Improve Your Coarse Fishing (UK)
Turn to old- school feeders
Maggots are extremely effective when fishing for winter F1s so it makes sense to reach for a feeder that will deliver them.
“I’ve seen a lot of people catch fish on the pole with maggots and then, for example, pick up a Method feeder with micro pellets when switching to rod and line.
“That makes no sense to me. A maggot feeder is definitely the way to go in this scenario.”
The temptation may be there to fill it to the brim but a little experimentation with loading is the way forward.
On some casts Will fills it, yet on others it may only be half full. On extremely tough days, he has no qualms about putting in a meagre five grubs before setting the trap.
He is also very particular about the specific feeder he chooses and relies on the Drennan version for most of his sport. This is because they land in the water reasonably quietly, reducing the chances of spooking any of the shoal happening to be nearby.
Several of his feeders are doctored, with holes enlarged to enable the grubs to escape at a quicker rate.
“This is especially effective late in the session when the fish are fully switched on and competing aggressively to get to the food.”
Using light tackle
The cushion provided by elastic enables you to fish really light terminal tackle on the pole and still land quality specimens.
As a rod and line attack doesn’t incorporate elastic, upscaling kit is often the first thing on people’s minds.
“I still fish really light tackle at the business end as I am convinced it is essential to get bites. “I’ll go down to 0.10mm when it is really tough and go no heavier than 0.14mm. My hook is either a size 18 or 20 Guru SLWG – a small yet sturdy pattern. “There are several things I do to make sure I can provide as much cushion during the fight as possible and this prevents me from losing any or getting broken.
“The first is to have the very