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Back to Academy searchGareth Goldson
Gareth Goldson first started fishing aged three years old, spending most of his early years catching whatever came along.
From the age of 15 Gareth started to target bigger specimens of all species with his first big fish being a Dace at 15oz.
Gareth has been fortunate to catch some very special fish over the years and rates his PB 12lb 5oz Tench and 32lb 7oz Pike as his best achievements so far.
Gareth's favourite fishing method is float fishing and he tries to do as much of his fishing by sight. Gareth's current target is a 3lb river Roach and 15lb+ Bream. His long term goals is to achieve his dream and to one day win the Drennan Cup or Fox Specimen Cup.
Chasing Shadows
"Many of us have a childhood angling memory that remains etched in our minds and often dictates the path we take in our journey as an angler. For me that memory revolves around that almost forgotten species - the Dace. Much of my early angling experiences involved long trotting for the species and whilst many of my friends were chasing big Carp around many of my local pits, I spent every spare minute during the winter months targeting Dace. Some very important lessons were learnt during this period with regard to presentation and feeding patterns and with their familiar sharp fast bites it was the perfect training ground to improve my skills.
"I was very fortunate in those early years to stumble upon a Dace gold mine. Although I didn't realise this at the time it was to be my introduction to the world of specimen angling. Many big Dace were landed over those cold winter months with fish over 10oz being a common occurrence. Friends would often laugh and joke with me weighing this miniature of species, but this did nothing to deter me in my quest to try and catch one over the magical pound mark.
"Despite many sessions chasing the species, that special fish topping the pound mark eluded me. On two occasions I had come oh so close with big pigeon chested fish of 15oz, but as always I found myself running out of time with the close season always putting a stop to my efforts.
"Some fifteen years on from those times and oh how things have changed! The upper reaches of the small river that was once a haven for these fish is now a mere shadow of its former self. The shoals of big Dace that were once present have now been whittled down to a mere few, making catching a large Dace an extremely tough challenge indeed.
"Dace find themselves at the bottom of the food chain having to run the daily gauntlet against a whole host of predators. Pike, Cormorants and pollution, just to name a few, making a big Dace in these current times a very special fish.
"Due to my early successes with the species I could have been forgiven for hanging up the Dace rod and continuing on my quest for other much easier species to target, but my problem is I just can't resist a challenge no matter how impossible it may seem.
"I had persuaded my wife, Rachael that a Sunday afternoon stroll along my old stomping grounds of the neglected river would be a great idea, and soon had the car heading that way to check it out. The upper reaches looked untouched and to be completely honest looked like nobody had cast a rod in my fifteen year absence. With the river running low and clear it provided perfect fish spotting conditions and with the use of my trusted polarised glasses I was soon keeping low and checking out many of the shallow gravel runs that Dace love to inhabit.
"Despite looking high and low the river seemed devoid of fish, and I was starting to think the ravages of predetation had made more of an impact than I first thought. It wasn't until we had made our way to the end of the stretch that something suddenly caught my eye. There hugging the gravel bottom mid river lay a small shoal of maybe fifteen Dace. The odd glimpse of silver as they twisted on the gravely bottom gave the game away. These silver darts had somehow avoided every beak on the river and looked like they had thrived in their rich environment.
"In amongst the shoal there laid two giants, certainly fish of specimen proportions that only wetted my appetite even more for a return visit to the venue.
"On the way home all thoughts remained on those fish and I had already decided I would return the very next morning armed with a rod and bait. I struggled to sleep that night and found myself packing the car much earlier than intended and heading off in the gloomy darkness.
"My approach was going to be one that had scored so well for me in those early years. My trusted Hardy Marksman Rod would be combined with a stick float which would be trotted through the swim slightly over depth and followed by a regular trickle of maggots to try and tickle the Dace's taste buds. Second trot through and the float dipped sharply indicating the presence of an obliging Dace. The strike was met with firm resistance as the fish did its best to twist and turn to shred the hook, and this time lady luck was on its side as the rod sprung back and I was left with that sick feeling in my stomach as I realised what I had just lost.
"Ten minutes of regular feeding was made to try and build up their confidence before making another cast, but despite my best efforts that was to be my only bite of the session. The lost fish had obviously spooked the shoal putting all the other fish on edge and leading to very nervous behaviour. It had become obvious these fish were super edgy and were not at all happy about having a float run over the top of them on a regular basis.
"Not deterred I vowed to return again the next morning before work but this time armed with a slightly different tactic. I hoped that using a light quiver outfit with light braid as mainline would make hitting those twitchy bites that bit easier. This outfit combined with a link ledger holding enough shot to hold bottom and a light hook link, small hook, and the rig was set and ready to go.
"The next morning soon came around and once again I found myself kneeling low and feeding a constant stream of maggots to try and draw the fish's attention. A quick peep over some under growth close to the fish confirmed that the dinner bell had indeed been rung with the fish happily scoffing into the free offerings that had been delivered.
"A sideways flick was all that was required to deposit the rig close to the shoal. I slowly tightened up to the weight and wrapped my finger round the line to feel for any indication of a bite. I didn't have to wait long as a quick tap was followed by the tip bending round and once again I found myself playing a good sized fish.
"Fortunately no mistakes were made, and I soon found myself netting a nice Dace slightly upstream of where it had been hooked. Not wanting to let it spook its shoal mates I placed it in a keep net well away from the swim and continued feeding a steady trickle of bait.
"Next cast was a repeat performance of the first with the quiver tip banging round with in seconds of the bait hitting bottom. This fish felt slightly better than the first and my suspicions were soon confirmed as the fish was netted and the tiny size 20 hook was removed.
"Not wanting to waste time the fish was slipped quickly into the keep net. The next two casts saw a similar result with two more dace hitting the bottom of the net within seconds of the casts being made.
"The ease of the fishing though was short lived as the shoal wised up to the tactics and became increasingly weary of the bait. A quick look into the crystal clear water confirmed my thoughts that the fish had vanished to safer grounds. After such a disturbance it was hardly surprising and felt pleased that my change of tactic had proved so fruitful.
"As I released the fish from the keep net I wished them well and hoped my next visit would see one of the giants grace my net."
Perching success
"The last month or so has seen me on a mission to catch a big Perch. It is no secret that there has never been a better time to catch a super sized stripy, with many waters throwing up big fish on a regular basis. The question is where to start?
"In my opinion there is no better place than small commercial waters. These waters offer the budding Perch angler many opportunities. These small waters are often stuffed with stunted silver fish meaning the Perch have an abundance of food to gorge on, put this together with the fact that they are often the only predator present and you have the ingredients for a big Perch.
"I can pretty much guarantee with a bit of research there is a water offering this kind of potential close to pretty much everyone, regardless of where you live it's just a case of finding it.
"So how do you go about accessing the potential of a new water? Where possible I would always advocate fishing more than one tactic on a session, as different waters can often react very differently to different methods. My standard approach on a new water is to fish one paternostered live bait, and one small dead bait fished on a low resistance ledger rig. It is always important to check the rules as not all waters allow the use of live baits.
"I have found both these methods to be hugely effective for selecting out my chosen quarry as despite worms and prawns also being highly effective big Perch catchers, they do tend to invite other species to the party.
"Many people are very sceptical of using small dead baits for Perch, but believe me when I say they are devastating big Perch catchers. I always choose to fish my dead baits on an alarm with a drop off indicator meaning there is little resistance to a taking Perch.
"Location on these small commercial fisheries is often simple with over hanging trees, marginal snags, and inlet pipes all being prime areas for a take. In a nut shell anywhere that offers cover of some description allowing the Perch a hiding hole to ambush its prey. Despite these areas often being very productive I can think of a water close to my home where a majority of the takes come from open water, so it pays to experiment and not put all your eggs in one basket.
"Perch can be unpredictable at the best of times, but from my experiences of fishing a variety of these small commercial waters the same old rules apply, with dawn and dusk being peak times to snare a real whopper. Perch feed best in these low light levels when they can hunt going undetected by their prey, and it is not unusual to experience no activity till that last hour of light when often multiple takes will occur.
"Hopefully this has given you some food for thought, and all that's left now is to get out there and give it a go!"
Short Session Success
"If I asked the question how many of you feel you have enough time to go fishing, I think in nearly all cases it would be a resounding no! Well within my article I'm going to encourage you to think again.
"It may surprise you that most of my angling is what I would deem as quick fire sessions lasting no more than 2-3 hours. I, like many others have limited time due to a demanding full time job, family commitments etc. I'm sure many of you can relate to this and get my drift. All this adds up to limited time on the bank, but with a bit of planning and effort you don't have to let this affect your catch results.
"I have always found effort equals reward in fishing and there is no better feeling than catching the fish of your dreams against the odds and with limited time at your disposal. So if you're like me and like to make the most of your time read my top tips below for short session fishing, which will hopefully help you put those extra fish on the bank.
Peak Feeding Times
"When it comes to catching big fish of all species I have yet to find a better time than dawn and dusk. Being there at these times will heavily increase your chances of getting that all important bite. I have literally lost count of the number of my better captures that have come at these times. One of the main reasons for this is low light levels. These low light conditions can often spark bigger fish in to feeding. My preferred timing for a session is a couple of hours before dark and fishing slightly into dark if the venue permits. Likewise this is the opposite for a dawn start with the session starting in darkness and fishing the first couple of hours of light.
Fishing To Features
"It is no secret that features are great holding areas for fish. The margins, over hanging trees, islands and inlet pipes are just a few areas that are worth a look with limited time to play with. A 10 minute walk along the river or around the lake will often help you spot signs of fish or better still feeding fish, meaning you are going to be fishing effectively from the off. Taking some bait with you on the walk is also worthwhile. This will allow you to prime a few spots giving yourself maybe 2 or 3 options of swims to hop between splitting your time equally in each area. I would much rather have a bait in the right spot for 5 minutes than in the wrong spot for 5 hours!
Travelling Light
"My normal tackle for a short session will consist of a made up rod and reel, Landing net and rucksack holding all the necessary bits and pieces required for a session. It amazes me how many anglers with limited time to fish spend half of it setting up! It is so easy to keep rods set up ready to go, meaning you can be fishing as soon as you arrive. The Prodigy Rod Bands and Rod Holdalls are ideal for this situation. I plead anybody that hasn't already to have a look at the prodigy Rucksacks also. These have been designed brilliantly for short session fishing and I really wonder how I survived without mine before. One of the great features of these rucksacks is that they allow you to clip the unhooking mat straight onto the bag meaning even less to carry making you super mobile. You may have noticed there is no mention of a chair? I personally don't see this as an essential, and would rather sit or kneel on my mat keeping a low profile to the water.
Being Stealthy
"This is the biggest mistake I see anglers making on a short session. If there's one sure fire way of wrecking your chances of a quick fish it noise. Shouting to other anglers or even talking loudly to other anglers in your swim will have a detrimental effect on results. Once fish have been spooked the chances are you will not have enough time for the fish to revisit the spot, and that's if they revisit! This is part of my reasoning for not taking a chair on quick fire sessions. No matter how hard I try I have never been able to get a chair into position without causing a lot of clanking and unwanted noise. It is also not easy to put the chair up without casting your profile all over the waters edge, putting all this together with the added weight of carrying it and it's a non starter for me!
Forward Planning
"For most anglers with normal working hours your short sessions will either be just before work or more lightly just after work. This means fishing a venue miles away is out of the question as the time spent driving means a loss of valuable bank time. With some forward planning venues can be lined up close to home that contain the fish you want to catch. For example your target maybe a 3lb perch. I can pretty much guarantee everyone will have a small commercial close to home that will contain a fish of those proportions making it an achievable target. There is no point setting your sights on something that may not be achievable given the venues and time you have at your disposal. When i'm in a routine of short sessions I will leave the tackle and a spare set of clothes in the car meaning even if I get an hour to have a cast I can make it count.
"Hopefully this has got your mind ticking away with all kinds of possibilities for making the most of your time. So next time you think you don't have enough time to go fishing think a bit carefully and you may have more time than you think. "
Gold Rush
"It's been a while since my last blog and to be quite honest I don't feel my feet have touched the floor over the past few weeks. As mentioned in my last blog I had just started to get amongst one or two large Rudd and was very much looking forward to my next trip after the big bars of gold.
"Well between that last trip and now I have managed to land a staggering 52 Rudd over the magical 2lb barrier, truly amazing fishing and something I never dreamt possible. It seemed as soon as the Rudd were located multiple catches were always on the cards with my best session leading to 11 Rudd over 2lb. As I'm writing this it still hasn't really sunk in what I've achieved in that short time, and can only hope that following seasons are so kind to me.
"Due to the constant pilgrimages back and forward to Cambridgeshire over the past weeks I thought it would be nice to catch up with one of my brothers John for a long promised night session in aid of his birthday. John is a very accomplished angler but each year sets me the challenge of trying to help him break a personal best on his birthday trip. This year he decided that Carp and Bream were the target species so with that in mind plans were made to fish a venue that would give him a chance at both.
"Well I'm happy to say the trip was a success! Under my guidance john managed to up his Carp PB from 13lb to 18lb and his Bream PB from 4lb to 12lb! As you can imagine he was over the moon and I was happy I could share in the moment.
"Between fishing, work, and catching up on all my other commitments I have also been in the process of developing my website which will be up and running in the next couple of months. Within the site you will be able to contact me regarding my guiding service which I will be offering starting from December 1st. So watch this space for details."
In Pursuit
"With my mind firmly fixed on trying to find the giant Rudd I had witnessed the week before, I could hardly wait to get back out on the boat and wet a line. The one thing I had not accounted for was just how tricky it is fish spotting without bright conditions. Even being close to the water wearing Polaroid's it was still very difficult to spot fish clearly. This meant a little guess work was on the cards, so settled for fishing the area I had witnessed the groups of large Rudd in before. Unfortunately very little materialized and I was left leaving the river with my tail between my legs, whilst vowing to return the following day for round two!
"Another two hour car journey the next day found me once again in the boat heading up river in pursuit of a giant Rudd. Due to family commitments I had not been able to get there until just before tea leaving only a small window of opportunity before the light faded. I decided to try slightly further up river this time round and once again started trotting bread to try and get some kind of response.
"The river seemed alive with Rudd swirling on the surface and albeit small I was very confident there were a few larger specimens in amongst them. A few handfuls of crust down river soon confirmed my thoughts as several large Rudd bow waved to the lilies to take the bits of floating bread. Suddenly panic set in, and I struggled to keep a steady hand whilst trying to bait the hook. I decided to take the float off and free line a bait to them allowing me to present the bait as naturally as possible thus hopefully not spooking them. I flicked the piece of crust close to the feeding fish but despite waiting a couple of minutes the Rudd refused to venture up to the surface to take it, so reeled in and changed the crust for a piece of slow sinking flake.
"Another cast to the area was made but this time the bait was taken very quickly on the drop and I was soon in contact with a good sized fish. A dogged fight followed, but the fish was soon sitting in the net and looked to be of a good size. The scales read a pleasing 2lb oz and, after a few photos the fish was slipped back to the crystal clear water. With the light closing fast I made another cast close to the weed and within seconds the bread was eagerly snapped up once again, and could not believe my luck as I made contact with another weighty fish. It was very difficult to make out the fish swirling close to the net due to the light, but somehow managed to bundle it in and was greeted once again by another beautiful golden Rudd weighing 2lb 5oz. As I held the fish up for the camera I could not have been happier and couldn't help but think what else could be on the cards over the coming weeks. I will keep you all posted!"
Chasing Gold
"After my successful opening day on the rivers my plan was to continue in my pursuit of those big bars of gold - the Rudd! I thought originally I would continue to fish a couple of the smaller fenland drains, although my plans were to change rather quickly.
"As I have mentioned in the past all the fenland drains contain big Rudd, it's just with so much water and limited time it can often be like finding a needle in a haystack! Fortunately for me though I had managed to gain access to the use of a small boat meaning far more freedom for exploring and more importantly a better vantage point for fish spotting. It was on that first exploratory trip on a new drain I was to witness something that took my breath away. I could only describe what I spotted as the largest rudd I have ever seen. It looked like a golden bream such was its size, and suddenly all thoughts of my favorite little drains flew out of the window.
"Although it's still early days, a couple of trips have already been made with little success, but with a weeks holiday a head of me hopes of locating and catching a near 4lb Rudd are high.
"I hope my next blog will bring good news."
Not what it used to be
"The last few weeks have come and gone in a flash. I mentioned in my last blog my mind was now firmly on bagging a large gravel pit Tench. I planned to fish the same water that produced one of the largest braces of Tench ever caught by myself last year and was very excited of the prospect of returning for some more action.
"After a few sessions it was clear that my success from the previous year had not gone unnoticed, the banks were often full with keen anglers looking to get there bit of the action. In fact some anglers were camping in swims for up to 2 weeks leaving swim choice very limited. I plugged away all the same for a few weeks, fishing whenever possible before deciding enough was enough. I suppose it was a combination of frustration and keenness to fish waters with untapped potential that made me move on. I did manage a Tench of 9.14 on the float though before calling it a day as by this time I had June 16th and the start of the river season firmly on my mind.
"The last few seasons has seen me fish opening day for Chub and Barbel although this year was going to be different! I had made up my mind to bait and fish a couple of small fenland drains in pursuit of its large Rudd. With around 10 days before the glorious day it would allow me time to first locate some large Rudd then bait heavily to hopefully hold them in the area. The days gradually ticked away and with several baiting trips complete excitement was at fever pitch. I would be joined by Rich Keeble for the session with the aim of catching him his first Rudd over 2lb.
"The day finally arrived with 2 very keen anglers walking there kit the very long walk to the baited areas. It was such a change from fighting for swims whilst Tench fishing as you can walk literally miles without seeing another angler on these drains. The day fished brilliantly with many large Rudd falling to both our rods. Unfortunately Rich was unable to break the 2lb mark, but came close with so many fish I lost count. By the time the session had ended we were both shattered. Although we caught some cracking Rudd I know we have only just scratched the surface so can't wait to return."
Mission Complete
"I have to say I was starting to think that Bream over the 15lb mark didn't exist, that was until possibly one of the most impressive sights I have ever laid my eyes on lay in the bottom of my landing net!
"It was the end result of the best 30 minutes fishing I have ever experienced having Carp of 29lb 10oz, 32lb 8oz and last but not least a Bream of 15lb 6oz all in the net at the same time! Yes you did not misread that all 3 fish in one net at once!
"I have on a number of occasions experienced takes on two rods at once but 3 was just a little hectic and had it not been for my wife that had accompanied me for the trip I'm not too sure exactly what I would have done.
"I started the 48 hour session by spodding around 10 kilo of fishmeal ground bait laced with all manner of goodies to a silt gully at around 70 yards. As the light started to fade the bobbins started to bounce around signalling the arrival of a hungry shoal of Bream. It didn't take long for a proper bite to materialise and for first Bream of the session to be landed. At 11lb 9oz this was a great start, but the action didn't stop there with a further 3 fish all over the 11lb mark being caught throughout the night.
"Although pleased I was slightly frustrated that one of the bigger fish hadn't put in an appearance, so decided to up the baiting slightly for the second night putting a further 15 kilo of bait in. Two hours of hard graft with the spod rod and both buckets of bait had been deposited to the gully. To anyone who is not used to Bream fishing this my seem a crazy amount of bait to use, but I can assure you all that as soon as fish move on to the feed it can disappear at an alarming rate.
"That evening saw my wife, Rachael cook up a mean stir fry followed up by several mini rolls for desert. Rach told me that the fishing fairies were going to work their magic in the night and predicted a big Bream would visit the bank. I laughed and duly agreed that a beast was on the cards. The first few hours of dark proved fruitless with not even a line bite to show for my effort. It reached 3 in the morning with still no sign of activity and I was starting to feel that maybe the fish had moved elsewhere. This thought was short lived as the alarm screamed out on my left hand rod. It was obvious by the time I made it to the rod that this was no Bream, and I had hooked one of the lakes big Carp. The fish took around 60 yards of line on the first run and was starting to think it was never going to stop. Rachael asked if I needed assistance and I jokingly told her to get some more sleep as this fish could take some time to land. 10 minutes later I had the fish wallowing in the margins and as I dipped the 42 inch net ready, I heard a beep from one of the other alarms which slowly developed into another screaming run. I called Rach asking for her help and she stumbled out of the bivvy still half asleep. I passed her the second rod, loosened the clutch slightly and told her to hang on for dear life as I tried my best to get the first fish in the net as quickly as possible. The Carp was so heavy on the soft rod that every time I got the fish nearly in the net it kept balancing on the net cord until eventually it clumsily fell in the net. One down one to go I told rach as she passed me rod number 2. After a further heavy battle with another monster Carp my aching arms were ready to fall off, but stayed attached to my body just long enough to slide the net under the second Carp.
"I was shattered and just burst out laughing as I clicked my head torch on and looked at the giants sitting side by side in the net. As I prepared all the weighing kit for the Carp I received a steady drop back on the third rod. I hurled various bits and pieces of equipment till I was able to get hold of the rod. I leant into the fish and it was obvious this was no Carp but another decent Bream. The Bream felt bigger and bigger as it neared the net and with no trouble a tall I soon had it in the net with the Carp.
"The Bream looked massive even next to the big Carp! With Rachael's expert assistance we soon managed to get the Carp unhooked and accurately weighed, which left only the Bream to be weighed. As I zeroed the sling I asked Rach how big she thought it was. I had an idea it might break the 15lb barrier but without saying anything Rch also thought so and guessed 15lb 6oz. I lifted the scales for her to read and she sniggered before saying 15lb 6oz. I thought she was joking so turned round the scales to look myself and sure enough her guess was spot on!
"I could not describe my happiness. So much effort had gone into catching a Bream of that magnitude, and the moment was made even better having my wife by my side as it happened.
"On the journey home I couldn't help but think of my next target, Tench!"
Good Things Come To Those Who Wait!
"It doesn't seem that long ago that I ended my autumn Bream campaign on the large gravel pit. As mentioned in a previous blog although the fishing had proved very difficult as expected, I planned to return come March / April time for another crack before the Tench fishing really kicked off.
"As I sit here writing this I have a grin like a cheshire Cat after getting back from a rather productive session there landing not one Bream but two! To say I'm pleased is an understatement. Both fish being personal bests weighing in at 12lb 14oz and 13lb 2oz.
"All my hard work in the autumn had paid off, as both fish came from a shallower area of water at over 100yrds range I had found with the marker rod some six months ago. Bearing in mind the pit has a very low stock of Bream with no more than ten fish present its a major breakthrough."
That's not what I was expecting
"The alarm bursts into life and the baitrunner starts to tick. As I pick up the rod expecting to feel the thumps of a big Roach something doesn't feel quite right. The fish feels heavy, probably a Carp I think to myself so imagine my surprise as a monster Bream comes up the marginal shelf. This is exactly what occurred on my latest Roach session. A small size 18 hook, 2lb bottom and a single red maggot cast at around 70yrds range the result a 12lb 4oz Bream. What a fantastic surprise!
"In fact as I started to think about it I realised just how many of my big fish in winter had fallen to this tactic. Many of my personal bests including Roach, Carp and now Bream have come to a single maggot on very light tackle. I suppose the moral of the story is don't be scared to scale down, providing balanced tackle is used its possible to land even the biggest fish on light tackle.
"I can't finish without saying well done to all the Hardy & Greys staff at The Big One angling show this weekend. I was fortunate enough to be on the stand on Sunday and was blown away by just how good the stand looked and how well all our products were received by the public - all in all a fantastic day!"
Best Laid Plans
"As I mentioned in my last blog my plan over the last couple of weeks should have been to target Zander that inhabit the Fenland Drains, but due to looming deadlines for articles promised to a couple of angling mags, plus on the bank features this has just not been possible.
"With time somewhat limited for my own fishing, Chub seemed the sensible option to target. I know I've said it before but Chub are just the most obliging of all fish! Over a few short sessions no fewer than 6 Chub were caught to a weight of 5lb 15oz. Tactics were so simple, baiting several swims with mashed bread and fishing a pinch of flake on the hook.
"Certainly though the highlight of the last week was helping a fellow angler Paul to a new personal best chub. I met Paul on a local stretch of the River Wensum while visiting a friend who was Pike fishing the stretch a little further up. Paul is relatively new to angling and had been struggling to catch a big Chub for the past 6 months or so, despite putting in lots of time and effort. It only took a quick conversation to see he was starting to get a bit disillusioned and bogged down with technical rigs and baits. I have seen this happen on so many occasions with anglers new to the sport getting snowed under with fancy rigs and the latest baits, but not learning the simple skills of a good angler.
"Paul seemed a lovely chap so I offered my services to help him catch a Chub the following day, which he accepted faster than you can say Jack Robinson! So the following day saw me meet Paul at the river. He could not believe just how little tackle I told him to take out of his car and when I mentioned all the bait he needed was a loaf of bread he almost past out. A very simple approach was created to de-clutter his mind, simply feeding some mashed bread into a few spots near to chubby looking snags and rotating the spots with a piece of bread flake on the hook.
"The bait had only been in the swim for a matter of minutes before the tip twitched leaving Paul connected to his first big Chub. Unfortunately our excitement was short lived as the Chub managed to rid the hook leaving Paul looking devastated. I felt just as devastated as he looked, but was confident another chance would come his way so moved onto swim two.
"Paul made a cast close to the snag and I winked saying that's the one mate on the money! 5 minutes later the tip twitched rapidly, he could not control his excitement and struck way to early missing the bite. I smiled and told him to get it back out there. Another 10 mins past and as I was just contemplating telling him to cast further down the snag the rod twitched again before slowly pulling round. Paul struck and a lively battle commenced as the chub tried its best to make its way into the snags, but this time luck was on his side and I was soon slipping the net under a big Chub. We both burst out laughing before Paul proceeded to do a little dance up and down the bank. He was absolutely over the moon and thanked me 100 times.
"I was pleased I could help, and I suppose the moral of the storey is keep it simple and don't over complicate affairs.Fenland Bound
"This week has seen the start of my attempts to catch a double figure Zander. Although I have fished the fens before it is far from easy fishing with numerous drains and miles upon miles of baron water making just finding Zander a tricky challenge.
"I had selected a small drain to start the campaign and one in which I was already familiar with having walked it several times in the summer on recee trips. It was on one of these trips that I was to come across a large zander dead in the margins that looked around the 12lb mark, with that information stored in my brain it seemed like a logical place to start my winter zed fishing.
"The first session was planned for Sunday and I would be accompanied by good friend and fellow specimen angler, James Champkin hoping that with two of us fishing we could access the potential that bit quicker. I had decided on a very mobile approach leap frogging the rods every 40 minutes to cover as much water as possible therefore maximizing my chances of landing bait close to a feeding Zander. It's no secret that Zander generally feed under the cover of darkness so we planned to fish through to about 10pm to give ourselves the best possible chance.
"Now the fens can be a rather bleak place at times with little in the way of shelter from the bitter winds, but on this particular night it seemed so pleasant with no wind what so ever. Although pleasant no Zander were forth coming despite plenty of water being covered and the best we could manage was a small jack of around a couple of pounds, but a start has been made so fingers crossed for the next couple of trips. I will keep you all posted on my progress!"
Out Piking!
"This last week has been all about the Pike! I adore my Pike fishing, particularly on my beloved river systems and with my recent Roach success it seemed right to wet a line for something a bit different. To be fair I promise myself every year I'm going to do more Piking and never get round to it, so along with Zander these are going to be my main target species over the coming weeks.
"I was quick to organize my first proper Pike trip of the year and would be accompanied by good friend and Piking pirate, James Champkin. We had decided to concentrate our efforts on the River Ant and use James' boat, Ruby to good effect covering lots of likely looking areas to get a feel for what was going on.
"It didn't take long to position the boat into some likely looking spots but despite our hard work the first couple of spots draw a blank and we were left scratching our heads. Not giving up we moved an extra 200yrds down river close to the entrances of several dykes giving us plenty of options as to where to position the rods. We didn't have to wait long for the first take of the day and I watched excitedly as the float skidded across the surface at a rate of knots. I soon wound down and made contact with a rather heavy weight that proceeded to stay deep and plod around the boat, but my new Greys Prowla rods were no match for the Pike and James was soon doing the honours with the net.
"At first sight we both thought that I had a 20lber in the net, but soon, as the fish lay on the mat we could see although fat, it didn't have the length to be this size and it was confirmed by the scales that read a little over 16lb. Unfortunately this was to be the only action of the day but a good start to the campaign never the less.
"I will just mention before I finish just how impressed i am with all the Greys Prowla kit both rods and terminal tackle. It sounds like I'm out to plug the company but I can assure everybody I'm super picky when it comes to my fishing kit and will use the best I can get my hands on regardless of make. One of the main products that really impressed me was the readymade traces! I have made my own traces for many years purely due to the fact that readymade traces have always been sub standard with either poor components used or weaknesses within the trace. The Prowla snap tackle on the other hand ticks all the boxes and I now feel no need to tie my own such is the quality. If you're keen on your Piking take a look!"
Return To The Roach
"Well finally some mild weather - hurray! After weeks of itching to get back to my Roach lake I was finally going to get a chance to wet a line for the most beautiful of all fish, a 2lb Roach.
"I had been waiting a good three weeks to visit the lake again and the excitement had been eating away at me. I made sure the alarm was set ultra early as to guarantee I made it to the lake while it was still dark. This would enable me to scan the water carefully for signs of activity as the light levels started to increase. Big Roach have a real habit of rolling on the surface in low light levels namely dawn and dusk and, as I made my way round the lake with my tackle, my choice of swim was suddenly made very easy with the elegant roll of a big Roach at 30yrds range.
"From previous visits to the lake I knew the swim well with the main feature a fine gravel stripe at 30yrds precisely where I had seen the fish roll.
"I soon deposited two maggot feeders to the spot some 10yrds apart and sat back to await proceedings. After around 30 minutes the heavens opened and it was at this point I realised that I had left my brolly at home - big error!
"Three hours later I was somewhat wet and with no sign of the rain stopping I sat huddled on my chair hood up and feeling pretty sorry for myself, in fact not even a packet of jammy dodgers and jaffa cakes put a smile on my face.
"Despite the rather damp conditions I was starting to receive some action and a flurry of Roach started to fall to my rods. Although many of these were small I just knew I was in the right spot and if I could grin and bare the weather and feed off the smaller samples the bigger fish would soon bully them out.
"At precisely 3pm I had an altogether different bite with the bobbin pulling up tight causing the bait runner to slowly tick. I picked up the rod and slowly swept it back, and soon realised that I was connected to a big Redfin. A few anxious minutes passed as I tried to tease the fish closer to the bank with the Roach twisting and turning in the gin clear water. I just prayed the tiny size 18 hook would stay in but thankfully luck was on my side and the fish was soon lying safely in the bottom of my net. I knew it was a 2lber but it wasn't until I unfolded the mesh that I realised just how big it actually was. The scales were soon reading 2lb 12oz - what a fish! Suddenly I felt like the Weetabix Read Brek man and any thoughts of feeling cold and wet were soon put on the back boiler. The action didn't stop there either with a further fish of 2lb 4oz following a few minutes later.
"It never fails to amaze me how close the line is between success and failure. Determination is a major part of being a good angler, never give up and always fish your sessions through to the end and who knows what might turn up!"
News from Gareth Goldston - Friday 14th January 2011
"Well it's fair to say 2010 has been my best fishing year to date and I can look back over the year with many fond memories.
"I suppose the highlights for me were my 12lb 5oz Tench and 32lb 7oz Pike - the sight of both those fish laying in the bottom of my net will never leave me. I can look back on a few plans that didn't come together, but I think it's fair to say this is often the case when fishing for super sized fish.
"I was awarded Specimen Angler Of The Year in the Angling Times and as the Fox Specimen Cup comes to a close I've put myself in with a chance of taking one of the top spots - something that I've dreamed about since I was a kid.
"However the last few weeks have been a tad frustrating to say the least. I've been desperate to get back to my roach pit I've discovered but with sub zero temperatures most nights the pit has been frozen since my last visit. Rather than staying at home twiddling my fingers and tormenting the Cats, I have been out with the Chub rod a few times and managed to bank plenty of Chub with several 5lbers thrown in which has been great sport considering the adverse conditions.
"As well as my own fishing I also managed to take a good friend of mine jonathan out on the river in an attempt to catch him his first Chub. Trotting bread flake under a loafer and feeding bread mash I was soon able to get him some bites and he finished the morning with 4 Chub to just over 4lb. It was such good fun and an absolute pleasure watching his excitement every time he landed a fish.
"The bad weather conditions have also given me time to sit down and plan my targets for 2011, as well as sorting out venues and tickets to fish them. This always fills me with excitement; the thought of fishing new waters with new challenges is the one biggest thing I love most about our sport.
"One particular venue has really got me buzzing, a secluded lake very close to my home, set in deep woodland with a small stocking of very large Crucian's that have laid untouched for many years. The most exciting factor is not only do the Crucian's average over 3lb but there is no doubt that these are proper Crucian's making it a mouth watering prospect.
"I can't finish without a quick mention about my new rod I've been using; the Hardy Marksman Ultralite Avon smuggler - what a rod! The action is unbelievable, so crisp yet so light to use! If anybody is in the market for a light Avon style rod then this really is the bees knees!"
News from Gareth Goldson - Thursday 2nd December 2010
TRIO OF BIG ROACH!
"Well can the weather get any colder? With all the snow and ice melt going into the rivers it has put my Chub fishing back a little, with my local rivers not only running high but also coloured far from ideal Chub conditions.
"Rather than sticking it out after the Chub I decided a change of species was required and with the temperatures plummeting it was time to dust the Roach rods off and head for a gravel pit that I've had my eye on for a while. The pit in question is actually a Carp water with very little track history for producing big Roach and to be fair I was acting more on a hunch than anything else.
"So the next morning saw me at the pit at first light watching the water for signs of activity. It didn't take me long to locate what looked like decent Roach rolling and it all seemed to good to be true.
"With the lake empty I ran back to the car and grabbed all the required bits and pieces needed for the session. I took no time at all in getting 2 rods kitted up with maggot feeders and short 2 inch hook links and deployed them to the rolling fish. I was just clipping the bobbin on the second rod when the alarm on the first rod let out a few beeps before pulling up tight. I couldn't believe it, the rod had not been out more than a minute and I was bent into what felt like a decent Roach. Without too much trouble I was soon steering a big Roach into the bottom of the net and punched the air with delight before popping it up on the scales to watch the dial spin round to 2lb 5oz. Over the course of the next 3 hours more big Roach followed with fish of 2lb 2oz, 2lb 1oz and 1lb 15oz along with a few smaller samples. The effort to get out in the freezing conditions had been well worth it and although the action soon came to an abrupt halt I was pleased as punch. As I've always said you've got to be in it to win it!"
News from Gareth Goldson - Wednesday 17th November 2010
Chub Fest
"Well the Chub fishing just gets better and better. I have landed another 7 Chub over 5lb including an impressive specimen of 6lb 3oz over the course of the last week. It has been so much fun fishing with minimal tackle, moving around regularly, and fishing a variety of swims.
"My tactics for Chub have always been kept very basic using simple link ledger tactics and alternating between either bread or cheese paste on the hook. I learnt many years ago that there is no need to spend all day thrashing the water to a foam when Chubbing and in fact if I had to give one tip for catching big Chub it would be to fish one hour before dark and one hour after. This is particularly the case on small rivers were the water is often very clear and fish always on edge. I've lost track of the number of times that I have fished a swim 2 or 3 times in the day and blanked, only to have another go as the lights fading and caught fish almost straight away.
"If you read this and take my advice there are three pieces of equipment that are a must for quiver tipping in to darkness.
1) Head torch- This makes baiting up and unhooking fish much easier, and also allows you to keep any light off the water.
2) Rod tip isotope- This will make seeing bites easy as there is nothing worse than straining your eyes trying to spot your tip as the light fades.
3) Mobile phone- If you plan to do any fishing under the cover of darkness a mobile phone is essential in case of any mishaps, but also in case you require pictures or need help with a fish as trying to take photos of fish on a self timer in darkness is a nightmare. I say this from experience!"
News from Gareth Goldson... Monday 1st November 2010
End of Campaign
"Well with the cold weather starting to kick in my Bream fishing has come to an end. As much as I want to continue my campaign in search of a massive Bream the temptation to fish for two of my favourite species, Chub and Perch are a little too much to resist. My efforts haven't been wasted and I have learnt an awful lot of valuable information about my quarry which should help me when I restart things in March and April for another crack.
"It would be too easy to admit defeat and give up completely but people that know me know I'm in for the long haul, and failure is not an option so plans have already been made for a return in early spring.
"Like I have mentioned in previous blogs by planning your fishing out it always gives you something to look forward to, and a different goal to try and accomplish. For the past week I've been flitting between the river yare and the Wensum in search of a 7lb Chub. Things have been going well and although still early days, I've landed a number of Chub to 5lb. Although not massive it has made me realise just how much I love this style of fishing, You can travel light, keep warm and cover a number of swims in just a few hours. Really fun fishing!"
News from Gareth Goldson...Thursday 14th October 2010
A Nice Wensum Perch
"Well since my last blog three more nights Bream fishing have come and gone in the blink of an eye! A big Bream is still eluding me despite my best efforts and constant baiting.
"As well as the Bream trips I have also managed a short session on a small stretch of the River Wensum. My plan on this session was to take my ultra light lure rod out with some jigs and small plugs and have some fun after many of the small Jacks that inhabit the stretch, more of a confidence builder than anything else.
"After a number of casts into fishy looking areas my salmo plug was hit with a bang and started playing what I thought to be a lively little Pike. It was so nice to feel a bend in the rod and as the fish came closer to the bank I started to feel more and more head shaking on the rod tip until the head of a big Perch broke the surface and my eyes almost popped out of there sockets. This was the last thing I expected to hook and to be honest have never even seen any big Perch in the Wensum before. I was quick to whip the landing net under the specimen and pop it on the scales. I was delighted to see the dial spin round to 3lb 2oz! To say I was over the moon was an understatement and got me thinking of what other stripeys could be hiding in the depths."
News from Gareth Goldson - Friday 1st October 2010
Some Success!
"I can't believe we are into October already, boy doesn't time fly! Since my last blog I've managed to cram another two nights in my hunt for big Bream and am pleased to say with some success. When I say some, not quite the 15lb plus fish I'm after but at 10lb 1oz I wasn't complaining and a real boost to my confidence levels on what can be a very moody pit. I still have all of October to bag a big Bream so I'm in no rush, bearing in mind this is probably the smallest Bream in the lake I feel there is only better to come.
"I have also started formulating plans for my winter fishing as I know the only way to keep on a roll is to have something to roll on to and fishing in this manner always gives you something to look forward to."
News from Gareth - Friday 24th September 2010
Staying Positive!
"Many of you would have seen the pictures in the weeklies recently of the fantastic 18lb 8oz Bream caught by Dave Boulstridge from the very daunting Ferry Lagoon. Bearing in mind this was his fifth year on the pit for just 6 bites, I think it's fair to say a lesser man would have thrown in the towel after such little activity but Dave kept at it and was rewarded with the fish of his dreams! Well done Dave!
"It's very easy to think fish of this magnitude come easy but the reality is often very different. On the whole when targeting large fish there can be spells of prolonged inactivity where it can be hard to stay positive. Stay focused on your target though and when it finally happens and the fish of your dreams is lying in the bottom of your net all the hard work and effort seems worthwhile. I have managed two nights this week after big Bream with very little reward and have another two nights planned next week. Let's hope the Bream gods smile sweetly on me!"
News from Gareth - Friday 17th September 2010
Location, location, location
“My campaign for a giant Bream is well and truly underway! Although I haven't been putting in a lot of rod hours I have been keeping a very close eye on the water, searching and scouring for signs of activity. This is invaluable when trying to locate a small number of fish in a large water and, in my opinion is the most important factor when fishing for large fish of any species. After all you can’t catch fish they aren’t there!
“Generally the peak times for fish spotting are dawn and dusk and being at the water at these times can definitely increase your chances dramatically. Big Bream do have a habit of giving themselves away by rolling on the surface, add this together with their hatred of being around thick weed and by being vigilant location can become a lot easier.
“I've now located a couple of large weed free areas at both ends of the lake at around 90-100yrds range. From my observations these big Bream like to move on a new wind and, by pre-baiting these spots a couple of times a week at either end of the lake my plan is starting to come together nicely!
“Hopefully my next blog will bring positive news!”
News from Gareth – Friday 10th September 2010
In search of a monster Bream...
“For quite a while now I've had a hankering to catch a massive Bream, but over the years other species have got in the way and any plans I had have fallen by the wayside.
"This year was going to be different though and I made sure when I was planning my angling for the year that September and October were put aside to have a crack for a monster slab. With my modest PB of just over 12lb I set myself a target of a Bream weighing in excess of 15lb. In hindsight I think that may have been a tad ambitious, but fortune favours the brave and I just can't resist a challenge.
“The main gravel pit I'm targeting is a large windswept gravel pit of around 30 acres. This holds a very small head of Bream with maybe 10 or so fish at present. Although this is a small stock in a pretty large pit if I'm lucky enough to make contact with one of the stock it's likely to give me my target fish. I'm already very familiar with the lake having done a lot of Tenching over past seasons. I've got all the features and contours of the lake bed mapped out, it’s just a case of making a start and getting stuck into the challenge ahead. I know the fishing is going to be extremely difficult and feel one fish from the water within my campaign will be a good effort. I am prepared for a run of blanks and many hours looking at motionless indicators.
“As I write this I've yet to make a start on the pit but have managed a couple of visits just to look around and get a feel for the place and what's been happening since spring.I did manage a session with a good friend of mine who has just returned from travelling in America - more of a catch up really than anything but it did give me a chance to sort out my tackle and gain some confidence Breaming on a lake with a slightly larger stock.
"It was great fun as always fishing with James and we even managed a few fish along the way the best being 10lb 15oz falling a couple of hours into dark. Although fun I couldn't help feeling a little disappointed with myself for not making a start on the tough pit, so from now on its full steam ahead!”
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