BUMPER NEW WINTER CLOTHING REVEALED...
GUIDE
OF RED HOT TACTICS
CATCH GIANT PERCH! Brilliant bait advice 14 easy rigs to tie Essential tips CUT OUT &
KEEP
VENUES IN-FORM H THIS IS TO F TH MON
ANDY MAY Feeding edges for big silvers
BREAD FEEDER The killer bream bagging method ADAM ROONEY Find fish hotspots the easy way
TRY IT NOW! Fool F1s on a light waggler ISSUE 344
TESTED: THE BEST RIVER FISHING ROD EVER?
November 20 - December 18, 2018 £3.80
AT BRITISH E R
AT BRITISH RE
HING ● G FIS
n A celebratio r, ive of the best r al n a c lake and t a fishing th s the UK ha to offer
HING ● G FIS
8• IYCF Issue 344
Summer weights... in the cold! Tommy Boyce lifts the lid on a stretch of the Oxford Canal where huge hauls of bream can be had all winter Words & Photography Tony Grigorjevs
IYCF November 20 - December 18, 2018 • 9
Swinsty winter wonderland
Sean Cameron reveals the secrets that a vast 160-acre Yorkshire reservoir has been hiding from coarse anglers Words Tony Grigorjevs Photography Lloyd Rogers
14• IYCF Issue 344
surprising results. North Yorkshire’s Swinsty Reservoir is well known among the trout fishing fraternity for its head of rainbows but it has drifted under the radar of most coarse anglers. But Sean is among the few that have unlocked something very special. “There’s no doubt it is a daunting place when you first stand on the bank. The number of bites you can get at short range in a day is exceptional, though,” said Sean. “I’d received tip-offs from friends that it was full of fish but I never expected to experience what I did the first time I visited.”
EAT BRITIS R G
EAT BRITIS GR
ISHING ● HF
A celebration of the best river, lake and canal fishing that the UK has to offer
ISHING ● HF
I
F YOU are looking for guaranteed bites in winter, then a giant reservoir is unlikely to be your first port of call. Often spiralling across dozens of acres, it is anyone’s guess where the fish are, and instant action appears completely out of the question. Add to that long walks and the arduous task of having to chuck huge distances to find the fish and it’s easy to throw the towel in and set the satnav for a local commercial instead. Dynamite Baits-backed Sean Cameron is as eager to bag up as the rest of us, but he has no qualms about confidently heading to an enormous stillwater that has yielded some
IYCF November 20 – December 18, 2018 • 15
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£53 WHEN YOU PAY BY ANNUAL RECURRING PAYMENT, WITH A STILLWATER BAIT BOWL SET Terms and Conditions: *Subscriptions will start with the next available issue. The minimum term is 13 issues. Recurring payments will continue to be taken unless you tell us otherwise. This offer closes on December 17, 2018. We reserve the right to provide an alternative gift or a three-issue extension if stocks are exhausted. Please allow 28 working days for the delivery of your gift. This offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Cost from landlines for 01 numbers per minute are (approximate) 2p to 10p. Cost from mobiles per minute (approximate) 10p to 40p. Costs vary depending on the geographical location in the UK. You may get free calls to some numbers as part of your call package – please check with your phone provider. Order lines open 8am-9.30pm (Mon-Fri), 8am-4pm (Sat). UK orders only. Overseas? Phone +44 1858 438828. Calls may be monitored or recorded for training purposes. For full terms and conditions: please visit http://www.greatmagazines.co.uk/offer-terms-and-conditions.
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TACTICS: FLOAT SPECIES: F1s DIFFICULTY:
24 • IYCF Issue 344
TACTICS
BACK TO THE FUTURE FOR BIG F1s When fish back out of pole range, a largely forgotten technique comes back into its own. Jamie Read says it’s time for the light waggler Words & Photography Tony Grigorjevs
W
HEN big F1s back out of pole range they can become incredibly tricky to catch. The finesse of the pole is what makes it such an effective weapon for these notoriously fickle feeders, with the light floats, thin lines and small hooks associated with the tactic forcing the fish to slip up. But once they start to linger beyond a range where 13m of carbon can be wielded, the problems start. Fishing a feeder may seem like the obvious solution. Unfortunately, this often lacks the sensitivity required to get regular bites due to the heavier gear in use. So what is the answer?
Cast your mind back to when you first picked up a rod. The tactics used then are the key to modern day F1 success. Before commercials were king, anglers relied on a light waggler set-up to put together glistening nets of roach and silvers on park lakes and ponds. Once carp and F1s started to dominate, the traditional approach was largely forgotten. It was seen as useless for those bigger specimens – but there are a few anglers who have stuck with the simple light waggler approach. And their catch rates have soared. Bait-Tech’s Jamie Read is one such angler. He says now is the perfect time of year to give it a go.
IYCF November 20 – December 18, 2018 • 25
tactics: Feeder species: bream difficulty:
30 • IYCF Issue 344
TACTICS
Make bread your No.1 bream bait In clear-water winter conditions a loaf or two is all it takes for red-hot feeder action, explains Graham West Words & Photography Tony Grigorjevs
I
T’S easy to find yourself being brainwashed into using the same selection of baits all year round. Pellets, corn and maggots tend to be the magic trio. No matter what scenario some anglers find themselves in, they always turn to these offerings. There’s no doubt they are highly effective offerings but there are times when leaving them in your carryall and reaching for something else will pay dividends.
Brown’s Angling and Preston Innovations-backed Graham West needs a mere £2 to buy the bait he needs for a winter bream session on the feeder. “Bread is a highly underrated bait when it comes to bream but once the water starts to clear it really does come in to its own,” explains Graham. “It is a highly visible bait and it is the perfect loosefeed and hookbait when you are trying to pick the big slabs out of the shoal.”
IYCF November 20 – December 18, 2018 • 31
. . . ’ L O O H C S D L ‘O g n i d n i f e r u t a Fe
TACTICS: FLOAT SPECIES: CARP DIFFICULTY:
’ L O O H g n C i d S n a t s W r e E d n .. .‘N Deeper u to new s n r u ney t mong fish, o o R Adam bid to get a erence?... s ’ u r u G in a ake a diff y g o l technobut will it m
PERCH RIGS E R Y V ECANNAUL E F O R E VILL WATE R – RI VE R – ST
Use a couple of small beads as a buffer above the hooklink
Long hooklinks are the order of the day when targeting perch. Use a mono material of between 12in and 24in
F
OR many anglers, a perch will have been the first fish they caught. For that reason alone, they are a species that many of us are extremely fond of. Add to that their distinctive appearance, with black stripes and aggressive spiked dorsal fin, and it’s easy to see why they are so popular. And there has never been a better time to catch a specimen perch than right now. With big examples of the species to be found in many rivers, stillwaters, commercial venues and canals you are probably not too far from catching that fish of your dreams. To make the job even easier we have compiled a selection of some of the most effective perch rigs ever. So no matter what type of venue you are targeting, we’ve got you covered...
64 • IYCF Issue 344
Prime the spot with a couple of droppers of maggot, caster and worm mix Injecting a lobworm with a small volume of air makes it waft enticingly off the bottom. Anchor the hooklink with a split shot
The mix, along with a small amount of black groundbait, is fed via the feeder
RIVER
Running bomb Although perch can be targeted using a variety of baits, including red maggots, prawns and livebaits, there is no more consistent offering than a fat juicy lobworm. A simple low-resistance leger rig is all that you need to fish effectively with worms. This can be flicked out into any likely-looking spot with the minimum of disturbance, allowing you to easily fish numerous swims in a short session. The sensitivity of the rig can be increased by incorporating a small ring swivel to attach your leger weight to. This will reduce the resistance as a perch moves off with the bait, improving bite indication and lessening the chance of the perch dropping the hookbait before you can strike.
Thread a lobworm on to a size 6 or 8 hook and feed bits of broken worm and maggots over the top
Using an Avon float allows you to switch between worm and maggot hookbaits
The bulk of the shot required to cock the float are attached at threequarters depth The worm hookbait is side-hooked and the depth set so that it just trips the bottom
Worm feeder rig Using a bait dropper to prime a promising-looking perch swim is an excellent tactic. What perch could resist a mix of chopped worms, maggots and casters? Chop all the bits into a mushy soup and add a squirt of Predator Plus for added attraction and to pull fish from downstream. To prevent the perch becoming preoccupied on the small items, also include a few larger pieces of worm in the mix. Perch hate resistance, so use a heavy feeder – something around 40g is perfect – on a running rig set-up. This will ensure the feeder remains anchored firmly to the deck. If it moved the perch would feel the resistance and probably drop the bait. Fill the feeder with the chopped mix and plug the ends with black groundbait. Perch are often found close to snags, so use strong tackle such as 6lb mainline to a 4lb fluorocarbon hooklink and size 6 hook. The hooklink should be 10in – 24in depending on the flow. The faster the flow, the longer the hooklink.
HOW TO MAKE A BAIT DROPPER MIX FOR PERCH
Put a handful of worms, maggots and casters in a bait tub, then chop coarsely with scissors
Add a good squirt of Liquid Worm extract to the mix, or use another additive of your own choice
Load a small handful into the bait dropper and shut the lid. It’s now ready to prime your swim
Worm float rig This rig requires the use of a fairly large Avon-style float to give you the option of either maggot or lobworm on the hook. You just need to change the hooklink and hook size accordingly. When using a float, side-hook the worm to provide a natural presentation. If the fish are finicky, frequently twitch the rig back upstream in stages and let it trot down again, rather than conventionally running it right down the flow without holding it back.
TACKLE NEW GEAR REVEALED, ON-THE-BANK TESTS & EXPERT ADVICE
OBJECT OF DESIRE
MIDDY ARCO-TECH ROD RANGE RRP: From £109.99
MIDDY’S Arco-Tech rod range offers exceptional quality at an affordable price. The range comprises two waggler rods and two feeder rods, all possessing an impressive and soft parabolic action to subdue fish. Key features include a slim, full cork handle and KTS smooth flow guides. They also boast rigid mini-butts with a
Kevlar wrap, which strengthens up the section to pile on some real stopping power if need be. A foot-long extension which can be added without tackling down is a great feature of the Arco-Tech rods. This means there’s no need to carry loads of different length rods to cope with different swims. The two feeder models have specially angled butt guides to resist line spiralling and assist the cast, plus they are supplied with two unique super-sensitive TS trigger tips which will register the faintest of bites.
A 1ft extension is supplied with each rod and can be added without tackling down
a All the rods have on soft parabolic acti fish to subdue hooked 84 • IYCF Issue 344
A slim cork handle and quality reel seat make the rods easy to hold
The laser-etched butt caps give the rods a classy look
The hook keeper rig is useful when moving swims
The KTS Smooth Flow Guides improve casting accuracy
Rigid butts with a e real Kevlar wrap provid ed power when requir
The handles are full cork with EVA thumb grips above the reel seat
EXPERT OPINION: LEADING THE WAY IN TACKLE TESTS & REVIEWS THE FULL RANGE 10ft / 11ft F1 Waggler - £109.99 11ft / 12ft Carp Waggler - £119.99 9ft / 10ft F1 Feeder - £124.99 10ft / 11ft Carp Feeder - £129.99
MARK SAWYER Tackle Editor
JAMES FURNESS IYCF Editor
TONY GRIGORJEVS Features Editor
IYCF November 20 – December 18, 2018 • 85
A GUIDE TO...
WINTER WEAR 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 winter clothing...
I
F YOU want to enjoy your time on the bank this winter, one of the most important things is to ensure you stay as warm as possible. If you don’t wear the correct gear you’ll soon become cold and miserable and won’t fish as effectively. But if you dress accordingly, it is possible to stay warm in the worst conditions a UK winter can throw at you. A thermal base layer will drastically reduce heat loss.
FORTIS THERMAL TECH SOCK RRP: £12.99
These fully-cushioned cold weather socks provides maximum warmth and comfort. Fast wicking, fast drying and ultratough. Sizes: 7-9 & 10-12
KODEX BEANIE RRP: £9.99
Stylish and durable with discreet branding. It has a slightly loose fashionable fit at the top and a comfortable snug fit elsewhere. One size fits all.
PRESTON CELSIUS THERMAL SUIT RRP: £149.99 Extremely durable, this suit is designed for fishing in the coldest conditions. The thermal Hollofil lining traps your body heat without impeding movement. In fact, it is so warm you don’t require too many additional layers underneath. Fully waterproof and windproof with reinforced knee and seat areas. Sizes: M - XXL
FORTIS MULTI SCARF RRP: £9.99
HALKON HUNT GURU SOFTSHELL JACKET RRP: £208 Made from a smooth-knit face fabric, which is abrasion-resistant and has a finish to resist drizzle. Features include three outer zipped pockets, soft fur-lined inner, reinforced elbow patches, high collar and adjustable hood. Sizes: S - XXL
A versatile product that can be worn in a variety of ways. One size fits all.
PRESTON BOBBLE HAT RRP: £11.99
Made from the highest quality 100 per cent acrylic material for extra comfort.
GREYS COTTON BEANIE RRP: £19.99
This knitted wool beanie is fleece-lined for extra warmth. One size fits all.
HALKON HUNT GURU OVERTROUSERS RRP: £178 Made in conjunction with bespoke clothing manufacturer Halkon Hunt, using a three layer GORE-TEX fabric. Designed with room to fit over your clothing, with fully-reinforced knee and seat areas. There’s a hook and loop ankle fastening to help prevent treading on the clothing. Sizes: S - XXL
TIPS, TACTICS & RIGS MORE RE TO CATCH MO add Maggots t to n moveme g the ri
Pop-up flavour gives a buoyan nd cy
CARP
MOHAWK MAGIC
The Mohawk rig is rarely used these days – but Dynamite Baits’ Richie Leat reckons there’s no finer presentation in cold-water conditions... Words Richie Leat Photography Mark Parker
L
ET me start by saying that I am a massive advocate of boilies. When the cold starts to strike in earnest, though, I feel they need a boost if you are to get the best out of them. By going this extra yard I have landed some huge fish that I am convinced I wouldn’t have caught on conventional tactics. The edge I use is called the Mohawk or Medusa rig. It gets the latter name because it resembles a Medusa’s head, with a bunch of maggots tied to the top of a pop-up. This little modification triggers more senses on the carp, which is often enough to get them to feed and feed confidently, whereas an all-boilie approach may not work as well. By adding the maggots to the rig, and adding them to my spod mix too, as well as the usual flavour and scent given out by the loosefeed, I also have movement to catch the carp’s eye.
Cold water modifications
The water is getting colder and colder and the carp will naturally close down. So, if I were to use my standard loosefeed mix of particles and/or whole boilies, the fish would need to swim off to help digest their food. But by crushing up my boilies and adding one or two pints of grubs to the mixed particle mix, the fish are able to stay in the area longer, as the bigger food items are already broken down for them. They can then eat more, and for longer, as it is easier for them to digest. This gives me more chance of catching them as they remain over my baited area. The reason for the addition of the maggots is that, along with the movement element, they ‘pop’ in the carp’s mouth when they eat them, which is highly appealing to the fish. They are also mostly water, so they are incredibly easy to digest. I have, on more than one occasion,
Richie with a cracking common that fell for the Mohawk rig
IYCF November 20 – December 18, 2018 • 105
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