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2018 GEAR GUIDE TACKLE DEALS MAG BUMPEGR E PACKA
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YOUR DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO CATCHING MORE
TOP SPRING BAIT EDGES e groundbait Adam Rooney on hookbaits Th are best... pyramid trick Why white baits
March 13 – April 10, 2018 £3.80
ISSUE 335
PLUS BUYERS' GUIDE TO THE BEST DAY SESSION CHAIRS
RIG SCHOOL LEARN TO TIE A BREAM FEEDER RIG
DES SHIPP HOW TO FEED ACCURATELY
WIN! AN AWESOME MAVER MV-R POLE
PRIZE
WORTH £1,399.99
CONTENTS Issue 335 March 13 – April 10, 2018
106
Easy carp tactics that will get you bites quicker
GREAT BRITISH FISHING 8
Punching above its weight
14
Taming of the Tamar
54 Conquer the deeps with a feeder
110 Know your particles 112 Carp Q&A
58 Add boilies to your groundbait
TACKLE
TACTICS
64 Fish better with Des Shipp
82 Preston Centris NT reels
24 Attaching hookbaits
68 Rig school: Cage feeder
31
Groundbait pyramid trick
36 Plumb rigs to perfection 40 White baits catch more 45 Five-point plan for early season carp 51
Five best bomb baits
4 • IYCF Issue 335
70 Q&A 76 Beneath the surface
CARP TACTICS 106 Short session tactics to use over the long run
84 New Gear 86 Live test: Shakespeare Agility 2 13ft Match 90 Buyers’ guide to: day session chairs 96 Vader X rod & reel combo 98 Mitchell Avocast reels
HAVE YOU TRIED OUR DIGITAL EDITION?
31
You can now read all your favourite articles in our digital edition, available on iPad and Android! Prices from £2.99
Matt Powell reckons you can start piling in the groundbait even though it’s still pretty cold
24
54
The precise application of a feeder is vital for success in deep venues. Steve Whitfield reveals all
Adam Rooney explains the different ways you can fix your bait to the hook. Choosing the right method is crucial and can have a huge effect on your success rate
NEW SERIES YOUR IYCF 20 Subscribe and save 52% 22
3 FREE spools of line – just pay postage
95 WIN a Maver MV-R pole 100 Your letters 102 Mission: your catch shots 104 Reader offer: save £30 on rod/reel combo 116 Crossword: win a Korum Lure Bag 118 Bob Roberts’ diary
64
Fish better with Des Shipp. This time the match legend reveals how to loosefeed accurately
86
Tackle Editor Mark Sawyer gets to grips with Shakespeare’s accomplished 13ft Agility 2
IYCF March 13 – April 10, 2018 • 5
AT BRITIS RE
H
HING ● G FIS
HING ● FIS G
8• IYCF Issue 335
H
AT BRITIS RE
A celebration of the best river, lake and canal fishing that the UK has to offer
Punching above its weight Tiny Buttonhole Lake is big on specimen fish, as Tony Grigorjevs rediscovers on his return to the Norfolk gem Words Tony Grigorjevs Photography Lloyd Rogers
IYCF March 13 – April 10, 2018 • 9
ARE YOU
Hooking your bait right? Adam Rooney explores the different ways of presenting hookbaits, explaining when and why he uses each technique!
N
O MATTER how much you think about fishing, the one thing that has the most influence on what you catch is your hook and hookbait. This is the most vital part of any set-up, consisting of the very bait and hook that fish intercept in order for you to catch them. In this day and age, we’re lucky to have a big variety of ways of presenting your hookbait, each offering different advantages. Here’s a guide to the hookbait methods I use and why...
TACTICS: POLE / ROD SPECIES: MIXED DIFFICULTY:
24 • IYCF Issue 335
ith Tricks w s maggot
ys to Easy wa ies fix boil
TACTICS
How to secure soft baits
Popular ways to fish hard pellets
IYCF March 13 – April 10, 2018 • 25
TACTICS: POLE SPECIES: MIXED DIFFICULTY:
36 • IYCF Issue 335
TACTICS
Plumb rigs to perfection You catch more fish if you spend a little more time ensuring your rig is accurately plumbed to the correct depth, assures Iain Swanson Words & Photography Tony Grigorjevs
O
NE of the first tasks when your tackle is set up is to reach for the plummet and work out the depth. The float will be slid into an approximate position as you make an initial guess at how much water is in front of you, before you ship out and lower it down. After a couple of attempts you usually have the rig set at a depth that you believe
to be touching bottom, but just how accurate are you? You might believe that your hookbait is just touching bottom but have you called it right? And even if you haven’t, does being a couple of inches out either way really matter? Fishing IT’s Iain Swanson is a real stickler for accuracy and spends more time than most plumbing up.
“Many anglers plumb up and when they feel it hit the bottom and they see the float just above the surface they are happy with the depth the rig is set at,” explained Iain. “But you need to plumb up very accurately to make the most of the session. Being an inch overdepth or an inch off the deck can make a huge difference to how well you catch.”
HOW TO PLUMB UP CORRECTLY If you put on the plummet and this much shows once it hits the deck, you are fishing with the hookbait just touching bottom
If this much float shows when it hits the deck then you are fishing a few inches overdepth
If the float tip vanishes just beneath the surface when it hits bottom you are fishing just off the deck
IYCF March 13 – April 10, 2018 • 37
TACTICS: FEEDER SPECIES: SILVERS DIFFICULTY:
54 • IYCF Issue 335
TACTICS
HOW TO
CONQUER THE DEEPS WITH A FEEDER
There’s far more precision involved in successfully fishing a feeder in deep venues than chucking and chancing it, says Steve Whitfield, who explains the art Words & Photography Tony Grigorjevs
I
F YOU plan to target a deep fishery on the float then you will have asked yourself a raft of questions before getting to the bank. How heavy does my float need to be? Are my elastics heavy enough to set the hook? Is the venue affected by underwater tow? All are valid questions, but dissecting your approach to the same degree is rare when the feeder is your weapon of choice. In fact, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say many anglers don’t bother with any preparation, believing that simply chucking out the feeder and placing the rod on the rests will give them the necessary presentation to catch fish. But analysing your feeder approach before having a crack at a deep venue is essential if you are going to make the most of your day on the bank, insists Steve Whitfield.
lly Carefu he t choose d type an size of feeder
IYCF March 13 – April 10, 2018 • 55
In association with
BREAM CAGE FEEDER RIG You’ll struggle to find any rig more effective at bagging bream than this set-up, particularly when it’s loaded with tempting fishmeal, worms and maggots
O
NE of the most effective tactics for bagging stillwater bream is the cage feeder loaded with a mix of fishmeal-based groundbait, chopped worms and dead maggots. This combination of baits creates a carpet of succulent morsels that will hold a shoal of bream for longer than most baits. This gives you enough time to catch several fish before the group moves on.
A large feeder introduces the right amount of feed to slowly build a swim and can be cast accurately, especially if fished on the end of the line helicopter style. Bream will eat a wide range of different hookbaits, but one of the most effective has to be worm – either a large dendrobaena or a lobworm. However, many anglers steer clear of these baits because they can be easily lost
off the hook on the cast, as the muscular worm wriggles off the hook. A great way of solving this problem, and increasing the hooking-potential of the rig as well, is to trap the worm between two Quickstops on a short hair. Combining the cage feeder with the Quickstop hair-rig is a real winner for bream, and will also catch plenty of tench, carp and even big roach too.
Fix the worm on the hair by trapping it between two Quickstops
As well as bream, this set-up also works for tench, carp and big roach
68 • IYCF Issue 335
TACTICS
HOW TO TIE A BREAM CAGE FEEDER
Start by cutting off a 30cm length of 6lb nylon line which will be used to form the hooklength
Thread two Korum Quickstops on to the hooklength and tie a 10mm overhand loop to trap them in position
Tie on a size 12 hook using a ten-turn knotless knot. The loop on the hair should be level with the bend of the hook
Thread a Hooklink Sleeve on to the hooklength. Tie on a Mini Rig Swivel using a four-turn grinnner knot and pull the Hooklink Sleeve over the swivel
Trap the hooklength swivel on the mainline using two Rig Stops positioned about 30cm above the feeder
Thread another Hooklink Sleeve on to the mainline and then tie on the cage feeder using a four-turn grinner knot
YOU WILL NEED... Fill the feeder with fishmeal groundbait, chopped worms and dead maggots to create a carpet of bait that will hold a shoal of bream
z 6lb hooklength line z Size 12 Drennan Super Specialist Hook z Korum Quickstops z Nash Hooklink Sleeves z Nash Mini Rig Swivel z Drennan Rig Stops
The hooklink is fixed on the mainline using two Rig Stops
IYCF March 13 – April 10, 2018 • 69
Clear water canal carping!
Clear water enabled us to see and stalk the carp
Carl – The water in Sweden had incredible clarity, so much so that we could see the pike a good few metres beneath the ice. This sort of visual angling is something we don’t experience much in the UK, particularly in Sussex where Alex and I live. Most of our local pools and even rivers have a muddy brown tint, meaning sight fishing opportunities are rare. But there is one location which is an exception to the rule – a shallow, snag-infested canal packed with carp! Most of the time the water is chocolate brown, and the fishing is really tough because locating the carp is tricky. Recently, however, the springs which feed the canal have started running clear due to heavy rain and this has opened up some great opportunities. Two weeks ago, I met up with my friend Lewis Porter for a day pike fishing. We had an early start and fished hard right through to 4pm but with just two small jacks to show for our efforts we decided to quit early and head elsewhere. I considered visiting a small estate lake for some perch and the odd carp, but in the end we drove
We caught plenty of carp off the top using bread
Short, supple popup rigs worked best in underwater tests
to the canal just to check if there were any carp showing on the surface. Stepping out of the van, I knew we had made the right decision. The inlet was pumping out crystal clear water and we could see a shoal of carp cruising past. This was going to be good fun! Due to the incredible clarity of the water, location was easy. We scanned the water and groups of carp could be seen hugging any structure, snags and the islands too. Time was tight as sunset was only half an hour away, so we grabbed a loaf of bread, broke it up into small pieces and scattered it on the surface. This attracted a few ducks, but interestingly the carp really woke up when the birdlife got involved. I think these carp are used to following the mallards as they wait for passersby to feed them. The evening was spent casting small chunks of bread in front of the groups of carp, with the odd fish deciding to suck down the hookbait. It was obvious that the clear water made the carp skittish and, after catching one, it was often best to move on and find a new spot.
80• IYCF Issue 335
CARL& ALEX “Lew noticed some scales which made us think it was a fully-scaled mirror”
Although we both caught plenty, Lewis landed the most interesting fish of the evening. I was convinced it was a common, but Lew noticed some interesting scales around its head which made us think it was a fully-scaled mirror. Either way, it was a really cool looking fish. The canal has drawn us back a couple of times since and although no big fish have been landed yet, I have experimented a lot with rigs and bait
while recording with a new underwater camera. The results have been really interesting! We have mostly been using standard carp rigs, legered on the bottom because the carp have begun to wise up to the bread on the surface. It has been very interesting observing how they react to different baits and how regularly the fish get away with spitting out your hookbait. See the footage on our YouTube channel soon. Lewis contunued to catch off the surface after dark
UNDERWATER FOOTAGE...
TACKLE NEW GEAR REVEALED, ON THE BANK TESTS & EXPERT ADVICE
ris NT is The Cent h double wit supplied reel handles le and sing OBJECT OF DESIRE
PRESTON INNOVATIONS CENTRIS NT REELS RRP: £154.99
MORE than two years of development have gone into the production of the new Centris NT reels from Preston Innovations. Here are five reasons you should consider investing in one, if not more of them… 1. There are three body sizes available – 320 (£154.99), 420 (£159.99) and 520 (£164.99) – which cover every possible match fishing scenario. 2. In a classy black and red livery, they all have a spare spool and quick-change double or single handles. And the list of technical features doesn’t end there. The NiTi bail-arm always returns to its correct shape meaning no more bent bail arms when storing rods ready-made in holdalls. To that, you can add a titanium shaft, full aluminium body, titanium carbon rotor and super-smooth Power Drive retrieve. 3. Super-slow oscillation results in faultless line-lay, while multi-washers make the micro adjustable front drag incredibly smooth and precise. 4. Push-button release enables you to change spools in an instant, and each spool has two line clips as standard, making fishing two lines incredibly simple and accurate. 5. All reels have a 5:1 gear ratio to enhance the winding power, and seven bearings.
Each spool fe atu two line clips res for when fishing more than one line
EXPERT OPINION: LEADING THE WAY IN TACKLE TESTS & REVIEWS
MARK SAWYER Tackle Editor
82 • IYCF Issue 335
RICHARD GRANGE Match Editor
THOM AIRS
Carpfeed Editor
JAMES FURNESS IYCF Editor
TONY GRIGORJEVS Features Editor
ER TT ON EWBE TI N & SEC ER LE GG K BI AC T
NiTi bail arm will always return to its original sh a meaning no m pe ore bent bail arm s
A gear ratio o f provides impre 5:1 ssiv winding powe e r
Super-slow oscillation pro d perfect line la uces y casting accura for cy
Which reel is best for me? Centris NT 520 – I do a lot of feeder fishing and need to cast long distances Centris NT 420 – I do both feeder and waggler fishing and sometimes to fish longer distances Centris NT 320 – I mainly fish a waggler and don’t need to cast far IYCF March 13 – April 10, 2018 • 83
GUIDE TO... DAY SESSION
CHAIRS
Each month our team of experts at IYCF HQ take a look at some of the best tackle items on the market. This month we focus on day session chairs...
W
BACK SUPPORT
Chairs with a higher back provide increased support. A padded head support adds extra comfort
TOP TACKLE ADVICE TO ENSURE YOU BUY THE RIGHT GEAR
ARM RESTS
These aren’t essential but provide extra comfort and support when getting in and out of the chair
HETHER you’re a pleasure, carp, or specimen angler a decent chair will make you’re day on the bank much more comfortable. There are a number of considerations to take into account when choosing the chair that will best suit your style of fishing. If you do a lot of roving on rivers you’ll need a small, lightweight chair that isn’t going to weigh you down and make moving swims difficult. If you’re carping and aren’t going to be moving swims as much, mobility isn’t such an issue. The added comfort that armrests and thick mattresses provide may add a bit of overall weight, but the added comfort they provide is worth it while you’re waiting for a bite. And if you fish a lot of commercials but want the support of a chair rather than a seatbox, a number of ‘accessory’ style chairs now enable you to add accessories just like on a seatbox.
EXTENDING LEGS Some anglers prefer a higher seating position so the option of extending legs enables you to tailor the chair
MUDFEET
These prevent your chair sinking into wet and muddy banks. The larger the surface area of the mud feet the more stable they will be
90 • IYCF Issue 335
ACCESSORY CHAIRS
Some chairs enable you to add accessories like feeder arms and bait trays. These are great on wooden platform pegs where positioning banksticks is difficult
PRO LOGIC COMMANDER TRAVEL CHAIR
RRP: £69.99
Super compact and lightweight, tipping the scales at less than 5kg, this chair is easy to transport. It features a generously padded seat and back support for complete comfort. One feature we really liked is the handy Velcro multi-pocket compartment that can be used to store essential items beneath the seat. Also includes armrests, large swivel mudfeet and adjustable legs. Weight: 5kg Legs: 35cm - 47cm Size: W 50cm, H 54cm (back)
NASH KNX ARMCHAIR RRP: £79.99
The short leg and low profile design of this chair makes it ideal for use under brollies and small day shelters. The peachskin mattress is nice and comfortable and the legs feature one-touch adjustment so they can be quickly set for stability on uneven terrain. Weight: 8kg Legs: 30cm - 42cm Size: W 53cm, H 64cm (back)
JRC DEFENDER CHAIR RRP: £54.99
At a penny less than £55, the JRC Defender Chair represents great value for money. Constructed from a hi-tensile steel offering both strength and lightness, it is perfect for roving and travelling light when you need to keep weight to a minimum. The durable polyester cover is filled with high density foam and the legs feature a unique locking system so there’s no risk of it collapsing! Weight: 4.2kg Legs: NA Size: W 56cm, H 95cm
IYCF March 13 – April 10, 2018 • 91
TIPS, TACTICS & RIGS TO CATCH MORE
106 • IYCF Issue 335
CARP
SHORT SESSION TACTICS FOR THE LONG RUN
Fishing short session tactics regardless of how long you plan to stay on the bank will earn you more bites, says Dynamite Baits’ Matt Povey Words Matt Povey Photography Mark Parker
T
HERE’S an old saying in fishing, “it’s better to fish two minutes in the right place than two days in the wrong one”. At this time of year, when the water is still extremely cold, this sentiment is spoton. The carp will (probably) feed if you put a bait near them, but they are unlikely to move a great distance to get it. In other words, getting the location right is paramount, as the fish will generally be very tightly shoaled. To help me find this fruitful area of the swim, I tend to fish short session tactics, spread over a prolonged period. This enables me to attack the water, working the peg and actively looking for line bites and eventually a fish or three. Like many of you, I have a full-time job and a busy family life, so much of my angling revolves around quick sessions, although on occasion I do get to fish for longer spells of 36-48 hours. However, at this time of year, regardless of the length of the session I’m planning to fish, I still use my short session tactics. Here’s how...
Cold-water carp are less inclined to move to bait, so you have to go to them. This doesn’t mean simply ‘pub-chucking’ the rods out and leaving them all day in the hope of a run. You need to have some clue as to where to start. This could be fish showing themselves but instead, like today when there is little or nothing ‘showing’, taking into account the prevailing weather conditions. Since I arrived a couple of days ago, the wind has changed direction by 180 degrees and is hammering into the opposite bank. With no bites during the last 24 hours, I have decided to up sticks and move around to the other side of the lake, carrying only the minimum of gear, to see if I can tempt a quick bite.
Eye, eye!
Regardless of the time of year, a carp angler’s best weapon is always their eyes. I spend as much time as possible scanning the water, looking for any signs of fish, no matter how small. When the water is cold, the carp won’t crash out, but they will tend to roll close to the top, throwing up flat spots or even bubbles. All these are worth looking for and, more importantly, casting to.
Matt shifted to the other side of the lake to try and tempt a fish following a biteless 24 hours IYCF March 13 – April 10, 2018 • 107