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
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
Target achieved with big Itchen chub - Thomas Bark
“This winter I set myself the target of catching a personal-best chub from my local River Itchen. As my previous best was only 3lb 8oz, I didn’t think it would’ve been too hard a task, but I spent around two months blanking or catching bream while other anglers were landing chub to some impressive sizes.
“On January 20 I finally hooked into a good chub on the maggot feeder, but sadly I lost it at the net! It looked all of 5lb and I was absolutely gutted.
“I returned a week later to the river, and half-an-hour later I had a PB chub in the net which weighed 5lb.
“Two hours after that the quivertip smashed round again and I was into a far better fish which fought doggedly and stayed low in the current before rolling over the net. At 6lb 12oz, it was a monster, and smashed my target out of the water!”
Thomas Bark – 6lb 12oz Itchen chub
Fishing ‘Wembley’ is set to reopen
A stretch of the Warwickshire Avon once known as ‘the Wembley of river fishing’ is set to reopen this summer following a major rejuvenation project.
The famous Twyford Farm Fishery once hosted huge 100-peg events, but hasn’t been fished for many years after its owners removed the pegs and closed it to anglers.
The famous Twyford Farm Fishery once hosted huge 100-peg events
Now a return to the glory days looks on the cards after Manor Angling Ltd took control of the stretch and unveiled exciting plans for the future.
The company’s boss Howard Kaye said:
“Matches and festivals for the next river season starting on June 16 are already selling out, and we’ve got a RiverFest qualifier booked in too.
“We’ll also be opening a new tackle shop on site and digging a teaching pool at the top of the stretch for juniors, with tackle hire available.
“It’s going to be a fantastic venue, with big chub, barbel, roach, dace and bream. I’ll start building the pegs now, and we may even have a few ready for the last few weeks of the current season. Watch this space!” he added.
Howard Kaye wants the stretch to return to the glory days
'Good six' taken on the float - Dean Derbyshire
“My mate wanted to learn some winter chub fishing tactics so we headed to the Dorset Stour to see if we could catch one on the float.
“We set up in a swim with a steady glide and I began baiting it with maggots for half-an-hour before making my first trot through.
“After a few attempts, I let the float carry right to the end of the swim where it buried out of sight. The fish made a run downstream, leaving my 14ft Ultralight waggler rod bent right through!
“It was a solid and typically dogged fight from a big chub, but with slow and steady pressure for around five minutes I was able to bring the fish back upstream.
“My mate and I high-fived the second it went in the net and we both looked down saying that we thought it was a good ‘six’. We were right, too, as the scales soon confirmed a weight of 6lb 7oz.
“I was chuffed with the catch, but even more so because my mate had learned how to catch winter chub!”
Dean Derbyshire with his 6lb 7oz Stour chub
Why our ‘dirty rivers’ are fishing so well...
THE state of England’s rivers was laid bare in 2020, with a series of damning Government reports revealing that the vast majority of our waterways fail to meet European ecological standards.
Why is the poor state of our rivers not showing in angler’s catch reports?
Indeed, they were deemed to be the dirtiest across the whole continent, with not a single river, lake or coastal water in the country being rated as ‘chemically good’.
You might think that this would result in meagre catches and stunted fish growth, but the reality couldn’t be more different. Over the past few months, bumper bags of prime silverfish have been winning river matches up and down the country, and in the specimen fishing world the story is the same. Immense barbel, chub, roach, perch and dace are all being banked this season from running water venues that appear – on the surface at least – to be in rude health.
In a bid to understand how the two apparently contradictory situations can co-exist, and how our supposedly polluted waterways are places in which coarse fish can not only survive, but also thrive, we asked the experts at the Environment Agency. The answer, it seems, lies not in the amount of pollution, but its type.
Heidi Stone, the EA’s Fisheries Partnerships Manager, told us:
“Some pollutants are obviously highly toxic and pose a massive threat to fish stocks, while other, organic, pollutants can actually lead to increased levels of invertebrates, resulting in more food for fish.
“Just because a river fails to meet water quality standards doesn’t necessarily make it toxic or dirty. It could be nutrient-rich and home to certain species that are thriving – it just hasn’t met all the required criteria.”
Some organic pollutants can actually lead to increased levels of invertebrates, resulting in more food for fish
This was a view largely echoed by fish expert Dr Paul Garner who revealed that not only is there a wide range of pollutants in our rivers, not all of which are harmful, but that certain species are better armed to deal with them than others.
“Just about everything we humans do, from flushing the loo or washing the car, right the way through to farming, creates pollutants that sooner or later will enter a river. The result is a really complex mix of chemicals in our rivers that impact the ecosystem in different ways. Some might affect the plants, while others influence the invertebrates, or stimulate algal growth – all of which have a knock-on effect on the fish.
“Most coarse fish are tolerant of low-level pollution, particularly organic pollution, which – as has already been mentioned – can stimulate growth of organisms in a river. However, there comes a point where you go past this and start having problems, such as those posed by low dissolved oxygen levels.
“But other pollutants can impact the fish in different ways, and not just in terms of water quality. Take soil entering a river because of run-off from intensively farmed land, for example. This could settle on the riverbed and cause siltation, which would affect species like barbel and dace that need clean gravels for spawning.”
Paul also revealed how the most susceptible and fragile of species when it comes to pollutants are typically salmonids such as trout, salmon and grayling, but that some of our coarse fish are far more hardy when it comes to dealing with apparently dirty rivers.
“Fish that are more ‘generalist’, in that they eat a wide diet, spawn on whatever substrate is available, and mature at a young age, will be less affected. Roach fall into this category, as well as chub to a lesser extent. Those with a more selective diet and spawning habitat, such as barbel and bream, are more likely to suffer.”
However, Paul was keen to add a note of warning that, although fish populations currently appear to be healthy in many rivers, the long-term situation might be very different.
“Just because there are lots of roach in, say, the River Trent, at the moment, it doesn’t mean that they’ll be there for future generations. With a bigger population comes ever more pollution, so for now we’ve got to make hay while the sun shines,” he added.
For now we’ve got to make hay while the sun shines!
Why river fishing is set for a boom - Rob Hughes
Obviously, with matches still currently off the agenda for many, there are a lot of anglers who can’t do what they would normally do.
Some commercial match fishing venues have taken the opportunity afforded by lockdown and the time of the year to close in order to undertake maintenance after what have been a ridiculously busy few months. Others are open just for pleasure fishing so it’s still possible to “sack up” even if it’s not in a competition environment.
It’s been interesting, looking at social media, to see how people have been getting their fishing fix during this recent mini-lockdown. Rivers seem to be getting a bit more traffic, and high-profile match anglers like
Des Shipp and Steve Ringer have been heading off to them in search of very different fishing to their norm.
Chub seem to be a real favourite among match anglers, and there’s good reason for that. They’re such obliging creatures. They really pull back and are always great fun on float tactics, in particular. Whether you’re fining down and catching nets of smaller ones or heading out after bigger specimens, it’s one of the best times of the whole year to have a go for them too.
Chub are definitely one of the go-to fish at the moment. It’s interesting to see that my local club, Frome Angling Association, is already organising some post-lockdown river matches. Could this new-found interest be a sign of things to come?
There’s no doubt that chub are an enjoyable species to fish for
Lobworm fools large Severn roach - Phill Mapp
“OWING to travel restrictions I stayed local for my latest session, hopping on my bike and cycling three miles to a stretch of the Severn.
“The river had come up a good couple of feet, which wasn’t ideal, but I decided to give it a go.
“I put a bit of extra weight on my link leger to cater for the high water, and flicked out a lobworm into the side of a crease.
“I didn’t catch any chub, but I managed to find a shoal of roach which kept tapping away on the rod-tip as they nibbled at my worm hookbaits.
“Eventually the tip properly shot round and I could tell straight away that this was a really good fish.
“At 2lb 6oz it was a new personal best and the biggest roach of a superb session.”
Phil Mapp and his 2lb 6oz Severn roach
Sweetcorn a winner for huge grayling
A TROTTED grain of sweetcorn was all Mike Lyddon needed to tempt this stunning 3lb 1oz grayling on a trip to a southern chalk stream.
The Surrey rod spotted the fish in crystal-clear water and watched as it turned and engulfed his hookbait just inches from the bank!
“I spent five minutes playing it with my heart in my mouth as it powered downstream,” Mike said.
“It’s been a while since I had a fish turn me into a gibbering wreck like that!”
Mike Lyddon and his 3lb 1oz grayling
Four-year wait for 3lb-plus grayling ends with two in two days!
A FOUR-year quest for a 3lb-plus grayling finally ended for Steve Ballard when an opportunistic visit to the River Frome produced a pair of fish weighing 3lb and 3lb 8dr.
The Leicestershire gas engineer had a job in Wareham and packed a rod and a few tins of corn in the hope that he’d be able to get some fishing in.
“I managed two afternoon roving sessions and landed the first three-pounder on the last cast of the first day,” Steve told us.
“On the second day I lost the bigger fish before resting the swim and hooking it again!”
Steve Ballard’s brace of grayling weighed 3lb and 3lb 8dr
7lb-plus chub result of early start - Trevor Pole
“AFTER spending the last two months chasing bream on a massive pit I decided to target some Great Ouse chub for a change. I headed to a stretch I’d not fished before and baited a few swims with cheesepaste. I had two chub to 5lb 8oz in one swim, so I decided to stay in my van overnight and get up early to fish it again.
“At dawn I flicked my link-legered paste to the far-bank slack and had two small chub before my tip whacked round again. It was a lovely plump chub, but I was wearing my reading glasses and didn’t think it would go over 7lb! It was only when I got it on the unhooking mat and took off my glasses that I realised its true size.”
Trevor Pole – 7lb 6oz chub
Rising river no problem for best grayling
THE bold decision to target grayling on a rising and coloured river paid off for Matthew Fernandez when he slipped his net under a grayling pb of 3lb 2oz 8dr.
The Hampshire rod found an area of slack water along the far bank of the River Frome which he baited with maggots before flicking his 7AAA Drennan Loafer over the top.
After losing a big fish on his very first trot through the swim, the 33-year-old’s fortunes took an upward turn on the very next cast when he set his hook into another powerful grayling.
Matt backed up his catch with fish of 2lb 8oz and 2lb 14oz, both of which also fell to double red maggot.
Matthew Fernandez and his 3lb 2oz 8dr Frome grayling
Where do our fish go in the cold?
YOU’LL often hear about swims on barbel rivers that will produce fish during the day, yet the chances of catching them from the same swim after dark are virtually nil. But why do fish often move in such a predictable way?
Moving is inherently risky and uses energy, so there must be a strong survival advantage to undertaking such journeys. From daily feeding movement, to annual spawning migrations, fish populations are constantly on the move, and those movements are often critical to their survival.
Finding fish can be tough in the winter
Day and night areas
Many fish species will move on a daily basis, often heading upstream at dusk and back down before dawn. These ‘diurnal’ migrations normally correspond to feeding, with the fish moving upstream to find areas where invertebrate food is most abundant. Often this will be directly below shallow riffles, where the stony riverbed harbours vast quantities of caddis larvae and other invertebrates.
During the day the fish will take advantage of areas offering protection from predators, perhaps beneath overhead cover, or in side streams where bigger fish cannot pass.
How far the fish will move from day to day really depends on the distance between their safe resting areas used during the day and feeding areas used at night. On a big river like the Trent, bream may move several hundred metres each night. On a small stream, fish may only need to move a few metres to find the right conditions.
Incredibly, each fish in a shoal can find its way back to the exact spot that it prefers, often to within a few centimetres. Experiments have shown that fish have a very detailed ‘neural map’ of their environment that enables them to navigate precisely over large areas. This explains why hooked fish know where every snag is!
Fish will often move upstream at dusk and into the night
Reward versus risk
In every population of fish, around a third will rarely stray away from their home range. As long as there is enough food to be found then this is a good strategy, as it minimises risk.
Another third will move over a wider area covering two or three times the home range. These fish may have access to richer food larders, and will likely have less competition for food, but this is countered by the increased risk. The final third are true wanderers that can travel many miles on big rivers and rarely, if ever, return.
These fish face by far the greatest risks, but the rewards may be greater too.
Fish that move further will be at lesser risk from local events, such as flooding or pollution incidents, that could otherwise wipe them out. While the local population could be catastrophically affected, the survival of the true wanderers will in turn ensure that future generations are protected.
In many rivers, well-known productive swims will often hold plenty of fish, but these might not be the same fish all the time. An overhanging tree may be a great spot for chub, some of which are likely to be living there every day. Some others, though, may be just passing through. So a swim can be productive, but not necessarily because the same shoal of fish lives there permanently.
An overhanging tree may be a great spot for chub, some of which are likely to be living there every day
Falling temperatures
As a general rule, in cold weather fish tend to become more lethargic and reluctant to move. As cold-blooded creatures, their metabolism slows, so they’re less inclined to feed as they need less energy to move.
At such times, they’ll often tuck themselves away in areas of slower water such as in slacks, behind cover that deflects the river’s flow, or on the edges of creases.
Many species will often also become more nocturnal during cold weather snaps in a bid to avoid warm-blooded predators such as herons, kingfishers and otters. However, after being harder to catch for the first few days, once they’ve adapted to the change in temperatures, their feeding and movements start to return to normal.
In the cold fish look to hide in cover or become nocturnal to avoid predators
Boundaries to fish
Natural boundaries, such as shallow riffles, may reduce fish movement in times of low river flow, but in a natural lowland river there are rarely any natural boundaries that will halt fish movement. Yet, humans have installed weirs, sluices and dams on rivers, which stop all fish passage. These barriers can often prevent spawning migrations, and radio-tracking studies have shown that even small weirs can block almost all upstream movements of powerful fish, such as barbel. Only during floods are such structures passable. Many fish will remain below the barrier before giving up, so the natural spread of the fish is disrupted.
By migrating upstream to spawn, fish give their young several advantages. Larval fish are poor swimmers and will often be washed downstream after hatching, particularly during floods. By spawning upriver the youngsters have the best chance of spreading out naturally and finding suitable habitat.
Once the adult fish have migrated back downstream the young will face less competition if they stay upstream, often in small shallow streams. Predation may also be less severe here as well.
So, while movements may consume precious energy and have inherent risks, they are an essential part of the behaviour of river fish, whether these are short hops to feed, or epic migrations. disrupted.
Weirs can be a real barrier to fish movement
Avon record zander?
PREDATOR enthusiast Paul Thomas believes he may have boated a potential Warwickshire Avon zander record after this 16lb 2oz cracker snapped up his bleak deadbait.
Just a few days after he’d landed a 15lb 14oz zed from the River Severn, the Gloucester angler tried his luck on the Avon… and ended up latching into something even larger in pretty short order.
He told us:
“I’d cast my bleak deadbaits into the middle of the river and before I knew it I was battling a heavy fish. Following the usual crashing and diving near the boat I netted another huge zander, which was a new PB at 16lb 2oz!
“I’ve only ever heard of one bigger zander from the Warks Avon, but no pictures ever surfaced of it.”
Paul Thomas and his 16lb 2oz zander from the Warwickshire Avon
Large Avon roach after heavy rain - Mark Everard
“Heavy rain had caused the Bristol Avon to rise, but that didn’t stop me from visiting. Strong gusts from a south-westerly wind were blowing leaves from the trees into the river, although they didn’t give me too much trouble in the near-bank slack I’d baited with liquidised bread.
“After pinching a piece of flake on to a size 12 hook, I trotted the bait through the swim and watched as the float buried near the end of the run. I lifted the rod and set the hook into a strong fish that I hoped was a roach.
“Following a nervy scrap under the tip I finally saw my prize and slipped my net under what was clearly a huge roach for the Bristol Avon.”
Mark Everard’s 2lb 2oz Bristol Avon roach
Two trots of the float and two PB chub - Matthew Fernandez
“I’d spent the night fishing a syndicate lake for big bream but I didn’t have a single bite, so in the morning I switched my attentions to the Dorset Stour and its big chub.
“The river looked in good condition to trot a float so I settled into a swim and began feeding it with red maggots.
“After an hour I started fishing and caught lots of dace and roach before I set the hook into a new PB chub going 6lb 10oz.
“Before I had a chance to enjoy the moment, though, my very next trot saw the float bury again and my rod bent into what felt like an absolute monster!
“From the off I was certain I’d hooked a barbel as the power of this fish was insane. Fortunately, my friend Matt was present and helped me net the fish.
“I’ve always dreamt of catching a 7lb-plus chub on the float, and the needle on my scales signalled my dream had come true.”
Matthew Fernandez and his 7lb 1oz Stour chub
Dream comes true with giant grayling - Matthew Fernandez
“My 25-year-long dream of catching a monster grayling was finally realised. With conditions looking spot-on I headed to the River Frome and began baiting up with maggots.
“My first four trots with the float produced four big trout, so I was worried the swim would now be devoid of fish, but I knew grayling can get pushed back so I decided to persevere.
“I was right, as on the very next trot down the swim my float slid under and all hell broke loose!
“From start to finish I was praying this fish wouldn’t drop off. Thankfully, luck was on my side and this magnificent Lady of the Stream graced my net. Never before in my life have I been in awe of a fish, but this has got to be my favourite capture of all time.”
Matthew Fernandez and his dream 2lb 15oz grayling
WANTED! £100 reward for barbel catches!
MEMBERS of an angling club are being offered the chance to claim a £100 reward for catching a 3lb-plus barbel from the Great Ouse.
The cash incentive has been created by the committee at Buckinghamshire’s Olney and Clifton Fishing Association to encourage more people to go fishing and help establish a foothold for the species in the river around Olney.
The club’s match secretary and head bailiff, Ian Barnes, said:
“15 years ago barbel were common on the Great Ouse, but numbers have since dwindled.
“The EA has done a fantastic job reintroducing barbel into the river over the last few years and as a result, catches are now being recorded both upstream and downstream of our stretch at Olney.
“Barbel are the missing piece of the puzzle for our club, so hopefully this incentive will draw in a few more people.”
Members who successfully catch a 3lb-plus barbel can submit their claim by contacting Ian on 07761384822. An annual membership for OCFA costs just £25 from www.olneycliftonfishing.co.uk
15 years ago barbel were common on the Great Ouse, but numbers have since dwindled
PB barbel on a discarded hooklink!
SHREWSBURY AC secretary, Chris Wood, said:
“Six club members went to Collingham Weir on the Trent for a social session. As daylight faded, Matt’s upstream rod hooped over violently.
“To avoid a tangle I wound in his other rod, but it was snagged, and his hooklink was lost. Matt eventually landed a lovely 12lb 3oz barbel which was weighed, photographed and returned.
“He wanted to get both rods back out and was about to tie a fresh hooklink when I came over with one that I’d just found on the floor.
“There was nothing wrong with it, so to save time he attached it to his rig, put on a 14mm Krill pellet and cast both rods back out. He was in the middle of talking to the others about his fish when the rod with the found hooklink bent over!
“Straight away he knew it was a bigger fish and after a 10-minute fight, when it didn’t want to leave the bottom, this giant of 17lb 13oz was netted – beating his old PB by over 4lb.”
Matt Bradley and his 17lb 13oz barbel - caught on a discarded hooklink!
6lb-plus brace of grayling
TROTTED corn has accounted for the largest reported grayling brace of the season weighing 3lb 4oz and 3lb 3oz.
The stunning pair fell to the rod of Hampshire specialist Tim Lennon, who spent an afternoon fishing a number of glides and pools on a stretch of the River Frome in Dorset.
Tim told us:
“In 35 years of fishing the Frome, this is the first time I’ve caught two 3lb grayling in a day!”
Tim Lennon with one of his 6lb brace of grayling at 3lb 4oz