Happy New Year from everybody here at Angling Intelligence.
The Christmas break is now behind us and we are pushing forward into the year ahead. The lakes are all frozen at the moment and everybody is watching that weather to see when we can get out on the bank again. In the background all the new trade packs are going out to the shops and the constant stream of product development goes on as ever. With some exciting new products on the way for 2010 and our ever growing team of followers, this year is once again set to see us go from strength to strength.
The newsletter gives Ai supporters exclusive access to updates on product development, catch reports as they happen, free to enter competitions and hints and tips from some of the finest big fish anglers in the land. The release of the MK2 Airframes has been delayed to the end of January. For the first look at the Mk2 there is only one thing to do, subscribe now and become a member of Team Ai. Click here to go direct to the subscription form.
The brilliance of the Multi Function Tackle Box was shown at the recent Sandown Show when they sold like hotcakes to anglers seeing them for the first time. It will take all of those key items of tackle and whether you use it on its own as a stalking or river bag or as part of your main tackle within the Barra-Ruk or Carryall it will become an invaluable item in your armoury. It comes complete with tackle box but of course will fit a similar product from the major manufacturers. For more information on this highly innovative product click here.
Darran Goulder plodded on regardless of the Siberian weather front we have been experiencing over the last couple of months. He switched from he usual winter species he targets in order to keep catching, as this lovely river Pike shows. He caught some lovely fish up to Upper Doubles before the lakes froze, and no doubt will slip his net under a leviathan when they thaw again. Beats sitting indoors looking out the window at the snow that's for sure!
The Angling Intelligence and Richworth sponsored specimen lake at Apps Court farm in Walton is to go syndicate for the season ahead. This is to protect the stunning head of growing fish in the intimate lake. If you are interested in joining places are filling fast. Email Paul at info@angling intelligence.com for more details. You will see from the recent picture the fish feed all year are all absolute crackers.
The Sandown Show was a huge success and it was fantastic to see as many Ai fans there to chat to about all things fishing. We will be present at the Brentwood, Farnborough and 5 Lakes shows in the UK and the Zwolle show in Holland for our European followers. Make sure you are a subscriber to our newsletter to ensure you get up to date information regarding each of the events and most importantly we look forward to chatting to as many of you as possible.
We welcome you to this update with news of yet another exciting new product which has hit the shops in the last few days. The new unhooking mats are in the shops now and up to the second information on the release of our much awaited new shelters will follow very shortly. Information on the shelters will be the subject of a newsletter exclusive to Team Angling Intelligence members so if you have not subscribed, now is the time to do so. Final arrangements are being put in place for our attendance at the merry go round of Winter shows and we look forward to seeing you all over the Winter. Until then enjoy the late October sunshine and bag yourself a whacker!
The new mat is in the shops at last. We have developed a large mat with the optimum amount of padding to make the mat totally safe whilst still practical to transport. We opted away from a cradle design feeling these encourage bad practices when it comes to fish care. Instead the mat is big, practical and fish friendly. It has a kneeling pad to keep you dry during those trophy shots, gusseted ends to keep the front and end of the fish safe when they 'kick off' and the system superbly compliments our other market leading fish care products. At a whopping 5 foot long it is also perfect for pike and UK cats. For more details visit the Product Page or speak to one of our superb stockists.
The 8 and 12 metre baiting poles have continued to be a huge success this Summer and now the Autumn is well upon us now may be the time to ensure your presentation is 100% on the ball. Use the rakes to clear the areas of dead leaves etc and deposit a spoon full of bait on the money with a minimal amount of disturbance. Many may feel this is a Summer only weapon but those who get the basics right can keep catching on the method well into the Winter months and if you can locate bankside holding areas throughout the year. More information can be found on the products page or by talking to one of our stockists.
We are sorry for the delay some of you have had getting your hands on our top spec bedchair. They are now back in stock and have already gone out to many of the shops. For full details take a look at the product page. Remember if your local stockist doesn't have one in and you can't wait for them to order you one get in touch with us and we will point you in the direction of a stockist with one which has your name on it!
We predicted it would only be a matter of time before Dan Cleary caught one of the biggies from his Northants syndicate. Well we were proved right when Dan slid his net under the biggest fish in the lake. The beast weighed in at 37lb 10oz, down in weight from its usual 40lb+ but as Dan himself said 'who cares!' Back onto the lagoon now to try and outwit a certain fat mirror carp.
Our man in Holland Matthijs Gerrietsen spent a week on beautiful gravel pit in Germany recently. The fishing was hard with the Crystal clear water and the big numbers of Roach and Bream that were relentless even on 30mm Baits. Matt managed to sneak one out though in the shape of this clean looking Mirror just under the 30lb markMatts the Man!
AI consultant Rich Shelley had this cracking looking 42lb mirror from a venue in France recently. Conditions were unfavourable to say the least with horrendous north easterly winds throughout the week. Rich showed they were still catchable though as he ended up with an eight fish haul, more than the rest of the party put together!
Long term AI specimen consultant, Darran Goulder features regularly on the news with monster "other" species, being the consistent big fish specialist angler he is. Trying his hand at Carp fishing brought a quick result too, when we heard about his latest PB to add to his already impressive list. In just a handful of nights spent in pursuit of Carp in the Colne Valley, he proved that you can produce the goods, even when you are short of time. This beautiful common was the pinnacle of his short lived campaign, the biggest from the lake to grace the bank so far this season, weighing an incredible 41lb and 4 oz. Top Angling - Keep it up!
If the AI-Q rods taming 3 mid 50's last month wasn't impressive enough then how about this monster 68lb mirror? Young Hamish Hellier borrowed a set of AI-Q rods from a friend when he went over to Danny Fairbrass's Gigantica lake in France for a few weeks work experience. Fishing the nights in between work Hamish managed quite a few fish topped by this, one the biggest in the lake. Good work Hamster!
AI consultant Dan Cleary is having a good start to his new water in the Nene valley. So far fishing just quick overnighters Dan has managed 8 fish with 7 over 20lb and 1 30 in the shape of this Cracking 35lb 6 oz two tone common. Good angling Dan, a 40 around the corner for sure.
AI sales director Jon Stevens achieved his ambition for the season when he banked this 25lb 12oz common from the River Thames. The fish was Jon's first from the river this year and came from a private stretch in Oxfordshire. He must thank hig gilly Ross though for doing all the hard work pre-baiting for him!
AI consultant Richard Shelley has been enjoying himself recently with a host of big commons. The latest being this beautifully coloured fish of 35lb 2oz. The fish was caught along with another common of 33lb and a 28lb mirror. After arriving at the lake and seeing no signs of carp at all he installed himself in a little bay on the end of a warm wind. Good angling instinct paying off in fine style.
Ross Jelfs from Lowerberryfield fisheries turned his attentions from growing stunning fish to catching them recently. On his first visit as a guest to an Oxfordshire pit Ross managed to land the biggest in the lake at 33lb+ then followed it up with the prettiest. This superb fully scaled turning the scales round to 25lb. Although the weight in this instance is completely irrelevant I'm sure you will agree.
At Angling intelligence we dont think you can put enough emphasis on fish care. Now a new unhooking mat is being added to our already established range of fish care products. Measuring just shy of 60" it is big Enough to cope with any carp in the UK, overseas and also can used for Pike and Cats. Superb thick padding and 2 semi rigid walls offer complete protection for the fish and a velcro fastened kneeling pad gives the angler protection from the ground. Due to arrive early oct and retailing at £74.99, keep an eye out in your nearest stockist.
Stuart is back on a roll after his bad run of form on a rich water in the Colne Valley. After experiencing some bad luck with several lost fish due to heavy weed and hookpulls, he showed who was boss again by landing a fine brace of 33lb + Fish last weekend. This takes his tally to a whopping 13 X 30lb + commons this season, with his sights sets set on a '40' before he switches species for the winter. Top Angling!
Fresh from his tench campaign and the odd trip for Barbel, our all round specialist fancied a change of scenery and departed onto the hallowed ground of the Colne Valley, with his carp rods for a change. The morning feeding spell produced two fish for the young gun, with a 27.8 and 33.11 bar of gold gracing his net. He vowels to get his Barbel Rods out for a bit, but reckons he'll be back soon! Top Stuff!
We received this brief report from Dan, who has clearly got his teeth into a new publicity shy venue with some monster fish. "I got off the mark on my new syndi lake in the Nene valley. I managed 3 x 20's in a night, just shy of that 30 mark with the first fish, but hopefully get amongst them soon. I will be praying to the carp gods that I get one of the 40lb commons present in the lake." Based on his previous form, we don't think we'll be waiting too long for some bigger samples.
Midlands supremo and Long time Angling Intelligence field tester Richard Shelley has come up trumps yet again with this stunning 37 from The carp society farriers lake. You keep up to date with Richards exploits as he now writes regularly for Carp Talk. Now for 40 lbs Farriers common me thinks!
Mark from Acorn Angling landed this 32lb 8oz mirror from an undisclosed Oxfordshire gravel pit. The fish is known as the River fish and is believed to be around 60 years old. An old warrior full of character, I bet he has seen a thing or two over the years, what a corker. He used the AI Performance rods to tame her.
Geordie Wright has sent us some of his recent exploits on the notoriously snaggy rainbow lake in France . The fish was one of 3 fifties from and weighed in at 54lb 12oz. The AI Rods were used tyo his full advantage to steer them away from the troublesome snags that inhabit the lake along with these whackers.
Geordie's accomplice Jacko, also got in on the action. He fished in the island swim at rainbow and had a few lumps himself. Not caught on the rods but a stunning fish. Scary to think what it might weigh if it had a boilie gut! It was 60lb 5oz.
It really is the month of commons this month, we had this fish in from Lee Cairns and this beauty tipped the scales round to 35lb 2oz. It was caught from a southern gravel pit and is the latest and biggest in a run of some stunning fish. Keep em coming mate!
The new products for Spring 09 will be in the shops very shortly. They include the new rucksack, a new holdall, quiver and single rod sleeve as well the brilliant new sack and incredibly versatile little brew bag. All the new products now appear on the products page of the site. The much talked about new shelters are on the way also and will be with you by mid Summer. For the first exclusive glance at what they have to offer you will need to subscribe to the Team Ai Newsletter where the next information packed edition will include the first photographs and information on the new products. To become a member of team Angling Intelligence just click here and fill in the form.
I am sure you will have seen the pictures of Simons amazing 46.2 Colne Valley mirror but we just couldn't leave it out the update, awesome angling from one of the very best all round specimen hunters in the land. Further details of the capture will appear here shortly but for now we just want to give another huge congratulations to Simon from all of us here at Ai.
Yes we know there are none left anywhere such was the demand for the 'chill-out' floating weigh slings. But fear not they will be back very shortly. To ensure that you get yours from your local stockist get one ordered now! They are a brilliant product that solve all those problems relating to the short term retention of fish whilst you get your life sorted out for those all important trophy shots. Remember though they are not a sack and only designed for short term retention. Any more than 20 minutes we recommend you use one of the 'Lifebuoy' safe sacks. For information on this brilliant new product click here.
Richard Shelley, South West Regional Finalist for Carp Angler of the Year 2009 has had a brilliant run of success on his chosen venue. The Cardiff angler has had a string of stunning fish of 30 lbs plus, has been topped off by this cracker. Keep them coming that man.
Some of you will be aware that Tony has been unwell recently and this superb capture from Yateley South Lake shows he is back to full health. We continue to wish you well fella - I include an extract from his email which says it all:
'This one was the lake record fish... Petel (just not at her top weight) she was 32lb3oz about 1lb under the lake record. I fished for a total of 2 hours in the end... result. real memorable capture... had to jump a fence and climb up a tree stump and then pass the rod around a tree because she had kitted around the island... it was a real John Wilson moment! The other fish was called the tethered fish one that hasn't been caught since it was (the only fish) to be found tethered when all the work was done last year... it had over 100yds of line wrapped all round it about 3 rigs and leads on it and looked like it wouldn't make it... but we freed it up and treated it... and now I was the first person to catch it we know its doing well, looking good and back on the feed... another result...'
Our congratulations go out to our man in Holland Matthijs Gerrietsen who aside from looking after our Dutch shops for us also manged to bank this cracking new personal best. Apparently it went 19 kilos and 800 grams (whatever that is!). Top angling from a truely nice guy. At least we know why the Dutch orders have been a bit slow - too much time on the bank - only kidding fella!
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exclusive shots of Si Hartops amazing Colne valley mirror, so if you haven't already
subscribed now is the time to do it.
Not only is the Ai Stalking Bag one of the best thought out and innovative items of luggage on the market it is also one of the most versatile. Ai Director Paul Terry recently did his last overseas trip with the Army to Brunei with the Stalking Bag in tow. It was the perfect companion on the plane, an excellent day bag whilst taking in the sites and of course perfect for those explorations into the jungle, both with and without a rod. A top quality item with a multitude of uses.
Click to Enlarge
Well this is the picture you wanted to see, the jubilant Simon Hartop with the result of 3 years hard work from undisclosed Colne Valley water. The exact origin of the fish is not known, suffice to say it has not been caught for many, many, years if at all and for the last 3 years nobody has been anywhere near the place. The full story behind the capture will be published in due course but for now just take some time to admire the beauty of this unknown whacker! Also on the video page is some footage of the fish being returned. The quality is not excellent as it was taken on a normal camera but I think the sense of delight on Simons face is plain for all to see.
Once you have finished admiring Simon's fish be sure to visit the website later in the week. The next update will include details of all the latest 2009 Ai products with the relevant product pages in place.
To become a member of Team Angling Intelligence please be sure to go to the contact us page and register for the Team Newsletter. The next edition will be out the first week in June and will include further exclusive pictures of Simon's cracking 46 mirror.
All the best and Tight Lines.
Paul
Company Development Director
Angling Intelligence
A shortened version of the update this month whilst we prepare the web pages for the new products etc. That is not to say we have nothing to report. The last month has been a whirlwind of activity as Angling Intelligence continues to thrive despite the current economic climate. Indications are that anglers are still prepared to purchase as long as they know they are getting a quality product which will help them catch more fish, at price which represents top value. This is what the Angling Intelligence brand is all about.
To get a sneak preview of some of the new products for 2009 as well as exclusive news regarding our new high profile Consultant subscribe now to the Team Angling Intelligence newsletter. It is packed with news, information and hot tips to help you put more fish on the bank. Click here to go directly to the subscription page. It is of course completely free! The latest edition of the newsletter will then be sent straight to you.
We will be back at the beginning of May with a full web update which will be packed with new product information and catch reports. Until then enjoy the early days of Spring. The fish are feeding and the sun is shining warm and bright - Tight Lines!
The first of our newsletters went out in February and we are delighted with the positive feedback from the subscribers. We would therefore encourage any of you that haven't already subscribed to go to the contact us page of the website, subscribe and join Team Angling Intelligence. As such you will be receive news bulletins and monthly updates giving news, tips and information exclusive to Team Ai members. The next Team Newsletter will go out about 20th March. Look out for some exclusive hot news from the Ai camp as well as details on the first of the new products for 2009.
Also don't forget all subscribers go straight into our monthly free prize draw.
It is no secret how difficult the current economic climate has made things for British industry and although less affected than most by the 'credit crunch' we are left with no choice but to raise our rrps as of 1st April 2009. We will do our very best to keep prices down and ensure you always receive excellent value for money for a quality product, but if you are quick on your feet now is the time to get out there and bag yourself a bargain.
At last the show season is over and we can all get down to some serious fishing. We would just like to extend a big thank you to all our friends and supporters that have come and said hello over the last few months, be it at Donnington, Sandown, Zwolle, Brentwood or most recently at 5 Lakes. It was good to see you all. We are in the process of booking a series of open days at some of the best shops in the country during 2009 so we look forward to seeing you there. In the meantime if you have any problems with any of our products or want some advice regarding anything to do with carp fishing drop us a line at info@anglingintelligence.com
We are delighted to announce that our new Dutch agents are up and running supplying the trade in Holland and Belgium. Matt, Louisa, and Bart can be contacted through their website www.anglingintelligence.nl Which has details of all of our products translated into Dutch. They are all quality carp anglers with a genuine knowledge of all of our products and I am sure we will have a great year working with these guys so if you are on the continent and trying to source any of our products don't hesitate to get in touch with them.
After what has been a pretty grim Winter fishing wise the rivers have been the first to come alive. All round specialist and Thames guru Simon Hartop has had three cracking doubles out of the old river in the last few days, topped off by this absolute beauty! Awesome angling from one of the countries very best.
Next month will see the website being updated with all the latest news on the new products for 2009. As usual we have some great new gear lined up for the Spring and even more new products including the new unhooking mat and shelter will be with you in the Summer. The brilliant chill-out slings are also on their way and the next batch will be in the shops in May - if you can't wait that long there are a handful still knocking round the shops so phone around the stockists and you may get lucky. We know it a brilliant product but you loved it so much we ran out quicker than expected! We will do our best to avoid this in the future.
After missing last months update, we welcome you back to Angling Intelligence for 2009. In what is set to be a challenging year ahead AI will continue to develop new exciting products and help you put more fish on the bank. Our retailer base is growing in the UK and across Europe and at a time when many of the bigger companies will start to flounder Angling Intelligence continues to go from strength to strength. Here's to a great 2009!!
After a long delay the monthly AI newsletter will go live with the first copy being sent out to all our subscribers in the second week of February. It will include all the latest product info, tips from our array of top Consultants and up to the minute news from all of the team. To make sure you don't miss out click here and go straight to the subscription page. All subscribers will immediately enter our monthly prize draw, the results being announced in each copy of the newsletter. If you haven't subscribed - do it now!
It was a pleasure meeting everyone at the Donnington, Brentwood and Sandown Shows. In fact we loved it so much we will be at The Big One in Farnborough, 5 Lakes 'Carpin On' and for our growing band of European followers the fantastic Zwolle show in Holland. They are your opportunity to speak with the team, get hands on with all the latest kit and bag yourself a quality bit of kit at a fantastic price. See you there!
Darran Goulder didn't let the cold stop him like many others did over winter, he was out at every opportunity regardless of the weather. His persistence paid off in true form, on a day where the frost failed to retreat, and the temperature at 7am was -5.5. Trotting a single red maggot on a cold clear river proved the downfall of 2 chub, the biggest a new PB at 7lb 2oz. It was aided to the net by a 15ft Shimano Catana Match Rod, and a size 20 Drennan Superspade hook to 2lb line - when times are hard, scaling down will bring you bites.
Specimen team member Stuart Court has proved that targeting the right species, in the right conditions, you can keep catching during winter. He recently tackled a colne valley carp lake during a short mild spell. Bagging a stunning 34lb 8oz common, what better on a winter's day? Being an all-rounder, he's also been beating the winter chill by catching some nice perch from the river Great Ouse. He's had fish up to 3lb 12oz so far but is confident that there are some monsters to come when the conditions are right, let's just hope that's before the river season ends in March. Stuart has also recently had an article published in Angling Times explaining his successful lure fishing methods and tactics for big strippeys. Good work Stewy.
One of the simplest products we have had to develop, the Barrow Storm Cover comes in its own case to strap to a barrow so it is there when you most need it and with this Winter as wet as ever, they are getting plenty of use! It ample size and elasticated edges stretch over a fully laden barrow and keep all your vital tackle dry and clean. What's more they are perfect for the back of the car when your gear is wet and muddy. Just stretch it out over the back seats and in the boots and the Mrs need never know you have been fishing! For more details, click to the product page or to make a purchase visit our list of trusted stockists.
We were delighted to have had a presence at both the major recent shows. Both Donington and Sandown proved to be very popular venues and it was great to see a good number of those people who we have spoken to on the phone or by email in recent times. The products sold well thanks to our relationship with some of the finest tackle shops in the country and many commented on how good it was to get 'hands on' with the tackle. The rods proved to be a real eye catcher with everybody loving the powerful through action and unique custom style build. Our products will be on display and for sale at all the major shows through the Spring. Watch the next update for more details.
We know things are tight out there but you don't have to pay a fortune to get the best possible Christmas present from the Angling Intelligence range. So tap up the other half and get these corking ideas into the Christmas stocking!
If by some miracle you don't have one of these it should be top of that Christmas present list. Used to weigh both the current British and World Record carp it is THE big fish weigh sling bar none - nuff said!
The range of EVA rig bags are quality all the way. Highly functional they are proving excellent pouches for storing our smaller clear tops in, as well as there more traditional uses as lead bags etc. The rig wallet in particular is proving a real hit. Ensure you smaller items are protected at all times and check these beauties out on the product page.
The stalking / overnight bag is a touch of design genius. Raved about by all that have used one it is a truly versatile, high quality product that will appeal to all mobile anglers whether their preference be roving for barbel or stalking the margins for carp. The Clear Top Accessory bags fill up the internal pouches a treat. Another market leading product that all anglers can put to good use.
The range of weed rakes have been a huge success since the launch in 2007. Nevertheless if they have not been used widely on your lake they are a true edge that will significantly increase your catch rates. Many of the countries leading anglers have used these to good effect but kept quiet about the results so as not to blow their edge. Next season stay ahead of the crowd and remember whilst the weed is down some of the rakes in the range make excellent feature finders. See the product page for more details.
The poles are another product that was designed to give the angler that all important edge when fishing around the margins. Even the 'plop' of a lead can spook wary carp but not if placed carefully with the baiting pole. Careful use with one of these will catch you more fish. A great Christmas present that comes with its own purpose designed baiting poles and float.
If you look back through the news updates you will see my prediction that it was only a matter of time before James Turner nailed one of the elusive 40s from his Surrey syndicate. Sure enough after some time off the venue James followed a 39 with this stunning 46 mirror. James has a knack of producing the goods as the weather closes in and the others head for home. Surely the next target has to be a proper UK 50? Watch this space!
Following on from his impressive captures of barbel and chub in recent months Si Hartop continued his run with this classic two pound plus roach from a small London river. A short session on dark with trusty old bread flake did the trick this time round.
Another quality fish from a quality angler.
Darran has dusted off his trotting rod and started catching some lovely big chub with consistency. Best of a dozen decent specimens so far with fish to 6.3 he ensures us there are plenty more to come, and bigger ones too. "When trotting, you need to scale right down to get bites. The '6' came to a single maggot on a size 20 hook". Ey? Us carpers think a 10mm boilie is small! Nice one fella.
As the year comes to a close it has been another exciting year for us here at Angling Intelligence. No multi million pound backers here, just 2 soldiers and 2 firemen with a passion for angling and providing you with the best possible service and new exciting products. 2009 is set to be even better with many new ideas in the pipeline. To stay ahead of the crowd be sure to register for our newsletter by filling in the form on the Contacts Page. The first edition will be with you very shortly. Until the next time though may we all at Angling Intelligence wish you a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
We are delighted with the initial response to the launch of our first production rod. A powerful through action 3.25 lbs test curve, a typically classy custom look, top quality performance gimmick free, robust components and unique subtle AI branding make this a force to be reckoned with for the angler that wants a 'one rod does all' performance option. The rrp of £199 is every bit value for money but as is always the case you will be able to get some discount for buying rods in sets from the majority of our stockists. To find out more, click on the rod icon on the product page or speak to one of our listed stockists.
We are delighted to announce our attendance at the Donnington Park Carp Spectacular on the 22nd and 23rd of November. All the range will be available for purchase at the show and some of the new products for 2009 will be on display. This is the first show in the new location and as a sister of the brilliant Brentwood show it is set to be sensation. We look forward to seeing you on the stand. For more details visit. www.carpshow.com.
One of the most simple products we have had to develop the Barrow Storm Cover comes in its own case to strap to a barrow so it is there when you most need it and with Winter now upon us the chances are they are going to be getting plenty of use. It ample size and elasticated edges stretch over a fully laden barrow and keep all your vital tackle dry and clean. For more details click to the product page or to make a purchase visit our list of trusted stockists.
We never get bored of seeing our products being put to good use and the mighty scar has once again seen the inside of the large weigh sling. This time at an earth shattering 91 lbs. The biggest carp at World Record weight. Awesome. If you did miss it in The Sun newspaper here is the big girl in all her glory with lucky captor Andre Kormonicka. We have said it before and we say it again - if you don't have an AI weigh sling, why not!
Dan Cleary did one of his regular trips over the water to a favourite Belgium canal just recently and just look at the result. It might well be from Belgium but who can doubt the beauty of this absolute cracker, arguably as stunning as any of its UK counterparts and at a huge 56 lbs as big as they come. Great result and an awesome fish from our canal specialist!
If we do not have your website address you will have just missed out on the opportunity for free tickets to the Donnington Park Carp Spectacular. News, special offers and product release details will all be sent out to those that have registered by personal email with immediate effect, so to ensure you stay ahead of the crowd and keep up to speed with all the latest AI news, visit the Contact Us page on the website and take a second to fill out the form. What are you waiting for? Don't miss out. Do it now.
Si Hartop is Mr Consistency. After nailing a string of barbel last month, this time he weighs in with a stunning 7lbs 3 ounce chub. This fish of a lifetime was targeted from The Thames and is typical of the level of consistency Simon produces with his specimen angling. What you got for us next month Simon?
The much awaited Chill-Out weigh sling is in the shops now. This innovative design is set to be yet another AI favourite with anglers already clambering for them. The buoyant arms and securing clips ensure this is first product on the market that allows you to effectively rest a fish in the margins before weighing or taking photos. Just remember this is not a sack though. Carp should never be retained any longer than absolutely necessary and we advocate a MAXIMUM retention time of 15 minutes. See the product page for more information.
This new range of 4 accessory bags is also in the shops now. Made from a toughened EVA material and very competitively priced they compliment the clear top range perfectly. A rig board, rig wallet four and six compartment lead bags make up the range. For more details visit the product page now.
The bad weather will soon be upon us. Wet groundsheets and muddy pegs will become the norm as will the need to ensure you have your infil panels with you in case the weather turns. The Bivvy Accessory Bag is a product unique to AI and provides the perfect home for all those wet muddy accessories. Why would you put that groundsheet back in the bag with the bivvy? You would have to be mad! The bivvy accessory bag gives you the perfect answer. See the product page or visit your local stockist for more information.
The much awaited launch of the new bait was delayed whilst we tweaked one or two of the ingredients but at long last here it is. Two superb high quality baits, thoroughly tested and quite simply guaranteed to help you get better results. Available now through the website; visit the ProB8 link on the products page for more information and get your next crucial edge. You will also get the chance to join the team as a field tester and get superb deals on bait and other items! Another great addition to the range you can't afford to miss out on.
One of the other superb products to be launched this Autumn by the team at AI is the first addition to the AI rod range. The rod has been carefully developed to provide optimum performance for all carp fishing situations, enabling anglers of all casting abilities to achieve maximum range on their casting, whilst still being soft enough in the tip to be a pleasure to use when playing fish. With an understated custom look the rod oozes class and individuality and is typically AI. See the product page for more information.
Ai fan Tony Drye was recently given one of the sample Ai-Q rods to take to France for a session in the hope of getting yet more feedback on the soon to be released product. Well the session was blinding and Tony was able to put the rod through its paces landing fish to 42lbs on the new rod. And what did he think of it? Well put it this way he put 4 of them on order for the second they arrive. Top angling Tone.
Our weigh sling is THE big fish weigh sling. We have been telling you that for months now. The picture right shows the mighty Scar in the sling and if you go to You Tube and type in two tone you will see a video of the British record in the sling pulling the scales round to record proportions. Click on the link to be taken straight there.
James Turner has nailed one of those bigger residents on his Surrey syndicate. This stunning 37 was accompanied by a gorgeous common and is one of his three target fish. The other two are even bigger and as they say - it is only a matter of time. Well done fella - the next one a 40 please!
Spencer has been having great success on his Essex syndicate. In one day he caught fish of 26, 27, 30 and the Annie for the second time at an amazing 56 lbs. This represents top angling from Spencer who has had very limited time on the bank this year. It just goes to show - class is permanent.
After a brief interlude with the fairer sex Warren has been back on his Herts club water and immediately got back amongst the fish. Using a new rig and baiting approach he has been getting consistent action from this notoriously difficult water. Surely the big girl is just around the corner now.
An AI fan from the start Andy Santiago has sent us in this picture of his new pb common that tipped the scales at over 40 lbs. A well deserved capture from the northern maestro who has done his best with the self takes as the lake was empty at the time. Great stuff fella.
We know they took a while coming but the 12m poles are now in the shops and being snapped up by those successful anglers that know a real edge when they see one. Only slightly bigger when packed away than it little 8m brother the 12m version is still light and compact enough to be kept in the rod bag all the time, so you have it to hand on that one day when you need it most.
This brilliant long awaited product is in the shops at last. Just in time for when the dreaded floating weed is at it worst. Ideal for clearing channels in surface weed, intercepting or moving aside drifting weed or anything else, branches leaves etc. about to crash into your lines and ruin that all important presentation, this is another innovative edge to add to your armoury.
The 2008 bedchair is unquestionably the most carpy looking versatile bedchair on the market. We used an all aluminium frame to keep the weight down and provide the optimum amount of padding for comfort. There is a complete neoprene surround for comfort and thermal purposes as well as putting a storage pocket on the base for a bedchair cover, clothing or similar. At the great price of just £129.99 nothing else even comes close for the money. If you need a new bedchair be sure to check this out. Speak to your local stockist list for details.
The much awaited launch of the new bait was delayed whilst we tweaked one or two of the ingredients but at long last here it is.Two superb high quality baits, thoroughly tested and quite simply guaranteed to help you get better results.Available now through the website; visit the ProB8 link on the products page for more information and get your next crucial edge.You will also get the chance to join the team as a field tester and get superb deals on bait and other items!Another great addition to the range you can’t afford to miss out on.
We have already had lots of enquiries about the new short term retention sling. There will be a full explanation of the product next month and in the October issue of Big Carp magazine but to clarify this is not a sack, it is a short term retainer to save you leaving the fish in the edge, in the net resting on the gravel, or with a mate holding it in the margins in a weigh sling whilst you sort you life out prior to weighing or photographs. It is a quality bit of kit designed to make your life simpler and the fishes more comfortable.
One of the other superb products to be launched this Autumn by the team at AI is the first addition to the AI rod range. The rod has been carefully developed to provide optimum performance for all carp fishing situations, enabling anglers of all casting abilities to achieve maximum range on their casting, whilst still being soft enough in the tip to be a pleasure to use when playing fish. With an understated custom look the rod oozes class and individuality and is typically AI. Watch the products page later this month as full details of this exciting new product are revealed to all. See next months update for details on the new sleeping system that will be in the shops just in time for when those winter frosts kick in..
Paul's early trips up the Thames have proved successful with some good fish already coming his way. The first trip however resulted in these three crackers, all around the 20 mark and out and about in the hours of darkness. The Thames at its finest! The new nut bait has proved the downfall of all his early season captures, the fish in this most famous of rivers taking an instant liking to it.
Darran has been quiet over the last month or so, targeting big eels of all things. Anyway a chill brought a change in species and he successfully switched to bream catching no fewer than 3 doubles in a day session. The best of the bunch being a 12.6 specimen. Read more about the catch in the Angling Times. Well Done Bud.
James Turner has been putting the hours in on his chosen Surrey syndicate and is now feeling close to banking one of the lakes largest residents. In the meantime look at this beauty from a recent trip. Just over 30 and as English as fish and chips. We wish him well and know it is only a matter of time before he banks one of the big girls.
Spencer has had limited time on the bank this season, being an estate agent he has found himself rather busy! That said when he gets the chance he knows exactly how to get amongst them. A corking mid 30 this one taken on a quick session at his Essex syndicate. Hopefully Spencer will be able to put some time in this Autumn and really get amongst the big boys.
AI supporter Mark Wordsall is another who has made the most of his limited time the Summer so far. Another cracking 30 from another Essex syndicate, Cleverly Mere on a quick overnighter goes to show just how efficient mark is at nailing his target species. It also shows if you pick the right venue you don't need to spend your life on the bank to catch quality fish. Keep at em Mark. More pictures please!
Simon always spends a week up on the Warickshire Avon in the knowledge that the hard fighting barbell will always put a bend in his bat. Well this year was no exception with a string of hard fighting fish into double figures being at the heart of yet another successful visit to the great river. Simon's level of consistency across a range of angling disciplines is quite exceptional as the catches just keep coming.
Regrettably there are just some things you can’t control and stock being supplied on time is definitely one of them. Judging by many of the emails coming through to the website many of you are chomping at the bit to get your hands on some of the new kit. Well by the time you read this it will be in the process of being delivered to the shops at last – about time I hear you cry! We agree but just remember all good things come to those who wait. We thank you for your patience.
For those of you not sure about some of the products in the 2008 range in the June edition of Big Carp Paul highlights some of the new products and gives you an insight into one of those items for launch later in the year which is a little bit special. Furthermore you can’t miss the Sir Pete interview!!On sale now!
Congratulations to our Consultant Si Hartop who has just tied the knot; promising it won’t interfere with his fishing! Yeah right! We would also like to thank him for his superb efforts on a recent feature for Tight Lines on Sky Sports. Despite the most horrendous of weather at the incredible Horseshoe Lake, Si managed to nail our target fish by netting a couple of fine specimen tench. The feature will appear shortly but what I am most looking forward to is a return visit as soon as the sun comes out and those tench (and carp) get proper on the munch.
Due to the demand for the new hoodies as we have been travelling this month we have decided to sell them through the website. For the time being they will be made to order, but as you can see they look pukka. For more info keep an eye on the product page as it will appear shortly.
AI Team member Stu Court has finally beaten his Herts Club Water demons with the capture of the amazing Plodder at over 47lbs. Taken from the edge on a nut bait pole fed down the margin, this is true reward for Stu who worked hard all last season on the venue when the fishing was exceptionally hard for very little reward.
We keep telling you how good our new range is but don’t just take our word for it. The guys at topcarpgear.co.uk do independent reviews on items of equipment and the first from the AI range of luggage and the 8m Baiting Pole is now on the site. Read it, be impressed and next time you want to buy some new gear be sure to have a good look at the range. Visit www.topcarpgear.co.uk
Angling Intelligence stalwart Warren Burling has nailed 2 of Hertfordshires finest in consecutive weekends. Gerry’s at 35 plus was followed by one of the very hardest to nail, the Long Common at over 34 and another original at just over 20. We are keeping the method under our hats at the moment but at least one of them was nailed on the new bait. We look forward to the weekend ahead!
Dan joins the team here at AI. He has all the credentials we would look for in a Consultant. Dedication, consistency and being a genuine quality angler. Having already banked numerous 30s this season Dan has just got back from Belgium where a visit to a notoriously tough canal resulted in some quality fish including this stunning 39 pounder. We welcome Dan who is destined to be become a highly valued member of the team.
Fred has been working away in the background for us, spreading the gospel on the Continent and catching a string of fine fish into the bargain. We welcome Fred formally as part of the team here at AI and look forward to seeing him nail some European whackers as well as work with us as we make a steady steps towards doing business overseas.
After taking a few weeks off (against his will), he has finally started to dent his local Tench. No monsters yet, but some lovely specimens all the same, with numerous 7’s with 3 8’s to 8.6. His new Drennan Distance Rods and Shimano 5000 xte reels are well and truly christened and with the weather making a turn for the better, no doubt some bigguns will grace his net. He said the new feeders from Drennan are a godsend, and they are10 times more durable than the previous blockends. To see more of his catches in more detail, http://darrangoulder.blogspot.com
Despite truly awful weather we had a great time at the Total Fishing Tackle.com Open Day at Birds Green Fishery in Essex on Sat 17 May. The pole demonstrations proved an eye opener for the uninitiated, casting across the lake and then shipping the hook link out under bank side bushes. Apparently none of the lakes were fishing but a little time sussing a winning method resulted in us having to reel in at night so fast was the action. The new bait fished over particle being the truly winning method. We have rarely seen fizzing like it!
We promised you info on the new bait. Keep an eye on the site as the details will appear in the next few days.
We regret to say that Tackle North has had to be cancelled due to the organisers being let down by some of those who were supposed to be attending. We applaud Daniel and his efforts to do something that bit different and hopefully he will be able to resurrect the concept at some time in the future.
Darran had defied the laws of speci hunting and been crowned Drennan Cup Champion! Darran lifted the trophy last week after having a tremendous season, and won by some margin we our told by the guys at the Angling Times. He is the youngest ever winner at 24 yrs old, and fished on a limited timescale throughout the campaign. With numerous double figure Tench to 12.8, Bream to 15.10 and Barbel to 16.9, it looked like he was in with a chance, then a monster pike put in an appearance at 32lb. He was chuffed to have his name engraved on the trophy amongst all the angling greats, and meeting the man himself, the legend Peter Drennan was a awesome experience too. “Im honoured to be voted Britain’s top specimen angler. It was no easy task, and the fact that my angling peers had be down as their number one- it’s means a lot!” Check his new blog at http://darrangoulder.blogspot.com
The feature finders are generating considerable interest from all those that have been lucky enough to see or get their hands on them in advance of the first batch being delivered to the shops. Well the first shops have now taken delivery of this great new product so now all of you that know every little edge can make the difference can see just how good they are. Remember to use braid and with practice you will really notice the benefits over traditional lead alternatives.
We are delighted to announce that most of the new products will be in the shops before the end on May. The stalker/overnight bag, clear tops, the new bedchair and multi function carry case amongst them. These new items are much in demand so make sure you get your order in to your locals stockist! Sorry for the delay but we promise you they are worth the wait.
As a follow on from last months Big Carp article featuring the weed rakes, this month Paul turns his attention to the much acclaimed baiting pole. With some top tips on how to get the best from this product it is a must read for anybody planning on fishing close to the edge this coming season. Remember from July the pole will also be available in a 12 metre version to gain you those vital extra yards in certain circumstances. Watch the website for the release date.
For those of you bursting to see the new items ahead of the crowd Angling Intelligence will be attending the Total Fishing Tackle.com Open Day at Birds Green Fishery in Essex on Sat 17 May. Paul will be fishing one of the lakes demonstrating the rakes and poles as well as having all the new items for 2008 on the bank with him. There will also be a few surprises on show including the new rod which will be out in the Summer and a chance to see the …….well you will just have to come and see wont you!!! Also on show will be Angling Technics, Prestige and the new range from tackle giants Nash. For more information visit www.totalfishingtackle.com.
Angling Intelligence are delighted to be the sponsor company for this new event to take place in Leeds on Sat 28 June. Although designed as a showcase for some of the many small companies that span the north of England Angling Intelligence are going to be attending, reinforcing our northern links and showcasing all the new 2008 products, as well as some of the items for launch this coming season, such as the superb new sleeping bag. So come on you northern anglers, support this new show and take a look at some of the latest AI gear into the bargain. Watch the June update for more details!
We promised you as soon as the weather turned Si Hartop would be targeting those elusive Colne valley stunners. Well get a load of this – from a secret Colne Valley pit this 30 plus common is an absolute stunner and true testament to the abilities of the Angling Intelligence Consultant. We can’t wait to see what he has for us next month. Just look back through the news archive to see just how consistent Simon truly is. Awesome angling!
Not to be outdone on the new Consultant front Spencer also added another cracking 30 to his collection with this Essex syndicate stunner. A zig rig fished in 17 feet of water saw its downfall. Watch this space as we are sure Spencer is going to have another cracking season on his chosen venue.
We are constantly being asked about our intentions for launching a new bait onto the market and we are delighted to tell you that we are just about ready to open it up to final field testing. Paul and other members of the team have been working on 2 new baits in the background for sometime now and the results from the publicity shy venues on which they have been used are quite superb. Keep an eye out for the June update when all will be revealed!
Welcome to the April update guys. Sorry we missed out on last month. Paul failed to pull his finger out in time and we decided to let it run through until the new product page was ready for launch. That’s right hit on the Product page and you will see we have revamped it for 2008. The products that will be in the shops this Spring are all listed but a couple of other products including our superb new rods will appear here shortly. As you will see we have some superb bits and pieces on the way.
Paul is doing a series of articles for the legendary Rob Maylin’s Big Carp magazine. The first of these will be featured in the next edition, out early April and highlights the brilliant weedrakes. Designed to give the reader that one step further insight into their use and featuring the new models it is sure to be a valuable read for those of you that already have some rakes. If you don’t have any yet it will certainly convince you to go and get some! Enjoy the read…..More to come next month.
We have added 2 new Consultants to our ranks for 2008 both of which have been AI users since the first products were launched last year. Both are highly respected successful, anglers and we are delighted to have them aboard. Both have already reported back with superb fish during March:
New Consultant Si Hartop has had a superb Winter on the rivers. This new PB chub of 6lb 13oz is a true corker and testament to Simons true all round abilities. We are delighted Simon has joined us as a Consultant. He is a quality angler and a gentlemen as well. It will soon be time for him to dust off the carp rods and get back to hunting uncaught Colne valley whackers!!
Spencer has used our products since early last year and found out how effective the weed rakes can be on their first ever time of use on The Manor when he banked Stella at over 38 lbs. With the Annie already to his name Spencer did his first session of the year on his favourite venue a few weeks back and nailed this stunning 36 mirror. Good testament to good angling and a bit of time spent prebaiting - the superb Bait Craft frozen ready mades already doing the trick. We look forward to a steady flow of fish from Spencer as the year progresses. He has already provided us with some cracking ideas which we are already doing the design work for.
The Angling Intelligence all-rounder took the specimen just 15 minutes into a session on a new water after it picked up his floatfished roach deadbait. Not only does it set a new personal best for Darran, it ensures a remarkable seven Drennan Weekly Awards in what’s been a brilliant spell of fishing.
Having ear-marked the venue some time ago, he started prebaiting with mashed fish in an attempt to concentrate the fish into one area as the season drew to a close. But even he was surprised at the speed in which he connected with the huge predator. Not only is the venue unfished, but the Monster has never seen the bank before.
Awesome!
When Andy Santiago sent us in this pic of a true stunner from a North Lincs syndicate it most definitely deserved highlighting on the main news page. Although not huge it is worth its weight in gold – why can’t all carp look this good!
Stuart had an amazing days perch fishing recently. The weather was awful,blowing a gale and pouring with rain but he managed to drag himself out of bed and get to the Great Ouse for dawn. After walking about a mile he found a nice looking swim and decided to stay put for the rest of the day. The action was non stop, getting bites on both rods virtually every cast and racking up an amazing haul of big perch.Here's what he ended up with by the end of the afternoon.
5 over 2lb, then a 3.3, 3.5, 3.6, 3.8, 4, 4 and 4.4 Stuart said "I still cant quite believe what happened, i've been after a 4lber for 3 winters now, then within the space of a couple of hours i had 3x4's". A truely amazing days sport Stuart well done.
AI supporter Mark Wordsall sent us in a series of stunning fish from his Essex syndicate. The fish pictured here is the most recent but the other can all be seen on the carp gallery page. If you have pictures of carp of this quality and you would like to share your catch reports with us send them in by email and we will get them in the gallery.
On Sunday 9th march, Ben Goldsmith-(tetlys boy) from musketeers angling club, caught an amazing 3lb 3oz perch on maggots on the pole in the margins. He used 6lb line and size 16 hook at framfield spring lake... He ended up with 20lb 2oz of perch and roach through a windy,cold and rainy days fishing... Top Work Mate.
We have taken on a host of new retailers since the Stockists page was last updated. It is now sorted so check it out to see if your local shop is now using their Angling Intelligence. Those store owners out there we are only after a handful of other shops in the right areas. If you think you could be the right shop then drop us a line via email and we will get a trade pack out to you.
Angling Intelligence bolted onto the stand of one of the major Dutch retailers at the recent Zwolle Show in Holland. It was a great success with a huge amount of interest in our product range and an obvious genuine desire for another quality English brand.
Huge thanks go to Marc Westenberg and ‘Fred’(pictured with a Dutch lump) who translated for us over the two days and made it all possible. We are now officially in Europe as De Stuk from Eindhoven are stocking the full range of products. A link to their website appears on the stockists page. Finally if you have never been to the Zwolle show, you must! It is huge and we for one can’t wait for next year!
Steve Woodham, the Yateley South Lake Head Bailiff and Angling Intelligence convert has been in touch to tell us of his Winter exploits on the famous Hampshire day ticket venue. He and fellow bailiff Matt Dunn have caught consistently all Winter taking fish to over 32lbs including this typically gorgeous mid 20 mirror. For more details on the South Lake either visit the CEMEX link or the South Lakes own specialist website on www.carpangling.net. Paul from AI nipped down for an overnighter after Matt had landed 9 fish to 27+ on his recent session. As temperatures plummeted the lake shut up shop but rest assured the stunning venue will be getting another visit shortly.
Monster Carp form the Thames, huge perch, battling barbel from a little touched river and now a brace of stunning chub. Si Hartop has not revealed his venue, for obviously reasons, but on his first visit the ever trusty cheese paste resulted in fish of 6 lbs and a monster of 6lbs 12oz. Simon has shown his true all rounder specialist potential yet again and as such joins us as a Consultant for the year ahead. We can’t wait to see what he has for us next month!
Many people have commented on whether the lightweight pole system is robust enough and we have repeatedly explained how their flexibility gives them strength a brittle rigid system may otherwise struggle to do – well the email we received below proves the point – the only bits that have been edited refer to the hush, hush venue
Hello there fellas i thought I would just drop you a line to tell you about the 4 day sesh i have just come off. I have been impressed with my air frame since i bought it about six months ago it has seen off rain snow frost gale force winds the lot all without a problem so i had no concerns what the weather man was telling on tue night. Now the lake in question is around 200 acres contains an unknown stock and fairly unknown size of fish (biggest to date is mid 30's) but for a water in XXXX that ain’t too bad. I got set up and cammo'd up no problem but the wind was starting to bring snow and rain while starting to get to gale force like i say i had no worries i knew my bivvy would be ok .Fast forward to 3.30am early hours of fri morning i was awoken by a loud crack and something hitting my air frame right above my head. I jumped out of the bag to find a branch had come off one of the tree's surrounding me. Looking around in the torch light i could see my air frame was looking a bit worse for wear so i removed the winter wrap to find what i first thought to be snapped pole but on closer inspection i realized it had infact just come out of the joint. So with a bit of brute force the pole was put back together and the air frame once again looked like it should so with the wrap back on i was back in the bag in no time till about a hour later when i had a series of bleeps on all the rods on my receiver. So I trotted of the 30 or so meters to where the rods were hidden to find 2 with an extra joint in the but section one floating about in the margins and one smashed landing net another branch had come down right on top of them all deep joy just what i needed. I would just like to say a very big thank you and well done on the air frame mine maybe saved my life who knows what could have happened i could still be laying there now if i wasn’t in a air frame. Thanks again and keep up the good work i would and do recommend your gear to everyone and now deffo the air frame.
Yours sincerely
a very happy and life long customer
This is probably the last month this deal will be running as stocks of the nylon now approach those of the more expensive IWS version. We cannot over emphasize how good a deal this is with the nylon bivvy, especially with the overwrap fitted, proving to be as robust as any shelter on the market and a truly superb all rounder. Not all the stockists have publicly advertised the deal so if you have trouble finding a supplier then drop us an email and we will point you in the right direction?
The new product page is coming together nicely and will be up and running shortly but here is a glimpse of a couple of the new products for 2008.
The boys at Angling Intelligence are amazed to see how many people are prepared to pack their dirty old groundsheet away with the bivvy, but realised there really wasn’t anywhere else for it. That problem is now solved with the first accessory bag purpose designed for those bivvy accessories. It has compartments for your bivvy groundsheet (from any company) and infil panels, (both mosi mesh and full infil will fit in together if need be) and a further compartment for your pegs or any other bit of kit for that matter, towels, spare clothes, torches being just a few examples. The RRP will be confirmed shortly and they will be in the shops from April.
Ok guys here is a sneak preview of another Angling Intelligence product that will give you a real edge. The new additional to our range of London made stainless products is this feature finder. Made from a single block of stainless steel and weighing about 3 ounces, the hard metal ensures that every possible vibration from the lake bed is transmitted through the braid to the angler. We found that although lead works fine for those big obvious spots this stainless variant greatly improves your feel over those smaller, more subtle areas, the sort that pressured carp are likely to frequent. Shaped so the thicker heavy end stays in contact with the bottom and with fins to give stability in flight and on the lake bed, this is another true innovation that could make the difference to your season ahead. They will be in the shops shortly. RRP to be confirmed. Ask your local stockist for more details.
It is the turn of the trusty baiting pole to hit the Features Innovation page. It really has been well received by the carp fishing World and has already proven to be the main reason for the downfall of many a large carp. For more details on this superb product click here or visit the features/innovations page.
After a great first season in the public eye with us Ken Beech has decided to move on, having been offered a full blown consultancy deal with Wychwood. Ken catches consistently from his chosen venue and I am sure he will prove a great asset to Wychwood in the future. We wish him well.
Think you can replace him – Ken provided us will a steady stream of publicity last year catching consistently from the ever productive Wellington Country Park. If you feel you can match his success and fancy filling his shoes as a member of the team then please drop us an email. We will want to know your track record, where you are fishing in 2008 and what you expect to catch. Remember Ken supplied us with at least one thirty every month in 2007…..are you up to the challenge?
A big welcome to 2008 from the team at Angling Intelligence. As we speak the new product range is being finalised and some of those new products will be with you shortly. For now the revamped luggage is in the shops with all the innovative touches of the launch range but with subtle improvements like EVA bases and more distinctive branding. More details appear below. The carpers are out hunting large Winter carp whilst testing the new products and the specimen boys are catching as consistently as ever. Lets hope this is a great year for everybody involved at Angling Intelligence and we wish every one of you every success in the year ahead.
The new products will be launched as we go through the Spring and the product page on the site is in the process of being updated to show the 2008 range as and when it is ready for launch. We envisage the new product page will be up and running by the end of January. For now though take a look at the revamped luggage. Using the same basic highly functional designs from last year, the new products are better made, better looking, even more robust and what’s more even cheaper than before! Full details will appear on the product page in due course but a look at the pictures below gives you some idea of what to expect. The luggage below is in the shops now! See our stockist list for details.
3 rod sling – now long enough to take rods up to 12’6” in length.
Bait bucket – eva base, removable liner and designed to fit a bucket internally if desired.
Cool Bag - A tough thermal lining that will not perish and is removable for ease of cleaning.
Airframe Quiver – will take 4 rods and take an Airframe shelter or similar slimline shelter in the centre compartment. Robustly made to be loaded to the max if required.
As promised here is a sneak preview of one of the new products for 2008. The stalking bag has had rave reviews as we have taken it round the retailers. It has been designed by Steve Pagulatos, one of the most successful stalking/margin anglers of our time. It has a harness so it fits on your back out of the way and an array or unique features, most of which aren’t apparent on this sneak preview. It will be in the shops in the Spring and will prove the product of choice for the stalking, short session and river angler alike. More details and photos will appear on the new product page shortly.
Darran hasn’t made the news since his big barbel back in November, but not through want of trying, he was just due a few bad sessions! He has started the New Year with a bang, and landed this new 3.13 stripey from the Ouse. He fished with plenty of worms and maggots, and used 4lb line straight through to a Korda size 6 wide gape hook. Good luck with a 4!
Specialist big fish angler and AI team member Richard Bedder has used his Angling Intelligence and escaped the frozen lakes of the UK for sunny Thailand. Richard caught numerous different species on his travels and as you can see from this picture some of them were awesome, if a bit weird – lets hope nobody tries to import these buggers! Richard is now in pursuit of a monster 4 pound roach and we wish him all the best
Si Hartop has stayed in the Colne Valley despite the freezing temperatures but was pushed from the lakes onto the river where this corking 11 pound plus barbel fell victim to his local knowledge. Not a huge barbel by national standards but a whacker from the river in question. Once those temperatures rise we are sure Simon will nail one of those unknown Colne Valley lumps he has in his sights. Good luck fella.
Due to a technical hitch the weedrakes never appeared on last months innovation page. So this month we have had another go (and I have sent the web designer the info). The weedrakes were a revolution in 2007 with many big fish being caught on the quiet using the method. The problem is most of those that have realised what an edge they give you want to keep it quiet! Click here to be directed straight to the Innovation Section and get yourself one step ahead of the crowd.
The nylon Airframe Bivvy deal continues with the Overwrap coming free with the shelter. An amazing deal for superb all season coverage. See the stockists page for your local retailer and bag yourself a bargain.
Last year we ran a competition in Advanced Carp for a new consultant and although we will not be repeating the competition in 2008 we are always on the lookout for somebody that has that something a bit special to join us as a member of the team. Ken Beech won last years competition. He has caught fish of over 30 pound just about every month since he joined us last year and is proving an invaluable member of our team. If you think you can equal that kind of success then get in touch by email at anytime. Who knows we may be able to put you on the ladder for carp fishing stardom!
The most important message from the team this month is a huge thank you to all that have supported us in 2007. It is no easy task making an entrance into such a close knit industry and the help and support shown by you the carp angling public has played a huge part in our early days success. We wish you all a very merry Christmas and a prosperous 2008.
We know many of you are watching closely to see what we come up with for 2008. Next year will see the range expand in several areas with some fantastic products on the horizon. We will launch these steadily as the year progresses rather than all of them in January (we don’t want them all copied at once!) but rest assured they will be worth the wait. Next month will see the launch of the re-designed luggage. The products have remained fundamentally the same with an even greater emphasis being placed on quality, the addition of EVA bases, better zips and branded zip tags etc for example. Pictures and details of all the new luggage will appear on next months update as will the first look at one those new items for 2008.
Due to a variety of reasons the session with Ken on Wellie has been put back to the New Year. This is largely to ensure our lucky winner has every possible chance of catching on what will be his only ever session on the water. They remain in touch and as soon as the time is right it will happen and a full report appear here in due course.
In the meantime Ken has continued to catch despite numerous obstacles being put before him. Keep em coming Ken. More Wellie whackers to follow for sure.
The weedrakes have been a revelation for many in 2007. Some waters have been taken apart using them and some huge fish have fallen to their use, so revolutionary was the idea. To get the inside edge on how they came into production click on the Features / Innovations page or here to go direct. If you haven’t got on the rakes yet they are the perfect Christmas present so don’t be behind the curve in 2008, give yourself the best edge possible. See the stockists page for your local retailer.
The nylon Airframe Bivvy deal continues with the Overwrap coming free with the shelter. An amazing deal for superb all season coverage. See the stockists page for your local retailer and bag yourself a bargain.
Neil Taylor from Essex is the lucky winner of the Wellie comp. Unfortunately like so many waters at the moment Wellie is not its usual prolific self. With that in mind Neil and Ken are keeping in touch and when the time is right we will descend on the Wellie carp for their session.
Although fishing hard Ken still caught in October and this lovely mid 30 is the proof of how even when the going gets tough Ken keeps catching. It may surprise many to hear that Wellie can be as hard as any lake in the country when they decide not to play ball. For the inside track on how Ken manages to regularly produce the goods on the venue look out for next months Carp Addict where Ken has produced his first published article on the superb Berkshire Pit. Hopefully the carp will be playing ball again by then and we can have a catch report with Neil behind the camera.
The sales of the IWS Airframes have far outweighed those of the nylon version. We appreciate the nylon market is ultra competitive in terms of price and as such we have introduced an amazing deal. The stockists have all been engaged and anybody looking to buy the Nylon bivvy can now get the overwrap for free. This puts the Nylon Airframe Bivvy in the mix in terms of cost and streets ahead in terms of quality, innovation and value for money. So to bag yourself a bargain, get in touch with your local stockist, full details for which can be found on the website. For more details on the bivvy generally feel free to get in touch or see the product area of the site.
Young Darran Goulder has added yet another monster to this years Drennan Cup competition campaign, run by the Angling Times. On a cold misty evening, after a disastrous perch session, our AI Consultant targeted the barbel by baitdropping hemp, various pellets and Teme 7 Lamprey Boilies into a deep hole. Not wanting the perch to dent his confidene, this beauty was the result of hard graft and determination, when most would have accepted defeat and gone home. Winning tactics was a free running 4oz Korda Grippa, long 3ft Hybrid Hooklength, and a size 8 Wide Gape hook. Keep em coming Geezer!
This months featured product in the innovations area is the Airframe Bivvy. This is in part to compliment the superb buy the bivvy get the overwrap free deal that is available through any of our stockists and partly to highlight what an awesome piece of kit this is. We have received many emails from established carpers telling us this is the best shelter they have ever owned. To see why visit the features area of the site or click HERE to go direct to the update.
We missed the opportunity last month to get the picture of this 30 from Micks new water The 30+ pictured is the first from his new Surrey syndicate. After more time working he will be back on the bank this coming month so watch out for the December update on how he is getting on.
Inspired by the ramblings of Simon Hartop in the current edition of Carp Addict Simon introduced Paul to the wonders of river carp. It was an experience to be sure and Paul already has some fine Thames carp under his belt. CC Moore Hellrasier Pop Ups fished snowman style over xxx bottom baits did the trick and the pursuit of a 30 out of the river will occupy Paul for some time. During a recent trip with Paul, Warren Burling learnt an important tidal Thames lesson. Never set up too close to the river! I will leave the rest to your imagination. Nice one fella! At least he caught for his troubles.
Whilst many may site Rod Hutchinson or Rob Maylin as their inspiration in carp fishing. AI Director Paul Terry firmly sites his old man as the reason he got started. It was about 1980 when Paul first visited Waveney as a young lad and skimmed an 8 pounder back across the surface . 27 years on ‘pumpkin’ is still catching em as this Pads Lake fish shows. What we really wanted to show you though was the Alfred Bull in the background. We reckon this original piece of kit is about 35 years old and he refuses to ever use anything else! There is no doubt ‘they don’t make em like that anymore’!
Congratulations to Neil Taylor from Sunny Chelmsford, Essex. He is the lucky person to join Ken Beech for a 48 hour session at Wellington Country Park- home of monsters. Ken will be doing his best to aid Neil in the quest of one of the 'in-form' lakes' residents. We wish them both well, and look forward to hearing how they have got on. A full report will appear here detailing how they got on.
We have had a great response to the competition for a 48 hour session at Wellington Country Park and Ken is really looking forward to the challenge of putting fish on the bank for the lucky winner. Don’t forget the closing date for the competition is 10th October and the winner will be informed straight away thereafter. Dynamite have agreed to supply the bait for the session and the fishing is really hotting up. Tim Wagner has had his tenth 40 of the year out of the venue and on his last trip Ken had a 38 and a 35! To top it off one of the venues biggest residents has just gone 47lbs!!! Not bad considering the best is yet to come. To enter could not be easier, just go to the contacts page and fill in the form which will take you a matter of seconds. A small price to pay for the chance of a session of a lifetime. The winner will be announced on a web update on or around 13th of October. Good luck!!
Ken has squeezed a couple of sessions in during September. A handful of smaller fish were topped by a stunning brace of 38 and 35 on his last trip. Although the weed is resulting in a few lost fish Ken is confident he can get a result for the lucky winner, the plan being to get to the venue before the winner to secure a good swim and give em a free nosh up! As stated above weights are on the up and all is looking good. Hopefully the next update will show Ken and the comp winner with new PBs!!
It appears that our young specimen hunter, Darran Goulder, is actually of fire at the moment, everything he has targeted has not only come to his net, but in ultra quick time too. As if 5 double figure Tench to 12.8 and a 4.1 Crucian wasn’t enough already, his recent bream campaign resulted in 20 double figure bream to 15lb 10oz. That is truly a monstrous slab and rightly deserved his 5th Drennan Cup of the season. He was pioneering a large gravel pit, and successful tactics included Korda end tackle, and a very large amount of Teme Severn Pellets and 12mm Lamprey Boilies…. Not forgetting quite a few kilos of sweetcorn too. Where to next??
So its not just twenties while tenching, and big river twenties while barbelling, this beautiful mid thirty mirror came whilst he was breaming. Truly a great specimen to fall to his 1.75lb Test Curve rods, the fish known as the ‘Pretty One’ was landed in much anguish to the carpers on the water, as its not only one of the bigger specimens, but quite a rare vistor to the bank at that. Great Angling and a treasured member of the Team.
The sales of the IWS Airframes have far outweighed those of the nylon version. We appreciate the nylon market is ultra competitive in terms of price and as such we have introduced an amazing deal. The stockists have all been engaged and anybody looking to buy the Nylon bivvy can now get the overwrap for free. This puts the Nylon Airframe Bivvy in the mix in terms of cost and streets ahead in terms of quality, innovation and value for money. So to bag yourself a bargain, get in touch with your local stockist, full details for which can be found on the website. For more details on the bivvy generally feel free to get in touch or see the product area of the site.
This months featured product in the innovations area is the traditional umbrella. This represents excellent value for money and is a must for those that love that brolly feeling but want that little bit extra. The mossie mesh photo you see in the section is not standard but shows Paul’s own umbrella after a custom fit by Army Andy. It really is pukka. For more information see Andys website via the link in the contacts page or click here. To go direct to the Innovations update click here.
After a long period of training at work Mick has got back on the bank and is already amongst the fish at his new venue. The 30+ pictured is surely the first of many from the Surrey syndicate. We look forward to reading about his adventures on here, in Big Carp and a forthcoming AI Files for carp Addict.
This months Carp Addict has the first ever written feature by the incredible Simon Hartop. Simon recalls his experiences on the mighty River Thames and surrounding area. If you are or want to be a river carper you really can’t afford to miss this superb article in Carp Addict - available early October! To see the introductory piece Paul did for the series click on the articles area of the site.
Due to reasons beyond our control the availability of the infil panels and lightweight groundsheets has been greatly reduced. As a result they will not be on general sale but anybody who wants an infil panel or grounsheet should contact us at info@anglingintelligence.com and we will deal with your requirements direct.
Due to a variety of reasons we were not able to get to the venue to video Mike have his session floater fishing with Jim. It is our intention to cover this session separately in the future but we don’t yet have the photos etc to hand. We know it went well however with Jim guiding Mike to fish over 30 lbs during the session. Hopefully we will have the pictures for you next month.
A quick update to confirm that those fine chaps at Dynamite Baits have agreed to supply the bait for the forthcoming competition at Wellington Country Park. Their Tiger Nut boilies are dominating the venue at the moment and rest assured the lucky winner will not be short on food for some of the finest carp in the country. A big thank you to the team at Dynamite. More details appear below. Good luck to one and all that enter.
After the success of the competition offering a days floater fishing with Jim Shelley we have another fantastic prize on offer. A 48 hour session on the prolific Wellington Country Park Syndicate in Berkshire. Wellie is an exclusive syndicate with a waiting list as long as you like and this is a one off opportunity to fish the incredible venue. It has an amazing stock of English fish, too many thirties to count and at the time of the competition an equally impressive number of forties. In fact I think it is fair to say no other venue offers you a better chance of a UK 40 than Wellie, especially in October once they have been on the munch! The lucky winner will be hosted throughout by our Consultant and Wellington expert Ken Beech, whose sole aim will be to ensure you have every possible chance of catching, so it doesn't matter if your PB is currently 14 or 50, Ken will do everything possible to make your session one to remember. We will supply sufficient quantities of Dynamite bait to give you another vital edge and of course video all the action for prosperity. All you have to do to stand a chance of winning this superb prize is enter the free prize draw on the contacts page of this site and keep your fingers crossed. The lucky winner will of course be expected to get to the venue and abide by all the standard syndicate rules. The winner will be notified of these by us in due course. The closing date for the competition will be Fri 12th October with the session to follow as soon as possible thereafter, as agreed by Ken and the Winner. Good Luck!
The pressures of work limited Ken's time on the bank at Wellie this month but that's not to say he didn't have yet another productive month on the venue. Topped off by this superb 42.14 mirror Ken adds another UK 40 to his list. Taken on Dynamite Tiger Nut boilies the fish is a really good weight to be caught in August and all looks good for the weights to be well up in the venue by the time they have the annual Autumn feed up. To have a chance of getting amongst these awesome carp all you have to do is enter the competition above and join Ken on one of his October sessions. A real chance of a proper UK 40!
Needless to say Jim has continued to haul throughout August with numerous fish to mid 30s including the stunner pictured right. We look forward to Jim taking our competition winner for a days floater fishing early this month. Details and video footage of the day will appear here next month. In the meantime if you fancy a session under the instruction of the maestro visit his website www.jimshelleyuncut.com for more details. Many have benefited from the experience already with many PBs being smashed in the process. Most rebook for another session without delay so don't miss out on the ultimate instructional experience.
We continue to get reports from up and down the country of how effective the weedrakes are proving to be. Some of these reports we are keeping under our hats due to individuals wanting to keep their edge under wraps. In September the weed will still be prominent so if your not a convert yet give them a go. As the Autumn kicks in and the leaves fall from the trees rake 3 will come into its own as the means of keeping those going spots clear of debris. The mirror pictured was taken from a raked spot in a far margin. Frequent visits with the rake as the Autumn progresses will keep the 'spot going' well into the Winter. Awesome!
Team Angling Intelligence member Richard Bedder has come up trumps in his quest for monster roach. This fish has not been publicised elsewhere due to publicity restrictions so we are delighted to have this image for you to view. At a staggering 3. lbs 14 oz if this roach were a carp it would be a good 50+! I am afraid we are going to keep the method and location hush hush though. A fantastic result from a truly exceptional specimen angler.
Although a 40 still eludes him from the venue young James Turner continued his run of putting fish on the bank this month. This stunning 22.5 has mystified most of the regulars as nobody recognises it! Far from being dead after the passing on of some of its famous residents, Wraysbury still has some surprises hidden in its depths and the stock fish go from strength to strength. For more info on the venue see the CEMEX link on the site.
The Airframe is the subject of this months highlighted product in the Innovation area of the Features page. Much speculation has surrounded the development of this product so for the full run down visit the features section or click here to go direct to the page.
We are delighted to announce a series of articles set to be running in the big fish magazine Carp Addict. Following an introductory piece in the new issue a series of articles will run written by our team of consultants and supporters. The intention is not to blatantly push the products but instead to highlight the anglers and their winning methods. If you're not a Carp Addict reader already be sure to get your hands on a copy and don't miss out on the edges and top tips offered up exclusively for The Angling Intelligence Files.
Specimen Consultant Darran Goulder had a bumper catch of pristine Barbel from the notoriously difficult Royalty Fishery on the Hampshire Avon. He managed 13 fish, including two doubles, 11.10 & 10.6, it is fantastic fishing considering how hard it has been of late. He feed very cautiously to avoid disturbance, and over the course of his session went through an amazing amount of Korda PVA. Successful tactics proved to be a running 4oz Korda Grippa, a long coated braid hooklink to a Korda Wide Gape in a Size 10. Hookbait was a whittled down Lamprey Boilie, and a small pva bag containing a few crumbled Boilies, and a pinch of pellets every cast seemed to do the trick.
The competiton to win a day floater fishing with Jim Shelley proved to be a real success. The lucky winner is Mike Newiss from Ipswich. Full details of the day will appear here after the session and as at last the sun has decided to come out it should prove to be a great day out.
Most of you in the know will be aware that Jim has nailed another absolute corker, a stunning 47 from a low stock venue. Pictures of the lump will appear in due course. Elsewhere he continued to nail a series of 30s up to 37lbs and loads of 20s. His amazing run of success continues. If you were unlucky not to win the competition but still fancy a session with the maestro visit his website www.jimshelleyuncut.com and get yourself booked in for a fishing education!
We are extending our Features area of the site to include more information on the products and team of Consultants. We know how many of you look at the site and this will just help provide you with that bit extra about what we have to offer. Each month we will feature one of the products from the range, giving you an in depth insight into its origin, development and subsequent use on the bank. If you want to see how much effort goes in to bringing any of the products to market then this is a must see. The first product is live now so click here to go direct to the features page.
Yateley Car Park Lake Head Bailiff and AI Consultant Rick Harrision caught Heather earlier in the month at a good Summer weight of 47 lbs! Having caught one of the countries most prestigious fish before though, he gave her a quick MOT and slipped her back without even taking any photos!!! In case you're not quite so familiar with the Car park legend however have a look at the features / video section where you can see Steve with her in all her glory.
As if Ken wasn't going to keep catching at Wellie! Only a few nights this month though and this 31 was the pic of the bunch. As the Autumn draws closer watch those weights go up as the whackers munch through his Dynamite Tiger Nut boilies!!! Rumour has it Ken is doing a few nights on Horseshoe this month. Another chance to catch something with scales Ken?
The bank tramp that is James Turner has had his second fish from the ultra difficult Wraysbury One. The stunning Baby Mary fell to Icelandic Red boilies and a second fish so quick after starting on the venue is top angling. Joking aside, James isn't full time and only doing a couple of nights a week on average. Lessons to be learned? Do your homework. Watch the water. Get the basics right. Catch amazing carp!
There has been a small delay in the supply of the infil and mosi panels for the Airframes. That said they will be with us shortly and further enhance what is a truly awesome product. We are just finalising the lightweight groundsheet spec. We initially opted for a heavy duty ground sheet as it is what most of you require. That said this lightweight version greatly reduces the overall weight and bulk. Pictures and details will follow in due course but in the short term they will only be available direct from us so if you would like to order one drop us a line at and we will sort one for you. The cost is likely to be around £30.00.
Just a reminder that you need to take the porch off the bivvy before the overwrap is fitted. It is simply too tight to leave the porch in place. It is meant to be a tight fit by the way - a loose fitting overwrap serves no purpose. In the harshest of conditions an overwrap pulls the system together making it solid. The Airframe has no problem coping with the severest of windy weather, but if you are concerned, the overwrap will sort your worries.
Some of the catch reports coming back from Jim are quite amazing. Although it is hard to keep track between 1 June and 18 June he had 11 different thirties and a forty from five different venues! Last week he topped the lot with a staggering 40 fish in a day off the top, including 25 twenties and a 39 common. Not bad for a days tutorial. If you fancy spending the day with Jim you can book a place on a tutorial by visiting his website www.jimshelleyuncut.com.
Fancy a day floater fishing with Jim (remember he had 40 last time out! 25 over 20!!) All you have to do is enter the free prize drawer on the contacts page of this site for your chance to join him for a day in August. Jim will take you on a 12 hour floater session in Norfolk. Bait, tackle etc can be supplied if you want, all you need to do is be available and be able to get to the venue. As if a day caning it with Jim wasn't enough, the maestro will present you with one of our superb products as a momento of your day and a video feature of your hauling will appear on the site. The winner will be asked to contact Jim direct in the first week of August to finalize the details. This is a real opportunity to join the floater master at work in his own back yard! What are you waiting for - enter now!
Spencer Humble form Essex used his weedrake for the first time on the Essex manor recently and after clearing a margin spot of its chod and silkweed nailed his target fish Stella at 39+ the very next morning. As more and more people get their heads around the brilliant concept we are getting more and more catch reports singing their praises. For tips on their use have a look at our features section and get on em! Also take a look at Kev Winters review of the rakes on the Cemex Website. Click here for link
It has taken us a while to get this sorted but our first newsletter will be published via email in the coming week or so. To be added to the mailing list all you have to do is enter the monthly prize drawer on the contacts page or email info@anglingintelligence.com and ask to be added to the list.
Despite indifferent weather and the usual influx of new members Ken continues his success on Wellie with a host of thirties throughout the month. Dynamite Tiger Nut Mix continues to do the business for Ken who has to work extremely hard to get amongst the Berkshire fish from his Stoke home. He ended up with 6 thirties to 36lbs and three twenties in 8 nights fishing! Keep at em mate and lets see some more of those 40s!
Darran is still hauling in the Specimens! Fresh after landing his 12.8 Tinca, Darran headed to Surrey to target some big Crucians. With the weather against him, the Crucians were spawning in the morning, and didnt show during the day. Staring defeat in the face, he moved to the opposite side of the lake early evening, where in quick succession, landed numerous 2's, a 3.1, 3.7, 3.10, 3.14 and a new monster PB at 4.1. He used pellets as loosefeed, and a hookable pellet on the hook. Very light end tackle and delicate pole floats were the order of the day. He notched up yet another Drennan Cup in the process. Nice work fella!
Well maybe not easy but after finishing his exams young James Turner has turned his sights on the famous Wraysbury One. Can you believe on his very first night on the venue he nailed one of the Redmire Commons at 31 lbs. Surely it is only a matter of time before he has yet another stunning English 40 under his belt.
As our following continues to grow and our infrastructure allows us to expand we have added to our already prestigious list of stockists. Poingdestres of Southamption and Planet Carp in Nottingham and Morgans of Oswestry have joined the ranks with a handful of others set to join us in the near future. Hampshire Tackle have also asked us to point out that their website is now up and running. See the stockist list for full details.
Although we are still swamped with requests for consultancy deals and are generally speaking full to the brim, when approached by an angler of the calibre of Mick Krassos we just couldn't say no. Mick was keen to get involved in what he rightly sees as a new company that is going places. He is currently fishing Horton where he is after shoulders and on his last session showed his class with 2 upper thirties and a 43! See some of Mick's captures in the gallery where hopefully shoulders will soon be putting in an appearance.
The days of sabre rattling rhetoric about all things English has now long gone from being part of what ECHO is all about. The work being done by ECHO on behalf of us all is all about fish welfare and the banning of the barbaric illegal trade in carp from overseas. Many of these fish never make it and die in transit, many risk infecting existing stocks, not in Wraysbury or Yateley but in the day to day waters that the majority of us fish. ECHO is now the voice of all those that carp fish in this country. Why would you not want to be a member?? See the link to ECHO and the SAA for more details.
Although selling fast we will at last have our full launch range in the shops in the next few days as the cooler bag and bait bucket are at last available.
The nylon bivvy is also in the shops and proving a superb choice for the price conscious angler that still wants premium design and innovation.
Can we just add that as anglers our commitment to top notch customer service will always be uncompromising. We have all been on the receiving end of dodgy customer service and that is part of our reason for getting involved in the industry. If you have a problem with any of the products or would like some advice on how to get the best out of them then don't hesitate to call or send an email. Although swamped we will always reply to your query and resolve any issues you may have.
The July prize is a days floater fishing with the legend that is Jim Shelley! See the top of this months news page for full details.
Tench don't get much better looking than this 12lb 8oz giant landed by Darran Goulder - the biggest of the species to be banked so far this year.Our Angling Intelligence consultant took the huge specimen on his very first cast of a two-day session at a southern gravel pit after it took his popped up sweetcorn hookbait in the early hours of the morning. It marks the culmination of an incredible tench campaign for Darran which has seen him bank no fewer than five double figure tench since late April.Darran presented his baits on a maggot feeder rig fished helicopter-styleover a bed of hemp, wheat, Teme Severn Minimix pellets and 10mm lamprey boilies from the same company.
Check out more Tinca action in the Coarse Gallery.
The 48 hours the guys spent down at The Cemex Pads Lake was a real success. The venue is steeped in history and although not what it was in years gone by it is still Yateley! Several thirties and back up fish were caught the best going over 34lbs. Most people caught and if you are interseted in taking a group to vthe venue then see the CEMEX link on the site and take a look. I know there are still vacancies for this year as we re-booked straight away! The picture to the right shows Neil Atkins with the biggest of the session.
Young Axel Caulty was staring a blank in the face at The pads lake until a change of tactics nailed him three fish in the final couple of hours of the session. The pick of the bunch was a high twenty. Axel impressed during the session and we will be giving him every assistance in the future. He also walked away with a spanking new Airframe and having caught three fine Yateley carp!
Ken Beech continued his run of success moving from Wellie on to The Pads Lake. Aside from his 2 Simmos (one a thirty) he landed the old North Lake Pretty One at just over 26lbs. A rare visitor to the bank it was great to see this old girl and looking healthy at that. Ken was clearly delighted - its been a while since he's seen a mirror with scales!
This absolutely stunning mirror was caught by Neil Atkins from a private Surrey syndicate in over 30 foot of water! It is a peach of a fish, amongst the best looking out there. Great stuff Neil - good to see you keeping up with your older brother!
As nice as catching a few Simmos might be nothing can compete with the thrill of catching unknown stunning carp that have never graced the bank before. Team Angling Intelligence member Simon Hartop is doing the business on an unknown venue in the heart of carp country. Just look at this old war horse. Respect to you fella. Keeping it as real as it gets!
A few things to report here. The luggage is getting out there at last. One of the items has been recalled after a fault was spotted that we could not guarantee would not reoccur in other currently fine products. We have therefore withdrawn the Barra-rucs until the problem is solved. I guess we could have just left it be and hoped for the best but that has never been what the company is about. Sorry to those of you waiting patiently.
Although new items will appear through the Summer we have taken the decision to hold back some of the new products. This is a simple business decision, frustrating for Steve and Paul who want to get the new ideas on the market but the right thing to do. We do not have the marketing budget of the big boys (yet) and as such need to concentrate our efforts on the current range rather than spread ourselves too thin. Otherwise we launch a product and before we can market the baby somebody else copies it and cashes in....not good. That said the sleeping bag will be out shortly and is yet another superb development by the team and the rods are ready to roll - they are as good as it gets - literally! Watch this space......................
AIRFRAME INFIL PANELS - After months of work with the supplier a single zip two front system has been developed by the team. That means by the Summer you will be able to purchase a mosi panel for the bivvy and an infil panel for the brolly. No twin zips, no velcro, just Airframe quality. Further details and prices will follow shortly. The best just got better!
The winner of the May Prize Draw and the new owner of a top of the range unhooking mat and weigh sling worth over 90 quid is Liam Ross from Sheffield.
The prize for June will be a surprise as selected by Paul. It could be any of the products from the range so take a punt and enter the draw. It will only take you a second. It will help us and could result in a very pleasant surprise come the end of the month! Best of luck once again.........
So do you fancy contributing to the site. Have you caught something noteworthy that would grace our gallery? Better still would you like to have an article in our Tips Section? Whatever you feel you have to offer send it by email to
Darran was excited about getting stuck into the tench this spring, and sure enough he has showed his worth by catching a phenominal amount of specimen tench in 3 sessions. Quite literally he has been raking them in, beating last years pb no fewer than 7 times, he has been using his 'Angling Intelligence'. Notching up a tally of over 34 fish, with many over seven, and an astonishing 7 over 9lb with 3 doubles for good measure.
Fish of 9.4, 9.6 (male), 9.12, 9.14, 10.5, 10.12 and 10.14 have graced his net, he has been awarded 2 prestigious Drennan Cups in the process. Awesome angling fella, and his tactical feature he did with the Angling Times will appear here in good time.
Paul Terry, Steve Pagulatos and Warren Burling have all been fishing a publicity shy southern water and catching extremely well notching up a host of stunning thirties, all superb looking Leneys. They have fallen to a variety of methods including zig rigged floaters. Most notably several of the thirties have fallen to a new bait currently under development (see next months news!). Paul's new Angling Intelligence custom build rods have also taken a pounding (watch this space for details)!
New Consultant Ken Beech proved why he was chosen ahead of the crowd to join Team AI in a recent magazine competition. First time out under the AI banner at a Southern Syndicate water he nailed a 40.2 mirror and a stunning 38.10 linear as well as a back up 30 and an upper double. Top angling Ken and keep em coming! Ken's captures on the venue last year were extraordinary considering he only fishes as work will allow and he has to endure a 300 mile round trip arriving in the middle of the night on every session. This sort of dedication and commitment as well as using his Angling Intelligence is why Ken is a most welcome addition to our team.
Uncle 'Jim Shelley' has spent much of the early Spring conducting tutorials as part of his new business venture. The results he has achieved with his 'students' have been staggering with many walking away with pbs after Jim has shown the way! Most have been that impressed they have rebooked before leaving the first session. Jim's new website will be up and running shortly. Fancy learning to catch carp on floaters at 130yds!? Jim will tailor the lesson to your level of expertise so feel free to drop us a line and we will get Jim to bell you back with all the details. Be warned book now as he is busy, busy, busy! See next months Advanced Carp Fishing to see just how rewarding a session with Uncle Jim can be...... Full site and contact details will apear here next month.
Wow! The popularity of some of the products has been truely remarkable. We thank all our customers for their support and we will continue to offer the best possible customer service. The poles, spoons and spoonrisers have just hit the shops with a bang. Get on them now and get yourself that crucial edge before others beat you to it! The eagerly awaited luggage is days away from the shops. Again the demand is staggering and we are delighted how many of our customers have placed advance orders with the shops!
The weed rakes are coming into their own with numerous accounts of fish getting caught over 'cleaned' areas. Remember rake with 1 or 2 and clean with 3! Not sure what I'm on about then take a look at the product and features sections of this site. A video detailing their use will be available in the features/videos section later this month. Watch the shops for the new packaging coming shortly.
The nylon version of our remarkable Airframe brolly is in the shops now. This cheaper option is not low on quality and innovation however with the mosi mesh front and airflow rear panels it is the ultimate summer shelter! See the products section for details. A video demo of the Airframe in use will appear shortly on the features section of this site.
As for new items.....well the first you haven't seen will appear here this coming month. We have some truely innovative ideas that we are doing our best to keep hush, hush until the time comes to launch them.
The response to win a Traditional Brolly has been quite staggering and we thank all of you that have taken the time to fill out the questionaire. This months lucky winner though is Adrian Williams from Telford. Congratulations mate!
Our April prize is another corker. Just fill in the questionaire on the contacts page and you are in with a shout of winning one of our top of the range unhooking mats and ground breaking new weigh sling. A perfect fish care combination! Want to see the sling and mat in action? Have a look at James' video of the common in the features section. Good luck to you all.
James Turner has continued his incredible run of success by banking an illusive 42Lbs 10 oz Common from a Bucks pit. That is 3 x 40s, one mirror, one leather, one common, from three different venues in 18 nights of fishing this Winter! Absolutely incredible stuff that we are not sure has ever been done before! Another stat: James has caught 5 fish since october - 4 of which have been over 40 lbs! Some footage of the stunning common on the bank will appear in our videos section shortly. Well done fella.
If not why not! The work being done by ECHO on behalf of all of us is quite phenominal. Do not rest on your laurels though and leave it to other people to show their support. Join now! You know it is the right thing to do. If you do not know of the amazing work being done by ECHO then please click here to be directed to their website. You can be updated on all they are doing on our behalf and fill in your membership form.
Young Axel Caulty won the Pads Lake competition with his story of stalking fish from the edge on a balmy summers day when everybody was struggling around him. Axel joins us on the famous CEMEX venue at the beginning of May for 48 hrs fishing with other members of Team Angling Intelligence. Details of the day will appear on the site in due course.
The luggage has been delayed for another couple of weeks. May I thank those of you that are waiting for items to become available. They will be worth the wait I can asure you.
The winner of the march prize draw and the owner of a new set of weedrakes is.............
The prize for April is our superb Traditional brolly which retails at £234.00!!! It is the only brolly system on the market made in a super hi tech breathable fabric! All you have to do is go to the contacts page on this site and spend one minute filling in the form telling us where you heard about Angling Intelligence!
Stuarts landed another huge barbel. He tackled a quiet and under fished stretch of the River Kennet in Berkshire for only the second time this season and latched into a truely massive fish weighing 18lb 10oz, just ounces under his 19lb 2oz pb. This is a huge achievement as he becomes the first man to land barbel weighing over 18 1/2lb from 2 different uk rivers. A great end to the river season, Well done stuart!
Not wanting to feel left out, Darran, elsewhere on the River Kennet, had a bit of a surprise when he landed this 27lb 2oz Mirror. Thinking he was playing a monster barbel, he was shocked when it turned out to be one of the elusive carp that inhabit the stretch. Hard to feel disappointed when it looks as good at this!
At last the first products are in the shops and thus far have been very well received. Some of the items have sold so fast we are struggling to keep up with demand! We are of course delighted with the response and will work hard to ensure that you, the customer, are kept happy. We can't please all people all of the time but we will give it our best shot! The outstanding items you are screaming for, the poles and luggage in particular, are being sorted and the delays which have resulted from our changing supplier to ensure the quality we expect is a necessary evil. Your support is appreciated.
Simon Davey joined the team on the understanding that it would not interfere with his obligations at Rig Marole. As things have moved faster than anticipated and we already have terminal tackle under test, there is clearly some potential conflict of interest. Simon has therefore decided to fulfill his obligation with the innovative up and coming terminal tackle company and remain with them. We are disappointed to see Simon leave us so soon and thank him for all his help thus far. We know he will be an asset to Rig Marole and wish them and Simon all the best in their carpy exploits for 2007.
Darran has been catching well this side of Christmas from the notoriously difficult Cemex stretch of the River Lea at Fishers Green. Targeting the big chub that inhabit the stretch when the up and down conditions permit, he has been notching up an impressive tally of specimen fish. Numerous 5's and 6's amongst barbel, topped with this new PB 6.12. Getting closer to the magical 7 mark...
We were delighted with the response to the request for additional consultants and thank all of you that took the time and effort to enter. We have chosen 2 individuals to join our team and are in the process of meeting with them. They will appear on the next website update. Notwithstanding this, if you feel you have something special to offer us here at Angling Intelligence feel free to get in touch at anytime.
The winner of our February prize draw is: Nicky Beal from Bridgwater, Somerset. His superb bedchair is on its way.
MARCH PRIZE DRAW - THE PRIZE FOR THIS MONTH IS A SET OF OUR 3 SUPERB WEED RAKES WHICH RETAIL AT OVER £30.00 AND ALL FOR THE PRICE OF 1 MINUTE FILLING IN THE FORM ON THE CONTACTS PAGE.
By entering the competition you will automatically be added to our mailing list for our monthly e-newsletter - the first of which will be with you on 1 April.
The mainstay of our efforts will always be to supply top quality product to the shops. That said we have some items under development in the UK that simply make it impossible for us to deal with retail. We will therefore be selling them direct from the website. This will only ever be a very limited amount of items and simply allows us to follow avenues that would otherwise be impossible for us. The products are superb and the first of these will appear on the site during March under the new AI Direct link. We will leave it at that for the time being but prepare to be impressed.
We are delighted to announce that Stuart has joined Darran Goulder as part of the team to help develop the specimen range. We already have items under development that the duo have designed and we are excited at the prospect of launching them onto the market as the year progresses. Stuart is a big fish catching machine. Have a look at the specimen gallery to view some of his captures. Videos and articles from both lads will appear in the features section shortly.
As a new company it is important that we establish where you have heard about our website. This will enable us to actively target where best to advertise and reach you in the future. All entries will be entered into our free prize draw at the end of each month, where somebody will receive a free Angling Intelligence product, chosen at the discretion of Paul or Steve. This months prize, a superb Angling Intelligence Bedchair with intergrated bedchair cover!! RRP £124.99 Please visit the contact page to view the competition slip. Good Luck!
We are delighted to announce that Jim Shelley will be joining us as a consultant with immediate effect. As most of you will know Jim is a truly outstanding carp angler who is out there doing it in all weathers. He will test all our new products to their limits and generally assist Steve with the ongoing development process. Watch out for his tutorials on the Features page and follow his captures here as the new season progresses. Yet another of the countries finest carp anglers now using Angling Intelligence.
Young Team Intelligence carper James Turner is off to a flyer in 2007 with yet another superb English 40 to his name. Using prototype samples of terminal tackle and line from our forthcoming range James had the 40lbs 4oz stunner on just his third visit to a little known Colne Valley day ticket water. Keep em coming fella!!
Well the wait is almost over. The site is up and running and the products will be in the shops shortly. Since our launch to the trade in October 06 we have undergone something of a rebirth. We changed some suppliers and sourced better materials to enhance our status as a company that will become known for its quality and innovative ideas. By early February at the latest the majority of the products will be in the shops with the luggage and a few bits and pieces following shortly after. It's a marathon not a race remember! We deeply regret the delay but it was imperative the product was spot on. Please see the stockists page that has a list of suppliers and links to their websites where appropriate. All at Angling Intelligence would like to thank you for your patience and hope you have a cracking season in 2007. See you on the bank!
Fancy joining the team at Angling Intelligence? Think you have something to offer a tackle company but don't know how to get on the inside? Then take a look at the February issue of Advanced Carp Fishing. We are looking for a group of as yet unknown anglers to join us and help promote and develop the brand. There is plenty of time to enter and Steve Pag and Paul Terry will choose the lucky 'consultants' who will join the team. Benefits will include free tackle from our developing range, including an Airframe shelter, field testing products never before seen on the market, joining us at trade events and getting to see the industry from the other side. We will also push any quality written material you may produce and assist you in getting it published in the magazines. This is a unique opportunity, never before seen in angling circles and I am sure we will get some quality guys on board!
Oh and what do we expect in return - catch carp - lots of em - the bigger the better!!!!
So you thought we just liked English fish? We love all carp, especially big ones, as long as they are caught from their natural environment.We are delighted to welcome Marc Westenberg to our team of consultants. He is a true pioneer of European carp fishing and has fished some of the hardest most inhospitable places you can possibly imagine. He was also the first non French angler to fish The Orient and the first angler to catch a 40 from the venue. He then followed this by being the first to catch a 50 from there! His innovative mind and amazing knowledge of European big fish angling is why we have him on board. As the company progresses we will develop items that are aimed at the European market focusing on sorting the inadequacies highlighted by Marc and his pals. If you have a European big fish angling based question for this 'font of all knowledge' then please direct them via and Marc will answer them personally. Some of the ideas he is developing with us are going to be just brilliant - watch this space.
You will notice an 'other species' specimen hunters page in our gallery. We will have to learn to walk before we can run but we already have a host of ideas to develop for specimen anglers, in particular for those targeting catfish, barbel, chub, bream and tench. Indeed some of our products already have huge crossover potential - rakes for tench etc, the pole for pike, barbel etc - think about it. Young Darran Goulder, an up and coming young specimen hunter will be our focus for this area. Keep an eye on Darran's catches and indeed those of other team members in the specimen hunters gallery.
The team at Angling Intelligence have booked the famous Yateley Pads Lake for 2 days - 1 and 2 May 2007. Fancy joining us for the session? All the team will be there. We will supply anything you need - even the food if you want. All we ask is that you come and enjoy yourself with us. Want to 'punish' one of the team or all of them even!!!! Well here is your chance. Learn some tips from the best or just soak in the atmosphere of the place. All you have to do is send us the story of your most awesome, unlikely or remarkable capture. The fish doesn't have to be big just caught in an unusual or different way. A photo of you with the fish will be required as will be your ability to join us at Yateley in May. We will of course publish your experience on the site. Steve and Paul will choose the winner on 15 Mar 07 and you will be notified straight away thereafter. Oh and you never know you may even leave with a freebie or two! Entries to info@anglingintelligence.com Good luck!! Hope to see you in May!
Want to know more about the Pads Lake? See the CEMEX site via the link for details.
It is important we launch sensibly and only introduce products that we feel truly have something new or better to offer the angler. You will now know what is in the launch range but currently well under development and due for release in 2007 are the following top end products. A landing net, range of rods, specialist luggage, sleeping bags, some specialist items of terminal tackle and a few other bits and pieces too exclusive to even mention! Watch this site for news during 2007. A little secret for you though - Steve has developed a truly exceptional stalking / short session pack. It will be with you late Spring and will be the best of its kind. Developed for us by our supplier to the MOD it is robust, functional, innovative etc etc ...... SShhhhh don't tell anyone!
So do you fancy contributing to the site. Have you caught something noteworthy that would grace our gallery? Better still would you like to have an article in our Tips Section? Whatever you feel you have to offer send it by email to