WHEN I BEGAN writing this series I didn’t think it would get quite this big! This is the final one of eighteen parts, a series that was supposed to be eleven, but with some additional contributions from Jeff Woodhouse, Dave Gilling and Sean O’Farrell it just kept getting bigger!
Along the way I’ve gone from needing thermals for the photography to trying to avoid sunburn, caught plenty of carp, including some cracking doubles, and inspired a couple of FM regulars to try their luck at writing an article or two. I’ve learnt more about drawing rig diagrams and Photoshop, and tried to polish my writing skills, despite a substantial workload of 2000+ words per week.
But the best part is knowing that this series should prove an excellent reference for the thousands of anglers seeking simple advice on going about fishing this modern type of water. Fishing is as simple as you want to make it, and I hope that simplicity has come through in the articles. For those who need more then seeking advice from a more competent and experienced angler able to guide at the waterside is an invaluable step. Articles, videos and DVDs can all help the budding angler but there’s no substitute for experience and practice – so get out there and keeping trying.
Worth Remembering
There’s been a lot of detail in this series but a few points are worth repeating:
Find the fish – even in the highly stocked commercials there will always be places that hold more or bigger fish. Features like weed beds, islands and reed beds are the starting point.
Get to know your water; it may take a few trips to succeed, and even then you’ll always be learning. What worked last time may not work this time. Changes in the seasons, weather and conditions will affect your catches.
Assess what you are trying to catch in the water that you are fishing and tackle it accordingly – 3lb test curve rods on a tiny water stocked with 2lb carp is pointless, and equally tackling a big pit that holds carp averaging over 20lbs with a light waggler rod is no better. Balance the tackle as well – ensure that the rod (pole), line and hooks are suited to each other.
Determine the best bait options – bait requirements don’t have to be expensive or complicated but do your homework on the water. Find out what really works which is not always the same as that being used by most anglers on that water. Some out of fashion baits like sweetcorn or worms can still be deadly yet ignored by most anglers. And remember that some baits can be selective as well; baits like caster for big roach, bread for crucians or lobworms for big perch – all make a change from the ubiquitous pellets.
Take time to investigate the swim through careful and accurate plumbing – are there distinct drop offs or shelves?
Feed regularly; having laid the table with an initial helping of bait be sure to keep a steady helping of bait going in. This needs to be tailored to the time of year and the target species. A shoal of hungry carp or bream will mop up all you can throw at them yet in contrast there are times when virtually no feed in needed at all especially in winter when simply legering a grain of sweetcorn can be enough to pick up carp steadily.
Fish accurately. Having identified a potential fishing spot within the swim through careful plumbing, fish and feed it accurately. Precision is one of the many strengths of pole fishing – take advantage of it./LI>
But don’t be afraid to fish methods other than the pole; fishing with a waggler beyond pole range or a feeder can open up a whole raft of new possibilities.
K.I.S.S. = Keep It Simple Stupid – catching fish doesn’t have to be complicated, simple rigs, feeding and methods will catch you all the fish you could ever want.
Carp, carp, carp…Or is it?
There is a tremendous emphasis on catching carp at many modern commercial waters, and the same goes for many club waters as well. That’s not the entire story though. Catching the same species all of the time is ultimately boring, and these waters offer far more for the adventurous angler to discover. This spring I’ve had mainly carp (first time I’ve had five doubles in a row) and bream, but also had koi, crucians, tench, gudgeon, roach and rudd (a long way short of the18 species I managed from the Dorset Stour last season!).
Later in the summer some of these alternative species will be far more willing to take the bait, in better condition too, than during the spring warm-up/spawning period. For instance, I haven’t tried to fish for roach yet, simply picking the odd one up by accident because I think the roach fishing is much better in late summer onwards. With sustained hot weather it can be fun trying for big roach with fine gear on casters, or hemp and tares. When the roach come right up in the water the fun really starts and you will need to fine tune your rigs and feeding to hit the fast bites, and don’t be surprised if other fish including the ever-present carp join in.
Similarly, big perch will be a worthwhile target later in the season. Much earlier in the series I mentioned a freelined mini-livebait approach. That’s not always allowed so the best alternative is using lobworms. At times the perch want a big mouthful, and two lobworms on size 6 or 4 is the method, laid on close to bankside cover with a float (check re hook sizes first though as some waters only allow up to an 8). Chopped worm and caster can attract the perch as well, introduced via a pole pot or bait dropper. Don’t be surprised if the carp muscle in though.
So many ways of catching fish
Much of this series has revolved around three basic methods; floatfishing with a pole, waggler fishing and The Method. But there are plenty of other variations that can be tried. Freelining without float or lead, especially with a floating bait can be tremendously exciting. Your heart stops as a crafty carp slowly approaches the bait. Will it take it? Or has it wised up and merely thwacked the bait with its tail?
So don’t be afraid to experiment. Try fishing at half depth, with fluorocarbon lines, with different flavours of pellets, the possibilities are endless.
Finally, I’d like to thank Graham for the tremendous effort that he’s put into sorting out the many photos (supplying a fair few too) and the articles, Stu Dexter for being a willing subject; Jeff Woodhouse, Dave Gilling and Sean O’Farrell for contributing articles, and finally two of my work colleagues, Nick and Simon, for helping out with the photography.
