“TIMING MY SESSION WITH A BIG MOON PRODUCED A PB BARBEL”

Gary Knowles – 15lb 10oz barbel

“I DON’T normally fish for barbel until we’re well into October, when the rivers have had a good flush through and are carrying a bit of extra water and colour. “But earlier this year I got a new club book, and I was itching to take a look at a few of the stretches.

“By keeping an eye on social media, I knew the Trent was still low and clear, so conditions were far from ideal for barbel. But I’d noticed there was a ‘big’ harvest moon coming at the weekend, and that tipped the balance for me.

“Theories on moon phases and their effect on fish behaviour vary enormously, but in my experience a big moon means big fish are on the move, so this seemed like too good an opportunity to miss.

“I decided to head for the tidal Trent and fish for the evening, then in the morning to have a recce around and locate a few spots to fish later in the year.

“It was a pleasant, warm evening, and I sat by my rods all night and built up the swim by regularly casting heavy feeders laced with Sonubaits cheese and garlic pellets, and 14mm hookbaits of the same flavour.

“At around 11pm, having landed a few bream, I had my first proper take and was soon netting a lovely barbel of 12lb 8oz.

“It was a great start in the new area and, with the full moon now illuminating the landscape, I felt confident of another good fish or two. Sure enough, an hour later, I had a very steady take from what I instantly knew to be a better fish.

“In the crystal-clear water, my headtorch picked out a large barbel fighting all the way to the net, and I was delighted when the scales confirmed 15lb 10oz – a new PB by a couple of ounces.

“The fish had a huge frame which hadn't yet filled out. I expect it to put on quite a bit of weight over the winter, so it would be nice to meet it again at the back end of the season! Whether it was caught because of or despite the harvest moon, I’m not sure, but my instinct to take advantage of the moon phase had paid off.”

A MEMORABLE BRACE OF RIVER RUDD

Mark Fox – 3lb rudd

BIG rudd may be synonymous with high summer, but Mark Fox didn’t let the falling temperatures deter him on a trip to the River Cam, where he was rewarded with a huge brace of fish weighing 5lb 1oz!

Mark opted for groundbait feeder tactics and, having lost a fish early on to a hook pull, stepped up to a size 12 wide gape with a hair-rigged banana-scopex boilie, presented on a heli rig.

He targeted deeper water and fed a mixture of Dynamite Baits F1 Sweet groundbait and 4mm pellets of the same flavour through his feeder.

Bites proved finicky, but after connecting with a few decent fish, Mark then slipped the net under rudd weighing 3lb and 2lb 1oz in quick succession!

SHORT CAMPAIGN PRODUCES HUGE EEL

Daniel Woolcott – 7lb 1oz eel

FISHING for specimen eels is known for being a waiting game, with many anglers enduring a lengthy string of blanks before encountering their target species.

But it doesn’t always have to be that way, as former Drennan Cup champion Daniel Woolcott showed when he landed this remarkable 7lb 1oz fish after just five nights on the bank… which is about the equivalent a short evening session in the big-eel angling world!

Daniel had the take just before dawn, with the fish falling to six dead maggots on a size 10 Drennan Gripper hook. This was presented on a twig rig, which helps to avoid deep hooking. Indeed, Daniel was pleased to report that this fish was hooked firmly in the lip.

He targeted the bottom of a shelf in a deep margin, where he fed a bed of Dynamite Baits GLM groundbait, soaked in a potent mix of liquid worm additive and ‘Fish Gutz’ attractant, plus lots of dead maggots.

Daniel focused his efforts on the summer-to-autumn transitional period, knowing that, as the eel’s natural food starts to decline, it’s a great time to target them. This is a theory that he and the late eel-fishing legend Steve Pitts had discussed on numerous occasions.

GARY’S TOP 5 TIPS

Nail it down – Use a feeder that is heavy enough to comfortably hold in the flow – if your feeder is moving about, so is your baited area.

Feed little and often – Feed regularly whether you are getting bites or not. Lots of bait will be taken by smaller fish, so it’s important to keep topping up your swim.

Beat the crabs – When fishing the tidal river, use hard, over-flavoured baits to combat the mitten crabs, which can soon whittle down standard baits.

Target the darkness – In low, clear conditions, barbel will often feed best after dark, so don't leave the river too early and, ideally, fish well into the night.

Step-up your tackle – Strong gear is essential – large barbel fight hard and the tidal river contains lots of snags. I wouldn't go below 15lb mainline and a 2lb TC rod.

Many die-hard tench fanatics go a lifetime without catching even a double-figure example of their favourite species, but last week one lucky carper smashed that milestone with his very first tinca!

Louis Green was enjoying a session at Oxford’s Linear Fisheries when he landed the thickset specimen scaling 12lb 14oz – a fish that’s only two-and-a-half pounds off the British Record.

The popular complex is best known for its carp, although it’s also a favourite with anglers searching for specimen-sized fish of other species, and the Tenchfishers group even hold their annual Tench Championships there.

Louis was coming to the end of a 24-hour session on Brasenose 1 – the same lake that Dai Gribble caught his British record-equalling 4lb 3oz roach from in 2024 – when he had the take.

“I was using boilies, and hadn’t caught any carp, but just as I was packing up, one of my rods screamed off.

“The fight was brilliant, and once the fish was in the net and on the scales, it was amazing to see the needle settle on 12lb 14oz,” he said.

The tench smashed the lake record and is also believed to be a new best for the whole complex, topping the previous joint record of 12lb 11oz – one of which was caught last year from Oxlease Lake.

“It was my first-ever tench too!” Louis added.

The 2026 National Celebration of Young People and Fishing was yet another event to remember, as 460 young anglers lined the towpath of the Shropshire Union Canal in a ‘festival of fishing’.

The Canal and River Trust (CRT) contest took place between September 12 and 13 and is one of the largest angling events in the country, this year beaten only by the Division One National, in which 480 anglers fished.

The event forms part of the CRT’s Let’s Fish! programme, which introduces thousands of people to fishing each year.

Competitors between the ages of six and 20 took part, battling it out in the friendly competition, designed to inspire the next generation.

Rather than simply catching the biggest weight, the focus was on fun and teamwork, as families, friends and local communities came together to create a festival atmosphere along the canal between the village of Little Onn and the town of Market Drayton, in Shropshire.

The event was supported by Tackle Guru alongside several other companies, and each participant took home a medal, a fishing book, a certificate, a highly prized gudgeon mug, a goodie bag and an item of tackle donated by the angling community.

John Ellis, national fisheries and angling manager at the CRT, was delighted by how the weekend went: “Fishing on our canals is about so much more than catching fish – it’s about building confidence, creating lifelong memories and making new friends,” he told us.

“To see 460 young people, including more than 100 representing schools, come together for this year’s
National Celebration on the Shropshire Union Canal was truly inspiring. Events like this prove how powerful initiatives such as Let’s Fish! can be in connecting young people with the outdoors and with each other.”

Big brown trout... Banked on a bagel!

Many anglers have caught a surprise trout or two while fishing for other species, but few will have landed anything in quite the same league as this gorgeous wild brownie, banked by young Sebastian Hancock.

The 11-year-old had gone for a few hours’ fishing on Sunday with his dad, David, simply to get out of the house. They popped down to a stretch of their local River Stort and wandered along the banks, trotting a float and using pieces of bread torn from a leftover bagel as bait.

“After an hour-and-a-half, we hadn’t had any luck, but just as we were walking home along the banks, Sebastian threw a bit of bagel in and a fish took it almost straight away off the surface,” David told us.

“So, we quickly changed our set-up to freeline a bait, and after 10 minutes of trying, the fish hammered it.”

Sebastian then played the powerful fish in the strong current for around 10 minutes before it finally came to the waiting net.

“It was in absolutely immaculate condition,” David added. “We didn’t weigh the fish – we just took a quick photo and then returned it to the river.

“It was a great result, especially as we were just using a hook and a chunk of bagel!”

Casting three rods to roughly the same area and fishing three rods accurately on one spot are two very different things.

When done properly, concentrating your rods on a single baited area can be incredibly effective, as you create one main spot where carp can compete for food.

It’s particularly useful on busy day-ticket lakes where fish regularly respond to established beds of bait, and on well-stocked venues it can often lead to big hits of fish.

Find your area

The first thing you need to do is find a spot worth fishing. This can be done with either a marker float or just a bare lead on a braided mainline.

Cast around, feel the lead down and then pay attention to how it feels when you drag it across the bottom. You’re looking for a clean gravel patch, firm clay, harder silt, or simply a relatively clear area amid weed.

Finding a clean spot doesn't automatically mean it’s large enough to accommodate three rigs. Cast around the spot – slightly left, right, shorter and longer – to map the spot more precisely and work out how big it is.

If the spot is only a couple of metres across, squeezing three rigs on to it could create more problems in terms of lines tangling.

Fishing just two rods over an area this size would most likely be more effective.

If you’ve found a larger area, however, you can then think about where each hookbait will be positioned.

Effective placement

Imagine looking down on your spot from above. With three rods, a simple triangular arrangement is often ideal.

One rig can be cast towards the front or back of the spot, with the other two positioned slightly shorter/longer and on either side.

Alternatively, you could fish all three rods in a line – one in the centre of the spot and one at either side. This provides a bit of separation while keeping all three rigs in the zone where the carp are feeding.

Once you’ve found your spot, being consistently accurate is the biggest factor when it comes to fishing it effectively.

Clip your rods at the required distance and use far-bank markers to aim at. Choose precise markers, rather than something more vague. The left edge of a particular tree is far more useful than simply aiming at ‘the big bush’.

It’s also essential that you stand in the exact same position when casting to achieve pinpoint accuracy.

Distance sticks are invaluable here, as you can measure how many ‘wraps’ are required to reach the spot. Keep a note of how many wraps you’re fishing at on your phone, especially if you fish the venue regularly. It will save time on future sessions.

Tight baiting

There's little point placing three rigs accurately in a concentrated spot and then spreading your feed across a wide area.

A Spomb is the easiest way to create a tight bed of bait, as this can be clipped up at the same number of wraps as your rods so you know everything is landing in the same place.

If you’re using a marker float, this provides a visual target to aim at if you’re using a catapult or throwing stick.

Again, think about the size of the spot and imagine it from above. Not every Spomb needs to land slap-bang in the middle. If, for example, you were starting the session with 20 Spombs full of bait, look to put most of these around the centre, but make several casts to either side of the spot as well to create a light scattering of bait.

It’s worth considering the depth of water you are fishing in, too. The deeper it is, the more the bait will spread out naturally as it falls through the water.

Keep your lines organised

Three rods on one area can quickly become messy unless you think about line placement. On the cast, don’t hit the clip too hard, otherwise your rig will bounce back towards you and away from the intended spot.

You need to aim to hit the clip as the rig is just above the water, and then almost lower the rig down. After casting, sink each line and tighten everything up so that there’s some tension in the line, but not so much that you start to drag your rigs out of position.

Once you have all three rods on the rests, check the line direction from the rod-tips.

If everything has been done correctly, you should have three clearly separated lines travelling towards the baited area.

When you get a bite

Unfortunately, hooked carp usually have zero regard for your carefully placed arrangement. The first thing to watch for is which way the fish is kiting and then decide if you need to pass your rod over or under either of the remaining rods. If you have a friend fishing with you, you could ask them to wind one or both of your remaining rods in to get the lines out of the way. It’s often much easier to recast these than have to deal with tangled lines.

On well-stocked waters, there’s also a chance you could get multiple bites at the same time. If this happens, the most important thing is to remain calm. Carry on playing the first fish and simply tighten up the clutch slightly on the rod that’s still on the alarms. Once you’ve netted the first fish, you can deal with the second. If you’re struggling, though, and there are other anglers close by, don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Building a picture

One of the great advantages of fishing several rods on one spot is the information it provides. Keep track of how many bites each rod produces.

If the majority come to one rod, then you’ve most likely found a spot within a spot. It also lets you experiment a bit with hookbait choice.

You may find most bites are coming to one particular colour, or that hi-viz baits tend to produce the smaller fish and the bigger, more cautious, fish are coming to ‘match the hatch’ hookbaits.

GOLDEN REEL FINAL (SAT)

Larford Lakes, Match & Specimen Lakes (60 pegs)

When Ryan Lidgard plucked the peg directly in front of the island on the Match Lake out of the bag, he knew the pressure was on to make the most of the plum draw, and the Yorkshire-based angler duly rose to the occasion to walk away with the title.

Match peg 14 was one that plenty fancied, but on a day when the angling pressure both pools took its toll, Ryan needed to be at his best to finish top of the pile with 71kg 550g.

Targeting the right areas at the right time was pivotal, and every fish he landed was needed to walk away with the £20,000 winner’s cheque.

That’s because serial big-money match winner Jamie Hughes was breathing down his neck all day – but the Matrix-backed superstar was forced to settle for second with 69kg 300g from match peg 24 on the Specimen Lake.

After the prize ceremony, Angling Times caught up with Ryan to hear about his tactical approach on the big day…

FANCIED SWIM

“The peg I drew has a history of producing big weights, but I have also seen it bomb out with good anglers sat on it, because the fish have had other ideas,” Ryan said.

“Despite the wind pushing towards the opposite end, I could see fish moving around as I tackled up, but they soon disappeared once they realised just how many people were on the bank!

“I had a feeling that the volume of anglers on the lake would make it a bit of a tricky day, and that helped me decide that I was going to feed sparingly from the off.”

DREAM START

“I kicked off on the short pole with pellets and caught two big F1s quickly before it suddenly shut up shop.

“That was my cue to tap in a few pellets on the 13m line, and I got a great response.

“For the first hour or so, I kept the bites coming regularly from F1s and the odd carp, but after that, the swim started to die.

“Just shy of the two-hour mark, I couldn’t buy a bite on it and so decided to try chucking a Method feeder to the point of the island.

“That failed, too, as did a look on the bomb and pellet into the open water in the bowl. The lead that I’d built up was slipping away, and I needed to find a way to get my peg firing on all cylinders once again.”

BOLD MOVE

“I eventually managed to catch the occasional fish on the short pole, and so I decided to feed the margins quite heavily.

“The odd fish would come in, but they’d be on their own and seemed really unsettled.

“I couldn’t catch any, and decided to abandon the margins altogether and concentrate on catching a few fish short.

“My theory was that if there was no bait in the edge, there was no incentive for any fish at all to come in, stopping them over the short pole line.

“It was hardly hectic, but I ticked over, including three carp and a big F1 in the final half-an-hour.”

SUCCESS AT LAST

“As predicted, the venue proved to be a tough nut to crack on the day, and the rumour going round was that Jamie Hughes was my nearest rival – words you never really want to hear!

“The result revealed that I’d edged it by a couple of kilograms, and that was music to my ears.

“I’ve been in quite a lot of the big finals this year, and finished at the right end of the table, but it’s brilliant to finally come out on top and have one of the major titles to my name.”

RESULT:

1 R Lidgard, 71kg 550g
2 J Hughes, Matrix/SonuBaits, 69kg 300g
3 J Holloway, Elasto, 62kg 600g

Conditions on many of our rivers are perfect for roach fishing at the moment, with intermittent rain showers adding a hint of colour and some much needed flow.

While this time of the year is full of excellent opportunities, I like to devote a few sessions over the next few weeks to fishing for roach with what may be classed as traditional baits. Although neglected by many, these baits can bring some excellent sport and are often superb value.

This is simple fishing – a pint of cooked hemp from your local tackle shop will suffice for an evening session, and most will also have prepared tares at this time of the year.

You won’t go far wrong with these baits, although there are some other options that you might want to try. Let’s take a look at some of these and how to get the best from them.

All hail hempseed!

The quintessential autumn roach bait, hempseed is readily available, and I have yet to find roach that aren’t attracted by it.

I will incorporate some hemp into my feed when after roach at any time of the year, but right now it makes a great hookbait too. Picking out a grain that is nicely split with the white kernel clearly visible makes hooking into the soft inner much easier.

Alternatively, you can very carefully use a fine baiting needle to pierce the hard shell, and then hook it on. This is a more secure way of hooking hemp, but don’t try to push the hook point directly through the shell, as it may burr over the point.

While roach love the taste of hemp, they will often suck in and blow out the seeds several times before taking them back and crushing them. This is one reason why hemp bites can often be incredibly fast and difficult to hit.

Regular feeding with small helpings of seeds can help, as this encourages the fish to feed more confidently and can lead to slower, hittable bites.

Although you can buy ready prepared hemp, it is easy to prepare yourself. Plus, there is a big cost saving to be had by going down this route.

I soak hemp for 24 hours and then boil it for around 10 minutes. This allows the seeds to fully swell in size and then split. Don’t be surprised if only some of the grains split open – this is normal with modern hemp.

Hemp freezes well, and I store it in sandwich bags or food takeaway containers, each holding about a pint.

Tare hookbaits

Traditionally used as a hookbait when feeding hemp, tares are a slightly larger, slightly softer bait, making them ideal for the hook.

They can be prepared in exactly the same way as hemp, or you can often buy them ready prepared.

Some anglers add a little sodium bicarbonate to give a darker brown colour, but if the roach are feeding confidently then I haven’t found this makes a difference.

Tares can be a bit hit or miss. They work best once you are already catching well on hemp and the fish are feeding confidently. Don’t be surprised if it takes longer to get a bite on tares, but when the fish do switch on, the stamp of fish will often be better.

Natural alternatives

Although the hot summer has left them in short supply this autumn, elderberries are another hookbait alternative when feeding hemp. These small black fruits only have a short season before they become too soft to use, so timing is critical.

Probably the cheapest of all roach baits is wheat. Soaked and then boiled to soften the grain, fish wheat just as you would hemp. Groats (rolled oats) are a similar bait that only need to be soaked to prepare them. These baits aren’t as attractive to fish as hemp, but are interesting to experiment with.

Small pellets

A lot of specimen river roach are caught accidentally each year by barbel anglers fishing with pellets and mini boilies. Roach instinctively know that pellets are food, and smaller 4mm to 8mm baits will fit easily into the mouth of a decent-sized roach.

We can use pellets as both feed and hookbaits. Pellets straight from the bag are fine, but being hard, they can lead to fast bites. Try using soft hooker pellets instead, and feed hemp and pellets to get the roach going.

This combination of the traditional and modern takes a lot of beating, and adds a really useful twist to our autumn roach menu.

Ten Minute Make: 'Overnight' hempseed

I often use an old vacuum flask to prepare a pint of hemp. This easy method cooks the hemp perfectly. You will find that fewer of the seeds split compared to soaking them for longer and then boiling in a pan, but the roach don’t seem to mind.

Three-quarters fill a vacuum flask with dry hemp seeds.

Carefully top the flask right up with boiling water.

Put the lid on securely and leave the flask overnight.

Next morning, tip the hemp into a bait tub.

The hemp will be perfectly cooked and ready to use.

A river which had its fish stocks decimated by seals has reached a ‘monumental turning point’, as reports of small barbel highlight the effectiveness of the controlling club’s restoration efforts.

Last winter we reported that seals who became resident on the River Nene were safely returned to the coast after a lengthy campaign led by Peterborough and District Angling Association (P&DAA).

However, having been in the system since 2022, the seals’ lengthy presence resulted in a catastrophic decline in fish stocks, with surveys by the Environment Agency (EA) showing that vast swathes of the river were devoid of fish. It is estimated that 95 per cent of the adult fish population across much of the club’s stretches was wiped out.

But P&DAA refused to let its waters fade away, and ever since, it has embarked on a volunteer-led drive of river restoration, focused not only on restocking, but on habitat restoration and predator deterrence, as Olly Rodgers, the club’s Head of Fisheries, revealed this week.

STOCKING THE RIGHT BARBEL

Whenever we see reports of the EA stocking fish on social media, the comments are flooded by anglers moaning that the fish they are stocking are ‘otter food’ or are going to be ‘washed away by floods’.

In the case of fry and young yearlings, these points are partly true, as surveys by organisations such as the EA show very high mortality rates – sometimes 90 per cent of a batch can be lost due to wash-outs or predation. As such, in a recovering river like the Nene, the survival of young barbel is a massive ecological hurdle.

“To defy these odds, we stocked carefully conditioned juvenile barbel (around two years old) sourced from the EA’s Calverton Fish Farm,” Olly explained. “Each of these baby barbel received a harmless, special blue-dye mark on its ventral side prior to release, which allows us to track them and to directly monitor their growth, movement and survival rates over time.”

ANGLER IMPACT

The club’s members are also helping to drive their recovery, simply by going fishing.

“To help us track these blue-marked barbel without harming them, our anglers have scaled down their tackle and methods,” Olly said. “By dropping down to smaller hooks, lighter lines and delicate baits, members are catching these juvenile fish and logging each fish with a blue ventral mark. This vital catch data gives us real-time proof that our young stock is growing, feeding and outsmarting predators.”

The club also has an interesting strategy to promote the fishing on its rivers again following tales of its demise at the hands of the seals.

“We have a ‘Team P&DAA’, whose job it is to highlight online the sport they are enjoying,” said club chairman, Rob Harris. “There were always going to be a few fish that evaded the seals, and alongside the smaller barbel, double-figure fish have been caught. As reports of these got out, more people have started fishing for them. So,more barbel are being caught, aswell as chub, perch, rudd and bream.”

HABITAT-FOCUSED VISION

Vital to the club’s restoration efforts is habitat work, which not only improves spawning grounds, but also offers protection from predators such as cormorants.

“To give these vulnerable young barbel every possible chance, we chose an aggressive, hands-on restoration strategy focused on non-lethal predator deterrence,” Olly revealed.

“By working with natural river processes, we have turned the Nene into a sanctuary for juvenile fish by carrying out widespread ‘hingeing’ (cutting part way through a tree so it can be bent yet continue to grow) and ‘pinning’ (securing trees directly to the bank or into the margins of a watercourse). This creates dense, submerged in-water tree cover that provides natural snags where baby barbel can safely hide away from aquatic and avian predators.

“We’ve also done large-scale aquatic planting to oxygenate the river, boost invertebrate food sources and provide shallow, tangled nursery zones for young fish.”

The club has also installed chestnut paling alongside reedbeds in the margins.

This woven fence allows small fish to shelter in the reeds while keeping any cormorants out – the club has watched small fish diving into it for cover on underwater films.

“We’re systematically cleaning gravel beds so that when young barbel reach maturity, they'll have pristine, silt-free sites to reproduce and sustain the population naturally," Olly said.

"The fact that our members are now catching and documenting these dyemarked baby barbel is the ultimate vindication of our collective efforts,” he added.

"It is a true mark of success, proving that with strategic vision, habitat-first restoration, and dedicated members, an angling club can bring a river back to life.”

ANGLING TRUST RIVERFEST FINAL (SAT & SUN)

River Trent, Burton Joyce (60 pegs)

Just weeks after tasting gold medal glory with England in the floatfishing World Championships, Cameron Hughes notched up another victory he’ll never forget in the RiverFest final.

The Daiwa-backed match ace is one of the most knowledgeable anglers in the land when it comes to the River Trent, and he put that understanding to great use as he bagged 37lb 2oz over two days to walk away with the silverware and £7,500 winner’s cheque.

Drawing two swims with completely different attributes gave him plenty to think about, but he showed his tactical versatility to make the most of each scenario.

A few bonus fish showed on day two, and they proved vital to securing him top spot, with second placed Toby Bunting not far behind on 34lb 11oz.

Angling Times spoke to Cameron shortly after he was crowned champion to find out more about the approaches that helped him get his name on the famous trophy.

DAY ONE – PEG 13, THE RACK

“The river is alive with silverfish now, and The Rack is home to lots of roach and dace,” Cameron told us.

“That said, I wasn’t too keen on the idea of drawing that area on day one, simply because the wind was going to be harsh and that would have an impact on how I would usually fish the Trent for silvers.

“The peg was deep, but it was a flat bottom, and the 11ft-12ft of water that I had at 5m was mirrored on my long pole line at 13m. I kicked off by feeding chopped worms on the short line for bonus fish, and balled plenty of groundbait in long.

“I started long, and while there were a few fish to be had, the wind was making presentation extremely difficult. I had a quick look on the short, big-fish line after 30 minutes but didn’t get an indication. This is usually quite an ‘instant’ line if it’s going to work, and given the conditions, I decided to convert it to a silverfish line.

“I introduced a few big balls of groundbait and then fed it with small nuggets laced with particles, simply because loosefeeding with a catapult accurately would have been virtually impossible.

“It was a ploy that worked, and mainly dace responded, although roach would get involved whenever there was a little cloud cover.

“I finished the day on 21lb 15oz, putting me in third at half time and well in the race for the title.”

DAY TWO – PEG 5, ROADSIDE

“I had a spare peg below me that gave me some additional space which I hoped I could use to my advantage. I felt that catching 20lb would give me a shot at winning the title if none of the barbel pegs produced, while 10lb would put me in the top three.

“I balled groundbait in at 13m for silvers and put my big fish line in at 11m. The latter was further out because the swim was weedy, and this put me on the edge of the cover.

“The first hour on the long line was brilliant, catching a nice stamp of dace.

“A look on the worm line produced a couple of nice perch, and with an hour gone I had 6lb-7lb in the net.

“But the long pole line then started to die, and missed bites became a problem. I caught a 6oz perch off it out of the blue, and I also lost a bigger fish, and I sensed they could be unsettling the dace.

“I scaled down and caught a few more silvers before the float buried and a lot of elastic came out. Given how much weed there was, I had to think about how I was going to play it. A big slab eventually broke the surface, and after a few hairy moments, the 4lb fish was in the net.

“I totalled 15lb 3oz on the day, handing me a 37lb 2oz total. Word eventually got around that I had done enough, with that big bream the difference between me winning it and being third!

“This is a tournament that I have wanted to win for a long time, and it’s an amazing feeling to finally have my name on the trophy.”

RESULT:

1 C Hughes, Daiwa, 37-2-0
2 T Bunting, 34-11-0
3 S Ashby, Sensas, 34-2-0
4 D Taylor, 30-8-0
5 C Beech, 29-9-0
6 A Clements, MAP, 28-14-0

Occasionally, we stumble across something completely by accident that is set to improve our fishing. This happened to me recently, and the result is a paste bait that I think will prove very useful to me in the future.

I had been spending a few evenings fishing a large local gravel pit for big bream, and because of the short four hour sessions, I found myself with a decent helping of krill groundbait still in my bait bucket at packing up time. Rather than waste expensive bait, I bagged up the Method mix groundbait and chucked it in the freezer, planning to use it on the following week’s evening session.

The day before my next trip I remembered to take the bait out of the freezer and left it in the garage to defrost, ready for the evening ahead. With the rods already clipped up, I simply had to put on a fresh hookbait and mould some groundbait around the feeder.

But there was a problem. The consistency of the groundbait had radically changed. Rather than being soft and fluffy, it had become much more paste-like, and the more I compressed and moulded it, the stickier and more compact it became. Freezing the bait, it transpired, had altered the make-up quite substantially.

The groundbait still worked well enough – I simply left the hookbait dangling outside the ball of groundbait so that even if the bait took longer to break down, I’d still be fishing effectively. But this ‘mistake’ did get the old grey matter working and galvanised me to experiment more to see what was really going on.

Inadvertently, it appeared that I had stumbled across an interesting phenomenon and had made a brilliant paste bait quite by accident!

FREEZING GROUNDBAIT

Freezing not only extends the life of baits by almost stopping decomposition, but it can also effect the hydration. When a bait is frozen, ice crystals form in and around the particles of bait and when it is thawed out I believe that the liquid is drawn deep into every particle. The result is a much heavier, stodgier, and stickier mix compared to what we started out with, despite no additional liquid being added.

It is the freezing and thawing process that alters the groundbait, but if we keep the bait frozen for too long then moisture can eventually be drawn out as the bait slowly dehydrates – something we commonly see as ‘freezer burn’. A short, sharp freeze of up to a month is probably best for our purposes.

You can achieve something similar simply by mixing groundbait and then leaving it in an airtight tub for a couple of days. The results, though, are less consistent and we need to be careful that the groundbait doesn’t spoil.

QUICK TIP

SIMPLE additives, like molasses, can be added to give a sweeter paste that might be more palatable.

WHAT TYPES OF GROUNDBAIT?

Method feeder groundbaits work very well with this bait preparation. These mixes are already quite sticky and can absorb a lot of liquid. I tend to sieve the groundbait before wetting it to remove any larger particles to give a smoother finished paste.

Other groundbaits with a higher percentage of crumb can also be used, and I would encourage you to experiment with your favourite mixes.

Many Method groundbaits are loaded with attractants and flavourings, so there is little need to add any additional additives.

I may add a dash of liquid molasses or perhaps half a teaspoonful of Fish Gutz liquid attractor, but these are completely optional.

The result is a bait that will not only be great for carp, but many other species too. Think crucians, tench and bream on mixed fisheries, or chub and barbel in rivers. I am looking forward to trying a cheese and garlic-flavoured groundbait paste made this way later in the year for chub on my local rivers, as the consistency should be perfect.

One final point I should mention. If you want a really soft groundbait paste then this method is not for you, as the bait will be far too firm.

If, like me, you generally want a paste that will stay on the hook reasonably well, but break down quite fast, then this bait is perfect.

Whether you want to fish paste on the hook, or mould it around a boilie, then this sticky groundbait paste is well worth trying out.

Large bags of groundbait will make up enough paste for several trips, so I tend to make it up in smaller batches until I get the consistency just right and then make the rest up into handy sized session packs.

If you are looking for an easy to make, very effective and user-friendly paste bait, then why not give this one a try?

TEN-MINUTE MAKE

Making this is really no more difficult than mixing groundbait, but it takes a little patience. Once mastered, you can make up several batches and keep them in the freezer until they are to be used.

1. Use a flour sieve to remove any larger lumps from the dry groundbait mix.

2. Slowly add some water to the groundbait in a large mixing bowl.

3. Mix well, slowly adding more liquid as required.

4. Leave the mix for 10 minutes, then add a little more water.

5. Aim for a mix that is slightly stickier than you would use on a Method feeder.

6. Now put the groundbait in an airtight tub and place it in the freezer.

7. After a minimum of two days, preferably more, it’s time to defrost the groundbait.

8. When fishing I store the groundbait in an airtight one-pint tub to keep it fresh.

When it comes to talking tactics on rivers, roach, dace and perch are often bundled into one category.

They are targeted with a generic silverfish approach, with little consideration given to their individual traits. This is undoubtedly a mistake, as each species behaves in a very particular way.

Roach are extremely fickle and can spot a hookbait acting unnaturally from a mile off, while perch are predatory, reacting to offerings and presentations that provide plenty of movement to trigger their instincts.When it comes to dace, they pack together in giant shoals, and once you’ve W executed a little finesse in the early stages of a session they will drop their guard. Bites can then come thick and fast on a slightly cruder set-up.

River fishing expert Steve Winter is fully in tune with the differences between these three popular species, and when it comes to dace, he’s refined a simple approach that rarely if ever fails.

“The River Trent is one of my favourite venues, and it’s absolutely packed with dace,” explained Steve.

“They may be quite small, but you can get them feeding to a point where you catch one every run through on the pole, leading to a keepnet full of them by the end of the day.”

Stage 1: Start with a bombardment

“You'll be running your rig over the same line all day, and while loosefeeding will be key, you need to create a central area to focus the fish in.

“Putting down a bed of groundbait does this, and I introduce eight large balls of Van Den Eynde Black Turbo at the start, with a handful of casters going inside each. “I select an area to fish – which must be in the flow, as this is where the dace are most comfortable – and place my pole in the rests.

“I’ll then feed the balls by hand downstream of where the pole-tip is pointing. The groundbait needs to go in where the rig would sit up and settle properly if it were laid in directly in front of you. The idea is that the hookbait will just be settling close to the bottom where the fish are congregated. Once they spot it, a bite will follow almost instantly.

“If the swim dies, or the stamp drops off drastically during a session, I’ll think nothing of putting another four balls in. The noise is an attractant and helps get the shoal grouped tightly.”

Stage 2: Use two rigs

“I'll start off fishing close to the bottom, allowing my rig to run through and almost trip the gravel.

“I use a 1g Drennan Silverfish AS1 float shotted with an olivette 18ins from the hook and three droppers below. My elastic is a grade 9-11 Drennan Power Pull that lets me swing fish to hand.

“If I start missing bites as they are intercepting it on the drop, I’ll revert to my shallow rig with a more slimline Drennan Silvers AS2 and a bulk just above the hooklength. It may sound crude, but most bites are tiny lifts, and it reduces the number that you miss.

“This is best fished between half and three-quarters depth, but at times I’ll come even shallower. I use a lighter grade 7-9 elastic to stop fish splashing on the surface when I strike, reducing the chances of a hook pull or attracting predators. Both rigs are on 3lb mainline, 0.14mm fluoro hooklength and size 16 Drennan Acolyte Barbed Maggot Plus hook.”

Stage 3: Keep the catty going

“Once your initial bombardment of groundbait has gone in, keep busy with the catapult. The carpet will draw fish in, but if you really want to stimulate a feeding frenzy, it’s essential to fire maggots in regularly.

“Introduce a pouchful where your float goes in each time you run the rig through, aiming to drop them just short of the line of attack. This prevents the fish from pushing further out and makes your hookbait look like one of the offerings on the periphery, which is where the bigger dace usually sit.

“Bronze maggots are best, although I always have a few reds with me as a change bait.”

Stage 4: Reset the rig quickly

“A few missed bites are part and parcel of fishing for dace. They can snatch at the hookbait, and that can lead to them spitting it out before you’ve had a chance to react.

“Strike gently each time the float goes under. This is still enough to set the hook on most occasions, but if you don’t succeed, you’ve only moved the rig slightly and can allow it to run again and be back in the best part of your swim within a second or two.

“Striking firmly will lead to the rig flying out of the water, and you’ll then have to reset the whole trap again, which is a waste of fishing time.

“I always use a long length of line between pole-tip and float, simply because dace are easily spooked, especially in clear water. The flow will help keep everything tight, and that leads to fewer missed bites.”

Stage 5: Always use a dolly butt

“It's not hard to get a few bites when there are lots of dace in front of you, but the anglers that consistently catch the most are the ones that integrate small but vital efficiencies into their approach.

“A session fishing for dace could result in you catching hundreds of them, and you need to be in and out quickly. One thing that I always do is fish with a dolly butt. By doing this I feel my hand run over the joint as I am shipping out, and instantly know it’s time to lift the rig and lay it in place.

“It means I don’t have to pause and look down. It may seem minor, but add it in with everything else and it leads to more fish going into your keepnet. I’ll then fish with my elbow on the joint, leaving most of the dolly butt behind to help with control, which is especially useful if there is a slight breeze.”

A hefty £10,000 payday stood waiting for the winner of the NuFish Feederking tournament, and it was Scott Rispin who put in a brilliant performance to bag the title for the second time in his career.

The Feederland-backed angler took the silverware home in 2024, and he came within an ounce of doing the double last year too!

He made sure he had plenty of margin for error this time round on a tough day at Doncaster’s Southfield Reservoir, putting together a plan that helped him accumulate his 9lb netful of skimmers.

Having picked peg 33 out of the bag, he soon worked out a way of getting the bites that would be needed to once again compete for the coveted title.

“Talk was that a peg in the low 20s would be a good area, but I was still happy with my swim. Having fished Southfield for a long time, I know it can be moody and you just don’t know where the winner is going to come from,” explained Scott.

“My focus would be on lines at 32m and 50m, and having got up to 5lb after a couple of hours, I felt I was in with a chance. The fourth hour was poor, but a proper look on the 32m line with an hour to go sealed the deal, helping me fool a 2lb skimmer and two others.

“Finishing second last year was a bitter pill to swallow, but I can safely say that one has now been put to bed!”

England international Mick Vials took second and the £3,000 consolation prize with 7lb 7oz, while Ben Holmes secured third and £2,000 courtesy of a 6lb 12oz netful.

Last year, I live tested a unique pole – a pole completely different from everything else available on the market.

In a country where commercials are king, this 13m breath of fresh air looked to me to have been designed just as much for natural water fishing as commercials. The most ‘all-round’ pole I think I’d ever seen. And it left me wanting more of the same!

Thirteen months later, my wish was granted.

The Rigidex Pro not only carries forward everything I loved about the original Rigidex, but Drennan has built on it and brought in a flagship 16m model.

For commercial fishing, you get 2.4m top kits in a choice of either Match or Carp and 1.7m shallow kits – the optimum lengths for hollow and hybrid elastics when used with pullers.

For natural water fishing, you could use the 2.4m Match kits, but you’d be best advised to use the specially designed 3m ones that come with the natural water packages.

Not only does this longer length help when tackling deeper venues, it also changes the feel of the pole, making it lighter and faster handling for catching smaller species.

Is the pole still 16m with a carp kit in, though? The answer is yes, and for a very clever reason!

The commercial packages come with a longer No3 section than the natural water packages, meaning that no matter which option you choose, the pole is still 16m without a dolly butt. Hardly any poles boast this. In fact, I measured the length of the dolly butt, which at 60cm, means that once fitted, it gives you a huge 16.6m pole!

With a short No3 also available, that gives the angler plenty of options. To keep things simple, most anglers will probably use the No3 that is supplied with their pole, but there is nothing to stop you using one of the different length ones.

Using the commercial No3 with a long Match kit, for example, not only gives you an even longer top-3 for very deep water, but also makes the pole feel a little lighter, though ‘whippier’ at the top end – an action that some anglers like.

In reverse, you could use the standard length No3 that comes with the Match packages with your Carp kits.

This will make the pole feel a little stiffer, but not reduce its length as much as using the short 3.

The final advantage of the trio of No3 section length options is for the river or deep water angler, who will be able to use 3m Match kits and 2.4m Carp kits on the same line, by using the correct length third sections with each.

I reviewed the original Rigidex with the Carp kits on a weedy lake full of tench. The Pro takes the same top kits, although it has a different taper after this, meaning it is not interchangeable. It does, however, have the same recognisable feel. I saw this as an excuse to take the Pro to the Trent at Burton Joyce to give it a go in the 3m Match kit configuration.

Balling in some groundbait at 13m with a dolly butt inserted – which, due to its true length, would mean fishing with the 14.5m section attached on many rival poles – I then loosefed heavily with bronze maggots.

Using long lines to explore the peg, I found I could catch decent-sized dace shallow. Unshipping at the top-4, which is a substantial 5.85m length, I was having a fantastic day. With rigidity to rival some of the most expensive poles on the market, and loads of strength in those middle sections to withstand substantial strikes and big section shipping, the pole was ticking every box... until a huge pike engulfed my dace, that is!

Holding the full 13m, plus dolly, in the air, I managed to keep it out of the weed before it bit me off mid-river. A scary experience with a pole, but even with a lightweight Match kit attached, the Rigidex Pro was more than up to the job.

Continued pike activity spoiled my chance of catching any bigger roach over the groundbait, so I continued with the dace shallow, catching around 12lb in three hours’ fishing.

If you are a natural water angler reading this, you might already be sold. But does the Rigidex Pro offer anything different for the commercial-focused angler? Well, yes. The obvious is the 16m length without a dolly butt. The second is the feel of the top kits. Most 2.4m top kits on the market are quite narrow, while the base of the Rigidex kits are quite chunky – much like holding a No3 section on many poles. This really fast taper gives the kits a stiff and very strong feeling.

As for an angler who does a bit of everything like me, you’ll love that it’s a pole that can not only be used anywhere, but one where you can swap the top kits and even the feel and action with the multiple No3 sections to suit the venue and your personal preference – a level of function and adaptability that the serious angler will find invaluable.

Big fish or small, commercials, lakes or rivers – this is a pole that can do it all.

Price: £2,499.99, www.drennantackle.com

Our verdict

Choice of 1.7m, 2.4m and unique 3m top kits.

Choice of three lengths of third section.

EVA capped extra-strong reversible dolly butts are provided as standard.

Joint alignment system.

Roller puller system fitted on carp and shallow kits.

Bankside test verdict

+ Massively strong with superb rigidity, it’s a modern pole for all disciplines
+ A true 16m pole – add the supplied dolly butt to fish at 16.6m
+ Change action and use with a choice of three lengths of No3 section
+ Multiple package options in 13m, 14.5m and 16m lengths and top kit finish choices – an incredible 16 in total!

- While Carp and shallow kits have pullers fitted, Match kits are wrapped and ready for fitting if required

Tech specs

• True length without dolly butts

• Low friction finish for easy handling and shipping

• Fast taper mandrel increases rigidity and strength

• Joint alignment system

• Reinforced wrap on all joints

• Carp and Shallow kits come pre-bushed with roller pullers fitted and choice of Standard or Ghost finishes

• Depth markers on all shallow kits

• EVA elastic aligner on all top kits

• Match kits come bushed and pre-wrapped for pullers

• EVA end caps on Mini Butts

Packages - Due in shops early November!

• All 16m packages £2,499.99

• All 14.5m packages £2,199.99

• All 13m packages £1,799.99

MATCH PACKAGE: 13M, 14.5M OR 16M

• 8 x 3m Rigidex Top 2 Kits (all pre-bushed)

• 3.0m Telescopic Cupping Kit (including pole cup)

• Reversible No6 - No7 Mini Butt

• Reversible 13m – 14.5m/16m Mini Butt

• Match Pole Holdall

DEEP WATER PACKAGE: 13M, 14.5M OR 16M

• 4 x 4.2m Rigidex Top 3 Kits (all pre-bushed)

• 4.2m Cupping Kit (including pole cup)

• Reversible No6 - No7 Mini Butt

• Reversible 13m – 14.5m/16m Mini Butt

• Match Pole Holdall

CARP PACKAGE: 13M, 14.5M OR 16M – IN EITHER STANDARD OR GHOST

• 8 x 2.4m Rigidex Carp Top 2 Kits (all pre-bushed and fitted with integrated side pull rollers)

• 2.4m Cupping Kit (including pole cup)

• Short No3 Section

• Reversible No6 - No7 Mini Butt

• Reversible 13m – 14.5m/16m Mini Butt

• Match Pole Holdall

SHALLOWPACKAGE: 13M, 14.5M OR 16M – IN EITHER STANDARD OR GHOST

• 14 x 1.7m Rigidex Shallow Kits (all pre-bushed and fitted with integrated side pull rollers)

• 1.7mm Cupping Kit (including pole cup)

• Short No3 Section

• Reversible No6 - No7 Mini Butt

• Reversible 13m – 14.5m/16.m Mini Butt

• Match Pole Holdall

SPARES AVAILABLE:

• 16m pole only, No3 to Butt Section, £1,699.99

• 14.5m pole only, No3 to Butt Section, £1,399.99

• 13m pole only, No3 to Butt Section, £999.99

• Rigidex 3m Match Top 2 Kit - £89.99

• Rigidex 24m Pro Top 2 Kit - £79.99

• Rigidex 2.4m Carp Top 2 Kit, Standard or Ghost - £79.99

• Rigidex 1.7m Shallow Kit, Standard or Ghost - £49.99

• Rigidex 1.7m Power Shallow, Standard or Ghost (due Spring 2027) - £49.99

• No3 Standard – £89.99

• No3 Long - £89.99

• No3 Short - £54.99

• No4 - £139.99

• No4 Micro Butt - £19.99

• No5 Micro Butt - £24.99

• No6 Micro Butt - £24.99

• No7 Micro Butt - £29.99

• 13m Micro Butt - £29.99

• 14.5/16m Micro Butt - £29.99

Canals are far more diverse fisheries than many people give them credit for, and a wide range of species are likely to be milling in and around your swim on any given day.

Roach, perch, bream, gudgeon and even chub could be lurking beneath the surface, but it’s one thing having them present, and quite another to tempt them on to the hook!

As with most forms of fishing, a carefully considered feeding plan is the bedrock of a successful session, and when it comes to canals, you need to come armed with plenty of different offerings.

That doesn’t mean it needs to be a costly affair, though, as small quantities of each will often suffice.

Darren Massey is one of the nation’s most successful canal anglers, and he believes that consistent bites are entirely possible if you get things right from the start.

“Small fish are likely to make up the mainstay of your catch in an ‘average’ canal swim, but there is always the chance of action from bonus fish that will pull a little more elastic out,” explained Darren.

“But you must know how to feed the swim properly.

“To make this happen, I’ve developed a way of working that rarely fails in autumn. It all revolves around how you make use of your bait.”

Stage 1: Four wriggly winners!

"The secret to catching all day on canals in autumn is having a range of live baits on your side tray. Worms, maggots, pinkies and squatts are all very effective, but each must be used in a certain way to get the most out of them.

“Worms are my go-to for the quality fish, and a lobworm head or a whole dendrobaena will appeal to quality perch and skimmers. The size of the bait makes it a selective way of fishing, giving you peace of mind that a good stamp will be on the other end when the float dips.

“Maggots are a good change bait if worms start to falter, or indeed don’t produce at all, and switching to a single maggot can help revive the peg. Feed around 10 grubs every couple of minutes over the same line you’ve fed worms on and you’re likely to soon be back on track.

“Pinkies and squatts are the ultimate small-fish combination, and using the former as a bright, stand-out hookbait while raining in the squatts via a catapult will soon get roach, perch and gudgeon interested.”

Stage 2: Target two zones

"I keep things simple by dividing my attention between just two lines. My big-fish line, with the maggots and worms, is down the middle in the deepest water. I always attack this on an angle to my left or right as skimmers and perch seem to settle better away from the commotion of where everything gets played and netted.

“My second line is for the small silvers. The squatts and pinkies are fished on a line out in front around three-quarters of the way across. This is where the bottom starts to slope up towards the far bank into shallower water, and this is where the silvers prefer to sit.

“The crucial element to all of this is keeping these lines well apart. If you have them too close together, big perch will become preoccupied on predating the small fish gorging on the squatts. This will spook the shoal and lead to spells where you can't get bites."

Stage 3: Fine-tune your feeding

"Mixing things up on the feeding front is important. On the big-fish line, I’ll start with a quarter of a cup of choppie, and top it up when bites tail off. Alongside this I’ll trickle maggots in, feeding 10 every few minutes.

“Squatts are my main feed on the silvers line. They're small and have little food content, so won't overfeed the shoal. Introduce around 30 via a catapult every few minutes.

“Drop your rig in around the feed area to see if there’s an area where the mainstay of the shoal is sat. A couple of balls of groundbait also go on this line at the start, and I use an even blend of Bait-Tech Pro Natural and Pro Natural Bream."

Stage 4: Cover all your options

"I always set up four rigs - two for the big fish, and two for silvers.

“Most of the bites will come on the bottom when targeting small fish, so I want to get my bait down quickly. I do this by using a slimline, carbon-stemmed 4x14 pattern with an olivette and a couple of small dropper shot.

“Every now and then you will get a run of missed bites, and the fish may have come off the deck briefly to intercept the feed. When this happens, switch over to a 4x10 rig with a strung-out shotting pattern to give a slower fall of the hookbait. Mainline on both is 0.10mm to a 0.08mm hooklength and a size 22 Kamasan B590 hook.

“A much more buoyant 4x14 pole float comes into the reckoning for big fish, and this is run on to 0.12mm mainline through to a size 16 Sensas 3405 Black for maggot, and a size 13 Kamasan B711 X-Strong for a bigger worm bait.

“I firmly believe that perch watch their prey move before attacking so, as a result, I string my shot out on the line so that the hookbait flutters down.”

Stage 5: Work with a long lash

"Boat traffic is starting to drop off on canals, and this is leading to the water becoming clearer.

“The fish are now spooked far more easily because they can detect what’s going on above the surface. Waving your pole-tip over their heads is a recipe for disaster, so I always make sure that I have 2ft-3ft of line between tip and float, regardless of which rig I am using.

“This allows you to have a decent amount of separation so that fish don’t latch on to your presence.

“Make sure you always maintain a tight line, because allowing any slack to develop is a sure-fire recipe for missing bites.”

I thought I understood poles. After many years of fishing with carbon fibre products, I believed there were very few secrets left to discover. Year on year, poles would still improve, but it would always be in small steps. Many a time I would pick up a new flagship model and have to put it alongside its predecessor to see the difference, carefully picking up each one in turn.

Something has changed in the last couple of years, though. It was MAP’s G series that first made me realise that something was happening, but it could well have started before that, as it’s not an isolated trend. Every pole range I’ve looked at recently has been dramatically better than its predecessor.

This week, it was the turn of Garbolino. I had a close look at all their UK range poles back in 2023 at Alders Farm. Sublimely rigid, and with a build that pushed most of the bend when playing a fish towards the top end, they gave you a great feeling of control, matched with a beautiful balance. An all-time favourite day of mine on the bank, I had their feel engrained in my mind.

As Garbolino’s Darren Cox laid the four new Super Competition Series poles out, I was fully prepared for more of the same. I didn’t need the old poles present for comparison, though, as I could feel the difference straight away – stiffer and lighter.

It was when I reached the flagship Essential Legend that my jaw hit the floor. I don’t think I’ve ever picked up a 16m pole this light in my life. Even back in the days when we called them ‘roach poles’, the brittle thin-sectioned models of the 1990s were nothing like as light as this. Concerned that the strength had gone, I asked Darren if he’d removed some carbon. I’ll summarise his detailed reply in one word – no!

In hindsight, I wished I’d had a fish with it, as I can’t stop thinking about it, but instead I chose to go for the pole that I thought most Angling Times readers would want to know about – the 16m Hexium Match, that comes with seven top kits, a cupping kit and a selling price of just over £1,000. This is not only a great price, but it is now the cheapest 16m pole available.

At its full length, it was a bit cumbersome, yet highly fishable – enough for me to catch plenty of fish shallow without too much difficulty.

The fact that a pole at that price point can even be held at 16m should be enough to give it a glowing review, but things got really interesting as I removed two barrels to fish at 13m. The rigidity at this shorter length was highly impressive but, just like the flagship Legend, it was the weight that struck me – it shouldn’t have felt that light.

Taking it apart, I carefully looked at each section. Instead of feeling light, they felt heavy, which is what I expected from a lower spec pole. Puzzled, I put them back together, visualising how the pole should feel. The result was yet again a lovely light pole. It didn’t make sense!

It was now that I started to appreciate fully what Darren had told me. These poles aren’t actually lighter.

The trick is the shift in the point of balance. Carbons have changed, and section lengths have been tweaked slightly, but crucially the mandrel was the same, so sections and top kits are all backward-compatible.

Talking of top kits, I will admit I was a bit confused at first, as this pole comes with four different kinds, but it’s fairly simple. K2 kits are standard top kits made of two sections. You get a Match version, which is a lightweight kit for smaller species and two of the Carp versions which, if you’ve not already guessed, are for big fish and carp.

You also get four, one-piece K1 kits. Two of these are for general shallow fishing on commercials with hollow elastics up to 2.7mm in diameter, which is about a 16, while the other two are for demanding margin situations with elastics going up to around a 20.

All these details are printed on the base of each kit to avoid any mistakes.

Overall, the pole is exceptional value for the money, even if you don’t ever intend to use the full 16m. Hugely strong, and with a great selection of spares, I’m betting you’ll see a lot of them out on the bank over the next 12 months.

As you can probably tell, I was really impressed with all four of these new poles, which again cements my feelings. There has never been a better time to buy a new pole and, what’s more, you won’t go far wrong if that pole happens to be a Garbolino.

Price: Pay around £1,049, garbolinouk.co.uk

Bankside test verdict

+ The best value 16m pole on the market
+ Available in a package and as a pole-only Base Pack for existing Garbolino owners
+ Sensationally light and manageable at 13m, enough to rival far pricier models

- Although usable at 16m, it cannot compete with poles in the £2k price range

Tech spec: Garbolino Hexium Competition Match 16m

• High modulus Japanese Toray carbon

• Woven carbon reinforcement at every joint

• Impact-dampening resin bonding technology for increased resilience

• Optimised fast-taper profile delivering superb balance, stiffness and responsiveness.

• Ultra-smooth Slip & Slide finish for effortless shipping under all weather conditions

• Pre-bushed top kits

• Puller Bush System fitted to every puller kit

• EVA nose cones fitted to No3 section

• Section alignment arrows to maximise overall rigidity.

• Grip Stop 3D-printed graphics on butt sections to provide touchpoint when shipping

• Full compatibility with recent Garbolino UK pole ranges

Packages

Hexium Competition Match 16m Pole Pack:

• 16m pole (Match K2 in pole)

• 1 x mini reversible extension 11.5m/13m

• 2 x kit K2 - Pro Power Carp Sky ELC 4 star

• 2 x kit K1 - STD – Compact Power Carp Sky ELC

• 2 x kit K1 - STD – Compact

Specimen Margin Sky ELC:

• 1 x K2 standard two-piece cupping kit (with screw thread)

• 1 x pack of two pole pots

• Complete in Garbolino eight-tube Deluxe Holdall

RRP £1299.99, SSP £1049.99

Hexium Competition Match 16m Base Pack:

• 16M pole (Match K2 in pole)

• Complete in Garbolino eight-tube Deluxe Holdall

RRP £949.99, SSP £789.99

Our pick of the alternatives

MID-RANGE: MAP TKS G40 16M

A STRONG, rigid and tough pole, improved even more with graphene technology. Supplied in the excellent package are 10 top kits.

Price: £1,999.99

mapfishing.co.uk

SIMILAR PRICE: PRESTON INNOVATIONS X35 16M

IDEAL for commercial use, it comes with six of the same top kits that the top-of-the-range models and the new Edge Monster come with.

Price: £1,199.99

prestoninnovations.com

TOP END: DAIWA G90 PRO

OUTRAGEOUSLY strong, yet it handles beautifully at 16m. This is the ultimate commercial water workhorse pole for the serious match and pleasure angler.

Price: £2,883

daiwasports.co.uk

AFTER 13 years without World Championship gold, the England Men’s Float Team are back on top following a resounding win in Portugal.

The side finished eight points clear of the Czech Republic come the final whistle, after a stellar performance on day two elevated them from fifth place to top of the podium.

On the Soraia River in Coruche, the team of Will Raison (captain), Matt Godfrey, Sean Ashby, James Dent, Cam Hughes and Frankie Gianoncelli, co-managed by Mark Downes and Lee Kerry, were remarkably consistent. Will also picked up individual bronze, adding another medal to his glittering collection.

“It’s an outstanding result,” Mark Downes told us. “Coruche is a venue I’ve always liked – I’ve won team gold on my last three visits with different England teams.

“It’s a technical and rewarding venue, well-suited to top-quality anglers who can adapt. The draw is important, and aside from 16 points we picked up over the two days from the dreaded A section – where early or late pegs, which we didn’t get, were best – we averaged second in section elsewhere.”

After day one, England’s 22 points put them in fifth, but a superb 13-point score on day two put the side in an unassailable position.

“We had three section wins on day two – from Frankie, Will and Sean – plus a second for James and an eighth for Matt Godfrey from A section,” Mark added.

On a personal note for Mark, this medal is his 18th team gold at World level.

“It’s been a great career, and it’s not over yet!” he said. “Sometimes in international fishing, you don’t really know what will happen on the day of the match as you’ve not quite got the tactics cracked, but on this occasion, we settled on a three-line approach on the pole, which we had great faith in.”

THE RESULT

1ST ENGLAND – 35 POINTS
2ND CZECH REP – 43 POINTS
3RD HUNGARY – 45 POINTS
4TH ITALY – 46.5 POINTS
5TH FRANCE – 49.5 POINTS
6TH PORTUGAL – 50 POINTS

Joe Atkinson has landed a stunning 6lb 6oz perch from Grafham Water, eclipsing the current British record and potentially making angling history.

The biggest perch ever reported from these shores was landed last week in the shape of a stunning 6lb 6oz specimen.

Caught by Joe Atkinson, the remarkable fish is 3oz over the current record, held jointly by Neill Stephen and Ken Brown since 2011.

It was banked from the bang in-form Grafham Water, in Cambridgeshire, which only opened to lure anglers on September 1 and, far from being a shock, it’s a record that many experts predicted was likely to fall before too long, such was the form of the vast stillwater last winter, when it produced numerous upper five-pound perch.

Light dropshot tactics did the trick for Joe, who has enjoyed a great run of fishing this year, having landed a 7lb 8oz chub back in January.

Finding the fish

The trip was Joe’s second to Grafham this season, with the first resulting in a 4lb 12oz perch, plus three other ‘fours’.

“I fished it only once last winter, but around five years ago I enjoyed great fishing at Grafham, catching lots of high two-pounders and some ‘threes’,” he told us.

“It seems that year class of fish have grown on and are now a phenomenal average size.”

This time around Joe was fishing with a friend, and the pair set off in the morning, heading to the area where Joe had previously tasted success.

“We fished for around three hours and had one possible tap, so decided to head to the Valve Tower,” Joe revealed.

“We travelled along the shore, looking for baitfish, but my echo sounder isn’t the best and we saw very little, so we targeted the area around the tower itself. Things were quiet for the first hour-and-a-half, and we were considering a move, when the fish suddenly switched on and we landed six in 45 minutes, including several four-pounders.

“A few other anglers moved in and the action slowed, so we headed back up to where we started, near a different tower.”

Hooking history

On arrival at the new spot, Joe and his friend saw one other boat in the area, fishing next to the fancied tower.

“We gave them some space and, an hour later, when they moved on, we dropped into where they had been fishing,” Joe added. “My mate soon had a fish and then I landed a lovely 4lb 14oz specimen, which put up a great fight.

“On my very next cast with a two-inch dropshot lure I then hooked something that stripped line from the reel, making 20-yard runs. My mate and I were laughing — he didn’t think it could be a perch, but from the fight, I felt like it had to be.

“When the fish rose from the depths and surfaced, we both said something unprintable.

“I had just released the 4lb 14oz fish – but this one was in a different league!

“Once it was netted, I was lost for words. And when we weighed it, I was stunned – just saying the words ‘6lb 6oz perch’ makes me feel sick!”

Key to Joe’s approach is fishing with very small lures – he alternates between NED rigs and dropshots, both of which he retrieves slowly, with tiny twitches of the rod.

“The baitfish in Grafham seem large this year. Around the boat moorings we could see fry around four inches long,” he explained.

“But it seems that something smaller, and more subtle, produces on the lure front. That’s what I’ve always done well with on here.”

Will it become 'official'?

Joe plans to submit a claim for the title to the British Record Fish Committee (BRFC), although their verdict is one we’ll await intently. Back in 2010 Mike Dolan had a 22lb zander (incidentally also from Grafham Water) rejected as it was weighed while the angler was still afloat.

Regardless of the outcome, it’ll take a lot to bring Essex-based Joe down though, as his aim this autumn was simply to catch a big perch – a target he had reached well before landing the six-pounder.

“The ‘fours’ were big enough for me! My goal was a large perch, and I was more than happy with those from the last trip,” he added.

“My mate has asked if we should go back to Grafham, but to be honest, I’m pretty content with my perch fishing for now. My plan this season, after the perch, was to try for one of the big barbel from the River Lea. So, I think I’ll start a little earlier on those and hope to manage another good result before the season’s end!”

NEW flagship poles arrive quite regularly, but nothing gets everyone quite as excited as a release from Daiwa.

The market may well be getting tougher, and the difference between many top-end poles is getting smaller, but Daiwa is still the undisputed market leader.

Although everyone is expecting the Air Tech to be light, stiff and strong, all top-end poles boast these qualities, so I don’t think these attributes alone are why Daiwa poles are still considered the best.

The first big reason is the UK-made badge. You shouldn’t be surprised to learn that all budget-priced poles are manufactured in China. What might come as a shock, though, is that many premium ones are made there as well!

Although there are the obvious cost benefits in this, nothing quite beats a pole made in a UK factory. It’s not just the attention to detail and quality control, but also the shipping and supply. When you start running short on stock, you can do something about it quickly when you have your own factory.

This is probably why Daiwa’s customer service is so highly regarded. Have an accident with a top-end Daiwa, and chances are the team will get you fishing again very quickly!

Reason two is durability. If you see an angler on the bank fishing with a 10, 15 or sometimes even a 20-year-old pole, it’s almost always a Daiwa. This is probably also the explanation for reason number three – Daiwa poles hold their value.

Some top-end poles from elsewhere are nearly worthless after a few years. Sell your flagship Daiwa, though, and there’s a good chance that as long as you’ve looked after it, you’ll recoup a significant lump of your hard-earned cash. The thing is, if you own a Daiwa, you will already know all this. So let’s cut to the chase – just how good is the Air Tech?

To find out, I took it to Green Farm Fishery, a membership-only water near Towcester, Northants, with the aim of catching a load of carp and F1s shallow – a method where every scrap of additional rigidity results in more bites connected with and extra weight in the keepnet.

Starting with the pole as ‘standard’ with a commercial kit on the end and all the silver sections up the back, but no Phex attached, meant I was fishing just shy of 16m. The weight, balance and feel had me convinced from the word go that this was something exceptional.

I’m not the biggest guy in the world, yet I was able to control and slap the rig exactly as I wanted to. Not only that, it felt manageable enough that I reckoned I could do it for hours! I have to stress that most of the fish were F1s. Get a decent slap with a carp, and chances are it will rip the elastic out.

F1s are different – you have to get a controlled slap that results in a rig landing straight and the line tight to the pole tip. Let the pole flex and bounce a little too much, or drift off a little as you fight its weight, and all you will do is miss bites.

I soon got this off to a tee as fish after fish lined up.

As if this wasn’t good enough, like most modern poles, the Air Tech has a couple of cheat cards to improve things further.

First up is a Pro F1 kit – a one-piece 1.83m top kit that is 57cm shorter than the Match, Commercial and Power kits. It not only stiffens the top end but also speeds up the netting of fish as they rise closer to the angler.

The second is called a Super 6, a shortened sixth section that replaces the normal section, reducing the pole’s length by approximately 85cm.

By first feeding a section closer and fishing for a bit to re-acquaint myself with the pole, I then added the Super 6 and the F1 kit, before putting the 16m section back on to compensate for the reduced length.

My jaw nearly hit the floor! The difference was out of this world! I thought I had plenty of control before, but this was ridiculous! I know short No.4 sections are hugely popular for this style of fishing, but in my opinion, the Super 6 is even better, as it doesn’t just stiffen the top end – it transforms the whole pole!

You could always use a short No.4 and a Super 6 at the same time, but that would just be silly – could anybody possibly want a pole that stiff?

The best part of this remarkable section is that it is also available separately for £180, which allows any current UK-made Daiwa pole owner to use one on their existing pole.

It’s now that this review moves on to the tricky subject of price. This pole sells for around £6,500, albeit with a very healthy selection of top kits and spares. Even so, this still puts it around £3,000 more expensive than most other flagship poles. So, is it worth the extra cost? Going on strength, weight and rigidity alone, I’d be struggling to decide.

However, once you have taken into account all the benefits mentioned at the start of the review, plus the Diamond Satin and ITS taping which, combined, make a huge difference to shipping… the blinding balance and feel… the fact that despite relentless shipping and slapping, not a single section loosened… plus the durability and strength… and the answer has to be yes, it’s worth every penny! And that’s without even mentioning the outstanding new Dual Roller pullers, the section and elastic alignment systems, and the optional extras like short 4, F1 Speed Extension and the now overdue Armlock Phex.

In my opinion, every single aspect of this pole is complete perfection, right down to the smallest detail. If you want the very best and you are willing to pay for it, do not hesitate – you really won’t find better.

BANKSIDE TEST VERDICT

+ A stunning balance makes this pole feel even better than the sum of its lightness, strength and stiffness

+ Outrageously stiff as standard, but the pole is improved further with use of the supplied Super 6 section

+ Amazingly easy to ship due to its rigidity and low-friction ITS and Diamond Satin finishes

+ Supplied with an excellent package, featuring enough extras to get you going on any kind of water

- Although Daiwa tells us the team are working on it, depth markers are not included on the top kits. These are a useful feature well worth incorporating on the next production run

TECH SPEC

DAIWA AIR TECH

• Hyper MSG and improved Nanoplus carbons
• Bias Carbon V-JOINT
• Diamond Satin on 9, 10 & 11
• ITS on sections 5, 6, 7 of the 13m version
• Section alignment system
• All kits cut and fitted with PTFE bushes
• All No3 sections fitted with PTFE nose cone
• Dual Roller side puller fitted on Commercial, Power and F1 kits
• Dual Roller side pullers supplied with pre-wrapped Match kits
• Weight: 1395g (1595g including PHEX)
• Pro Match x 3 (spare side puller x 3)
• Pro Commercial x 3
• Pro Power x 3
• Pro F1 x 3
• Pro Cupping Kit
• Pro F1 Cupping
• No.4 section x 2
• Super 6
• Super Light PHEX 9/11
• Holdall
Price: 16m pole package £6,499; pole only, including Super Light PHEX9, £4,900; 13m pole only, including 8/9 reversible extension, £2,940

OUR PICK OF THE ALTERNATIVES

SHIMANO AREO COMPETITION PRO

Price: £4,999.99

SENSATIONALLY well balanced and jaw-droppingly light with a superb finish – few poles handle as well as this.
www.fishshimano.com

GURU AVENTUS ZERO 900

Price: £4,999.99

ARGUABLY the strongest and toughest flagship pole ever made. A true all-rounder, this one is capable of tackling any kind of long pole fishing in the UK and Europe.
www.tackleguru.com

PRESTON INNOVATIONS SUPERIUM X95

Price: £3,499.99

AN UNBELIEVABLY high-performing pole considering its quite modest price tag. A sensational range of well-thought-out spares and top kits make it a firm favourite among anglers. www.prestoninnovations.com

Perch fishing doesn’t have to feel like guesswork. This special Angling Times bumper issue brings everything together in one place: simple, effective rigs, the right kit for the job, and step-by-step tactics that work on canals, rivers and stillwaters.

Whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been chasing big perch for years, you’ll get loads of usable advice, how to locate fish, how to present baits and lures cleanly, and how to solve the little issues that cost you bites. It’s made to be the kind of issue you keep in your bag and dip into before a session. Head to your local newsagent or supermarket to grab your copy.

STORE FINDER

Or access the issue digitally when you subscribe! Don't miss out!