Improve Your Coarse Fishing (UK)
The new kid on the block
Adam Wakelin uncovers a red hot feeder fishing venue that has gone under the radar for years
THE popularity of feeder fishing on reservoirs has rocketed in recent years. A combination of factors appears to have triggered the trend, with minimal preparation and rig simplicity just as important as the desire to try something different from the commercial carp scene.
Venues such as Doncaster’s Southfield Reservoir and Carr Mill Dam near St Helens kickstarted the revolution but now there is another water that is drawing some serious attention from feeder flingers.
Staunton Harold Reservoir occupies picturesque Derbyshire countryside located between Melbourne and Ticknall and the backdrop alone is enough of a reason to wet a line. Built in 1964, it covers a vast 210 acres and, although it has been a coarse fishery for a while, its true potential has only really come to light in recent months.
Bream to more than 7lb and quality roach are at the forefront of the action, with 70lb hauls of silvers achievable during pleasure sessions.
Daiwa’s Adam Wakelin is one of the many top- quality anglers that is fully aware of what is on offer.
“I love feeder fishing on big, open waters because every day is different,” he asserts.
“This is where I started fishing over two decades ago but I hadn’t paid it any attention until recently.
“When I first returned there weren’t many people fishing it, but it has become very popular of late. It’s not surprising really when you discover how many fish it holds. Admittedly, they are far from easy to catch but if you get your tactics right you will experience some of the best natural- water sport you can find anywhere in the land. And that’s no exaggeration.”
A slice of paradise
Although the water is big enough to hold literally hundreds of swims, fishing is only permitted from around a third of it.
This is because the venue is shared with other users including a sailing club and owners, Severn Trent Water, are keen to leave a proportion for the abundance of wildlife to enjoy undisturbed.
Despite these restrictions, this still leaves visitors with 60 pegs to have a crack at.
“The fact that you can only fish in certain areas actually improves your chances of catching lots of silverfish because they know where to head to feed.
“You can fish from the bank but I prefer to wade out and put my box in the shallow water.
“Once you sit down and take a glance at your base for the day, there’s no way you won’t be impressed with the view of the stunning countryside.”
Pegs in the early numbers are a short walk from the visitor centre car park, while you can park behind your swim on pegs 46 to 60. It was in these latter pegs where we met up with Adam for a demonstration of how good the action can be.
Bream and roach zones
While pole fishing can be effective, Adam relies on the feeder to gain the best results.
This is less of a gamble and he sets up two rods that each have a different job.
“I will fish a line at distance for the bream, casting 80m with a window feeder filled with Advantage Green Bream groundbait laced with chopped worm, casters and corn. I make 10 casts in quick succession at the start to get a bed of bait down.”
Once fishing, he remains active, recasting every five to eight minutes to make sure some bait always remains in the zone.
His second line of attack is much closer to the bank. This is aimed at getting among the shoals of roach.
“I’ll fish this around 35m out with a cage feeder packed with sweet fishmeal groundbait.
“I don’t include any freebies in this as the roach can be held in the area without it. The lack of loosefeed means they have no option but to eat the hookbait. Bites often come seconds after the feeder lands.
“I’m even more active with this rod, recasting after two minutes if I haven’t had a bite.
“The roach prefer to attack a moving bait, often sucking up the hookbait before it has even hit the bottom”
“This is because the cloud of groundbait is a massive attractant. The roach also prefer to attack a moving bait, often grabbing the hookbait before it has even hit the bottom.”
When it comes to hookbaits, half a worm is effective for the slabs, with single or double maggot a good bet for the roach.
Floating maggots can be effective as they sink extremely slowly and give fish off the deck more chance to attack them.