Welcome to the very first post on Fishery.co.uk. There’s plenty to update on since our launch just two weeks ago, but we thought we’d hold off and save the first one for a very special guest indeed, Mr Adam Penning! Adam needs no introduction to all the carp anglers reading, but in the unlikely event that you haven’t heard of him, most of you will probably recognise him from your TV screens as one of the mainstay presenters in the first few series of Thinking Tackle on Sky Sports.
A carp angler for the last 30 years, Adam has worked in and around the angling industry for the last 20 years. With an impressive CV to boot, Adam is an accomplished journalist, angling consultant and TV presenter. He has contributed to all of the major magazine titles and currently has the monthly diarist slot in Advanced Carp Magazine. Now running a successful angling guiding and tuition service (details at the end), he’s currently writing the first of two carp fishing books. If that wasn’t enough, Adam now juggles his time between angling and the joys of fatherhood as a first time dad!
We’re proud to welcome Adam on board for our monthly Hot Seat series and look forward to seeing some great insights and tips! Over to you Adam …
Fishing popular day ticket venues can yield some spectacular results for those prepared to ‘be a little different’.
Always try and bear in mind that most commercial day ticket venues see a lot of pressure. Invariably the fish reside in well stocked lakes and with careful bait application (often quantity rules the day) they can be persuaded to feed confidently.
If you simply turn up and cast out a standard ‘snowman’ or ‘pineapple chod’ then don’t expect to have a red letter day – those sort of tactics are boringly predictable and the anglers who think a little outside the box will often catch the most fish.
A lot of the more commercial day venues are weed and snag free and are host to fish in the 10-15lb bracket with the odd bigger ones. With those details in mind, why not drop down to an 8 or 10lb mono hooklink with a small size 10 hook? This works really well for me and I couple it with a light running lead; I’m sure you’ll agree it couldn’t be more different to the standard 20lb coated braid, size 6 hook and a lead clip with a 3oz semi fixed lead!
Hooklink length plays a big part too – I would never opt for the standard issue 8”, instead opting for either a longer 12” or a super short 4”, both of which are deadly.
To summarise, if you turn up with a bag of cheap ready made boilies, fire ten around each rod and then wait, you are hardly going to set the world alight. Good quality baits like those from the Sticky brand will work much better, and although a boilie approach will pick out the bigger fish, if your budget doesn’t stretch to them then what about a couple of kilos of frozen sweetcorn? This is a fantastic bait that will work anywhere and costs literally a few pounds. Likewise, trout pellets are a phenomenal bait and can be purchased cheaply in bulk. A great tactic is to scald a couple of kilos off in a bucket and ball them in. The resulting oily slick is super attractive and again this will work anywhere!
Here’s a few general tips which will give you an advantage on the majority of the UK day ticket waters featured on Fishery.co.uk:
1) If the water has a barbless rule, do NOT fish a slack line. The fish will get rid of the hook very quickly. Fish a fairly tight line directly to the bait.
A big day ticket fish from Bayeswater in Essex – caught by being ‘different’
2) Tightish lines are generally best – fish your rod tips low and with the bobbin set half to three quarters of the way up. I often have my tips under the water to keep the line down low.
3) ALWAYS fish where you have seen the fish. Most anglers blank simply because they are not fishing where the fish are. Even on well stocked lakes, the fish can favour a small area.
4) If the lake is murky, turbid and muddy looking, it is probably very well stocked. This type of venue can respond very well to a good quantity of bait. Try and put your bait accurately, where you have seen the fish. I prefer to use a Spomb for this.
5) When you hit it right, action can be frenetic so it helps to be prepared with spare rigs already tied.
6) In the winter, maggots mixed with boilie crumb and a dose of Baileys Irish Cream can work really well. Fish a maggot hookbait or a small piece of boilie and hook a small mesh PVA bag onto the rig. Spomb the same mix over the top.
Plenty of tips and advice there, and as the cooler, autumn evenings start to draw in closer marking the end of summer, many of the waters will have seen a LOT of pressure, so take some of Adam’s advice and ‘be different’ for that added edge. If you’re new to carp angling, need a brush up on your skills, or would like to take your fishing to the next level, you can contact Adam using any of the details below.
Facebook: Adam Penning Carp Angler
Twitter: @adam_penning & @askpenners
