Silverfish are a reliable target on commercials while we’re waiting for the carp to wake up properly from their winter slumber. But silvers like roach, skimmers and rudd can present their own unique set of challenges.
The biggest of these is their liking for backing away from the feed after a good start. Pop in a few balls of groundbait and an instant flurry of bites gets you thinking that you’re sorted for the rest of the session, only for the fish to disappear almost as quickly as they arrived.
Here's how I keep catching them...
Dot the float down
These days, especially for skimmers, I’ll dot the tip right down and fish much smaller floats – in 6ft of water, I’ll use a 4x14 Middy F1 Wire pattern.
Use light elastic
For skimmers and roach I favour a solid Hi-Viz 3-4 grade in green, matched to a size 18 6313 hook and an 0.10mm hooklength of Lo-Viz.
Fishmeal all the way
A mix I’ve had a lot of success with is Adrenaline Baits’ Betaine Green with a helping of added F1 Noir to darken it and add a bit more attraction.
Think depth
For shallow water, feed a loose dampened mix that spreads out a little near the bottom. In deeper water, a firmer, harder ball will be required.
Go easy on topping up
Unless I wish to re-feed and move to another line, I’ll change to a Grip-Flex pot to pop in just a small nugget or a helping of loose groundbait.
Vary your hookbaits
Change baits could be a worm head, a small grain of corn or (one that I’ve found to be really effective) one red maggot and one fluoro pinkie.
