Small pool advice

[Andrew Thomas]

I'm off to Devon at Easter to a small cottage complex where we stayed last year. There is a small,maybe 1/5th acre, shallow [18" to 4'] pool stocked with carp from 3lbs to 20lb[one fish allegedly].Anyroadup,I fished it a little last year with floaters, although the weather was cool, and got a couple.

I fancy a slightly more serious attempt this year as I am now back to fishing regularly.I've been advised to try either cage feeders or small method feeders. I don't possess any alarms or indicators, just a barbel twintip rod and a carp rod. Anybody got any bright ideas? I've checked out the 2 articles on the Method on the site but am not sure if it is suitable.[Wonder whether it would work for barbel???]

 

[Rob Brownfield]

Andy, I fish a similar water up here in Scotland, and i would not even attempt to use *the method on it*. On such a water, I would recommend a stealthy approach. Your Barbel rod would be ideal for floatfishing over a bed of pellets with either paste, or maybe banded pellet. With your carp rod, I would fish small PVA bags full of pellets and 4 or 5 boilies up close to any features such as weedbeds, pads etc.
I would constantly scan the water for activily, and if I saw fish feeding, I would not hesitate to drop a lobworm amongst them. You can't fail to catch...honest! Leave the 4 once leads at home and the heavy baiting as well. Little and often will work.
Hope that helps )

 

[peter webber]

Andrew
I would try method feeder on a lake like you are going to fish. I have had some great multi catches using the method on small carp lakes like that.
Use the method inline NOT fixed I find that much better and its safer. For groundbait try this:
2 x Van Dam method mix ( i use the red )
1 bag crumb ( red again )
about 2 cups of crushed pellet
2 tins liquidised sweetcorn
mix this up untill you get the right mix then add small pellets, a tin of whole sweetcorn.
A good idea is too put about 1/3 of the mix to one side and make this a bit wetter then the rest.
When putting the groundbait on the feeder just cover the feeder with the wet groundbait and then add the dryer groundbait to the out side. This has the efect of the dry groundbait forming a cloud as it settles on the bottem atracting the fish and the wetter groundbait is still intact witch the fish will have a go at. Hooklength I like to use of about 6lb and around 6in to start. 8lb main line. If true bites are slow to start try folding the hooklength back into the groundbait so that your bait is only about 2in below the feeder.
You can use just about any bait with this rig, my fav being meat, paste, worm on a size 12/8 hook.
If you give this a go then do NOT move far from your rod as most bites will be fast and out of the blue.Make sure you are using a good rod rest and wait untill the rod bends right round. If you get small knocks , thats the fish having a go at your feeder WAIT for it.
I hope this helps and if you use this then I am sure you WILL get a good result from it.

 

[Rob Brownfield]

Eeeeek...the Method on a 5th of an acre shallow water....oh well. I would have thought you would have scared every fish in the pond out of its skin. I have only used the Methos on large or heavily stocked waters.

 

[Andrew Thomas]

Ta for the advice boys. The only problem with float fishing is that the owners insist on 10lb minimum bs line which obviously does not lend itself to good presentation and could spook fish just by hanging there in shallow water.What about a straight leger set-up,with an option of fishing as a bolt rig? Or a cage feeder?

 

[peter webber]

Andrew
If you want to try the cage feeder there then you can still try the mix that I have put above, just make it on the dry side so that it does not stick in the feeder. I have used this mix on all sorts of waters not just heavy stocked carp waters and have had great results with it.

Rob
Carp of the stamp that andrew is talking about I don't think that a method feeder will scare like you say. More like they will home in onn the splash of the feeder and the splash will draw them in.

Whatever you do andrew I hope you have a great time and please let me know if you decide to try my method and how you get on.

pete

 

[Rob Brownfield]

Here here Peter! Andrew, go and have a good time!!

As for the 10lb minimum, well, thats what I use on the float gear. Maxima is fine for this, dont forget, you are not fishing for tiny knocks, more like a bold lift or the fish just swims off with the bait. I use a small piece of quill, attached bottom end only, with a float rubber.I then set the float about a foot over depth and use a size 4ish hook and a golf ball size lump of paste. About 3 inches above the hook, I pinch on a swan shot. Once cast out I tighten up so that the quill cocks itself. Then I wait. With this set up, you can hit 40 yards if you really want, but I do tend to fish very close in, sometimes watching the carp pick up the bait.

I now actually use a braided main line, and have even used Yellow braid to watch the line when freelining (as does John Wilson) and the carp do not mind!

Whatever u choose....good luck!!

 

[Andrew Thomas]

That's standard "lift" technique isn't it Rob?

If I can't catch after your and Peter's tutorials then it's my fault!

Thanks very much to both of you......I'll try both your strategies and let you know the results.....let the best man win!!!

Incidentally, how do you make your trout pellet paste? Ground pellets and eggs? Or do you include any standard type base mix?

 

[peter webber]

Andrew
How do you make trout pellet paste? Ground pellets and eggs?

Thats just how I make mine, I also use carp pellets from poundland. You get a big bag for just a ? ( they have green/brown pellets ) when grounded the green ones are great for using with a colour ( food dye ).
Try starting with a 2 egg mix and you should get more them plenty for a days fishing with that.
Add any flavours etc to the eggs before mixing if you want to try that.
Good luck and have fun.

Pete

 

[Rob Brownfield]

Andrew, yep, its kind of the lift method, but as its set overdepth, its a slight variation. Usually the quill/float will quiver and bob, then just glide across the surface. Its a VERY exciting method!
As for pellet paste, you can either use eggs to mix with the ground pellets, and maybe add corn flour as a rate of 1 table spoon per pound of pellets to stiffen the mix, or, you can take the pellets, cover them in boiling water, immediately drain, leave 20 mins and then kneed them into a paste. Groundbait can be added to stiffen slightly. Also, sveral firms are marketing pellet paste pre mixed. Van den Eynde for example. HOWEVER. Its bloody expensive and seems to be full or preservative. Its a good back up bait, but I still prefer proper pellets.

Also, note that Salmon pellets are oilier than Trout pellets, so seem to pull fish quicker. Carp pellets are less oily but come in flavours etc. I have had GREAT success using Starmers GLM pellets. (Green Lipped Muscle) which are very dark in colour. Good for spooky fish. You could also try mixing trout pellets with say Strawberry Nash pellets to get flavoured paste.

Anyway...good luck, shout if u need any more confusion )...or e mail me!

 

[Simon Bainbridge]

I have recently dug out my rods again after a hefty 13 years out of fishing and there is a lot of tactics now which I haven't a clue what they are, never mind how to use them! Like the 'method' for instance, what is this and how is it used/does it work?

 

[Andrew Thomas]

Simon, I think it is similar to the tactics used by Bomber Harris to subjugate Dresden, although I don't think he used beachcasters!

I sympathise with your confusion, being in a similar situation [albeit with an even longer gap!] I think there is a danger that improved technology and the associated trainspotter mentality that sometimes accompanies it can obscure the pure delights of simple angling; and also that the old methods still work!.....The words "Workman" and "Tool" spring to mind!

That's not to say that there's no fun in being a tackle junkie, but I reckon that any improvements in my fishing are down to watercraft not gizmos that I've fallen for in the tackle shop. I'm a sucker for buying new mono but virtually all my losses on returning to fishing were down to crap knots!

All right then , call me a Luddite!

 

[keith reid]

OK, try the method if you want, but you're on HOLIDAY ! and you may not want to lug too much gear. Try Rob's lift style or a waggler set overdepth and fish to a size 8 or 6 hook to breadflake. Ping in a few loose pieces, squeezed so they sink , esp. to a feature like an island. You WILL catch! No need for an alarm or a feeder large enough to sink the Tirpitz!
It's a small water so you'll be able to keep an eye on all of it. Bait up a few margin - and I mean margin - and have a dekko now and again to see if fish have moved in. If yhey have , fish it. And yes , like Rob said , a lobworm is usually as good as any in that circumstance.

 

[Stewart Bloor]

Simon, you're right about how fishing has changed over the years. Regarding the method, a series of three articles has just appeared on FISHINGmagic on that very subject...check out features and also see related articles.

 

[Andrew Thomas]

Funnily enough, the only carp I managed to catch on holiday fell to two hair-rigged mixers I set up in desperation and dropped on the nose of a margin fish. All other methods failed miserably!

Ok, ok, it could have been me! Leave it already!