LATEST ADDITIONS

John Allerton uncovers his lethal method for kicking-off a match on a commercial, guaranteed to get you ahead before the opposition can blink… The most commonly asked question that I get asked is how to start a match. While this seems to be an area of fishing that a lot of people are unsure about, it is one that I am very confident in. No matter what kind of fishing you’re doing, it’s vital that you settle into a match confidently, and if you can get a few bites and put some fish in the net early, that’s all the better. How you start the match, however, can affect what happens later in the day too.

Assistant editor Jake Fowles gets out on the bank with Frenzee’s FXT Match+ 8ft 6in Feeder rod. Over the past year or so I have declared my admiration for short-length feeder rods. Of course, these pint-sized weapons are not a particularly new thing on the scene, but in my opinion – and evidently that of tackle companies alike (judging by the amount of these rods cropping up in their catalogues) –now more than ever they have a place in the armoury of the modern match angler. Not just since the rise of F1 fishing, either; yes, the soft action of these rods does lend itself perfectly to targeting species such as F1s, as well as skimmers, but in actual fact they are so much more versatile than they are often given credit for.

Joe Carass gets out with a brand-new Maver pole that really impressed. Working on Match Fishing magazine means that I get to see a lot of stuff before it actually comes out. Most of the brands out there are usually clambering for page space to make sure their new and exciting product gets in front of you guys. With the new Signature Pro range of poles from Maver, though, it was different.

Andy Oldham explains why snags needn’t be as scary as they first look! It’s a situation that crops up on many of the more established commercial fisheries around the country… lakes full of fish, but the carp are only too happy to reside in any snags dotted around the lake. These more cautious fish have been caught time and again during match hours and know that the snags offer them a bit of safety. Hooking fish in snags is rarely the problem. Fish tend to feed with confidence when they are holed up in the safety of the snags so bites are usually easy to come by.