Silverlite Ghost Net
Silverlite Ghost Net
The Silverlite Ghost Net is the ultimate silver fish net as it’s so light it can be easily moved not only to the fish even when using the longest landing net handles but also when the nets in the water due to the mesh being quite large.
The distinctive Ghost mesh is less likely to scare fish when speed fishing and another huge advantage of the 6x6mm mesh is it makes netting fish on a canal or river that much easier especially if there’s a flow or a strong crosswind.
The moulded spreader and frame are also lightweight but extremely rigid and strong so easily capable of being able to land a bonus fish if it comes along.
Available in two sizes –
Medium W40cm x H35cm x D25cm
Large W48cm x H28cm x D28cm
John Pantry
Silverlite Ghost Nets are available in two sizes, the medium is perfect for roach, whilst the large is ideal if bonus bream and big perch are on the cards.
The Ghost Mesh has a fine fish-friendly weave and is very light, making this net very easy to move through the water.
Targus Seatbox
Targus Seatbox
Having used the Targus Seatbox for over a year now I have to say that I have been really impressed with this piece of kit. I am not a small bloke, but this box, with its sliding footplate, is absolutely rock-solid.
When I am fishing long all day it is essential that your box is really solid to reduce any micro-movements that can effect your comfort and efficiency. This box just doesn’t move, making fishing long so much more comfortable, with no rocking or movement.
The frame is a really chunky ‘Z-style’ design that is super-stiff and gives loads of room to add trays both above and below the frame. It is a cassette-style box, so you can fit up to five trays below the frame and as many as you need to get the right height above it. I’m a tall guy and I use two shallow and one deep tray on top of the frame to give me the right seat height, less than I have used on other boxes, which I like. I would rather be able to mix and match the trays I have in the cassette system below the box, and not have to use them to get the seat height right.
The extra strong 36mm legs are fitted all round and these are all double-extending, ideal if you are faced with uneven banks on rivers and lakes. The big handwheels make tightening up the legs easy as they give you plenty of grip.
A small detail, but one that I have come to appreciate, are the spirit levels on the back and side of the frame. These make getting the box set perfectly level so much easier and ensure that I am sitting properly every time.
All in all, this is a fantastic box that ticks all the boxes for me.
Jon Whincup
The ‘Z-Frame’ of the Targus Box is very strong and the height means I only need to add a couple of trays to achieve the perfect seat position.
The six legs on the Targus Box are all 36mm, and all are telescopic for uneven banks. The chunky hand wheels make adjusting and locking the legs in place really easy.
The integrated spirit levels in the Targus Box base frame are a small touch, but one that enables me to get my box dead-level every time.
Most of the time I add a Xitan X Shelter Side Tray XL for my bait and bits.
Popped-Up Bread Rig
Rig it Right - Popped-Up Bread Rig
Fishing a popped-up bread rig is a brilliant tactic in the winter months for carp and big F1’s, because the fish spend a lot more time a little way off the bottom than we might imagine.
The blatant bread bait should be popped up straight off the lead, right in the face of any passing fish. It is essential that the bread is as buoyant as possible, so always leave the punched bread to expand before casting out. It can pay to make up a few hooklengths to allow a quick change between casts. I use a Warburtons sliced loaf, which is quite tough and nice and buoyant.
There is no need for a big hook when fishing with bread, in fact the lighter the hook the better. I use a Sphere Beast in a size16, which is plenty enough to tame the biggest carp I am likely to hook.
I have found that a 20 gram bomb is about right, creating enough resistance to prick the carp, and not making too much disturbance when I cast out.
Because we are not introducing any feed try casting around the swim looking for fish. Once you have caught one, or had an indication it can be worth trying that spot again and the chances are more fish will be around.
I know it can take a bit of confidence to fish with just popped-up bread, but believe me it is a brilliant tactic when the conditions are cold and the carp are not responding to other tactics.
Tight Lines!
Jim Hall
- I use Cenex Hybrid Power Mono in 0.14mm diameter for my bread and corn hooklengths.
2. Tie a Quick Stop onto a 40cm length of Hybrid Power using a small loop knot.
3. Tie on the size 16 Sphere Beast Eyed Barbless hook using a knotless knot. Make sure the hair is long enough to easily take three bread disks.
4. Tie a small overhand loop in the other end of the hooklength, giving a total length of about 30cm. Use a figure-of-eight loop for maximum strength.
5. Thread an inline bomb onto the end of the 0.20mm main line.
6. Having experimented with different weights, I find 20 grams is right, with enough weight to set the hook, without making too much splash.
7. Tie a Quick Change Bead to the end of the main line.
8. On most venues the rules dictate that the rig is free-running, with the bomb resting against the Quick Change Bead on the cast.
9. Punch three 10mm disks of bread. It is very important to leave them in the punch for a few minutes to allow the bread to expand.
10. Thread the bread disks onto the hair. There should be room on the hair for the bread to expand once it is cast out and becomes wet.
Popped-Up Bread Rig components
0.20mm Cenex Hybrid Power Mono main line
0.12mm Cenex Hybrid Power Mono Hooklength
Size 16 Sphere Beast Eyed Barbless hook
Quick Stops
20 gram Inline Bomb
Big carp like this can be your reward for fishing popped-up bread in winter.
Float Fishing with Bread for Chub
Float Fishing with Bread for Chub
One of my highlights of each winter is heading south to sample the fantastic coarse fishing on Hampshire’s River Test. In particular, float fishing with bread for chub.
Predominantly a game river, many beats open their doors to the hoards of coarse anglers willing to pay for an expensive day ticket and go in search of one of our most graceful and obliging winter species, the grayling, and I’m one of them!
Plan B
Don’t get me wrong, on a frosty bright day, when the rivers running crystal clear you just can’t beat catching ‘The Lady of the Stream’, however once booked, if the river conditions aren’t favourable and it has a tinge of colour then it’s worth having a plan B, and for me its trotting bread for chub.
Key areas
Chub swims often reveal themselves on grayling days with the odd accidental capture, yet if I didn’t know a stretch of river the two areas that I would look for first are drop offs, where shallow water abruptly drops away into deeper water, or creases, where fast and calm water meet, often found directly below wooden structures to increase the flow, at the back end of a pool or where the main flow is directed past an object in the water such as a fallen tree or bank side bush.
Use your loaf!
If allowed, bait choice would always me maggots, lots of them but unfortunately the beat I fish ban worms and maggots as the owners want to protect the salmon and if catching salmon parr, which love maggots, can be avoided then it has to be a good thing. Sweetcorn is an option, especially when grayling fishing but the next best bait to maggots, for chub has to be bread and you just can’t beat a couple of loaf of Warburtons. Bread mush is an option, but I prefer to liquidise a whole loaf, crusts as well, the night before and feed a small ball at a time through the swim. The other loaf is kept simply as hookbait.
Resist the temptation
It’s really important not to be greedy when float fishing for chub, even when using maggots, and its worth getting the chub competing before making the first cast by feeding a small ball of liquidised bread every few minutes. By doing this, in a swim that contains chub, you are almost guaranteed a chub first trot through and if you can repeat this process and resist that immediate next cast, then sport should be steady all day.
Avoiding an abrupt end
Something worth remembering when chub fishing is, if you are allowed its worth retaining chub in a keepnet, not for too long though, as returning them into the swim will see an abrupt end to sport as a disturbed chub returns to the shoal and spooks them. Unfortunately retaining any fish on most game beats is banned so if this is the case then its best to return each fish fifty yards up or downstream.
Refined but robust
Chub are masters at finding any bank side vegetation so tackle used must be refined enough to get a bite but robust enough to extract each and every fish hooked. Float control is also vital as if the bait is passing through the swim quicker than the flow then it will be simply ignored so a 15ft, even a 17ft will provide that extra control. I use the fantastic Sphere 15’6 Spiced-Tip River Rod and team this up with MgTi 930 Reel loaded with Black Magic Gold 0.17mm/4.50lb mono. Although length is important when choosing a rod, its weight and action is also vital as it needs to be light enough to hold all day, the Sphere 15’6 weighs just 175g and has an action classified as ultra-fast and stiff, ideal for picking the line and hitting those bites, yet its soft forgiving 50cm solid carbon tip is perfect when using fine lines and small hooks. Reel choice is also important and in some most cases, especially when grayling fishing, a centerpin just can’t be beaten, yet many of the chub swims here on the Test mean trotting close to the far bank and this is where a fixed spool reel comes into play, just ensure its small enough so that your finger can cover and trap the line coming of the front of the spool. As for the rig itself this consists of a big float, one that is man enough to dominate the swim. Big traditional stick floats are ok, but on these fast flowing, often turbulent swims I prefer alloy stems and you just can’t beat Dave Harrell No1 Alloy Stem Avon’s and I keep a range of sizes to hand from 2g right up to 6g! To shot these floats I use an inline olivette, the same weight as the float (these floats take a bit more shot than stated), and trap it above the hook length with two No6 shot. The hook length, which is usually around twelve to eighteen inches and created from Cenex Hybrid Power Mono is attached to the mainline on a simple loop-to-loop basis and apart from a further No6 and two No8 spaced evenly to the hook the rig is finished off with the non-forgiving, sharp and reliable Beast in a size 12.
Hybrid Mono hook lengths and Beast hooks give me total reliability.
Use an olivette to create a tangle-free bulk shot.
Sphere MgTi fixed spool, perfect in this situation thanks to its brilliant line-lay and precision front drag.
Don’t forget
Two vital items of tackle are a bait apron which contains the bait and avoids constantly bending down and a peaked cap which makes spotting bites easier due to it blocking any unnecessary glare off the water.
Tricky one
For today’s session I’ve picked a reliable but extremely tricky swim, one where rapid shallows drop away into deeper water. It would be great if the chub were on the near bank but the bank side cover on the far bank mean that’s where they live. The rivers faster than normal and carrying some colour so although I’m confident of catching, it’s not going to be plain sailing but certainly far more productive than if I were to fish for grayling!
Bare hook reward
Can you believe it, whilst trotting through with a bare hook and getting my depth set I’ve hooked a chub, fair and square in the bottom lip. Things go to plan with a number of chub gracing the net in the first couple of hours before a dull in action but persisting a further four cracking chub fall in as many casts before two more late in the day send me home a very contented angler.
Chomping at the bit!
Can’t wait for a return; maybe for a grayling session next time, but how can I ignore such a fantastic chub swim.
Colin Sheppard
Colin’s Float Fishing for Chub Tackle
Sphere 15’6 Sliced-Tip River Rod
Sphere MgTi 930 Reel
3g Alloy Avon Stick Float
Inline 3g Olivette
Black Magic Gold 0.17mm/4.50lb Mono
Cenex Hybrid Power Mono 0.12mm/3.70lb Hook Length
Sphere Beast size 12 Hook
No 6 and No8 Split Shot
Colin’s Bait
Two loaves of Warburton medium sliced bread
Sphere Feeder Ultra Lite Hooks
Sphere Feeder Ultra Lite Hooks
The Sphere Feeder Ultra Lite hooks have been a bit of a revelation for my silverfish fishing. These must rank as one of the sharpest hooks that I have ever used, they penetrate so easily and keep their points so well that they are ideal for situations when you are expecting plenty of bites.
The fine wire gauge also means that they are a very light hook, making them perfect for small baits, such as maggots and pinkies, yet they have plenty of strength to help you land bonus fish that can make all the difference to your weight at the end of the day.
This is a barbed hook and this, coupled with the swept shank design means that you will lose less fish on the retrieve, especially when feeder fishing. Small roach, which can have a tendency to come off as you reel them in on many hooks, stay on these much more effectively.
The Sphere Feeder Ultra Lite hooks have a nice black nickel finish and come in sizes between 8 and 18. The packets of 15 hooks are also great value too. For silverfish this is a brilliant hook, not just for feeder fishing, but on the pole and running line too.
Sphere Multi Kit Camou
Sphere Multi Kit Camou
If you are looking for an edge in your margin or shallow fishing then the Sphere Multi Kit Camou are well worth having in your armoury. As the name suggests, the number one sections of these two-piece kits feature a specially designed camouflage finish. The disruptive surface design of these kits casts less of a silhouette when viewed from underneath, especially against cloud cover.
Carp can easily spook when a kit is waved around over their heads, especially in shallow water, but these kits tilt the odds in your favour.
Like all Sphere kits, the Multi Kit Camou models feature Browning’s innovative Duo Bush system, which eliminates the need to cut them back to fit thicker elastics.
The kits are have a reinforced area for fitting a pulla kit as standard and are available in both a standard and light versions, and measure a full 2.5 metres in length.
If you are looking to add more kits to your Sphere or Silverlite pole then these Camou kits are well worth checking out.
Length – 2.5 metres
Weight – standard 43 grams / light 35 grams.
Tip Diameter – 3.9mm / 4.5mm Duo Bush System
"The Camou version of the Multi Kit is perfect when fishing shallow."
Sphere Multi Kit’s give you maximum flexibility, and thanks to the brilliant Duo Bush system they do not need to be cut back to fit heavier elastics.
Poles can easily scare carp when fishing shallow in open water. The camouflage finish on these kits is ideal in this type of fishing situation.
Float Rig for Chub
Float Rig for Chub
Float fishing for chub with big baits such as bread and meat, is a brilliant way to spend those cold winter mornings. Simple, robust gear is all you need in a float rig for chub, and in this article Colin Sheppard looks at the gear he uses when fishing fast flowing rivers for winter chub with bread.
- Firstly make sure you use an abrasion resistant mainline, I use Black Magic Gold 0.17mm / 4.50lb.
2. Thread four rubbers onto the line, a big one first followed by three small ones.
3. Choose the right float, one big enough to dominate the swim, a 4g Alloy Avon is often my first choice.
4. Attach the float with the big rubber that goes over the tip and then pulled down to the floats shoulder.
5. Pull the three small rubbers onto the alloy stem. Three rubbers stop the float moving on the strike or whilst playing a fish.
6. The first rubber is positioned at the top of the stem.
7. The second float rubber goes in the middle of the wire stem.
8. The third float rubber goes at the bottom of the wire stem.
9. Thread an inline olivette onto the mainline. If I’m using a 4g float, I use a 4g olivette.
10. Using a figure of eight knot create a loop in the mainline.
11. Lock the olivette onto the mainline with a no6 shot either side.
12. Choose the right hook length and hook, Sphere size 12 hooks to nylon are great, especially when using bread.
13. Remove a hook length from the spool and reduce the length of this to around eighteen inches and create a loop using a figure of eight knot.
14. Place this loop through the mainline loop. Then pass the hook through the hook length loop. Pull straight and tighten down.
15. Add a no6 shot around twelve inches up the hook length.
16. Add two no8 shot, evenly spaced between the hook and larger shot.
17. The final rig, robust enough to land any chub in the fast flowing, shallow swims.
Components
Black Magic Gold 0.17mm/4.50lb Mono
4g Alloy Stem Avon Float
Four Float Rubbers
4g Inline Olivette
Sphere Beast size 12 to 0.16mm Hook Length
No 6 and No8 Split Shot.
Sphere Match - Hooks to Nylon
In this new short video England International Rory Jones takes a look at one of his favourite hooks for natural venues – the Sphere Match, and why he chooses hooks to nylon for much of his river fishing.
Hit the play button below to watch now.
Float Fishing for Chub
We join Colin Sheppard in this new video as he goes float fishing for chub with simple trotting bread tactics. A great way to spend a winter’s day, catching these lovely hard-fighting fish using simple tactics.
Hit the play button below to watch on our website, or find it on the Browning Europe YouTube channel now.
Keep up to date with all our latest match news here.
Find out more about our team of anglers here.
Visit the Browning interactive product catalogue here.
Cenex Feeder Mono
Cenex Feeder Mono
Designed specifically for feeder fishing, Cenex Feeder Mono is a super-smooth line that flies off the spool with little resistance, making it ideal for long-range fishing. With its medium stretch bite indication is improved. Whilst the high abrasion resistance makes is perfect for all forms of legering.
Cenex Feeder Mono cuts through the surface film easily, giving improved bite indication as soon as you cast out.
Available in a wide range of breaking strains to cover all of your feeder fishing needs.
The great value 150m spools give you just the right amount of line for shallow spooled big pit reels.
Feeder Mono Specification
– Specifically designed for feeder fishing
- Available in diameters from 0.14mm (1.8kg / 4lb) to 0.28mm (6.2kg / 13.7lb).
- Medium stretch with high abrasion resistance
- Super-smooth finish increases casting distance
- Dark colour
- 150m spools
- Ideal as a main line or for leaders
