It’s not every day us mere mortals of anglers get asked to trial a new product, that’s normally left to those at consultant level within the big companies but at the same time not all companies that are influential in the angling world are the size of the major tackle brands; so when I was asked by Andy Wootton and Nigel Malko both of Commercial Indications several months ago about trialling some new float tips I couldn’t refuse. My first thoughts leaned towards a new shape or was it the nitinol (Bendy Wire) that is now all the rage? No, it was quite simply a new colour tip or several new colours to be exact with which one is still undergoing testing as we speak, I asked Andy why they were looking at producing new colours and how they would improve my own as well as anyone else fishing from what we already know and have trust in? His simple reply to me was do I struggle to see floats or certain colours at distance? Being partially colour blind I would have to say yes, I do especially in certain lights, I was intrigued as he wasn’t giving too much away in terms of benefits in fact pretty much none, I had to just try them in differing situations, and with the winter period approaching it was a good time to try as the weather changes constantly and that hard to see glassy surface is quite commonplace on most days. He sent me a set of each colours and I wasn’t to get in touch with him until I had spent enough time trialling them; the 2 colours that were sent were neon pink and a bright blue.
On first look at each colour I could start to see they could have a potential to make the difference but only time on the bank will tell, it was quite difficult though as he asked if I could try and keep them under wraps from prying eyes especially as nothings secret these days with social media.
Outspoken and opinionated he may be, but whenever he writes something it’s always worth reading. Welcome back, Giles Cochrane…
Weston Pools is a fantastic match and pleasure fishing complex because it offers anglers a range of species to target with a variety of different approaches. However, from a match angler’s point of view, this can be a daunting prospect.
It took me a little while to realise that I needed to target F1s, ignoring the barbel and carp as the F1s feed shallow for most of the year and are big enough to put a reasonable weight together in the last few hours if necessary.
Dobbingis a bit of a Marmite tactic; it can be seen as extremely negative but it also catches a lot of fish, especially when the temperature plummets. Is there really any skill in it? We joined up-and-coming star Craig Goldstraw to discover the secrets behind hisdobbingsuccess.
What isdobbing? It’s actually quite a vague description of a method that can take many different forms. Saying you caughtdobbingis a bit like saying you caught on the feeder, or on the waggler; yes it gives an idea of how you caught, but with so many variables you’re still left pretty much in the dark.
The pellet cone is a great tactic for cold weather when a bite or two can make the difference between a dull session and a match win. It’s all about setting a one-bite trap in the correct place, ready to tempt a passing lump into having a go.
Pemb Wrighting is highly adept at catching in all conditions and the pellet cone is one of his go-to methods when the temperature drops: “It’s great for offering a small pile of bait with the hook bait most prominent – the fish doesn’t have to be feeding hard to want to investigate and then a bite won’t be far behind. ”
Today, Pemb has chosen Sumners Ponds Fishery in Horsham, West Sussex to demonstrate the effectiveness of the pellet cone and with the weather veering between Arctic blasts from one of the many winter storm systems and bright sunshine, the Guru-backed ace will need to bring his A game to get a result.
This week I decided to try somewhere new, Lloyds Meadow Fishery. It's a venue which I've hear loads of great things about, but have never had the opportunity to get round to fishing it. I decided to fish a lake called Badger, in hope of a few bites.
The plan was to fish the pole all day, with the chance of catching a few carp.
Jamie Hughes explains how a single-minded, catch-everything approach can be the key to match wins this winter!
For this month’s feature, I’d like to talk about something that is becoming increasingly popular on commercial fisheries, and a method that I really look forward to using once the weather begins to cool.
Approaching a commercial with a ‘fish for everything that swims’ approach can lead to an awesome day’s sport and is also a brilliant way of remaining consistent during matches when the carp aren’t feeding quite as well as during the summer months.
Over the years there have been many pieces written about combining a carp and silvers approach during matches; usually a case of catching a few lumps to begin with then topping up with a weight of silvers and finishing with a few more big lads late on.
While this is undoubtedly the correct way to approach some venues (generally those where the carp are a large average size), at most fisheries that I visit regularly, such as Weston Pools and Lingmere Fishery, simply fishing one or two lines and catching whatever fish come along for the entire session can be almost unbeatable!
Now, I must stress that for a mixed species approach to work you need to be fishing a venue with a good stocking of different fish.
After six years fishing for Matrix Dynamite Trentmen, Tom Scholey is moving on….
I have Rob Perkins to thank for getting me involved with the then Fox Match Dynamite Trentmen.
I was first invited to join the team in January 2011, after a few good guest performances on the RILMAC league on the Fossdyke – although again, Rob should really take the credit for this as he showed me how to fish the venue!
I still remember my first weekend fishing for the team – it was in the Sensas Challenge at Packington Somers and Barston in March 2011. I was honoured to wear the T-shirt that Rob gave me (even if it was a little too big for me!) My performance, as I remember it, was less than heroic, somewhere near the bottom of the section both days – but things could only get better!
The next chapter was the Division One National on the New Junction Canal.
Match Fishing magazine gets on the bank with the first two graduates of the Guru Match Academy!
You’d have thought that, at just 14 and 15 years of age respectively, Rob Swan and Will McCranor spend most of their days locked in a dark bedroom playing computer games and glued to their iPhones, like many teenagers in modern society.
In actual fact, when not working hard on their studies during term time you will more than likely find them on the banks of one of their local fisheries, giving the adults a run for their money on an open match or festival.
Both are the very first graduates of the brand new Guru Match Academy. This is an event run by Guru, which sees a group of young match anglers coached over a two-day period, where over those two days the Guru stars decide between them which pair of youngsters involved is going to gain a sponsorship deal worth over £1,000!
We caught up with Rob and Will at the picturesque Partridge Lakes Fishery, in Warrington, to see how they were getting on since successfully acquiring their sponsorships with Guru.
Five-times world champion Alan Scotthorne looks at targeting quality fish in the cold and explains why a plummet is your best friend!
At this time of year on commercial fisheries the target fish should be firmly on the bottom, so all that slapping and shallow fishing has almost gone out of the window! This is when the trusty plummet becomes your best friend, so here are a few tips that should help you get the best out of this simple device.
Feed little and often - the fish will often still respond to the noise of bait hitting the water.
Understanding the contours of the bottom of the swim you have drawn is of the utmost importance. I’ve watched anglers plumb their swims in a matter of seconds and this is possibly one of the biggest mistakes made in fishing.
Webb’s World
Dan Webb recalls the recent Northamptonshire County Cup, and a less than profitable trip to Ireland…
Well, there it is… 12 months have passed since I started writing these, er, chronicles. Yes, chronicles, I like that! Much has changed in that time, although I am a little disappointed that my two-page spread has now dropped to only one page and hasn’t in fact taken over at least 12 pages.
To try and remedy this, I’ve sent Tom 300 photos from my recent trip to Ireland, so he has no excuse for short changing me again! I’m sure at least one of them will be good enough for a cover shot. I may not be an Andy Geldart, but if Des Shipp is handsome enough to get on the cover then I’m sure I am!
Anyway, as I’m writing this I’ve just competed in the nationally prized and prestigious Northamptonshire County cup.
January 22nd, Peg 151, Covey Six
Today was the second round of the Partridge Lakes winter league and after managing a second in section on the previous round I hoped that I could build on that this week, but after my performance on the teams of four I wasn’t that optimistic.
The weather during the week had been quite reasonable for the time of year, with some settled temperatures at last, but as per usual it was all change by the weekend as an easterly breeze had brought some cold weather and we were back down to minus temps during the night. It was forecast to be 2ºC all day with some snow flurries, and no doubt this would affect the fishing today, but it would be the same for everyone so no point complaining.
I arrived at the fishery just before 8.
Something that provides plenty of opinion and conflict is the surge in people wanting to make their own floats, not for personal use but those wanting to make a few quid something I once did a fair few years back too before all the craze. For me and it really is only my opinion I have no issue with this as long as the ones making them are honest and offer something of balanced quality, and not just sell any old float as it really is easy to buy the ready to build kits off eBay or other internet sites and just slap them together and charge people.
The Floats on test up close and personal
For years floats have been built by hand and in recent years have become even more refined, I’m not sure who was the first to really make an impact on the pole fishing scene but the likes of Mick Wilkinson, Gaz Malham and Mick Bassett have been producing floats for years now, each have huge followings with some of the top names using them and for very good reason. They were the ones that started a craze that majority of the top tackle companies have failed to follow for many years; it was the fact that they built sturdy floats that lasted much longer than most commercially bought models.
Des Shipp’s Commercial Edges
Who better to give you 10 top tips for catching carp on the short pole this month than England superstar, Des Shipp!
1 - Keep Quiet
One of the most important things to do when you’re planning to catch at close range is to remain as quiet as possible.
Wise fish in today’s commercials are very wary of bankside disturbance, so try to keep any banging and movements on the bank to a minimum while setting up, and more importantly, when fishing.
2 - The Magic Depth
Fishing in the right depth of water is essential if you plan on catching on the short pole, and I often see people fishing far too close for my liking, in too shallower water.
Where possible, the minimum depth that I like to target is four feet.
Mark Pollard reflects on a very successful trip to the Emerald Isle, and recounts his lessons learnt…
The Irish festival scene has seen a huge rise in popularity in the past few years and in turn winning over on the Emerald Isle is becoming increasingly difficult. Well, that’s the case for most, although if you’re a certain Mark Pollard it seems that winning in Ireland is about as easy as getting your hands on a pint of Guinness!
We joined him on his return from another successful visit to Ireland, where he managed to frame in five out of five festivals!
Fish To Win
A festival-winning fish? Redworms and maggot was a great hook bait for skimmers!
I would say the most important nugget of advice I could give to anyone visiting Ireland and who wants to do well is be positive. The fishing in Ireland when I was last there (for a full five weeks in September), was the best I’ve ever known it and with such good fishing on offer you have to make the most of it.
Fishing for skimmers and roach in the UK may be about fine lines and small hooks but for feeder fishing the past few weeks I’ve been using 0.
Garbolino Lindholme’s Alex Docherty reflects on the differing approaches that top anglers take to winning matches. .
Working at Lindholme Lakes places me in the fortunate position that I get to see Aaron Grantham every weekend… not to mention many top match anglers. This has really helped me in my own fishing and I’ve learnt loads through the years by watching and speaking to them (the anglers, not Aaron).
