UK Predator November by MCNEvents

REVIEWED: THE EEL ANGLER AnglingT覺mes

ISSUE 002

ALL THE TIPS AND TACTICS FOR THE PREDATOR ANGLER

JIGGING FOR ZANDER PAGE

PERCH ON DEADBAITS

THE MUST-USE TACTIC FOR SPECIMEN STRIPEYS

GETTING STARTED How to make your own traces

PIKE LURE TACTICS

WHY BIGGER IS BETTER

THE

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E B

INSIDE THIS ISSUE DEADS FOR PERCH P4 TRY

Rob Nunn discovers that deadbaits really do sort out the better stripeys – so give them a proper mouthful and reap the rewards.

EDITOR’S COMMENT

ITH THE predator season well and truly underway I’ve so far only managed a couple of trips to a local gravel pit, and made the long trip down to Chew for a day. The results have been good with a few doubles, so I’ve got off to a flying start. I did also manage to fluke a large perch while out on a feature with Rob Nunn, who reveals how he singled out some larger specimens by using deadbaits. A real eye-opener, that one. Gary Knowles has also been out and about and shows us the jigging tactics that banked him a brace of double-figure zander from Grafham. Finally, Eric Edwards explains why there’s no better time to try a big lure for pike. Me? I’m going to hopefully carry on with my run of success, and I’m looking forward to having a trip or two down to the River Wye. In the meantime I hope you are catching plenty. Be lucky.

Broady

BIG ON PIKE LURES P15GO

Eric Edwards suggests you think of the largest lure a pike can engulf and then fish one double the size.

P19

ZEDS ON JIGS Vertical jigging on Grafham for zander. Gary Knowles reveals everything you need to know.

LATEST TACKLE P25 THE Gear up for great fishing with some of the best kit around.

CONTACTS EDITORIAL

WRITE TO: Angling Times Predator, Bauer Consumer Media Ltd, Media House, Lynchwood, Peterborough Business Park, Peterborough PE2 6EA. EDITOR: Steve Broad PRODUCTION EDITOR: Nick Fletcher MANAGING DIRECTOR: Steve Prentice PUBLISHED BY Bauer Media PRINTED BY Archant Print, Norwich

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November 2012 - 3

MY DEAD CERT FOR A GIANT PERCH

Ever used deadbaits for perch? Rob Nunn has, and reckons you are missing a trick if you havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t tried them yet

Deadbaits will definitely sort out the better perch. 4XX - November - October 2012

Y LOVE affair with perch stems back to my childhood, when a worm under a bob float was the extent of my skill. Still this voracious predator would hang itself. Their reduced numbers due to perch disease through the 1970s and early 1980s made them drop off my radar, and it was then a chance encounter while out pike fishing that rekindled my affection for these stunning fish. The world has changed, in that perch are not only in their normal habitats but have also found new hunting grounds â&#x20AC;&#x201C; commercial carp waters. These venues are normally

Tail-hooked bait with maggot clip and foam.

I cast a bait either side of some dying lily pads.

“I flicked a floatfished bait towards the edge of the pads. The float lay briefly on its side, cocked and disappeared – this was going to be the one” stacked with small silver fish and have no other predators, so the perch can wreak havoc and pile on the pounds. I had a tip-off about one such venue after a friend spotted a couple of perch there. Never one to miss an opportunity, I decided to have a quick afternoon session there to assess its potential. The plan was to fish one rod on lobworms, and use a whip to try and winkle out some livebaits to use on the other. The worm-baited rod was cast close to some dying pads, and I catapulted a few pieces of chopped worm in their general direction before turning my attention to the whip fishing. I’d not got my rig off the winder before the bobbin on the worm rod smacked the blank and I was away. With images of a monster stripey I

struck, and very nearly launched a 4oz perch skywards...hmm, not quite what I was after. For the next hour this continued. I couldn’t keep the worm rod in the water and each fish was a carbon copy of the one before. In the end I called it quits and concentrated on catching small rudd and roach to try. With half-a-dozen secured,

Half deadbaits can be just as effective as whole ones.

and the light quickly fading now the clocks had gone back, I flicked a floatfished bait towards the edge of the pads. The float lay briefly on its side, cocked and disappeared – this was going to be the one. Unfortunately for me yet another tiny perch with eyes bigger than its belly splashed to the surface. Each of my remaining baits went

November 2012 - 5

An eel for an esox Continued

Dead cert for big perch Continued

the same way and I was yet to catch anything to break 8oz, never mind the 3lb goal I’d set myself – definitely time for a re-think. On the journey home I was mulling over the options when I remembered a larger reservoir I’d been eel fishing

My baby drop-offs can be fished pike style or attached to the front rest and used as a bobbin.

Finally a decent perch gets through the small fish.

the year previously. I was using little deadbaits and hooked and landed a succession of big perch on them. Perhaps this was the edge I sought? A few days later I returned to the venue to give my deadbait tactics a try. As with my eeling I settled on a low-resistance leger rig, this time replacing the wire trace with a 6lb fluorocarbon hooklink. I could do this because no pike are present in this water and it would give me better presentation. The rig was completed with a super-sharp Solar 101 hook tied knotless knot style to a small maggot clip. The clip is pushed through the tail of a deadbait and a small piece of foam is added to give it a bit of buoyancy. I mount the bait this way because it avoids deep hooking, a situation you should try and avoid at all costs. The reels were loaded with light braid to help with setting the hooks and provide good bite indication. Talking of indication, I use home-made baby drop-offs fished pike style, so that the perch can take line with no resistance. There are times, however, when even pulling the line from a loose clip is too much.

When this happens I move the drop-offs to the front rest and fish them bobbin style on a long drop. This gives the perch time to pick up the bait, but you must hit the bite before it reaches the top because they’ll nearly always drop the bait if they feel the resistance of a freespool reel. The baits were positioned to each side of the swim, as close to the receding pads as I dared. This time everything had time to settle and I got a chance to sit back and take in my surroundings on this stunning little water. For well over an hour

Low-resistance rig and a fluorocarbon hooklink.

The rewards are there if you persevere with a deadbait.

nothing happened and I began to convince myself that my baits had come off, such was the lack of action compared to the last trip. So I reeled one in to check, and there was my perfectly presented dead. I quickly replaced it with a bunch of lobs and chucked it to exactly the same spot. Before I even got the rod to the rests the line shot tight and I’d hooked a little perch. As I remounted another deadbait, the bobbin dropped on the other rod and line trickled from the open spool. Expecting a tiny stripey bait thief, I struck from the sitting

position and was almost flat-rodded as a powerful fish charged straight into the sanctuary of the pads. With a little pressure, out it popped and a hefty perch soon rolled into the net. Ounces short of 2lb, it was a cracking fish neatly hooked in the scissors. I carefully slipped it back, re-did both rods and sat back in anticipation. Sport was brisk for the rest of the day and I landed seven stunning specimens, all of a similar size, and lost an absolute donkey of a perch at the net. It was fairly obvious that although action was slower on the deads, they definitely produced the better fish. What I did find was that on the day in question half baits actually got a quicker reaction than whole ones, which was interesting. The day was a real success – I can’t wait to get back for another go, and I know that a certain Mr Broad has miraculously invited himself down to ‘just point me in the right direction’. One thing is for sure, I’m positive we’ll both be fishing deads, and they are certainly the way forward to bank the real specimens on this water. Why not give deadbaits a go on your local perch venue? They could just be the edge

“Although action was slower on the deads, they definitely produced the better fish”

October 2012 - 9

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Understanding

RIGS

Editor Steve Broad reveals how to make a trace, and a highly effective go-anywhere presentation for pike

T MAY sound obvious, but pike have teeth, as a result of which you need to use a wire trace as the all-important link between you and them. There are loads of high quality ready-made traces out there on the market, but if you really get

November 2012 - 9

SPONSORED BY WWW.DRAGONCARPDIRECT.COM Understanding rigs Continued

Bottom end only and cigar floats are ideal for float legering.

into your predator hunting you might find this option a little expensive, or want to make a specific rig to suit a particular job. Making a trace is an easy process and there are many ways to go about it, but here I’ve settled on the two I’m most happy with. All you need is some trace wire (30lb is a good starting point), some treble or double hooks, crimps, swivels, and some rig sleeves if you want to be ultra-neat. Crimping is by far the easiest technique to master for the beginner, and the set-by-step guide (below) will help you out. There’s just

trace is by spinning the tag end of wire around the main piece of trace wire. The bare bones are the same as for crimping but the method is slightly different. The first thing I do is heat a couple of inches of wire at each end of the trace until it briefly glows red – please be very careful. This process is called ‘annealing’ and it makes the wire softer and easier to manage. Once that’s done, thread the tag end twice through the swivel and pull the wire tight, then clip a small pair of forceps to the tag end. Hold the swivel and excess trace wire with the

a couple of things that may need further clarification. First, I always pass the wire through the crimps three times. This seems to give an altogether stronger bond. The second thing you’ll notice is that I have locked the second treble in place. Many anglers make traces so that this hook can be moved to suit the size of bait they are using. However, I prefer to have this fixed because I think it allows me to set the hooks better on the strike. If I need a bigger gap between hooks I simply swap to a different trace. The next way of making a

MAKE A PIKE TRACE USING CRIMPS 1

Pass 30lb trace wire through a crimp three times, like this, for extra security.

Lock crimp in place by squeezing firmly, ideally with crimping pliers.

Slide anti-tangle tube down the trace to cover the crimp-to-swivel joint.

10 - November 2012

forceps dangling vertically down. Now spin the forceps around the main wire, and this will create a very neat and strong joint. This technique does take some mastering, and do be careful not to give yourself a smack with the forceps. Rig-wise, the simplest type is a straightforward float leger. This can be used in a variety of situations, and in conjunction with an alarm that makes it doubly safe. The first step is to thread a float stop on to your reel line â&#x20AC;&#x201C; these are now of very good quality and will save you tying a stop knot. Then add a bead and a float of your choice. For most standard work I prefer a bottom end-only float, but you can also use a cigar-type float. I then add an up-trace,

After casting out the float lies on its side, then carefully tension the line until it look like this.

5 Distance between trebles depends on the size of bait used

Crimp the final treble in place then cover with a rig sleeve.

Lock the second treble in place like this â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it is fixed for good strike penetration.

Finally, pull everything taut before crimping a second swivel to the other end of the trace. Make up several traces of different lengths and store them in a rig bin.

November 2012 - 11

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Continued

Two different lead set-ups.

which is a very heavy section of fluorocarbon or mono to protect your reel line behind your rig. I use heavy line rather than wire because I believe it is kinder to the pike’s sides, but coated wire is a very good alternative. This up-trace has a swivel at one end, a snap link at the other and either a running rig presentation or a fixed rig. In a fishing situation, clip on your trace and add a deadbait of your choice. The next step is to set the float stop to a couple of feet deeper that you are fishing, the closer to the right depth the better. Once you have cast in and your bait has settled on the lakebed, put your rod in the rests and carefully tighten the

line. A bottom end-only float will eventually cock, and once you have a decent tight line you can clip on a drop-off indicator and you’re ready to go. If you are using a cigar float the red top should be pointing straight at you with the line dead straight before you add your indicator. Both these rigs will give you prior warning, even before your alarm, should you be watching them. But the alarm is a safe fall-back option. Watching the float will tell you so much – the direction the fish is going and how fast. You may even see some almost roach-like bites. That means the pike you are fishing know the game, and you’ll need to strike at the slightest indication. So don’t underrate the simple float-leger rig – it will put plenty of pike on the bank for you.

Heat two inches of wire either end of the trace until it briefly glows red. This anneals (softens) it.

Pass wire twice through eye of swivel or treble hook, leaving a two-inch tag end to work with.

AnglingTımes

“I use heavy line rather than wire for my up-traces because I believe it is kinder to the pike’s sides”

Clamp a small pair of forceps to the tag end, making sure they are firmly attached.

4 A cracking fish caught using a simple but effective float leger rig.

Spin the forceps around the trace, upwards from swivel or treble, in a tight spiral. Trim tag end.

14 - October 2012

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GO BIG FOR EARLY-SEASON

PIKE

Lure fishing? One double the size you think will work is probably the right choice, says Eric Edwards November 2012 - 15

The lure on the right is big but take a look at its monster brother.

IKE ARE right at the top of their game in the autumn. Lean, mean and fighting fit, they are hungry and aggressive at this time of year, racing to put on weight for the cold weather ahead, when the pickings might not be so rich. This is good news for the pike angler – eager pike mean good fishing from October through to Christmas, with multiple catches on the cards and the chance of a real biggie. Now that cooler conditions are setting in, many anglers will be putting away their carp gear and thinking about pike fishing – maybe for the first time. There are lots of different ways to catch pike but for sheer excitement nothing beats targeting them with lures. Once considered a small-fish method, lure fishing has come of age in the UK and a great many specialists pikers now turn to lures as a first choice. If you’re new to this you’ll do well to take the advice of 16 - November 2012

experienced pikers. Learning to lure fish means you have to develop a whole new set of skills, and probably invest in some new tackle too, but you don’t want that investment to be wasted. The most common mistake is people using lures that are too small. Many anglers are afraid of using large lures and stick to small spinners, spoons or crankbaits. I coach others in the art of lure fishing and invariably my students are shocked at the size of my lures. Many of my soft plastics and jerkbaits are more than 18cm long, some go to 30cm, and they may weigh anything up to 300g.

A multiplier and a rod with a trigger grip are essential for big lure work.

Pliers and cutters are essential for hook removal.

DINNER BELL

Monsters like these may seem too much of a mouthful to prospective lure fishermen, but if you take a step back and compare them to the prey that a big pike eats, there’s actually little difference. A roach of such a size would weigh less than a pound and would disappear

Left: What self-respecting pike could resist this lively mouthful?

down the gullet of a big pike in no time at all. When a big lure smacks the surface it’s like ringing a dinner bell, calling pike in from far and wide. Old esox doesn’t want to waste effort and energy chasing down something that isn’t going to satisfy her hunger – she wants something more substantial in her belly. Small spoons might be ignored, but show her a big lure and you’ll get her to leave the safety of the weedbed or that tangle of branches where she lives and you’ll soon have her in the net. Forget your 12ft rods – 10 minutes of casting a Bulldawg or a big swimbait on a long rod and it’s already time for a break, but with a rod of no more than eight feet you can cast all day. It’ll need to have plenty of backbone too. Choose one with a trigger grip reel fitting. This makes casting and retrieving far easier.

OVER THE TOP

Match your rod with a quality multiplier like an Abu Ambassadeur 6501 loaded with heavy braid. Big lures put a massive strain on your tackle and these multiplier reels are much tougher than flimsy fixed-spools and can take the constant pounding far better. Multipliers aren’t difficult to

master and once that skill is learned, they are a joy to use. Braid is far more effective than mono for lure fishing. The mouth of a pike is not at all like the mouth of most other fish, it’s all bone and teeth and setting big hooks takes some doing. I use 100lb Power Pro for nearly all my lure fishing. It’s bombproof, casts like a dream and, since braid has no stretch, I can work the lure, imparting jerks and twitches to add to the attraction. Finally, be sure you have the right tools available to remove the hooks when you’ve got your big pike on the mat. Forceps aren’t up to the job, you’ll need long nosed pliers as a minimum and don’t forget those bolt cutters so you can snip through an awkwardly placed hook rather than put the fish through the stress of having to remove it.

This twenty had an appetite to match the size of the lure – big!

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November 2012 - 17

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ZANDER

Gary Knowles goes vertical jigging to get the zeds in at Grafham Water, a prolific but rather daunting venue November 2012 - 19

eT In rolling Cambridgeshire countryside, Grafham Water is a really big reservoir with over 10 miles of shoreline, and at over 1,500 acres it’s not for the fainthearted – but the rewards for the predator angler are there, with the very real potential for huge pike and zander. no zander fishing lies within easy reach of my home in the north West, so I need to travel. Because I get so few opportunities to tangle with these predators, once I had identified Grafham as ‘the’ venue I decided not to take any pike gear with me. That

way I wouldn’t be tempted to chop and change. It would be zander or bust. The method I would adopt would be vertical jigging. I am by no means an expert at this, but with a bit of trial and error over the years I feel I have become quite competent – I have received good advice from anglers far more experienced than I am. The method is as the name suggests. Using a lovely little 6ft jigging rod and a tiny, but quality, fixed-spool reel, the secret is to fish a jig as close to vertical as possible depending on wind speed and, more importantly, the speed of the

A drogue slows the drift, allowing you to cover more water.

Top 6 Zander Tips 1 4 5 2

Search the water methodically using long drifts to locate where the zander are holed up. Adjust the weight of the jig head to keep the braid as vertical as you possibly can.

Fish the lure as close to the bottom as possible.

Look after your zander – minimise its time out of the water by being organised.

Use braid – it will magnify If the fish are coming short and bites and allow you to stay in nipping the tail of the lure, add touch with the lure and check that a stinger treble. is working correctly.

20 - November 2012

drift. The slower the drift, the better the presentation, so I use a large drogue to counter the wind. With a very fine diameter braid (around 10lb) I can vary the weight of the jig head to try and get the braid as near to vertical as possible when the lure is fished a few inches off the bottom. This is a matter of trial and error, and it usually takes two or three full drifts, switching the jig heads from around 20g to 50g, until the perfect balance of speed, depth and weight of jig is achieved. After this it’s a case of trying to cover as much water as possible in search of the zander, which appear to be comfortable lying in anything from 20ft to 80ft of water. Finding shoals of prey fish on the sounder often helps, but my friends and I have caught zander in what appear to be quite barren areas of the reservoir, so it really pays to keep covering the water until you get a take. After about two hours of fishing neither I nor my boat partner had felt the slightest tap in an area where I had previously been successful, so we moved a few hundred yards to open water pretty much in the centre of the reservoir. Although the first drift produced nothing, I did spot a boat around 50 yards away netting a zander of

A selection of plastic jigs, various weights of jig head, and hooks.

around 8lb. That was all the encouragement I needed to stay in the area and drift over our same mark once more. Halfway down this drift I felt a gently tap on the tip and struck. The wand of a rod bucked violently as 50ft below me the angry zed tried to shake the hooks free before bolting away from the danger. Soon I was guiding him slowly and carefully up through the crystal water until he rose a couple of feet from the boat. My mate made no mistake with the net and I was delighted when my first zander of the season proved to be a double at 10lb 2oz. Zander are fragile creatures, so it’s extremely important to keep their stress to a minimum. I like to see them returned as quickly as possible, so in advance of starting to fish we had sorted

all the scales, unhooking equipment and camera in readiness for this moment. After the single hook was flicked out with the fish still in the net it was less than a minute before it was weighed, photographed and returned. With a double under my belt I was already happy with the day’s events, but we decided to retrace our steps and try another drift over the same location – I felt confident of more action. On a water this size it’s almost impossible to cover the same ground on two successive drifts, but by using a couple of buoys and lining up markers on the bank we knew we were more or less there. Once again, as we neared the spot, a gentle take saw me stike into a good fish. This time the zed decided

that speed was its best ploy and just surged away. The initial burst of energy was incredible and I had to sink the rod under the surface to stop the slim blank being damaged, or even snapped, on the gunnels. Although my gear was relatively light it was a well-balanced set-up, and you can exert a surprising amount of pressure with tackle like this. It wasn’t long before once again a large fish appeared under the boat, gills flaring and head shaking in defiance, but my mate doesn’t make mistakes with the net. The scales confirmed a weight of 11lb 3oz to give me a brace of double-figure zander on my first outing of the season. They weren’t the biggest ever taken from Grafham but I was more than happy with them.

Larger of my zander brace went 11lb 3oz.

AnglingTımes

If you start missing bites add a stinger treble to the tail of your jig.

October 2012 - 13

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Martin Bowler with a brace of doubles caught whilst filming ‘Catching the Impossible’

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AnglingTımes

ON TEST 2012 Your guide to the new and not so new

KEEP YOUR BAITS IN GREAT CONDITION! Prowla Cool-style Bait Bag RRP £24.99 www.greysfishing.com

A handy front pocket for storage.

DEADBAITS are expensive but one of the best ways of minimising waste is to make sure you take them to and from the water without them defrosting.

The Prowla Bait Bag comes with a moulded plastic inner container with a Greys Klip-Lok sealable lid. This container can be easily washed out or placed directly back into the freezer ready for your next session. The outer fabric bag is coolstyle lined to prevent early thawing so long as you use it with freezer blocks. The bag also has a handy front pocket ideal for storing oils, a syringe and, in my case, a sharp knife, and is a real bonus. A water-resistant fabric base with rubber feet prevents the bag from absorbing water while on the bank. For ease of transportation to

distant swims it boasts two carrying handles and a shoulder strap. I’ve been using one for several weeks now and find it an excellent bit of kit. I especially like the inner plastic liner that can be removed easily and dropped straight in the freezer – it really has cut down on those strange smells that can often be found in my car at this time of year. A good buy at a reasonable price.

“The inner container can be easily washed out or placed directly back into the freezer”

November 2012 - 25

Long Term TesT

Steve Spurgeon Match fisherman

STRONG AND RELIABLE Lynx Ready Made Traces RRP £2.49 - £10.99 www.lynx-fishing.com coated wire has really stood up to the job. The only thing I’ve done is remove the bottom clip and replaced it with a rig sleeve, which suited my style of fishing. The matching Paternoster traces are spot on, and exactly the right length so combined they work brilliantly. The other couple of products I’ve really given a decent workout are the YOU ONLY really get to know a Titanium Lure and Jerkbait traces. product when you have been using it At first glance they may seem for a while, so that’s just what I’ve expensive at £10.99 and £7.99 respectively, but these things really done. For the last two months I’ve are bombproof and will last forever. been trying a variety of the Lynx ready made traces and must admit I’ve used the 40lb lure trace for I’ve got on very well with them. chucking big spoons and small The standard two treble trace has Replicants and really have been performed well and I’ve used the superb, in fact the only reason I’m size 4 version for most of my still not using the original traces is deadbaiting, and the only thing I’ve because I lost it on a snag. had to do is give the hooks a little The 100lb Jerkbait Traces have touch with a sharpener to keep them also stood up to the same sort of up to scratch. The single hook traces abuse. I spent an afternoon have also come in handy and I’ve wandering round a pit near my been using the size 1 for lip-hooking home and caught a succession of jacks to about 8lb on shallow worked small deads for distance casting. The Paternoster Up trace has also Jerkbaits. As ever, every fish been a welcome addition and has thrashed itself silly trying to throw done its job faultlessly, and the the hooks and the trace remained

The single hook trace is perfect for lip hooking small deadbaits.

absolutely perfect. This range is very good quality and has proved that it is up to the job over several days’ fishing in a variety of situations, and can recommend them.

The Paternoster Uptrace has performed faultlessly, a great rig.

The Jerkbait trace is super kink resistant and will last for ages.

“The 100lb Jerkbait Traces have also stood up to the same sort of abuse.” November 2012 - 27

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must-read for all eel fanatics The Eel Angler RRP £35, plus £7 p&p

www.zandavan.co.uk EEL FANATIC Barry McConnell has dedicated his life to the pursuit of this, the most enigmatic of species. This passion is reflected within the pages of his book. Stephen Harper produces the work to a fantastic standard and the front cover is stunning. I’ve bumped into Barry in a variety of places over our 20 or more years’ acquaintance, so I can safely say that he is a genuine character whose humour, knowledge and uncanny knack for tracking down real specimens flows through every chapter. For me the best bits of the book (apart from my mention) are without doubt Barry’s adventures off the beaten track. He has travelled to New Zealand and Australia in pursuit of genuine

monster eels, culminating in the capture of a truly massive 22lb 3oz leviathan. He’s even sorted out remote Scottish lochs where the dream of an ancient eel forgotten in the icy waters and growing to huge proportions spurred him on. The Eel Angler is a real pleasure to read, and I gained a whole new respect for this muchmaligned creature. Barry’s thoughts on rigs, baits and techniques will be a real

“Barry’s uncanny knack for tracking down real specimens flows through every chapter”

eye-opener to all the budding eel anglers out there. This is a must-have read for any predator angler and catches the very essence of why we do what we do. A truly great read.

new take on an old favourite Berkley Nanofil Uni Filament Line RRP £15.99 to £29.99 www.berkley-fishing.co.uk This line has been about for a bit, but a few final tweaks now make it of interest to all predator anglers. First things first, nanofil is more than 300 fibres bound together using a heat process that makes it very smooth – almost like mono – and it’s claimed to have more abrasion resistance and better knot-strength. it comes in 125m or 270m spools in a variety of colours and breaking

strains from 5.732kg to 20.126kg, which is roughly 12lb-44lb. One of the things that should be noted is its thinness, with the 5.732kg measuring just 0.10mm and the 20.126kg diameter coming in at 0.28mm.

i’ve used the lower breaking strains for light spinning work and jigging and found it to be excellent and very user-friendly. The much heavier 20kg version has been put on my bait fishing pike set-up, and i used the subtle green colour. Again i really have no complaints – it casts well and comes in smoothly through the rings making no noise, which is different from most braids. i’ve used it for more than a dozen outings, suffered no unexplained breakages, and discovered that it cuts below the water’s surface easily, making drag less of an issue. in short it’s a good all-round performer that is in the right price bracket to be considered an option.

“Berkley Nanofil is claimed to have more abrasion-resistance and better knot-strength”

LAND THIS NET DEAL

Barbus Landing Net and Handle Price £10 www.dragoncarpdirect.com

THIS SUPERB value net was designed for barbel anglers, but it is perfect for predator fishermen too – and at just a tenner it is an absolute bargain. The net has an aluminium handle that extends from 3ft to nearly 6ft and does all that’s asked of it. The head is spoon shaped and is 28ins long, with a mesh depth of 30ins, easily big enough to swallow most pike. A real plus point is that the whole thing folds in half for easy carrying. I’ve used this net on a couple of occasions and can safely say it has done its job admirably – and let’s face it, at this price you really should have one.

The Barbus net folds in half, making it less bulky in transit.

A twisting collar locks the handle in place from 3ft to almost 6ft.

BEST PIKE DEALS EVER Check out the latest offers and much more at www.dragoncarpdirect.com PIKE UNHOOKING SET THREE TOOLS FOR £10 RRP £29.97 OFFER PRICE £10

OFFER PRICE

£10

DRAGON PIKE PREDATOR RIG SET RRP £24.99 OFFER £10.00 A superb package of end tackle for Predator fishing with 28 items of kit inside a multi-compartment storage box. The set includes 5 classic design spinners for perch fishing, plus three diving hard lures, and two soft lures for perch and pike. If you’re into deadbait fishing then the pack also contains two inline floats plus six ready-to-fish snap tackle traces with covered trebles and large, high strength swivels. You also get 10 wire traces in 6 ins and 9 ins lengths.

DOCTOR SPIN PIKE FISHING OUTFIT RRP £129.99 OFFER £49.99 Start pike fishing this weekend with this fabulous value set that’ll see you tackling predators straight away. The outfit includes two super-strong 12ft long deadbait/ powerspin rods that are designed for chucking big deadbeats to medium range swims and playing big pike. The matching pair of rods both sport ultra-tough guides and abbreviated handles. The kit also includes two freespool specimen carp/ pike reels which are built to handle specimen-sized fish with large spools for longer casts too. To ensure you’re fishing safely for the toothy predators, Doctor Spin also chucks in a 16-piece set of snap tackle and spinning traces as well as a padded carry case to transport the whole thing safely to your peg. With two complete set-ups you can fish one on mackerel while you cast a lure on the other - this set up gives you real options!

OFFER PRICE

£49.99

HOW TO ORDER

FILL OUT THE FORM OR CALL THE HOTLINE (MAINLAND UK)

01159 631777 01159 631683

The essential tools every pike angler must own - a set of pliers, cutters and forceps - and this season they’re on special offer. Instead of paying £9.99 each you can get the set of three tools for just £10 The set comprises 7 ins long-nose pliers, wire/hook cutting pike snips and a set of spring-loaded pliers which also have crimping teeth for rig-making.

HOWLIN’ HOG CREEK BUSTERS SWAMP DEVIL LURES RRP £9.99 OFFER £5 EACH

OFFER PRICE

£10

OFFER PRICE

£5

Autumn has arrived and that means Pike Fishing time! And right on cue, the Howlin’ Hog range has released ﬁve patterns of it’s new Swamp Devils range aimed at pike, perch, zander and chub. Each lure is made from aqua dynamic ABS rugged material to last several seasons of heavy use with a pair of strong treble hooks, 3D eyes and multi joints for realistic movement in the water while the overall weight of each lure means they sink slowly through the water making them perfect for shallow swims.

POWERCAST 9FT-12FT PIKE ROD RRP £49.99 OFFER £15

OFFER PRICE

Dragon Pike’s multi length pike rod is a real one stop shop for £15 winter pike ﬁshing and can be used at both 9ft and 12ft lengths. Supplied with two separate butt sections and a powerful top section, ﬁsh the 9ft version for light tactics or spinning, while the longer butt section takes the rod to its maximum length for distance work.

Name Address

ORDER ONLINE AT WWW.DRAGONCARPDIRECT.COM

Please send (insert number you require) DRAGON PIKE PREDATOR SET @ £10 DOCTOR SPIN PIKE FISHING OUTFIT @ £49.99 PIKE UNHOOKING SET @ £10 HOWLIN’ HOG SWAMP DEVIL LURES @ £5 No 1 20g Blue No 2 22g Green

No 5 19g Trout No 8 21g Red

No 9 13g Green

DRAGON PIKE POWERCAST 9FT-12FT MULTI -LENGTH PIKE ROD @ £15 PLEASE ADD £5.95 P&P FOR FIRST ITEM, TWO ITEMS OR MORE £10 P&P

Total to pay £

Postcode Email Telephone No Send completed form and cheque or postal order (payable to Used Tackle) to Angling Times Offers, Used Tackle, 28 Baker Street, Hucknall, Nottingham NG15 7AS Data Protection Statement: *By entering your email address and/or mobile number you are choosing to receive email and SMS messages from time to time from Bauer Consumer Media (the publishers of this magazine) and/or carefully selected partners. We will never pass on these details to any other organisation. Bauer Consumer Media (the publishers of this magazine) directly or via its agents may like to contact you by post or phone. Please tick if you do not want to be contacted by us ❏ or carefully selected partner organisations ❏ in this way. We will never pass these details to any other organisation.