Improve Your Coarse Fishing Magazine - Issue 375 (PREVIEW)

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ISSUE 375

April 6 – May 4, 2021

Top star reveals his No.1 bait for cashing in on the big spring feed up

N O I S S E S T S E B R U O FISH Y

COLOUR BOuOnSdTbait Give your gro dge an irresistible e

FRENZY G IN D E E F G IN H CATCH EVEpRleYaTsure Des Shipp's worm How to tie a rig fishing waggler

& caster edges

BUYER'S GUIDE 12 AMAZING ALL-ROUND FEEDER RODS

Bagging season starts now Hillview Lakes, Gloucestershire

Glen Picton unearths a fishery where sport transitions from the struggles of winter to fish-a-chuck action much quicker than most Words & Photography Tony Grigorjevs

8 IYCF | Issue 375

T

HE form of fisheries across the country is creeping through the gears with their stocks of fish becoming more active by the day.

You can be confident of visiting pretty much any commercial and getting a few bites now that the effects of winter are rapidly receding.

But top form is still a few weeks away at most venues, with a little patience still required between bites.

That said, there are some venues that are several steps ahead of their rivals. Their fish seem to have leapfrogged typical spring behaviour, preferring to go straight into summer mode!

Gloucestershire’s Hillview Lakes comfortably slides into this category with the action surpassing what most would expect as the daffodils rise and trees begin to bloom.

Two lakes and four canals are on offer and it’s fair to say they’ve all sprung into life at the same time!

To some, that may sound like a recipe for ‘hook a duck’ sessions where fishing is incredibly easy, posing little challenge. That isn’t the case at all.

Nailing down the appropriate tactics is important and simply sitting there with an unsuitable rig or bait will see you fall flat on your face.

Local expert Glen Picton has experienced the venue’s impressive potential on numerous occasions and told IYCF: “A lot of fisheries are still getting up to top speed, but Hillview always kicks into life much quicker than other places.

“It’s got a wide range of species to have a crack at and you could catch anything from a small rudd right through to a double-figure carp.

“The mix of carp, F1s and silverfish is a big draw for many anglers and this mixed stocking ensures there is always something nearby that will take the bait.”

FISHERY FOCUS An in-depth guide to the best stillwaters, rivers, and canals that you can fish for the price of a www.greatmagazines.co.uk day ticket | IYCF 9

TACTICS: POLE SPECIES: CARP DIFFICULTY:

The No.1 bait for bigcarp action According to Andy May, if you want to cash in on the spring feed up, there’s only one bait that will ensure you’re attached to ‘a great big wobbly thing’ every time the float dips Words & Photography Tony Grigorjevs

24 IYCF | Issue 375

TACTICS

A

T LAST! We’ve reached the time of year where you can get out on the bank and be fully confident that the carp are going

to feed.

Winter brings with it massive doses of uncertainty when it comes to the species. Cold temperatures and their depleted appetites give anglers plenty of reasons to doubt a successful outcome from a session.

That negativity can now be cast aside as the carp properly wake up and get their heads down for a decent meal.

A whole host of baits are likely to tickle their fancy but, according to Andy May, if you want to

be selective and make sure that carp are the only fish that will be able to get in on the act, hard pellets are definitely the answer. And the former Fish O’Mania champion admits he can’t wait to get stuck into bagging ‘great big wobbly things’ as he affectionately refers to them!

“Soft expanders and maggots are brilliant baits but they aren’t particularly selective. On waters that are home to lots of other species, you can’t beat hard pellets in spring,” said Andy.

“They are much more selective because only the bigger fish can mouth them with ease. When I’m after a few carp and nothing else, they are always my number one choice.”

www.greatmagazines.co.uk | IYCF 25

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Bob Nudd

10

Andy May

Robbie Taylor

Dan White

TOP COMMERCIAL SILVERFISH TIPS...

TURN TO HEMP FOR BIG ROACH Bob Nudd

“Maggots and casters will almost certainly get bites from roach but they may not be the biggest fish that end up in the net.

“This is because the smaller samples outnumber the bigger specimens and beat them to the hookbait.

“When this happens, it is best to turn to a harder hookbait and loosefeed that the tiddlers can’t eat so easily. Hemp fits the bill perfectly.

“Start loosefeeding a few grains over your chosen spot every minutes and fish elsewhere with other baits for a little while.

This is because it can take a little time for fish to switch on to hemp but once they do, quality roach are likely to respond.”

1

Jon Whincup

TACTICS

Darren Cox

Lee Kerry

Mikey Williams Tommy Pickering Will Reynolds

FROM 10 TOP ANGLERS!

T

HE water temperatures may have risen in recent weeks but that doesn’t mean you need ditch other species in favour of carp and F1s.

FEED EVERY 2 MINUTES Andy May

“Putting in a dose of loosefeed every now and then and hoping for a response is unlikely to produce the goods when using the pole or waggler. Silverfish

There’s still fantastic silverfish sport to be enjoyed at many complexes up and down the country, with roach, bream, perch and ide well and truly still up for a feast.

such as roach, ide and skimmers may be in your peg but you are unlikely to trigger a response without keeping a trickle of bait going through the water.

“Loosefeed a dozen maggots or casters every couple of minutes, lifting and dropping or twitching your rig a split second after doing so. The fish will soon start competing for the bait and bites will then come thick and fast.”

2

We’ve picked the brains of 10 experts to discover their best advice for putting more silvers in the net. Follow what they say and you can all but guarantee success!

DON’T DISMISS PASTE Robbie Taylor

“Paste is often seen as a bait that is only useful when fishing for big carp and F1s, yet it is just as deadly when you are chasing bream, tench or even crucians on the pole. The key to success is using a fairly firm pea-sized piece. Impale this on a size 16 hook and you’ll be able to lift and drop to draw a response. Feed 2mm or 4mm pellets sparingly via a pole pot to draw fish in. The colour of paste you use should be dictated by your choice of venue. Some venues respond well to brown offerings while green is just the ticket at others.”

4 KEEP IT SHORT Jon Whincup

“Bites can come thick and fast once you get a shoal competing for your feed. The shorter you can fish, the more you’ll put in the net. Depth is the biggest issue and if you can find 4ft-6ft, you’ll have found a spot where all silverfish species can settle comfortably.

Aim to find that depth at between 5m and 7m out.”

3 www.greatmagazines.co.uk | IYCF 31

MONTHLY ROUND-UP! We’ve had some fantastic entries into our Shakespeare Superteam Search For A Star competition. Here’s a round-up of some of best we’ve received over the last few weeks…

Name: Seth Mander About me: I’m 11 and love fishing! I’ve caught fish from sticklebacks to 16lb carp and most fish in between. I’d love to have the opportunity to be featured in IYCF because I have some tactics which sound quite weird and go against the grain. One being roach on a 10g Method feeder and the other using BIG cubes of meat to catch big carp. I love every species I catch.

Name: Daniel Fryer About me: I am a 17-year-old who is passionate about fishing. My grandad first taught me how to fish at the age of five and I have been hooked ever since.

Given the chance, I would fish morning, noon and night and whenever we go on family holidays, we always try to fit fishing in somewhere.

Even though I am so young, I am trying to build up a network of fishing friends who I can call upon for advice. For example, Dave Steuart is a close family friend who allows me to fish his private

Name: Hassan Nawaz About me: I only started fishing about a year and a half ago but absolutely love it! I quite regularly fish a private lake I have access to at work and also take part in matches. I’m a rare face at most fishing venues being a British born Pakistani but I love the thrill of a feeder rod bending around not knowing what’s on the other end.

I do a fair bit of match fishing, but also enjoy fishing for pike and catfish. I’d love to join your team and encourage everyone to have a go at fishing. One of my favourite rods is a Shakespeare feeder rod I use with a Method feeder.

water on the River Test, based on how he has seen my fishing knowledge grow over the years and how I respect the fish, the surroundings and my fishing tackle. I am not afraid for seek advice from more experienced anglers than myself.

I have caught a wide variety of coarse, game and sea fish and I enjoy fishing commercials, rivers, specimen carp venues and fly fishing waters.

Name: Omar Sriti About me: I am an angler, fishing author and content maker. I started fishing around 10 years ago and I would class myself as an all-round angler. I’m always trying to improve and learn new fishing techniques. While I mostly fish rivers, I also enjoy fishing stillwaters as well. I try to fish a minimum of twice a month during tough winter conditions but during the summer I try to go at least two to three times a week.

I run Facebook and Instagram pages and also a brand new YouTube channel, and do a lot of my own photography and video work.

Name: Peter Hudson About me: I’m 25 years old and run my own carpentry and building business. I first started fishing when I was three years old, catching all sorts of species such as rudd, roach, perch and the odd tench. At 11 years of age I caught my first carp – an 18lb leather carp. At the time it was one hell of a fish for me!

I soon found myself fishing for carp all the time. However, five years of carp fishing soon resulted into me becoming more of multi species angler. Nowadays I fish for everything I can. I enjoy coarse fishing the most, although I am starting to get into fly fishing and sea fishing.

Float fishing for tench, rudd, roach and bream are my preferred methods.

Although I haven’t done much of it. I also enjoy predator fishing and it is something I will be doing more of in the future.

Most weekends you will find me fishing local rivers, lakes and ponds. For me, fishing is about being on the bank with a good friend and having a good time. I certainly enjoy all the different types of fishing and the techniques to catch certain fish, whether it’s feeder

fishing or trotting. I certainly try all the different ways.

The highlight for me in the past year was having a 23lb common I caught featured in a weekly angling magazine and being in IYCF with a 14lb mirror carp. And, of course, seeing some beautiful sites that the natural world has to offer while out on the bank.

It doesn’t really matter to me if I catch or not, it is just lovely to be able to be on the bank and learning about your dream catch. When I do catch a fish, the weight is irrelevant.

❱ HOW TO ENTER If you think you could be the ideal person for the Shakespeare brand all you have to do is email us at iycf@bauermedia.co.uk.

Tell us a bit about yourself, the sort of fishing you like to do and attach some hi-res images or a video of your catches and time on the bank.

DISTANCE FISHING

Make your feeder work at range Long waits between casts are inevitable when fishing at distance. Nick Speed reveals the secrets to maintaining your bait’s attractiveness for an age Words & Photography Tony Grigorjevs

W

ORKING your rig and hookbait is often the key to enticing a bite out of the blue. It’s easy to do so when fishing a float with a simple lift and drop of the float when using the pole, or twitching the rig when having a dabble on the waggler.

But providing that quick stimulus is much trickier when you are working with the feeder.

Dragging it along the bottom is likely to be counterproductive as it will create a sizeable gap between the loosefeed that has fallen off and your hookbait.

When fishing at reasonably short range on heavily stocked commercials the answer to the problem is often frequent casting.

34 IYCF | Issue 375

That doesn’t apply when working at long range though, with constantly winding in a process that wastes an immense amount of time and achieves very little.

You may think it is a case of ‘chuck it and chance it’ when you whack a rig to the horizon, but Nick Speed is adamant there is much more than just luck to achieving success.

“You are likely to be waiting a little while for bites when fishing at range on big waters so your bait needs to maintain its appeal for when the fish arrive,” said Nick.

“There are lots of ways to make your feeder work so that you are ready to reap the benefits when a carp comes nearby.”

TACTICS

TACTICS: FEEDER SPECIES: CARP DIFFICULTY:

www.greatmagazines.co.uk | IYCF 35

TACTICS: POLE SPECIES: SILVERS DIFFICULTY:

40 IYCF | Issue 375

TACTICS

Brighten up your groundbait Rising star Lottie Wootton reveals her deadly secret for making silverfish loosefeed even more attractive Words & Photography Tony Grigorjevs

I

F YOU’VE pencilled in a pole fishing session for silverfish, the chances are that you will have a bag or two of groundbait safely packed into your carryall.

It is a bait that has so many benefits for roach, perch and bream, largely because it lays down a carpet of food and releases attraction that draws fish from elsewhere.

Although when mixed with water straight from the bag, the right product will definitely help you get bites, there’s always something

more that can be done to give you an extra edge.

In this case, Lottie Wootton has cottoned on to a simple, yet extremely effective, way of doing just that. Despite only being 15-years-old, she’s already proved that her mind ticks over like that of a seasoned angler, as she’s constantly looking for the next edge to keep her one step ahead of the game. Her latest alteration has boosted the appeal of her groundbait by adding a visual element that keeps fish lingering in the peg for longer.

“Groundbait is a great attractant but once they have found the food, it needs to have the ability to hold them in the zone for long periods,” explained Lottie.

“As the water gets more coloured, a dark bed of groundbait becomes less visual, leaving fish to rely on scent alone to hunt it down.

“In order to add a visual element, I’ve started incorporating a super bright additive that remains intact underwater. It can’t fail to catch the eye of the fish as they feed on the deck.”

www.greatmagazines.co.uk | IYCF 41

STILLWATER WAGGLER RIG F

Fun and effective, this set-up is fishing at its classic simplicity

ISHING a waggler for silverfish is a brilliant tactic that can be used on so many natural and commercial venues.

Fish will often follow the loosefeed towards the surface, so you can expect most bites to come as the hookbait is slowly falling through the water.

This is fast and furious fishing, ideal for spring days. As long as you keep feeding a few maggots, the fish will keep coming. Expect the

odd bream and perhaps a carp or two to also put in an appearance.

Because the fish will come up in the water to intercept the maggots, it is important that the hookbait matches the speed of fall of the loosefeed. Because the line causes drag, which slows the fall of the hookbait, you’ll need to add a few small shot down the line to achieve the correct sink speed. You will also see each shot register on the float tip, and many bites

will be indicated by the float not settling properly. Make sure each shot up from the float is further from the shot below it, because this will help prevent tangles. Feathering the line just before the float hits the water on the cast, pushing the line out straight beyond the float, will also help eliminate tangles.

For a really absorbing day’s fishing give this technique a go – it really is great fun and very effective.

HOW TO TIE THE STILLWATER WAGGLER RIG

Cut off around 30cm of 0.12mm line to make the 1 hooklength

Next, tie on a size 16 hook In the other end of the using a 14-turn spade end hooklength, tie a small 2 3 knot figure of eight loop knot

Use an insert waggler if it’s not too windy, but if there 4 is a lot of drag use a thicker tip

YOU WILL NEED ✔ 2g part loaded waggler float ✔ Cenex Hybrid Power 0.16mm mainline ✔ Cenex Hybrid Power 0.12mm hooklength

Tie a figure-of-eight loop in Attach a float adaptor to Trap the float in position on the end of the mainline and 7 the base of your chosen the mainline by using t wo 5 6 attach the hooklength waggler No.1 shot

✔ Size 16 Sphere Classic hook ✔ No.1 shot ✔ Stotz and Stotter tool

56 IYCF | Issue 375

Carefully attach a size 8 Fix a No.6 Stotz about Add any additional Stotz about 15cm from the 9 45cm from the hook to give 10 weight required about 8 hook the bait a natural fall 90cm from the hook

RIG

SC H

WAGGLER

Using a part-loaded waggler which has the bulk of it’s cocking weight in the base means that fewer shot are required down the line

OOL

ADAPTOR

Fixing the waggler in a float adaptor makes it easy to swap to a different float without having to break down your entire set-up

SHOTTING

The spacing of the shot down the line causes the hookbait to fall slowly and naturally through the water

HOOKLENGTH The light hooklength is attached to the mainline via a simple loop to loop knot

HOOKBAIT

When it comes to catching a mixed bag on a pleasure session you’ll struggle to beat maggots as every species loves them

www.greatmagazines.co.uk | IYCF 57

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY EXPERTS...

Will the waggler work for carp and F1s at this time of year, or do I need the heat of summer for it be effective?

FLOAT

A semi-loaded waggler will enable you to use less shot

MALCOLM POTTS, EMAIL

A

It’s slightly too early to turn to a commercial pellet waggler rig which involves fishing shallow and casting at regular intervals. There simply won’t be the volume of fish sat under the surface required to catch consistently and even if there was, the commotion is likely to spook them at a time when they are just coming out of a winter torpor.

That said, the waggler is still definitely worth trying if you set it up in a more traditional manner. Plumb up so that you are fishing on the deck, use slimline floats that enter the water with minimal disturbance and don’t cast as often. Use 4lb mainline to a 0.14mm hooklength and a size 16 medium wire hook.

SHOTTING

Place two or three small shot down the line to keep the rig straight

FEEDING

Introduce three pellets every few minutes to get the fish competing

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

70 IYCF | Issue 375

HOOKBAIT

Start with a 6mm or 8mm pellet hookbait and switch to a wafter later in the session

Q

A mixed commercial fishery close to my house produces well to meat, but what is the best way to feed this bait when pole fishing?

DARREN NEWTON, EMAIL

A

Luncheon meat is a deadly carp bait but only in recent years have people clicked on to its effectiveness for silverfish.

If you are fishing for a mixed bag, introduce your feed in a couple of different ways. This will make sure there is some food for anything that turns up, regardless of its size. Take a couple of tins of meat and run them through a 6mm cutter to create cubes. Place one tin’s worth of bait into a tub and run the other through a riddle to create a mush and then follow the simple feeding sequence (below) each time you ship out.

HOW TO LOAD MEAT CUBES AND MUSH

First, drop a few full cubes into your pole-mounted pot

Then add a few slivers of your mushed meat

Q Q

The bream shoals that live in my favourite reservoir often sit well away from the bank and reaching them can prove troublesome. What can I do to add extra yards to my cast?

SIMON ALLMAN, EMAIL

A

Bream can be very finicky and, as a result, they often live well away from the bank to try and avoid any commotion.

One of the first items to consider if you want to cast further is the feeder. Use a cage with all of the weight loaded at the front. This makes it fly like a bullet and by applying the same amount of force as you did previously, your rig will go further.

A rod suitable for the job is also important and a 12ft version with a little bit of muscle to aid casting is ideal.

Finally, make sure your mainline isn’t too thick. If it is, its beefy diameter will make it tricky for it to flow through the rod rings with ease. Use 6lb mono with a shockleader or you could even rely on 0.10mm or 0.12mm braid for gaining extra yards.

I’m aiming to catch my first canal carp this year. Have you got any top tips to help me achieve that goal?

RICHARD DONNELLY, EMAIL

A

Carp won’t be in every swim you come across so picking the correct location is paramount. Areas with boats that have been moored for long periods or with dense far bank cover where

Tamp slivers on to the cubes to secure while shipping out

they can escape boat traffic are always hotspots. It’s important to bring these fish to the edge of these features so that they find your hookbait, and prebaiting can give them confidence. Head to the venue three or four times before your session and introduce several big handfuls of chopped boilies, pellets and corn.

Make sure you are using strong tackle as you’ll have to pile on the pressure from the word go in order to prevent the carp getting back among the snags.

Take control from the word go LIVE TEST

A rod that puts you in charge the instant you hook a big carp is essential, so Tony Grigorjevs checks out Middy’s latest powerhouse tool MIDDY 5G METHOD FEEDER 10ft ROD RRP: £129.99

76 IYCF | Issue 375

TACKLE

T

HERE’S little doubt you’ll have noticed an uptick in how much fish are now pulling back during a fight.

Set the hook during winter and a plodding, lethargic affair is likely to be on the cards.

But that half-hearted effort has been left behind as fish start testing your tackle to the limit thanks to a boost in energy levels.

Rely on the same kit that did the business during the cold season and you’ll probably still land your quarry, but it’s guaranteed to take much longer!

In order to stay on top of the game and prevent a fish from uncontrollably racing all over your peg, it’s best to switch to another rod with a bit more steel.

There’s plenty of options on the market but the new 10ft Middy 5G Method Feeder may be the tool you’ve been looking for.

Packing a punch

Take the rod out of its cloth bag and it instantly looks like a piece of kit that has been made to out-muscle big carp. It’s got a reasonably thick blank for a 10ft rod which plays a big part in giving it the required strength for both launching out loaded feeders and piling on the pressure. There’s also a reinforced section of carbon just after the cork handle that will give you even more assurance. If you’ve ever experienced that gut-wrenching moment when a rod

snaps, the breakage is almost certain to have occurred close to the handle. Both these features of the rod make sure this isn’t going to happen under any circumstances.

Another aspect worth noting is the rod’s claim that it can handle feeders of up to 50g.

That is a fairly hefty load and many 10ft rods wouldn’t have the grunt to chuck such weights without risking a calamity.

I wanted to test that this rod was the real deal and I had the perfect venue in mind – Meadowlands Fishery near Coventry.

Both lakes are a vast expanse of open water and double-figure carp are plentiful. If this product wasn’t built properly, it would get found out in no time at all.

www.greatmagazines.co.uk | IYCF 77

: T S E B E H T OF e rod that will on t an w t bu ng hi fis er ed fe Love

T

HESE days it’s possible to buy a specific rod for pretty much any tactic you can g imagine. And feeder fishin is no different.

With rod lengths for the discipline varying from 7ft to 13ft-plus, there’s something out there to cover every species, venue type and strategy.

Which is fine. But what if you don’t want to have to

cover

buy many rods? What if you want one rod that will do the lot? Something that’s going g to be equally at home fishin as a maggot feeder on a river h wit p car on up it is bagging g tin cas or r, de a Method fee an open-end feeder for bream and skimmers. ll Thankfully, such rods do sti a e tak exist! This month, we look at some of the best all h round feeder rods, wit something for every budget.

Guru N-Gauge 11ft Feeder RRP: £139.99

their , Guru’s N-Gauge rods, with Since their launch a year ago 11ft The hit. e hug livery, have proved a der distinctive orange and black fee ery fish l rcia me com to rod for all 10ft Feeder is pretty much the god use nly compared to the commo tactics and the extra length ance on the extra power when more dist of bit le litt versions provides a mers and skim l nai pily hap will ion e act cast is required. Its progressiv packs l stil it yet ffs, k-pulls or snap-o F1s all day long without hoo ximum ma h Wit . fish ger big h wit to deal enough mid-section power handle VA k/E cor al a longer-than-norm nder. casting weights up to 60g, and rou allt fec per a it’s , fort ting com with finger grips for added cas .

2oz carbon tips Supplied with 1oz, 1.5oz and uru www.tackleg .com

ision Feeder Shimano Aero X1 11ft Prec RRP: £59.99

lity rods at a rs some incredibly good qua Shimano’s Aero X1 range offe der model fee fed at! This two-piece 11ft price point that isn’t to be snif tweight ligh ly love a has of up to 70g and can handle casting weights makes it s Thi . fantastic fish-playing action gth and responsive blank with a len it’s but , F1s mercial carp and a great tool for targeting com on larger e anc dist fair a der fee a whack means you’ll also be able to k and EVA and too. The handle is a mix of cor sh erfi silv for ers wat l ura nat quivertips. bon car h-in pus le eab interchang the rod is supplied with two www.shimano-eu.com

84 IYCF | Issue 375

S D O R R E D E E F D N ALL-ROU

read on... en Th s? er riv d an s ke la s, al on commerci all your quivertipping needs ra Preston Innovations Supe 12ft 6in Feeder RRP: £209.99

ance feeder rod, there’s no Billed by Preston as a true dist der -shelf Supera can cast a fee doubt that at 12ft 6in the top Its it. for ng goi t tha n tha re a long way. But it has a lot mo more line out of the water on longer length helps keep a bit lic seamless non-locking parabo fast-moving rivers, while its its in p car l b and commercia action takes skimmers, chu ghts up to 80g, it’s nicely wei ting cas of e abl stride. Cap handy features such as and s ing presented with quality fitt ded 1oz, 1.5oz and 2oz tips. its flat handle base and gra com www.prestoninnovations.

Daiwa N’ZON S 11ft Method Feeder RRP: £95

at allsn’t do full justice to this gre The Method Feeder tag doe rs a offe nk bla bon car slim cilround leger rod. The pen p and perfect for commercial car seamless, progressive action our, it ean dem nty dai its pite Des completely free of flat spots. d of ficient poke to turn the hea has a spine of steel with suf dle han k loc Arm ned ctio -se flat the most determined fish. The . fish ing ght d-fi d to lean into a har adds stability when you nee 50g und aro at n g-o ban ON is As for casting weight, the N’Z let dle most sizes of Method, pel han to it s ble ena ich wh z), (2o . tips z 1.5o and with 1oz and cage feeders. Supplied s.co.uk ort asp aiw www.d

ft Feeder MAP Dual Competition 12 RRP: £139.99

bed ch at home casting a 30g flat This true all-rounder is as mu . With ues ven l ura is bagging bream on nat to a Method feeder for carp as it 45g from ds loa pay g ckin y handle chu as h a blank that can comfortabl suc tics of scope for big-river tac hefty 85g, it provides plenty fairly stiff Trent, Thames or Wye. The the on ing barbel and chub fish ugh eno ance work, yet it retains casting action suits it to dist r hooks alle sm and s the use of light line cushioning action to enable comes rod nt elle exc s Thi ffs. or snap-o without the risk of pull-outs prene neo of r pai a and 2.5oz as well as up in with carbon tips of 1.5oz, 2oz set it ve lea you if e -fre and tangle rod wraps to keep it protected between sessions. www.mapfishing.co.uk

www.greatmagazines.co.uk | IYCF 85

TIPS, TACTICS & RIGS TO CATCH MORE

UNDERSTANDING

LIQUIDS Tom Maker discusses the benefits of liquids, how they should be used and why they prove so devastatingly effective!

Words Tom Maker Photography Tom Gibson

L

IQUIDS are among the most complex and diverse elements of any angler’s bait bag.

Each one is vastly different to the others and can become more, or sometimes, less effective depending on how they are used.

I always aim to keep my baiting approach as simple as possible but, even so, I always incorporate some sort of liquid attraction. This is either

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mixed into my bait or, with the liquids that suit, direct use.

By direct use, I mean physically using the liquid as a bait ingredient in itself.

Thick liquids can actually form quite a carpet on the bottom and deliver far higher attraction levels than a boilie does on its own. It’s so easy to do as well. You can pour a small amount into your spod while baiting up, or, my favourite way, add it to a solid PVA bag.

CARP

LIQUIDS IN BAGS Using a solid PVA bag filled solely with a liquid is out of the question for me. This is because they simply don’t cast very well and are incredibly messy! Instead, I use my usual bag mix of small Bloodworm and Manilla pellets and Active Mix and make up my bags the normal way. Then, using a syringe, I apply a generous amount of liquid to the bag. This will reach the lakebed then dissolve and leave a halo of attraction around the more nourishing food items.

The type of liquid you use for this job is incredibly important. It goes without saying that it has to be PVA-friendly, but it also has to have a degree of viscosity, such as Pure Calanus or Liquid Liver. These thick liquids seep out along the bottom and create a large, expanded circle of attraction in your area. Yet, despite them being gloopy, they are still highly soluble and over time will release amino acids and other feeding

Pure Calanus Liquid is perfect for solid bags due to its thin viscosity

triggers into the water. These really help the carp to home in on your baited area.

In terms of the differences between these thick liquids, I have found while testing in the edge that Liquid Liver stays more compact than Pure Calanus. Pure Calanus, on the other hand, tends to cover a huge area as it is slightly thinner, but at the same time it doesn’t last as long in the area. It’s certainly worth trying both to see which works best on your specific venue.

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