Improve Your Coarse Fishing Issue 363 (PREVIEW)

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Six simple - but awesome set-ups to tie in the time it takes to make a cuppa!

ISSUE 363

GET PRE P NOW TO C PING AMAZING ATCH TEN LIKE THIS CH !

Appeal to their senses How you can use noise and colour to attract fish

Bag up on bream on the pole

Lakebed types

Oz Holness looks at the rigs and tactics needed to catch big carp from gravel patches

Why you don't always need a feeder for a slab filled session

DES SHIPP: "MY TOP 5 FEEDERS AND HOW TO FILL THEM PROPERLY"

This month...

Issue 363 May 5 – June 2, 2020

Fishery Focus 8

Clumber Park

14

Shearwater Lake

Nottingham

NEW SERIES!

Wiltshire

Tactics 24

30 34 40 44 46

50 53

24

Five minute tench rigs Six simple but effective set-ups to tie

Lee Payne In at the deep end for carp

Rob Perkins Bag up on bream on the pole

Connor Barlow A sprinkle is all you need

Quick fix Choose the right pole float

Aron Williams How to attract fish using scent and sound

Know your species Tench

Gareth Gibbons Dyed maggots to the rescue

53

TENCH RIGS Flatbed Method O Maggot feeder O Cage feeder O Inline lead O Margin waggler O Pole rig

O

Tackle

14

76 78 80

84

Object of desire Daiwa 19 TDM reels

New gear The latest tackle releases

Live test: Browning Black Magic CFX Waggler rod

Buyers’ guide...

Keepnet bags

Carp tactics

30

94

98 100

102

64

Ian Russell The ultimate early season edges for carp

Rig of the month Surface controller rig

Carp Q&A Sticky’s experts solve your problems

Oz Holness

94

Lakebed types: gravel

Your IYCF 20 90 92

Subscribe...

For just £3.40 a month

Your letters Have your say

Daiwa Mission Your catch shots

Lockdown quiz

106 Win a Korum Lure Bag 58 60 64

Rig school On-the-drop feeder

Russell Shipton Cash in on corner pegs

Fish better with Des Shipp My five favourite feeders

68 74

106

Q&A Your questions answered

Below the surface

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Where do tench come from? www.greatmagazines.co.uk | IYCF 5

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

Shearwater Lake

A Shearwater delight With tales of roach thriving on neglect and growing big on carp baits, top all-rounder Chris Ponsford returns to one of his favourite venues Words Chris Ponsford Photography Lloyd Rogers

14 IYCF | Issue 363

T

HE roach. A perennial favourite. Although not a large fish – the British record stands at 4lb 4oz – there cannot be many anglers who don’t like catching or simply admiring this ubiquitous silverfish with its blue back, red fins and pretty red eyes.

They are common in most waters, often living in big shoals, and a favourite food item for predatory species such as pike, zander and perch. They are also a great target for specimen and pleasure anglers alike.

Roach do have the annoying habit of shedding the hook just as they are about to be netted and often leave anglers to frustratedly watch them swim off to freedom!

One interesting fact is that with the popularity of carp fishing and the use of boilies and pellets, silverfish such as rudd, roach and bream have taken advantage of the additional food source. In some waters they have grown to massive sizes which has led to more specialist anglers

targeting them with big-fish tactics such as helicopter rigs and feeders with short hooklinks and maggots. Many monster roach, however, are caught by carpers using big hooks, heavy leads and boilies.

That’s not for me, though. My approach is far more traditional and more akin to the matchmen who want to put a netful together. It’s all about getting lots of bites and catching whatever is in front of me. Size doesn’t matter so much as it’s often the case that the first fish caught are the smallest, but as the session progresses and their confidence grows, the bigger roach move in and begin to get caught.

Most commercial fisheries have big stocks of silvers which tend to be largely ignored by match anglers who are more intent on catching triple-figure weights of carp and F1s. In truth, these fish can be pretty ravenous and easy to catch and avoiding carp while pleasure fishing is a skill in itself and something I love to do.

Covid-19 All features were shot prior to the lockdown. At the time of going to press, angling is prohibited under the current government restrictions and we urge all our readers to stay home and refrain from fishing.

If and when restrictions are relaxed please check with fisheries that they are open before traveling and follow any social distancing measures in place.

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TENCH RIGS Six simple – but awesome – set-ups to tie in the time it takes to make a cuppa!

T’S no surprise that tench are one of the most popular species among Britain’s anglers.

With their blood-red eyes, olivegreen flanks and paddle-shaped fins, tench are a welcome visitor to any session.

They can be caught on a variety of methods. So whether you prefer the more romantic and traditional approach of casting a waggler among a patch of bubbles next to some lily pads or a modern specimen style of two rods on bite alarms with bolt rigs, you stand a great chance of slipping your net under a few fish.

This month we’ve picked out six of our favourite rigs for you to try.

They’re all really easy to tie and, trust us, they’ll work a treat for putting more tench on the bank. So put the kettle on and get tying…

I

24 IYCF | Issue 363

HOW TO TIE A POP-UP CORN RIG RIG 1

FLATBED METHOD TIME TO TIE:

T

ENCH are quite similar to carp in the way they feed.

The principles and rig mechanics required are essentially the same for both species. But, being smaller, tench will get closer to your rigs so things need to be more refined than if you were targeting specimen carp. Few tactics are more effective than a flatbed Method feeder. The advantages it offers are numerous. You get an attractive pile of loosefeed around your hookbait, there’s no chance of the hooklink tangling on the cast and it can be fished over almost any type of lakebed.

Plus, the bolt effect it creates means if a tench picks up the hookbait, the odds are it is going to end up with your hook firmly in its lip.

Thread on a single grain of corn lengthways and attach hook with a knotless knot

Pull the sleeve down to trap the rig in place and push the connector back into the feeder

Use a figure of eight knot to tie a loop in the other end. The hooklength should be 4in

Pull the connector out of the feeder, push up the sleeve and attach the hooklength loop

Place your hookbait in the small recess inside the Method mould

Next, fill the mould right to the top with your chosen Method mix

Use your thumb to firmly press the feeder into the mould

Gently push the feeder out of the mould and it will be perfectly loaded

You will need: O 25g – 35g flatbed

Method feeder O 10lb supple braid O Size 10 – 14 hooks O Fake corn

TOP TIP Method feeders can be fished on their own or over a bed of groundbait or mixed particles such as hemp and corn

HOOKBAIT A single grain of plastic corn is hair-rigged tight to the bend of a size 12 hook

BOLT EFFECT When fish pick up the hookbait they will hook themselves against the weight of the feeder

HOOKLINK The rig is popped-up directly off the Method feeder so the hookbait is clearly visible above any silt

www.greatmagazines.co.uk | IYCF 25

In at the deep end for carp Carp love to seek shallow water but if your favourite venue doesn’t offer it, follow Lee Payne’s winning ways to score down the edge Words Tony Grigorjevs Photography Lloyd Rogers

S THE temperatures continue to rise, carp will seek out shallow water that warms quickest, to bask in the sun’s rays.

If you drop a few morsels of bait into a shallow margin, it won’t take long for the swirls to appear, as big carp start to feast at close quarters in as little as a foot of water.

Taking into account how keen the fish are to visit the shallows, it pays to use a plummet and find a spot that has the ideal depth. But there are many fisheries that simply don’t offer the luxury of ankle-deep margins.

What do you do if after exploring the inside line with a plummet you find you’re faced with 3ft or more of water? Depths like this are great when it’s cold but once the weather has warmed up they can cause a host of problems.

Fish will still visit these

A

One rig is all you need to exploit deep margins

margins, but they’ll be inclined to sit at various depths, making them much trickier to catch.

Mosella’s Lee Payne encounters this problem on a regular basis at many of his favourite venues and reckons that a rethink about rigs and feeding is required in such scenarios.

“If you fished and fed a deep margin the same way that you would a shallow swim then you would foul-hook a ridiculous number of carp,” he explained.

“The fish are more relaxed in deeper water and, as a result, their caution levels are reduced. This makes them more inclined to move around and switch depths, brushing against the rig and giving you false indications that you strike at.

“But there are ways to make sure that every bite ends up with the hook planted firmly in the lip.”

TACTICS

TACTICS: POLE SPECIES: CARP DIFFICULTY:

www.greatmagazines.co.uk | IYCF 31

A sprinkle is all you need!

Commercial ace Connor Barlow reveals exactly why little-andoften feeding is key to success Words & Photography Tony Grigorjevs

ESSENT IA Regula L feeding r f a pole rom cup is key bagging to up

TACTICS: POLE SPECIES: CARP/F1s DIFFICULTY:

40 IYCF | Issue 363

TACTICS EEDING little and often is vital in spring and Connor Barlow reveals the tool you need to do it accurately.

There’s no doubt that small yet regular top-ups of bait are the safest strategy to get lots of bites, with large quantities of feed dumped in one hit often a recipe for disaster.

But the definition of the phrase is open to interpretation. Many anglers believe they are being advised to add more bait every 10 minutes, but Connor Barlow will have fed at least five times in that time frame!

The Guru and Mainline Match-backed star will

F

top-up his swim hundreds of times every session when pole fishing, however, he puts checks and balances in place to make sure it is done with considerable ease and maximum effect.

“Feeding with accuracy is the best the way to concentrate fish around your hookbait and a pole cup is without doubt the most effective item to achieve that,” explains Connor.

“There are pitfalls to using this style when you need to feed so frequently – the main one being constant shipping in and out.

“Thankfully there are ways to drastically reduce this while keeping the peg primed.”

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KNOW S E I C E P S YOUR

H C TEN

MOUTH The large mouth is used to dig for food on the lakebed. This causes tiny pinprick bubbles to rise to the surface which can be a telltale sign of where tench are feeding in a swim.

This is often referred to as ‘fizzing’. They have thick lips with a small barbules either side.

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EYES The eyes of a tench are small and red-orange in colour similar to that of a teddy bear.

UNIQUE coarse fish with silky smooth skin that’s usually found in stillwaters and canals although they can also be located in slow-moving, deep rivers and drains.

They are renowned as a warm weather species and can provide great sport from May until October, especially at first and last light. Once winter arrives, anglers are unlikely to catch a tench again until the following spring.

They primarily feed on the lakebed and it’s extremely rare to catch one from up in the water.

They have a varying appetite and can be caught on a wide range of baits from maggots and casters through to worms and mini boilies.

Though they often feed in the margins of a lake, they also roam open water and can be caught using float, pole and swimfeeder tactics.

A

BODY

FACTFILE

Tench are similar in shape to carp, with a deep, stocky body. They have an olive-green skin colour, darker on top and almost golden below. The body is covered in tiny scales which are deeply embedded in a thick skin. This makes tench incredibly slippery to hold, a bit like an eel. Folklore has it that this slime cured any sick fish that rubbed against it, hence the nickname ‘doctor fish’.

Latin name:

Tinca tinca British record 15lb 3oz Lifespan 18 years Maturity 3-5 years Habitat Lakes, gravel pits, canals, rivers, drains Natural food Insect larvae, zooplankton, molluscs Spawning times: May – August (usually June/July)

TAIL PECTORAL FINS The easiest way to distinguish between male and female tench is to look at the pectoral fins. On male tench they are larger and spoonshaped with a distinctive pectoral muscle.

Female tench have much smaller pectoral fins.

The tail fin is square in shape and often described as a ‘paintbrush’ by many anglers. This is where they generate they fighting power.

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TACTICS: POLE/ FEEDER SPECIES: CARP DIFFICULTY:

60 IYCF | Issue 363

TACTICS

Cash in on corner pegs Russell Shipton gives you the lowdown on bagging up from swims tucked away at the end of a bank Words & Photography Tony Grigorjevs

LARGE proportion of the pegs on your favourite lake are likely to have a similar appearance.

Some waters will have a large area of open water to attack with an attractive margin either side, while others could have a central island that provides the focal point for your attack.

But there are always exceptions to the rule and corner pegs often fit into this category.

Reed stems twitch as fish graze nearby and slurping sounds disturb the silence as carp suck in food from the surface.

With such character, it’s no wonder that anglers arrive early to secure these prime spots.

As with any form of angling though, it isn’t a foregone conclusion that you are going to bag up just because you’ve secured a corner peg.

All the signs may point towards a red-letter

A

day upon arrival but make a series of errors and you could finish the day deflated.

Russell Shipton knows a thing or two about succeeding on commercials and has plenty of experience of fast-paced action from corner pegs.

“It’s one thing to have a peg with stacks of potential and it’s another to catch lots of fish from it,” explains Russell.

“Many anglers catch a few early fish and expect that level of sport to carry on but often it dries up for them and they become disillusioned.

“But there are plenty of things you can alter to make sure a corner peg is one that continues to produce throughout the day.”

www.greatmagazines.co.uk | IYCF 61

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY EXPERTS...

I fish a venue where small skimmers can be a nuisance when using the feeder close to an island. Is there a rig I can use to avoid them and pick off the bigger F1s and carp?

ERIC NORTON, EMAIL

A

Small silver fish become increasingly active as the weather warms up and, on venues where there are large numbers of them, they can become a nuisance.

The simple answer is to rely on a feeder that enables you to use bigger loosefeed items and hookbaits that are harder for the small fish to eat. A pellet feeder set-up will pick out your target fish and is extremely easy to put together.

LOOSEFEED Using 4mm dampened pellets instead of 2mm versions reduces the amount of food that small silvers can eat

HOOK Go for a 0.16mm hooklength to a size 16 when fishing for F1s and an 0.18mm to a size 14 for carp

HOOKBAIT Make sure it is bigger than the loosefeed so that it stands out. A 6mm or 8mm hard pellet is a good starting point

68 IYCF | Issue 362

FEEDER Use a pellet feeder that weighs around 30g.

This won’t cause too much commotion when entering the water but is still heavy enough not to be dislodged off an island slope

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

I recently tried fishing the Method for the first time and had an absolute nightmare trying to get the pellets to stick to the feeder. What am I doing wrong?

Q

Grab a Preston Innovations Pellet Wetter and remove the mesh bag from inside. Tip half a bag of 2mm pellets into this

Fill up the bait tub section with water. Zip the mesh bag and submerge it in the water for 30 seconds

Remove the mesh bag from the water and leave to stand for 10 minutes. This allows the pellets to absorb the water

Once 10 minutes has passed, the pellets will be the perfect consistency to mould around a Method feeder

MALCOLM BUCKLEY, EMAIL

A

Getting your pellets to stick to a Method feeder is all about achieving the correct consistency. If they are too dry or too wet, they won’t stick to the frame, and even if they do, they are likely to fly off during the cast. Achieving perfect pellets every time couldn’t be simpler with this straightforward sequence (right).

I’ve seen groundbait fed both as balls and loose – when should I turn to each style?

Q

JACK WALKDEN, EMAIL

MAINLINE A 6lb mono mainline is the ideal choice for feeder tactics on commercials

A

Groundbait is an extremely versatile bait and the way you feed it will dictate just how many bites you get.

When fishing in deep water or targeting bottom feeding fish such as bream and tench, it is usually best to cup it in as solid balls.

This ensures that all the bait gets to the deck quickly and doesn’t drift away in the tow or get eaten by small fish on the way down.

On some waters the fish respond to a cloud of attraction and this is when it is best to cup it in loose.

This way also works down the margins, creating a big carpet that the fish can visit to grub over the top

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U

TR CAN UST

VIEWS Y RE O

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TR CAN UST 80 IYCF | Issue 363

VIEWS Y RE O l

tackle IYCF’s k Sawyer r a M editor n reviewing e e b s a r more h gear fo o g n fishi an he cares t b t s r yea ber remem

TACKLE LIVE TEST

Dabbling with black magic!

IYCF’s Mark Sawyer discovers that Browning has conjured up one of the most adaptable rods for fishing the float BROWNING BLACK MAGIC CFX WAGGLER 11ft 3in RRP: £44.95 HERE a few things more pleasurable in angling than watching the tip of a float disappear under the water’s surface.

It’s the very essence of fishing and something to be enjoyed by every angler. I doubt there is an older fishing tactic.

T

However, the modern pleasure angler who enjoys casting a float needs so much more than a single species tool.

Therefore, a contemporary float rod needs to be able to handle the many different types of waggler floats, as well as being adaptable

www.greatmagazines.co.uk | IYCF 81

GUIDE TO...

TOP TACKLE TACKLE ADVICE TO TO ENSURE YOU BUY THE THE RIGHT RIGH T GEAR

KEEPNET BAGS Each month our team of experts at IYCF HQ takes a look at some of the best tackle items on the market. This month we focus on keepnet bags N LAST month’s issue (362), we looked at some of the best commercial carp keepnets. So, we thought the most logical item for us to look at this time would be keepnet bags.

After spending a day submerged in water and hopefully being used

I

to hold a few fish, your net is going to be soaking wet and rather pungent by the end of the session.

This can make the drive home rather unpleasant and leave a damp patch in your boot. To prevent this, a keepnet bag is a worthwhile investment.

It’s always a good idea to empty water draining from packed nets

84 IYCF | Issue 363

TACKLE MATRIX ETHOS PRO EVA TRIPLE NET BAG RRP: £40 This bag is deceptively spacious because although Matrix has reduced the size in certain areas to make it easier to carry, it retains the capacity to store up to three keepnets as well as landing net heads.

Made from an ultra-durable EVA material, it is 100% waterproof and all the seams have been heat-sealed to prevent leaking.

Two zips with easy-grip pullers run around the outside of the lid, making it easy to insert and remove your nets. The compact shape makes it easy to carry and enables it to be stacked and loaded neatly on trolleys or in the boot of your car.

Dimensions: 60cm (w) x 50cm (h) x 25cm (d) www.fishmatrix.co.uk

GARBOLINO EVA STINK BAG RRP: £35.99 - £53.99 Keepnet bags can suffer a lot of hammer, as anglers almost invariably try to squeeze in ‘one extra net’! Garbolino Stink Bags are made from heavy-duty, durable EVA. The quality and thickness of the EVA means that they can withstand loads of abuse. They are 100% waterproof, with a heavy-duty zipper that seals in the odour that can make the car journey home very unpleasant. In four sizes to accommodate up to four nets, all have adjustable shoulder straps and clip-shut carry handles.

Dimensions: 2 net – 55cm (w) x 55cm (h) x 16cm (d); 3 net - 55cm (w) x 55cm (h) x 25cm (d); XL 3 net – 65cm (w) x 65cm (h) x 16cm (d); XXL 4 net – 70cm (w) x 70cm (h) x 25cm (d) www.garbolino.co.uk

MATRIX AQUOS PVC NET B BAG RRP: £29.99 For anglers who don’t need to carry multiple nets, this compact and competitively priced offering from Matrix is well worth considering.

It can house up to two keepnets, plus additional landing nets, and it’s made from a super-durable PVC material which is fully waterproof with heat-sealed seams for total protection. Two hard-wearing oversized zips with easy-grip pullers run smoothly around the outside of the lid.

The adjustable, padded shoulder strap can be unclipped and removed and there are two Velcro-secured carry handles.

Dimensions: 60cm (w) x 55cm (h) x 15cm (d) www.fishmatrix.co.uk

DRENNAN WET NET BAGS RRP: £32.95 - £42.95 The Drennan Wet Net Bags are available in single, double and three-net models, suitable for pleasure anglers who only occasionally use a keepnet, or matchmen who regularly require multiple nets. All three are made from a tough, waterproof EVA material which will minimise odours in your car or garage. Each has reinforced carry handles and both twoand three-net bags are also fitted with an adjustable shoulder strap.

Dimensions: 1 net – 55cm (w) x 48cm (h) x 16cm (d); 2 net – 60cm (w) x 54cm (h) x 16cm (d); 3 net – 60cm (w) x 54cm (h) x 25cm (d) www.drennantackle.com

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TIPS, T IPS, TACTICS TACTIC TAC ICS S & RIGS RIGS RI TO CATCH CAT ATC CH MORE MORE MOR

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CARP

Ian Russell’s

ULTIMATE EARLY SEASON CARP EDGES Carp can be difficult to catch at times but these tips will help you pull them out left, right and centre!

Words Ian Russell Photography Mark Parker

T

HE emergence of buds on trees usually signals the ‘waking up’ of carp.

Even though fish don’t really sleep, they do slumber. Now, with days getting longer and warmer, they are stirring and will be more actively searching out food. Normally, I’d be hot on their heels, but as things stand with Covid-19 I’m not sure when we’ll all be back out again.

But that doesn’t mean we can’t look forward to chasing carp again. As a sport, carp fishing is chock full of contradictions. On some waters, you can feed a fair bit of bait – even in winter – and catch well. On other venues a softly, softly,

catchee monkey approach is required. You need to learn your particular lake in order to tune in to how the carp live and go about their business.

This is only something you can really do through experience. You can watch as many YouTube videos as you like but, in the end, the best way to learn how the fish in your lake respond is to actually fish for them.

Unfortunately, that’s out the question right now, but we can still ensure we’re ready to go as soon as the lakes reopen. With this in mind, here are five of my early season tips to hopefully point you in the right direction…

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