This time of year I fish fewer matches due to rugby commitments and the weather being grim. I usually start to get going more around march time however disaster has struck. Unfortunately I had a bad injury that has completely stopped me doing anything and for the past week I could not move very easily off the sofa. I am not one for sitting still for long so cabin fever is well and truly kicking in!
As a result I have been busy sorting out terminal tackle for the forth coming season, including; pole rigs, hooklengths and replacing reel lines. I try to keep on top of pole rigs throughout the year however it sometimes needs a complete overhaul and with some new patterns becoming favourites. I wanted to keep to a few patterns for my fishing and I know the venues I am targeting this year so have made them specific to the needs of these. Below is the finished article of busy rig tying sessions:
.JPG)
The patterns I have plumped for are from hillbilly floats range and from sconey's floats at sconezone.
I have tried to think of all the circumstances I would come up against and these are the floats I have chosen to cover these:
1. For winter silverfish up in the water and on the deck
Sconezone bitz and hillybilly guzzunders
2. Long deep (up to 12 ft) fishing for skimmers and carp in open water. Pellet and corn.
Hillbilly Dweezils
3. Down the track on a Snake, open water on pellet corn, worm, maggot.
Hillbilly Billybob
4. Tight across on a snake shallow 18 inches to 24 inches deep. And tight across to deeper water up to 3 ft.
Hillbilly ratcatcher or small billybob
5. Meat/big particles at 4 to 6m in 4 to 6 ft of water.
Sconezone double deez or a hillbilly billybob
6. Down the edge in 2 ft and on occasion 3 ft of water fishing big baits and needing to distinguish between liners and proper bites.
Hillbilly AK47 and a sconezone jubleez for shallow margins, up in water down the side or pellet in margins
7. Shallow.
Hillbilly ratcatcher or a sconezone slapz or for f1s a wellardz. If deeper that 2ft I go for a billybob
8. Paste
Sconezone Jadz
So onto hooklengths, something I strongly dislike doing, and I had a complete overhaul of my hooks. Because of the new B911 XS and B911 F1 patterns I now almost exclusively fish B911's on the pole. With the F1's being excellent for shy F1s small carp and skimmers and the XS being perfect for margins, paste and big fish fishing.
The only exception is out and out silver fishing, where a drennan silverfish maggot hooks are employed, and when banding pellets I have really got to like the drennan carp rigger hooks. I have also decided to have a play with drennan red maggot hooks in size 14 for f1s on krilled red maggots as they are starting to get cute on these. Below are my brimming boxes stuffed with different options for my fishing.
.JPG)
I have been lucky enough to gain a bait sponsorship with miracle baits and a great company to be affiliated with as they really do provide top quality baits for the style of fishing I often employ and also the fisheries I go to. I made a big order of expanders, paste, pellet crumb, soft hookers and some of the additives. The quality of the products is first class and really will assist me in my pellet and paste fishing.
.JPG)
The paste looks perfect for big lumps and also speed paste fishing on top kit at places like cob house. The pastes come in a variety of colours and flavours, however I like to use natural coloured products so the fishmeal and garlic varieties I have plumped to use this year.
Expanders are something I use almost every time I go out, having so much confidence in this style of fishing I need to have a good bait to use and the elite expanders do the job pumping well and staying firm and sinking consistently in my home tests, can't wait to get them on the bank. In addition a range of flavoured soft hookers offer a change bait for if fishing gets funny, always something to have on the tray.
The pellet crumb is a groundbait, like a lot of groundbait on the market, that is made from blitzed pellets. Ultimately this is what pellet turns into if not eaten on the bottom of a fishery and pellet is also what most commercial fish are raised on and feed on. Therefore a 'natural' food for the fish and when feeding down the edge or balling in fish see this as safe food. These groundbaits come in some interesting colours with orange being one I feel I will match with krilled maggot feeding down the edge. These can be maximised with the addition of the additives that come in scopex, strawberry, garlic, and the 2 I think will get most use are squid and MPZ-1 that has a meaty amino smell perfect for worm and meat fishing.
So all in all I feel very confident going into the new season, with a big list of achievements I want to achieve, I cannot wait to get going. Once I am fit I will be out and regularly blogging with how I am going, lets hope I report some successful results!
As a result I have been busy sorting out terminal tackle for the forth coming season, including; pole rigs, hooklengths and replacing reel lines. I try to keep on top of pole rigs throughout the year however it sometimes needs a complete overhaul and with some new patterns becoming favourites. I wanted to keep to a few patterns for my fishing and I know the venues I am targeting this year so have made them specific to the needs of these. Below is the finished article of busy rig tying sessions:
.JPG)
The patterns I have plumped for are from hillbilly floats range and from sconey's floats at sconezone.
I have tried to think of all the circumstances I would come up against and these are the floats I have chosen to cover these:
1. For winter silverfish up in the water and on the deck
Sconezone bitz and hillybilly guzzunders
2. Long deep (up to 12 ft) fishing for skimmers and carp in open water. Pellet and corn.
Hillbilly Dweezils
3. Down the track on a Snake, open water on pellet corn, worm, maggot.
Hillbilly Billybob
4. Tight across on a snake shallow 18 inches to 24 inches deep. And tight across to deeper water up to 3 ft.
Hillbilly ratcatcher or small billybob
5. Meat/big particles at 4 to 6m in 4 to 6 ft of water.
Sconezone double deez or a hillbilly billybob
6. Down the edge in 2 ft and on occasion 3 ft of water fishing big baits and needing to distinguish between liners and proper bites.
Hillbilly AK47 and a sconezone jubleez for shallow margins, up in water down the side or pellet in margins
7. Shallow.
Hillbilly ratcatcher or a sconezone slapz or for f1s a wellardz. If deeper that 2ft I go for a billybob
8. Paste
Sconezone Jadz
So onto hooklengths, something I strongly dislike doing, and I had a complete overhaul of my hooks. Because of the new B911 XS and B911 F1 patterns I now almost exclusively fish B911's on the pole. With the F1's being excellent for shy F1s small carp and skimmers and the XS being perfect for margins, paste and big fish fishing.
The only exception is out and out silver fishing, where a drennan silverfish maggot hooks are employed, and when banding pellets I have really got to like the drennan carp rigger hooks. I have also decided to have a play with drennan red maggot hooks in size 14 for f1s on krilled red maggots as they are starting to get cute on these. Below are my brimming boxes stuffed with different options for my fishing.
.JPG)
I have been lucky enough to gain a bait sponsorship with miracle baits and a great company to be affiliated with as they really do provide top quality baits for the style of fishing I often employ and also the fisheries I go to. I made a big order of expanders, paste, pellet crumb, soft hookers and some of the additives. The quality of the products is first class and really will assist me in my pellet and paste fishing.
.JPG)
Expanders are something I use almost every time I go out, having so much confidence in this style of fishing I need to have a good bait to use and the elite expanders do the job pumping well and staying firm and sinking consistently in my home tests, can't wait to get them on the bank. In addition a range of flavoured soft hookers offer a change bait for if fishing gets funny, always something to have on the tray.
The pellet crumb is a groundbait, like a lot of groundbait on the market, that is made from blitzed pellets. Ultimately this is what pellet turns into if not eaten on the bottom of a fishery and pellet is also what most commercial fish are raised on and feed on. Therefore a 'natural' food for the fish and when feeding down the edge or balling in fish see this as safe food. These groundbaits come in some interesting colours with orange being one I feel I will match with krilled maggot feeding down the edge. These can be maximised with the addition of the additives that come in scopex, strawberry, garlic, and the 2 I think will get most use are squid and MPZ-1 that has a meaty amino smell perfect for worm and meat fishing.
So all in all I feel very confident going into the new season, with a big list of achievements I want to achieve, I cannot wait to get going. Once I am fit I will be out and regularly blogging with how I am going, lets hope I report some successful results!
