Fishing is truly a national sport here in the UK. It does not matter where you live, there is always a pool or stream somewhere that you can dip a line into. The same applies as to what type of fishing you enjoy as well. There are coarse fishing spots everywhere to enjoy, from Land`s End to John O`Groats. Game fishing is almost as prevalent with reservoirs, streams, rivers and private pools providing endless opportunity for salmon, trout and grayling. Finally with the great coastline we have sea fishing by the bucketful, from rock fishing for wrasse in Cornwall to flatfish in Southend, but it is coarse fishing which offers the greatest variety of places to drive to.

The beauty of fishing is that even if you live in a major city such as London, there are hundreds of opportunities within a few miles or a few hours drive at the most. You just have to know where to look for them. So where are some of the best fishing places to drive to near London?

For coarse fishing, you can start with the rivers. Father Thames is the obvious choice, but there are other rivers and tributaries and streams offering an enjoyable day`s sport. The River Lee is a lesser known fishing water, along with Coppermill Stream in Tottenham that is well worth investigating. Of course there are also plenty of canals which are a great way for any angler to start. Regents Canal and the famous Grand Union Canal are long waterways with plenty of places to fish.

For still waters within easy driving distance in Greater London there are almost too many to mention. However, you could try Clapham Common Pond, Birchmere Lake in Thamesmead, Hampstead Heath Boating Pond and Tooting Common Main Pond. For those prepared to travel a little longer and a bit further the waters become more secluded and there is less general public around. That makes it a much better day out for the more experienced angler. So venues such as Chase Waters in Dagenham, Gunnersbury Lake in Brentford and Epping Forest Ponds are a great day out, as well as superb fishing venues.

This is only just scratching the surface of what is available for coarse anglers in and around London. Most waters respond well to traditional float methods such as waggler or to other swimfeeder techniques. Easy baits include traditional sweetcorn, maggots, casters and bread, although always check before you take any boilies or seed baits. So if you are at a lose end this weekend why not invest in one of the London car rentals and take a drive to your favourite spot.

Linear Fisheries have some of the best big carp waters in the country. All of the 7 day ticket waters and 3 syndicate waters hold numerous carp to over 30lb with many 40lb carp caught each year. Runs waters and exclusive carp lakes - Linear has it all. This is the latest news from Linear Fisheries as of 3rd November 2011.

BRASENOSE TWO

Phil Norris had two fish up to 24lb whilst fishing with "Big Dave" who landed three fish up to 25lb, both anglers used baits from SBS over chops and particles. Matthew Francis, aka "Fashion" had mirrors of 22lb 02oz, 25lb 08oz and 27lb 14oz during a recent weekend session. Ray Gong had seven fish up to 21lb 12oz during a quick overnight session using hemp, pellet and CC Moore live system boilies. Dominic Savin had a 17lb 06oz mirror along with a new PB 31lb 02oz mirror using Blakes Baits boilies.

BRASENOSE TWO

Benedict Fowler had a new PB 31lb mirror along with four other fish during a recent session. This is the second different thirty to come out of B-2 this year. Adam Chambers had a new PB 26lb 10oz using yellow wafters over particles. David Pritchard had a cracking 21lb linear mirror using solid bags. Linear Fishery Officer, Chris Blunt lost one and landed a further six fish during a 20-hour session. Chris fished wafters over hemp, pellet, corn and Richworth KG-1 boilies. His catch included fish weighing 16lb 12oz, 18lb and 20lb 01oz.

GENERAL

**Credit/Debit Cards** You can pay by credit/debit card, on the bank-side at Linear. Bailiffs carry a mobile card machine which will accept most major cards. This is Linear's preferred method of payment, we still obviously accept cash but no longer accept cheques as a method of payment.

**Upcoming Matches** The following matches will take place at the complex over the next month. Manor Farm Lake: Pike Match, whole lake closed on Sunday Nov 20th.

GUY LAKES

On Unity Lake Mark Worrall had a new PB 32lb 04oz mirror. On Yeoman's Lake Matt Davies had a 34lb mirror.

HARDWICK LAKE

Fishing the complex for the first time, Martin Allen had a 17lb 12oz pike along with another weighing 10lb 08oz using dead baits. Also fishing Linear for the first time was Aidan Green who landed three pike up to a new PB of 15lb 08oz on roach and mackerel dead baits. Bicester angler, Matty Vaughan had an impressive 8lb 06oz tench along with a pretty low double mirror.

MANOR FARM LAKE

Keiron Camden from Swindon had a 7lb 14oz pike. Matt Callaghan had a 26lb 12oz mirror during a recent visit to the water. Richworth consultant, Steve Reynard had a 32lb mirror during a weekend session.

OXLEASE LAKE

Dave Austin had a 14lb common along with mirrors weighing 15lb, 20lb and 32lb fishing solid bags at 85 yards. Dan Jenkins had a new PB 26lb mirror fishing a hi-viz single pop-up.

ST JOHNS POOL

Dicky Poulton had a lovely 25lb 02oz mirror. Sean Halfpenny from Climax Tackle had a 22lb mirror and a new PB 30lb 04oz mirror nicknamed "Terrence". Darrell Peck had a cracking 34lb 02oz common using cell boilies. Sparsholt Student had commons weighing 16lb 08oz and 30lb along with a 31lb 08oz mirror along with another mirror known as "Blackeye" weighing 33lb 10oz. All his fish fell to CC Moore baits.

Source: Linear Fisheries

Greg Boothright from Wandsworth rounded off a brilliant Halloween day session at Bury Hill Fisheries when his mackerel strip hookbait was snapped up by a stunning 14lb zander, one of the biggest of the season so far.

Fishing a running leger set up with a Bury Hill size 6 barbless hook rig, Greg struck into the fish at 4.15pm from peg 24. With conditions spot on for predator fishing, the dark and gloomy day produced 5 other zeds from 3lbs 8oz to 6lbs 1oz and a pike of 5lbs plus. Greg said "I have never had a double figure zander  before with 9lbs 10oz being my previous best, I am well chuffed".

Greg now joins only a handful of anglers in the UK to have landed a 14lb plus zed.

Fishery owner David de Vere commented "despite some unusually warm weather for the time of year, we are now seeing a steady run of big zeds being caught with record numbers of doubles reported. Greg's fish is a fish of a lifetime for many and I would expect that fish to comfortable top 15lb in February."

Another angler to get amongst the big zeds this week was Bury Hill regular Mick Dicks. Fishing peg 19, Mick alternated between mackerel and roach sections which he fished on the bottom 20mts out to catch a brace of doubles weighing 11lb 4oz and 10lb 5oz as well as siz other zeds weighing between 9lb and 3lb.

Source: Bury Hill Fisheries

There is nothing finer than getting away from it all and taking a holiday that involves your hobby or passion. If your passion is fishing then you have so much choice in the UK. A week or more away is the ultimate dream for many fishermen and especially the specimen hunters out there. So where should you be thinking of going?

Well the choice is huge, but Cornwall is always one of the nation`s favourite places for both a holiday and a fishing trip. Great places to stay, great places to see and a lot of new fisheries. Bude, Launceston and the Tamar Valley let you enjoy both game and coarse fishing in abundance. If sea fishing is your thing then the beach fishing here for bass is some of the best in the country, but you do not even have to stop on the beach. Get out in a boat and you can go wreck fishing and also shark fishing. Time to tackle up for those congers. They can be monsters!

Wales is also fast developing a reputation as a good place to take a fishing holiday. A short hop across the border you can take advantage of the wealth of new fishing places in Cardiff, Newport and the Brecon Beacons. Now that is a spectacular place to be when you are sitting on a bank side. You could even try your hand down in the prolific Port Talbot area or the new exclusive venues out in West Wales. The Lougher Estuary in the evenings is also one of the most magical places to be.

Of course if you want to go to the heart of angling in the UK the Midlands is one of the best areas to take a get away in. Rivers such as the Severn, Teme, Stour, Trent and Avon provide superb sport all year around. Why not take in Bewdley for a barbel fishing Mecca or the huge bags of bream and carp on the Trent by the power stations in Nottingham. Still waters are also very numerous here in places like Worcestershire, Birmingham and Leicestershire. Many are day ticket so you can be sure to be able to take your pick when you stay in the area.

Other areas that provide a perfect holiday include the Norfolk Broads, The Fens, the numerous lakes in the North of England and the amazing game fishing you can enjoy in Scotland, which is the salmon fisherman`s paradise. Whichever you chose, remember to pick a good travel agency to arrange the details. Companies such as First Choice have an excellent range of packages and accommodation that would be perfect whether travelling alone or making it into a family occasion.

View our UK Fishing Holidays section

Whether you are a seasoned fisherman or just starting out, a fishing holiday is a great way to truly get in touch with the great outdoors and to find a place to relax and get away from it all. From lake fishing to river angling, deep sea lining to beach casting, there are so many places to fish and a host of holiday destinations just crying out to be explored. With the current economic downturn and many people feeling the squeeze, fishing holidays with a smaller price tag are becoming the most popular kind and with everyone trying to live a greener, lower carbon lifestyle, a fishing holiday in the UK has to be a great choice for quality and value.

Around the UK we have some of the most stunning and varied landscapes in all of Europe. Ok, so you will not be out catching the Red Snappers and other exotic varieties that you might in warmer climates, but we do have some incredible species of trout, salmon, carp and other native fish which are delicious to eat and plentiful to catch, if you know where to go.

One such place is the Eye Kettleby Lakes in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire. Here, a network on eight stretches of water settled in 150 acres of rural countryside offer fine coarse fishing amidst stunning scenery. The self catering accommodation on site includes hot tubs, four poster beds and a top quality restaurant and some of their off season holiday deals can cost less per person than one night in a good hotel elsewhere.

For some upper class fishing, head to Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire. In the grounds of this stunning historical palace are some of the best maintained and stocked lakes an angler can hope for. For the ultimate in peace and tranquillity, make the most of the hire boats and drift away from disturbance to catch some of the best Perch, Tench and Roach in the summer or some huge Pike in the winter. Local B&Bs or hotels in Oxford can be snapped up mid week, or, for a more luxurious stay, try the Feathers at Woodstock, voted the UKs best gastro pub in 2006.

Tucked away in a quiet corner of Dartmoor, the Arundell Arms at Lifton, Devon is one of the UK`s best specialist fishing hotels with its own on site fishing school and its own private lake. If you have not tried fly fishing, this sheltered corner is one of the best places to start, with plenty of instruction available as well as day courses to enhance your abilities. Weekend breaks in the Arundell Arms are certainly not pocket money, but for the quality of accommodation and experience you get, plus the fact there are no flights to pay for, this has to be a top choice for any budding fly fishing enthusiast.

There are many other locations across the British Isles which offer incredible fishing opportunities, from Scotland to the Scillies. On group buying websites such as Groupon deals can be found for various overnight stays and holidays which can be combined with fishing trips to give you a great fishing holiday at an unbeatable price.

James Anderson landed 29 fish during a 40-hour session using Dynamite boilies, pellets and hemp at 70 yards range. His biggest two fish weighed 28lb 02oz and 34lb 12oz. During a recent 72-hour session Debra and Mike Loftus landed quite a few fish. Their catch included twelve twenties and thirties weighing 30lb 03oz, 30lb 08oz and Debs with a new PB at 31lb 13oz. Anthony Warrington had a 26lb 07oz mirror along with a few other fish using SBS corn poppers and solid pva bags at about 90 yards range.

BRASENOSE TWO

Lee Wells had a 22b mirror, one of three fish caught during a weekend session. Pedro Dittrich from Essex landed six fish during a recent session, his catch included mirrors weighing 16lb, 17lb 08oz and 18lb. Linear regular, Tom Maker had fifteen fish during a recent 24-hour session, his biggest two fish weighed 21lb and a new lake record, a mirror known as "Split Tail" at 33lb 06oz.

GENERAL

**Credit/Debit Cards** You can pay by credit/debit card, on the bank-side at Linear. Bailiffs carry a mobile card machine which will accept most major cards. This is Linear's preferred method of payment, we still obviously accept cash but no longer accept cheques as a method of payment.

**Upcoming Matches** The following matches will take place at the complex over the next month. Brasenose-Two: Four Seasons Carp Cup, Ten swims closed from 9am Fri 21st Oct until 2pm Sun 23rd Oct. Brasenose-One: Pike Match, Ten swims closed from 8am Sun 30th Oct.

GUY LAKES

Over on Unity Lake, Paul Allen landed the lakes biggest common, a new PB weighing 43lb 11oz. Fishing Gaunts Lake, Jamie Westwood landed six fish, his catch included mirrors weighing 28lb 08oz and 28lb 14oz. On Yeoman's Lake, Geoff Collins from Swindon had mirrors of 23lb and 24lb during a recent 24-hour session. Gordon Brown from Woodstock had a 22lb mirror during a 7-hour day session.

HARDWICK LAKE

Jason Blades from Skegness had a new PB 27lb common using a slow sinking pineapple pop-up fished as a single. Paul Westall had mirrors weighing 23lb 10oz and 26lb 08oz using cell boilies.

HUNTS CORNER LAKE

Kelvin Click landed nine fish during a 48-hour session using Mainline baits, his biggest fish was a linear mirror weighing 37lb 14oz. Simon Kulas had mirrors weighing 21lb 07oz, 24ln and a new PB at 34lb using cell boilies. Kyle Dewsnap had a new PB mirror at 28lb along with other fish weighing 23lb and 26lb. Gareth Martin from Stoke on Trent had a 25lb mirror using a single 10mm tutti pop-up.

MANOR FARM LAKE

Baz Lloyd broke the Manor Farm lake record when he landed the big mirror known as "Spike" at 45lb 02oz, Baz used CC Moore XXX boilies. Kirk Temple from Hull landed another of the water's big mirrors in the shape of "Sticky Rib" at 43lb 04oz. Kirk used particles soaked in Sticky Baits bloodworm liquid. Damian Thurley from Leicester had a new PB 31lb 05oz mirror using cell and corn.

OXLEASE LAKE

Total Carp editor, Marc Coulson had a cracking 36lb 03oz mirror during a quick overnight session. John Rushton had a 29lb 14oz mirror using cell pop-ups fished over hemp. During a 24-hour session, Colin Morris had mirrors weighing 14lb, 17lb and 25lb 01oz using Browns gold spice boilies. Steve Lindsay from Weston Super Mare had a PB 27lb mirror using fake corn in conjunction with a pva stick. James Humphreys from South Wales had mirrors of 12lb 05oz, 18lb 07oz and a new PB at 29lb 02oz.

ST JOHNS POOL

Lure fishing for pike were brothers, Stephen and Jonathan Way. Between them the landed eleven and lost six with the biggest weighing 12lb 04oz. Chris Carpenter landed a 41lb 02oz mirror using CC Moore Live System Boilies, this is a new forty for the water. Axl Timmins from the Black Country had a new 27lb PB mirror. Linear Bailiff, Dave Austin landed mirrors weighing 17lb, 18lb 06oz and 28lb. Richard Clarke had a new PB 29lb mirror.

Source: Linear Fisheries

If coarse fishing is your passion then surely your quest is to fish at Britain`s top fisheries. To test your skill on the best waters, whatever your quarry, is a real treat. Now we are going to look at highlighting five top fisheries to visit and enjoy.

Bury Hill Fisheries

Bury Hill Fisheries is located in a beautiful area of Dorking in Surrey and the estate itself is over 200 years old. There are four lakes on this large site which are easily accessible for experienced anglers, children and those with access needs. The lakes are stocked with a great range of fish from specimen size Carp, Zander, Tench and Pike to large populations of smaller Carp, Roach, Crucian Carp and Perch that make for a great day fishing experience. Nets of 250-300lb are not uncommon.

Kilworth Sticks Fishery

Kilworth Sticks Fishery is an easily accessible lake in the heart of Leicestershire. With five lakes in place and a sixth on the way, flat easily accessible pegs and good facilities, this newcomer is one to look out for. It is particularly good at encouraging the fishing experience as a great day out. Of course the other reason is the great fishing itself. The lakes hold a high population of Carp from 2-10lb as well as some specimens and the aggressive Grass Carp. On top of that is a sizeable stock of Roach, Dace, Tench and Crucian Carp for a brilliant day`s fishing.

Meadowlands

Meadowlands is a well established gravel pit fishery near Coventry. Two large pools cover a total of 17 acres. They cater for both the specimen hunter and also the pleasure fisherman. This policy has developed Meadowlands popularity in the area. Warren Pool in particular has a reputation for huge hauls of Crucian Carp in the matches there, with the record being 265lb. Lambsdown Lake is not far behind with 22lbs, but there is plenty of opportunity for larger fish as well with Carp running to over 20lbs and Lambsdown producing a 32lb mirror recently.

Llandyfan Fishing Park

A great coarse fishing venue, out in Ammanford in Carmarthenshire, West Wales. A beautiful setting close to the Brecon Beacons, makes this venue nothing short of a spectacular visual treat. A lovely all round lake with plenty of Carp running to double figures, Tench and Bream in Bob`s Pool. The venue makes a great place to plan a holiday for the whole family.

Hampton Springs Fishery

A little jewel in Malpas in Cheshire this venue is very popular with its eight lakes. The stocking levels ensure great fishing for all anglers and of varying levels. There are superb access points and the lakes are fast developing a specimen reputation as well. The fishing itself is prolific and nearly all methods produce success. This is part of the reason for its popularity. It is not uncommon for anglers from further away to make the journey here.

So in our opinion these are five of the best places to fish in the UK. They are perfect to plan a family holiday around. They are also perfectly positioned to take advantage of the excellent holiday cottage accommodation such as that offered by Sykes Holiday Cottages. You can not go wrong - great facilities and great fishing for all.

Whilst a lot of the large fisheries we now find in the UK are a great asset, sometimes as a fisherman we fancy something a little different. There is something a bit special about getting to a secluded water, virtually untouched, or seemingly so and settling down. Finding these gems can be hard, but they are out there. The great thing is that they are not all syndicate or club waters.

So where can we find these hidden fishing locations? Well let us have a look at a few waters as an example and you will see these types of venues can be easily found in all parts of the country.

Hidden by name and by nature, Hidden Valley Discovery Park near Launceston in Cornwall is actually in the middle of an adventure park, but do not let that fool you. The two fishing lakes are well away and secluded from the park itself. They are fantastically landscaped and a joy to spend the day there. The lakes themselves are a Carp hunter`s haven. For a fairly young water they produce a range of species of mid to large size. It is easy to sit hidden in the bank side trees, watching the wildlife and enjoying your day`s fishing. This is well worth the season ticket.

Our next example is the lovely Bluebell Park Fishery near Welshpool in Mid-Wales. This is an all round venue tucked away in the spectacular Welsh landscape. The main pool is only one acre but is stocked well with a range of species including Carp, Rudd, Tench and Roach. The real plus with this venue is that although the secluded main pool is experienced anglers only, Bluebell also has a novice`s pool to encourage new anglers to shape their skills.

The other reason we have picked these two venues, is that they present you with the opportunity to enjoy your sport, whilst also being able to holiday with the whole family. This is the very essence of a great hidden holiday fishery. Lakes such as these often also have additional habitat areas available for viewing wildlife and encourage protection schemes. The Tamar Lakes in Cornwall are a great example of this. They are also often in the heart of a countryside full of attraction and family activity opportunities.

So why not hunt out these magnificent gems of the British countryside. Cornwall is one of the best holiday locations around and if you combine it by booking into one of the more family friendly cottages in Cornwall, you will have a holiday to remember.

Team GB regained the International Pike Challenge trophy in a thrilling display last weekend against Ireland on the Fens around Peterborough. The British squad amassed a total on Saturday of 63 pike for 150 lbs 11oz, against that of Ireland's 53 pike for 97lbs 3oz. A lead of 53lbs 8oz to take into the second day of competition.

Sunday saw a spirited fight back from the Irish which at one stage threatened to overhaul the impressive Day 1 lead held by Great Britain. However, the British soon started to match the Irish and to maintain a catch rate throughout the remainder of the day.

At the end of the day, Great Britain had but for a few ounces matched the weight of that of Saturday, whilst Ireland had managed a very creditable 139lbs 6oz. Team GB taking the honours again with a lead on the day of just over 9 lbs.

Overall the British had a two-day total of 300lbs 13oz against that of Ireland's 238 lbs 9oz. A win for Great Britain by 62 lbs 4oz.

The Two teams were:

Great Britain:
Jaub Potrykus (captain), Andrew Waller, Paul Danby, Mark Groom, Derek Lowe, Mark Lloyd, John Currie, Adam Holmes, Gary Edwards & Wayne Lees.

Ireland:
Paul Dennis (captain), Jimmy Clarke, Eugene McCabe, Andrej Duran, Brendan Jarvis, Joe Coleman, Robbie McShane, Ibar Condron, Gary Quinn & Eddie McGurk.

The International saw the first ever non-nationals representing Britain and Ireland in Jakub Potrykus (Poland) as captain for Great Britain, and Andrej Duran (Slovakia) for the Irish.

Next year will see the 21st International meeting between the two nations held somewhere in Ireland at the beginning of October.

Source: Pile Anglers Club of Great Britain

Sailing Lake
Predator fishing has again been nothing short of breathtaking with countless double figure Zander and Pike hitting the banks. Biggest fish of the week was a 12lb 14oz specimen that fell to visiting angler Ian Howell of Oldham. Ian took the new personal best fish on a kebab rigged Roach cast within a foot of the Island near the 50’s bay. Steven Layburn of Reading also took a personal best fish of 12lb 4oz. Steven took the fish on a dead Roach cast to open water from peg 51 where he also took a further 3 fish between 8lb and 9lb. Sticking to the personal best theme Collin Redmond of Loughborough managed to put his new PB on the bank in the shape of an 11lb 12oz Zed, again small dead Roach fished in the open water from in front of the clubhouse did the trick. Lots of Pike are being caught with countless fish between 8lb and 15lb being taken on deadbaits and lures with the biggest fish of the week being an 18lb fish taken by Colin Clay of Rotherham on a legered mackerel.

Bream fishing has started to pick up with anglers reporting catches of between 10 and 15 fish in the 2-5lb bracket, the pellet method feeder again outscoring most other tactics, in front of the clubhouse and the road bank being the better areas at the moment.

Boys Pit
Fishing has been excellent this week with some cracking Roach catches. Matt Morris of Leicester fished the pole with chopped worm and caster to take a fine bag of Roach to 14oz, Bream to 3lb and a bonus Carp of carp of 11lb. Matt fished close to a marginal reed bed in 8’ of water.

Chris Lewis of Leicester fished the waggler close in to a reed bed to take 4 Tench of around 4lb, Roach and a bonus Crucian of 3lb on maggots fished over pellet and hemp.

Pike fishing has been excellent with lots of Pike between 6-16lb. Lure angler Bert Roberts of Melton Mowbray took 7 fish with his biggest being a 16lb specimen.

River Wreake
Fishery manager Chay Jackson spent a couple of hours in the evening in pursuit of the resident big Chub and was rewarded with 3 Chub of 4lb+ and a cracking 5lb 7oz specimen. Chay legered a halibut pellet under a weed raft to take his fish.

Celtic Lakes Predator Open 2011
Celtic Lakes Resort Frisby will be holding predator open matches over the winter of 2011 / 2012. Entry is £20 per angler and with pike, perch and zander all counting towards the final weights, a winner takes all prize of £350 as well as runner up tackle prizes, this is sure to be "the predator match that doesn’t lack bite!"

First match is on 26th November 2011

The match is being covered by Pike and Predator Magazine. Booking is essential; you can book online or by calling in at the fishery and picking up a booking form.

An evening with Martin Bowler
We are very proud to announce that on Friday December 2nd professional angler, writer and TV star Martin Bowler will be appearing in the clubhouse. Martin will be talking about his angling life, TV programmes and much more. Tickets are £20 and include a free buffet, a licenced bar will also be available.

For more information, call Chay Jackson on 07791104984

Source: Celtic Lakes Resort Frisby