Dave Harrell Pole fishing for bonus fish on the rivers – here’s how to do it
Here’s my guide to how to rig up on rivers where barbel, carp and chub are the norm
THERE was a time when the thought of hooking, let alone targeting, fish like barbel and big chub on pole gear would have sent a shudder down most anglers’ spines!
In many World Championships, anglers are now using incredibly strong pole approaches to catch river barbel and carp. How things have changed since those days when everyone use an aluminium crook and a short length of light, twizzled elastic!
WHICH POLE?
If you’re only intending to target big fish at lengths up to 13m, there are loads of strong carp poles on the market that will handle barbel and chub. Just like when you’re carp fishing on commercial fisheries, you need to have every confidence that your pole will handle anything you hook.
In a river situation that could be a 6lb chub or it could be a barbel into double figures!
WHICH ELASTIC?
For swims where you can allow the fish to run a bit, I would recommend you to use black Hydrolastic. I’ve landed a lot of big fish on this, and while it’s more expensive than a lot of other elastics, it lasts for ages and it works better because of the fluid inside the hollow core.
If you find yourself on swims where you need to apply more pressure, I’d recommend you to use the red Hydrolastic, which will handle big fish with ease.
FLOATS
As far as I’m concerned there are two main floats for big-fish approaches. These are my DH12 designs, which go up to 6g, and Cralusso Torpedos, which I carry up to 15g. You can get the latter in massive sizes now, but for me, in this country, once I can’t handle the flow with 15g I’ll use a feeder!
LINES AND OLIVETTES
Your mainlines and hooklengths need to be strong. I use Pro Rig mainlines of 0.23mm (11.1lb) or 0.26mm (13.8lb).
I’ve yet to be broken by big fish on these lines fished in conjunction with strong elastic. For hooklengths, drop one size below the mainline diameters.
I make all my rigs up at home on a five-section length of line. For these rigs I use DH In-Line olivettes, as opposed to the On-Line type. The reason is that the rig will take a lot of hammer, and I don’t want anything coming loose if it gets caught up in weed.
I make all my rigs up with
olivettes and single No4, No1 or BB droppers positioned about 10ins from the hook.
The olivette is positioned about 2ft from the hook.
HOOKS
To catch big fish on the pole requires strong elastic, and hooks must be equally robust. Always use a thick wire design in sizes from 14 to 10, and match the hook to the line in terms of balance.
BAIT
On normal and clear rivers I use groundbait for big-fish approaches. My mix is two bags of Bait-Tech Pro Natural Original and three pints of molehill soil.
This is a great mix for all fish, and you can cram a lot of bait into it.
If the river is coloured, I use BaitTech Halibut Marine Method Mix, either on its own with soil or with brown crumb if I suspect there might be big bream in the area.
For hookbait I use lobworms, whole or in sections, bunches of maggots, or punched luncheon meat. All these baits will account for quality fish, and you never quite know what you are going to hook when the float slides away!
FEEDING
It’s important to keep everything accurate when you’re targeting big fish. I always cup in the groundbait rather than throwing it in, and top up according to how the fish respond.
Another good way to feed is via a bait dropper. I mostly use the metal ones but I also like the old Fox design, which holds an enormous amount of feed!
PLAYING FISH
First thing to remember when you hook a big fish on the pole is not to panic! Easier said than done, sometimes, especially if you aren’t expecting it, but if you’re geared up for them, the only way you should lose them is if the hook pulls out or the line snags.
You can’t do much to prevent either, but don’t fall into the trap of using a small hook with a big elastic. That won’t be balanced, and you’re asking for trouble.