The Week Ahead...

This entry was posted on 20th January, 2014

The Prospects…

Well there’s not really too much to say about the weather, which is probably a good thing given the amount of strong wind and heavy rain we’ve had in the past few months, this settled weather will come as a relief to those who endured the worst of the storms.

Last week was reasonably mild, considering the time of year and many days were the same; overcast and dry with lighter winds and it looks as if this week is going to follow a similar pattern, with just one change… the temperatures. This week temperatures are expected to drop quite considerably, hovering around the 5-6 degree mark, which is a good 4-5 degree’s below what they have been. Being realistic though, this is around the seasonal average, so we cannot complain too much!



I noticed this morning there was a sharp frost and for the first time in many weeks I was reaching for the de-icer!

What could this mean for the fishing…

I don’t think I need to state the obvious, but cold frosty conditions aren’t the best fishing conditions in the world, in fact they are probably the worst, especially the first 2-3 frosts after a mild period!

However according to our friendly fishing App, this week looks pretty good as from Wednesday right through till Saturday every day has a fishing efficiency rating of over 70%, with a peak of 96% on Friday! This tales off towards Sunday, but not for long, as next week it starts to build again, but more about that nearer the time!



The cooler conditions this week could see the Carp shoal up in tighter areas, as they try to find the warmest part of the lake/water column. If you are out on the bank fishing for them, it would probably pay to opt for a active, mobile approach, don’t wait for them to come to you, as it probably won’t happen. Watch the water and try to look out for any signs of fish, however small.

In these cooler conditions there’s a couple of species that will willingly feed and that is the Chub and Pike. With the flooded rivers now slowly subsiding opportunities to catch both these species will probably be significantly increased.

If you do plan on having a session and do get out then good luck and of course don’t forget to let us know how you get on! Send any pictures and reports to: contact@anglingdirect.co.uk

 

My Fishing…

I didn’t make it to the beach last week, as much as I’d have liked to, for one reason or another I didn’t, I think part of it may have been down to the negative reports and the experience of my previous 2-3 trips still being fresh in the memory.

It seems at the moment it’s a lot of time and effort for very little reward, for example my last trip… £30 bait, £20 petrol, £10 food (don’t worry it’s not some Mastercard joke) an 85 mile round trip and 2.5 hours of travelling, for what… A handful of micro Whiting!

Don’t get me wrong I love it and it’s not about the money, travelling or the time, it’s about being a fishermen, it’s about that ‘what if’, that ‘maybe’, that this trip could be ‘the one’ and of course I’ll continue to do it throughout this year and in the future, I just wish there was more fish about! It would certainly be easier to drum up the enthusiasm and it would mean I’d have something to report most weeks! Not that I like to wish time away, but roll on the spring/summer months and the run of Bass and Smoothound!

On the other side of the coin, even though I didn’t fish on the beach I still managed a session with Steve on Saturday, fishing and filming at a local lake, on the pole. We had fantastic morning, caught plenty of fish and got some great footage, all of which will be online soon, in the mean time below is a picture of just some of the fish we landed…

What does this week hold… well in all honesty I’m not to sure! I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about a trip to the coast, as I do most weeks, but that’s as far as I’ve got so far! With the big tides now dropping I’m tempted to have a fun session slightly closer to home chasing a few flatfish, normally at this time of year they are plump and plentiful as they venture inshore to spawn. But we shall see, whatever happens I’ll keep you posted!

 

Pictures Of The Week… January’s picture of the month competition is now in full swing and already we’ve had some great entries, there’s also a real battle developing between 3 or 4 of the entries, with many of them already receiving over 100 likes! You can see the full album by clicking the link below…

January Picture Of The Month



If you want to get in on the action and stand a chance of winning a £50 voucher then get sending your pictures in!

Also it’s worth remembering it’s a picture of the month competition and not a just a fish of the month, so it’s not all about the biggest Carp!

If you want to enter our January’s competition and appear on our blog and social sites then feel free to email your pictures and reports to…contact@anglingdirect.co.uk you can also share them with us on our Facebook and Twitter pages.

 

In The Press…

Specimen Roach

This week I noticed that local specimen ace, acclaimed fishing artist and writer Chris Turnbull made an appearance in the Angling Times with a mammoth Roach! The fish, pictured below, weighed in at a whopping 3lb 13oz and is the biggest of the species recorded this season, it was also Chris’s PB, which has previously stood for 20 years!



Brentwood Carp Show

As one show passes another one opens, as this weekend see’s the Brentwood Carp Show in Essex and what a show it’s shaping up to be! Promising to be bigger and better than any previous Brentwood show, it looks well worth a look!

More details: Brentwood Carp Show



Brits Still Not Keen On Eating Fish

Despite the myriad of known benefits in the consumption of fish; such as contributing to a healthy heart and aiding against cancer and arthritis, a report compiled by top seafood restaurant chains indicates that most Britons are still avoidant of fish. In the report, discussed on Fishupdate.com, a survey conducted across 40 restaurants throughout the UK found that 1 in 10 were unwilling to eat fish altogether, with the majority of others nervous about buying and preparing fish for themselves.

In commentary provided to the Daily Mirror, Food psychologist Dr Christy Fergusson said “Many people can shy away from eating fish and other foods because of the association that their subconscious mind has created. Perhaps the look of the whole fish with the eyes on the plate freaked them out as a child. Maybe the texture of seafood reminds them of something unpleasant”.

Fish Fingers however remain a UK staple according to the survey.

You can read the article here: Fish Off The Menu



 

In Store…

As you know from last weeks blog, this weekend we were at the British Carp and Angling show and what a show it was! It was fantastic to see so many customers, both old and new and to chat all things fishing! I’d like to take this moment to thank everyone who supported us and who visited our stand, we had a great time and we hope you all did too. I’d also like to say an extra thank you to our special guests on the stand; Jim Shelley, Steven Harper and Gareth Goldson.

There’s a few pictures from the show on our Facebook page, which you can see here…

British Carp & Angling Show Pictures

As one show passes another emerges on the horizon, as this coming weekend we’ll also be at the Brentwood Carp show! It’s the first time we’ve been to the event, but we’re certainly looking forward to it! Once again if you are planning on attending them feel free to visit our stand and say hello as we’d love to see you.



For many of the staff both in the shop and behind the scenes, the Carp shows have taken priority and have been the main focus, so it’s a little quiet on the news front, but we have still been busy on the website and blog.

We’ve recently added some nice new reels from a company called Akios, if you aren’t too familiar with them you can check out all the details below, as they are our selection of product of the week. In the next couple of days we’ll also have some exciting news about a new range of Baitboats we are introducing, made by a company called Anatec they look very cool indeed!

Before I sign off for another week, I’d like to give a shout out to AD Norwich shop staff member Peter Swan, who fished on the Wensum this weekend, on the famous Riverside Road stretch, where he put in a performance to remember!

Assessing the conditions, Pete thought they looked spot on for a Bream or two, so he set out his stall to target these match winning fish.

It soon became apparent that his thoughts were correct, as he put an amazing 24 Bream in his keepnet for a total of 75lb in just five hours; this was enough to win him the match, finishing an impressive 24lb clear of second place and 57lb clear of third. A small open ended feeder, groundbait, chopped worm and caster proved to be the deadly match winning method and kept the fish coming throughout the entire match.



 

Product of the week…

Akios Reels

Akios is new and forward thinking company based in the UK. It has been developed with some key values and goals to succeed in the global market place where anglers demand new, innovative and durable fishing tackle. Quality is of ultimate importance in today’s market, along with durability and functionality and it’s in these areas where Akios have really concentrated their efforts.

With its carefully selected Japanese and Taiwanese design engineers and manufacturing partners they have developed a compact range of highly desirable reels. Precision, quality and performance are the three main factors in there reel design and judging from the feedback we have received so far, they are well on the way to succeeding what they set out to achieve…

To read the full review click the link below…

Akios Reels