Junior Match 2
Luckfield Lake (Silvers only)
Fee £5.00
Draw 09:00 (Sharp!)
Fish 10:00 to 15:00
Had the match been a week earlier I would have been more confident of the fish being easier to predict. But the rain has returned, as has the lower temps. Saturday is looking to be a better day, but therein lies the problem.
Springtime is the time of year when, after the winter chill, everyone is looking forward to warmer weather. The trouble with warmer days is that the nights are still in winter mode. Double digit days with almost freezing nights means the fish do not know what the heck is going on and can be very disorientated.
But feed they must, and anglers must think on their feet because you just don’t know what you’re going to get until, sometimes, it’s too late.
Methods:
Being a Silverfish only match, you will not be chasing the Mud-Pigs (Carp), but there are some useful fish like Bream, Tench, and Perch, as well as some good-sized Roach.
Pole or short range waggler will score well fished quite close in. Either just under the rod tip with a waggler float, or a top kit plus one or two sections with the pole.
A whip might be a good bet to get lots of smaller fish into your net to start with, but I would be looking to move to either the pole or waggler if larger fish turn up.
The feeder is a tricky one for me and it would depend where I’d drawn. Bream and Tench will come to a feeder, but so will Carp. They will not count and will surely mess up your peg should you hook one on light gear.
Tackle:
Lighter thinner lines with give you better presentation, as will smaller hooks. As usual, match your hook size to the bait you are using. 18’s and 20’s for maggots. 18’s to possibly 16’s for pellets.
I would use 18/16 on the feeder.
The lake has some extra water in it from the rain and so is a little deeper than normal. Pole floats of 0.3g or 0.4g will be fine (4x12 or 4x14).
Bait:
The usual bait requirements that I’m sure most of you will recognise.
1 pint red maggots.
2 pints Micros (2mm pellets)
1 pint 4mm pellets (Half flash soaked, half dry)
1 pint 6mm pellets (Dry)
4mm & 6mm Expanders (See below for expander tips)
Small tin Sweetcorn
1x tin Luncheon meat (Just in case)
Optional Worms (Denbrobenas)
Although the water is coloured, I would still opt for dark or green coloured for both method and feed ground baits. The other day I mixed half dark method mix with some green swim stim and it worked ok.
Feeding: Spring is a funny time of year as we have already mentioned. Start with your feeding light with just a few maggots. If you start catching lots of fish, steadily increase the feed, but be careful. If the bites slow down, back off or even stop feeding for a couple of casts until, hopefully, the fish return.
It is very easy to feed fish off this time of year so, steady away…
Expanders:
For those of you who haven’t used expanders often or indeed ever, here is a guide.
Most modern expanders need soaking for a few hours before you need them.
I normally tip enough dry pellets to cover the palm of my hand into a food/freezer bag and cover them with water. (Enough so they are all only just submerged).
If you wanted to add flavourings, now is the time.
Pinch the bag so a small amount of water is above your fingers. This will ensure that all the air is forced out.
Now twist the bag and tie a knot in it. Not too tight or you won’t get it undone again.
Pop them in the fridge if you are soaking them overnight, or in your bait bag if you are soaking them on the morning of the match.
By the time you come to use them, they should be soft and spongey having soaked up most of the water.
Tip them into a bait box with any water still in the bag. This will prevent them from drying out during the day. You only need a tiny amount of water to cover the bottom of the bait box. If it’s more than halfway up the pellets, tip a little away.
Purpose made pellet hooks are best for expanders as they have a wider gape* than a maggot hook, and help to keep the pellet on your hook.
*Gape: The distance between the Shank (Main part) of the hook and the hook point.
See you Saturday... Juniors Sec...