American Signal Cray fish, how to avoid catching them when fishing.

Cray fish and how to avoid them.

Is it just me or is any one else having serious nightmares about these beasts lets get this off my chest, once these things get in a water that’s it, fishing and the whole balance is wiped out and quick and there’s absolutely nothing anyone can do about it yes when you get them out you can take great pleasure in killing them but this is rather like building a sand castle to stop the tide coming in as for eating them this could end up fuelling the spread.

The American signal Cray is red and larger than our native white cray if you are lucky enough to find one of ours then release him unharmed as their rightfully protected and will soon be extinct due to the American signal.

The American Signal Cray fish

  Always ensure the corpse is no where near any water as they are usually full of eggs, as usual you get the uneducated public breading them or something next thing you no their in the water table and its goodbye fish their favourite food is yes you guessed it fish roe as far as I’m aware no one has even been prosecuted for them getting into a water.

How to avoid catching the Cray fish when fishing can be difficult the best way to stop Cray fish taking a bait is to use an anti-Crab rig which is used by sea anglers there is a nice length of foam on these which I use for putting on my Pike,Carp rigs to lift the bait from the bottom.

These can also be used with fishing with a pencil float for Pike.

 Killing and binning them is in line with the environment agency guide lines, they must be humanely dispatched i.e. a sharp blow to the head, personally I find the best is the thermal wellington boot with fleece lining particularly in size 8 or 9! Crushed quickly, it’s instant.

 It is also illegal to trap and transport these heavy feeders.

Notice the foam insert to keep the bait above the Cray fish on this rig.

If you decide to fish water with these creatures in then take plenty of tackle accessories, hooks, lines, floats, non toxic shot as they can often take the bait before big Carp do.

Time will tell I shudder to think

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How to catch big Carp on the best particle baits such as flavoured sweet corn, glug tips for boilies ground baits and pellets.

These days it’s easy to get carried away with the current trends for secrets on how to catch big Carp and Tench.

Matt Haze, Bob Nudd and the like would have you believe in their DVD collections that it is essential you use Van den eynde ground baits, (Nudd owns the company!), Fox bait runners and total fishing gear, etc,

In this post I will give away free all you need to know without breaking the the bank on all the commercial tackle hype, unless of course you wish to do so!

While fishing a Carp lake in the north east, Middlesbrough, I began using Cotswold baits, with their nutty ground bait, cooked hemp; we will take a look at how to cook hemp in my next free post, fished over the top with hair rigged Tiger nut sweetcorn.  I started bagging up immediately and found this to be the best method on feeder tactics.

Bluebellangling.com Marine halibut glug, a little goes a long way!

Most of us are aware of the fruit and crab glugs as attractants of catching big Carp and Tench, a few drops of say, Raspberry or Marine Halibut glug into groundbait or luncheon meat dipped is always the best for big carp Tench and Bream.

Always hair rig sweetcorn and meat as this will always result in the biggest fish.

I consider hair rigged sweet corn  the best method for all big fish, I used flavoured and coloured sweetcorn with tiger nut and strawberry being the best, for excellent results.

Slide on the corn using a baiting needle and hair stop.

First push a piece of tinned sweet corn onto the bait needle, then two kernels of flavoured sweetcorn and finally your hair stop.

Fill your feeder with the sweetcorn and groundbait, mix and add a few drops of your favourite glug.

Tiger nut corn hair rigged its deadly.

The subject of the best feeder rig comes up every now and then with the likes of bob Nudd and Will Raisin trying to promote new tackle from their sponsors for Bob Nudd of course he is now sponsored by Fox tackle so you will see him telling you that’s the best tackle to use and not Browning as he is no longer sponsored by them.

Four times world champion Bob often indicates a sliding feeder on a loop stopped with beads and fishing knots etc, with a long up to 2ft, don t try it you will get many tangles and missed bites a plenty. 

Note the hair rig and feeder combination,showing the incorrect sliding hook length.

How to tie the four turn water knot

For many years I have tried various feeder rigs but have never found any better than the simple one particular using a three turn water knot this is also the best knot for tying droppers onto fly leaders for fishing a team of wet flys and lures. The best hook length for feeder fishing is around 12” to 18 inches, any more than this will result in tangles and missed bites.
An 8 or 10 inch hook length can often result in savage takes, rest your hand on the rod while its in the rest! 

Correct way to tie your feeder rig using a  three turn water knot.

For those of us who like to fine down a spade end Carp hook tied correctly with a hook tier or by hand(see video)  can pay dividends here, however an eyed hook or hook to nylon is fine.

A couple of hours session on Tiger nut corn resulted in this nice mixed bag.

Over thirty years of fishing has resulted in these being the best methods and bait, ground bait, combinations for me for big Carp, Tench, Bream and more.

Try them and see for yourself….

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How to use a stick float, stick float fishing.

Stick float fishing out steams and rivers is one of the most pleasing aspects of our sport, while  using bodied wagglers from the bank running down stream under willows and fixtures on the far bank picking up bonus Chub through out the day.

Set of Middy stick floats

Shot the sticks shirt button style with each shot around 6 inches apart say number six shot with two number eight nearest the hook.  Be sure to use three float rubbers on the stick float, I find middy stick floats weighted just right first float rubber goes just under the red cap of the float, second sits right below the body and third sits right on the bottom end of your fishing float, thus giving the right clearance.
most bites will come six to eight feet from the bank.

Perfect 3 piece float rod for  rivers and lakes without breaking the bank!

Shot, hooks and swivels can be carried in a compartment bits box as this is much easier to locate in the waist coat pocket, a good selection of hooks and shot are essential. 

Stick float rig for catching at all depths of  water.

Full set of Middy wagglers and stick floats

Always cast the stick float under arm as an over head cast will result in tangles.

Stick float rig for catching in bottom section of
river

Using a size 18 or 20 hook completes the full set up.

Bodied wagglers are the best for casting to the far bank using a bulk shot at the float and three or four shot fifteen inches from the hook, this will produce many chub and barbel.

 When casting under the willows a good selection of shot should always be carried in the waist coat pocket with dinsmores shot always being the best quality.

Travelling light and moving from peg to peg until coarse fish or even trout if permitted are found.