Sunday, 31 January 2016

Tackling F1 Venues - Part 2 (Baits/Feeding)

Favoured Baits & Feeding
So what baits are required to tackle these tricky and at times frustrating fish? All anglers have their favourites or try to copy those that fish venues on a regular basis but does this hinder results or improve them? It works both for and against its the approach of what you use and how to feed it along with what you have confidence in that will return more consistent results, that said F1's do tend to favour some over others so hopefully this next instalment will help somewhat to looking at your own approach.
There are several baits that are favoured amongst the countries best and the fish themselves, yes most will catch you fish of course they will but one thing for sure is keeping things simple will lead to better weights than having an array on your sidetray.

Pellets:
F1's are not natural born fish they are purposely created so come from fish farms up and down the country, so they are reared on pellets so these become one of if not the go to bait for these fish. They can be fed either hard, softened or pumped/soaked expanders and each will catch you fish, sizes to aim for are micro's, 2mm, 4mm or 6mm, choosing the right size is fairly simple.
If the weather is cold then micro's, 2mm or 4mm expanders are great choices, feeding micro's then trying between 2 or 4mm expanders, some venues still respond to hard pellets throughout the year regardless of temperature.
At the time of the NvS the fish will be in full swing with feeding so to target these fish the 4 or 6mm pellets would be a better option, especially if fishing up in the water as you can accurately throw/catapult creating a feeding zone and the noise they make will draw fish in from far and wide if you consistent enough. These sizes tend to be the best for these fish as they seem to comfortably feed for longer periods, they only have small mouths so will munch for much longer, by using smaller pellets such as micro's creates too many foul hooked fish as they tend to become pre-occupied with the smaller pellets totally ignoring your larger hookbait. You can feed in various ways depending on which type you are feeding, micro's are best potted in via a toss pot as they don't have the weight to be catapulted, but if fishing short they can be effectively and accurately thrown by hand. Feeding hard pellets little and often by hand or with a catapult is the best way to get the most from this bait, adjusting throughout the session to the fish's response will keep you catching for longer periods.

 Maggots:
Maggots cannot be ignored on most F1 venues, they are used by some of the UK's best anglers, contrary to what a lot think who don't see many F1 carp these little wrigglers aren't just for catching Roach or skimmers F1's love them but in September don't think a pint will suffice you might just need a few more. Again due to the size of an F1 Carp's mouth these types of baits are suited to their own appetite and feeding and there isn't a coarse fish that isn't partial to a maggot, another advantage of maggots they will literally catch every species in the lakes. There are times when you will need to make changes to keep bites coming but also they can disappear totally for a period and a good indication is silverfish moving back into the swim don't ignore these fish though, if you can't get an F1 at that point make the most of putting a weight of silvers together until the F1's show back up again. Reds are a particular favourite but having a few whites mixed in can be a good change bait, they can be fished throughout all layers of the water from hard on bottom to as shallow as lake rules allow, they can be fished live or dead if adding to mixes for down the edge or creating a slower rate of fall through the water. Again by feeding little and often either via a catapult or by hand will bring you the most consistency as opposed to putting in large pots, on the other hand this can be a good tactic when fishing dead maggots down the edges especially when incorporated with groundbait in the latter stages of the session.

 Casters:
Casters are a great alternative to maggots but many tend to not use these just for the shear cost involved especially if using them for fishing up in the water as when you them feeding you can go through in excess of 5 pints to keep catching. The great thing with casters they have the advantages of maggots as most species of fish will happily eat them and they tend to pick out the bigger fish in a swim, but they also create an amazing noise when thrown/catapulted into a swim. Casters are great if you are not so good using a catapult at distance as you don't need to be as accurate getting the bait in a really tight area, the noise will draw the fish in from all over, just ensure you keep to a regular feeding pattern even when not fishing that line. Expect bites to be quick once they turn up and make sure you feed as soon as you hook a fish and before you move it out of your swim to line the next fish ready.

 Meat:
Another great bait for F1's is meat, something that is starting to become used less frequent due to fisheries imposing a ban on the bait, but for those venues where it is still allowed if you can get the fish going it can be on its day unstoppable. It does fish particularly well in spring just as the fish are starting to wake up from the long winter and at the start of Autumn when the fish are starting to look at packing some weight on ready for the winter months ahead. It can be used in various forms from feeding it as a mush to cubes on the bottom to up in the water, it is a very versatile bait and can be adapted to suit, it even takes on colours and flavours perfectly if you have to confidence to do this. The bait isn't just for potting in down the edge it also fishes well when targeting the near or far shelves starting on the bottom to targeting them up in the water if they will have it, it has one great advantage when fishing shallow is it sinks much slower than most other baits and by feeding meat little and often when targeting them shallow or kinder potting if tight to a feature are great ways to bring huge nets of fish. 

Corn, Worms, Paste:
All these baits will happily catch F1's and all other species and on their day could be unbeatable, but in terms of consistency they don't produce the same as the baits already mentioned and are more selective to times of the year when they can be an advantage. Now this isn't a hard and fast rule as we all know certain venues do respond regardless of species to certain baits which include these, its also known that their are plenty of anglers who do better than average using these but tend to be venue regulars who have spent a number of years perfecting these baits and how/when to use them. It certainly pays to do some homework before you go to a venue, but if its a method that you are certainly unsure of been able to do well then the best advice is to stick to what you are confident in or practice it before you get to the venue. 
Corn can be fished from a single piece as a standout bait if fishing over pellets/dead maggots for example, to kinder potting on long lines, it is also good for shallow margins as its heavy and doesn't get wafted about as much as other baits.
Worms are a great attractor at the right time of year and by chopping them fine (small fish/F1's) or in big chunks (Good sized Carp) are a good starting point, worms are a great bait to combine with others such as caster, hemp, pellet, dead maggots or even the soil they come in which can be used from hard on the bottom through to a slop up in the water with wetted down soil.
Paste is an attractor in itself and the single piece will draw fish in on its own, but it can be fed with other baits to lay down a bed such as hard pellet, corn or hemp. 

 Top Tip: You cannot beat keeping things simple when targeting F1's, finding a good rhythm/feeding pattern will bring you more consistent bites than relying on flavours or colourings to give you an edge. 



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Saturday, 30 January 2016

Remaining Space Availability

Current Spaces Available

We are now Full for both teams, thank you for your support

We are taking bookings through the website booking form for anglers wanting to get there names down on the reserves for either team.
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Tackling F1 Venues - Part 1 (Tackle)

Understanding F1's


Many of us are happy catching F1's on commercials which is great but for those who have little or no access to the species we will be compiling tips each month leading up to the event to helps these anglers out. We hope it will make understanding these species and the approaches required to make the most of your swim on the day so we all go home happy that every angler has caught plenty, ultimately helping their team to the win.

 1. Elastic choice is important, regardless of brand its size that's the most crucial part, you need a nice soft elastic that powers up enough not to bump or disturb the swim. Solid and hollows both work perfectly and sizes such as a single No8 or 8-10 Hollow, but don't be afraid to drop to a double 5 or 6-8 hollow if needed. Big heavy elastics will catch you fish but lighter is the better way to go.

2. Lines are important too and again lighter is better for these shy biting fish until you come to up in the water (I'll explain later). Mainlines for fishing on the bottom or just off such as 0.14mm (5.6lb) teemed with hooklengths in sizes 0.12mm (3.7lbs) or even down to 0.10mm (2.25lbs) if struggling for bites will catch you plenty and are more than strong enough at Tunnel Barn Farm. Where this differs is when fishing shallow and by using a thicker mainline 0.16mm (6.7lbs) or 0.18mm (8.5lbs) will help to reduce tangles if slapping baits such as maggot or pellet and keeps the line nice and straight, but hooklengths its best to use the same sizes of 0.12-0.10mm. It may seem odd to have such a gap and contradicting using lighter lines on the bottom but when fish feed up in the water, they have a tendency to snatch at a bait rather than take the time to investigate it so not noticing your rig.

3. Floats are a very personal choice and vary in patterns, their are 4 patterns you can't go far wrong with for targetting F1's. 
- Rounded/Pear shaped Body - Teemed with a 1.5mm hollow tip and strong wire stem these are perfect for fishing on the bottom or just off in normal conditions with all baits, they are the most suited when conditions are not favourable as the stem provides great stability and the tip holds well to show bites. Floats such as the Dino Chi-Chi or Drennan AS1 are very popular choices.
- Slim Body - Slim patterned floats are perfect when bites are hard to come by or when they are shy biting and the float needs dotting right down to be able to see the slightest movement. Good choices like Dino Gino or Preston's ever faithful Chianti come with a carbon stem and either a hollow bristle or cane tip both of which are great when sensitivity is required.
- Dibber Style Float - There is one float perfect for up in the water and has been a huge hit in 2015, Drennan's Crystal Dibber. It's made using clear blow moulded plastic making it harder for fish to see in the water, its very durable making it suited to slapping or constant lifting and dropping, it can be used with all baits from maggots through to meat.
- Small Rounded Diamond - Floats such as Dino F1 or Andy Bennetts Rounded pattern are great for fishing tight up against far bank features in depths around 12-18". They come with either 1.2mm or 1.5mm hollow tips and are small enough not to cause disturbance but provide enough stability if their a plenty of feeding fish which could cause line bites.

4. Hooks - Again patterns and brands are personal choice, for the time of year the event is held a size 16 would be a good starting point even when using a banded bait such as 4mm pellets or maggots. Their is no need to go with heavy guage hooks for F1's but one that has a good sized gape and slightly in-turned is ideal, patterns such as Kamasan B911 or B911F1's suit commercial fisheries and F1's in particular.

5. Shotting patterns - Their are 2 main shotting patterns required for F1 fishing Bulk & Spread Out, each will be required throughout the session and work differently between baits. When fishing pellets a small bulk with droppers works particularly well when fishing with pellet on the bottom to get the bait down but then the last 12-18" falls slowly enticing bites (lifting and dropping works really well with this pattern). If fishing maggots a spread out shotting pattern works much better than a bulk as the bait looks more natural when falling through the water.
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Help Understanding F1's

Links to useful info for F1 Fishing

Here you will find some really useful links to approaching F1 fishing and also help towards commercial fishing all over the UK, some articles are carried out during the winter months but are still really useful and can be adapted.

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