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I have fished at Wood Lane on about 6 occasions and have never failed to catch a good head of fish. In the middle of August I was fishing the smaller island lake on a Sunday with bread and sweetcorn on the ledger. By noon there wasn't much action, so I used a small spinning rod with just a size 8 hook attached and stalked the far right corner of the lake with one inch chunks of bread crust.

I had spotted lots of activity just in front of the reeds at this end. By 6 O'clock I had caught 15 carp, mostly mirror but at least three common. Most were around the 6-7lb but one made 11lbs. It was a very satisfying afternoons fishing. For every fish I caught, I saw 10 of my crusts spat and tail flapped into crumbs by these wily old fish. All the fish were in good condition and put up a healthy fight.

John Freshwater, September 2008

Published in Tips & Tactics
WHAT CHANCE A SEVERN MONSTER? - By Stuart Watkins

Source: Barbel Catchers Club

It’s now almost a decade since Howard caught his former British record fish from the lower reaches of the Severn. I recently read an article by Steve Stayner in one of the angling monthlies where he briefly mentions the capture of this memorable fish. He then goes on to talk about the many people who have since tried to catch it, or a different fish of a similar size, from the lower river. In my experience these people that Steve talks about, don’t exist. The river never did see the influx of anglers that many of Britain’s smaller rivers see when a huge fish is caught. In short the Severn’s most popular period was at the very beginning of the barbel boom in the mid to late eighties. In my opinion this will always remain the case, because other rivers produce fish of an equal size, or in many cases bigger, that are in the majority of cases far easier to locate and catch. We often hear the term anyone can catch from the lower Severn, and while this is certainly true, fish of say 12.08 plus are not common, and fish of 14 plus are rare creatures indeed.

Stuart Watkins with a 13-0 from the Lower SevernSo what chances a Severn monster? Obviously location is the key factor here or is it? Most of the better fish I have caught came from swims which only produced the one fish on the day. A lack of smaller fish may indicate the opportunity for a better fish to move in on any feed present. Note I said on the day, because I feel these larger fish could turn up in any swim on any stretch between Worcester’s Diglis weir and Tewkesbury weir. I feel swim type has very little bearing on whether large barbel will or will not feed in them. The most important factor being a lack of run of the mill fish, again on the day. Could it be that these larger specimens perhaps only move around as solitary fish, or at most in groups of two or three fish of a similar size, and may prefer not to compete with other smaller barbel for any food in a given area. Another thing about these larger Severn fish is that they can turn up at any time of the day. Whilst most Severn regulars prefer to fish in the hours of darkness, myself included, my two thirteens from the river both came in daylight, and one of these in mid-July with an air temperature of 27°c under a blazing hot sun in water as low and clear as it gets on the lower river.

So how would I go about catching one of these truly large Severn fish? As I said earlier, I feel swim type is not that important. But having said that I always feel more confident in a swim that has less of a slope on it from the margins out towards the middle of the river, say fourteen foot deep one and a half rod lengths out, to around eighteen to nineteen foot in the middle, as opposed to say only ten foot deep one and a half rod lengths out. In shallower areas of the river, say around Diglis, the same applies, the only thing that changes is the overall depth, which may only be eleven foot in the middle so eight foot of water one and a half rod lengths would be ideal. I would be looking to place my bait around two rod lengths.

One of the most useful pieces of kit that I have used over the last two seasons has been the ‘Smartcast’, Now some people may cringe at the use of this, saying that it is unfair, but believe me if like myself the lower Severn is your usual venue, you will find it invaluable. Since first using it I have discovered that in most areas the river has no shelves apart from the marginal one which may be only a few inches deep when the river is at it’s lowest. It will also find snags and you will get used to spotting these after using the unit for a period of time and getting used to it. One other thing about the ‘Smartcast’ is don’t buy one if you are expecting it to find your fish for you, in reality it’s a pretty crude piece of kit. Believe me, having worked in the marine industry for the past eighteen years, it is only really useful as a guide.

As far as baits and baiting the swim are concerned, boilies would be my first choice in daylight, with a sausage meat concoction, donkey choker size, courtesy of ‘The Cullen Guide To Anti-social Barbel Baits’, Millennium editon, as an after dark option. Feeding the swim would be done using no more than twelve to fifteen boilies, fishing only two rod lengths out makes it easy to place loose feed by hand. I would be looking to feed an area say 20’ x 10’, putting in large amounts of loose feed in my opinion, and especially after dark, only encourages smaller barbel in numbers, or bream, and believe me once they move in forget your barbel. Once you start fishing below Upton they are definitely the river’s most predominant fish, and fish approaching double figures can reasonably be expected.

Once the swim has been fed I don’t wait to put a bait in, I can’t see the point, life’s too short and past experience tells me the biggest fish invariably comes out first, especially if you have had no action in the first half hour. Always a good sign that smaller fish and the dreaded bream are not present. My theory is that if your hook bait is untouched or you have had no rod top indications your loose feed will also be uneaten and intact.

Rigs used are simple and uncomplicated. Hooklengths are braid, either or ‘Silkworm’ or ‘ESP Sinklink’, around sixteen inches long for boilies and around thirty inches for meat. I never fish with bolt rigs in the true sense of the term, although a two to three ounce running lead will, I believe, to some extent have the same effect. I don’t see the need for fancy rigs and any modifications I make are usually to make life easier for me. For example incorporating a Fox Safe-lok with a one inch long piece of rig tube placed over it for security will make it easy to change hooklengths after dark. My views on Fluro-carbon lines are that the disadvantages far outweigh the advantages. So I will not use them, even in a gin clear river. Having said that Fox Illusion seems to be getting some excellent reviews at the moment, so I will see how Martin gets on with it over this winter with a view to using it as a hooklength next season. When fishing the large meat baits everything Martin has talked about in his articles applies. To give an idea of the bait size I use, all the ingredients weigh around 1.3 kilos. This makes around fifteen baits!

So what exactly constitutes a Severn monster? Fifteen plus is probably not an unreasonable target if you fish the river week in week out, three members have all taken fish of this size. One of the most important things to note about most barbel anglers on the lower river is that none of them are from the ‘Catch at all costs’ brigade. I think if you take this misguided approach, you will be in for a very lean time. Personally I go in the hope of catching a personal best, and if I don’t then there is always next weekend. I will probably get some stick for saying this but once you get down below Severn Stoke, don’t forget the chub. They don’t come out very often, but when you do hook one it will probably be well worth catching. In barbel anging terms my biggest ambition is to catch a lower river fifteen. Who knows, one day I may just get lucky and achieve it. Now what about that double figure bream??!!

Many thanks to The Barbel Catchers Club and Stuart Watkins for allowing UK Fisherman to reproduce this article.

Visit their excellent website at: www.barbelcatchersclub.co.uk

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CHEAP MATCH FISHING RODS

I hope that you’re reading this article just after it’s published, as I have a feeling that some of the rods I’m about to mention will be sold out very quickly!

Internet stalwart, and clearance retailer for quality mail order fishing tackle, TackleBargains have been in touch today, as they are moving premises. Although they’re staying on the same industrial park and actually moving to a larger warehouse, the thought of moving so much stock at the hottest time of the year has got the boss, Dave, quaking in his boots! Ever the workshy so-and-so, he’s come up with the ultimate solution……discount the stock EVEN MORE and sell it before the big move takes place!

Please click here to view these bargain match rods on the TackleBargains site.

Here is a selection of the match rods on offer:

Masterline XL 12ft Match Rod - Plus Half Price Reel - Blowout!!!

Masterline XL 12ft Match Rod - Plus Half Price ReelAn incredible value match rod built on a natural carbon finish blank. Ceramic lined guides throughout with blue whippings , screw reel seat, cork/EVA handle. These rods have excellent mellow actions so necessary where mixed bags are expected. Supplied with a cloth rod bag.

For every purchase of this rod, we will offer you the chance to add the Elite 5 ball bearing Size 10 Reel by Lineaeffe of Italy PLUS a FREE 200 metre spool of quality John Wilson 3lb Co-Polymer line for only £12.47 which is half our normal already discounted price.

Click Here to Purchase


Normark Avenger 3000 13 - 15ft - Cosmetic Second - Save 60% - LAST FEW TO CLEAR

Normark have been at the forefront of Match fishing rod excellence for over 25 years. Quite simply, the best quality Match rods there are - and this is the top of the range model.

Normark Avenger 3000 13 - 15ft - Cosmetic Second - Save 60%Fuji SIC guides, Fuji reel seat, 'AAAA' grade cork, super slim over-fit joints, the ultimate waggler and long range match rod.

The RRP on these rods is £450, and we have a very limited supply where the Normark logo has not been applied to quite the standard demanded by Normark - otherwise the rods are 100% perfect. The offending logos have been removed, so a nominal amount of re-finishing may be required in this area. These rods are supplied without a bag, and with standard 12 month warranty only (as the price is around £100 less than the normal trade, we can hardly expect Normark to honour the normal 10 year unconditional).

Click Here to Purchase


Masterline Ideal XL Avon Quiver System - Save 20% plus Free Reel

Masterline Ideal XL Avon Quiver SystemA superb and incredibly versatile all round 11ft rod. Designed by John Wilson and built on an excellent quality blank. Supplied with 2 top sections, one of which is ideal for float or swing tip work the other is supplied with 2 different strength tip sections for quiver/light feeder work. Supplied with a cloth rod bag.

RRP £59.99

While stocks last, we are including absolutely FREE, the Rapid GT De-luxe 3BB Reel by Lineaffe of Italy. Alternatively, you can upgrade to the 10BB Elite Reel by Lineaffe of Italy for just £10

Click Here to Purchase


TFG Matt Hayes 13ft Carp Match Rod - 3pc - Save £20 - RRP £69.99

TFG Matt Hayes 13ft Carp Match RodThe purpose built tool for handling carp on commercial waters. This light weight smooth progressive rod is also the perfect choice for heavy stick work for chub and barbel.
- Powerful action with forgiving tip
- Light weight guides maintain action
- Comfortable power hump reel seat
- Suitable lines 4-8lb
- Manufacturer's unconditional original owner's lifetime guarantee

Click Here to Purchase


John Wilson Signature System Trotter - New 2005 - Save £30

John Wilson Signature System TrotterHighly adaptable specialist trotting rod, which comes with an 18" extension enabling it to be fished at either 12ft or 13ft6". Ideal for an wide range of venues, from the smallest stream to wide fast flowing rivers. Innovative spacing on the first three guides above the handle make this rod ideal for fishing with a centrepin, but equally suitable for those who prefer a fixed spool reel. With its crisp but forgiving action, the system trotter has been designed for use with lines of up to 4lb, so ideal for Dace, Roach, Grayling, and Chub.

RRP £125.00

Click Here to Purchase

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10% off Grey's Marker and Spod Rods from Trev's Tackle 10% of Greys marker Rod

This week Trev's Tackle have a fantastic offer to share on Greys Spod & Marker Rods - Not only have we knocked 10% off the RRP on both rods, but we’ll also be giving away a fantastic Fox Horizon Marker Float with each Grey’s Marker Rod sold, or a fantastic Korda Skyliner Spod with each Grey’s Spod Rod sold!

Greys marker RodIn the modern carping age a marker rod is now an essential piece of kit. Using a marker rod will help give you a better understanding of the lake bed and enable you to find features such as depressions, gravel bars, weed beds and silt gullies. The rod tip is ground down for increased responsiveness making it ideal for finding those underwater features and contours such as gravel bars- silt areas and weed beds that are not visible to the eye.

The Marker rod features a powerful butt section which is able to cope with casting a 4oz lead attached to a marker float and achieve distances over 100 yards. The distance Marker rod- at 12' 6" - is designed for you to feature-find at distances over 100 yards with ease. It can cope with leads up to 5oz with a marker float but it can still be used at short range without any problem.

Both Rods Feature:

  • Depth markers at 6" and 12" for accurate depth measurement
  • SIC rings for use with braid or mono
  • Fuji NPS 20mm reel seat
  • Laser etched butt cap

Standard at £89.99
Distance at £107.99

Click here to buy Trev’s Combination Carp Kit DealPLUS FREE FOX HORIZON MARKER FLOAT!

Yep, buy any Grey’s Marker rod and get a versatile Fox Horizon Marker Float completely free of charge!

10% off Grey’s Spod Rod

Grey’s Spod RodThe two option Greys' Spod rod has become a common part in a carp angler's armoury and enables the angler to bait up well beyond catapult range. Neither rod features a test curve due to both rods ability to cast all spods on the market. This is achieved by each rod having a progressive power build-up within the blank. A lot of spod rods are so stiff it's virtually impossible to pull the tip round 90 degrees yet they are still rated with test curves! It's vital that the blank is progressively compressed by the spod in order for the rod to work properly and propel the spod into the distance.

The standard rod is ideal for mini rockets to large spods and is able to cast distances up to 80+ yards. The distance version is ideal for large heavy spods or when you're wanting to fish at distances of 90+ yards. Wet baits, big distances and large s! pods are what this rod is all about. There is a huge amount of power - compress the tip and release the power!

Both Rods Feature:

  • SIC rings for use with braid or mono
  • Fuji NPS 20mm reel seat capable of taking all big pit reels
  • Laser etched butt cap

Standard at £89.99
Distance at £107.99

PLUS FREE KORDA SKYLINER SPOD!

Yep, buy any Grey’s Spod rod and get a fantastic Korda Skyliner Spod completely free of charge!

UK FISHERMAN'S VERDICT

As usual Trev's Tackle have come up trumps with some excellent deals on Marker and Spod Rods. What are you waiting for - click the links above to get buying right now !!

To sign up for the newsletter and to browse all the tackle and bait on sale at Trev's Tackle, visit their website at: www.trevstackle.com

Submit a Sale Item: UK Fisherman would be delighted to here from you if you would like to comment on any of our sale items. To do so, use the comment box below.

Alternatively if you would to submit a sale item of your own, please visit the CONTACT page.
Published in Various

Preparing for the Junior Carp Championships 2006 [Part 1]: - By Crazycarper

Seventeen minutes past eleven, Thursday 3rd of August, I'm worrying about the competition in less than two weeks time. After filtering the internet for every bit of information and tips about Linear fishery's Brasenose 1, it is looking more and more like RMC's Thorpe Lea. An action water, and a big one at that.

The competition layout is 50 competetors in each qualifier, with random swims, total weight of all fish caught and top 10 go through. So now I have to make a game plan, what am I going to do which will make me stand out from the crowd ?

Brasenose 1 is 32 acres in size with just over 3,000 carp, mostly mirrors, resident there. The articles and reports I have read present stories of mega hauls of carp in single day sessions, one of which reporting 514lbs of carp in 36 hours. Most of these mega hauls were taken by some sort of boilie with an accompanying PVA bag or mesh full of pellet.

So with only 2 rods allowed, I have my first rod sorted. For the second rod, I have decided a different approach will hopefully produce the goods, so there are a couple of options in mind.

- The first is a zig rig, or for those of you who don't know, an extended hair rig (usually about 3-6 feet in length), with a pop-up high-vis boilie cast into the same area as my other rod. With this I would be covering mutiple depths and catch the fish at whatever level they are cruising around. This was also reccomended by someone who knows the lake very well (no names lol).
- The second option is a piece of fake bouyant corn counter-balanced by a piece of fake sinking maize on the hair, and a PVA mesh bag filled with groundbait mix including, mainline fusion chopped boilie, sweetcorn, mainline fusion 2mm pellets, bird seed (tried and tested !) and heathrow baits nutty groundbait.
- And of course the other option is to use the boilie and pellet filled PVA bag the same as the first rod.

So now with the baits planned I can move on to a game-plan. Because I have never fished the water, and it is similar to Thorpe Lea, I am going to take exactly the same approach as I would at Thorpe Lea. This means getting myself into a rhythm and having everything organised so my fishing flows properly and without any distractions or complications. Using my invaluable marker rod to search for those ever important gravel bars and getting some feed and my rigs on it accuratly. After finding the gravel bar and placing the marker there, I plan to throw some balls of the groundbait mix around the marker to get that first carpet of bait down (I usually put balls of groundbait out first as it gives a cloud effect to the water which draws fish in so much quicker than just boilies or pellets, Danny Fairbrass inspired me with this). Then introduce pellets and boilies, and then finally the hook-baits.

So I have 9 hours and 49 other people to compete with, I think with a organised and strong game-plan I can qualify into the finals, or at least give everyone else a run for their money ! Thanks for reading everyone and will let you all know how it went !

Luke Thomas
Crazy_Carper

Submit an Article: UK Fisherman would be delighted to here from you if you would like to comment on any of the fishing articles or if you would like to submit an article of your own.

To do so, please visit the CONTACT page.

Published in Carp Fishing Articles

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