February 7th, 2012
By admintfg
WHAT HAVE I BEEN DOING
A trip to Sky TV for the first episode of Tight Lines in February and I found myself in HD – What a shock although Keith Arthur looked wrinklier than me. Tell you what the sea fishing tackle and gear demos we did on screen came out crystal clear and I predict Tight Lines will become even more adventurous with tackle demos in future weeks.
I had a disagreement with the local South Kent fishermen over the lack of cod in the English Channel – I have only caught one small codling from the shore this year and compared with results of the past when I once record 100 cod over 10lb in a season 2011/12 has been a disaster. I tell you another thing its not down to my lack of angling skill or effort. There simply are very few cod in the English Channel currently and that’s despite the boats producing a few lunkers in recent weeks. A whopping 39lber came out of Eastbourne aboard Deep Blue skippered by Steve Bradshaw.
Hard at work for Sea Angler Magazine I have been finalising the 2011 Penn league results, a tedious job getting all those hundreds of points and surnames in numerical and alphabetical order. Anyway the task is nearly complete and next comes the Final. Whilst I qualified for the final myself this year because its at my Dover home town I am not fishing, I cant have people saying I fixed it to be at Dover when I qualified. Anyway this year it’s a two-day final and as way of a challenge its one day on Dover breakwater and one day on Samphire Hoe, weather willing.
A well know match angler has been caught with fish in his possession before a big southern event and the repercussions around the match scene are still reverberating along the beaches and on Face book. My only hope is the Angling Trust does the right thing and takes action. Lots of sea anglers will not join the AT because they feel they are not represented. This will show what the Angling Trust are made of – Will they wimp out, or if the allegations are proven ban the angler concerned! As far as many are concerned it’s a test case and my membership is in an envelope on the desk awaiting the result.
COMPETITIONS, ETC
Back home from the Irish winter beach championships with more euros than I took, I had a pool or match pick up on all three days. Although no silverware, actually some great crystal vases are to be won at the event. The three day match was won by the Irish with a clean sweep over the top three, well done to David Roe of Dublin for winning two years on the trot. Second was Joe Byrne and third Rod Stewart look alike, Ian Knight. My only disappointment with the event was that it has now become a flounder contest with all three days fishing the shallower flounder beaches – Could it be the Irish have found a way to beat the English – steer clear of venues with lots of whiting, dabs and rockling where the snatchers excel?
Here the winter finally arrived on the eve of the Kent dab Champs which I organise each year from Folkestone pier. The snow hit the entry big time and only 15 managed to get to Folkestone pier on match day despite the pier being sold out. But, whilst the dabs were absent a number of codling, which didn’t count in the event, showed – Is it not always the way. Match winner was Lloyd Page of Sheerness with 4 dabs for 2lb 14oz from peg 40 on the piers inside stretch.
Fancy a trip to Gambia for a one-hook beach match? – I didn’t at first, but the idea has grown on me. Organised by Brit, Bernard Westgarth it’s on the 11th until 9th April – Bait supplied, entry for the three days is £200, flights and accommodation can be arranged. Contact Bernard: bernardwestgarth@yahoo.co.uk. www.fishthegambia.com
TACKLE AND WINTER TIPS
Frozen lugworm is great bait during late winter – the dabs and rockling love it – But here is a tip from Kent angler, Leigh Chapman. He partly thaws his frozen blacks and then pops” them in the microwave oven. They literally “pop” when they are ready for the hook, firm and just like the live fresh thing – Amazing. Only problem I have found is a 13Amp socket on the beach to plug the Microwave into?
I have found the answer to those infuriating pyramid leads which hold bottom great, but retrieve like a sack of monkeys as they bury and bundle in the sand. A Sardinian designed lead with a pyramid at top and bottom which holds well and retrieves smooth. Great when accompanied by a Delta quiver tip outfit loaded with braid or mono.
February 1st, 2012
By admintfg
I bet you have your special little place where you like to sneak off too now and again, just to regain some confidence in your angling ability? Chew Valley is the place to go where fishing tackle is indeed tested and more than often dreams become reality.
Chew valley lake is a special place, both for trout anglers and now for the pike chasers alike. A combination of factors has led to Chew becoming the best Pike fishery in the UK with numerous 30 pound plus fish being caught.
The fishing is allocated by a limited numbers draw system which could see you rubbing shoulders with some piking legends such as Neville Fickling, Dave Kelbrick, Martin Bowler and the like. With 50 anglers fishing it every day of the trials it can be a bit of a lottery and getting on the earlier days of the week also helps. I was lucky enough to have a cancellation day for middle of the first week , but this only produced a double and some jack pike whilst that very same day two 40’s and 7 30’s came out! I think this was down to us moving spots too many times; the big ones were coming out purely to static dead baits left to soak for a good few hours.
My fellow Fishtec staff member Garrett had put his name down for the draw and had been lucky enough to get a boat for Sunday, the last day of the first week. As a total pike virgin he needed an experienced guide and of course I leapt at the chance to have another crack at the chew pike. We set off at 6.30 am to get to the lodge for 8.00am, the idea being to wolf down a full English which is all part of the chew tradition. Garrett truly obliged and was the first to clear his plate, in fact it was picked clean of every scrap in a short space of time much to the amazement and amusement of our fellow diners.
The essential start to the day
We soon had our boat number and we headed out into a calm still and cold lake, which made a pleasant change from the recent wet and windy weather. I took us to a spot in open water on a drop off which had produced some great catches for me in pervious trials; it was here we sat it out for a good couple of hours and after fine tuning our position one of my floats finally bobbed under. I explained to Garrett the need to take in the slack line and then set the hooks with a firm sweep of the rod, but upon demonstrating this technique my trusted Greys prodigy boat rod fractured into four pieces with a loud bang! It was a bit of a hair raising fight bringing the fish to the side of the net on just a butt section with the danger of the jagged carbon cutting through my line at any moment, and to top it off I could see just one hook point of the two treble hook in the scissors of the pike. Thankfully my TF Gear redmist main line took the strain Garrett was a dab hand with the net and we got the fish in the boat. She was as fat as a hog and turned the scales at 22lb 4 oz.
Check the broken rod
22lb 4oz Ceri Pike
We sat it out for another few hours, with nothing but news of my pal Leighton Ryan and his boat partner landing a 25 and a 30!
TFG fan Leighton with his 25 pound lump
As it was getting on in the day I decided to take us to a shallow bay where Garrett would have a almost guaranteed catch of a jack to avoid the dreaded blank. Sure enough he soon got a run and landed his first ever pike.
Garrett's First Jack
Not long after he had a dropped run and then connected with a confident pick up which bent the rod double, sadly it was not to be and the hooks pulled after a short fight. I had the feeling it was a real zoo animal maybe one of the 30’s! It was a hard call to make whether to stick it out in the same area, but I chanced It and took us back to our earlier spot for the last hour which is often the best time for a big one. Sure enough as the temperature and light fell Garretts float went under, and this time he stuck well and kept the pressure on. The fish wallowed on the top and was revealed as a decent fish, after a short tussle I did the honours with net and we weighed her in at 21lb 8 oz. Our time was up but I was well made up with a 20 each and helping Garrett capture a specimen pike of a size that has taken many experienced pikers years to achieve.
Garretts 20 pounder
January 20th, 2012
By admintfg
I spend at least one night a week, during the spring, summer and some of the autumn, out camping. This means I can fish for 2 days but only necessitates one trip there and back. It makes more economic sense to do it that way. Up till now I have used a cheap sleeping bag from my carp fishing days. I guess it did the job OK. It was quite cheaply made to be fair and most of the bedchair attachments had broken and when the temperature dropped it was next to useless.
So I decided to invest in a new bag. Something that would keep me warm in the colder months but hopefully not cook me on a summer’s evening. I ordered the new Dave Lane Hardcore bag. I thought that with his name endorsing it, it must be good. I’m pleased to say that I wasn’t disappointed.
It is made from a breathable material, so even in the height of the summer you shouldn’t sweat your socks off. Well no more than you would normally on a hot summer’s night. It’s very spacious, which I like and has an intriguing design that enables you to expand the bag either side. You can unzip a folded section of the bag to add to its width by several inches on each side. The bag is surprisingly lightweight too. It seems unusually thin considering its ability to keep you warm in sub zero conditions. I have used the bag quite a bit recently and I felt very snug, despite the bitterly cold conditions.
The bag itself seems well made and I like the robust bedchair tags used for tying the bag onto the bedchair. The zips are heavy duty and nothing about the bag gives the impression of being made on the cheap. I don’t actually fish whilst using a bag, so I can’t comment on its ease of escape whilst a bite alarm screams at you in the middle of the night. What I can tell you is that its very comfortable, light and well made.
I would certainly recommend it.
Here is the manufacturers speil:
When temperatures turn freezer-like it’s time for the Hardcore Sleeping bag.
When travelling fast and light it’s time for the Hardcore Sleeping bag.
When you need a bag that breathes on warm summer nights it’s time for the Hardcore Sleeping bag.
When you need the best it’s time for the Hardcore sleeping bag!
This remarkable sleeping bag has been developed and tested to destruction by the UK’s best carp angler Dave Lane. Whether session fishing in the depths of winter, or quick overnighters in the summer, this is the only bag Dave Lane will ever use.
Pushing the boundaries of sleeping bag technology the Hardcore Sleeping bag is the first and only genuine all season sleeping bag, Hardcore is rated to expedition level for winter fishing, yet due to it’s intelligent breathable outer it will allow you to remain perspiration free during hot, summer nights.
Features
• The highest warmth to weight ratio
• Premium quality filing – instant and sustained heat throughout the coldest nights
• Breathable – no more unpleasant sweating during warm nights
• Unique expander panel – adjust your sleeping bag for your individual body shape
• Soft, luxurious lining
• Genuine all year round comfort
• Crash Zips – so easy to exit
• Bedchair attachment straps
• Tested and approved by Dave Lane
See the Fishtec website for more information: TF Gear Dave Lane Hardcore Sleeping Bag
January 8th, 2012
By Dave Lane
My first trip of the year was on January the second, which just happened to coincide with one of the biggest low pressure systems of the winter sweeping across the country, the forecast was pretty foreboding and they were talking about storm force winds and rain, not something you usually get the fishing rods out in?
For some reason that I still cannot figure I had decided to fish on the opposite bank to the one I usually favour, I think my reasoning was something to do with the dog actually. On the road bank of the lake Paddy only gets a pathway behind the swims and I thought that he could do with the extra exercise that the grassy area of the far bank offers. Also, I had been concentrating on the road bank for the last few trips and I was getting a bit bored of the same old view every week so it would make a nice change for me too. The fish can come out from either side and the mild weather seems to have kept them on the move a bit this year so I was just as confident whichever side I chose.
The rocky bank (as it is known) would have the disadvantage of the wind pumping straight into it but, as I’d arrived before the worst of it had hit, I was confident that I could get enough bait out there at the start and just fish over it for the two nights ahead, regardless of the conditions.
If I had realised at the time quite how severe it was going to get then I might have chosen differently but, by lunchtime I was quite happy with my swim choice, the bait had spodded out there without too much hassle and I had all four rods on good, clean areas.
By mid afternoon I was starting to have doubts as the wind had trebled in strength and the waves were starting to crash into the front of my swim, which unfortunately faced straight out into the strengthening weather. By the time it got dark the full force of the low pressure system was upon me and the radio was saying the winds were gusting at sixty miles and hour but, from where I sat, it felt more like 160 miles an hour!
If there ever was going to be a test for the new bivvy then this was the night, I had to have the door zipped firmly down the entire time as the wind would have inflated the sides and ripped the pegs out in seconds if not. Throughout the first half of the night it was unbelievably bad and then, about midnight, it was as if somebody had a switched on an extra turbo-booster and any chance of sleep went out the window.
At one stage I risked going out for a wee and found that my unhooking mat, rod bag and all the extra little bits and pieces I had left outside (including a bucket of maggots) were all strewn across the field behind me, hanging from bushes and brambles.
At half past five in the morning, just as the wind was at it’s very strongest, one of the rods burst into life and I actually groaned in pain at the thought of having to go out there and deal with a fish. I’d half thought it might just be a big tree branch blowing through the lines or something but no; it was definitely a carp and an angry one as well. It was almost impossible to feel what was happening at the other end of the line; in fact it was all I could do to stand upright. The worst part was the netting, as I lifted the net off the ground it was like putting up a sail, it was almost ripped out of my hand.
Somehow though, between the waves, the uncontrollable landing net and the driving rain I managed to scoop up my hard won prize and I was pleased to see that it was considerably bigger than the previous weeks offering.
Hiding behind the fir trees to the side of the swim I managed to get enough shelter to weigh him in at twenty seven pounds, a fair reward for all the endurance I suppose.
The photography was a bit hairy though as I has to set up my nice new camera on a tripod and just pray that the wind didn’t smash it to pieces before I could gat a couple of quick shots.
With the fish all sorted and returned I unzipped the door and climbed back into the comparative warmth and serenity of the bivvy only to find that my bed had been totally dog-napped and he was fast asleep with his head on my pillow!
The next day was one of the wettest and most miserable days imaginable, I really wanted to move to somewhere more comfortable (like home) but the rain just slashed down relentlessly and I decided the easiest move was to zip the door back down and go to bed, staying put for yet another wild night. Luckily though there was a slight shift in the wind, the southerly stopped and left only the strong westerly which meant that it wasn’t blowing straight at me anymore and I could actually have the luxury of an open doorway. Once again though I had the only bite of the session and the fish decided not to make a return visit for the second night. I was pleased to get the first one of the year under my belt but there must be a way of getting more than one bite every forty eight hours.
Next week I think I’ll either move about a bit more or maybe fish all four rods on different depth zigs in the hours of daylight before swapping back to the bottom for the nights. Whatever happens though, I doubt I’ll fish in conditions as severe as that again for a while.
Oh, and by the way, the bivvy stayed rock solid for the entire trip so it passed it big test with flying colours and I also managed to retrieve all my missing gear from the bushes, although most of the maggots had managed to make good their escape.
January 7th, 2012
By Dave Lane
Happy New Year to all of you and may all your dreams turn into bent fishing rods, wet nets and huge carp.
Now that all the festivities are over, the remains of the turkey has finally been deposited in the bin (and good riddance to it) and the relatives you thought would never leave have at last got the hint, it is time to dust off the rods and get back out there on the bank.
The weather this winter has been so mild hasn’t it, it’s more like Autumn than winter and even a mild frost is a rarity, or at least it is around here.
The winds though, they have definitely been the main feature of the last few weeks, howling great Westerly’s and South Westerly’s have been ravaging the lakes and clearing out all the deadwood from the trees. My dog has loved it, everywhere he looks there are sticks to play with, it’s like doggy heaven.
I had a trip up to Monks just before the new year, just to get a bit of a fix before the enforced lay-off and I also wanted to play about with my maggot presentation a bit, just fine tuning the rigs as the Monks carp seem to love those little wrigglers in the winter.
There were three other guys on when I arrived, which is fairly busy for mid week so I was surprised to find one of my favourite swims still free, particularly as it was nice and sheltered on the back of the wind. I do like the back of the wind in winter, I think it produces equally as many, if not more, fish than ‘on the wind’ and it makes the whole session so much more enjoyable as well.
One of the guys at the lake had taken a trip to the maggot farm so I picked up my order of two gallons and set about spodding it all out there using a ‘spomb’ which are so much easier for the maggots than a conventional spod.
With both the bottom rigs on clear spots, a couple of zigs set up at varying depths and the Hardcore bivvy set up against the elements it was just a case of sticking the kettle on and waiting, and waiting, and waiting!
The peak on this bivvy really makes such a big difference when the weather is a bit iffy, from where I sat I could still watch the water perfectly but the wind and occasional shower where kept just out of harm’s way, no annoying dripping of rainwater into the front of the bivvy area either. You do need to be comfortable at this time of year as the winter nights just seem to drag on forever and I think there was about fourteen hours of darkness to endure, luckily though the boredom was interrupted about six in the morning by a take and, after a brief but unconvincing tussle, a little mirror of around sixteen pounds rolled into the net.
Although he wasn’t the biggest of carp he was the only fish between us all that night so I was still quite happy and full of confidence for the second night, so confident that I used up the remainder of the bait and put extra effort into making sure the rigs all landed bang on the right spots. Quite often in the winter the takes can come at pretty much the exact same times each day so I was surprised, and a little disappointed when I woke up at first light and nothing else had occurred.
The conditions had stayed the same and, you would have thought, ideal but the carp had different ideas, in fact that was the only bite between all the sixteen rods fishing throughout the entire two days.
Personally, I am not convinced that the mild and windy weather is any better in the winter. We all tend to relate it to feeding weather but, is it what the fish really want. Surely the winters should be cold and frosty with high pressure and nice crisp sunny days, I know one thing for sure, it’s definitely what we need for the zigs to start working properly. I have yet to get a bite on a zig this year which is very strange as this has been my most successful method over the last two winters, it’s one of those methods that can just kick into gear at any time though and, when it does, the results can be amazing.
January 6th, 2012
By admintfg
WHAT HAVE I BEEN DOING
I have been out in Kent after the gales over the night tides without catching a cod – its whiting city from the Kent shore with the thousands of small hungry mouths eating other species out of house and home. So my advice if its cod you want is to go and fish somewhere else other than Kent – The Bristol Channel being worth the drive!!!!!
Meanwhile in Kent it’s a bite a second with the whiting and last week my son Richard fishing in a Deal 1919 Angling Club beach match weighed in 38 dogfish – no mean feat in three hours. Most hate dogfish, but in a match they can be hectic, the clubs in my region give you 500 grams C & R per dogfish which is a great idea although some say we should cull them.
I did well in a couple of pier events at Folkestone with lots of big fat sprat dabs, whilst the only open I fished was the British Legion open on Hythe Ranges over the holiday and I packed up early fed up with the undersized whiting.
Currently the weather is hanging on and the freezing conditions have not yet got a grip but they will and then its going to be even harder although we have the rays to look forward because they arrive earlier every year with some big thornbacks around from March onwards.
COMPETITIONS, ETC
I have not been to Gambia for a couple of years – The championship organised in November had become stale with close pegging and duff venues deterring me from going again. BUT now I see Bernard Westgarth who has a house and angling guiding business in the Gambia is putting on an event in April so I am interested in returning for that although the one hook idea I am not keen. Going on a fishing holiday I want a maximum chance of catching and one hook is not that – Better would be two rods with one hook or one rod with two hooks. Anyway the details are.
THE GAMBIA BEACH CHAMPIONSHIPS
Pegged Match Series to take place on selected beaches in The Gambia, West Africa 15th to 19th APRIL 2012. Match days are Sunday 15th , Monday 16th , Tuesday17 th and Wednesday, 18th April 2012. Presentation & Prize Giving: Thursday, 19 April.
Limited entry of 30 anglers on a first come, first served basis.
All venues will be pegged and zoned (depending upon numbers).
Matches will be based on a point system with each species being awarded a set number of points.
All fish exceeding 3kg being awarded 10 additional points.
All matches are to be one hook.
Only bait provided by the organisers will be permitted and will be distributed on each match day.
Flights and accommodation can be arranged if required.
Transport to/from match venues is included within match fees.
All interested parties must be registered and fully paid by 31 January 2012. For those interested details of costs and a full set of competition rules can be provided by contacting Bernard Westgarth on 01325 720113 (evenings).
e: bernardwestgarth@yahoo.co.uk | www.fishthegambia.com
TACKLE AND WINTER TIPS
A number of anglers have commented on my rod rest light – It’s a Speleo headlamp, which I have bolted to the top of the rod rest so that it shines up the rod rings. It’s a really effective way of highlighting the rod tip. I have enhanced the whole set up by adding a set of luminous insert rod rings to my original TF Gear Force 8 beach caster.
Its spring clean time – don’t you just get the urge to sort out the tackle box, I do. A purge on the rig winder/wallet will see all my winders go in the dishwasher for their annual shower. It’s a great way to clean off the lug crud, weed etc (thanks to Heather Lindfield for the original idea) But don’t forget to let them all dry off before you put them back in the wallet. Leads are always in need of some maintenance – Don’t know about you, but I think Breakaway wire has gone down hill – wires on their grips never used to snap so easily? Anyway I take the time to redo the wires of my leads and the bonus of this is that you can choose the wire type and length you want.
I have also sent several multipliers back to the service centre for an overhaul, repair etc. I shall be switching to the multi tip and fixed spools in coming weeks, rockling matches are looming, so the next few months is the time for so reel TLC. Make sure you pack them securely and send by registered post or courier with a list of the problems – AND don’t forget to include your return address – you would be surprised how many anglers send reels in for repair etc and don’t include their address!
January 5th, 2012
By admintfg
THE NEW YEAR SCRATCH
This month the cod season is well and truly underway and it’s the time when the bigger fish venture close to shore, especially after a big sea. Its time to make the most of the few spring tides left with a live bait rig the way to go for the biggest cod on many venues. However within four weeks and the arrival of February the bigger fish will thin out drastically in many regions and it’s then that the fishing and the weather sorts the men from the boys.
If you want to continue sea fishing into February the biggest problem is that you will encounter some really extreme fishing weather, whilst at the same time the fishing will deteriorate. Both boat and shore anglers need to heed mum’s advice and wrap up warm and that means long socks, thermals suits and that all important hat. Of course venturing out when the weather is severe is difficult because it always looks much worse than it is! But, usually once you have made the decision to go and fish the weather doesn’t seem so bad and providing you have good waterproofs and a shelter even the worst Mother Nature can throw down can be bearable!
The decreasing temperatures have a dramatic effect on the next few months fishing, watch out for cold shallower water and frozen sand at low water which deters fish from venturing close. Fresh water, rain or snow melt coming out of drains, rivers, stream etc is also the enemy of the shore angler because it will push the fish out away from the shore line. I have a golden rule about beach fishing at this time of year and that is not to fish anywhere where my cast lands on ground that has been uncovered or exposed to low temperatures at low water. Even better I ONLY fish from the deepest water beaches, rock marks and the piers.
Mention February and lots of shore anglers pull faces at the thought of an invasion of slugs (rockling). Make no mistake the New Year heralds the departure of all the adult fish of most species to spawn around the greater part of the UK and that’s why it’s considered tiddler time. All amount of bravado and using a 4/0 Pennell rig loaded with whole Calamari squid will fail miserably because there simple are no big fish inshore in a majority of regions. At best in a few places is the chance of a 5lb codling, although I have to say that the rays now start to appear earlier every year and they can turn up as early as February and so its wide to keep an eye on catch reports.
I for one carry on fishing through the early part of the year, lots of anglers don’t and put their gear away until spring. Much depends where you live and fish and what floats your boat! It’s a far different approach that is needed to carry on fishing when its tiddlers only. Instead of large hooks and giant baits it’s more delicate tackle and catch measure and return match fishing that is required. It’s a time for the more delicate and fish attractive baits like white ragworm or maddies, a more refined approach to tackle with lighter hook snoods, wire booms, size 4 match hooks and the softer actioned quiver tip rod. Lots of match anglers have discovered the fun of switching to a sea quiver tip rod and fixed spool reel to exaggerate bites and braid is fast becoming the line to use for short range tiddler snatching.
Although its small fish time in many regions the bigger codling are still possible and they often muscle in on feeding dabs and other tiddlers so it’s wise if you go for small hooks to use a strong pattern.
Dab fishing may not appear very exciting but for many anglers it’s the challenge of catching fish under difficult conditions that is the thrill rather than the size of the fish. When the frost is nibbling the ears a few dabs can be a great reward for some scratchy plus they make great eating.
Some tips to help you catch more dabs include adding a few sequins to your hook snoods when fishing in clear water. A small tip of fish, shellfish or squid can also be a deadly lugworm cocktail of dabs but keep the tip bait small finger nail size. For flounders little beats a bunch of wriggly maddies tipped with a small strip of mackerel plus a buoyant bead (it works for dabs too) to give the bait a little lift and movement in the current. Dabs and those slug like rockling love sticky decaying lugworm with four day old black lugworm a prime bait for February match fishing. So don’t throw your lugworm bait away after a trip, keep it until next week and you will find it deadly for the tiddlers especially dabs
Finally, one of the most crucial tactical decisions when fishing in the New Year concerns casting distance – The whack it as far as you can early winter tactic which works for the codling and whiting found in the deepest water no longer catches in February, it fact its nearly always out to far, way past the feeding fish. More effective is an accurate cast to the gutter between low and high tide line, or the back or front of a sand bank or gulley. Other hot spots include the ends of wooden groynes or rock ledges which the fish hugging the shoreline have to go around. Consistent casting to the same spot also pays dividends.
The biggest bonus of this time of year in match fishing terms is that catch and release events mean fewer fish killed. Place them in a bucket of water before you measure register and return – Of course you can retain the bigger fish to eat, but many go back and can be caught again in the future.
DETAILS OF THE TF GEAR DELTA QUIVER TIP BEACHCASTER
Delta Allrounder is a 16ft multi tip rod designed for competition fishing and continental style fishing. Casting 2-5oz leads, It also comes complete with 3 interchangable quiver tips ranging from 200g upto 600g making it perfect for scratching around for flatties and smaller species. It come with a sliding reel seat and is suitable for both fixed & multiplier reels.
January 3rd, 2012
By admintfg
WHAT HAVE I BEEN DOING
I hope you all liked the new TF Gear DVD with Matt Hayes and myself shore and boat fishing inSouth Wales. Boy did we have some weather to contend with, it rained and blew all week. But we caught fish thanks to the help of Clive Vedmore of Barry Angling Centre who sorted the bait, Roy Tapper our guide and Steve Jones on his charter boat, Indiana out of Cardiff who put is on the fish.
If you don’t have a copy of the DVD it is available from TF Gear dealers. For a list etc contact. TF Gear unit 5&6 Industrial Estate, Brecon, Powys. LD3 8LA Tel. 08719117045 Web: www.tfgear.co.uk
I bit off more than I could chew whilst fishing the Clubman Final at Kelling against the Holt SAC – Making a film for Tight Lines I was miked up all day and at the beck and call of the producer and camera man – It played havoc with my cast timing and time by the rod and I finished a dismal eighth out of ten, that’s my excuse anyway. The Sea Angler team who fished against the Clubman champions included: myself, Chris Clark, Joc Goudie, John Wells and the SA editor, Mel Russ. The Holt SAC team was Tony Thomas, Paul Fenech, Dean Conway, Peter Loke and Peter Morse. They pipped the Sea Angler squad by a couple of biggest round fish which was a significant margin because they had the only round fish caught worth 10 and 9 points respectfully. Otherwise it was a tight match – Star of the show was Tony Thomas of Sheringham who pegged next to me, ignored the dabs at short range and landed three codling at range for some mega points. A bit of local knowledge and some white ragworm did the trick, whilst the Sea Angler team had failed to spot the importance of the round fish in the complicated points system. A great days friendly club fishing, mind you one of the Holt Team did go a bit overboard with the victory celebrations and the best consolation was to see him posing as he reeled in for the TV cameras only to have three bare hooks! The film on Sky tight lines shows sea match fishing catch and release style and is bound to raise more interest in the Club fishing and the Clubman championships which is growing in popularity – If you want details or want to enter your club team e mail me on ; alankyates@aol.com
COMPETITIONS, ETC
The round of Christmas matches is upon us – A fun way to win a turkey dinner if you get lucky. It’s great to see match anglers spend a fortune on bait and entry fees and go home with a turkey when they could have brought six with the money it cost them. This sums up what I have known for years and that that just going fishing is more important to most than winning a prize, although a consolation prize is better than being a none mentioned also run. A lesson for clubs is that the Christmas match is always the best attended of the year because of the prize structure. Anyone thought of a similar prize structure for the normal club matches?
Some New Year matches worth a visit include;
The Skua SAC Winter Open at Talacre on January 7th and 8th. Saturday fishing is from 1.30pm until 5.30pm and Sunday from 2.15pm until 6.15pm. Register at the Smugglers Inn. The event is three hooks but no crab. Contact Pete Corker on 07711622015 or Gordon Thornes on 01244 813003
On January 18th Mainwarings Angling Centre celebrate their 8Oth Anniversary with an open competition on Swansea Breakwater. (No juniors) Fishing is from8.30am until12.30pm. Its catch measure and return with a top prize of £1000. Meet at Fabian Way Park and ride for dock entry pass and peg etc. 200 entry limit. For tickets or more details contact Mainwarings Angling Centre Tel. 01792 202245
Nearer home I am organising the Kent Dab Championships on Folkestone pier on February 5th. Fishing is from10am until 4pm. Entry £10 plus pool but its pre book because pegs are limited. Alan Yates 01303 250017.
The largest Kentmatch in February is on the 12th and that’s the popular Fountain SAC Open event pegged along the beaches of Seabrook and Hythe. Fishing is from 11am until 4pm and the event carries a top prize of 1st £1000. The entry is £15 plus pool. Brian Barnes 01303 260875
TACKLE AND WINTER TIPS
With proper winter looming its time to make the most of the mildest weather – Once the shingle and sands starts to freeze then shore fishing will be just the tiddlers. Lots of the mature fish move offshore to spawn at this time of year and it’s a time for tiddlers around much of the Country. Scratchy fishing indeed unless you are in one of the regions blessed with plenty of codling. It’s that time of year.
Coming up soon is the New Year and for me it’s a time for real scratchy fishing – I like fishing delicate for flatties etc and out comes the quiver tip rod. Can’t wait to get my hands on the new 16 footer – only tested the prototype so far. Arm that with three wire whisker booms, size four hooks and some stale lug and maddies and away you go. Even the tiddlers can give you a good bite and fishing with braid on a fixed spool reel magnifies bites even more and allows the smaller fish to pull back as well.
Weed in the water can be a real pain in the winter clogging and jamming the rod tip ring. One way to eliminate its influence is to switch to a tapered shock leader so that the leader joint knot is smaller. Check out the TF Gear Aftershock tapered leaders. They are 13 metres long and with five on a spool they are available in hi Viz orange or clear.
December 11th, 2011
By admintfg
So I guess the hottest autumn on record has finally finished then? At Least the Carp fishing is still good!
I was out the other night and by Christ it was cold, the jetty in front of me was covered in ice by five o’clock in the afternoon and the weather man is predicting snow soon, I suppose it all had to come to an end sooner or later.
The fishing hasn’t been particularly brilliant lately either, at least it hasn’t for me anyway.
I’ve had some good sessions when shooting features for the magazines; three fish in a morning one week and then six in a day the following trip which makes for good articles but chasing the bigger ones for my own personal angling has somewhat dried up. I suppose it’s a bit like the weather, all good things come to an end eventually.
I can’t really complain though, as I have just had my most consistent years angling ever, I managed from February to November without a single blank session and that’s by far the best I’ve ever done.
Eventually it was the weed that beat me back more than anything, and once I stopped fishing over on the big lake at Reading I hadn’t really got a contingency plan to fall back on so I was stumped for a bit.
I spent a few weeks just dotting about on various waters that I fancy for next year but I’d left it all too late for the remainder of this year. The harder waters often close down as the weather starts to degenerate, particularly if there are not enough anglers fishing them and therefore no bait going in.
After a spell of chasing my tail I decided the best bet was to drop back onto Monks Pit for a couple of months and see if I could winkle out a couple from there and, hopefully, the one biggun that I didn’t manage to catch in the spring might just be obliging enough to make an appearance in the bottom of my net.
It’s not a fish that comes out very often, in fact it just went eighteen months without making a mistake so it might be a bit of a big ask, but as the man said ‘you have to be in it to win it’, and does weigh just over fifty pounds so even the slightest chance has got to be worth taking.
The problem with winter fishing though is the never ending hours of darkness you have to endure; at the moment it’s about fourteen hours a day! It’s not so bad if you have somebody else there to pass the time with but, if you find yourself angling alone it can drive you crazy and, in reality, I think that’s what puts most people off fishing throughout the winter months.
I’ve just got myself a new fishing dog, a Collie cross with an Old English Sheepdog, and he goes some way to helping relieve the boredom but he doesn’t exactly say much and, on our last trip, he slept for over twelve hours each night so I I found myself reading a couple of books instead.
In the past I used to suffer the cold and dark and stare out at the lake hoping for sightings of fish but, nowadays, I like to get nice and comfy and warm and read, or even watch a film on my little DVD player. I find it far easier to bear if you are at least comfortable and I have even started taking a bivvy light with me as well. I find that just having a bit of illumination in the bivvy, other than a crappy old head torch, makes life a lot easier and makes reading or rig tying a lot easier as well.
A decent bivvy with an overwrap is a must and a nice warm sleeping bag, after all if you get cold during a winter session then the only way you are ever really going to get warm again is to go home so I try to keep warm at all times. Sensible clothing, hot meals, a good pair of boots and gloves and suddenly it doesn’t all seem such a hardship, and the results are often there for the taking if you are brave enough to man it out. Winter fishing is always a lot quieter on the banks and it often throws up a higher percentage of the bigger fish in any lake, so it really is worth persevering.
On Monks the fish seem to have a definite preference for maggots during the winter, in fact I think this is becoming a bit of a trend of a lot of waters at the moment and, although they are fiddly and a lot of work to get out there on your spots I think they can really pay dividends and turn a blank session into a successful one. I’ll certainly be giving them a good go over the next few months anyway, and between that and the zigs I’m hoping to get a few winter carp on the bank. I’ll let you know how I get on as I go; hopefully the next blog I write will be a big success story and have a string of huge fish in it, that’s the plan anyway, and it’s always good to have a plan!
November 30th, 2011
By admintfg
Inside this year’s show there were many leading brands, fishing tackle and bait companies to choose from and plenty of DVDs and books from the big names in the fishing industry.
A few of the names up there were the likes of Martin Bowler, Jerry Hammond, Terry Hearn, and Danny Fairbrass to name just a few. This year was different for me as I was going with the intention of getting a few interviews with the big names.
Martin Bowler
Q. Best days fishing and where?
A. Best days fishing is my next day’s fish, as long as I’m fishing I’m happy. Where? I don’t mind, I love everything from going Salmon fishing, to sea fishing for sharks, to carp fishing.
Q. Most memorable catch and where and why?
A. It’s hard not to say the two British Records I’ve had because they are British Records. I think the 5Ib 4oz perch from catching the Impossible which I had on a pole using a flat float and I taught myself that method and employed a match fishing method to catch a huge fish under the pressure of a camera.
Q. What do you think has been the biggest innovation in fishing since you started?
A. Hair rig, its allowed people to go to sleep, use alarms and made the sport a lot easier.
Q. What are your pet hates on the bank?
A. Noise, other than angling noise and you’d be amazed when the cameras start rolling a Helicopter fly’s over your head and god knows what else.
Q. What are your plans for the coming season?
A. Making a film at the moment called ‘Chasing Shadows’ which will due out next November, other than that just enjoying myself
Gaz Fareham
Q. Best days fishing and where?
A. That’s a tough question, a couple really. The Hampshire syndicate I’m fishing, a couple of weeks ago it was an amazing day, I had two beautiful thirty pounders but I would have to say catching Heather the Leather and then going straight to Glastonbury after.
Q. Most memorable catch and where and why?
A. Again id have to say Heather, I spend three years on the Car Park and to be honest I never thought I’d actually catch it.
Q. What do you think has been the biggest innovation in fishing since you started?
A. I don’t know really I’m not one for innovations but I would say the boilie.
Q. What are your pet hates on the bank?
A .Turning up to a lake and knowing you can’t get anywhere near the fish because there are people in the swims doing five days a week.
Q. What are your plans for the coming season?
A. Carry on at the Hampshire syndicate and fish a few lakes in the woods, fishing with my mates and just enjoying it.
Joe Morgan
Q. Best days fishing and where?
A. It’s got to be the big common I had recently from Spitfire pool to be honest with you, it’s such a special fish it’s only been caught twice! And not a mark on it so yes a real result.
Q. Most memorable catch and where and why?
A. In France a couple of years ago at Mazon, I fished four nights and had four forty’s, five fifty’s and one sixty, incredible really it was one of those sessions.
Q. What do you think has been the biggest innovation in fishing since you started?
A. Modern baits and dead sharp hooks.
Q. What are your plans for the coming season?
A. Probably have another go in spring on the Snake pit to try and even up the score.
Ian Moore of CC MOORE
Q. Best days fishing and where?
A. 1995 at Somerly in Ringwood on a Sunday at the last weekend of the season. I had my first twenty in the shape of a 26Ib 6oz mirror then braced that with another mirror of 24Ib 14oz.
Q. Most memorable catch and where and why?
A. My first carp was a 7Ib 6oz mirror which I caught at the age of fifteen at Longleat lakes on the float with lunchmeat. I started late because I was playing a lot of tennis at the time and competing.
Q. What do you think has been the biggest innovation in fishing since you started?
A. Bait in general, the quality is better and the range is greater. On its own I would have to say the spomb.
Q. What are your pet hates on the bank?
A. Etiquette, and litter, in my opinion when you go fishing you should leave no trace.
Q. What are you plans for the coming season?
A. Fishing, grabbing whatever time I can and take my son fishing for roach and perch. Also I’m going to Zwolle in Holland and Montlueon in France for the first time to continue to build our non-uk trade.
Team Korda
A1. Night fishing on a midlands syndicate, I had 2 thirty’s and 2 forty’s.
A2. The Mrs. But don’t tell her.
A3. Boilies and bait in general have come on leaps and bounds.
A4. I think everyone hates bad etiquette?
A5. Wellington in spring, filming in France in the Summer and then my own fishing in autumn.
A1. Catching Single Scale at 40Ib 8oz after 3 years.
A2. Gaz my first thirty at 33Ib 8oz. I love how we give regular fish names.
A3. Korda Krusha – for an easy way to mash baits! Saves plenty of time.
A4. Bad Etiquette. It doesn’t take a lot to be curtious
A5. Fishing for a linear on a water in Essex.
Ian Bailey
-
- A1. Midlands clay pit I had seven fish to 35Ib, what a place.
A2. Cambridgeshire linear 40Ib 2oz. Remember it like it was yesterday.
A3. Chod rigs – Probably the biggest innovation in the last 10 years.
A4. I despise Jealousy and bad etiquette.
A5. Carrying on in Bedford.
I have to thank the boys above for giving me their time and making the effort to answer my questions. It was great speaking to you all and I hope to see you next year!
Well I must say that it has been a fantastic day and yes I even spent some money, and if you didn’t make it down this year or haven’t been then I recommend that you make an effort next year, you won’t be disappointed.
