We catch up with Ben Lawrence at Castle Ashby Fisheries to find out more about the waggler approach that silvers simply can’t resist
THERE aren’t many more satisfying sights in angling than a well dotted-down waggler dipping below the surface. No matter what species you’re targeting, a day of float work is always an enjoyable way to fish, and there are plenty of occasions when it will outscore the pole and feeder hands down.
I’ve been having plenty of success with the traditional version of this attack, but my hookbait choice has caused a slight stir.
While everyone else is using reasonably tough offerings, I prefer a very soft bait that most believe will fly off on the cast. Initially I had the same misgivings, but my catches over the years have proved I had absolutely nothing to worry about…
Soft solutions
Today I’ve set my stall out on Scotland Pond, at Castle Ashby Fisheries in Northamptonshire.
This is an old-style estate lake, very shallow, and it has silted up over the years. But it’s stuffed with silverfish and carp, and provides brilliant year-round sport.
They’ve become tuned into angling pressure, though, and when a feeder crashes in just a couple of feet above their heads, it tends to spook them.
I’ve found that fishing the waggler while feeding and fishing expander pellets on the hook is a brilliant way of catching the skimmers. The rig lands gently, the fish don’t recognise the danger, and they continue to look for food in a positive and confident manner.
I think this works well because expanders are a light, soft bait that sit on top of the silt rather than burying into it as maggots and worms would. The texture is also ideal for the target species because skimmers often turn their noses up at hard baits.
Use the right set-up and they can be hooked and delivered to your target zone intact.
Successful set-up
Mine is an approach that is just as effective in the middle of summer as it is in the depths of winter, and the tackle that I use never varies at any time.
The rod is a soft-actioned 13ft MAP Parabolix Black Edition Light Float, teamed up with a 3500 size reel that is loaded with 2lb Maxima mainline.
This may sound ridiculously light, but it is essential, as it allows me to use the lightest float possible and still achieve the distance I require on the day.
It’s also important to select a line which sinks well, but if there’s a bit of tricky skim on the surface, I always apply a dash of washing up liquid to
