March 2025

Neil Bygrave has managed a few trips to the Broom River section of the Ivel recently and was rewarded with a 5lb 7oz chub. Neil had not had any success on his ledger rods, so decided to set up a 4m whip with 5lb line straight through to explore the near margin and a single red maggot tempted the chub. Neil’s next visit also produced a decent chub of 4lb 5oz.

Neil managed 3 trips to Broom River during the last week of the river season and surprisingly was virtually the only angler fishing each trip. His first session resulted in a 10lb 4oz common carp, perch of 2lb 12oz, 2lb 2oz and a couple of smaller perch to 1lb 4oz, a 2lb 13oz chub and half a dozen roach. Neil’s second trip was a fairly short session that only produced a single decent perch. Neil’s final trip produced a good bite on lobworm but then had to drop down hook sizes and try different baits to get further bites but only managed a roach, gudgeon and minnow in the next few hours. As the light faded his tips sprung into action for a frantic 30 minute spell that produce a dozen roach to 7 inches. Neil then reverted back to lobworm and landed an 8oz perch followed by his last fish of the river season that was a nice 4lb 7oz chub.

A reminder to all members that the last day of the current river season is next Friday. Fishing is not permitted on any SDAA river venue between 15th March to 15th June inclusive.

Az Wiggins had been fishing for pike with deadbaits at The Airman but just as he was starting to pack up his line went off very slowly but didn’t stop. Once he struck Az immediately knew he was attached to one of the lake’s catfish and safely landed his new PB catfish weighing 55lb.

Karim Dhanji fished a relatively short five hour session at The Airman that produced two mirror carp of 15lb and 19lb 10oz, which were Karim’s first carp from the venue. Both carp were identified as VS Fisheries C4 carp that had been stocked in recent years.