Innehållsförteckning för Issue 545 från Sea Angler

HERE AT SEA ANGLER WE’RE PROUD of our relationship with the magazine’s army of loyal readers. It means we get a regular supply of your catch news and photographs (an unrivalled 65 of your catch pictures in our Your Fishing section alone), loads of questions for our experts and a healthy flow of opinions in our letters pages. Add to that the large number who join in on our Facebook page (where you’ll find even more catch pictures - some that don’t make it into the magazine) or visit our website and it means we have an active community. Expanding on that theme, we’ve launched a new Test of Time feature (see page 108). It’s where readers get the chance to tell others about their fishing gear. These warts and…

PERCH YOURSELF ON THE boulder and rubble bank above the narrow, meandering River Alt estuary and a cast of 20 yards or so is all you need to connect with plenty of flounders and eels. The slim, low-water channel, with its numerous floating barrels acting as mooring points for the local sailing club, winds its way out past Formby Bank into Liverpool Bay. It’s a beautiful and idyllic setting for spring and summer fishing away from the hustle and bustle of Liverpool and the massive River Mersey. Situated north-west of the big city, between Crosby and Formby, the dunes to the south are the setting for the West Lancashire Golf Club, while the River Alt is home to the Blundellsands Sailing Club, with its clubhouse and boatyard on the foreshore,…

ONE OF THE OLDEST SAYINGS IN angling is “big baits for big fish”. I have to admit a vested interest in this because I’m a ‘believer’, although I only have the benefit of my own experience, and that’s not exactly concrete evidence. Even though I’ve caught quite a few bass on lures (and various baits) over the years, there are so many factors affecting whether a big fish or a small one takes your offering, that it’s easy to be misled. So, is there any evidence that tying on a bigger lure might be more likely catch you a monster? In fact, I don’t know of any such studies on our bass, but it is possible that other predatory fish may behave in much the same way. One species that…

METAL JIGS, SHORE JIGS AND SLOW JIGS These, as the name suggests, are designed for a jigged/sink-and-draw retrieve. However, many can be worked on a straight or twitched retrieve. The shape of the jig affects how it falls through the water. The wider the jig, the slower it should flutter down on the drop. Where the jig is weighted also affects the action of the lure. It’s a good idea to find some clear water and watch how your lure performs on the drop, so you can tweak your retrieves to suit the lure. The majority of my mini metals fall into this category. I have included slow jigs in this category as they are worked with the same style of retrieve. Even though they started as a lure for…

• BEACH: Guerilla Beach rod and Envoy Tournament Mag reel, worth £140. • LURE: HTO Lure Game rod, Lure Game 4000 reel and Lure Game 16lb braid, worth £123. • BOAT: Guerilla 20lb-class rod, Envoy Wave reel, 20lb Axia line, beaded spreaders, triple spreader, lumo hokkai and multiplier wrap, worth £123. HOW TO ASK A QUESTION • Q&A, Sea Angler, Media House, Lynchwood Business Park, Peterborough PE2 6EA • cliff.brown@bauermedia.co.uk • www.facebook.com/ seaanglermag…

BUFFER BEAD Slide a bead on the line before adding swivel. SHARP END Choose a strong, sharp hook in size 4/0. RUNNING BOOM The plastic tube boom slides on the mainline and holds the lead weight. LEAD CHOICE Use a grip lead for uptiding and a plain one for downtiding. THE TRACE The hooklength should be 3-6ft of 50-80lb mono line. The small-eyed ray is found off the coasts of the UK, Ireland, France, Portugal, Spain and as far south as Morocco. It is commonly found in very shallow water, and is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as being a species that is near threatened, partly due to habitat loss. SPECIES Relatively easy to identify, the back of a small-eyed ray (Raja microocellata) is generally…

UPTIDING IS BY FAR THE MOST effective technique used throughout much of the Bristol Channel and many other similar locations. The basic concept is to cast a baited rig uptide and away from the boat and then use a grip lead to anchor it firmly on the seabed. It is possible to fish effectively uptide using almost any boat rod, especially the longer ones, but the best rod for the job is a purpose-made uptider. The ideal uptide rod is about 9ft 6in in length, and the blank should display three important characteristics. Firstly, the top third of the rod should have a sensitive tip for good bite detection as well as to assist smooth casting. That tip should blend smoothly into the middle third of the rod, which should…

THE GATEWAY TO ENGLAND , marked by the famous white cliffs, Dover is a place well known by boat anglers for the superb summer and winter sport. It’s the busiest port in the South-East, taking millions of tons of cargo on freight-carrying vessels, and tens of thousands of car and foot passengers on ferries to France each year. Many archaeologists have said that Britain was once joined to France by a ‘land bridge’ back in the mists of time, but after the bridge was covered by the rising ocean, and the subsequent water erosion reduced it to seabed, all crossings had to be made by boat. PLENTY OF WRECKS The Romans were the first to realise the significance of the port’s accessibility to the French and Belgian coasts, so fortified…

HERE AT ALY KAT CHARTERS IN Minehead, I’ve witnessed many times where the fairer gender have not only joined in with the frivolities of a day at sea, but, on occasions, well and truly shown their male counterparts the way to go. Many years ago, when my wife, Liz, first come on the scene, she joined in with a party to sample the delights of fishing at Lundy Island. Though she was already mildly hooked on fishing, this sort of adventure is not for the faint-hearted, but Liz was determined to have a go. As she sat quietly in the corner, I could not help but notice her watching the other lads tackling up. Different rigs were assembled, then just as quickly taken apart and replaced with a different model.…

It seems the Continental rod rage is showing no signs of slowing down in the UK, with a significant selection of brands now available. The latest addition to enter the huge market is Vega. Originating from Portugal, its three-piece outfits offer anglers the ability to present delicate baits at long range. They also possess incredible bite detection, with sensitive tip sections throughout, while the top-of-the-range outfits boast genuine Fuji fittings. Prices are incredibly competitive too, and the three models I used are all available for less than £200. VEGA OGAWA SURF 450 RRP: £159.99 This 15ft, three-piece set has immense power in the butt section. Labelled to cast loads between 5-7oz, I found a three-hook flapper anchored with a 5oz sinker to be perfect. Designed to be used with fixed-spool…

LIVING ON THE BORDER OF Lancashire and Cumbria, it was a journey of nearly 250 miles to take part in a spring skate trip with popular charter skipper Ian Burrett …and one never to be forgotten. My wife, Alison, came along for the trip, and after a long drive through horrendous rain and wind, we arrived at Lochgilphead, Argyll, in good time, dropped off our bags at the Kilmory guesthouse and decided to make the short drive to Crinan to check the conditions. Luckily for us, the wind had died away, the sun was out shining, and the sea was flat calm. The following morning was beautiful, calm and sunny, and, after a hearty breakfast, we set off to meet Ian, who runs the On Yer Marks charter boats, for…

ANGLING TO THE SEA RESCUE Fishing has given me my life back. After the breakdown of a relationship, I struggled to find a common interest with my 14-year-old son Toby. After sitting down and thinking hard, I thought “I’m very lucky to have all this coastline nearby. I have all the gear, and live five minutes from the Dungeness coast. We can try sea fishing.” On his first trip, we caught whiting and dogfish, but at least we caught. On his second trip, there was a lovely bass. Now all I hear is “When are we going fishing dad?” Amazing! Now we can’t wait for our weekends together. We’re getting as much as possible out of our lives. To top it off, my new partner is also really keen. I’ve…

FANCY winning tackle from Shimano by catching a fish? Your target is to catch one over the weight given on our nominated species list. If you do, you automatically win a Mission Accomplished badge, as well as being in with the chance of winning a great monthly tackle prize. Each month we award a spinning rod and reel (the Shimano Beastmaster CX bass rod and a Socorro saltwater 500 fixed-spool reel) to the captor of the best shore fish, chosen on merit. The top boat angler each month, chosen on merit, gets a Speedmaster AX Boat Slim 20/30 rod and TLD20 multiplier reel. Mark Slater, Hartley, Kent. Fish: 13lb 1oz turbot. Bait: Mackerel on a two-hook flapper rig. Venue: Flamer IV (Colin Penny), Weymouth, Dorset. Date: May 7. Stewart Walker,…

JUNE • 3: Maryport DSAC spring open, 1.20pm-5.30pm, David Underwood 01900 605765 or Jeff McAllister 01900 870624. • 3-4 Peever SAC two-day open, one boulder beach and one estuary venue, 11am-3pm Sat, noon-4pm Sun, register 8am-9am at Monty’s Bar, Castle Douglas, pegged, measure and release, £40 a pair, optional £5 longest fish pool, booking advisable, Bob Drennan 07469 184812. • 4: Burnham League & open, 8.30am-12.30pm, draw 7.30am, £45 league entry, £7 match entry, £12 non-league entrants, book only, pegged, three zones, James 07900 651071. • 4: Lincs open, Chapel Six Marshes, 11am-4pm, book in 8.30am-10am at car park, measure and release, £15 entry, booking advisable, Garry Hutson, 07889 271115 or George Smith 07857 550125. • 4: Holt SAC West Norfolk Challenge rnd 2 & open, King’s Lynn, Mike 0758…

THAT SUDDEN ADRENALIN RUSH, when a double-figure smoothhound smashes into your bait somewhere out in the murky depths and sends a tingle of excitement down your spine, has become a far more common occurence for sea anglers, but it carries a health warning. During the past decade, as the smoothhound population has exploded around our shores, there has been a dramatic increase in rods ripped from their stands of the unwary, and it can be an expensive lesson. Smoothhounds are extremely powerful, with even a relatively small fish more than capable of dragging a rod from its stand and into the sea within a matter of seconds, often for the gear never to be seen again. Ideally, you should never stray away from your rod when hounds are on the…

When the coastal water temperature charts start to show the magical 12°C mark, it signals the start of the annual influx of fly-fishing-friendly summer species. Then it’s all about the tempestuous nature of our moody climate, and being ready to drop everything at a moment’s notice when the opportunity presents itself, so that I can pick up my trusty saltwater fly-fishing gear and cover some serious ground. Of all the species that we encounter along our shores, there is one enigmatic fish that presents, arguably, the most beguiling challenge of all – the mullet. Why? Because mullet represent a fantastic opportunity for absolutely sublime sport on a fly-rod. Their ghostly grey shapes are a common sight gliding around our harbours and estuaries, as well as huge stretches of open beach.…

I’VE ALWAYS FISHED FOR BASS FROM AN early age. Initially, I used to go fishing with my father and, as time went on and I had a family of my own, I went with my own son. Living in a small village in the far west of Cornwall, I rarely bumped into other anglers, and was missing out on much that was happening in the bass fishing world. We would catch sandeels for each session by collecting them with a launce hook from the local beaches. Sometimes we used peeler crabs. In the winter of 2008/9 we had massive storms lashing our coast and the beaches lost a lot of sand, and with it the sandeels. As a result of bait becoming harder to come by, in the spring of…

THE half-turn blood knot is one of the most widely used fishing knots for attaching the line to hooks and swivels. It is also a good way to attach terminal tackle to thick mono/fluorocarbon line. HALF BLOOD KNOT - 1 HOW TO TIE THE KNOT 1 Push the line through the eye of your hook and take line back around line five times. 2 Take end through the loop of line next to the hook eye. 3 Moisten line with saliva, pull end and main piece of line to tighten knot. 4 Finally, trim the tag end close to the knot and it is complete. HALF BLOOD KNOT - 2 HOW TO TIE THE KNOT 1 Push end of the thick mono or fluorocarbon line through eye of…

“Peak time for numbers of brill is from June until November” WHEN IT COMES TO WRITING about fishing, brill always seem to be an afterthought casually lumped in alongside turbot. Granted, these two fish have behavioural similarities, but brill have their own distinctive identity, character and preferences. Targeting turbot will inevitably see you catch a few brill, but it is hit and miss, with the odds stacked in favour of turbot. I was late catching my first brill. To get one on my species list, I set about deciphering what was different about them, and it surprised me. Both the turbot and brill are almost on the northern periphery of their range in the UK. Brill are generally less common in number than turbot too, so, if you really want…

IT’S SUCH A BUZZ WHEN A DECENT FISH strips yards of line from your reel – and that’s part of the thrill of sea fishing, for me, which is why I tend to fish as light as possible for all species. The tope is one species that can put up a really good scrap, even on heavy gear, so by using a well-balanced lighter outfit, you’re guaranteed some heart-stopping sport. This species is far more widespread than you might think, and they have been captured well above the Scottish borders on both the east and west coasts. The Thames Estuary is probably one of the best-known venues for tope angling, with regular catches topping the 60lb mark. Although recent years have seen a slight decline in the amount of fish…

IN RECENT YEARS, ICELAND HAS PLAYED second fiddle to Norway as a north Atlantic fishing destination, but this remote and stunningly beautiful island can, and often does, offer equally outstanding fishing. I started hosting trips to Iceland in 1996, and have since fished there on many occasions. I have experienced what is on offer around almost all of the island, and my conclusion is that when talking in terms of sport-fishing potential, both afloat and from the shore, many areas of Iceland remain virtually untapped. KEY SPECIES Cod is the most popular and common species caught in Iceland. On many occasions that I have been lucky enough to fish there, the incredible number of cod beneath the boat has been a huge problem, and catching anything other than a near…

WE’RE looking for the nation’s favourite charter skippers. Each issue we will throw the spotlight on a top boatman nominated by a Sea Angler reader. Use the form right (photocopies acceptable) to tell us the skipper’s name, boat, port and typical charges, along with the reasons you would recommend their services (use a separate piece of paper if you require more space). It’s your chance to tell Sea Angler’s readers why the skipper is so good and what a great service is provided. We’ll select the best entry for each issue and will reward the winning operator with a special Sea Angler plaque that the skipper can display with pride on their vessel. Alternatively, enter by email, with the subject line Top Skipper, with the details listed on the coupon…

CLEARLY, THE LATEST MODEL IN the ever-expanding Quicksilver Captur range, the Pilothouse 605, has been designed very much with the needs of the modern offshore angler in mind. She’s a superb little boat for two or three anglers to spend a day fishing aboard. The actual pilothouse is very nicely laid out, with the helm located to starboard, and adequate space to install a full set of electronics. Seating is provided for both the helmsman and crew, both of whom benefit from excellent all-round visibility, and ventilation is provided by opening windows port and starboard, and a sky light, although the latter is an optional extra. For extended, or possibly overnight trips, the forward section easily converts into a comfortable, if not somewhat ‘cosy’ twin berth. This requires the inclusion…

THERE’S A SAYING THAT IS creeping into European kayak fishing that most likely originated in the States – leash it or lose it. Essentially, it means that every time you go out kayak fishing, anything that is not either tied to the deck or secured under bungee cords is liable to be lost at some stage or another. Sage advice, and something I took seriously and followed accordingly in my first few years of kayak fishing. It served me well as a beginner when I was wiped out during a couple of surf landings and meant that the rods I was carrying, along with other bits and pieces, stayed firmly in my possession. So, leash it or lose it is indeed good advice! I’m not sure how it happened, but…

AT LAST, it’s warming up, the days are getting longer and those sessions fishing afloat you’ve planned are getting closer. Summer certainly puts a smile back on our faces. However, take a look at this month’s money-saving offer, it’s guaranteed you’ll be smiling even more. First up is the Greys Advent boat rod, and there are four models to choose from to suit your style of boat fishing. All at 7ft, you can choose between classes of 6-12lb , 15-20lb, 20-30lb and 30-50lb. They’re lightweight with a progressive action, plus added sensitivity and control. Fitted with comfortable EVA handles and a quality screw-down winch fitting, the double-legged SiC guides are also tough enough to be used with braid. Whether you prefer to fish delicately for flatties, or go all out…

• NAME: ASHLEY BROWN • AGE: 31 • ADDRESS: Maidstone, Kent • HOW LONG SEA FISHING: I’ve been fishing all my life. • FAVOURITE TYPE OF SEA FISHING: It has to be smoothhounds, all types of rays and match fishing in the last two years. ANYFISH ANYWHERE MATCH PRO 13FT 7IN The Match Pro was designed for the sport’s top match and beach anglers, and marketed as the ultimate expression of “designed for purpose” in modern competitive sea angling. It is called the Match Pro because designer Julian Shambrook, of Anyfish Anywhere, considers it the world’s first truly professional standard beach rod. This 13ft 7in, two-piece rod is made with top materials to create a light and low-diameter carbon blank of 24mm, Fuji BMNAG Alconite guides, Japanese shrink wrap handle,…

Having previously caught six common skate with a personal best of 204lb, Patrick Lawlor went even better with 11 for 1,700lb with the biggest at 211lb. The angler from Edinburgh (pictured below) also fished with Ian Burrett, aboard On Yer Marks, out of Crinan, Argyll. “I have fished with Ian for a number of years and my previous best skate trip had been six fish with the biggest at 204lb,” said Patrick. “This time I caught 11 skate for a total weight of 1,700lb with the biggest 211lb.” Skipper Ian added: “There are great days and incredible days at fishing. This was one of the latter.” Patrick’s first skate was hooked about 11am and he had only a 10-minute break from catching fish until 4pm when all the lines were…

Current legislation allows catch and release only from January 1 to June 30, with one fish, above minimum landing size, a day from July 1 to December 31. Netting has been banned, with only a limited by-catch allowed. You said... • Simon Hall: The amount of fish pleasure anglers catch is a drop in the ocean. Ban commercial boats from catching them first. Lee Birch: There is a lot of data out there that proves RSAs are as big a threat as the commercials. Just because you might take only one fish, there are thousands of others only taking one fish. It all adds up over time. They say there are one million RSAs, so if only 10 per cent took one per year that’s 100,000 fish; if they weighed…

FISHING writer Phill Williams has used his vast experience of all angling disciplines to produce a monster of a book containing nearly 600 pages and a similar number of photographs. ‘The Ultimate Angling Bucket List’ is an A4-size book, as thick as an encyclopaedia, containing masses of information, along with full identification details of every fish listed in the British, Irish, Scottish and Welsh record list. Due to its size, and with only a limited print run of eight copies, Phill has generously donated a copy to be won by one lucky Sea Angler reader. Another copy has been deposited at the British Library for future researchers, and another at Angling Heritage. Otherwise, the book can be downloaded as an ebook. We’ve got a copy to give away to a…

THE BRISTOL CHANNEL HAS LONG been portrayed as a tackle-hungry fish utopia that requires brutal tackle in order to deal with the horrific terrain you’ll encounter. To some extent, that is true, but at some specific locations, the opportunity to scale down is a tantalising prospect and one that I adore the thought of. My own light-tackle endeavours here came about purely by accident when, many years ago during a rather hectic few days of fishing activity, a spinning rod had remained in my rod holdall following a trip to the South Coast the day before. Although I wasn’t silly enough to think I would be in with the chance of spinning for mackerel or float-fishing a head-hooked ragworm for a pollack or two, the rod was duly removed from…

IT’S ALL VERY WELL WHEN THE WEATHER is perfect, wind speed sticks to the forecast, the swell is doing what it should, and the bass come on the feed when you would expect. It happens from time to time and, of course, we love it when fishing works like that. What do we do, though, when things don’t go to plan? If fishing is so much about dealing with the challenges that nature throws at us, then the anglers who adapt the best are going to be the successful. It’s fair to say the weather in the UK is not the easiest to accurately forecast. Many anglers have probably lost count of the times they’ve planned how to fish based on the weather and conditions seeming to suit particular lures…

LATE MAY INTO JUNE SEES THE WATER temperature hit double figures, and this is the time when the sport really starts to kick off. The fish are more active and are greedily feeding on the fresh shoals of baitfish, and there is one surefire way of cashing in on the early-summer sport – try some metal. Last year, my summer was dominated by using various metal jigs for both LRF and HRF styles, and these simple lures accounted for a surprising array of species. Fished as they are straight out the box, or modified with different hook arrangements, tipped with plastic or incorporating teasers, they become a mainstay of my summer fishing. The evolution of the LRF continues to produce new styles and techniques, and there is now a great…

ADAM KIRBY & DAN SISSONS The Portsmouth-based duo fish ultra-light from shore and boat. They’ll provide answers on light rock fishing (LRF), the go-anywhere tactic where size of fish is secondary to the fun of catching them. PAUL FENECH Sea Angler’s features and tackle editor Paul Fenech is here to solve your shore angling problems. DAVE LEWIS Based in Newport, South Wales, our contributing editor Dave answers boat fishing questions. GARY ROBINSON Galway-based Gary gets a thrill from fishing afloat on a kayak. Send him your kayaking problems. HENRY GILBEY Angler and photojournalist Henry, based in Cornwall, will answer questions on lure angling. Q: I have been a boat angler for many years and used to own my own vessel. Now, though, I’m in a wheelchair and struggle to fish…

Brill eat sandeels, small fish and crabs. Good baits are long, thin strips of mackerel belly or garfish, with most of the flesh removed to imitate a sandeel, or better still, a live sandeel, sandeel fillet, or whole flapper sandeel. Simply hook the bait by nicking the hook point once through one end and leave the rest to wriggle as it moves along. For bigger brill, try a fresh fillet of mackerel cut down the middle, remove some of the flesh to reduce weight and increase movement, and nick the hook through the thin end of the half fillet. Neatly-cut baits are also more likely to be taken. I cut my baits with an ultra-sharp craft knife to get a clear sharp edge to the bait and create the sandeel…

There are many types of bait that you can use to target tope, but the most common one is fresh mackerel. This fishbait can be used in a variety of forms, either whole, a fillet or flapper, but I prefer to use small baits rather than a whole fish. I favour a small head and guts section, or a tail cone, mainly because I use circle hooks. Simply place the mackerel on a cutting board, then make a diagonal cut from behind the pectoral fin to give you two perfect baits. Remember to chop off the tail fin when using the cone bait, or it will spin in the tide. You can try a variety of other baits, such as a small pollack, whiting, pouting, dab and even a launce.…

Direct daily flights of around three hours’ duration are available from Heathrow and Glasgow, and several regional airports. Flights are ticketed to Reykjavik, but land at Keflavik, a 40-minute drive away, although cheaper to use the frequent Fly Bus, from outside the terminal building. Taxis are available, but very expensive. Connecting flights to Isafjorder and other local airports typically depart from the domestic airport, which is located at Reykjavik. Car hire is another good option, as the roads are very good and the scenery is stunning. Iceland maintains GMT throughout the year, so when the UK is on BST, there is a one-hour time difference. Currency is the Icelandic Krona. ATM machines are widely available, and almost everywhere accepts major credit/debit cards. Any tackle intended for use in freshwater much…

Boat name: Anchorman 5 Port: Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan Winning skipper in this issue of Sea Angler is Dave Bobbett, who runs Anchorman, out of Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan. His great knowledge of fishing in the Bristol Channel’s fast-flowing water ensures plenty of bookings for his charter boat Anchorman. “He is a great laugh, always tries and rarely fails to put you on the fish,” said Mark Shuck, of Kidderminster. “He really knows his stuff.” This opinion was supported by Bob Chambers, of Llantrisant, Rhondda, who said: “The skipper possesses a never say die spirit, puts you on fish and never gives up.” Anchorman is one of the fastest charter boats in the Bristol Channel, with the trips from Penarth into the vast Bristol Channel and out to Lundy. Summer…

“It was time to retire the old kayak and recruit the new!” I STARTED OUT WITH AN OCEAN KAYAK Prowler 15 in 2006, a wonderful vessel, and a year later I got the new model, the Trident 15, larger and more suited to bigger anglers than myself. It was halfway through 2009 that I changed to the Scupper Pro, and there I stayed for the next four years with the ideal model for my fishing; a great kayak that suited me perfectly, being able to fish, tour, surf or sail in most conditions all around the country. I had some other kayaks alongside this in the meantime, and tried many more. Then in 2014, I changed again, to what I’m using today. I had waited for something as good, or…

“If there is a more realistic sandeel imitation out there, then I have yet to come across it” SAVAGE GEAR LINE-THRU SANDEEL SSP: £9.99 TO £14.99 WOW! THESE NEW SAVAGE Gear Line-Thru Sandeel lures are fascinating. If there is a more realistic sandeel imitation out there, then I have yet to come across it. While they have been designed primarily for sea-trout fishing from the shore in countries such as Denmark and Sweden, as a bass-obsessed lure angler, I cannot help but be drawn to lures like this. They cast like missiles, and, of course, look exactly like what is perhaps the most widespread prey species that bass love to eat. CONCEPT What about this ‘Line-Thru’ concept, though? Well, it’s based upon sea-trout being remarkably adept at throwing the hook.…

MASSIVE STINGER! Match angler catches 65-pounder An angler fishing in a two-day club festival thought other competitors had snagged his line, but discovered he had hooked a massive 65lb stingray. Ashley Brown, of Maidstone, Kent, started match fishing two years ago and enjoyed a whole new aspect of the sport. Ashley, who recently joined The Herne Bay AA, booked into its two-day spring open festival on April 22. With the competition being a rover, he decided to go for rays and set up with Les Bates at the King’s Hall. There was a little water colour and slight onshore breeze. Ashley fished a loop rig with a Pennell set-up, having a size 1/0 Varivas Super Match at the top baited with fresh peeler crab and a Varivas Bigmouth Extra size…

EASY RETURN SOLUTION I would like to suggest a method of returning coalfish that gives them an improved chance of survival after providing sport. On previous visits to Norway I have caught and witnessed the capture of many large coalfish. The first really large one, weighing 34lb, was from a fjord near Skerjvoy and caught by a fellow angler. We tried everything to return it, but it would keep floating back to the surface. We had varying degrees of success in returning others throughout the trip. The cod that were mixed in with them would usually swim down fairly strongly after release. An answer was found by making use of a rig left on the boat by a previous angler. This was basically a Norwegian-style dropshot rig with a 1lb…

• Sunline Super PE 150m (4 strand): Hi-vis green, dark green and light blue. Low stretch for sensitivity and extra-tight braiding for durability. Special finish reduces guide friction. Superior control and response when using lures. Very tough when fishing rough ground. Knots are easy to tie. • Sunline Super PE8 150m (8 strand): Hi-vis orange. Resistant to abrasive structures. Sensitive, low-stretch design to capture delicate bites. Slick, smooth line surface for low guide friction and excellent castability. Knots effortlessly. • Sunline Momentum 4x4 150m (8 strand): High-grade polyethylene and high specific gravity ester mono with amazing specific gravity of 1.05. Less susceptible to the effect of wind and waves, and better able to blend with tide. Trouble-free handling on guides. Excellent abrasion resistance. • Sunline Cast Away 150m (8 strand):…

COUNTRY STORES LLANTWIT MAJOR CHARITY OPEN, Summerhouse Point to Marcross, Vale of Glamorgan, 92 anglers An impressive catch of 21 dogfish for 11.80kg secured top spot for Andrew Withey (above, left) in this charity roving event. The shop assistant, from Bridgend, was fishing at Boverton beach. Close behind in second was Chris Equeall, of Cardiff, with 23 dogfish for 11.58kg from Stout Point. Third went to Shaun Tucker, of Swansea, with 17 dogfish for 9.12kg. A total of £1,256 was raised for the Jade to Walk Charity. Result: 1 Andrew Withey, Bridgend, 11.80kg (9pts); 2 Chris Equeall, Cardiff, 11.58kg (8); 3 Shaun Tucker, Swansea, 9.88kg (7). HORNSEA SAC LIFEBOAT OPEN East Yorks, 100 anglers Winner of this heaviest fish rover was Garry Hutson, of Cleethorpes, with a 1.525kg codling caught…