Picture: Barston Lakes has 'sprung' into form - see story below...

The Biggest Match In History?
Larford Lakes is shaking up the fishing scene by announcing the biggest prize in match fishing – a winner takes all showdown with up to £100,000 to the winner.
The final of the ‘Match This’ final will see 24 finalists go head-to-head at the Stourport complex run by Maver UK boss Phil Briscoe. Phil has guaranteed at least £50,000 to the winner and is also talking to TV companies about getting the final televised.
The plan is to run 120-peg qualifiers at some of the top commercial fisheries in the UK, with the winner of each going through. Entries will be made online and open on June 1st.
Phil told Angling Times: “Levels of prize money in fishing haven’t increased over the years and some competitions have become static in my opinion. It’s going to be life-changing for somebody and will set a new benchmark for match fishing in the UK.”
 
Want To Fish For England?
Trials for two of the England match fishing teams are taking place in the Midlands – and the sport’s governing body is on the lookout for competitors.
The Angling Trust is seeking nominations for the England team for Anglers with Disabilities and for the Veterans England team – with the heats booked for Packington Somers in May.
England Team Manager Joe Roberts wants to identify anglers of international calibre who are experienced in fishing with bloodworm and joker. Both will be fished to international rules.
The trials take place on Saturday 22nd May (Anglers with Disabilities) and Sunday 23rd May for the Veterans, open to anyone who is 60 and over at the date of the qualifier.
Contact Sandra Drew at the Angling Trust on 0115 9061 301 or email sandra.drew@anglingtrust.net no later than 10th May 2010.

Bartson Lakes Awakes!
After a long winter Barston Lakes has suddenly hit great form with a 93lb winner in the most recent match at the Solihull water.
The winning weight came from normally unfavoured peg 3, where Swan Bait’s Neil Russell fished Method feeder for carp and F1s for an excellent 93-6-0.
The back-up weights were good too, with Kobra Feeders backed Carl Barnfield taking 56-3-0 of bream and carp to the scales after alternating between pole and the Method, and Omah Patel also weighing in 50lb.
Venue owner Nigel Harrhy confirmed that no fish have been lost at Barston this winter and that signs are very positive for some great fishing in the months ahead.

Cats On The Prowl At Shatterford
Big news from Shatterford Fishery this week is that Birmingham angler Josh Williams has banked a monster 50lb catfish from Erics Lake – I’m awaiting the picture. The cats are obviously waking up as Cannock’s Alex Morris banked a 18lb 6oz fish on Stuarts Lake and there was another of over 40lb landed in the last week.
On the match front Birmingham’s Mark Bedford took the Spring League match on Stuart’s Lake on Sunday, weighing in a fine 56-14-0.

Hue And Cry Over Birmingham Ban
Pike anglers have predictably hit out at the decision by the Birmingham Anglers Association to ban livebaiting on its waters, as first reported here a few weeks ago.
Former Pike Anglers Club secretary and Angler’s Mail pike columnist Mark Barrett believes any predator angler who wants a refund from the BAA should get one, adding: “What I found underhand is that the BAA announced they were changing the rules AFTER the renewal dates for this year’s membership. It’s quite obvious that they don’t want predator anglers on their waters.”
Top pike angler Neville Fickling called the decision a ‘farce’ adding that angling was shooting itself in the foot.
Angling Times columnist Keith Arthur described John Williams, vice president of the 11,500 member association, the biggest angling club in the country, as being ‘off the pace and ill informed’ and encouraged members to call for an Extraordinary General Meeting on the matter, which he describes as one of the most serious matters to arise in angling politics in the last decade.
However, John Wiliams replied: “The decision was taken purely on environmental and fisheries grounds and what we feel is best for our waters,” adding that he’s hardly had a complaint from the membership.
Anglers can now only use deadbaits and lures to fish for predators and one of the reasons the decision has caused such a stir is because the BAA controls some of the best zander fishing in the country on the Warks Avon and the River Severn, which is home to the British zander record.

Glebe Festival Filling Up
There are still a few places left on the annual Glebe Festival that I run to raise money for good angling causes each year. Over the year’s we’ve donated well over £10,000 to the Anglers Conservation Association and helped send the England junior teams to compete at World Championship level. This year the event takes place on the last Friday and Saturday of May with anglers over-nighting at the Longshoot Hotel, Nuneaton. I like to think it shows the good side of match fishing, not just from a charity viewpoint but also because having a good laugh is placed ahead of winning. For more details visit www.total-fishingclub.com .

Evesham To Allow The Little Red Men
This year’s Evesham Festival on the Warwickshire Avon in August will see the use of bloodworm and joker for all three days and two of the qualifier weekends.
The controversial bait has previously only been allowed in the Match Fishing Team Championship on Bank Holiday Monday, and for the past few years it’s been the only bait that has worked for roach, a species many anglers thought had vanished after the severe floods in 2007. There will be strict bait limits in place for the matches with one pint of bloodworm and/or joker plus hooker worm allowed per angler.
To book a place on any of the qualifiers call Diana Raphael on 01386 442458.

Evesham Qualifier Dates

Shakespeare Championship
• June 19th
• June 27th
• July 3rd
• July 11th
• July 18th
• July 24th
• August 1st
• August 7th (bloodworm and joker allowed)
• August 15th (bloodworm and joker allowed) 

Abu Garcia Wychavon Championship
• June 20th
• June 26th
• July 4th
• July 17th
• July 25th
• July 31st
• August 8th (bloodworm and joker allowed)
• August 14th (bloodworm and joker allowed)

Lost Fish Costly For Gil
Four anglers went into the final round of the Ben Jones Memorial League on the canal at Skew Bridge at Yelvertoft with a chance of taking top spot, with Gil Corns leading the way.
Gil certainly hooked enough fish to take the overall prize, but he had one of those days with six good fish coming off, a bream at the net and five big perch.
On the next peg Tommy Clish took top spot on the day with a net of roach plus a superb 2lb 8oz 15dr perch for 5-4-15.
But the important weight was that of Colin Youds, who weighed in a net of roach and perch for 5-0-5 that was good enough for second spot and a tie for overall first with Gil.
Completing the frame was Bob Taylor with 3lb 6oz 4dr of roach. The series raised £500 for the Ben Jones Memorial Fund.

F1s For Toft’s Silver Lake
If you want to book a match on the carp lake at Dunchurch’s Toft Farm Fishery you have to plan well ahead. However, the venue’s Silver Fish Lake is not so popular and as a result the owners have decided to stock the water with F1s. The fish stocked are between 6oz and 1lb, and are expected to reach about 2lb in two years time.
The beauty of F1s is that they feed all year round and also they don’t grow huge, so anglers will be able to catch decent weights 12 months a year, yet still be able to fish with skimmers, crucians, tench and roach in mind. F1s are also shy biting and as such a challenging target – I recall Bob Nudd once calling them the commercial fishery ‘roach’. Banks and Burr in Rugby is running a few matches on this lake in the summer.

Biggest Brownie For Years
The trout scene is buzzing with news of the biggest brownie landed at Rutland Water for years. The magnificent 13lb 8oz fish came on the big reservoir’s opening day and was taken from the bank by Allan Wood after strong winds forced him to give up on the idea of a day’s boat fishing.
Allan fished a floating line and a black and silver Humungus in Stockie Bay and there was real excitement in the lodge when the huge brown trout was weighed officially on their scales.
Pitsford produced another super fish in the shape of a 12lb 2oz rainbow trout to Ashley Cooper in a week when the rod average was 3.5. There’s no access along the front of the Pines area as I write because of waterlogged ground.
Ravensthorpe’s best fish of the week was another beauty, a rainbow going 12lb 3oz that fell to the rod of Ian Tearle. Best areas for boat anglers at Ravensthorpe are Willows and Hickmans, while the Lodge area is doing the best for bank anglers.
Finally on the trout front we head to Packington Somers, where Dorridge angler Andrew Moulder took the week’s best rainbow going 9lb, the fish falling for a black Tadpole. Andrew also returned a seven pounder. Other good patterns were Cat’s Whisker, Damsel Nymph, Black Spider and Black Gnat.

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Results

Dynamite Baits Makins, Phases 1, 2 and 3, Sun (78 fished)
Daz Walters (Still Above Forest) 247-8-0, carp to 15lb peg, Method feeder, pellet waggler, pole, corn, peg A16, Lake 2; Shane Desmond (Dynamite GAS) 202-11-0; Shaun Clare (Dynamite Extra's) 156-0-0; Lloyd Griffiths (Un-Sponsored Outcasts) 100-8-0; Mark Crewe (Mansfield Angling) 91-0-0; Mick Timpson (Dynamite Matchman Supplies Gold) 85-4-0.
Final: Mansfield Angling Silver 7; KFC 9; Snooty Fox 'A' 9; Dynamite Matchman Supplies Blue 10; Dynamite GAS 10; Snooty Fox 'B' 11.

Garbolino Tunnel Barn Farm, Shrewley, Warks
Mon, Club and Canal Pools (33 fished): Pete Caton (Dynamite Baits/Banbury Gunsmiths) 99-13-0, F1s and stockie carp, pole and pellet fished at 4m into the corner, peg 12, Club Pool. Andy Quarmby (Garbolino Elton) 80-10-0; Dave Plant (Tunnel Barn Farm Veterans) 65-0-0; Jason Neath (Daiwa Gordon League) 63-8-0; Steve Seabourne (Wye Angling) 60-8-0.
Wed, House Pool 2: Pete Rice (Bag Em Baits) 99-3-0, F1s, bream, roach, tench and perch, pole and bronze maggot over slop feed at 4m, peg 19; Mark Johnson (Daiwa Gordon League) 77-7-0; Pete Hancox (Birmingham) 74-8-0; Charlie Newton (Dolphin Tackle) 66-8-0.
Sat, New Pool and House Pool 2 (35 fished): Paul McIntyre (Barnsley Blacks) 135-6-0, F1s, carp, bream and tench, pole and pellet at 10m, peg 23, New Pool; Steve Chester (Mosella) 131-1-0; Rob Avery (Redditch) 130-0-0; Stu Palser (Shakespeare) 120-7-0; Pete Rice (Bag Em Baits) 115-12-0; Steve Barroughton (Barnsley Blacks) 106-12-0. Sun, New and Canal Pools (44 fished): Stu Palser (Shakespeare) 118-10-0, F1s and stockie carp, pole and pellet at 15m to the island, peg 17, Canal Pool; Pete Bennett (Yorkshire Baits/Banbury Gunsmiths) 114-3-0; Mark Johnson (Daiwa Gordon League) 108-10-0; Rob Avery (Redditch) 102-6-0; Paul Caswell (Shakespeare) 97-11-0; Jason Neath (Daiwa Gordon League) 96-9-0.
Packington Somers, Meriden, Warks
Wed, Molands Mere: Derek Hartshorn (Swann Baits) 62-2-0, bream, tench and skimmers, pole and pellet, peg 46; Andy Wooding (Packington) 52-15-0; Dean Weston (Jaguar) 51-3-0.
Sat, Gearys Level (31 fished): Mr Johnson (Packington) 58-2-0, carp to 8lb, Method and pellet, peg 17; Steve White (Kobra Feeders) 57-4-0; Phil Bird (Quality Baits) 55-14-0. Sun, Molands Mere (32 fished): Cameron Hughes (England Youth) 68-10-0, F1s, pole and pellet, peg 2; Miles Day (England Youth) 65-10-0; John Burchell (Sensas/Packington) 58-12-0.
 
Stirrup Cup, Birmingham Fazeley Canal, Curdworth, Birmingham, West Midlands
Tony Robinson (Stirrup Cup) 4-6-11, skimmers, roach and perch, pole, squatt and caster, peg 45; Graham Massey (Sensas Dams and Lock) 4-6-2; Sam Lewis (Three Ems) 3-11-11; Tony Parkes (Stirrup Cup) 3-9-15; Alan Price (Stirrup Cup) 3-9-4; Dave Freestone (Three Ems) 2-15-8.

Kevin Lakin Memorial, Preston Innovations Woodland View Fishery, Hadley, Worcester, Sun, Deans, Arles and Barley Pools (52 fished)
Steve Ford (Daiwa Gordon League) 83-12-0, carp to 8lb plus a few silvers, pole and pellet, Deans 21; Phil Taylor (Sensas Dams and Lock) 68-12-0; Dave Hill (Woodland Golden Oldies) 66-8-0; Darren Fisher (Worcester) 65-0-0.

Goodyear AS, Vineyard Pool, Bobbington, West Midlands
Wed: J. Gallacher (Goodyear AS) 39-10-0, carp to 5lb, pole and pellet, peg 1; D. Biddle (Goodyear AS) 34-11-0; J. Taylor (Goodyear AS) 26-9-0.
Sun, Quarry Pool, Aston Eyre, Brignorth, Shropshire: J. Taylor (Goodyear AS) 93-3-0, carp to 5lb, pole and pellet; Barry Jones (Goodyear AS) 52-3-0; G. Jackson (Goodyear AS) 48-0-0; J. Cunningham (Goodyear AS) 38-1-0.; Mark Churchill (Cannock) 62-1-0; Rich Buxton (Bilston Angling Centre) 62-0-0.

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