Scottish zander rumours quashed

An interesting post on a scottish angling blog looks at whether zander have been illegally intorduced to a loch. More here.

Another dour day on Rutland

Two scraper 20s and a sprinkling of smaller pike were caught on the PAC's first event of the season - a day's lure fishing on Rutland Reservoir.

While the weather did not stage a repeat of last year's gale force conditions, many found the 2,500 acre man-made lake a daunting prospect.

Of note were the fact several boats targetted zander using vertical jigging tactics in some of the deeper areas, with some being rewarded with a number of schoolies to 6lbs, showing potential for a different approach.

Little is known about how the species adapts to tout reservoirs, but Rutland is believed to have contained zander for around a decade, with a best fish of 11lbs being recorded in this time.

Anglian Water has now published its predator dates for this season:

Autumn boat fishing for pike with lures & dead sea fish over 18cm (excludes lamprey)
motor boat hire from 08.30am until dusk.

Pitsford £50 for two anglers, 1 October to 23 November, tel 01604 781350

Rutland £55 for two anglers, 6 October to 16 November, tel 01780 686441

Grafham £53 for two anglers, 13 October to 30 November, tel 01480 810531

Ravensthorpe £49 for two anglers, 27October to 23 November, tel 01604 770875

Prices change to £44 for two anglers at all fisheries in November

Another zander claimed from Dee

Five years since a zander was caught from the River Dee, another capture is claimed on FISHINGmagic's forums.

More here.

Dave Pugh kicks off at Cambridge

Dave Pugh kicks off Cambridge PAC's programme of winter meeting with a talk on lure fishing for zander.

It's at Bottisham British Legion on Wednesday, September 3 (7.30pm).

Meetings are on the first Wednesday of every month.

Click here for more details.

Zander riddle solved, AW pike dates

A rumoured record zander had predator anglers flocking to Graffham Water this season. Hooked 2008 - Anglian Water's magazine for anglers fishing its reservoirs - shows the rumour mill wasn't far wide of the mark.

Ian Bradfield is pictured with an 18lbs 8oz zander believed to be the biggest ever caught on a fly.

There's also a picture of Robbie Marsh, who caught a 23lbs pike during a PAC event on Rutland back in September, literally minutes after telling his boat partner huis ambition for the season was a lure-caught 20.

Events organiser Mark Skinner is trying to arrange another day this autumn after 60 turned out for lasy year's charity fish-in despite the odd post-convention hangovers.

Pike dates for 2008 have also been announced. Anglers can lure fish Pisford on alternate weeks from Monday to Friday, from June 16 and Jun 30; July 14 and 28, August 11 and 25 and September 8 and 25.

Boat fishing with sea deads (excluding lamprey) and lures over 18cm is available as follows:

Pitsford: October 1 - November 23;

Ritland: October 6 - November 16;

Graffham: October 13 - November 30;

Ravensthorpe: October 27 - November 23;

Ardleigh: May 1 - February 28, 2009.

Anglers can now fly fish for predators on Graffham, Rutland and Pitsford from June 16 if they buy a special predator permit, which costs £14 on top of normal boat fees.

Bank fishing is also available on Pitsford from November 1 - December 31; all-year-round on Hollowell, with sea deads only from October to February; and all-year-round on Alton Water and Costessy Lakes.

Zander record smashed with first twenty

Britain's first documented 20lbs-plus zander has been caught on a pellet hookbait intended for bream. James Benfield smashed the 19lbs 5oz record with a 21lbs 5oz fish from the River Severn, Angling Times reports.

Click here for picture.

Zander Anglers Club launches new website

The ZAC has gone online with its own website dedicated to zander fishing in the Fens and further afield.

Click here to check it out.

Record zander rumoured

Rumoured being the operative word but today's Lynn News reports tales of a record-breaking 20lb zander doing the banks in Norfolk.

Is the Relief Channel set for rebirth..?

Could a £19m package of flood defence works restore the Great Ouse Relief Channel to its former glories..?

That's the question predator anglers are asking tonight with the news Denver Sluice, on the Great Ouse near Downham Market, is set to be refurbished.

For many years, water from the Ouse has been run off via the Relief Channel and many fear harsh flows through the almost ruler-straight 11 mile channel have swept whole year classes of fish out to sea.

EA surveys have shown dwindling populations of pike and zander in the channel, which was a mecca for both species in the 1970s.

Repairing the sluice would mean water could be allowed down the tidal river again, leaving the Relief Channel to recover and only be run off in extreme conditions to alleviate flooding.

Officials plan to dam off the sluice gates so they can check whether they need replacing and whether modifications can be carried out to scour silt around the doors when they are open.

pike fishing

Zander caught in River Yare

A 6lbs zander has been caught in Norfolk's River Yare, prompting fears the species has been illegally introduced to the Broads, it emerged today.

Nick King from Norwich caught the fish at Surlingham on a sardine intended for pike. A picture of the fish appears in today's Eastern Daily Press.

EA fisheries officer Nigel Gamble told the Norwich-based paper: "This zander was transported alive from the West Norfolk or Cambridgeshire fens and placed in the River Yare.

"This was an unlawful act on a number of counts and once caught, the fish should not have been returned to the water alive.

"The captor should have killed it immediately or telephoned our hotline for one of our officers to visit the venue and knock it on the head."

Mark Barrett launches zander blog

Pike Anglers Club secretary Mark Barrett's a dab hand at catching Fen zander when he finds the time, like this cracking 15lbs river lump he hauled out just before Christmas.

He's just joined the growing ranks of bloggers with his own zander blog, you can check out here.