Now is the time for a big zander
...but only small fish need fear this alien predator
EVER since zander were introduced into the Great Ouse Relief Channel in 1963 they have been loved and loathed in equal measure.
I’m a firm fan of these ‘Marmite’ predators, and don’t believe all the accusations that they wipe out silver fish populations.
In the half-century since their arrival zander, while nowhere prolific, have colonised many rivers and lakes. Their appearance is distinctive – rough flanks of green and yellow giving way to a big white belly. Think of a stretched perch without the stripes, but sporting vampire-like fangs and large opaque eyes.
Given the zander’s size and diet of lesser fish you could be forgiven for thinking that a pike angler’s approach would be the best to catch this predator. However, zander feeding habits are a world away from those of pike. These are timid fish (unless you’re a small roach) and are quick to reject a bait if the rig offers resistance to them.
My tackle, whether on a river or stillwater, consists of a pair of Drennan Barbel rods and freespool reels, loaded with 15lb E-S-P Syncro XT. I have played around with braid to magnify bites, but
concluded that while I could feel the zander feeding more quickly, it cut both ways and I suffered too many dropped runs.
My simple terminal tackle for stillwater zander starts with a large run ring (with a buoyant stem if weed is an issue) that moves freely up and down the line. The weight on the link is on the heavy side, 3oz-4oz, so it doesn’t skip across the bottom and offer resistance on the take.
The 3ft-4ft hooklength is made up of two materials, the first three-quarters being 18lb E-S-P Ghost fluorocarbon – this being so stiff, tangles are unlikely. It ends in a small swivel to which the last section is attached via a grinner knot. I find 13.6kg Authanic Wire to be as subtle as braid and zander very rarely drop it, something they have a tendency to do with standard pike wire traces.
For a long time I used a single carp hook for zander, but the occasional missed run has now led me to knotless-knot a size 4 single alongside a size 8 Esox treble.
The single is passed through the top lip of the bait while the small treble sits on the flank.
I will use blast-frozen roach as bait, but if at all possible a freshly killed deadbait is preferred because it emits a far longer and more pungent scent trail. Roach and bleak, both with distinctive smells, are my favourites and as a rule I will cut them in half, leaving me with a small but potent bait oozing blood that zander can’t miss.
Efficient bite indication will make or break a day’s zander fishing. On stillwaters I always start with the rod rests positioned so the line points straight at the rig – there’s no angle to the left or right, or between the rod-tip and the water. This often entails moving rests each cast, but don’t be lazy or you might miss your one and only chance.
On to the front rest goes an old Optonic – I’m yet to find an alarm more sensitive. On the back rest, under an open spool, I use a rollover Zandavan indicator which is totally resistance-free, allowing line to peel off unhindered.
River zander present much more of an issue, and unless you’re fishing a lock cut or huge slack the approach I’ve mentioned has its limitations. The main issue is line is pulled by the flow at an angle from the tip eye, meaning the first thing a zander will feel is the pressure of the rod-tip.
On a small river or drain you can use a float, but you’d struggle from the banks of big rivers such as the Trent and Severn. My approach isn’t perfect, but I fish the two rods pointing into the air on a buzzer bar. The tips are close together so I
can focus on them both with ease.
The moment I get an indication on one of them – and it is normally the tiniest of taps – I will pick the rod up and feel for the fish while pointing the rod-tip directly at the bait. If there’s any sign of life within the next few minutes I will strike without hesitation, hopefully into a zander’s bony jaw.
Zander actively enjoy coloured water and a bite can come at any time. Predictably, dawn and dusk are the best times, especially on brighter days and in clear water. Zander have added an extra
dimension to my all-round angling season, so when the rod took on a healthy curve on my first trip of autumn I was as excited as I have been with any fish in 2017.
The boils of water caused by the tail were big, as was the fish below them, and my heart was in my mouth until the landing net swallowed my prize.
I’d enjoyed a great start to my 2017 zedding, and with more trips planned I have lots to look forward to in the company of a fish that I’m glad has found its place in our waterways.