Truth Is Out Over April Fool Arapaima!Match Fishing Magazine can reveal that the story ran on Monday regarding Des Shipp banking a massive arapaima was, in fact, an April Fool hoax. The piece was the brainchild of DHP’s Digital News Editor, Tom Scholey, who penned the story with the help of Pole Fishing’s Editorial Assistant, Matt Godfrey, and DHP Chairman, David Hall. Tom commented: “We love a giggle here at DHP, and after talking the idea through with Des Shipp and Will Raison, we decided to run with the story. To be honest, I think a lot of people cottoned on to the fact that it was a hoax straightaway – but we did manage to catch a few people out! I think most of the people who cottoned on found it funny, which is the main thing.
Steve Ringer, Matt Godfrey, Andy May, Rob Wootton And More. . .
The May issue of Pole Fishing Magazine is on sale now, and packed with fish-catching ideas from the UK's finest anglers.
World’s First 'Commercial' Carp Fishing TournamentThe world's first documented commercial carp fishing tournament has taken place in Kentucky, USA, and carried a first-place prize of $10,000!Hosted by the Kentucky Department Of Fish And Wildlife, the two-day contest saw the winning team weigh in over 10,000lb of fish – and at the same time go some way towards saving the native fish population of the area's waterways!Kentucky has been badly affected by the spread of the none-native Asian carp, and particularly the silver carp sub species, that have reaked havoc on waterways across the United States. Over the course of the contest, only non-native specieswere allowed to be weighed in, meaning the event ridded the local ecosystem of tens of thousands of invaders. The competiton proved a real hit among local anglers, and spectators, with some people travelling over 200 miles just to watch the event taking place! Click here to watch a YouTube documentary about the contest!. .
Exciting New Dimension To Popular TV Angling ContestThe 2013 Preston Innovations UK Angling Championships are set to get underway soon, and to spice up the sport a little this year, a new angler rankings system has been created by the organisers. The system grades the anglers based on their performance in the last three years of the championships. Well-known angler and event promoter Rob Hughes has plans for even bigger things with the aim of increasing awareness of angling, encouraging new blood into the sport and opening the door for “young pretenders” to step up to the oche and take on the big fellas of the game. “The UK Champs are great” announced Hughes, “but the problem is, from the outside, angling appears boring.
Festival Win For Middy/ Bag 'Em Ace. Lee Thornton has won the Bag 'Em Matchbaits Heronbrook Easter Festival with a seven-point score. Fished over three days, the event attracted 60 of the country's finest anglers – with Lee finishing top after tying for first place with Paul Conroy, but taking the verdict on weight countback. Lee explained: “I have been looking forward to fishing in this three-day competition that is now in its second year of inception although, to be perfectly honest, when I booked in back in February, in the back of my mind I was half expecting to be fishing paste! "That said, I felt that a few of the things that I had learned by fishing through the winter would benefit me now for this festival (ironically, I think the water temperature was lower than two months ago!)"With the water temperature being so low, I felt that the only things worth taking to the venue would be maggots, micro pellets, 4mm Bag 'Em Expandas and a slice of bread.
Digital bookazine with FREE app and taster edition. Angling Heroes is a new app that pulls together the best articles from the biggest names in match fishing and presents them in a series of fully illustrated bookazines. In this, the first of the Angling Heroes series, we feature Bob Nudd and look back over 20 of his most memorable features. We watch him bag up with estate lake bream, learn how he catches big river roach and follow him to commercial fisheries on a quest for carp.
Bizarre catch lands angling ace £1,000 prize!Preston Innovations-backed ace Des Shipp left 100 fellow competitors open-mouthed, after taking victory in a big-money match today with the help of a 41lb arapaima – landed on the pole!Des caught the bizarre fish from Gold Valley Lakes near Aldershot, and at first, had no idea what he had captured. He explained: “I've been having quite a lot of success over the last few weeks glugging my luncheon meat in Predator Plus liquid, and can only think that the red scent trail proved irresistible to the predator. ”Fishery manager, Will Raison was as surprised as Des at the capture: “It’s the first time we have ever had any predatory species like this show up here at Gold Valley. We did accept some fry from a local zoo a number of years ago, believing them to be carp, and all I can think is that the baby arapaima was mixed in with them.
Unprecedented interest in summer river festival. Tickets are selling out quickly for this year's Evesham Festival qualifying matches, following the news that the sponsors, Shakespeare, Match Fishing Magazine and Wychavon District Council, have once again guaranteed over £18,000 in prize money – meaning a total prize fund of around £28,000 for the three-day festival!The event, which is the richest river fishing festival in the country, takes place over the August Bank Holiday weekend of 24th August, 25th August and 26th August – and attracts many of the country's top anglers. Alongside the angling spectacle, there is a massive tented village packed with angling related goodies, craft stores, fine foods and, of course, a well-stocked beer tent!Match organiser, Diane Raphael is delighted with how bookings have been going so far this year: "The matches are always well attended, but to have every qualifier almost sold out before the season even begins is almost unprecedented. It is also nice to see a lot of new names and faces on the list.
Exciting new competition at Yorkshire complex!Top Yorkshire fishery The Oaks, has just announced its popular summer festival. The four-day event, which is to be held over the August Bank Holiday weekend (23rd, 24th, 25th and 26th) is to be sponsored by Howarth And Co Solicitors. This will mean a top payout. So far the payout has been devised with 60 anglers in mind but will increase if more anglers attend.
Company’s generous gesture to family in need.
When Peter Bolt, owner and manager of Orpington Tackle in Kent, heard that a local family was going through a difficult time, he was only to happy to get involved and help kit fishing mad youngster, Ajay, out with the gear that he needed to develop his love of the sport – but even he couldn’t have forseen the unbelievable generosity of tackle company Maver UK, when they learnt of the family’s plight. Peter explained: “I have known young Ajay’s family for some time, as he is in the same class as my daughter at school. Unfortunately, his father was injured in a motorcycle accident, meaning he is now wheel chair bound – so it is difficult for him to take his son fishing.
Star studded bonanza at Peterborough store.
Massive Peterborough tackle shop Sheltons have planned a Good Friday to remember for anglers, with a star studded open day at their store. Taking place between 9am and 5pm, the show will be attended by many of the Country’s leading anglers, who will be on hand to offer advice to punters, and answer any questions. In addition to this, there will be a grand raffle, barbeque and numerous competitions where customers can win some cracking tackle prizes!Star anglers who have confirmed their attendance include: Steve Ringer, Andy Findlay, Dean Macey, Ian Day, Ade Kiddell, Darrell Peck, Jake Wildbore, Rich Stewart, Mick Brown and Gary Bayes.
Festival win for England ace. Daiwa and Old Ghost backed ace, Will Raison has took victory in the Stafford Moor Silver Fish Festival with a perfect four point score. Fished over four days, the festival came to a gripping finale on the final day with Will Raison, and England co star, Des Shipp tied on points –meaning the overall result would depend on who finished highest in their section! Will put on a faultless display of skimmer fishing to finish with 19lb 12oz, and take a win! Unfortunately for Des, a drop to third in section left room for Dave Guntrip to sneak in to second place. Will explained: “I always enjoy myself at Stafford Moor, the fishing is great, and the venue has a nice natural feel to it.
Exciting new deal from bait firm. Following a meeting with ABC Baits Directors Densil Thorpe and Ben Reynolds last weekend Youth Team Wales Managers Ian Driscoll and Richie Parry have announced that a successful sponsorship deal has been detailed and finalised. The bait company have pledged a wide spectrum of support for the team during all the planned training sessions leading up to the World Championships and Celtic Cup. Both parties will be working closely to ensure a healthy return to the international scene.
Frugal feeding key to Bait Tech Festival Win. Ringer Baits backed ace James Hawkins had five days to remember last week, after romping to victory in the prestigious Bait Tech Festival at White Acres. With cool temperatures and torrential rain, the fishing wasn’t up to its usual spring standards – with frugal feeding holding the key to big weights for many anglers. James started his week on Trewaters, and though he enjoyed a nice days fishing, and caught 34lb on a feeder, he was beaten by two anglers in his section – a result which he ended up dropping.
Exciting news, videos and more inside!
With massive fish banked, and prestigious festivals won with big nets of carp, you could be forgiven for thinking that we are are in the midst of a spring heatwave, rather than the Siberia like conditions that we are actually faced with!We have the story from Cornwall's White Acres complex, where James Hawkins has been crowned Bait Tech Festival champion. Then, there is the tale of specimen ace Paul Garner, who has landed a 19lb zander from the River Severn. The Angling Trust's battle against fishery destroying cormorants has reached new heights this week, with Martin Salter presenting the campaign to parliament. On top of this, we have the story of the massive River Po catfish, that stretched the scales to over 220kg! Then, there is the good news regarding the 'Take A Friend Fishing' campaign, that is set to run again this year.
