5 Deadly Tricks With  Maggots...
Improve Your Coarse Fishing|Issue 333

...when barbel are the target, Alfie Naylor works his magic on the cheap grubs that can catch big.

Tony Grigorjevs
5 Deadly Tricks With  Maggots...

THERE’S no doubt that barbel fishing has experienced a spike in popularity in recent years.

Almost every river in the land has had an explosion of the species, which has made them more accessible than ever – and when you consider just how hard these beasts can fight, it’s no wonder they have become a prime target among anglers.

Newcomers have been brain washed into believing that pellets and boilies are the only baits worth considering if you want to see the rod wrap round. But is that really the case?

Daiwa and Premier Baits-backed Alfie Naylor has caught countless double-figure specimens and agrees that both those baits play a part in barbel fishing, but he is convinced that a more natural alternative is even more important in winter.

“Maggots get used by anglers in so many different scenarios but they don’t get as much use as they should when barbel are the target, and that is a mistake,” explained Alfie.

“There is no doubt barbel love to feed on them and they are a much more versatile bait than people realise. They can be used in lots of different ways.”

This month Alfie reveals five deadly ways of using maggots that can help you put more big barbel on the bank this winter.

1 GLUGGED PVA BAGS

“Catapulting maggots isn’t really an option for barbel if you intend to use a feeder or leger set-up because very little, if any, of the bait will get to the deck where your rig is waiting.

“One of the best ways to get the bait down to the bottom and right over the top of your hook bait is to hook on a PVA bag.

This story is from the Issue 333 edition of Improve Your Coarse Fishing.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the Issue 333 edition of Improve Your Coarse Fishing.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM IMPROVE YOUR COARSE FISHINGView All
Improve Your Coarse Fishing

Giant Perch For Everyone

For a limited time, Viaduct Fishery’s match-only water has been opened to day-ticket anglers... and it’s full of huge perch!

time-read
5 mins  |
Issue 333
Improve Your Coarse Fishing

Whip Out A Roach A Chuck

Small rivers in built-up areas offer the best chance of winter redfins, says rising star John Newman.

time-read
5 mins  |
Issue 333
Improve Your Coarse Fishing

Give 'Em A Bit Of Stick!

Korum’s Chris Ponsford doesn’t like to sit back and just let things happen on a river. Keeping busy is more his style,and what better way to do it than with a stick float?

time-read
4 mins  |
Issue 333
Improve Your Coarse Fishing

The Long And The Short Of It

Ben Fisk takes the Ultra and Plus versions of the new 9ft Drennan Acolyte feeder rod for some short-range winter fishing.

time-read
3 mins  |
Issue 333
Spring Into The Summer
Improve Your Coarse Fishing

Spring Into The Summer

On the cusp of a new season, changes are afoot above and below water.

time-read
4 mins  |
Issue 322
A Rod With The ‘Wow’ Factor
Improve Your Coarse Fishing

A Rod With The ‘Wow’ Factor

You expect more than just quality in a flagship rod and Middy’s latest XK55-2 World Pro 11ft Feeder delivers the goods.

time-read
3 mins  |
Issue 322
Improve Your Coarse Fishing

5 Deadly Tricks With  Maggots...

...when barbel are the target, Alfie Naylor works his magic on the cheap grubs that can catch big.

time-read
4 mins  |
Issue 333
​​​​​​​What Happens To Fish When A Lake Freezes?
Improve Your Coarse Fishing

​​​​​​​What Happens To Fish When A Lake Freezes?

Ice is annoying for anglers but it can be a matter of life and death for fish. Here’s what’s going on when water stiffens.

time-read
3 mins  |
Issue 333
Improve Your Coarse Fishing

Learn How To Bag-Up At 5m

Don’t fall into the trap of automatically fishing the long pole in winter. There’s still lots of action to be had close in, says Frenzee’s Jon Whincup.

time-read
4 mins  |
Issue 333
Improve Your Coarse Fishing

Carry On Carping

Get it right and there’s still some great winter carp fishing to had, reckon Brian Skoyles and Colin Cutts.

time-read
5 mins  |
Issue 333