THEY say you should never return to the scene of something special in your life, but in this instance a visit to the Staffs/Worcs canal did nothing but bring back very happy memories. It was the Bratch lock in Wombourne that provided me with my very first fish over thirty years ago! And even now […]

Will rates the GUC at West Drayton as one of the Uk’s fairest team venues. WEST Drayton on the Grand Union Canal has been a regular winter league haunt of mine for several years, writes Will Rason, although it’s a venue that only usually features in my calendar between September and Christmas, when most of […]

THE Wey Navigation looks like a canal but flows like a river, writes Will Raison. Like any venue it can be difficult at times and there are some bad sections but even then I enjoy the fishing because it’s not a peggy venue – wherever you draw, the pegs are fairly even. In the poorer areas […]

Tackle dealer Paul Woodward held the River Wye match record with a staggering 178lb, until it was smashed by an incredible 300lb plus weight from around Hereford in 2007. So who better for Dave Harrell to join for a bagging session on the famous Belmont stretch? The Wye at Belmont, Hereford, a superb winter fishery. […]

Ian in action at Shrewsbury, which is a deep area of the river that runs into superb form in the winter. THE River Seven at Shrewsbury is, quite simply, a magnificent place, writes Ian Hughes of Shimano Wales. The venue has been attracting match and pleasure anglers alike from all over the country for many […]

Will in action on the Basingstoke Canal A lot of people don’t like the Basingstoke Canal because it can be hard in areas but I know it really well and it holds a lot of good memories for me, writes Will Raison. I really enjoy fishing it even if I am only aiming for a […]

The Avon at Evesham. Although my favourite style of fishing the Avon is with a pole for roach, there are times when you have to accept that the peg you have drawn isn’t good enough to win with them and that you’ll have to focus attention on other fish, writes venue ace Rob Middleton.Over the […]

Russ in action on the Huntspill. I’VE match fished Somerset’s River Huntspill for many years, writes Thatchers 2000’s Russ Tinklin, and, in my opinion, it is among the finest match venues there is, especially for team events. It was once renowned for big bream hauls and while they do still occur they are now less […]

It’s free to fish and offers high quality summer roach fishing. AS you walk along the footpath that runs beside the clear water of the River Tone in Taunton, Somerset, you cannot help but notice the large numbers of cruising and basking chub, roach and dace. It is a sight to intrigue even the most […]

Lots of specimen barbel here but colour in the water is usually needed for day time action. Contact: Club press officer Darren Smith on 01425 611335 Day tickets: £7.50 per day and £45 per week in advance from local tackle shops (2005) Ringwood and District AA membership: Adults, £100 a season; OAPs and registered disabled, £65; […]

The under-rated Crab Apple stretch holds quality fish. GRANTED, team fishing on a canal during the cold winter months means scratching for a few pounds of small silver fish and a bonus perch. But if you take the time to pleasure fish these venues, you will be surprised as to just what these underrated waters […]

Vic Bush, pictured above, likes to target the venue’s bream with pellets. Contact: Call Brian Lloyd on 0117 9676030 or Jeff Parker on 0117 9672977 Tickets: Day tickets are not available for this stretch but the fishing is open to affiliated member clubs of the Bristol, Bath and Wiltshire Amalgamation of Anglers. There are several […]