Match Fishing - January 2024

Welcome to the first issue of 2024 and to start the new year we’ve got Tony Curd on the front cover posing with a big Albans Lakes slab! In winter big fish like bream especially will move out further from the bank and into deeper water and you need to fish at range if you’re going to give yourself the best chance of getting amongst them. Inside Tony reveals his tips and tricks for going long and it certainly proved to be a session to remember.

The weather either side of the Christmas period has been wet to say the least and all that extra water can have a big effect on fish and how you fish for them. Mick Vials enjoys these conditions and he explains his approach for tackling big rivers like the Trent when there’s extra water on and takes the mystery out of how to catch fish from swims that look unfishable! There’s plenty more great content from too from Matt Pillay, who we joined when he was fishing a midweek match on the Hollywood Bowl at Messingham Sands, Andy Power, Lee Kerry, Darren Cox, Tom Pickering, Alex Dockerty, Matt Powell, James Robbins, John Brooks, Matt Godfrey and Kye Jerrom.

We’ve got plenty of great new tackle for you as usual and this month we feature Maver’s MV-RXX Carp Feeder rods, the Monster Xtreme Distance feeder rods from Preston Innovations, Shakespeare’s SC-2 Super Commercial rods and Daiwa’s new 100 Seatbox. There are also plenty of smaller items and bait in New Gear, and finally in our latest competition we’re giving away two Shakespeare pole rollers and a roller bag worth £217.85.

Editor’s Picks

Against The Clock
This month we join Matt Pillay as he tackles a midweek open on the Hollywood Bowl, part of the Messingham Sands complex. It’s a feeder and bomb only match so let’s see how he gets on.

Beat The Flood
Mick Vials is a master river angler and here he tackles a raging River Trent at Burton Joyce when everything is against him!

In Conversation With… Lee Kerry Part 2
Match Fishing’s David Haynes asks the questions and man of the moment and triple Feeder Master Champion Lee Kerry provides the answers.

Go The Distance
When the cold sets in, fishing at distance on the feeder can be a big advantage according to Tony Curd. We joined him at Albans Lakes to find out more.

The Best Silver Fish Venue In The Country?
We recently joined Matthew Powell on the Specimen Lake at Larford to see why many anglers rate this lake as the best for silver fish in the country.

Theatre Of Dreams
River ace James Robbins takes centre stage as he puts in a performance on a popular stretch of the Warwickshire Avon at Stratford.