Improve Your Coarse Fishing (UK)
Russell Shipton
Cash in on corner pegs
ALARGE proportion of the pegs on your favourite lake are likely to have a similar appearance.
Some waters will have a large area of open water to attack with an attractive margin either side, while others could have a central island that provides the focal point for your attack.
But there are always exceptions to the rule and corner pegs often fit into this category.
Reed stems twitch as fish graze nearby and slurping sounds disturb the silence as carp suck in food from the surface.
With such character, it’s no wonder that anglers arrive early to secure these prime spots.
As with any form of angling though, it isn’t a foregone conclusion that you are going to bag up just because you’ve secured a corner peg.
All the signs may point towards a red- letter day upon arrival but make a series of errors and you could finish the day deflated. Russell Shipton knows a thing or two about succeeding on commercials and has plenty of experience of fast- paced action from corner pegs.
“It’s one thing to have a peg with stacks of potential and it’s another to catch lots of fish from it,” explains Russell.
“Many anglers catch a few early fish and expect that level of sport to carry on but often it dries up for them and they become disillusioned.
“But there are plenty of things you can alter to make sure a corner peg is one that continues to produce throughout the day.”
Boom or bust
If the water you are fishing is roughly rectangular or shape in shape, it will have four corner pegs.
They may all look very much alike, but there is a very good chance that only two of these swims will be full of fish on any given day.
“As a general rule of thumb, corner pegs are usually full of fish or have very few lingering in them. The corner pegs that are best change all the time and it is the wind direction that will dictate which are best on the day,” says Russell.
“A swim that has the wind blowing into it will be a real hotspot. Natural food will drift in with the breeze and the fish follow. You may see the odd fish move around in a peg that doesn’t have the wind blowing into it but there are not likely to be many others nearby so don’t get sucked into giving it a try.”
On calm days, look for signs as to where the wind has been blowing previously. Layers of scum on the surface or a build up of debris along a bank are excellent indicators.
Two tactic approach
There will be plenty of water to attack in a corner, with a long marginal swim the perfect place to plunder the shoals.
Where you start fishing could influence how many bites you get later in the session, and Russell has a simple rule to ensure maximum action throughout the day.
“I start as close to me as I can,” he explains. “This way, when the fish become unsettled and move further down the margin, I can follow them. If you start too long, they’ll soon push out of range.”
Start the session at around 8m and push out a couple of metres at a time if you can’t catch or bites dry up. Should the fish push out of pole range, Russell reaches for a feeder rod and casts a small Method to hit the mark.
Essential bait choice
The longer you can keep the fish rooted to the deck, the fewer line bites and foul- hooked fish you will suffer. In depths of up to 2ft Russell uses small offerings that keep the fish grubbing around in the same spot for longer. Micro pellets, dead maggots and loose groundbait all come into play in this scenario.
“Some of this loosefeed will get wafted up off the deck but, as the water is relatively shallow, the fish are unlikely to come up in large numbers to chase it. In deeper water, I use heavier corn and 6mm pellets because they are less likely to be uprooted, keeping the fish on the deck.”
As the fish are likely to be present in good numbers, there’s no need to feed large quantities. A small pot should concentrate them, and then top up after every fish you catch.
Big- fish banker
The margins in a run- of- the- mill swim would often come alive in the latter stages of a session.
It is usually easy to predict what time fish will arrive in the edge, enabling you to beef up your tackle to win battles with the biggest lumps.
A corner peg is a different animal all together. It is often a place where these big carp take sanctuary for long periods as they try to avoid the activity of anglers.
With this in mind, a potential personal best could show up at any time so you need to be prepared tackle wise.
“There’s no point fishing light as your first bite could be from a double- figure carp that is going to test your kit to the limit.
“You need to have confidence that what you are using can land everything that swims. On the pole I use 0.20mm mainline to a 0.18mm hooklength and a strong size 14 hook.
“Similar strength is required on the feeder, with 6lb mainline to a 0.20mm hooklength required to win those key battles.”
Corner pegs are always in demand and by following Russell’s advice you’ll make sure you don’t blow a fantastic opportunity to bag up should you get in one.