Learn To Fish.

With the river season over until June 16, the area's lakes, pools and canals, take over the fishing action for the next few months and we are fortunate in this area we have some of the best stillwater angling in the UK.

With the warmer weather arriving, we'll see loads of mom's dads and kids dust off the family's fishing tackle in the garage and head for those fish filled stillwaters, all around the Midlands.

The huge army of summer anglers without doubt make angling the popular pastime it is, a sport for novices and experts alike, angling is possibly the only pastime where complete beginners can sit down beside world champions and enjoy a days sport, side by side.

Looking at my email box each week, a lot of those novice anglers want to learn something more than just the basic skills, you can only learn so much from magazines, books and websites.

Up to fairly recently angling coaching wasn't available to all but a privileged few.

Well I'm pleased to inform readers that following some tremendous strides by Professional Anglers Association to train their own angling coaches, the organisation now boasts coaching schemes for anglers of all sexes and any age group, right across the UK, with some very talented PAA angling tutors based right here, in the Black Country.

One of these local PAA coaches is Craig Cartridge from Halesowen, who has begun taking angling classes at various fisheries around the Black Country and recently he has also taken angling coaching days at schools around the borough Craig informs me that he has lesson skill levels to suit everyone, from the complete beginner to anglers wanting to improve their skills further or branch out into other disciplines of the sport.

Give him a ring to discuss your coaching requirements on 07940 450616.

Decathlon Angler Of The Month.

This month's prize of a Decathlon Geologic reel goes to Chris Cork, from Brierley Hill.

Chris's son Jake won our monthly prize last month for his fine performances against the adults, in open matches.

Dad Chris on the other hand has had to play second fiddle to his successful match angling son, as in all his years of competition fishing Pop Cork' Chris has never won a match!

Well he put that right last week, as he not only won the monthly club match at Hunnington Fishery, Halesowen, he weighed in an excellent 47-0-0 (47lbs).

As usual, all Chris has to do is take a copy of this article into the angling department of the Decathlon Sports And Leisure Megastore at the Merry Hill Centre, to claim his prize.

Trout fishing

The trout season is well under way now and the areas trout fisheries are reporting huge increases in anglers on the bank and healthy increases in new fluff flingers' taking up the sport.

Expert trout angler and pike match organiser, Mick Woods from Dudley, got amongst trout to 5lb last week, taking 14 fish from a boat, on the Great Lake at Patshull Park. 01902 700774 Trout anglers at Shatterford Fishery are reporting good returns, an early morning start or booking in is required at this popular fishery. 01299 861597

Local Fisheries Form Rundown:

Shatterford: Good sized roach to corn, catfish will be stirring in the warmer weather, bream to 5lb on Stella Lake.

Moorlands: Chopped worm starting to take big catches, larger carp from beside the reeds.

Boldings: Huge turnouts for weekend matches, all baits producing.

Hunnington: New pool has been stocked last week, corn and worm best baits, pleasure anglers fishing the quieter corners are taking the bigger fish.

Canals: Pinkies Squatts for roach and bream, chopped worm for perch, casters for larger roach to the far bank.

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