England international Cameron Hughes reveals why you need to view roach and skimmers differently if you want to boost your silverfish hauls
CARP and F1s are widely seen as separate species, requiring different tactics to catch them.
Many anglers recognise the subtle tweaks that need to be made to rigs and feeding patterns in order to consistently succeed, and it’s such attention to detail that ensures they get the results they ultimately want.
However, silverfish seem to get lumped into a single category, with an accompanying ‘one size fits all’ attitude. Whether it’s roach, perch, or skimmers that are expected to show up, the same tactics are relied upon – and, according to Cameron Hughes, that’s something of a counterproductive mindset.
The England international is one of the finest silverfish anglers in the land, and that is largely down to his ability to understand how he needs to adapt to each species in various situations.
His methods are simple, but they are well thought-out, and it’s the fine-tuning of his approach that puts him head and shoulders above the majority of us.
“Roach and skimmers, in particular, behave completely differently to each other, and you need to fish and feed your swim in a way that suits the dominant species present,” explained Cameron.
“It’s amazing how many more bites you can get by paying attention to all the little details.”
For example, bream and skimmers can be quite cagey, and if you lash the feed in on top of their heads, they’ll often feel uncomfortable and move elsewhere. It therefore makes sense to minimise the number of bait introductions.
Give things time to settle
“I’ll feed a line at 14.5m to either the right or left with three tangerine-sized balls of groundbait at the start, and this is where I’d eventually expect to catch skimmers,” explained Cameron.
“It’s rare for a decent bed of groundbait to produce instantly, and it needs time for the fish to settle over it properly before you put a rig over the top. So, I’ll give it at least an hour and leave it untouched during that period.
“A dark, sweet fishmeal mix is without doubt the best blend, with a decent helping of casters, dead maggots and finely chopped worms in each ball.”
The skimmers will eventually start to graze over this carpet and, with no loosefeed coming down to distract or disturb them, they will grow in confidence and become easier to catch.
