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Please can you tell me if a carp rod is ok for all
sorts of fishing or just carp? Graham Well, you can use carp rods for other styles of fishing - pike, big barbel or catfish for instance and I have even used carp rods for big tench but this has been confined to weedy waters where the fish are very big. Carp rods are generally intended for handling big fish on strong lines. If you want to float fish or leger for chub, bream, tench, roach etc., you need to buy a match or leger/quiver rod. Pop down and see your local tackle dealer and have a chat - he should be
able to help.
Hi Matt, There are also Barbel there. Where in the river
should I fish for them? Maize or boilies would be your best bet. If you only fish occasionally, try luncheon meat, lobworms or big lumps of bread but, if you can, bait up every week. Try the maize and boilie approach. The same baits I have mentioned will
also catch barbel. You will improve your catches of both species even more
if you also feed some hemp when you are fishing.
Hi Matt, I caught a 23lb ghost carp, but my mates say it does not count as it's not a proper carp! Derek Well, it certainly is a 'proper carp.' The ghost carp is just a variant strain of the other king carps such as the mirror and the common. They are becoming more common nowadays because more fisheries are stocking with them. Ghost carp are no easier nor harder to catch than regular mirrors and commons so your fish is a great achievement - well done! Some carp anglers treat fish like the ghost carp as exotic 'fun fish', but in reality as they become more established they are going to achieve sizes that make them attractive to serious anglers. Well done on your fish - sounds like your mates have a bit of the old
green eyed monster in them there!
In 3 weeks time my fishing buddy and I are taking 12
days at Bali.(Alone, ladies stay home!). Up here in Norway we have a great
deal of experience with Pike fishing. (spinning, fly and bait) Now we wanna
try something different. Sorry, Anders, but I know nothing about fishing in Bali. I am sure there are some charter boats for hire and they will have some equipment but if I were you I would take some spinning kit.
A pike spinning rod, fixed spool reel loaded with fifty pounds braid is good
for casting off the beach. Take some lures such as Yozuri Crystal Minnow,
some poppers, Rapala CD11 and 14 and maybe a few other wobblers. You may
need a wire trace too. Wobblers in colours red head, orange and blue
mackerel work best in tropical water. Also, take some leads of two and three
ounces, some stainless steel hooks and some size 5 and three swivels in case
you can do some bait fishing off the beach or rocks. Fishing at night off
the beaches is often very good for sharks and rays. It could also be that
the saltwater fly fishing is good. You should take a nine foot eight or nine
weight rod, 11 and 15 pounds leader, Large arbor saltwater resistant fly
reel and some popular saltwater flies. Try clouser minnow, Gotcha, Crazy
Charlie and the Deceivers - they will catch all sorts of reef and saltwater
flats fish.
Matt
There are lots of carp venues up and down the country. Also, there are lots
of fishing tackle shops. Let me know the town you live in and I might be
able to offer you some good advice.
I'm looking to go to Cayo Largo on a bonefishing trip and wonder if you could help. Is it possible to do it yourself as I can't afford the £2-3000 it would cost with one of the fishing companies and none of the British tour operators now go to Cayo Largo, only Cayo Coco and I understand that the fishing here is poor for bonefish? Many thanks, Doug Terry Doug, Sorry, but you can't really do what you are suggesting. I have spent lots of time investigating some of these places and even if I do know where there is some good wading fishing, am I likely to tell other people? Not on your life! Seriously though, I know people who have fished off the beach at Cayo Largo and wasted their money because the bonefish simply are not there in any numbers. If you are going on a family holiday you could try some casual fishing but don't expect miracles. The thing that British anglers have to understand is that if we keep taking shortcuts we will no longer be welcome in those parts of the world that offer fantastic fishing to tourists. Brits are particularly bad at trying to cut corners and it simply does not work. I fully understand that the costs are high but I would say this to you. Bonefishing is expensive. Full stop. Why not go for something else a bit closer to home and wait until you have the money to go for it? I don't mean to sound dismissive or patronising - I am genuine in what I say. And yes, you are right the the bonefishing in Cayo Coco is non-existent. Cayo Largo used to be on the package tour route but has been taken off because they are trying to make the resort more upmarket. I always say to people who are 'iffy' about whether they can afford a holiday 'don't go.' At the end of the day things can go wrong on these trips, especially the weather and if you have staked your life savings, well.. you take the risks.
One day with a good guide is better than five days wandering around not
having a clue what you are doing. Most of the time, when abroad you really
do need a guide. When guys like myself say this, lots of blokes think 'ah,
well he's just saying that because it earns him money!" I have no interests
in holiday companies I am just trying to offer sound advice and save a few
people some disappointment.
Dear Matt, Can't understand why you are not catching carp but it may well be that there is a going method on Bowman's that I simply don't know about. Certainly, in the summer, you should try floating baits such as chum mixer - bream rarely take those. Bream can be a problem on carp lakes but if you bait and fish well the carp will usually move in. Try fishing straight boilies. Feed boilies and use boilies on the hook. Start off with 18mm baits and use two on a hair to put the bream off if you have to.
Another approach is to feed maggots heavily and fish with the bait off
bottom. Fix a waggler a few feet off bottom, use just two number eights down
the line and keep feeding a dozen maggots around your float so that there is
a continuous trickle of bat falling through the swim. The carp will
eventually move up in the water to take the maggots and the bream may be
more reluctant to do this.
Hi Matt,
Can you give me any advice on tactics on fishing the
River Severn at the Danery (BAA. waters)? We have a contest early September. John Hope this is not too late. I would start by fishing meat around the swim - just to pick up any active barbel. Next, switch to caster and hemp in the feeder. Pick a spot and stick to it - a third way across the river is usually about right using a heavy two ounce feeder packed with caster and hemp a four pound hook link and a spade end fourteen with two to three casters on it.
If this fails, go back on the meat and try to roll the bait around the swim,
allowing it to stop every now and again. The meat still catches lots of
fish, especially if you flavour it with scopex. Also, Van den Eynde Spicy
meat is very good. Break the meat into rough chunks, don't cut it into
cubes. If bites are hard to hit, switch from big lumps on a six to tiny
lumps on sizes 12 or 14 and feed tiny cubes.
Hi Matt, I started river fishing 18 months ago. I fish on the River Swale and have caught some big chub and barbel. I am planning a trip to the River Severn, Bewdley area and I am wanting to know any good barbel swims you can recommend to me please? Also, bait and tackle...oh and a really good b+b that does a spot on breakfast! Stef
Can't help you too much here. Stan Lewis runs the tackle shop in Bewdley and
will tell you the hot pegs and sell you your bait. As for B&B, well, I
really don't know. Phone Stan - he should be able to help.
Hi Matt, Andy, I do know that the Colne has barbel but I am no expert on the river. In fact, I have never fished it! It may well be that the barbel are localised to just a few swims and short of doing a lot of hard work you may well struggle. My approach would be to divide the stretch into sections and I would aim to fish two or three swims each session until you have the water covered. Pre-baiting would help. Pellets and boilies would be good as would hemp and corn. bait two to three spots, fish them in rotation and locate the barbel by a process of elimination. When you fish, try to fish and rest each area two or three times during the visit. Sometimes barbel are not there straight away, but they will turn up later.
Also, try fishing after dark - it will pay dividends. Look for overhanging
trees, snaggy areas, gravel runs between weedbeds, bends and undercut banks.
Keep going and you will catch carp and barbel using these tactics, if they
are present, eventually.
Matt,
What's your thinking on this? New moon, full moons, do
they have an effect on temperature and pressure/ weather, or is it the water
visibility for are crafty fishy opponent. I have heard them mentioned in
different right ups etc, but not explained. Martin Murphy I have not fished Yateley - it is the sort of place that demands time and regular visits and since I am required to virtually never fish the same place twice by Angling Times, the chances of me going there are remote. Moon phases? Hmm... Yes, I do think that they are one of the factors that affects fish behaviour. Certainly in the winter I hate cold, clear nights when the moon is beaming down on the water. I think that moon phases are probably more important than we realise but I am not one of those scientific anglers that studies things like this with any degree of conviction. If I have a preference it is for mild, settled weather with a low moon. This applies to daytime as well as night time fishing.
Don't get fixated on the moon, though, there are other critical factors in
carp fishing such as wind direction, air pressure changes and water
temperature. Hi, I just wanted to know if their was any possibility I could find out where Matt will be fishing somewhere after August at a lake anywhere in the country so I could go and, being a keen fisherman myself, just, well you know, sit and say hi and maybe take a photo as Matt is my idol and he's an ace fisherman. Just a brief chance to fulfil a little dream to meet him and maybe have 1 or 2 casts with him. my missus thinks he is bloody great also! Thanks, Paul We tend not to release filming locations because believe it or not, filming is hard work. What you see on the camera is just the tip of the iceberg. There is so much time spent filming rigs, getting to swims, casting, chatting etc., that the fishing part of any session is a lot more limited than it appears on screen. Catching fish for the camera is hard work, believe me, and it requires total focus. We simply can't afford to have people hanging around trying 'a couple of casts.' I'm really pleased that you like the shows, though and you can catch up with me at outdoor events from time to time. I will be at the NEC show next year (March) and I will also probably be at the CLA Gamefair in July. Hope to see you at one of the shows.
All the best to you and the missus!
Matt, I would like to fish on the River Ouse at Newport Pagnell, but have no idea how much it would cost or who to pay my money to.
My main aim is to catch some big perch. Could you
help? The fishing at Newport is controlled by the Newport Pagnell Angling Club. You can buy tickets from the Linford Lakes Tackle shop at Great Linford, Milton Keynes. You might also try the Buckingham club. They offer great perch fishing on the upper river and you can get tickets via the tackle shop in Buckingham. Ouse perch are terrific but I have detected a fall-off in numbers in the past few years. I do not know whether the perch disease has reared its ugly head again but the run of big perch from the river seems to be slowly drying up. That said, there are some real monsters in the river.
The way to catch the Ouse perch is to use worms. Fish a big lob on a size
six. I use a soft quivertip set-up with five pounds line. I feed chopped
worm or red maggot and cast around the swim with the worm. Twitching the
bait pays dividends. Don't worry if you are not catching during the day at
this time of year. In the winter the fish will feed on and off throughout
the day but in the autumn you often get a feast and famine situation with
the perch feeding at first and last light only.
Hi Matt We are filming a new series on Discovery next year titled 'How to Fish' and it will do exactly what you are asking for.
As far as tips go, I think that your question is so open that I could write
a book in reply. Get down to a good local tackle shop (Jack Frost in Crawley
is excellent) and have a chat with the staff. They will know all about the
local fishing and they will be able to give you good, solid advice that will
help you to catch fish in your area.
Hello Matt, I have been carp fishing a Yateley's south lake and have had a great year. I have been planning my trips around full moons, mainly coz it's lighter at night and I had a good session during one. Do you have any thoughts on these lunar cycles? I have heard them mentioned by some of the top boys but not in any depth. Ian There is a lot of debate about lunar cycles at the moment, especially in the world of predator fishing. I have never been one of those anglers who writes down my results so I have no way of comparing results versus lunar cycles. That said, yes I do think that moon phases have an effect on all fish feeding behaviour. Certainly, in the winter I do not like the combination of full moon and high pressure. For catfish, I prefer a declining or better still, no moon. That said, moon phases are only a part of the key to the puzzle. Wind direction, temperature and air pressure all play a part as do light values. To be honest, I have never wanted to over-analyse results because I would hate to go out fishing thinking that I am not going to catch anything. I prefer to go, fish as well as I can and avoid planning my trips around a moon calendar.
I must admit, though, that I am taking an increasing interest in the
material written on the subject because part of the skills of a good angler
is selecting your target species according to the conditions. It might be,
for example, that at a certain phase of the moon the chances of pike are
poor and yet the chub might be feeding their heads off. I suspect, though,
that virtually all species of fish will switch on and off according to the
same influences. I do think that weather factors play a greater role in fish
catches in winter than in summer and I suspect that the same applies to moon
phases.
Hi, Have just watched and really enjoyed Paul Young on Clipperton Island trip. Have tried to find some info on this but cannot. Have you any contact details please? Really enjoy your programmes and website. We are both keen sea and trout anglers. Tight lines, Lynn & Phil McCann
Paul Young has made several shows on Discovery. I do not have any contact
numbers for Paul but you might be able to get in touch with him via
Discovery. Their number is 0207 462 3600.
Hi Mr M Hayes, Dexter Again, this is the kind of question that demands a book as a reply!
I think that you are doing very well - your list of personal bests is
certainly nothing to be ashamed of. You are also in a good area for specimen
fish. If you want to catch bigger fish you should consider the following:
These are a few concepts for you to think about.
Dear Matt, I was watching your show (excellent!). You were fishing for Barbel on your hot bait, I didn't get the full recipe. I got luncheon meat, paprika, a flavouring of some kind and a another ingredient that looked like paprika. Could you please send me the full recipe? Hope you can help. Thanks, Warren
The recipe is:
Hi, I'm 13 years old and I'm a real big fan of yours. I always watch Wet Nets and Total Fishing on Home and Leisure, but I've nether seen any top anglers fish Thetford (Norfolk) rivers. I would like to see a top angler, such as yourself, fish one. The reason for this is most anglers I know fish rivers in Norwich or somewhere because they consider the Thetford rivers to be boring, but I've caught 2 chub from one of the rivers a few days ago. I spotted them in shallow water just under some over hanging trees, so I trotted a stick float down under the tree's with two red maggots on a size 14 hook about 5 inc below the float. Kev
Why not? I am sure that your local rivers are good and they are especially
famous for big dace. Many small rivers contain big chub and since yours is
underfished it might contain a few surprises. In the winter, try legering
breadflake, moving around from swim to swim. You will increase your chances
of finding chub dramatically if you prebait a few swims with mashed bread
and then fish them in rotation.
Hi, I'm Chris (13 years old) and I love fishing but I'm still a bit of a beginner. I watch your show all the time, which I expect you hear a lot, but it's true. I always have it set on Sky personal planner. I wish your show was on more often than 7:00 every night, but its still a great programme.
I was wondering if you know any good places to fish in
North Devon Preferably near the town of South Molton, if you know it? I like
fresh water fishing in rivers as it's what I get to do the most. Also, if
you know of any clubs, etc. I could get into, I'd be very grateful.
Yours, This is a tough one for me to answer because I have not fished in Devon for quite a while. Your best bet is to contact a good local tackle shop and pick their brains. Also, talk to other anglers on the bank - they will often suggest new places to go and try.
Thanks for watching the shows - I really appreciate it.
Me and the missus have just started fishing for carp within the last 12 months. We have both landed fish into double figures thanks to your advice off your programmes on Sky (cheers). It seems that they show lots of repeats. When will there be new shows as we need more advice to help us catch larger fish using the waggler technique, as we find that more fun? Thanks again for your help, Gray We are just filming a new series now called the 'Great Rod Race.' It will be screened early next year. There are also plans to do a new series next year called 'How to Fish.'
If you like catching carp on a float then you should think about the
following:
Here's a tip, try feeding hemp and pellet and fish with a peeled prawn over
the top!
Hi Matt, Cheers, Glenn Well Glenn, you need to consider what you are trying to achieve. Some people want a lake crammed full of fish so that pleasure anglers will flock to it. Others want bigger fish and fewer customers paying more money. It sounds to me that if you want a small syndicate you need to have some bigger fish.
Here's how to go about it -
Dear Mr. Hayes Yes, I have discussed this with EA sports but you have to consider the practical problems. Firstly, to develop a bespoke coarse fishing game would require huge investment because the game would have to be designed from scratch. Ultimately, EA would only do this if the sales for the product are likely to be high. Also, you must think about how suited to gaming the sport of coarse fishing is. Actually, it could be quite boring if match fishing programmes on TV are anything to go by. We have discussed ideas for a coarse fishing game but I don't know whether it will go ahead. I am sorry that you have been disappointed with the game. Yes, you are right that the game is adapted from a bass fishing game but there has been a major overhaul with lots of redesign to make the fish into pike, perch etc., and to feature real European backdrops. Also, I only agreed to do the game if the lure fishing featured in it was as realistic as possible. In this respect it is pretty good and I personally invested a lot of time into advising EA about he behaviour of the lures, retrieve techniques etc., The mistake you are making is imagining that coarse fishing as an industry is bigger than it really is. The industry is made up of way too many small companies who flood the market. For this reason, videos, games and books rarely sell in the numbers required to boost the level of professionalism. The UK angling market is very unprofessional in the main and unfortunately this means that we cannot do some of the things that the public who don't know the industry assume that we can. Yes, there are lots of anglers but there are so many products competing for their attention that the major volumes required to spark off top-line projects are just not there.
Having said this, if the chance comes to do a really big coarse fishing game
I would love to be involved. EA have promised me that they will look into it
but the investment levels are huge.
Hiya Matty, Josh Hindle Josh, I don't see why you have to wait until next year to fish at night! Night fishing is night fishing - regardless of the time of year. Maybe this relates to school holidays etc., Anyhow, to catch the bream in the daytime is possible but you will have to really organise yourself with marker floats, bait rockets and the like. It really is quite complicated and I think that you need to buy a book on the subject. You can, of course, use feeder tactics for bream but on big reservoirs, the long-range mass baiting approach is usually the way. I would have a go fishing either an open-ended feeder filled with soft groundbait, squatts, chopped worm and caster with worm on the hook or with a method feeder and scalded pellets. The key to feeder fishing is accuracy and you will need to be hitting the same mark every time, building up a bed of bait.
For pike, the fishing will be simpler. Use float fished deadbaits. Half
mackerel, herrings and smelts are the way forward. Why not buy Mick Brown's
book 'Pike Fishing - the Practice and the Passion.' It is an excellent book
and it should tell you all you need to know. Alternatively, the Fox Guide To
Pike Fishing will give you lots of sound advice.
Matt, What made you start fishing? And what is the best approach for tench in a stillwater? I have tried 3 times and I still have not had one out. Have you ever fish at Raleigh Angling Club in Nottingham? The carp are always topping what would you suggest for the approach to catch them? I'd love to fish with you but I can't afford the £450 so may be when I'm older. I love to go fishing in Nottingham. I fish the canal from Lenton to Beeston and Raleigh Angling Club, so I hope I can see you around there some time. Your biggest fan, 15 year old Daniel Bollington (Bollo). Daniel, Thanks for your kind comments. There are so many ways to catch big tench and it all depends on how you want to catch them and what your local venue responds best to. Generally speaking, most tench are caught at close range by float fishing. Fish near to lily pads or just over the marginal slope. The biggest mistake made by people fishing for tench is not plumbing the depth. You must do this. Learn to use a plummet and fix your float at the right depth. Tench are rarely caught off the bottom. Pellets, red maggots and hemp usually get them feeding and a worm fished over the top is one of the best ways I know for catching tench. They love corn too. Recently, I have caught lots of tench fishing over Dynamite Baits 'Swim Stim mini pellets using red maggots on the hook or a small worm. If you really want to catch tench, you need to learn so much more about them. The fishing papers and magazines often contain good information about tench and there are also some good books. Tony Miles has written some good stuff about tench - take a look down at your local bookstore.
Thanks for watching the shows!
Dear Matt, Could you please advise me reference the best choice for a spinning reel for pike? I quite fancy a couple of reels within the Shimano range. What would you recommend if different from the two I have selected below?
Sedona 6000 front drag I have been informed that it's possible the Sedona is no longer available and has been replaced recently, would you know what the replacement is please? I will require to use this for wobbling dead baits as well as plugs and spinners. Hope your able to assist me in my search or perhaps you know a man that can. Keep up the fishing on TV I had the pleasure to watch you pike fishing with your mate Mick last night, (Fishing on Friday), the family had gone to bed and I watched it all to myself. Look forward to hearing from you soon. Tight Lines!
Regards,
I do not work for Shimano any more but the reels you have suggested are a
good choice. Personally I use the Stradic 4000 FG. The Stradic holds plenty
of fifty pounds braid (ideal for spinning for pike) and it has a superb
drag. I would go for the latter of your choices- it costs more but spinning
takes its toll on reels and the Stradic is really hard-wearing.
Hi Matt
Multipliers excel in two situations. For general pike fishing I would stick to a fixed spool - especially when dead or live-baiting from the bank. If you are interested in a multiplier, the best one in the price range you mention is probably the Shimano Corsair 401. It cost 79.99 and you can buy it from Andy Lush at the Friendly Fisherman on 01892 528677. Load the reel with fifty pounds braid for general lure and bait work or eighty pounds for heavy lures. The best braid to use is Power Pro - also available from Andy Lush.
Birds Nests are less common with multipliers nowadays because they are
fitted with magnetic casting breaks that prevent the reel from over running.
When you get the reel, make some trial casts and tune the break to suit your
casting style. Applying light pressure to the drum by skimming it with your
thumb while the bait or lure is in flight also helps. Braid or mono does not
make much difference to overruns in my experience.
Hi Matt,
My name is Jack Roper. I'm 14, my local river is the
River Dove in Staffordshire and I've caught plenty of chub up to 5 pounds,
but now I want to go after the barbel. Please could you give me some barbel
catching tips? your help would be greatly appreciated. Jack Roper The barbel will be a tougher proposition.
1. Find out which stretches barbel have been caught in and try to identify
some swims that have thrown them up.
Dear Matt, I e-mailed you a few months ago about a fishing career. Thanks to your help, I am now fortunate to be writing articles for the South East 'Freshwater Informer'. I'm getting help with photography and journalism and even started to practise some filming!!
I hope you get to see this e-mail and keep up the
great work with your fishing. Liam, Delighted that things are working out for you. The Freshwater Informer is a nice little magazine - my mate Stewart Allum sometimes sends me copies of it. Glad to be of help.
Remember to keep polishing those photographic skills, because good images
are the cornerstone of the industry.
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