UK Coarse
Species
Leuciscus idus
A stocked silver of some UK commercials and park lakes. Chub-like, willing, and often happier off the bottom than on it.
Ide (often sold as golden or silver orfe) are a continental cyprinid stocked in some stillwaters. They shoal, they swirl, and they will take maggot, bread and pellet in the upper layers.
Fish them a bit like rudd or chub, not like carp. A waggler or pole with maggot or bread, feeding little and often, is usually enough. Check the fishery list — not every commercial has them.
Open water and the upper layers of commercials and park lakes. They show on the surface more than bream do.
Spring through autumn. They slow in hard frost.
Visible. Swirls, boils, and takes on the drop. A feeding shoal will give you several fish if you don't crash the net in.
Soft mouths, wet hands. Golden orfe look dramatic; they still need a wet net.
Maggots or pellets little and often into the swirls. Bread if you want to pick a better fish.
Fishing a method feeder on the deck while they boil on the top. Too much feed.
They're showing: come up. Nothing: they may not be in this lake — check the board.
Technique
Traditional waggler
On the drop and just under
Technique
Pellet waggler
When they're on pellet
Technique
Pole fishing
A carbon pole to 11–16m with elastic, a light rig, and the bait put exactly where you fed. The most accurate tool on a commercial and a canal.
Technique
Shallow pole
On pellet, shallow
Technique
Fishing on the drop
A bait falling through the water, shot strung out so it looks natural. Roach, rudd, F1s and anyone intercepting feed as it sinks.
Technique
Maggot on the pole
The universal pole bait. Single or double maggot, a pinch of feed, and a line you plumbed. Silvers, F1s in the cold, canals, and anyone who is not sure.
Bait
Maggots
The universal bait. If you could only have one thing in the bag for a mixed UK stillwater or canal, maggots would still be the answer.
Bait
Bread
Punch, flake, crust. Canal winter roach, river chub, and a surface bait for carp. The cheapest serious bait in the bag.
Bait
Pellets
The language of UK commercials. Micros for the method, fishery pellets for the catapult. If the lake sells them, use them.