Baz Smith, as seen in our Where to Fish section - follow it every week.

THE brilliant Where to Fish This Weekend section in Angler’s Mail is the place to look every week for hotspots near you.

Here in a special online report we take you to Ireland with a man who knows the waters exceptionally well.

Baz Smith is the star – and appears at the front of our latest (January 17) mag at the start of the Where to Fish section. Watch out for a special interview with him in the mag soon.

Here we join Baz In County Fermagh, Northern Ireland. He’s at Muckross Bay on Lower Lough Erne, a large shallow bay on the north shore near Kesh.

• Our thanks to Anglers World Holidays for this special feature. For more on their holidays in Ireland and elsewhere in the world, tel 01246 221717 or visit www.anglersworld.tv

COLD WEATHER BREAM FISHING IN IRELAND

Another bream comes to the net on Lough Erne, Northern Ireland.

BAZ SMITH has fished throughout Ireland for almost 50 years. Top UK match angler, Baz likes nothing better than to fish and he now spends his retirement living in County Fermanagh where he fishes most days from spring to late autumn. When he is not match fishing Baz  is pleasure fishing and testing locations for Anglers World Holidays.

Baz had prebaited a swim on the Lower Lough in Muckross Bay. The lough is about 22 miles long, with lots of reefs, islands and bays. It is noted for excellent coarse fishing. Big pike and brown trout are resident here too.

He knows this area exceptionally well and knew he had to cast about 40 yards to reach the drop-off, a depression about 20 feet deep where the bream and roach migrate into as temperatures cool.

Fishing a modified medium size feeder. with a lead plug in the base, Baz cast the distance with ease and to ensure perfect accuracy he used a line clip. At this time of year frequent casting into the same area is critical. Baz filled his feeder with red maggots and caster, plugged with groundbait.

After about 20 minutes he had a bite, then steadily caught roach to 10 oz. After a few liners Baz was confident the bream would feed, and they did, pushing the roach out of the “hotspot” area of feed. Baz had about 50 lb of mint condition bream to 5 lb in the next 2.5 hours.

With short hours of daylight and dropping temperatures the bream only feed for short periods. The overcast day and mild temperatures ensured the bream were prepared to feed in the clear water conditions.

Bream to 5 lb fed well to make a 50 lb catch in just two and half hours.

Loaded and ready to cast!

BAZ’S TOP BREAM TIPS

• Prebait with a modest amount (not as much as in summer).
• Accurate casting with frequency. Use a line clip.
• Feed little and often by using a medium feeder and casting frequently.
• Use a fairly dry ground bait mix.. such as Van den Eynde Superfeed. You want it to empt quickly upon reaching the bottom.

BAZ’S END TACKLE…

At the business end was a 4 ft hooklength of 0.15 mm  6 lb Preston Powerline mono. Main line is Force original green mono.

‘In winter with cooler temperatures I prefer mono as bites are slower and you need to give bream time to take it,’ said Baz.

‘One of the main reasons for using strong main line and hook length is to combat break offs on zebra mussels. These fish are not really line shy and for some reason the zebra mussels are less of a problem in winter – maybe they are less active.

‘In summer I step up to 0.18 mm diameter hook lengths and 7 lb main line,’ he added.

Baz's tip rod is a 12 ft 6 in Normark soft action feeder rod. Reel is a Shimano 4000.

Baz's bait tray. Most fish came to a size 12 hook baited with two redworms tipped with red maggot.

Note: In Northern Ireland a rod licence/permit is required but it’s well worth the money. Excellent access and good car parking make things easy.

Still in Devon the Goodiford Mill Main Lake at Kentisbeare near Cullompton is really maintaining its form with both silvers and carp showing well. Full details from 01884 266233.
In Hampshire the Hordle Lakes are usually a reliable bet for some winter action with silvers and carp. Not far from New Milton in the New Forest area of Hampshire the venue comprises several lakes of varying sizes but all capable of great sport. You can learn more fishery details from 01590 672300.
The chub form at the Bristol Avon in Chippenham, Wiltshire is steady with nets into double-figures and low 20s coming in the colder clearer water conditions. Get the full score from 01249 659 210.
In South Gloucestershire, just north of Bristol the Bitterwell Lake silvers and carp are obliging with mixed nets into 20 lb. For this fishery call 01454 778960.
A day out on the River Kenn at Clevedon, North Somerset, could be just the ticket as we near the end of the river season. The Strode Road section is noted for its quality roach fishing and you can also catch big bream, good perch and the occasional big tench there too. It’s Clevedon and DFAC controlled – call 01275 856107 for details.
Plenty of big chub are coming out on the Throop Fishery of the Dorset Stour with some anglers netting five or six in a day to 5, 6 or 7 lb. Call the Throop manager Chris Allport on 07789 408503.

The River Ancholme around Brigg, North Lincolnshire offers some decent sport in the winter, mostly with perch, roach and pike. Call Brigg Angling Centre on 01652 651 650.

Highfield at Hambleton, Lancashire, is stuffed with ide in the largest lake, and these usually provide nice, consistent sport even when it’s chilly. Call 01253 701929.

Eden Meadows, located at Trimdon, up in County Durham, is a venue offering three nice sized pools, and the possibility of catching a variety of silver fish type species such as roach and some quality ide too, up to 3 lb. Call 01429 835836. Tickets are £7.

Hayfield Lakes at Doncaster remain one of the most reliable spots in the South Yorkshire area. The consistency comes from the extra depth of water, which is up to four metres in places. Call Rob on 01302 864555.

WALES

THE most consistent River Wye fishing is still with grayling in the higher reaches just downstream of Builth Wells in Powys (01982 551520).

Work done to provide extra fishing space by clearing the quarter-acre weeded and silted area has driven the fish out from their shelter in to the lake and given sport a boost at Tranquility, Leeswood near Wrexham in North Wales (07767 880005).

Carp fishing is quiet at Hendre Lake, Cardiff (07974 053322) but the bream and roach are feeding well.

Season permits cost around £25 for adults and day tickets are £5. Both are available from the shop above or Holts Tackle in Stafford (01785 251073).

The Waterski Lake at Tattershall Country Park, Tattershall, Lincolnshire is open until the very end of March. This is excellent news for the pike anglers as this venue contains pike of various sizes, including some right big lasses! Ordinary day tickets on the lakes are £5 for one rod or £7 for two; it may vary a little for the pike fishing. Club bookings are also available – call 01526 348800 or 07984 825671.
River Great Ouse at Tempsford in Bedfordshire.

This is Bigglewade and Hitchin AA water, membership is open and available from local tackle shops or call 01767 223147. It’s £60 adults; £30 for OAPs, registered disabled and 16-17-year-olds; and £15 for under-16s.

EAST ANGLIA

THE River Glen, Pinchbeck, Lincolnshire (01406 422020) has given both pleasure and match anglers some blistering action as the resident silver fish decided to feed hard at last.

In the same county West Fen Drain, Boston, (01205 353436) is another ‘in form’ venue.
At Suffolk Water Park, Bramford, Suffolk (01473 832327) venue regular Alan Sisson was pleased with his latest pike capture, which planked the scales down to 25 lb 12 oz.

The EA has just added a new stocking of 200 chub and 50 small barbel into the Farnham AS section on the River Wey at Elstead in Surrey. This venue is a Farnham AS members only water. Further details from Mick Borra at the ‘Creel’ in Aldershot on 01252 320871.

At Bax Farm Fishery at Tonge in Kent day tickets on the Specimen Lake are £10, £15 for 24 hours. All the other lakes and stream are on a £7 day ticket or £11 for 24 hours. Full facilities on-site with a large fully stocked tackle shop, accommodation and hot food including a top breakfast. Get more on 01795 520887 or log onto www.baxfarm.co.uk

General Lake 3 on Tanyard Fisheries near Danehill in East Sussex is fishing particularly well for quality roach with lumps to 1 lb 12 oz caught and good numbers over a pound on the feeder with maggot. Some bream to 6 lb plus odd tench also showing mainly to the feeder with maggots. Day tickets are £9 one rod, £12 two. Top facilities include a café serving excellent breakfasts. Contact Steve on 01825 791010.

On Littleton North Lake at Laleham, Middlesex most anglers appear to be targeting pike on sea deadbaits to catch pike to 17 lb 8 oz from the South Lake with fewer pike showing in the more coloured North Lake. This water is on either Mid Kent Fisheries Tier 2 ticket details on 01227 730668 or 07967 226953 or CMEX Angling on 01932 583630.

EAST ANGLIA

River Thurne, Potter Heigham, Norfolk (01603 782453).
Twenty Foot River, Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire (01733 204170).
Brewery Farm, Coningsby, Lincolnshire (01932 583630).

In Hampshire the Greenridge Farm’s ‘chevrons’ or canals are so well stocked that you can still enjoy action packed days even in winter. For more info call 07742555951.

The Royalty Fishery of the Hampshire Avon is good for pike right now with specimen fish to 28 lb matted while the Railway slack produced a fish in the mid to upper 20s bracket that bottomed out 25 lb scales, on float fished smelt. Call 01202 485169.

On the River Exe in Devon, roach, dace and chub have been feeding in the Weirfield area at Exeter. Call 01392 435591 for details of the river.

Up at Bullock Farm, Kingston Seymour, North Somerset, Rushcombe Lake continues to be the easiest of the five lakes to fish. Details from 01934 835020.

At Westerleigh in South Gloucestershire is the Bitterwell Lake, which is a favoured winter haunt for some of Bristol’s match fishing elite over the years. The fishery number is 01454 778960.

Walden’s Farm at West Grimstead near Salisbury in Wiltshire comes good for day ticket pike action during the winter with both Bishops and Abbots Lakes well stocked with snappers. The fishery number is 01722 710480.

In North Yorkshire the River Ure offers the chance of chub and quality perch. You have to work for your prizes here, and that entails travelling light and trying a few spots. Call (01765) 635115.

In East Yorkshire the River Hull around Beverley and up to Hempholme can be well worth a look at this time of year. Call 01482 869948.

Cheshire’s River Dane often fishes better in the winter months. The key is persistence here. Tel: 01606 833853.

Finally, Lancashire’s River Ribble is in spanking good form for loads of dace, chub, and barbel. Call 01772 253 476.

WALES

Frosts are hitting sport on many fisheries, but sheltered Lower Pen y clawdd Farm at Dingestow in Monmouthshire (01600 740223) has fared better than most.

The lower reaches of the River Wye are unpredictable as the level has been rising and falling daily; but upstream near Builth Wells (01982 551520) dace and grayling have been feeding.
Maintenance work is going on at Conwy Water Gardens, Rowen near Conwy in Gwynedd (01492 650063) so only the middle and bottom lakes are open for fishing at the moment; but both are worth a visit.

Despite some very low and clear conditions the CALPAC section of the River Kennet at Padworth in Berkshire has produced a new venue record with a 16 lb 8 oz barbel. This is a CALPAC members only water with details of membership from John Bygrave on 02087 779489.

The Match Lake on Sumners Ponds, Barns Green near Horsham in West Sussex is in terrific form with the match of a recent event weighing in 212 lb of mainly carp backed up with lots of 100 lb-plus catches. Day tickets are £8 one rod, £11 two plus concessions. Contact number is 01403 732539.

Lakes Christine and Pepper, the two specimen lakes on the Cottington complex at Sholden near Deal in Kent, are fishing very well. Day tickets are £8, under 16s on the general lakes, but Lake Christine and Pepper are £20 for 24 hours and £35 for 48 hours. Advance Booking is advised for the specimen lakes. Call 01304 380691.

Despite the weather turning much colder the Stew Pond near Epsom in Surrey is giving good results with legered hair-rigged corn and mini boilie working very well. Day tickets are £5 on the water or free to CALPAC members. Get further details of CALPAC membership from John Bygrave on 02087 779489.

The Specimen Lake on the A12 Cuton Lakes at Chelmsford in Essex with Specimen Lake is still giving carp to 26 lb with some big bream. Day tickets are £10 for up to two rods. Scott knows the score and will put you on the fish on 07946 847703 or 01245 461651.