Catch Reports
I have just returned from visiting Hardwick and Smiths lake at the Linear Fisheries complex. I was faced with tricky conditions this time round with Oxlease and Brasenose 2 being closed, which understandably put a lot more pressure on Hardwick. After arriving I had good walk around and saw a couple of fish roll about [...]
After a nightmare spring of forty odd nights without a bite, I was beginning to doubt myself big time. The lake is challenging and to be fair had only done eight bites from January through to June! It is known to be a bit of a head banger, with a small stock of carp and [...]
After a great week teaching at FLE I headed towards the Ringwood valley to spend the weekend at my syndicate lake. I had not been able to fish for a while due to the recent comps so was buzzing to get back after recent successes. After a few laps of a fairly busy lake I [...]
The venue With so many big carp day ticket venues dotted around the country, the modern day carp angler has become spoilt for choice. Catching a big day ticket carp is no walk in the park; most are heavily pressured and have seen almost everything. Although difficult, there are a few things to help you [...]
I've been lucky enough to bag two cracking thirties during my last few trips to Hardwick Lake at the Linear Fisheries complex, with the recent run of success I just hoped it would continue. I planned another trip and headed off straight from work, which was excellent as it left me enough time to have [...]
I received a ticket for my new syndicate lake last Sunday and I was itching to get down and get the rods out. I arrived Monday night ready for a four night session on the small lake and as it was dark, I quickly chucked out three blow back rigs for the night and planned [...]
I had finished my shift at work and was looking forward to having the next seven days off and doing a bit of fishing. Due to the hot weather we are experiencing at the moment my plan was to fish a couple of short overnighters with the hope of bagging one or two fish during [...]
Situated in the Colne valley, roughly half a mile north west of West Drayton in Middlesex and seemingly surrounded by motorways is an oasis nestled amongst the madness of all those busy roads and urban sprawl! That’s certainly the feeling I get whenever I visit Thorney Weir – which is a beautiful and picturesque day [...]
I made my Friday afternoon ritual journey down to Wellington Country Park. Once again it was a nightmare with the M25 again in gridlock and I eventually arrived at the lake almost three hours after leaving work. The barrow was soon loaded and I made the short journey to the back of a swim called [...]
The helicopter rig is a tactic that has had a great effect on my fishing. I saw how effective helicopter rigs can be around six or seven years ago on my first couple of trips to Frensham Great Pond. At the time I was targeting the venues prolific tench population when in-between catching them, I [...]
Bleeeeeeeeeeeepppppp................... My Slumber was somehow unexpectedly interrupted and I glided across to my rods, seamlessly slipping on my life jacket on and lifted into the protagonist creating a washing machine by the snags. Five long strides back and I’m at the entrance to my bivvy, well clear of the fire ants nests and having compensated [...]
Having got my campaign off to the best possible start imaginable (https://gardnertackle.co.uk/2013/06/new-venue-new-challenge-by-dan-chart/), I was naturally very keen to return to Fox Pool to see if my good luck would continue... Over the month of June, I managed to sneak in a few quick overnighters, and gain some all important knowledge of the behaviour and movement [...]
Crucians are one of my favourite species to target during the spring. For me their golden scales glistening in the sun, are hard to beat. Crucians have traditionally been known as a tentative feeder, and sensitive float fishing tactics at dawn and dusk have been the accepted textbook way to target this species. I think [...]
After being fortunate enough to catch a stunning 44lb+ mirror the week before last, I was eager to get back to my syndicate lake before my ticket ran out. As you can imagine I felt I was on a roll, the trusted Hinged Stiff rig, which incorporated a lovely new material that Lewis from Gardner [...]
I had been waiting for the weather to settle down before targeting tench this year as the weather seemed to be about a month behind. A nice warm weather front moving in over the south of the country at the end of May soon got me preparing the tench gear for my first over night [...]
Over a decade ago I fished a 250 year old private estate lake off the beaten track, and during the summer it would be covered in stunning lilies and contained two small islands. Granted my angling ability and knowledge has far surpassed my former self some decade or so ago, but I did manage a [...]
At the end of May, myself along with fellow Gardner Tackle consultant Lee Wagner and head honcho Lewis Read had been asked to attend the Carp Society’s Junior Carp Camp at the prestigious Horseshoe Lake in rural Gloucestershire. Personally speaking it had been a while since I’d last helped out on one of the societies [...]
A Group of friends and I decided to have a trip to France as part of my Stag do this year, and having been to Brittany Mills twice before I knew it was a lovely venue. With two lakes to choose from I opted for Mill Lake, as it offers more of a challenge with [...]
You may remember the first Manton article that I wrote after just two sessions, I was off to a flyer and managed six fish, four of which were on zigs. This tactic is definitely lethal on this water in the early spring just like it is on many waters, it’s extremely underused and a definite [...]
Finally the weather is getting better and every thing is waking up from the long cold winter. This year I’ve decided that I would be fishing together with my brother on the same venue that he had caught a few from last year. I haven’t fished with him since Horton, so it should be a [...]
