Luton Angling Club was founded in 1922 and offers a varied range of venues including several lakes, stretches of river and over 12 miles of the Grand Union Canal. This the the Luton Angling Club Weekly Newsletter - 24th April 2011.

North House Lakes larger residents have been making an appearance this week. Chris Cole had a 30lb common and a mirror carp known as The Wanderer has been out twice at 30lb 7oz. Firstly Josh Hammersley from Sandy landed the well known mirror followed by Danny Smith from Henlow. Josh fished a home made pop up during a short session while Danny fished an A2D spicy crab & mussel bait. Danny who was fishing with his brother Michael also added commons of 18lb 14oz, 15lb 12oz and 13lb with Michael having one heavily scaled mirror of 15lb 10oz.

Ian Mortimer fished the Grand Union Canal on St Georges Day and was rewarded for his early start when he caught a 20lb 6oz mirror carp at 7.30am. Ian used a classic MKV split cane rod and a centrepin reel to subdue the specimen fish.

Brett Herdman fished for 3 hours at Slapton using waggler fished corn and had 8.5lb of roach, with 3 of 4 skimmers. In another short session in a different area of the canal Brett only managed a few roach, but also had a mirror carp of 9lb 11oz. A day ticket angler fishing from his boat landed the best fish of the year so far from the canal, with a mirror carp of just over 26lb using hair rigged pizza crust!

Lol Smith fished Grove Church using long pole tactics he had a great day out with a bite every put in using soft pellet. Roach and skimmers made up most of his catch.

Another member fished at Chelmscote on Saturday and caught an impressive haul of fish using pole tactics including a few bream of 3lb+.

The next work party is at Lavendon Mill on the 30th April start at 0930.

The winner of our April photo competition will receive 10kg of the new Starmer Baits Coconut Fish boilies. It is open to anyone (members and non members)submitting a digital photo taken on any Luton AC controlled water and it can be of absolutely anything eg a sunset on the canal, a nice fish, wildlife etc. The photos submitted cannot be over a month old, the judges decision is final and no correspondance will be entered into regarding the result. So get snapping and forward your pictures to our usual email address catchreports@lutonac.org or send from your mobile to 07704462635.

Source: Luton Angling Club

Three top speakers and some new attractions are lined up for this year's Pike Anglers Club Convention which will, once again be held at the Kettering Conference Centre on Saturday, October 1.

To start the ball rolling on stage we have Dave Horton, Dave has been a member of PAC for 27 years and is known throughout the pike fishing world as the author of Ultimate Pike.

Dave' talk is entitled “ 25 years of Piking the Highlights” so he will be taking usback down memory lane and what a trip that promises to be.

Next up on the oche is a Micky Jones, from Inverness. Micky`s talk is entitled “Setting the Heather Alight” his talk will cover his adventures of fishing throughout the Highlands, the final frontier in UK piking, with its relatively light angling pressure and untapped potential.

Last but not least is Stephen Harper, who over the years has not only landed many notable fishb from the Norfolk broads, but has also written two sought-after books on Broadland Pike.

Stephen's talk is entitled “Broadland; Past; Present; Future” It chronicles some of the changes Stephen has seen over 40 years on Broadland – both good and bad. His talk looks back on the illustrious past of Broadland and its pike fishing, how it was, and how it is, and how it should be.

This year we have tried to cater for the for the keen young Pike Anglers. Eric Edwards has kindly offered his services to set up a separate room for coaching which will include tackle and rig set ups, plus slides with a number of other top coaches on hand to helpanswer questions and give top class advice, those attending will each receive a goody bag.

Also this year the RNLI will be attending to give top advice on boat safety plus those attending an take along their boat floatation suites and life jackets for advice on their suitability for boatfishing, this is not to be confused with life jacket service.

There's free parking and entrance prices remain the same at £10 members/£15 non members with £5 back if you join the club on the day.

There'll also be stands large and small from all the big names in pike tackle, with all the latest gear on show; our second hand lure and gear stalls, bar, food and the chance to meet friends old and new at the country's biggest predator fishing event.

Source: Pike Angler's Club of Great Britain

With un-seasonally good weather for the time of year, carp anglers at Bury Hill Fisheries have been catching record numbers of thirties with over 20 thirties reported in just the past couple of weeks.

Following a few weeks of reasonable weather, the past couple of weeks has seen a run of BIG fish reported from both Temple and the Old Lake which has included 20 or so thirties, many at record weights, which is excellent fishing for the time of year. Below are details and pictures of a few of the most recent thirties caught.
Whilst Temple takes most of the limelight owing to its huge head of thirties, the Old Lake also holds a good head of bigger fish and regularly produces the odd thirty. Fishing his first session ever on the Old Lake, Rohan Huth from London had a cracking session catching 7 carp which included the first thirty of the year, a stonking common weighing 30lb 6oz. Fishing Nash Scopex 20mm boilies and Strawberry pop ups, Rohan caught from the open water in front of peg 15.

Turning to Temple, Barry Mitchell bagged a terrific brace of BIG Temple thirties this week in the shape of two mirrors weighing 36lb 11oz, the largest of the year so far and 33lb together with a smaller mirror weighing 22lb 2oz. Barry fished peg 3, catching on a CC Moore’s Strawberry and Cream pop up which he fished over Mainline Cell free offerings close to the island margins with one of his big fish coming from the channel between the islands. Both thirties were a new PB for Barry.

Another angler to do well on Temple this week was Stuart Mountjoy who has a cracking session catching 7 fish which included a brace of BIG thirties, both mirrors weighing 36lb 6oz and 35lb 3oz. Fishing swim 10, Stuart fished Cell baits over a few free offerings close to the margins.

Catching his first ever fish from Temple, Mark Gibson bagged a a well deserved stunning big mirror weighing 35lb 8oz recently, which he followed with a smaller mirror weighing 22lb 4oz. Both fish came from the left hand side of swim 14 close to the channel on balanced Cell boilies.

Temple’s guru Sean Howard has now caught three thirties in just a couple of weeks weighing 35lb 1oz, 30lb 1oz and 30lb together with a run of twenties which included a stunning mirror just under thirty weighing 29lb 8oz. Catching from different swims, Sean caught all his fish on glugged cream pop ups fished to both the island margins and open water.

Fishing his first session on Temple this year, Adrian Trent was rewarded with a brace of thirties, a stonking mirror weighing 35lb 2oz and a lovely common weighing 34lb 4oz. Fishing peg 13, Adrian caught his common on a popped up boilie which he fished close to the island margins catching his big mirror on corn also from the island margins.


Source: Bury Hill Fisheries

Be-Well Expedition Foods Self-Heating Meals offer a cost effective solution for instant hot food whilst away from home and fishing. Be-Well Expedition Foods Self-Heating Meals offers a new concept in "instant" hot food and is the answer to having a hot meal without needing a stove or matches!

With a heating time of only 10-12 minutes, the self heating Meals are ideal for use by anglers, or even to take to outdoor music festivals, sports meetings, motor rally's etc. Take a Self Heating Meal to work or the office or when working outdoors as a warm alternative to lunchtime sandwiches.

Each Self-Heating Meal Pack contains a delicious and wholesome 300g cooked, ready to eat meal in a foil pouch, a water-proof sachet with 2 heat elements and a sachet with water. Hot Pack™ Meals come in fourteen nutritious breakfast, main meal and dessert recipes so you are sure to find a taste that satisfies your palate. Choose from Lancashire Hot Pot, Chicken Casserole, Sausages and Beans, Chicken Dopiaza Curry, Meatballs and Pasta in Tomato Sauce, Vegetable Curry, Spicy Vegetable Rigatoni, and All Day Breakfast. For detailed information on each recipe see Nutrition Information of each meal.

• No Stove or cooker
• No Matches
• No re-hydration needed - just heat and enjoy
• Pack contains unique non magnesium heater, activated with water (included) to heat the meal
• No freezing, store at room temperature
• Long shelf life

Review:

We've actually reviewed two other self-heating meals from different manufacturers so pretty much know what to expect from these sort of convenience foods. So how would Be-Well Expedition Foods Self-Heating Meals stack up against the competition?

Be-Well Expedition Foods sent UK Fisherman three varieties - chicken casserole, all-day breakfast and curry. The meals are simple to heat up - activate the heater by pouring the sachet of water onto the heating pad then seal the plastic bag with the heater and the meal inside. Wait 7-8 minutes, open the bag and enjoy a perfectly hot meal!

Firstly, the process is simplicity itself. These meals are ideal when you have no access to cooking facilities, such as when fishing. The first meal I tried wasn't quite as hot as I had expected, although this was probably more due to my haste to try the food which meant I hadn't really left it long enough to heat up. The second and third times I tried these self-heating meals, I left each a few minutes longer and the food was a good deal hotter.

So how were the meals in terms of taste. Well these are convenience foods and as such you cannot expect fine dining a la Gordon Ramsey. However, these meals are really very tasty. The curry had a really good flavour and hit just the right mark for my personal taste in terms of spice - not too hot, not too mild. The chicken casserole and all-day breakfast were eqully as palatable. I would much rather tuck into a proper, tasty meal when fishing, rather than relying on a couple of manky sandwiches I might have made that morning or a "heart attack on a plate" burger from the fishery burger van.

My only criticism (and this is being a bit picky) was there was no fork included in the pack, so if you have forgotten to take one with you, you may have to eat with your hands!

To sum up, I would highly recommend Be-Well Expedition Foods Self-Heating Meals to anyone who wants a convenient, tasty hot meal in any situation where there is no access to cooking facilities.

Score:

Prices and where to Buy:

• Each meal currently costs £5.39 (exluding shipping)

For more information or to purchase Be-Well Expedition Foods Self-Heating Meals online, please visit their website at:

www.bewellexpeditionfoods.com

By Crazy Crab

Uk Fisherman's guide to coarse and freshwater fish features an introduction to some of the most commonly found coarse fish in UK waters, their habitats and the best bait and tactics you can use to catch them.

The Salmon and Trout Association: Game anglers influencing national decision makers over the management and protection of salmon, trout and sea trout, the conservation of water and the diverse environments upon which all aquatic life depends.

NEWSLETTER: May 2010

New Government:

At last we have a new Government and, for all the negotiations which went on around it, we have a Defra Fisheries Minister for England and Wales - Richard Benyon, to whom congratulations on his appointment - who shadowed that post in Opposition, and so there is commendable continuity in this important ministerial position.  We spoke with him a couple of times before the Election, and gave him the list of issues we would like to see addressed in the months ahead, which we reported in the last E-Newsletter.  Richard Benyon is an angler and knows a good deal about the fisheries’ world, having an interest in the River Kennet in Berkshire and the Findhorn in Scotland.  We look forward very much to working with him, and will be seeking a ministerial meeting with him in the near future.

Final Call for Aquaculture Petition pages:

Many of you have pages on which you have collected signatures for our Aquaculture Petition.  Could we please ask you to send them in to HQ as quickly as possible, so that we can collate the final number before submission to the Scottish Government?  If you have not already signed the Petition, you can still do so electronically, click here, but please do so by June 10th.

NASCO and Aquaculture

The annual North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation (NASCO) meeting is to be held in Quebec, Canada, in the first week of June, where the main issue will be Aquaculture!  Suffice to say that the whole NGO contingent will be bringing some intense pressure on the delegations over their management of the global salmon farming industry, because none of them do it at all well – and Scotland is worse than most!

Web Site Podcast on Aquaculture:

Listen to a short Podcast on our web site with well known actor and fisherman, Geoffrey Palmer, talking to S&TA Chief Executive, Paul Knight, about the problems associated with, and possible solutions for, Aquaculture.

Scottish Mixed Stock Fisheries Report Published:

The long awaited MSF report was published recently.  Although S&TA was represented on the working group by the Chief Executive, we were not able to sign up to the final report because, in seeking to find consensus between netsmen and wild fish organisations, it failed to produce sufficiently strong recommendations for the future management of Scotland’s coastal MSFs.  Overall, the report is long on the need for more research but critically short of immediate action, as it deems that the present scientific data is insufficient – an attitude that epitomises the lack of urgency shown by the Government and its advisors.  In contrast, S&TA and our colleagues in the Association of Salmon Fishery Boards repeatedly called for the precautionary approach to be adopted, a principle signed up to by Scotland as a member of the EU delegation at NASCO.  Meanwhile, we will be highlighting Scotland’s continuing reluctance to manage its coastal MSFs at the annual NASCO meeting in June, and with Marine Science Scotland thereafter.

Blueprint for Water Re-write:

Many of you will have seen the Blueprint for Water, the ten-point ask of Government produced by the Blueprint team in 2007 (now incorporated under the Wildlife and Countryside Link banner) for the future management of water and the aquatic environment in England and Wales.  It has been decided to update the document for the new Government, and S&TA is taking the lead on rewriting two of the Asks – 1) Stop Pollutants Contaminating our Water, and 2) Restore Rivers from Source to Sea.  The new document will have the support of Link’s 8 million members, which should add something of a bite to the fisheries’ voice.  The new version should be ready for presentation to the Government in early summer.

Blueprint for Wales?

Although the original Blueprint was very successful in England, one of the accusations levelled at us was that it did not cover Wales.  Link operates at UK level, but has a sister organisation in Wales which addresses purely Welsh issues.  S&TA believes that a version of the Blueprint for Wales would be extremely valuable, and we intend to try and coordinate a similar document this year, involving especially the Welsh Rivers Trusts, WSTAA and Link Wales, all of whom we will contact shortly.  More details to follow.    

Hydropower

Still a serious problem for fisheries’ interests.  S&TA represented fisheries’ NGOs at a recent Environment Agency workshop looking into the streamlining of the permitting and planning process for hydropower applications.  We were well received, and were able to put across our point that hydropower MUST sit within integrated catchment management plans, coordinating all the issues relevant to river management, rather than being treated on a piecemeal basis as at present.  This received good agreement around the table, but the problem keeps coming back to a lack of baseline information at catchment level, and no spare resources to go out and obtain it.  Meanwhile, EA planning officers are being forced to make decisions without having this basic data available.  So, hydropower remains a deep frustration, and an issue we will be addressing with the new Defra team at the earliest opportunity.

Game Fair

If you would like to help the S&TA this year at the CLA Game Fair (Ragley Hall, Alcester, Warwickshire - July 23rd, 24th & 25th), where we are responsible for organising casting competitions, championships and clinics, please contact Philip Wellesley-Davies on 0118 972 2921 (home), 07970 848 534 (mobile) or philipwd@hotmail.com (Subject: ‘Game Fair 2010 Help’) – a free entrance ticket and food voucher will be given to each volunteer, in return for 2x2 hour stints on the day.

Membership
Do you have a friend – or friends! – who isn’t/aren’t a member(s) of the S&TA but who you think really should be?   Point them to our thought-provoking questionnaire on the website, linked from the box on the Home page headed “Answer These Ten Questions and Find Out When Your Fishing Days will End” Click here.

We rely on our membership income and donations to enable us to continue working on these and many other issues on your behalf so please encourage your friends and acquaintances to do their bit by joining the Salmon & Trout Association – why not forward this E-Newsletter to your contacts list?  Also, if you haven’t already signed up to Gift Aid your subscription or donation, please do so – click here.

Any angler aged 12 years or over, fishing for salmon, trout, freshwater fish or eels in England (except the River Tweed), Wales or the Border Esk and its tributaries in Scotland must have an Environment Agency rod licence.

Rod licences are available from Post Office outlets throughout England and Wales, online, by direct debit and over the telephone on 0844 800 5386. The phone line is open from 8.30am to 8.00pm daily from March to September and 8.30am to 6.00pm from October to February.

How much does it cost?

Prices for 2010/11 rod licences — valid from 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011

Category	Non-migratory trout, char, freshwater fish (coarse fish) and eels	Salmon and migratory trout (sea trout), non-migratory trout, char, freshwater fish (coarse fish) and eels
Full season (expires 31st March 2011)	£27.00	£72.00
Junior Concession	£5.00	£5.00
Senior Concession	£18.00	£48.00
8 Day	£10.00	£23.00
1 Day	£3.75	£8.00

A salmon and sea trout licence covers you to fish for non-migratory trout and coarse fish as well. Failure to have a licence is an offence.

Remember: If you are fishing with 3 or 4 rods then you will need to purchase a second licence.

Concessionary licences

• junior concession is available to anglers aged 12 and under
• senior concession is available to anglers aged 65 and over
• you have a Blue Badge parking concession, or are in receipt of Disability Living Allowance. You will need to provide your Blue Badge Number or National Insurance Number when buying your licence

Important information

• Anglers under the age of 12 do not need a rod licence to go fishing
• Full and concessionary rod licences expire on the 31st March each year
• 1-day rod licence is valid for 24 consecutive hours
• 8-day rod licence is valid for 192 consecutive hours from the start time and date

Be warned!

If you fish without a rod licence you are cheating other anglers, it is an offence to fish for freshwater fish and eels without a valid rod licence and if you are caught you may be fined up to £2,500.

The money raised through rod licence sales is invested directly in fisheries work that benefits all anglers.

** Buy a rod licence online now >>

WIN a pair of limted edition fish prints. Approximately 6.5 inches x 6.5 inches, they would best fit into a mount (not supplied) of approximately 12.25 inches by 12.25 inches. Each print is limited to 350 copies worldwide and signed by the artist. Each print has been beautifully reproduced from a hand painted original in light-fast inks on ACID-FREE Huntsman velvet board by one of the UK's leading fine art printers.

How to Enter:

One lucky UK Fisherman reader will win a pair of hand printed fish prints. To enter, all you have to do is send us a fishing related picture that we can add to our gallery. Please also send us a brief description about the picture. The best picture received will win ... simple!

Pictures must be either .jpg, .gif or .png format and must not exceed 5mb in size.

Please complete the competition entry form below.

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• The closing date for this competition is 31st July 2013
• This competition is being run jointly with our friends at Fish South East
• The winner be drawn at random once the competiton has closed and the winner will be notified within 2 weeks of the closing date.
• The judges decision is final and no debate will be entered into.
• The competition is open to UK residents only and only one entry per person is allowed.
• Please refer to our privacy policy for details of how UK Fisherman manages data that may identify you.

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Chatton Ladies have entered 2 ladies teams in the Macmillan's Fishing Day at Derwent 11th October. The ladies have grown in strength and enthusiasm over the season and are looking forward to entering again, for some of the ladies it will be there first competition.

Ali has the assistance from a fishing instructor on the day, to help with coaching and fishing advice.

Ali commented:
“I’m thrilled we have 2 ladies teams entering this year for such a good cause. All the money raised will be used to fund vital cancer services, from specialist nurses and doctors to help and advice for people who have financial problems because of their cancer.”

Any ladies interested in entering this event please contact Ali at Chatton. No experience necessary, just a smile and the opportunity to help a good cause. If you wish to donate to such a good cause please contact Ali at Chatton or visit our Just giving page called Chatton ladies.

We have our last training session 4th october 2009 at chatton fishery.

From some of the highest points on the planet to some of the lowest, from the coldest to the hottest, real life action hero Bear Grylls has seen and conquered it all. The first groundbreaking series Born Survivor: Bear Grylls will be released for the first time on DVD in three parts; Mountains; Deserts & Swamps and Scotland, courtesy of Demand DVD in February and March 2009.

Born Survivor: Bear Grylls Scotland

Bear shows how to survive in Scotland’s Cairngorm National Park. Half a million people visit every year, walking the glens or climbing in the mountains, but few realise how inhospitable a place it truly is; being classed as an Arctic landscape.

Bear shows how to navigate using ice formations and moss growth, create shelter, find water and trap food. Also featured as a bonus program is Iceland, where Bear demonstrates how to make a snow cave, find water in deep tunnels, avoid frostbite and survive amidst the freezing glaciers, steaming geothermal vents and huge black sand deserts.

Title: Born Survivor: Bear Grylls Scotland
Release date: 23 March 2009
RRP: £14.99

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Further Information:

For further information or any press materials please contact: Miles Weaver at Aim Publicity on 0208 245 7903 or email miles@aimpublicity.com

Other Bear Grylls adventures on DVD:

• Born Survivor: Bear Grylls Mountains >>
• Born Survivor: Bear Grylls Deserts and Swamps >>
• Born Survivor: Bear Grylls Survivor >>
• Born Survivor: Bear Grylls Patagonia and Panama >>