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National Fishing Week - Event @ Barlow Lakes this Sunday

With National Fishing Week/Month (heck, why don't they go the whole hog and make it last all year, every year and maybe re-brand the country Great National Fishing Britain or United Fishing Kingdom!) upon us, I shall be once again lending a hand at an event being held at Barlow Lakes near Chesterfield.  The day is being organised by my friend - and qualified NFA angling coach - Kevin Miles.  In the past these events have featured tackle stands, taster sessions for novice anglers, fun matches and displays by the Environment Agency.  This year I am not so sure about the setup (I'll post more details once I know them), but I know that a local floatmaker is coming down, there are demonstrations of various floats and methods - including the unveiling of a new design of self-hooking controller float - and I'll be in attendance from 10am 'til around 1pm (the event is open until 3pm), so if you want to chew the fat, discuss tactics or ask me questions on any aspect of fishing then pop down.  there's no entry fee and the lakes are open all day for fishing if you want to combine the trip with your usual Sunday fishing trip.  I'll hopefully see you there...

Barlow Lakes is a lovely little complex set in a mature wooded valley.  There are 4 coarse ponds to go at and I believe 4 or 5 trout (fly only) ponds to fish too.  There are plenty of carp up to mid-twenties and some HUGE grass carp to catch, besides bream, tench, chub, crucians, roach, perch and gudgeon.  A true "mixed fishery" in every sense!  Most of the fishery is very wheelchair-friedly, including disabled toilets, and there's also a snack bar cooking hot food all day, every day.

If you fancy coming along and don't know how to find Barlow, take a look at this page of their website:  http://www.barlowlakes.co.uk/maps.htm


I've been fishing 4 evenings in the last fortnight with very mixed results; the first night I managed to land a pike of around 5lb on a Halibut Pellet, hooked clean in the lower jaw! The very next night I fished the Tidal Trent for the first time this season and managed a barbel of around 5lb and my friend Crofty notched up his first barbel of the season too.  This week I lost 2 barbel in 2 nights through breakages (I'm pretty sure I was to blame through not changing hooklength regularly enough), which meant I blanked one night but managed to salvage the night with an 8lb 5oz barbel from the same spot, on the same bait as the fish I lost 15 minutes before. Check out the size of its MOUTH!  This could be a very big fish in the future...

National Fishing Month runs from July 17 until August 15, 2010 Labels: angling, angling event, Barlow, Barlow Lakes, event, fishing, fishing event, halibut pellet, National Fishing Month, National Fishing Week, pike
 
I'm a UK-based specimen angler and freelance Angling Writer, Reviewer and Consultant located in the East Midlands.

I've had a love of fishing since 1987, mainly in freshwater in England; but I've fished all over the world for Coarse, Game and Sea fish.

Since my late teens I've developed a real love of river fishing and nowadays it's flowing water that I find myself drawn to fish most.

I don't claim to be the best at anything, but after all these years fishing I do like to think I have enough experience to teach something to anyone who'll listen!

I also have a love of heavy, nasty, loud and fast music!
 My second-ever carp, this 9lb 2oz fish taken at Tibshelf Ponds on freelined crust (with 10lb line straight through on a MATCH rod!) set me a long-standing PB back in the mid-90s and marked my first step towards becoming a "Specimen Hunter"