Shakespeare Fishing Heroes is a show to celebrate and thank the unsung heroes of the sport that bring so much back into fishing but are also the ones that don’t get the recognition they deserve. When I was asked to be the Presenter of this inspiring show – I couldn’t believe it, to get to meet these Fishing Heroes and tell their powerful stories is an honour I don’t take lightly! We ask all on facebook if they know a Fishing Hero that they want to nominate – to get in touch and share your story! You can contact me via Zenia’s Fishing Adventures Page. We will be airing the next Fishing Heroes video on Matt Hayes Page in the next few weeks, so keep an eye out for it! Time to celebrate fishing and the amazing people we have in this great sport.
Steve Self who caught a beautiful 8lb 6oz Koi and a rare two tone Koi from our famous Koi Lake.
Steve’s story –
“I had been fishing with Zenia and the boys during the afternoon, and caught some lovely little koi from the Koi Lake with them. But after they returned home, my mind turned to the large red and black Koi Carp I had seen cruising the surface during the morning before they arrived to join me. I didn’t have any trouble finding it. It seemed confident in itself, knowing that it was clever enough by now not to get caught.
I stalked the fish around the margins with a rod/line/hook simple surface set up. The bait of choice was a chunk of bread crust. But no matter how hard I tried, the Koi evaded me at every step. Eyeing the free offering with a concealed look with suspicion, before turning it down flatly. Mouthing the bread to inspect it, then spitting it out in disgust at my poor attempt to trick it. 2 hours passed in the hot sun, with me slowly and stealthily stalking the margins, only to either miss a take from it, or it spook at the dodgy crust and swim off.
I must have missed hooking it a good dozen times and I became more frustrated and dismayed as the time progressed, stalking my rod in the air and cursing my bad luck. It was indeed a clever fish! Then, when I couldn’t find the Koi to follow anymore, he appeared right beneath my feet, supping up some other morsel. Seeing the opportunity at last, I rolled the hook bait bread on the backside and allowed it to plop into the water right on its nose as if something had just fallen in from the side – and it took it straight away!
Red and black colour filled the air as it leapt and dove down into the lake. My pulse of sheer relief, excitement and joy on hooking the large koi, was soon swapped with a teeth clenching 5 minutes deftly playing and dodging the fish from one snag to another, hiding places it seemed to know all too well were there to lose me in. Soon enough though it was tired enough to be netted and photographed, a wide shouldered 8lb 6oz, with magnificent colouring as to be expected of an Anglers Paradise Koi. The fish stood as a testament to what can be achieved with a LOT of patience and persistence. A fine reward for two hours on tiptoe!”
WELL DONE STEVE – STUNNING FISH AND PROOF THAT PERSISTENCE PAYS OFF!!
Here he is with his winning Fish and being presented his prizes with special thanks to PB PRODUCTS UK.
Oli Dietrich fished the Nirvana’s day ticket Lake Xanadu and and caught the stunning Xanna at 33lbs making it a new personal best for Oli! Oli caught the beauty on a Crafty bait.
Zenia Gregorek sent this super picture of her eldest son Zaine Drury-Gregorek aged 8 joined his mum on the famous Koi Lake and caught his biggest ever Koi, Zaine caught the beauty off the surface with a dog biscuit, one proud Mummy!
Congratulations to Charlie Grant, 12, who whilst on his annual Family holiday with us at Anglers Paradise caught his biggest ever fish, a personal best 29lb Wels Catfish!!
Charlie caught the Catfish on Luncheon Meat soaked in spotted fin smokey jack over spray from the Easy Access Lake.
**Take note ‘all’ on how he is presenting the Catfish – Superb pictures Charlie, showing us how not to hold Catfish!!**
Congratulations to Richard Mason who caught a 58lb 5oz Catfish and also 4 Carp from Day Ticket Nirvana’s Specimen Cat Lake!
Richard shared –
“Caught in peg 3 next to the drain, using pallatrax jungle squabs and glugs and stonze free running rig
Took be round the drain and snagged me solid!! The original run was at 5.30 am but after over 2 hours of being snagged she was still on so had to go for a wade/swim to free the line –
Epic battle!!”
PERSONAL BEST CAT FROM ELDORADO!
Well done to Josh Bartley, 27 from Plymouth who joined us for a session on the popular Day Ticket Venue Anglers Eldorado and caught a personal best 18lb 5oz Catfish and then caught another smashing that with a 36lb 5oz Cat both from the Bottom Cat and Carp Lake 2!
Josh shared –
“I arrived on the Carp/Cat Lake 2 at Anglers Eldorado early Friday morning, at about 9am, I caught a new pb cat of 18lb 5oz but unfortunately my camera decided to not work!
But fortunately later that day around 7pm I caught another new pb of 36lb 5oz, also followed up with one around 10lb early Saturday morning, they were all caught using simple hair rigs, fished with 2-3 21mm halibut pellets.
Thank you!”
CONGRATULATIONS JOSH – ALWAYS GREAT TO SEE AND HEAR OF OUR DAY TICKET CATCHES AND TO SEE ANGLERS GETTING IN THE WATER – GOOD ON YOU!!
(Above) Jacob Johnson with a 36lb Mirror Carp from Nirvana’s Day Ticket Lake – The Kracking Carp
Ross Godridge 30, from St Stephen in Cornwall, who caught a beautiful personal best 26lb 7oz Common from the Specimen Carp Lake.
Ross’s story –
“I’ve been wanting to come to AP for many years, and my partner made it happen for my 30th birthday treat! I caught this beautiful 26lb 7oz Common Carp from the Specimen Carp Lake, beating my personal best, using a bit of pop up sweetcorn surrounded by hemp and sweetcorn it went roaring off into the reeds an put up a brilliant fight before landing it on the bank!
I’m truly over the moon with it! My stay at AP has been incredible to say the least, it would be such a personal achievement to me to win fish of the week I’ve put in so much effort, and certainly reaping the rewards with this one, thank you to everyone at AP. Will definitely be back again!”
WELL DONE ROSS – STUNNING FISH!
Here he is with his winning Fish and being presented his prizes by Zyggy and Zenia with special thanks to PB PRODUCTS UK.
**FISH OF THE WEEK IS SPONSORED BY PB PRODUCTS UK – GREAT TACKLE – GREAT PRODUCTS**
Congratulations to Tony Trenerry who caught a 55lb 3oz Catfish from Day Ticket Nirvana’s Specimen Cat Lake. The fish was tempted using good old luncheon meat.
Zenia at Anglers Paradise advises anglers that they should avoid holding the fish off the ground. “There’s no need to hold Cats but much better to position them like this or lying beside them on a unhooking mat.”
Anglers Paradise Head Baliff Ashley Bunning aka the Teddy Bear of Anglers Paradise had a session on Day Ticket Nirvana’s Specimen Cat Lake and caught this stunning 28lb Common. Ashley caught the beauty on a Nash bait pineapple instant action pop up fished over a bed of corn, 12mm Scopex Squid boilies and hemp. For our Venue’s latest availability – please call us on 01409 221559.
Paul Willsea joined us with his wife for Valentines week and managed to get some fishing in and caught a personal best 30lb Mirror, a 25lb Mirror and a 24lb Mirror all from the Specimen Carp Lake and won our Fish of the Week competiton!
Paul ’s Story –
“I have been coming to AP for 21 years and have never caught 3 big fish in one week. On Monday 18th February, I went down to the Specimen Carp Lake. The Reel went screaming off after about an hour, I couldn’t believe it, I landed a 24lb Mirror using a tutti fruity boilie.
After a little while, off it goes again and I landed a 25lb Mirror on a Sticky Baits Krill pop up, I was well chuffed, couldn’t believe it – 2 20’s in 1 day!!
Then on Thursday 21st February, about 2pm, I thought I would pack up in about half hour, when suddenly off the Reel goes. I landed a 30lb 2oz Mirror on a tutti fruity boilie. This is the best Valentine week I have ever had, I beat my personal best by 4oz, celebrated my Birthday on Valentine’s Day and had an absolutely fantastic week at AP!”
Here he is with his Winning Fish and being presented his prizes by Zyggy and Zenia with special thanks to PB Products UK.
