Mat Linforth shows how deviating from the rule book can pay off when bagging on the pole in the upper layers during late summer
SHALLOW fishing is often billed as the most hectic commercial tactic of them all, and rightly so. The rig rarely spends more than a few seconds in the water, with a near constant ‘lift-and-drop’ rhythm being maintained for hours on end.
There’s no let-up on the feeding front either, with the catapult pinging several times a minute to keep the loosefeed rattling in.
It’s sometimes seen as a ‘non-negotiable’ way of fishing, with any slowing of the pace leading to a drop in catch rate. But is that really the case? Mat Linforth doesn’t think so, especially at this late stage of the summer.
Anglers that stick to the rulebook will often abandon their shallow fishing approach as soon as the frequency of bites starts to tail off. Do things differently though, and you can still tempt carp to feed well off the deck, says Mat.
“The days of catching a foot under the surface may be gone for this year, but go just a fraction deeper and you’ll find that there are often plenty of fish sat waiting,” he explained.
“So, how you feed and present your rig needs to change if you want to continue experiencing the success that you did during the height of mid-summer.”
Optimum depth
As the air temperature starts to fall away, so will that of the water itself. It’s a slow process though, and the fish will still currently be more than happy to feed off the deck.
“Fish rarely sit on the bottom, even in the depths of winter,” said Mat. “They’re still looking for food right now and setting your rig 2.5ft-3.5ft deep is a great starting point. On most commercials, that equates to fishing around half-depth.”
With regards to how far out from the bank to adopt Mat’s ‘deep shallow’ approach, he pointed to the fact that there’s still plenty of colour in the water at most venues, meaning the carp will remain happy to feed at the same distances as a month or so ago.
He believes that anywhere between 11m and 14m is best, although offered a useful tactical tip on the subject of range.
“Always start at least a section shorter than your maximum,” he said.
After you’ve caught a few, the fish may push out a little way and if you can’t chase them, bites will dry up. If you’re comfortable fishingat 13m, kick off at 11m-12m to give yourself that leeway.”
