Fishing in bad weather conditions

Ice Cool�..

�Not the water (the angler) faced with terrible icy winter conditions. You could stay at home and do a bit of decorating, or you could go fishing & try to catch a fish & really boost to your fishing credibility.

The main part of your artillery will not be how many different swims you can fish during your session, or how often you feed, but your frame of mind, and to put this statement into context, lets examine the situation in more detail.

Imagine you are part of a team and you have got to fish extreme ice conditions in the middle of winter. The team that will win is the team that has anglers that stay ice cool, & know that their tactics are better than the other teams, knowing if they don't catch for their team they have fished to the highest skills & tactics to give themselves the best possible chance.

These tactics can vary from water to water but several factors will remain constant. For example, on lakes, conditions of ice particularly fresh ice, makes fishing conditions worse than ice that has covered the water for a week or more. Fresh ice that has formed overnight will reduce the water temperature drastically & make catching fish very difficult, but the fish might be caught with the correct approach, they will certainly not be caught if mistakes are made.

Lakes that have been frozen for a week or more will fish better because the ice formed over the surface has created a shield from the outside elements such as falling temperatures & cold winds, creating warmer water conditions under the ice & this warmer environment of a rising temperature underneath the ice gives more chance of fish looking for food. Feeding tactics need to be restricted to two areas only, and the deepest part of your swim targeted with tight cut minimum amounts, perhaps two chopped worms & fifteen pinkies. Remember the fish will not be looking for food because their metabolic rate has fallen and their need for energy reduced. Topping up this light feed should be at lengthy intervals, at least one hour apart. There is no point feeding more regularly than this if the fish are not responding. The floats should be arranged for ultra sensitivity to register for that patiently awaited bite, in & out with the pole will only reduce your chances of a bite, it is better to leave approximately fifteen minutes.

If the lake has been frozen for several days the water underneath has been sheltered from outside influence & will be warmer than above the ice. When the thaw eventually takes place this will make the water very cold because the ice will chill the water from top to bottom. Cold water sinks this will undoubtedly be detrimental to the fish & make catching them even more difficult. Even so, if you are fishing in conditions as cold as described, patience & correct mental approach, together with intelligent feeding & well presented tackle will have much more chance of catching than poor presentation, too much feed & an angler with the wrong mental approach.

Match Angling Plus Magazine Write up on our floats (March 2001)- See below for the write up that was contained within the article

Match Angling Plus wrote within this article.....
SPECIAL CLEARS
The four ranges of clear floats do not bend in the sun, the loading is interchangable so you can adjust the amount of dropper shot used, and there's a rubber ring to ensure a water tight fitting.
All are exceptionally strong, and each one has a flexible adaptor attached with a small ring. This ensures they can all be used fixed or as a slider. Also both the loading attached and the extra shot required are clearly marked on each one.

SPECIAL TIPPED CLEARS
With long thin antennae for on-the-drop fishing at distance. Sizes 2AAA;4gm +2AAA;5gm +2AAA. Price �1.60
The Best Way
Shot the float to the base of the bristle and then add small, spaced droppers a few inches apart at equal intervals. Watch the bristle as it slowly sinks, count it down each cast, and strike if it's held up.

SPECIAL STRAIGHT CLEARS

For dragging a shot on the bottom in moving water. Sizes -2gm+2AAA; 3gm+3AAA; 4gm+2AAA; 5gm +2AAA. Price �1.50
The Best Way
Undershot by an inch and put a shot to drag the bottom(usually from a No 6 up to two BBs). Adjust the size of it will just allow the float to move down the swim. If at it's lowest point there's still too much float out of the water, add shot to the bulk.

NITE & DAY CLEARS

Interchangable tips from thick and thin flourescent antennae for daytime fishing to a glowing 3mm or 4mm starlite (not supplied) for night. Sizes -2gm+2AAA; 3gm+2AAA. Price �2.00.

UP IN THE WATER CLEARS

Short float for carp fishing off bottom when spraying maggots. Sizes 2gm+4No8; 3gm+4No8; 4gm+4No8; Price �1.40

The Best Way

Put the shot directly under the float and spread the droppers down the line. Leave plenty of float showing, as it's advisable to twitch the bait, and if you shot it too low the float will dive under when you move it.

INTERCHANGABLE PEACOCKS

Like the clear floats these have an interchangable loading facility and can be fished fixed or as sliders. There are just two models - peacock insert and straight. Both come with 2gm, 3gm, 4gm, & 5gm loadings and all take four No8 shot.

The Best Way
The sizes of these floats mean they can be fished at distance, while the small amount of extra shotting needed indicates that they would probably normally be used in quite good conditions on shallow to medium depth stillwaters, used with float adaptor.
The Straights would also be ideal for slow moving rivers, probably with at least two of the No8 shot dragging bottom. The straights could also be ideal for summer up in the water carp fishing at long distance, when you may want to reduce the number of No8's used to allow you to clearly see the float tip.



Angling Times article 20/06/01 by Dave Woodmansey




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Ely
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