Table of contents for 3259 in Angling Times

“I used pole to hand for more than 500 roach in a session” A RIVER thought to be well past its best is being hailed as Europe’s greatest roach fishery after it produced a series of huge catches to over 100lb. Closed-season restrictions don’t apply in Northern Ireland, where the upper River Bann has seen an incredible silverfish revival. The waterway was a major attraction to UK anglers during the 1980s, but then the giant shoals of roach almost disappeared. Now the glory days have returned, with UK match fishing star Klaus Fix cashing in on the recent resurgence. On the Shillington stretch of the Bann at Portadown he enjoyed fish-a-chuck action, ending the day with this massive net of prime roach (above). “I’ve been lucky enough to fish some…

“Dives have taught me about how fish move, how far they travel and how they feed”  BEHIND the masks of these two fearless divers are the faces of fishing fanatics eager to reveal the secrets of lakes and stillwaters across the UK. Jodie Calladene and Mark Barrow come closer to fish than most anglers can only dream of, while offering their free service to angling clubs and fishery owners. To unlock the secrets that lie beneath the surface of some of our most popular venues, the Yorkshire pair strap on their diving kit and venture into the unknown. This has revealed the location of pike and carp to over 30lb, and taught them more about angling and fish behaviour than they could ever have imagined. Mark, who has dived in…

WHAT an intriguing statement in the Rob Hughes interview this week where he talks about smaller perch ‘corralling’ a shoal of roach that were then attacked by a few bigger perch. Were those smaller perch ‘sheepdogging’ by instinct when their bigger brothers took advantage, or was this learned teamwork in action? Do fish learn or merely act on instinct? Maybe the metal in hooks is the cause of fish becoming suspicious – they may feel a minute degree of magnetism or perhaps even a tiny electrical current – or else something is passed on in the water to warn them. When I first caught tarpon we used 80lb mono leader minimum and heavy 6/0 hooks. Now it’s 40lb fluorocarbon hooklengths with 3/0 and 4/0 circle hooks, yet we catch far…

WEAVING through a quiet Leicestershire village is one of angling’s best kept secrets... the Moira Canal. In the early 1800s this historic waterway was a working passage for the nearby Moira Iron Furnace but it is now more commonly known as the longest snake lake in the UK. Boasting nearly two miles of locked-in water, the canal boasts dozens of features including a deep track-line, numerous basins and an array of reed beds and underwater vegetation that provide a superb habitat for the resident fish. And what fish they are – with stunning roach, bream, tench and carp – most of which have never seen a hook before. Right now 40lb nets of these are being caught, but how can you catch them? Well, the first key lies in the…

STILLWATERS ASTON SPRINGS FISHERY, SHEFFIELD, S YORKS The Butts Lake match results are proving why it’s the water to fish at Aston Springs currently. Some 70lb nets of carp, F1s, ide and roach can be caught by fishing 4mm expander pellets to the far bank over a bed of micro pellets. Pegs 20-25 can be very good on the right day. Contact: 01142 470876 Postcode: S26 5EP BAIN VALLEY FISHERIES, TATTERSHALL, NORTH LINCS Lake Halifax and Lake Hurricane are the best places to head for if you’re after a mixed range of coarse species. A groundbait feeder with maggots on the hook cast at around 20yds out will find bites from tench to 7lb, roach to 2lb, bream to 8lb and the odd big carp as well. This promising fishery…

SPRING is a great time to target the humble roach. Now the cold days of winter are over, the nation’s favourite fish is back on the feed, so where better to bag-up with them than on some of the North’s scenic reservoirs. 4 GREAT ROACH WATERS… CARR MILL DAM, WIGAN, LANCS For just £25 a year, anglers can fish this St Helens Angling Association Lake which is stuffed with bream and roach. Most anglers fish the groundbait feeder here, casting around 30-40yds out. 01942 728532, Sat Nav: WN5 7TZ DAMFLASK RESERVOIR, SHEFFIELD, S YORKSHIRE A deep, large reservoir, Damflask is a superb roach water holding specimens to well over 1lb. You can catch them on a small feeder or, if it’s not too windy, a large waggler with light lines.…

STILLWATERS ALDECAR LANE FISHERY, ALDECAR, NOTTS On the Acorn Lake, pellet, corn, chopped worm and casters all work well at this time of year. For the carp, feed a mixture of pellet and corn at 13m. To catch a mixed bag of carp and silverfish, fish chopped worm and caster at around 6m from the bank. Contact: 07779 253502 Postcode: NG16 4HJ ARDEN LAKES, STRATFORD-UPONAVON, WARKS Orchard Lake is producing good nets of skimmers to the groundbait feeder. Fish out in open water with a small feeder and red maggot hookbait to be in with the best chance of catching. Why not take some worm to feed as choppy in the feeder? It could just give you an edge. Contact: 01789 731244 Postcode: CV37 0QF CANONS ASHBY LAKES, CANONS ASHBY,…

STILLWATERS A12 CUTON LAKES, CHELMSFORD, ESSEX Chopped worm is catching bream and carp in bags to 50lb. Fish 11m-13m out with a large section of worm on the hook for fish to 6lb. Feed a small ball of groundbait and micro pellets on each line to draw in the fish. Contact: 01245 461651 Postcode: CM2 6NX ALDERS FARM FISHERY, MILTON KEYNES, BUCKS Fish close in with pellet on the early pegs of Ash Lake to take carp up to 8lb in bags of 100lb-plus. Use a banded 6mm pellet and feed 4mm pellets via a pole pot to draw in the fish. You can also catch a few monsters down the edge late on with paste or corn. Contact: 07917 260804 Postcode: MK17 9AH COLEMAN’S COTTAGE FISHERY, WITHAM, ESSEX Start…

ALDERWOOD PONDS, STEYNING, ESSEX Plenty of big perch to 5lb are present in the Island Pool. Cast approximately 1m away from the island with a bomb set-up complete with prawn or whole lobworm on the hook to catch. Contact: 01903 816377 Postcode: BN44 3AA BITTERWELL FISHERY, BRISTOL The carp will soon be up in the water and the pellet waggler is the best tactic. Wait until the last two hours of your session before switching to the waggler and ping 6mm pellets into your swim to keep the fish high to the surface. Contact: 07901 074158 Postcode: BS36 2UJ (nearest) HOLME GRANGE FISHERY, CROWTHORNE, BERKSHIRE This three-acre lake contains carp to 35lb and roach to 3lb. Fish maggot and caster via the pole down the near shelf for the roach.…

“I could rank each bait by how much I needed, and the bait pyramid was born” DECIDING what baits and how much of each to take to your local commercial can often make or break a session before you even leave home. Yet how many of us fall into the habit of taking the same amount of bait whatever the conditions or time of year? Recently I have been looking back over several years’ worth of diary entries to see what bait I actually used on each trip, and the results were quite startling. Very often I found that I was only using a fraction of the bait I was taking with me. It soon became clear that I could rank each bait by how much I needed, and so…

IS it always necessary to bury your hook in a caster? Ryan Galt, Edmonton ON commercials stuffed with roach, or canals that are a bite a chuck, the caster can be nicked on to the hook as you would when using a maggot. However, if you’re only going to get a half-a-dozen bites on the bait, you’ll certainly need to fully bury the hook inside the shell. Begin by burying it, and if you are getting regular bites, switch to nicking the bait on to see what happens. WHAT are the best conditions to fish a whip for small fish on a stillwater? Colin Warburton, Royston WHIP fishing involves a lot of line between float and whip tip, which can easily be grabbed by the wind. Ideal conditions for the…

FRONT DRAG From loose to locked up in less than one quick turn. HANDLE Lightweight, eye-catching modern design. LINE ROLLER The line is automatically guided into this roller. I HAD one of these Shimano reels of great beauty in the office for a couple of days a week or so ago. Those who like their carp fishing slowly turned its handle, fiddled around with its fast drag front spool and gazed mesmerised at its super-slow oscillation. Then they refused to hand it ‘My Precious’ back. This was a shame, because for around the price of Gollum’s loincloth they could own an Ultegra 1400 XDT of their own. For £149 you can walk one straight out of your local tackle shop. Is it as good as it looks? You bet. The…

BILLED as the ‘People’s Champion’, Tommy Pickering is one of the most successful anglers of our generation. He was crowned Individual World Champion in 1989 and went on to become the manager of the England Feeder Team in 2011. In this new 132-page book Tommy covers all the methods and techniques you need to fill your net with more fish, with feeder, pole and waggler tactics all covered in extensive detail. So whether you prefer bagging up on river bream and silvers or filling your net with commercial carp, Tommy will show you the best way to do it! “If you want to catch more carp this season then you need this new guide” Improve Your Carp Fishing INSIDE this brilliant new 132-page book you’ll find a wealth of top…

DANIEL Casey found Nemo, a 42lb mirror, at Surrey’s Bury Hill Fisheries. The Epsom angler cast out at noon on Sunday and three hours later had banked a 20lb mirror and the cherished forty. Venue boss David deVere said: “After walking around the lake, Daniel decided to jump into peg 5, concentrating his loose offerings tight to either end of the island. Casting both rods out at midday, Daniel positioned his right-hand rod tight to the island margins just short of the channel. He had his first take just an hour into his short session, connecting with a stunning 20lb mirror following a strong take. “Recasting to the same spot, it was another couple of hours before Daniel struck a very gentle ‘bleep, bleep – bleep’, connecting with a very…

THIS 38lb 2oz common, Tyson, fell to Gabrie Tsiattalou at Farlows in Buckinghamshire to a CC Moore Northern Special pop-up. KEV’S Linear at 44lb 10oz was Andy Edwards’ prize at Linch Hill’s Stoneacres on a multi-rigged Sticky Manilla wafter. MUSTANG Lake in Norfolk is now a bookable water. Its biggest mirror at 38lb 4oz fell to John Flewin on a CR Baits CR1 wafter. THIS 37lb 4oz common was caught by Chris Cox during a 48-hour session at Horton Church Lake on a Sticky Signature pop-up.…

WHAT a season it has been for specimen anglers! Fishing’s longest-running and most prestigious big-fish prize reached its climax this week as we announced the Drennan Cup’s final standings. Looking through the voting forms with my colleagues on the Angling Times newsdesk it would appear that this year’s competition was one of the closest ever, with just a few votes separating the main contenders. My congratulations go to all the top-placed anglers – Tony Smith, Mike Lyddon and Carl Garratt – but special mention must go to Dai Gribble, the Drennan Cup Champion 2016. I remember the week he caught his incredible haul of tench, and the phone call in the middle of the night from perhaps the most excited man I’d ever spoken to – he was like a…

WITH two semi-final qualifying spots up for grabs and most pegs on the complex in, this massive 300-peg midweek Fish O’ qualifier was never going to be easy to win and a bit of space seemed essential. However, the lakes responded well to the added pressure, with nine anglers posting ton-plus weights and 18 of the 10-peg sections being won with weights over 60lb. Willows Lake saw Stuart Fotheringham bag the golden ticket for July with 145-5-0 from corner peg 37. The Leeds man took full advantage of a thick bed of ‘stick-up’ reeds to dob pellet, bread and maggot on the long pole down to the cover. Carp and F1s responded, although the undoubted highlight was a massive 24lb 6oz mirror carp to seal the deal. Bonsai Lake provided…

FRAMFIELD FISHERY (WEDS) Spring Lake (20 pegs) It’s been a slow spring so far for this prolific Sussex water, but the midweek open did see an all-100lb frame and a double ton winner. Bruce Scott won at peg 49 with 203-15-0, the Hemming’s Tackle rod fishing corn at 8m on the deck and then maggot down both edges to land carp to 8lb, along with a mix of roach, perch and skimmers. Result: 1 B Scott, Hemming’s Tackle, 203-15-0; 2 M Head, Faulkner’s, 189-7-0; 3 N Whiteing, Kipling’s Cakes, 186-14-0; 4 A Webb, Andy’s Mob, 177-1-0; 5 D Cooper, Rudgwick, 150-14-0; 6 M Brett, Andy’s Mob, 148-2-0. GOLD VALLEY LAKES (SUN) Syndicate & Middle Lakes (24 pegs) While things remain on the cool side, the tip is likely to rule…

“Congratulations to Dai Gribble on a well-deserved win. Dai had an exceptional season landing some truly impressive fish.” – Steve Fitzpatrick THE world’s biggest specimen fishing competition has crowned Dai Gribble champion. In the closest-ever finish in the 31-year history of the Drennan Cup the Staffs-based specialist became the envy of the big-fish world when votes cast by angling’s elite put him just two points ahead of Yorkshire’s Tony Smith. He sent shockwaves through the angling world when he began his campaign and made an incredible string of tench hauls that many believe will never be rivalled. The Korum-backed angler’s incredible journey began last May when he targeted Medway Valley Fisheries and banked a huge 13lb 3oz fish that was backed up by no fewer than seven other double-figure specimens.…

“At first we thought it was a carp, but further investigation showed it was a huge tench” A COLOSSAL tench of 17lb 8oz that smashes the UK record out of sight has been landed. In one of the biggest shocks in specimen fishing, Angling Times can exclusively reveal the story of Neil Bradley and Jamie Potts who banked the specimen – which is 2lb 5oz bigger than the official British best –from an undisclosed UK stillwater with no tench form. But the pair revealed that the historic catch won’t be making its way into the record books, as the shock specimen was netted live during a predator fishing trip. “We were scouring the water on our boat, looking for pike, when another boat flew by at pace in the shallow…

THOUSANDS tuned in to watch the first-ever live footage of a Fish O’Mania qualifier. Almost 300 competitors turned out for the latest heat at Doncaster’s Lindholme Lakes and the TV cameras were stationed behind MAP star Andy all through the match. A live feed was shown over Facebook. Having drawn peg 48 on Willows Lake, Andy struggled to compete and eventually placed 55lb on the scales. He said: “Fish O’Mania is one of the biggest tournaments on the calendar and it was great to be involved in an idea that gave anglers the chance to watch the biggest qualifier. The fishing didn’t quite go to plan, but I hope people learnt a few things by watching and I’ll certainly give it another go in the future.”…

1 Jamie Hughes could become the first man to win the grand final three times this summer if he overcomes the first-ever fish-off at Cudmore. Currently he shares the accolade of twice Fish O’ Champion with Matt Hall. 2 No fewer than four of the 297 anglers competing in the recent qualifier at Lindholme Lakes managed to fall into the lakes during the match! Judges gave the best dives to Alex Dockerty on Bonsai Lake (9.0) and Craig Goldstraw (8.5). 3 The recent winning catch of 259lb 8oz for Jason Collins at Monk Lakes set a new record weight for a qualifier. The old best was 252lb 11oz by Jon Arthur at Viaduct fishery in 2011, a total which consisted of just 18 carp to 24lb! 4 Tony Curd, twice…

WHAT an ugly looking creature that massive tench recently netted by a pike angler is (see page 7 ). I surmise it is suffering from dropsy or some other ailment, but at a weight currently well over the UK record, should it count if it was caught on rod and line? I recall Phil Gooriah’s Wraysbury tench caught in June 1987 at 14lb-odd that didn’t look dissimilar. That monster shattered the then-record out of sight but I believe that any fish that has a weight boosted by disease should be discounted for a record. The big question is what to do with such a fish. Is it ‘kind’ to release it? Knowing that fish can’t feel pain in the way we do, is there any misery to put it…

THE Moira Furnace Museum is just a few feet from the canal and is well worth a visit if you’re into your history. Here you’ll discover the importance of the canal and local tramways and railways during the Industrial Revolution. You’ll learn how the furnace was built to make iron, why it was a failure and why it still survives. An on-site café supplies hot and cold food and drinks available to eat in or take away. Visit www.moirafurnace.org.uk for more details.…

BARLINGS COUNTRY HOLIDAY PARK, LINCOLN The carp are easy to find on Willow. Fish 8m out with cubes of meat on the hook over micros to take commons, mirrors and ghosties to 10lb. Contact: 01522 753200 Postcode: LN3 5DF BROOM FISHERIES, DUMFRIESSHIRE, SCOTLAND Bruce’s Acre Lake stock includes carp, F1s, barbel, ide and chub. For a mixed bag fish maggot in open water and paste or pellet down the edge late on. Contact: 01461 700386 Postcode: DG12 5PF FLEETS DAM FISHERY, BARNSLEY, YORKS Catch plenty of bream and roach by fishing the maggot or groundbait feeder at 30yds. Try pegs 25-35 for tench. Contact: 01226 292579 Postcode: S71 1QL HOME FARM FISHERY, ALSAGER, CHESHIRE Catch your first catfish on the Specimen Lake up to 65lb close in and at distance…

DECADES ago you would struggle to find carp on many stretches of canal with just odd pockets that few anglers would even bother to target. Fast forward to today and the species can be found in virtually every stretch of the UK with more and more anglers tapping into their local cut’s potential. They aren’t small, either, with fish to over 40lb caught by anglers in the past. Here are the Midlands best carp hotspots… 5 HOT CANAL CARP VENUES NEAR YOU GRAND UNION CANAL, NORTHAMPTON, NORTHANTS The canal arm at Gayton Marina is worth a try as the marina holds fish to nearly 30lb. They leave the marina at low light. Contact: Northampton Nene AC, 01604 761173 Prices: £5 on the bank, Northampton Nene AC, SHROPSHIRE UNION CANAL, PENDEFORD,…

MANOR FARM LEISURE, EVESHAM, WORCS ONE of the Midlands’ top fisheries, Manor Farm is known for its match and pleasure fishing, plus it also offers cracking accommodation. The six berth caravans have everything you need for a great stay, but with the superb fishing you’ll hardly find yourself in them. Each caravan gets two fishing pegs per day free, so you won’t finding another angler in your swim. Most pools contain roach, perch and skimmers and carp go well into double figures. With 100lb bags and excellent accommodation, you’ll be making a great choice booking at Manor Farm. Prices: £10 a day, £7 concessions, caravans from £70 a night Contact: 01386 870039, www.manorfarmleisure.co.uk Postcode: WR11 8PA…

THERE are few more satisfying moments in angling then those early summer mornings spent on the banks of a picturesque lake in search of big tench. But where do you go to guarantee you’ll catch what is possibly the UK’s most favourite coarse fish? While it is true many venues contain some of the species, there are far fewer waters which can offer the angler an easy chance of landing specimen-sized fish regularly. Here are the top waters in YOUR region….. SIX HOT TENCH VENUES NEAR YOU CHEDDAR RESERVOIR, CHEDDAR, SOMERSET Day-ticket reservoir Cheddar Reservoir is some 80 acres in size and offers specimen tench in the 6lb-8lb range and maybe even a double. 07796 990205, Sat Nav: BS27 3DR HORSESHOE LAKE, LECHLADE, GLOS A 62-acre lake owned by the…

OWNED and run by John Raison, the father of match ace Will, Gold Valley Lakes has the potential to produce 100lb-plus match weights throughout the whole of spring. All five lakes are stunning but it’s the Middle Lake that’s the real gem with specimen-sized carp, tench, bream, perch, crucians and roach all available. Fish the pole at 13m with expander pellets and maggots over a small bed of micros for a mixed bag. Don’t ignore the edge line late on though!…

BRAID TRICK Try spraying the spool of your braid with pole elastic lubricant before the start. This helps the braid sink and minimises the risk of wind knots developing. GRIPMESH FEEDERS I used to like wire cages but now I favour Drennan Gripmesh models which rise off the bottom much better when reeling in. In deep water use one with smaller holes. HOOK CHOICE Wide gape hooks such as the Kamasan B560 are perfect. The B911 F1 is a barbless alternative with a finer diameter wire. FLUORO BAITS Maggots work well on the hook and if the water is coloured fish find three grubs better, especially with a fluoro colour in there. Cocktails with worm also work. GROUNDBAIT MIX On some venues fishmeal groundbait is king but on others it…

PVA BAG TRICKS Get the best out of PVA bags for carp. Steve reveals the secrets you need for bigger catches as he takes us through a bagging session at Boddington Reservoir. HYBRID HEAVEN Probably the most deadly tactic for carp right now, in this video you’ll learn how to fish a Hybrid feeder the right way with Steve’s expert advice. MATCH SECRETS Follow Steve as he takes us through the essential tricks which won him the last round of the Winter League at Meadowlands. See the whole series at GoFishingOnline…

THE base of my mix is 50:50 brown crumb and Layers Mash plus one bag of Method mix. Blend the dry ingredients thoroughly. I ADD a tablespoon of Green Lipped Mussel powder per kilo of bait and then slowly add water to create a sticky mix. ADDING particles helps keep the fish in the swim for longer but use them sparingly as they can alter the mix’s consistency.…

1 In weedy conditions I prefer a beaked point pattern of hook as it’s harder for it to come adrift should the carp gain some slack. 2 As the water warms up a high-quality fishmeal boilie is very attractive to carp, and is why I was using Sticky’s krill. 3 A double bottom bait is very hard for a carp to eject. 4 I like to accompany my hookbait with a four-bait PVA mesh bag as not only does this eliminate tangles but also focuses the carp’s attention on where my rig is. 5 I use shrink tubing to create an acute angle from the hook eye to help the point catch hold easier.…

HOOKBAITS  Classic silverfish baits are red maggots, casters or small pieces of worm but a big bold bait can also score – a grain of corn, a 6mm expander pellet or even a piece of breadflake are all worth experimenting with. FLOAT SIZE  Float size depends on the swim you’re fishing. If you’re going to need a decent cast to find the fish something close to 3AAA is usually ideal. However, if you plan on catching fish on the drop at close range, a big float isn’t needed. Prepared anglers will carry a range of float sizes to cover all eventualities, but if you were limited to just using one size, a 3BB float (the same as the one on the front of Angling Times this week) will deal with…

NOT a lot is the answer! On a narrow, shallow canal, loosefeed tends to play a bigger part for roach, with groundbait used for getting the swim going. The usual ploy is to feed one large ball of groundbait with a few squatts or pinkies in it, then feed loosefed squatts or casters over the top. The groundbait will immediately draw roach into the area, with the loosefeed then keeping them hunting for food, so mix up a relatively light, small-fish groundbait put through a riddle to remove larger pieces. Ensure it is on the damp side so that it sinks immediately. For bigger, deeper canals, more groundbait will be needed to combat the depth, which can make loosefeed ineffective. In this instance, a heavier mix still mixed damp will…

THIS 37lb 12oz mirror was best of three thirties in a five-fish haul in 72 hours at Yateley Pads Lake for James Roche. PADDY Ramsden caught this 31lb 3oz common from Linear St John’s on CC Moore Live System pop-ups. THIS 29lb 12oz beauty was the heaviest of three fish for Kev Hewitt at Manor Farm on the Linear complex. SCOTT Whittaker scored a new personal best with this 28lb mirror from Big Hayes at Dorset’s Todber Manor. ELSONS at Stanwick Lakes Fishery in Northamptonshire produced this 26lb margin-caught common for Alex Grice. WIN PRIZES WITH STICKY THE best catches of the week go through to our exclusive Catch of the Month competition inside UKCarp magazine where you can win brilliant bait prizes NEXT ISSUE: TUES MAY 3…

Making your PVA bags stand out from the crowd and grab the carp’s attention can make all the difference between catching and blanking. Most day-ticket carp are used to seeing PVA bags full of broadly similar ingredients lying dormant on the lakebed. But with a bit of thought and some supermarket ingredients, you can make yours unique. Our picture sequence features Avid’s Ellis Brazier with his favourite fizzing bag mix, which sends food particles up into the water column to entice carp to feed. Alongside a mix of tiny pellets and fine groundbait sit crumbed effervescent tablets like Alka-Seltzer or Berocca, which explode underwater. Ellis also adds flakes of semi-buoyant high-viz wafters to further boost the suspended attraction.…

THE first Southern Carp Cup qualifier of the year saw eight pairs share almost 50 fish at Willows Lakes. The match was won by Cliff Kemp and Brian Byford with 10 fish for a total weight of 112lb at the St Albans venue. Christian Hughes and Brian Pickering came in second with 11 fish for 93lb 4oz, while Neil Richards and Jamie McPeak took third with 11 fish for 82lb 7oz. The top three pairs in each qualifier go forward to the Southern Carp Cup final at Thorney Weir in August.…

“Life is serious enough. I hope on my talks to get the balance just right” WELL here it – my first article in the new-look Angling Times magazine! It’s going to get a bit of getting used to for me because I have been reading the old version since 1964. But nothing stays the same and in angling over the next few years there will be a lot more changes. I hope you enjoy my new-look column as much as I know I will writing it. Here goes… WEDNESDAY A long day in the office as I collated 25 photographs for a new talk at Saturday’s Lure Fair about perch on the drop shot. I take my talks very seriously, hopefully providing the audience with a performance containing information to…

DONCASTER FISHING CENTRE V FFC BIRLEY V STAINFORTH ANGLING CENTRE Garbolino Lindholme Lakes, Bonsai Lake (18 pegs) THIS South Yorkshire big guns clash saw the men of the Stainforth shop come out on top, but only thanks to total weight after they tied on 10 points with Doncaster. There are a few that fancy the ‘Stainy’ lads to come good on near misses in the final and win this time around. There was some joy for the hosts, though, as Lee Bird won the match with 102-0-0 of carp. MOSBOROUGH TACKLE BOX V HOUGHTON MAIN AC Aston Park Fishery, Butts Lake (12 pegs) MOSBOROUGH have long been the Supercup’s ‘nearly men’ but they’re yet to lift the trophy – could 2016 be their year? The Sheffield side made a strong…

IF YOU’D watched someone pellet waggler fishing a few years ago the float would have resembled a pike bung, but the carp hit the bait so hard it didn’t matter. Since those early days, fish have wised up and anglers have had to refine their tactics with smaller floats and finer tips that show up the shyest of bites. There’s also a better understanding of feeding, rather than simply blasting bait at the float tip until it buried under the surface. Throw finicky F1s into the equation and you can see how far things have progressed. Now, fishing this style can often resemble the more traditional waggler fishing with slender insert floats and smaller baits. “This is especially true at this time of year when the fish are coming out…

THE biggest match weight of the season has been landed – all 487lb of it. The carp stocks at Essex’s Arran’s Lake have certainly woken up in the warmer weather and Michael Corsini caught a fish-a-chuck during a recent competition. Starting on the pole at 5m, he put together 50lb in the first hour, then sport stepped up a notch as pellet and worm at 7m scored heavily before a late blitz in the margins secured the win. Sport was equally hectic for runner-up Mark Newbold, who put 412lb in his net, while Andrew Rayment was some way behind on 329lb. ‘Come and fish for our bream’ LINEAR Fisheries is calling for anglers to come and target its virtually untapped shoals of huge bream following the capture of this 13lb…

FLY fishing guru Mike Green showed his versatility by landing this 10lb 5oz bream. He swapped his game fishing tackle for a feeder rod and a couple of pints of maggots and enjoyed a session to remember on a large stillwater in his home county of Northamptonshire. Mike punched out a maggot feeder to a spot 60 yards from the bank and caught a steady stream of roach and bream, topped by this mint-conditioned double-figure specimen. “Too many anglers get stuck fishing in one discipline, but if you try something new it will make you a much more competent fisherman,” said Mike. Shock zander – on a boilie! JOHN Lam accidentally hooked this 11lb 10oz zander while targeting an urban stillwater. Carp were the Yorkshire angler’s target at his local…

WOW! That finish in the Drennan Cup was something else. I guessed that Dai Gribble was home and hosed with his fantastic catch portfolio but he ended up just a couple of points clear of veteran Tony Smith, who amassed some fantastic fish. It’s a remarkable achievement because believe me, as the years go by, although time appears more plentiful it’s more and more difficult to dedicate the same amount of energy required to target fish big enough to challenge for the Drennan Cup. I hope I can muster the same dedication when I’m Tony’s age... next year!…

THIS WEEK’S WATERS 1 Barlings Country Holiday Park, N Lincs 2 Broom Fisheries, Scotland 3 Fleets Dam Fishery, S Yorks 4 Home Farm Fishery, Cheshire 5 Hunters Lodge Fishery, E Yorks 6 Lindholme Lakes, S Yorks 7 Oham lakes, N Lincs 8 Buttonhole Lake, Cambs 9 Chequered Lake, Shropshire 10 Curborough Fishery, Staffs 11 Lake View Fishery, Leics 12 Lakeside Leisure Fishery, Lincs 13 Makins Fishery, Warks 14 Packington Somers, Birmingham 15 Alderwood Ponds, Sussx 16 Bitterwell Fishery, Glos 17 Holme Grange Fishery, Berks 18 How End Fisheries, Beds 19 Lake John, Essex 20 Shiplate Fishery, Somerset…

Offering high match weights and with nine lakes and the Covey Match section, clubs love to fish here. For the pole angler looking to practise their skills, we recommend the Ribbon. For a mixed bag of carp, ide, F1s and golden tench, fish pellet and caster across into the island mud holes. Contact: 07950 057613 Postcode: WA3 4AQ WINNING PEGS TO HEAD FOR NOW 4 Ribbon Lake Eddie Battersby won here with 79lb 10oz on by fishing pellet. 15 Marsh Canal Produced 67lb 6oz of fish for Les Steele in a recent match.…

BUTTONHOLE FISHERY, WISBECH, CAMBS It’s time to fish down the margins here! You can catch carp well into double figures. Contact: 01945 430629 Postcode: PE14 8EY CHEQUERED LAKE, WHITCHURCH, SHROPSHIRE Target the star-shaped island with worm and maggot hookbaits for carp to 20lb, perch to 3lb and tench to 7lb. Contact: 01948 871282 Postcode: SY13 4EH CURBOROUGH FISHERY, LICHFIELD, STAFFS Carp are predominant on Oak. They average around 5lb. Contact: 07890 333227 Postcode: WS13 8ES LAKE VIEW FISHERY, MELTON MOWBRAY, LEICS River Lake has fished well on the early pegs. Peg 3 produced 66lb of mainly carp. Contact: 07813 276623 Postcode: LE14 4SX LAKESIDE LEISURE FISHERY, CHAPEL ST LEONARDS, S LINCS The Boating Lake for fish from 60lb catfish to 2oz gudgeon. For the big tench, carp, cats…

RECENT match results here are proving that Monk Lakes is the place you need to be fishing this weekend, with 90lb bags of carp, barbel and skimmers showing to the pole fished just a few feet from the bank. The four match lakes are all producing from various pegs and the two coarse-pleasure lakes are also boasting excellent nets of carp on pole and feeder gear to surrounding features. For a true specimen carp, Mallard Lake is perfect for you. Target the island with PVA bags of crushed boilies and pellets with corn hookbait. PRICES: £10 for one rod, £14 for two, £7 concessions for one rod CONTACT: 01622 833 332 or visit www.monklakes.co.uk…

STAFFORD MOOR FISHERY, WINKLEIGH, DEVON PEACE can be found in abundance at Stafford Moor, one of the country’s prime carp bagging venues. The five lakes are carp-dominated, with roach and skimmers also prominent. From Beattie’s Specimen Lake up to Joseph’s Lodge Lake, dumpy, hard fighting carp from 20-pounders to the average 5lb fish crash and roll all over. Prices: Day and night tickets from £10, visit website for lodge accommodation prices Contact: 01805 804360, www.staffordmoor.co.uk Postcode: EX19 8PP…

“The French are obviously our main World Champs rivals” IF you could say one thing about Rob Hughes, it would be this – he’s a busy man! England carp team manager, TV presenter, leading underwater cameraman, top carp angler, promoter of fishing and family guy, it’s hard to see how the Shropshire man fits it all in. And his schedule is about to get a whole lot busier now that BT sport has commissioned him to produce an angling show to be broadcast later this year. Originally 27 episodes, the series has already been increased to 29, such is the channel’s interest in all things fishing-related. Carp anglers will know Rob well and match anglers will recognise Rob from his interviews and filming at leading competitions such as the Old…

WITH the sun now finally out and the water starting to warm up, the carp in our stillwaters have really started to move around. More importantly, they are actively coming to angler’s baits once again. Don’t get me wrong, that is not the signal to fill your local lake in with bait. The fish still don’t want lots of bait thrown at them so you need to think carefully about your tactics. One trick which has been working really well for me over the past week or so is to fish the pole and feed hard pellets on a little and often basis over the top. To me this is the perfect way to take advantage of the carp’s current feeding behaviour, in that they will come to the noise…

Make your Method more effective IDEAL when: Bites start to tail off IF bites dry up on the Method feeder, reach for the liquid additives in your carryall. Pick the brightest product you have and add a drizzle over your dampened pellets once they are moulded on to the frame. Once the feeder hits the water, it will release an instant cloud and draw fish in from far and wide. Switch to banded corn IDEAL when: You start to miss bites IF you are missing bites on corn that is directly hooked, this trick will make sure you don’t miss another bite that day. Rather than put the corn on a hair rig, place it inside a bait band. This will make sure that plenty of the hookpoint is showing,…

THE BREAD CLOUD  When fishing in canals that are 5ft deep or less, it is important to only give your balls of feed a slight squeeze. This will make sure they break up quickly and leave an attractive carpet on the bottom. One second Bread cupped in Five seconds Bread broken down FISH a shallow canal with maggots or casters and you well think that your peg is devoid of fish – but switch to bread and an amazing transformation can happen. The white, fluffy supermarket offering has an incredible pulling power that can’t be rivalled by anything else on the cut, and Ian Didcote believes one loaf is all you need to amass a double-figure net of roach. Many consider bread to be effective only in winter, but that…

REG Verney hauled 32 carp in five days at Unity Lake, Oxon, topped by a 42lb 1oz common on Sticky Manilla boilies. A ROAD-trip around southern France saw Alex Griebel catch from four lakes, including this 51lb 10oz mirror on Solar Tackle boilies. UKCarp columnist Adam Penning has enjoyed a flurry of carp at the Essex Quarry recently, including this 32lb 8oz mirror. FRESH from his brace of 50lb commons, David Gaskin blitzed Wellington Country Park with this 32lb 8oz ghostie. FOX and CC Moore star Mark Pitchers banked this 29lb 2oz mirror from Cromwell Lake, Notts, on solid PVA bags at 80 yards. PEPPER Lakes at Kent’s Cottington Lakes produced this pb 35lb 6oz mirror for Mark Jennings on a white pop-up over freebies.…

Happy memories THE image of a big ruffe in last week’s Angling Times got me thinking about how mini-species used to dominate the canal scene. I remember fishing a match on the Shropshire Union Canal in the early 1990s and I weighed in just over 8lb. That might sound like a poor weight but it was made up of over 250 gudgeon and the odd ruffe. That wasn’t the only canal that was stuffed with these species and matches on these venues were always a great test of speed and skill. Sadly it seems the gudgeon shoals are now greatly depleted. Derek Freeman, Bridgnorth The Big Fish Offis all about having fun I’VE heard a few moans about The Big Fish Off, and these people really rile me. Ali Hamidi…

ABOUT 30 years ago I was on the Sealink Classic in Ireland and I drew on the Erne system at Corrigans. The fishing was terrible and nobody liked going here to H section. It was nicknamed ‘H block’ as in a prison! Back then, the organisers paid the locals 20 quid to weigh in and, at the end of the match, I was packing away when a little Irishman came toddling down the bank in his tweed jacket. Not surprisingly I’d caught very little, so I jokingly asked him “Do you weigh in grams?” “Yes sir,” he replied. “We weigh in everything – pike, perch and eels!” This reminds me of another encounter with an Irishman when I was salmon fishing the River Moy. I was using a 5m bolo…

Ackworth AC V Kerr’s of Ossett Woodhouse Grange Fishery (12 pegs) Result: 1 D Richmond, Ackworth AC, 107-14-0; 2 M Williams, Ackworth AC, 54-11-0; 3 A Lumb, Kerr’s of Ossett, 37-10-0. Team result: 1 Kerr’s of Ossett, 8pts; 2 Ackworth AC, 10. Alvechurch Fisheries A V Black Country Misfits Alvechurch Fisheries (12 pegs) Result: 1 J Newton, Alvechurch Fisheries A, 66-10-0; 2 P Watts, Black Country Misfits, 64-6-0; 3 W Beach, Alvechurch Fisheries A, 51-6-0. Team result: 1 Black Country Misfits, 9pts (197-13-0); 2 Alvechurch Fisheries A, 9 (184-0-0). Alliance & Leicester V St Helens Angling Chapel Pool (12 pegs) Result: 1 M Sykes, St Helens Angling, 88-8-0; 2 S Avison, St Helens Angling, 79-8-0; 3 K Bradshaw, Alliance & Leicester Liverpool, 75-12-0. Team result: 1 St Helens Angling, 7pts;…

BLUNDELL’S FISHERY ROVER (SUN) West Lodge, Ash & Trio Pools (40 pegs) Leaving the pole in the bag at peg 21 on the Trio Pool, Leigh Tackle & Bait’s David Howard instead went for a Method feeder approach, casting to the sunken bar close to the island to find carp to 4lb plus F1s on maggot to win with 95-11-0. Result: 1 D Howard, Leigh Tackle & Bait, 95-11-0; 2 P Roys, Leigh Tackle & Bait, 69-1-0; 3 K Webster, Trafford Tackle, 67-5-0; 4 G Whalley, Bait-Tech, 60-13-0; 5 A Howarth, Leigh Tackle & Bait, 55-15-0; 6 P Simpson, Trafford Tackle, 53-6-0. BROOKSIDE FISHERIES (SUN) Snake & Willow Lakes (39 pegs) Chopped worm and caster is always a winner at the Stretton water in the spring and Welshman Paul…

SOMERSET water Bait-Tech Viaduct Fishery has seen a lot of big-match action over recent weeks, with two Fish O’Mania qualifiers on the back of the big Winter League. The open scene is just as healthy, with almost 40 anglers turning out for Thursday’s open at the Somerton complex – and they saw a familiar name at the top. Dan White, who topped the recent Fish O’ eliminator, has long been a regular in the frame at Viaduct, consistency that saw him rewarded with sponsorship from Frenzee. Now he’s already begun paying Frenzee back with that Fish O’ appearance and a good win in this one with another hefty double ton. Drawing peg 86 on the ‘scary’ Cary Pool, so-called because of its massive hard-fighting carp, Dan returned 243-3-0 of fish…