How should you approach the last swim available on a busy venue this summer?
Four very different but successful anglers give their thoughts...
Harry Charrington
Day ticket/match-style expert
“Like I would with any other swim, work out first if there are fish present, either by spotting them or by nicking a bite with a solid bag or a Zig perhaps. If there are fish present, I would probably apply a bit of bait, if there are not, and I don’t think they will turn up, I would be ready to move.”
Jim Wilson
Brilliant big fish angler
“I wouldn’t get disheartened, as fish often head for areas where there are less lines, and as such I would look to fish singles or little bags of bait to try and get a hookbait in position with as little disturbance as possible. Once I’d got the first bite
I’d use a little and often method of baiting up to keep them coming.”
John Kneebone
Another brilliant big fish angler
“With two mind-sets: fish very often move or ‘leak’ into the last unpressured piece of lake and if so a stealthy approach will keep them there. Light leads and the quiet application of bait perhaps with a throwing stick is the way to go. On the other hand the swim could be a proper duffer so I’d also be ready to move if the opportunity arrives.”
Shaun Harrison
The most experienced angler on the panel
“Baiting-wise, very cautious indeed, so if the lake is rammed then there will already be a lot of bait out there in front of everyone else and the chances are a lot of fish will have backed off to quiet parts of the lake (last swim). I would try and tempt them with single hook baits first on light none spooking leads.”
