THE KEY LESSONS FROM ‘TEST TAPES’
TOM DOVE reveals the true findings from Korda’s latest Underwater film, and how you can employ them in your own fishing…
IT’S BEEN 10 years since Korda stunned carp anglers across the country with Underwater 7 & 8, in which boss Danny Fairbrass banked two of Linear Fisheries’ biggest carp, while revealing just how much fish actually get away with.
Well, now Korda have finally gone back beneath the surfacce once more, armed with technology that has come on leaps and bounds – but unlike before, not everything fell into place on this occasion.
‘Test Tapes’ catalogues the trials and tribulations of their recent underwater outing at Lac Luna in France. Given the swim, spot and number of fish visiting the cameras, this is arguably the best angling yet on display in an Underwater film.
We recently caught up with one of the stars of the show, Tom Dove, who talked us through what they learned from this tough shoot. His advice may be exactly what you need to get a bite in the toughest of conditions…
FLAVOURS AND COLOURS
“Whether you look back at Underwater 7 & 8 or the recent ‘Test Tapes’, I can’t emphasise enough just how important hookbait choice is. In all three films you can clearly see the fish show a preference for different colours and flavours, despite there being loads of free bait in the swim. If you have the right hookbait on they will single that out very quickly.
“For this reason, when we don’t have an underwater camera to observe how the fish are reacting to certain things, I’d suggest starting your session with three different hookbaits and see which the fish prefer on the day. Then, once you’ve had a bite, switch over the others to match it.
“On all our films, the fish have shown a real appetite for a pink Almond Goo-flavoured hookbait. This doesn’t mean this will always be the case, but it could well be a good starting point for clear gravel spots in the spring, which is when these were filmed.
“Flavours are vital too – we have seen fish show little interest in just a washed-out pink, but then a washed-out pink with Almond flavour has got multiple pick-ups. It’s all about experimenting and finding what they want. If you think the fish are around, are keen to feed in your swim and you’ve not caught one, change your hookbait. It’s one of the biggest factors determining if you will get a bite or not.”
BAITING SCENARIOS
“One of the advantages of having an underwater camera in the swim is we can see how