UK Fisherman is delighted to bring you a round up of the latest from the world of angling, including fishing match results and news from w/e 3rd May 2015, courtesy of the Canal & River Trust.

Etheridge as Ever

Another huge turnout of 86 saw the Kennet & Avon Canal a difficult venue to master on the Kings Arms to Pound Lane sections at Semington, Wiltshire. Some struggled, which is inevitable at this time of the year, whilst some had a cracking day’s sport. Individual winner was Garbolino Blackmore Vale Gold’s Gary Etheridge. Gary was at Pound Lane where he presented single red pinkie over groundbait over to a far bank tree. The two feet deep area produced a glut of skimmers, some going over the one pound mark, in his 20-12-0. Runner-up Nathanial Johnson (PI Thatchers) was opposite rushes on the Kings Arms length where chopped worm and caster accounted for a few bream plus skimmers in his 18-8-0. On the team front Drennan Bordon posted a fantastic return, easily winning on 80 points with PI Thatchers the runners-up on 68 points. Drennan Bordon is the team to catch in this league as they are currently on top with a thirteen points advantage over PI Thatchers.

Bagshaw Bags up!

At the halfway stage in the 56-entry Milton Keynes Spring League on the Manor Fields to Mill Road length of the Grand Union Canal at Milton Keynes Browning Northampton Blue hold a slender lead over Preston Innovations Black Horse White. This latest round saw skimmers galore with Ian Bagshaw including the odd better bream, in his 14-9-0 from the opening peg on the Manor Fields section. The opening peg on the Phelps length also produced the goods for Bryn Wignall (Maver Milton Keynes Green) as he built up his 12-11-0 skimmer haul.

More skimmers for Passmore!

Round Two of the Gloucester Canal Spring League saw the 68 competitors face up to a tricky Gloucester Canal match course from Rea to Pilot. The venue is fishing patchily with the occasional shoal of feeding bream and skimmers accounting for the pick of the weights, - like most canals at this time of the year nets of roach are hard to find. Topping this latest round was Paul Passmore (Devizes White) who found a good head of skimmers scouring around peg 179 at Rea. Paul netted an excellent 24-5-0 to feeder fished maggot, well ahead of the rest including Paul Hemburrow (Sensas Nomads Green) who fished similarly at the next peg to pick up 15-12-0 of fringe skimmers. The best of the rest came from Tanker Bay on the Pilot section and whilst Sensas Thyer’s posted the best team card of the day it is Daiwa Gordon League Veterans that top a very close league table with 8 points.

Frosty Reception on the Newry!

Following four consecutive frosts then torrential rain conditions were pretty dreadful for canal fans on the Newry Canal. The ‘town’ section was tough going but some very decent returns came from the periphery of the town. Matt Crowl (Harrogate) soon had the small roach ‘lined up’ to his pinkie over small nuggets of crumb attack, ending with a very creditable 9-13-0 Exactly 2 lbs behind was Philip Jackson (Lurgan) with more small roach in his 7-13-0 followed by more satisfying scores from the placed anglers.

First Class from Ben Garbett

Dudley, West Midlands based postman delivered a first class effort to top the individual scores in the latest of the Angling Trust/Canal & River Trust qualifying heats on the Grand Union Canal at Stoke Bruerne, Towcester Northamptonshire, on Sunday. Being Bank Holiday the excellent turnout of 80 had a bit more boat traffic than usual but the weights were still good and the expected skimmers certainly ruled the roost. Ben drew not for from the White Hart on A section where he worked with large red maggot and pinkies to net four bream to 2 lb 8 ozs plus skimmers and small roach from his shallow swim for 13-1-0. Runner-up was Daventry’s Tony Hulme with one bream and skimmers, also from A section, in his 8-6-0. Tony Marshall (Shakespeare Superteam) was the best score from B section with his third place skimmer bag of 6-13-0.

The latest Canal & River Trust match results from the weekend……

Angling Trust/Canal & River Trust Pairs Championships, Grand Union Canal, Stoke Bruerne, Towcester, Northamptonshire, Sunday, Individuals: Ben Garbett (Wolverhampton AA Van den Eynde) 13-1-0; Tony Hulme (Woodford Halse AC) 8-6-0; Tony Marshall (Shakespeare Superteam) 6-13-0; Mark Mines (Woodford Halse AC) and Steve Brookes (Bennetts Bait and Tackle) both 6-3-0; Barry Oliver (Maver Image) 6-1-0.

Qualifying Pairs: Tony Hulme/Mark Mines (both Woodford Halse AC) 78 points; Martin Colver/Alan Robinson (both Browning Northants) 72; Peter Laughton/Andrew Webster (both Irthlingborough AC) 71; Ben Garbett/Ian Hingley (both Wolverhampton AA Van den Eynde) 66; Barry Oliver/Steve Clarke (both Maver Image) 66.

Blackfords Progressive, Calf Heath Reservoir, Calf Heath, Gailey, Staffordshire, Saturday, D. Nicholls (Walsall) 64-10-0; Matt Derry (Kamasan Starlets) 45-0-0; C. Hammond (Maver Gold/Old Ghost) 36-5-0.

Canal Kings, Birmingham Navigations Canal, Soho Loop, Winson Green, Birmingham, West Midlands, Saturday, Simon Mottram (Drennan North West/ABC Baits) 6-5-12; P. Whitehouse (Canal Kings) 4-13-0; Tony Bowen (Canal Kings) 4-12-0; Paul Murrin (Browning Lifestyle) 4-11-0.

Canal Kings, Birmingham Navigations Canal, Soho Loop, Winson Green, Birmingham, West Midlands, Sunday, Norman Wilson (Good Intent AS) 7-8-12; Simon Mottram (Drennan North West/ABC Baits) 6-1-0; Gary Owen (Good Intent AS) 5-10-7; Tony Bowen (Canal Kings) 4-11-0.

Gloucester Canal Spring League, Round Two, Gloucester Canal, Rea to Pilot sections, Sunday, Paul Passmore (Devizes White) 24-5-0; Paul Hemburrow (Sensas Nomads Green) 15-12-0; M. Bromsgrove (Sensas Thyer’s) 13-8-0; Adam Carter (Devizes White) 12-5-0; Shaun Bryant (Devizes Red) 11-11-0; Liam Bradell (Thatchers Red) 10-7-0.

Teams: Sensas Thyer’s 15; Devizes Red 26; Maver Lobby’s Black 28; Daiwa Gordon League Veterans 29; Thatchers Red 31; Garbolino Blackmore Vale 33.

League to Date: Daiwa Gordon League Veterans 8; Garbolino Blackmore Vale 9; Sensas WB Clarke 10; Stroud AC12; Thatchers Red 12; Sensas Thyer’s 13.

Newry Canal May Day Festival, Newry, Saturday, Matt Crowl (Harrogate) 9-13-0; Philip Jackson (Lurgan) 7-13-0; Kevin Maguire (Newry) 7-3-0; Johnny McKinley (Lurgan) 6-8-0; Geoff Quinn (South Armagh) 6-3-0.

*Northampton Nene AC, Grand Union Canal, Yardley Gobion, Northamptonshire, Sunday, Chris Howard (Northampton Nene AC) 16-4-0; Tosh Saunders (Northampton Nene AC) 9-0-0; Barry Oliver (Northampton Nene AC) 8-14-0.

Halesowen Royal British Legion, Staffs-Worcs Canal, Castlecroft, Wolverhampton, West Midlands, Sunday, S. Waite (Halesowen RBL) 49-12-0; M. Knight (Halesowen RBL) 21-5-0; P. Whitehouse (Halesowen RBL) 20-8-0.

Izaak Walton (Stafford) Anglers’ Association, Staffs-Worcs Canal, Farmdown Road, Stafford, Saturday, Alan Round (Browning Lifestyle) 4-5-1; Dennis Sumner (Bilston Angling Centre) 2-0-11; Nigel Clayton (Browning Lifestyle) 1-14-8.

*Little Harrowden AC, Grand Union Canal, Heyford, Jim Broadbent (Little Harrowden AC) 19-12-0; Dave Chamberlain (Little Harrowden AC) 14-3-0; Mick Dudley (Little Harrowden AC) 5-6-0.

*Milton Keynes Angling Association Spring League, Round Two, Grand Union Canal, Manor Fields to Mill Road, Milton Keynes, Ian Bagshaw (Maver Milton Keynes Green) 14-9-0; Bryn Wignall (Maver Milton Keynes Green) 12-11-0; Lee Newson (Black Horse Black) 9-5-8; James Mead (Maver Milton Keynes Black) 9-0-8; Tom Boyce (Tackle hub Silver) 8-14-0.

Teams: Preston InnovationsBlack Horse Black 43; Maver Milton Keynes Green 40; Browning Northampton Blue 39; Browning Northampton Black 38; Browning Northampton Gold 38.

League to Date: Browning Northampton Blue 76; Preston Innovations Black Horse White 74; Maver Milton Keynes Green 71; Preston Innovations Black Horse Black 68; GoneFishin’ 68.

*Sensas Kennet and Avon Spring League, Round Two, Kennet and Avon Canal, Kings Arms to Pound Lane, Semington, Wiltshire, Sunday, Gary Etheridge (Garbolino Blackmore Vale Gold) 20-12-0; Nathanial Johnson (PI Thatchers) 18-8-0; Tony Scott (Sensas Wiltshire Angling Green) 15-2-0; Steve Barnett (Drennan Bordon) 13-1-0; Steve Saunders (Sensas Nomads) 13-9-0; Rich Rosinski (Sensas A4) 13-6-0.

Teams: Drennan Bordon 80; PI Thatchers 68; Devizes Black 65; Daiwa Gordon League, PI Blackhorse and Devizes White all 62.

League to Date: Drennan Bordon 144; PI Thatchers 131; Devizes White 122; Garbolino Blackmore Vale Gold 120; Devizes Black 119; Cotswold Matrix Talismen B 116.

Sportsman Angling Club Open, Walsall Canal, Ocker Hill, Tipton, West Midlands, Saturday, Gary Atkins (Sportsman AC) 8-11-0; Dave Arnold (Sportsman AC) 5-11-0; Tony Foster (Middy Dams & Lock) 3-11-0

Stirrup Cup, Birmingham-Fazeley Canal, Curdworth, Birmingham, West Midlands, Sunday, Pete Hatton (ZLT) 6-13-0; Alan Newman (Stirrup Cup) 6-5-2; Sam Lewis (Three Em’s) 3-8-11.

Wolverhampton AA, Staffs-Worcs Canal, Four Ashes, Staffordshire, Sunday, Steve Dudley (Browning Lifestyle) 5-2-5; Simon Nickless (Saints) 4-14-7; Martin Owen (Browning Lifestyle) 4-13-9; Paul Turner (Wolverhampton AA Van den Eynde) 4-10-6.

Wolverhampton Over 60’s Club, Staffs-Worcs Canal, Cross Keys, Penkridge, Staffordshire, Barry Astbury (Pelsall Old Boys) 5-7-6; Tony Keeling (Team Eclipse) 4-6-8; Stuart Brailsford (Bridgtown Social AC) 4-6-2.

*Contest results listed with an asterisk are from the previous week(end).

Round Three of the Sensas Kennet & Avon Spring League will be held on Marlborough’s water at Farmers, Brimslade and Wolfhall on Sunday, May 17th.

Erewash Update……

This week I am more than a bit pleased to bring you a heart warming story from the Erewash Canal, a very important part of the Midlands canal fishing network. This canal is 11.75 miles long and runs from Langley Mill to Trent Lock, passing Cotmanhay, Ilkeston, Sandiacre and Long Eaton through its dozen or so locks.

In 2012 everything changed with a disastrous pollution with a huge fire at a nearby recycling firm at Stanton By Dale. Such was the severity of the incident up to 60 fire fighters were on the site at one time and firemen were there continuously for nine consecutive days. The Environment Agency and the Canal & River Trust spent two weeks at the site. The ‘rescue’ figure stood at around 100,000 fish. However many more perished as the water being used to put the fire out and damping down began to take the oxygen out of the canal. Many more thousands of fish were lost, some lengths were a virtual complete wipeout. The Environment Agency and the Canal & River Trust jumped in with a well thought out plan of action. The canal has had several stockings of new fish introduced as they became available. The last couple of restockings took place in October 2014 and the latest as recent as March this year.

Fish are still being introduced to the Erewash Canal and with a lot of help from the Canal & River Trust, the Environment Agency, the controlling angling clubs and Mother Nature itself the canal is well on the mend and that is fabulous news for the match, pleasure and carp anglers that fish this water course. A prime example of the ‘recovery’ came in a recent contest when over 16 lbs of bream won. We all know one catch will never make a summer but this is hugely encouraging for all concerned. It may not be too long before the Erewash Canal will hold another National Championships, the venue is ideal, very central and has lots of access points.

This Weeks Teasers

When and where was the first ever Division Two National Angling Championship held? It was actually fished on two venues if you need a clue.

Who sponsored the 1989 National Angling Championships on the River Severn?

Teaser Answers

The unanswered Teaser ‘name the angler that has fished in all six divisions of the National Championships?’ This one has stumped everyone, - the answer was the late Keith Ford who used to run matches on the River Yare, Norfolk for many a year.

Angling Nostagia…….

A little bit of nostalgia that also ties up with the National Angling Championships this year on the Gloucester Canal. The first ever time the Gloucester Canal, in fact the first ever time the National was on any canal, was in 1937 when fifty-six teams of twelve contested the event. The team event was won by Groves and Whitnall, their accumulative team weight being 23-15-6. The individual winner of that particular National was H. Jones, fishing for County Palatine; he won with a weight of 9-9-8. How times have changed, I guess most sections will be won with possibly a bit more than that this year.

Wiltshire Next in Line for CRT Pairs…..

Canal anglers all over the country are giving the Angling Trust/Canal & River Trust Pairs competition a massive thumbs up. Following the undoubted success of the River Fest the Pairs event, the brainchild of the Canal & River Trust is not far behind. It is not for me to say but is there a swing back to more natural venues?

Three of the Angling Trust/Canal & River Trust pairs have already been completed and after a short break the next one will be on the Kennet and Avon Canal, at Devizes on Sunday, May 24th.  I am more than pleased to report that the competition is really catching on fast and there is a heavy demand for tickets for this round. There will be 50 pegs on the Devizes Angling Association’s water at Seend Park and 50 on Avon Angling Club’s Semington stretch at Melksham. Day tickets are available but they must be purchased before fishing from the local tackle shops, NOT on the bank. Day tickets can also be purchased, prior to fishing, from the Spar Shop on Bath Road, Devizes. Competitors are also advised that the match sections are closed to competitors from midnight on Sunday 17th May until the date of the competition.

The advice is to get on quick to avoid disappointment; if you have not already booked on, is £20 per person (£40 per pair) with an extra pool on the day of £10 per person. The top five pairs will go through to the October final. Remember, you do not have to be an Angling Trust member to fish any of the qualifiers but membership is essential to fish the Grand Final. Please note that previous qualifiers can enter; in the event of a qualifier being a sell-out (50 pairs) non-qualifiers will have priority when booking on. Entry forms via:

www.anglingtrust.net/competitions or E Mail: sandra.drew@anglingtrust.net

As sure as eggs are eggs skimmers are almost certain to make a large impact in this qualifying round of the Angling Trust/Canal & River Trust pairs competition. Catches are on the up and up and a weight of around 20 lbs of all skimmers from 6 oz to 2 lb, with the occasional bigger bream, is always on the cards at this very popular venue. The venue also offers a good selection of roach plus some very decent perch and tench. There is the odd carp at Seend Park but they are huge solitary fish and anglers are often saying goodbye to them shortly after they have been hooked! Bait wise it could be one of punched bread, pinkie and big maggot or chopped worm and caster, - it could even be a combination of all those baits.

Pairs Final Bound

Current qualifiers in an ever growing list for the Angling Trust/Canal and River Trust pairs final are: Steve Brookes/Dave Mawby (both Drennan Leicester); Dave McCall (Shakespeare Superteam)/Steve Broome (Bilston Angling Centre); Roger Marlow/Dean Guess (both Drennan Leicester), Tony Barker/Mick Hatchard (both Shakespeare Superteam) plus Sam Merry (Bait-Tech)/Rob Wootton (Shimano Dynamite Baits). Simon Mottram (Drennan North West/ABC Baits)/Simon Preece (Browning Lifestyle); Steve Dudley (Browning Lifestyle)/Simon Nickless (Saints); Dave Richards/Carl Westwood (both Four Ashes AC); Dave Lloyd/Richard Guest ( both Maver Midlands); Tony Hulme/Mark Mines (both Woodford Halse AC); Martin Colver/Alan Robinson (both Browning Northants); Peter Laughton/Andrew Webster (both Irthlingborough AC); Ben Garbett/Ian Hingley (both Wolverhampton AA Van den Eynde); Barry Oliver/Steve Clark (both Maver Image).

The entry for the final is already looking very strong and in the weeks leading up to the final you may well see an impartial form guide and a list of starting prices from your anglers friend and top bookmaker Phil Yaboots!!

Stillwater Final Bound

Finalists in the Angling Trust/Canal & River Trust Individual final so far are: Brian Ashley (Telford); Geoff Ringer (Ringer Baits); Andrew Ashington (Birmingham); Stephen Openshaw (Lingmere Fisheries).

Pairs Qualifying Dates

The full list of remaining qualifiers in the Angling Trust/Canal & River Trust pairs  canal competition are: Sunday 24th May Kennet & Avon Canal, Devizes, Wiltshire; Sunday 21st June Gloucester Canal; Saturday 11th July Aire & Calder Canal; Sunday 26th July River Lea Navigation Rammey Marsh Lock to below Enfield Lock; Saturday 15th August Rochdale Canal; Saturday 5th September Staffs-Worcs Canal, Penkridge, Staffordshire; Sunday 20th September Beeston Canal, Nottingham; Sunday 27th September Leeds-Liverpool Canal; Saturday 24th October Grand Final Birmingham-Fazeley Canal, Minworth, Birmingham. A 50-peg Junior Canal Championships will also held on the Birmingham-Fazeley Canal on Saturday 24th October. Entry forms available from: www.anglingtrust.net/competitions or E Mail: sandra.drew@anglingtrust.net

Please note the change of venue, to the original list for the qualifier on Sunday 26th      July.

Please note that the  stretches of canal used in these Angling Trust/Canal & River Trust pairs championship are closed to the competitors for the week (starting Sunday midnight) prior to the event.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Carp Carnival Entries?

Another Angling Trust/Canal & River Trust tournament that might grab your eye is the Stillwater Championships, 2015. Remaining dates and venues are: Sunday 10th May Blythe Waters; Wednesday 20th May Boddington Reservoir; Saturday 30th May Kiveton Waters; Sunday 28th June Earlswood Lakes; Wednesday 15th July Boddington Reservoir; Saturday 25th July Earlswood Lakes; Sunday 2nd August Clattercote Reservoir; Saturday 22nd August Blythe Waters; Saturday 19th September Blythe Waters.

Four anglers qualify from each of the 40-peg qualifiers making for a 40-peg Grand Final at Blythe Waters on Saturday 17th October.

Entry is £25 per qualifier, - there is an Application Form and a check list of entries available on www.anglingtrust.net/competitions The check list, per qualifier can be accessed via the button in the left hand bottom corner on the respective web page.

Battle of Naseby…

We have all heard of the tale about waiting an age for a bus then two come along at once, - the same could apply to Canal & River Trust’s Naseby Reservoir, Northamptonshire with 30 lb carp only this time three have come along in recent weeks. Simon Watkinson and Simon Crowe both had one but the latest was caught by 13 year old schoolboy James Bowskill from Loddington in the same county. Young James is the envy of all his mates as he landed a terrific 32 lb mirror on a squid and octopus boilie with a cranberry pop-up. Day tickets £6 one rod, £10 for two. Longer stays call Harry on 07904 493417.

Source: Canal & River Trust