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ISSUE 343
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INSIDE Issue 343 October 23 – November 20, 2018
24
Angling legend Bob Nudd reveals his autumn pole fishing tips
GREAT BRITISH FISHING 8
14
Silver-only waters tipped for the top – Ian Jones Herding ‘cattle’ on the Trent – Mark Perkins
TACTICS
24 Pole fishing with Bob Nudd 30 How long is your hooklength? – Mark Malin 34 One line, two tactics, more bites – Alex Dockerty 40 Big rewards from small rivers – Jake Benson 4 • IYCF Issue 343
44 10 quickfire chub tips 46 Back off the feed for bream – Pemb Wrighting 50 Specialist floats explained 53 How to tackle a new lake – Matt Powell 58 How to cash in this predator season 64 Go the distance on the tip – Kevin Durman 68 Drop in with a Jigga – Geoff Ringer 72 Fish better with Des Shipp – waggler tactics
77 Q&A 80 Rig school: Chub maggot waggler rig
CARP TACTICS
102 Big carp on the Method 110 Carp Q&A 112 All about inline leads
TACKLE
84 Sonik Vader X FS reels 86 New gear
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46
Just go steady when baiting for bream. You’ll do better by backing off the feed, says Pemb Wrighting
58
The predator season is upon us and here’s our top tips for connecting with a memorable pike
68
The Jigga float isn’t just a tactic for F1s. It also works brilliantly for silver fish as Geoff Ringer proves
72
Brush up on your waggler skills using these tips from England international Des Shipp
88
Middy has really hit the spot with its latest Muscle-Tech 300 10ft feeder rod, says tester Rich Grange
112
88 Live test: Middy MuscleTech 300 Feeder rod 92 Buyers’ guide to distance feeder rods
YOUR IYCF 20 Subscribe and get a free Shakespeare Cypry reel 98 Your letters 100 Mission: your catch shots 116 Crossword 118 Bob Roberts’ diary
Inline leads have more going for them than you may believe. Here’s how to use them
IYCF October 23 – November 20, 2018 • 5
Silver-only waters tipped for the top Silver species are on the rise! Ian Jones discovers why a new style of commercial will become more widespread Words & Photography Tony Grigorjevs
8• IYCF Issue 343
T
HERE’S no hiding from the fact that silver fish are regarded as second-class citizens in commercials. Carp and F1s rule the roost in a huge proportion of fisheries and while other species have become more common in recent years, they are still an afterthought when it comes to stocking. Breaking away from the mould seems too risky to bosses who feel it is a safer bet to top up with carp and F1s to satisfy their regulars. And who can blame them, with a number of fisheries unsuccessfully creating silver fish only pools in the past. Within years – sometimes only months – they were closed as anglers showed little interest and stuck to bagging carp.
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IYCF October 23 – November 20, 2018 • 9
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£53 WHEN YOU PAY BY ANNUAL RECURRING PAYMENT Terms and Conditions: *Subscriptions will start with the next available issue. The minimum term is 13 issues. Recurring payments will continue to be taken unless you tell us otherwise. This offer closes on November 19, 2018. We reserve the right to provide an alternative gift or a 3 issue extension if stocks are exhausted. Please allow 28 working days for the delivery of your gift. This offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Cost from landlines for 01 numbers per minute are (approximate) 2p to 10p. Cost from mobiles per minute (approximate) 10p to 40p. Costs vary depending on the geographical location in the UK. You may get free calls to some numbers as part of your call package – please check with your phone provider. Order lines open 8am-9.30pm (Mon-Fri), 8am-4pm (Sat). UK orders only. Overseas? Phone +44 1858 438828. Calls may be monitored or recorded for training purposes. For full terms and conditions: please visit http://www.greatmagazines.co.uk/offer-terms-and-conditions
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TACTICS: POLE SPECIES: CARP / F1s DIFFICULTY:
24 • IYCF Issue 343
TACTICS
IYCF October 23 – November 20, 2018 • 25
How long is your hooklength? If it’s less than 3ft you could be missing out on bites, according to MAP’s Mark Malin. He explains how longer hooklengths fool wary bream Pics: Richard Chapman Words: Tony Grigorjevs
The feeder is fished on a running quick-change swivel
TACTICS
I
F THERE is one arm of the sport that can lead to you ripping your hair out, it’s bream fishing. A couple of quick fish on the feeder lull you into a false sense of security, leading you into thinking you’ve cracked it. Then the bites suddenly stop. You become increasingly frustrated as your rod-tip continually taps, indicating the presence of fish brushing against the line that are refusing to take the hookbait.
It would be easy to throw in the towel at that point. But Mark Malin believes there is one trick that has helped him overcome this problem time and time again. “Modern-day anglers are obsessed with using short hooklengths but there are times when using a much longer version can be extremely effective,” explained Mark. “Bream are a cagey species, and there are several reasons why using a long hooklength keeps the bites coming thick and fast.”
Why longer is better
Bream are greedy. They can hoover up a bed of bait in no time at all. Unlike carp, though, they can be cautious when feeding, which makes them tricky to catch. The disturbance of a couple of fish being extracted from the shoal instantly puts them on high alert and changes the way they behave. “All the groundbait comes out of the feeder once it hits the bottom but that doesn’t mean lots of fish will instantly dive in and attack it,”
TACTICS: FEEDER SPECIES: BREAM DIFFICULTY:
IYCF October 23 – November 20, 2018 • 31
BIG REWARDS FROM SMALL RIVERS Jake Benson reveals how he catches barbel from his favoured small-river systems… Words & Photography Jake Benson
TACTICS: LEGER SPECIES: BARBEL DIFFICULTY:
40• IYCF Issue 343
W
TACTICS
HILE Britain’s larger river systems can offer the visiting angler the chance of some prolific sport, I really don’t think you can beat the up close and personal affair of fishing a small river. My love for fishing these intricate systems started as a youngster, fishing for chub in streams little more than a rodlength wide. As I grew older my attentions turned to barbel and, feeling comfortable on a smaller river, that’s where I started – a backwater on the River Nene. Standing on a bridge, staring into the depths of the Crabtree-esque stretch, I was greeted by the sight of three large barbel – the biggest of which I managed to tame just a few hours later. The adrenaline of that nerve-jangling capture in a hectic swim full of features gave me such buzz. But how can you succeed on these often-tricky tributaries and backwaters? Well, I’ll start by saying it isn’t always easy because of the array of challenges but, boy, is it rewarding! Like all fishing, you first have to find them…
Look for features
In my experience barbel are like the older sibling of a chub – very similar, but a little wiser! So, if you’ve ever done any chub fishing you won’t be a million miles away if you check out the spots that could well hold a couple. In fact, once you find the chub you aren’t ever far away from a barbel. I prefer to start by walking the stretch while wearing polarised glasses to check out any likely looking areas. Barbel follow the textbooks when it comes to features. They can be found close to any cover – overhanging trees, deep holes, beds of reeds and rushes, rafts, creases, gravel runs surrounded by streamer weed, and weir pools. On small rivers and backwaters, you will often discover pockets of fish. You may have 100 yards of shallow river that looks identical and devoid of life, then at the end of the run there’s a bend, overhanging tree or a change of depth. These are where the barbel will call home. This is particularly true in autumn when the water temperature cools and the barbel seek solace in the deeper water. Even if your local river is 3ft deep, if you find a hole of 5ft deep, chances are it’ll hold some fish.
IYCF October 23 – November 20, 2018 • 41
R O F Y D A GET RE R O T A D E R THE P ! N O S A E S
ater predator. hw es fr p to ’s K U e th e Pike ar rget them… Here’s how you can ta
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58 • IYCF Issue 343
rassic like something from Ju cies spe n der mo a n tha Park sport as ere of coarse fish. Wh to rts sta s cie spe from other ber vem No m fro n dow w slo r onwards, this freshwate nt llia bri e vid pro can predator the , all of t bes d An rt. spo often simplest of tactics will of bites. nty ple h wit you reward
TACTICS
Find the prey fish
of water Pike can live in any type to a massive d pon m far from a weedy g them atin loc to key The r. rive tidal l wil e pik – fish is to find the prey er silv , als can On ay. aw far never be tain cer in up al fish will begin to sho geting stretches so start by tar h as suc as are g din hol s iou obv and ges brid s, boatyards, marina apply on es rul e sam The s. arm ‘dead’ spots such rivers. Find silver fish hot n point ctio jun any or ries as tributa utary. trib a between a main river and pike ere wh ter wa ck sla Also look for iting wa t ren can rest up out of the cur by. im for prey fish to sw
Fish multiple swims
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Make sure you carry the right tools
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LIVE TEST
Middy conjures up feeder magic IYCF’s Richard Grange discovers that the Muscle -Tech 300 lives up to its name and packs plenty of big carp taming power
88 • IYCF Issue 343
TACKLE
MIDDY MUSCLE-TECH 300 10ft FEEDER ROD SRP: £79.99
T
HE UK feeder fishing revolution is showing no signs of slowing down with tackle companies releasing more and more kit on to the market that means the angler has never had it so good when it comes to choosing tackle. This is especially true where commercial fisheries are concerned with manufacturers looking to find that Holy Grail of the fishing
rod, namely enough power to land big carp quickly spliced with the same degree finesse to make short to medium-range casting a joy and in the new Muscle-Tech 300, Middy reckons to have nailed it fair and square. That’s no surprise though, as the Derbyshire company were producing tip rods aimed at heavy duty carp work many years before the feeder bandwagon rolled into town and that
IYCF IYCF October February 23 –16 November – March 20, 15, 2016 2018 • 89
WHY IT’S TIME TO GET INLINE What inline leads lack in terms of popularity they more than make up for in hooking properties. You need them in your armoury
W
ALK around any carp lake and the majority of anglers will be using lead clips or helicopter set-ups. Very rarely will you stumble upon someone using an inline lead. Despite not being the most fashionable of leads, they are without doubt the most effective at hooking fish. Because the line passes through the centre of the lead and there is no swivel attachment, a carp will come into contact with the full weight of the lead soon after picking up the hookbait.
112 • IYCF Issue 343
These leads work best with short supple braid hooklinks and are ideal when fished inside solid PVA bags. The only downside of inline leads is their noseheavy design. When you cast out, the hooklink swivel will be the first thing to hit the lakebed. If you were using a stiff hooklink material and the lead landed on soft lakebed, the lead can plug in and leave the hooklink sticking up at an awkward angle. Leading around to locate a firm area to fish over prevents this problem.
CARP
TOP TIP
An inline lead fished in conjunction with a short, supple braid hooklink is the best set-up to use inside a solid PVA bag. It provides excellent hooking properties over a compact pile of loosefeed.
IYCF October 23 – November 20, 2018 • 113
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