Improve Your Coarse Fishing Issue 367 (PREVIEW)

RIG SCHOOL TIE A PELLET FEEDER RIG FOR BIG BARBEL PLUS

1 5 PA G E S O F

POLE TACTI CS

FOR ALL LEVELS

It's time to enjoy a...

Silverfish workout Darren Cox details his top tactics for mixed bag action

Become a big cat hunter

Zenia Gregorek shows you how to tame your first catfish

IYCF chats to...

England Ladies Carp Team manager Bev Clifford

Catch cagey chub with corn Try it now on shallow summer rivers!

ISSUE 367

Aug 25 – Sept 22, 2020 £3.99

REVEALED: DAIWA'S NEW FEEDER REEL

This month...

Issue 367 August 25 – September 22, 2020

Fishery Focus 8

50

Leeds & Liverpool Canal Lancashire

14

Larford Lakes Worcestershire

Tactics 24 30

34

Jamie Cartwright

Golden rules for big tench

Martin Barnatt

Fool cagey chub with sweetcorn

Mikey Williams

Beefy skimmer rigs a bonus

39

Chris Jones

42

Quick fix

44 48

Feed for one fish at a time Three ways to feed groundbait

Ade Mansfield

Change the dinner bell

Know your species

Eel

14 50

Darren Cox

54

Barbel pellet feeder

56 60

Enjoy a silverfish workout

Rig school

Zenia Drury-Gregorek

Catch your first catfish

Fish Better with Des Shipp

The long pole made easy

64 4 IYCF | Issue 367

Q&A

Your questions answered

Tackle 68 70 72

24

Object of desire

Daiwa N’ZON Feeder reel

New gear

The latest tackle releases

Live test:

Garbolino feeder rod

Your IYCF 20 76 80 72

Carp tactics 90

94

96 98 30

Matt Povey

How to tackle advance booking waters

82 88

Subscribe...

Buy one year a get one free

IYCF chats to...

Bev Clifford

Your letters Have your say

Daiwa Mission Your catch shots

Angling puzzle break

Win a Korum Lure Bag

Bob Roberts’ diary

100 Our top all-rounder’s monthly round-up

Carp Q&A

90

Sticky’s experts solve your problems

Rig of the month The maize stack rig

Top tips

Fish your first night session

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www.greatmagazines.co.uk | IYCF 5

Larford Lakes, Worcestershire

Back from the brink of extinction Neil McKinnon heads to Larford Lakes to highlight the quality of fishing after a major scare earlier in the year Words & Photography Tony Grigorjevs

14 IYCF | Issue 367

D

UE to everything that has happened over the last few months, it is easy to forget the events that unfolded in the early stages of the year.

But cast your mind back to January and February and the nation was being ravaged by severe flooding.

Several weeks of persistent heavy rain led to a large proportion of the UK’s rivers over-spilling, often with devastating consequences for many nearby homes and businesses.

Fisheries certainly didn’t escape from the flooding chaos unscathed and, arguably, one of the hardest hit was Worcestershire’s Larford Lakes complex near Stourport.

No matter where you live in the country, you are likely to have some awareness about the quality

of sport historically on offer at the fishery. It has staged numerous big match finals and scores of high-profile anglers rate it as one of their favourite venues. That legacy was threatened late in February when the River Severn, which runs directly behind the complex, rose at an unprecedented rate. Despite having flood defences in place, the water breached them and the river and lakes merged as one.

The fishery staff desperately scrambled to save the fish, using nets to catch what stock they could and retain them safely.

Once the levels dropped, it was anyone’s guess how much of an impact the event would have had.

Platforms had been displaced but only time would tell whether huge numbers of carp, F1s and silvers had been dragged into the river.

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

www.greatmagazines.co.uk | IYCF 15

up champion dishes C an nn re D er rm fo The make sure your to s ep st f oo pr ol fo s out hi a success next tench session is ker t Photography Mark Par Words Jamie Cartwrigh

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more OTHING says summer ion’s nat than targeting the tench. I the – s cie spe favourite loo their ks and just love them, both for ss. their fighting prowe targeting I’ve spent many years numerous ght cau e hav and m the

TACTICS: VARIOUS SPECIES: TENCH DIFFICULTY:

24 IYCF | Issue 367

5oz. I recently doubles to a best of 11lb me at join invited the cameras to ater Carp sew Ro ’s ire Northamptonsh t tips for bes Fishery to record my five ch. ten re mo helping you’catch se red-eyed So, if you also love the monsters read on...

TACTICS

The first rule when targeting tench is the same as targeting any other species. Even with the best rigs and bait in the world, you cannot catch what isn’t there.

The first thing I do is take a good walk carrying binoculars and wearing polarised sunglasses looking for tell-tale signs of fish.

Tench often give away their presence by rolling on the surface, slapping their tails prior to powering their way back down to the lakebed to feed. Once there they will send up patches of frothy bubbles as they rummage

around in the debris looking for food.

As I walked the banks of Rosewater, I didn’t see a great deal until I reached a particular area, where in the space of 15 minutes a couple rolled 50 yards from the bank.

By the time I got back to the car, those two shows were the only signs I had seen, so I decided to head to the swim on the road bank, where I had seen activity.

It wasn’t much, but it was something to go on and at least I knew there were a few tench in the area. All I had to do was catch them!

S UR EYE O Y E S U or Look f sh f fi signs o in rolling ter a open w

Having made a mental note of the area I’d seen the fish roll in, I clipped a 3oz lead on to my spod rod and cast it out to the spot, feathering the line before trapping it against the spool with my forefinger a split second before the lead hit the surface. This prevents the lead crashing into the water and makes it sink on a tight line.

By doing this not only can you gauge the depth of the water by counting how long it takes for the lead to stop falling but, with practice, you can also ‘feel’ the lead down and discover what the lakebed is like. A solid bump on the bottom would indicate that you have landed on a clear area with a firm lakebed.

I then drag the lead back towards me with a slow sweeping action of the rod. It is possible to make an educated guess about the type of lakebed you are dragging the lead over. A smooth steady pull indicates sand or light silt, a light drag with small sharp taps on the rod top would indicate a gravel patch or bar, light resistance could be deep silt or light weed and heavy resistance normally means you have cast into a weedbed.

On this occasion, it took a couple of casts to locate a clear spot, but the lack of resistance and the sharp taps I felt told me I had found gravel. Further casts proved that there was a

long narrow strip of gravel running parallel to the bank. There was a fair amount of Canadian pondweed beyond the spot and also low lying Canadian between the spot and the bank but I didn’t envisage this posing any real problems for landing fish. If the weed is really thick I recommend getting the rake out and clearing a suitable area or finding another spot because nobody wants to drag the poor fish through weedbeds. Fish safety should always come first.

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TACTICS: LEGER SPECIES: CHUB DIFFICULTY:

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TACTICS

Fool cagey chub with sweetcorn This supermarket staple rarely gets a look in but Martin Barnatt reckons it is an unrivalled hookbait on shallow rivers Words & Photography Tony Grigorjevs

C

ORN is a bait that can be used in a wide variety of situations.

Whether you’re feeding it down the margins to draw big carp on a commercial, adding it to your groundbait on the feeder for bream or fishing the float for rudd and tench, it’s always worth carrying a tin or two of the stuff.

But one species it rarely seems to be used for is chub. Quite why this is the case is uncertain.

Chub are by no means a fussy species and eat a wide range of offerings including worms, bread, maggots, boilies and even slugs. For some reason though, most anglers won’t give the yellow kernels a second look.

Chub expert Martin Barnatt used to be of a similar mindset but recent sessions on low and clear rivers have changed his mind.

“Until a couple of years ago, like many anglers, sweetcorn was something I’d never use when chub fishing,” asserted Martin.

“Nowadays, it’s one of the first baits I turn to when chasing the species at this time of year.

I’ve banked plenty of big fish that I’m sure I’d have missed by using other baits.”

Two-pronged attack

One of sweetcorn’s biggest selling points is its visibility. In clear and shallow water, there’s no chance of a feeding chub missing it, whether it’s trickling through the water column or resting on the deck.

Martin has found there are two different ways to catch with the bait and it can vary as to which scores best.

“If I find a shoal of chub, I keep myself hidden away from the edge and use a catapult to discreetly feed 10 grains of corn.

“I then observe how they behave. Sometimes they instantly feel confident and start mopping up bait, while other times they will be really cagey and dart in and out of available cover.

“If they appear confident, I remain in the swim and continue to drip in feed for a short while without actually fishing it so that they drop their guard even more.

“After five to 10 minutes of this, I’d have a great chance of dropping in a bait and earning an instant bite.

Finding the fish

Most chub fishing involves travelling light and trying to locate where they are sat as opposed to trying to bring them to you wherever you set up a swim to fish.

Martin’s corn attack is no different. Although you’ll be itching to wet a line as soon as you get on the bank, it is best to do some investigating before casting out a bait.

“I always walk the stretch I am going to fish, looking for signs of fish moving around. In the absence of that, I aim to find swims with plenty of cover where the chub are likely to be lurking well out of sight.

“It is best to locate around half a dozen areas so that you have plenty of swims to visit throughout your session.”

Three small tins of corn are enough to prime several swims each session

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TACTICS: POLE SPECIES: BREAM DIFFICULTY:

34 IYCF | Issue 367

TACTICS

Get a bonus with beefy skimmer rigs Mikey Williams shows why using light lines and small hooks isn’t always the best set-up when skimmers are on the agenda Words & Photography Tony Grigorjevs

C

OMPARE the rigs used by commercial anglers for carp and skimmers and you’ll soon spot they are drastically different for each species.

Hefty elastics are deployed for hardfighting mirrors and commons, with more durable mainlines, sturdier floats and hooks of thick wire also coming into the equation.

It almost seems to be universally accepted that such beefy tackle doesn’t offer the subtlety required to put together a big haul of bream. There are always anglers that go against the grain, however, and, in this instance, Mikey Williams is one of them.

The Guru and Mainline Match star relies on

rigs that would make many diehard silverfish fans wince.

“I don’t believe that drastically scaling down your tackle makes a difference for commercial silvers at this time of year,” explained Mikey.

“They feed extremely aggressively and have to compete to get their fill of any bait in the swim. As a result, they drop all caution when feeding and are completely oblivious to the rig.

“Fishing in such a manner is no barrier to how many skimmers I catch but it does mean I land those bonus carp that are guaranteed to show up.”

www.greatmagazines.co.uk | IYCF 35

HOW TO: 3 WAYS TO

There’s more to groundbait than just adding water. Subtle differences in LS I EASY

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ROUNDBAIT is a finely crushed bait mixture which, once mixed with water, can be compressed together and either thrown, catapulted or cupped into the swim.

It will then break down to create an attractive carpet of feed to attract and hold a wide range of species.

Depending how much water you add and which other baits you include in the mix will alter how your blend performs and it can be tailored to suit the situation you’re faced with.

This month we look at three different ways of feeding groundbait and when to use each method.

TOP TIP Dip your hands in water when you’ve formed a ball and squeeze the outside once to form a layer to bind the outer surface. This stops it breaking up mid-air 42 IYCF | Issue 367

FEED GROUNDBAIT

mixing and feeding it enable you to respond to conditions and improve results METHOD 1:

METHOD 2:

METHOD 3:

Balling in

Topping up

Making a cloud

When to use: Large balls of groundbait – often called ‘Jaffas’ – are best for balling in at the start of a session. Throwing or cupping in six of these balls creates a carpet of bait for the fish to come in and settle over.

Best for: Bream and roach. Roach will come to the groundbait straight away while bream may take a little longer.

Delivery method: The noise of the groundbait entering the water attracts fish on some venues which is why it’s good to throw it. If you’re not confident of throwing with reasonable accuracy, use a cupping kit when fishing the pole.

Raise the pole end 4ft above the water and drop in the balls. On lakes where fish are spooked by noise, stealthily cup in groundbait.

When to use: Small groundbait balls – roughly the size of a golf ball – should be used to top up the initial bombardment of bigger balls. These should include more particle baits such as chopped worms, casters or micro pellets.

Best for: Any species as the aim is simply to top up the peg with more food because you’ve already drawn fish into the peg by balling in. You now only need to put in one or two top-up balls.

Delivery method: Use a cupping kit on the end of your pole for accuracy.

Feed to your bites. If you put in a topup ball and catch straight away, then it goes quiet, the fish are telling you to feed again.

When to use: This is done by feeding the groundbait loose without it being formed into a ball.

It can only be done in shallow, still water otherwise it will disperse too widely.

Best for: Loose groundbait is a great feed for carp down the margins because it creates a cloud with no particles. Although carp eat the groundbait, your hookbait really stands out as a target when you place it among the feed. It can also work for bream in shallow water after feeding a few solid balls first.

Delivery method: The only way to feed loose groundbait is with a pole cup. Put in three or four cups to begin with.

How to make...

How to make...

How to make...

Use two hands to form the ball and give it three or four good squeezes

A one-handed squeeze is more than enough and ensures each ball is the same size

Mix the groundbait as normal and riddle to remove any lumps. It should be fairly damp

The finished groundbait ball should fit snugly into a large pole cup

Small top-up baits should be full of food such as chopped worms and casters

Loose groundbait is usually fed in large quantities which means full cupping pots

On many venues, fish will be attracted to the sound of a groundbait ball being thrown in

A golf ball-sized end product is perfect for topping up and can be cupped in accurately

Fill your cup to just below the rim and swish it about in the water to create a large area

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TACTICS: FEEDER SPECIES: VARIOUS DIFFICULTY:

44 IYCF | Issue 367

TACTICS

Time to change the dinner bell With the Method feeder losing its edge on some commercials, Ade Mansfield reveals the deadly alternative that keeps the tip going round Words & Photography Tony Grigorjevs

F

EEDERFISHING with a short hooklength has been all the rage over the last few years. The likes of Method, Hybrid and pellet feeders are proven winners on commercials and few anglers look beyond them.

But, as is often the way when a tactic is heavily used, there are a growing number of venues where the fish are wising up to the trap. They’ve become so used to being hooked after diving head-first into a small bed of bait and now regard these neat food parcels with caution.

Don’t panic though, it doesn’t mean the feeder should now become redundant on these waters. It simply means it’s time for a rethink

on the style of rig you use. Matrix-backed angler Ade Mansfield has fished numerous venues where the effect of the Method has diminished.

Thankfully, he has just the answer to keep the bites coming.

“I love feederfishing so I played around with several different styles of feeder to try and get better results on lakes where the Method is becoming less effective,” Ade told us.

“I’ve now settled on a version that has definitely put more fish in the net.

“It’s a type of cage feeder that can only empty at one end and it has several benefits that make it a vital part of my armoury.”

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ELASTIC-STRETCHING

SILVERFISH WORKOUT! More and more fisheries are creating lakes without a single carp. Darren Cox reveals his top tactics for bagging the biggest roach, bream and perch on offer Words & Photography Tony Grigorjevs

TACTICS: POLE SPECIES: SILVERFISH DIFFICULTY:

50 IYCF | Issue 367

S

TACTICS

ILVERFISH-only lakes are becoming an increasingly common feature on venues all over the country.

Lots of anglers love the convenience of commercials but have tired of visiting fisheries where carp and F1s are the only species they are likely to catch during summer.

In order to add a bit more variety, dozens of multi-lake complexes have redeveloped at least one water onsite, removing all the carp and replacing them with species such as roach, bream, ide, crucians and perch.

Such moves have received the thumbs-up from anglers but, despite the promise of endless silverfish action, they just aren’t content with catching tiddlers. They want to have their elastic wrenched out by the bigger specimens.

Some anglers will tell you that the stamp of fish you land is pot luck but Darren Cox thinks otherwise. The Garbolino and England star believes your tactical decisions can have a huge impact on the size of fish you catch.

“There are so many little tweaks you can make to your approach to make sure quality roach, bream and perch produce the mainstay of the sport,” said Darren.

“It is all about being proactive and making regular changes so that you aren’t catching small fish all day.”

Busy feeding regime

Two lines of attack are required on these type of waters and the first is at four metres.

“This a real catch-everything-that-swims zone and casters are the only bait I will use here,” stated Darren.

“Regular feeding is the key and I’ll introduce 10 casters every 30 seconds by hand.

“I’ll have rigs set-up to catch on the deck and up in the water and, more often than not, I’ll enjoy success on the deck before the fish rise.”

Small fish are likely to be the first to respond and, if that is the case, it is time to start making a few adjustments.

www.greatmagazines.co.uk | IYCF 51

Catch your first catfish They might look like fearsome creatures, but Zenia Drury-Gregorek shows you how to tame the ‘big game fish of the coarse world’ Words & Photography Zenia Drury-Gregorek

TACTICS: LEGER SPECIES: CATFISH DIFFICULTY:

56 IYCF | Issue 367

TACTICS

A

QUESTION that I regularly get asked by visitors to Anglers Paradise is: “How do I catch my first catfish?”

Well, many an angler has caught them by chance or by accident using carp tactics. And, if there’s a catfish by your hookbait there’s a good chance they will take it because they tend to munch through anything in their path. However, hooking them and safely getting them in requires a different approach to standard carp tactics.

It’s also said you can only catch them in warmer months but we have caught them through winter months too. We even held a Winter Catfish Competition at Anglers Eldorado to prove wrong those that didn’t believe you could still catch one in colder months!

The winner caught his in late November with the temperature around 5-10 degrees. So, if you fish for them with the right frame of mind and tactics to match then it is certainly possible.

Catfish myths dispelled

Locate the nests

May to September is the best time to target cats especially for a beginner. It’s often said that you mostly catch them at night, but this isn’t 100% true. Sure, plenty do end up on the bank after dark but lots of catfish also get caught during daylight hours.

When targeting a new venue, make sure you ask the regulars to find out as much info about the lake as possible. Female catfish tend to have ‘nests’ and if you can find out where they are nesting you’ll know where to bait up and cast.

We have a lake at the fishery where we know

where they nest and on one particular session we caught the same catfish three times in the space of 24 hours! It was a distinctive fish known as Scar Face and the spot where we had baited and fished was clearly her area.

Both myself and my son caught her at personal best weights of 35lb. After catching her for the second time, we tried to put the bait on a different spot but, as she dominated the area, we caught her again. I caught her twice again on our next session there!

It may not sound massive but, trust me, these fish can fight. You’ll understand when you hook into one! You learn every time you hook a catfish that you must always be the one in control.

Never let that line slacken and keep your rod tip bent at all times. You need to show catfish who’s boss from start to finish.

You’ve got to love lifting up a big cat on the scales!

www.greatmagazines.co.uk | IYCF 57

Fish better with...

DES SHIPP

Brush up on key angling skills with England International Des, to put more fish on the bank

THIS MONTH: THE LONG POLE MADE EASY

V

ISIT any commercial fishery and the vast majority of anglers will be using the pole.

It offers pinpoint precision and the chance to use lighter gear when big fish are on the agenda.

But while many will own a pole that is at least 13m long, very few will be seen using it at its full length.

This is often down to a lack of confidence using it at its maximum, convinced that they will be outdone by the weight and unable to use it properly.

Almost every modern pole has been designed to be used long and, by following a few guidelines, it can be done with ease.

This month I reveal my top five tips to make long pole fishing a doddle.

HOW TO:

SET YOUR ROLLERS The positioning of your pole rollers is vital to help you ship in and out with ease. Use two and place the first four paces behind your box. The second roller should then be positioned four paces behind the first. Make sure they are on a progressive angle, with the back one slightly higher than the roller at the front. Once the pole leaves the roller closest to you when shipping out, use your thighs to support the pole.

ACQUIRE POLE SKILLS

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SECURE YOUR SECTIONS Once you’ve shipped back and taken off your top kit, it is important to secure the sections behind you. A pole sock is a great piece of tackle that can be placed on to one of your front seatbox legs via an attachment. Place the front of your sections in the sock when they aren’t in use to prevent them sliding or blowing to the side and out of reach.

PERFECT STRIKE When the float dips, resist the temptation to strike aggressively. Striking forcefully is a recipe for disaster - you could bump the fish, miss the bite or lose control once the elastic zips out. A controlled lift is much more suitable and will more often than not set the hook.

4

5

USE A LONG LINE

USE A BAR

The shorter the length of line between the pole tip and float, the more control you need to keep that rig still.

It is inevitable that there will be a little movement in the pole tip when you first get going but using 2ft of line will keep your rig in place when this happens, and presentation won’t be hindered.

A support bar that sits between the two legs either side of your seatbox footplate is essential for long pole fishing. It enables you to rest the pole, so you can release both hands for feeding and other duties while the rig stays in place. Most bars have two sides – one that is smooth and the other that is ribbed. Use the latter to start with as the grooves keep the pole perfectly still in all conditions.

2ft

The pole always guarantees accurate rig placement

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY EXPERTS...

What type of rig and float should I use when fishing the pellet waggler in slightly breezy conditions?

ANDREW HOLMAN, EMAIL

A

The pellet waggler is a deadly tool in the heat of summer, tempting carp cruising in the upper layers to feed. Accurate casting is important to make sure the rig goes among the loosefeed every cast.

When it is breezy, a balsa waggler will help achieve this because they are heavier than foam versions.

There are also several other things to take into consideration when setting up the rig (see diagram).

ASK US A QUESTION...

Email: IYCF@bauermedia.co.uk Write to: IYCF Magazine, Bauer Media, Media House, Lynchwood, Peterborough, PE2 6EA www.facebook.com/iycfmag @iycfmagazine

MAINLINE

Light mainline is important as it will partially determine how far you can cast. Go with 5lb mono

DEPTH

FLOAT

Start by fishing 2ft deep. Go slightly shallower if you miss bites, deeper if you get no indications

Use a loaded balsa pellet waggler that will cut through the breeze and cast accurately

SHOTTING

Don’t have any shot down the line. This will slow the fall of the hookbait

64 IYCF | Issue 367

Q

Q

I keep making my PVA bags a slightly different size and it seems to be affecting my casting. How can I make sure they are all identical?

My local drain is home to some big rudd, but what are the best tactics to get them feeding?

KEITH JENNINGS, CAMBRIDGESHIRE

A

Big rudd tend to move around in shoals and on a long stretch of waterway where every peg looks the same, they are only going to be present in a handful of swims. As a result, it is best to walk your chosen venue and find the fish before trying to catch them. Rudd always live close to the surface in summer so armed with a pair of polarised glasses, you should be able to spot them easily.

Once you’ve found them, fishing with a light waggler or freelining is the way forward because of how skittish they can be. Use floating bread, feeding a few scraps to get them feeding confidently before placing the hookbait nearby once the shoal has settled.

MALCOLM BARNES, EMAIL

A

The size of your PVA bag will change how much pressure you need to apply on the cast to hit your mark while maintaining good presentation. Adding a few too many or not enough pellets or particles can make a big difference to how much force you need to apply.

Small pots that are designed for pole fishing are a great tool as they enable you to measure out identical quantities for each bag. Make up a batch of PVA bags before your session so that you can simply nip one on the hook and cast back out within seconds of reeling in.

Q

Worm and caster works well at several commercials I visit, but how can I use this combination without having to spend a fortune?

NICK TURNER, EMAIL

A

This deadly combination will tempt every species to feed, but it can be costly if introduced neat.

The trick is to bulk it out with groundbait

to make it last longer. Mix a bucket of groundbait and add a small quantity to a bait box. Add some finely chopped worms and a few casters to this and then consider how to feed it. If you are fishing in deep, open water it is best introduced in small nuggets, but it can be effective when fed loose down the edge.

If you don’t succeed at first, discard the first batch of groundbait in the bait tub and scoop more from the bucket.

This time, add bigger sections of worm or even whole worms and include more casters.

It’s all about finding out how the fish want it on the day.

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LIVE TEST

All-round winner covers every angle If you fish for silvers one session and big carp the next, Garbolino’s latest offering could be the rod for you, reckons Tony Grigorjevs

72 IYCF | Issue 367

TACKLE GARBOLINO SYNERGY PICKER RRP: FROM £69.99

A

FEEDER rod that could cover a wide range of angling tasks would have cost you a packet a few years ago.

Getting your hands on a product that had the power to beat a big carp on one chuck before showing off its finesse by detecting a shy skimmer bite on the next, would require a substantial budget.

But intense competition between rival manufacturers has meant that consumers are now getting an awful lot more for their money. The Garbolino Synergy Picker rods

are testament to this trend.

Available in three different sizes from 9ft to 11ft, they have short-range action at the heart of their design.

Constructed as two-piece rods, they have a lovely slim bank and their weight barely registers in your hands.

In all honesty, they had the feel of a rod that may cost just the wrong side of £100 but a quick look at the price tag and I was pleasantly surprised. The shortest of the bunch is available for less than £70!

www.greatmagazines.co.uk | IYCF 73

MISSION SPOTLIGHT :

TRY THIS!

Specimen Carp 15lb+

W

HEN it comes to catching specimen carp at this time of year, surface fishing is the most fun way of doing it.

As exhilarating as a full-blooded onetoner on your bite alarm is, nothing gets the adrenaline pumping quite like watching a big carp slurp down your floating bait and then seeing the surface erupt as your perfectly timed strike sets the hook home.

So, when it comes to achieving your Specimen Carp badge, this month we’re going to focus on floater fishing. Not only does the method enable you to feed the carp where they want to be on a warm summer’s day – in the upper layers – but you don’t mountains of kit.

A 2.5lb-2.75lb test curve rod, reel, landing net, unhooking mat and a bucket containing floating baits and a few key terminal tackle items is all you need to enjoy the most explosive action.

Hooklength

Use a floating line designed for the job. Pre-stretched, fine-diameter lines are best, as you’ll get more takes with thinner lines. Experiment with hooklinks between 3ft and 5ft. If the fish are being cagey, keep extending the length of the hooklink so the hookbait sits further away from the controller float

Hookbait

Any floating bait will catch carp, the most popular being dog biscuits and pop-up boilies. When hairrigging baits, ensure they are tight to the shank of the hook

TOP SURFACE FISHING TIPS To help you achieve Don’t be in a rush to cast out As tempting as it can be to get a hookbait out there as soon you spot a group of carp basking on the surface, don’t! There’s a chance an inquisitive carp might take it out of curiosity, but the most likely result is that you’ll spook the group and you’ll be back to square one. Instead, spend at least 30 minutes drip-feeding your swim with floating baits such as dog biscuits. Only once the carp are feeding confidently and you can see that they are actively searching out the next bait and trying to beat their shoal mate to it, should you cast out.

Get your session timing right If at all possible, time your session for early or late in the day, especially on really hot days. At most venues carp generally feed more confidently at the surface at these times. A couple of hours spent fishing at the

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right time will be far more productive than spending hours trying to encourage lethargic carp into feeding during the middle of a scorching day.

Pay attention to wind direction

sitting. Rather than letting the Spomb land on top of the fish, cast away from them and let the breeze drift them over.

Hookbait positioning

Ideally, you want to find a swim with the wind blowing from behind you. This will help when it comes to feeding, casting and tackle control. If it’s blowing into your face, your loosefeed will simply end up back at your feet.

If the fish are ignoring your hookbait but eating your freebies – a common problem when floater fishing – try casting slightly beyond where the fish are feeding. Often, the bigger, more wary carp will be sitting here and will take a bait that suddenly appears in front of them without suspicion.

Get your freebies further

Quietly does it

If you can’t feed your baits far enough by feeding them loose in a catapult, try packing a few into a PVA bag and catapulting this.

The bag will quickly dissolve on impact and leave your baits on the surface. If the carp are sat really far out you may need to use a Spomb to get them out to where the fish are

Try to make the controller float land on the surface with the minimum of splash by gently feathering the line as your rig approaches the water. Also, overcast where the fish are feeding and then slowly reel your hookbait back into position so that they are none the wiser.

Mainline

Use a line that floats. This will reduce the chances of spooking the fish, as well as helping you to connect quickly on a take

Controller float

An inline controller float like this will cast well, be less obtrusive than a traditional controller, and won’t dive under the surface when it lands

Baits to try...

Chum Mixers This dog food has been the ‘go to’ surface fishing bait for many years. Cheap and available from most supermarkets, they work straight out of the bag or you can add oils to increase their level of attraction.

Floating pellets In recent years, bait companies such as Sticky and Dynamite Baits have produced dedicated surface fishing baits. Although they are more expensive than standard mixers, these are often coated in flavourings which leak off into the water for added attraction.

Bread

your Specimen Carp badge Float choice All sorts of weird and wonderful designs have been used for surface controllers over the years. On windy days, controllers where the line runs through an eye in the top of the float and the body sits below the surface are less likely to be pushed out of position by the breeze. Inline surface missile-style floats have also become more popular in recent years.

They can be cast further thanks to their aerodynamic shape and also produce an effective bolt-effect to help set the hook.

Cause confusion with loosefeed Feeding a mixture of freebies of different sizes will keep the carp guessing because they’ll have to suck with differing strength to inhale the different baits. This makes it much harder for them to work out which is your hookbait.

On days when carp seem less interested in

feeding off the top, start by feeding small baits as these often trigger a response. You can then gradually introduce some larger offerings once they grow in confidence.

Flatten the ripple If the ripple is making it tricky to spot your hookbait, coat your freebies in sunflower oil.

This will flatten the ripple in the area you are feeding and you’ll be able to see everything that’s going on again.

Take your shades Never go floater fishing without a pair of polarised sunglasses. The special lenses help to remove surface glare and let you see better beneath the surface. This makes spotting fish and watching them feeding so much easier. If you’ve never used them before, you’ll be amazed at the difference they make when you do.

If the fish are close in, bread takes some beating and your hook can easily be hidden inside a piece of bread crust. The downside of bread is that it breaks down quickly when it becomes wet so doesn’t last long on the hook. It’s best to save this bait for freelining close in.

Cat biscuits A box of cat biscuits includes food of all different shapes, sizes and colours.

These are great for feeding and preventing the carp becoming preoccupied on one size of bait.

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The maize stack rig RIG OF THE MONTH

This often neglected particle makes a super effective hookbait – discover how to present it...

T

HERE’S no question that carp like yellow baits. Corn and bright yellow pop-ups have accounted for literally thousands of captures. But one yellow offering that often gets overlooked is maize.

Which is strange when you think how effective it can be.

Apart from colour, one of its biggest advantages is that it is much tougher than sweetcorn and is therefore an ideal

hookbait. UnIike corn, there is no risk of maize coming off the hair on impact with the water, even when fishing at range.

It also makes an excellent addition to a spod mix and having a few grains of maize in the mix will prevent carp from becoming preoccupied on small items such as hemp.

The rig we’ve detailed here can be fished over a bed of mixed particles but works equally well when fished alongside a bag of

PVA-friendly maize, either in open water or the margins.

To balance the rig, you can simply substitute one of the grains for an artificial one or a piece of foam. This added buoyancy makes your hookbait lighter and easier for carp to inhale. On pressured waters this can result in more hooked fish and better hookholds. If you’ve never tried maize before, make sure you change that this summer.

HOOKBAIT

Four grains of maize makes an irresistible mouthful for any carp and the size also makes it tricky to eject. Add fake maize or foam for a balanced hookbait. We’ve used a small rubber float stop to prevent grains moving on the hair

HOOK

Don’t be afraid to use a large size 4 hook. This is much more likely to grab hold in the carp’s mouth when it inhales the hookbait. A 1cm piece of shrink tubing helps the hook to flip over and catch the bottom lip

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CARP

HOW TO TIE A MAIZE STACK RIG

TOP TIP Take a length of coated braid and remove 4in-5in of the coating

Thread a small rubber float stop on to the supple braid and tie a little loop

Add four grains of maize on to the hair and push the float stop down

Add a small piece of 0.75mm tubing on to the hooklink

Feed your hook through the tubing being careful not to catch the braid

Secure the hook with a knotless knot and steam shrink tubing over the eye

You can buy maize ready prepared but if you plan to use a lot it can work out cheaper to prepare your own. To do this simply soak the maize for 24 hours and then boil for one hour

LEAD SYSTEM

This rig will work on any lead system. We’ve shown it in conjunction with a safety clip that enables the lead to be ditched on the take when fishing close to snags or weed. If the area you’re fishing is clear of hazards, a helicopter set-up works equally well

HOOKLINK

When feeding over particles, carp don’t move far in between mouthfuls so a shorter hooklink of no more than seven inches is best. We’ve used a soft coated braid with a section of coating removed close to the hook

WEIGHT

Lead choice will depend on how far you need to cast and the what type of lakebed you’re fishing over. For most scenarios, a 2oz pear lead like this will do the job

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