I am going continental

I am spreading my passion European style

With February almost behind us and the odd mild day thrown into the mix I have to admit that feelings of spring and those warm early mornings are at the forefront of my thoughts. As soon as the weather picks up and the clocks change spreading more daylight hours into the late afternoons you can be sure the Nation’s number one most participated sport, angling, will see anglers flooding the banks up and down the country in their quests to catch a fish of a lifetime. Sadly most people do not recognise angling as a sport and see it more of a leisure activity, a trip out of town in the countryside with a few friends, a social. Well that is the beauty of the angling, it is all of those things I have just mentioned and much much more. I have played football for numerous London and Essex football teams including my beloved West Ham United for nearly three years as a youth team player, plus I played the game in European competitions for my clubs in Norway, Holland and France.

 I represented my London borough at Cricket back in my school days and played for Bletchingley CC for a few seasons taking in a couple of tours to the Isle Of Wight, great days. I represented my school and Newham at Athletics for many years competing in the 400 and 800 metres, where I only got beaten once, plus the hurdles as well when I had the energy. I remember always feeling sick when it was time to race as I put everything into my races and I can still feel that eerie silence running down the back straight of Terence McMillan stadium in East London before the bend into the main stand where cheers of encouragement would push me over the line. I competed individually and in teams at Table Tennis, Pool, Snooker and Darts winning trophies along the way in all the sports I competed in, but whilst I played competitively in all of these sports, meeting so many friends along the way,  I still took time out to fish and learn making me the angler I am today. After learning my watercraft from my Dad, I pushed on and the competitive sportsman in me pushed me into the direction of match fishing and that meant club fishing for many years before moving into the open match circuit and competition events. Passion for my sports especially angling fuelled me to write about it and the angling magazine work followed a few years ago and when I was contacted a few days ago to write for a European Magazine from Czechoslovakia called Sport Rybolov I was only too happy to be accept and my first European angling feature will be published in April, something of which I am very proud about.

Angling in Europe is booming and being as Team England leads the way on the World and European stage, their quest for knowledge and how to catch more fish leads them to our country just like every foreign sports person wants to play at Wembley, win Wimbledon, win the British golf open, play cricket at Lords, beat us at Twickenham and the dream of owning a horse that can win the Gold Cup at Cheltenham and the Grand National at Aintree, plus of course winning a gold at the 2012 Olympics.

Our country in the sporting stakes has so much to offer but with all that said we must make sure that we are good enough, strong enough, and competitive enough to win our events in our own back yard. In angling I am glad to say, we are world dominant!

“Tight Lines”

 Russ Evans

Let's put angling in vote poll position

Russ Evans blog 3 Horse and Country TV

23^rd January 2011

A text vote away from success

In my last blog I mentioned that I had been nominated for SPOTY for the Surrey Awards, voting has already started ending on Friday 4^th February at midnight. However a couple of days ago Text Voting started as I bid to put Angling on top of the tree against my four other nominated sports candidates from Rugby, Kick Boxing, Triathlon and Formula 2. It would be great to win and help my aim to carry on promoting angling in everything I do and these are the details if you wanted to plug me your vote which would be very much appreciated. By simply typing in SU sport 081 (exactly as printed with blank spaces) and sending to 65100 you and your friends can vote as many times as you like but please note each text costs 50p.

Southern anglers get a raw deal with this year’s Fish O

When this year’s Fish O Mania qualifiers were publicised there was one thing that stood out, lack of Southern venues this year. It has caused a bit of an uproar in the South especially as the prize money has gone up to £30,000 from £25,000 winner take all for the first time since its creation by Barry Hearn and his match room company. Over the years the southern match venues have falled by the wayside in the shape of Wylands near Hastings, Stubpond near East Grinstead and recently Willingshurst near Shamley Green in Surrey. The main reasons why these fisheries have been dropped are mainly because anglers failed to show up in conjunction with the fisheries in poor form to hold an even contest, so I guess it was decided to find alternative venues with the Midlands anglers benefiting from the replacement qualifiers being held in their neck of the woods. With the entry fee going up and petrol costs sky high along with bait costs, the Angling Trust membership and for some the need for an overnight stay. Fishing just one qualifier is a good £100 plus and when you consider you are travelling a long way at a high cost in the hope of being lucky at the draw bag I am sure many anglers will be like myself will be reconsidering whether to enter this year. The entry process  is already opened via the Angling Trust website and with Monk Lakes really being the only option for me unless I pop off down to Devon or Somerset to fish in the other Southern based matches I don’t really have much option. Last season I applied for four tickets receiving just two at Monks and Willinghurst and really I was disappointed as I was hoping I would get tickets for the other two despite them being a bit further away.

Willingshurst was fishing so poor I was one of the 31 anglers who did not show up and in buying a ticket as I had I had already wasted money and judging by the weights and blanks it was a wise move not to fish on the day. At Monks I wasted my time and money on this one as I drew peg 119 on Lake 3 and with every peg in it fished poor with just 82lbs winning the match from my favourite peg 56 on Lake 2. I had brought along lots of bait as each lake and some of the pegs need different requirements and as I pulled out 119 I might as well just brought along 30 maggots for the good it was going to do me. I walked around the car park for 15 minutes trying to convince myself the need to get the tackle out of my car and have a go, but I did just in case and after 5 minutes with 7lbs in the net I was thinking I had made the right choice until all went quiet for me and all those around me on both banks. Anglers started to pack up after 90 minutes and I was not far behind them.

That day last May did something to me as I am such a big fan of Fish O but as I walked back to my car I felt conned by the whole scenario and started to think I had more chance of winning the lottery than drawing a good peg to compete on a level playing field. To really have a good chance of drawing a good peg you need to fish at least 8 matches in the 16 match qualifying series in the hope that you may draw a good peg at one of them. But the cost involved and the travelling expenses far out ways in my opinion, the fingers crossed approach of having a good peg to compete from. I wish all the anglers well this season but my hopes of fishing a Fish O final will not be an option this year and probably the year after that until a new format is introduced where smaller matches are introduced bringing more fisheries into the mix and reducing poor pegs in the draw bag. With a bit of planning I am sure this could be done even if it meant some semi-finals needed to be fished and I am sure I am not the only angler who thinks this.

“Tight Lines”

Russ Evans

Can I count on your vote?

9^th January 2011

Can I count on your vote?

It’s been a good start to the New Year without even wetting a line so far in 2011 but next week I will put that right with a pairs final to look forward to at Orchard Place lakes in Kent and hopefully in my next blog I will be blogging on a nice win, fingers crossed.

Earlier in the week I received a letter from East Surrey and Sussex news and media informing me that I had been nominated and short listed for their Sports Awards 2010. Leading up to the New Year the nominations process was being advertised and obviously I have been put up for The Sports Personality of the year award and I thank everyone for their support, it is very much appreciated and I am well chuffed and proud to receive the nomination.

So what happens now? Well on Thursday 13^th January 2011 details of how to vote and the list of nominees for each of the categories will be printed in a special supplement in this week’s Surrey Mirror, Dorking and Leatherhead Advertiser, Crawley News and the East Grinstead Courier & Observer.

I am a Sports Fanatic

To my knowledge the voting will last for three weeks with voting coupons printed in the various newspapers each week, however if you are not able to pick up a paper then I have been informed by the Promotions office that in weeks 2 and 3 votes can be achieved TEXT VOTING, again the numbers will be released in the publications and as soon as I know the number I will add to my next blog post. I have been fishing since the age of 2 years old and despite playing many sports over the years including a two and a half year spell as a youth player at West Ham United Football Club back in the mid 70’s, I have always fished, it’s my passion and to be in with a chance to pick up a special award and being nominated through my angling activities is fantastic and the competitive side of my character would want my head first past the post. But I know that will not happen unless friends, family, colleagues and followers of my blogs, websites and angling columns do not vote for me, so I am hoping that I can count on your vote and make me one of the front players over the next three weeks of voting.

Vote Russ Evans, Vote Angling

The Gala Awards Dinner evening is being held at Lingfield Park Racecourse on Thursday 3^rd March 2011 and being as I am a keen fan of the racing game, see www.russ-evans-racing.com it would be great to be invited the final so to speak.

The letter from the promotions office has encouraged the nominated candidates to achieve as many votes as possible so hence my motto “VOTE RUSS EVANS, VOTE ANGLING”

My last few words in this blog is to say, if you can help me promote angling even further and winning awards like SPOTY would certainly do that, it would be great to have your support and vote!

“Tight Lines”

Russ Evans

9^th January 2011

Anglers fighting back control of Earlswood Lakes

Earlswood Lakes Angling Initiative

Angler John Brice, the Nutfield Marsh Angling Club Secretary is working with a group of local anglers to right a major wrong at Earlswood Lakes in Surrey. A website http://earlswoodangling.co.uk has been set up to gain support and awareness from anglers, councillors and residents to support a new club initiative at the lakes to promote angling for the wider community.  With a Mission Statement that reads “To lobby the council and local committees to hand back the management of fishing rights to a local group of committed and passionate anglers who will actively protect, promote and secure the fishing at Earlswood Lakes for future generations” The Earlswood Lakes Angling Initiative group are looking for your support and you can do just that by signing their online petition set up on the website. With a blog, history, and the groups plans to secure the fishing rights back from the council you can also play an active part by contacting and supporting the mission to bring the lakes back under anglers control for anglers.

Welcome to the Earlswood Angling Initiative!

This website has been setup to raise awareness and gain momentum and support from local anglers, councilors and residents to support a new angling club initiative at Earlswood Lakes that promotes angling for the wider community.

We believe the way in which the fishing at the Lakes are currently managed is detrimental to local angling and our local angling services. Here we aim to outline out case as to why the Council should hand back the rights to a local group of anglers whose primary aim is to promote, protect and secure the fishing rights for future generations.

Why Bother?
The Environment Agencies website says that about 7,000 angling clubs have “died” in South East England in the past twenty years. We are of the opinion that there will be even fewer within the next twenty years unless the mindset changes at a local council level.

Poor council decisions, and poorly run angling clubs and organizations are the root of the problems our local clubs face today. In light of previous bad press for anglers and the decisions that have affected us directly we want to change the view of angling and its impact on nature reserves and public places.

The Wildlife Trust has just announced the closure of 64 fisheries in Nottingham. The Angling Trust itself is fighting this on a case by case basis. But this trend is set to continue if we don’t do something to change the way angling is seen now.

Local Servicesfishing is an excellent pastime for young people; it teaches them to concentrate, to interpret their surroundings, to visualize the invisible and to learn about triumph and disaster. It is something people can do throughout their lives in groups of any size, or enjoy by themselves. It nurtures responsibility and environmental citizenship and has been demonstrated to reduce youth offending and increase participation in schools dramatically.

It provides opportunities for young and old people to do a shared activity, which helps support strong communities and families. The main objectives of this initiative are to create an organization that handles all local fishing related issues for the benefit of the public.

Russ Evans

5^th December 2011

Snow and ice for the hardcore only!

Weather plays havoc with the angling world

The continued cold snap as really put paid to any recent activity I was hoping for, my last four matches have all been called off and a couple of attempts to film some more of The Obsessed Angler have also fallen by the wayside. Only rivers can offer the chance to wet a line at the moment apart from the odd corner of a lake or pond if you are lucky but unless you can reach the waters by foot or a very short drive it is too risky to attempt a full and proper angling session without putting yourself and others at risk with a long journey.

Safety in numbers!

You don’t need me to tell you that being near water and slippery ice is very dangerous and fishing on your own in these conditions is not advised safety in numbers as they say. There has been very little action at Bury Hill Fishery with some days not an angler in sight despite the Old Lake offering some fishing, thanks to the aeration pump system that manages to keep at least a dozen pegs fishable in the coldest of days. A few pike have been caught to those braving the conditions but very little else is feeding when the water temperatures are registering around 0.5 degrees C. The smaller lakes Bonds and Milton have been out of action for at least three weeks or more and it is hoped that the weather relents over the festive holiday season so anglers can come and visit the fishery to try out some of their new Christmas presents. The fishery can be quite busy at this time of the season so it is of concern that if the ice cold conditions continue then some good business will be lost with anglers preferring to stay at home.  Apart from Christmas Day and Boxing Day the fishery will be open for business weather permitting and looking at the long range forecast is looks like the snow and ice will turn to rain so fingers crossed the temperatures will rise enough for this to happen and free up the lakes.

Pike will always feed in extreme conditions

So with the water temperatures very low and the ice melt keeping temperatures that way for a couple more weeks to come, what are the chances of catching a fish and what can you do to tempt a bite. Well the good news is if you are a predator angler then you will know that pike will feed in very cold temperatures although the zander fishing can be very slow when this cold at the best of times. But what about carp, well when the temperatures fall below 4 degrees C then the action is almost non-existence as their feeding habits shut right down. This table below is a good guideline to how fish react feeding wise to water temperatures.

This simple guide of best times to fish I am sure will make a big difference when planning your next session.

1.      Water temperatures above 6 degrees C with settled weather.

2.      Water has been around 4 degrees C for 4 or 5 days.

3.      Late afternoon when the sun has warmed up shallower parts of a lake.

4.      When water temperatures start to rise after long spells of cold weather.

5.      When the wind direction swings in to a southerly bringing milder weather.

This fish feeding temperature guide is worth noting as well.

6-7 degrees C Fish feed moderately well offering good prospects

4-5 degrees C Fish still aware and feed intermittently expect the odd fish or two

2-3 degrees C Fish become dormant you will struggle

1-2 degrees C Fish virtually inert stay at home

For a more detailed description of the above table, please click on this link http://www.anglingfeatures.com/howtofish.htm from my angling website.

May I take this opportunity to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

“Tight Lines”

 Russ Evans

19th December 2010

From boy to man!

Snow and Ice bring back some happy memories of a young boy

by Russ Evans

The snow and ice is back much to my annoyance as the remaining plans and fixtures up to Christmas now look in doubt as the cold snap is expected to last much longer than first reported. I was going to run a Christmas open at Bury Hill on the 1st December but I have had to re arrange the match back to 15th December so it is fingers crossed that the weather improves but that is a big if!

East London was my training ground

It looks like the very cold winters with snow and ice are reverting back to when I was a lad living in East London during the mid to late 60’s when I could remember walking to school in my wellington boots kicking knee high fluffy snow. I guess the weather patterns come round full circle in the end so possibly the next 10 years or so could be very cold ones indeed. When you are young fear holds no barriers and when I got in my head that I wanted to go fishing, I did just that no matter what was falling out of the sky at the time. As I have mentioned in past columns, Wanstead Park was a fishing training ground for me and the first big bag of quality roach I caught came on a day when most people were at home sitting in front of the telly sipping soup. As I arrived at the boating lake or perch ponds as it was also known I was greeted with a white surface as the snow had settled on top of the frozen lake. It was hard to determine the lake from the bank side edges but right up at the top of the lake in one of the corners I could see what looked like open water.  I had ridden my bike to the fishery which was some 4 miles from my home and although I was travelling light I still took too much tackle as I remembered having to stop many times on the way as my gear was sliding around my neck and slipping off the main bike frame.

It was cold but worth it

Encouraged by the sight of open water I rode up to the end of the lake hoping and praying my eyes were not deceiving me, that hadn’t as a couple of swims were clear and I as I started to set up my float rod I noticed that someone had left a bag of casters next to the tree I was planning to fish near. I had not really fished with casters before but I knew from my Dad who used them many times that they were a very good roach bait. I set up a porcupine quill with a bright red top and after plumbing the depth which was around 6ft I set the float up a foot over depth so I could pin the bait right on the lake bed. It was very cold with a bitter breeze blowing in my direction but it did not matter as I was doing what I loved to do and although I was the only person on the lake I managed to get myself comfortable using the big old oak tree as a bit of shelter. To be honest I was not really expecting a bite as the conditions were against me but I had a gut feeling that I was meant to by fishing that day and when I put two casters on a size 18 hook things started to happen. I cast my float and bait onto the ice and then dragged it slowly off the frozen lake into the water so my float was sitting next to the ice edges. The feeling I got when I had my first bite and fish was incredible and when I slid my net under a roach of 12 ounces I gazed at how beautiful the fish was with all of its winter’s colours showing through down its flanks. The bites were slow and deliberate during the day and I reckon I had 3 bites an hour after the initial blank first hour and with a dozen cracking roach in the net, the biggest going just under a pound for my troubles.

It was a cracking day as well as a special day that will never be forgotten as the boy angler in me was turning into a young man with many more memorable days ahead.

“Tight Lines”

Russ Evans

3rd December 2010

Look around and enjoy!

Winter fishing might be hard but the views are fantastic

by Russ Evans

I am typing this blog instead of fishing a match at Hartleylands due to the current cold snap freezing over the lakes at the Kent venue and other options on my fixture list have also been iced off. With the cold snap being forecast for the next few days or so I have decided to put back the Bury Hill Christmas Open for two weeks until the 15 December, when hopefully conditions would have improved for the better. Fishing is still going on at Bury Hill with at least 35% of the pegs fishable thanks to the pumps keeping the lake water moving around so that is good news for the predator anglers still wishing to chuck out a dead bait or two.

With next week’s club match in the balance at Monk Lakes where it will be the semi-finals of the pair’s event I will be keeping my options open for a visit down the river should the intended match be called off. Cold weather does not bother me and while there is every chance of my float going under then my enthusiasm is still as passionate as in the summer months. One plus of being out in the countryside on cold winter and frosty days is the fantastic scenery and some of the views take for some superb photographs. I always take my camera with me for a shot of a bonus fish but also for the winter scenes that I regularly witness on my travels in the Surrey, Kent and Sussex countryside’s. Another plus is I get to see on many occasions my favourite bird the Robin Redbreast which I always feed with a few maggots and there is no better site when one of the friendly chaps perch themselves on the end of my rod tip as I sit quietly by the river’s edge waiting for a bite.

Over the Christmas period I am hoping to take advantage of some winter filming for The Obsessed Angler series down my local river and if it is a frosty day then some of the scenery will be fantastic to catch on film, so I am keeping my fingers crossed that the conditions I want will present itself.

Here are some photographs I have taken that capture fishing in the winter time, as you can see there are some stunning scenic shots.

Tight Lines

Russ Evans