Ultimate Fishing Guides & Tactics
The deep end has been quiet all morning, then a carp rolls beside the reeds. Before you cast at the splash, watch the water for a moment. A second roll further along the reeds is a reason to try ahead of the fish. Fine bubbles that keep breaking over one patch suggest something different: the … Read More “How to Catch Carp in Winter on Open Water” »
The first cast along the reeds comes back clean. A metre further out, the same bait comes back with both hooks wrapped in weed. You can move back onto the clean strip or keep the bait above the weed where you want to fish. Adding a float to your bottom rig won’t do the second … Read More “Three Pike Deadbait Rigs and When to Use Them” »
A quiet gap in the reeds can look perfect from the bank. Make a trial cast before feeding it: if the float shoots past the gap, your hookbait may spend only a second where you want a fish to find it. Move a little closer to the slack water and try again. That small change … Read More “How to Catch Crucian Carp in Rivers” »
On one lake, a piece of worm gets you straight into bream. On another, the little crucians get to it first. A grain of sweetcorn makes more sense there: it can cut down on bites from the smallest fish, and if a crucian does take it, it’s often a better one. Go back to the … Read More “Best Baits for Bream and How to Fish Them” »
Skimmers keep rattling the rod tip, the worms are disappearing, and the big bream still haven’t shown. You can spend hours feeding that spot while the larger fish work along a nearby shelf or wait until dusk to move in. A bigger hookbait may survive the small fish for longer. Finding where and when the … Read More “Big Bream Fishing: Where to Find Fish and How to Catch Them” »
A good cast puts your lure where you want it and leaves you ready to fish. Sending it a long way is only part of the job: a controlled cast lets you work along a reed edge, reach the far side of a canal or land beside cover without throwing straight into it. Learning how … Read More “How to Cast a Spinning Rod with Accuracy and Control” »
An autumn crucian session often starts with a familiar puzzle: the swim that produced steady bites a few weeks ago now looks completely lifeless. The float sits perfectly, the bait comes back untouched, and adding another handful of feed changes nothing. Before abandoning the water, check whether you are still fishing where the crucians are … Read More “How to Catch Crucian Carp in Autumn as the Water Cools” »
For small fish sections and compact baitfish, a strong single hook is a straightforward starting choice. For whole deadbaits, a small treble or a combined single-and-treble rig helps position exposed hook points where they can work. Choose the arrangement around the bait and its presentation, then select the hook size. The important details are easy … Read More “Which Hooks for Zander? Choosing the Right Type and Size” »
Perch are excellent eating, but their small, firmly attached scales make preparation less inviting. Scrape carelessly and the scales end up across the worktop; pull at the skin without freeing it first and good flesh comes away with it. The easiest solution is to decide what you want to keep before picking up the knife. … Read More “How to Clean a Perch: Keep the Skin or Peel It Off” »
A perch bite on a mormyshka can be surprisingly easy to miss. The indicator stops trembling, straightens slightly or bends just a little farther than it did on the previous lift. React to that change and the apparently lifeless hole produces a fish. Keep working the rod without watching the tip and the opportunity passes … Read More “Mormyshka Fishing for Perch: Make Small Ice Jigs Work” »
