Improve Your Coarse Fishing Issue 361 (PREVIEW)

OUTLAW PRO BAIT & ACCESSORIES PACKAGE

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BIG RESULTS

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F O O R P L O FO S G I R H C R E P Score more with a w! two-rod attack no

5

STEPS TO BIG ROltAimCatHe Dai Gribble spills his u specimen redfin secrets

ISSUE 361

March 10 – April 7, 2020 £3.99

T ADVICE & TACTICS YOU NEED TOO KNOW THIS SPRING TOP SPRIN Margin action Bream bagging Rig school HHow to have fun on Get more bites with Tie a waggler set-up the slopes with F1s sweet groundbait to beat the wind

This month...

Issue 361 March 10 – April 7, 2020

Fishery Focus 8

Starcarr Lakes

14

Stafford Moor

East Yorkshire

24

NEW SERIES!

Devon

Tactics 24 30

34

40 44 46

50

Andy Lewis

Two rod perch attack

Mikey Williams

Have fun on the slopes with carp and F1s

Dai Gribble

5 steps to boost your chances of a new pb roach

Dan Hull

Think beyond the Method

Quick fix

How to band a hard pellet

Graham West

Groundbait tricks for skimmers

Know your species

Roach

14

53

58 62 65

4 IYCF | Issue 361

Mark Poppleton

68

Steven Whitfield

Jon Arthur

72

Chris Telling

Early season luncheon meat on commercials

The F1 phenomenon

Rig school

Tie a loaded bodied waggler

Kevin Durman

Do your homework and reap the rewards with pike

76

Feeder edges to conquer clear water Empty your canal with sloppy choppy

Fish Better with Des Shipp

Pole pot types explained

Tackle

34

86

88

88 90

92

96

Object of desire

Korum Snapper Speed SL reels

New gear

The latest tackle releases

iceTackle 2020:

New releases from MAP and Wychwood

On-the-bank test: Guru N-Gauge 11ft Feeder rod

Buyers’ guide...

Pre-tied feeder fishing rigs

Carp tactics 102 106 110

112

86

Mike Tobin Snag fishing

Rig of the month Wafter spinner rig

Carp Q&A

Sticky’s experts solve your problems

Nick Helleur

Short session urban adventures

Your IYCF 20 98

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Your letters Have your say

Daiwa Mission

100 Your catch shots 106

46

Crossword

116 Win a Korum Lure Bag

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www.greatmagazines.co.uk | IYCF 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 361

Bream are back in a big way Starcarr Lakes, East Yorkshire

Shane Turrell has restored a once-tired venue where bream have the starring role in a wide-ranging renovation project Words & Photography Tony Grigorjevs

www.greatmagazines.co.uk | IYCF 9

AT RIG: O L F E L O P y u to easil o y s e l b a En depth at alter the ookbait h which the hed is fis

LINK LEG ER Best when : perch wan t static bai a t

TACTICS: FLOAT / LEGER SPECIES: PERCH DIFFICULTY:

24 IYCF | Issue 361

TACTICS

LAUNCH A TWO-ROD PERCH ATTACK

Andy Lewis maxes his chances of catching specimen perch by fishing completely different approaches on each rod Words & Photography Tony Grigorjevs

I

T’S incredible how much difference a change of bait can make. One minute you’re convinced there is no chance of a bite with the swim seemingly devoid of life, only for a switch to produce an instant reaction.

Such occurrences happen fairly frequently for certain species and perch in commercials are among the leading culprits for being picky.

Place a bait in front of them that they don’t fancy that day and it’ll be stubbornly ignored.

Give them something that tickles their fancy, however, and it won’t take long to be devoured.

The obvious solution is to take a number of baits with you although the more options you

have, the longer it can take to find the bait that works best on the day.

Keen Warwickshire big-fish angler Andy Lewis loves catching large stripeys but isn’t keen on a waiting game. He reckons a two-pronged rod and bait approach could remove those dull intervals.

“I like to cover my options with two rods, using different baits and tactics with each to maximise my chances of getting a bite as soon as a big perch comes into the peg,” he said.

“Specimen perch aren’t greedy enough to just eat something for the sake of it so you need to make sure the bait they want is waiting when they arrive.”

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5

STEPS TO BOOST YOUR CHANCES OF A NEW PB ROACH

Big-fish expert Dai Gribble sets you on the path to a memorable capture Words & Photography Tony Grigorjevs

T

HERE’S no hiding from the fact that specimen roach aren’t the easiest of fish to catch. Should you set your sights on a new personal best you will undoubtedly be served a few doses of disappointment.

But it will all be forgotten when you finally hit the jackpot. Witnessing a 2lb-plus roach going into the net would be the pinnacle of most anglers’ careers.

Indeed, there are few finer sights to behold – silver scales glistening in the natural daylight and the sun’s rays enhancing the blood red fins.

Many anglers unfamiliar with the necessary style of fishing naively believe that a huge slice of luck goes towards getting the right result.

When that suggestion was put to twice Drennan Cup champion Dai Gribble, he smirked and shook his head in disbelief.

“There is nothing fluky about catching big roach,” he insisted. “Everything needs to be spot on to catch such a special fish. Tempting them to take the bait is one thing but making sure the hook remains in place until the fish goes in the net is another.”

In order to put you on track for a new pb this month, Dai reveals his top five steps to hooking and landing the potential fish of a lifetime.

ter rig A helicop ound rotates ar ine. l the main g The tubin he t t pushes ou to hooklink les ang prevent t

34 IYCF | Issue 361

TACTICS

1

HIT EVERY BITE WITH BOLT RIGS

When bites are at a premium you need to guarantee you are going to connect with them.

Using a rig with a bolt-effect ensures a fish hooks itself against the weight of the feeder as it moves off with the bait. My favourite is a maggot feeder presented helicopter style. I use a Korum Adjustable Heli Rig with a short 4in hooklength.

The tubing on the hooklength helps to push it away from the mainline, preventing any tangles. I find that having the hooklength 8in-12in from the feeder is the optimum position. Your feeder is connected to the end of the mainline and the rig is ready to go.

Use 6lb mainline to a 0.13mm hooklength and a size 18 hook.

Use heavy bobbins to keep the mainline under tension

2

KEEP THE LINE TIGHT WITH HEAVY BOBBINS

Setting a small hook properly on the strike when fishing at range isn’t as easy as it sounds. If the fish takes the bait while the line is slack there is every chance it will sense the danger and eject the rig before anything is registered on the bite alarm. Even if the bite is registered, you need to feel confident that you are going to get a solid hook-hold that will remain place.

Keeping the mainline tight helps achieve this and attaching heavy bobbins will remove any slack. When a fish moves off with the hookbait, it will feel the resistance of the feeder and tightened mainline and, as it bolts off, the hook will firmly take hold.”

TOP TIP As big roach are often found in specimen carp lakes, there’s every chance you could hook into a carp. Make sure your freespool is switched on to prevent being smashed up www.greatmagazines.co.uk | IYCF 35

TACTICS: POLE SPECIES: BREAM DIFFICULTY:

40%

COLOUR

40%

FLAVOUR

BIGGER BREAM Filling a swim with groundbait is a common tactic for bream but Graham West has a more subtle formula for greater success Words & Photography Tony Grigorjevs

46 IYCF | Issue 361

TACTICS

I

T TAKES a brave man to consider fishing for bream and skimmers without a tub of groundbait by their side.

The bait is a renowned winner for the species, with the blend of flavour and food content keeping them rooted in the swim for long periods. But with literally hundreds of different groundbaits on tackle shop shelves a little thought needs to go into making sure you buy the right mix.

High levels of fishmeal are often viewed as an essential ingredient, with the majority of anglers convinced that it is key to attracting and holding the attention of a shoal.

But Graham West’s recent results appear to trash that theory. The Brown’s Angling and Preston Innovations angler has – like most – relied heavily on groundbait for his bream and skimmer exploits but he looks for a completely different set of ingredients.

Fishmeal plays only a tiny part in the equation with Graham relying on other characteristics to trigger that all-important response.

“I am a big believer in using a groundbait with very little fishmeal content at this time of year,” said Graham. “It has a powerful scent and flavour which can have an adverse effect when the metabolism of the fish has yet to reach its highest.

“Instead, I want my groundbaits to have a less pungent taste, minimal food content and a specific colour. I believe I’m now on to a concoction that drives the shoal crazy in no time at all!”

The winning equation

20%

FISHMEAL

BAGS

Although the fish are slowly starting to come out of their winter slumber, their feeding habits are still a fair way off their peak.

The key is to attract them with minimal quantities of bait and then force them into taking the hookbait.

You don’t need much groundbait to catch bream at this time of year

DO THIS NOW!

Feeder edges to conquer tricky clear water Steve Whitfield has developed an almost foolproof tactic for bagging up on silvers when there’s no hint of colour in the water Words & Photography Tony Grigorjevs

C

LEAR water can be the kiss of death when it comes to silverfish sport.

Roach and skimmers are incredibly cagey when the colour drops out of the water, seemingly far more aware of the dangers around them.

Although more work is required to whip the fish up into a feeding frenzy, it certainly isn’t impossible according to Steve Whitfield.

The Cadence and Sonubaits angler has created a rig and feeding regime that helps gain the desired response when the going is otherwise tough.

“Crystal clear water definitely puts silverfish on edge. The solution is to colour it up so that they have a little more confidence to feed,” explained Steve. “I have worked on a rig and groundbait consistency that enables me to do that and I now expect the same outcomes – if not better – from clear water as I do when it is nicely coloured.”

Creating a cloud

Using groundbait or other additives to cloud up the swim is usually reserved for shallow water.

If it is any deeper than a few feet then the

theory is that the cloud will drift away with the wind or tow in the upper layers and not impact on the bottom where the fish are sat. Although Steve understands the logic, he believes this can be avoided with the right choice of feeder.

“Overwetted groundbait is great for this style of fishing but introduce it through a cage and it’ll explode the moment it hits the surface.

“This is fine in shallow water but useless if it is deeper than 4ft. In deeper water I use a window feeder. It holds bait in for longer and, as it sinks, the sloppy groundbait slowly seeps out on the way down.

HOW TO MIX STEVE’S GROUNDBAIT

The next task is to introduce a pint of Toasty Brown Bread Crumb to a small bait box

Pour half a bag each of Bread Crumb Black and So Natural Black Bream into a bucket

Add water and mix them together until you have a blend that will form a ball

Cover it with water and leave it alone.

Within half an hour the mix will have all absorbed the water

Place small batches into a bait box, Add the Toasty Brown to the rest of your groundbait and mix it in to create adding water to make it sloppier to create the cloud the final blend

68 IYCF | Issue 361

TACTICS

TACTICS: FEEDER SPECIES: SILVERS DIFFICULTY: www.greatmagazines.co.uk | IYCF 69

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY EXPERTS...

My local park lake is home to a mixture of roach and bream. What is the best rig to get among both species when you take into account that the water is really clear?

FLOAT

A loaded waggler enables you to have minimal shot down the line, providing the necessary slow fall of the hookbait. A seethrough version is also best in clear water to help disguise the rig

SHOTTING

Spread a few small shot down the line. This will help keep a little tension in the mainline between the float and hook, enhancing your chances of hitting even the cagiest of bites

PAUL SINCLAIR, EMAIL

A

The pole is likely to spook fish if the water is clear and a waggler is therefore a better option.

A light set-up that enables the hookbait to fall slowly will give you a shot at catching roach – which are often off the deck – and the bream once it gets down to the bottom.

SWIVEL

Attach a Cralusso Fine Quick Snap Swivel to the mainline. This will enable you to quickly change hooklength without having to butcher the rig

BAIT

Maggots are the ideal bait when roach and bream are the target.

Feed 10 maggots every couple of minutes to keep a regular trickle going through the water column

80 IYCF | Issue 361

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

Q

What is the best way to keep fish coming when fishing the waggler on commercials?

DEAN CONNOLLY, SOUTH YORKSHIRE

A

ELASTIC

The waggler is best used out of pole range in winter, so you need loosefeed that will reach the zone easily. Feed just enough to trigger a response without filling up the carp and F1s.

A thick elastic that can instantly stop a carp in its tracks is essential. A well-tensioned Preston Innovations 17H or 19H will work well.

Q

My local canal holds big carp that tend to switch on to the feed at this time of year. What tackle and bait should I use to catch them?

KEVIN JAMES, EMAIL

FLOAT Big hookbaits are likely to come into play so a buoyant float that will remain stable is required. Use a pattern with a thick tip and a bulbous body

A

Big carp are becoming more commonplace in canals and they can often be found lingering close to cover. They are extremely hard-fighting and that means strong tackle is essential if you are going to pull them away from the snags.

Tip half a bag of 6mm pellets (or 8mm if fishing at range) into a baitbox

LINE It’ll be no surprise to hear robust mainline and hooklengths are required.

Use 0.21mm mainline to a 0.17mm or 0.19mm hooklength

Pour a small quantity of oil over the pellets. This will make them sink quickly

BAIT Canals are getting more popular with carp anglers and this has led to a change in the baits that are regularly fed. Corn, micro pellets and fishmeal groundbait should all come into the equation

Fire out three pellets every 5-10 minutes, keeping the spread tight

www.greatmagazines.co.uk | IYCF 81

Top end features minus the price LIVE TEST

Guru’s highly anticipated N-Gauge rods have finally landed and we couldn’t wait to get them out on the bank. Find out how Tony Grigorjevs got on...

GURU N-GAUGE FLOAT & FEEDER RODS RRP: From £99

I

T DOESN’T seem that long since Guru were seen as a company dedicated solely to terminal tackle.

Their QM1 hooks went down a storm and Hybrid feeders were the number one choice with rod and line anglers.

Fast-forward to 2020 and the brand is a completely different animal. Hooks, line and

92 IYCF | Issue 361

rig bits are still a huge part of their product portfolio but they’ve also branched out.

New luggage, seatboxes and nets have become ‘must have’ items for thousands of anglers, with the vibrant orange colour they are associated with plastered along fishery banks up and down the land.

They even launched the Aventus rods –

a top end series built using cutting edge rod building technology that are up there with the very best on offer.

The high price tag meant they were out of reach for many but Guru have now moved to make sure that everyone can have their rods in the holdall by releasing a much more affordable range.

TACKLE

www.greatmagazines.co.uk | IYCF 93

6

OF THE BEST of This month we take a look at some

R

your EADY rigs take the hassle out of tying y Man . bank the on or e own either at hom rigs that ity qual top such uce prod now ds bran ’s six of the you’d struggle to tie better yourself. Here lebox... tack any in e plac a of hy best which are wort

our favourite rigs

Preston Innovations Revalution Hooklengths RRP: £3.75

specifically A range of high quality hooklengths l comes spoo Each ng. fishi er feed for gned desi ound unw ly simp be can that with 10, 1m long rigs rig can next The line. main your to ched and atta er then be secured in place using the clev the s inate elim h whic l spoo the on rotating pin g usin tied are rigs need for individual pins. The tried the and s hook es Seri N ral high quality Natu t. The N-30 and tested Reflo Power monofilamen fishing m brea and mer rigs are great for skim es of piec to ugh thro gots mag from with baits for gned desi are rigs worm, whereas the N-50 fish. er larg and hts weig big catching 6 Hook sizes: N-30 – 12-18, N-50 – 10-1

Guru LWGF Feeder Rigs RRP: £3.99

are perfect for natural waters. They These out-and-out traditional hooklinks material tied to the spade end LWGF feature the excellent N-Gauge hooklink for catching fish such as bream. The gned desi hooks which have been specifically strain diameter and clear, and the breaking hooklinks are incredibly strong, lowsupplied and th leng in 1m are rigs The size. has been matched to the correct hook ly. Each spool is supplied with eight rigs. on EVA spools which can be stored easi Hook sizes: 12-16

Middy Las-soo Carp RRP: £2.65

kly attach a wide range of These unique rigs enable you to quic superb las-soo noose. the baits from prawns to pellets using then push down the and e noos the in Simply place the bait e. They are tied using gripper stop to fix the hookbait in plac o in breaking strains mon iz Lo-V Middy’s KM-1 eyed hooks and ains six rigs. cont et pack Each lb.

10.3 to from 5.2lb 8-16 s: Hook size

96 IYCF | Issue 361

HOOKS-TO-NYLON RIGS G ER FISa raHngIN FOR FEnaEtuD e of species ral waters for

for targeting

TACKLE TIP

The easiest way to attach a hookto-nylon to your mainline is via a loop-to-loop knot

Drennan Wide Gape RRP: £4.00

The hooks on the Wide Gape Match rigs an feature a wide crystal bend and have h whic t poin ed etch y inclined chemicall are rigs e Thes es. loss fish r fewe in lts resu ller ideal for fishing with a variety of sma are and ers cast and gots mag as baits such of strong enough to compile a good net hooks silverfish on one hook. The Wide Gape of room ty plen with gape wide a extr an have t. to hold big baits such as paste or mea and 35cm of th leng a to tied are s Both type come in packets of eight.

Hook sizes: Wide Gape – 10-18, Wide Gape Match – 16-22

e Browning Sphere Feeder Ultra Lit RRP: £3.99

ning lightweight and super These 1m pretied rigs incorporate Brow are particularly suited to sharp Sphere Ultra Lite hooks. They ing with cagey fish where deal n whe fishing with smaller baits and the fish pick up the bait or hook weight can determine whether plastic spool that will hard a eject it. The rigs are supplied on t rigs to a pack.

Eigh x. lebo tack your in protect them Hook sizes: 8-18

Matrix SP & SW Feeder Rigs RRP: £4.00

er Developed for using as traditional feed Japanese rp -sha ultra with ths leng hook ng fishi can be hooks. All the rigs are 1m in length but The th. leng hook ter shor a need you if reduced ies spec ller sma SP rigs are ideal for targeting s, worm with s mer skim and h such as roac other casters, maggots and pinkies among carp, on set ts sigh your got hookbaits. If you’ve d to suite e mor are rigs SW the h, tenc or bream Each . gots mag and ers sweetcorn, worms, cast spool is supplied with 10 rigs.

Hook sizes: SP – 10-20, SW – 10-20

www.greatmagazines.co.uk | IYCF 97

Nick Helleur loves fishing a wide variety of venues and has found himself ‘urban’ fishing for more than 30 years Words Nick Helleur

T

HERE are literally hundreds of little canals, river networks, dykes and park lakes situated in urban environments.

This choice is naturally expanding too, as the natural world clashes with ever-spreading urban sprawl.

For years I have been targeting the dodgy bits of water in areas that you wouldn’t want to fish, mainly because they have been left alone. It was never because it was cool and trendy. It was somewhere that myself and mates would go where we wouldn’t have to pay for our fishing or bump into other anglers.

If you are in a shady borough, fishing a small section of river, it can be tricky. Just by their nature, canals seem to attract the polar opposites of humanity – from the delightful to the dangerous. There are lots of people you wouldn’t want to encounter while fishing, but that was always half the thrill of it.

I have been doing it since I was a kid, in all areas of London. It was an adventure. I spent lots of time as a youngster under a brolly in park lakes. I would sit there during the kick out times of the pubs and there is no way you’re going to sleep, waiting for something to happen, but it never did.

CARP

A lot of the urban spots Nick fishes enable him to fish straight out of the back of his car

Attractive bait is vital

Fishing such venues often revolves around short sessions and staying mobile. As such, your kit has be streamlined to the max. I have found myself using shorter rods for a number of reasons. Firstly, they are easier to transport and wield in smaller, confined spots. I am not usually making big casts, so I don’t need a long, powerful rod.

I actually find the shorter rods are easier to use and I find them more comfortable to play carp than a longer rod.

For many years we fished the canals and if we saw carp, we would return and fish at night. This normally meant plonking out a couple of white pop-ups and a handful or two of pellets and we caught thousands of carp doing it. These fish receive little pressure, so if you can find them, they are usually easy to catch.

I don’t carry a lot of bait, just a few tubs of popups, a pot of pellets or PVA bag mix and a small amount of mix that I can feed. The key to all of it is making it as attractive to the carp as possible.

You don’t want a lot of bait, just focus on making it super attractive. My mix comprises Active Mix, broken boilies and Bloodworm Pellets. This is juiced up with some Cloudy Manilla and I make this up the day before I go fishing.

If I am on my circuit, walking some of the lakes, river etc, then I sometimes do a bit on the bike with a rucksack and put a handful of mix here and there. A few boilies under a tree, for example, will hopefully get the fish used to finding small patches of bait.

You don’t need to complicate things. A simple approach will work, and it saves you a lot of time too. I tend to stick to helicopter rigs, as they will present my rigs over any bottom. If it’s soft and sludgy, I can lift the bead, if it’s rock hard, I can drop it. I often use bright pop-ups because I am looking for a quick bite and these are usually the best way of achieving it.

I’m not usually making long casts so a shorter rod is more comfortable to use in confined spaces

Feeding a little here and there means fish are accustomed to finding small piles of things to eat

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