New look Angling Times

[Mark Wintle]

With the demise of Angling Times Advanced some of the match content has migrated into the regular Angling Times, for the time being at least.

The price is the same but can the quality be maintained?

There is the usual Des and Keith (moaning about anonymous Internet saddos again), better match coverage which I enjoyed even if today's open matches are knockups, Giles Cochrane, lots on gear generally.

My fear, or is conclusion, is that there is a danger than sustaining quality across such a broad front is going to be difficult.

Two examples to get this going. John Wilson is reduced to a few hot tips from a new book, hardly John at his best, and there is a new specialist spot - Matt Brown this week. Sorry Matt but if **** Walker had still been alive you'd have got a roasting to end all roastings next week. If big perch fishing comes down to chucking out a lobworm with a heavy lead and buzzers, and that's the sum of the article then I'm missing something.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

"There is the usual Des and Keith . . . . . "

Well, those are two good reasons to keep my money in my pocket!


" . . . . then I'm missing something."

You and I both Mark!

 

[Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)]

Well Mark, old **** Walker caught loads of big perch to nearly 5lbs on a running leger rig, very similar to that shown in Matt's article. The only difference is the cork ball to help the line run as free as possible.

Matt certainly does not infer that this is the only way of catching big perch; only that it has worked for him under certain conditions.

For bite indication I would use a ringle or a light dough bobbin on a long drop.

Nothing wrong with using a bite alarm either; as long as it's not turned up full belt.

 

[Lee Swords]

The amount of Northern 3lb-4lb + Perch that rig has caught is nothing short of tremendous!

He didn't have to share the rig with anyone he coulds have kept his gog shut and everyone would have been none the wiser, but Matt is a nice lad and tries to put something back into fishing rather than just take..Take ..Take!

As for Walker I can pretty much guaratee that if i was to fish one season and I mean one season i.e "summer" on the match circuit I would land more carp in pounds weight than he caught in his entire life several times over and my rig would be a 14-21 metre pole and less than a foot and a half of flourocarbon and a size 16-20 hook bait would consist of nothing but pellets.

I am not trying to brag but simply point out that things change...I wouldn't do many of the things that Walker thought were acceptable but I can also guarantee if I could raise the dead and take Walker fishing he would be fascinated with my tackle and methods...Go away and improve on them!

 

[Wolfman Woody]

"Well Mark, old **** Walker caught loads of big perch to nearly 5lbs on a running leger rig, very similar to that shown in Matt's article."

Yes Ron. Wasn't that Arlseley Lake and wasn't it for that purpose of catching perch that he designed the Arlseley bomb? A light lead that would cast a long distance?


How heavy is Matt's lead?

 

[Lee Swords]

The lead is preference.

There are two schools of thought on lead.. large lead to nail the rig down hard allowing line to pass through the large bore run ring rather than move the lead

Or light lead/feeder to cut down resistance if the lead is moved by a taking fish


I fall into the latter group but I have seen Matt land plenty of fish so his rig obviously works


And lets be honest here who really wants more Wilson?

Welldone AT on a refreshing change of format!

 

[Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)]

Walker fished at long distance at depths in excess of 50 feet at Arlesey Lake. Most of the time he used a 1 1/2oz Arlesey bomb stopped about 18 inches from a size 6 hook baited with a lobworm. Using this gear he could cast about 75 yards max with 6lb line a Mk IV and a Mitchell 300 which was the state of the art tackle at the time.

He used a simple reel spool put over the line as a bite indicator.

The big run of Arlesey perch didn't last long. Virtually everyone caught died when brought up from 50 feet or more.

 

[Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)]

And by the way Jeff, Frank Guttfield and his friends put in an enormous amount of time in the early 60s on Arlesey for very little reward. They had missed the Arlesey boom and I am sure those big perch had all been caught or died off by then.

Even old Webby went down to Arlesey but caught nowt if I remember.

 

[Mark Wintle]

In your rush to defend Matt you are missing the point!

I don't doubt the catches that Matt is making but there was little to tell me apart from a rig and a bait (the bait being long established as one of the best for big perch), and a few tips, about how to go about catching big perch. The rig is the last factor of success compared to the most vital - location. How do I go about finding big stillwater perch - that is the vital question that remains unanswered.

Walker produced maps that enabled him to deduce the likeliest spots in Arlesey Lake. He designed the bomb to be both aerodynamic and capable of removing the line spin up that resulted from casting a lobworm long distances. The line spin causes the line above the lead to twist around the line below the lead giving a non free running rig. The swivel was supposed to allow the twisted up line to free itself, and even that is no guarantee. Matt's rig has no swivel so could suffer this problem. Personally I don't want to catch fish in this bracket (3lb) using leads that size - no objection to the perch though! For very close range work a link leger with a tiny weight, (no beads, stops, swivels) will probably out perform a heavy rig.

My point is that AT will struggle to get wall to wall quality, and I think Matt can do much better. If no one criticises what he says he won't improve. One way that relaunches work is to stack up a lot of material that gives the impression of plenty to say, and this works for a while, but what will it be like in six months time?

 

[Matt Brown]

Morning Mark, I will admit there is much room for improvement. However I did find the confines of the low wordcount to be an issue as there was so much I wanted to get across. I would have found it easier to write 10 pages worth, complete with pictures.

The focus of the article was to try an get everyone to have a go for perch. It's simple fishing, you don't need that much specialist kit, lobworms are a great place to start and provided anglers fish specifically for them (with low resistance rigs and bit indication) they'll probably be surprised how many big perch are in the waters they already fish. Obviously I also wanted to show people my rig as it's worked a treat for me.

Regarding the lead size, I don't see the reason why anyone could be negative about it. It's not a bolt rig that creates some sort of self hooking situation. It's simply that lighter leads tend to dislodge during the take and this leads to dropped runs.

 

[captain carrott]

"It's simply that lighter leads tend to dislodge during the take and this leads to dropped runs."

on this point matt is completely correct.

light leads are a high resistance method of fishing for perch. when the fish swims off with a light lead it dislodges and the fish has to pull it around to give you a bite.

with a heavy lead, the fish swims off, lead stays where it is and the line pulls through, the fish isn't then towing a weight just puling a line and the indication of the bite is improved.

same for pike.

the only time lighter leads can improve indication are on river, when the flow moves the lead and sets the hook when you get a bite. which is a method designed to set the hook for you unless i am much mistaken.

 

[BAZ (Angel of the North)]

Well true to form here's my bit.
Haveing read Matts article, I can only say it is packed with advice on where to find Perch, and how to fish for them.

Don't forget, this is just one mans method. And he is good enough to share it with others.
I'm not much of a writer myself, but I can see the problem where Matt says to get his message over in so few words is not an easy task.
Personally, I thought he made a good job of it, it was a great article worthy of a front page feature.
Well done Matt, it's good to see one of the F.M. lads doing good.

 

[Nigel Connor(ACA ,SAA)]

Baz says"Well done Matt, it's good to see one of the F.M. lads doing good"

Having seen the article only in passing, I do not want to comment on it, but I would echo Baz's sentiments.

Congratulations to Mike Townsend also on his two articles in this month's and last month's Coarse Fisherman on his recent big roach captures.

We can all benefit by 2 such skilled and comitted anglers sharing their experiences with us. I just do not have the time unfortunately to get out and experiment for my self and I will gladly and openly take any tips/hints going.

 

[Kevin Fullerton]

Thanks Mat, any perch article is to be welcomed and if it inspires a few of the "carp kids" to try for some stripeys and think a little for themselves then even better. I haven't seen Mike's articles on roach , but again bravo.

 

[Lee Swords]

In six months time when AT are losing material quality they can always ask me to do a piece on how I managed to catch three 10lb + Barbel at the same time as disposing of the bodies of four smackhead junkise that thought my tackle belonged on e-bay.

Its all about knowing the tides and just how much chain to insert into the chest cavity to get a neutral bouyancy which ensures the cadaver gets out to sea without being seen. Theres nothing worse than a body that doesn't stay dead.

If however you find yourself without the apropriate amount of chain there are plenty of free range pig farms in the Newark area which are manned by some very understanding farmers. In this day and age with rising feed costs they welcome the extra feed with open hands and troughs.

But please remember to sear off all body hair before going down the piggy Jack disposal route.

 

[Lee Swords]

As you see Mark there is a vast amount of unprinted knowledge out here in the DVSG

 

[Wolfman Woody]

"Frank Guttfield and his friends put in an enormous amount of time in the early 60s on Arlesey for very little reward. They had missed the Arlesey boom and I am sure those big perch had all been caught or died off by then."

Frank doesn't posess a weight of more than ? an ounce and never has. He wants it etched on his tombstone "He never used a boily, bolt rig, or bivvy." I'm working on it though! He laughs at my big hair-rigged 20mm plus halibut pellets, but I'll show him!

I will ask him about Walker's tactics with Arlesey bombs since you mention it.

 

[Wolfman Woody]

Matt, I was interested in your findings with different sizes of leads. Perhaps I should buy (or stand around in Smiths) and read the article.

Interesting post by Jason (Capt Carrott). I don't doubt that heavy leads will catch perch, Roger Wyndham-barnes catches them using minnows and 28lb wire trace. So anything's possible I suppose.

 

[captain carrott]

last 4lb er i had out the thames was on pike tackle in winter which had some where between 4 and 6 oz of lead on it. 2 size 6 trebbles on 30lb trace wire with 15lb mono main line.

The bite was a screamer.

i always use 15lb wire when perching with livebaits.

 

[Mark Wintle]

So based on the foregoing Angling Times is now the best thing since sliced bread?

Is it lots better than two weeks ago?

Who is past their smell by date (I mean sell by date)?

Is it just me but did AT seem full of spawn bloated fish this week?

Can AT sustain this quantity/quality of articles, short of filling it with the DVSG ;o) ?

Would you like to see better writers still?

Will Lee be allowed to write articles from his cell?