Displaying items by tag: venues

2009 Has Been An Action Packed Year!

This year has been packed full of festivals, with lots of new names taking the top titles which is always great to see. Massive congratulations are extended to all the match & festival winners from throughout the year, especially to the new title holders of the Parkdean Masters, Grant Albutt and the Master of Masters, Steve Ringer.

The 2010 White Acres fishing festival calendar is out now and White Acres are looking forward to welcoming back all you anglers for another bumper season. They are very pleased that the two new festivals added this year - Garbolino Spring Classic & the Preston Innovations Parkdean Pairs - generated a lot of interest. It won’t be long before they’re as popular as the others!

Grant Albutt was crowned the 10th Parkdean Master!

Grant Albutt clinched the 2009 Parkdean Master title, securing the £25,000 winner-take-all prize. Grant, who qualified in 23rd place in the Preston Innovations festival the week before was ecstatic about his triumph. “I'm chuffed to bits,” he said. “It really hasn't sunk in yet. I knew my time would come one day. It was just when!”

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Parkdean Masters at White Acres, Grant Albutt joined the nine previous Masters winners to battle it out for the Master of Masters championship title. Steve Ringer, the Masters 2003 winner claimed first place, walking away with the prestigious giant Parkdean Masters trophy and also a fantastic prize of a luxury holiday for two to Las Vegas with an additional £250 to gamble on the slots!

Even more ladies & juniors fishing matches at White Acres

The weekly resident matches at White Acres are a great chance for anglers of all abilities to shine, giving everyone an opportunity to go head to head with other anglers and win! 2009 has not only seen even more ladies and juniors fishing the Rover matches but also entering the Gold and Silver matches, finishing with fantastic results.

What’s also very encouraging is the increased interest in the ladies & junior festivals this year plus the number of juniors and ladies entering the main festivals.

WHAT A LOAD OF RUBBISH: Submitted by Sue Mcdermid

Uk Fisherman was recently contacted by a justifiably disgruntled angler who raises an issue that all anglers should take note of.

Sue Mcdermid and her partner decided to spend a day fishing Fields lock on the River Lea in Hertfordshire. Their experience was far from pleasurable.

Sue explains:
"My partner and I fished at Fields lock on the River Lea yesterday (7.8.06) and we were appalled by the rubbish strewn about amongst the trees and over the paths near the river. The bins had obviously not been emptied in months and therefore rubbish placed by the bins was being blown all over the place. This is totally unnecessary and if fishermen can be bothered to clear up after themselves then the surroundings should be cleared too to make it a nice environment to fish in."

"This is the worst site we have ever been to in order to enjoy a day's fishing - it was such a shame as we had travelled from Kent and was our first time there."

This raises a general issue concerning care for the environment that we all love to fish in. All anglers have a responsibility to ensure that the venue they fish in is left free of rubbish when they leave. If bins are full to overflowing, then take your rubbish home with you. Fishery owners also have a responsibility to maintain their venues and keep them rubbish free. I don't know who has responsibility for maintaining this stretch of the River Lea. If anyone knows, please let UK Fisherman know.

Edited By Paul Orford
Shame you both had such a disappointing days fishing Sue, but thanks for bringing the matter to our attention.

Not Such A Great Fishery !!

Uk Fisherman was recently contacted by Gareth Scutt who wanted to pass on his concerns regarding a fishery in Cheshire and the condition of the fish there.

Gareth said:

I would like to inform your readers about an appalling incident involving what I have always thought to be a great fishery.

I visited Cheshire Fisheries, Nr Tattenhall, Cheshire and upon arrival I noticed that the surface of the smallest course lake was covered with fish gasping for air. It was obvious to me that there was a serious problem so being the kind-hearted gent that I am, I thought I better make sure the owners were aware.

I approached one of the gentlemen behind the shop counter and asked, "have you seen your fish mate, they don't look to good." He said to me, "yeah the pipe is blocked because people leave litter and what do mean have I seen them, do you think I'm F***ing blind!"

I was shocked at his attitude and later further shocked that they were still selling tickets to that lake. Children and parents with kids who thought great, look at all these fish, we'll have a great day. Little did they know that these fish were all close to death and would not be feeding?

Very unprofessional and a complete outrage that they let things get so bad to begin with.

Editor: Gareth has two justifiable reasons to be upset, the state of the fish and the reaction to his concern form the guy in the shop. If you are connected to, or know Cheshire Fisheries and would like to comment on this article, please contact UK Fisherman through the contact page

** Please note the views expressed here are not necessarily endorsed by UK Fisherman

Challenging Disadvantage

Challenging disadvantage by changing young lives for the better, offering friendship, experience, diversion, caring and mentoring...

At 121 Youth Befriending we recruit and train volunteers from the local community to provide the necessary skills and support to young people who are experiencing difficulties in their lives.

There is an increasing call on the services of 121 as young people are finding it more and more difficult to cope with the complex business of growing up and coping with the pressures of our modern society.

Pondwood Fisheries, Berkshire

Located in Berkshire, Pondwood Fisheries is the premier fishing facility for anglers of all categories with three coarse fishing waters, one of which dates back to medieval times and one which is in excess of 30 years old. In addition there is the Snake, a still water course dating back to medieval times which was opened for day tickets in 2002 after widening and extension.

Pondwood fisheries offer carp, roach, chub, perch, rudd and tench fishing as well as some of the best catfish fishing in the South of England.

Reader Review - Jason Barnes, Berkshire - July 2007

Just thought I would let you all know about a lake I go to called Pondwood Fishery. It is the only place I know about where you can guarantee to have an amazing day's fishing.

It has 2 lakes and a snake river. The first lake has an amazing amount of catfish and some big carp in it - it is the only catfish lake I know where you can guarantee to catch a cat in the day time. Some of the catfish I have caught (pictured below) are a 32lb 5oz fish and the other was 38lb 7oz. I have caught so many cats here it would take the whole site up to show you them all - like I said before, AMAZING !!

The second lake is great for the whole family. It has a lot of carp and anyone can catch in this one. I took my little boy fishing for the first time the other week and below is a picture of him with his first carp ... now I can’t keep him away from the place. So much for my peaceful weekend away from the kids ha ha !! But thats what kind of place Pondwood is - great family run lakes.

The last water at Pondwood is called the snake river which has carp, tench, roach, perch and pike. This is where I caught my personal best carp of 32lb floating bread of the top ... amazing !! I know it seems like I’m going on a bit but if you’ve been there you will feel the same way as I do. All this for a tenner a day ... can’t be beaten.

Uk Fisherman would love to hear from any other anglers who have good or bad experiences of Pondwood Fishery. We would especially like to hear from anyone connected with Pondwood Fishery who would like to comment on this review.
Paul @ UK Fisherman

Please note the views expressed on these review pages are not necessarily endorsed by UK Fisherman.

DreamLakes, France

The DreamLake Complex, consisting of six mature, tree-lined lakes offers excellent carp and catfish angling on either an Inclusive Package or Voyage Self-Drive basis. Currently five of the lakes are open, the sixth housing a huge number of stock fish, ensuring future growth and development.

DreamLakes aim to provide anglers with the highest quality French carp fishing holiday. Offering the size and numbers of carp you would never hope to find in any English water, the peace and tranquillity of the beautiful Champagne countryside only serve to enhance the DreamLake Experience. DreamLakes 3, 4 and 5 are able to offer a great experience for anglers who want to do their own pioneering in France. Only four hours drive from Calais, and with the advantage of knowing that there is always someone on hand to give expert help and advice, you have the freedom to enjoy some really impressive ‘all action style’ carp angling.

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Reader Review - Luke "crazy carper" Thomas - August 2007

DreamLakes !!! - Lake 3

We arrived in Relyon Car park, Dover, at 9.45pm ready and set to make our long voyage over to Dreamlakes. We were absolutly buzzing by now and couldn't wait to get over there and wet a line. The two 36 seater coaches arrived, briskly picked us up, along with all our gear, and bombed off for the ferry port. The ferry journey over was about an hour and a half and we got ourselves aquainted with everyone we would be spending the week wit ... what a class bunch of guys !

After 5 hours following the ferry journey we arrived at Dreamlakes, met by a bacon roll and tea, coffee etc. How welcome it was ! The sun was just starting to come up and it looked like it was shaping up to be a lovely day. We managed to settle into our swims and get set up, wandered around for a chat and then cast in. Our Bailiff for the week, Garry, informed us that the lake wasn't fishing as well as it should and that the previous week, the swim I was in had blanked. I was a little apprehensive but took the approach "it's about time they were here" and got on with it. I knew alot of bait would be the kiss of death so stuck with tiny bags of pellets with plastic corn as hookbait and within 2 hours I was in to the first fish. It went like stink, taking out 1 of my other lines and nearly snagging me up, until I managed to get its head up and land it. The scales flew round to 23lb 10oz Mirror Carp and a lovely first fish it was.

I then went the next day without so much of a sniff. I was starting to worry a little now and decided that a change of bait was in order, something a little more attractive and smelly than my tutti-fruitti pop-up corn ! This new bait was to be Mainline's Pulse boilies which we had pre-ordered. That night I was to reap the rewards as a 34lb 8oz Mirror Carp and a 31lb 4oz Mirror Carp graced my net. I was over the moon with these as my change of tactics had paid off and what fish to catch !

The following night using these tactics I managed a 34lb 12oz Mirror Carp, the biggest yet, and was happy that what I was doing was right. It was clear now that the majority of the fish were coming out at night and that my efforts should be doubled for the hours of darkness so I could catch consistently.

The next day Bruce, Dean and I were talking about how it would be nice to catch a lovely common as all the fish we had caught were Mirrors. Unfortunatly that night Ii failed to catch at all and morale was lowering a little.

The following night it became clockwork and I recieved a screaming run which resulted in a gorgeous looking 29lb common carp. I was over the moon and breath taken by the fish but had no idea what was to come. An hour later I had another run which I managed to loose, and then at about half past 3 I recieved a slow powerful run. I hooked into it and was adamant it was a small carp or tench. How wrong I was. I got it to about 15 yards out and this thing went nuts. After a series of powerful lunges and runs, along with 20 minutes of struggle I got it in the net... it was big. I secured the net and ran to wake Dean and Bruce up. "I've got a big common mate, bring your weigh sling and scales !"

They finally dragged themselves out of bed and they're reaction when they first saw it was un-printable. We made sure the scales were zeroed first ... weighed it several times ... and then photographed it ... all 47lb 10oz of it !!!!!

I was absolutely smashed, never did Idream I was to catch a fish of that callibur. Phil and Andy (Andy incidently is in the final of the Welsh Carp Masters and is a top bloke !) came round to congradulate and lend a hand. Thanks alot lads !

That was the last fish I caught, Bruce managed 5 fish to 42.08lbs (Common) and Dean managed 3 fish to 34lb 12oz (Cracking Mirror). So overall it was great !

Would like to give a special mention to all the other guys on lakes 3, 4 and 5 it was a great laugh and must do it again next year !

Get yourselves to Dreamlakes, its the place to be !

Luke Thomas
Crazy_carper

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Score

Uk Fisherman would love to hear from any other anglers who have Dream Lakes in France. We would especially like to hear from anyone connected with Dream Lakes who would like to comment on this review.
Paul @ UK Fisherman

Please note the views expressed on these review pages are not necessarily endorsed by UK Fisherman.

The River Bourne is in places little more than a stream but can offer some excellent coarse fishing, particularly during the autumn and winter months when the river is in full flow. The River Bourne rises in the west in the grounds of Windsor Royal Park and flows through Surrey where it meets the Thames at Hamm Court, Weybridge. For most of its length it flows through private land and is therefore unfishable, although easy access is assured around the Chertsey area.

Two readers have recently contacted us to share their view on the River Bourne in Chertsey, particularly the stretch known as The Meads. They certainly cast doubt on the statement that the River Bourne can offer some excellent coarse fishing.

Reader One - Thomas Denny (June 2006)

Having been very interested in fishing The River Bourne near Chertsey Meads, I decided to make a visit and get an up to date view of The Bourne at Chertsey. What a shame. After moving up from the start of the river, I'm met by overgrown stinging nettles - not possible to even get near to the river.

A little further greets me with what appears to be a stangnant pond area. For those thinking of fishing near The Meads its a no no. Great shame. The area needs urgent attention. Ministry of enviroment perhaps spend some of our licence money please in a clean up.


Reader Two - Michael Allen (October 2006)

I spent the day at chertsey today interseted in fishing the meads. It was as read on your site meaning the stingers being a nightmare. However I did manage to get to the bankside but I honestly cant see how anyone has ever caught barbel there. The only way I could envisage that is in winter maybe they might swim from the thames into there for respite.

I've looked at various parts of that river before and can honestly say that I have never seen any signs of  aquatic life anywhere, no swirls no surface movement only water boatmen. I'd be interested to speak to anyone who knows of anyone who has caught there.

Still not all gloom. I parked in car park and after extensive roving of the bourne I decided to hit the thames walking the opposite way from  the bourne. Did quite well picking up a few nice chub and a few nice perch til the weather got the better of me. I would recommend thames at the meads on feeder tactics.

Score:


Obviously our two readers were not overly impressed with The Meads. However, as Michael mentions, this is probably a better winter venue when the bankside vegetation has died away making access easier and the river is in full flow.

CARP, BARBEL AND PAELLA

A Guide to Fishing in Andalucia - By James Clear

Description:
A chance day trip to a reservoir near Ronda in the province of Cadiz, revolutionised James's views on fishing in the Spanish region of Andalucia. Despite spending many holidays in southern Spain, he had never considered the untapped potential for fishing in this stunning part of the world. This day trip got him thinking and having decided to research the subject, it soon became apparent that there was a serious lack of information available regarding angling in Andalucia, a fact that partly helps explain why fishing in this region remains largely undiscovered ....

.... and so, Carp, Barbel and Paella - A Guide to fishing in Andalucia was born !!

Review:
Let me say that from the outset, this is a quality piece of work and provides an indispensable guide to fishing in the region for those new to the area and also to those who have fished the region before. If you are thinking of taking a fishing holiday in Andalucia, you must buy this book - you won't regret it.

A Guide to Fishing in Andalucia is a comprehensive guide to fishing in the Andalucian region of Spain. It is well structured and set out in a number of sections which include:

1. species and methods
2. rules and regulations
3. the provinces of Andalucia
4. travel tips and what to bring
5. useful phrases
6. tackle and bait shops
7. festivals

Chapter 1 - species and methods:
This is an excellent section which will appeal to all anglers whether you are visiting Andalucia of not. It details what you can expect to catch when fishing in Andalucia. Did you know for example that there are 7 species of barbel that can be caught there and one of best summer baits to catch them is .... crickets !!! This section also contains some excellent advice on baits and tactics that work well for barbel, carp, pike, trout, bass and eels as well as the more unusual species to be found in Spanish waters such as Allis Shad, Cacho, Saboga, Colmilleja and Pardilla amongst others.

Chapter 2 - rules and regulations:
Travelling abroad can often be confusing when it comes to local laws and regulations which is why this section is a great help in shedding light on the legal aspects of fishing in Andalucia, particularly in regard to what licences are required, how much they cost, where to obtain them along with useful contact numbers and adresses. Did you know, you need a licence to sea fish in Spain?

Chapter 3 - the provinces of Andalucia:
The bulk of this excellent guide concentrates on the various provinces within Andalucia, starting with a brief description of each province. Each is then split into individual fishing venues, detailing what you can expect to catch there and the best bait and tactics to employ. Each venue also includes a useful map of the location as well as details of how to get there. This is a really in depth section and contains loads of really useful information.

Chapter 4 - travel tips and what to bring:
Another useful section on how to make the most of your trip along with some ideas about what tackle and bait to take with you. It also includes some brief detail of things to watch out for ... like the fighting bulls that can turn up anywhere (especially around Cadiz) and the dreaded mosquitos.

Chapter 5 - useful phrases:
For those not fluent in Spanish, the Guide to Fishing in Andalucia also includes a section of useful fishing phrases and words, basically everything anglers will need when visiting tackle shops and venues etc (believe it or not, not everyone speaks English in Spain !!). Phrases like la aguja pesca (baiting needle), la pesca al la inglesa (waggler fishing) and el asticot (maggot) are not phrases you are likely to find in your standard Spanish phrase book.

Chapter 6 - tackle and bait shops:
A useful list of addresses and phone numbers of tackle and bait shops in Andalucia.

Chapter 7 - festivals:
Brief details of the many festivals and fiestas that take place in Andalucia - just in case you get an hour or two off from fishing !!

Price:
A Guide to Fishing in Andalucia is available worldwide at the following prices.

delivery within UK - £14.24 *
delivery in Europe - £15.13 *
delivery to US - £19.13 *
delivery worldwide - £19.19 *

* all prices include postage and packing

Summary:
A quality piece of work. If you are unfamiliar with the Andalucian region of Spain and the fishing it offers, this guide is invaluable if you are thinking of visiting the region. A great deal of thought has gone into producing this book and as it is written by an angler it is much more useful than your standard holiday guides. It basically includes everything you will need to think about when fishing in Andalucia.

The only problem I see with this book is that it could seriously damage your bank balance. With its descriptions of the various fisheries in Andalucia, complemented by well chosen photographs, this book will make you want to head down to the nearest travel agent, dust off your fishing rod and head to Andalucia to experience the delights on offer yourself. You have been warned !!

Paul@ Uk fisherman

Score:
highly recommended !!

Where to buy:
For more information about A Fishing Guide to Andalucia and to purchase the guide, please visit www.go-fishing-spain.com

Make your fishery pools stand out from the rest !!

How many times have you lost potential customers to your fishery because your website had little or a basic minimal graphical reference to your pools?

We can draw them to a high standard and blend them to match your existing site for inclusion. With over 10 years experience of graphic design packages, we can create a detailed plan of your pool for use on the web, print or other marketing material to help you promote your fishery.

Knowing how difficult it is to convey the size and layout of a large asset as a fishing lake, we focus on creating a visually impressive image for you to advertise the best features of your lake and help to attract more business. We like to work closely with our clients and offer a fast, efficient service at every stage of development. Customer satisfaction is paramount and we will work hard to turn your project around.

We also have the facility to create 3D fly-over animations to further communicate your lake layout effectively. These can be included, compressed, on your website in the form of a downloadable movie or as an interactive marketing tool that you could supply to generate business.

Contact us today for a quotation, you won’t be disappointed.

Call Duncan Buckley on: (0)7801 286294 quoting the UK Fisherman website.

Portfolio:

Weston Pools Fishery (Oswestry) – Contracted through Countrywide Fisheries to provide layout drawings for three of their pools. Drawings used as signs mounted around the site.

Manor Farm Fishing (Sandy, Bedfordshire) – Contracted through Countrywide Fisheries to provide a pool map for use on their website and brochure material (www.manorfarmfishing.co.uk).

Eastmoors Lake (St Leonards, Dorset) – Provided a lake layout drawing for use as a road sign and for inclusion on their website (www.fishinglake.co.uk).

“I congratulate you on a very good representation and a prompt service.”
Nick Hoare (proprietor) of Eastmoors Lake.

UK FISHERMAN'S VERDICT - **Highly Recommended**

You only have to look at the quality of the graphics above to see what a fantastic product Duncan really offers. They provide vital information for visitors in terms of swim location, layout and the fish you can expect to find at the fishery. Any fishery shrewd enough to hire Duncan will benefit hugely from a first class graphical representation of their fishery which can only add value to their business.

What are you waiting for - Give Duncan a call today on (0)7801 286294
you won't regret it !!

The weather man was right for a change ! Highs of 27 deg c were on the cards and I felt like another fishing trip coming on. I knew jenny would need little or no persuasion to sit in the sun for afew hours and I desperately need to redeem myself after my woeful performance at Lizard last week. [See diary 07-09-06]

After a leisurely start, we decided on a visit to Gold Valley lakes in Aldershot, hants, where you are almost guaranteed some fine sport. It was midday by the time we arrived, the sun was high in the sky and the main lake was almost full. We had little choice of swims, although fortuntely one of the few availble was nearest the car park.

Jenny adopted the "quantity" approach fishing up in the water for the many silver fish using a waggler, alternating between corn and banded pellets. I adopted the "quality" approach and determined to break by PB [15lb common] set up a method feeder, burying a 15mm pineapple boilie in the mix and casting to the central island. It didn't take Jenny long to find the hungry roach and rudd and it wasn;t much longer before I was playing the first carp of the day, a 7lb common which was soon safely in the net. That was quickly followed by a 9lb 8oz mirror. Meanwhile, Jenny continued to heave out the roach and rudd.

As the heat of the day really kicked in, the fish undertsandably decided that a rest was in order and things went very quiet for a while. It wasn't until about 4pm that things started to liven up again. I decided to ring the changes and opted for the splasher waggler approach using a banded pellet and feeding 6 or 7 pellets every cast.

This bought some immediate success. Almost immediately by skud waggler hit the water, my pellet was devoured by a hungry carp which hurtled off into deeper water. Over the next hour or so, I couldn't go wrong and banked another 7 carp, the best tipping the scales at 11lb. They then switched off the feed again and I could only manage one more carp of 9lb before we decided to call it a day as dusk fell.

Gold valley had certainly lived up to its reputation once again as a fisrt class commercial fishery. Despite its various drawbacks [£10 for only 1 rod, a host of bait bans, some poor quality fish and a disappointing attitude to disabled access that we once encountered], it is still worth a visit and you probably won't go away with an empty net !!

Til next time, happy fishing!! Paul @ UK Fisherman