Improve Your Coarse Fishing Issue 355 (PREVIEW)

TOP RIGS: EASY TO TIE SET-UPS FOR POLE, WAGGLER & FEEDER

The UK's no.1 monthly angling magazine

rfect rig Get more bites Tie the pe The best ways to feed

20

Pages of the latest tackle

PLUS

LOADS OF EXPERT TACTICS TO TRY

Revealed:

The awesome new Method bait carp can't resist

Quick Fix:

Learn how to plumb up precisely every time

Essential:

The feeding trick to fool finicky crucians

Sept 24 – Oct 22, 2019 £3.90

T A E M R E T S MA RP A FOR C |

ISSUE 355

This month...

Issue 355 September 24 – October 22, 2019

Fishery Focus NEW SERIES!

8

Cross Drove

14

Bridgwater & Taunton

Thetford, Norfolk

24

Somerset

Tactics 24 30

34 40 44

Rob Swan Master meat for carp success

Dai Gribble Five pellets no barbel can resist

Mark Cree The cluster bait Method

Russell Shipton 10 tips to fool big silvers

Quick fix How to plumb up accurately

46 50 53

Andy Lewis Crack the crucian feed code

Know your species Bream

Richard Chapman Minimum feed, maximum results

ER U N D E R WAT SECRETS

58 62 64 68

Adam Rumble Short range bream action

Rig school Commercial cage feeder

Paul Garner The secret life of barbel

Fish Better with Des Shipp River feeder fishing

72 76 64

Q&A Your questions answered

Below the surface Autumn adaptation

80

82

Tackle 78 80 82

86 88 92

Object of desire MAP TKS C1 & C2 poles

New gear The latest tackle releases

On-the-bank test: Preston Innovations Response XS50 pole

Evolved Baits New bait ranges

On-the-bank test Kodex QX-i Barbel rod

Buyers guide...

9ft feeder rods

Carp tactics 102

106 110

112

Mark Foster Have a great evening

Rig of the month Halved boilie rig

Carp Q&A Sticky’s experts solve your carping problems 68

Tom Maker Home in on the hotspots 102

Your IYCF 20 98

Subscribe... ... and save cash

Your letters Have your say

Daiwa Mission

100 Your catch shots

Crossword

34

116 Win a Korum Lure Bag

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IYCF September 24 – October 22, 2019 • 5

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

8 • IYCF Issue 355

Cross Drove Fishery

A venue like no other To call it a commercial would be a disservice.

Chris Vandervleit is your guide to incredible variety Words & Photography Tony Grigorjevs

M

OST stillwater fisheries are seamlessly packaged into a particular category.

Commercials are clearly defined by their stocking levels, facilities and design, while estate lakes are often shrouded in beauty within the confines of a huge plot of land.

Then there’s park lakes where a multitude of species can be caught a stone’s throw away from families feeding the ducks and children excitedly zooming around a play area.

But there are a few venues that are so unique that they fail to match the criteria of any particular group.

These waters have characteristics that can’t be rivalled elsewhere and no matter how hard you try, they can’t be compared to anything else on offer.

Located in Norfolk on the outskirts of Thetford is one of these rare gems.

Cross Drove Fishery truly is one of a kind in every sense of the word. Its 70-peg design is unlike that of anywhere else in the country and there are surprises galore waiting beneath the surface.

Drennan and Mainline Match man Chris Vandervleit was brimming with superlatives when questioned about the complex which first opened in 1997.

“This fishery is like no other and I love everything that it offers,” exclaimed Chris.

“Every peg provides a different challenge and it’s no exaggeration to say you literally don’t have a clue what will come to the net next.”

IYCF September 24 – October 22, 2019 • 9

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IT’S TIME TO MASTER MEAT England under-20 International Rob Swan explains how to use this deadly offering Words & Photography Tony Grigorjevs

T

HERE are several baits that come in to their own at certain times of year.

Liquidised bread is unbeatable for winter roach, blasting in casters works a treat for F1s shallow in the heat of summer and lobworms placed enticingly down the margins are bound to fool giant perch once autumn arrives.

So what’s the hottest bait at this time of year? Rob Swan has the answer If you’re a commercial fan. The Dynamite Baits and Guru-backed star is no stranger to taking stillwaters apart and when it gets to the back end of summer there is one bait he wouldn’t be without.

“Meat is absolutely deadly at this time of year and it will outfish anything else,” he revealed to IYCF. “The fish have been fed pellets day in, day out for months on end and at this time of year they want something different. Meat is the perfect choice.”

24 • IYCF Issue 355

Bagging zone

Due to its soft texture meat tends to score best when fished on the pole as this enables you to accurately position the bait and there’s no risk of the hook ripping out on the cast. This means fishing relatively close to the bank. A top kit and a couple of sections of pole are all that Rob usually needs to pinpoint the area he thinks large numbers of fish will be patrolling.

“The nearside shelf from the margins slopes down and lots of fish will sit at the bottom of it.

“The crease where the slope levels out into open water is usually anywhere between 4m and 7m out and a lot of bait that rolls down from the margins collects here. That is why it is such a key zone.”

If you can find a peg at your local complex with plenty of space either side then there’s an excellent chance the carp will come close on this line from the off.

TACTICS

TACTICS: POLE SPECIES: CARP DIFFICULTY: IYCF September 24 – October 22, 2019 • 25

REVEALED:

r e t s u l C e h T d o h t e M t i Ba at, but Dynamite Baits’ be to rd ha is er ed fe d ho et M The ist that will help tw it ba ok ho w ne a s ha ee Cr Mark awesome tactic... you get even more from this Mark Words Mark Cree Photography

I

HAVE always loved fishing the Method!

It is undoubtedly the near perfect rig to fish with. There is no other set-up that I can think of – in match fishing – that enables you to perfectly place your hookbait in the centre of a small pile of loosefeed. In fact, I have so much faith in it that I would willingly use it 365 days of the year, regardless of the conditions.

It gives anglers of any ability the best chance of a bite, regardless of the prevailing weather conditions.

Today, I’m at Float Fish Farm, near Peterborough, and like many commercial

34 • IYCF Issue 355

Parker

waters, it’s a venue that can be affected by wind. This can make fishing a pole with any degree of accuracy nigh on impossible.

Turn to the Method though, and you have a tool that always offers the perfect presentation. It never tangles and when the payload breaks down it helps to cover the feeder itself as well as the end tackle. Plus, it is child’s play to set-up. What could be better? Not a lot.

There are, however, always tweaks that can be made to breed fresh life into a tactic and improve it slightly. And this is where my ‘Cluster Baits’ come into play...

General cluster

For a while now I have been having huge success using Dynamite Baits’ Speedy’s Washters. These are small, criticallybalanced ‘boilie-style’ hookbaits. Even though I have 100 per cent confidence in them, I have always felt there was a slight disadvantage with big and wary fish. As many commercials ban the loosefeeding of boilies the only time these wise old carp see them is when they are attached to a hook. This often spells danger to them and they can be ignored.

With this in mind, I started to fish

Fool big his carp with t e k easy-to-ma hookbait

TACTICS: FEEDER SPECIES: CARP DIFFICULTY:

IYCF September 24 – October 22, 2019 • 35

AN

L

EA SI

LI N G S ANG KI L SY

P

LUMBING up is an essential skill which all anglers need to master. Done properly it enables you to accurately measure the depth of the water in the swim you’ve decided to fish.

This knowledge is vital because it enables you to place your bait precisely on the bottom or at any other depth you want to fish at.

To plumb up you will need a plummet. These are a small weight that are really cheap to purchase but are worth their weight in gold. The two main types of plummets available are clip-on varieties or ones with a cork or foam base to sink the hook into.

Once you have plumbed up the correct depth reel in and remove the plummet. Fix the hook on to the front

44 • IYCF Issue 355

of the reel seat or the hook-keeper ring if your rod has one. Wind line on to the reel until it’s tight and hold the float against the rod.

Mark the position of the float adaptor on the rod with white correctional fluid. By recording the depth like this you easily alter your rig during the session to fish at any specific depth and then return the rig to dead depth without having to plumb up again.

Likewise, if your line snaps and you need to set up a new rig it’s a simple task to set the depth.

Once you have established the depth and marked it on your rod all that’s left to do is fine-tune the shotting of the rig and you’re ready to start catching.

EA

Learning how to accurately record the depth will improve rig and hookbait presentation

SKILLS I

QUICK

ING

SY ANGL IN

LS I EASY

GL

HOW TO: PLUMB UP FIX A WAGGLER G

IL SK

TOO DEEP

If it’s set too deep the undershotted float will sit high in the water like this.

In this scenario you need to reel in and slide the float and locking shot back down the line towards the hook.

TOO SHALLOW If the float is set at less than the depth of the water it will be instantly pulled under the surface.

If this happens you need to reel in and slide the locking shot and float up the line further from the hook, and then re-cast.

PERFECT!

After a few re-casts and adjustments of depth you’ll end up with the float sitting perfectly with around 1cm of the tip poking above the water.

The rig is now set at the precise depth of water, often called ‘dead depth’.

IYCF September 24 – October 22, 2019 • 45

TACTICS: POLE SPECIES: CRUCIANS DIFFICULTY:

46 • IYCF Issue 355

TACTICS

Crack the crucian feed code They’re notoriously finicky and one wrong move can spell disaster.

Thankfully, Andy Lewis has the solution Words & Photography Tony Grigorjevs

C

RUCIANS are without doubt among the most fickle of coarse species you’re likely to face.

One single mistake can send a whole session crashing down, with the fish unwilling to return after the mishap.

One of the biggest errors that too many anglers often make is feeding their peg completely the wrong way.

Piling in handfuls of bait will work a treat for greedy commons and mirrors that will hoover up every morsel, but crucians have different and more subtle eating habits.

They are much more particular, almost analysing the bait that has been put before them before selectively and slowly getting their heads down.

“If I could give one bit of advice to anglers fishing for crucians it would be to think carefully about what and how much you are feeding,” says big-fish expert Andy Lewis.

“It’s important to remember you are after a species that can be very picky but make the right decisions with your groundbait, loosefeed and hookbait and they will drop their guard.”

Small nuggets fed by hand create less disturbance

IYCF September 24 – October 22, 2019 • 47

VE TOP FI

RS FEEDER FO RIVERS

OPEN END

CAGE

There are days when releasing a cloud into the water will draw in lots of fish. This works particularly well on deep venues when the fish are sat throughout the water column. Pack it lightly with groundbait and some of it will seep out as it drifts to the bottom

WORM AND CASTER

This may look like a standard maggot feeder but it has had the bottom cut out. It works really well when you don’t want to add much groundbait and feel maggots aren’t the solution. Pack the feeder with chopped worms and casters and plug the hole with a pinch of groundbait and the contents will release quickly once on the deck

T

HERE are still many anglers who view the feeder as a ‘chuck it and chance it’ tactic but it is much more than that. The intricacies of the rig are likely to have an impact on your results, with feeder choice and how it delivers the bait certain to make or break proceedings.

Carrying lots of different styles isn’t the way forward and no matter what venue I fish or in what conditions, one of the five highlighted here will do me proud.

70 • IYCF Issue 355

If groundbait is going to be key but you want it all to get to the deck then this is my number one pattern. The lack of holes make it harder for the groundbait to escape but once on the deck the water pressure will flush it out through the ends. Give this a whirl if you are after a big bag of bream

GET THE WEIGHT RIGHT

“Once you’ve picked the correct feeder for the job, it is time to consider the weight of it. It must be able to hold bottom in the conditions or presentation will suffer.

MAGGOT FEEDER

Chub absolutely love maggots and this is the best tool to deliver them.

The grubs will quickly escape out of the holes but if you want a slower release on days when bites are few and far between it can pay to tape over a few

WINDOW FEEDER

On big and wide rivers such as the Trent, the fish often sit well away from the bank. This style of feeder is very aerodynamic and will cast to range with ease, making it easy to plop your hookbait and payload directly on top of where the fish are waiting

SLOW FLOW 30g-40g STEADY FLOW 40g – 60g FAST FLOW 60g – 80g

NEXT MONTH DES’ TOP BAIT TRICKS TO TRY

TACKLE Both poles use high performance carbon

NEW GEAR REVEALED, ON THE BANK TESTS & EXPERT ADVICE

You get three p additional to C2 kits with the

Package

‘Legacy fi kits fit t’ top a TKS pole ll the s e produce ver d 78 • IYCF Issue 355

C1

Two prebushed V1 Power kits with fitted side pullers (one on pole) Mini-extension Deluxe pole holdall

Package C2

Three prebushed V2 Power kits with fitted side pullers (one on pole).

Mini-extension Deluxe pole holdall

The C2 is the longer of the pair at 14.5m

Section alignment maximises strength

OBJECT OF DESIRE

WELL EQUIPPED FOR POWER DUTY

RRP: C1 £499, C2 £849 MATCH anglers looking to gain an edge down the edge need look no further than MAP’s latest TKS 13m C1 and 14.5m C2 carp poles.

Both feature the same ‘legacy fit’ top kits that are the backbone of the whole TKS concept. These will fit all TKS poles ever produced, while the remaining sections are interchangeable with several of MAP’s other key models.

Both new poles make use of high performance Japanese Toray carbon, to offer perfect balance, a quick response, and incredible section strength. Like all TKS power poles, the C1 and C2 are rated to a robust No.20 elastic.

The C1 will appeal to owners of the MAP TKS 401/501 models, with fully interchangeable sections, while the longer C2 is the perfect accompaniment for anyone with either a TKS 601 or 901.

As with all MAP’s TKS 3G range, all top kits come fitted with depth

markers, PTFE bushes, and a unique side puller bush, as well as printed increments for measuring rig depths.

The C1 has two additional top kits, while the C2 has three.

Section alignment markers are a useful feature, and there’s a smooth anti-friction finish for effortless shipping in and out.

Both poles are supplied with a reinforced mini-extension and deluxe pole holdall, and are very handily covered by a 12-month guarantee.

Pre-fitted side puller kits as standard

Pre-fitted PTFE bush and depth markers

IYCF September 24 – October 22, 2019 • 79

live test

Preston’s perfect response An impressive package for when you want to join the higher echelons of pole fishing

Preston InnovatIons resPonse Xs50 RRP: £1,499.99

T

he new Preston Innovations Response XS50 falls into a price category where things start to get serious. When you’re in the market for a pole between £1,000 and £1,500 you expect something that ticks all the boxes. When you buy a pole at the lower end of the price spectrum you accept that there might be the occasional shortcoming. But when you reach this price bracket the whole works is expected.

A generous spares package, bags of strength and a responsive action are just a few of the essential qualities required. With that in mind, the 16m Response XS50 needed to impress

from the off. And it’s fair to say it did precisely that when I was lucky enough to get my hands on one.

Upon opening the bag there was so much carbon staring back at me that I didn’t know where to start! The package includes four Roller Pulla top two kits, two Roller Pulla F1 kits and a match top two inside the pole.

There’s also a cupping kit with cups and three mini extensions that can be used when fishing both short and long. As well as giving you that little bit of extra reach, they also provide protection to the ends of the main sections.

The XS has been developed using the most durable and hard-wearing carbon fibre

82 • IYCF Issue 355

tackle

IYCFIYCF September February 2416 – October – March 22, 15, 2019 2016 • 83

RIG OF THE MONTH

The halved boilie rig If you think carp in your lake have wised up to round boilies, try this clever hookbait trick

Adding a blob of tungsten putty helps to keep the hooklink pinned to the lakebed and the added weight also helps to pull the hook down and make it harder to eject

A halved 15mm boilie mounted back-to-back looks completely different to a standard round boilie and will be treated with less suspicion by pressured carp

“This gives the carp a different shape of hookbait to investigate as opposed to the standard round boilie” 106 • IYCF Issue 355

CARP

T

HERE’S no doubting the effectiveness of boilies. They account for more specimen carp than any other bait and tackle shops sell tons of them every year.

Although carp quite clearly love them, it’s obvious that on heavily pressured day-ticket waters which see large quantities of boilies introduced that carp can become increasingly cautious of them. Of course, there will always be the odd fish that won’t be able to resist them and drop it’s guard, but with a simple little tweak you could potentially turn one bite into several.

This simple tweak requires you to cut a boilie in half and then hair-rig the two bits back-to-back. This suddenly gives the carp a different shape of hookbait to investigate as opposed to the standard

round boilie they are used to encountering on a daily basis.

In this illustration we’ve mounted the hookbait on a KD-style rig where the hair exits the knotless knot after a couple of turns down the shank of the hook. This kicks the hair out at a slight angle and encourages the hook to drop down and grab hold of the carp’s mouth quicker when it picks up the bait. The length of the hair also enables the hookbait to waft around slightly when a fish is in the area.

To make the hookbait even harder for the carp to identify as dangerous, we’d suggest fishing this rig in conjunction with a PVA bag filled with halved boilies.

When this melts the hookbait will be surrounded by a small pile of almost identical free offerings.

For this rig we’ve used an 8in soft coated braid hooklink with a section of coating near the hook removed for increased movement

Halved baits are great for fishing on marginal slopes as they won’t roll away.

In this scenario a flat pear inline lead is ideal for holding the rig in position

HOW TO FISH A BACK-TO-BACK HOOKBAIT

Carefully use a stanley knife to neatly cut a 15mm boilie in half

Thread the baits on to a needle like this, then push on to the hair

Fix the hair against the hook leaving a slight gap between the bait and bend

The angle s the hair exit e r leads to mo s positive bite Wrap the hooklink around the shank of the hook a couple of times

Pull the hair out and wrap around the hook under the hair five times

CARP Q&A

IN ASSOCIATION WITH STICKY

IS IT A GOOD IDEA TO STRIKE AT SINGLE BLEEPS?

Q

I recently fished a session where I had fish showing over me and I received lots of single bleeps. Could these have been caused by fish picking up my hookbait? Should I have hit them? Lee Higham, email

ASK US A QUESTION...

Email: IYCF@bauermedia.co.uk Write to: IYCF Magazine, Bauer Media, Media House, Lynchwood, Peterborough, PE2 6EA www.facebook.com/iycfmag @iycfmagazine

SCOTT LLOYD: I would never hit a single beep

unless I was fishing with zigs. It is always hard to tell what exactly is going on out there, but I am confident enough in my rigs that fish are not constantly spitting them out. If you use a rig that works, the hook is sharp and have a good lead set-up, that is all that you can do.

The single beeps will most likely be the line gaining weight and the bobbin lifting. It could be line bites from carp or smaller fish but I wouldn’t strike at one beep. Put out the best possible rigs and you will eliminate the idea that they are spitting out your hookbait.

The other option is to fish a small bit of silicone on the bend of the hook and if you reel in and find that the tubing has moved down the shank, a carp or something has picked up the bait and spat the rig.

Q

What’s the best way to secure pop-up hookbaits? I’ve tried tying them in a loop of bait floss but they slip out.

Tim Hutchinson, email

Use effective rigs to reduce the chances of carp ejecting your rig

Fishing a spot already occupied by fish will test your skills

Q

If I find fish on my spot in the edge, how do I get them to move off so that I can place a rig?

Bryan Fletcher, email

110 • IYCF Issue 355

ADAM PENNING: There are several things you can do and the first is to simply wait until the fish move off of their own accord.

However, there are times when you can wait and wait, and feel the day slipping away, so engrossed are the fish in feeding

MARCUS HOWARTH: If you are having this sort of problem, there is a simple and easy way of making sure that the bait stays on. I use the Thinking Anglers ring Swivels for nearly all of

on the spot. On such occasions there are a couple of options, and it really comes down to how ‘twitchy’ the fish are. They tend to be most ‘switched on’ to danger in low-stock pits, and often will break off at some point, giving you the chance to place a rig.

On lakes that have a higher stock and constant ‘traffic’, then you can move them away gently by flicking in a little hemp or pellet close to them.

The other option is to keep a low profile and slowly lower the rig in their midst. This is tricky with big leads, as often the vibration from its contact with the bottom will be enough to spook the fish, making it much harder to get a bite.

I’ve found really small leads the best choice, and often favour a 1oz inline and a short hooklink. With a lead this small it’s possible to get it close to even wary fish, and in clear water too.

YOUR CARP QUESTIONS ANSWERED

BY STICKY’S EXPERT ANGLERS HOW TO FIX A POP-UP

Drill out the pop-up and add some putty to balance it

Q

What determines the length of shrink tubing you use over the eye of the hook?

Dave Forby, email

DAN WILDBORE: It depends on personal preference and the rig and bait that you are using.

I like a small piece, due to the rig that I am currently using. I use it to open the gape of the hook very slightly, as the pattern is naturally quite curved.

The rig rests with the hook just sitting on the bottom, so it is already cocked and ready. If I was using a bottom bait, the rig will enter the mouth differently, and the pattern of hook will change, so I slightly lengthen the shrink. Something like Scott and Baz do with the long kicker that is slightly curved at the end is perfect.

Floss the bait on to the hook ring swivel like this Swivels offer the hookbait lots of movement

my rigs that involve using a D and a pop-up or balanced bait. They offer an incredible amount of movement on the bait and enable you to attach them in a way that they won’t come off.

I start off by threading some floss through the swivel. Then, I make sure that they are both the same length and thread the bait on the end, hooking on both sections. I pull that down so that the floss runs through the bait. I tie a bait stop to the end, trim the tags off and blob it down with a lighter. This ensures that even if the birds pick the bait up, I will still have a bait on the end.

Use a lighter to carefully blob down the tag ends of the floss

The hookbait will now be fixed securely in place

The length of shrink tubing you use will be determined by the type of rig you are fishing

Q

Can you suggest a great glug for my plastic baits?

Lee Hamilton, email

TOM MAKER: MAK I would advise using a thin liquid over

a viscous one – something like a bait spray is perfect. The reason is that the plastic has a tough outer, so by using a thin liquid it gives it a better chance to penetrate. Conversely, thick liquids don’t enter the bait as readily. One tip is to pierce the plastic in the centre (in the same place where you thread the baiting needle through to attach a bait) before glugging it. This will enable the liquid to enter the bait much more easily.

Bait sprays are good for using on plastic baits