Sea Angler - March Digital Sampler

TACTICS LAUNCH A TWIN BAIT ATTACK FOR PERCH 

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YOUR DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO CATCHING MORE 

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FISH BETTER WITH... 

BOOST YOUR CASTING ACCURACY 

Easy to follow advice 

Floatfishing edges 

Feeder tips 

River fish 

you can 

bag up on 

5right now 

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BUYERS' GUIDE 

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February 13 – March 13, 2018 £3.70 

ISSUE 334

CONTENTS 

Issue 334 February 13 – March 13, 2018 

14 

Dai Gribble urges you to go 

roving on commercials 

for better catches 

GREAT BRITISH FISHING 

8 Fishing the tiny River Gade 

– Simon Wilsmore 

14 Go roving on winter 

commercials – Dai Gribble 

TACTICS 

24 Twin attack for river perch 

– Mark Perkins 

30 Get on the cone for winter 

carp action – Robbie Taylor 

34 Picking the right lure is 

vital – Andy Loble 

39 Ready, steady... bite! – 

Craig Goldstraw 

42 Fresh tactics for new F1s – 

Jamie Hughes 

46 One rig + one bait = 

a netful of roach – 

Pemb Wrighting 

51 Keep a hot peg on the boil 

– Scott Puddy 

54 End the river season on a 

high – Dave Harrell 

60 Fish better with Des Shipp 

64 Rig school: pike leger rig 

CARP TACTICS 

98 Everything you need to 

know about running rigs 

102 Boilie types explained 

104 4 ways with shrink tube 

TACKLE 

80 Shakespeare Agility 2 rods 

82 New gear 

84 Live test: Maver MVR pole 

87 Sonik Magna lure rods 

88 Buyers’ guide to... 

hooklength storage 

4 • IYCF Issue 334

24 

Mark Perkins has devised two clever rigs for running water perch, which makes use of 

the way stripeys like to feed to plot their downfall 

YOUR IYCF 

HAVE YOU 

TRIED OUR 

DIGITAL 

EDITION? 

You can now read all your 

favourite articles in our 

digital edition, available on 

iPad and Android! Prices 

from £2.99 

20 Subscribe and save 51% 

94 Your letters 

96 Mission: your catch shots 

108 Crossword: win 

Korum Lure Bags 

110 Bob Roberts’ diary 

46 

If you want a netful of roach, Pemb Wrighting 

says there’s only one bait and rig you need 

new series 

51 

Drawing a flyer doesn’t mean you’ll bag up. Scott 

Puddy reveals why precise loosefeeding is key 

60 

England International Des Shipp helps you brush 

up on essential skills such as casting 

98 

Running rigs may have fallen out of fashion but 

here’s why and when you should use them 

IYCF February 13 – March 13, 2018 • 5

Bob Roberts 

My monthly fishing diary... 

WHAT a mixed bag this 

month threw up. With 

social media dominated by 

anglers complaining about catching 

nothing, I couldn’t help wondering if 

they were simply looking for excuses 

not to go fishing. Winter fishing 

can be tough, but proper clothing 

makes things bearable and choosing 

the right venue on the right day can 

produce spectacular results. 

Week one... 

The River Torne is one of many dykes 

and drains that were re-engineered by 

Cornelius Vermuyden around 1628 as 

part of a project to drain King Charles’ 

Hatfield Moors hunting grounds. 

In 1940 the Torne was re-routed to 

discharge into the River Trent via a 

pumping station at Keadby. 

Of course, all this was well before 

my time, and my earliest experience of 

fishing the Torne was in the big freezeup 

back in 1963, one of the harshest 

winters in living memory. I had journeyed 

with my mate Keith Gale, whose parents 

owned the local tackle shop in Bentley. 

I was just 12 years old and Keith was 

probably 13, yet we travelled on our own, 

by train, to Crowle and walked the rest of 

the way. 

Snow lay in the fields and was piled knee 

deep on the roadsides where it had been 

ploughed. Not surprisingly the river was 

frozen solid, thick enough to bear the 

weight of a man, but we were tough in 

those days. We had to be. There were no 

thermals or moon boots. Oh, and there 

was no return train until the afternoon, 

so we went scouting to try and find a bit 

of open water. The only bit we could 

find was immediately underneath a 

road bridge on the A161. We gave it 

our best shot, but needless to say we 

caught nothing. 

Though I have fished the Torne 

occasionally since, I think the first 

outing left me with my most lasting 

impression. It’s not a regular haunt of 

mine, though I did once catch 35lb of 

roach in a short afternoon session on 

hemp and tares. 

Decent roach and quality 

skimmers off the Torne 

Thanks to a tip-off from my old mate 

Trevor Empson, I learned that fish were 

being caught in numbers near Belton. 

With nowhere else producing much I had 

to investigate. Blow me, the first angler 

I bumped into as I parked up was none 

other than five-times world champion 

Alan Scotthorne. He had intended to have 

a bloodworm practice session on Hayfield, 

but it was iced over and the gates were 

locked, so we dropped in side by side above 

a bunch of other anglers. 

Now I was expecting to get spanked 

by the master, particularly with him 

using bloodworm, but it turns out that as 

brilliant a bait as bloodworm is, it is not the 

be-all and end-all some make it out to be. 

Sometimes punched bread can beat it 

hands down, and while Alan struggled to 

get past hordes of tiny roach, I was catching 

quality roach and skimmers galore. 

The flow varied considerably, sometimes 

stopping altogether, but whenever there 

was a bit of movement I was getting one a 

bung. What a session, and most welcome 

in the circumstances. One that might well 

remain in my memory as long as the first 

one. 

Week two... 

With the snowmelt finally gone, my 

beloved Trent was getting back to 

something approaching normal levels. 

I was itching to have a go. The water 

temperature was still decidedly chilly, 

certainly too cold for barbel to show any 

interest, but that just meant it would be 

a chub day. 

Fog shrouded the river on my arrival. 

It was eerily still and the river looked 

I sat on my hands to 

connect on the Trent 


dead. But looks are deceiving. I set off for 

a favourite swim, cast out a cage feeder 

loaded with liquidised bread, a squeeze of 

flake on a size 10 hook and within minutes 

the tip began its stuttering, dithering 

dance with an occasional enthusiastic jag. 

Fishing bread is all about remaining 

calm, in control, patient and measured. 

You must under no circumstances go 

striking at every violent twitch – it’s about 

waiting for a deliberate pull. Easier said 

than done. It’s not really something that 

can be explained but you’ll know when it 

happens. The best advice is to sit on your 

hands so you don’t strike too soon. Better 

to not strike at all than strike at the wrong 

time and spook every fish in the swim. 

Even so, I missed the first couple of 

positive indications so I took my own 

advice and sat on my hands. The next 

cast saw me ignoring the sharp tugs and I 

waited until the tip went over and kept on 

going. Fish on! And would you believe it 

was still only just hooked in the lip? I think 

chub mouth the bait and give it a good 

shaking. They play with it, sometimes 

for ages, before deciding to eat it. You 

simply have to have faith that your hook 

is still baited and wait it out. 

The reaction in my second swim 

was almost identical. The chub were 

showing an interest but not feeding 

hard. I switched to a much smaller 

feeder to avoid filling them up too 

quickly. And bingo! Fish number two 

was soon in the landing net. 

The sun was now breaking through 

and burning off the lingering 

mist. It was a beautiful day to be 

out, wandering my river with the 

minimum of tackle. I had the place to 

myself and all was wonderful in the 

world as I continued to attract plenty 

of tentative plucks and pulls that kept 

me enthralled, catching a fish here 

and there in the bright sunshine. 

Roving on the Trent delivered 

several quality chub 


REVEALED 

New Gear 

KORUM POWER LANDING 

NET COMBO 

RRP: From £39.99 

These new 36in triangle landing nets are perfect 

when targeting carp to 20lb-plus or other larger 

specimens such as tench, bream and barbel. 

The two-piece handle enables the net to pack 

down compactly which makes storage and 

transportation easier. The net is made from a super 

soft 5mm micro mesh with the area around the rim 

consisting of a carp-sack style material. 

The handle has shrink wrap sections at the 

butt and tip for a more secure grip and the strong 

spreader block has isotope slots for when night 

fishing. 

Supplied in a robust nylon stink sleeve. 

www.korum.co.uk 

NASH HOOKS 

RRP: £4.99 

Nash has started the year 

with the release of three 

new patterns of hooks. 

The unique Nash Claw is 

radically different to any 

other hook on the market 

with its angular design. 

This restricts movement 

of the hook once it has 

penetrated a carp’s mouth, 

which not only reduces 

hook pulls but minimises 

the chances of mouth 

damage. 

The Flota Claw features 

the same design as the 

Claw but in a finer wire 

gauge, making it perfect 

for use with floaters and 

zig rigs. 

Longshank hooks are 

renowned for their hooking 

potential, and work well 

with particle or small 

plastic baits. The point 

section, from where it exits 

the gape, faces slightly 

towards the eye, offering 

improved hook-holds. 

The Claw and Twister 

Longshank are available 

in sizes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 

8 and 10, and the Flota 

Claw in sizes 6, 7, 8 and 10. 

All three come in microbarbed 

and barbless 

versions. 

www.nashtackle.co.uk 

SAVAGE GEAR 4D 

RATTLE TROUT LURES 

RRP: £9.99 

These lifelike lures have added DNA 

scent, and a slotted area can be filled with 

dissolvable paste or pellets to enhance the 

attraction given off. That, plus a rolling, 

tail-rattling action, makes them irresistible 

to predators. In Dark Brown, Golden Albino, 

and Rainbow Trout versions. 

www.savage-gear.com 


AVID STORMSHIELD BEDCHAIR COVER 

RRP: £66.99 

TACKLE 

When the weather starts to improve many long session anglers, especially those 

who need to travel light, prefer to do away with a shelter and fish under the stars. 

If you’re one of these hardy souls, the Avid Stormshield Bedchair Cover could be a 

worthwhile investment in preparation of the warmer months ahead. 

The Stormshield fabric will keep your bedchair and sleeping bag dry in even the 

heaviest of downpours. The cover can be attached to your bedchair with the heavy 

duty clips at the bottom end, while at the top there are metal eyelets to secure a 

bankstick or storm pole and lift the cover at the head end to create a shelter. 

www.avidcarp.com 

E-S-P 25K QUILTED 

WATERPROOF CLOTHING 

RRP: From £109 

A new range of clothing from top carp brand E-S-P offers 

salopettes (£149), trousers (£109) and jacket (£149). 

All three give all-weather protection and comfort 

thanks to a rip-stop shell with a 25,000mm hydrostatic 

head and 10,000g breathability. 

The jacket has a comfortable cut with an insulated 

waffle lining. A high collar and peaked adjustable hood 

help to keep the elements at bay. Adjustable cuffs, deep 

handwarmer pockets and an internal zipped security 

pocket make this a great bit of kit for the winter. 

The salopettes have a warm insulated lining but are 

still lightweight and comfortable to move around in. 

Key features include reinforced double layered material 

on the knees, handwarmer pockets, side access zip and 

water-resistant boot zips. 

The waterproof trousers complement the 25K Quilted 

jacket with an elasticated adjustable waistband, zipped 

handwarmer/security pockets and easy-on boot zips. 

The knees are double reinforced for extra durability and 

protection. All three items are available in sizes S – 3XL. 

www.esp-carpgear.com 

BLUE FOX VIBRAX 

ORIGINAL SPINNER 


With a patented two-part body which emits 

fish attracting low-frequency vibrations, the 

Vibrax Original spinner warrants a place in 

every lure anglers box. 

It features extremely sharp VMC hooks 

which have been tempered for strength and 

provide rapid penetration. With an anti linetwist 

design, the brass gear is free turning 

and rattles when rubbing against the bell. 

Available in machined brass, silver or copper 

plated mainbody and blade finishes, in blades 

sizes 0 – 6 and weights 3g to 18g. 

www.bluefox.fishing 

CHUB SAT-A-LITE BIVVY LIGHT RC DELUXE 

RRP: £29.99 

A handy piece of kit for those long hours of darkness. This remote controlled 

light has three brightness settings with red and white colour options. The 

red option is great for when added stealth is required. It has a magnetic 

attachment system for fixing to any shelter and is supplied with a USB 

charging cable. Powered by LEDs from leading LED developer 

Cree Inc, it also features a 150 lumens torch option and 

has a burn time of up to 8 hours. 

www.chubfishing.co.uk 

RINGERS RIDDLE 

RRP: £19.99 

This new groundbait bucket and riddle 

features a stainless 2.4mm mesh 

which is perfect for riddling off fine 

groundbaits. It fits inside any standard 

17-litre bucket and, best of all, it will 

comfortably hold 2kg-plus of wetted 

groundbait without any risk of spillage. 

DRENNAN BIG GRIPPA STOPS 

RRP: £1.35 

This new larger version of Drennan’s tapered float stops 

has a bulbous end making a perfect stop for sliding 

swivel rings, or trapping large pellet wagglers in place. 

Two or three stops in line prevent unwanted 

movement, but easy adjustment makes them ideal for 

use with link legers, bombs and small feeders. 

In tough, forgiving rubber, they come on a wire loop 

that effortlessly transfers them on to the line. 

www.drennantackle.com 


GUIDE TO... 

TOP TACKLE 

ADVICE TO 

ENSURE YOU 

BUY THE 

RIGHT GEAR 

HOOKLINK STORAGE 

Each month our team of experts at IYCF HQ take a look at some of the 

best tackle items on the market. This month: hooklength storage 

WHETHER you like to tie your rigs in 

advance or prefer the convenience 

of ready-made hooklengths, 

keeping them organised and stored neatly 

will help you fish more efficiently. 

There are few things more frustrating than 

being sat on a shoal of feeding fish only to 

have to waste time with your rod out of the 

water while you tie a new rig or scrabble 

around trying to find a fresh hooklength. 

But with the number of rig wallets and 

hooklength boxes available there really is no 

excuse to find yourself in such a situation. 

Whether you need to store short Method 

feeder hooklinks or long zig rigs, there are 

now hooklength boxes available to suit. Some 

comprise lengths of foam which you can 

simply pin your rigs into, where others have 

pegs at set distances for tying rigs at precise 

lengths. The foam disc-style systems have 

become popular for storing zig and floater 

hooklengths. 

This month we’ve rounded up 17 of the best 

hooklength storage systems on the market, 

catering for carp, match and pleasure 

anglers... 

BUYERS GUIDE 

NEXT MONTH: 

DAY SESSION CHAIRS 

AVID ZIG BOX 

RRP: £14.99 

This compact box comes with 

eight zig spools that can each 

hold at least two pre-tied zig 

rigs. The spools boast 

specifically designed sliders 

that enable you to easily store 

zigs of all lengths. 

There is a 12in ruler on the 

outside of the box for 

measuring rigs. It is also 

supplied with 32 spare spool 

stickers so you can accurately 

label your rigs with breaking 

strain and hook size etc. 

www.avidcarp.com 

MATRIX 

HLR RIG 

CASE 

RRP: £10.99 

Don’t be fooled 

by the compact 

design – it can hold 

more than 200 

hooklengths. The loop 

prongs, which feel nice and sturdy, are between 4in and 6in 

making it ideal for housing Method feeder hooklinks. 

Magnetic locking is secure and a rubber seal prevents 

moisture ingress. Supplied with 30 rig ID labels. A Large 

version (£14.99) for storing 4in-12in rigs is also available. 

www.fishmatrix.co.uk 


PRESTON INNOVATIONS 

MAG STORE SYSTEM 


The unique Mag Store System uses 

small magnets to locate 

each individual Rig 

Stick in the box. 

This versatile design 

enables you to swap 

and change their 

location and add new Rig 

Sticks that you have tied 

different hooklengths to. 

Available in three sizes to 

accomodate hooklengths of 

4in-15in. All the boxes boast a 

weatherproof rubber gasket, dual 

identification points and ribbed Rig 

Sticks for increased hooklength stability. 

www.prestoninnovations.com 

TACKLE 

MAVER SUPER SEAL 

EVA RIG CASE 

RRP: £16.99 

A recent addition to Maver’s extensive Super 

Seal EVA range, this rig case is made from 

tough, durable EVA material. Featuring heatwelded 

seams, the case is 100% waterproof. 

It has a transparent two-way zip top lid with 

a carry handle. It comes with 15 foam rig 

winders but no pins. 

www.mavermatch.co.uk 

SONIK SK-TEK 

RIG & BITS 

WALLET 

RRP: £22.99 

The Rig & Bits Wallet 

is part of Sonik’s new 

extensive SK-TEK 

luggage range. 

As well as the 

double rig boards 

with stiffened side 

plates to help keep 

rigs taught, it also 

boasts two internal 

pockets with mesh pouches for storing essential items 

of terminal tackle and making them easy to locate. The 

tough outer skin is constructed from an HD 600D PVCbacked 

SK-TEK camo material. 

www.soniksports.com 


98 • IYCF Issue 334 

TIPS, TACTICS & RIGS 

TO CATCH MORE

CARP 

EVERYTHING 

YOU NEED TO 

KNOW ABOUT 

RUNNING RIGS 

In a world dominated by semi-fixed bolt rigs, IYCF editor James 

Furness explains why you shouldn’t neglect running rigs 

SEMI-fixed bolt rigs, such as lead clips 

and helicopter set-ups, are 

predominantly used by carp anglers. 

Running rigs have fallen out of 

fashion, but they should have a place in every 

angler’s armoury, especially when targeting 

pressured carp used to dealing with more 

common presentations on a daily basis. 


5 

End 

FOR as long as I can 

remember, the last few 

weeks of a river season 

have offered me the opportunity 

to record some of my most 

memorable catches. 

Temperatures and river levels 

always seem to be spot on as the 

season draws to a close and all 

species are normally on the feed! 

I always try to keep the last few 

weeks of the season relatively free 

of too much work so that I can take 

advantage of the conditions! 

Here are some tips and tactics 

to help you to put more fish on the 

bank before the curtain goes down 

on another season at midnight on 

March 14th… 

TOP SPECIES 

TO TARGET 

BEFORE THE 

CLOSE SEASON 

your river season on a high with these top 

tips from running-water ace Dave Harrell 

1 


ROACH 

I love fishing for roach at 

any time of the season but 

they can be a frustrating 

species to target on 

some days because if the 

conditions aren’t quite right, 

you won’t catch many! 

Water temperature and colour is 

the key to everything and I’ve lost count 

of the number of times that I have caught 

big bags of redfins from the Severn at the 

end of February and into March. 

For a big bag of roach, I don’t think you 

can beat using float gear and maggots. 

Find yourself a swim with 6ft to 8ft of 

water and cover on the inside in the form 

of overhanging trees and it’s a fair bet 

there will be roach present! 

If the flow is slow use a shouldered top 

No.1 Heavy Base stick float with strung 

out shot and dot the tip of the float well 

down so that there is no resistance. 

In faster flow always use a dome top 

No.2 Heavy Base stick float. This thicker 

top will enable you to see the float much 

further down the swim. 

With both rigs, I use 3lb (0.14mm) or 

4lb (0.16mm) Pro Float reel line, a great 

floating line to help you achieve perfect 

presentation. The rigs are completed 

with either a size 18 or 16 medium wire 

hook tied to 30cm of 0.10mm (2.8lb) or 

0.12mm (4.2lb) Pro Rig line. 

Two to three pints of maggots will be 

ample for a full day. Feed little and often 

and keep the maggots going in, even if it’s 

just a few every cast. This is the best way 

to attract fish into the swim, especially 

on days when the water is fairly clear, as 

they will see the bait from a long way off. 

These floats are ideal 

for targeting roach 

2 

CHUB 

As the water temperatures rise and the 

colour drops out of rivers, it’s much easier to 

catch big bags of chub with float gear. 

The best swims are between 4ft and 6ft 

deep with a fair amount of pace and ideally 

running down to a feature of some sort. This 

could be overhanging trees, a tree stuck in 

the river or maybe a ford where the river 

shallows up. 

All these features are havens for chub so 

find a swim with them in and chances are 

you will be on for a red-letter day! 

Mainlines should be fairly robust and I use 

4lb (0.16mm) or 5lb (0.18mm) in conjunction 

with hooklengths of 0.12mm (4.2lb) and 

0.14mm (5.3lb). 

Look for swims 

with features when 

targeting chub 

The best floats for these sorts of swims 

are my No.1 and No.2 Truncheon waggler 

designs. Shot these with most of the weight 

locking the float on to the line. With the No.1 

Truncheon, fix a No.6 shot for every 2ft of 

depth. For the No.2, use a No.4 shot in the 

same way. A 6ft deep swim would therefore 

require only three shots down the line. 

Maggots are my number one choice in 

these situations and I’d take at least three to 

four pints for a day session. 

You’ll need 3-4 

pints of maggots for 

serious go at chub 


Fresh tactics 

for new F1s 

Long-established residents are cunning and hard to catch, but when new fish come 

in straight from the farm they’ll take pellets with relish, says Jamie Hughes 

Words & Photography Tony Grigorjevs 


TACTICS 

N 

O OTHER species causes such 

widespread division as the F1 hybrid. 

It’s frowned upon by the purists and 

those that have a passion for natural waters, 

yet seen as the saviour of fishing by commercial 

enthusiasts, whether owners or anglers! 

Those that criticise them will often refer 

to the species as ‘dumb fish’ that are ‘easy to 

catch’. Anyone who targets F1s on a regular 

basis knows full well that this condemnation is 

well wide of the truth. 

They are one of the trickiest fish in stillwaters 

to catch, developing a cunning ability to spot a 

hookbait that is behaving unnaturally. 

Get your tactics wrong and you might catch 

the odd fish, but you won’t stand a chance of 

putting together the type of hauls that the top 

match anglers record each week. 

But there is an exception to the rule, when 

F1s are indeed ‘dumb fish’. 

Newly-stocked fish that have come straight 

from a fish farm act in a completely different 

manner to their more established brothers and 

sisters, and reigning Fish O’Mania champion, 

Jamie Hughes, knows full well that a rethink is 

necessary to catch large numbers of them. 

The Bag’em Matchbaits and MAP-backed 

angler regularly visits waters with a big head of 

the species and has two separate approaches 

– one for big F1s that have been in the lake for 

several years and a second for fish that have 

just been stocked. 

“We are at a time of year when thousands of 

small F1s will be stocked, and you can put some 

really big weights together if you fish in the 

right way,” explained Jamie. 

TACTICS: 

POLE 

SPECIES: 

F1s 

DIFFICULTY: 


Enjoy tiny 

river silverfish 

action 

Top match angler Simon Willsmore re-visits a childhood angling haunt, 

Hertfordshire’s River Gade, with stunning results to show for it 

Words Ben Fisk Photography Lloyd Rogers 

8• IYCF Issue 334

GREAT BRITISH FISHING l GREAT BRITISH FISHING l 

A celebration 

of the best river, 

lake and canal 

fishing that 

the UK has 

to offer 


THE UK’s BIGGEST A 

WHAT’S ON... 

SEMINARS... 

BARGAINS... 

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ANGLING SHOW! 

MARCH 24-25, 2018 

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FARNBOROUGH INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION 

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