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Well what a month that was! Temperatures hotter than a sauna on the sun have led to some strong debates about whether it’s safe to fish in such conditions and many clubs took the decision to close their stretches again only a few weeks into the new season.

If these weather extremes are going to become more common then it certainly adds to the argument for revisiting the close season dates. With reports of barbel spawning on opening day followed by clubs having to make decisions about whether to stop fishing again just a few weeks later, it certainly seems like a system where clubs can choose themselves when is best to enforce a close season on their waters would be more beneficial in the current climate than the one size fits all model currently in operation.

Thankfully, looking at the long term forecast everything should be back to normal by the time you’re reading this so I hope the heatwave didn’t impact your fishing too much and you’ve been able to get back out on the bank and catch a few.

I’m hoping that we get a bit of rain soon, as the stretch of river I’ve been wanting to fish for a while is, like many others all over the country I imagine, looking incredibly low and clear. I had a walk along it the other week and although I spotted a few fish, the river would definitely benefit from a bit of extra water.

As well as the temperatures, there’s been no escaping the continuing cost of living crisis with costs of seemingly everything continuing to rise. Fishing tackle and bait has been no exception. If you’re watching the pennies but still want to put plenty of fish on the bank, we’ve got some brilliant features for you this month. From bagging up using nothing more than a pint of maggots or pellets to chasing big chub with only a tin or two of meat, you’ll find it all on the following pages.

James Furness, Editor

After a fun and easy tactic to try this summer? Look no further than the whip says Guru’s Will McCranor