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TACTICS Fishing In Cold Conditions

ANGLER PROFILE

DEREKGLADWINTeam: Preston

Innovations DELCACSponsors: Preston

Innovations,

sonubaits.com

Pole used: Preston

Innovations 2G-Ten

ADVANCED POLE FISHING86

FRANT LAKESLocation: Frant, Sussex

Directions: From Tonbridge Wells take the A21,

heading south. After Pembury take the A264

towards Royal Tunbridge Wells, then turn left

onto the Hawkenbury Road and the lakes are on

your right. Sat nav users should use TN3 9AP

Contact: 01892 616424

Website: www.frantlakes.com

Day tickets: 8, concessions 6

Rules: Barbless hooks only, no bait restrictions

THE VENUE

The

Cometh

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ADVANCED POLE FISHING 87

Walking to your peg when the

grass below your eet crunches

with each step is such a

lovely eeling. I fnd winter fshing very

challenging but also very rewarding.

Having been an angler or many years, the

matches and sessions I really remember

are those that took place in winter, when

something special happened.

Too many people associate colder

weather with less fsh being caught. Yes,

its noticeably harder, but i do you catch

a ew fsh you will take great satisaction

at releasing your fsh back into the murky

depths at the end o the day.

Here in Kent we are lucky in that we

dont always get the worse o the weather

like the rest o the UK (its not called the

Garden o England or nothing!), although

when we do get some its normally quite

bad. The fshing, though, stays quite

consistent our fsh must be tougher than

their northern counterparts!

Ive brought the APF cameras along

to Frant Lakes, situated on the Sussex

and Kent border, and although the postal

address suggests it is located in Sussex I

like to think its in Kent!

I only get to fsh Frant Lakes a ew times

each year, and these are normally in the

100-peg-plus Winter League matches. I

always enjoy the matches on these lakes

because you are pretty well guaranteed

some bites. More oten than not a good

weight o skimmers and roach can be

caught, especially i you choose not to fsh

or the carp.

O all the lakes on site those that I like

best are Lakes 3 and 4. This is actually one

large lake divided by a central causeway

and wooden bridge. The water passes

underneath and the fsh are ree to swim

wherever they wish. Both lakes have a

large stocking o skimmers and roach

with plenty o match-sized carp, too.

When the mercury struggles to rise above zero, fi shing neednt be ano-no its all about fi nding the right venue. Preston Innovations-backedDerek Gladwin has the perfect venue very close to his home!

The fshing here staysquite consistent our fsh

must be tougher than their

northern counterparts!


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Thinkcarefullyabout

how much you scale

downyourtackle in

winter.

ADVANCED POLE FISHING 89

In a winter-league match a good weight

will typically be around 40lb but in perect

conditions a larger weight, nearer to

100lb, o skimmers may sometimes be

caught.

Today, Ive sat on Lake 3 on the

causeway with my back to Lake 4. The

biting wind is blowing over my back so the

water in ront o me is quite calm. Ater a

heavy rost that let a sheet o ice on the

waters surace Im certain the fsh will be

out o the wind in the warmer water. I you

have the chance to choose your peg beore

fshing, use a bit o watercrat to select

one that will give you a better chance o

catching. For example, always try to fsh

out o the wind in winter it will mean

youre warmer or longer and the fsh will

be in the calmer water that gives them

more protection rom the cold.

Very quickly the ice has started to melt

back into the lake and large sheets can beseen driting across to the other side. A ew

sharp taps with a pole pot on your cupping

kit can disturb the thin ice and ree up an

area to fsh into.

When I fsh here in winter I always use

the same tactics, and today will be no

dierent. I target the skimmers and roach

but I dont mind i an odd carp plays ball.

Lake 3 has a couple o distinct shelves and

I like to fsh past the urthest shel into the

deepest water. This is usually between 13

and 14.5 metres so its a comortable days

fshing. Today Ive ound the shel at 11.5

metres so Im going to fsh just past it, on

a at area at 13 metres. On plumbing up

I fnd the water is eight eet deep, which is

perect or cold-weather skimmer fshing

Im sure they will be comortable in this

depth.

In this swim I will only eed particles

in groundbait. There is no need to use a

catapult because you will only spread the

fsh through the water column, making

it harder to catch when they are already

at a premium. For this method, you need

very little groundbait and one bag o

sonubaits.coms Mix 1 Betaine lasts a ullsession. This mix is quite light and has

a heavy fshmeal content without being

overpowering.

The only other baits I have brought with

me are some maggots, casters and a ew

THE RIG

1g PrestonClassic 8

0.13mmPowerLine

Olivette andthree No10s

Two No8 droppers

0.09mm hooklength

Size 20 PR32

The skimmers came

out to play despite thefreezing conditions.


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TACTICS Fishing In Cold Conditions

With light lines and elasticmake sureyou net every

fishjust in case!

sonubaits.com 4mm expander pellets

or the hook. The bait cost or a ull day

out is, thereore, under a tenner, as

you dont eed much bait at all.

I keep everything really simple and

have just one rig set up ater all, its

very cold and I dont want to be

afng around sorting loads o

rigs out! The lakes hold the

colour a little and this means

that you can get away with

slightly stronger gear than

you might normally expect to.

Ive tied the rig to a top-our kit and let a

couple o eet o line above my pole oat,

because it looks like itll be a bit blusteryat times.

I use 0.13mm Preston

Innovations PowerLine,

tied to a short hooklength

o 0.09mm o the same

material. The elastic is a

No5 Preston Original Slip.

My oat is a 1g Preston

Classic 8 that has a

carbon stem, a very

stable, pear-shaped

body and a visible

plastic antenna. A

size 20 PR32 hook

completes the rig.My shotting pattern is

very simple but it works, with an olivette

placed 18 inches rom the hook and a

ew small shot directly below it to sti en

the line and prevent tangles. Below this I

have two No8 droppers; these get the bait

to the bottom quickly and show hold-up

bites i a fsh takes the hook bait beore

the rig settles. A larger shot shows this up

more prominently than a smaller shot.

The rig is set a couple o inches

overdepth because I want the hook bait to

keep very still, which is how the skimmers

preer it. By using this very simple rig and

eeding technique you can have a very

good days pole fshing, even when the

thermometer struggles to rise above zero!

Good olddoublemaggotbrought thebetter fish.

ADVANCED POLE FISHING90

Derek has no problems

using fishmeal groundbaits

to attract fish in winter.


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