catch-and-release fishery supporting scientific research.
Wide support
Since that launch, numerous MPs have lent their support to the proposals, as have charter skippers from the Professional Boatman’s Association and the Angling Trades Association, along with a number of its members.
The Angling Trust has been hugely supportive of the campaign, offering expert advice and participating in the process from the start. Its Head of Sea Angling, David Mitchell, welcomed the willingness of government department Defra to work with angling in an exercise that should, all being well, conclude in a ‘UK CHART’ programme.
“We’ve made excellent progress in making the case for a science-led tagging programme to be run this year (2021).
“We’ll be keeping anglers informed as this consultation process continues – hopefully with news that charter boats will be taking anglers out fishing for tuna as part of important ongoing scientific research into the species,” said David.
Bluefin like this 300lb giant have been caught accidentally by charter skippers targeting sharks
Future quotas
In the short term, launching bluefin fisheries off the south west of England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Crown Dependencies Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man would not require much of the international quota be set aside to run CHART-style catch, tag and release fisheries.
And when angling tourism starts bringing in much-needed money to hoteliers, restaurants, tackle shops, fishing charters and other small local businesses in our coastal communities, there should be scope to grow those fisheries further by securing more international quota in the future.
“While the current focus is on how this 0.25 per cent of quota might best be employed in 2021, Defra will undoubtedly be considering a longer-term strategy and policy for Atlantic bluefin tuna going forward,” explained Steve Murphy.
“If this programme does get the go-ahead then all of the data it gathers will be useful in informing future policy. Socio-economic studies looking at the most profitable uses of this finite resource are going to be essential. And transferring some of the cost of scientific research from the taxpayer to charter businesses catering for paying anglers makes sound financial sense.”
Individual fish average over 300lb
Kit for the job
One thing is certain, the usual rulebook on tackle and techniques will need to be torn up for anglers to be able to hook and bring these hard-fighting ocean predators to the side of the boat for safe release.
With individual fish averaging over 300lb – and occasional specimens approaching three times that – tuna fishing in UK waters will be as close to an extreme sport as angling can get. Whether any of these fish will equal the current largest bluefin ever caught in UK waters – an 852lb specimen landed by John Hedley Lewis fishing out of Scarborough in September 1949 – remains to be seen. But if eyewitness accounts are reliable, then numerous fish in that size range have been spotted feeding in UK waters over the past four years.
One recreational sea angler who has witnessed first-hand the growing number of bluefin off UK shores is former Angling Times journalist Greg Whitehead, who now lives in Guernsey.
He said:
“I’ve fished all over the world and I’ve never seen anything like the bluefin feeding around the Guernsey coast these past four years. The most I’ve seen at once was a school of around 2,000 fish blitzing a four-hectare ball of whitebait. Myself and other boat-owning friends have regularly sat among 1,000-plus feeding bluefin.
“All you can hear is the roar of white water. The air reeks of fish oil and giant tuna almost hit the boat in the frenzy. It’s an amazing sight!”
EA invests heavily in angling, after nearly a million rod licences sold!
A NEW Environment Agency report shows that a whopping £48 million has been invested into angling to help the sport to grow.
The figures come from the EA’s Annual Fisheries Report, which shows that it used the money generated from rod licence sales as well as Government grants to undertake a wealth of projects, including stocking of over half a million fish into our lakes and rivers, installing dozens of fish passes to help migratory species, and helping to protect fisheries from predation and otters.
A whopping £48 million has been invested into UK angling
Around £20 million of the total was raised by rod licence sales, of which 940,974 were sold in the year to March 31, 2020. This was supplemented by a further £28 million in partner contributions and additional Government funding.
Kevin Austin, Deputy Director for Fisheries at the EA, urged anglers to continue their support of the EA by purchasing a licence for the new season ahead:
“Income from licence sales is used to fund vital work to improve and protect our fisheries and fish.
“Income generated is invested directly back into the angling community, improving fish stocks, boosting opportunities for anglers as well as working with partners to make it easier for anyone to take up fishing.”
“Income from licence sales is used to fund vital work to improve and protect our fisheries and fish.”
With an estimated 100,000 people having taken up angling since lockdown began, the EA’s coffers are expected to swell further in the current financial year, and the Agency is planning an increase in spending on projects that benefit anglers and fisheries following the boom in licence sales. This includes further investment in fisheries improvement, events to boost participation, and added protection against predators.
Heidi Stone, the EA’s Fisheries Partnership Manager, is hopeful that fishing’s popularity will continue to soar.
“In 2020, we saw an exceptional increase in licence sales as people rediscovered fishing,” she said.
“We anticipate that fishing will continue to be popular after bringing such benefits to people’s mental and physical wellbeing.”
What the money was spent on
500,000 - Roach, dace, chub, barbel, tench, rudd, bream and grayling stocked
515km - Amount of river habitat improved, alongside 185 hectares of stillwater
58 - Fish passes installed
40,000 - People encouraged to try fishing for the first time, across 1,525 angling participation events
135 - Fisheries Improvement Programme projects to enhance facilities
2,000 - Collaborative projects, with partners including local angling clubs and river trusts
27 - Projects to protect fisheries from otters and cormorants
Angling's 7 Deadly Sins
The dividing line between success and failure on the bank can be incredibly small. To ensure your net is soaking wet rather than bone dry at the end of the session, here are some costly mistakes to avoid...
Being too noisy
If you want to keep the fish in your swim, the very first piece of the puzzle comes by keeping your bankside disturbance to an absolute minimum.
Heavy footsteps, hammering in banksticks and shouting to your mate down the bank will send the fish scurrying into the next postcode, never mind the next peg.
Keeping quiet, not casting too often (unnecessarily) and staying off the skyline will all dramatically boost your chances of catching.
And if you’re on a ‘social session’ with friends, don’t be the one tricked into having the lunchtime get-together in your swim – it could turn what’s usually a flyer into an absolute duffer!
Keep the noise down and try to be as stealthy as possible on the bank
Lazily picking the easy swims
Be honest, how many times have you fished the swims closest to the car park? Although these can occasionally be reliable areas, the chances are that the fish will be wary of them, as they are often the first spots taken by anglers.
Finding where the fish are holed up is the single biggest factor when it comes to success. After all, you can only catch what’s in front of you. With many venues under a lot of pressure these days, more often than not the fish won’t come to you, so you’ll have to go to them. Look for bubbles, swirls and tail patterns on the surface, showing fish, fins poking through the surface scum at the windward end of the lake, diving ducks coming back to the surface looking spooked – these will all massively boost your chances.
The fish often give us all the signs we need, we just have to spend time at the start spotting them… then acting on them.
The fish will often let you know where’s best to fish
Going too far
Casting is one of the most enjoyable aspects of angling. But we can all be guilty of getting a bit carried away occasionally and launching our rigs way out into the middle of the pond. The funny thing is, the majority of the time, especially as we move into the warmer months, the fish will be right under your feet. Always try to catch the fish as close to the bank as possible, because this makes the whole process of working a swim to its maximum potential much easier. If you start close and work your way out, you’ll capitalise on every possible bite. Also, if conditions change – say a strong wind picks up – you won’t suddenly be dropping short of your loosefeed. You can always give it the ‘biggun’ on the cast later in the session if you haven’t had any action.
Start close and work your way out
Piling in too much bait
With no shortage of videos or magazine articles showing anglers piling in the bait, it’s easy to think that when you turn up and deposit 10kg on to a spot, or ball in 20 balls of groundbait, the fish will come flocking from all corners and start feeding ravenously. However, 99 per cent of the time this simply isn’t the case. On short day trips you are far better off feeling your way into the session. A small pouchful of feed on each cast will slowly build the swim. This continual feeding activity will keep fish investigating the spot on a far more regular basis, and competing for feed, rather than picking slowly at the 10-course banquet on the bottom.
In most circumstances, little and often feeding is best
Using unbalanced tackle
We’ve all been there. Sometimes your kit simply isn’t up to the job. Whether it’s using a rod that is too stiff for your target species, or a line that snaps quicker than Gordon Ramsay’s patience, you need to balance your kit to the angling situation being faced.
Sometimes, you might think, ‘well if I fish heavier, I might land that accidental monster’, which of course is true, but you can guarantee it will be costing you countless bites from your desired species. Using balanced kit will not only boost your catch rate, it will make the experience way more enjoyable too. It’s far more satisfying to land a big roach on a finely balanced float set-up, with a light mainline, than to winch one in on a carp rod!
Balanced tackle makes fishing more enjoyable and you will catch more!
Cluttered boxes
Nothing’s more visually satisfying than a well organised tackle box, and believe it or not it’ll make you fish better as well. Having all your bits in one place will help you react to the tactical challenges being faced far quicker and easier.
There’s no fun to be had in scrambling around at the bottom of a mouldy bag looking for a feeder, disgorger or hook packet, only to be impaled by a discarded rig amid a bird’s nest of clutter from previous sessions. Keep your kit well ordered, and you’ll reap the rewards!
A messy tackle box can make fishing far more challenging
Lack of patience
In today’s ‘instant win’ society, patience is a dying art, but in angling it’s a core skill. Seeing a fish on the surface and crashing a bait straight on its head is often a shortcut to failure.
Steady feeding increases the fish’s confidence and the likelihood of it falling into your trap. This could take minutes or hours. The same applies to bites. We’ve all had the classic missed chub bite on the rivers, or the premature strike at a liner from carp in the margins on our local commercial. Learning when to hit bites and when to sit tight and let them develop comes with practice. Sometimes it’s best to sit on your hands until that bite is truly unmissable!
Sometimes it takes time to catch a fish
Watch out…. it’s the roaching rozzers! - Rob Hughes
No, I’m not talking about Her Majesty’s finest constabulary, but ‘the fishing fuzz’. You know the sort – the ‘experts’ that clearly know everything about everything, and love to jump on a social media post to criticise, whinge or, worse still, make a sweeping comment without actually ascertaining the facts first.
Generally, the captor of anything decent these days usually has his or her collar felt for some alleged misdemeanor or other – no landing mat in the shot, the picture taken from too far away, the wrong bait being used. You get the point.
One typically enthusiastic ‘roaching rozzer’ had a few things to say about my recent catch shot that came after an incredible day’s roach fishing.
One went so far as to suggest that the fish had been killed so that I could get a shot of them all on the mat. Have a word… or, better still… don’t. Perhaps if they went fishing a little more, they’d understand a little more.
Sometimes it’s better to keep quiet and let people think you’re a fool, rather than open your mouth and prove that you are!
Loads of posts are ‘copping for it’ at the moment. We all know the pike police are a pretty serious outfit, but the mat mafia, keepnet cops and carp police are on fire too! Maybe we should start a special Blue Light award for particularly impressive ‘collars’.
‘More time on the bank, less at the keyboard’ should be the sentence handed down to these offenders.
What is it with these keyboard cops who think they know it all?
How can we get more kids to fish matches?
Participation and recruitment are two key factors that will ensure a healthy future for angling and for match fishing that’s never been more important.
Faced with a barrage of technology and the world of the PlayStation, TikTok and YouTube, fishing is always going to struggle to grab the attention of teenagers. Even if they do pick up a rod, is there an incentive for them to enter the match scene?
So many times, we draw for a match and look around, seeing the youngest face at around 30 or 40 years of age. With that in mind, we asked four match aces how can we increase match participation...
How we can get youngsters to put down their PlayStations and start entering competitions?
Bring back club junior sections - Matt Godfrey
“Is the real problem the retention of youngsters? If I was to look at the very first Match Academy in 2016, it’d be interesting to see how many of them are still fishing matches. Admittedly, few will go on to become big ‘names’ and get to big finals – Rob Swan and Kristian Jones are two I can think of – but just as in senior match fishing, there’s a mixture of desires among the youngsters. Some want to be Andy Bennett, while some just want to get better and compete on their local open scene and I do reinforce on the academies and Talent Pathway that most of them are not going to get all the way to the top.
“The backing of parents is crucial in terms of transport and money, but I get tired of people who knock young lads and lasses, saying ‘well, they don’t have to pay for anything.’ This is the same in any sport. Having a parent who is interested but not pushy is a must. If a parent pushes them too much, then by the time that youngster is 17 and can drive and work, they don’t want to match fish.
“What we need more than anything is the re-establishment of club junior sections. That seems to have gone now and as a junior, if you want to fish a match, it’s an open or clubbie up against seniors. It’s then easy to become fed up when you’re not doing well.”
“What we need more than anything is the re-establishment of club junior sections”
Run kids matches - Grant Albutt
“I’ve worked with Steve Porter to develop junior matches at my fishery Moorlands Farm, and the response last summer was tremendous with 44 fishing, so it shows that the interest is there. However, I can’t do it all on my own and would urge other fisheries to do the same.
“Run a match for kids, try and secure some goodie bags and I’m positive it’ll be well-supported. That’s the reason Steve and myself did the matches – the area around Kidderminster had youngsters crying out for matches. Much of this success is down to the parents – without their support it wouldn’t happen.
“How we keep these youngsters interested in matches is the million-dollar question. It’s not about winning, that will come in time. There’s a lot of learning involved beforehand. If they catch fish, be it two or 50, they’ll come back, keep learning and see an improvement. That’s why junior matches on commercials as opposed to canals and rivers are a must.”
“The area around Kidderminster had youngsters crying out for matches”
Decent events - Josh Newman
“Schemes like the Guru Academy and Talent Pathway show that there are plenty of youngsters out there, but the big stumbling block is deciding which match route to go down.
“We see the likes of Andy Bennett and Jamie Hughes fishing only commercials and winning big events and that’s a powerful motivation. As a result, you end up becoming a little one dimensional in your fishing.
“Also, how many junior matches are there on commercials? Very few – to fish a match, you have to go in with the seniors, which is tough. Joining a club is a much better alternative, as you’ll find that they fish a range of venues.
“If you’re not achieving anything, then it’s easy to think ‘what’s the point?’ and jack fishing in. Having matches to fish aimed at your age group would be a big help.”
“Schemes like the Guru Academy and Talent Pathway show that there are plenty of youngsters out there”
Keep them catching lots of fish - Sarah Taylor
“We need taster days on places where juniors are going to catch fish. I’ve seen in the past people hosting days on places where the juniors are going to catch one or two fish a day. Kids are easily bored, so you need to keep them busy.
“Another thing is not to get them straight into carp. This is one reason why youngsters in match fishing are dying out – anyone entering the sport wants to immediately go for the biggest fish. I remember my dad starting me on a rod catching rudd, then slowly moving me up towards carp so I didn’t get obsessed with the biggest fish.
“We also need more junior events. When I was in the old Cadets part of the Junior National, there were more than 15 to 20 teams per category, but it seems to have dropped off. Also, we used to have the CADG (Cheshire Angling Development Group) and NJAA (National Junior Angling Association) leagues which were team events. Unfortunately, they folded, but they kept us fishing from the age of 10-12 – something which is missing a lot now.
“There’s also the issue of money with regards to gear, but that’s a wider issue. In short, companies should encourage juniors, or those in more financial need, by offering cheaper options in their tackle lines. That would help youngsters build a setup they could improve on when they take up fishing seriously.”
“Kids are easily bored, so you need to keep them busy”
Fishing safe at historic pike venue
A YORKSHIRE stillwater famous for producing a huge 46lb 11oz pike will continue to allow angling despite plans to add more watersports facilities to the site, developers have said.
The trout lake at Wykeham near Scarborough is part of the N Yorks Water Park complex, which has three fishable lakes. A wakeboarding course is soon to be installed on the neighbouring Water Park Lake, but spokesperson Elena Bunbury said:
“Fishing will still be a core part of the business.”
This huge pike was caught back in 2014 at 46lb 11oz from the venue
On the road to protect our rivers
AN AVID 82-year-old angler from Lancashire has walked nearly 300 miles with his dog to help raise funds to protect his local rivers.
Philip Lord is chairman of The Ribble Rivers Trust, a body created to protect and improve the Ribble and other local rivers. Based in Clitheroe, the organisation has incurred heavy costs during the pandemic, having had to expand its offices to make them Covid-safe, on top of its usual expenses.
With the Trust struggling, Philip took it upon himself to help by setting the target of raising £2,000.
“I go out every day on a five-mile circuit with my dog Freddie, but we’ve still got further to go until I reach my target,” he said.
With the Trust struggling, Philip took it upon himself to help by setting the target of raising £2,000
If you wish to support Philip, visit: www.gofundme.com/f/philip-lords-walking-challenge
Huge Ribble perch in the snow! - Dominik Chrobak
“On a cold, snowy morning I decided on a trip to Lancashire’s stunning River Ribble – a venue always capable of throwing up a surprise.
“A juicy lobworm was the bait of choice, and about half-an-hour after setting up I noticed a knock on my rod-tip before line started peeling off the reel.
“I struck into a fish that went on several powerful runs, diving for every snag and putting up a belting fight. When it finally surfaced my heart started pounding – it was a magnificent perch.
“Weighing in at 4lb 2oz, it’s my personal best and a fish that I’ll remember for a lifetime. All those cold mornings this winter were worth it.”
Dominik Chrobak and his 4lb 2oz perch
Victory for anglers as plans for Severn dam changed
Controversial plans to build a huge dam on the River Severn appear to have been shelved, and anglers have been praised for their part in getting developers to seek alternatives.
Last year it emerged that a dam capable of holding 60 million cubic metres of water was being considered for construction at Shrewsbury, across which the new North West Relief Road would run. But, in a positive turn of events, a new blueprint now shows the road running over a viaduct, which doesn’t interfere with the flow of the river.
Ed Tate, joint chair of the Save Our Severn group, said:
“Anglers and clubs have been proactive since plans for the dam were revealed, sharing their experience and helping us to make developers aware of its impact on our area. They’ve helped us preserve the river not only for us, but for future generations.”
Among the lobbyists was Carl Humphreys of Prince Albert AC. He welcomes plans for a viaduct but is aware of future threats.
“This was just one battle,” he says.
“We expect developers to attempt to build a dam elsewhere. We’ll try to deflect anything they throw at us.”
Anglers continue fight to protect the fishing on the Severn
Break from school results in stunning dace brace - Richie Martin
“As a break from the home schooling I took two of my boys, Ted and Buster, for an hour’s stick float fishing on a local stream.
“Both my sons caught fish over 10oz, while I had a few casts myself and managed a PB-equalling dace of 14oz 8dr – it was an absolutely stunning fish.
“The brace shot is of it alongside another fish of 11oz 8dr.
“Eventually we ran out of bait but headed for home feeling very happy with ourselves… even though the next home school lesson was equivalent fractions!”
A fine brace of big dace
Richie Martin with the biggest fish, a 14oz 8dr dace
3lb-plus Itchen grayling
Specimen angler Matt Fernandez was left blown away by this 3lb 3oz grayling – because it was a new personal best from a river where grayling this big are rare.
Targeting the intimate River Itchen, Matt caught the fish on trotted maggot, and when he first hooked it, he suspected it to be a trout.
“To my knowledge, only one of my friends has had a 3lb grayling from this stretch, and that was seven years ago!” he told us.
“I never expected to beat my personal best grayling on this river, but am truly pleased that I have.”
Matt Fernandez and his 3lb 3oz Itchen grayling
Only bite is a monster pike!
This immense pike left seasoned specimen angler Keith Wesley stunned. Weighing in at 38lb, the fish came during a trip with Angling Times columnist Martin Bowler to an unnamed chalk pit.
It was Keith’s only fish of a two-day session, and it took a further day for the catch to sink in.
“I was blown away by the fish – it was so fat!” he told us.
“In the water, Martin and I both agreed it looked to be around 25lb, but its depth was tremendous.
“To catch such a fish is always special, but to do it with my old mate Martin by my side was really the icing on the cake.”
Keith Wesley and his giant 38lb pike
Giant Norfolk chub...on a lure!
FEW hardy souls target winter chub on lures, but judging by this 7lb 10oz fish banked by Savage Gear team member Robbie Northman on a 5.5cm Cannibal Shad lure, maybe they should.
Targeting Norfolk’s River Bure, Robbie found it in perfect nick during a mild spell after weeks of snow.
“I was working my tiny lure through a bankside slack when I felt a sudden thump on the rod,” he told us.
“I struck instantly, and the fish took off powerfully across the current.
“I could tell it was a big one, and at 7lb 10oz it broke my previous PB by 8oz.”
Robbie Northman’s 7lb 10oz chub fell to a lure
Elite Angling: A Sport or a Pastime? - Rob Hughes
A rather grand title for this subject and no, I’m not talking about anglers who have egos bigger than their own fishy tales.
I’m looking at the issue of elite sport and, more precisely, what constitutes it.
A while ago I became embroiled in an argument with the presenter on Radio 5 who asked me “How could something that you wear a woolly jumper for be classed as a sport?”.
He was trying to provoke a laugh, but the reality is that a sport has to contain a number of ingredients or elements in order to be classed thus, and to my mind angling has them all: organisation, physicality and competition.
The Oxford Dictionary defines a sport as “an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or a team competes against another or others”.
Angling ticks that box. Online, it’s a similar story if you use Dictionary.com, which defines sport as “an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess” and uses racing, tennis, golf, bowling and wrestling as examples.
Once again, we qualify. Any match angler out there will vouch for the competitive element of our sport.
Some may say that more people don’t compete than do, and I’d agree with that statement, but the same can be said for cycling, swimming, running and shooting…. and they’re always classed as sports!
So, my conclusion is this: if we’re a sport, then surely the best at our sport, especially those that are at professional or international level, must be classed as elite? It’s a no-brainer to me.
Can fishing be described as a sports the same as golf?
"Perch follow eels on hunt" - Jack Perks
Underwater cameraman and angler Jack Perks has witnessed Britain’s many fish species doing some amazing things. We asked him to shed light on some of these hidden behaviours…
Perch follow eels on hunt
“When I’ve observed good-sized eels going along the lake or riverbed, digging in rocks looking for crayfish or bullheads, they’ll often be flanked by larger perch of about 1lb or 1lb 8oz.
Eels unwittingly help big perch to find food
“As soon as the eel goes under a rock, it sends smaller fish up in the water for the perch to feed on.
“This is really interesting because it’s learned behaviour. We tend to think of fish as being stupid, but this is a form of anticipation on their part that shows intelligence.
“I’m not saying I’m the first to discover this, but I’ve not seen or read about it anywhere else.
“I first saw it on the River Test and then again two days later on the Hampshire Avon. I’d imagine that it happens wherever there’s a good eel population.”
Perch know eels will uncover food for them
Help fund new fish film
Jack is currently crowdfunding to produce a free film called Britain’s Hidden Fishes, narrated by Jeremy Wade. To help get this project off the ground, visit Britain’s Hidden Fishes.