Fish Kent .co.uk

The No.1 Kent based Fishing website

Fish Kent news & Views April 2009

April 2009 With the warmer weather finally making an appearance with some real effort and the frosts staying away, its time to look at Bream and Tench.  The Bream are switching on big time now and falling to worm and corn on many waters in the County.  You do still have to be aware of how much food you put in, as water temperatures are not yet that high.  But get it right and good fishing is there to be had.  The Tench are still a little slow but as things continue to warm up expect them to switch on big time in the next few weeks.  Small fruity boilies should be a good starting point for a big Tinca...

FishKent.co.uk 2009

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Tackle Talk

Shimano AeroCast Specimen Rod

They say...

A revolutionary concept in rod construction - the Oval Blank design reduces the resistance of the blank on the cast, allowing it to cut through the air and power leads to the horizon. The XT200 plus Biofibre blank has a spigot joint, Fuji MN Alconite double leg rings and a Shimano low diameter reel seat, with the split handle veneered with Japanese soft touch non slip rubber. A woven carbon rear grip with matching line clip blends perfectly with the subtle black whippings and gun metal grey tippets.

Oval Blank - The standard overhead casting position places the blank in power mode (the stiffer dynamic being ideal for long range casting), and the unique oval blank design allows the rod to slice through the air. Whilst fish can also be played on the horizontal, it is the rods mammoth casting potential that truly sets it apart.

We say... An extremely high quality product from Shimano that we have all come to expect. They have delivered again with a set of beautifully balanced rods that are a joy to use. Shop around online to find some good deals right now on these rods...

The master baiter...!

Maver Jurassic Carp Pole

The beast is back! This pole put match style Carp fishing on the map as one of the best selling poles of all time.  Now its back, longer, lighter, sharper and improved.  Weighing just 669g at 11m and 994g at the full 12.5m this pole is a true joy to use.  With an rrp of just £315 (shop around for a deal, they are out there) this pole represents excellent value for money.  Coming as standard with one power kit, rated to a no. 20 elastic, 2 match kits, rated to a no. 10 elastic as well as a cupping kit, bag and DVD this pole has everything you need to get into commercial carp fishing.  

  The pole has a slimmer diameter than the original and the sloppy action is gone.  You will need to spend over £500 before you start to find a higher quality product than this.  The fact is that most pole fishing is done at 11m or less for 90% of the time and this pole is perfect for most all-round anglers who need one tool to do the job.

Juicy Pineapple/ Milky Toffee and Tutti-Frutti/Fruit-tella combinations are two of my favourite at present. When it comes to buoyancy these baits are spot on and after a few trial I found a number 4 split shot sinks a single pop-up perfect when used with hooks in the 8-12 size range. If using them for zig type rigs then I’ve found them to be more than buoyant enough to hold up small hooks and long nylon links.

The pots contain approximately 60 baits which should last a few trips even on prolific venues. The colour and smell of them is also excellent and again matches the larger and familiar Hi-Viz range.

All in all these little hookbaits will add to any angler’s armoury and are well worth a try. Priced at £6.99 per pot check them out at your nearest Mainline Baits stockist.

Final thoughts...

Firstly of the lastlies don’t forget to renew your EA licence(s) for the coming season, don’t fish without one, the fines are big and the EA do lots of good work.

With the rivers now shut down for a well deserved closed season its to the commercial style fishery that most of us turn.  Spring is the time of year that these waters really turn on and can produce some excellent fishing.  The carp and Tench are in good condition and will be fighting like mad.  Its also a good time to get on the shed and tidy up your fishing tackle for the new season.  Does that pole elastic or reel line need replacing? If it does, do it, its not fair on the fish if you snap up due to badly maintained equipment.  Its also a good excuse to hit the tackle shop for some new toys to take to the bank, and heck its even good for the economy!

Tight lines as always and good fishing!.  The next (and hopefully better) update will come online in the first week of May.

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Preston Innovations 12’ Excel Super Feeder Rod

Feeder fishing is having a real revival right now having lost popularity as long poles became accessible to most anglers.  But feeder fishing has its place and can still be a match winning method on the right day.  It also remains one of the most enjoyable and exciting ways of catching fish.  The Preston Excel Feeder makes this an even more pleasurable experience as one of the best feeder rods available.  This is a true precision implement, light and beautifully balanced with excellent casting ability.  This rod is strong enough to use on commercial carp fisheries yet light enough to use light hook lengths in winter for roach.  The rod comes with the usual interchangeable tips to cope with varying winds and fishing conditions.  This is not a cheap rod at almost £200 but it is a quality product that will last a lifetime...

Mainline Baits Hi-Vis Pop-ups

New from Essex based Mainline Baits come these lovely new mini pop-ups that are set to become just as popular as the larger versions. They are easily recognisable and come in the now familiar flavours of Red Plum, Tutti Frutti, Milky Toffee, Juicy Pineapple and Fruit-tella. Although slightly larger than 10mm these needle friendly hookbaits are perfect for a number of applications and angling situations. I’ve used these new pop-up on a number of occasions and found them to be spot on for either single hi-attract hookbaits, snowman set ups using a larger 14mm bottom bait and for double baits either used again with a 10-12mm bottom bait or matched with another one of the pop-ups. One tactic that works well is to use two of these baits on the hair but by combining different colours and flavours you get your own unique hookbait a tactic that could give you the edge on today’s pressured waters.

Fish Kent top cupping/feeder mix

For a great cupping or feeder mix, take one tin of Luncheon meat and dice it up very finely into 1-4mm pieces with a knife.  Add this to 1kg of 2-4mm trout or course pellets and mix up well.  Finally add a splash or two of molasses to bind it together and to help the pellets sink.  This mix creates an oily flavoursome cloud in the water that will attract fish into your swim very quickly.

To make the mix bind together for feeder fishing, just add some crumb or conventional shop bought groundbait to make a stiffer mix.   

On hard fish lakes this slight variation to just cupping in pellets can really make the difference and put more fish in the net.