Hats off to Barry

Keith Arthur's Bank Holiday blog celebrates Barry Curd's success and offers more angling tips.

Congratulations to the Apprentice's Apprentice.

Around 20 years ago, a young, match-fishing barmy customer of the tackle shop I worked in, asked if he could travel with me to acquire more experience in his chosen arm of the sport. I made certain conditions - like we shared our winnings - and he became known as The Apprentice. His name is Darren Davies and I am proud to say he has represented England in two major events and is widely recognised as one of the most potent anglers around today. Darren worked with a company that included a man, Barry Curd, whose son Tony was as keen at 16 as Darren had been and he, in turn was taken under Darren's wing, becoming the Apprentice's apprentice. Tony challenged me to a match for Tight Lines six years ago - he nearly won too, but experience ruled the day. Tony has been very close to selection for the extremely strong England Youth set-up - in fact I'd say he has been extremely unlucky not to be included based on his trials performances and is a highly-technically gifted young angler. Now I am completely delighted to tell you that Tony has qualified for the Grand Final of Fish'O'Mania XVI, to be fished at Cudmore's Arena Pool on Saturday July 18th. In a very close frame, Tony just managed to win through at Melton Mowbray's Lakeview Fishery on Easter Saturday. Obviously he is chuffed to bits and his confidence will benefit enormously - in fact so much has his confidence grown that he has once again issued a challenge. Whether I take him up on it or not depends on many things but there is a chance. I'll keep you posted.

What's happening by the Waterside.

As any fishery owner or tackle shop manager will tell you, Easter is the new June 16th, when 'butterfly' anglers venture out for the first time since they hibernated, often at the onset of frosts, usually when the clocks go back. For much of the country this Easter proved to be a Mother-in-Law of a break (miserable and hung around too long) but for those to the west and north some glorious sunshine led anglers to the bankside and some good catches were made. The next thing that anglers will have to contend with is spawning - as I found to my cost on Tight Lines recent Spanish jaunt. In some commercial fisheries I reckon that roach, bream and certainly perch will have spawned which, in turn, leads the greedy carp into the margins to feast on the fruits of their labours. Carp will happily swallow buckets of spawn - frog and toad spawn isn't immune either - as well as newly-hatched fry and tadpoles. All that natural groundbait is a great benefit as a ball of fishmeal-based paste dropped anywhere close to where spawn is likely to abound will result in some major catches of above-average sized carp. Any margin swim with overhanging foliage, even something as insignificant as some dead nettles or dock but preferably sedge or rush stems, or even branches trailing in the water can be enough in what are often otherwise barren pools for fish to deposit their eggs. Don't ignore those areas, fish with either strong pole gear or, if you have one, something like a Tench Float rod and a centrepin. Paste is easily made from carp pellets: I simply put some into a bait box, about 3/4s full, and fill to the brim with water, leaving overnight. By morning, a simple bit of hand-work, moulding them together or, if you have one, pushing them through a maggot riddle, will produce a perfect paste. Don't be shy, add a golf-ball sized lump to a size 6 or 8 hook, lower in and hang on tightly! At least 6lb b/s line is required and, if you are fishing close to snags, don't try and drag the fish out; strike towards the snag and the fish will naturally swim the other way...in theory at least Oh, and whilst on the subject, I learned an excellent aide memoire with regard to rushes, reeds and sedges recently: "Sedges have edges, rushes are round." That means the things we know as bullrushes aren't really rushes, they are reedmace. Trivial Pursuit anyone? Got a question for Keith? Need some tips on technique or equipment? Well drop him a line via the feedback box below, or mail it in HERE...

Keith answers your questions...

LICENCE TO THRILL
Hi Keith, just renewed my rod licences online, as I did last year. As I fish 3 rods I obviously need 2 but cannot understand the requirement to actually have 2 pieces of paper, or plastic as I believe the new format is. The amount of anglers fishing 3 rods must run in to tens of thousands so I don't understand why the Environment Agency cannot set their renewal form with a box for 1 license and a box for 2 and the angler clicks on the appropriate box. I've just had to go through the procedure twice and printed 2 receipts and they're gonna send me 2 bits of plastic. Surely one form and one bit of plastic showing I've paid 52 quid would suffice. One would have thought the E.A would be at the forefront in unnecessary waste prevention as we all no paper comes from trees...Yours faithfully Garry Wright. KEITH REPLIES: Hello Garry. I think rod licences will evolve as technology improves. Unfortunately (depending on your stance, of course) rod licences are still available at several forms of outlet, including fisheries where a paper licence identical to last year's is available while online, direct debit and telephone or postal applications receive a version edging towards a credit card. I learned something - yes, even at my advance age - the other day when researching rod licence availability in Portugal that, honestly, staggered me: To buy a rod licence in Portugal means going to a Multibanco ATM, cash point or cash cow (your choice of name), inserting some details and voila; a receipt is printed there and then. Of course the next stage to that should be issuing a true credit card-type licence that merely needs renewing each year by swiping at the aforementioned machine and having a new one delivered. With regard to the EA renewals, the things that gets up my nose most is for each licence held a separate reminder is sent; never mind the trees, think how much of our investment in fisheries is blown away in postal charges: two licences = four letters! From a personal perspective, my reminder listed my date of birth as 01/01/1900 so I'm looking for a BIG discount as well as a letter from Her Majesty. This kind of thing is something that I believe the Angling Trust, given sufficient time and member numbers, will be able to strongly influence in the years ahead; indeed I would like to see the A Trust becoming the licensing body, sub-contracting the EA to do our bidding. The current situation, as I have said before, is a bit like the producers of grass seed providing the laws of cricket! Oh, and from your and other multi-rod users, I'd like to see the licence apply to just one rod with an extra charge for further rods, i.e. on current rates £26 for the licence and £10 for each additional rod, with that £10 being stable throughout, even on concessionary licences, for extra rods. A LEAD-ING QUESTION
Hello Keith. Can you please help me? I am going to White Acres soon and I have just read the rules to the fishery .It states that I must use free-running leads and feeders. Can you please explain what I need to do please? I usually use the plastic quick release clips. Many thanks. Terry Hancock (Nottingham) KEITH REPLIES: Hello Terry. A simple running rig is required because, being a holiday complex, not everyone will be a fully clued-up big fish angler and Zyg has some wonderful fish down there, including carp to well over 30lb and catfish considerably larger, maybe even 60-70lb. Using rigs that can have a lead fixed - and lead clips can be fallible if not used 100% correctly - could lead to tethering and dead specimens. If you have a word in your local tackle specialist shop you should be able to buy some good buffer beads, to stop the lead at the swivel connecting main line to hooklength and a means of making the lead run smoothly on the line. If you have a look at this page on the Korda site: http://www.korda.co.uk/systems/systems.html Click on the lead clip image at the top right, then in the box on the bottom left click on 'Running Rig' it will show you. Indeed if your local tackle shop is a Korda stockist they should have a free DVD that explains everything about rigs in great, easy to follow, detail. One more piece of advice about Anglers' Paradise: If you choose to try some of Zyg's wine, take PLENTY of paracetamol. You can tell him I recommended it, from experience!