Have you ever been fishing and witnessed someone catching all the fish?  I have many times.  When I see someone hauling in stringers full of fish I get very curious.  On occasion, I have asked about their secret techniques pertaining to equipment and bait.  A lot of times I will get the polite smile and response such as “just lucky today” or “you know…same ol’ stuff.”  I’ll ask what type of bait and that is usually when I will get the silent treatment.  The typical response, “sorry, secret family recipe” or “if I tell you, I’ll have to kill you.”

Maggots in their uncoloured, unflavoured form are often highly successful but a bright, enticingly flavoured bait will sometimes give you the edge.

It's Obviously important when fishing that the fish can see your bait and they like what they see. For example when fishing on murky waters a plain maggot may be hardly visible, whereas a bright red or yellow specimen may show up clearly. There are a few things you can do to enhance their appeal.

The coarse fishing season gets under way once again today when angling can again take place on rivers and drains and for many this is the day they have looked forward to.

While carp fishing pre-occupies the minds of many on canals and lakes through the close season, many look forward to enjoying mixed sport on rivers and in the past few years local rivers have produced some excellent fishing.

However, if you have not been fishing since the close in March make quite sure that you have your current angling rod licence as well as your club membership card for there will be plenty of activity in the coming weeks by bailiffs and fishing without the necessary licence can result in large fines. Licences can be purchased online HERE.