A Promising Start to 2022 - With Ade Kiddell

In this blog post, Ade Kiddell covers his 2022 spring fishing adventures so far in the Netherlands and his visit to the new Angling Direct warehouse.

As sit indoors writing this blog, outside the wind has turned much cooler and it looks like it might snow in the next few days. This was just when we thought spring had arrived here in the Netherlands. This poor winter-like weather is hopefully only a temporary set back and we should see a return to spring weather soon!

What Fish to Target During Spring:

For many anglers, spring is the time to target tench and carp that will be waking up from their winter slumber and actively feeding again after months of inactivity. No better time for us to stock up on bait and tackle items and get the rods checked and ready and perhaps a new line on reels in anticipation of some spring action. Keep checking with your local Angling Direct store or subscribe to emails to be notified of some of the great offers over the next few weeks, for all the tackle and bait you need to get you out fishing this season.

Fishing Permits and Closed Seasons for Europe

It’s very important to make sure you have the correct licence and permits to fish wherever you chose to go, be it the UK or a holiday trip abroad. Belgium like the UK has a river close season, although in Belgium it's complicated as some rivers can be fished whilst others are closed. Here in the Netherlands rivers are open to fish but there are restrictions on fishing for predatory fish and restrictions on what fish can be retained in keepnets. France in general has no close season but game and predator fishing are restricted.

The best advice I can give is if you are planning a visit to any foreign country and intend to do some fishing, be sure to research on the internet and take local advice before you fish. My experience is that licence checks are much more frequent in Europe than in the UK and tend to be more business-like and regimental.  This year already I have been checked in the Netherlands and 2 times in Belgium.

Angling Direct in Europe

I was really pleased to receive a phone call a few weeks ago from an old Angling Direct colleague inviting me over to the new AD warehouse and European distribution centre only a few kilometres from my Dutch home. A few years ago, I was responsible for setting up the logistics operation at the AD UK HQ so the visit was extra special as I can remember the hard work and long hours that are required to achieve the desired result.

WOW is all I can say. A massive well-stocked warehouse with a dedicated team ready to take the growth of AD in Europe to another level. The most important benefit is for European anglers who will now see an even quicker delivery service and a much better range of products available all over Europe. A friend of mine, who lives in the Netherlands was very happy that he was able to fish on Tuesday with a rod he had only ordered at lunchtime the previous day! Excellent service!

So, plenty of stock and a dedicated team of pickers and packers can only be great news, so my best advice, if you are reading this and live in Europe, is to give AD a try, since Brexit it’s not been easy for any UK company to trade in Europe the new distribution centre will make this much easier for you as consumers to benefit from Angling Directs great prices and quality of service.

World Feeder Fishing Championships

Another great piece of news that has come to light in the last few days involves the World Feeder Fishing Championships being held in Belgium in October this year. Due to the unfortunate situation in Ukraine the organisers have had to move the venue to Belgium, they should have been in Ukraine but sadly it is not possible. The venue is a massive gravel pit in Belgium, Dutch border close by to Kinrooi which is very close to my Dutch home. During the last couple of weeks, I have been to the venue on a few occasions to not only have a walk around, but I have also fished and have to say it’s a very impressive venue and from what I have seen some great fish to be caught.

I am very excited by the prospect of being able to see the very best feeder anglers in the world compete over 2 days in October and to see who the best team in the world will be! I will also be able to see which individual will be crowned the world champion. I am very much looking forward to the event and I will be keeping a close eye on the venue as I am sure most of the top European teams will be practising as the event gets closer. There is so much to be learnt by watching the very best anglers in the world, their ability is matched by their dedication. The venue lends itself to being able to watch quietly from a distance without disturbing the concentration required at the very highest level of our sport.

Barbel Fishing in Belgium

My own fishing has been slow over the last few weeks, I managed a few barbels in Belgium before the close season began, and I have had a couple of short barbel sessions on my local river with unfortunately no barbel to show as yet. A visit to the world championship venue produced a net of pristine roach on feeder tactics fished at fifty metres a few skimmer bream made up a nice net of fish.

I had planned to go to France this weekend to fish for barbel on The Meuse, but I think with the snow forecast I will give that a miss. Hopefully, an improvement in the weather and I think a session for carp on my local lake will be high on the list in the next couple of weeks.