I am going to be completely honest with you, the match at Sharnhill is going to be a bit of an unknown. Recent reports have not been that good from there lately, and a lake that has been fairly consistent for us, may bite us on the bottom this time.
I put the sign out on Tuesday in the rain and there were a number of Carp feeding from the surface. Which is good.
Today (Wednesday) four of us did some maintenance work to prepare the swims for Saturday and, in three hours, we didn’t see that much at all.
The usual swarms of small Carp, Crucian’s and Goldfish have been rather absent of late too. Which is worrying.
I’m not going to get a chance to fish there for you but, here are my recommendations…
The Lake:
No one will be allowed around the lake before the draw. This is to keep the lake as quiet as possible so the fishing will be as good as it can be.
Use just ONE net to keep disturbance to a minimum. If the fishing is better than I fear it may be, then we can introduce further nets as needed. I would recommend a QUIET approach to your peg. Put your net in QUIETLY (with your landing net handle). Put your equipment down QUIETLY. Move QUIETLY and SOFTLY to avoid scaring any fish that may be there. Keep movements to a minimum and treat the lake like it was made from the thinnest glass…
(If any of the juniors actually pull this off, I will be stunned…Prove me wrong.)
Tackle:
Small light feeders for Carp. 20 grams max. Medium sized feeders. Maybe even Combi or Pellet feeders. (See the website ‘Basic Tackle Items’ for details if you are unsure).
Size 18/16 hooks.
On the pole, you will probably need both light and medium/heavy gear. Light 5 or 6 elastics for any small fish so you don’t loose them. Medium to heavy elastics for any larger fish. (11 to 15).
Rigs for the above need to reflect the elastics. Lighter rigs for the smaller fish. Heavier in case the Carp feed.
Bait:
Maggots. You WILL need maggots. Everything eats them and, with it being so unpredictable, you might need to catch everything. A pint should do.
Pellets. All sizes as usual from 2 to 8mm.
Expander Pellets. 4mm. It may be worth preparing some expanders. You can freeze them if you don’t use them. (See the online booklets for instructions).
Baits like, Pinkies, meat, corn, and even bread or worms are up to you. With the lake being so sketchy and with no information, I would be prepared to use any baits to get bites.
Ground Bait. I would have some with me for both feeder (Method Mix), and for smaller fish (Roach or Lake). I would feed small balls (marble sized) of Method MIx if fishing with pellets on the hook. I would feed the same sized balls of lighter cereal ground bait (Lake/Roach) with maggots.
Feeding: DO NOT OVER FEED at first. Feed carefully at first. 3 or 4 maggots or pellets to start with and see what the fish want. You can build the swim throughout the day, increasing or reducing the amount of bait you feed as required.
Once the bait is in, you can’t take it out!
Be careful.
LATE INFORMATION:
Fish have been seen and caught from the margins in some pegs (quite close in), so do not ignore your margins if you have reeds.
This also underlines why you need to approach your fishing area quietly and softly.
Sharnhill is a small lake. It is not used to the pressure of 10 anglers fishing there at the same time. You all need to be aware of this because it will affect the number of fish that you catch. You are not at Todber Manor, Viaduct, or Whitemoor. These fish are smart and are under no pressure to feed when you need them to. They can wait until you have gone home before feeding on all that lovely bait you have chucked in during the day.
You need to convince them that everything is fine. They are under no threat of being caught. They can come and investigate that small pile of bait sitting there, or that juicy maggot wafting slowly through the water.
Above all, BE PATIENT. You might go for long periods without a fish or even a bite. But there is always a chance of fooling a five-pounder at the last minute.
Be careful. Be patient, Fish clever.
Juniors Sec…
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