Welcome from the Editor...

WELCOME to the latest issue of IYCF. This month has marked the end of era here at Improve HQ as our Features Editor, Mark Parker has left for pastures new. Mark had worked on Improve for the last 15 years and was responsible for putting together the majority of the features in each issue. I can’t even hazard a guess as to how many miles he has covered over the years travelling to venues all over the country and working with many of the UK’s best anglers. Anyone who has had the pleasure of working with Mark will know what a good laugh he was, and the office certainly won’t be the same without him! I don’t think there’s an angler who doesn’t love spring. The days are getting longer, the temperatures are warming up and you can expect some fantastic sport as most coarse species start to feed again after winter. And is there a more enjoyable way of fishing at this time of year than using a float? I really don’t think so. In this month’s issue, Paul Garner details how he combines the use of a long waggler rod and a pole float to bag up from the margin (page 48), and during a memorable session he landed a variety of species including crucians, tench and roach. Match ace Rob Wootton demonstrates how you can use a waggler to exploit the area of water between pole and feeder ranges (page 24). It’s well worth a read because if you are guilty of ignoring this area you could well be missing out on some fantastic sport. So dig out some floats this month and go and enjoy yourself! James Furness, Editor