Improve Your Coarse Fishing Magazine - Issue 377 (PREVIEW)

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Take the Method to another level Andy Power reveals the simple edges to make your baits and rigs work harder on the feeder ST YOUR BESION S EVER SE HERE! STARTS

June 1 – June 29, 2021 £4.20

ISSUE 377

N U S E H T IN H IS F R O F S CTIC A T R E M M U S F O S E G A P 50 Easy tips How to trick big tench at close quarters with maggots

Attract more carp to your peg by making a bit of noise!

for bagging silverfish from canals

TESTED! SHAKESPEARE'S NEW SUPERTEAM POLE

This month...

Issue 377 June 1 – June 29, 2021

Fishery Focus

24

8

Pickering Park

14

Shearsby Valley Lakes

East Yorkshire Leicestershire

14

Tactics 24

Andy Power

Make your Method stand out

30

Dai Gribble

35

Lee Thornton

Trick a tench from the margins Gear up for a final flurry 30

40

Quick fix

42

Tom Edwards

46 51 56 4 IYCF | Issue 377

Clips that save time

58

A fresh approach for new lakes

From the best anglers on the cut

Brad Parkes

Time to ring the dinner bell

Katie Crooks

62

Year round pellet combo

Rig School

Crucian Method feeder

10 top canal silverfish tips

Fish Better with Des Shipp

How to avoid line bites

66

Q&A

Your questions answered

Tackle

78

74

78 80

74

Live test

Shakespeare Superteam Extreme Carp pole

New gear

The latest tackle releases

Spotted Fin

F1 range of baits

Your IYCF 20 82 86 88 92 94 96

98

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IYCF Chats to...

David Lyons, Tackling Minds

Your letters Have your say

Daiwa Mission Your catch shots

Mission Spotlight

Specimen tench

Puzzle break

Win a Korum Lure Bag

Win...

Shimano Tactical clothing

Bob Roberts’ Diary

108 Find out what our top all-rounder has been up to

Carp tactics 98 102

104 106

42

Lewis Swift Zig tips

Carp Q&A

Sticky’s experts solve your problems

Rig of the month Hinge rig

What is fluorocarbon

82

High-tech line explained

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

Prepare for a big-fish bonanza Pickering Park, East Yorkshire

Mark Dunwell visits a park lake that sets the adrenaline flowing in even the most experienced of anglers Words & Photography Tony Grigorjevs

8 IYCF | Issue 377

P

ARK lakes have played a part in many of our angling journeys.

Lots of us will have wetted lines on these urban gems in our early sessions because cheap permits, hordes of small silverfish and convenient locations made them ideal for novice anglers.

As skills progress, the temptation to explore elsewhere increases and once you’ve left the nest, very few head back. After all, the small roach and perch that were once treasured are likely to be well down the pecking order at a later stage in your fishing adventures.

Yet some of these waters offer a completely different challenge to the majority. Hull’s Pickering Park Lake is a prime example.

Located within a couple of miles of the Humber Bridge, it is home to fish that would attract even the most seasoned of specimen anglers.

Tench to 8lb, double-figure bream, roach nudging the 2lb mark and 20lb-plus carp are all present in good numbers. If that’s got you interested then the cost of a day ticket will almost certainly seal the deal, with an adult permit priced at less than a fiver and under 12s fish for free.

www.greatmagazines.co.uk | IYCF 9

TACTICS: METHOD SPECIES: CARP DIFFICULTY:

24 IYCF | Issue 377

TACTICS

Make your Method...

STAND OUT! Andy Power reveals the steps that make this winning commercial tactic even more appealing to big carp and give you an edge over the angler in the next peg Words Tony Grigorjevs Photography Jake Fowles

T

HE Method feeder is often regarded as a one-dimensional approach.

Pellets or groundbait are moulded around the frame, a short hooklength is attached to the rig and you’re ready to kickstart the action.

On the face of it, there’s very little you can do to make the set-up more effective than the next angler. If that’s the case though, why is it that the same faces manage to bag more than the rest of us when using it?

Andy Power is one of the best all-rounders in the game, successfully turning his hand to

commercials, canals and rivers. Over the years he has meticulously honed his Method tactics, experimenting with countless different bait concoctions and rig tweaks to make him and his results stand out from the crowd.

“Visit any commercial venue and most anglers using the tactic are simply moulding 2mm pellets around a feeder, with some sort of boilie on the hook,” explained Andy.

“Carp have seen it all before and it is important that you make your bait and rig work harder so that the fish don’t sense any danger and continue to fall for the trap.”

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TACTICS: FEEDER SPECIES: TENCH DIFFICULTY:

30 IYCF | Issue 377

TACTICS

Trick a tench from the margins Renowned big-fish expert Dai Gribble shows the winning bait and rig tactics you’ll need to catch tincas at close quarters Words & Photography Tony Grigorjevs

S

PRING proved somewhat stubborn this year, with temperatures refusing to hit the high notes that were expected.

Frosty nights followed by warm days sent the fish stocks into a state of confusion, setting back the anticipated feeding frenzy of many species, including tench.

Finally the weather has finally found some stability, though, and with that the tench have started to get their heads down.

They’re a species that is synonymous with lingering close to the bank, investigating areas of vegetation to uncover their next meal.

It therefore makes sense to centre your attack on the margins and Dai Gribble reckons he has the set-up that minimises time between bites.

“It’s all about using bait that the fish simply can’t resist on a rig that provides a neat and tidy presentation,” explained the two times Drennan Cup winner.

www.greatmagazines.co.uk | IYCF 31

TACTICS: POLE SPECIES: CARP/F1s DIFFICULTY:

42 IYCF | Issue 377

TACTICS

A fresh approach for new lakes You may think that all commercials require an almost identical approach, but Tom Edwards shows how a different mindset is essential on recently created waters Words Tony Grigorjevs Photography Ryan Hayden

T

HE growth of the commercial fishery scene is showing no signs of slowing down, with venues across the land continuing to expand in size and number.

New facilities such as cafes, tackle shops and accommodation play a big role in this development, but it is the extra lakes that generate the most excitement.

The thought of a new challenge is bound to appeal to anglers but not all of them get off to the flier they’d hoped.

More often than not they adopt the same tactics as they would on other more mature pools on the site and Tom Edwards reckons that is where they are going wrong.

“A lake that has just opened needs to be tackled in a different way to one that has received angling pressure for years on end,”

explained the Daiwa-backed star.

“There are several key differences and if you don’t take these into account when deciding on an approach, you’re unlikely to make the most of your day on the bank.”

Dietary requirements

The vast majority of fish that are introduced to brand new lakes come straight from the farm.

They’ve never been fished for and are completely oblivious to the idea of being caught.

Pellets are the only food source they’ll have ever been given and it therefore makes sense to have them at the forefront of your attack.

“Pellets cover 90 per cent of my hookbait and feeding options as the fish are going to be looking for them when they are hungry.”

“I use 4mm pellets on the pole as they are just

the right size for the average stamp of fish, with most of them likely to be under 2lb.

“If I am using a Method feeder, I’ll go with dampened 2mms as they mould around the frame much easier,” he added.

Making a little noise always pays dividends as the fish will be used to pellets being lashed into their tanks while they were growing. This will lead to them associating the commotion with their next meal coming in.

“I start by cupping in 10 pellets every time I ship out, dropping them in from a height to make some noise. The sound also groups them tightly so that the shoal end up concentrated around my hookbait.

“If I start fishing shallow I switch to using a catapult as I’ll need to feed a lot more frequently to keep the shoal competing in the upper layers.”

www.greatmagazines.co.uk | IYCF 43

It’s time to ring the dinner bell Commercial hotshot Brad Parkes sounds off about making noises that will trigger a feeding frenzy in your peg Words & Photography Tony Grigorjevs

T

HERE was a time when remaining silent on the bankside seemed like a must. Any hint of commotion was frowned upon, with the theory suggesting that the fish would only remain settled if you could sneak in your rig and bait without them noticing.

Fast-forward to the present day and the emergence of commercials has forced us to rethink many of these traditional ‘fishing rules’.

Hundreds of anglers descend upon the banks of such fisheries every week, piling in bait as they aim to put a few lumps in the net.

As the maggots, pellets and corn break the water’s surface, they create an unmistakable noise that fish learn to associate with the arrival of their next meal. The result is behaviour that would have been unthinkable a couple of decades ago – fish being attracted to commotion rather than spooking away from it.

The realisation that fish will actually be drawn in if you make a racket has changed the thinking of most, with tactics being adapted so that rigs and bait introduction create an element of noise.

But is there more to making some noise than meets the eye? Brad Parkes thinks there is.

Having enjoyed countless bagging sessions on commercials over the last few years, he’s noticed several trends and believes the way you make sound can dictate how successful you are.

“There’s a few different ways to create noise and analysing a number of factors will help you decide which is best at that time,” said Brad.

“Where in the water column the fish are feeding, how big the shoal is and how competitively they are behaving all need to be taken into account.”

TACTICS excited, but by the time you’ve placed your rig over the top, the initial commotion has calmed a little.

“It prevents you from getting line bites and foul-hooking fish as they race into the peg.”

Brad then fires in the same quantity of bait a few seconds after he has hooked a fish. This distracts any others nearby and adds another top-up to keep them grubbing around.

It’s a little more hectic when shallow fishing comes into the equation, feeding at least every 30 seconds.

“The more frequently you keep the bait going in, the more likely the fish are to come up in the water to compete. Your rig is lifted in and out on a regular basis and the chances of line bites are reduced as a result of this,” explained Brad.

Keeping it tight

There are some days, however, where no matter how carefully you use a catapult, feeding in that manner still results in problematic line bites.

Switching to a small cup on the end of your top kit can make all the difference when this occurs.

“Keeping the bait tight is a great way of getting more positive bites as the fish have their heads in the same spot as opposed to swimming over a bigger area to find food,” he said.

“It’s important to keep active when fishing like this, shipping in and out every few minutes and cupping in more each time to make sure that there is always some grub there for the fish to eat.”

Dropping in the bait from around a foot above the surface makes an element of noise that the fish will be drawn towards.

Working the catapult

With the fish now feeding aggressively as a result of warmer temperatures, they are going to demand a fairly hefty meal.

A few pellets will be hoovered up in no time at all and they will need replacing with another consignment pretty quickly to keep the carp occupied. The quickest way to do that is with a catapult, pinging in a half a dozen morsels of bait while still fishing.

“If I am fishing on the deck I feed 10 pellets just before I ship out and then wait until I get a bite. This makes a little noise and gets the fish

NOISE ait, okb The ho and shot l help l a t a e flo e nois t a r e n ge

Feeding pellets via a catapult is the quickest way to top up

PRESENTAT ION Spin the rig over the po le to slap it in

TACTICS: POLE SPECIES: CARP DIFFICULTY:

www.greatmagazines.co.uk | IYCF 47

MISSION SPOTLIGHT :

HOW TO LOAD A METHOD FEEDER WITH A MOULD

HOW TO TIE A POP-UP CORN RIG

Tench 6lb+

Place your hookbait in the small recess inside the Method mould

W

E’RE now in prime season for big tench, which means this is the ideal time to try and tick the Specimen Tench badge off your Daiwa Mission list.

The species can be found in all venues from small farm ponds to large tidal rivers, but your best chances of tracking down a 6lb-plus fish will be targeting large gravel pits and specimen carp waters.

Tench in these venues thrive on the vast quantities of quality bait intended for the carp as well as the abundant natural food supplies these waters often provide.

Succeeding on these venues often requires you to cast further than is generally required when fishing a float in the margins for tench on smaller lakes.

We’ve detailed some great rigs for fishing at any range required and also look at how you create your own clear spot on these often weedy waters.

Next, fill the mould right to the top with your chosen Method mix

Use your thumb to firmly press the feeder into the mould. Gently push the feeder out of the mould and it will be perfectly loaded

TRY FLATBED METHOD FEEDER RIG THIS!

Tie a small loop at the end of a length of 10lb supple braid and thread on a single grain of fake corn lengthways

Attach a size 12 wide gape hook with a knotless knot, keeping the hookbait tight to the bend of the hook

Use a figure of eight knot to tie a loop in the other end of the braid. The finished hooklength should be 4in long

HOOKBAIT

In silt or sparse weed, pop-up a grain of fake corn off the feeder.

If you want the hookbait closer to the deck, pinch a small shot on the hooklink to anchor it

MAINLINE

Big tench are powerful fighters so use a mainline of at least 8lb if there’s weed or snags close to where you’re fishing

Pull the connector out of the feeder, push up the sleeve and attach the hooklength loop

HOOKLINK

FEEDER

Flatbed feeders always land the right way up and create a compact pile of feed in the swim

The short hooklink ensures that when a tench takes the hookbait they quickly come into contact with the feeder and hook themselves Pull the sleeve down to trap the rig in place and push connector back into the feeder

TRY THIS!

INLINE LEAD CASTER RIG This rig can be fished on its own with just the PVA bags used to introduce the freebies. To increase the chance of drawing and then holding the tench in your swim, however, it can pay to Spomb a simple spod mix over your spot. Tench aren’t spooked by noise and will often come to investigate the disturbance caused.

TOP TIP Threading two fake casters on to the hair in a T-shape makes it much harder for the tench to eject once they’ve picked up the hookbait

PVA BAG

Attach a small mesh PVA bag of casters to the hook to prevent tangles on the cast and to keep your swim topped up with bait

HOOKLINK

A short, supple braid hooklength with a 10lb breaking strain will settle over any small bits of debris or stones on the lakebed

LEAD

A 2oz-2.5oz inline lead improves the self-hooking properties of the rig

HOOK

A size 10 hook perfectly balances two artificial casters

Gravel pits are generally thick with weed during the warmest months of the year. Using a weed rake to clear a swim can really get a spot going as well as making it much easier for you to effectively present a rig on. It will also stir up natural food items which encourage tench to investigate and root around. There are several weeds rakes available on the market or you can make your own by attaching two rake heads back-to-back using cable ties and then attaching a rope. Once you have cleared the spot of weed, bait up with small pellets, hemp, corn or casters to hold the fish.

Hemp oil is another excellent tench attractor and will draw them in from a wide area

HOW TO USE A WEEDRAKE

Give the rake a few moments to sink all the way to the bottom of the lake

Add a jar of hemp and a couple of pints of casters into a bucket

CSL is a known tench attractor and you can’t add too much of it to your mix

Clear weed with a rake

Keep one foot on the end of the rope and underarm throw the rake as far as possible

HOW TO MAKE A SIMPLE MIX BIG TENCH LOVE

Pull in the rope to clear the swim of weed. You will have to repeat this process several times

The finished mix is incredibly effective and can be fed accurately with a Spomb

Fish better with...

DES SHIPP

Brush up on key angling skills with England International Des, to put more fish on the bank

THIS MONTH: PREVENT LINE BITES AND FOUL-HOOKING

Y

OU may think that the job is almost done once you’ve attracted lots of feeding fish into your swim, but there’s a lot more work to do before a lump ends up in the net.

Big carp competing for food can cause frustrating problems.

They often brush up against your pole rig as they try to beat other specimens to the grub.

This leads to the float dipping and there’s every chance you

HOW TO:

XXXXXX XXXXX

62 IYCF | Issue 377

will confuse this for a genuine bite, strike and foul-hook it.

The end result is almost always an angry carp that darts off at pace before the hook pings out and your rig is trashed.

It’s a frustrating scenario we’ve all faced at one time or another. The good news, though, is that there are plenty of little things you can alter in order to cut out line bites and foul-hooking fish.

TOP TI PS

RIGS & TACTIC S

TRY SHALLOWER If you are fishing tight to an island and suddenly start to foul-hook fish after a run of hooking them properly, there’s every chance the shoal has come off the deck. Fish will be brushing against your rig and you’ll be lifting into them when you strike at any false indications. Continue to feed in the manner that was previously working but shallow up your rig by 6in and try again. Continue shallowing up in that increment until you start nailing them in the mouth

1

2

3

FIND THE WINNING DEPTH If you are fishing the margins, it is important to find a depth where the fish will just about settle. What this means is they will come in and feed but still have a little bit of caution and not charge around trying to compete.

At this time of year, 18in is definitely that depth. I set my rig to that and then go down my edge and plumb to find a spot at 18in. Ideally, that’ll be tight to the bank so that the fish can’t get behind the rig and brush up against it at all, but I’m also happy to come a metre or more away if that is what is required to find 18in

4

BULK IT UP Anchoring your hookbait to the bottom will make it harder for the fish to waft it off the deck. Bulk your shot and place it on top of the hooklength knot and there’s much less chance your hookbait will be stirred up and potentially land in the tail or fin of a big fish that is nearby

5

SHOW MORE BRISTLE We’re always told to dot down our float but, if you are regularly foul-hooking fish, it is worth removing shot so that more bristle is showing.

I’ll think nothing of having three quarters of it showing, especially when fishing margins.

This enables you to read the situation much better as those tiny dips you were previously striking at could have been line bites. Only strike when the bristle thunders under

FISH HERE FEED HERE

FISH OFF YOUR FEED You’ve often got to feed plenty of bait to get fish into the margins. Once they arrive this large carpet can create issues.

The shoal will have lots to eat, dart around the swim and cause chaos. If your rig is in the middle of that pile then line bites are inevitable. Instead, place your rig 2ft-3ft away from the main bed of bait. You’ll find you still get bites, picking off those fish that are on the periphery and slightly cagey

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LIVE TEST

“I felt confident it could handle the pressure” Tony Grigorjevs gets to grips with a brandnew pole that is ideally suited to newcomers and the rigours of commercial bagging

74 IYCF | Issue 377

TACKLE

SHAKESPEARE SUPERTEAM EXTREME CARP POLE RRP from £134.99

I

F YOU’RE on the verge of taking a newcomer fishing for the first time, then now is the time to bite the bullet and make it happen.

The fish stocks have finally woken up and if you pick the right venue, action is almost guaranteed. This drastically increases the chances of that debut session being one that hooks them for a lifetime.

If all goes to plan, they’ll soon be on the hunt for their own set of tackle and that first purchase needs to reach an expectation of quality and design to help foster their enthusiasm.

It needs to be priced on the low side and it needs an

abundance of strength to help deal with the inevitable mistakes that a novice will make.

When Shakespeare got in touch about their brandnew Superteam Extreme Carp pole, we had an inkling it would be the ideal tool for the job.

The name fully suggested this was a true powerhouse capable of beating big fish. If it could handle that, it could certainly deal with falling off a roller or being shipped out slightly over enthusiastically.

But was the name a marketing ploy or was it the real deal? We took our cameras to the stunning Buscot Park in Oxfordshire to run the rule over it.

www.greatmagazines.co.uk | IYCF 75

ADVERTORIAL | www.spottedfin.com

Get in pole position with the F1 range Spotted Fin’s extensive collection of GO2 F1 products covers everything you need from groundbaits to liquid attractors

A

S THE name suggests, Spotted Fin’s F1 range has been developed specifically for commercial fishery anglers who target F1s. With an extensive list of products available including loosefeeds, hookbaits and liquids, it really does cover any situation you’re likely to face at any time of the year.

GO2 F1 SOFT HOOKERS RRP: £2.99

Based on the successful Spotted Fin Match Expanders, these soft hookable pellets are glugged in attractive liquids to produce an irresistible hookbait.

While soft enough to be hooked directly on to the hook, they are robust enough to ensure they don’t split or fly off on the cast.

They also have ideal buoyancy and sink slowly giving fish at all depths the chance to take the hookbait. Suitable for pole, feeder and waggler tactics, AVAILABLE they are supplied IN 4mm & in pots with ‘stay 6mm SIZES fresh’ sealed lids giving them a shelf life of 12 months.

GREAT FOR F1s, CARP & BIG BREAM

GO2 F1 PELLETS RRP: £5.99

These high quality feed pellets will cover you for everything from soaking and moulding around a Method or Hybrid feeder to tapping in from a polemounted sprinkle pot or simply catapulting over the top of your hookbait.

Available in 2mm and 4mm sizes in 900g bags.

80 IYCF | Issue 377

GO2 F1 HI-VIZ FLUORO WAFTERS RRP: £3.50

Bright hookbaits give feeding fish an easy target to home in on when fishing tactics such as Method/Hybrid feeders or bombs. There’s certainly no chance of a fish missing these bright orange hookbaits.

Each bait has just enough buoyancy to negate the weight

of the hook so that it will waft around enticingly and then fly into the mouth of a feeding fish with minimal effort.

They can be threaded directly on to a hair rig or attached via a bait band or bayonet.

Available in 8mm and 10mm sizes.

How to mix

GO2 F1 GROUNDBAIT RRP: £4.99-£13.99

The GO2 F1 groundbait comes in Light and Dark versions. Using Spotted Fin’s F1 attract formula, they are packed with ingredients and stimulants that have been specifically designed to hold F1s in your swim.

It has an unmistakable sweet, peaches and cream smell – which F1s love – and it can be fished either on it’s own or mixed with other groundbaits from the GO2 collection.

While the Light is an versatile all-round bait, the more subtle Dark mix is perfect for pressured venues where the fish may have become more cautious of feeding over brighter piles of bait. It’s also great in winter when water clarity is at a maximum and fish will become increasingly wary of lighter piles of bait.

Available in 900g and 3kg versions, the groundbaits are sold in resealable pouches so that you can keep them fresh between sessions.

1. Slowly add water to the dry groundbait mix

New additions to the Method Ready range

2. Leave to soak and then riddle to remove any large lumps 3. Add more water as required to achieve the desired consistency

GO2 F1 METHOD READY PELLETS RRP: £9.99

BRAND NEW FLAVOUR

Following the huge success of Method Ready pellets, the GO2 F1 flavour has been added to the range this year.

These brilliant pellets do away with the need to prepare your micro pellets for use on a Method or Hybrid feeder, because they are ready to use straight from the tub.

Once cast out, they fall apart easily and hold their shape while breaking down slowly in the swim.

As well as for use on Method feeders, they are also excellent for feeding via a pole pot or fishing with PVA bags for species such as carp, tench and bream.

Supplied in a 2kg bucket and when stored properly they will remain fresh for up to six months, meaning one tub will last you multiple sessions.

GO2 F1 METHOD READY BAIT SOAK RRP: £4.99

GO2 F1 LIQUID FOOD RRP: £6.99

BEST SELLER!

Liquids are an excellent edge to quickly add attraction to baits such as pellets, groundbaits and expanders and give yourself an advantage over those around you.

This super sweet liquid, which smells of peaches and cream, has the added advantage of not being oil based, meaning that it can be used effectively all year round. Supplied in a 250ml bottle.

Made with the same technology as used in the Method Ready Pellets, these handy pellet soaks enable you to turn standard fishery-only pellets into a Method-ready bait.

Simply pour over your pellets (there’s no need to mix with water or any other liquids) and leave to soak before fishing.

The liquid has a mild preservative which means that any pellets not used during the session will last for a few weeks if stored in a fridge.

NEW FOR 2021 www.greatmagazines.co.uk | IYCF 81

CARP Q&A

IN ASSOCIATION WITH STICKY

WASHED-OUT BAITS ARE POPULAR, BUT WHAT ARE THEY?

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

In high air pressure conditions, when carp are visible in the upper layers and zigs are ignored, what tactic is best for targeting them? I’d love to fish floaters, but with a limited stock of carp and nuisance birdlife, this is a tricky method to get results.

Rob Barlow, email

D WASHE OUT

Q

What do people mean when they talk about washed-out baits?

HE OUT T BAG

boilies, tip them in a bucket and soak them in water for 24 to 48 hours. This process washes out the bait and removes many of the attractors. It has been deemed an edge by many anglers because it is believed that fish treat the bait with much less suspicion when it is has less colour because they regard it as old bait which is unlikely to have a rig fished within it. This is what gives you the advantage.

I don’t think it is the reduced flavour or taste that helps the method work so well.

It’s more the actual appearance and the texture of the baits. When I wash-out my bait, I place it in a bucket of water as normal, but also add a good amount of matching Cloudy Liquid. This makes sure the bait still smells strongly but has all the other attributes of washed-out baits.

The soft texture is the biggest point for me. I think carp find it far more appealing, especially if you mulch the baits as well.

It’s almost like a big pile of baby food!

Washed-out baits can work anywhere, but I find them particularly effective on busy venues, where the fish are used to coming across old piles of bait. Presaturated bait is also an advantage when fishing in silt, as the boilies are already fully soaked and therefore won’t be tainted by the smell of the silt.

Boilies are left to soak in a bucket of water with Cloudy Liquid for extra attraction

Washed out baits have a much softer texture which carp find more appealing

Rich Farrow, email TOM MAKER: Take any standard bag of

102 IYCF | Issue 377

STEVE RENYARD: This is quite a tough one,

but if you are sure that zigs are simply ignored then there’s only two ways you can combat it. The first is persevering with floaters, which many people simply don’t have the patience for. In order to give the carp a chance, you first have to find where they want to be.

Once you have located them and they look close to the surface, apply bait. Don’t be afraid to go in with lots of floaters straight away, as the birds will soon mop up anything for a while before the carp get a look in. If you persist, and feed a lot of floaters, the birds will eventually have their fill and leave the carp alone to get on the feed. If fish are being extra cagey, it could be worth using 6mm Krill Floaters to interest even the wariest of surface feeders.

The second way is to find a shallow spot, or target either an island or marginal area where the water is much shallower than the rest of the lake. In 3ft-4ft, a carp cruising near the surface will easily see a baited area.

By fishing the shallowest spots you put the odds in your favour while fishing on the deck.

Floating baits are the obvious alternative if your zig rigs near the surface are being ignored

YOUR CARP QUESTIONS ANSWERED

BY STICKY’S EXPERT ANGLERS

Q

Q

How far in advance would you start prebaiting a spot on a river ready for the new season and what baits would you use? The stretch I’m planning to fish has produced carp in the past and I’ve seen the occasional fish while walking along on a sunny day.

Since baits such as Krill Active leak off extra attraction, do you need to feed as many as you would if fishing a standard boilie?

Carl Shevlin, email SCOTT LLOYD: How long is a piece of string? On the one hand, the argument could be made that because Krill Active is so packed with attraction, you don’t need to use as much. There is something in that.

If, however, a couple of thirties turn up in your swim and you only have a handful of bait out, they aren’t going to hang around long, are they?

The key is to work out the amount you use on your specific water, as each lake is different. No matter what, 5kg of boilies is still 5kg of boilies. It doesn’t matter if they

Jack Rogers, email

are Active ones or normal. The extra attraction and complex taste just ramps them up and, from my experience, the fish simply cannot get enough. The Underwater Revelations film revealed how much the fish love Krill Active and I would never be afraid to use it any quantity.

Pop-ups work best fished tight to the hook

Q

Why are long hairs not recommended for popup hookbaits?

Sam MacDonald, email

NICK HELLEUR: I would suggest starting to prebait right now! If you have seen fish in the area and they want to be there, they are only going to get more confident on the bait.

Build up the bait over time, starting with a kilo or so twice a week, then checking the spot with a lead every now and then. If it is getting harder, increase the volume as there’s clearly more fish coming to the party. When it comes to actually fishing, it should then be easy!

In terms of baits, rivers tend to be riddled with nuisance fish so pellets, naturals and other small food items will often get ravaged before the carp get a look in. I use this to my advantage.

When I start baiting an area, I use small baits such as pellets to clean my spots.

Once the roach and bream have done the hard bit over a few days, I put out something more substantial.

The best combination I’ve found is large boilies (20mm Krill is my go-to) and tiger nuts. I normally introduce this mix up until a couple of days before my first visit, then plop a few out when I arrive on opening day. River fishing isn’t complicated and, in my mind, prebaiting swims makes them even easier!

Another important point is why pop-ups are used in the first place. Pop-up rigs help you lift the hookpoint off the bottom away from any debris. If you wanted to fish a pop-up an inch or so off the bottom, then a long hair would mean the hook is almost touching the bottom anyway.

LANCE BARTON: Long hairs can be a great edge when used with bottom baits and sometimes even semi-buoyant baits.

However, they simply don’t work with Think carefully pop-ups for several reasons, one of about how your rig which is the way a pop-up rig sits. The needs to work bait hides the hook on a short hair or micro swivel for instance, whereas if you fished a 2in hair, the large separation would be glaringly obvious to any carp. By fishing the bait really close to the hook, it almost becomes one object and therefore the carp find it harder to figure out.

Pellets play a big part in initially prebaiting a river swim and clearing spots

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