Top Tips for small success
GET CLOSE TO THE EDGE
Most mini species are caught at extreme close range. Right under the bank tends to be a good place to start.
BE STEALTHY
When you weigh mere grams, almost everything wants to eat you! For this reason, tiny fish can be surprisingly shy, especially in clear water. Take a leaf from the heron’s book and approach with care.
STEP IT DOWN
Regular sized hooks look massive next to mini species. To catch bitterling or stone loach, you wouldn’t think twice about using a size 24 or smaller.
GET IN FOCUS
With the right gear, mini species are full of fascinating details. A macro lens is a great investment, albeit expensive. A more affordable investment is a little magnifier device for your mobile. Well worth a look, because up close our tiny fishes have some fantastic colours and details.
EVERY GRAM COUNTS
If you fancy being a micro record breaker, the usual scales won’t do.
Super-accurate digital kitchen scales or similar are the way to go.
KEEP AN EAR TO THE GROUND
As with bigger fish, the finest mini specimens often thrive on neglect. A lake with a tiny head of your target fish and lots of natural food, for example, is perfect.
THE WORLD’S YOUR OCEAN
We’ve only mentioned UK coarse fish here, but if you use similar tackle and tiny fragments of bait around the British coast, or anywhere on earth for that matter, there’s a whole galaxy of weird and wonderful little fish to catch. Freshwater drop shotting tackle will work in the sea as well.