NEWS

WELCOME TO THE AR ANGLING SERVICES NEWS PAGE

Whether you’re a total beginner, a curious returner, or a seasoned angler looking for alternative perspectives, you’ve just landed in the right spot. This page is all about sharing simple, practical advice that can help anyone enjoy fishing more – especially newcomers, youngsters, and those who’ve never had the chance to try the sport due to life’s challenges or disabilities.

It’s the very ethos of AR angling services.

So, think of this as our community noticeboard – part tips hub, part opinion column, part gear guide, and part story corner. You’ll find:

• HOW-TO GUIDES -

  A guide to carrying out some of the techniques that I see people struggling with when I’m out fishing. Things like: casting properly – I will teach you the ONLY casting technique you will EVER need for ALL your fishing EVER!  Using a plummet – it’s the single most important item in a tackle box!  The line clip on your reel – do you know what its for?

• GEAR GUIDES  –

  what you REALLY need and what not to bother with!  What’s worth buying (and what’s not)  Plus, you really don’t need to get a second mortgage to get up and running if you shop around.  I will give you honest opinions of bits and pieces to save you money with links to where to shop!

• BAIT TIPS -

  How to use AR BAITS productively and proficiently.

• QUICK TRICKS & IDEAS –

  handy little hacks from my own fishing bag (yes, one involves a cheese grater!).

• INSIGHTS –

  demystifying rigs, knots, PVA, groundbait, and more.

• VENUE PROFILES –

  Fishery’s to try and those definitely worth the trip, with all the details you need before you set off.

• PERSONAL UPDATES –

  from my own fishing adventures to coaching session reports.

Most importantly – this page isn’t just mine, it’s ours. If you’ve got a tip, story, or idea that could help others, send it my way and I’ll share it here. Let’s make this a place where knowledge gets passed on, confidence grows, and more people discover just how rewarding angling can be.

a session at WILDEN POOL…

Wilden Lane, Stourport Upon Severn,

Worcestershire, DY13 9LW

Situated between the south of Kidderminster and the town of Stourport-on-Severn, Wilden Pool is one of those venues that just keeps drawing me back. It’s a peaceful, scenic, well-established mixed coarse fishery with something for everyone. At around five acres, it’s not huge, but with its long, narrow island down the middle separating Section A (right bank) from Section B (left bank), it has a real character of its own. There are about 50 pegs dotted around, but I’ve never found it too busy to nab a nice quiet swim.

I’ve been fishing Wilden for a number of years now and I’ve never blanked here. Alan, the owner, keeps it beautifully natural — reeds left to flourish but never out of control, wildlife everywhere, and an atmosphere that makes it more than just a place to wet a line. Last summer I even had a reed warbler building its nest just a few yards away while I fished! Recently, solar panels have gone up on the island, but to be honest, they don’t spoil the view or the feel of the place at all.

Stock-wise, Wilden has plenty of hard-fighting carp, with fish running up into the high twenties. Alongside them are shoals of lovely rudd that cruise the upper layers in summer, plus the usual suspects of roach and bream. There are regular matches, so it’s always worth checking in advance if the peg you fancy will be free. Limited night fishing is available by appointment.

My Session

I was down at the pool a few days ago, arriving around 4pm to avoid the worst of the heat. It was still sticky — high twenties despite the overcast sky — but I tucked myself into a peg shaded by some old trees. I had some budget tackle from Go Outdoors that I wanted to put through its paces (review coming soon!), so I was hoping the carp would play ball.

To my left there was a tempting bed of reeds, but my eyes were drawn straight across to the island. An overhanging tree and a patch of yellow iris looked too good to ignore, so I clipped up to that spot about 35 yards out. For this sort of chuck I like a 35g Drennan flatbed method feeder — heavy enough to punch out comfortably but not overkill.

The setup was an 11ft method feeder rod paired with a 4000 reel, spooled with 10.2lb Silstar Match line. On the business end I clipped on a size 12 barbless Preston banded hooklink, baited with a 10mm dumbell soaked in AR Baits Sea Monster Sauce. The feeder was loaded with a sandwich of soaked 4mm pellets and AA Baits Meaty Liver & Marine mix — sticky, smelly, and perfect for drawing fish down.

First cast went out spot on, rod clipped up, bait tight to the feature. Within a couple of minutes I had the tell-tale little twitches that Wilden is famous for — signs that fish were nosing at the feeder. Nothing developed that time, so I wound in, reloaded, and sent it back out. This time, it didn’t take long: the tip pulled round with no hesitation and I was into the first carp of the evening.

The rod bent beautifully into a parabolic curve as I leaned into the fish, steering it clear of the snags. At first glance I thought it might be a low double, but on the mat it went 19lb in the net — taking off the net weight, that’s a solid 17.5lb. A cracking start.

Two more followed from the same spot, weighing in at 15lb and 16.5lb, plus a few of my least favourite fish… yes, the dreaded bream found me too! But with three decent carp on the bank in just a few hours, I was more than happy with the session.

As the light faded, I packed up, loaded the car, and treated myself to a well-earned stop at a local fast-food joint on the way home. Wilden had delivered once again, as it always seems to.

Final Thoughts

Wilden Pool never fails to impress me — the setting, the fishing, and the sheer variety of tactics that work here make it a venue I’ll keep going back to. I’m hoping to use it for some coaching sessions in the future, but even if I’m just heading there on my own, it always feels special.

If you haven’t fished it yet, check out the Facebook page for match updates and some cracking drone footage of the pool. And if you do go, don’t forget to keep an eye on those reeds — they’ll often tell you exactly when the carp have arrived.