Mike Hamblington has ‘got the fish moving’ at Tunnel Barn Farm with a winter stocking of half a ton of F1s, and the results have been immediate.
The beauty of F1s – a kind of carp/crucian carp cross – is that they feed straight after they have been stocked, and they feed all winter. Mike has based his whole strategy at his popular seven-lake Shrewley complex around this fish.
True to form the new 4-7in fish were feeding on the weekend’s matches, with 80lb plus required to win, and anglers averaging over 40lb. The fish have been stocked into Extension, House, Club and Top Lakes and good catches are being made right around the complex.
It should be an exciting year for Tunnel Barn in 2010, with the big Van Den Eynde Supercup being fished there for the first time (in July), and Mike also told me this week that he’s planning on building an eighth pool which would take the number of pegs past the 300 mark.
The best methods on the complex at the moment are pole-fished expander pellet over micro pellet feed for the new fish, and maggot for the more established ones.
The way to fish the maggot is to lay on with two to six inches of line on the bottom and leave plenty of bristle showing, allowing the fish to take the bait properly. This can be quite a positive method and although you are mainly feeding through a Kinder pot, you can get through up to two pints of bait if you’re on the fish.
If you want to know how to fish the water, check out the Match TV programme at Tunnel Barn Farm Fishery on OnlineFishing.tv here: http://www.onlinefishing.tv/channel/preview/match-tv-1/low/