Joe Carass takes a close look at a new family of hooks that is already gaining favour with many top anglers on the match circuit… Even though I’m very young (well, compared to editor Dave Harrell) my angling career stretches over more than 18 years, and the original Preston PR range of hooks seems to have been available for as long as I can remember! There were many cult hooks among that range and I’ve had loads of success using several of the various patterns available. They were hugely popular but, as with all things, technologies move on and hooks can be produced nowadays that are even better than when the original range was first produced. So, having used so many of the old PR range I couldn’t wait to see what the lads at Preston had come up with in their new range. It comprises five hook patterns, which is quite a small range, but it complements the existing PR competition range of barbed hooks and the PR eyed range perfectly.
Angel Lakes report and results from 29/6/11 to 3/7/11. . . Sunday 3rd July 2011 Open & League LookoutConditions: Sunny, ambient temp 21 deg, wind W 4mph, barometer 1015.
Given the rigours of everyday commercial fishing a quality reel line is a must these days, and this Berkley mono looks ideal. It is nice and smooth and casts very well. Supplied on 1,500-yard spools at a very competitive price, this will be ideal for the angler who has plenty of reels to fill with line. RRP: £10.
It’s that time of the year again when the team all get together to practice for the Angling Times Winter League semi final. This year it is up at Woodlands Lakes Nr Thirsk. Saturday saw me visit the venue for the first time this year, I was kind of hoping to draw on a pile of carp but that hope was short lived when I pulled out Peg 7 on Partridge. My end of the lake was flat calm when setting up, whilst the other end had a lovely ripple on it and I was sure that end would be where the carp were.
After last weeks poor draw at woodlands I was really looking forward to getting back up there and was looking for a good draw. There were plenty of anglers on the match so Kamasan points were on offer and also I’m doing well in the County Champs tables so was looking for a few points. I drew peg 15 on Skylark, HAPPY DAYS. This has been a consistent area all winter and the main shoal lives in that area.
Well Saturday was the big day for my Ultimate Barnsley Blacks team as it was to be one of our most important matches of the year. Semi finals are always tense affairs and with this one being at Woodlands Nr Thirsk it was always going to be a peggy match to say the least! All we could hope for was a decent draw and a good team performance. We got the good draw that we needed and one that we were confident of qualifying from. I got massively luck and actually drew Skylark 15 AGAIN! I was almost embarrassed when Lee handed me my draw but I had a job to do and with the pegging being very tight I didn’t think I would need a big weight to win the section.
With my busy schedule with work and with the Dynamite Baits festival coming up at White Acres, I decided to have a bit of time off this weekend. I did however manage to sneak a couple of hours in last night after work. I decided to have a short session at The Banks fishery at Barby, Jon, Tom and I had a walk around last week and I was really impressed with the venue. It is a 106-peg snake lake that is very diverse, there is a long straight that used to be an old canal and then the fishery turns into a very twisty snake lake with lots of little arms.
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.
It has been a while since my last blog, but it has been a couple of months filled with activity here at DHP towers! First we said goodbye to Dave Harrell who left his post here at Match Fishing to pursue other interests. This was a shock to us all and I know that many people will miss him. Luckily we have managed to snare Alex Bones, who I’m sure plenty of you will know for his hair cut, and the bit of fishing that he does occasionally! Alex will be a great asset to the mag and hopefully we can go from strength to strength and keep improving the mag! Anyway I have had an up and down few weeks fishing. Spawning fish have made lakes fish poor and go very peggy and I seem to have avoided the fish more than normal! I have managed a win and a second up at the Oaks but this week saw the frustration return!Saturday saw me on Cedar Lake.
Welcome to my first blog entry as I’ve now returned to Match Fishing magazine as editor, after leaving just over 7 years ago. From the September issue onwards I’ll be at the helm with the highly respected Joe Carass as my wingman. I’ll be making some considerable changes to the magazine and you’ll see the return of some faces who’ve not appeared in MF for a while. So what’ve I been up to over the last few weeks?.
