UK - Scotland's fisheries sectors received a major lift today with the announcement of £3 million in fisheries grants. Seventeen projects will share the funding as part of the latest round of European Fisheries Fund (EFF) grants. The new investment will create 48 new jobs and safeguard 300 more in Scotland's fishing, processing and aquaculture sectors. Several of the projects have been fast-tracked as they are time-critical.

The catch, which breaks a number of records and provides a the ultimate fishing anecdote, was made by pensioner Joe Waldis off the coast of County Clare in south west Ireland and took 35 minutes to haul in.

The remarkable capture has prompted admiration but also controversy, with some anglers saying the trophy catch should have been returned to the water to help conservation.

The haul was made by Mr Waldis, 70, from Switzerland, whose mackerel bait snared the 12ft 9ins bluntnose six-gill shark which weighed 1,056lbs (480kg).

It sets a new record for the heaviest rod-caught fish in British or Irish waters, overtaking a 968lb bluefin tuna caught in 2001, and is more than double the weight of the heaviest rod-caught fish within the UK, a porbeagle shark of 507lbs taken off Orkney in 1993.

It is nearly three times the weight of the heaviest fish caught in freshwater in Britain, a sturgeon of 388lbs which was taken from the River Towy in South Wales in 1933.

Mr Waldis caught the shark on an 80lb breaking-strain line. “Every time I gained a metre of line, the fish took it straight back again,” he said. “It was the fight of my life.”

Richard Peirce, chairman of the Shark Trust, told the Angling Times: "It is regrettable that such a magnificent fish had to be taken to shore to be weighed to verify a record, but in these situations it is the angler's decision.

"This shark was a mature specimen and likely to have been a female. It's wonderful news to hear of the existence of large breeding animals, but from a conservation point of view, it was a shame the shark was not released alive.”

Dr Simon Berrow of the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group who saw the female shark, said told the Irish Times: “To be able to land a shark that size with a rod and line is amazing. It goes to show how little we know of what is out there.”

The biggest fish caught on a rod and line anywhere in the world is believed to have been a 3,427lbs great white shark, caught in 1986 off Montauk, New York.

Six-gill sharks are a deep-water species and are found all over the world, from the Atlantic and the Mediterranean to Australia and Alaska. They are only rarely caught, and that is usually at night when they tend to come nearer the surface.

source: Daily Telegraph

'Who wants to be a Millionaire' television presenter and keen angler, Chris Tarrant, recently landed a 30lb 2oz Pike using one of the new Greys prototype Prowla rods.

Following two years in design and development working with top flight Predator anglers in both the UK and Europe, the new range of Prowla rods, terminal tackle, luggage and accessories have reached the end of its long testing period.

Chris was on a two day guided boat Pike session at Chew Valley Lake, Somerset with fishing partner Martin Founds, of Anglers' World Holidays. Both men were being guided by Hardy & Greys Ltd Consultant and England Fly Fishing Team Captain John Horsey, for the first two days of the annual sell-out Chew Valley Pike Trials.

The world carp record has been broken by Paul Meredith with the capture of a colossal 89lb mirror from Luke Moffatt’s Les Graviers Lake in the Cote d’Or region of France. The Birmingham-based carp angler banked the fish known as the ‘Scarred Mirror’ which beat the previous record of 88lb 6oz held by Graham Slaughter who caught Rainbow Lakes’ big mirror, now sadly deceased. The ‘Scarred Mirror’ now looks set to be the first carp to break through the 90lb barrier.

Though UK waters tend to be full of numerous various kinds of carp, quite a few skilled "carpers" claim that the seriously giant as well as spirited ones are just found through carp sportfishing in France. The sharp rise in the amount of English that are willing to travel over the Chunnel for French carp fishing grows annually. France has the benefit of a normally milder weather in addition to a very large number of lakes that favour carp growth. France is becoming an exceptionally well-known place to go for a carp fisher, especially because of so many unique carp wetlands in France to choose from and several which have carp more than 40lb to 45lb and up.

I think I was more than a little lucky with my boilie making the first time round. My very first attempt produced a good few nibbles but no solid takes, so with this in mind i made the original mix a little stronger and then tried again. Success came with my first 20lb+ a beautifull Mirror Carp by the name of "Twin Bellies", which after being told by the balif that no-one was catching well that day came a great vindication of my perseverance.

Frustrating as it is, carp fishing is awesome. Carp are really good at sucking in and blowing out suspicious baits. It’s such an excitement to see the whole action in a fraction of a second as you hang on for dear life while the reel is trembling with a loud noise. Carp happily devour on the surface as long as you keep the pellets, biscuits, chic peas, bread and sweetcorn coming in, and these are inexpensive baits as well. Just attach them to the hooks, most preferably the bread. Have the biscuits softened by dipping it in the water for about 2 minutes, then, place them in a sealed sandwich bag for about an hour. Since different brands have different textures, just experiment to know which is firm enough to cast. Another way to hook baits is super gluing the pellet into the shank.

It only struck me whilst fishing a local day ticket water last week, what a competitive sport carp fishing has become. I have fished the venue concerned on and off for about 20 years seeing 2 owners, the lake being dug larger and now being backfilled to 2/3 of its size. Throughout the day I had the usual stream of anglers walking past and it surprised me how many asked the same question, "Had anything decent mate?". The way I have fished for as long as I can remember is that a bad days fishing is better than a good days work!, it really does not matter what size the fish are. In fact I don't even take scales or a camera for 90% of my UK fishing, I am more than happy to smile and return the fish from the net rather than put them through the ordeal of weighing etc.

Making boilies is not as difficult as some anglers would have you believe. Although ready-made or shelf life boilies are extremely effective and do catch a great number of carp, making boilies will improve your catches, save you money and can be fun. Many serious carp anglers would not consider using ready mades and insist on making their own. Their argument being that by using only fresh ingredients, which will be more acceptable to the carp, your catch rates will increase dramatically. The other argument in favour of home made boilies is of course cost. Making a reasonable sized batch of your own boilies, especially if you share the cost with a friend, can save a good deal of expense, and once you have some of the basic tools and flavours in stock, they become increasingly cheaper with each batch.

Have you ever been fishing and witnessed someone catching all the fish?  I have many times.  When I see someone hauling in stringers full of fish I get very curious.  On occasion, I have asked about their secret techniques pertaining to equipment and bait.  A lot of times I will get the polite smile and response such as “just lucky today” or “you know…same ol’ stuff.”  I’ll ask what type of bait and that is usually when I will get the silent treatment.  The typical response, “sorry, secret family recipe” or “if I tell you, I’ll have to kill you.”

Maggots in their uncoloured, unflavoured form are often highly successful but a bright, enticingly flavoured bait will sometimes give you the edge.

It's Obviously important when fishing that the fish can see your bait and they like what they see. For example when fishing on murky waters a plain maggot may be hardly visible, whereas a bright red or yellow specimen may show up clearly. There are a few things you can do to enhance their appeal.

The coarse fishing season gets under way once again today when angling can again take place on rivers and drains and for many this is the day they have looked forward to.

While carp fishing pre-occupies the minds of many on canals and lakes through the close season, many look forward to enjoying mixed sport on rivers and in the past few years local rivers have produced some excellent fishing.

In the past, the biggest debate a fly fishermen would encounter relating to fishing line involved choosing the best-fit brand name.  Today, in the technological age as we know it, fly fishermen now have to choose not only what brand name line best fits their preference, but also what composition of line will get the job done the most effectively.  As a fly fisherman/woman, you may be aware that there are a variety of fishing lines available in todays market.  When you visit your local fly shop you may notice a variety of fishing lines, leaders and tippets on the shelves, all possessing their individually marked price.  Some leaders may be $4 a piece, while other can reach up to $14 per leader.  The main contributor to this fluctuation of price, besides the brand name, is the type of line used to create these products.  Monofilament and Fluorocarbon lines are the two options available at most fly shops and each posses specific pros and cons.

With the start of the the migratory Trout season knocking at the door, here's a very handy book every angler should have tucked away in their pocket. It called 'Pocket Guide to Matching the Hatch'. Designed to slip into your fishing pocket, this invaluable book illusstrates with photos which insects equate to which artificial flies. It also offers expert advice on which flies are hatching at what time of the year, how the insects behave (and therefore how to imitate them) and even how to read a fish's rise: all clues to the well-informed fisherman!

The most common mistake I've performed throughout my years fly fishing resulted from my uncontrollable will to step foot in the water. My fishing never officially began until I was submerged waist deep and throwing a fly. Looking back at my early days of fly fishing, I now realize that this urge has kept me from catching numerous potential trout. Fly fishing is most definitely a patience game, and today I realize the more patience I have equates to a greater amount of fish on the end of my line. Here are a few tips I have learned which have helped me become a more pro-active fisherman.

Fly-fishing an active hatch can be the thrill of a lifetime, especially if the opportunity to dry fly arises. Hundreds, or even thousands of aquatic insects emerge from the waters depths in attempt to breed before the abrupt end of their short-lived terrestrial lives. Us fly fishermen, as well as the fish we pursue, view these varieties of life cycles as an opportunistic event.  The aquatic insects emerge spontaneously, fish feed aggressively and fishermen attempt to “match the hatch”.  Excitement and anticipation often arise when a fisherman witnesses such an incredible event, but fishing a hatch is not always a piece of cake.

The first patterns many today consider as Classic Salmon Flies were introduced in the late 1700's. The flies were called the Peacock Fly and the Dragon Fly. In the nineteenth century what we today call works of art were made strictly for utilitarian purposes; they were tied to be fished. They were not tied to be mounted in a glass dome showcase or framed and hung on the office wall.

Here we have a retake of the classic cdc emerger it is so simple to tie and takes no special skills  and just the bare minimum of materials, it will kill on any water where fish a broaching to take emergers. so let us start.

The Pheasant Tail Nymph is probably one of the most famous patterns, and one of the most deadly I might add, that has ever been devised, Sawyer seen it's potential and tied his with nothing but copper wire and cock pheasant tail fibres, and nowadays with modern materials these little flies have come into the 21st century with a bang, they are now made with a thorax of many weird and wonderful materials, what has never changed though is the way in which they are tied ' Until Now '

The Cat's Whisker is probably the most consistantly succesful lure for the still water angler. Born in the 1980's and has gone on to spawn many variants. This one being unweighted is better fished on an intermediate or sinking line but can still catch on a floater. Weight can be added in many ways including lead wire, bead head or chainbead eyes. The tools required for this pattern are few, A vice,bobbin holder,scissors and a whip finish tool.  This lure has spawned probably more variants than any other I have come across. Try varying the colours or materials, add jungle cock cheeks for a very effective variant, the choice is yours.

The Diawl Bach originates, as you might have guessed, from Wales and in the Welsh language its name means 'little devil'. The pattern (or one the many variants that have evolved) is often the first choice nymph for the stillwater competition angler - proof enough of it's effectiveness. Although the boat competition anglers will fish it on all densities of line including ultra fast sinkers, it is really a floating line pattern for the bank angler. It can be fished singly or as part of a team and the retrieve should mimic the movement of whatever food items are around. Buzzers are relatively slow moving so the fly should be fished either dead drift on the breeze or with a slow figure of eight retrieve if the fish are feeding on them. Sedge pupae tend to swim rapidly up to the surface so if there are sedges about try fishing it faster with long pulls to make it rise in the water. The olive nymphs tend to swim with a jerky motion so try short pulls with a pause in between whenever pond or lake olives are around.

Nine of the ten record setting King (Chinook) Salmon were caught in Alaska’s Kenai River. The average size of Kings in Alaska is 20 pounds, but typically the Kenai yields 50-pound Kings. King Salmon spend 2 to 5 years in the ocean before they come back to spawn. Thus, the size of these fish can vary quite a bit. The largest King caught on the Kenai weighed 97.25 pounds.

Often times as adults, we want to share our hobbies and pastimes with our children. However, it can be difficult to decide when that pastime is appropriate. Children have shorter attention spans that make it difficult to calculate when they are ready for certain things. Fishing is a common hobby of many people around the world and many people are eager to introduce their children to fishing the minute they can hold a fishing rod. Fishing is a lesson in patience for children and a structured way to teach them a sport that involves precision and safety.

Ah, fishing in the rain. You may not like the rain, but the fish love it! You may not believe it, but you may catch more fish while it is raining. It may not be exactly fun fishing in the rain at first, but after you get used to it and start reeling in those fish, you'll start liking it more and more. There are a few good logical reasons for this.

Fish do indeed perceive color. Every fly fisher knows that or ought to know that. Like humans, the retina of a fish have rods and cones. Cones are used in the day and rods at night. Color vision evolved to help fish identify potential food. In the environment of the fish, the background will either be the bottom, the water itself, or if looking up for food it could be the sky. The bottom is normally tannish olive to green. When looking across the water, the background appears pale silver blue. But if the water is off color due to algae or high water one must take that into consideration as well. Skylight becomes more important at dusk and dawn when it contains more reds.

Sea foods were an important part of our natural food resource thousands of years ago, and even now, men still fish to put food on the table. People living in tribal lands still fish for survival, they don’t have good old McDonalds to go to or the local supermarket to buy their weekly shopping; they have a wooden rod with a spike at the end of it to catch their meals. This is how we all lived at one time; it was in our nature to hunt and fish to survive.

The Knotless Knot has become the most common knot used by far when creating many of the carp rigs used when carp fishing roday. This is down to the fact that it is easy to tie, extremely strong and provides excellent bait presentation in even it’s simplest form.

Easy to tie right, and consistently the strongest knot known to hold terminal tackle.

As its name suggests, this knot is simply half a bloodknot. It is used to attach line items such as hooks and swivels, and is reliable and easy to tie. The knot shown here has been tucked, meaning that the free end is passed through the loop which is formed between its coils and the hook or swivel.

Without a doubt hair rigs have transformed the carp fishing scene being the most popular and successful type of rig to use when fishing for carp of all types and sizes, excepting maybe the crucian carp.

The basic hair rig is an easy rig to tie up and offers secure bait holding properties and superb hooking capability to the carp fisherman. It is a rig that all carp fishermen should master because many of the more sophisticated and complicated carp rigs now in use are based upon the principle of the basic hair rig.

One basic fishing knot which can be varied to meet virtually every knot tying need in either freshwater or saltwater fishing.  That was the objective of Vic Dunaway, author of numerous books on fishing and editor of "Florida Sportsman" magazine.  The Uni-Knot system resulted.

A Swordfish on deck. It’s all about fishing. The dark side gladiator of the ocean. The swordfish. Have you ever tried landing a big swordfish on deck? After a 5-6 hours fight with a 1000 pound swordfish that had no intention of giving up without a fight. This great fish is a legend living in its own time.

It seems like every sport has a category that is set aside for the extreme. Believe it or not, there are some that were not deterred by the movie Jaws and they choose to seek out sharks instead of run from them. If you are so bold as to take on shark fishing, you should understand some basics before hitting the open sea.

Striped Bass. Striper's.  Rock fish.  Linesiders.  There is a certain mystique about the striper that makes everyone want to catch them.  It's a beautiful fish, anyone who has seen one fresh out of the water with the sun shining off their silvery sides will agree.  Catching them can be another matter entirely, though.  There are a lot of "bottom fishermen"  who may be switching to bass fishing in 2008 due to the possible regulations that could be applied to flounder, scup, and other species as a result of lawsuits by environmentalist groups.  Fishing for bass is quite different from bottom fishing.