Improve Your Coarse Fishing (UK)
Q I would like to catch a big bag of bream on the feeder at the start of the season. My previous attempts have only resulted in small fish.
AThe first thing to do is check that the area you plan to fish actually holds a decent head of bream. Speak to a local tackle shop or get in touch with the club that controls the water and they should be able to help. Once you’ve got a swim in mind, the next step is to tailor the times you fish. The middle of the day is rarely good, whereas early or late sessions give you the best chance of catching well. Any colour in the river equals far better bream fishing than a low and clear venue. Check the weather and, if possible, time your fishing with an overcast, mild day. A groundbait feeder is hard to beat because it enables you to fish a still bait in any flow while keeping the hookbait close to the feeder’s contents. Fill the feeder with groundbait – dark in colour for clear water – along with a good mix of free offerings including casters, dead maggots, chopped worm and hemp. You can’t add too much bait at this time of year as bream will be hungry, so give them plenty. For the hook, a worm and maggot cocktail or double red maggot is as complicated as it needs to be. Your rig should be a standard running set-up, letting the feeder slide on the mainline above a hook length of 18in-24in. When it comes to picking an open end feeder, go for around 30g of weight to begin with but increase the weight if the flow is pushing the feeder around on the riverbed. You’re trying to achieve a balance that sees the feeder holding bottom but then moving should a fish take the bait and dislodge the feeder. By having the rod tip pointing skywards a natural bow will form in the line. When the feeder is moved, the line will go slack which will be translated as a couple of knocks on the quiver tip followed by the tip dropping back slack. Don’t go expecting to catch bream immediately as it can take up to an hour of regular casting (every 10 minutes) to build a small patch of feed on the riverbed and gain the confidence of the fish. If small fish are a problem, fish a bigger hookbait and be patient!