Despite the fresh cross wind making fishing awkward, four-times World Champion Alan Scotthorne was providing an awesome display of extreme long pole fishing. In fact, he made it look so easy and effortless that he could have been fishing at seven metres – it was a joy to watch.
But hold on a minute. Alan is a big man – his arms are the thickness of my legs (both together). He could probably crush me with one hand, of course he’s going to be able to fish at length. Surely it would a different story to your average size angler, of little ‘uns like me?
Well, apparently not, according to Alan. In fact, with 16-metre poles now widely available at superb prices, he believes there has never been a better time to master the lone pole, and gain an advantage over those who are loathed to fish at such a length. And, if you follow Alan’s simple rules, you won’t have to enrol in your local gym either.
Comfort a must
The prove just how easy fishing long is Alan decided to take us to Straight Mile Fishery, a canal-type lake venue, with many pegs between 16 and 20-metres wide. Alan’s chosen swim was about 17.5 metres to the far bank. His pole, the Shimano Aspire, has parallel extensions so he was able to fish this length with no problem. In fact, the Aspire has two different extensions that you can buy – one is cheaper than the other. This one is made of a lower grade of carbon, and is slightly heavier.
Before Alan even got his pole from his holdall he spent a good 15 metres ensuring his box was set up correctly.
“There is a fine line between the long pole being an easy or hard method. If my box was not level, or I was sitting too high from the ground, the whole fishing process would be made a lot harder. It wouldn’t take long before I would become tired, and as a result my fishing would suffer,” explained Alan.
Firstly Alan sets up his Riverock platform, onto which he places his box. He ensures its set at the right height, so that his feet can rest flat on the ground, and his thighs are straight. He also ensures his side tray is at the perfect height to be able to reach without stretching, and places his nets and attachments off a spray bar along the front of his platform.
“It sounds simple, but spending time ensuring your box is level, and your tackle is placed around you, will make your whole approach far easier,” explained Alan as he started rigging up his pole to fish in the shallow water touching the far bank.
The pegs at Straight Mile Fishery are all on causeways, which mean there is limited space to ship back, especially when using 17.5 metres of pole. Therefore Alan accepts that he will need to unship twice, therefore places two pole rollers behind him.
“There are a lot of venues with limited space behind them, which can make unshipping your pole hard work. However, rather than moan about this, or dismiss the long pole altogether, it’s far better to just accept it and get on with the job in hand.”
Cautious feeding
When it comes to feeding, Alan has some interesting thoughts when employing the long pole method.
“Fishing long is hard work, and takes time, therefore the last thing you want is to draw in too many fish, and get line bites, or worse still, foul hooked fish. You ideally want a steady rhythm of bites coming at a steady pace. To achieve this I prefer to feed for a fish. By this I mean introducing a small amount of feed that will attract one fish at a time. If I fed too much I would probably draw in loads of fish, and be constantly shipping back due to missed bites, or lost fish.”
Therefore Alan kicks off the session by feeding a small Preston Cadpot full of cubed meat, and a few pieces of corn. As he is fishing next to a feature he is confident that fish will already be in the area, and this small cup of feed will attract one or two fish straight away.
It’s also worth noting that Alan presses his bait into the cup.
“When shipping out there will always be a small amount of bounce on the tip – it’s inevitable when fishing at such a length. To combat this I press the bait into the cup. This ensures that it doesn’t come out on the way across the lake, which could spread your fish around the swim, and can be deposited by a simple tap on the pole,” said the Shimano-backed ace.
It’s also important that your hookbait isn’t too soft, and will come off the hook at the slightest movement. Alan uses the Van Den Eynde meat, which is tougher than the conventional stuff you find in supermarkets. When punched out, Alan can be almost certain the bait will stay on the hook, even when lifting into bites.
Smooth shipping
When shipping out to such a length it was noticeable that Alan’s whole approach is very unrushed. Alan’s view is that it’s pointless rushing, and then losing your hookbait in the process – by the time you bring the pole back, put on a new bait, and shipped out again, it would have been far better to purely take a few extra seconds, and complete the process in one.
To ship out Alan simply glides the pole over his thigh, with the weight of the pole resting purely on his leg. He also keeps his rig just in the water – the resistance on the rig in water means it requires a harsh bounce on the tip to cause a tangle. During our four-hour session with Alan he didn’t get into a tangle once.
When shipping back Alan brings the pole a couple of sections back, in order for his tip to be away from his swim, and then drops the pole in the water and ships back at speed. With the rig in water he knows he won’t get into a tangle, and with no bait on the hook he can up his speed slightly.
Alan’s first cast resulted in a couple of small knocks, which Alan dismissed as roach bites – not his intended quarry.
“When fishing long you need to consider what species, and the size, you are targeting. There’s no point fishing at this length if you’ll be pestered by 1 oz roach. You’ll never be able to fish at enough speed to accumulate such a rate. Today I am looking for carp early, and then good quality roach later on, therefore I am happy to miss these bites, safe in the knowledge that by lifting into bites my bait will stay on the hook.”
Sure enough it did, and within a few minutes his elastic was streaming from the pole with a 2 lb carp well and truly hooked. As soon as the fish was on Alan threw back his pole by a couple of sections to ensure he could steer the fish from his swim.
“The majority of canal-type lakes are very shallow on the far bank, so the slightest commotion could spook other fish. This is why I immediately want to play my hooked carp in open water. It also reduces any chances of the fish taking me into snags,” explained the World Champ.
A minute later and the first fish was in the net.
On the ball
It was noticeable that Alan was always holding his pole tucked under his forearm, and resting on his leg – never did he hold the pole in-between his legs.
“You really need to be on the ball at all times when fishing this method. If not you run the risk of having a hooked fish snag you immediately, or causing loads of commotion in your swim. I always hold my pole across my leg, but to make this process easier I wear an elbow support. Not only does this act as a cushion, it also prevents the pole from burning my arm when shipping or unshipping. For just a few quid it can make a long pole session so much easier,” said Alan.
Alan was soon out again, and waiting for his second carp. As with his opening cast, Alan was getting pestered by roach. However, not once did he strike hard and lose his hookbait.
“I know it has been talked about a lot, but I can not stress enough the importance of lifting into bites, and not striking. This ensures foul hooked fish are kept to a minimum, and my hookbait stays on the hook.”
Watching Alan it was noticeable just how smooth everything was. Not once did he strike hard, he didn’t get a tangle when shipping in or out, and not once did he look tired.
“Fishing long scares a lot of people – they think it can only be achieved with super light poles, and by mega strong people. This is a misconception. Take my team mate Andy Kinder – he’s a tad above five feet tall. However, he’s as good an anyone when fishing at 16 metres. He keeps every thing smooth, doesn’t rush, and thinks about his fishing. A simple rule is to aim for a fish every time you ship out. If you do this, without rushing, you’ll certainly build up a massive weight throughout the day.
Silvers too…
After an hour Alan had landed seven carp, but sport started to slow. Some heavy rain had obviously put the carp off the feed. However, Alan wanted to demonstrate that the long pole can still build a good weight of silvers. He changed to a sweetcorn hookbait, and endeavoured to put together a good weight of good quality roach. While he was not rushing, just fishing at a steady pace meant he soon put about 15 lb of roach in the net.
“When fishing for smaller roach it’s better to try and catch them closer in at speed, but purely to demonstrate the effectiveness of the long pole I want to catch these smaller fish at a steady pace – this would show how easy it is to put a good weight together,” explained Alan as he brought the session to an end.
Four hours fishing saw Alan put about 30 lb of fish in the net – an impressive catch on a hard day.
Conclusion – editor Steve’s view
On a few occasions I have fished a match at 16 metres all day, and to be honest I’ve struggled. After an hour or so I am knackered, and my fishing therefore goes down in standard. I always feel I miss out on a lot of action because I’m not on top of my game.
Alan, on the other hand, keeps everything amazingly simple. His size makes little difference – he takes his time when shipping out, he keeps his rigs basic, he thinks about using robust baits. All these go together to make the session easier, and as a consequence – more productive.
But why not fish the waggler or feeder? Well, with near perfect conditions, with a slight backwind off your back, it’s possible to fish the waggler, and offer good presentation. But, how often are conditions on our side?
The feeder can be productive, but when casting to shallow water, it doesn’t take long to start spooking fish. Plus your casting needs to be 100 percent spot on all the time – there’s no room for error.
So, what will I be doing differently? First of all I have now seen the importance of setting my box properly. When fishing at shorter lengths there is less importance in whether you are an inch too high, but when holding 16-metres of pole all day you need to ensure this part of your set-up is perfect!
Also, don’t rush. We are all guilty of rushing, getting tangles and having to re-rig. This wastes valuable time, messes up your feeding pattern, and undoubtedly results in fewer fish. Keep it smooth, and your catching periods will be longer.
Alan also demonstrated the importance of lifting into bites. The last thing you want is to be striking into bites, losing your hookbait, and then shipping back like a madman to get another hookbait. This will soon result in you rushing again, and this will only lead to tangles.
I had a go on Alan’s gear, and was soon putting roach in the net. By following Alan’s advice I found the whole long pole process much easier.
All this may sound simple, but before you start thinking that you already do this in your approach, think about it – do you really? I doubt it…
10 Essential Long Pole Tips
- Feed to a fish. Don’t start firing bait in everywhere – it will only lead to liners and foul hooked fish. Using a small pole pot and keep your feeding tight.
- Use robust terminal tackle. You may need to apply a lot of pressure to steer fish into open water. Ensure your gear is up to it.
- Keep everything simple, and unrushed. Once you rush you can guarantee tangles will follow.
- Don’t strike – a gentle lift is all that is needed. If it’s a proper carp bite you will hook the fish.
- Use a tough bait on the hook that will stay on the hook while shipping out.
- When shipping out keep your pole low, with the rig in the water – this will reduce the risk of tangles.
- If you have limited space behind you, unship twice. Two pole rollers will help.
- An elbow support makes holding the pole easier, and reduces the risk of burning your arm while shipping in and out.
- Always hold your pole across your thigh, and under your forearm. You need to be ready for action as soon as you hook a carp.
- Keep your rigs simple – a bulk is all you need down the line. This further reduces the chances of tangles.
This article appears courtesy of Angling Times Advanced
