In association with


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SLIM LINES Scaling down hook sizes works wonders in


clear water, as does using much finer hook lengths. Because the fish are more lethargic you can land them on lighter tackle, and this also encourages more bites. Hi-tech lines are suppler and much thinner than standard mono. It also helps to scale down your main line, as this improves presentation, particularly with pole and waggler methods.


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IN THE ZONE The best place to present your hook baits in


cold water is just on the bottom. Fish are much less likely to chase after grub up in the water, so plumb up and set your tackle at exact depth to begin with. It’s worth experimenting, of course, suspending baits just off bottom, or adjusting the rig so that your hook bait is several inches overdepth, especially in bad drift because this helps to keep it still.


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SWITCHING BAITS Although you don’t need to feed lots of bait,


it’s a good idea to carry a good selection. This allows you to keep experimenting with hook offerings. It’s amazing how many times presenting a new bait on the hook brings an instant response, while plugging away with the same old thing produces nothing. Switching colours and sizes can help, too, especially with pellets, meat and sweetcorn.


11 RED DELIVERS


Red maggots are favourite to pull a response when playing the waiting game. Very few species will ignore a couple of red grubs on a small hook, particularly when fishing with feeder, waggler or pole tackle. Also, try tipping worms with a red maggot, which provides a bit of extra colour. The same applies to inert baits such as pellets and corn, where a red maggot induces fish-attracting movement.


12 LOSING WEIGHT


Big shot stand out and also cause resistance when fish show interest in your hook bait. By fining down to smaller micro shot or elongated Stotz weights closer to the hook, your rig becomes more streamlined and less obtrusive. Small shot are very handy for fine-tuning float rigs, too. By dotting float tips down a bit more, the fish feel less resistance and are less likely to reject your bait.


16 15 LIGHT QUIVERS


With feeder or bomb tackle, switch to light action quivertips. Soft 0.5 oz to 1 oz quivers can make a big difference in bite detection. Softer indicators create less resistance to taking fish, so they are less likely to eject the hook bait. You sometimes need to let bites develop, while on other occasions it can pay to strike at every minute indication. A target board can help to highlight really shy bites.


BAGGING If you follow the tips here it’s still possible to put together decent catches such as this. Feed little and often, remember to keep switching baits and scale down your tackle. Also don’t give up too quickly. When it gets colder the fish often have a couple of periods during the day when they suddenly switch on. It can take several hours to work up a swim, so don’t miss out by taking an early bath!


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