Anglers' Net

The Angling Trust has announced that after 17 years of unprecedented success, Steve Sanders will stand down from his position as manager of Sensas England U20’s team with immediate effect. View the full article

The Angling Trust is warning politicians not to repeat the mistakes of the past in their rush to make political capital out of the government’s response to the recent floods. View the full article

The Angling Trust has slammed the findings of the report from Renaissance of the East Anglian Fisheries (REAF) amid fears it is setting out to drive a wedge between commercial fishing and recreational sea angling interests in the region. View the full article

The Tackle Guru Angling Trust Talent Pathway is back and looks set to be bigger than ever! We’re really pleased to announce our continued support to this amazing programme which focusses on improving young anglers’ key skills and abilities through coaching sessions with some of the best anglers in the business! View the full article

Twenty-four anglers fished the “first” river qualifier of the 2019/20 season on the Lower Itchen Fishery after heavy rain put paid to the original first qualifier on the Welsh Dee. View the full article

The Marine National Teams and Competition Group of the Angling Trust are delighted to announce the England International Pairs Shore squad for 2020. View the full article

The Angling Trust’s Fisheries Enforcement Support Service has recently completed its annual round of Fisheries Enforcement Workshops held in all six regions of England. View the full article

The Angling Trust has challenged politicians and political parties seeking election on December 12th to demonstrate their support for recreational fishing with the publication of a 2019 Manifesto for Angling. View the full article

The AT-TEFF team who will be competing in the World Fly Fishing Championships in Tasmania later this year have been given huge helping hand courtesy of Veniards. View the full article

After years of fighting, the Cambridge Fish Preservation and Angling Society has won compensation to restock part of the River Cam following a pollution in 2013. View the full article

The South West Lakes Trust, Siblyback Lake hosted this weekend’s AT-TEFF Bank Qualifier. A light westerly wind and bright skies greeted the eight anglers competing for a place in the southern semi-final. View the full article

Fifteen anglers fished the second bank qualifier of the 2019/20 season at Chigborough Fishery in Essex on 26th October 2019.. Bright sunshine with a cold north easterly wind welcomed the anglers after 24 hours of heavy rain the previous day. Many anglers had practiced prior to the event and found the fish high in the water with floating lines and dries, or lures pulled subsurface, being the main line of attack. View the full article

New prize will see Grand Final section winners pocket £2,500. Matchroom Multi Sport and the Angling Trust are pleased to announce the dates for the 2020 Fish‘O’Mania Qualifiers, with tickets to go on sale on Tuesday, 5th November. View the full article

Respondents to a sea angling survey say they would like the Angling Trust to make communication, supporting campaigns, helping to get more people fishing and hosting of sea angling forums as our main priorities. View the full article

The 2019 International Bank Fly Fishing Championship took place on Wednesday 23rd October at the Laois Angling Centre, Co.Laois, Ireland. View the full article

The Angling Trust and the Avon Roach Project are calling on anglers, angling clubs and fishery owners to respond to the current licensing review and press to have cormorants added to the General Licence so that we can better protect our threatened fish stocks from unsustainable predation. View the full article

Angling Trust Policy Chief Martin Salter visited Thames Water’s first Predator Competition at Farmoor Reservoir to see for himself how the popular and long established trout fishery is now encouraging predator angling. View the full article

Following two months of intense campaigning by the Angling Trust and other fisheries and wildlife groups on the crisis facing drought-hit rivers and chalkstreams in the South and East of England the matter was finally debated in Parliament this week. Charles Walker MP, Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Angling, secured strong cross party support for the construction of the long overdue Abingdon Reservoir in Oxfordshire, which will enable water abstractions to be reduced on a number of Thames tributaries suffering from low flows. There was also severe criticism of the conduct of the water regulator Ofwat and their lack of concern for the environment in their decision making processes. Last month the Angling Trust published a joint dossier - ‘Chalkstreams in Crisis’ - highlighting the impacts of three consecutive dry years on river levels and groundwater supplies and calling for the government and water companies to introduce hosepipe bans and other water restrictions immediately to avert fish kills and longer term environmental damage. The dossier included case studies from the Rivers Lea, Chess, Ver, Wandle, Hogsmill, Darent and Cray - all South East chalk rivers suffering from over abstraction and damaging low flows. The Environment Agency’s Monthly Water Situation Reports shows the parlous state of many rivers in the region with Kent’s River Darent running at less than half of its long-term average flow. In Hertfordshire the Ver was at 45 per cent and the Upper Lea at 37 per cent. In Cambridgeshire, the monthly mean flow on the River Cam was the lowest April flow since records began in 1949. The short periods of heavy rain have had no noticeable impact on groundwater levels with two thirds of all EA indicator sites in their July 2019 report registering chalk groundwater levels (across England) as below normal or notably low. A combination of rising demand, increasing population and the effects of climate change have caused many of our rivers to whither and shrink, and in some cases to disappear completely for much of their natural length. The problems are particularly acute in the River Colne and Lea catchments in Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire, where the local water company Affinity relies almost entirely on groundwater abstractions. Referring to the situation in Hertfordshire Charles Walker said: "In the past 10 years there have been five drying events in the Upper River Chess. In the 20 years prior to that, there were three. Drier years mean more abstraction, and things are only going to get worse. Affinity Water serves the home counties north of London. Affinity has no reservoirs. It only abstracts waters from the chalk aquifers - that is the only place it can get its water from. As we know, the aquifers it abstracts from are those that feed the rivers that are currently dying. Affinity currently serves 3.6 million people. In 20 years’ time that number will be nearer to 4.5 million people. Where on earth is the water going to come from? If we go on as we are now, the water will come out of the aquifers and we will not have a single chalk stream running in Hertfordshire or Buckinghamshire. That is not an exaggeration; that is where we are at.” Lack of water is just one of a number of problems facing the survival of England’s chalk rivers. Pollution from agriculture and sewage treatment works remain a huge threat and both were highlighted in the Commons debate. Keen angler and Labour MP Jon Cruddas referred to looming water crisis saying: “These figures, which caught my eye - that accounting for climate change, population growth and environmental regulations, there will be a daily shortfall of some 350 million litres a day by 2045, and that will, in turn, double in the following 50 years. So this is an environmental catastrophe that is being played out day to day across the country. A failure to provide new water means that water companies extract water from our rivers, which cannot cope and subsequently die.” On Ofwat's response to deliberate pollutions of the River Test and other southern chalkstreams he added: “The rivers are further undermined when excess sewage is discharged into them... Time and again, the water companies have been fined, but they just take the hit..(and)..the water companies free-ride their ecological responsibilities. For example, last week it was brought to my attention.. that Ofwat has reduced the fines on Southern Water from £37.7 million to just £3 million for thousands of pollution spills, willful misreporting of data and cover-ups. How will this type of leniency and - dare I say? - criminality be changed in terms of their behaviour, which is degrading our river systems?” Other powerful contributions to the debate were made by senior Conservative MPs Dame Cheryl Gillan, Richard Benyon and Sir Oliver Heald. In response the Water Minister Therese Coffey indicated government support for the new reservoir and new powers and environmental duties for Ofwat in the forthcoming Environment Bill. On the Abingdon Reservoir Therese Coffey said: “I believe that Thames Water and Affinity Water, both of which are promoting the reservoir in their preferred (Water Resource Management) plans, will receive a very warm welcome when they are put forward, so that, as many others have mentioned, we can finally get on with the Abingdon reservoir, which will do a lot of good for the people of south-east England.” The minister was challenged by Charles Walker over Ofwat who said: “The role of Ofwat has not been mentioned yet. It has no duty to have any environmental regard. Its only interest is in driving down bills, but it should take a great deal more interest in the environment. I think we have all had enough of Ofwat in this place. I hope the Minister will take that on board.” Therese Coffey replied: “The Environment Agency challenged Ofwat in its initial 2019 price review over the fact that it and some of the companies that had come up with particular plans and made some good progress were none the less not fulling their environmental obligations. I am pleased therefore that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State last week met the water companies and challenged them by saying that, while we recognised the strength of the investment they had brought to the water industry in the last 25 years, they must not forget the environment and we would continue to press them on that point. I am pleased that the Environment Agency is pressing the case with Ofwat so strongly. I hope that the next Government, to be formed this week, will proceed with the environment Bill, which will strengthen Ofwat’s powers. Who knows? There may be opportunities for even further consideration of a duty relating to the environment.” Today Michael Gove, in what may be his last action as Environment Secretary, published a Summer Policy Statement on progress with the new Environment Bill. On water policy it says: “We will support regulators in ensuring that customers and the environment are protected. We will legislate to strengthen Ofwat’s powers to update water companies’ licences, in order to make sure that they can do their job.” Commenting on the debate the former musician, Angling Trust Ambassador and river campaigner Feargal Sharkey said: “Cross party support is about as rare in modern politics as a healthy chalk stream. Yet that is exactly the welcome support our chalk streams received from MPs on Monday night, Highlighting the desperate state of our rivers members of parliament from all sides joined together to raise their voices in concern. There has been too much talk for too long, too much inaction, it is time now for government to listen, time now for government to act, time now to put the flows back into our rivers.” Angling Trust Policy Chief Martin Salter added: “There is an undeniable water shortage crisis in the South and East of England, which is already impacting our chalk streams as well as other rivers. 85% of these globally rare habitats are located in England and our record of care is nothing short of shameful. We already have long dry sections in a majority of the chalk streams in the Chilterns and Hertfordshire and the situation is getting worse not better. We need to reduce demand for water through compulsory metering and less leakage. We must have new reservoirs to save every spare drop in times of plenty to avoid environmental damage during drought periods. And we want to see stronger powers for the regulators, tougher action on polluters and our rivers and chalkstreams given the legal protection that there importance warrants. This week’s debate and the ministerial assurances it delivered is a small step on a very long road.” View the full article

Following two months of intense campaigning by the Angling Trust and other fisheries and wildlife groups on the crisis facing drought-hit rivers and chalkstreams in the South and East of England the matter was finally debated in Parliament this week. Charles Walker MP, Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Angling, secured strong cross party support for the construction of the long overdue Abingdon Reservoir in Oxfordshire, which will enable water abstractions to be reduced on a number of Thames tributaries suffering from low flows. There was also severe criticism of the conduct of the water regulator Ofwat and their lack of concern for the environment in their decision making processes. Last month the Angling Trust published a joint dossier - ‘Chalkstreams in Crisis’ - highlighting the impacts of three consecutive dry years on river levels and groundwater supplies and calling for the government and water companies to introduce hosepipe bans and other water restrictions immediately to avert fish kills and longer term environmental damage. The dossier included case studies from the Rivers Lea, Chess, Ver, Wandle, Hogsmill, Darent and Cray - all South East chalk rivers suffering from over abstraction and damaging low flows. The Environment Agency’s Monthly Water Situation Reports shows the parlous state of many rivers in the region with Kent’s River Darent running at less than half of its long-term average flow. In Hertfordshire the Ver was at 45 per cent and the Upper Lea at 37 per cent. In Cambridgeshire, the monthly mean flow on the River Cam was the lowest April flow since records began in 1949. The short periods of heavy rain have had no noticeable impact on groundwater levels with two thirds of all EA indicator sites in their July 2019 report registering chalk groundwater levels (across England) as below normal or notably low. A combination of rising demand, increasing population and the effects of climate change have caused many of our rivers to whither and shrink, and in some cases to disappear completely for much of their natural length. The problems are particularly acute in the River Colne and Lea catchments in Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire, where the local water company Affinity relies almost entirely on groundwater abstractions. Referring to the situation in Hertfordshire Charles Walker said: "In the past 10 years there have been five drying events in the Upper River Chess. In the 20 years prior to that, there were three. Drier years mean more abstraction, and things are only going to get worse. Affinity Water serves the home counties north of London. Affinity has no reservoirs. It only abstracts waters from the chalk aquifers - that is the only place it can get its water from. As we know, the aquifers it abstracts from are those that feed the rivers that are currently dying. Affinity currently serves 3.6 million people. In 20 years’ time that number will be nearer to 4.5 million people. Where on earth is the water going to come from? If we go on as we are now, the water will come out of the aquifers and we will not have a single chalk stream running in Hertfordshire or Buckinghamshire. That is not an exaggeration; that is where we are at.” Lack of water is just one of a number of problems facing the survival of England’s chalk rivers. Pollution from agriculture and sewage treatment works remain a huge threat and both were highlighted in the Commons debate. Keen angler and Labour MP Jon Cruddas referred to looming water crisis saying: “These figures, which caught my eye - that accounting for climate change, population growth and environmental regulations, there will be a daily shortfall of some 350 million litres a day by 2045, and that will, in turn, double in the following 50 years. So this is an environmental catastrophe that is being played out day to day across the country. A failure to provide new water means that water companies extract water from our rivers, which cannot cope and subsequently die.” On Ofwat's response to deliberate pollutions of the River Test and other southern chalkstreams he added: “The rivers are further undermined when excess sewage is discharged into them... Time and again, the water companies have been fined, but they just take the hit..(and)..the water companies free-ride their ecological responsibilities. For example, last week it was brought to my attention.. that Ofwat has reduced the fines on Southern Water from £37.7 million to just £3 million for thousands of pollution spills, willful misreporting of data and cover-ups. How will this type of leniency and - dare I say? - criminality be changed in terms of their behaviour, which is degrading our river systems?” Other powerful contributions to the debate were made by senior Conservative MPs Dame Cheryl Gillan, Richard Benyon and Sir Oliver Heald. In response the Water Minister Therese Coffey indicated government support for the new reservoir and new powers and environmental duties for Ofwat in the forthcoming Environment Bill. On the Abingdon Reservoir Therese Coffey said: “I believe that Thames Water and Affinity Water, both of which are promoting the reservoir in their preferred (Water Resource Management) plans, will receive a very warm welcome when they are put forward, so that, as many others have mentioned, we can finally get on with the Abingdon reservoir, which will do a lot of good for the people of south-east England.” The minister was challenged by Charles Walker over Ofwat who said: “The role of Ofwat has not been mentioned yet. It has no duty to have any environmental regard. Its only interest is in driving down bills, but it should take a great deal more interest in the environment. I think we have all had enough of Ofwat in this place. I hope the Minister will take that on board.” Therese Coffey replied: “The Environment Agency challenged Ofwat in its initial 2019 price review over the fact that it and some of the companies that had come up with particular plans and made some good progress were none the less not fulling their environmental obligations. I am pleased therefore that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State last week met the water companies and challenged them by saying that, while we recognised the strength of the investment they had brought to the water industry in the last 25 years, they must not forget the environment and we would continue to press them on that point. I am pleased that the Environment Agency is pressing the case with Ofwat so strongly. I hope that the next Government, to be formed this week, will proceed with the environment Bill, which will strengthen Ofwat’s powers. Who knows? There may be opportunities for even further consideration of a duty relating to the environment.” Today Michael Gove, in what may be his last action as Environment Secretary, published a Summer Policy Statement on progress with the new Environment Bill. On water policy it says: “We will support regulators in ensuring that customers and the environment are protected. We will legislate to strengthen Ofwat’s powers to update water companies’ licences, in order to make sure that they can do their job.” Commenting on the debate the former musician, Angling Trust Ambassador and river campaigner Feargal Sharkey said: “Cross party support is about as rare in modern politics as a healthy chalk stream. Yet that is exactly the welcome support our chalk streams received from MPs on Monday night, Highlighting the desperate state of our rivers members of parliament from all sides joined together to raise their voices in concern. There has been too much talk for too long, too much inaction, it is time now for government to listen, time now for government to act, time now to put the flows back into our rivers.” Angling Trust Policy Chief Martin Salter added: “There is an undeniable water shortage crisis in the South and East of England, which is already impacting our chalk streams as well as other rivers. 85% of these globally rare habitats are located in England and our record of care is nothing short of shameful. We already have long dry sections in a majority of the chalk streams in the Chilterns and Hertfordshire and the situation is getting worse not better. We need to reduce demand for water through compulsory metering and less leakage. We must have new reservoirs to save every spare drop in times of plenty to avoid environmental damage during drought periods. And we want to see stronger powers for the regulators, tougher action on polluters and our rivers and chalkstreams given the legal protection that there importance warrants. This week’s debate and the ministerial assurances it delivered is a small step on a very long road.” View the full article

EDITOR'S NOTE: This article is written by a succesful Holyhead skipper, Gethyn Owen, but the principles apply to smoothound fishing in many locations throughout the UK. If you ever fancy a fishing trip to North Wales, check out http://www.goangling.co.uk/ Holyhead Smoothhound North Wales has long been associated with some very good catches of smoothound. The fish have been targeted by both boat and shore anglers with some superb results. Hounds can be found around many boat marks off Holyhead, Trearddur Bay, Llanddwyn and Whitebeach. All these marks have given anglers some quality specimen fish over many years the very same areas also offering shore anglers the opportunity to hook into this hard fighting species. Fishing for smoothies in waters relatively shallow at only 45’ can be a very exhilarating experience. Identification Smoothhound have a grey upper body and white underside. The starry smoothound (Mustelus asterias) takes it name from the many white spots that are found on the upper part of its body, while the common smoothhound, Mustelus mustelus, has none. The starry smoothhound is ovoviviparous (method of animal reproduction in which fertilized eggs develop within the female and the embryo gains no nutritional substances from the female) with a gestation period of up to 12 months. A hound has two dorsal fins, two large pectoral fins and a long snout. In its mouth it has a set of large crushing jaws rather than teeth, far more beneficial given its diet. I’m sure many reading this will have caught a fair number of smoothhound, both starry and common, though have they really hooked a common hound? PhD researcher Ed Farrell, Dublin University, has been conducting a range of studies into the distribution of common smoothhound throughout Ireland and the UK. There is a common smoothhound species that can be found in the Mediterranean and South African seas, Ed however is almost certainly convinced that the common hound species Mustelus mustelus, does not make it into UK waters. No evidence of a common hound was found, his findings concluding in both the Irish and Welsh angling governing bodies listing only the starry hound on their record list. Smoothhound are found in mainly shallow waters around our coastline feeding on a host of crustaceans that include hermit, shore and edible crabs. In Holyhead, when crab has been hard to come by, we have also had fairly good catches when fishing for smoothhound using large squid baits tipped with 3 or 4 good sized ragworm. Habitat & Feeding Smoothhound are generally a shallow water shark and are rarely found in waters deeper than 200ft. They tend to favour sand or mixed ground, the younger hounds feeding on prawns and small crustaceans with the larger specimens favouring a range of different crustaceans. Shore crabs are most effective when peeling or as a soft back. A peeler crab is simply a crab that is shedding its current outer protection, the shell, to grow larger. Underneath the current hard shell you will find a new softer and bigger shell. Such crabs are found sheltering in soft sand, or mud flats etc under rocks or other pieces of debris that offer them protection from predators. With its shell soft, the crab is prone to attack from smoothies and other fish wanting to feast on this delicacy. Peeling crabs ooze a very pungent orangy/yellow liquid, which the smell of drives many a fish such as smoothhound, cod and bass into a feeding frenzy. Baiting Up When using a peeler, many anglers choose to peel the outer shell and remove the crab’s gills, in preparation to wrap this particular bait into a neat little parcel for the hook. If choosing this method, don’t wrap the bait too much. Often you see crab baits aboard My Way that would look better in an Egyptian Mummy’s museum and not trotting along a sea bed. Care when hooking the bait, and a few gentle twists of cotton, will allow the juices to seep from the bait unhindered. However, is the trouble of peeling and wrapping in cotton actually required, after all the smoothhound is not used to this level of food preparation before it munches down on its prey? The smoothhound is a member of the shark family, who, as most of us are aware have a very sensitive level of smell, and are reputed to detect scent from a food source from a fair few miles away. My preferred method is to simply hook one or two crabs once through the back, and, hey presto, job done. In doing this you are presenting to the smoothhound a more realistic looking food, yet still releasing the scent from the crab. This method also safeguards against the smell being washed out of the crab too quickly. Furthermore, there are always other fish in an area where smoothies are being targeted. These fish also after a feed, such as dogs, small codling, whiting etc, are all drawn to abundant smell of the peeler, so another saving grace of using the simple method is that it can reduce the number of hook ups from unwanted pests at the time of your smoothhound fishing. When To Fish Hounds first move in during early May, and hang around until early July. These fish often hit well into double figures with some specimens taken just shy of the 20lb mark. Off Holyhead, we have also noted a return of the fish for a month from late August into mid-September, with these fish averaging around 8lb. Rods, Reels and Rigs Owing to the shallow depths of water usually associated with smoothhound fishing around the North Wales coast, targeting this species benefits most from uptiding; launching the bait out of the scare area around the boat, and anchoring it hard to the sea bed. There is no real need to trot bait around the sea bed when fishing for smoothies, as they are pack fish and tend to swim in feeding shoals that will hunt down your bait with ease. A good uptider or general purpose rod will happily cope with the rigours of playing a fast and hard fighting smoothhound. For the majority of our hire rods, we have a variety of boat rods available Shakespeare Agility 2 braid boat 12/20lb, Greys GR100S 20lb or the Shakespeare Ugly Stix G2 12/20lb. But for our hound fishing, we like to scale down the gear slightly. Shakespeare Agility Tipster rods or the PENN Squadron II Touch Tip rods offer a light and exhilarating experience when fishing for hounds. For the slightly more experienced, we downsize even further; PENN Rampage II Bass Spin 15-55grm rods are the ultimate thrill when landing a 20lb smoothhound! When choosing your main line, you should be looking for something in the region of 20–25lb breaking strains. The choice between braid and mono has to be down to the individual and their preferred reel line. However, if choosing braid, a 40 or 50lb shock leader will help absorb any impact if the fish makes an impromptu bid for freedom, plus safe guard against potential scuffs when fishing the rocky grounds. . There are not too many variations of rigs when fishing for smoothhound. A simple running ledger of either 1 or 2 hooks will suffice. Your trace line should be between 30 and 50lb breaking strain, with hook sizes between 1/0 and 4/0. When targeting the much larger smoothhounds, sometimes it is wise to upgrade your hooks to 5/0, thus allowing you to fish bigger baits, such as whole large velvet or swimmer crabs. Naturally, you may find that hook-ups will be reduced, but as with most forms of sea angling, with perseverance you could be rewarded with a fish in excess of 20lb. In closing, though, it is important to point out that the majority of double figure smoothhounds, and especially those caught in May and June are pup bearing females. These fish should be released quickly at the side of the boat wherever possible. However, if a weight and photograph is wanted by you or your mate, by all means do so, but take care to be as quick as possible, returning the fish to the water without too much stress. View the full article

EDITOR'S NOTE: This article is written by a succesful Holyhead skipper, Gethyn Owen, but the principles apply to smoothound fishing in many locations throughout the UK. If you ever fancy a fishing trip to North Wales, check out http://www.goangling.co.uk/ Holyhead Smoothhound North Wales has long been associated with some very good catches of smoothound. The fish have been targeted by both boat and shore anglers with some superb results. Hounds can be found around many boat marks off Holyhead, Trearddur Bay, Llanddwyn and Whitebeach. All these marks have given anglers some quality specimen fish over many years the very same areas also offering shore anglers the opportunity to hook into this hard fighting species. Fishing for smoothies in waters relatively shallow at only 45’ can be a very exhilarating experience. Identification Smoothhound have a grey upper body and white underside. The starry smoothound (Mustelus asterias) takes it name from the many white spots that are found on the upper part of its body, while the common smoothhound, Mustelus mustelus, has none. The starry smoothhound is ovoviviparous (method of animal reproduction in which fertilized eggs develop within the female and the embryo gains no nutritional substances from the female) with a gestation period of up to 12 months. A hound has two dorsal fins, two large pectoral fins and a long snout. In its mouth it has a set of large crushing jaws rather than teeth, far more beneficial given its diet. I’m sure many reading this will have caught a fair number of smoothhound, both starry and common, though have they really hooked a common hound? PhD researcher Ed Farrell, Dublin University, has been conducting a range of studies into the distribution of common smoothhound throughout Ireland and the UK. There is a common smoothhound species that can be found in the Mediterranean and South African seas, Ed however is almost certainly convinced that the common hound species Mustelus mustelus, does not make it into UK waters. No evidence of a common hound was found, his findings concluding in both the Irish and Welsh angling governing bodies listing only the starry hound on their record list. Smoothhound are found in mainly shallow waters around our coastline feeding on a host of crustaceans that include hermit, shore and edible crabs. In Holyhead, when crab has been hard to come by, we have also had fairly good catches when fishing for smoothhound using large squid baits tipped with 3 or 4 good sized ragworm. Habitat & Feeding Smoothhound are generally a shallow water shark and are rarely found in waters deeper than 200ft. They tend to favour sand or mixed ground, the younger hounds feeding on prawns and small crustaceans with the larger specimens favouring a range of different crustaceans. Shore crabs are most effective when peeling or as a soft back. A peeler crab is simply a crab that is shedding its current outer protection, the shell, to grow larger. Underneath the current hard shell you will find a new softer and bigger shell. Such crabs are found sheltering in soft sand, or mud flats etc under rocks or other pieces of debris that offer them protection from predators. With its shell soft, the crab is prone to attack from smoothies and other fish wanting to feast on this delicacy. Peeling crabs ooze a very pungent orangy/yellow liquid, which the smell of drives many a fish such as smoothhound, cod and bass into a feeding frenzy. Baiting Up When using a peeler, many anglers choose to peel the outer shell and remove the crab’s gills, in preparation to wrap this particular bait into a neat little parcel for the hook. If choosing this method, don’t wrap the bait too much. Often you see crab baits aboard My Way that would look better in an Egyptian Mummy’s museum and not trotting along a sea bed. Care when hooking the bait, and a few gentle twists of cotton, will allow the juices to seep from the bait unhindered. However, is the trouble of peeling and wrapping in cotton actually required, after all the smoothhound is not used to this level of food preparation before it munches down on its prey? The smoothhound is a member of the shark family, who, as most of us are aware have a very sensitive level of smell, and are reputed to detect scent from a food source from a fair few miles away. My preferred method is to simply hook one or two crabs once through the back, and, hey presto, job done. In doing this you are presenting to the smoothhound a more realistic looking food, yet still releasing the scent from the crab. This method also safeguards against the smell being washed out of the crab too quickly. Furthermore, there are always other fish in an area where smoothies are being targeted. These fish also after a feed, such as dogs, small codling, whiting etc, are all drawn to abundant smell of the peeler, so another saving grace of using the simple method is that it can reduce the number of hook ups from unwanted pests at the time of your smoothhound fishing. When To Fish Hounds first move in during early May, and hang around until early July. These fish often hit well into double figures with some specimens taken just shy of the 20lb mark. Off Holyhead, we have also noted a return of the fish for a month from late August into mid-September, with these fish averaging around 8lb. Rods, Reels and Rigs Owing to the shallow depths of water usually associated with smoothhound fishing around the North Wales coast, targeting this species benefits most from uptiding; launching the bait out of the scare area around the boat, and anchoring it hard to the sea bed. There is no real need to trot bait around the sea bed when fishing for smoothies, as they are pack fish and tend to swim in feeding shoals that will hunt down your bait with ease. A good uptider or general purpose rod will happily cope with the rigours of playing a fast and hard fighting smoothhound. For the majority of our hire rods, we have a variety of boat rods available Shakespeare Agility 2 braid boat 12/20lb, Greys GR100S 20lb or the Shakespeare Ugly Stix G2 12/20lb. But for our hound fishing, we like to scale down the gear slightly. Shakespeare Agility Tipster rods or the PENN Squadron II Touch Tip rods offer a light and exhilarating experience when fishing for hounds. For the slightly more experienced, we downsize even further; PENN Rampage II Bass Spin 15-55grm rods are the ultimate thrill when landing a 20lb smoothhound! When choosing your main line, you should be looking for something in the region of 20–25lb breaking strains. The choice between braid and mono has to be down to the individual and their preferred reel line. However, if choosing braid, a 40 or 50lb shock leader will help absorb any impact if the fish makes an impromptu bid for freedom, plus safe guard against potential scuffs when fishing the rocky grounds. . There are not too many variations of rigs when fishing for smoothhound. A simple running ledger of either 1 or 2 hooks will suffice. Your trace line should be between 30 and 50lb breaking strain, with hook sizes between 1/0 and 4/0. When targeting the much larger smoothhounds, sometimes it is wise to upgrade your hooks to 5/0, thus allowing you to fish bigger baits, such as whole large velvet or swimmer crabs. Naturally, you may find that hook-ups will be reduced, but as with most forms of sea angling, with perseverance you could be rewarded with a fish in excess of 20lb. In closing, though, it is important to point out that the majority of double figure smoothhounds, and especially those caught in May and June are pup bearing females. These fish should be released quickly at the side of the boat wherever possible. However, if a weight and photograph is wanted by you or your mate, by all means do so, but take care to be as quick as possible, returning the fish to the water without too much stress. View the full article

Commemorating 80 Years of Ethical Sport and Productive Science All the facts and figures behind recreational angling’s most amazing catches are now available in the commemorative 80th anniversary edition of the 2019 IGFA World Record Game Fishes published by The International Game Fish Association. The IGFA World Record Game Fishes is the world’s most definitive publication of recreational angling records. The 2019 edition includes comprehensive information on all freshwater, saltwater and fly-fishing world records for All-Tackle, Line Class, Tippet Class, Junior & Smallfry and All-Tackle Length categories, including new world records set in the last year. In addition, the publication features a wide variety of unique content like 80 Years of Fishing for the World chronicling the significant events of the IGFA’s 80-year history, tales of China’s mysterious freshwater game fish in From China with Love, informative tips from top fly fishing anglers in So Fly 22 and a feature article on the IGFA Great Marlin Race in The Race for Billfish. “We’re excited to fulfill our longstanding role as the angling world record keeper through the release of our iconic annual publication,” said IGFA President Nehl Horton. “Angler recognition, game fish conservation and education are the cornerstones of our association. With the latest edition of IGFA World Record Game Fishes, we aim to inform, educate and inspire those who are interested in our sport by celebrating the achievements of anglers around the globe.” The 2019 world record book also features infographics detailing the IGFA’s signature programs and valuable information on IGFA member clubs, captains and guides, weigh stations and members-only discount programs designed to help recreational anglers connect with each other and access a wealth of relevant and timely information. As part of their membership, all IGFA members will receive a printed copy of the 2019 IGFA World Record Game Fishes as a valued keepsake and easy offline reference resource. The 2019 edition is also available online to IGFA members only as an e-magazine, providing easy access to the entire list of IGFA records and exclusive content. To learn more about the organization and join the IGFA to receive access to the 2019 IGFA World Record Game Fishes, please visit https://igfa.org/join-renew/. About the IGFA Founded in 1939, The International Game Fish Association is a nonprofit organization committed to the conservation of game fish and the promotion of responsible, ethical angling practices through science, education, rule making, record keeping and recognition of outstanding accomplishments in the field of angling. The IGFA maintains world records in freshwater, saltwater, fly-fishing and junior angler categories. The IGFA has members in more than 100 countries. View the full article

Commemorating 80 Years of Ethical Sport and Productive Science All the facts and figures behind recreational angling’s most amazing catches are now available in the commemorative 80th anniversary edition of the 2019 IGFA World Record Game Fishes published by The International Game Fish Association. The IGFA World Record Game Fishes is the world’s most definitive publication of recreational angling records. The 2019 edition includes comprehensive information on all freshwater, saltwater and fly-fishing world records for All-Tackle, Line Class, Tippet Class, Junior & Smallfry and All-Tackle Length categories, including new world records set in the last year. In addition, the publication features a wide variety of unique content like 80 Years of Fishing for the World chronicling the significant events of the IGFA’s 80-year history, tales of China’s mysterious freshwater game fish in From China with Love, informative tips from top fly fishing anglers in So Fly 22 and a feature article on the IGFA Great Marlin Race in The Race for Billfish. “We’re excited to fulfill our longstanding role as the angling world record keeper through the release of our iconic annual publication,” said IGFA President Nehl Horton. “Angler recognition, game fish conservation and education are the cornerstones of our association. With the latest edition of IGFA World Record Game Fishes, we aim to inform, educate and inspire those who are interested in our sport by celebrating the achievements of anglers around the globe.” The 2019 world record book also features infographics detailing the IGFA’s signature programs and valuable information on IGFA member clubs, captains and guides, weigh stations and members-only discount programs designed to help recreational anglers connect with each other and access a wealth of relevant and timely information. As part of their membership, all IGFA members will receive a printed copy of the 2019 IGFA World Record Game Fishes as a valued keepsake and easy offline reference resource. The 2019 edition is also available online to IGFA members only as an e-magazine, providing easy access to the entire list of IGFA records and exclusive content. To learn more about the organization and join the IGFA to receive access to the 2019 IGFA World Record Game Fishes, please visit https://igfa.org/join-renew/. About the IGFA Founded in 1939, The International Game Fish Association is a nonprofit organization committed to the conservation of game fish and the promotion of responsible, ethical angling practices through science, education, rule making, record keeping and recognition of outstanding accomplishments in the field of angling. The IGFA maintains world records in freshwater, saltwater, fly-fishing and junior angler categories. The IGFA has members in more than 100 countries. View the full article

With the cricket and football World Cups now over and the school summer holidays coming up, many parents will be wondering how to keep their youngsters occupied over the long six week break. The message from the Angling Trust is simple: "take your children fishing". To highlight all that fishing has to offer to young people, Angling Trust Policy Chief Martin Salter invited his old parliamentary colleague Charles Walker MP, Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Angling Group to bring his sons and their mates on a special day out to College Lake in Hampshire where the youngsters had a great time catching some fighting fit carp and beautiful roach on a variety of methods. Best fish of the day was a lovely 14lb mirror carp caught by Jack Boyd on a method feeder. Charles Walker MP said: "My sons, James and Alistair, love fishing and all the lads had a fantastic time catching fish and learning a few more fishing tips from Martin. I just wish more parents would realise that taking your children fishing is great way to help them learn about wildlife and nature, and may well give them a healthy hobby that could last a lifetime. There are lots of safe and friendly angling schemes and projects run by the Angling Trust and its partners for young people and those new to fishing so it really couldn't be easier." Martin Salter added: “With so many other distractions out there we all have to work harder to get the fishing message across to young people in order to give our sport a future. Studies have shown that spending more time on outside pursuits such as angling is good for both mental and physical health and wellbeing, and for gaining a greater understanding of the countryside and the environment. And now with free fishing licences for under 16s it’s even easier for youngsters to get into fishing.” This summer there are hundreds of completely FREE events which offer opportunities to discover the joys of fishing, including the Angling Trust’s ‘Get Fishing’ campaign, Get Hooked on Fishing’s ‘Family Fishing’ initiative, Canal & River Trust’s ‘Lets Fish!’ sessions and National Fishing Month, run by the Angling Trades Association. You can find all these via www.getfishing.org.uk. Children aged between 13 and 16 can get a FREE Environment Agency fishing licence to fish in stillwaters, canals, rivers and streams so now it’s even less expensive for families to start fishing. View the full article

With the cricket and football World Cups now over and the school summer holidays coming up, many parents will be wondering how to keep their youngsters occupied over the long six week break. The message from the Angling Trust is simple: "take your children fishing". To highlight all that fishing has to offer to young people, Angling Trust Policy Chief Martin Salter invited his old parliamentary colleague Charles Walker MP, Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Angling Group to bring his sons and their mates on a special day out to College Lake in Hampshire where the youngsters had a great time catching some fighting fit carp and beautiful roach on a variety of methods. Best fish of the day was a lovely 14lb mirror carp caught by Jack Boyd on a method feeder. Charles Walker MP said: "My sons, James and Alistair, love fishing and all the lads had a fantastic time catching fish and learning a few more fishing tips from Martin. I just wish more parents would realise that taking your children fishing is great way to help them learn about wildlife and nature, and may well give them a healthy hobby that could last a lifetime. There are lots of safe and friendly angling schemes and projects run by the Angling Trust and its partners for young people and those new to fishing so it really couldn't be easier." Martin Salter added: “With so many other distractions out there we all have to work harder to get the fishing message across to young people in order to give our sport a future. Studies have shown that spending more time on outside pursuits such as angling is good for both mental and physical health and wellbeing, and for gaining a greater understanding of the countryside and the environment. And now with free fishing licences for under 16s it’s even easier for youngsters to get into fishing.” This summer there are hundreds of completely FREE events which offer opportunities to discover the joys of fishing, including the Angling Trust’s ‘Get Fishing’ campaign, Get Hooked on Fishing’s ‘Family Fishing’ initiative, Canal & River Trust’s ‘Lets Fish!’ sessions and National Fishing Month, run by the Angling Trades Association. You can find all these via www.getfishing.org.uk. Children aged between 13 and 16 can get a FREE Environment Agency fishing licence to fish in stillwaters, canals, rivers and streams so now it’s even less expensive for families to start fishing. View the full article