An innovative new scheme from British Waterways allows anglers to fish hundreds of stretches of unrented canal for just £20 – and only a tenner if you’re a member of the Angling Trust.
BW has lost some income over the years from clubs who have given up stretches of towpath as anglers turn to commercial fisheries. But rather than throw in the towel, bosses have come up with the inventive Waterways Wanderers Scheme which, unlike the National Rod Licence, runs for 12 months from the day you purchase it.
 There are countless stretches to target around Rugby, Leamington, Napton, Shrewley and south of Coventry including parts of the Grand Union, North Oxford and Coventry canals. Juniors pay only £5 for the year, and there are also benefits for clubs already renting canal stretches from BW.
For more information got to www.waterscape.com, email John Harding at j.harding048@btinternet.com or call 01829 732 748.

Hail Hoar Park
There’s a new day ticket fishery to go at in the area in the shape of Hoar Park (pictured), which is in a secluded setting close to Furnace End.
The venue was previously a club water, but has been taken on by Chay Jackson, who has been giving it the required ‘TLC’ and adding stock over the last three months.
There are two pools at the venue, a 25-peg top lake holding carp to 15lb plus a good head of skimmers, roach and gudgeon, and Chay has been added small carp and F1s.
The smaller Lower Lake holds stacks of carp averaging 4lb and a big head of skimmers. Both can be fished on a £5 day ticket (£3.50 concessions).
Test matches recently have been producing winning weights over 50lb, with the bigger weights coming on marginal pole tactics. The fishery is available for club bookings and there are opens every Sunday with the draw at 3.30pm and fishing 4pm to 8pm. For more information visit the website at www.hoarparkfishery.co.uk .

‘Catching’ On TV
Not so much a local story, but one that will interest every angler out there, is the news that the Hugh Miles series ‘Catching The Impossible’ will be screened by Channel 4 this summer. The follow on series from the iconic ‘A Passion For Angling’ gets a 7am slot starting Sunday June 13th and if audience figures are high, will move to a prime slot.

Rare Young The Reel Fair Highlight
Feedback has been excellent from the National Vintage Tackle Fair, which saw numbers well up year on years and stacks of antique fishing gear dating back to Georgian times change hands.
Several star anglers were in attendance, including top big fish anglers Kevin Clifford and Len Arbery, plus Jim Young, the grandson of James Young, who established world famous reel manufacturer Youngs of Redditch in 1870 and paved the way for the town to become a Mecca of fishing tackle manufacture for a hundred years.
The 50 exhibitors included former Youngs production manager Garry Mills, who spent the day repairing centrepins for anglers, and brought along some ultra-rare Youngs reels including a previously unseen prototype closed face model which never made it to the market.
The next National Vintage Fishing Tackle Fair takes place on Sunday November 21st at the same venue, the Abbey Stadium Sports Centre in Redditch. Call John Andrews on 07980 274 383 for more details.

Shatterford Catfish Record
More catfish have been showing at Shatterford Lakes, topped by a new venue record at 68lb to visiting angler Chris Hartley. The Masters Lake fish, which took a piece of pork luncheon meat, was witnessed by five other anglers plus Daven Percival, a member of the Shatterford team, and tops the previous venue best, achieved in May 2008, by 2lb.
It comes hot on the heels of the best specimen from Eric’s Lake this year in the shape of a 52-pounder. The big wels, day ticket angler Simon Pearson’s first ever of the species, fell for a Masterline Cell boilie on a size 12 ESP Raptor hook just two rod lengths out on peg 5. Simon fed with crushed boilies and fished 15lb mainline to a 15lb Suffix Soft hook link. “I landed the fish on my brand new 2.75lb Daiwa rods,” said Simon. “What a way to break them in!" In the same week Kidderminster’s Nathan Garbett landed a 32lb common carp – the biggest from Masters Lake so far this year.
Docklow Pools’ Invitational Festival saw 50 anglers weigh in a stand-out 7600lb of fish with all but eight of the competitors weighing in over 100lb over the four days. The event, Docklow’s only festival, has been running for 20 years. Jack Lake surprised the locals by producing the biggest weights, with sweetcorn down the margins producing the best results.

Big Plans For The Bishop
Bishops Bowl Fishery’s new owners Shaun and Sarah Smart have been working hard making a lot of fishery improvements, including opening up some of the venue’s waters that were previously only fishable by a select few.
Shaun is an angler and he knows what’s required, and since he took over in early 2010 has already made vast improvements to the £7-a-day, seven-lake venue, a former limestone quarry, by making swims accessible, introducing fish stocks, and giving tips to visiting anglers.
“Our vision for the fishery is to provide a top venue for the match, club, pleasure and specimen angler, whilst preserving and respecting the fish and surrounding wildlife, and maintaining the unique environment of the site,” he says. Plans are in place to build a number of fisherman’s holiday lodges, a restaurant and bar and a tackle shop.
A series of open matches will start this Saturday, May 22nd, and the plan is to rotate the fishing across the pools on the Bishops Itchington complex so the fish are given a chance to rest. It’s £16 all-in with the draw at 8am and fishing 10am to 3pm. Contact Shaun Smart on 07970 196044 or 01926 612379 or to get a feel for the place, visit http://www.bishopsbowlfishery.co.uk/.

Calling Ladies And Over 60s!
Tickets are now on sale for the Evesham Festival Ladies Championship on August 22nd and Veterans Championship on August 25th.
With top prizes of £500 for each event, plus a chance for the two respective winners to compete in the main Shakespeare Championship final and a shot at the £6,000 top prize on August 28th, places for both events are going fast.   
Tickets cost £25 and anyone wishing to enter should contact Diana Raphael on 01386 442458 to reserve a place.

Jon Arthur’s Knockout Blow
Coventry’s Jon Arthur came out on top in a pulsating second round of the Drennan Knockout Cup at Gold Valley Lakes in Farnborough, winning £500 and booking himself a place in the last 32 at Lindholme Lakes.
Accurate casting with a Method feeder tight to an island saw Jon soon in action at Peg 28 on Gold Lake with carp up to double figures, giving him a total return of 155-7-0.
Second on the day was Darren Cox, also on Gold Lake, at Peg 3 with 139-1-0 and third was Simon Colclough at Peg 27 with 121-2-0.
 
Leamington AGM
Leamington Angling Association is holding its annual general meeting  this week on Thursday 20th May at the Leamington Liberal Club in Upper Holly Walk, Leamington Spa, starting at 7.30pm. All members are invited.

Over The Rainbow
If you fancy a spot of trout fishing, Packington Somers is in top form with a rod average of 3.36. The best fish of the week has been a 9lb rainbow taken from the bank at Cocks Close – a fish that fell for a Damsel Nymph fished on a floating line.
Solihull angler Peter Kelly had a good day at Park Meadow, taking fish of 7lb 8oz and 5lb again on a Damsel Nypmh. The best areas have been the lodge corner and the old boat jetty area on Cocks Close, the far bank from the boat jetty on Great Pool and the dam walls on Hall Pool and Park Meadow. Top patterns are CDC Emergers, dry Sedge, Shipmans Buzzer, black or red Buzzers, Damsels and Cats Whiskers

Hot In The Meadow
Sport is starting to pick up nicely at Meadowlands with a 164lb and a 97lb winner in the last week. The big weight came in Tuesday’s match and went to Total-Fishing.com’s Gaz Wood on Warren Pool. He drew peg 5 and caught early on Method feeder and then switched to pole. Lane’s Baits Wayne Sharman runs these with the draw at 1pm and fishing from 2pm to 7.30 – call 07971 288006.
Craig from Swanns Baits runs the Monday matches. The draw for Craig’s matches is at 9am with fishing 10am to 3pm. Call 07814 729968.

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Results

Garbolino Tunnel Barn Farm, Shrewley, Warks
Mon, House Pool 1: Paul Newell (Kings Mill Redditch) 111-8-0, carp to 10lb and F1s, pole and bread at 6m fished high, peg 33; Graham Young (Youngs Tunnel Barn Farm) 104-6-0; Brian Edwards (Youngs Tunnel Barn Farm) 94-7-0; Ron Knotley (Starlet Veterans) 69-14-0.
Wed, Top Pool: Paul Newell (Kings Mill Redditch) 117-0-0, F1s and bream, pole and bread at 6m fished high, peg 12; John Newton (Browning Quaker) 107-0-0; Alan Nelson (Browning Quaker) 106-8-0; John Maddison (Browning Quaker) 93-15-0.
Fri, 29, House Pool 2 and New Pool: Pete Rice (Bag Em Baits) 144-1-0, F1s, bream and tench, pole and pellet at 3m and 3m down the side, peg 7, House Pool 2; Gary Webb (Daiwa Cleveland) 143-0-0; Pete Caton (Dynamite Baits/Banbury Gunsmiths) 140-7-0; Paul Newell (Kings Mill Redditch) 138-5-0; John Newton (Browning Quaker) 137-12-0; Pete Hancox (Birmingham) 135-9-0.
Sun, 23, New Pool: Kevin Adderley (Black Countrymen) 157-2-0, F1s, pole and meat at 2m out and 2m down the side, peg 38; Paul Newell (Kings Mill Redditch) 86-13-0; Jason Neath (Daiwa Gordon League) 85-0-0; Pete Hancox (Birmingham) 77-13-0.

Packington Somers, Meriden, Warks
Wed, Molands Mere: John Burchell (Sensas Packington) 86-11-0, carp and tench, pellet waggler, peg 15; Lee Richards (Top Fours/Fosters) 51-4-0; John Cockayne (Maver Midlands) 47-0-0.
Sat, 29, Gearys Level: Andy Fulleylove (Kobra Feeders) 47-6-0, carp and skimmers, Method feeder and meat, peg 18; Steve White (Kobra Feeders) 45-2-0; Dave Duggan (Sensas Dams and Lock) 40-6-0.
Sun, 26, Molands Mere: Steve White (Kobra Feeders) 69-9-0, carp, Method feeder and meat, peg 44; Lee Richards (Top Fours/Fosters) 65-13-0; Jim Wyatt (Logos) 32-4-0.

Carpetbaggers Open, Stockton Reservoir ( 25 pegs)
Nige Harrhy (Barston) 120-10-0, peg 52, Method feeder; Neil Russell (Swanns/Kobra) 96-12-0; Wayne Sharman (Lanes Bait) 56-9-0; Tony Wickam (Carpetbaggers) 54-12-0;
 
Lanes Bait Tuesday Evening Open, Meadowlands Fishery, Warren Pool
Gaz Wood (Browning Central) 164-12-0, peg 5, carp on Method and then pole; Neil Russell (Swanns/Kobra) 101-8-0; Chris Horsley (Elephant & Castle) 84-8-0; Eddie Keene (Coventry) 77-12-0.
 
Swanns Baits, Meadowlands (20 pegs)
Jon Lamb (Swanns Bait) 97-0-0, peg 13, straight lead and pellet at 35 yards; Pete Davis (Carpetbaggers) 70-0-0.

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