... THE DAWN OF A NEW ERA ...

W W W. BR OW NI NG- P O LES. C O M SPHERE TECHNOLOGY – NO COMPROMISE!


WELCOME
W
elcome to my first issue
as editor of Pole Fishing
magazine. Who’d have
thought I would be saying
that just 18 months ago, when I started
at DHP as the assistant editor across both
this and sister publication Match Fishing,
under the dynamic duo of Tom Scholey and
Matt Godfrey and my predecessor on this
magazine, Alex Bones.
Things have moved on somewhat since
then though, and with each change I have
been able to learn from those I have worked
with. Each has passed elements of their own
knowledge down to me and I was able to see
some very different ways of working, most
recently from the supremely talented Joe
Carass, who over the past six months has
worked wonders on Match Fishing magazine,
and in that I witnessed exactly how hard work
is the key to success.
I like to think that it was that same
determination, and passion for fishing, that
has seen me given this fantastic opportunity. I
am young, just 25 years old in fact, but having
first worked in this trade almost a decade ago
when I was just a school kid and fledgling
angler, I have a few years of experience under
my belt. With that I have seen plenty of
changes, both good and bad, along the way.
Back then I was employed by England
international Helen Dagnall in her northwest
tackle shop. It was more a forced employment
to begin with, having hung around the shop
floor moving products around and making
her displays look fancy, but eventually I
pestered her enough to be offered a job. That
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JANUARY 2018
job, like this, allowed me to learn from others,
picking the brains of any passing angler who
would divulge some of his or her top secrets
to me, which gave me the platform to build
and progress my own fishing. It was during
this time that I realised my dream was to work
within the angling trade.
So, what about my plans for Pole Fishing
magazine? Well, first things first, I will be
looking to make it your number-one read for
all things pole fishing related. That means
more product reviews and on-the-bank tests,
as well as lining these pages with some of the
very best pole anglers around, where they can
pass on all of their latest tips and tricks.
My first port of call was to get some of
my most trusted acquaintances in the trade
to commit to a regular slot. Jamie Hughes,
Darren Cox and Rob Perkins were the three
calls I made and all were more than happy to
oblige: Jamie, the most successful commercial
angler of all time; Rob, a natural-venue genius
and Darren a fount of angling knowledge.
Next up it was a case of making sure this
magazine offered a good balance of natural
and commercial venues. I’m sure you’ll have
noticed we have a bit of everything inside,
BAIT PACK
WELCOME
including four England internationals and a
host of big-name stars, and that will certainly
be the aim moving forward. With the help
of my trusty sub editor David Haynes we
will look to provide you with the very best
content available.
That’s probably enough waffling on for
one month from me, I hope you enjoy what
you see within and please feel free to drop
me a line or e-mail – I am always open to
ideas and love to hear what our readers have
to say. This magazine is, after all, here for you
to enjoy, learn from and use as your guide to
all things pole fishing. Enjoy.
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W WW.P O LEFI SHI NGM A G A ZINE. COM

PAGE
6

JANUARY 2018 CONTENTS

COVER WIN
6:THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS STORY 36: MASTER THE ART OF FEEDING
England international Des Shipp reveals Jon Arthur takes a look at feeding and explains
his two-pronged attack to tackling cooling how best to fine-tune this fine art.
commercial venues
42: ROB’S DIARY
12: COMMERCIAL CLASS Our natural-venue expert Rob Perkins is
In the first part of Jamie Hughes’s insightful having a hard time of it of late… he reports
new series he looks at key decision making. on the opening rounds of this year’s Winter
PAGE
League.
72 16: GET STICKY!
COVER
Pole Fishing joins Tri-Cast and Bait-Tech man 44:VENUE DETECTIVE! STORY

Dave Roberts for a lesson in stickymag fishing The venue detective is back on his travels, this
on the River Wye. time a trip to Moss Farm Fisheries in Irlam is
PAGE
78 his destination.
21: IN THE MIX
We ask a line-up of stars for their ‘mix of the 50: DON’T STOP CATCHING
moment’: this month Andy Neal has his say… Middy man Jake Robinson reveals a tactic
that is sure to keep the bites coming as
22: HOW SHALLOW ARE YOU? temperatures drop.
Guru and Dynamite young gun Ben Hagg
66: NOTHING BUT EXPANDERS! WIN
discusses a deep-shallow approach for F1s as
temperatures drop. Browning’s Jim Hall unveils his devastating
expander approach to tackling cold-water
28: KEEP CATCHING ON THE CANAL commercial venues.
Rive man Simon Willsmore demonstrates the COVER
STORY
best way to catch quickly, and keep on catching 72:WILL’S RIVER RIGS
on the canal. We join Daiwa and Team England star Will
Raison as he unveils his winter rigs for tackling
34:WRITING THE WRONGS rivers.
All-round angling genius Darren Cox is on
hand to put you right with the things anglers
often get very wrong!
 PAGE
6

DES SHIPP

PAGE
72

WILL RAISON Editorial

T: 01327 311999 F: 01327 311190
Editor Jake Fowles
E: jake.fowles@dhpub.co.uk
Chief Sub Editor David Haynes
Creative Director Mark Grafton
Design & Illustrations Bradley Sharp

TACKLE & TESTS DHP

78: SPECIMEN LAKE BONUS WIN
Maver’s Bradley Gibbons demonstrates his
bonus-silver approach to tackling specimen
lakes.
82: URBAN RETREAT
Matrix and Dynamite star Mark Pollard
explains why heading into town will see you
reap the rewards this winter.
87: SEND US YOUR PHOTOS
We share a few of our favourite images sent
into us from our readers…
88:‘MY POLE’ BY CALLUM DICKS
Callum reports on his time with the Maver
Darkside 3, having now used it for three years.
90: MARUKYU HEAD-TO-HEAD WIN
Howard Kaye and Daniel Brydon battle it out
with contrasting tactics on the River Thurne.
54:TACKLE AWARDS 2017 Managing Director
Get involved and have your say on the best Sean O’Driscoll
E: sean@dhpub.co.uk
products of 2017 Operations Director
Roger Mortimer
56: NEW GEAR E: roger@dhpub.co.uk
Subscriptions Manager
Our top picks from the world of tackle over
Louise Dalmedo
the past month. E: louise.dalmedo@dhpub.co.uk
Social Media Assistant
58: ON TEST: MAVER MV-R Connor Wilson
E: connor.wilson@dhpub.co.uk
Editor Jake Fowles gets out on the bank with
Maver’s latest mid-range offering, the MV-R.
Advertisement Sales
Business Development Manager
61: UP CLOSE: MAP COMPETITION HOOK Gary Pickard
LENGTH STORAGE SYSTEM E: gary.pickard@dhpub.co.uk
Pole Fishing takes a close look at MAP’s latest Production Manager Paul Evans
Ad Design Steph Stevens
hooklength retention system.
www.davidhallpublishing.com
62: UP CLOSE: PRESTON INNOVATIONS KKM-B ISSN 1470-0727
HOOKS
We check out the latest hook offering from
Accounts
Preston Innovations. 1st Floor, Nene House, Sopwith Way,
Daventry, Northants NN11 8EA
WIN
63: UP CLOSE: MIDDY HANDLES
Subscriptions
Pole Fishing gets to grips with Middy’s latest Phone 0345 120 6085
landing-net handle and revisit an older model E-mail subscriptions@dhpub.co.uk
UK £47.40, Europe £55
for those looking for flagship performance. Rest Of World £65.
Based on 12 issues (including mailing)
64: USED & ABUSED: GAMAKATSU LS-1010R Advertisements
HOOKS The advertisements and editorial content
Editor Jake Fowles discusses a hook pattern carried in this magazine are the copyright
of David Hall Publishing Ltd and may not
that has done him proud in recent outings on be quoted, copied or reproduced without
natural venues. the prior permission of the publisher
????????????
Des Shipp

As air and water temperatures drop, it can often pay to try a two-
pronged attack to keep the bites coming on commercials. Pole
Fishing tracked down England all-rounder and angling genius
Des Shipp in deepest Gloucestershire for a demonstration.

VE NU E FIL E

HARESCOMBE FISHERIES
Village,
Location: Harescombe
Glo uce ster GL4 0XD
Day tickets: £8
.co.uk
www.harescombefisheries

AN GL ER FIL E

DES SHIPP
Age: 47
Lives: Yate
ons, Sonubaits
Sponsor: Preston Innovati
Pole: Respon se M9 0

06 JANUARY 2018 | POLE FISHING

 POLEFISHINGMAGAZINE.COM

0.13mm Reflo Power main line with a

0.12mm Reflo Fluorocarbon hooklength to
a size 18 PR 412 hook.
“On commercials when fishing for silvers
you often catch carp, so I’m starting on
0.12mm just in case. I can always drop
down to 0.10mm if it gets a bit hard.”
The float was one of Des’ own F1 Maggot
Thiss was all
alll De
D s fed
feddo
onn designs, in a 4x16 size and shotted with a
the lo
long line to sstar
t t with
ta
tar ith.
th. bulk and two No9 droppers, and the elastic

I
t’s fair to say that Harescombe
Fisheries, near the Gloucestershire
market town of Stroud, is off the
beaten track. Quite a way off the
beaten track, in fact. However, leave
the M5 motorway behind and make the
trip down the winding country lanes, and
on arrival you are rewarded with a venue
that boasts four scenic and well-stocked
easy-access lakes, and a café on site.
Today there is another attraction there,
in the shape of England international Thh ro
The oach
ch
h st
s artted
e off
o sm mall
a buut tthe
al he
he Co
C oarsrsely
sta
t mpp soo
oo
on imp
mpr
ppro
oveed.
ed.
d cch
hopped worm ormss
Des Shipp, who was going to explain his [BE
[[B
B LOW
LO ] Just
us a fewfew
w pe
p llets
lle
lets
lets wer
weerre fed
d fo
fo
orr the shhor
hortt line
line..
catch-all approach to ‘natural’ commercial onn the
h lo
long
ng lin
ng ne.
e.
fisheries.

was solid No6 Slip. It was noticeable that

TWO LINES there was no pole pot on the top kit.
“When it starts to get a bit nippy, I find “I find that when I’m after quality roach,
that a great way to maximise catches on like today, ‘dumping’ bait in every so often
commercials, especially mixed-stock waters using a pole cup is more effective than
like Field Lake, where we are today, is to constantly potting bait in, which is better
simply use two lines. for small roach,” Des explained.
“Today I’m going to fish and feed at a Despite being a little deeper at around
‘top two plus three’ for the roach, and then
a longer 13m line for skimmers and maybe
the odd carp. There’s nothing complicated
about this approach, as you’ll see when I

“There’s nothing complicated about this

approach, as you’ll see.”
run through my feeding strategy. respond to the corn, but not at the start.”
“For the close line I’m going to chop a As usual for the Think Fishing maestro,
few worms – you don’t need masses – but his rigs were straightforward and simple.
I’m not going to do them too fine. The On the top-kit plus three line he was using
swim is about five feet deep and I’m just
going to drop a ‘blob’ of neat worms
on it, then loose feed a few
casters by hand.
“On the long line
I’m just feeding a
quarter of a pot of
sweetcorn, but I’ve mixed
up some Sonubaits F1 Black
groundbait, which I might try
for the skimmers later if they don’t
A feis
feis
eisty
ty lit
little
tle chhaara
arrraact
ccte
tter.

POLE FISHING | JANUARY 2018 07

????????????
Des Shipp

What
a great
stamp of
fish…

they were gone… or were they?

Sliding the float down a few inches to
fish shallower and spreading the shot … and d wha
wha
whh ta
along the line, Des also hooked his caster crackin
cra
crac kingg da
day
ay’ss spo po
ort
rt,
t,
through the middle. “Let’s see what wit
w iithouut doin
doin
oinng
oing
anyythi
thingg com
ompli
ommplppliliicat
catteed.
ed
d
d..
happens with that…”
Feeding a few more casters, these
changes had an immediate effect as first a
pretty rudd then a steady stream of quality
roach came to hand. As a last-gasp carp
on the shallow rig brought the session to
a timely end in the fading light, Des lifted
out his keepnets to reveal a superb mixed
haul and prove the power of his positive
two-line thinking. Or should that be two-
and-a-half…?

For your chance to win THE

VERY RIGS that Des was using
on this feature, go to
www.polefishingmagazine.com
and click on the WIN tab!

10 JANUARY 2018 | POLE FISHING

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Jamie’s Diary
CLASS
In the first part of his brand-new series,
Jamie Hughes begins to reveal the thought
processes behind his unparalleled success…
I
f there is a favourite type of article
that I look forward to reading when
my copy of this magazine arrives, it
is the regular diary pieces that some
of the country’s best anglers have
written. By meticulously studying their
words, I feel like I gain a small insight into
the thoughts and decisions that they have
made.
Writing one of these articles is something
I have always aspired to do, so when Jake
Fowles called a few weeks back to offer me
a monthly slot, I couldn’t have accepted it
Don’t settle for an
‘odd fish’ when you
know something is
wrong!
more quickly. So, unfortunately, you guys
now have to read how I draw endless flyers
and do my best not to mess them up!
On a more serious note, what I would
like to mostly focus on is the changes that
are happening and the key points that I
have learnt through my month’s fishing.
From this I hope you are able to get an idea
of the thoughts and processes I go through
each and every time I am on the bank.
“To say the match
started well is a bit of an
understatement.”
Setting the Scene
After spending the entire spring and
summer travelling up and down the
country for Fisho, Match This and
Golden Reel events, this month has
seen my fishing calm down a little
and I have been able to focus on
some smaller events that allow me
to enjoy my fishing a little more.
First up was the first round of
the Heronbrook winter league. I
spent a lot of time at this fishery
in my younger days so I was really
looking forward to a return. The
league is by no means a small
affair, with 30 teams of four anglers
attending, so there is plenty of
competition.
My destination for each round
is Meadow Pool because anglers
AN GL ER FIL E
JAMIE HUGHES
Age: 34
Lives: Wirral
Sponsors: MAP, Bag ‘em
Matchbaits
Pole: MAP 901 2G
can be placed in the four zones. I had
no problem with this because Meadow is
possibly my favourite lake in the country
and also the most likely to produce a good
day’s fishing throughout the entire league.
At the draw I was given Peg 38, which is
just past the middle of the back straight.
This area can become a little difficult when
the cold weather arrives but luckily it was
still fairly mild and I was confident that a
few fish would still be present.
My approach was my usual hard-pellet
attack fished on one line across but having
rigs set up to cover different depths on the
far-bank slope. By feeding just one area
I can keep in touch with the fish much
better as they move up and down the slope
during the day.
Rigs were assembled to cover four, three
and two feet, which in this peg’s case could
all be found within five feet of the far bank
slightly to my left at varying distances while
still using the same far-bank marker for
each depth.
The only other lines that I felt could
produce a few bites were both left and right
down my edges in 20 inches of water.
To say the match started well is a bit
of an understatement because after five
minutes I had a carp and an F1 in the net
for around 10lb. These were caught in
four feet but I was quickly suffering lots of
liners and missed bites. To try and fix this
I moved further across into three feet and
shortly after tight to the bank in two feet.
These lines both produced a couple of
fish but the false indications were still a
major issue and I was far from happy with
my catch rate.
Despite the great start, 30 minutes in and

I was falling behind those around me.
No matter how I fed the peg I simply
couldn’t get the fish to settle. I felt that
the cause of the problem was that the
bank I was fishing against was undercut,
meaning the fish were dashing out each
time feed was introduced.
After a quick rethink I made the
decision to completely abandon this
line and begin my entire match again
in a different spot to my right. While
this spot would be a little difficult to fish
due to the vegetation it plumbed up
much better and it was clear there was
no undercut, so I could present my bait
tight to a solid bank if needed.
SOLVING THE PROBLEM
The change of line turned out to be my
best decision of the day and the next
three hours were spent rotating the
depths, putting a steady stream of carp
and F1s in the net. Normally when fishing
in this way, feeding with a catapult is best
to attract lots of fish into the peg. This
match was a little different, however,
because making any noise created by
loose feed would cause the fish to become
unsettled. It was much better to simply
feed a tight pile of bait with a small pot and
wait patiently for a proper bite.
Looking back, I feel that picking up on
small things like how best to introduce the
feed ultimately had a massive impact on
my final weight. I could have easily carried
on feeding with a catty, which would have
drawn loads of fish into the peg, but they
would have remained unsettled and,
despite getting loads of indications, my
catch rate would have dropped due to
missed bites and foul-hooked fish.
With 90 minutes to go the far-bank swim
had really started to fade. I felt I was in a
good position with 80 to 90lb in the net
but really needed a good finish to get good
section points. Anglers either side of me
had just began to catch a few fish down
the edges, so I took this as my signal to
feed some bait. To my right I fed a small
amount of micro pellets and to my left a
big pot of maggots.
After a little rest to allow things to
settle I had a quick go on the pellet-fed
swim. My feeding was simply a tiny pot of
soaked micros each cast with the intention
of setting a trap and drawing just one
fish into the peg at a time. Doing this in
conjunction with a very stable rig allows me
to see when any fish are in the peg due to
the accuracy of the feed and the small area
that the fish have to feed on.
POLEFISHINGMAGAZINE.COM
The final burst down the edge saw me
finish the match with 169lb, which was
enough to win the section. The team had
also done well with two section wins a
second and a third, giving us a seven-point
total and a team win.
I also had a little luck with the favoured
areas fishing a little harder than normal,
meaning my weight was enough to win the
match overall.
ALWAYS LEARNING
Reflecting on this match and several
smaller competitions over the past month,
there has been one key factor in getting
the best results possible. Focusing a little
more on my accuracy has really made a
big difference to my fishing.
This might seem an obvious statement
because we all like to feel that we are
fairly accurate with our feeding and rig
placement. In reality, when trying to take
things to the next level, tiny things such
It’ss no
It’ l ayss ab
ott alway
alw out ho
out
abou ow as how the feed leaves the pole cup, how
much
muc ch you feeeed, how
d,
eed, youu
how yo certain baits fall through the water and
od
nnttrod
int ucee ba
duce bait ann ma
it ccan ke
m ke
a huge ge di fferen
ffe
diffe ce.
e
rennce.
ce ultimately the size of the feed area that
you are creating can determine whether
you catch those few extra fish each match
The final part of my match was by far that can be the difference between winning
the most productive, adding 12 carp to my and losing.
catch. Every fish was caught on my right- With the worst fishing months about to
hand edge. The maggot line only resulted come, I will most certainly be thinking a lot
in a couple of lost foul hookers despite more about how I can improve further on
there being plenty of fish in the peg. my accuracy to make the most of the short
By keeping things as tight as possible feeding spells that you often encounter
I honestly felt that I was catching almost during winter. Hopefully next month I will
every fish that was coming into my pellet be able to expand on my findings a little
line. I sometimes had to wait for five to 10 further.
minutes for a bite but as long as
I felt that my pile of pellets was
still intact and undisturbed I Jam
Ja
amiee soo
oonn
was perfectly happy sitting and fou
o nd d the
bee t way
bes way of
waiting for a fish to arrive. unl
n ock
ocking
ing
On reflection, it was fairly the p ten
po tentia
tiall
obvious that this was going to his pegg
pe
o ere
off red
re d.
d.
be the best way to feed because
it had been exactly the same on
the far-bank swims, despite a
different bait being used.
If I could have picked up
on that a little quicker then I
definitely wouldn’t have fed a
large amount of maggots on my
left margin. This was only ever
going to result in too much bait
being spread over a wide area.
The few fish that were coming
into the peg simply had much
too large an area to feed on,
making picking out my hook
bait extremely unlikely.
POLE FISHING | JANUARY 2018 13
 • FA
FA RN
R N BO
B O ROUG
ROU
RO UG
G H IN
INTE
N TE
T ER
ER
RNN AT
AT IO
O NAL
NA
A L EX
E X HI
HIBBII TI
TIOON
N & C ON
O N FE
ERRE
ENNC
C E CE
CENNTT RE
R E , HAMP
HA
A MP
M PSH
S H IR
SH IREE •

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Mag On The Pole

AN GL ER FIL E

DAVE ROBERTS
Age: 41
Lives: Hereford
-Tech
Sponsors: Tri-Cast, Bait
ast Exc ellence Pro
Pole: Tri-C

VE NU E FIL E

RIVER WYE
Location: Hereford
Day tickets: £7
Contact: 01432 344644
k
www.woodysangling.co.u

STICK IT
TO ’EM!
Tri-Cast and Bait-Tech man Dave Roberts unveils his
stickymag and gravel tactics for targeting fast-flowing venues.

T
here’s no doubt that when
it comes to river fishing and
amassing weights of fish
quickly, pole to hand or whip
fishing is the way forward.
On rivers where there is decent depth
and flow, it’s usually a groundbait and soil
approach that scores best. While this
is usually my preferred approach, in
recent times I have increasingly
used the combination of maggot
binder (stickymag) and gravel to
supplement, and in some cases,
replace the groundbait. It’s not
effective every day, but there are
certain circumstances where the
combination is deadly.
Species such as roach, dace and
perch love loose feed, but it’s hard
on powerful rivers to congregate
the fish into one area of the peg by
feeding in this way. On rivers like the
Wye, where the Pole Fishing cameras join
me today, the reality is the maggots we feed
are never hitting the riverbed once they’ve
hit the water.
A ball of maggots and gravel is much

16 JANUARY 2018 | POLE FISHING

 POLEFISHINGMAGAZINE.COM

different, though. The ball sinks straight

to the bottom and breaks down slowly.
The maggots will eventually wash away in
fast flow but, importantly, they’re staying
in an area for a period of time, creating a
feeding zone for the fish, where you can
really get them lined up.
Another scenario where this method
scores well is where there are nuisance
bleak present. There is nothing more The tw
twoo ele
lem
emeneent
ns
o Dav
of a e’s feed
feeed
fe d forr Dou
ouble
oub maaggo
ble ggot is aass good
oo
frustrating than getting your bait t daay.
the y. A seco
seco
cond
n bul
nd b k abov
abov
bo e your
o ho ookl
okleng
en tthh
eng a hook
hook
okk bbaait
i as
as any
nyy!
intercepted by a bleak on the way down, cann he
h lp
l you
y gegett tthro
hrough
hroughh th
t e blea
bleak.
k.
when you know there are plenty of decent
fish waiting below. It’s not just conventional
loose feeding than can attract the bleak
though, quite often the tiny bits that fizz off
a ball of groundbait can create problems.
Obviously in a match or team situation
the automatic choice is to fish for bleak,
but if they’re too small or sporadic to fish
for, or it’s a pleasure session like today,

“The stickymag/gravel
method is used regularly
on the powerful rivers of
Europe.”

putting a couple of large balls of

stickymag and gravel can work very The
Th
Thee R
Riiver
iver
veer W
Wyye is
is a ttrrulyy lo
ove
vel
e y sett
etting
ingg.
effectively. It can get a number of fish
feeding on the bottom without the
aforementioned bleak attractants.
An alternative in these scenarios
would be the use of a baitdropper, but
I don’t like this option for a couple
of reasons. Firstly the bait will still be
washed out of the peg quicker, and
secondly I’m not a fan of bouncing
metal things on top of feeding fish –

Roach
Ro ch aree pa
partiial to
to a stic
tickym
tickym
ym
magag att
tttackk.
[INSSET
[IN T] Dave’ss top ‘ssti
tickym
tickym
y agag po
ag’ powwders.
wd
wde s

POLE FISHING | JANUARY 2018 17

Mag On The Pole
A turn up p for
for the
fo the boooks
ks – a
sstttuunni
nninng
ng Riv
River
ivverr Wye
Wye gr
gra
raayl
yyling
ing.
A B
First, clean off all the dust or
maize from your maggots.
they tend not to appreciate it!
The stickymag/gravel method is one
used regularly on the powerful rivers of
Europe, and for me it lends itself perfectly
to our rivers too. It sounds complex but is
really simple to prepare and use, once you
know how. Most importantly you have to
have the right components. Once you have
these, the rest is easy.
STICKYMAG
This product has been around for years
and is available in a variety of forms. I
have used a lot of different ones, but have
found those manufactured using gum
arabic (an edible gum used in a variety of
cooking scenarios) the best. The Italians
are masters of this method so naturally
anything from Italy is generally good. The
Milo one is my favourite.
18 JANUARY 2018 | POLE FISHING
PREPARING STICKYMAG
C D
Pour your desired amount into Add around two parts gravel
a large bucket or mixing bowl. to three parts maggots.
You can pick up the edible gum powders
from certain specialist food stores but it can
be expensive to buy this way. If all else fails,
good old Horlicks will do a job. The sticky
nature of this powdered drink means it will
do a similar job to conventional stickymag.
The type of gravel used needs some
careful consideration. Again I’ve tried
many in various sizes, but the one I’ve
settled on is a fine aquarium gravel. This
mixes with the maggots well so that very
tight streamlined balls can be formed. I get
mine from a pet store but I’m sure there
are many similar products out there.
Many years ago when I first used
stickymag, I used to get in a right mess
with the stuff sticking to my fingers, my
fingers sticking to everything else and really
affecting my fishing. The temptation is to
add too much powder and water to the
mix. If you add too much water initially,
E
Give it a stir and sprinkle on Add around two capfuls of
your stickymag carefully. water and mix, giving it time to
settle before adding more.
you end up adding more powder and the
whole mix becomes unstable.
The first step is to get your maggots
right. I always try and keep bait from the
week previous as it’s generally tougher. It is
important to remove all the excess maize
from them as this will make the powder less
effective.
I simply take three pints of maggots
and add to that two pints of gravel. I then
sprinkle plenty of powder over the top
and mix it around so that all the maggots
and gravel have a coating. I just add a bit
more each time until this is achieved. Once
everything is covered I add my water. This
is the critical part. Too much and the mix
is ruined. A couple of capfuls from a water
bottle is plenty.
I have used atomisers before but find this
sprays water on to the bucket’s sides, which
causes the powder to cling to the sides. By
 POLEFISHINGMAGAZINE.COM

Whhip to hand
Whi
Wh d is
i Daave’
vess favo
avouri
ur tee
uri
app
proa
roach c for am
ch amassassing
assing
ng a wei
weight
ght of
smallll fifissh
sma sh quic
quic
uickly
kly..
kl
kly
[INSET
[INSET]] Tri-
SET Tri-
r Cas
ri C t’ss TrT ilo
ilogy
g Whi
gy hiip is
is the
the
perfecct tool
pe tooll fo
forr the job
job.
If bleak are likely to be, or become a
problem I find it best to put a couple of
decent balls in and also feed some good
amounts of hemp far enough upstream
to land in the same sort of area as the
maggots. This will create a nice little
feeding area and the pattern is usually to
be pestered by bleak for five minutes or
so after the commotion, but soon they
disappear off in front of someone
else who is loose feeding, leaving
you with a free run at the
fish feeding over your area.
You can fish this out for
surprisingly long periods
before reintroducing feed,
sometimes up to 40 minutes.

TODAY’S SESSION
Most features I shoot are not always
putting the water into the bucket this way should be ready and a quick squeeze reflective of conditions I might face in
the moisture stays in the mix. I then give it will form the required tight ball. If it a match situation, but today has been a
a good mix around with my hand. A round requires a bit more water just put a dribble realistic session, in that bleak have been a
bowl is essential. in and leave it again. nightmare. Being one of only a few on the
It is important to be patient with this When the mix is right there’s no need bank has meant they have really homed in
mix. It takes a while for everything to to have any maize at hand to stop the stuff on any bait or activity on the water.
come together, so don’t be tempted to add sticking to your hands. The perfect mix is After an hour, with the bleak getting
more water. After 20 minutes or so the mix when everything is quite loose in the bowl worse, I introduced three big balls of my
but a good squeeze makes a rock stickymag concoction along with about
hard ball. half a pint of hemp, and let it settle. It took
A lo vely
ove ly mmix d net
ixeed
ix net
ne e off th he River Mixing in these quantities about 10 minutes but I was soon stringing
Wye
W stt, allll fa
est
yee’ss finest ffal linng to a
aalling
sttiick
ckymag
cky
sticky
sti rro
magg aapppro
ckyymag
ma oachac o
ac onn the ollee.
tthhe pole.
o
ole creates more than enough for a some nice dace, roach and perch together
session and it’s just down to the – even a grayling got in on the action! Not
day on how you feed it. If it’s in a species you catch every day.
conjunction with groundbait I’ll I was able to fish this way with only
keep popping a small ball in and occasional bleak interceptions for up to
see how they react to it. It will half an hour before repeating the process.
sink very quickly so you’ve got It’s been a lovely session and one that’s
to work out where it’s landing shown that whether it’s a match or pleasure
and make sure your rig is fishing day, deploying a sticky maggots and gravel
over the right spot. approach can transform a peg.

Feeedin
d g hemp
h heavilyy over the top
he ps
hel p dra
dr w extr
extraa fish into the peg.
g

POLE FISHING | JANUARY 2018 19

 Big midweek
matches are few
and far between
these days so when
2016 Maver Match
This and Parkdean
Champion Jon
Whincup agreed
to let us follow him
through the big
money, 100 peg
R & J Pipeworks
match at Decoy
Lakes, we jumped
at the chance.

ISSUE 17 | £3.99 | 32-PAGE MAGAZINE | 80-MINUTE VIDEO

MONTHLY ONLINE VIDEO MAGAZINE

ISSUE 17 ON SALE NOW!

www.matchfishinglive.com
 Mix Of The Month

Pole Fishing asked Bait-Tech and Milo man Andy Neal to

shed some light on his “mix for the coming months”. Here’s
what he came back with…

THE MIX And

Anddy’s
y’ss ‘sspec
for ssccena
for cena
enaario
ecial
rio
iaaal mi
ial
os like
mix’
x iss ide
kke th
this.
i
is
id al
a
The mix I have used almost exclusively
for the majority of my fishing during the
winter months over the past two years has
been a very complicated one, so make sure
you have a pen and paper around to take
notes: It consists of Special ‘G’ Dark… to
which I add a little bit more Special ‘G’
Dark.
That’s right, nothing else!
Having the dark version in a range that
I regard as the highest quality fishmeal
groundbait available now means I don’t
have to ‘faff’ about when it comes to
colouring the mix in clear water, which is
what I would have done in the past using
a combination of the Gold and Green
variations.
We all know that when it comes to
tackling clear water, as is often the case

•1 large bucket or mixing bowl

• 1 bag of Bait-Tech Special ‘G’ Dark
• 1 groundbait whisk (optional)

during the cooler months, a darker mix is

rarely beaten and due to this I prefer to use
darker mixes in the winter time.
Special ‘G’ Dark enables me to have
a huge impact on a swim with very little
volume of bait. Skimmers, F1s, carp and
even big roach all love this stuff and are
drawn to the high-quality fishmeals and
Ittt’’s not
IIt’ ot a com
comp
om
omp
mpllic
liiccat
ateed mix…
ate
ingredients.
I use it for balling in when skimmer
fishing on the pole, tapping in via a pole to give them even less feed content to fill
pot on F1 venues or on a rare occasion themselves up on.
when tackling venues with a large head This mix really does have everything I … butt it’
itss ceerttain
ainly
lyy an
an eff
efffffect
fect
ecccttiv
ivvee on
ive one.
e.
of silvers I am happy to mix it with leam need for winter, all from one bag!

POLE FISHING | JANUARY 2018 21

Try Deep Shallow

Words and pictures: Mark Parker

JUST HOW
SHALLOW ARE
YOU!?
AN GL ER FIL E

BEN HAGG
Age: 25
Lives: Glastonbur y
As temperatures drop, a shallow approach
Sponsors: Guru, Dynami
te Baits may seem out of the question. Guru and
Pole: Daiwa Air
Dynamite Bait star Ben Hagg disagrees
and explains why dropping that bit deeper
VE NU E FIL E
can reignite a ‘shallow’ approach...
HILLVIEW LAKES
kesbury,
Location: Twyning, Tew
Gloucestershire GL20 6JH
ions £8
Day tickets: £9, concess
Contact: 07840 579087
www.hillviewlakes.biz

22 JANUARY 2108 | POLE FISHING

 POLEFISHINGMAGAZINE.COM

Sha
Sha
hallo
allo
llo
low?
w?? A
w Att tthi
this
is
timee of
tim of thee year…
yeeaar…
yea r…
surrel
sur ely
l not
not?
no t?

S
hallow fishing is one discipline
that many anglers get consistently
wrong. In fact, as water
temperatures begin to drop this
statement becomes increasingly
more true.
The main problem is that they start the
session on the deck until they begin to
get line bites and missed chances. At this
point, most try fishing for a few minutes at
12 inches deep, catch nothing, decide the
fish aren’t really shallow and so go back to
struggling to catch off the bottom again.
Of course, during the summer months
this look at what many would class as
shallow can often produce a few fish, so
many will persevere.
The problem is, in a 6ft deep swim,
like today for example, fishing like this

“Too many anglers

associate the words
‘shallow fishing’ to mean
18 inches or less.”
you have just missed out a huge chunk of
mid-layer water where the fish are feeding
well and confidently, even in cooler water
conditions.
“Too many anglers associate the words
‘shallow fishing’ with meaning that you
need to fish at a depth of 18 inches or less,
regardless of whether your swim is two feet
or 20 feet!” said Dynamite Baits-sponsored
Ben Hagg.
“The correct way to look at shallow
fishing is to think that as soon as you set
your rig to fish off the bottom, even by one
inch, you are technically shallow fishing.
And so, if you don’t work the individual
depths of the water correctly, you will never
maximise your catch.”
Ben is an angler who likes to view the
water in front of him in 3D, not just ‘on the
bottom’ or ‘just under the surface’.
For the 26-year-old Glastonbury-based
rod, the rule is if you’re getting indications
on the float, then the fish are obviously
in the swim. This means they will be
competing with each other for food and
due to this competition they will start to
come off the bottom to intercept your
loose feed, hence the amount of line bites
you are getting.
This is as true as the temperature drops

POLE FISHING | JANUARY 2108 23

Try Deep Shallow

Even whenh ‘d deep

eeeep
ep ssh
hal
aalllllow
ow
ow’
w’
slappi
piingg can be
be eefffec
eccttiv
tiivi ee..

“Although it seems best to target these species with an ‘on the deck’ rig, all
fish will feed up in the water if it allows them to be the first to the free feast.”
Been often
Ben
Be often
ofte ‘‘w wiin
ind
nnddmil
mi ls’
mi s hi
s’ his Rattli
Rat tling
tl
tlingg the
t po pole
le tip
le ipp on n tth
he suur
urf
rface
rf
fac
ace
ace
bbai
ba aited
ai ed
d rriig to make
makeakee thhe off tth
o the
hee waatererr w
wiill
illll oft
oftenen bri
en bring
ingg bit
bites
bite
es
ho
hoo ook bait
oo it so
ouundnnd
d liike
ke wheh n shal
hen sha
hallow
hallow
hal ow fishi
shi h ng
nng.
gg.
onnee of
one of the
the frre
th ree
eebiees he’s ’s
feeed
fee
eeeeddin
ing
in
ngg..

deep swim. Although most anglers would

as it is in the height of summer, albeit to a
lesser extent.
This is particularly pertinent when
fishing for F1s. Even in the depths of
winter they will feed when every other fish
seems to have turned off.
For Ben, there are simply no excuses for
sitting biteless because you are fishing your
hook bait overdepth.
To demonstrate, Ben invited the cameras
to spend the day with him at Hillview
Lakes near Tewkesbury where the young
Dynamite Baits and Guru ace set about
emptying the water in front of him.
species with an ‘on the deck’ rig, all fish
will feed up in the water if it allows them to
be the first to the free feast.
Feeding little and often and combining
this simple feed pattern with a very delicate
rig can see Ben drawing fish from a long
way off, before driving them into a feeding
frenzy.
“Even in the winter, I’ll still fish shallow,”
said Ben. “One example is when fishing in
deep water. I could spend a large part of
my session fishing eight feet deep in a 10ft
not class eight feet as being shallow, in
this respect it is as the rig is being fished
two feet underdepth. It’s just the same
principle as if I were popping up bread off
the bottom on a bomb rig.”
This is what Ben refers to as being “deep
shallow”, but the buzzword here is still that
he is fishing “shallow”.
“Anglers have to get the idea out of their
heads that fishing shallow means your hook

WHY FISH SHALLOW AS THE

WATER COOLS?
Even though the majority of
stillwaters are filled with bottom
feeding fish like carp, F1s, bream,
tench and even barbel, these are overly
stocked venues and the fish have learnt
that if they do not compete for food, they
go hungry.
A fin-
n-pper
pe fec
pe fe t F1.
Although it seems best to target these

24 JANUARY 2108 | POLE FISHING

 POLEFISHINGMAGAZINE.COM

bait is set to fish in the top layers of the

swim!” Ben states abrubtly.
“As long as the hook bait is off the
bottom, that in essence is shallow fishing.”
The other main parts to shallow fishing
are finding the fish and then following
them throughout the session.
Depending upon the species, various fish
could also be sat at different depths in the
same feed area.
By constantly adjusting the depth that
your rig fishes at, it means that you will Accura
Accura
rraate
te loo
lo se
se fee
feedin
fe dingg is esse
s nnti
ss tiaal
al.l.
quickly be able to locate the depth at which
the fish want to be on that given day.
“Never try to force the fish to feed where Ben
e iss a big biigg
fan
ann of
of grgreyy
you want them to,” Ben explained. “It to
top
opp kkiitts.
o tsss.

Ben
B en
n us
uses
ess the
th
h
neew
new
ew Gu
Guru
Gururu sh
ssho
hott
to tri
r m his
his flo
floats
oats
attts

Ben’s
Ben
en’ss 6 No10
o100
Mick W
Mic Wilk
ilk
lkins
inso
inson
in onn
AR float.
AR

Las
a so
sos ar
aree
muc
ucch neat
nea
eaterer
thann bait
tha ba bands
is always more effective to ascertain the
depth they are happy to sit at and then you
go to them with a rig fished at that same
corresponding depth.”
STARTING POINT
“The reason the deck is such a good
starting point is that you can read the float
for indications, no matter where in the
water column the fish are sat. The problem
with starting shallow is that there is always
the chance the fish are sat beneath where
you are presenting your rig,” Ben explains.
Ben starts off with a reserved approach
to his feeding. After all, it may be a day
where he catches everything on the bottom
if there aren’t many fish willing to feed,
in which situation creating competition is
much more difficult.
“You can’t take out what you have put in,”
he says, knowing full well he’s pulled that
straight from the cliché bank.
Ben is constantly looking for signs. The
more you put into your fishing the more
you will get out of it. Once he starts to get a
few signs and fish, he is then able to better
work out what the fish want and where they
are prepared to feed.
“If I’m on the deck and get a couple of
liners, then I’ll shallow off six inches and
wait to see if I get more liners,” he added.
“I will slowly keep coming up in the water,
doing a bit of detective work. Once you find
the fish they will stay there all day usually.
F1s particularly are notorious for wanting
to be at a certain depth and hell nor high
water will shift them!”
BEN’S SHALLOW SETUP
Elasticwise, he likes to use a 6 to 10 hollow.
This he reckons has a forgiving nature when
hooking the smaller F1s but is still strong
enough to tame a larger one or even the
odd carp.
The main line is 0.17mm N-Gauge to a
0.11mm hooklength. A durable main line
is always better in Ben’s opinion, no matter
the time of the year. “That’s the part that
rubs on the edge of the landing net so will
inevitably wear throughout a session,” Ben
explains. It also allows him to step up if
he’s catching bigger fish without having to
change the whole rig.
His preferred float is a Mick Wilkinson
AR. “Mick makes some quality floats and
the AR is the perfect float for searching
through the water. I have set a couple
today of varying sizes to cover the deck and
at various depths through the column,”
he says, willingly showing the rigs to the
camera. The size 20 LWG hook is tied with
a lasso to band the hard 6mm pellet he is
fishing.
“I think lassos are more subtle, perfect
for F1 fishing,” Ben explained. “Bait bands

POLE FISHING | JANUARY 2108 25

Try Deep Shallow

Enough to put a sm
smile
ille
ile
le onn an
anybo
ybbbo
ody
dy’
dy s face
ace
cee.

Ben po
poses
ses wi
with
thh one
o off thhe manyy
on
chunky
chunky F1
F1ss he
he caug
caug
a hth on the da
day.
y.
[INSET
[INSET]] A ne
SET neatl
atlyy pres
atl pres
resent
ented
ented pel
pellet
let
let.
et.

By regu
By reggula
reg ulaatin
tinng
t e lo
the looses fe feeed
ed,
ed,
you’ll
yo
you ’ll caattch
ch
mor
m ore fish
fisshh.

Ben
Beenn’s
’s 80l
80llb net
80 et

are fine for carp, but I find lassos are always
better when looking for subtle F1 bites in
cool water.”
BAITS AND FEED
With the day being unseasonably mild,
he used 4mm and 6mm hard pellets.
“It’s fishery pellets only here at Hillview
so I have a bag of each size from the
onsite tackle shop – usually I’d be using
Dynamite, but rules are rules!” Ben
declared.
These are fished straight out of the bag,
meaning his approach is as simple as it
gets.
As the water gets cooler, he will feed
4mms rather than the usual 6mms, but he
still likes to use a 6mm on the hook so it
stands out from the rest of thee
loose feed.
“I like to let the fish tell me how to feed
on the day,” Ben said.
“While on the deck I will tap just a few
pellets in at a time and feel my way into
the session, judging the fish’s repose to the
feed. I will also rattle the pole tip on the
surface as it is surprising how often a little
trick like this will spark a bite!”
As stated earlier, Ben started on the deck,
but it quickly became obvious that the
fish didn’t want to be anywhere near the
bottom in his 6ft deep swim.
Adjusting the rig regularly, bringing the
rig up by six inches every time, the 26-year-
old soon found himself fishing half depth.
Once he got to this depth, it was “every
throw a coconut!” The rig would barely
settle at times before the bright yellow
elastic was pouring out of the end of his
pole.
Going all steam ahead for the next few
hours, constantly keeping tabs on his depth
and his feed rate, Ben amassed a weight
of close to 80lb of F1s, with the odd carp
thrown in for good measure by the end of
the session.
“It just goes to show that despite the
water temperature how important fishing
shallow can still be. The majority of my fish
today have come between mid-depth and
12 inches off the deck, an area of the swim
very few people even check! Hopefully I
have demonstrated how effective it can be
and you can try it on your next trip out.”

26 JANUARY 2108 | POLE FISHING

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Cool-Water Canal Roach

Words and photos: Steve Martin

AN GL ER FIL E

SIMON WILLSMORE
Age: 45
Lives: Watford, Hertfor
dshire MAKETHE
MOSTOF
Fin
Sponsors: Rive, Spotted
Pole: 16m Rive R16

VE NU E FIL E

L
GRAND UNION CANA
nd,
Location: Dickinson’s Pou

THESHOAL
ire
near Watford, Hertfordsh
d
Controlling club: Watfor
Piscators
le on
Day tickets: £4, availab
the bank
il.com
Contact: watfordpisc@gma
.co.uk
wwww.watfordpiscators

Rive’s Simon Willsmore looks at how to catch quickly and keep them
coming on the canal in the cooler months when there are fish in front of you.

A
s less and less boat traffic
passes through our canal
system as the warm weather
leaves us behind, the water
becomes crystal clear, and as
a result the silver fish start to shoal up as
a means of protection against predators.
Swim selection becomes a lottery if you
are looking for a good day’s sport on the
cut, and when it comes to a match, you are
either on them or you’re not!
One positive, however, is that although
many of the boats are moored in marinas,
you will find parts of the canal where they
line the far bank. The extra cover that they
provide is where you are most likely to
find a few fish. Also, if the fish are there in
numbers, they often give themselves away
when the odd one tops as it investigates a
possible morsel of food.
That last clue was clearly the reason why
Rive’s Simon Willsmore chose his swim
when we joined him for a session on the
Grand Union Canal on Dickinson’s Pound
near Watford, in Hertfordshire. The fact
that there were also a number of boats
moored on the opposite side was also a
factor.
“It’s always a good sign to see fish
topping when you arrive, as it’s a clear
indicator that there are fish in the area,”
he pointed out, as two fish splashed to his
right.
Simon then went on to explain that his
plan for the session was to catch fish early
on a short line, while keeping a longer line
primed, closer to the boat across from him,
so that he could look to fish there once the
first line started to peter off.
“When the water is clear, I find it’s best
to try and start short, even if it’s only for
a limited period,” he added. “It’s possible
to catch a lot of fish from the near shelf,
and the longer you can leave the far line it
allows the fish to gain more confidence the
feed over the groundbait.
“I plan to keep it simple today and will be
looking to catch quality fish on the bottom,
so I want to try and focus the fish there. In
the past I have found that they will feed on
the deck more readily when the water is
clear.”
He then added that he would fish punch
short and pinkie over groundbait long, and

Moo
M oore reed
redd bbo o
oaats offfer a san
a ct
cctu
ttuary
aryy
ar
ttoo ssil
siilver
ver
veer fifish
sh
hw whe
heen the canal
cannal
al iss
ruuunnnin
rrun ni g clea
ni cleaeaarr..

28 JANUARY 2018 | POLE FISHING

 POLEFISHINGMAGAZINE.COM

Sta
taartt wwitth an init
initial
nittia
ial
a fefeede off a laargrg
rg
rge Ann ini
A niitia
ti l feed
d of
of fifive
ve bal
ve baallss wil
wiill
wi
The
Thehe liliqui
quidis
uidis
dis
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i ed
ed cru
crumb b iiss rid
r ddle dleed The h reesul
sulti tin
tiinng llarg
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artic
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icles
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fir mlllyy sq
mly s uee
ueezed
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tartin
ta tingg thee ses
tin sseessio
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on,
n, wo
wou ouuld
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kklly fill
filll up
up sm
small
all som
some
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cles
es too br
bbre
reakk awawaay as
w
way freeebi
freebi
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draw
aw thee fish
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move
ovvee any larg
rgge paart rrtticl
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sil ve s ifif leeftt in
ver in ththe feed
eed.. it sin
sinks.
kss.
ks. dow wn to the he bbot
otttomomm.

with both lines he would fish away from the and explained that it’s a good option if you was better when swinging the rig out as the
deepest water, as now that the boat traffic feel that the fish are put off by a pole tip extra stiffness helped to avoid tangles. On
had lessened a lot of rubbish would have hovering above their heads. He also added the same subject, the rig itself was attached
accumulated in the main channel, and he that it’s better to use a longer whip, so that to a short length of a higher diameter
wanted to avoid the mini snags and leaves you are not reaching to stay in contact with mono to prevent it twisting around the tip,
that had collected there. the float. a common problem that can occur when
“There’s a little natural left to right flow “It’s doesn’t hurt to fish with a slightly using fine lines.
on this section of the canal, as it’s fed by a slack line if you are able to sit comfortably Plumbing up is also a little fiddly with a
small river, so by keeping clear of the deep on your box,” he explained. “The extra whip, as you are not able to hold the tip
water I know that I will be fishing over a line also enables you to swing the rig out, above the float.
clear bottom,” he pointed out. “This part of beyond the feed, and then draw it back so “I find it best to swing the rig out and
the canal runs through a chalky area – the that it settles on the slope with everything then ease it back to where I plan to pot
river close by is classed as a chalkstream – laid straight out. The other advantage is in the feed,” he explained. “You need to
so there’s only a light covering of silt on you are able to keep the tip away from the ensure that the line is slack, so that the
the bottom here too, so even if a boat does catch zone.” float sits just under the surface with no
come by today it’s unlikely to cause much The whip setup was similar to Simon’s tension on the line. That way you can
disturbance to the water colour.” 0.5g punch rig except that the main line have confidence that the float is set to the
Simon had set up two rigs for his punch was 0.12mm mono, which he explained correct depth on the slope.”
line. The first consisted of a 0.5g Rive
243 pencil-style float, set on 0.10mm Rive
Power Rig mono, and it was shotted with
a bulk of seven No10s, plus trimmers, and
two No10 droppers. The hooklength was 15 PINK
PINK
KIE RIG
G PU
UN
NC
CH RI
RG
centimetres of 0.08mm Rive Hooklength
mono and a size 20 Kamasan B511 hook.
0.44g Rive
R 216 floaat 0.5g Rive
0.5g Rive 24
2433 floa
fl at
The second rig was a lighter version of the (0.
0 3g for
f lilight
h er rig
rig))
first, which had a 0.3g 243 float with a bulk
of four No10s, plus a No11 and trimmers,
and three No11 droppers.
Both rigs were attached to solid No4 Rive
elastic, and plumbed up so that they fished 0.10mm 0.12mm
0.12mm
six inches up the nearside slope, away from Power Rig Pow
ower
er Rig Thhese
The se arare
re th
re thee
possible snags. bononnusu fish that att
yyou
ouu’rere lo
re looki
king
ng
“I will start on the heavier rig, but switch to drad w out
to the lighter one if I find that the fish get from uunnder
from
fro nnde
d r tthe
de h
he
a little finicky, and I start to miss bites,” he bo
boa
oaatsts on
on the
thh
llon
lo
on
o gerr liline
ne.
ne.
e
pointed out.
Along with the two pole rigs, Simon had S en
Sev
No10s plus
also set up a 4m whip for the punch line, trimmers
Eight No10s plud
tri
riimmers

“I plan to keep it simple Thr No111

Three Two No100
today and will be droppers droppe
pp rs

looking to catch quality 15c 0.074mm

15cm
R e hook
Riv hooklen
m
length
gth
15cm 0.08
.08mm
Rive hook
Rive
m
hooklen
length
gth
fish on the bottom.” Sizee 22
Siz 22 Milo
Milo J2
J 2
Kamasa
Kam
Sizee 20
Siz
sann B511
B511
20

Far sh
shelf
elf

POLE FISHING | JANUARY 2018 29

Cool-Water Canal Roach

Bo
Boa
oats
ts offer
offffeerr a saf
of afe
fe zone
zone
zone inn cle
c ar wat
water
er

Lo
Lon
Lo
onng line
ine: GB
GB and
and
nd pi
pin
inkie
kkiies

Brrreead
Bre ead
ad lin
lliin
nee:: sho
shho
sh ort
rt po
ppol
olle and
o nd w
whi
wh
hip

Naat
N
Nat
atura
uurraal flo
ow
w of
of ccaanal
naa

It was just the single rig for the pinkie
line across on the far shelf, and that
consisted of a 0.4g Rive 216 pattern
float, set on 0.10mm Rive Power Rig
mono, which was shotted with a bulk of
eight No10s plus trimmers and three
No11 droppers. The hooklength was 15
centimetres of 0.074mm diameter Rive
Hooklength with a size 22 long-shank Milo
J22 hook. The rig was attached to No2 solid
Rive elastic, and this time plumbed up to
fish halfway up the far shelf.
“I’m confident that once
the feed becomes less
active the better roach
will arrive.”
Staying with the long line, Simon’s
groundbait recipe for the session was a bag
each of Rive Didier Delannoy Surface and
Gardon Noir, which created a fine, dark
feed with little food content, designed to
attract roach in particular.
“You want to mix it so that it’s a
little heavy and binds with not too
much pressure, so that it breaks
down as it lands on the slope,” Simon
pointed out. “I want the line to be a
bit of a slow burner that pulls in and
keeps the fish occupied while I focus
on the bread line.”
Moving on to the bread, Simon had
prepared plenty of liquidised feed but it
needed a little extra sieving to remove any
overly large particles. To do this he had
tool that you would normally find at an
archaeological dig.
“I’ve been looking for a decent fine-
mesh sieve for a while, as a pinkie riddle is
too coarse and a flour sieve too fine,” he
pointed out. “I found this on the internet.
It’s used by archaeologists to sieve through
mud and sand and is perfect for sorting out
liquidised bread too.”
There was also another little ‘secret’ that
Simon decided to share, and that was he
would add a teaspoon of custard power to
every four slices of bread he processed.
“I find that not only does it add a little
vanilla flavour to the bread, which roach
seem to like, but it also helps with the
liquidising process too,” he added.
To get the session under way, Simon fed
a big ball of crumb on the short line.
“You need to squeeze the ball so that
most of the bread sinks to the bottom, but
not so compressed that it’s too firm and
doesn’t break down quickly, and some
particles fall off as it sinks to create a trail
through the water,” he
continued.
To prime
the pinkie
line, Simon
fed five balls of groundbait that he had
loaded with pinkies, so that when the balls
‘melted’, there was a carpet of freebies
sitting in the middle of each mound.
“I don’t plan to loose feed because it is
likely to draw in smaller fish like bleak and
tiny roach. I want to focus on catching a
better quality of fish on the bottom, so by
creating little pockets of pinkies in the feed
you don’t concentrate all the fish in one
place,” he added.
Simon commented on the importance
of getting the bait presentation right, as
he slipped a 4mm disc of bread on the
hook for the first time. A good size when
targeting canal roach, he added.
“I’m looking to get a better fish with
every put-in, and there are always going to
be smaller specimens around,” he pointed
out. “I have worked out a way to get the
bait through them and quickly on the
bottom.
“I ship out with the rig held out of the
water so that I can place the bulk over the
feed. I then lower the rig until the float is
about six inches out of the water, hold it
there and wait for the droppers to settle,
count to five and then drop the rig in.
“This causes the bait, which has
expanded a little, to sink quickly past the

Roa
oaacch/
o h/bre
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A 4mm
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all-ro
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-round
und
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on a clcleea
ear
ar-wa
-water
ter ca
canal
nal..

30 JANUARY 2018 | POLE FISHING


smaller fish, and attract the better roach as
it falls.”
It’s a sound approach, as Simon was soon
catching 4in roach and an odd roach/
bream hybrid.
“Bites often come very quickly with
punch, so it helps if you can get into a
rhythm to increase the frequency with
which you catch,” he commented. “I like
to keep the punch in my hand so that I
can quickly reload it once my rig’s in the
water.
“It takes a bit of practice, but it allows
caan
ccan
you to re-bait as soon as you’ve unhooked
a fish, so that you are out of the water for
as short a time as possible.”
After a frenetic first 15 minutes the
bites started to slow a little, and with 20
minutes on the clock Simon chose to
re-feed with a ball half the size of his
original ball of crumb.
“I would normally look to top up after
20 minutes, whether the bites drop off or
not,” he explained. “Smaller fish turning
up, or a drop-off in bites might indicate
that you have to do it a little earlier, but
20 minutes is a good marker especially
if I think that there are plenty of fish
around, and all the indications are that
there are.”
The action soon picked up again, and
this prompted Simon to switch to the
whip for the first time.
“The plus side of using a whip is that
you are able to pluck fish out of the
water a lot quicker than with a pole,” he
pointed out. “The negative side is that
you cannot be as accurate, so to ensure
that I’m pretty close I like to swing the
rig out underarm, beyond the line, and
gently draw the float back and gauge
where the feed is before allowing the
bait to settle.
“You cannot be too aggressive when you
do this, as there is the likelihood that you
could pull the hook from the punch as you
drag it through the water.”
The switch saw mainly small roach, plus
the odd bleak landed, and although Simon
had slightly improved on his catch rate it
didn’t match the quality he had caught on
the pole.
“I’m having to hold the rig back against
the natural flow, and that’s affected the
presentation somewhat,” he commented.
“I’ve fished here a lot, and the roach
definitely prefer that little bit of movement
of the bait as it drifts towards them.
“The bites are quite shy too so I’m
missing a few due to the slack line. It’s just
not right yet to catch well on the whip.
Hopefully it will get better later, as it is the
POLEFISHINGMAGAZINE.COM
best option to catch quickly.” where the conditions aren’t so critical it’s
After a further helping of liquidised an important addition, especially when
crumb was added Simon switched back to there are a lot of fish in front of you.”
the pole, but this time he opted to fish the Simon continued to plunder the
lighter, 0.3g setup to see if that helped to roach short until the first boats of the
improve his strike rate, and as a result he session passed over his punch line, which
had a good run of small roach plus a bonus prompted a switch to the long pole.
hybrid. “I’m going to leave it a while before
feeding more crumb short as the water
needs to settle,” he explained. “There
Hi po
Hi
His posit siit
siti ive
itive
vee apppro ro
oach
achh
ac
mad
mad
ma ade it po oss
os sssibl
ssibl
iblle fo
orr are fish on the groundbait now that it
Siimon
Sim
i o onn to t aama ammass ss thi
thh s has become inert. It only attracted the
cra
crack
rack
ccki
king
ing
ng 113l 1333llb net
nett of
of smaller fish while it was fizzing. There
a aall si
ssiliillver
vveeerrss..
are better quality fish now grazing on
the bottom. Double pinkie is certainly
picking out the best roach.”
The mood of the canal also seemed
to change after the boats as it had a lot
more movement, which affected the fish
on the nearside line especially.
“It looks like there are few more boats
around, as the water is moving both
ways,” Simon pointed out, as his punch
rig started to move to the left, when he
went short again. “The fish really don’t
like it!”
The pinkie line had now started to
dominate the action, and to keep the
roach interested Simon fed a smaller
ball of groundbait with a core of pinkies,
as soon as the bite rate slowed. He
continued to feed and look on the punch
line, but after three more boats passed
close to his bank he made the call to
concentrate on the longer line for the
remainder of the session.
“I would have liked the punch line
to have lasted longer, as it’s a sure-fire
tactic to put fish in the net quickly,” he
concluded at the end of the session. “The
whip was a little hit and miss today, due to
the conditions, but I would recommend
that you consider using one, especially
With an hour gone the when the water is gin clear.
short line was fed once more, and for the “The pinkie line came into its own later
first time in the session Simon had a look on in the session after the boats, as the fish
the long line with pinkie. This resulted in a had the cover on the boat on the far side to
number of small roach and bleak, so it was give them a bolt-hole if they spooked. They
back to the short pole. actually fed with loads of confidence, and I
“There are a lot of small fish over caught some good size roach too. I reckon
the groundbait at the moment, but I’m I’ve 13lb-plus in the net.
confident that once the feed becomes “I didn’t re-feed any groundbait until two
less active the better roach will arrive,” he hours after those five big balls, but once
commented. the fish were there I added a small ball with
The next 50 minutes saw Simon catch pinkies about every 15 to 20 minutes, and
steadily on the punch, switching between that kept them feeding right up to the end.
pole and whip. However, a right to left “I fed a lot, when you consider that it’s a
breeze on the water had again affected his canal at the back end of autumn heading
presentation on the latter by countering the into winter, but if you are on fish you need
light flow, as the bites were not as frequent. to encourage them to feed and stay in front
“I don’t think it’s a day for the whip,” he of you, so you have to be positive with your
concluded. “On another day, and/or venue, approach to get the best from the swim.”
POLE FISHING | JANUARY 2018 31
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Darren Cox

Top match angler Darren Cox begins a new

monthly column in which he shares his thoughts
about improving your pole fishing performance.

“My view is: ‘If you think it,

then do it’, because I believe
that’s my angling brain sending
me a message.”

O
ver so many years of match
fishing I have witnessed
some amazing feats of
angling, where anglers from
all styles of competition
fishing have ‘pulled out all the stops’ and
done something really special! These times
are rare, though, and often a good peg
with a decent angler on it will usually win.
However, put a top-class angler on a good
peg and he is virtually sure of winning!
Well, that’s obvious, you might say, but what
makes it obvious?
In my opinion there are many factors.
First and foremost, the angler has skill,
and normally a vast knowledge he has
gained from experience over the years.
Most anglers have a good memory and can
remember what they did last time in similar
circumstances, be they weather conditions,
the peg form, what baits they used and
suchlike. They can reference that memory
to the current situation and convert it into
results. It is that inner desire to win, to get
things perfect, to get the very best result
possible every time they sit down.
When I am talking to anglers I often use
the phrase: “Don’t make do”. I see this far
too often in fishing situations. We have all
done it, we have all said to ourselves: “I

34 JANUARY 2018 | POLE FISHING

 POLEFISHINGMAGAZINE.COM

aakke thhee ttim

Tak
T
Ta ime to geett
tiim
ouur rol
o
you
yo olllllleerr pos
o ppoos ittiioni
o it
iti ng
onniing it is to sit down at my peg on my box and
rig
ri
rigght
ight make
ht – it wiliillllll ma ke yo o a
you
you work out the following: Where am I likely
mo
m o fficie
orre effi annnggler
nt aang
ient er.
leer
to be fishing in the swim? What distance?
Fishing at 16 metres and six metres will
require totally different positioning. For
example, when fishing a ‘top two plus two’
short carp meat line I like to have a roller
close enough and slightly to my right so
that I can ship back, sweep the fish away
from the swim and unship two sections,
which then sit safely on the roller and in
my pole sock while I play the fish. On some
venues this can be your front roller for the
long-pole line, but often it is too close and
gets in the way for me. So if I am fishing
very long at 16 metres I will want two
rollers specifically for that.
You also have to consider the length of
the rig you will be using. I like to trail my
rigs in and out on top of the water as
Diifffer
Dif
D fe eent
nt po
nt pollee len
leeennggt
gth
tths it dramatically reduces tangles – it’s
should do that or change to reequir
req uuire differe
iififfffffere
eerrreent
nt
nt what most anglers do. So think about
rolle
rroller
eerr po
posi
sit ition
it io
onnss..
o
that.” But how many of you it if you are fishing tight to an island
actually do it then and there? or shallow long; then your pole tip will
My view is: “If you think it, need to be very close to the water when
then do it”, because I believe shipping, so the roller positioning may
that’s my angling brain need to be high at the back roller to
sending me a message. My bring the tip down, especially if you are
brain is working things out sat on a platform high up off the water.
without me consciously feeling However, it will need to be just high
like I am doing it. enough to take a big loaded pole pot
That is what many will call if you intend to use one, otherwise
natural ability, but I believe you will have issues when it comes to
it’s brain training from feeding as the pole will bend and the
years of good practice and pot will dip into the water. In deeper
thinking about what is going water you have more rig to drag in the
t ti
on and trying to interpret the situation. water so the pole can be higher off the
It’s a bit like driving a car and doing things through the motions? There are many little water than with a shallower rig. But if you
automatically because you have done it so things that seem insignificant at the time are using both then you need to set the
many times before; but I also believe that if but I constantly see anglers doing things position to suit both.
you don’t listen to what your angling brain wrong, and they know they are wrong but Generally, I like to keep my rollers as low
is telling you then you miss out, big time! don’t change. as I can as I believe that it keeps the pole
Firstly, because you will never know if Here is one of the very basic but most safer, but there are times where you need
that change would have worked. Secondly, common examples of what I mean: Pole to work over, under or around obstacles
if it does then that will lead to success and roller positioning. such as trees, walls and fences, even other
possibly on to the next decision-making Yes, we all get it wrong now and again, anglers. So you must be flexible in how you
step, triggering a chain of events that will even the top anglers! But what sets them set them up and work to the environment
certainly teach you more lessons. apart is that when they realise their rollers rather than having a set position every time
The worst case is that it doesn’t work, but are set incorrectly they will get off their box you go out.
then you have eliminated that option and and sort them quickly rather than make do. The best positioning of your rollers is
can move on in another way. Ignore those How many times have you thought, it will what suits where you are fishing at the
signals and that is the slow road to disaster, be okay? Then 10 minutes later you ship time. Can you ship in and out smoothly
in my opinion. out and the pole end drops off your back and quickly, feed and land fish comfortably
If you are ‘going through the motions’ roller, and you either tangle your rig or without any issues? If so, then it’s correct.
in match fishing, then you will be very empty your pot of feed in completely the If not, then get off your box and sort it
lucky to do well in this day and age, where wrong part of the swim. Or even worse than quickly!
fishing tackle is at its very best and most that, it results in bumping fish or losing a You may be saying that this is all
people have the best poles and every other big fish because they weren’t quite right! I common sense, but so many anglers don’t
item that gives them an advantage. Now see it happen regularly at all levels. make those changes when they should.
the only advantages are the angler using it There is no science to getting it right as Don’t be one of them, don’t make do.
and the peg you draw. there are so many variables, and again it If you think it, then do it and become a
So why do so many anglers simply go comes down to experience. The way I do better angler!

POLE FISHING | JANUARY 2018 35

Maast
M
Master
ast
steerr T
The
he A
he Art
rrtt o
off FFe
Feeding
eedin
edin
ed ing

AN GL ER FIL E

JON ARTHUR
Age: 41
Lives: Oxford
Team: Drennan Oxford
Pole: Acolyte Carp

VE NU E FIL E

WHITE ACRES HOLIDAY

PARK
Location: White Cross,
4LW
Newquay, Cornwall TR8
Contact: 01726 862519
www.reel-news.com

THE ART OF

Do you dump it, pot it, throw it or drip it? Jon Arthur sheds
some light on some of the whens, hows and whys of feeding.

I
t took me years to appreciate just
how many different ways of feeding
we have at our disposal. It then took
me just as many seasons to learn the
effects that each can have on your
catch rate. Although I don’t always get it
right, I definitely see patterns emerge that
work very well on numerous venues.
I suppose a canal background taught me
the importance of little-and-often feeding
and keeping a constant column of bait
going in the swim via a catapult. That was
the key to attracting everything that swims,
but that’s not always the desired outcome
on a commercial.
When I progressed to carp lakes, it wasn’t
a benefit to have all those small fish in your
swim beating the carp to the grub. I soon
appreciated how ‘big potting’ much larger
volumes of bait at intervals helped to single
out those bigger specimens. Dump feeding
like this was generally done with baits like
corn, meat, worms and casters.
Then pellets rose to dominance, and
lakes full of F1s weren’t far behind. Once
again we were back to little and often
feeding, but typically with a tighter focus
via a pole-mounted Kinder pot or very
accurately pinging with a catty.
Now that pellets dominate the scene
the days of dump feeding have fizzled out
somewhat, replaced by frugal dripping – or
starving fish on to the hook, as I like to call
it!
I think there are several reasons for
this abrupt change. Firstly, the fish have
got older and big carp don’t need to
eat as often as younger fish. Secondly,
pellets are from the aquaculture industry
and designed to provide all of a fish’s
nutritional requirements in as small a
package as possible. In short, they fill fish
up much quicker. Thirdly, most venues are
really silty nowadays, so a lighter feeding
approach ensures less bait gets buried in all
that ‘chod’. I suppose there’s also fashion
to think about and when star names
champion a specific way to feed it’s only
natural for everyone to follow their lead.
Thankfully, pellets are not the be-all and
end-all, but they’ve been pivotal in helping

36 JANUARY 2018 | POLE FISHING

 PO
P
POLEFISHINGMAGAZINE.COM
O LE
L E FI
LEF F I SH
S H ING
ING M
IN MAAGA
G A ZI
Z I NE
N E.C
COOM
OM

LLarge and visuaal,

perfect for
bypas
a sing
i a lake’s
s lleer resi
sma r ide
den
e ts.
s

There are a
number of ways
to introduce corn
into your swim.

“Sweetcorn is an ideal choice to demonstrate a

number of different feeding ideas in a session.”
nuisance little roach in front of me, too, session. It’s an ideal scenario for talking
and this often offers the biggest challenge. you through a typical short-pole session,
It’s no longer just about getting bites; it’s breaking the session down in to stages, and
about getting the right fish to bite. my thinking behind it all.
This lake normally responds
well to a short-pole attack –
usually around five or six
metres out – and it’s quite
possible to make this close-
in swim work for an entire

me to understand how to feed other baits

effectively. Today, for instance, I’m at Twin
Oaks on the fantastic White Acres
complex in Cornwall, and solely
going to use sweetcorn. This was
by far one of the most effective
baits in the last two festivals I
fished down here.
Sweetcorn is a large and visual bait that is
actually not very filling. This gives you the
best of both worlds; it helps to bypass a lot
of the nuisance fish but doesn’t fill big fish
up as quickly as pellets. It’s an ideal choice
to demonstrate a number of different
feeding ideas in a single session.
Today’s peg will hopefully hold chunky The
Thhhese
s aree th t e sor
ort of
ort of fifish
F1s, bream and skimmers as well as the y wi
you willll oft
oftten
en loo
llo
o
ook to targ
a et
on com
on ommm merrcia
c l fisheri
shheri
e es! e
lake’s notorious carp. There will be lots of

POLE FISHING | JANUARY 2018 37

Master The Art of Feeding

STAGE 1 – BE CRAFTY
I have loads of success adopting a stealthy
approach at the start of sessions. This is a
great way to fool one or two big ’uns
early doors. I think there are
always a few fish spread out in
front of everyone at the start,
it’s only after a few get caught
that they begin to back off and
congregate together.
There’s also a train of thought
that suggests feeding any amount
of bait at the start will quickly draw in
stacks of unwanted silvers into the swim. Plopp in
Plo in just
us twt o
By holding right back at the beginning orr thr
h ee ggraains
a the
at he st
start
artt of a
you allow these nuisance fish to head sessio
ses sion.
sio n.
straight for the anglers who have fed more [INNSET
ET]]
grub. This leaves the area in front of you A stea
steaalth
lthyy
approa
app roachch can
a much safer haven for bigger and craftier workk late
wor laterr in
in
specimens. Food for thought? t da
the d y.
y
My favourite way to kick off is to simply
plop in just two or three loose offerings
and accurately follow it down with your Acres there’s a strict eight-pint limit, so
hook bait. It never ceases to amaze me you don’t want to feed too much too soon
how many big carp you can fool like this. and then run out! Obviously that’s not so
It might be just one or two fish, but it’s a important today, but it nevertheless shapes
great start and sets you up brilliantly for my thinking.
the rest of the day. And why fill it in so early if it’s
unnecessary? I think feeding too much, too
soon can actually work against you. Instead,
STAGE 2 – DRIPPING
After one or two early fish you’ll then need
to feed a bit more grub to attract a bite.
I still like to hold back a bit at this stage
however, feeling my way into a session
and assessing what kind of day it will be. If “This is where the fun part begins for me
other anglers are nearby you can also use as I can finally open the floodgates and
their catch rate as a barometer.
Another reason to hold back is give ’em some grub!”
bait limits. In matches at White

just drip modest amounts of bait in and

see what effect it has. Then you can decide
whether or not to double the dose.
My favourite pot for dripping is a bit of a
hybrid. It consists of the body of a Frenzee
Soft Pot and the lid from a We-Products
Smart Feeder pot. This combo is ideal
This Twin OaOaksks car
carpp for feeding controlled amounts without
fell victim to a craf
crafafty
ty spilling.
start to Jon
Jon’s
’s day
day..

38 JANUARY 2018 | POLE FISHING

 POLEFISHINGMAGAZINE.COM

Ski
Skkimme
kim rss are
mm are pap rtrt an
and
and d ppaarce cceel of a
corrn appr
co
cor ppppr
pro oac
oaaach.
h.
[[IN
NSSET
ET
ET]
T] Choo
hoosee ccar
caaarrefu
eeffu
fully
lllllyy w
whhen en tth
the
hhee
Cad
C
Caaad
d Po
ot and
nd big
biiig po
pot
ot com ome
mee in
m intoto pla
playy..

STAGE 3 – STEALTH are on the day.

By this point in the session the silver
fish will probably have also found your
bait. These will be more numerous than
the carp and home in on any bait you
feed. This is when it sometimes becomes
essential to sneak in the bait without
making any noise. This may sound
counterproductive, but I’m now convinced
there are times when the small fish will
respond to any rattle on the surface while
the bigger specimens are put off by it.
Perhaps because they are jostled out of
the way by the sheer number of greedier
smaller fish?
Sneaking it in doesn’t alert fish to its
presence, so it allows it a bit more time to
reach the deck. The only other alternative
would be to feed twice as much bait to
guarantee some gets there, but that could
encourage fish at all levels when I really
want them down on the bottom, where they
are easiest to catch.
If I feel this is the case then the first
thing I will do is refrain from throwing
any bait at all. Instead I will pot it in via a
Cad Pot, but rather than doing this from
a height I will sneak it into the water. The
mesh holes really help the bait to eject
without any sticking. Feeding like this goes
against all my normal feeding urges, but the
outcome more than justifies it.
STAGE 4 – BIG POTTING
I often get to a stage where dripping in feed
or sneaking it in isn’t having the desired
effect any more. This is where the fun part
begins for me as I can finally open the
floodgates and give ’em some grub!
You still don’t want to do this too liberally,
though. Instead, I like to feed a third to half
a large 250ml pole pot to begin with and
see what happens. This could be the perfect
amount, but other days it could escalate to
a full 250ml potful dumped in. It usually
depends on how much silver-fish trouble
you’re having and/or how hungry the carp
I like to gauge the effect of one pot of
feed before feeding again. If you can catch
two or three fish off each potful that’s
great, but generally it’s a case of feed, catch
a fish and then repeat.
Where I see many people go wrong at
this stage is feeding and then not feeding
again for ages, thinking there’s still a load
of bait in the swim. Big carp have big gobs
and can wolf half a tin of corn down in
seconds if they want to!
STAGE 5A – NEW SWIM
After some success ‘filling it in’ you’ll
probably begin to foul-hook the odd fish or
spook them from playing fish at such close
quarters. The silt could also be kicking up
big time and creating a billowing cloud that
makes it much harder for a fish to find your
hook bait.
At this point I’d consider starting a new
swim a short distance away from all the
commotion. That is why I invariably plumb
two swims of the same depth at the start
of a session, one to the left and one to the
right. I only feed one to begin with but the

POLE FISHING | JANUARY 2018 39

Master The Art of Feeding

Making
Mak ing
ngg rreegu
gul
u arr
ch
cha
h nge
gees to
to his
his fee
feedin
d ngg
din
allowe
allowed
owe d Jon
Jon to kee
keepp
fish comi
fish comim ng all
a l da
day.

STAGE 6 – ALL-OUT BAGGING

As the light drops and a session draws
towards an end, especially in match
conditions, the fish tend to rock up big-
style. Once this happens you can forget
the negative and frugal feeding. Now those
quality carp have thrown caution to the
wind and are after a feast. At this point the
resident silvers also tend to back off as the
big boys are now well and truly in town!
The last hour of any session often
transforms into a speed race where you
can really attack the peg. Carefully filling
and shipping out a pot of bait can waste
valuable seconds, and that’s when I’d revert
to throwing in bait instead, but sometimes
still in conjunction with an occasional
potful to help concentrate them.
Rather than throw the bait on top of
your float as you’re fishing you’ll foul
hook fewer fish if you wait until you hook
a fish before feeding. I generally like to
throw a decent amount of bait, say around
Ano
othe
her Twin
n 30 grains of corn and then another 30 in
Oaks brui
Oak r ser to
en th
end t e session
i ! quick succession. I find I’m more accurate
feeding these 60 grains in two salvos, plus
the double rattle really helps to pull in
more carp.
This way of feeding is rarely as effective at
the start of a session, or even mid-session.
It’s that last 90 minutes to an hour when
you can go at it all guns blazing!

second one is always there on standby for a
scenario such as this.
Again, I will generally start quite
negatively before reaching for the big pot.
Don’t ignore the original swim, but let it
settle down before going back there. In an
ideal world you’ll end up with two swims
that you can now happily rotate between.
STAGE 5B – IN OR OUT
Instead of Stage 5A, a slightly different
route is to see if the fish are a bit closer or
further out.
The colder it goes the more I’d expect
quality fish to back off. Trying a pole
CONCLUSION
As you can see, there’s a lot more to
making a short-pole swim work than doing
the same thing from start to finish. Similar
theories can be applied to almost any bait
and any part of the swim.
The result today has been well over 100lb
of carp, a few quality skimmers and bream,
plus some of the biggest F1s I’ve ever seen
in this lake! Hopefully I’ve given you some
nice ideas for your next outing. Good luck!
section further out can often put you
straight back in touch with a few fish.
I often maintain the heavy feed on the THE RIG
original spot and trickle a much smaller One simple rig fulfils all my requirements
amount a section past it. It’s a great ploy today. It’s a 0.3g Drennan Carp 6 on
for fooling a few more fish. 0.18mm line to a 0.16mm hooklength
On other days it can actually be even and a size 16 Wide Gape Pellet hook to
more effective to come up to a metre closer No13 hollow elastic. It’s simply shotted
in. This is especially good much later in a with No10s a couple of inches apart above
session. As you are generally fishing on or the 6in hooklength.The rig is set around
an inch or two overdepth to combat the
near some kind of nearside shelf the slope
undertow. With this setup I’m confident of
will be naturally less silty, thus offering a landing anything I hook, be that a lolloping
cleaner bottom to present your hook bait. 2lb bream or an angry 10lb carp.
I also think competition among fish will
naturally see them push closer in as bait
gets wafted in all directions.

40 JANUARY 2018 | POLE FISHING

 Sunderland

Hull

Doncaster
Barnsley
Manchester

Rotherham

Crewe Sheffield Lincoln

King’s Lynn

Birmingham

Mildenhall

Huntingdon
Ipswich

Gloucester
Milton Keynes
Basingstoke Clavering

Swindon

.
Rob’s Diary
WINTER-LEAGUE WOES
Our natural-venue supremo Rob Perkins is yet to draw
a decent peg in this year’s winter league, but that doesn’t
mean he hasn’t enjoyed the opening three rounds…
M
ost of my
fishing tends
to revolve
around team
competitions,
largely because being part of a
team has always been the thing
that drives me the most. It’s also
a great platform for learning
and developing as an angler.
Further to this, being part of a
team is great fun because of the
diversity of characters you will
inevitably fish with.
This year, despite being ‘of
no fixed abode’ teamwise I
have continued to fish in team
competitions. The one at the
forefront of my attentions
currently is the coveted
Angling Trust Winter League,
a competition that has been
around in one guise or another
for nearly 60 years. Because the
Winter League is formed from
local leagues with the ultimate
goal of reaching the final, it has
been the battleground for many
fierce/friendly local rivalries thatt I
believe is one of the great draws to
fishing it.
For me, that draw still remains
and although not officially part off
a team I was keen to get involved
and remain in the Soar Valley league this
year as a member of the Quorn team – an
exceptional group of river anglers who
simply love fishing the Soar!
42 JANUARY 2018 | POLE FISHING
R O B P E R K I N S
First round of the
winter league…
in shirtsleeves!
The Soar, for those not familiar with it, is
a fairly narrow river that meanders through
Leicestershire and eventually winds up in
the Trent. It is a very diverse venue with
all manner of species to target and hugely
different pegs in which to catch them,
from narrow, fast, shallow sections
where chub and roach are the mainstays
of catches, to deep slow sections
holding bream and skimmers. Oh, and
the fishing can be absolutely brilliant!
The sections are spread over quite
a long length of the river, from
Cossington to Kegworth.
So, on to the first round this year
and I find myself drawn at Waterside
(within sight of the draw venue!) about
100 yards from the car park and only
““When describing my
peg he said I might
struggle to find a run
through.”
two
t fences to negotiate… result!
I had to admire Tony Marshall’s
optimism
o when going through
everyone’s
e draw – his phrase for
the day did seem to be “fish soup”.
When
W describing my peg he said I
might struggle to find a run through
short, but on plumbing up the word
short could have been replaced with
anywhere!
a
The only clear area was 16 metres under
the trees on the far side, which offered
two fishable holes into which I would
baitdropper chopped worm. An area
just past the middle was fed with a little
 POLEFISHINGMAGAZINE.COM

Thhe
T
The Soar
he So waaassnn’t
ar w
was i g up her
n’’t ggiivin
ving reaas
re
er ttre asu res eassil
es ea
ssuure y.
siily.

Thee Cr
The Cralu
aalluusso
ssso
so Bu
Bubbb
bbl
b e.
e.

“F ll a peg with
“Finally h no weedd
groundbait (equal parts Dynamite Roach, similar problems to the first round, with
Frenzied Hemp Black and molehill soil), – although I was wishing for extensive weed growth again.
where I felt I could just about inch a 2g
float through the weed. Unfortunately I
some by the end!” This time I did have a little run through
at 11 metrres that produced a little run of
was wrong and soon abandoned it for yet roach on pinkie over groundbait early on.
more chopped worm. The second round saw me pegged at The rest of the day was spent in a similar
The first half of the match was spent Little Meadow on ‘the chub peg’ – the vein to the first, only with far fewer bites on
chasing bleak and odd roach from above name sticks, despite no chub being caught worm to save me this time and I finished
the weed; I couldn’t seem to get them to off it for years. I was faced with with 1.840kg for third.
settle anywhere for long. Thankfully in The third round was a visit to
the second half of the match the worm Proctors Peg 4, and finally a peg with
lines came to life with lots of bites from Saddly,
l no chub
ly ubb fr fro
fro
rom
m
no weed – although I was wishing
small roach and perch. Using a small ‘th
thee chub
chub
h b pe
hu pegg’.
g’’.’. for some by the end! A very different
section of dendy tipped with a fluoro peg with a big, deep slack out to the
pinkie, topping up with a small dropper middle of the river and a channel of
then rotating to the next swim I managed flow down the middle, with another
to keep fish coming right up to the end. slack beyond.
I’ve recently changed the type of float I expected to catch in this flow
that I use for a lot of my worm fishing to with maggot over groundbait, but
a Cralusso Bubble, not a pattern often found the only place I could catch
seen on the bank. I have found that the was right in the middle of the dead
areas targeted with chopped worm are water on the bottom in 10 feet of
often around features or creases in the water, by loose feeding casters.
flow. The problem with a normal sail float Surprisingly I never managed to
in these areas is when the flow churns in catch shallow, as I really expected the
or out, as often happens, it can drag one little dace I was catching to follow
of these under. Also, if the flow increases the feed up.
or decreases the floats don’t seem to work A somewhat disappointing 1.430kg
properly. left me only fifth in the section.
The Bubble, being a kind of hybrid I may not have had the best of
design, seems to work brilliantly in starts to the series resultswise but I
these circumstances regardless of the have still enjoyed the matches and
changeable flow. By working around my banter. With any luck things will start
peg I managed to muster 2.500kg for to improve – after all, we can’t all
fourth in the section, exactly average! draw like editor Jake now, can we!

POLE FISHING | JANUARY 2018 43

Venue Detective: Moss Farm Fisheries

Our Venue Detective is back on the road… albeit

just a short journey up the M6 was needed this
month for a trip
p to Irlam’s Moss Farm Fisheries.

N
o early starts for today’s oss Farrm
os m met
Thee caaféé aatt Mppro
Th v
ov
o al
a !
venue detective… oh no! ith And
with d
dyy ’s ap oiicce.
cho
laakke of ch
It was only 30 minutes BEELO
[B OW] Anndy’ss
away for the feature at
the beautiful looking
Moss Farm Fisheries in Irlam, near to
neighbouring Manchester. This was a venue
I’d heard lots about over the last few years
but never really had the opportunity to
fish…
fish h… until
u ti
un till now!
now!
now
no w!
The
Thhe venue nuee itself
v nu
ve itse
it lf is
self is really
reeal lyy close
ally clo e to
l se to two
twwo ot other
o herr
he
venues
venu
ve nueses – Partridge
Parartr
trrid g Lakes
i ge Lak
akes eess and
and Blundells
Bluund
ndele lss –
so
o closeose in
clo in factct that
fact
fa hat if
tha
hat if I had ad a decent
had decene t sized
ecen ssiize
zed
zed
hurricane
hu
h urrrican ne behind
iccaan b hi
be hindnd meme I reckon
reck
re
eck o I could
kon cou
ouldldd throw
throw
a stoneo e and
sstton and itt would
an wouo ldd land
lan nd around
a ound
ar ndd fi
fivve
ve miles
miless
mile
away…
away
aw ay… ha ha ha!
ha!!
Anyway,
A yw
An y ayay,, upon
u on arriving
up arrrivin
ivvinng at
ing at the
the venue
ven u I met
enue
ue met
e
with
with
wi h Tracey
Tra ceyy in the
race
ace thee on-site itee tackle
on--ssiite tac
a klke
shop,
sh
hop o , who
wh ho made
made me
ma me a brewbrrew
b rew w
and
and talked
t lk
ta lked
kedd meme through
th
hroug gh the thhe

Whatev
Wha tever
tev e the
er
sp cie
spe cies,
s And
s, n y just
just
loves
lo
love cat
es c chi
ching fish.
fish.

44 JANUARY 2018 | POLE FISHING

 POLEFISHINGMAGAZINE.COM

And
An
And dyy’s
yss llo
onngg lininne
iiss wh
where
heree hhee
he
fifissheded
d ppeelle
elle
llleetts
ts.
ss.. MOSS FARM
FISHERIES
Moss Farm Fisheries is situated in the
heart of Irlam on the outskirts of Manchester.
There are six lakes in total, five coarse and
one designated specimen lake.The fishery
owners also have big plans to develop the site
further with the potential of more lakes in
the future.
There are regular open matches at
weekends and leagues run at various times
throughout the year but always plenty of
room for pleasure anglers.
Moss Farm offers fantastic facilities
including an on-site tackle shop that sells
fresh natural baits as well as bait from various
manufacturers.There is also an extremely
popular café open for breakfast, lunch and
even cooked meals, including a Sunday dinner!

Ide love
Id v
maggots!!
mag

Andy May is a hugely respected,

all-round match angler, a silver medallist
for England at youth level and three-time
Matchman Of The Year! He is now arguably
the top angling coach in the country and
can be booked online at
www.fishingcoaching.co.uk.

• 2016 Fish ‘O’ Mania champion

• Three-time Kamasan Matchman
Of The Year
• Youngest ever Matchman
Of The Year
• World youth individual
silver medallist
• Full-time angling coach
• All-round nice guy!
lakes… and then mentioned something
about breakfast! I waited for the main man
with the camera, Jake, and we then went
and sampled the breakfast. I must say it
was a proper one, all snarled up with black
pudding and everything!
I then met with the owner, Alan, who said
the fishery was created in 2008 and all the
lakes, shrubs, plants, trees and the like have
been designed and planted by himself and
his family. You can see a great deal of care
and passion has gone into this fishery, it
does look verrrrry niiiice indeed!
There’s a total of six lakes on site, with
one being a specimen lake with carp the
size of small cars within! The main match
lakes are Madison’s and Lily’s – apparently
“Created in 2008, you can see a great deal of
care and passion has gone into this fishery, it does
look verrrrry niiiice indeed!”
Jake actually has the match record at the
venue, not that he mentioned it… much!
But, I must admit I was wanting to go on one
of the pleasure lakes as there were golden
orfe, barbel, ide and carp, pretty much all
species known to man, so I ended up going
on April’s.
Ooooo it looked a bit nice, with a tree just
creeping out into the water to my left. The
main island was about 20 metres away which
looked lovely for the feeder… oh, wait, it’s
Pole Fishing! Jake had fished this lake not
long ago and drew just a few pegs to my right
and had snared a few nice ide and roach. I
love fishing lakes where when the float goes
under you don’t know what it’s going to be,
especially fishing baits like maggots, which
Moss Farm Fisheries
Cutnook Lane
Irlam
M44 5NB
Tel: 0161 775 1655
will allow you to catch everything swimming.
I couldn’t wait, I love fishing, me!
BAIT
I had with me three pints of red and white
maggots, some 2mm and 4mm Dynamite
Baits carp pellets and some Dynamite
Baits 4mm expander pellets. My plan was
to fish long on hard pellets to start with
while building up a short 6m swim by loose
feeding maggots.
RIGS
I must admit that elasticwise I don’t tend to
get too giddy about it; I always used to use
hollows through the summer and solids
through the winter, as the trouble with
hollow elastics in winter was that they didn’t
retract back into the pole the same when it

POLE FISHING | JANUARY 2018 45

MOSS FARM FISHERIES

SSid
Side hhook
ook
okk yyoour ma
m ggot
mag got
goott
o
likee thhiis
lik is fo
f r beteett
tt
t er re
res
esuult
lttss..

“Next put-in I have a roach on the drop;

around 10oz, what a beautiful fish it is,
literally never been caught before and it’s
proper angry!”

got really cold… errrr that was until I started
using our brand-new MAP 3-6 – wowsers
is this elastic good. I pretty much use it for
everything at this time of year now! I’ve had
carp up to double figures and also delicate
soft-mouthed skimmers no problem at all, it
really is brilliant stuff.
I set up just two rigs, both with the new
elastic. One was a MAP WD1 4x14 float to
fish long at 13 metres on hard pellets. I had
0.15mm MAP Optex main line and an 8in
0.10mm diameter hooklength. Hookwise I
used a Gamakatsu Eyed Power Carp size 18.
Shottingwise I had a spread bulk of No10s
around half-an-inch apart – it was just over
six feet deep on this line and with a lovely flat
bottom everywhere, cheeeeky!
On my other rig I was using a 4x12 WD1
float, again with 0.15mm main line but this
time a size 18 Gamakatsu LS2260BB hook on
a 6in hooklength of 0.10mm. Shottingwise I
had three No11s as droppers around three
inches apart from the top of my hooklength
and a bulk of six No10s four inches above my
last dropper. It was roughly the same depth
here at six metres, but I was going to be
fishing this rig around two inches overdepth
with the pellet rig being around half-an-inch

46 JANUARY 2018 | POLE FISHING

 POLEFISHINGMAGAZINE.COM

MAP
M APP’s supper-
err--gir
g lyy
33-6
-66 rated
raatted
d el
elaast
assstticc
was
w
wa a pep rf
rfe
fect
fe cctt on n
the
hhee daay..

A yes
Ah eess, a skim bob
ob..

It’s on with a 4mm pellet and I tap another I quickly soak some 2mm micros and
10 pellets in. As I lay the rig in I like to keep pump some 4mm pellets and introduce a
a tight line to the back shot so that the bait few micros on my 13m swim and leave it for
falls naturally through the layers rather than a bit. It’s on with a single red maggot and as
straight down. I’m feeding the short maggot I flick the rig out away from me and hold a
On-sit
On- sitte tack
cckkllee sho
sho
sh
h p… … is
is tthhheree
anyyth
thi
hiing
ng this
thi
h s fifish
hi shhery
ryy do
doesn
doesn
esn
es
sn t hav
sn’t haave?
e? swim with roughly 20 to 30 maggots every tight line I have a bite straightaway, obviously
three to five minutes. a liner as I don’t miss proper bites!
The lake is proper clear today, in fact, I Next put in I have a roach take the bait on
can see the bait falling down two feet! I have the drop; around 10oz, what a beautiful fish
nothing for the first 10 minutes so come itt is, lliterally
iterallly nnever
ever
ev er b been ccaught
een ca ug before
ghtt b e orre an
ef and d
back and re-feed. I don’t want to go on the it’s
it proper
t’s p rope
ro angry!
per angr gry! TTheh m
he maggot
a got linee iiss no
ag now w
short swim too early, ideally I’d like to leave producing
pr oduci
odd in llots
ing lo
lot
ots
ts off fish
sh,
h wiwith
ith
hn nearly
early
ea eevery
l ev one
erry on
o e
SSca
ccaallee dow
down
own it an hour. This time of year I also like being
bein
be ing caught aass soon as th the bait h has settled
as set ttledd or
now w th that
at
tem
eempper eerature’
atuures
ree’’s
re’ to leave it eight to 10 minutes after
affteer I move tthe slightly.
he floatt sliligh
lightl have
t y. I h ssome
avee so
av m
me
are dr dropp
ppiing
ngg.. between feeds when I’m lovely
ly roach
roaachh to
to 1lb
1l and
and some
s me lovely
so
feeding through a pot. ide
id to justu t over that, this is
jus
I’m constantly moving becoming
b co
be c mi ng a lovely
ming
ng lov elyy day’s
ovvel day’
da y’ss
ovver
overdepth.
e dept pth.
h Both ri
rig
rigs
gs had bac
gs back
ack shot on for the float to try and
stability
stabillit
ity as little
a it was a litt windy.
tle windy
dy. induce a bite but after
40 minutes I have no
THE SESSION
N response… errrrr,
As aalways
lway
lwa s for tthis
his ttime
imee of
im o year I star
start
rt out long
long.
ng. time for a change.
introduce
I introdduce araround pellets
round 20 pell l et plumbing
etss afterr pl
p umbi
um biing
ng
up, then comee back to my 6m li line
ne aand
ine nd tthrow
hro ow
ow
around 60 maggots in. Usua Usually
all
llyy I
prefer to ppot
ot bait in at
this time off year
but, when th there
silvers
are lots of si
silv
lver
es
snarled
to get snarl led up
feeding
in, loose fe
eeding
deadly,
can be dea adly,
especially ffor
or the second And
ndyy soon
oo
o gogott
bestestest fish in the world d amo
m ngg a few
mo
Mosss Farm
Mos m ca
carp.
carp.
– ide!

POLE FISHING | JANUARY 2018 47

 MOSS FARM FISHERIES

fishing. Wow – wha

W wh t
After an hour on the short swim I reckon an abs
bsolu
o te
ol
olu
stu
tuunneer.
I’ve got a good 20lb. The fish are still feeding
really well but I’ve only gone and noticed
bubbles on my long line and I can’t resist
having a go. It’s on with an expander and
I tap a few micros in. If this had been the
summer and I was fishing at this depth (not
that any lake in the whole world is deeper
than 14 inches in the summer) I would have
made a little ball with the micros so I know
exactly where the bait is, but, with it being
so cold there’s no chance the fish will be as
active and the pellets will remain in the
And thoro
dy thor ughly
ough ly
same area. putt ing
tting
oyy d putt
e joye
enj
I’m instantly snarled up in a carp th s m
thi ixed
ixe
mixe bag
d bag
that sees metres of lovely orange oggeth
tog er at the
etther th
nta
ttas
fanta
fan ticc Mo
astic
as Mosss
elastic streaming from my pole tip. arrm Fish
Far
Farm issshheri
Fish ess
erries! and
an d carp in the net.
I quickly ship back to my top kit and I decide to finish the session back
strip back the elastic. A lovely looking on the maggot line where I’ve been
2lb common, again absolutely in continuing
con
co n with the feed around every
immaculate condition eventually five to eight minutes, something that I
waddles its way into my landing net. always
allw stress the importance of doing!
Next put in and I have a mirror around I’m straight back into these stunning
the same size, then a little baby F1 looking
lo
oo ide and roach and I catch
around 10oz… and then… I only go another
an two lovely crucians.
and catch the third bestestest fish in the After three-and-a-half hours’ fishing
whole wide world, a crucian! I decide
d to call it a day, it’s Friday after
I absolutely love these fish; they all and I don’t want to get snarled up
waddle around in circles and then wave in traffic. I’ve probably had between
their fins at you when they come to the 45 and 50lb of fish on what has been
surface, and then they don’t open their a very cold and windy day. I must say
mouths when you want to get the hook the
th fishing has been incredible, with
out, and then they always squirm to the no
n really small fish and every one has
side – awesome fish they are, and you been
b absolutely fin perfect. Everyone
don’t seem to catch as many these days ass at
a Moss Farm Fisheries needs to be
in years gone by, which is a proper shame. e. incredibly
in proud, as this has been one
Next put in I only go and snare a of
o the best winter sessions I’ve had in
proper skimmer! What a day’s fishing a long time. Wowsers, if it’s this good
I’m having. I’m waiting a little longer for in
i winter I can only imagine what
bites on the pellet but the fish are all a bit
itt it’s
i going to be like in the summer.
bigger. I gave it an hour on the pellet and d This is a venue I’m definitely coming
put another 20lb of crucians, skimmers back to again and again.

MOSSFARM-FISHERIES.CO.UK

• SIX LAKES (FIVE COARSE & ONE SPECIMEN)

• WEEKLY OPEN MATCHES
• OPEN TO CLUB BOOKINGS
• ALWAYS ROOM FOR PLEASURE ANGLERS!
• ON SITE CAFÉ
• TACKLE & BAIT SHOP ON SITE

CUTNOOK LANE, IRLAM, NR MANCHESTER, M44 5NB • TEL: 0161 775 1655
C
 .9 LY
9
£3 N
O

MONTHLY
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MAGAZINE
ISSUE 32
» 108 MINUTE HD VIDEO
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» INDEPTH VENUE GUIDE
» Q&A + TACKLE PAGES
» FREE TO ENTER COMPETITION

Follow Des as he tackles Monkhall

Fishery for a masterclass on how to
fish the humble maggot on the pole

TOPICS DETAILED:
- Short pole
- Long pole
- Moving swims
- Feeding techniques
- Catching on the bottom
- Catching shallow

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A Numbers Game

DON’T
STOP
CATCHING We join Middy and Bag ‘em Matchbaits man Jake
Robinson for a day of non-stop action!

50 JANUARY 2018 | POLE FISHING

 POLEFISHINGMAGAZINE.COM

We wonder
what colour
wha u
maggot
mag g s
Jakee pref
Jak p efers
ers
to use
use??

T
he success of a day on the bank
or a keenly contested match is
usually measured in terms of
how many fish we catch, or in
match terms of course by how
much they weigh. So, it goes without saying
that if we can catch fish all day then all the
pre-session expectations are going to be
realised.
Middy and Bag‘em sponsored Jake
Robinson likes catching fish and
demonstrates his approach to a typical
snake-lake peg, and shows us a routine
that on most days will generate bites and
therefore result in fish finding the net all
day long.
Being realistic, however, is an important
attribute. As we move away from the
margin mayhem and surface fishing of the
summer months a good appreciation of
the water temperature and conditions on
the day will be an area that will need closer
scrutiny.
Jake’s method today on Moors Lake,
at the popular Cudmore Fisheries in
Staffordshire, has skipped these margin
and shallow tactics of summer and
streamlined his fishing to the central track,
the deepest part of the swim, and the far
bank in about three feet of water, where
just about whatever the weather, at some
point in the day the fish will feed with
confidence.
“By just focusing on these two areas I
will stand a better chance of achieving
bites all day,” Jake explains, “and it’s also

“Being able to read the signs is one element

necessary to keep bites coming.”

You’ll
You ’ll ca
c tc
tchh al
a l sort
sortss by
by ..... bbeca
cause
usee
adopting
adopti ng Jak
Jake’s
e’s ap
appro
p ach
pro ach.. you nneever
[INSET
[IN SET]] Rig’
Rig’ss are
are kep
keptt kn w when
kno h
robust
rob ust ye
yett sens
sensibl
ible..
e.... one of th these
ese
iss goi
g ngg to
go o
com me aallon
lo
ongg!!

easier to pick up on the moods of the fish.

These moods will undoubtedly change
throughout the session, and being able to
read these signs is one element necessary
to keep bites coming.”

BAIT AND FEEDING

“That’s my theory sorted, now the hardware
and bait for the day.
“In respect of bait it is very much a
mixed maggot and pellet approach as
the fish in these commercials like both,

FFeeed with
Fee
Feed thh a cat
caa apu
ppu
ultlt
to
o cre
cr ate
cr tee co
compe
mppetit
m p ttit
ittion
on
o n.

POLE FISHING | JANUARY 2018 51

A Numbers Game
and I normally consider the pellet to be
my primary choice for the carp and the
maggots as a catch-everything bait and a
real backup to target the abundance of
silver fish in the swim.
“These two baits rotated throughout the
session will provide bites all day, even in
the harshest of conditions… well, within
reason of course!
‘On the bait table I have three pints of
red maggots and a bag of fishery 4mm
pellets and a few 6mm pellets for hook
baits, nice and simple. By delivering them
to the swim in a nice routine, as fish love
routines, I can achieve the goal.
“Just on the maggots, I treat them to a
coating of Bag ‘em Super Sweet Meat &
Maggot Dye. It gives them that extra appeal
as they fall through the water and as I’ve
“It is important to keep the
maggots going in so that at
any point I can go on this
line and catch.”
caught well on it in the past it gives me that
extra bit of confidence, and confidence
makes a big difference to what you catch.
‘The routine is then to feed the maggots
by hand down the middle, and today with
the water still holding a good temperature
and the fish still feeding I will be looking
to feed three pints in a five-hour session,
so it’s neither excessive or frugal. Through
experience here I know it’s about right and
there are plenty of fish to mop them up on
the bottom.
“It’s also time to get busy with the
catapult and a regular stream of 4mm
pellets to the far bank is needed to keep
the F1s and carp interested, and today
most of my bites over are coming as a few
pellets hit the water, so being busy as always
is the key to success.
“The carp love to feed over on the shelf
on these canal-style lakes, but again as the
water starts to cool off and inevitably the
colour drops out they won’t be as willing
to stay there all day, so this is where the
maggot line comes into play as the bites on
this line tail off.
“It is important to keep the maggots
going in so that at any point I can go on
this line and catch; it is, however, more
likely to be a member of the silver-fish
population that obliges, but it keeps me
busy and gives that primary far-bank line
52 JANUARY 2018 | POLE FISHING
Rigght on
o thee money
mo
oney
ney..
Barbel lo
Ba ove
v mag
m gots, s jus
justt lik
like
ke
ev ry oth
eve other fish.
[ SET]] Soft
[IN S t and forg
orgivi
ving
ng yyet
yeeet can
can
h dle
han l bo
b nus fifish
sh no pro
probl
bleem.m.
time to settle and the carp build their is plenty fine enough today as the water
confidence for my next visit.” seems to still have plenty of colour.
“Elastic choice for my 3ft rigs is Middy
Hi-Viz Hollow orange (rated 4-8) for the
RIGS FOR THE JOB maggot rig, as it’s usually the silvers that
“My hardware consists of three rigs for the come on this one, and then I step up to the
two lines; that’s two at three feet deep and Middy Hollow yellow (rated 6-10) on my
one at full depth down the track. The 3ft banded-pellet rig as it’s generally the carp
number-one rig is a banded pellet on a here. Although this is still soft it just lets me
4x12 float for fishing over on the bottom, stay in control that bit more and ensures
and the 3ft number-two rig is again 4x12 they are not running me all over the swim,
to be fished around mid-depth down the causing unnecessary disturbance as they
track. come through my maggot line.
“I think this is an important area to cover “Hook choice is steered really by bait
as a regular feeding routine, especially with choice and my banded pellet is on a Middy
silver fish, can encourage them to move up KM-1, which is a lighter version of the KM-2
in the water, so it’s an opportunity not to be and perfect as the weather gets cooler.
missed really. I’m still on a 16 today but as conditions
“Rig number three is a bit heavier, 4x14 deteriorate I will drop down to a 20, and
for fishing maggots in the deepest area of as a rule you go as big as you can get away
the swim. All these rigs are shotted in the with as long as the bites keep coming. If
same way with a spread bulk over a 12in they don’t, well it’s time to question how
area above a 6in hooklength. My rigs are robust or unstealthy your rig is!
made up on Middy Lo-Viz 0.16 main line “For my maggot fishing it’s a Middy 63-13
to 0.12mm diameter hooklength, which size 18 and this is always a bit smaller for
 POLEFISHINGMAGAZINE.COM

the silver fish, especially the ide, which are
notoriously difficult to hook so you won’t
be alone with that frustration.”
THE SESSION
“On today’s session I’ve kicked off on my
far-bank line and caught carp well for the
first hour, and then a switch to my deep rig
resulted in liners as the fish were taking
the bait much shallower, so a quick look
on the 3ft rig put a few ide in the net, but
too many missed bites was causing a bit of
frustration.
“There are a few options here; you can
start tweaking the rig to try and sort it out,
shallow up and change your shotting and
suchlike, but I just started to feed a bit
more bait a bit less often and switched to
the deeper rig, and the fish started to flow
to the net that bit better.
‘I added a few tench as well as a
couple of bonus barbel,
notorious bottom
feeders anyway. After a brief silver-fish
foray it was back over on the far line and
as expected the F1s had regained their
confidence.
“Today I was able to keep bites coming
all day by staying busy with my feeding
and adopting what I think is a nice
simple approach, ending up with around
60 to 70lb of fish in total with probably
just shy of 20lb of silver fish among that.
Maybe not the massive weights associated
with summer but a busy day nonetheless,
where keeping the bites coming by
rotating swims and not ignoring the lake’s
silver fish during a notoriously difficult
period of the day has worked a treat. It
just goes to show the importance of staying
busy and keeping the feed going in, even as
temperatures start to drop.”

JJak
akee slip
slip
ps hiss net
net uunnde
der a
Cu mor
Cud oree F1.
[IN
NSET
SET]] Ther
Theree are stist ll plenty
nty
of bit
bites
e to bee had even e as
tempe atu
temper tu
ures
r plumm mmet!

POLE FISHING | JANUARY 2018 53

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TACKLE
WAR
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AWARDS
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A •
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• Middy Nano-Core XZ65-2 World Elite • Maver Definition 14.5m • Frenzee FXT Match
• Matrix Nemesis • Drennan Combat Carp • Preston Innovations Absolute Carbon
• Garbolino UK1 Accomplice Pro • Sensas Nanoflex 934 • Colmic One 2.0 Evolution
• Browning Sphere Zero-G F1 Plus • Other • Daiwa Tournament 500
• Frenzee Precision FXT 6E • Maver Z Frame
• Colmic Airon F66 • Octbox D36
• Preston Innovations M90 BEST BUDGET POLE (SUB £500) • Rive RS1
• Daiwa Air Z160 • MAP TKS101 2G • Sensas 3700 Jumbo
• Maver Signature Pro 900 • Middy Nano-Core XM10-2 Power Carp • Other
• Sensas Nanoflex 895 • Matrix Carp Bagger XT
• Drennan Acolyte Pro • Browning Black Magic Gold
• Rive R16 • Preston Innovations Pro-Type 310 BEST POLE ROLLERS
• Other • Colmic Stinger • Milo Brooklyn
• Maver Endurance Carp 13m • MAP Dual Rollers
BEST MID-RANGE POLE • Drennan Target Carp • Middy Hi-Viz Elite
(£1,000 TO £2,000) • Daiwa Power Carp 1150 • Matrix Freeflow Pole Rollers
• MAP TKS501 2G • Other • Garbolino Challenger Long Leg Horizontal
• Tri-Cast Trophy X Type 80 • Frenzee Precision FXT Range
• Middy Nano-Core XP35-2 Competition Pro • Preston Innovations Competition Pro Flat
• Matrix Nemesis 1000 BEST MARGIN POLE Rollers
• Garbolino UK3 Match Power • MAP M2 Margin • Daiwa Double Rock ‘N’ Roller
• Browning Xitan Z8-2 • Tri-Cast Trilogy 2 Power Margin • Maver Flatbed
• Preston Innovations M70 • Middy Muscle-Tech 600 • Rive R-Rollers
• Colmic F44 • Matrix Torque Carp Margin • Sensas Jumbo Super Twin-Roller
• Daiwa Whisker XLS • Garbolino Margin Carp Pro RGB • Other
• Maver Darkside Series 3 • Browning Xitan 9.5m Xtreme Margin
• Sensas Nanoflex 974 • Frenzee Precision FXT 11.5m Edge
• Drennan Acolyte Carp • Preston Innovations Monster Roller Pulla BEST POLE ELASTIC RANGE
• Frenzee FXT Power • Colmic H1 Slim • Milo Carpodrome
• Other • Daiwa Yank ‘N’ Bank Power Margin • MAP Twin Core
• Maver Oculus Carp • Middy Hi-Viz
BEST POLE BETWEEN £500 AND • Sensas Power Match Margin • Matrix Stay Fresh Hollow
£999.99 • Drennan Acolyte Margin Carp • Garbolino Super Soft Fighter
• MAP TKS401 2G • Other • Browning Xitan Stretch 7 Hollow
• Tri-Cast Venom Pro • Frenzee Stretch Hollow
• Middy Nano-Core XT15-2 Competition Carp BEST SEATBOX • Preston Innovations Hollo
• Garbolino UK5 Supercarp • Milo Incredible • Colmic Hollow 1.2mm-3.8mm
• Browning 2eX-S Ultracarp • MAP Z30 Elite • Daiwa Hydrolastic

54 JANUARY 2018 | POLE FISHING

 POLEFISHINGMAGAZINE.COM

• Maver Dual Core Pro BEST SHOP-BOUGHT FLOAT RANGE • Preston Innovations World Champion
• J-Range Lastix • Milo Oxon Feeder Team Luggage
• Sensas Crazy Hollow • MAP Foam Bodies Range • Colmic Jaguar
• Other • Middy Carp Grey • Daiwa Air
• Garbolino DC Series • Maver UFO
• Frenzee Foam FO Series • Cresta Blackthorne
BEST LANDING-NET HANDLE • Preston Innovations Des Shipp • Rive R Luggage
• Milo Superba EXP 560 Commercial Pole Float Range • Sensas Classic
• MAP Parabolic 4m Handle • Colmic Stream • Other
• Tri-Cast Easy Reach 12ft 6in • Daiwa/KC Carpa
• Middy XZ65-2 World Elite 4m • Maver MV-R range
• Matrix Horizon X Class • Cralusso Ray BEST BAIT PRODUCT/RANGE
• Garbolino Netsy Evo Match • Rive 2 Series • Bait-Tech Pro Natural Range
• Preston Innovations Absolute Match • Sensas Thames Range • Adrenaline Baits Nano Pellet Boost
• Colmic Specimen Plus • Other • Sonubaits Sinking Pellet Oil
• Daiwa Tournament 4m • Colmic Impressive
• Maver Signature 4m Handle • Spotted Fin GO2
• Sensas Criterium BEST HOOK PATTERN • Dynamite Swim Stim
• Other • Suehiro T213 • Sensas IM7
• Kamasan B911 • Ringers
• Middy KM-4 • Marukyu Natural
BEST POLE FISHING ACCESSORY • Matrix Carp Riggers • Bag ‘em Matchbaits Winter Expanders
• Milo Roost Kit • Frenzee Loaded 1420 • Other
• MAP QRS Seatbox Accessories • Preston Innovations KKM-B
• Tri-Cast F1ST Kits • Hayabusa 128 BEST HANDMADE/HAND-ASSEMBLED
• Middy Grip-Flex Pro Pole Pots • Tubertini 808 FLOAT RANGE
• Matrix Big Bore Toss Pots • Gamakatsu Gama Green *VOTE*
• Garbolino Ultra Compact Short Puller Kit • Maver ES40
• Frenzee Puller Bead • Sensas 3180 Feedertech BEST POLE FISHING VENUE
• Preston Innovations Kit-Safe (STD/ • Other *VOTE*
Deluxe)
• Colmic Strippers BEST ANGLING COACH
• Daiwa PTFE Nose Cones BEST LUGGAGE RANGE *VOTE*
• Ringers 4in Hooklength Boxes • Milo Superba
• Maver Squeezee Pole Pots • MAP Parabolix Black Edition BEST SHOP WEBSITE
• Cresta PTFE Internal Bush (with bore • Tri-Cast Cocoon Range *VOTE*
reduction system) • Middy Xtreme
• Sensas Anti-Wind Roosts • Garbolino Challenger
• Other • Matrix Ethos Pro

To register your votes visit www:polefishingmagazine.com

POLE FISHING | JANUARY 2018 55
What’s Hot?

What’s new for the coming months in the world of tackle?

FRENZEE | TOP KIT ROOSTS

Available in two size configurations – six-kit or 10-kit.
Manufactured using soft, durable EVA, each roost is
section friendly without compromising on stability, even in
the windiest conditions.
Sold separately as specific Tip Roost or Butt Roost, the
first is designed to allow for some movement while safely
housing the tip of your sections when not in use. The Butt
Roost uses a tapered EVA to allow for snug positioning of
the number two, three or four section of your pole.
Attached to your accessories using a simple thread,
ensuring that each roost is fully universal.
WWW.FRENZEE.CO.UK
RRP:
From
£10.99

PRESTON INNOVATIONS | LANDING NETS

Two new models available: the first, a Latex Carp
Net available in three sizes – 18, 20 and 22 inches – is
hard-wearing and hook resistant, as well as quick
drying.
The second is the Match Landing Net, again
available in three sizes of 16, 18 and 20 inches to
cover all of your fishing needs. A fine mesh bottom
is perfect to help prevent hook-ups, especially when
using a hair rig, while the larger mesh outer aids
scooping by preventing water resistance.
WWW.PRESTONINNOVATIONS.COM

RRP:
From
£12.99

56 JANUARY 2018 | POLE FISHING

 POLEFISHINGMAGAZINE.COM
G MAGAZINE
MAGAZ .COM

RRP:
Bib ‘N’ Bra
c £10.99
£79.99 /£14.99
Jacket
£99.99 MATRIX | HLR HOOKLENGTH CASES
Available in two sizes, small or large, with both designed to
house up to 200 hooklengths of varying lengths. The Large
HLR hooklength case has pins positioned between four and
12 inches and at 2in intervals in between, while the Small
MIDDY | MX-800 CLOTHING uses the same spacing for prongs at a distance of four and six
The Middy MX-800 range of clothing
inches.
is stylish, warm and functional,
A rubber seal helps to prevent moisture intake while a
offering anglers clothing that can be
magnetic locking mechanism gives each box a secure closure.
worn right through the coldest months of
Supplied with rig identification labels.
the year.
WWW.FISHMATRIX.CO.UK
Fleece lined for extra warmth as well being fully waterproof,
ensuring that you can wear the suit no matter what the weather
conditions you are facing. MAVER | QUILTED BODY
Sleek black styling with Middy orange detailing gives the WARMER
clothing a good look, while adjustable shoulder straps, wide As we head into the coolest
bottom leg openings and storm-flap zip covers tick the months of the year, keeping
practicality box too. warm on the bank is important.
WWW.MIDDYTACKLE.COM Maver’s Quilted Body Warmer
is perfect for those colder days,
being lightweight and stylish yet
remarkably warm.
Design features include a high
collar and neck guard that help to
eradicate any draught as well as a
detachable hood.
Available in sizes S to XXXL.
RRP: WWW.MAVER.CO.UK

£167 ithout
(£123 w
rawer) RRP:
side d
£59.99

RIVE | SMART CLUB D36 SEATBOX
The Smart Club is a revival of Rive’s entry level
and durable fishing seatboxes. The main shell
is made in France from resistant plastic and
designed with two-layer walls, which means that
with the addition of an icepack you effectively
have an internal coolbox.
Light and compact, the Smart Club is equipped
with four D36 telescopic legs, to which you can
attach ‘clip-on’ Rive accessories. The tray system
is of F2 format, which means every Rive tray is
compatible as standard, as is the case with every
other Rive seatbox.
Available in Black or Aqua, with or without
additional side drawer.
Dimensions: 45 x 35 x 39cm.
WWW.RIVE-FRANCE.COM
RRP:
£3.99
DYNAMITE | SWIM STIM F1
One of the most popular bait ranges
in fishing just got better! Dynamite
Specialist F1 Feed is a sweet mix
designed for targeting F1s but will
be equally at home where carp,
skimmers and other silver fish are
involved. Mix as standard for an
effective stand-alone groundbait or
as part of a mix.
Swim Stim F1 can also be deployed
successfully as slop or paste should
the situation present itself.
WWW.DYNAMITEBAITS.COM

POLE FISHING | JANUARY 2018 57

On Test: Maver MV-R

THE REAL DEAL!

Editor Jake Fowles takes to the bank of Burley Fields
Lake to put Maver’s all-new £1,399 MV-R pole to the test.

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I
n a funny sort of way, it seems quite
apt that my first pole test since
becoming editor of this magazine
would be with a pole from the
same stable as the first pole I ever
owned, the pole I learnt to fish with
around 15 years ago.
That pole was a Maver Strong Arm that
is no doubt still going strong somewhere,
hopefully catching as many fish for
somebody else as it did for me all those
years ago. Fast-forward to today and the
pole I have at my disposal is the all-new
Maver MV-R. There’s no point me beating
around the bush here, if you are in the
market for a sub £1,500 pole, the MV-R
simply has to be in your thoughts. Let me
clarify…
Gone are the Marvel comic-esque
graphics that Maver poles
of the past have inherently
possessed, instead we are faced with
simple yet eye-catching green on black,
which just works. The 11m section has also
seen some subtle detailing in the form of
discreet graphics direct on to its Suncore-
finished carbon; again this adds to a fresh
new look that gives the MV-R a real top-end
appearance.
In fact, the MV-R just seems to ooze a
reinvigorated Maver that is having a big
push to put itself right back in the centre
of the angling world. A 10-top-kit package
gives any perspective buyer plenty to go at;
with four of Maver’s impressive Powerlite
kits as well as another four Power kits,
the kit inside the pole and a cupping kit
including cups, that is a top-end package
for a pole that costs mid-
range money.
Each of the included kits is pre-
slotted and pre-bushed, which means they
can be elasticated with your chosen elastic
straight from the bag. One reservation
I would have here is that if it were me
I would probably end up hacking a few
inches of carbon off the kits to allow for a
bigger-bore internal bush to be fitted. I’m a
big fan of utilising a double-bush setup on
all of my kits to ensure all of my kits remain
the same length, but allowing me to fit the
heaviest hollows or lightest solid elastics
through the same kit without trouble. But,
that’s just personal preference.
The pole itself is rated to 20-plus elastic,
so be assured that it has been designed as
a true all-rounder for the angler looking

58 JANUARY 2018 | POLE FISHING

 POLEFISHINGMAGAZINE.COM

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for a single pole that can do it all. If it is a
strong, reliable backup to one of Maver’s
flagship Signature models you’re after then
it will slot in as that too (albeit you’d be
the fishing equivalent of one of ‘those’ car
fanatics that buys a fancy car then leaves it
locked in the garage not to be driven), but
using the same mandrel as the Signature
range sees that the MV-R is fully section
compatible with Signature poles.
The package doesn’t stop with its
comprehensive kit-count either. Within
the padded holdall you will also find: a
mini-extension, needed in order to take
the pole to its true length measurements;
a spare Fighting No4 section perfect for
those days where you really need to put the
MV-R through its paces; a set of EVA clean-
caps for the No3, 4, 5 and 6 sections of the
pole and a DVD featuring Maver poster boy To give the pole a thorough testing
Callum Dicks. I’ve made a weekend visit to the lovely
Spares aren’t overly expensive either! In Burley Field Lake in Cheltenham, with
fact, you can pick Powerlite kits up for just the venue’s main lake a perfect testing
ground for such a tool. The water here
is home to some big carp and is popular
“Its rigidity and with specimen anglers. However, it is the
responsiveness are venue’s large head of silver fish that I am
looking to target today.
impressive too and I think With this in mind I have opted to
the standout attribute would thread one of the included Powerlite
have to be just how strong kits up with some 3-5 rated Maver Dual
Core Pro to target a line at six sections
it feels.” with casters, and another with the same
stuff but in the 4-7 rating, which is to
£39.99 a pop while a full top four will set be used at long range where, after an
you back £150. initial introduction of six balls of worm,
So, how do I get on with the MV-R during caster and dead maggot-laced Thatchers
a day on the bank with it? groundbait, I’ll be looking to get involved

POLE FISHING | JANUARY 2018 59

On Test: Maver MV-R
Jake morre
Ja re th
than
han
enjoyed
en d his
i day
da
onn the baank
nk wit
w h
the
he Ma
M verr M
MVV-R
-R!
R!
with some skimmers and bream.
I had in fact had a feel of the pole
before today’s trip to Burley Fields at a
recent press day that Maver held and was
impressed with what I saw then. Getting
it back out here doesn’t disappoint. The
pole has a really nice, smooth finish that
aids shipping in and out. We haven’t
been graced with the nicest conditions on
today’s trip out but despite the intermittent
rain, shipping the 14.5m distance where I
have started my attack remains smooth and
efficient.
At this distance the MV-R feels every bit
as good as any of the other poles I have
tested in this price range. I wouldn’t say
it is an overly ‘light’ pole – in fact there
are undoubtedly lighter at this price –
but by the same token it feels incredibly
comfortable in the hand, which just goes to
show the importance of looking at a pole’s
balance rather than its on-paper stats.
Its rigidity and responsiveness are
impressive too and I think the standout
attribute would have to be just how
strong it feels, despite offering fantastic
performance in both of those all-important
areas!
As the day progresses, and after a
number of big skimmers have been the
result of an excellent morning’s sport,
I get the opportunity to stick the final
extensions in and push past my initial line.
It is something that works really well here
60 JANUARY 2018 | POLE FISHING
as the fish back off, and at this 16m length I
continue to put a few skimmers in the net,
with fish up to 3lb making an appearance,
albeit the average stamp is somewhere
around the 1lb mark.
At 16 metres the MV-R maintains its good
performance. It definitely doesn’t ‘lose
it’ like many poles can start to do at these
lengths, although it does start to get a little
more weighty. That said, I could happily
fish with it at this length for the entirety of
a match or session – in fact, the next hour
or so is spent doing exactly that, and it just
feels like a quality piece of kit.
To end the session and hopefully get
among some of the hefty roach that Burley
Fields has to offer I drop on to the short
line and, sure enough, start to catch some
stunning redfins. It may not seem like
much of a test for me to be using the pole
at this distance, but let me tell you, these
boney elbows have done some damage
to their fair share of mid sections! As it
happens, the wall strength of the MV-R
(as seems to be a bit of a trend here), is
admirable and copes with everything I
throw at it. Having seen all I need to see I
decide to call it a day, with around 35lb of
Burley Fields’ finest in the net to show for
my efforts, a net of fish that was a pleasure
to amass.
In summary, I have been more than
impressed with what I have seen from the
Maver MV-R. The introduction of the MV-R
pole, as well as many of the other new
products set to be unleashed by Maver is a
real statement of intent by a company that
is showing signs of heading right back to
where it belongs.
THE PACKAGE
• 1 x MV-R Competition 16m pole (slotted
Match kit inside)
• 4 x Powerlite Power kits (slotted and bushed)
• 4 x Commercial Power kits (slotted and
bushed)
• 1 x cupping kit and cups
MinieExtension
• 1 x Fighting No4 section
• 4 x EVA clean caps
• 1 x pole holdall and protective tubes
TECH SPEC
• Actual Length: 16.40m (incl. Half extension)
• Top 3 kit (inside the pole) - 3.15m – before
cutting back
• Powerlite & Power kits: 2.45m
• Top 4 length: 4.50m
• Top 5 length: 6m
• Butt length: 1.75m
• Butt Diameter: 44.6mm-47mm
SSP: £1,399

MAP COMPETITION HOOK
LENGTH STORAGE SYSTEM
Pole Fishing takes a look at MAP’s redesigned and improved Hook Length Storage System.
H
ow many hooklengths do
you carry with you? How
many do you need? We’re
guessing that whatever the
answers you’ll probably be
able to carry the lot in this clever redesign
of MAP’s Hook Length Storage System.
In a significant improvement on the
previous model, the slotted foam interior
has been replaced with strengthened solid
plastic pins to secure your hooklength
loops. These are spaced at 1in increments,
allowing you to store hooklengths from two
inches up to two feet long.
The hooks themselves fit on to hook-
retaining pins at both ends of the box,
meaning you can store lengths up to six
inches long back to back to maximise space
and increase the capacity even more.
When storing longer hooklengths, soft
rubber grommets can be placed over
Up Close: MAP Hooklength Storage System
the hook-retaining pins and the line
wrapped around these without
kinking or damage.
To make the hooklengths the
exact length you want each time,
every time, the box incorporates a
clever measuring tool that enables
you to accurately tie the hooklength
loop at any length up to 20 inches
long.
To help you spot the hooklength you
want, the box features a transparent plastic
lid. However, in an example of MAP’s
clever thinking, even this has had a brown
SRP £26.99
tint applied to it to prevent any chance of
sunlight damaging the mono inside. many hooklengths as you can fit in, you
These tough, plastic box lids lock into can simply turn the double-sided box
place with a secure catch system, which also over and do it all over again, giving you
looks like it will prevent any water getting a possible storage total of more than 360
in and spoiling your precious collection. hooklengths. That should keep you busy
And when you’ve filled one side with as on cold winter nights indoors!
POLE FISHING | JANUARY 2018 61
Up Close: Preston Innovations KKM-B Hooks

PRESTON INNOVATIONS
KKM-B HOOKS
Preston Innovations has taken a modern classic hook,
responsible for catching tons of tons of fish… and made it even better.

“The out-turned eye is no gimmick, but

instead creates a unique angle that
maximises hook-holds.”

B
ased on the original PR 36
hook, the KKM-B takes things
to a new level. As with the PR
36 this eyed pattern has several
advantages: the out-turned eye
is no gimmick, but instead creates a unique
angle that maximises hook-holds and
actually increases hooking capability.
Like many rival patterns that came
after the PR 36, the KKM-B (Knotless
Knot Medium – Barbless) features a
PTFE coating. This improves the hook’s
durability, sharpness, and durability of
sharpness. It also decreases the hook’s
visibility in the water and reduces any
chances of spooking fish by shine or
flashing.
As well as being perfect for feeder and
waggler fishing, pole anglers will also find
great uses for the KKM-Bs, from fishing
hard pellets on the hook to big baits in the
margins. Suitable for big carp, the wire
gauge is not too thick to use on smaller KKM FEATURES
species such as F1s, skimmers and bream.
Described by Preston Innovations as: • Out-turned eye perfect for hair rigging
• PTFE coating for durability and anti-glare
“The ultimate hair-rigging hook,” it can
• Beaked point
also be straight hooked, and will cope with • Great for pole, feeder and waggler
a variety of baits, such as pellets, worms, • Ideal for pellets, meat and corn
meat, Band’Ums, corn and more. • Medium wire gauge
Available in sizes from 10 right through • Available in sizes 10 to 20
• 10 hooks per packet
to 20, the KKM-B covers an extensive range
RRP £2.25
of fishing situations.

62 JANUARY 2018 | POLE FISHING

 Up Close: Middy XP35-2 Handle

TOO HOT TO HANDLE

Pole Fishing gets to grips with the XP35-2 handle, the latest
landing-net handle offering from Middy.

WIN!
For your chance to
the Middy XP35-2 ha win
shown here, he ndle
www.polefishingm ad to
agaz
com and click on ine.
the win tab.

T
he XP35-2 Competition Pro
handle is Middy’s mid-range
offering in the landing-
net handle department. At
three metres in length it
will cover most commercial and natural
venue situations and with the choice of a
designated silver fish or carp section it is
perfectly suited to both scenarios.
In hand the XP35-2 handle is light, stiff
and impressively strong. This is largely
down to its slim profile and the fact that
GOT MORE
it is constructed using the same Nano- TECH-SPEC
Core materials that reside in many
IN THE KITTY?
IF IT’S A FLAGSHIP LANDIN
G-NET HANDLE Middy XP35-2 Competition Pro 3m Handle
of Middy’s top-end poles. The YOU’RE AFTER, THEN MID
DY’S XZ65-2 4M • Length: 3m
handle is then given a coated HANDLE HAS TO BE ON
YOUR RADAR. AT • Sections: Four
£139.99 IT IS DOUBLE THE
varnished/resin finish which is PRICE OF THE XP35- • Weight: 298g
2 BUT YOU ARE MOST CER
TAINLY GETTING
smooth and easily slid out when WHAT YOU PAY FOR. SUP RRP: £69.99
ER-STRONG, STIFF
netting a fish or bringing in AND WEIGHS VERY LITT
LE AT ITS 4M MAXIMUM
with a fish in the net. LENGTH.
JUST LIKE THE XP35-2 IT
IS CONSTRUCTED
A single threaded attachment USING THE SAME NANO Middy XZ65-2 World Elite 4m Handle
-CORE CARBON AS
section is supplied and will THE COMPANY’S TOP-EN • Length: 4m
D POLES, BUT RATHER
THAN THE POLISHED SM
slot on to either one of either OOTH FINISH OF THE • Sections: Four
XP35-2 IT IS LEFT RAW, GIV
ING IT A GRIPPY, • Weight: 350g
the silver fish or carp sections ANTI-SLIP FEEL THAT MEAN
S THAT NO EXTRA RRP: £139.99
depending on the situation or style of WEIGHT IS ADDED.
fishing you are faced with.

POLE FISHING | JANUARY 2018 63

Used & Abused: Gamakatsu Hooks
GAMAKATSU LS-1010R
Editor Jake Fowles has been more than impressed with the Gamakatsu LS-1010R
hooks since a shift in target venue has meant refining his tackle to suit…
I
’ve had something of a resurgence
towards natural venues of
late, having spent much of the
past 18 months or so focusing
largely towards the ever-popular
commercial scene and not getting much
opportunity to venture to our country’s
natural waterways.
That is, until around six months ago
when I received a phone call from Daiwa
Gordon League manager Mark Treasure,
asking if I would like to join the team,
which is based just a stone’s throw from
where I now live. The decision to get on
64 JANUARY 2018 | POLE FISHING
board was simple; I missed team fishing
and also missed the kind of fishing that I
grew up doing, tackling canals and rivers
and the diversity that these venues offer.
However, that meant getting my gear
back in shape. Floats and line, I was
sorted, but a delicate all-round hook
pattern, well, I was open to suggestions
when it came to them.
Luckily, in this game you don’t have
to look too far and I remembered
Cresta/Gamakatsu’s Stewart Lister
telling me about a revived pattern that
he was really excited about. I had been
placing an order for some Gama Greens
when I told him about my re-kindled love
for natural venues, only for him to offer to
send a few samples of the new pattern he
had talked about.
As promised, among my ordered stash lay
a few stray offerings; some breamy looking
patterns in silver and red – nice, albeit
largely suited to a feeder approach – but
there they were, the LS-1010R, a hook the
same shape as a Gama Green but barbed
and red!
Like Gama Greens they are small in size
in relation to their stated hook size. When
it comes to GGs a 16 does me for pretty
much all of my winter F1 fishing and silver-
fish work through the summer months.
However, I can see myself utilising much
more of this range, which runs from an
18 to a 12.
Quick to tie a few up ahead of the
weekend’s trip to the Bristol Avon I soon
found they tie up well; they have a really
fine wire (with a wide gape) and the
spade is perfect for fine lines to sit snugly
up against without slipping.
Each packet comes with a generous
25 hooks too; clever really, as I’m one
of those people that like to tie hooks up
in 10s, so I’d have to buy two packets of
each, each time I take a trip to the local
tackle shop to keep things even. Not the
end of the world at £2.99 a packet.
In action they have been doing the
business too! When tackling rivers I
am a big believer in making regular
adjustments to hook baits and these
patterns are able to house various hook
baits no problem – single or double
maggot, casters or even a small piece of
worm, with the size 16 being the standout
performer, although the size 18 hasn’t
let me down yet and is perfect where
pinkie or single maggot hook baits are
concerned.
The LS-1010Rs don’t blunt overly easily
either and are deceptively strong. Even
when coming into contact with the large
head of boney-mouthed perch that reside
in the Bristol Avon they have performed
well. In fact I’ve not had one straighten
while playing a fish to date. I say “when
playing a fish”, because to say I haven’t
had ANY straighten at all would be a lie –
these hooks are very sharp, so there have
been times where a well-hooked fish has
resulted in me bending the hook while
unhooking a little carelessly.
In essence, I have been more than
impressed since starting to use this hook
pattern, and as a result it has found itself
well and truly part of my armoury for
tackling natural venues.
25 HOOKS
RRP: £2.99
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Master The Expander

AN DIN G
EXP Pole F is h in g jo ins Brownin
g-b
an
a c
d
k
e
e
r
d
a p
J
p
im
ro
Hall for a
ach to tack
ling

THE
n s tr a ti o n o f his all-exp re s start to dro
p.
demo te m p e ra tu
l venues as
commercia

EXP A ND ER
F IL E
A N G LE R

’ HALL
JAMES ‘JIM
Age: 40
Lives: Hull
owning
Sponsor: Br
ni ng Sphere
Pole: Brow
Zero-G F1

IL E
VENUE F

IES
RK FISHER
GRANGE PA Messingham,
Locatio n:
nshire
North Lincol
DN17 3PN
: £5
Day tickets
01 72 4 76 4828
Contact: ies.com
eparkfisher
www.grang

66 JANUARY 2018 | POLE FISHING

 POLEFISHINGMAGAZINE.COM

Tho
T
Thhhose lil
lilies
ies Yes you’re not seeing
are
re certa
re ceerta
rtain
tain
in things... that is a goldfish!
to hold
to hold a fefeww
bonnuss carrp!p!

I
t seems that when it comes to fishing All that’s
needed for
pellets on commercial venues, Jim’s all- be digested without wasting much
many anglers see just two options. expander of that all-important energy that is
The first, a hard-pellet approach, approach better spent to keep warm through
are 2mm
feeding and fishing with their and 4mm winter.
choice of coarse pellets, and the second, expanders.
a combination of feeding coarse pellets,
softened or not, with an expander hook THE VENUE
bait. To demonstrate this devastating
Both approaches are capable of approach you join me at the
achieving fantastic results and to disregard lovely Grange Park Fisheries in
them would be foolish. However, I am Messingham. From the five available
a big believer of a third approach to lakes at my disposal I have opted
fishing pellets that comes into play as to sit on Curlew, more specifically
temperatures drop, and that involves using the lake’s Peg 9. This is just right
exclusively expanders.

“The attractive flutter of

an expander through
the water is an exciting
proposition for fish.”
As autumn descends into winter the
fish inhabiting our commercial venues
become less active, and by the same
token their metabolism slows. Getting
bites on difficult-to-digest hard pellets – an
approach that is so popular through the
summer months – becomes less effective
as fish are looking for something they can
digest much more readily. This is where a
switch to expanders can pay dividends.
Not only does the attractive flutter of
an expander through the water column There are
The ree pl
p ent
ennty of
become an exciting proposition for o ameenta
orn
or taal fifish
tal sh to
o
ca ch
catc at Graange Pa Park.
rk.
k.
onlooking fish, but, being soft they can

POLE FISHING | JANUARY 2018 67

Master The Expander

T t’s
Tha ’s a ppre
rett
tty on
tty one!
e!

Go dfififish
Gol sh lov
oe
exp
xpand
an ers
and errs.
[IN
NSSET
SEET T]] Jim’
imss
chooice
c of
ce o flfloat
oaa fo
oat forr
pellet
pe
pellet
le
e fifishi
et shi
h ng.g

of centre on what
Carpp are
Car aree aalsso
is a pretty uniform ‘ha
h ppyy’ to
rectangular lake. What will be more than enough get
et in
invol
vo
vol
olve
ved
e
makes this peg particularly for the day’s session and at in Jim’s
im s
expand
exp der
appealing, apart from being just £1 a bag and just a couple app
ppproa
roach
ch.
ch.
able to park directly behind it, of handfuls of each all I am
is the large lily bed that is situated realistically likely to use in a standard
at a distance of 10 metres from the bank session, it is a pretty cheap date.
and directly in front of the peg.
Of course, features like lilies are a big
draw for the lake’s residents all year round, WHERE TO FISH
but that becomes increasingly prominent With such an attractive feature in front of
as the lake cools and becomes clearer, me it would be hard to not take advantage
giving the fish are sanctuary to stay out of of it at some point throughout the session.
danger. However, I won’t be transfixed on targeting
The venue has a fishery-pellet-only rule this area of the peg. I also have a large area
in place. They are available in the small
bait shop on site. Luckily the expanders
available are some of the very best fishery
pellets I have ever tried! In fact they are so “There are a lot of goldfish
good that they’re the ones I use regardless
of the venue I am visiting these days. A bag
in the lakes here at
of 2mm expanders and another of 4mm Grange Park and they are
particularly shy-biting.”

of open water in front of me so a short pole

line at a distance of six metres gives me a
second area to focus some of my time on.
The lake itself is rather shallow by
commercial venue standards and on the
short pole I have a depth of three-and-a-
half feet, and up to the lilies it is just 12
inches deeper. Nonetheless I am confident

D pit
Des iitte the
misera
mis er bl blee wweeath
ther
ther
er
the
hhee sp
spo
sportort
rtt keept
p a
smi
miile
le onon JimJim’’s
’s fac
acee.
ac e.

68 JANUARY 2018 | POLE FISHING

 POLEFISHINGMAGAZINE.COM

Donn’tt be
Don’t be afr
af aid
a too trtryy a 22mmm
on tthhe ho
on ook
ok.
k.
[AB
BOVE
O ] Jims
im
im’
m’s elas
elasstic
tiicc of
o cch
hoic
oicee.

Maake sure
Mak sure
ree
a of
all o th he
exp pand
anders
es
sin
i k by
A pint
innt
nt an
andnd a haalff of of uusi
singg a
eaaacch will
eeac illll easil
sily
iilly gett pellet
pe
pel lett
yyou
ou th
o throu
rough
rou gghh a ssess
ession
ession
ess ion
io
on.. pu p.
pum

I’ll catch at both depths, the fish here
aren’t particularly shy and people have
actually been known to catch shallow in
really cold conditions.
The rigs for each line are identical apart
from the depth they are set at: 0.16mm
diameter Browning Cenex Hybrid Power
Mono is used for main line, whereas I opt
for fluorocarbon where my hooklengths
are concerned at this time of the year.
Cenex Fluorocarbon in 0.11mm diameter
to a size 18 B911 hook gives me a delicate
setup that gives me every chance of landing
any bonus carp should I hook one. My float
of choice is a Tez Naulls JH3 0.3g, which is
shotted with a strung bulk.
There are a lot of goldfish in the
lakes here at Grange Park and they are
renowned for being particularly shy-
biting! This strung bulk shotting, which
is located just above a 4in hooklength
allows for a clear indication on the float’s
bristle whenever a fish interferes with my
hook bait. Elastic on both lines is the new
Browning Microbore hollow elastic; this
is rated at 7-9, perfect for the smaller fish
due to its soft nature and easily sufficient
if I manage to latch into something a bit
bigger.
PELLET PREPARATION 4mm expanders while a matching 4mm
Due to the fact that I am going to be expander is used on the hook. To empty
feeding expanders as well as hooking them the pot a simple dip into the water is all
it is important that they all sink. A quick that is required. This ‘sneak your bait in’
couple of pumps in a pellet pump does the approach can be particularly effective
job. The trick here is to keep the amount of while the fish are just getting used to you
pumps you do to a minimum; this way the being on the bank. Later, when the fish are
pellets won’t lose their integrity. feeding confidently a bit more noise may
I then keep them in a tub of water on my be required, but for now this is the safest
side tray, which stops them from drying out bet.
and keeps them sinking. As I mentioned The rig is introduced to try to mimic the
earlier, the pellets are good so there’s no falling feed, I may be fishing with a strung
need to worry about them getting too soft bulk but I don’t want to bomb the bait to
this way, it works a treat. the bottom at this point. Instead, picturing
where in the column my loose feed is
allows me to lower my rig in accordingly.
THE SESSION Within seconds of the float settling I
As always seems to be the case while on the
bank with the editor, we have picked
another typically miserable day! It
was freezing cold this morning as
I arrived at the venue, and now
that I have set up it is raining.
With this cold start in mind I The ornamental
spe
p cies are great
pe
have started the session with ffun
fu
uun but thes
h e
caution. are what
what
wh a wwe’
e’re
re
really
really af
lly after
fter
te !
A small pole-mounted
pot is used to trickle in
just a couple of 2mm and

“After a hectic first hour, the short line is rested

and it’s on with my second rig.”
For your chance
to
win some of the
elast
that Jim used on ic
the
day, head over to
www.
polefishingmagaz
ine.
com

POLE FISHING | JANUARY 2018 69

Master The Expander
Thee mo
Th
The
mo
mor
mo
orre Brow wnin g Mi
ela
eel laasstt c impress
sti
[IIN
[I
[IN NSETSSET] In the
get a tiny indication, which registers as
a mere shimmer on the float’s bristle.
This is met with a lift and my first fish of
the day turns out to be a beautiful Sarasa
Comet (a red and white goldfish), much
to the amusement of the onlooking
cameraman!
In fact, the next few drops prob obabbl
You
Yo ou pr
o
result in a goldfish bowl of varying e t see
aven’
en
aven’
haav
hhav
species including crucians, o
col
cco our
ollour
ouuurrfful
thi
th
thi
h s year
goldfish, small carp and brown
goldfish. “It’s like fishing in an
aquarium” is the comment from
us both.
After a hectic first hour, the
short line is rested and it’s on with
my second rig for targeting the
lilies. The lake’s bigger residents
are known to patrol the fringes of
the lilies so there is every chance of
hooking a bonus fish here. I feed
this swim the same way as the short
line and lower the rig in as before;
the float hardly settles before it
disappears and I’m into a small
goldfish. Again, the next few drops
produce what can only be described
as an aquarist’s dream! More
goldfish, both golden and brown,
comets and crucians, but up to this
point the bonus carp that the lake
holds elude me.
A switch back to the short line,
which I have been feeding quite
positively by hand with a mixture of
2mm and 4mm expanders during my
time on the long line, sees an instant
70 JANUARY 2018 | POLE FISHING
more usess it,
re he use the
t the
Brow
g’s
ning’s M cro obo
robo
ro ore
bor
mpr es
esses
mpp ess him.
es him
n itt go
thee net
ne es.
goees.
response. Almost as my float settles I hook one or two slightly bigger carp surfacing
my first carp (of non-ornamental strain) around the lily bed. I had been told about
of the day. Adopting this more positive people catching shallow in extremely cold
feeding approach works a treat and my conditions here before, but surely not?
next few fish are all of a better stamp. Nevertheless I proceed to stick a rig on
As the session progresses and despite set at mid-depth with strung-out shotting
the cold, rainy conditions I start to notice to allow for a really attractive fall of the
hook bait. I suppose I am effectively
dobbing.
oba llyy
bly Dropping the rig around the edges
eeen a more
seen of the lilies soon sees a response and
fuuull catch shot
before long I have hooked a much
eaar!
ear
better fish. Managing to steer it away
from the lilies and into the open
water I am able to quickly get it under
control using my side puller – a
stunning carp of around 3lb.
I manage to hook and land
another two carp in the next two
visits before they wise up to my
approach and vanish. A quick 10lb in
the net, regardless.
Dropping back in on my other two
lines continues to produce; the fish
are queuing up, but while this is the
case it is decided to call it a day with
more than enough fish for a catch
shot shared between my two nets.
The session has gone almost
entirely to plan and not knowing
what I was going to hook next
kept things really interesting. The
venue’s stock have responded
exceptionally to an all-expander
approach and having fished in this
way at many other venues I know
just how effective it can be. Get out
and try it yourself, you won’t be
disappointed!
 FROM QUIRKY TO PLAIN USEFUL, WE’VE GOT THE GIFTS THAT ANGLERS WANT

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 Will’s Rigs

Words and photos: Steve Martin

IT’S ALL
ABOUT THE
England’s Will Raison reveals his essential go-to rigs
and baits for winter sessions on the river.

AN GL ER FIL E

WILL RAISON
Age: 42
Lives: Aldershot
Sponsor: Daiwa
Pole: Daiwa Air Z160

VE NU E FIL E

RIVER WEY
to Triggs
Location: Town Bridge
Lock, Guildford, Surrey
rd
Controlling club: Guildfo
Angling Society
the
Day tickets available on
bai liff or loca l tack le
bank from
shops
Contact: info@
o.uk
guildfordanglingsociety.c
Website: www.
o.uk
guildfordanglingsociety.c

72 JANUARY 2018 | POLE FISHING

 POLEFISHINGMAGAZINE.COM

Bread
Bre
reead
d fed
ed
d he
herree

Rig settl
Rig sett
setttled
ttl d and
d fifishe
sh
she
hed
he
Rigg lo
Rig low
weeerred
wer ed in
in he
her
eerre abb ve
abo v fee
feed
eed Exp
EEx xppect
eccctt to
ect to caattch
c
fifish belo
elow
el

Hem mp fed
fed jusst above
bbove
bov
breead fee
feed
d
Wor
Worrmss and
nd
d caste
ccaaste
sstterrss fed do
own first
r she
shelflff

Flow
Flo

“It’s even more important

E
ngland ace Will Raison prefers was equipped with.
to keep to the local match “I’m going to start fishing breadpunch
scene once the winter months that you get the feed and on the longer line – off the bottom – and
arrive, and that doesn’t just
include events on commercial
presentation right.” as you can see, I have modified the bristle
on my KC Diamond float,” he pointed
venues. Some of the matches are also held out. “One of the biggest mistakes that I
on stretches of his local rivers, plus a few some of the other ones that I would use for see made when fishing punch is people
further afield, and to find out more about faster-flowing venues.” don’t take into account the fact that the
how he approaches them we joined him on The first rig was for fishing a long line at bread expands and takes on water, which
the River Wey in Guildford, Surrey, to delve 13 metres, which Will attached to the solid increases its weight. If you are fishing
a little deeper into his rigs and go-to baits. No5 elastic that with a fine bristle the first run
“Although the choice of rig is essential the top kit of his through might be okay, but as
on a river, in my opinion it’s even more Daiwa Air Z pole the hook bait expands it will
important that you get the feed and pull the float under, giving a
presentation right if you want to false bite.
maximise your catch rate,” said Will, “The addition of the thicker
as he selected the two rigs that he plastic or hollow bristle gives
would use for his session on a the float that extra buoyancy to
slow-flowing section of the Wey. counter the increase in weight.”
“I’ll get on to the baits and The rig itself consisted of the
feeding later, but first I want to modified 4x18 float, which was
go through the rigs that I’m Hemp
mp acc
acco
co
ounntted
ted
ed set on 0.12mm Tournament Rig
using today, and talk about fo a few
for ew
w bo
bonuuss Line. The main bulk of No9s
ro ch
roac once ce the
thee
punc
nch lin
ine
ne slo
slow
ow
wed
was placed 30 centimetres above
ed.
the hooklength, with two No10
droppers spread equally below.
The hooklength itself was 20
centimetres of 0.09mm Drennan Supplex
Fluorocarbon with a size 18 Kamasan B511
hook.
“This setup will also double up as a
hemp rig, as it won’t sink with the weight
of the seed, so in a match I would set up
two identical rigs,” Will added. “However,
you often find that the flow can change on
This clonkin
ng perc
er h some venues, especially where there are
is one reaso
on why locks and weirs that regulate the flow, so
you never negl
gleectt you might also have to set up lighter and
a static worm line
ne.
e
heavier options in case the flow increased

POLE FISHING | JANUARY 2018 73

Will’s Rigs

Statart
r wit
rt i h a bi
bigg bait
bai
ait
it – a
55mm
mm di
m disc is
disc is highly
hhiighly
hig h y visib
hl visib
visible
ibblee
whe
w hhen it swel
w ls
we ls upp in
in the
t
w er
wat er,r bu
butt sscal
cal
caa e down
down
o a siz sizee
if thee bib tes
te arre hardhard
a to o hihit.
t.

Itt s a go
It’ good
od d ide
id
dea tto
de o have
have
a a fe ffew
ew
ew Onncce bite
Onc
O itte in
indic
d ati
t ons
on
baaiitdropp
ba tdropp
td pers
errs
rs ha
handy
ndy if tthhe sta
taarrt
rte
ted to drop offf a sm malll
flow is is too
too fasfasst to
fa to pott wororrmsms nugget
nug get
ge
et w
et waas adde
ddedd to trryy
an nnd
d ca
caste
steers onon tthe
he st
stat
stati
ati
t c line
ine. and ki k ck
ck-
k sta
s rtt th
st th liline.
the ne.
ne
e

or slowed at any time.”
Will had set his rig on a top five, which
would allow him to run a bait well down his
peg, as there was plenty of line between the
float and pole.
“This setup will allow me to search well
below my feed, as you often find that
the fish will hang back off the main feed
until they gain the confidence to move
upstream,” he pointed out. “You will also
have noticed that I have plumbed up quite
a way downstream – almost 45 degrees to
my right.
“What a lot of people don’t realise is
that roach, especially, will often move up
above the feed, so if you cup in directly in
front it could happen that the fish you are
targeting end up above your swim.
“Feeding further downriver allows you
to cover the water above it, and pick up
any fish that might have moved up. That
also brings me on to the presentation of
your bait. If you were to feed directly in
front, you would then have to lower the rig
upstream, and that would not allow you to
settle the rig and have complete control of
it before it moved over the feed.
“By having the feed well down the swim,
you can lower your rig well upstream of it,
so that it’s settled and fishing correctly. You
are then able to control the bait as it then “However, when it comes to fast-flowing
drifts over and beyond the feed to where rivers, the floats need to be very buoyant
the fish are feeding.” with a decent bristle, as you will be
With the punch rig sorted, Will then looking to trip baits along the bottom, or
went on to explain that the basics of the overdepth, as you hold back against the
rig would be the same on venues where the current.
pace was a lot quicker. “Round-bodied floats from 2g to 8g are
required, again with a similar shotting
setup, with olivettes as the bulk. However,
“Feeding further you need to ensure that you are fishing
downriver allows you to heavier droppers to get the hook bait
fishing on the deck. Two No10s won’t cut
cover the water above it.” it. You might even have to fish double
droppers to lock everything down quickly.”
Having gone through his preference
“On a medium-paced river I would fish for round-bodied-type floats, Will moved
a similar setup, but with bigger floats up to on to flat floats, where he pointed out
4g, depending on the flow and depth. The that when it came to fishing faster water
style of float would be either a rugby-ball the streamlined profile of the floats often
shape or an inverted pear. The shotting allowed you to fish lighter setups.
would be the same too, that is a bulk and “There is less pressure on a flat float, so
two droppers. you can run a bait through the swim with
BREA
E D/H
REA /HEMP
EMP RIG
G STATIC
ATIC WOR
AT M RIG
ORM IG
4 8 KC Diamond
4x1 1gg Dre
Dr nnan Carp 3 float

0.12m
2mm 0.20mm

Bulk of No9s, 300 to

40c above hook link
40cm Olilivet
vette
tee

Two No
No10
10 dro
droppe
ppers
rs Two dr
dropp
oppers
ers

20cm
20cm 0.09
09cm m 30cm
30cm 0.17
0.17cm
cm
m Rig fifishe
sh d 10in
fluoro
orocar
carbon
bon ho
h okk linnk fluoro
occarrbon ho
hook
ok linkk overdepth
ove th
A spra prraay/b
pr y umpp ba
y/b b r enab
nables
bles
you
you
yo u to
to hho old the
thhee wo
worm
rrmm rig
r
ri Sizee 1188 Kama
Siz Kama
amasa
san B511
B5511 Sizee 1122 Gama
Siz Gama
amakat
katsu
katsu 406
40600
ovve
ove
o ver the he ffee
eed,
d, whi
wh le
wh le atat thee
saaam
ssam me tiim ime
mee yo
m you can loo ooossee
ffee
fe
eeeed
ed tthehhee lon
lon
o ger
g liinenee..
ne.

74 JANUARY 2018 | POLE FISHING

 POLEFISHINGMAGAZINE.COM

terrs,
Caaasste s, dendrabae nas
aeenas
na
aand d lo wo
wo
lobbw rm
orm mss aarre
ey ing
kkey
ke iinngre ntts fo
redients or bigbigg
per
ppe c and
eerch eelss onn th
d ee he
the important to have a plan B. On most rivers
staattic nee
tic lliine. during the winter, that will mean perch
and, if they are known to be in the area,
bream. Eels are another target, but they
don’t show much if at all once the water
goes cold. Where possible, I would look
to target them where there is a noticeable
drop-off, or a nearside shelf.
“I’m going to fish worm, so the rig has
to be strong, but not heavy. I just want to
know that my bait is on the deck, but not
locked solid, as I want to lift and drop it
regularly to impart a little movement. I

If the
th ro oachh ar
a e feeding,
a spraay off hemp
em over
ovv
the br
b ead liine can
ca heh lpp
to pul
p l fish in
i cl
close
ose
s r to
the feed.
e

want it to waft around a little, as it settles.

“Flat floats are often used to fish static
baits on rivers. They are used by a lot of
anglers on the Warwickshire Avon during
the Evesham Festival. The pace here on
the Wey is not as fast, so I will get away with
using a 1g Drennan Carp 3 float, and with
the chance of a possible good fish it’s set
on 0.20mm mono with an olivette bulk
and two droppers, with a 30cm 0.17mm
fluorocarbon hooklength and a size 12
Gamakatsu 4060 hook. The rig is attached
to white Hydro to ensure the hook is set
You
Yo
Y o
ou u’ll ne
n edd extra
ext
xttra
r top
op
op when I strike. You know how bony a perch’s
ffou
fo ou
o urs
r and
a po ossi
ssibly
s bly
b totop mouth is!
fifivves to o ena
nablee yo
nable youu to “I’ll be fishing the bait about 10 inches
work
wo
wor ork a riig in d deep
eeep
eeep
ep--
water
wat er ven
ven
nuues
ueees. overdepth, and the long hooklength means
there’s virtually no weight/resistance for
the fish to feel when it picks up the worm.
a light model compared to a normal float. a white or black Hydrolastic, and main It also allows the worm to waft around in
The rigs are normally fished overdepth, line of no less than 0.18mm mono and a the flow, as it settles back down when I start
where they are inched through the swim hooklength of 0.13mm or more. That might to work it.”
at a pace that keeps the bait down on the sound a little severe, but when you are With both rigs sorted, it was time to feed
deck. striking against a lot of force in deep water, both lines. Will fed the long line with a big
“To achieve this, the olivette is locked with a fish on the end, you want to know ball of dampened liquidised bread, and
between 35 and 40 centimetres above the that everything is going to hold together.” then the worm line at a distance of the top
hooklength, with up to two sets of four Having set up his small silvers rig, Will six of his pole, with half a pot of chopped
No8 bulked droppers to ensure the bait turned to a second rig, which he pointed lobworms and casters.
moves along the bottom, even in the fastest out was to try and catch bonus perch, eels “The added water just helps the crumb
currents. and possibly bream. sink a bit quicker in the flow, so that the
“There is still a lot of pressure on a flat- “You can never be sure that you will draw bulk lands a little downstream from where
float rig, so strong gear is required, possibly on roach, bleak, dace or even chub, so it’s it’s fed, with some of the loose particles

POLE FISHING | JANUARY 2018 75

Will’s Rigs
drifting further to help to pull the
fish up,” he explained. “It’s okay
to put in the worms and casters on
the perch line here, as the flow is
not too pacy. Any faster and then I
would feed with a baitdropper.”
One other observation about
how Will was going to fish the
worm line is that he had set up
his spray bar, so that he could rest
the pole to keep the hook bait on
station, directly over his feed.
“It’s not only a good way to keep
the bait still,” he added, “it frees
up your hands, so you can easily
fire out any loose feed on another
line.”
The session started with Will fishing
a 5mm punch two inches off the deck,
which he shipped out and allowed to settle
and start fishing well above his feed so,
as he explained earlier, it started to fish
immediately as it passed over the white
feed carpet.
“Unless I’m bloodworm fishing I’ll
always start with punch on the river,” he
commented. “It’s a catch-all bait that often
gives instant results when targeting silvers.
It also gives you an insight as to
what you can expect to catch for
the rest of the session.
“If it’s roach then you will be
looking to draw them closer, and
once they are feeding confidently
start to ping a few grains of hemp
over the top to try and catch a
better stamp later on.
“If you don’t catch on the bread,
then you are unlikely to catch on
hemp as the roach are not there.
“If it’s skimmers, then it pays to
try and keep to the bread and feed
little nuggets regularly to keep
them in the swim.”
“If the bread fails to work, and
you can normally get a feeling for
it if you haven’t caught any silvers
after 20 to 30 minutes, it might be
worth trying maggots as a fallback,
but it’s probably best to switch to
the worm line, rather than waste
time.”
The signs were good, as on the
fourth run through on the bread
Will picked up a small roach, well
down the peg. This was followed
by a few more indications before a
second fish came from just past the
feed.
“There are definitely fish there but
not in numbers, and they are well
down the swim so I’m going to add
76 JANUARY 2018 | POLE FISHING
another small nugget, he switched to
the worm.
“I’m not ditching the bread line
just yet, but I don’t think that there
are many roach in the area,” he
pointed out.
“I’m going to give it time to see if
the crumb can pull any more fish in,
and it’s been long enough for the
worms and casters to work so I don’t
want to leave it much longer before
Ann ear
A early
lyy loo
loook on th the having a look.”
worm llineinee rreevea
vealled
tha
tth
h t tther
ha Half a worm was swung out and
heer
her
ere were erre pe
perc
rrch
chh
inn the
the ar
th a ea.a allowed to drop down and settle at
the bottom of the shelf, and after no
indications were forthcoming Will
a small, heavy nugget to see if that will pull started to lift and lower the rig. The
fish closer,” he commented. “If that fails to reaction was instant and a 4oz perch was
work, then I’ll try the worm line.” soon netted. This was soon followed by five
After a few more runs through, Will more small perch in quick succession, and
caught a better roach in front of the feed, then the bites dropped off.
which justified his explanation about “You can see how it can be an aggressive
ensuring you get the presentation right method when you make the bait dance,” he
before the bait reached the feed. That was pointed out. “The bites have slowed, and
followed by another small roach, but it I don’t want to neglect the bread line for
wasn’t enough to give Will a good feeling too long, so I’ll feed another load of worms
about the silvers line, so after feeding and casters, and try long again.”
Will started to catch a few better
roach, and this prompted him to start
A good winter weight to feed a little hemp, with the noise
on the Wey is 5lb, so attracting a few bleak into the peg. He
b nus perchh
Will’s bo
Wil
even had a perch on the bread.
boosstted his catch to
boo
beyond thaat.
welll beyo
wel t The rest of the session saw Will
continue to switch between his two
lines, where the worm line provided
the best of the action, including a near
2lb perch. He did catch a few roach
on hemp later on, but the silvers line
didn’t really kick off, and with that
being the case he concentrated on
the worm line for the latter part of the
session.
“This has been a typical winter peg
on the Wey today,” Will concluded.
“I turned up with a game plan, based
on two simple tactics, and had there
been plenty of roach I could have
had a nice bag of silvers.
“However, I had to rely on my
worm line to help me to put some
kind of weight together, so with over
4lb in the net that would be good
points had this been a match. I did
have a few boats pass over my bread
line, and when the water is clear it
doesn’t help.
“I hope I’ve been able to put
across the importance of getting the
feed and presentation right, and the
benefits of selecting suitable rigs
based on flow, conditions even the
baits you choose to fish with.”
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Bonus Silvers

TAKING THE

WITH THE

NEGATIVE
It may be getting co
lder but that doesn’t
selective in your
mean being any less
g to Maver’s
approach, accordin
s.
Bradley Gibbon

AN GL ER FIL E

BRADLEY GIBBONS
Age: 19
Lives: Windsor, Berkshire
te Baits
Sponsor: Maver, Dynami
ver Dar ksid e Ser ies 3
Pole: Ma

VE NU E FIL E

MONK LAKES
d,
Location: Staplehurst Roa
Marden, Kent TN12 9BS
Day tickets: £10
es.
Contact: office@monklak
co.uk

78 JANUARY 2018 | POLE FISHING

Bonus Silvers

A loosely
strung bulk andd
a single dropp
ppe
peer
are used on
both rigs.

“Small fish are

sure to get to
your bait first if
natural baits such
as maggots are
used.”

Blacke
Blackenn the
ck he Maver Dual
tip
ipp wh
when
enn Core Pro
faced
fac ed wit
withh is Bradley’s
white
whi te wat
water. c ice.
cho

T
here’s often a fine line
between being selective in
your approach, and running
the risk of catching very little
or nothing at all. Often the
dilemma we face is that we know a lake
is home to some real quality fish and we
aspire to make them our target, but in
reality they are not there in the numbers Bream, tench, big perch and even some You’d need
that the smaller, easily caught silvers are. nice big roach all reside here, but such is a lot of
So what to do? Sit catching from the the quality of the habitat there are also a roach to
outweigh
same shoal of micro-roach all day? Or be lot of small fish that are sure to get to your this
a bit more adventurous and go for glory? bait first if natural baits such as maggots are bruiser!
Well for me it’s option two every time! used.
For me there is only one thing for it,

THE VENUE
I love fishing for silver fish on
big, open lakes such as Bridges
Lake, here at Monk Lakes in
Kent, where the Pole Fishing
cameras join me today. Bridges
is one of the venue’s more picturesque
lakes, and stretching over a 16-acre area
there is plenty of it to go at. But as I
touched upon earlier, there is a big divide
in target species.
Being such a big lake, it is home to some
big fish, not just carp either – albeit there
are a few in here of specimen proportions.

POLE FISHING | JANUARY 2018 79

Bonus Silvers

B dle
Bra dleyy uses
s th
se thee edge
edge
g
off th
o thhe islan
the isslan
land
and as his
hiiss
marrker
kerr fo
ke for both
thh sw wims
im
ms.

and that’s to go for an all-out fishmeal

approach that will hopefully overpower
some of the smaller fish in front of me and
allow me to get among those better fish
that live among them.

THE BAIT TRAY

So, fishmeal all the way it is and this starts
with groundbait. The mix I use consists of Onnee baallll on the
One
a bag of Dynamite Green Swim Stim, the neg
egati
a ve
ative,
e, annd threee
same of Milled Expander and half a bag baalls
bal ls on
n the
tthhe
he posit
poositive
ive.
of Dynamite Skimmer Mix. Each element
has a role to play within the mix and brings

“It is always better to leave the peg to develop

by letting a few fish settle over your bait.”

something different to the table.

Swim Stim is a good binder as well as
having a strong fishmeal flavour. Milled
Th se big br
The bream
eam ha
have
ve an
Expander gives the groundbait a nice in tia
initiall few
few lun
lunges
ge bu
ges b t so
oon
o
fluffy texture that helps it to break down givee up,
giv up,
p rea
ready
dy to be nettted
ted.
and create a carpet of feed on the bottom
as well as lightening the mix off. Finally,
Skimmer Mix is all about flavour and smell.
It is almost purely used as an additive that THE RIGS
gives the mix a really sweet caramel flavour, One of the biggest mistakes I see people
which skimmers in particular seem to love. make is trying to catch the first skimmer
To complement this my side tray contains that comes into their peg. It is always better
an assortment of pellets of varying sizes. I to leave the peg to develop by letting a few
suppose the two most important ones here fish settle over your bait. With this in mind
are softened micros, which I will add to the my plan for the day ahead is to feed two
groundbait, and my 4mm expander hook lines. This will allow me to start my session
baits. These have been pumped prior to fishing over a negatively fed line and allow
the day’s session and will also be used as a few fish to settle where I introduce a bit
feed within my groundbait, which just gives more bait.
the fish something to pick out among the The two swims are positioned left and
finer bed of bait that I introduce. right at a distance of 15 metres; the water
The fish are used to seeing particles is becoming pretty clear now and the lake
introduced, with the lake being largely is rather shallow right up the edge of the
carp-angler dominated. The peg today is rushes in front of me, so putting a bit of
six feet deep so feeding my loose particles distance between myself and my feed area
in balls is the best way of getting it down to is important.
the bottom, whereas a shallower swim can I also have the same depth on both swims
often be better attacked by feeding loose so the same rigs can be used for both.
groundbait. Like the way I will feed the peg, I will have
positive and negative with regards to rigs
too.
The first features a 0.5g MV-R Finesse
1 float. This is tied to 0.14mm diameter
Maver MV-R main line. I like to use a
heavier than normal line for the more
positive of the two setups; this helps to
prevent tangles and means I can be a little
more clumsy when shipping out at pace

80 JANUARY 2018 | POLE FISHING

 POLEFISHINGMAGAZINE.COM

It doesn’t Little tinca

nca
c!
ca
take long
to realise
when
you’ve
hhoo
oo
oked
k
ke quick spin around on my box and lowering
a tenc
ten
enc
nncchh!! of my rig over that line results in a quick
bite, which I somehow manage to miss,
such is my excitement of the almost instant
‘sail-away’ bite.
No matter, straight back on with a
4mm expander and almost as quickly this
time round the float dips and I make no
mistakes hitting that indication! After a
steady battle my first bream of the day is
in the net, all 3lb of it! This is followed
by three small skimmers before there’s
another lull in proceedings.
A 4mm exp xpa
xp
pand
andder
The next half-hour is spent swapping and
hook baitait
itt ra
rarel
ree y fail
rel aii s Shotting on both rigs features a strung changing between the two swims and two
to do
o thhhee bu
bussin
sin
nees
ess
ss. bulk starting 12 inches from the hook and a rigs, during which time I manage a tench
single dropper just above a 6in hooklength of 2lb from the right-hand swim among a
– the dropper is there purely to give me a few smaller offerings.
clear indication, whether that be a lift bite With bites from bonus fish a little few
or a small dink. The lighter setup is shotted and far between, and now a couple of
with No9s whereas the heavier uses No8s. hours into the day, I decide a top-up is
needed. Another ball of groundbait and
a few loose micros are deposited over the
THE SESSION left-hand swim while the ‘negative’ swim
As expected, the day gets off to a slow start; receives a small nugget out of goodwill.
the frosty overnight temperatures have This seems to work a treat and two bream
undoubtedly slowed things down and just in the next two drops are my reward; lovely
a couple of hand-sized skimmers are all I big dark ones as well, that must be upwards
have to show for my early efforts. Both are of 3½lb apiece. A short while later, in which
caught on the light rig over a single ball of time I manage a smattering of smaller
groundbait to the right of my peg. silvers, I hook something that is definitely
and laying the rig in. Over an hour into the day’s session and no bream. My 4-7 rated Maver Dual Core
My hooklength on this rig is of 0.12mm the telltale signs of a few fish feeding over elastic is given a thorough testing as the
diameter and the hook is a size 16 B911 the left-hand swim where I introduced three hooked fish heads left and then right
F1. This is the rig that is going to come balls at the start begin to transpire in the across the entire peg. It could be foul
into play when I know there are a few fish form of small pimples on the surface. A hooked is my initial reaction, or maybe a
about. It could be that I pick this rig up big carp. But soon enough it shows itself
after an hour to 90 minutes and don’t put as a lovely tench of around 4lb, and a
it down for the rest of the session, or I scrappy one at that!
FFiv
ive bonu
onnu
nuses
seess to to
may need to keep chopping and changing ggoo al
aalo
l ngg with
witth
wit With that in the net and it doing
throughout the day. I have this teamed up 10l00lb of ‘bit
biits’
ss’.’.’. ‘a job’ on my two swims it seems
with a 4-7 Dual Core Pro elastic. No
Not ot a bad
baad daay like a good way to end the session.
at the
t offfifice!
ce!
The second rig is a scaled-down version I’ve managed around 10lb of small
of the first. Again a MV-R Finesse 1 skimmers, but the real stars of the
float is used, this time in a smaller 0.4g show were my five big bonus fish that
size; 0.12mm diameter MV-R main line between them probably go another 15lb
is used down to a 0.10mm diameter plus alone.
hooklength and the same hook as above It may have been a little nervy at times
gives me a lighter setup at the business waiting for the big boys to turn up, while
end, while a lighter 3-5 rated Dual Core I sat here ignoring the large numbers
Pro completes the setup. This is almost of smaller fish in front of me, but in the
always my starting rig and the one I like end it is was most certainly a risk worth
to feel my way into the session with. It taking!
is likely to nick me an extra bite when
the going is a little tough as well, so can
come into play throughout the session. TO WIN SOME OF THE ELASTIC
The softer elastic also gives me less of THAT BRADLEY USED WHILE
a chance of pulling out of fish; it may SHOOTING THIS FEATURE,
take me a little longer to get them in HEAD OVER TO WWW.
but I’m not expecting the sport to be POLEFISHINGMAGAZINE.COM
hectic early in the session so I’m not too AND CLICK ON THE WIN TAB!
worried about taking my time.

POLE FISHING | JANUARY 2018 81

????????????
Urban Fishing

MARK (POLLY) POLLARD

Age: 54
Lives: Bedford
te Baits
Sponsors: Matrix, Dynami
Pole: Matrix Nemesis
Pictures: Mark Parker

HEAD TO
TOWN FOR
BRILLIANT
ROACH As temperatures cool, the sport
on offer in our country’s town
centres gets hotter and hotter.

SPORT
Matrix and Dynamite Baits star
Mark Pollard is keen to
demonstrate how to get the most
out of fishing these stretches.

82 JANUARY 2018 | POLE FISHING


A
s summer becomes a distant
memory and autumn similarly
passes us by, town and city
centre river fishing really
comes into its own and many
of them hold surprising stocks of largely
neglected fish.
The good news for the angler is that
while most lengths may seem totally devoid
of life at this time of year, these inner-city
stretches are literally bursting with shoals
of silver fish as they take advantage of the
slightly warmer temperatures in these
areas.
Urban waterways are excellent during
the colder months, with many advantages
offered to the fish: Passers-by feeding
the ducks, who bring free food; the tall
POLEFISHINGMAGAZINE.COM
buildings that block out the wind; the lack
of cormorants due to the activity of human
beings, and a ton of other fish-holding
features that makes these venues a natural
draw for shoals of fish through the coldest
months.
Better yet, as is the case today in the
heart of Bedford on the River Great Ouse,
these stretches are often free to fish!
To demonstrate, I’ve set myself up in the
centre of town, opposite The Embankment,
a busy area with stunning scenery and
plenty going on.
WHY TOWN CENTRES?
As I explained earlier, the reason urban
stretches are better than their rural
POLE FISHING | JANUARY 2018 83
Urban Fishing

Pol
P o ly was
w qu
wa q ick
icckklyy
i o a rh
int
in r yt
yyth
t m of
catchi
cat chi
h ng.
hin.

Given that the fish shoal quite tightly in

certain areas, the next question is how do
you find one of these hotspots in your local
town?
For me, checking over the latest match
reports from the area or a quick chat down
at the local tackle shop is the quickest and
easiest source of information.
Tackle shops are very underrated and
underused in my opinion when it
comes to information gathering
or angling help in general.
However, those in the
know won’t leave the
hot pegs unattended
Pinkiess prov
Pinkie proved
ed for long, so getting up
to be the beest
s
Ch ppe
Cho ped
d worm
worm an nd caste
ast
ast
ster
er was cu
cuppe
pped
d r ch bai
roa baitt on
on bright and early is always
in
n on
n Mar
Mark’s
ks ‘bbonu
o s fifish
s ’ line
sh line.. the da
d y. advisable.
Another top tip is to
find the pike anglers.
These boys know where
“Add to this a slack handful of people feeding the roach will be as the
pike are always in the same
the wildfowl and you’re suddenly looking at areas. I mean, it is very rare to find
quite a heavily prebaited area!” lions without any antelopes, isn’t it!
The great thing is once you’ve found
a productive area it will generally be
counterparts at this time of the year is thrown into the water. Add to this a slack productive every year, as there is something
that various economic factors mean that handful of people feeding the wildfowl and about it that the roach love.
the water temperature in these areas is you’re suddenly looking at quite a heavily It’s places like this where I cut my teeth,
generally higher. prebaited area! quickly learning the fine art of ‘finesse
Another reason the fish turn from Although town centres are great spots all equals fish’ and the more finesse you
country bumpkins into inner-city gents year round, they only really come into their employ, the more fish you can catch.
is the easy food pickings. As you can own at this time of year, from the first frosts Another plus point regarding using fine
imagine, there are loads of titbits that get through to the end of the river season. tackle is you very often coax the odd bonus

84 JANUARY 2018 | POLE FISHING

 POLEFISHINGMAGAZINE.COM

Ottth
Oth
O heerr riv
rivveerr us
use
seers
rs can
caaann
maakke tthe
m
mak
make he fis
he fishhin
hiing diiffi
ifffficu
cult
lt
aatt ttim
mes.
ess
[IN
NSSETET
ET]
T] Oliv livvett
ett
etttes
teess he
hel eellp geett
the
hee hookb
hookb
ho okkb
ok bait
ait
i dodownwn qui quui
u ck
ckl
kklly.
y.
get to the bottom before
breaking up. It also has
loads of crushed hemp in
it that all fish love. As you
never quite know what you
are fishing for, I find hemp
is a brilliant addition to
any groundbait carpet.
Once the groundbait is
mixed, I add a handful of both
casters and pinkies as well as a whole
tin of Frenzied Hempseed. The particle-
laced balls are then formed into Jaffa-sized
balls and are cupped in over my main line.
My second spot is what I refer to as my
bonus-fish line, which I’m looking to fish at
10 metres, into 12 feet. Here I am looking
to feed a 50/50 mixture of chopped worms
and casters.
I will start by introducing 250ml of the
mix via a cup at the start of the session.
This will then be left for at least 30 minutes
to allow the bigger bonus fish a chance to
settle over the feed.

fish or two that reside in these places. In
the past hour I have seen a couple of big
tench and one huge roach roll on the top.
The great thing is that when you fish a
river, unlike a stillwater, when the float goes
under you just never truly know what will
be on the other end!
PRIMING THE SPOTS
The first job for me is plumbing up.
The water in front of me is surprisingly
deep – at 13 metres I have a depth of 16
feet – so I need to attack the swim in the
right way to get the most out of it.
On this main line I tend to feed a
positive amount of groundbait laced with a
good helping of particles.
The mix I prefer has
remained unchanged for
years, the reason being that it just works
wherever I take it.
I combine a whole bag of Dynamite Baits
Black Frenzied Hemp, half a bag of Silver-X
Roach Original and half a bag of brown
crumb, because the Roach is designed to
specifically target roach – predictably –
while the brown crumb is added purely
to add food value to the mix. As the days
shorten and get colder, I will ease back on
the amount of brown crumb I use,
to the point where I stop using it
altogether.
The Frenzied Hemp Black
adds a ‘sticky’ quality to the
groundbait, which helps it
INSTANT RESPONSE
With the bait cupped in, I like to fire a
few casters over the top, just to try and
help concentrate a few fish that may be sat
just out of the swim or at mid-depth. It is
important, however, that in depths like this
you don’t catapult too often as you’ll bring
the fish up in the water, causing you major
problems as the session continues.
The rig I’m using on this line starts with
a Matrix Stay Fresh No4 elastic
through two sections. This is
light enough not to bump
the roach, but heavy enough
to still be able to swing the
smaller ones to hand.
When it comes to the
rig, finesse is key.
In this depth, many
anglers would look to

M k with hi
Mar h s hard
rd-fo
-fough
ug t-f
ugh -for
-forr te
tench.
h.

POLE FISHING | JANUARY 2018 85

????????????
Urban Fishing

fish a 2g to 3g float. I find this far too heavy,

especially when roach are the main target.
My choice for the day is a 1.5g MP Roach,
which I have shotted with a 1g olivette, 18
inches from the hook, and three equally
spaced No10s below, terminating in a
size 18 Kamasan B511 hook to a 0.08mm
diameter Power Micron hooklength, set at Lob
obw
wo
orm tail
or a s are
aree alw
way
ays a w
win
innnin
n g
dead depth. baitt ffor
bai o cat
or catchi
ching
chi ng a few
few per
perch.
pe ch.
The reason for the lighter float is that I
find I am striking into the fish rather than
the bulk shot, which makes hitting the bites the fish to feed, even on a cold day, as they
much more positive – you’d be surprised might just be up for a bit of grub.
just how many more fish this keeps on the This definitely did the trick and I was
hook! soon back into my groove of catching with
Another mistake anglers make is using relative ease.
wire-stemmed floats in situations like this. Over the next few hours I continued this
The MP Roach has a carbon stem that pattern of fish the ball out, re-feed and go
prevents tangles and it allows for a more on to the worm line, with fairly predictable
natural hook-bait presentation. results. That is until the light started to
After only a few runs through – when fade and my lobworm tail hook bait was
I could get the rig past the leaves on the taken by something in the next league to
surface, that is – I received my first bite what I’d caught previously.
of the day. As predicted, this opened the Tentatively playing it to the bank – I was
metaphorical floodgates and for the next only using a hollow 10 elastic to an 0.14mm
45 minutes or so I enjoyed some of that hooklength, after all – after a nerve-
standout sport that these venues can offer, jangling 10 minutes I was able to slide a
with a roach almost every drop in. fine 4lb-plus tench into the net. A great
As tends to happen when fishing over end to the session and giving me a pleasing
groundbait, the line eventually started to bonus fish to add to my 20lb bag of mixed
slow as the fish cleared the loose feed and silver fish – I could say I’ve had worse days
naturally backed away. on the bank! And to think, this stretch is Through thee
This prompted another Jaffa-sized ball free. stone-legged
d
fence
fence win
window
dow..
and a change of top kits, looking on the What more could you ask for…
worm line for the first time today.
Giving it 10 minutes or so I did have
Markk
Mar
a small perch, but nothing thrilling had ppo
pose
pos
osseess wit wiitthh
w
settled over the feed as yet. A half-cupful hiss cacatch
tc off
tch
of chop later and I was back on to my main sillveeerr fifish
silve sh
sh.
sh
line.
Here I found that the groundbait had
pulled a few more silvers in, but not as
many as I’d hoped. With bites being finicky,
I decided to feed another two balls in rapid
succession. This is something that too
few anglers do. Every day is different and
the fish will tell you how much they want, Cho
Chop
h p ’em up…
u …
feedwise. Don’t be afraid to feed to get butt no
ot too fin
fine.
e

Mark with
M iha
fin-p
-pe
ppeerrfect
rfect
rfe
Gre
Grereatat Ous
Ou e
ro
oach
oach.
oa h.
h.

86 JANUARY 2018 | POLE FISHING

 PO
O L E F ISS H IN
N G M AGAZ
G A Z IN
N E.C
CO M

5
9

1. The River Wye, Hereford

2. Leila and Erin Ryan, Moss Farm Fisheries, Irlam
3. Stanboro Lake, Cheltenham
4. Mikey Wallwork with his favourite angler, Amer Jawad
5. HadrianWhittle, the River Wye, Symonds Yat 10
10
6. Roy Greenwood, Meadow View Fishery, Lymm
7. Bristol Avon, Melksham
8. Barston Lakes, Solihull
9. Alvechurch Fishery, Birmingham
10. Jackson and Henry Dando

Be sure to #Polefishingmagazine when you post your pictures

on social meddia – we’ll post our favourite ones here and give
you the chhance to win an assortment of tackle goodies...

Instagram:@Polefishingmagazine Twitter:@PoleFishingMag Facebook at www.facebook.com/polefishingmagazine

PO
O L E F ISH
H IN
NG | JANUARY 2018 87
My Pole

“I can honestly say that, over the last three

years, my Darkside 3 has performed
exceptionally wherever I have deployed it.”

THE PACKAGE
• 16m Maver Darkside 3 Pole
• 6 Darkside Power kits (slotted & bushed)
• 1 extra Darkside Power kit housed within
pole
• 1 cupping kit and cups
• 1 mini extension
• 3 EVA clean caps
• 1 deluxe pole holdall & protective tubes

RRP:
£2,66:5
SRP
9
£1,999.9

88 JANUARY 2018 | POLE FISHING


Maver-backed Callum Dicks explains how his
Darkside 3 has done everything he has asked of it,
whatever the type of fishing.
A
versatile pole is essential
for the different types
of fishing that I do. It is
important that the pole is
strong enough to handle
catching barbel and other big fish, using
floats up to 50g, which are often needed
while fishing European venues.
It also has to be light and responsive
for catching F1s and roach, which is
something much more associated with
fishing in the UK. I can honestly say that,
over the last three years, my Darkside 3
has performed exceptionally wherever I
have deployed it.
When the Darkside 3 was first
launched, it was a big change for me.
Maver had changed the mandrel to a
much slimmer diameter; this made the
pole stronger and better balanced. The
top kits were very different too; they were
slimmer and shorter and the carbon was
also of a higher quality, which allowed me
to use the Power Lite Power Kits for every
type of fishing. The shorter top kits are
great because you have less elastic in the
pole, which gives you more control when
playing fish.
The slimmer diameter of the pole
makes the performance of it in strong
winds fantastic. I have used the pole in
POLEFISHING MAGAZINE.COM
really strong winds and it has never let
me down. The Nanolith Suncore finish
ensures that the pole will not get hot when
using it in the sun (this may be rare here in
England, but during World Championships
overseas it is often the case!).
The package that the pole comes with
makes life very easy for the user as the top
kits are all cut back and pre-bushed to
identical lengths. But further to that the
spares options help massively; short No4s,
No5s, dolly butts and top kits as standard,
but that don’t break the bank if extras are
needed. Better yet, the short F1 Smoke Kits
that I have been testing for a while are now
available to everybody
I have used the same pole for the past
three years and its ‘wearability’ is second
to none. The Teflon joints ensure that the
joints that are most used don’t wear thin.
When the pole was first brought to me, I
knew that Maver had massively stepped
its game up. For me, the Darkside 3 really
shows that Maver has reached a new level
of pole development. The whole package
and finish of the pole suits my requirements
perfectly.
If you’re looking for a pole that is suitable
for any type of fishing The Darkside 3 is one
to be in your thoughts! Pound for pound,
for me, it is the best pole on the market.
POLE FISHING | JANUARY 2018 89
Marukyu Head-To-Head

The whip or the long pole, which approach will

come out on top? Marukyu duo Howa ard Kaye
and Daniel Brydon n battle it out to find out.

O
ne of the biggest attractions
of fishing our country’s Daniel had an
unexpectedly
natural venues is their quick response on
diversity and versatility. the long-pole line.
Most are stuffed with fish,
and catching them? Well, this opens the
door for a whole host of methods and
approaches.
To demonstrate this, we joined
Marukyu’s national sales manager, Howard
Kaye, and sponsored Marukyu star
Daniel Brydon on the banks of the River
Thurne in Norfolk, where two contrasting
approaches on two near-identical pegs
would be being deployed.
Over to them…

THE LONG-POLE APPROACH – DANIEL

BRYDON
“I have fished this river most of my life and
have come to realise the importance of
judging the tides throughout the day.
“The venue itself is strongly affected
by salt tides (being just 10 miles from the
sea) and as we head towards winter and
the colour starts to drop out of the river,
the large tides associated with this time
of the year begin to push a lot of the fish,
especially the smaller, less hardy ones,
upstream and into the large expanse of
water that is Hickling Broad. With this the
fishing inevitably gets harder with fewer
smaller fish to be caught and just a few
larger, hardier fish sitting in this area of the
river during this time.
“With this is mind my approach is
formed mainly around targeting the
resident skimmers and hopefully a few
bonus bream, on a single pole line in the
main flow of the river.

90 JANUARY 2018 | POLE FISHING

 POLEFISHINGMAGAZINE.COM

A smal
mal
maalll flat
float
at can be
a dev
dev
eva
vastaattin
ing
app
app
pproa
prroa
ro
oach
oach forfo
or
pi kin
pic king up
bo us
bonus ski
s mme
sk mm rs rs.

An olil vet
vette
te and
nd
d dr
dropp
op
ppeerr sho
s tt
sh tt nngg
tti
wass ussed aac
wa acr
cross
ss tthhe bboar
oar
arrd.
d.

where I am looking
to present my
bait static or just
inching it through DANIEL BRYDON
the peg. Each rig Age: 38
features a standard Lives: Norfolk
u,
Sponsors: Matrix, Maruky
olivette and three- Wensum Angling
0
dropper shotting. Pole: Matrix Nemesis 100
“You may be a
little surprised to
learn that all of
my rigs are tied up
using 3lb Maxima,
HOWARD KAYE
as opposed to a Age: 57
more conventional Lives: Lincoln
pole rig line. Sponsor: Marukyu
Despite owning Pole: Sensas 974
a tackle shop I
actually get very
little ‘free’ time to spend tying rigs through
the week. Instead I choose to tie up a job
lot at the start of the year, all to Maxima
main line. It is so durable that I am fully
… and
d Ho
How
How
waard
rd
d al
all roac
o h!
h! confident that a tray of rigs tied at the start
of the year will get me through a season.
“My hooklengths are pretty standard and
“Because we are coming to the end of 0.10mm diameter Matrix Power Micron to
the season and it is much colder now I feel a size 18 Matrix All Round hook is used on
a cupped approach is a much safer option all but my heaviest flat-float rig, where this
than balling, which could spread the fish will be stepped up to 0.12mm and a size 16
Wai
W ait a
ai over a larger area. After a season of being hook. I will be looking to nail this on the
minute
minute
te,, Daani
nnieell targeted the fish are undoubtedly getting deck with big baits such as a worm, double
was
ass mmeeaant
nt wary, and being nice and accurate with a caster or three dead maggots in the hope
to
o catatch
ch
h al
alll
ski
skim
kiimme
mmers… s…… subtle cupped initial attack is undoubtedly of hooking a bonus bream, so I want to be
the way to start the session.” sure I get anything I hook out.”

“My starting bombardment consists of RIG ROOST WHIP IT UP – HOWARD KAYE

five balls of Marukyu Natural Bream and
River, mixed in equal parts. Four balls of
this initial feed contain just a few casters
and dead red maggots, with the final ball
given a large helping of chopped worms.
“With regards to rigs, I have three set up
to target the same line at 13 metres. The
first features a 1.5g Jean Francois while the
remaining two feature Cralusso flat floats
in 1g and 2g sizes. These will be deployed
“Unlike Daniel I am not familiar with
today’s venue; however, he promised me
that it offers some fantastic sport and that
I would be able to catch on one of my
all-time favourite methods… the whip to

POLE FISHING | JANUARY 2018 91

Marukyu Head-To-Head

hand. So, with that in mind that is exactly

how I am going to approach my peg (albeit
I am going to put a pole line in at around
nine metres as well just in case the whip
line doesn’t work out!).
“I don’t plan to do anything complicated
today and my setup confirms that. I have
set up a single 4m Sensas Alborella Record
150 whip – for short lengths I prefer to
stick with a flicktip for this style of fishing
most of the time as I feel I can hook and
swing a much higher percentage of my fish
throughout the session.
“I expect Daniel to catch a bigger
average stamp of fish today on the long-
pole line as the venue is known to throw up
a few skimmers, so speed is going to be key A quicuick run
ui un ooff
skkimme
sk
ski mm
m meers
m rs saw
aw
w DaDanie
niieel
nie
if I’m going to compete.” taaakke a co
tak comma
mm m nd
ma ndi
d ngg
di
eaarlyy lea
ear
ea ead
ea d..

Howard pr
Howard p efers
rs
to stick wit
withh a
connector or di
direc
rectt
to a flickti
ktipp for
or
hi wh
his whipip fishin
shin
ng.
g and
“The start of the session
was slow, but since the
flow has changed and
begun to turn I have started
to put a few fish in the net.”
HOWARD’S RIGS
“My rig on the whip setup utilises a 1.5g
Dino Champion, which features a nice,
visible plastic bristle, round body and
importantly a carbon stem. For whip
fishing it is integral that you use carbon,
as a wire or even glass stem can have a
tendency for flipping and causing tangles,
unlike a carbon stem that will follow the
flight of your bulk or olivette, allowing you
to swing the rig out comfortably.
“Shotting is a 1g olivette with a string of
No9 droppers spaced equally below. Hook
is a size 18 Sensas 3410, which is tied to
0.08mm diameter Reflo Power.
“For my longer line I have two rigs set
up. Both feature the same hook pattern
Smaalll pieeces
c two part’s Natural River to one part Natural
off wor
wo
om
w ked
wor e we
ed w lll Roach. This results in a nice heavy mix
for
o H Hoowarrd that I am able to add plenty of loose feed
nd Da
Danie
n l.
ni
to; the Roach adds that distinctive flavour
that roach love as well as containing its own
seed-based feed content that roach and
other silver fish cannot resist.
“My plan is to start short and keep having
a look on the longer line throughout the
day for the potential bonus fish. With this
in mind six hard balls containing around
150ml of coarsely chopped worms, casters
and dead maggots are cupped in. I have
purposely cupped these in hard to allow
for a really slow breakdown, allowing me
to catch what I can short before having to
worry that all the feed on the longer line
has been eaten or washed out of the peg.
“The whip line is fed differently and I
plan to feed regularly with a small nugget
throughout the session. This will contain a
few pinkies, maggots and casters and how
Whehenn the
h tide
tid
tid
de
regularly I choose to feed will depend on
tu ned th
tur t e skim
kimmer
merss
mer how good it is on the day! This could mean
dis
isapp
appearared
ed
d ffor
or feeding every cast or after every few fish.”
D ie
Dan iel
el.
THE SESSION
and hooklength diameter, a size 16 Sensas Surprisingly it’s Daniel who strikes the first
3410 and 0.10mm diameter Reflo Power blow, with Howard barely finished cupping
respectively as well as the same Jean Francois the final ball on to his 9m line before
float pattern. But due to the expected Daniel is scooping his net under a skimmer
change in tide throughout the session the around the 6oz mark. In fact, he’s four
two floats are of differing sizes, with a 1.5g skimmers up before Howard manages his
and a 2.5g gracing my top kits.” first roach of the day. If anything, Howard
expected the quicker start of the two and
Daniel wouldn’t have been worried were he
PLAN OF ATTACK to see Howard take an early lead.
“Like Daniel, the base of my mix for the day “The tide is ebbing at the moment, which
ahead is Marukyu Natural River, however, means it is on its way out,” explains Daniel.
with roach a key target my mix consists of “It seems to always be the case here that

92 JANUARY 2018 | POLE FISHING

 POLEFISHINGMAGAZINE.COM

the skimmers show during the ebb, or the

flood, but rarely both. The problem with
that is that we are reaching the end of the
ebb, so this early flutter of skimmers could
as quickly come to an abrubt end!”
As it happens Daniel manages to put a
skimmer in the net on almost every run
through for the opening 25 minutes of
the session before a change in conditions
results in bites drying up. d ngg a ba
e din h k soon
b ll a chuc hd
oon ha
Fee
Fe
“This is often the case, but I have found shh lin
the fifish
the ng up
iinng
lining H ward’s peg!!
up inn Ho
that this period of slack between the ebb
and the flood is the best time to have a
look for a bream,” Daniel states, as he continues in Howard’s favour,
reaches for the 1g flat-float rig from his with a steady run of skimmers
roost and proceeds to ship out with half a falling on the whip line while his
dendrabaena on the hook. long line produces a couple of
Over on Howard’s peg, after a difficult chunky perch. However, Daniel
start and managing just a few stray roach, is not dead and buried yet and
the tide has quite literally changed. among a spattering of roach, which
“The start of the session was slow, but I is all he thought was about since
have persevered on the whip line and since that change in flow, he manages
the flow has changed and begun to turn A cocoupple of tthe he
hese
se another couple of skimmers
l e in the day
lat
I have started to put a few fish in the net, might
mig ht jus
juust hhave
ju ave
ve ke
kept
p
pt knocking on the door of 1lb apiece
mostly falling to a red maggot hook bait. Dan
Da
D aanniiel
ell in
in th
thee racee. to keep in touch with Howard’s
In fact, with the average stamp of roach ever-growing haul.
around 3 to 4oz I’ll soon be able to build a “With Howard having so much
weight of them,” Howard declares. “Daniel the trick. I’ve even started picking up the success by feeding a ball a chuck I thought
is undoubtedly ahead but I am quietly odd skimmer on the whip line, which are a I’d best do the same, albeit I am throwing
confident that I’ll soon catch up.” welcome bonus, albeit a bit of a test with no mine at 11 metres. It seems to have drawn
Of course, Daniel has other ideas and elastic to soften their lunges.” a few roach in and those feeding fish have
while Howard is busy swinging in a good Having both been fishing for approaching encouraged a couple of bonus skimmers to
run of roach on the whip he sneaks two three hours now it is clear that the early keep me in the race.”
bonus skimmers into the net. lead that Daniel built up has been closed by
“I’ve had two better skimmers during Howard and with both anglers now picking
that period of slack, one on a worm, the up a steady run of fish from their respective THE END RESULT
other on three dead maggots. However, it swims it’s looking like a close affair! With both anglers enjoying some excellent
didn’t last long and I’ve gone biteless The final hour of the session definitely sport throughout the day it is about time
for a little while now, with the we had a look at what they have
river now flowing in the opposite managed to put in the net. It has
direction.” been an interesting battle between
Looking for a way to spark the two lads, with both fishing two
some life back into his peg Daniel very different ways to finish the
proceeds to cup another two balls session with very similar hauls.
of his original mix slightly to the Daniel’s long-pole approach
right of where his original feed showed early dominance while
went in. Howard’s whip line was a definite
“You have got to consider that slow burner. As the tide changed
now the flow has switched direction that threw a spanner in the works
you are going to be running your and the fortunes changed for both
rig away from where your initial – Howard’s peg continued to get
feed went in. I’m almost trying stronger close in while Daniel had
to kick-start the swim again by to work a little harder to keep bites
introducing some more bait” coming but was able to keep ticking
Meanwhile Howard’s peg has over late on to keep Howard within
never been stronger! touching distance.
“It’s as if a switch has been It’s safe to say both approaches
flicked!” he exclaims. “Where have a definite place on our
Daniel’s peg has got weaker, mine river system and from today’s
has just got stronger and stronger; demonstration it’s clear to see that
Howard
Howowwar ard wa
ard was adamant
damam maant
nt
feeding a small one-hand ball hee fifinnis
iish
shed
ed o onn top
top,, butt
to
you can enjoy some fantastic sport
after every three fish is doing Dan
Da
D aanniie
iel
eel wwaasn
ssn’
n t accepti
ccceepti
cc
cce ptttiingg whichever is your preferred attack!
deefeat
def
de eeaaatt. Eit
ith
ith
ther
er way
way, tw
wa wo
o
lov
ovelyy neets
ov ts o
off fifissh.
h.

POLE FISHING | JANUARY 2018 93

 PF
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96 JANUARY 2018 | POLE FISHING

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TRACK
TRIUMPH KERRY
ENGLAND INTERNATIONAL LEE ETS FOR
REVEALS HIS SNAKE LAKE SECR
WINTER DOMINANCE
SILVER SUCCESS
ENJOY YOUR BEST EVER SILVER-
FISH HAUL WITH THE HELP OF
GARBOLINO’S GLEN PICTON

IT’S DOBBING TIME!

LEARN ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW
ABOUT THIS DEVASTATING
WINTER TACTIC

FRANKIE’S TIPS
FRANKIE GIANONCELLI UNVEILS HIS
TOP WINTER TIPS FOR ROACH ON
NATURAL VENUES

PLUS: NEW GEAR • TACKLE TESTS • AND MUCH MORE...

 THE PACKAGE
• 16m pole
• 8 top kits all fitted with Eeze
Glyde side pullers
• Cupping kit with cups
• Dolly butt that fits 13, 14 and
16m sections
at pole. It • Short No4 section
“This is a gre
well, the
measures up
• 3 Stubby kits that come
at and its pre-bushed with one each of
package is gre 3.2mm, 4.3mm and 5.2mm
is spectacular”
performance bushes

- Joe Carass, • Holdall

editor
Match Fishing
 NEW POLES FOR 2017
THE SECOND GENERATION

XITAN ADVANCE = Top quality, top performance,

strong, long lasting & total reliability.
SECOND GENERATION = Lighter, stiffer and now
including the latest Browning Advance features
NEW Xitan Advance Z9-2
A famous name providing true top-end & market leading
performance 16m package includes 9 kits, 2 extra C’s,
Short C, Cupping kit & 3 Square Pole Protectors
SSP £2.499
NEW Xitan Advance Z8-2
A new and improved version of our ultimate “all-rounder”
16m package includes 7 kits, extra C, Short C,
Cupping kit & 3 Square Pole Protectors
SSP £1.799
NEW Xitan Advance Z7-2 Power Special
Strength in excess – without excess weight!
16m package includes 7 kits, extra C,
Cupping kit & 3 Square Pole Protectors
SSP £1.499

DESIGNED IN THE UK

XITAN ADVANCE STANDARD

FEATURES INCLUDE:
• full 16m length poles with standard length butt
sections
• new Duo-bush topkits – PTFE bush adjustable
for elastic size
• carbon overwrapped & hardened joints
to resist wear
• diamond ground surface finish and
minimal paint
• supplied in specially designed
Xitan multi-pocket holdall
• section compatible with Supplied with 3 of our unique
previous Xitan Power Square Pole Protectors which elimi-
poles nate “elbow pain” and stabilise the
pole in windy conditions. Fishing
a long pole has never been easier
and more comfortable!

THE BEST JUST GOT BETTER

BROWNING – INNOVATION,
QUALITY, VALUE & SERVICE

Need information on products or spares?

Contact us direct on poles@zebco-europe.com. WWW.BROWNING-FISHING.COM