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.
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The Method Match
Pole or running line? Match Fishing tasks top northern matchmen Adam Richards and Josh Newton to find out on a tricky River Tees near Yarm.
"Choosing the right method on a particular day has to be one of the hardest things in match fishing, especially on rivers. "
WIN - Get Equis Equipped
Preston Innovations and match Fishing give you the chance to win one of Six Equis rods!
"Classy, understated graphics, high-class graphite finish, soft through action and an abundance of reserved strength are just a selection of the attributes that the brand-new Equis range has on offer. "
Worth Their Weight in Silver!
Mark Pollard reveals some of the deadly silver-fish edges that keep him one step ahead of the competition.
England ace, and Preston Innovations & Sonubaits backed rod Lee Kerry stormed to victory in the latest round of the Lindholme Natural Baits League with a 42-2-0 net of skimmers and F1s. Drawn on peg 29 on Bonsai Lake, Lee caught skimmers early fishing maggots over groundbait, before adding some quality F1s to his net on maggots later.
Runner up on the day was Lee’s Barnsley teammate, James Dent, who caught 35-13-0 fishing maggots over groundbait from Beeches Pool. In third place was Joe Goulding, also on Bonsai, who caught a lovely 34-10-0 net of F1s again on maggots.
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.
The Acolytes. . . after 14 months of hammer! -Matt Godfrey has been putting Drennan’s Acolyte poles through their paces for well over a year now, but are they holding up to the pressure?
Idare say that there aren’t many people who’ll put a pole through its paces in a year in the same way I will.
Pure Class!Tom Scholey inspects a new range of match rods from Free Spirit, a brand that has been synonymous with fine-quality carp fishing tackle for many years…
Making a break into the super-competitive match rod market is not an easy move to make, especially when your company’s past presence in the match fishing market has been, well, non-existent!
But this move is one that Free Spirit is making – and in Match Fishing’s opinion, its entry into this market will not be good news for the competition, simply because they make exceptional fishing tackle. Speaking to some of my friends from the carp fishing world (where Free Spirit carp rods are among the most highly respected available) I was told to expect quality, and when the rods arrived in the office I knew that we were in for something special.
I was actually shown two ranges of rods – the CTX range (showcased here) and a range known as HiS – which were still prototypes when we saw them, but will soon hit the shelves as the company’s flagship rod range. Look for the review in a forthcoming issue.
Stylish And Quality -Match Fishing looks at the Cresta Blackthorne luggage range from Spro.
This is attractive, hard-wearing luggage at a price that doesn’t break the bank. And the other great thing about the Cresta Blackthorne luggage?
It looks pretty sexy on the bank too! Manufactured from hard-wearing and waterproof material, the Cresta Blackthorne luggage features ultra-strong zips, and reinforced straps and seams. In a break from convention, the ready-rod bags do not come with fixed rod ties, but instead are supplied with a separate complement of neoprene versions.
