Stewart Bloor

Field Tester

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As an all-round angler I fish for a variety of species using numerous methods, and this month I've been doing a lot of perch-pursuing with a light spinning rod. Of course that means I haven't been using any SBS stuff when out on those sessions. However, I've done a number of outings where I have, and so those feature in this month's blog.

A simple, yet effective pop-up rig

Carp fishing on a local lake where the fish don't go to much bigger than an upper-double, I set up with a simple pop-up rig as you can see in the photograph above. The bait is a 16mm lobworm boilie and I've actually had the tub for about three years now, although I'm now down to the last few boilies. The point I'm making though is that the baits are still effective.

Even when you've had them a while, a good soak, or even a decent dip, will ensure that they are back to fish-catching standard. And these certainly did not let me down as I caught a number of carp. You can see one of them below, a lovely looking fish. The venue isn't pressured in any way and many of the anglers are fishing to catch whatever comes along. Consequently the carp aren't being targeted that much.

A great looking carp

Although the fish don't go that big, nevertheless they are great fun to catch and they certainly put a bend in your rod. An important point to remember is that you can only catch what's in the venue that you fish. If there aren't any twenties in there you can't catch them. That's why as anglers we need to set our targets realistically. On some venues a double is a big fish, on others it's nothing special, so to speak. But ultimately a carp is a carp and it deserves respect regardless of size.

A nice bend in the rod

As well as carp I've been targeting canal chub. I came across some very good fish by chance last winter. The previous summer and autumn, while barbel fishing on the Severn, I had picked up a few decent chub. Of course, on barbel gear they didn't put up a great fight, but I made a mental note to return later in the year and fish for them specifically, which I did.

Undercover Barbel Stix - great for chub

I ended up catching several 5lb plus fish, with the best going 5-15-8 - just a fraction of an ounce below the magic 6lb mark. However, with the severe weather last winter I wasn't able to get to the river as much as I wanted, but decided to give the local canal a go instead. It proved to be a blessing in disguise, as I not only came across some decent chub,  but better ones than I'd been catching on the river. My best was 6lb 6oz, hence why I was back after them this October.

Hair-rigged, dipped and ready to go

Hair-rigging is not a style that comes to mind for most anglers where chub are concerned, however on the canal that has been my chosen tactic. Usually, and this happens when after barbel, the chub picks up the bait but isn't hooked. But I find that is true for small fish not the bigger ones. Once they get to a certain size they are hooked in the same way that other fish are such as carp, barbel, tench etc.

As a specimen angler I'm always after the biggest fish in the venue, so if a method means smaller ones will drop the bait that's fine. As long as the ones I'm targeting are getting hooked, that's the important thing. And while I didn't catch any real big fish this month, as you can see from the photographs, I had a few decent ones.

A decent canal chub

Fishing with Undercover Barbel Stix on the hook, I threw out a few loose offerings and also kept the swim topped up with SBS Sweetfruit groundbait. This is in the Match Attract range, and although budget-priced,  is anything but as far as quality is concerned. I use it regularly as both an attractor and a carrier. It can be used on its own to great effect, as I proved on the canal. It drew the chub in - and most importantly, kept them there.

Another canal chub caught on

I will be back on the canal later this winter - especially if the weather gets bad and I'm limited in travelling. I live right on the English watershed, which runs through the spine of the country. It also means I have a decent uphill journey to get back home after a fishing trip, which in heavy snow is almost an impossible task. I love fishing in snow but the car doesn't. But regardless of the weather I'll be back next month with another SBS Baits blog. If you're on Twitter, I recently opened an angling-only account. Check it here: www.twitter.com/TheAnglingRev and I follow back as well.

By: Stewart Bloor