Improve Your Coarse Fishing Magazine - Issue 394

Fishery

Hough Fishery

Variety is the spice of life

Old Hough Fishery, Cheshire

Martyn Steele heads to a commercial complex that will put a smile on your face no matter what style of fishing you prefer

Words & Photography Tony Grigorjevs

FOCUS

WITH so many different types of anglers involved in our great sport, it’s clearly a mammoth task to create a fishery that can cater for a large proportion of them.

A multitude of species that range from tiddlers through to landing net busting beasts are an essential element, as are plenty of lakes that all offer something different with their shape and design.

Even those that have plenty of pools spread across a large site tend to put all their eggs in one basket, catering solely for match or specimen enthusiasts.

There’s always an exception to the rule though, and

Cheshire’s Old Hough Fisheries falls firmly into this exclusive category.

Detailed plans were put together prior to opening in 2010, with the owners determined to create something that would be just as attractive to anglers that wanted to catch a few silverfish on the float as it would be to those that harboured aspirations to land a giant predator.

Fast-forward to the present day and it’s clear to see that the blueprint has been delivered, with a thriving complex that appeals to anglers with an interest in various disciplines.

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

"Make the most of every second you spend on the bank and boost your

never missing an issue of IYCF. Each month the

with easy-to-follow advice and tactics covering a wide range of methods and species. Whether you fish on your own, with your mates or with the whole family, we’ll make sure you’re the top rod!"

James Furness, Editor

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Get the best of both worlds

Glen Picton shows why a blend of old-school and modern thinking will work a treat when waggler fishing on commercials

Words & Photography Tony Grigorjevs

MENTION waggler fishing and its likely the conversation will be very different to what it would have a couple of decades ago.

Back then the waggler was renowned for its finesse, working wonders on both stillwaters and rivers for big bags of silverfish.

Maggots were the primary bait, with the approach capable of outscoring anything else on its day.

That style of fishing has been left in the past by many, especially the thousands that spend most of their bank time at commercials.

The pellet waggler is the only rod and line float tactic that many of those ever turn to, using chunky floats to make plenty of noise to draw carp into the upper layers.

Compare those approaches side by side and they seem to have very little in common, but Glen Picton reckons a hybrid of the two is what

you need to be successful at this time of year.

“The waggler was one of the first tactics that I ever tried when I first got into fishing over 25 years ago and it’s still one of my favourites to use now,” explained Glen.

“A lot has changed in our sport since then, but there are a lot of elements within a traditional waggler attack that you should rely on if you want to keep the carp and F1s feeding as the temperatures slowly start to drop.”

University town has the urban venues to teach you valuable angling lessons

WordsTomHumphreys Photography

Opportunities galore

The famous spires and cobbled Harry Potterlike streets need no introduction. The city is well established on the international and domestic tourism circuit, its history and architecture the primary draw.

Look a little closer, however, and there are boundless opportunities to catch a fish. The River Thames approaches from the west and forks into a multitude of channels, streams and ditches before meeting with the Cherwell to the south. Almost everywhere across the city there are opportunities for anyone to catch a fish, all you need to do is stop by at Top Tackle.

Wayne, the friendly owner of the independent tackle shop, is on hand to kit you out with what you need, and perhaps most importantly, the local intel, that is essential for catching fish.

An urban oasis – Castle Mill Stream, a channel of the Thames looking lovely in the city centre

Iffley Meadows

On Wayne’s recommendation for a spot of simple feeder fishing, Iffley Meadows was the choice. A bag of groundbait and some worms with perch, bream or roach as the intended quarry – the great thing about this style of angling is that almost any species could come along. The swims in this area tend to be concrete and quite high off the water, so a longhandled net is essential.

I was joined on the day by Mark, my angling apprentice, a drop-shotting artist looking to broaden his angling horizons. We both used a simple feeder rig with 6lb mainline and a size 12 hook, casting out to a likely looking spot where the flow from the stream begins to slow – potentially a natural food larder that would hopefully hold a shoal of monsters.

The concrete bank means that rod rests are useless here, a problem easily overcome by simply holding the rod in the hand and keeping a slight bend in the tip. Gently aiming the rod

away from the direction of the cast will achieve this perfectly and leave you ready to strike. This is a thrilling type of angling as you get to feel every single bite.

Several small perch and a nice dace filled our first hour or so as we were joined by canoeists, kayaks and the odd passer-by, looking to see if we had caught. With the somewhat unmistakable red kite soaring overhead, time was ticking for a bream.

Having missed a few bites, I decided to extend my hooklength, thinking this may alter my hooking ratio. Alas, more missed bites – I put this down to the ample crayfish that carpet the Thames in some areas. With around half an hour remaining, the rod arched round and a battle ensued. Bream in rivers, contrary to their stillwater cousins put up a very good account of themselves especially with light, balanced tackle. Finally, a slab of bronze in the net and a hefty dollop of slime, this was the perfect end to a very enjoyable, simple feeder session.

INNER CITY FISHING

Grabbing a few essentials and getting the location info from Wayne at Top Tackle

Touch legering in Iffley Meadows worked a treat with my Shakespeare Challenge XT kit

A beast of a signal crayfish caught on double red maggot at Hinksey Park Lake

I was joined by some fellow river users during my session at Iffley Meadows

Tom playing a lovely Thames bream in Iffley Meadow

Tom Humphrey’s is the Angling Trust’s Regional Angling Development Officer for the East of England. His goal is to inspire people to fish in an urban environment with a particular focus on promoting easy urban fishing, accessible to all. Further, to utilise and promote a local, independent tackle shop, fishing in locations as recommended by them and featuring the simplest fishing methods possible. Each session he will actively engage with many members of the public as possible and even get someone to catch their first fish ‘live’ for the article.

Cage feeder on large stillwaters

Graham West’s deadly attack is a proven winner for bream and bonus fish at this time of year

Words & Photography Tony Grigorjevs

THE popularity of fishing the feeder has been given a major boost in recent years. Minimal preparation, simple rigs and a massive reduction in the quantity of kit that you need have played a part in enhancing its stock.

The tactic comes in various guises and if you are after an approach that will produce regular bites from a wide range of species, the cage is often unbeatable.

Brown’s Angling and Preston Innovationsbacked Graham West is a huge fan of the tactic, using it throughout the year to put together big bags of silvers with the odd bonus specimen thrown in for good measure.

Just as you would with pole fishing, you need to consider dozens of seemingly minor elements to make the jigsaw click together. Adapting as the session progresses is key and during five

hours on the bank, you’ll need to remain busy if you want to avoid numerous biteless spells.

“Unlike a Method feeder, the cage isn’t selective and it gives you a shot at landing everything that swims,” Graham told IYCF.

“It isn’t as simple as launching the rig out and hoping for the best though, with regular changes required as a session progresses to keep the fish feeding.”

AREAS OF ATTACK

cage

VENUE VISITED

“Feeding the swims is the first port of call and I’ll put three feeders of bait on the 30m line.

“I only use a feeder that is slightly bigger than the one that I will actually fish with as this line will be my starting point and I don’t want to create a frenzy that leads to a lot of false indications.

“My short line receives a lot more loosefeed, with five large feeders packed with grub going in.

“I won’t be fishing this area for a while, so it creates a carpet to draw fish closer to the bank and then hold them.

“Make sure they are both pencilled in on a slightly different angle so that you don’t drag hooked fish through your 15m spot.

“Each line is fed with groundbait laced with casters. Micro pellets are also included on venues where they are fed by the majority of anglers.

“The best mix is an even blend of Sonubaits Green Fishmeal and Thatchers Original, with a handful of Sweet Skimmer also added.

“When combined together, it has a high food content which satisfies the appetite of fish that will still be hungry at this time of year.

“On to the fishing, and I’d expect it to take 10-15 minutes to get my first bite on the 30m line from skimmers.

“Once you start catching, expect to put three or four fish in the net in no time at all before the shoal begins to become a little cagey and missed bites can kick in

“When this happens, changes are required. The first thing I’ll try is a different hooklength, halving it from 12in to 6in to see if the fish have come closer to the feeder.”

Cutting down your hooklength will get you back on track if you start to miss a few bites

A groundbait mix packed with loads of flavour is used to draw fish in and hold their attention

Plenty of casters are introduced alongside groundbait on the short line at the start

Feeding the swim is important in the first hour

Conquer canals with just two rigs

Darren Massey shows why keeping it simple is the best formula when trying to bag a fish every chuck

Words & Photography Tony Grigorjevs

CANAL fish are renowned for being extremely skittish.

Living in a narrow channel of water gives them little room to escape any pressure, with boat traffic and heavy bankside footfall also adding to their cagey nature.

All of those factors make it almost impossible to catch from one line all day. A run of bites is usually followed by a lull, with a switch of swim often the required tonic.

This approach can lead to numerous areas getting fished throughout the day, with the wide distribution of bait spreading the shoal and making them trickier to catch.

An element of rotation is key, but canal fishing ace Darren Massey believes you can keep fish coming every drop in by focusing on just two spots.

“Canal fishing can become confusing if you fish too many lines. It leaves you wondering where is best to fish at that moment and keeping them primed with the optimum quantity of loosefeed is also tricky.

“Cutting it down to just two lines simplifies things. Manage them both throughout the day and you’ll always have a spot that is ready to produce a bite on the next drop in.”

Winning lines

Darren’s two lines are kept well apart from each other to make sure that one is always home to fish feeding confidently.

“I fish a line around 5m out and I expect to catch small roach, perch and maybe an odd bonus here,” he explained.

“The second is pencilled in tight to the far bank close to any cover where a better stamp of roach are likely to sit.

“Pegs with a decent depth and obvious features, such as overhanging trees, often fair best.”

Boat traffic and bankside footfall are the key factors that will ultimately lead to lulls on the short line, while the far bank tends to quieten down once several fish have been hooked and landed.

TACTICS: POLE

Garbolino’s latest offering comes with stacks of spares

LIVE TEST

Go long without breaking the bank

The cost associated with buying your first 16m pole may send shivers down your spine, but could Garbolino’s latest offering stub out that concern? Tony Grigorjevs puts it to the test to find out…

YOU’LL be spoilt for choice when going into the market for your first pole.

Products that are strong, supplied with a few spares and have a decent finish are plentiful, no matter what your budget.

Fishing at short range to start with, you’ll slowly build up your skills, enabling you to add more sections while maintaining control of the pole.

A reasonably cheap pole will soon get heavy as you come close to wielding it at full length and even if your muscles can handle the

strain, the pole is unlikely to be any longer than 13m. That was more than enough when you first got the bug, but with more experience in the bag, you’re going to keep coming up against scenarios where an extra couple of sections could catch you a lot more fish.

Snake lakes are traditionally 14m-16m wide, with the far bank often a magnet for fish. Islands are often only touchable with a longer version too.

Delve into the market for a 16m pole to help you tackle these venues and you’ll still have

plenty of choice, but only if you are willing to part with a four-figure sum.

Trends are there to be bucked though, and Garbolino’s brand new UK Power Performance Match does just that.

Selling in shops for just under £1,000, it offers a 16m pole with what looks like an impressive package at first sight.

It may trump its rivals on price, but could it outdo them on performance too? I was off to the bagging mecca that is Alders Farm near Milton Keynes to find out.

TIPS, TACTICS & RIGS TO CATCH MORE

YOU CAN’T GO WRONG WITH A... GOOD OLD BOILIE APPROACH!

WHEN it comes to fishing a specific method in carp fishing, boilie angling has hands down been my go-to approach for many years across numerous venues, whether they’re large open gravel pits or busier commercial style waters. Boilies have served me well and there are several reasons why.

Many of the waters which I target usually have some growth of weed, from thick Canadian weed or the trickier and maybe

more annoying silkweed which poses quite a few problems. Many people look to avoid the weedy areas and fish the more obvious clear spots. But weed is where the natural goodness and food lives, so carp will naturally gravitate towards such areas, especially silk weed!

If you grabbed some fresh growth and broke it apart with your fingers, you’ll see it crawling with life so why wouldn’t you want to use this to your advantage?

In a world where multi-item bait mixes are the norm among carp anglers, Simon Kenny explains why he puts his faith in a straightforward boilie attack…

Words Simon Kenny Photography Tom Gibson

AUGUST has been a challenging yet thoroughly enjoyable month, but as the nights draw in we will say goodbye to the intense heat of the past summer.

The coming month is one of my favourites, possibly the best of the whole angling year, assuming we see a little rain to top up the rivers, so while you enjoy looking back at my escapades I shall be looking forward to the Autumn.

Week one...

Looking at the weather forecast ahead of Tuesday’s session I could hardly believe my luck. It promised 28 degrees and a 20mph wind out of the South West with broken cloud. Hard to imagine a better day for laying carp traps. It promised the kind of day that can produce six or more fish in an eight-hour session.

The forecast duly delivered what it had promised yet it seemed like the fish hadn’t read the memo. The 20-acre pit was deserted and I had my choice of swims around the North East corner into which the wind was hacking and colouring up the water nicely. There wasn’t exactly a swim in the corner so it was a choice between the last couple of swims on the East bank with a left to right ripple or the same on the North with a right to left.

I chose the East, stuck out a marker, spodded around it, placed

two Method feeders on the perimeter of the fed spot and sat back expectantly. An hour later I was scratching my head as I’d had no indications. Two hours and my feet were getting decidedly itchy. How could I not have caught?

Other than directly in front, my view was obscured by bushes so I switched on my remote control, left Sue on the rods and walked 20 yards down the bank to where there was a clearer view. In the next five minutes I saw at least half a dozen fish crash out along the North bank. Time to move. Easy when I’m on my own, less so when Sue is with me as she does like to be surrounded by her home comforts.

Oval, bedchair, cooking equipment, ruckbag, bait and all the rest were swiftly being stashed in the car boot when a onetoner startled me. I picked up the rod and duly did battle with a powerful common that wasn’t far short of 20lb. Brilliant. What a dilemma I now faced. Stay or go?

I went with the latter. Yes, it was a gamble whatever I decided. Turns out I made the right one as the left-hand rod rattled off within 20 minutes of casting out in the new swim. Unfortunately, the fish fell off. Then the right-hand rod was away with a lovely mirror. And then two more bites

gave me a heart attack before falling off too. Why? These rigs and hooks have served me well without problems for years. And no, I don’t have an answer. But at least I was able to justify the move to Sue who kept spirits high with bacon sarnies, cheese toasties and hot drinks.

We left just before 7pm and headed for the local chippy. In my head the day had been a bit of a missed opportunity, fishingwise, but I couldn’t complain. Two lovely fish and it certainly hadn’t been boring.

Sue

This cracking mirror was myreward for a move along the bank

This near-20 arrived justafter I’d decided on a move!

Week two...

With another scorching day in prospect I decided to have a look at the Trent, to brush the cobwebs off more than anything.

There’s a swim I’ve been fancying for a while where there’s an inviting shallow gravel bar 10 yards out from the bank but it involves wading across a deep-ish gully. Of course, only a scatterbrain like me would leave his chest waders at home. Fortunately, I was wearing shorts. They would have to get wet.

I expected bites to come fairly quickly but nothing materialised. After an hour I decided to drop 20 yards down the gravel bar and cast over to a different feature. First cast, a big chub obliged. Although well over 4lb, I decided not to photograph it as I fancied I’d get a bigger one. Talk about deluded! It was easily the biggest one I caught.

Isn’t it amazing how moving 20 yards can make such a massive difference? It was now a bite a chuck, mostly barbel.

Unfortunately, there’s a snag in the swim that cut me off above the feeder, twice. Not happy. Cast shorter and the bites stopped. You had to be in the danger zone to catch.

Two hours in the sun was getting to me. It was scorching sat out there on my platform with no shelter and it wasn’t

going to get any cooler. Not good for me, arguably not good for barbel, either. As much fun as I was having, I decided to quit and drop back on to a nearby gravel pit.

Setting up in a shady swim it was evident that every carp in the lake was cruising the surface layers and bottom fishing would be a waste of time. Not having any floater gear with me, I’d have to do a bit of stalking and, sure enough, I found groups of carp sunbathing along the windward margins.

Using the same Daiwa Basia 1.75lb test barbel rod and GS reel that I used on the river, I simply altered the terminal tackle to a shorter hooklength and swapped the feeder for a 1oz bomb. The feeder mix I’d used on the river (hemp, pellets and groundbait) was dampened slightly so as to mould around the bomb with a 15mm Mistral Belachan Shrimp boilie hair rigged off a size 10 Gamakatsu Specialist hook.

It was then a case of sneaking round and finding where the fish were. Actually they were everywhere so it was a case of working out which were the bigger fish. Choice made I swung out the trap as gently as I could, perhaps four yards away in 18 inches of water. I then laid my rod on the ground so no part of it went past the water’s edge and felt the line for bites.

I actually watched a big common swim up to where my trap was set and tip up on its nose, following which all hell let loose as it took off. A brilliant scrap followed to round off a brilliant day.

It was good to get back in touch with the River Trent

After a slow start it was a bite everychuck from barbel and chub

I stalked this lovely common from a nearby pit