We welcome the arrival of spring with Luke Stevenson and his masterclass in instinctive, low-key angling that’s helped him outwit some of the UK’s trickiest.   We take a closer look at the five venues poised to break the British record, along with pitching 14 spod rods against each other in a three-tiered test, from budget bangers to wallet-busting beasts. Is RidgeMonkey’s new £1,250 bivvy really worth the money? We unzip its super heavyweight bag to give you a definite yes or no. We also test the world’s lightest big-pit reel. Tom Maker spills the secrets behind his worm-packed Sloppy Spod Mix, and Oz Holness shares his deep-thinking bait approach.   Also in this issue: Tim Paisley pays tribute to the legendary Rod Hutchinson, Matt Eaton explores 30 years of carp fishing evolution, and Nigel Sharp reveals the spring tactics shaped by three decades of success.

We welcome the arrival of spring with Luke Stevenson and his masterclass in instinctive, low-key angling that’s helped him outwit some of the UK’s trickiest.   We take a closer look at the five venues poised to break the British record, along with pitching 14 spod rods against each other in a three-tiered test, from budget bangers to ....