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The Week Ahead…
The Prospects…
Fortunately for the majority of the country last week was a little more settled than previous weeks and more importantly a lot drier, it was a welcome relief for many. Temperatures remained a few degrees above the seasonal average and the strong winds we’ve been accustomed too, were a little lighter.
Last week I touched on the rough arctic weather they’d been experiencing on the East coast of America, I don’t know if anyone saw the news, but they were under what the experts called a ‘polar vortex’. In one case I saw a cup of boiling water freeze and turn to dust before it touched the ground! They were warning of frost bite in just a matter of minutes on any skin that was exposed to the cold!
Normally we tend to be on the receiving end of this weather a week or so after they’ve had it, but fortunately it looks like we may be safe as this week looks very much the same as the last. Settled weather expected for most of the week, temperatures are expected to remain around the eight to nine degree mark, and the winds will remain in a southerly direction.
What could this mean for the fishing…
According to our friendly fishing App, this week looks pretty good as from Tuesday to Friday every day has a fishing efficiency rating of over 70%, with a peak of 100% on Wednesday and Thursday! This tales off as we get into the weekend, before building again the early part of next week.
With mild (well for the time of year!) overcast conditions I would expect most of the lakes to fish relatively well throughout the week, as long as we can avoid any sharp frosts that is! Also with a full moon and some big tides I’d be hopeful of a few Codling turning up on the beaches.
If you do plan on having a session and do get out then good luck and of course don’t forget to let us know how you get on! Send any pictures and reports to: [email protected]
My Fishing…
Last week/weekend was fish-less, it was my sisters 40th on Friday so the weekend was full of celebrations, including two meals and plenty of drink! The small tides and settled weather didn’t install any confidence either so I left it! This week maybe a different story though, as a full moon and big tides are a completely different cup of tea and an evening session after work maybe on the agenda!
Me and Steve have also planned to get out fishing and filming on Saturday or Sunday, he has a little private lake up his sleeve, where he reckons whatever the weather we’ll catch a few. I think it’ll be a pole and maggot job though!
Last week I did manage to get our latest video edited and online. It’s part two of our Cod quest series and is the session I mentioned to you all last week, if you haven’t seen it you can watch it below…
To watch in HD simply click the little cog icon and select 1080p!
Pictures Of The Week…
January’s picture of the month competition is now in full swing and already we’ve had some great entries. You can see the full album by clicking the link below…
January Picture Of The Month
If you want to get in on the action and stand a chance of winning a £50 voucher then get sending your pictures in!
Also it’s worth remembering it’s a picture of the month competition and not a just a fish of the month, so it’s not all about the biggest Carp!
If you want to enter our January’s competition and appear on our blog and social sites then feel free to email your pictures and reports to…[email protected] you can also share them with us on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
In The Press…
It’s been rather quiet news wise this week and most of the news I have to mention is Angling Direct related, so I’ll leave that for my ‘in store’ section below! One thing that did catch my eye, was the news that a fishery owner was suing the environment agency, after Otters put his out of business…
Brian Dodson claims the government body created an otter haven on a nearby river and failed to inform him of the potential problems the furry mammals could cause. After stocking six lakes at his new business with thousands of carp at a cost of £250,000, the protected otters sought out his fishery as a rich food source.
Over a period of years his valuable fish were decimated by the carnivorous creatures, ruining his business before it had got off the ground, the 60-year-old claims. Mr Dodson said that had the Environment Agency told him of the probability of otters re-colonising the nearby river he could have taken protective steps, like erecting protective fencing.
He is now suing the agency for breaching the Environment Act 1995, claiming the agency had a duty of care to consult local landowners when planning the otter initiative.
He is seeking £2.5 million to cover the loss of income he believes he would have recouped from anglers using his fishery.
The matter will go before the High Court next month in what could become a landmark case for fishery owners across the country who have had similar issues with otters. The creatures were on the brink of extinction 30 years ago until wildlife enthusiasts launched a massive programme to re-introduce them to the wild.
Since then they have returned to nearly every corner of Britain.
But critics say the scheme has been ill thought as there is not enough food in our waterways to sustain their booming numbers.
As a result otters - which have no natural predator - are said to have been picking off big and cumbersome fish from fisheries and putting them in jeopardy. Mr Dodson's Waen Wen Fishery, near Bangor, in North Wales, has lain empty and out of use for several years now. He has been unable to sell it and it has now been taken off him by his mortage company.
He said: "This has ruined me financially and left me devastated.
"I built a fishery from scratch, there was nothing there at all before.
"I got all of the planning permission and it took me a few years to dig out the six lakes and filled them up with carp.
"In all that time didn't know the Environment Agency were promoting a nature reserve on the nearby River Cegin. Nobody said a word to me about the otters.
"We then started hearing all these stories about otters being spotted no more than two miles away from us.
"In 2008 I set about trying to sell off some carp to and when I netted a lake that had 8,500 carp in nothing came out.
"I brought a consultant in and we drained the lake and it was empty. I later found evidence of fish bones that had been stripped of its flesh.
"My case is that under the Environment Act 1995, the Environment Agency had a duty to carry out some sort of notice or consultation with me before the work began to encourage otters into the area.
"This case could open the way for other fishery owners in Britain who feel they have not been given sufficient warning about the rising otter population."
Mr Dodson spent 22 years working as a process control engineer at oil and gas refineries in the Middle East and saved up to start up his fishery business.
Curig Jones, a spokesman for Environment Agency Wales, said: "We are preparing to challenge this claim robustly on all counts."
A four-day hearing into the matter is set to take place at the High Court in Cardiff on February 25.
In Store…
Last week was another busy week, as we turned our attentions to the coming Carp shows, starting with the British Carp and Angling Show this weekend and then the Brentwood Carp show the following week.
There’s lots of signage, special offers and general show work to finalize and I know organizer and Norwich shop manager Andy Flint has been manic! I don’t envy him when it comes to sorting the logistics of these big shows!
We’ve got a few special guests on the Angling Direct stand over the weekend, starting with Jim Shelley on the Saturday, Jim will be on the stand signing copies of his new book, Carping Re-Cut. This will be Jim’s last book signing, so it will be the last chance to get yourself a signed copy!
On the Sunday we are pleased to announce we will have Drennan Cup winner and specimen ace Gareth Goldson on the stand, as well as local legend and angling publisher Steve Harper from Harper Fine Angling Books, who will be selling and signing copies of his books.
With only five days till the event it’s shaping up to be a cracker! If you are attending on the Saturday, Sunday or perhaps both then make sure you drop by and say hello, we’d love to see you.
If you read the Angling Times, last week you will have seen Angling Direct backed Michael Woods and Phil Guise-Smith with a double page spread, Roach fishing at Loddon Staithe. The two managed a superb net of fish for the camera and provided a wealth of expert information in the two page article. If you haven’t seen it, then make sure you get your copy of the AT from your local newsagents.
As usual this week we’ve added more new blogs, reviews and catch reports to the site, including a look at the fantastic new range of Drennan coarse/match luggage, an in-depth review on the Trakker Sanctuary Retention Sling, a superb catch report from regular Mark James Riley (including a 32lb Fully Scaled beast!) and a new video at ADTV, on beach fishing for Cod. If you want to get your fishing fix, then make sure you check it out and add it to your favorites, as the site is updated daily!
Last week we also added some brand new promo’s to our home page, we thought a new year warranted a clear out of some old promotions and the creation of some new ones, so be sure to head over to our retail store and take a look.
Product of the week…
New Drennan Coarse/Match Luggage
Having a quality set of luggage is a must these days, and anglers are willing to shell out those few extra quid to ensure they get just that. One such range which fits the bill is the new Drennan luggage which has been developed in conjunction with Alan Scothorne and has taken almost two years to get right! Everything has been thought of with this range and the materials used are of the highest quality. Firstly we must say the luggage itself is rather eye-catching, tastefully designed in the new Drennan colour scheme and despite being understated it certainly looks the part…
To read the full review click the link below…
Drennan Coarse/Match Luggage
