Today I have been on the Stainforth & Keadby Canal in Thorne with members of the Facebook group Angling Info. I was asked by the admin team if I would do something slightly different for the guys rather than just a meetup and fish; I was asked to do a coaching session on the use of Bloodworm & Joker and for me, the Stainy is the only place to go to show it’s potential. An event on their page was created and people started booking on, on the day there were less than anticipated but to be honest that was always going to be the case due to cold weather overnight and the fact some are just unsure about using the bait as it’s unknown to many. I always look forward to fishing on here regardless of the time of year I wish I could justify fishing the winter leagues but having to work shifts limits the amount of matches I can fish.
I hadn’t been to Ireland for approximately 15 years, since doing an Autumn Portumna Festival. With the recent resurgence in interest in the Irish scene and the quality of the fishing, now seemed like the perfect time to make a return.
There is literally a festival every week in Ireland and with so much choice, initially I couldn’t see the wood for the trees. After speaking to Gary Miller and Chris Vandervleit, we were soon convinced that the World Pairs was the one to do.
Is there a better feeling than sitting by a large natural water early on a summer’s morning, as you wait for the tip to pull round with yet another bream? Unfortunately, this idyllic scenario doesn’t last all year…
As winter begins to roll in, the water cools and the fishing becomes more difficult. This doesn’t have to mean the end to the bream fishing, though. If you follow Shaun Little’s advice you can enjoy year-round success on the feeder…
It’s no secret that feeder fishing is becoming hugely popular in the UK and Europe and it seems that more people are now looking at it as a year-round option for their fishing rather than just something to do in the warmer months. The problem is that on large expanses of water, like Kingsbury Water Park where we are today, the fishing can become difficult as the water cools – 100lb bags are rare and it soon becomes apparent that it’s the anglers who work hard that get the results.
Franke Gianoncelli argues that commercial fisheries hold the furture for match fishing. I have had a lot of friends that have started fishing, only to stop after a few weeks and completely forget about it. Does fishing have enough appeal about it to compete with technology like game consoles or the internet for example?I fear this is happening right now to thousands of young potential match anglers and with the distractions like Facebook, x-box and playsations - match fishing will suffer as a result. The only thing that I can think of that will save match fishing in the future is commercial fisheries, and in particular big money events like Fishomania and the Maver 'Match This'.
Match Fishing’s Joe Carass tells of a few recent successes thanks to some all-important confidence. As has been said countless times before, confidence catches you fish! All winter I have struggled to find my confidence and ultimately have been struggling to trouble the money places on my chosen venues. However just recently I believe I am starting to fish well again and am gaining that all-important confidence again. From my experience the best anglers are those who make the right decisions throughout the match.
The pellet cone is a great tactic for cold weather when a bite or two can make the difference between a dull session and a match win. It’s all about setting a one-bite trap in the correct place, ready to tempt a passing lump into having a go.
Pemb Wrighting is highly adept at catching in all conditions and the pellet cone is one of his go-to methods when the temperature drops: “It’s great for offering a small pile of bait with the hook bait most prominent – the fish doesn’t have to be feeding hard to want to investigate and then a bite won’t be far behind. ”
Today, Pemb has chosen Sumners Ponds Fishery in Horsham, West Sussex to demonstrate the effectiveness of the pellet cone and with the weather veering between Arctic blasts from one of the many winter storm systems and bright sunshine, the Guru-backed ace will need to bring his A game to get a result.
Consistency is something we all strive for as match anglers, everyone can draw a good peg and have the odd good result but getting consistently good results is much more difficult. This has been even more important in my fishing in recent weeks as I’ve been fishing the very popular Westwood Lakes teams of 3. Every year the match is a sell out and this year has been no different. With the weather being unsettled to say the least, the lakes have been fishing quite hard and a bit peggy.
Well it has just been that time of the year when hundreds of anglers make their pilgrimage to sunny Cornwall (well sometimes anyway) for a crack at the White Acres festivals. I try to do at two festivals a year but after missing last years Preston festival due to work commitments (the one where sharing partner Lee kerry netted a cool £29K) I was really keen to get back. I have quite a good record at White Acres so I always give it my all to make that continue. The main thing about the ‘Acres’ is that you need a run of draws that give you a chance to compete.
Forty years have flown by since the Sheffield Star first announced it was to host a major fishing competition for club match anglers. Who could possibly have thought that it would not only still be running today but positively thriving?
“This is the 20thyear I have been involved (writes organiser Bob Roberts) and I’m proud to see it is as popular as ever. The late Colin Dyson asked me if I’d mind taking over his Green Un column (a local sports newspaper) in April 1997 until ‘he got a little better. ’ Alas he never recovered but it’s a fitting tribute that the reigning Club Match Angler Champion is now presented with the Colin Dyson Memorial trophy, in his honour, a trophy provided by the late Jack Purchase to honour his memory.
Our Terminator sets his sights on the country's hottest young angler. There has been one name on the lips of the men in the Match Fishing office this week, and that has been James Dent. The talented Teesside lad has had a real fortnight to remember. Two weeks ago, he won the 180-peg strong Dynamite Baits Festival at White Acres.
A group member, Darren Tracey, who commented on a post that we put on our Facebook page asking to show us your fisheries, suggested our next outing for a review day. So we contacted Darren and arranged a date to meet up and fish with him and another group member, Barry Smith, who also asked if we could review the venue, Greens Lane Ponds. Greens Lane Ponds is a one-acre water with 27 pegs and one island. Average depth is four feet and the pond provides consistent and excellent fishing all year round, with match-size carp and plenty of silvers to go at.
Middy backed Andy Quarmby has been winning a lot of matches lately and it’s all thanks to making good decisions! Recent matches have highlighted one thing to me, making a key decision in a match is the difference between winning and being an also ran. Yes I know this may sound obvious but my recent encounters at Pans Hill highlight this quite well I think Pans Hill Sunday match 29th July (Pans Lake) Pans lake, for those who have never been, is a typical 14m wide snake with typical depths. It has a large head of mirrors and commons 1-3lb and F1s 6oz-2lb. Typical winning match weights in summer are usually between 80-130lb with plenty of bites to be had.
Inside Out Method
Fishing with my hookbait outside of the feeder has been very effective over the past couple of months. It can be a deadly way of fishing the method feeder when the fish aren’t attacking the feeder confidently.
Light Is Best
I always try and use the lightest float and line I can get away with at this time of year, it definitely catches me more fish. As the water starts to warm up I will step up my tackle, but using light lines, floats and smaller hooks works best for me in the winter/spring months.
Some exciting new tackle awaited us at this weekend’s Tackle & guns show extravaganza. We got the exclusive insight into what will be hitting your local shop shelves in 2012, so don’t miss our December issue, on sale the last Friday of November to see some of the highlights. There’s new tackle and bait from MAP, Dynamite Baits, Shimano, Preston Innovations, Sonu Baits, Nordik, Berkley and the all-new Matrix to name but a few. In addition it’s the Drennan Knock-Out Cup Final at Docklow pools, Herefordshire, where just two anglers remain to fight for the 2011 title.
