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Thank you for purchasing this issue of IYCF - the first of 2023!

So, we’re into January. Depending on how you look it at it, this can be one of the trickiest months for anglers, certainly pleasure anglers. When it’s cold, wet, muddy and dark, and bites are at a premium, I completely understand why people might not be quite as keen to get out as they were in the middle of summer!

Many years ago, when I was going through a phase of carp being pretty much my sole focus, I would invariably pack my kit away by December and not get it out again until things warmed up, no matter how good my intentions of embarking on a proper winter carp campaign were at the end of autumn.

The long hours of darkness and infrequent bite opportunities always beat me down in the end. Thankfully, these days, I’m a bit more sensible about my winter fishing and enjoy it a lot more as a result. I’ve found that, for me at least, short sessions for species such as chub and perch are far more enjoyable at this time of year. There’s no need to prepare mountains of kit or rigs – I have a tackle pouch dedicated to each species which I can just chuck in a rucksack along with a flask and a few other essentials. Bait is minimal too. For chub I make a couple of big balls of cheesepaste which will easily last all winter, and for the perch I just grab a packet of prawns from the supermarket or a tub of lobworms if I’m passing the tackle shop. A rod, chair, unhooking mat and landing net are the only other items required. I keep those in a neat pile in the garage, ready to go should I get a spare few hours.

I really enjoy these travelling light short sessions and have found that chub and perch will usually feed on even the coldest days, so the chances of a few bites are always on the cards.

So if you find yourself struggling to muster the enthusiasm for a winter session, I’d seriously try the above and get yourself out roving for a few chub or perch. And if that still doesn’t work, I hope you enjoy reading this month’s issue indoors while waiting for the weather to warm up a few more degrees. It’ll be spring soon!