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TACTICS LAUNCH A TWIN BAIT ATTACK FOR PERCH<br />
8 NEW<br />
MAPS INSIDE<br />
VENUE<br />
GUIDES<br />
CUT OUT & KEEP<br />
YOUR DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO CATCHING MORE<br />
new series<br />
FISH BETTER WITH...<br />
BOOST YOUR CASTING ACCURACY<br />
Easy to follow advice<br />
Floatfishing edges<br />
Feeder tips<br />
River fish<br />
you can<br />
bag up on<br />
5right now<br />
BUMPER TACKLE ADVICE SECTION<br />
FIRST LOOK NEW<br />
SHAKESPEARE RODS<br />
TESTED MAVER<br />
MV-R 16M POLE<br />
BUYERS' GUIDE<br />
HOOKLINK STORAGE<br />
February 13 – <strong>March</strong> 13, 2018 £3.70<br />
ISSUE 334
CONTENTS<br />
Issue 334 February 13 – <strong>March</strong> 13, 2018<br />
14<br />
Dai Gribble urges you to go<br />
roving on commercials<br />
for better catches<br />
GREAT BRITISH FISHING<br />
8 Fishing the tiny River Gade<br />
– Simon Wilsmore<br />
14 Go roving on winter<br />
commercials – Dai Gribble<br />
TACTICS<br />
24 Twin attack for river perch<br />
– Mark Perkins<br />
30 Get on the cone for winter<br />
carp action – Robbie Taylor<br />
34 Picking the right lure is<br />
vital – Andy Loble<br />
39 Ready, steady... bite! –<br />
Craig Goldstraw<br />
42 Fresh tactics for new F1s –<br />
Jamie Hughes<br />
46 One rig + one bait =<br />
a netful of roach –<br />
Pemb Wrighting<br />
51 Keep a hot peg on the boil<br />
– Scott Puddy<br />
54 End the river season on a<br />
high – Dave Harrell<br />
60 Fish better with Des Shipp<br />
64 Rig school: pike leger rig<br />
CARP TACTICS<br />
98 Everything you need to<br />
know about running rigs<br />
102 Boilie types explained<br />
104 4 ways with shrink tube<br />
TACKLE<br />
80 Shakespeare Agility 2 rods<br />
82 New gear<br />
84 Live test: Maver MVR pole<br />
87 Sonik Magna lure rods<br />
88 Buyers’ guide to...<br />
hooklength storage<br />
4 • IYCF Issue 334
24<br />
Mark Perkins has devised two clever rigs for running water perch, which makes use of<br />
the way stripeys like to feed to plot their downfall<br />
YOUR IYCF<br />
HAVE YOU<br />
TRIED OUR<br />
DIGITAL<br />
EDITION?<br />
You can now read all your<br />
favourite articles in our<br />
digital edition, available on<br />
iPad and Android! Prices<br />
from £2.99<br />
20 Subscribe and save 51%<br />
94 Your letters<br />
96 Mission: your catch shots<br />
108 Crossword: win<br />
Korum Lure Bags<br />
110 Bob Roberts’ diary<br />
46<br />
If you want a netful of roach, Pemb Wrighting<br />
says there’s only one bait and rig you need<br />
new series<br />
51<br />
Drawing a flyer doesn’t mean you’ll bag up. Scott<br />
Puddy reveals why precise loosefeeding is key<br />
60<br />
England International Des Shipp helps you brush<br />
up on essential skills such as casting<br />
98<br />
Running rigs may have fallen out of fashion but<br />
here’s why and when you should use them<br />
IYCF February 13 – <strong>March</strong> 13, 2018 • 5
Bob Roberts<br />
My monthly fishing diary...<br />
WHAT a mixed bag this<br />
month threw up. With<br />
social media dominated by<br />
anglers complaining about catching<br />
nothing, I couldn’t help wondering if<br />
they were simply looking for excuses<br />
not to go fishing. Winter fishing<br />
can be tough, but proper clothing<br />
makes things bearable and choosing<br />
the right venue on the right day can<br />
produce spectacular results.<br />
Week one...<br />
The River Torne is one of many dykes<br />
and drains that were re-engineered by<br />
Cornelius Vermuyden around 1628 as<br />
part of a project to drain King Charles’<br />
Hatfield Moors hunting grounds.<br />
In 1940 the Torne was re-routed to<br />
discharge into the River Trent via a<br />
pumping station at Keadby.<br />
Of course, all this was well before<br />
my time, and my earliest experience of<br />
fishing the Torne was in the big freezeup<br />
back in 1963, one of the harshest<br />
winters in living memory. I had journeyed<br />
with my mate Keith Gale, whose parents<br />
owned the local tackle shop in Bentley.<br />
I was just 12 years old and Keith was<br />
probably 13, yet we travelled on our own,<br />
by train, to Crowle and walked the rest of<br />
the way.<br />
Snow lay in the fields and was piled knee<br />
deep on the roadsides where it had been<br />
ploughed. Not surprisingly the river was<br />
frozen solid, thick enough to bear the<br />
weight of a man, but we were tough in<br />
those days. We had to be. There were no<br />
thermals or moon boots. Oh, and there<br />
was no return train until the afternoon,<br />
so we went scouting to try and find a bit<br />
of open water. The only bit we could<br />
find was immediately underneath a<br />
road bridge on the A161. We gave it<br />
our best shot, but needless to say we<br />
caught nothing.<br />
Though I have fished the Torne<br />
occasionally since, I think the first<br />
outing left me with my most lasting<br />
impression. It’s not a regular haunt of<br />
mine, though I did once catch 35lb of<br />
roach in a short afternoon session on<br />
hemp and tares.<br />
Decent roach and quality<br />
skimmers off the Torne<br />
Thanks to a tip-off from my old mate<br />
Trevor Empson, I learned that fish were<br />
being caught in numbers near Belton.<br />
With nowhere else producing much I had<br />
to investigate. Blow me, the first angler<br />
I bumped into as I parked up was none<br />
other than five-times world champion<br />
Alan Scotthorne. He had intended to have<br />
a bloodworm practice session on Hayfield,<br />
but it was iced over and the gates were<br />
locked, so we dropped in side by side above<br />
a bunch of other anglers.<br />
Now I was expecting to get spanked<br />
by the master, particularly with him<br />
using bloodworm, but it turns out that as<br />
brilliant a bait as bloodworm is, it is not the<br />
be-all and end-all some make it out to be.<br />
Sometimes punched bread can beat it<br />
hands down, and while Alan struggled to<br />
get past hordes of tiny roach, I was catching<br />
quality roach and skimmers galore.<br />
The flow varied considerably, sometimes<br />
stopping altogether, but whenever there<br />
was a bit of movement I was getting one a<br />
bung. What a session, and most welcome<br />
in the circumstances. One that might well<br />
remain in my memory as long as the first<br />
one.<br />
Week two...<br />
With the snowmelt finally gone, my<br />
beloved Trent was getting back to<br />
something approaching normal levels.<br />
I was itching to have a go. The water<br />
temperature was still decidedly chilly,<br />
certainly too cold for barbel to show any<br />
interest, but that just meant it would be<br />
a chub day.<br />
Fog shrouded the river on my arrival.<br />
It was eerily still and the river looked<br />
I sat on my hands to<br />
connect on the Trent<br />
110 • IYCF Issue 334
dead. But looks are deceiving. I set off for<br />
a favourite swim, cast out a cage feeder<br />
loaded with liquidised bread, a squeeze of<br />
flake on a size 10 hook and within minutes<br />
the tip began its stuttering, dithering<br />
dance with an occasional enthusiastic jag.<br />
Fishing bread is all about remaining<br />
calm, in control, patient and measured.<br />
You must under no circumstances go<br />
striking at every violent twitch – it’s about<br />
waiting for a deliberate pull. Easier said<br />
than done. It’s not really something that<br />
can be explained but you’ll know when it<br />
happens. The best advice is to sit on your<br />
hands so you don’t strike too soon. Better<br />
to not strike at all than strike at the wrong<br />
time and spook every fish in the swim.<br />
Even so, I missed the first couple of<br />
positive indications so I took my own<br />
advice and sat on my hands. The next<br />
cast saw me ignoring the sharp tugs and I<br />
waited until the tip went over and kept on<br />
going. Fish on! And would you believe it<br />
was still only just hooked in the lip? I think<br />
chub mouth the bait and give it a good<br />
shaking. They play with it, sometimes<br />
for ages, before deciding to eat it. You<br />
simply have to have faith that your hook<br />
is still baited and wait it out.<br />
The reaction in my second swim<br />
was almost identical. The chub were<br />
showing an interest but not feeding<br />
hard. I switched to a much smaller<br />
feeder to avoid filling them up too<br />
quickly. And bingo! Fish number two<br />
was soon in the landing net.<br />
The sun was now breaking through<br />
and burning off the lingering<br />
mist. It was a beautiful day to be<br />
out, wandering my river with the<br />
minimum of tackle. I had the place to<br />
myself and all was wonderful in the<br />
world as I continued to attract plenty<br />
of tentative plucks and pulls that kept<br />
me enthralled, catching a fish here<br />
and there in the bright sunshine.<br />
Roving on the Trent delivered<br />
several quality chub<br />
IYCF February 13 – <strong>March</strong> 13, 2018 • 111
REVEALED<br />
New Gear<br />
KORUM POWER LANDING<br />
NET COMBO<br />
RRP: From £39.99<br />
These new 36in triangle landing nets are perfect<br />
when targeting carp to 20lb-plus or other larger<br />
specimens such as tench, bream and barbel.<br />
The two-piece handle enables the net to pack<br />
down compactly which makes storage and<br />
transportation easier. The net is made from a super<br />
soft 5mm micro mesh with the area around the rim<br />
consisting of a carp-sack style material.<br />
The handle has shrink wrap sections at the<br />
butt and tip for a more secure grip and the strong<br />
spreader block has isotope slots for when night<br />
fishing.<br />
Supplied in a robust nylon stink sleeve.<br />
www.korum.co.uk<br />
NASH HOOKS<br />
RRP: £4.99<br />
Nash has started the year<br />
with the release of three<br />
new patterns of hooks.<br />
The unique Nash Claw is<br />
radically different to any<br />
other hook on the market<br />
with its angular design.<br />
This restricts movement<br />
of the hook once it has<br />
penetrated a carp’s mouth,<br />
which not only reduces<br />
hook pulls but minimises<br />
the chances of mouth<br />
damage.<br />
The Flota Claw features<br />
the same design as the<br />
Claw but in a finer wire<br />
gauge, making it perfect<br />
for use with floaters and<br />
zig rigs.<br />
Longshank hooks are<br />
renowned for their hooking<br />
potential, and work well<br />
with particle or small<br />
plastic baits. The point<br />
section, from where it exits<br />
the gape, faces slightly<br />
towards the eye, offering<br />
improved hook-holds.<br />
The Claw and Twister<br />
Longshank are available<br />
in sizes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,<br />
8 and 10, and the Flota<br />
Claw in sizes 6, 7, 8 and 10.<br />
All three come in microbarbed<br />
and barbless<br />
versions.<br />
www.nashtackle.co.uk<br />
SAVAGE GEAR 4D<br />
RATTLE TROUT LURES<br />
RRP: £9.99<br />
These lifelike lures have added DNA<br />
scent, and a slotted area can be filled with<br />
dissolvable paste or pellets to enhance the<br />
attraction given off. That, plus a rolling,<br />
tail-rattling action, makes them irresistible<br />
to predators. In Dark Brown, Golden Albino,<br />
and Rainbow Trout versions.<br />
www.savage-gear.com<br />
82 • IYCF Issue 334
AVID STORMSHIELD BEDCHAIR COVER<br />
RRP: £66.99<br />
TACKLE<br />
When the weather starts to improve many long session anglers, especially those<br />
who need to travel light, prefer to do away with a shelter and fish under the stars.<br />
If you’re one of these hardy souls, the Avid Stormshield Bedchair Cover could be a<br />
worthwhile investment in preparation of the warmer months ahead.<br />
The Stormshield fabric will keep your bedchair and sleeping bag dry in even the<br />
heaviest of downpours. The cover can be attached to your bedchair with the heavy<br />
duty clips at the bottom end, while at the top there are metal eyelets to secure a<br />
bankstick or storm pole and lift the cover at the head end to create a shelter.<br />
www.avidcarp.com<br />
E-S-P 25K QUILTED<br />
WATERPROOF CLOTHING<br />
RRP: From £109<br />
A new range of clothing from top carp brand E-S-P offers<br />
salopettes (£149), trousers (£109) and jacket (£149).<br />
All three give all-weather protection and comfort<br />
thanks to a rip-stop shell with a 25,000mm hydrostatic<br />
head and 10,000g breathability.<br />
The jacket has a comfortable cut with an insulated<br />
waffle lining. A high collar and peaked adjustable hood<br />
help to keep the elements at bay. Adjustable cuffs, deep<br />
handwarmer pockets and an internal zipped security<br />
pocket make this a great bit of kit for the winter.<br />
The salopettes have a warm insulated lining but are<br />
still lightweight and comfortable to move around in.<br />
Key features include reinforced double layered material<br />
on the knees, handwarmer pockets, side access zip and<br />
water-resistant boot zips.<br />
The waterproof trousers complement the 25K Quilted<br />
jacket with an elasticated adjustable waistband, zipped<br />
handwarmer/security pockets and easy-on boot zips.<br />
The knees are double reinforced for extra durability and<br />
protection. All three items are available in sizes S – 3XL.<br />
www.esp-carpgear.com<br />
BLUE FOX VIBRAX<br />
ORIGINAL SPINNER<br />
RRP: From £3.25<br />
With a patented two-part body which emits<br />
fish attracting low-frequency vibrations, the<br />
Vibrax Original spinner warrants a place in<br />
every lure anglers box.<br />
It features extremely sharp VMC hooks<br />
which have been tempered for strength and<br />
provide rapid penetration. With an anti linetwist<br />
design, the brass gear is free turning<br />
and rattles when rubbing against the bell.<br />
Available in machined brass, silver or copper<br />
plated mainbody and blade finishes, in blades<br />
sizes 0 – 6 and weights 3g to 18g.<br />
www.bluefox.fishing<br />
CHUB SAT-A-LITE BIVVY LIGHT RC DELUXE<br />
RRP: £29.99<br />
A handy piece of kit for those long hours of darkness. This remote controlled<br />
light has three brightness settings with red and white colour options. The<br />
red option is great for when added stealth is required. It has a magnetic<br />
attachment system for fixing to any shelter and is supplied with a USB<br />
charging cable. Powered by LEDs from leading LED developer<br />
Cree Inc, it also features a 150 lumens torch option and<br />
has a burn time of up to 8 hours.<br />
www.chubfishing.co.uk<br />
RINGERS RIDDLE<br />
RRP: £19.99<br />
This new groundbait bucket and riddle<br />
features a stainless 2.4mm mesh<br />
which is perfect for riddling off fine<br />
groundbaits. It fits inside any standard<br />
17-litre bucket and, best of all, it will<br />
comfortably hold 2kg-plus of wetted<br />
groundbait without any risk of spillage.<br />
DRENNAN BIG GRIPPA STOPS<br />
RRP: £1.35<br />
This new larger version of Drennan’s tapered float stops<br />
has a bulbous end making a perfect stop for sliding<br />
swivel rings, or trapping large pellet wagglers in place.<br />
Two or three stops in line prevent unwanted<br />
movement, but easy adjustment makes them ideal for<br />
use with link legers, bombs and small feeders.<br />
In tough, forgiving rubber, they come on a wire loop<br />
that effortlessly transfers them on to the line.<br />
www.drennantackle.com<br />
IYCF February 13 – <strong>March</strong> 13, 2018 • 83
GUIDE TO...<br />
TOP TACKLE<br />
ADVICE TO<br />
ENSURE YOU<br />
BUY THE<br />
RIGHT GEAR<br />
HOOKLINK STORAGE<br />
Each month our team of experts at IYCF HQ take a look at some of the<br />
best tackle items on the market. This month: hooklength storage<br />
WHETHER you like to tie your rigs in<br />
advance or prefer the convenience<br />
of ready-made hooklengths,<br />
keeping them organised and stored neatly<br />
will help you fish more efficiently.<br />
There are few things more frustrating than<br />
being sat on a shoal of feeding fish only to<br />
have to waste time with your rod out of the<br />
water while you tie a new rig or scrabble<br />
around trying to find a fresh hooklength.<br />
But with the number of rig wallets and<br />
hooklength boxes available there really is no<br />
excuse to find yourself in such a situation.<br />
Whether you need to store short Method<br />
feeder hooklinks or long zig rigs, there are<br />
now hooklength boxes available to suit. Some<br />
comprise lengths of foam which you can<br />
simply pin your rigs into, where others have<br />
pegs at set distances for tying rigs at precise<br />
lengths. The foam disc-style systems have<br />
become popular for storing zig and floater<br />
hooklengths.<br />
This month we’ve rounded up 17 of the best<br />
hooklength storage systems on the market,<br />
catering for carp, match and pleasure<br />
anglers...<br />
BUYERS GUIDE<br />
NEXT MONTH:<br />
DAY SESSION CHAIRS<br />
AVID ZIG BOX<br />
RRP: £14.99<br />
This compact box comes with<br />
eight zig spools that can each<br />
hold at least two pre-tied zig<br />
rigs. The spools boast<br />
specifically designed sliders<br />
that enable you to easily store<br />
zigs of all lengths.<br />
There is a 12in ruler on the<br />
outside of the box for<br />
measuring rigs. It is also<br />
supplied with 32 spare spool<br />
stickers so you can accurately<br />
label your rigs with breaking<br />
strain and hook size etc.<br />
www.avidcarp.com<br />
MATRIX<br />
HLR RIG<br />
CASE<br />
RRP: £10.99<br />
Don’t be fooled<br />
by the compact<br />
design – it can hold<br />
more than 200<br />
hooklengths. The loop<br />
prongs, which feel nice and sturdy, are between 4in and 6in<br />
making it ideal for housing Method feeder hooklinks.<br />
Magnetic locking is secure and a rubber seal prevents<br />
moisture ingress. Supplied with 30 rig ID labels. A Large<br />
version (£14.99) for storing 4in-12in rigs is also available.<br />
www.fishmatrix.co.uk<br />
88 • IYCF Issue 334
PRESTON INNOVATIONS<br />
MAG STORE SYSTEM<br />
RRP: From £14.99<br />
The unique Mag Store System uses<br />
small magnets to locate<br />
each individual Rig<br />
Stick in the box.<br />
This versatile design<br />
enables you to swap<br />
and change their<br />
location and add new Rig<br />
Sticks that you have tied<br />
different hooklengths to.<br />
Available in three sizes to<br />
accomodate hooklengths of<br />
4in-15in. All the boxes boast a<br />
weatherproof rubber gasket, dual<br />
identification points and ribbed Rig<br />
Sticks for increased hooklength stability.<br />
www.prestoninnovations.com<br />
TACKLE<br />
MAVER SUPER SEAL<br />
EVA RIG CASE<br />
RRP: £16.99<br />
A recent addition to Maver’s extensive Super<br />
<strong>Sea</strong>l EVA range, this rig case is made from<br />
tough, durable EVA material. Featuring heatwelded<br />
seams, the case is 100% waterproof.<br />
It has a transparent two-way zip top lid with<br />
a carry handle. It comes with 15 foam rig<br />
winders but no pins.<br />
www.mavermatch.co.uk<br />
SONIK SK-TEK<br />
RIG & BITS<br />
WALLET<br />
RRP: £22.99<br />
The Rig & Bits Wallet<br />
is part of Sonik’s new<br />
extensive SK-TEK<br />
luggage range.<br />
As well as the<br />
double rig boards<br />
with stiffened side<br />
plates to help keep<br />
rigs taught, it also<br />
boasts two internal<br />
pockets with mesh pouches for storing essential items<br />
of terminal tackle and making them easy to locate. The<br />
tough outer skin is constructed from an HD 600D PVCbacked<br />
SK-TEK camo material.<br />
www.soniksports.com<br />
IYCF February 13 – <strong>March</strong> 13, 2018 • 89
98 • IYCF Issue 334<br />
TIPS, TACTICS & RIGS<br />
TO CATCH MORE
CARP<br />
EVERYTHING<br />
YOU NEED TO<br />
KNOW ABOUT<br />
RUNNING RIGS<br />
In a world dominated by semi-fixed bolt rigs, IYCF editor James<br />
Furness explains why you shouldn’t neglect running rigs<br />
SEMI-fixed bolt rigs, such as lead clips<br />
and helicopter set-ups, are<br />
predominantly used by carp anglers.<br />
Running rigs have fallen out of<br />
fashion, but they should have a place in every<br />
angler’s armoury, especially when targeting<br />
pressured carp used to dealing with more<br />
common presentations on a daily basis.<br />
IYCF February 13 – <strong>March</strong> 13, 2018 • 99
5<br />
End<br />
FOR as long as I can<br />
remember, the last few<br />
weeks of a river season<br />
have offered me the opportunity<br />
to record some of my most<br />
memorable catches.<br />
Temperatures and river levels<br />
always seem to be spot on as the<br />
season draws to a close and all<br />
species are normally on the feed!<br />
I always try to keep the last few<br />
weeks of the season relatively free<br />
of too much work so that I can take<br />
advantage of the conditions!<br />
Here are some tips and tactics<br />
to help you to put more fish on the<br />
bank before the curtain goes down<br />
on another season at midnight on<br />
<strong>March</strong> 14th…<br />
TOP SPECIES<br />
TO TARGET<br />
BEFORE THE<br />
CLOSE SEASON<br />
your river season on a high with these top<br />
tips from running-water ace Dave Harrell<br />
1<br />
54 • IYCF Issue 334
ROACH<br />
I love fishing for roach at<br />
any time of the season but<br />
they can be a frustrating<br />
species to target on<br />
some days because if the<br />
conditions aren’t quite right,<br />
you won’t catch many!<br />
Water temperature and colour is<br />
the key to everything and I’ve lost count<br />
of the number of times that I have caught<br />
big bags of redfins from the Severn at the<br />
end of February and into <strong>March</strong>.<br />
For a big bag of roach, I don’t think you<br />
can beat using float gear and maggots.<br />
Find yourself a swim with 6ft to 8ft of<br />
water and cover on the inside in the form<br />
of overhanging trees and it’s a fair bet<br />
there will be roach present!<br />
If the flow is slow use a shouldered top<br />
No.1 Heavy Base stick float with strung<br />
out shot and dot the tip of the float well<br />
down so that there is no resistance.<br />
In faster flow always use a dome top<br />
No.2 Heavy Base stick float. This thicker<br />
top will enable you to see the float much<br />
further down the swim.<br />
With both rigs, I use 3lb (0.14mm) or<br />
4lb (0.16mm) Pro Float reel line, a great<br />
floating line to help you achieve perfect<br />
presentation. The rigs are completed<br />
with either a size 18 or 16 medium wire<br />
hook tied to 30cm of 0.10mm (2.8lb) or<br />
0.12mm (4.2lb) Pro Rig line.<br />
Two to three pints of maggots will be<br />
ample for a full day. Feed little and often<br />
and keep the maggots going in, even if it’s<br />
just a few every cast. This is the best way<br />
to attract fish into the swim, especially<br />
on days when the water is fairly clear, as<br />
they will see the bait from a long way off.<br />
These floats are ideal<br />
for targeting roach<br />
2<br />
CHUB<br />
As the water temperatures rise and the<br />
colour drops out of rivers, it’s much easier to<br />
catch big bags of chub with float gear.<br />
The best swims are between 4ft and 6ft<br />
deep with a fair amount of pace and ideally<br />
running down to a feature of some sort. This<br />
could be overhanging trees, a tree stuck in<br />
the river or maybe a ford where the river<br />
shallows up.<br />
All these features are havens for chub so<br />
find a swim with them in and chances are<br />
you will be on for a red-letter day!<br />
Mainlines should be fairly robust and I use<br />
4lb (0.16mm) or 5lb (0.18mm) in conjunction<br />
with hooklengths of 0.12mm (4.2lb) and<br />
0.14mm (5.3lb).<br />
Look for swims<br />
with features when<br />
targeting chub<br />
The best floats for these sorts of swims<br />
are my No.1 and No.2 Truncheon waggler<br />
designs. Shot these with most of the weight<br />
locking the float on to the line. With the No.1<br />
Truncheon, fix a No.6 shot for every 2ft of<br />
depth. For the No.2, use a No.4 shot in the<br />
same way. A 6ft deep swim would therefore<br />
require only three shots down the line.<br />
Maggots are my number one choice in<br />
these situations and I’d take at least three to<br />
four pints for a day session.<br />
You’ll need 3-4<br />
pints of maggots for<br />
serious go at chub<br />
IYCF February 13 – <strong>March</strong> 13, 2018 • 55
Fresh tactics<br />
for new F1s<br />
Long-established residents are cunning and hard to catch, but when new fish come<br />
in straight from the farm they’ll take pellets with relish, says Jamie Hughes<br />
Words & Photography Tony Grigorjevs<br />
42 • IYCF Issue 334
TACTICS<br />
N<br />
O OTHER species causes such<br />
widespread division as the F1 hybrid.<br />
It’s frowned upon by the purists and<br />
those that have a passion for natural waters,<br />
yet seen as the saviour of fishing by commercial<br />
enthusiasts, whether owners or anglers!<br />
Those that criticise them will often refer<br />
to the species as ‘dumb fish’ that are ‘easy to<br />
catch’. Anyone who targets F1s on a regular<br />
basis knows full well that this condemnation is<br />
well wide of the truth.<br />
They are one of the trickiest fish in stillwaters<br />
to catch, developing a cunning ability to spot a<br />
hookbait that is behaving unnaturally.<br />
Get your tactics wrong and you might catch<br />
the odd fish, but you won’t stand a chance of<br />
putting together the type of hauls that the top<br />
match anglers record each week.<br />
But there is an exception to the rule, when<br />
F1s are indeed ‘dumb fish’.<br />
Newly-stocked fish that have come straight<br />
from a fish farm act in a completely different<br />
manner to their more established brothers and<br />
sisters, and reigning Fish O’Mania champion,<br />
Jamie Hughes, knows full well that a rethink is<br />
necessary to catch large numbers of them.<br />
The Bag’em Matchbaits and MAP-backed<br />
angler regularly visits waters with a big head of<br />
the species and has two separate approaches<br />
– one for big F1s that have been in the lake for<br />
several years and a second for fish that have<br />
just been stocked.<br />
“We are at a time of year when thousands of<br />
small F1s will be stocked, and you can put some<br />
really big weights together if you fish in the<br />
right way,” explained Jamie.<br />
TACTICS:<br />
POLE<br />
SPECIES:<br />
F1s<br />
DIFFICULTY:<br />
IYCF February 13 – <strong>March</strong> 13, 2018 • 43
Enjoy tiny<br />
river silverfish<br />
action<br />
Top match angler Simon Willsmore re-visits a childhood angling haunt,<br />
Hertfordshire’s River Gade, with stunning results to show for it<br />
Words Ben Fisk Photography Lloyd Rogers<br />
8• IYCF Issue 334
GREAT BRITISH FISHING l GREAT BRITISH FISHING l<br />
A celebration<br />
of the best river,<br />
lake and canal<br />
fishing that<br />
the UK has<br />
to offer<br />
IYCF February 13 – <strong>March</strong> 13, 2018 • 9
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