Improve Your Coarse Fishing (UK)
MAIN SPECIES
Winning set- up
Cage feeders were used to deliver the payload and while his rig for the 60m line was quite a standard affair, there was a slight twist at 30m.
“I use a double hook rig which does exactly what is says on the tin. My hooklength is 4ft long and I then tie another on to this which hangs off like a paternoster and can slide up and down.
“It enables me to use different hookbaits and also position them at different distances from the feeder. This gives you two shots at getting a bite and makes it quicker to work out what sort of presentation is effective on the day.”
Gareth’s experience has shown that small hookbaits perform best at Rudyard for the big bream, with maggots, red worms and small chunks of dendrobaena worms all scoring. The abundance of small silverfish means it is often a case of catching them early on but once the slabs arrive, it is game on. That’s exactly how the session panned out, with small perch, roach and even ruffe showing first, with the double hook rig often having two tiddlers attached when he wound in!
Hopes of an early flurry on the short line soon fizzled out and the concern stepped up a notch when a first look on the long line after around an hour produced an equally poor response.
“It’s a big water and the fish could be anywhere. If you plug away for long enough and remain patient you’re always in with a good chance of catching bream.”
That mindset proved to be spot on and by rotating swims and hookbaits, he eventually got his just rewards, with five slabs which were all 3lb- 4lb and some chunky roach going into the net.
As soon as the tip registered it was clear what was waiting at the other end, with silverfish providing small plucks while the bream yanked it round in an aggressive fashion.
“There hasn’t been a feeding frenzy today but when you look at the stamp of these fish, it’s easy to see how a big weight is possible when they are in the mood.”
Whether you’ve fond memories of Rudyard from many moons ago or are simply tempted to sample its delights for the first time, you’ll soon be craving more once you take the plunge.