The last thing you want when attaching new line to your spool is a bulky knot. It will affect the way in which the line is distributed on the spool, resulting in an uneven line lay. You also want to tie a knot that doesn’t keep slipping as you begin to load up.
An arbor knot is by far the simplest
You don’t need to spend a fortune for a super Method mix to attract carp. A cheap and effective mix can be made with the incredibly effective dog muesli Vitalin. Boost it even further by adding a few extra low-cost goodies.
1 Vitalin costs as little as £1 a kilo in bulk bags and you’ll pay £6 for a five-litre container of
Here’s how to elasticate the power top two of a new carp pole. The essential tools and components you require are: winder bung and extractor rod, size 14 elastic, bull-nosed No.7 PTFE bushes, connectors, flat file, hacksaw and masking tape.
Size 14 elastic is too fierce for silver fish. But the beauty of using a winder bung is that you can
Loops in leadcore take seconds to splice and will allow you to make your own leaders rather than buying pre-tied versions or trying to tie leadcore to nylon which is more difficult and leaves a bulky knot. Here’s how you do it…
1 Snip cleanly through the end of your length of leadcore with sharp scissors. Pull back the polyester outer
One of the most important fishing accessories is a good quality pair of polarising glasses. They enable you to be able to spot fish sub-surface and also prevent headaches brought on by surface glare during hot summer days. A pair of binoculars can also be advantageous as they allow you to carefully study the water for fish activity.
Here’s a simple but effective rig to catch barbel in the summer. The rig incorporates 12 lb fluorocarbon main line, a 10 lb fluorocarbon hook length and a size 10 hook with a hair-rigged boilie. Fluorocarbon has two main advantages when barbel fishing – it is almost invisible in water and also pins itself on the deck.
The rig is completed
1 Start off by tying a simple overhand loop at one end of the hook length; this loop is the end of the hair and will act as the anchor point for the hair stop which will hold your bait in place.
2 Using a baiting needle thread your chosen bait over the loop and onto the hair then secure it
Using a pole pot puts groundbait and free offerings inch perfectly at the length of pole you choose to fish. Tight feeding like this nearly always brings better results.
A decent sized pole cup is essential gear for depositing larger quantities of bait less frequently (requiring its own top kit), while smaller pole pots are often lethal for regularly dribbling smaller
1 Everyone has their preferred method of loading up with fresh line, whether it’s a pencil through the centre of the spool or placing the spool of line in water. Generally, line should exit the spool in the same direction it goes on the reel. I reel new line on under slight tension, stop after a few dozen turns
