Editors Comment Welfare Top of the 2019 Agenda – Once again there is no shortage of articles & photographs submitted by members for Care for your ..... inclusion in our 2019 edition. The Whilst the explosion in interest in is no bad editing has been a challenge. thing what it has meant is that virtually anyone who Sadly our graphic designer’s wife wants to target carp irrespective of their experience and passed away recently so this year’s edition of the Waters ability can do. Watch a few clips on YouTube, pick up a News has been produced in-house. magazine or two, pop down to Chapmans and hey ho Contributors to this issue you're a carp angler. That’s all well and good but if you are not tooled up to care for them with the right gear Julian Cundiff, Wayne Morton, Bob Brown, Perry Phillips, and right procedures the carp will suffer. SYP lakes have Cameron Preece, Steve Foster, Alex Buckley, Graham great stocks of carp in them to around twenty pounds Mills, Dean Richards, Jerry Parkins, Matt Stringer, Robin but I have seen some very poor angling taking place. Aconley, Sam Booth, Lee Mellor & Clive Westlake. Some of it due to naivety, some down to lack of care but ALL can be prevented if you use some common sense In this Issue and follow these ten golden rules. Remember carp pull Fish Welfare far harder than bream, tench and roach but can be just as easily damaged. Hope this all helps and see you Best Days Fishing of My Life lakeside soon.....

New Constable Joins SYPAC 1. As soon as you get to the lake look and read and follow the rules that are clearly displayed on the boards Worthy Winner of Prompt Renewal £25 Tackle Voucher at the car park entrance. There is no need for me to repeat them but to stress they are not there for fun they Chesterfield Canal at Ranby are there to protect our stock. Our neighbours at Predator Fishing Lakewood only yards away lost a lot of carp last summer and these rules are to do the very best we can do to stop Aspects of Club Waters it happening here.

Fishing in Florida 2. Use good quality line. Your line is the connection between you and the carp, if it fails you lose and the carp Safe Angling Guide Lines could be in danger towing a around. Change your line Associate Special Offer at least once a year and never use a mainline under 12lb for fishing. Load it as the instructions describe, when you When two or more new associates join at the same wind in feel it between your fingers so that you can feel time the one off joining fee can be reduced to £75 each for damage. If in doubt change it. making it a total of £135 each to join. 3. Do not leave your rods. Yes we need to be realistic and we do need to answer the call of nature, get the camera out, grab a book etc. but there is no excuse for walking round the pond with your rods in. If you need to then wind in your rods, its only a small lake so it only takes a minute or two to get them out again. An unattended rod will allow the carp to get in the reeds which could cause it to get tethered and damaged. You will not be able to run quicker than a carp can take line from your spool and potentially drag your rod in...... expensive and tragic for the carp.

Cont………

1 4. Get a decent unhooking mat. You must not lay carp of 8. Wet your hands. When you catch a carp before you any size on the ground be it touch it wet your hands thoroughly. Dry hands remove soft grass or otherwise. slime and slime is what protects the carp from infection. They flap, lose scales and it Take your watch off to ensure it does not scratch the can cause them serious carp. Never ever hold a carp in a towel either as it takes injury. An unhooking that slime off. Be careful when having your picture taken mat cushions the carp against the carp is kept wet and that when you hold it against this. Ones with sides are your body for photos it does not come into contact with even better as it prevents the zips or badges. carp from sliding off if your attention slips. The thicker the base the better. In all honesty the more you pay the 9. Occasionally when you have two rods out you can better the mat. When you get a mat have it out and catch two at once. Looking after one carp is hard enough prepared BEFORE you catch one. Keep it in the shade if never mind two. Don't try to do brace shots it can end in possible and wet before you lay the carp on it. disaster. Photograph one, put it back then do the other.

5. Purchase a pair or forceps and a disgorger to take 10. When in doubt ASK. No matter how experienced any hooks out. Sometimes you will be able to push the hook of us are we are all learning. Take your time, don't panic out, never ever wiggle it out. and seek help. Be it borrowing forceps or carp care liquid or asking for help doing pictures another pair of hands That causes the hook always helps. hold to enlarge which is not fair on the carp. If you are using small hooks a disgorger is perfect, standard carp hooks are best removed with forceps

6. Get yourself some carp care liquid. All the big firms sell them such as Nash, Korda, Kryston.... When you get the hook out add some liquid / gel to the hook mark . This Enjoy your fishing, be prepared and stops infection and restores the natural defences of the look after the beautiful carp we have on carp. the fishery. If anyone wants any more When you catch a carp check advice or help you can always contact the carp all over and if there are any marks on it treat them me via social media. with the liquid. At spawning Facebook Julian P Cundiff Twitter @juliancundiff time they can damage themselves so be prepared. The Best Days Fishing of my Life –

7. When a carp is hooked it usually panics and will rush off and try to strip line from the reel. It is vital the clutch ’ Hi Bob - had a day at on your reel is set correctly people. Too loose and the Westwoodside on st carp will be in the reeds or weed before you can control Wednesday 1 August it. Too stiff and the rod may be dragged in or your line best days fishing of my life - 36 carp, none under will break. When you cast out check it can just be taken 10lbs most around 12 to off the reel by hand. If you can do it then so can the 14lbs all out of the main carp.....if you can't...... lake (Mirlywn Lake). Thanks for a fantastic day.’

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New Constable & New SYPAC Member Wayne

Morton’s First Experience of Woodsetts Pond Due to the barbless hook rule, I noticed I I have only joined SYPAC a few months back and from was dropping a few the word go I have met some nice people and fish due to the experienced some good fishing after my acceptance into nature of the chod the South Yorkshire police force I couldn’t wait to start a rig even when new career and also to get my teeth into some of the dropping the lead so clubs waters. I had to come up

The main target being Woodsetts for the rest of the year with a new strategy. and into winter. I will never forget the first time I loaded I came to the conclusion the spinner rig with size four the car with my red membership card in hand wondering fang twister on a helicopter setup with a short boom of what this new adventure would bring. chod link around four inches long that cured the hook It was a very warm early autumn day getting to the gate pulls. seeing this little pool in the dip to the right of what I While all the way could only describe as a little piece of heaven as the lake feeling the may not be big. way in as session after session But it defiantly has character, loads of overhanging trees wild life running and flying all around then my heart passed I kept a note of how started to race as it always has since I was a small child. many fish I was It is still a good feeling that at 33 years of age fishing still catching on each gives you that rush, it’s important to understand that this bait and the sport is not just about catching fish of course that’s what areas caught from drives us as fishermen but it’s the simple things when and weights of fish. your sat there in what I could only describe as another It was very clear from quite early on that they preferred world. the scopex squid, although both baits would produce; Hearing the foxes calling in the distance, the magpie’s the scopex squid would double the amount of fish caught cackle in the trees, morning dew on a spiders web as if compared to the other and in half the wait time as well. nature has decorated the spiders work with a finishing touch of sparkling watery diamonds.

And a circular mirror made of water where the beast swims and hides the gateway between worlds and all you have to do to enter the world where the beast awaits is to get the rods out and if that’s not mystical and magical I don’t know what is.

So I am in the gate and begin my decent into this small piece of heaven down the steep track, considering the lakes age I was initially wanting to fish the chod rig as a starting point as I suspected a lot of silt to be present due to all the trees surrounding the lake. To my surprise there was a few hard spots after a good So I decided to commit to introducing it at the end of lead around I found a few good spots that I was happy every session. The results were to an extent easy as from with presenting a lead clip or inline lead setup on, there on as they simply loved it. The scopex squid however when the sun came round piercing the water I defiantly has proved itself as not only something they saw the carp were more interested in the silty areas, as find good for them but also off the scale attraction. big clouds erupted from the lake bed as they fed in the chod and leaf debris. You know it’s working when you’re getting nine fish hits in winter and there’s nothing below 13lb landed, the Therefore, the chod rig it was for my starting point fished biggest being a 19.8lb mirror. The most important thing I on a Nash diffusion camo leader and a short chod rig could say to anyone is always keep your mind open if with a size six chod twister and a Nash coconut cream your results are not up to scratch, or even if you are hook bait on one and the scopex squid on the other. getting the results you want.

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As Cameron grew up he became a junior, then student member and on reaching 18 an associate.

There is usually a one more percent you can find and if you keep finding those one percent’s they all add up.

Tight Lines - .

Remember – the combination for the locks at From the off he loved days fishing with his grandad at Woodsetts Pond are on the front of your 2019 SYPAC Woodetts, the Tidal Trent and other Club Waters’. membership card. Combination changes 1st April 2019. Well done Cameron a fitting winner – junior to associate. 2018 Winner of the £25 Prompt Renewal Tackle Voucher – Associate Member Cameron Preece A £25 tackle voucher is on offer for prompt renewal in 2019 – the winner could be you!!! Cameron started fishing when he was about 7 on the River Teme, Worcestershire with his grandad Martyn Phillips a long standing associate member of SYPAC. Martyn recalls one particular day on the Teme, Cameron landed a chub over 4lbs. Chesterfield Canal at Ranby When Martyn moved to Worksop he would take Bob Brown has been a regular contributor to the Club him to Langold Lake and Waters News for several years. Now an assistant bailiff after joining SYPAC they he describes his year fishing the canal. would fish Woodsetts Pond where they had The Window of Opportunity some great days. I guess I’m no different to many of you, in so far as I cannot make the bank-side as often as I would like.

Sometimes it’s work, sometimes it’s family and sometimes it some other, unforeseen circumstance that stops me going. Occasionally, having carefully set the day aside, avoiding birthdays and christenings, some random act of nature stops me, as was the case earlier this year when a freak, one day, blizzard deposited so much snow in one night the roads were impassable! Only for it to disappear the following night allowing me to return to work the next day, so it’s important that we make the most of any ‘window of opportunity’ that comes our way.

Spring eventually arrived, in my part of the world, in late April and, having waited patiently, nature burst into life. The days got longer and warmer, the trees started to go green and the fish started to spawn. I spent a couple of evenings in early May watching Chub frolic around in the tree roots by bridge 53 and huge Bream almost out of the water, performing natures act in the ‘run off’ by Forrest Top Lock.

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I know from experience that these fish will not entertain weight under the float, with a size 16 barbless hook, two, any sort of bait during this period of the year and I have fresh red maggots completed the presentation and I was long since stopped trying to catch them. That’s not to say ready. that nothing is interested, the abundant juvenile Roach will nibble incessantly at punched bread, driving you mad Just a gentle flick to my left, float cocks and instantly with a constantly bobbing float. Or the bold Perch will disappears, the first little bar of gold is in the landing net. freely take worms and red maggots presented on the Beautiful is a word often used to describe a fish, this was bottom. I even caught a random Gudgeon (pound for breath-taking! Deep bronze in colour, with bright red pound the best fighting fish in England!) as April turned fins, fantastic looking, scale perfect and around 6oz to into May. However, it’s the late May bank holiday that boot. I quickly returned it to the water and tried again, a excites me, and that’s not just because of our impending further instant bite, a further breath-taking Rudd. That village beer festival. went back and I cast again, another instant bite, this was bigger, fighting harder, taking line. I slipped the net I’ve often thought that this bank holiday is one of the under it dreaming of a big Rudd, but no, this time a best times to fish on our section of the Chesterfield Perch, instantly recognisable by the pain in my hand as I canal. To me it’s almost like a ‘stolen period’, being reached for it! classed as enclosed waters, the canal is open to anglers and the end of May is between the time the fish finish I put more bread and maggots in, the Rudd were still breeding, and so start eating again and before the weed there. Despite missing bites I caught regularly and in an growth get too much, making many ‘pegs’ unfishable, so hour I’d had over 30 fish, by depositing bread frequently it’s a chance best not wasted. Things got even better it kept the fish coming. It made no difference what bait when the engineering job I was to attend over that went on the hook, the Rudd just kept coming, I checked period was delayed and it started to look like this my watch as I wanted to move on and try for the Tench window of opportunity would open for me. higher up and it was then I first noticed them. I cannot say it was the first time it had happened, but it was the The evening of the 26th May saw me arrive at Ranby first time I’d notice feeding bubbles coming from the about 6pm, I know there are a few Tench in this area and area I’d been putting the bread in. I was caught by was on the lookout for a place or two to pre-bait for the surprise, I wasn’t expecting it here, I’d not seen Bream or following afternoon. I parked at the village hall, armed Tench in this area at all. But the signs were there, with a bucket of mashed bread and some ageing something was causing it. maggots, and then started walking towards the A1 Bridge. Just after ‘The Chequers’ I came across a shoal of Almost reluctantly I scaled up to a size 12, lowered the Rudd, close to the surface and as I was approaching from shot to hold the bottom and put a large piece of bread ‘downstream’ I didn’t disturb them. I couldn’t just walk flake on my hook, would I get anything? past when they were knocking so loudly on that window! The answer arrived shortly after, a slow dip of the float I took a loose handful of the bread and threw it, just then a solid pull, I was in. A strong run upstream, a little upstream, a few moments of uncertainty followed then line taken then two final bumps before it’s surrender. I all hell let loose as they went mad for the particles. I fed like catching Bream and this was over 4lb, (see picture) them for a good fifteen minutes before mentally noting but they fight like wet cabbage! This one was still their position and moving on to the wide area just before covered in the rough ‘breeding nodules’ Bream develop the A1 bridge, here baiting two more swims before during that time, making it look shabby and feel like returning to my car and heading home. sandpaper. It took time to recover as I held it in the water, but eventually flicked its tail at me and left. To say I was ‘busting a gut’ to return the following day was an understatement. Finishing my shift at the appointed hour I headed home, no emergencies had arisen and, as it was sunny and warm, no random acts of nature looked like intervening. I quickly gathered my , bait, (red maggots, sliced bread and mashed bread) and lunch, then headed to the canal. I knew I must finish at 8pm, as I had a date with my wife at the afore mentioned beer festival at 9pm, which gave me a 6 hour window to make the most of. I was going for the Rudd first; they were exactly where I’d left them. I repeated yesterday’s practice of putting the bread in upstream and while they were busy, sneaked past so I Catching a big fish usually disturbs the swim, so I was in could fish for them downstream. As they were taking no rush to cast back in, but, once again feeding bubbles bread from all depths I didn’t bother plumbing as I appeared, this was unusual. On went another piece of usually do, I just set at around 18inches and put all the bread flake and back in went my line. I expected to wait a while but happily I was wrong, the float disappeared in 5 seconds. My rod bent, the fish ran (amazingly away from I put more mashed bread in and re-baited my hook, my swim) stripping line at will, this was no Bream. I dropping it just beyond the weed bed. Once again it was picked up my landing net and followed. Once it was clear instant, the float barely had time to settle before of my baited area I turned it, I could feel the solid vanishing. This was smaller, I knew that straight away, thumps of that large ‘paint brush’ tail that signals a but it was spirited as it made an instant dash for the Tench. It made further bids for freedom until it weeds. The constant thump of the tail told me it was a eventually surrendered and came to my net. Weighing in further Tench. It fought a hard, but ultimately losing at 4lb 11oz, a female and a deep green in colour. I was battle when finally, relieved, I slipped my net under it, I holding it upright to recover when a passer-by appeared found a male Tench, fin perfect, waiting for me. The ‘rule and took the photo (below) for me before it was ready to of thumb’ suggests that female Tench grow twice as big leave, but leave it did. as the males; this male was 3lb 14oz! I could hardly wait to get my bait back in. Further mashed bread went in and further feeding bubbles appeared.

I continued for another hour, Tench after Tench came to my net, I landed 8 more, the smallest 2lb 2oz and lost a further 3, all came to bread flake. Sadly, the biggest remained the 4lb 13oz example. Finally the swim went dead, even the Rudd had gone. I gave it a further 30 minutes, then left, happy I’d made the most of my window of opportunity and in plenty of time for my date with my wife at the beer festival.

I returned on Sunday and went to the area just below the A1 Bridge I’d baited on the Thursday. I had just the two fish in a four hour stint, both Tench, female and both I returned to my swim and passed a few moments talking over 5lb, the biggest was this 5lb 4oz example below, so with my new best mate, I was just telling him about I’m sure there’s a 7lb one waiting to be caught. seeing the feeding bubbles when, as if by magic, more appeared. I was dumbfounded, the fish were still there! If you’re prepared to work at The window of opportunity had well and truly swung it fishing the Chesterfield open! canal can be most rewarding, it holds plenty of fish of all Another piece of bread flake went in and again, within sizes, but you will need to moments the float vanished, my new found friend stood look for them. The Tench will open mouthed as a further Tench ripped line from my continue to show until well reel for what seemed like an age before tiring, another into September, Roach, Rudd and Bream will take bread photo was taken, another female, much lighter and all through the year and the big Chub (if you find where slightly heavier at 4lb 13oz. they are hiding) go mad for luncheon meat.

If anyone wants any directions, help with finding fish or just a chat email me e: [email protected] . I adore this section of canal, and being involved with SYPAC, it’s time I saw more of you there! Bob Brown

CRT Appoint Voluntary Ranger for the Canal at Ranby

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Mick Hill is the ranger for our stretch of the canal, visiting around the bend. I knew then that I was going to have a on a regular basis he keeps it clear of litter & carries out good day. I set up the rod with a tiny 5grm lead head lure minor pruning and cutting back of undergrowth. For and cast out bringing it back over the top of the silt the larger tasks he calls upon the assistance of the boat had kicked up. It was like a school of piranhas were Chesterfield Canal Trust work boat manned by there diving out of the silty cloud and I connected to the volunteers. Mick was at Newark Show where CRT had an first of a few 4 – 6oz perch. exhibition seeking volunteer canal rangers. A long standing member of the SYPAC Canal at Ranby Section As soon as I felt they knew I was there I moved on. I Mick readily volunteered provided he could take care of walked as far as the barracks on the Ranby stretch taking the Club’s stretch. Mick regularly lure the stretch perch after perch. On the way back the colour from the for pike, perch & chub. He was a member of other Clubs boat disturbance in the water was fading and the sun & Associates who held the fishing rights in the past so was getting low. My attack then was to just cast to the knows the water well. features and that worked because I had chub and small pike adding to the perch I was catching. SYPAC is a Corporate Member of the Chesterfield Canal Trust and endeavours to work with them closely to improve facilities on the canal for our membership.

Predator Fishing with Steve Foster.

My Experiences on the Chesterfield Canal.

Wandering down a towpath rod in hand, thoughts full of expectation. Its most anglers starting point to a day's The largest perch was about a pound with an average of fishing. When you go on the Chesterfield Canal it offers a 4 –6 oz the chub a 1lb and pike to 2lb. Great sport!! little more than your deep-water canals. It can on first Great water!! look be shallow, clear and look as there are no fish there. Well how wrong you would be. Like all shallow waters Pike at Westwoodside the fish are not going to display themselves for the predators to pounce on. In my experience it’s a little like I have fished both lakes at Westwoodside for pike. And stalking trout on a chalk stream, looking for areas where find them both well stocked with good size Pike. The old the fish will be. For instance, the bottom of the overflows match lake Colwyn, is in my experience the easier of the (If fishing is permitted). Or the deeper water on a bend two as there is little weed cover and the presentation is or a raft of weed stuck to the far bank. As a fisherman not so much trouble. For a novice this would probably be that likes to do every kind of fishing my main attack on the easiest to gain experience on. Mirlwyn having more the canal has been for predators. Pike and perch and the features and differing depths, plus weed for ambush occasional bonus chub have all been the targets. All attacks makes targeting Pike a little more of a thinking methods of fishing for them I have used, but the one that game. works for me is the lure. There's nothing finer than being the only person on the canal either in the early morning when the sun is just flickering through the trees or afternoon into evening as the light fades.

A typical trip for me is a small rucksack a few lures, landing net and rod. A recent trip in the autumn to target perch saw me start at bridge 53.

I walked under the bridge and

was greeted by a narrow Both lakes have double figure pike in them but I think boat coming Mirlwyn has the potential to throw up a surprise fish. For 7 the angler that likes a challenge this would be where I more and more spectacular, eventually all things growing would be dropping a line. The club's gallery shows the disappear and it becomes rocky with snowy mountains potential for a bigger fish and the waters are not fished whichever way you look. Overnight we lodged in tea heavily for Pike. I think the location away from roads houses, basic but more comfortable than tents. making it quiet, combined with the prospect of a double figure fish make my ideal sit and wait venue. I love it!!

The Two Robins at Westwoodside Lakes

Both are the angler’s friend one always after a few maggots, a worm or a small bit of your sandwich…..

The other one telling you he has made his last trip to Nepal. Have you heard that before…….

Robin hands out gifts to locals

I really enjoyed the trek but having said “my last time” after the last 4 years I think this will have been my last Manaslu Circuit Trek although there is another remote area called Mustang that looks inviting. 2018 was my eighth trip to Nepal and having done most of the treks this time I chose Manaslu Circuit. The Manaslu region is a restricted area but is becoming more popular; although nowhere as developed as the Khumba Another Bird at Westwoodside Lakes or Annapurna regions.

Manaslu is the eighth highest mountain in the world and well over 8,000 metres. The high point on the circuit trek is Larkla La at 5,213 metres (see above).

We started the trek at a town called Arughat having had ‘Moo’ the hawk is the companion of Jerry Parkins a club a rough 7 hour drive from Kathmandu in an old jeep. We member who over-nights at the lakes on a regular basis. I then had over 2 weeks walking starting low down in asked Jerry a couple of question about Moo and the bamboo forests, deep gorges and gradually gaining answers were full and very interesting ……. height day by day to acclimatise. The scenery becomes 8

Raptors are lazy birds, if satiated or they have a full crop, they will find a roost & not move for 5 days or more, What kind of bird is Moo? sleeping with 1 eye open on & off all day. The longest He is a male Harris Hawk who is 10 years old in June moos gone without eating is a week, but that was after 2019. I got him when he was 6 months old. stuffing himself on 2 quails. However when he's fishing no matter what he's eaten he doesn’t doze off, he's He stands about 18 inches tall when always watching something & I know it sounds weird stretching up, has a wing span of with him having a beak that doesn’t change shape, his just over 3 feet, his flying weight is facial expressions are almost like a smile & he's on that 1lb 14oz & his resting / getting fat & perch or bouncing around in the bush from before first moulting weight is 2lb 12 oz. light till its almost too dark to see to undo his leash to put him back in his box in the van where he's safe from Does Moo enjoy fishing trips to foxes & cats etc. overnight. In the morning when he Westwoodside? hears the van door open you can hear him fidgeting in his box, sometimes even kicking at the box's door in a As far as I can tell he loves it there! hurry to resume his lake sentry duties, & quite often he His head frequently looks like it’s on chirrups away to me in his excited chick/baby hawk voice a swivel. He doesn’t miss a thing that moves. as I walk him to his bow perch. For an animal that has 2/3rds of his face fixed & doesn’t move, his faces at times are hilarious. You can quite easily see a quizzical or smirking look come across his Aire & Calder Canal ~ face & he even gives the impression of looking at some things with a raised eyebrow.

He can spend hours staring down into the margins watching the carp come in & feed on etc. I’ve chucked in the edge to watch its reaction in the water, then in less than the blink of an eye he's bounced off into a bush behind him & come back out with a mouse in his foot or starts grabbing sticks & throwing them with his Well I fancied something a little different at the end of feet, & ripping tufts of grass out with his beak, looking November, as the weather had not reached freezing for all the world totally annoyed with himself for missing point which is when I like to start predator fishing whatever it was he went after. Moo knows what loading the van with fishing gear looks like as opposed to properly, so me and Dean decided to have a go on the allotment or shopping stuff & starts bouncing around in Aire and Calder canal for the bream, and what a red his cage watching & goes mental if I say " Coming to see letter day we had. the duck-ducks" before I put him into his travel box. It started just after 7:30 after getting our bait from Rod Once I've parked up at my chosen peg, the first thing I do and Reel in Bawtry, we tapped the owner Rew for a few is get his spiked bow perch out & tread it into the ground extra tips as he has fished the Aire and Calder several somewhere he can see the margins, reach at least 1 bush times at Rawcliffe bridge in matches, the advice as for shade & exploring. Then I get him out of his travel always was spot on. box & put on the right length leash so he can reach the bush. I used to have him really close to the rods until one We got to the bank at just after 8am and not messing day the robin that hangs around the big double peg (4?) decided it would sit on the rod butt less than a foot from around I mixed my ground bait (fishmeal mix) with him on his eye level. He almost looked cross eyed hemp, chopped worm and caster fishing a medium watching this robin as it bounced along the rod, flying feeder ¾ to other side, with worm section as bait, it did across to the bivvy door & back into the bait boxes & not take long for the bites to start coming. back onto the rod again. It flew off as I tried to photo it & I took the opportunity to move moo & perch back a ways so if the thought entered his head after the initial shock of the robin being so cheeky he couldn’t reach the rods no matter what. I've never seen Moo look so bewildered at this robins antics, even though there was one that used to use his cage at home as a cut through to the However Dean went for a totally different approach (and pond we had in the garden. He used to watch from his high perch bouncing to and fro in and out the 2" mesh. a lot cheaper) which I did not think would work, still fishing at ¾ way across but using micro pellet with a

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3mm pellet on banded hook, it took a little longer for Dean to get a bite, but when he did they just kept coming to the point when he wanted a drink he had to reel in, where as I was having plenty of bream but Dean was way in front with 3 bream to every one of mine, obviously it was because I let him have the best swim lol.

And a young barbel. I changed to same method as Dean after around 2.5 hours and the fish started to turn up more freely but by this time I was well behind, however I still had around 25 lb of bream but Dean had over 40lb worth, each one weighing around 3-4 lb, once again the waters we have at SYPAC have not let me down this year with some outstanding catches.

There are also a few videos on you tube, fishing our stretch at both Rawcliffe bridge and Pollington which are both helpful and you will not be disappointed with the catches these guys have either. Graham was awarded a £25 tackle vouchers for the photos ~ thanks Graham.

River Don Grayling

Mat Stringer gave the Don at Niagara Conference & Leisure a go in the summer and had some good sport with the grayling.

The Aire & Calder wet sock that fought like a large bream!

A Little Slow on the Tidal Trent in 2018

The long hot summer and low water levels on the Club stretch of the Tidal Trent reduced fish activity and catch expectations in 2018. However, members report enjoying the tranquillity bankside even though the fishing did not produce any sizable specimens.

Graham Mills kindly sent this shot of a cracking winter sky. 10

Fishing the Floridian Surf with member Clive low season if your book for 4 weeks you get one week Westlake free!

I have now been retired 6 years and to be honest I found I take all my own rods and reels but everything else is more time to go fishing when I was working then I do purchased locally, bait, lead hooks and all the terminal now. We seem to be busy doing nothing and travelling tackle one needs are half the price in Florida than UK! I extensively during the colder months to Florida, Madeira have 3 travel rods, a Bison 13 foot beach caster which and Australia from where I am writing this now! I do get breaks down into 6 sections in a handy travel case which to visit Woodsetts on favourable Sunday mornings when fits into a suitcase, a medium 4 piece 9/11ft spinner and my wife visits a car boot sale with her sister in Maltby. a light 3 piece 6ft spinner. The Bison range can be found on eBay for approx. £30 brand-new. You need a sand I expend nearly all my fishing in our annual 6 week spike to hold the rod high over the surf. holiday to Florida where the climate is warm and the surf great for fishing right off the beach. Our home for these I buy all my rigs from Wallmart these cost 95c and you trips is now in a quiet place 60 miles due East from simply attach some circle 1/0 hooks to the links and a Orlando called Sebastian. Here as well as the beach 3oz or 4oz lead at the far end and then attach the whole is the Indian River; why it’s called a river confuses me as rig to your mainline with a heavy duty snap swivel. I tie a its the Inland Waterway which extensively covers the 30lb fluorocarbon leader to my 20lb mainline and use a whole East Coast of Mainland USA. It is salty and tidal big fixed spool saltwater reel. You don't need to cast too and has inlets / outlets to the Ocean every 20 miles or so. far out off the beach as most of your fish would be The Sebastian Inlet is the main attraction along this coast caught in the surf, where the baitfish lie and get stunned and is probably the most known fishing location in by the surf and get preyed upon by the bigger fish with Florida excepting Islamorada and Key West. The water is teeth. Best time is at high or low tide but I just fish all day very prolific and offers many species of fish which can be if conditions are great. My target fish? - Anything that fished for from the beaches, piers and if one can afford a swims! Bluefish, Jacks, Ladyfish, and Sharks. This year I boat. even caught 2 Redfish which aren't easy to catch.

Most days I caught 20/30 fish on just one rod many locals use multiple rods but I have enough sport on just the one. I generally use cut finger mullet in 1 inch strips (frozen bags $3) but you can catch sand fleas in the sand and these are best for Pompano. I practise catch and release. For this one needs to purchase a salt water non- resident licence for $47 from Walmart.

I use Circle hooks as they often act as bolt rigs and the themselves and 99% of fish are hooked in the . side of the mouth thus most fish are safely returned.

Before travelling on this last trip the beaches on the I use my spinning rods if a shoal of mullet run through as Atlantic coast had been hit with Red Tide which is an the bigger Blues and Sharks follow them and they are fun algae bloom that absorbs water oxygen and gives off to catch on lighter gear. Other essentials are a beach toxic fumes. The beaches were closed for several weeks chair, cool box and maybe a beach umbrella we are and a big fish cull occurred. We feared the worst! fortunate enough to have made friends locally and leave However most of the fish are migratory and this last visit these items with them until we return but before that we was by far the best we've had both in fish numbers and just donated them to any local charity shops. Clive species caught.

There are many affordably accommodations in this quite backwater of Florida and it is certainly the real Florida away from the theme parks and razzmatazz found in other areas. We now book our accommodation at the Sportsman's Lodge Sebastian which has its own boat dock and pier from which one can fish. Several bars and affordable restaurants are within walking distance. The hostess Janet is great and the place although perhaps rustic is clean; we splash out on the one bedroom riverside condo which runs us at $700 per week but in

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Westwoodside Lakes

As a precaution following a confirmed outbreak of KHV carp disease at an adjacent water the Club closed the lakes for six weeks in August & September. The fish in Westwoodside Lakes were healthy and did not show any signs of distress. Management control measures were put in place during the closure and in the run up to it as the hot weather became prolonged.

Both prior to and after the closure there were some excellent catches reported.

The three carp in the four pictures below were landed by Alex Buckley on Colwyn Lake during April 2018

Carp above & middle right 20lbs 3oz

For these stunning images Alex has been awarded a £25 tackle voucher. Well done.

I hope you have enjoyed looking through our publication. We look forward to receiving your contributions in 2019

Bob Simpson- SYPAC Treasurer & Website Manager 12