catching shallow on the pole

Kit yourself out for some hectic up-in-the-water action this summer with these essential items

DAIWA CARPA CUBE

FOR fishing shallow a simple no-nonsense dibber float such as this is ideal.

Dibbers don’t tangle easily and are short and buoyant, settling quickly once you’ve dropped the rig in or ‘slapped’ it on the surface. For carp, put the shot straight under the float, but bulk it close to the hook for F1s. These floats are ideal for fishing at 2ft or less. Deeper than that, a bristled float will let you read the depth fish are biting at more easily. Price: £2.20, www.daiwasports.co.uk

GURU POLE ELASTIC CONNECTORS

A DACRON-style connector kicks the mainline out like a boom away from the pole-tip. This stops line wrapping around the tip when you’re fishing shallow. With a smaller Stonfo connector tangles may mean no elastic comes out and the line, or even the pole-tip, breaks.

There are different sized Dacron connectors for different grade elastics.

Price: £4.99, www.tackleguru.com

SPOTTED FIN BOOSTED CARP PELLETS

DRY pellets straight from the bag are the No1 bait for carp shallow, because they’re easy to feed and band. Choose 4mm for F1s and 6mm for carp, perhaps even 8mm if small silverfish are proving to be a nuisance. These Spotted Fin pellets are very uniform for catapulting, and are boosted with a flavoured coating which gives them a lovely colour too.

Price: From £5.75, www.spottedfin.com

DRENNAN POLE LINE CATAPULT

A ‘CATTY’ is your best friend when fishing shallow. Feed, feed and feed some more – ideally small amounts frequently. For long pole fishing use a medium strength elastic with a decent mesh pouch, such as the one on this Drennan version. Keep an eye on the elastic as this style of fishing can wear out ‘laccy very quickly. Price: £9.95, www.drennantackle.com

MAVER MV-R JIGGA FLOAT

WITH a Jigga the line passes through the float and the bait is ‘jigged’ up and down to imitate loosefeed falling. It works well for F1s, which can often prove very tricky to hook shallow. A Jigga is ideal when fish are feeding a few feet down, and it can be used to cover different depths in the same rig. Shot it with a bulk of Stotz 6ins-8ins from the hook.

Price: £2.49, www.mavermatch.co.uk