Improve Your Coarse Fishing Issue 354 (PREVIEW)

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18-PAGES OF NEW TACKLE TA

Blow them away with a shotgun feeder!

Bag-up on the pole with maggots Stalk big fish from the margins

is ike th o l p r t Ca asier are e than catch ink! h you t

for a new pb

Winning advice from Andy Bennett

Aug 27 – Sept 24, 2019 £3.9 0

6

EASY STEPS

Learn to tie a river float rig

ISS UE 354

TACTICS TO TRY Catch your Fish O'Mania best bream champs tips Set-ups and baits

This month...

Issue 354 August 27 – September 24, 2019

Fishery Focus 8

Bury Hill Dorking, Surry

14

NEW SERIES!

River Trent Nottinghamshire

Tactics 24

Steve Gregory Blow carp aaway way with a sawn-off wn-off feeder!

30

Mark Wynne

34

James Champkin

Maggots ts on the short pole Specimen bream hunting made easy 40

Andy Bennett Fish O’ champ’s top 10 pole tips

44 Fake bait

rigs to tie Use these for your free gift 8

46 50 53

58 62

Howard Kaye Traditional baits for skimmers

Quick fix

64 68

Top pole shotting patterns

Darren Cox

70

‘Magic’ beans for big chub

Know your species Barbel

Rig school Avon float rig

Fish Better with Des Shipp River float fishing

Lee Newson Rethink your paste fishing

Robbie Griffiths Catch close on big lakes

74 78

Q&A Your questions tions answered

Below the surface Continental clonkers!

Tackle 80 82

82

104

84

88 90 94

Object of desire Daiwa TDR Distance reel

New gear The latest tackle releases

On-the-bank test Shakespeare Sigma Supra pellet waggler rod

On-the-bank test MAP TKS 301 3G pole

Preston Innovations New EVA accessories

Buyers’ guide...

84

Nine top barbel reels

110

Your IYCF 20

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Bite alarm offer

Your letters

100 Have your say

Daiwa Mission

102 Your catch shots

Crossword

Carp tactics 104

108 110

112

64

116 Win a Korum Lure Bag 118

Rich Wilby Stalking the margins

Rig of the month Bottom bait rig

Carp Q&A Sticky’s experts solve your carping problems

Dan Cleary Tackle weedy waters

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IYCF August 27 – September 24, 2019 • 5

Milton Lake, Bury Hill Fisheries

Tench and crucian paradise Tony Curd insists that this water on a famous complex is the pinnacle of commercial angling in the UK Words & Photography Tony Grigorjevs

8 • IYCF Issue 354

FISHERY FOCUS An in-depth guide to the best stillwaters, rivers, and canals that you can fish for the price of a day ticket

IYCF August 27 – September 24, 2019 • 9

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TACTICS: FEEDER SPECIES: CARP DIFFICULTY:

24 • IYCF Issue 354

TACTICS

Short range feeder is a summer blast Foul-hooking can cause headaches in summer but Steve Gregory has solved the problem by fishing a cleverly-designed device close in Words Tony Grigorjevs Photography Steve Haywood

T

HE pole is widely seen as the only tool you need for short-range angling. Its precision is such a big selling point, enabling you to accurately place a bait over the top of loosefeed.

But the pole certainly has its flaws at this time of year. With every fish in your local venue feeding aggressively, a shoal can rock up in your swim and create chaos by brushing up against your mainline, making the float dip and encouraging a strike which has only one outcome – a foul-hooked fish.

It’s a scenario you could face time and time again and it won’t be long before you start pulling your hair out!

Alterations with rigs and feeding are often attempted to mitigate the problem, but more

often than not the fish remain as excitable as ever and false bites continue.

So what is the solution?

Middy and Miracle Baits man Steve Gregory reckons the answer is much simpler than many people think.

“There is an obsession among most anglers with using only the pole when fishing up to 13m but there are plenty of occasions when I will fish the feeder really close in,” reveals Steve.

“You can feel ultra-confident that every fish is hooked in the mouth and you definitely can’t feel that way at this time of year when using the pole.”

IYCF August 27 – September 24, 2019 • 25

BIG FISH GALORE Pellets, corn and meat are seen as summer bankers on commercials but Mark Wynne proves that turning to grubs will boost the amount of carp you catch Words & Photography Tony Grigorjevs

TACTICS: POLE SPECIES: CARP DIFFICULTY:

30 • IYCF Issue 354

TACTICS

ON MAGGOTS W

ITH the fish feeding aggressively in summer, maggots rarely come into the equation on commercials. Many anglers see them as a gateway to being plagued by silver fish, scuppering their chances of getting through to the big carp they wish to fool. But take a look in Mark Wynne’s bait bag and you’ll immediately notice that maggots are at the forefront of his thinking.

The Sensas-backed angler believes we’ve reached the time of year where commercials can hit a dip in

form and sees the natural bait as the perfect way to dodge a frustrating day on the bank.

“Many of the carp in your favourite fishery will have been caught numerous times this summer and they’re starting to wise up to the trap.

“So many anglers use pellets, corn and meat that they become less effective for a period.

“But maggots are rarely considered by many anglers fishing in open water and that leads to the carp feeding on them more confidently.”

FISH O’MANIA WINNER’S...

TOP 10 TIPS FOR COMMERCIAL POLE ACTION! Photography Alex Rimmer Words: Tony Grigorjevs

W

HETHER or not you’re into match fishing, you can’t help but have heard all about this year’s stunning Fish O’Mania final.

Beamed out live to millions on Sky Sports, numerous anglers took the lead at various points during the contest but come the end it was Andy Bennett that got his hands on the coveted trophy. It was the culmination of years of hard work, winning countless

40 • IYCF Issue 354

opens and festivals along the way.

“Whether you are match or pleasure fishing, over-complicating is a recipe for disaster,” explains the Guru-backed star.

“I try to make a plan of how I want to catch right from the start and apply my basic principles to make that happen.”

This month Andy exclusively reveals his top 10 tips to help you catch more when pole fishing on commercials.

SET UP SEVERAL SHALLOW RIGS

“It’s no secret that fish love to cruise around in the upper layers in summer and on many days it is pointless fishing on the bottom.

“Many anglers set up a shallow rig but you need more than just one. Fish can change where they sit by just a few inches and if your hookbait isn’t right in front of them, they will just take the loosefeed instead.

“Set up rigs to fish 6in, 12in and 18in, and rotate. No bites? Go deeper. Missing bites?

Shallow up. Have 4in of line between pole tip and float when fishing for F1s.”

HAVE A SHOT UNDER THE FLOAT

“I use carbon-stemmed floats when fishing shallow because they are so sensitive, which is important for F1s.

“But in order to make them cock quickly, I place one shot directly under the stem. This enables me to see any instant bites that I would miss if the float took a moment to settle properly.”

RELY ON TWO DEADLY HOOK PATTERNS

“The most versatile hook available is without doubt a Guru Super LWG. It is a medium wire hook and is a lot stronger than it looks. I use it for pellets, casters and maggots for both carp and F1s and a size 16 is my favourite. If I am catching really big carp down the edge then I will switch to a Guru XS Spade in a size 14 or 16.”

The size 16 Guru Super LWG hook – strong and versatile

The Guru XS in size 14 or 16 is ideal for hooking big carp

PICK A FAR BANK MARKER

“Regardless of whether you are fishing shallow or on the deck, you need an area to concentrate your feed. In order to do this I always pick a far bank marker that I line up with when pinging the catapult.

“Fishing over your feed is usually the way to get more bites in warm conditions but it can be worth having the occasional drop on the edge of the main zone as bigger fish sometimes sit slightly away from the action.”

IYCF August 27 – September 24, 2019 • 41

A NG L ASY IN E G I

S

GL AN

IN G S K IL L

E

ACH float requires a certain amount of shot to cock it. Where you position this shot on the line beneath the float can actually make a huge difference to the sensitivity of the rig and alter how the bait falls through the water. These four shotting patterns will cover most scenarios you are likely to face.

EA S

It’s one of the first basic skills anglers learn – but are you doing it the right way?

SKILLS I

HOW TO: FIX SHOT A POLE FLOAT

QUICK

NG

Y

I EASY A

NG LI

S ILL K S

1

Bulked around the float

Use this in shallow water of less than 3ft. Add a couple of smaller shot equally spaced between the float and the hook so that the hookbait sinks naturally. Without these extra weights the bait will sink very slowly

50 • IYCF Issue 354

4

Shirt button

Having the shot equally spread out along the line produces a slow and natural fall of the hookbait

2

Bulked halfway down

Fish this style in depths of 3ft-6ft when you need to get your hookbait down quickly to fish feeding on the bottom

3

Bulk towards the bottom An olivette positioned at three-quarters depth will help to get the hookbait down to fish feeding on the bottom in depths of more than six feet

IYCF August 27 – September 24, 2019 • 51

TACTICS: WHIP SPECIES: SKIMMERS DIFFICULTY:

64 • IYCF Issue 354

TACTICS

Whip big waters into shape You don’t have to launch a feeder to the horizon on large lakes, as Robbie Griffiths demonstrates with a short-range masterclass Words & Photography Tony Grigorjevs

T

HERE’S been a hike in recent interest from anglers craving to fish reservoirs. The days of being daunted by vast expanses of water have been replaced by the realisation that their giant size doesn’t mean rock-hard sport.

Word has spread that these lakes are teeming with fish of all shapes and sizes and that bites can come thick and fast.

Those that have latched on to the action have plundered venues on feeder tactics,

convinced that chucking a cage or similar is the only way to locate the shoals.

After all, the fish are going to sit well away from the bank when they have so much room to roam, right? Wrong!

While rod-and-line tactics are king in the eyes of the vast majority, there are a few that have been having major successes a lot closer to the bank.

They’re not using a waggler, they’re not even using the pole – they’re catching

within a few feet of the bank on a whip!

And Preston Innovations angler Robbie Griffiths is one of a handful that have been using the simple approach to deadly effect.

“I’ve seen the number of people on big reservoirs shoot up in recent years, and almost every single one of them launches a feeder to the horizon,” explains Robbie.

“But there are so many fish to be caught close to the bank and they aren’t all tiddlers, either.”

IYCF August 27 – September 24, 2019 • 65

Avon float rig There’s nothing more natural in fishing than sending a float down a fast-moving river – and here’s one of the best set-ups for the job

T

HERE are few nicer ways to spend a day fishing than trotting a float down the middle of a pacey river.

This is also a brilliant tactic for catching larger fish such as barbel, chub and big roach, although slightly heavier tackle than normal is required.

This is a job for the Avon float – named after one of the many rivers of the same

name. Its bulbous body is buoyant enough to carry sufficient weight to keep a bait down close to the bottom even in turbulent water. The thick tip rides the eddies in the current and is not easily dragged under when the hooklength touches the bottom.

As a rule of thumb, use one gram of weight for every 2ft of depth. This may

HOW TO SET UP AN AVON RIG

Attach the mainline to the float using a thick float rubber that should be sized to securely hold the tip of the float

A minimum of three sections of float rubber should be used on the aluminium stem of the float, spread evenly between top and bottom

Use an olivette that is 0.5g lighter than the loading of the float. This leaves enough capacity for additional shot to be added

Tie a small figure-of-eight loop in the end of the mainline and fix a No.4 shot just above it to hold the olivette in place

Tie a size 18 forged hook to a 12-inch length of 5lb hooklength line using a four-turn grinner knot

Place a No.6 shot six inches above the hook and attach the hooklength using another figure-ofeight loop tied in the end of the hooklength

68 • IYCF Issue 354

see you using large floats in deep swims, but it is essential to keep the bait down.

The pronounced shoulder below the float tip also means that the Avon can be held back, slowing its progress to around half that of the flow at the surface. This pace more closely matches the current close to the riverbed, producing a more natural speed as the bait is swept downstream.

YOU WILL NEED... z 3g-8g Avon float z 6lb mainline z 5lb hooklength z Size 18 Guru MWG hook z Line-through olivette z No.4 and No.6 shot

TACTICS

Hold the Avon float back in the current so the bait rises off bottom and waves about enticingly

A mainline of 6lb is not too heavy for fast-flowing rivers when fishing for roach and chub

This bulking olivette should be 0.5g lighter than the float loading to allow for extra shot

If you don’t hold the float back, the bait will drag bottom behind the bulking olivette

IYCF August 27 – September 24, 2019 • 69

84 • IYCF Issue 354

TACKLE

LIVE TEST

Budget tackle at its best Tony Grigorjevs finds this bargain rod much more versatile than its pellet waggler tag

11ft 6in SHAKESPEARE SUPRA SIGMA PELLET WAGGLER RRP: £49.99

IYCF IYCF August February 27 – September 16 – March 24, 15, 2019 2016 • 85

TIPS, TACTICS & RIGS MORE RE TO CATCH MO

CATCH H BIG CARP CARP INCHES FROM THE BANK Top carp angler Rich Wilby reveals why staying mobile is more productive than sitting behind three rods Words James Furness Photography Lloyd Rogers

T

HE gentle knocking of a couple of lily pads suggested something was moving close to the bank. Delicately placing his kit on the ground so as to avoid any sudden noises, Rich Wilby crouched down and crept forwards to get a better look.

“There’s a few bubbles coming up so there’s definitely something feeding,” he whispered with an excited grin on his face.

It’s easy to see why he rates stalking so highly as a tactic for targeting carp. There’s no sitting behind three rods and just waiting for something to happen. It’s you hunting the carp.

After nicking on a mesh PVA slightly smaller than a golf ball, Rich carefully lowers the rig over the fizzing and rests the rod on the ground.

No sooner had he done this than the bubbles stopped before starting again slightly to the left. A second rod was lowered into position and placed alongside the first, with a small stone balanced on each of the slackened off spools.

This time the bubbles didn’t stop as a carp clearly continued to feed below. Surely it would only be a matter of time before it made a mistake and picked up the hookbait?

The line on the second rod twitched a couple of times and by the time the stone fell from the spinning spool, Rich was on the rod and bent into a carp. Piling on the pressure to stop it charging through the stems of lily pads and into the dense marginal reeds, he was soon netting a chunky double-figure mirror with a row of large scales along the rear of its flank.

Head for neglected swims

We had arranged to meet Rich at the Waveney Valley Lakes complex in Harleston, Norfolk.

He’d arrived early and had already done a couple of laps of the Heartsmere day-ticket water.

“The first thing I did was to bait a few spots with a handful of barrel-shaped boilies and corn,” he explained.

“It’s the first time I’ve fished the lake in over 20 years. Whenever I fish a day-ticket water like

CARP

You don’t need to carry much kit when your are on the move from swim to swim every 30 minutes!

this I always look for the neglected swims that look like they haven’t been fished for a while.

These are usually the swims that require a tricky cast or have a bush or something that makes positioning a rod quite awkward.

“Every lake will have these less favoured swims and the carp will invariably frequent these spots because they know they receive less angling pressure,” he said.

With the spots baited it had taken a couple more laps until he’d found fish feeding over one of them. A few minutes after that, the fish was being held up for the cameras.

Lily pads are a good place to target for big carp IYCF August 27 – September 24, 2019 • 105

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