Innehållsförteckning för Issue 3685 från Angling Times

THIS WEEK AN ANGLER who carried a beached dolphin a mile back to sea, where it swam away strongly, is being praised for his actions. Steve Hedges was digging for bait with his friend, Aaron Cole, when he heard shouts coming from a family that’d encountered the stranded mammal. “Instinct took over and we both ran to see how we could help,” Steve said. “The dolphin was still alive, so we picked it up immediately to try and get it back to the water.” Steve thinks it had become trapped while chasing mullet and flatfish, before being caught out by the quickly receding tide. “We carried it as gently as possible through the sticky mud to the sea, where it swam off. Hopefully we saved its life.”…

SEND YOUR PICS AND LETTERS TO: ATLETTERS@BAUERMEDIA.CO.UK LAST Christmas my mother-in-law Diane told a story about how when she was a girl her two older brothers would take her fishing. They used to get her to bait their hooks with maggots and would tell her that they would let her have a go after they had caught a few fish themselves. Well, boys being boys, they never actually let her have a go! On hearing this, my niece Thea (8) and nephew Ethan (11) – both keen anglers – decided that we should take her to catch a fish. So, with her 70th birthday around the corner, we picked Diane up and took her to a local venue called Fields End Water. Thea set up the rod while Ethan…

(* indicates an anagram) ACROSS 1Container for smelly fishing gear (5,3)6 Fast-flowing section of river (6)9 Boilie __ prevents bait slipping off hair (4)10 __ bead lets lead hang straight on cast in running rig (5)11 Methods, techniques (4)12 See 25ac.14 Spanish venue of 2024 World Champs Kayak fishing (*I've canal) (8)15 e.g. 'business end' of fishing tackle (*men trial) (8)17 Phil ___, AT contributor, redfin specialist, angling guide (*PS skin) (6)19 Finger ___ protect against braid cuts (6)21 Albumen, used as bait binder (3,5)23 Double-ended lure for jig-fishing (4,4)25/2dn./12ac. AT's weekly problem solving article by a world-class angler (6,2,3,6)27 Butt ___, holds line close to handle end of rod (4)28 ___ Gordon, member of Ladies Carp Team 2024 (5)29 __ Hunt, AT contributor / 'Lure Angler of the Year' 2021 (*moth) (4)30 Wind back line (4,2)31 Term…

THIS WEEK EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW FROM THE WORLD OF FISHING MOST anglers who have gone an age without winning a match break their duck on a small open event, but Shaun Bryan put aside the heartache of not tasting victory for five years by becoming the Division One National Individual Champion! It’s a match regarded by many as the biggest in the domestic calendar, and even though there are contests with more prize money attached, victory in this historic event gets your name etched on the famous trophy alongside some of the sport’s all-time greats. This year saw 410 of the nation’s very best anglers competing , including England internationals Will Raison, Lee Kerry and Matt Godfrey. But, fishing from fancied peg 37 in D section at Appley…

FLY fishing for predators has soared in popularity, and while it’s mainly pike that are targeted using the tactic, Ryan Dolby proved it works well for perch too by landing this specimen of 4lb 12oz. Although he predominantly fishes lures, during the warmer months Ryan reaches for the fly rod so he can continue fishing reservoirs after they close their doors to lure anglers. This one came from Grafham Water – a venue in great form for the species. “I found a shoal of perch harassing a ball of baitfish to the point where they were boiling on the surface,” Ryan told us. “To catch the perch’s attention in the frenzy, I used a vibrantly-coloured fly, which I quickly stripped back on the retrieve. I soon had a solid take,…

SEND US YOUR PICS ● newsdesk@anglingtimes.co.uk● Make sure your pics are hi-res and that you are in them “I HAD TO ACT QUICKLY!” Aaron Marguet – 2lb 14oz roach “I HAD a great result down at my local gravel pit, when I finally landed one of its large roach that are seldom caught. I suspect there’s a small shoal of large ones in the venue, so locating them is incredibly tricky. “Having selected an area out of the wind, I found a few roach tipping in a back bay and, after climbing a tree, I could make out a handful of large redfins. It’s a very rare sight, so I had to act quickly! “Using maggots in small PVA bags, it wasn’t long before I had a bite, and the…

MID-RANGE REELS These are the ‘go to’ reels for most feeder fishing situations with rods up to 12ft long. Most are ideal for float fishing too. SHIMANO AERO XR Boasting all the top-end features that Shimano reels are known for, yet at a sensible price, this quite modest-looking reel has sold really well. You get a spare spool, a set of Line Reducers (which negate the need for backing line), and a lightweight and tough body utilising Shimano’s Ci4 technology and Hagane gearing. Suitable for both float and feeder work, this single-handled model is available in 3000, 4000 and compact 5000 sizes. PRICE: from £129.99, www.fish.shimano.com NYTRO IMPAX SUPER FEEDER Although they’re relatively new to the match scene, Nytro have already released plenty of great products and the Impax Super…

TENCH are a species that’s synonymous with the long, lazy days of summer. The fish may not be as heavy as they were in spring prior to spawning , but there can still be few better sights than the glistening flank of an olive-green tinca sliding over the net cord, bathed in sunlight. In my fishing, a nice day’s sport is always top of the agenda, so when I stumbled upon what looks set to become one of the best tench waters in the UK – Hibaldstow Lakes in Lincolnshire – I wasted no time in heading there for a session. This old quarry of around 17 acres has been open as a day ticket venue for the past few years. Being a deep, clear and weedy lake, the resident…

FROM colourful mixed bags on float tactics to personal best carp with a more specimen-orientated approach, Barlow Country Club offers it all. Set in 50 acres of mature countryside on the edge of the Peak District in Derbyshire, it’s home to seven lakes offering impressive variety. There are four coarse waters for float and feeder fanatics, where everything from roach and skimmers through to golden tench and even chub can be banked. Two match lakes cater for those who enjoy the more competitive side of the sport, and finally there’s the Carp Lake, which is home to plenty of chunky specimens to 30lb-plus. The fishing aside, the walks between car parks and swims are all fairly short and via well-maintained paths, and there’s even a café and tackle shop on-site!…

THIS WEEK IT’S FAIR to say that, by global standards, many of the fish that swim in British seas are a little dull in appearance compared to many ocean dwellers. But we do have one or two more unusual visitors to our shores, such as this weird but wonderful sunfish! It was landed by Farley Clark (15) from Devon’s Babbacombe Pier on squid imitation mackerel feathers. Although an unusual capture, as the species generally eat jellyfish and zooplankton, they’re not unheard of in British waters. Also known as mola mola, mature sunfish can grow to over 8ft and weigh in excess of 2,000lb. They’re native to temperate and tropical waters, and although once believed to travel by drifting on ocean currents, they can actually swim at surprising speeds and…

THERE are some rods that you might think are so precious they probably should live out their days in glass cases. Take for example an original Richard Walker MkIV Carp, or perhaps the MkIV Avon that Chris Yates used to land ‘The Bishop’ from Redmire Pool in 1980 – the catch that fired a generation of carp anglers. Steve Chambers, who has assembled a remarkable collection of such rods owned by early members of the Carp Catchers’ Club (CCC), feels quite differently. “I was sitting in the office one day and suddenly thought: ‘What if there was a chance to have all of these rods on the bank together, in use?’ Then I just thought, ‘Why not? It’s too good an opportunity to miss!’” Steve, who is vice president of…

Angling Trust Division One National Leeds & Liverpool Canal, Wigan (410 pegs) THE BIGGEST team fishing event in the calendar went down to the wire last week before Daiwa Gordon League were eventually crowned champions of the Angling Trust Division One National. Staged on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal in and around Wigan, 41 teams of 10 battled it out for the coveted trophy. It was too close to call at the final whistle, but once the number crunching had been done it was revealed that Daiwa Gordon had triumphed by just four points, with their 124-point tally pipping pre-match favourites Drennan North West into second (128). The fact that they ousted the ‘local experts’ made the victory even sweeter, but it was no fluke, with Daiwa Gordon having targeted…

OUR rivers are home to a diverse range of species, and when you don’t know what’s going to take the bait next, you simply can’t beat the versatility of stickfloat and waggler fishing. As well as being a highly-enjoyable and immersive way to fish, running a float down the flow allows you to cover plenty of water to try to locate your quarry. So, if that tickles your fancy, try one of these great stretches this weekend! WARWICKSHIRE AVON, HARVINGTON, WORCS The stretch controlled by Manor Farm Leisure has 90 pegs, many of which are very well suited to floatfishing. Maggots and casters will produce double-figure nets of roach and dace, while adding pellets into the equation could help you fool a big chub or barbel. Parking is available behind…

IT SEEMED to be written in the stars that the mighty Birmingham Anglers Association team had their name on the 1971 National Championship trophy, fished on the River Severn. It was to be the last national decided on total weight and Brum’s team of superstars, under the magnificent captaincy of Clive Smith, knew the river inside out and were all capable of maximising their pegs. History tells us it didn’t happen; with a couple of anglers in the top 10, Leicester took the title to the surprise of many, despite having anglers such as Ivan Marks and Roy Marlow, who had 27lb of barbel. Ironically, in 1972 on the Bristol Avon, Leicester would have won another title if the match had been decided on weight. Ivan Marks’ protégé Phil Coles,…