Paul Garner

There is something about watching a float and today I’ve come to Parsonage Reservoir in Essex, a deep irrigation venue that’s not the easiest to fish, especially on the float. I could have easily fished the feeder but catching on the float gives me so much more satisfaction and watching that bright tip dip before disappearing and feeling a healthy curve through the rod after a fast, firm strike has been made is what pleasure fishing is all about.  

Devastating

Fortunately the water level is down some 5ft but I still have around 8ft of water five rod lengths out so I’m going to be tackling this venue using a slider float, sadly something you just don’t see that often used anymore but set up correctly it can be devastating. 

Sitting comfortably

First job is to set up and make sure I’m sitting comfortably as once fishing total concentration is needed. Having everything to hand on side trays is important and the new Space Saver Keepnet out the front of the box provides so much more space. The rod I’m using is the Sphere 14’ Match Rod, the extra length allowing the line to be picked up that much quicker than shorter rods and converting so many more bites into hooked fish. This is teamed up with a Sphere MgTi 930 reel loaded with the brilliant and all-round Black Magic Gold mainline in a 0.19mm diameter which has a breaking strain rating of 6.60lb. The float I’ve chosen is a 5AAA loaded slider and to lock this at the depth of the swim I’m using a Zebco Bead Stopper. The float is then shotted using a couple of 1g Globular weights that come already connected to a length of silicone tubing which slides onto the mainline and protects it. I’ve also added a couple of extra shot but again these are placed on the silicone tubing which removes the chance of any line damage and can be moved easily if needed. One of the most important parts of any type of float fishing is to plumb up and find the correct depth. Unlike pole fishing when a heavy plummet is best, I find that a big split shot pressed onto the hook is best as I need to cast to the middle of the lake and a heavy plummet will just make too much disturbance. Using a split shot to find the depth does take time but it’s worth it and once the depth of the swim is found I use a little Tipex on the rod blank to mark this, which means if I need to adjust the depth or tackle up again for any reason I can quickly and easily get back to dead depth immediately. On the business end, attached to a Cenex eighteen inch 0.16mm Hybrid Power Hook Length, which has just two small No8 droppers added, is a size 16 Sphere Beast barbless hook on which one or two pieces of corn will be added or possibly a corn/worm cocktail.  

It’s all in the mix

Before setting up I mixed three kilo’s of groundbait which consisted of a bag of Champion’s Choice Black Magic, one bag of Champion’s Choice River plus a bag of Champion’s Method Formula Fish. The Black Magic darkens the mix, the River gives it a sticky consistency to get it and the loose feed it holds down to the bottom and the Formula Fish sweetens it up, something that tench and bream just can’t resist. Having mixed the groundbait with a whisk and passed through a sieve a few times to get the right consistency,  as well as adding a handful of dead maggots and the same of corn, twelve Jaffa size balls are introduced to get the swim activated with the view of introducing another ball every three or four casts throughout the session.

Happy days

Being one of the hottest days of the year it’s never going to be easy, yet the depth and slight colour to the water means that even on the toughest day you will always catch here and looking out into my swim there’s already plenty of bubbles showing that a few fish are already browsing over the groundbait. Bites from tench can be just the faintest dip or lift and its paramount that you hold the rod at all times and strike fast and hard at any slight movement. First fish comes quite quickly but it’s not my target species but a 3lb roach/bream hybrid that actually flew out of the water a couple of feet on the strike! A few casts later and my desired species hits the net, a tench around 3lb which is average for here, but they do go to over 6lb. The sport continues throughout the morning and although twenty tench is never going to happen today I end the session with seven tench, the hybrid, a few roach and one bream, all on the float and all taken from a beautiful tranquil venue. Proper fishing if ever there was. 

Tim Bruce

Tim’s Tackle

Sphere 14’ Match Rod

Sphere MgTi 930 Reel

Black Magic Gold 0.19mm Mainline

Cenex 0.16mm Hybrid Power Mono

Sphere Size 16 Barbless Beast hook

5AAA Loaded Slider Float 

Tim’s Bait

Champion’s Choice Black Magic Groundbait

Champion’s Choice River Groundbait

Champion’s Method Formula Fish Groundbait

Sweetcorn

Dead Maggots

Red Worms

Bait for today.

A few more would be nice.

Just part of today’s catch.