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CHAMPION
FEEDER Tommy Pickering on Feeder Tactics
WINNING RIGS Expert's tips on how to ямБsh them
RODS AND REELS THE EXPERT GUIDE
SHALLOW SECRETS
DES EXPLAINS HIS METHOD
FIN TACTICS
ANDY'S WAYS TO FEED
DEEP WATER ACTION
LEE EDWARDS DEEPEST THOUGHTS INSIDE DES SHIPP'S BOX | WINNING RIGS | ASK THE EXPERTS
take a look
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des shipp lets us inside his boX – see how he sets up his geAr...
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SHALLOW SUGGESTIONS
DES SHIPP LIFTS THE LID
FIN-TACTICS
England international Des Shipp shares his shallow secrets.
Sneak a peek inside the box of England ace Des Shipp.
Carp extraordinaire Andy Findlay revels his thoughts on feeding.
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Hello and welcome to the 2012 Preston Innovations Consumer Magazine, where the emphasis really is on providing some fantastic insights into our fishing tackle from our stellar team of angling consultants. We've got International class anglers like des shipp, tommy pickering and lee edwards, along with UK match fishing aces like lee kerry, Andy findlay and neil mckinnon, all offering their top tips and advice on how you can catch more fish. We kick off with des shipp discussing one of the most exciting ways to fish, where he reveals his shallow fishing secrets. Des covers some of his favourite rigs, along with some clever tactics that are sure to make a difference the next time you're fishing up in the water. Des also lifts the lid on his Space Station XSII, revealing the tackle he chooses to stay at the very top of the match angling tree.
For detaILS on the FULL preSton InnoVatIonS prodUCt ranGe, neWS and VIdeoS VISIt: www.prestoninnovations.com
We've also got angling innovator, Andy findlay. Arguably the UK's best commercial carp fisherman, he'll be showing us the best ways to feed your peg, as well as revealing the true secrets of fishing the Quick Cone method. It's a must-read feature that'll transform the way you fish the Pellet Cone.
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The Welsh Wizard, lee edwards, has also put pen to paper, as he looks at the most effective way to fish the pole in deeper water. Lee has represented his country at every level and is a real expert at this approach, so make sure you check it out.
What's more, England World Feeder Team Manager tommy pickering will be discussing what different styles of feeder are for and how to get the best from them, as he gives his feeder fishing masterclass. We've also got lee kerry revealing his winning rigs and a fantastic new innovation in float technology – the Dura Extreme. And last, but by no means least, we've got the entire team revealing their favourite rod and reel combinations for different styles of fishing and different species. It's your ultimate guide to choosing the right gear. Of course, there's all the latest Preston Innovations tackle from new accessories and luggage, to the latest rods, reels and clothing. We've a superb array of innovative and clever products for 2012 and plenty more to come, so read on and enjoy this Preston Innovations Consumer Magazine. We look forward to seeing you on the bank some time.
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DEEP WATER
CHAMPION FEEDERS
ASK THE EXPERTS
Next time you find yourself in deep water these tips from Lee Edwards will help you get more from your peg.
Tommy Pickering explains how different feeders are used to cope with different conditions.
Our experts answer your questions to help you become a better, more efficient angler.
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des shipp serioUsly shallow
Shallow
Suggestions with des shipp
England International Des Shipp is one of the UK's most successful match anglers. He knows only too well how effective fishing shallow can be, so we asked him to reveal his thoughts on getting the best from this approach...
What can I say about fishing shallow that hasn't already been said? It's a devastating method and during certain periods of the year it's the only way to amass a match winning weight. Those who have perfected the technique have used it to great effect, with big match victories at all the major events and festivals. Proof indeed that mastering the art of fishing shallow is something everybody can add to their armoury. Myself, I love shallow fishing. It's a really pro-active method of fishing and often brings the biggest winning weights on match venues. To stack all the odds in your favour, though, you'll need to prepare yourself. Choosing the right gear for the right job is the
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dividing line between consistent success, or disappointing failure, so everything from the pole you use to the rigs you tie is going to effect your results. Fishing shallow can be demanding, but the rewards are most certainly there. LIGhtneSS IS KeY Let's start with the most obvious choice of all – the pole you use. I personally believe accuracy and control are what you're looking for, with strength the third key component. I use an Absolute 14 GIS pole myself, and rate it as the best pole I've ever used. Ultra-light, it's a pleasure to fish with, even at 16m. I can sit there fishing shallow, long, all day no trouble. For me, it's the ultimate choice. facebook.com/prestoninnovationslimited
The next thing to bear in mind is the way you set up your box for fishing shallow. You'll probably need to sit at an angle with the pole across your leg, and I find I need to have a totally adjustable setup around me so I can keep my eyes on that float. With big carp swirling around your float , you don't want to be looking down for your bait tray. Because of this, I use the angle adjustment and spacer bars in the Offbox range on everything, so I can adjust the height, move my bait tray towards or away from me, and generally fish with a lot more freedom and fluidity. I cannot tell you how much Offbox will change the way you fish - I can't think of a better system. You'll also need to give careful consideration to your pole roller setup, and their placement behind you. I find that keeping the rollers high is crucial, as this enables you to keep the pole just 6 inches above the water when playing fish. You don't want the fish splashing across the surface, and keeping the pole tip down seems to keep the fish down too. This is especially important when catching silvers shallow, and will reduce the number of fish you lose. I find Mega Pro V Rollers are the best and adjust up really high – perfect for shallow fishing. Your rig is very short, remember, so the roller becomes very important as you're landing fish on such a short length of line.
pLUMB the depth Even though I intend to spend most of my match fishing shallow, it’s still important to learn the contours of your peg. For example, you might find a bar to fish on top of; these are often particularly prolific areas to target. I always use a large plummet of around an ounce. This helps me get a positive depth reading when using heavier elastics associated with carp fishing. Fishing at half depth can only be productive when you've accuratley plumbed-up. It's essential. There’s no point just dangling your rig in, hoping you’ve guessed the correct depth! Also this gives you a reference point to go back to on other days, building up a picture of how fish behave on a particular venue. I tend to use either 11 or 13 Hollo for carp fishing depending upon the size of the fish, only going bigger when I've got monsters in my peg! Now it all comes down to rig selection. I tend to use a Dacron Connector to attach these - they're so neat and totally stop tangles, as they stick out from the pole. Gone are the days of making your own - the Preston ones are perfect. This is definitely better than using a connector, as your elastic lasts so much longer and the beads sit perfectly against your pole tip. You can't beat it. To the Dacron Connector, I will add one of three rigs. I tend to keep a lot of my 'carp shallow' and 'deep shallow' rigs tied up ready for shallow fishing. You'll see from the diagrams how simple these are, but let me tell you now – they are so effective it's untrue. I've seen a lot of anglers getting
really confused about which floats are best, but you can put your faith in the Tyson 1 for fishing ultra shallow, and the PB Carp 1 when fishing deeper. I attach these with three pieces of silicone (I always use three pieces) and make sure the rubber isn't too tight, but not too loose. You' be surprised how much mono line stretches and contracts during a fight and when you lose a fish, you'll often find the depth has changed because the float's moved. Always check this if you lose a fish – that's such an important tip! My hook choice is usually a PR456 on these rigs, or a PR36 when I'm using a hair-rigged bait band. One big tip for anglers here is about the length of the hair on their rig. Try and keep the bait so it's just touching the bend. You'll find with longer hairs you miss more bites and lose more fish. Whilst the big carp boys sitting in their tents might like long hair rigs, in match fishing they're not the answer. SILVer SUCCeSS The other rig I class as a really consistent catcher is my silver fish shallow rig. A lot of people think shallow fishing is just pinging pellets at big carp, but I have lost count of how many matches I've won thanks to a shoal of silver fish that were swarming around baits fished shallow. Maggots and casters are the ones to use in this situation, and again I'm sticking with the PB Carp floats for the shallow fishing. The PB Carp 2 is a brilliant float that follows the bait right down. You can dot it so it's just a pimple on the surface, and it's a great float when catching silvers on the drop.
■ Match fishing legend – Des Shipp was crowned Parkdean Masters Champion for the second time.
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des shipp serioUsly shallow big CArp shAllow
Nº5 Slip Elastic Through top 3
deep shAllow rig
2 x Silicone
0.17mm Reflo® Power™
4” 0.15mm Reflo® Power™
Hookbait: Pellet Hair + Baitband
Nº5 Slip Elastic Through top 3
Nº13 Hollo Elastic
Float Tyson 1 0.3g
silver fish shAllow
Float PB Carp 1 4 x 14
Float PB Carp 2 4 x 10
3 x Silicone
3 x Silicone
0.11mm Reflo® Power™
0.17mm Reflo® Power™
3 x Nº9 Shot. Bulked
5 x Nº9 Shot. Bulked or spread for ‘on the drop’.
3 x Nº10 Shot. Bulked or spread for ‘on the drop’.
Loop to Loop
Loop to Loop
Loop to Loop
PR456 Size 16 or 14 or PR36 Size 16 or 18 for bait banding (Not To Scale)
My rig for this works a charm when fished 2–3ft deep, with the shot spread out to catch fish as the bait falls through the water. The ever-reliable PR434 in a size 20 is the key here, enabling me to present my bait neatly every single put in. That's what I love about fishing shallow. You have to take the opportunities that present themselves each day, rather than aimlessly firing pellets at a float hoping a big carp's going to hang itself. I get a real kick from
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4” 0.15mm Reflo® Power™
Hookbait: Pellet Hair + Baitband
PR456 Size 16 or 14 or PR36 Size 16 or 18 for bait banding (Not To Scale)
visiting venues and trying meat shallow, or casters. The casters can be well worth using about halfway through a match when you've been catching on pellets and the carp are starting to become wary. Just firing the odd caster into the area seems to keep them there for longer. Keep using a pellet on the hook, but start introducing a few casters when you're a couple of hours in. It can make a massive difference and often helps you bag a few really big fish. When using worms shallow a good Pot
4” 0.10mm Reflo® Power™
Hookbait: Maggot
PR434 Size 20 (Not To Scale)
will prove invaluable. Preston's Uni Cad pots were a lifesaver the last time I went to Whiteacres, where there's a lot of 'sloppy worm' fishing, as we call it. We basically introduce damp peat mixed with chopped worm in a slop, and on those venues it seems to be extremely prolific. Other than when using worms, I tend to favour the catapult method over using a Cad Pot, but Cad Pots can be extremely useful if you find you're struggling to remain accurate with the catapult in adverse weather conditions. facebook.com/prestoninnovationslimited
These non-toxic alloy plummets have a flat base for accurate plumbing
try it yoUrselF neXt time you're out on the bAnk, go shAllow like des.
LIttLe and oFten Feeding techniques are straightforward, and overdoing the bait tends to put the fish on the bottom and makes them harder to catch. When they're shallow, they're so competitive and sometimes suicidal! Little and often is the key, feeding 5 or 6 pellets every now and again to ring the dinner bell. Carp love this noise, and less is definitely more. With maggot and caster you can feed more bait, but silvers are very different to carp and feed midwater more often naturally, so it makes sense really.
■ Des's hook choice is usually a PR456 on these rigs, or a PR36 when using a hairrigged bait band. www.prestoninnovations.com
Meat is certainly not a bait to be piling in when you're expecting to catch shallow. Building a bed of bait can often give you a good last hour, but to really get those winning weights, you have to make the best of the opportunities as they present themselves. If you're seeing the tell tale signs that the fish are in the upper layers, then fish for them there! Keep ringing that dinner bell and you'll have a great days fishing. ■ LooK oUt For deS ShIpp In the LateSt WInnInG peGS 6 dVd CoMInG In 2012
■ Preston's Uni Cad pots were a lifesaver for Des at Whiteacres where he did a whole lot of 'sloppy worm' fishing.
■ Des swears by his Pole Sock – for quick, simple and safe pole storage when you're playing a fish on the pole. preston innovations | product guide 2012 7
Cone Zone with andy Findlay QUiCk thinking Andy is renowned As A mAster of pellet fishing
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The
Cone Zone
pellet mAster – hAuling mAChine Match maestro Andy Findlay reveals the winning pellet fishing technique that's seen him win matches all over the country... Carp love pellets, but sometimes the Method isn’t the best approach to catch them, especially on waters where it is overused and especially in winter, when carp are moving slower and you want to feed less. Sometimes the carp just want a small mouthful and will also shy away from your main line, but a pellet fished on its own hasn’t been that effective for me. In a match situation, you always want an edge, and mine was created by using a cut down pole bung to create a small cone. I would then load this with soaked feed pellets, and ram them into the cone so they compacted together in the same shape. The resulting cone shape of pellets could be threaded onto your hooklink with a baiting needle. Today, I use a new invention. The Preston Innovations Quick Cone device negates the need for a gated needle, as your hookbait is actually moulded into the centre. These are really easy to load. It’s made the technique easy and given everyone a level playing field.
1. Half load the plunger and press the pellets in. www.prestoninnovations.com
When fishing the feeder, the golden rules are to utilise your reel’s line clip, be accurate, and leave the feeder where it hits bottom so that it can do its work. With the cone, you can search through your swim as there’s never any bait building up. It can be a good technique in the winter allowing you to search your peg. I tend to use a Quick Change Bead setup for the hooklink, with a small Preston Cube Lead attached behind this on a new Preston Feeder bead. They’re ideal for slopes or bumps as they won’t roll around like a conventional lead.
I use an 11’ 8” Preston Innovations Dutch Master feeder rod for most of my feeder or pellet cone fishing, and find it an ideal balance between having casting capabilities and being able to play big fish on light tackle. The through action puts me in total control at all times. I use a PC-R 3000 reel or Inception 3000 loaded with 8lb Power Max. I prefer the smaller size as it makes playing the fish more enjoyable as both are so light. This ingenious technique is just another edge that any innovative angler can introduce into their fishing. Give it a try!
■
Having a good hooklength storage box is vital when using the Cone as you can have a variety of lengths in there. Sometimes you can tweak the length of the Reflo Power hooklink to get more takes, but other times changing from a hard pellet to a soft hooker pellet can be better, or even a lump of punched luncheon meat or polony. You can fish the cone with your normal feeder fishing rods and reels, and set the rod up the same as when using a feeder, with an XS Feeder Arm for stability. Setting it so there is just a slight bend in the quivertip, you’ll be able to see line bites and judge how the carp are behaving in the swim.
2. Lay the hook length across and hook on to the peg
■ Pellet Cones are a quick and efficient way of working with pellets when targetting carp...
3. Remove the hook from the peg and press the plunger down to release the cone. preston innovations | product guide 2012 65
Feeding with Fin paste Master Check out Andy's guide to paste fishing videos on our website
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Fin-tactic wAys to feed
How you feed your peg efficiently is critical, in search a solution we've have picked the brains of one of Britain’s most innovative anglers — Mr. Andy Findlay Keeping fish in your swim is possibly the most important part of match fishing. There are several Preston product’s that I use to feed my swim with each having its own use. Here’s what I use and why! KUp KIt A Kupping Kit is an essential part of pole fishing. Wherever I go when I have to use my pole, I have my Kup Kit and Kups in my bag. These help me deposit bait out to my swim with extreme accuracy even at 16 meters. The kit comes with two different sized pots depending on how much bait you want to put out; in summer the bigger pot comes in handy when you want to feed a lot of bait initially, the smaller Kup is ideal when putting small amounts of bait into your swim.
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UnI Cad pot Once I have initially fed my swim it is important to keep the swim topped up and keep the fish grubbing about in the area. These Uni Cad Pots are ideal, sitting right on the end of my top kit- right above the fish! The clever elastic attachment allows me to have the pot right on the end of my pole! pInpoInt CatapULt Catapult’s are they perfect way to get bait out to long pole range or even further. They will tightly group your bait around a float or over the top of a straight lead, creating a fish attracting sound as your bait hits the water. I use these for all my shallow pole fishing. peLLet Feeder These are fantastic for fishing tight to island margins that are out of pole range. They leave a neat pile of pellets right next to your hookbait for the carp to find. These feeders cast like a dream and hold onto margin slopes due to the dimpled lead.
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rod and reel tips
anGLer: Arnout Van De Stadt StYLe: Heavy feeder on a powerful river SpeCIeS: Bream and skimmers
anGLer: Theo LeiJrik StYLe: Long range feeder fishing SpeCIeS: Bream
anGLer: Arjan Klop StYLe: Slider fishing for silver fish SpeCIeS: Silver fish
rod : When fishing in a heavy flow you are looking for drop back bites but if you use a standard quivertip the distance it drops back is often enough to pull the hook before you have chance to reel in so i use a 13ft 8" Dutch Master River its hollow tip cuts the distance moved when a drop back occours
reeL : PXR Power 5000 is the ideal reel for this demanding style its smooth playing capabilites and powerful gearing lend it perfectly to reeling in heavy feeders and big fish in the flow
rod : For extreme distance you need a powerful rod but you still need to be able to play fish properly the 14ft 2" 160gram Dutch Master features a powerful butt and middle section perfectly blended into a more forgiving tip section which has guides big enough to allow the easy passage of shock leader knots which is vital to long range fishing
reeL : for long range fishing the longcast spool on the PC-R 6000 is vital as is the huge winding power it gives i load it with Braidcast Braid and use tapered shock leaders to help increase the distance I can cast
rod : To aid line pick up at distance you need a longer rod with an action which will be able to set hooks at distance and control your line i use a 14ft Absolute Float
reeL : .To help line flow easily from the reel i match 3lb REFLO Power Max with an Inception 4000 this combanation makes casting simple
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dutch international Angler, theo leijrik putting the dutch master rod through it's paces at the world feeder Championships 2011, perguia, italy.
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