Since I have changed over my river approach to a more specimen style, I have not only been more relaxed but have also noticed my enjoyment of our sport has increased. Never would I have dreamt I would be sat behind a set of alarms and not on a box.
Having the confidence in my setup and the bait I use, is paramount to how much I enjoy the results I get. Be it bream, tench, rudd or even the odd bonus fish that pops up now and again, confidence in what you use and do is key.
When you have a Cadence Twin Tip Specimen rod in your armoury, you have one of the most versatile bits of kit you will ever own.
Obviously, the decision of what test curve you are going to buy will be dictated by the species and the venues you are fishing. Whether you are wanting to fish for roach, bream, tench or carp in still waters or barbel and chub on rivers, there is a rod in this range that will see the job done.
All the rods have a delightful through action on the one piece tip. This makes for the perfect ledgering rod but also makes a lovely float rod for stillwater and rivers. Then there is the second tip, which has two push-in tips, making a fabulous tip rod for the likes of bream on stillwaters and roach and chub on rivers.
These really are the next generation in specimen twin tips rods, with the added advantage of looking just as good as they perform.
My Tackle Setup
The main area of approach I’ve changed is the tackle and setup I am using. Rod wise, I am still using a quiver tip rod, but I’m using rods from the CR10 Cadence Specimen Range twinned with 8/12lb main line, so a proper beefed-up attack to what I used to use.
CR10 Cadence Specimen 12ft 1lb
This rod is just a joy to use, it wasn’t on my radar, but since using one I can see why it’s so good. Fellow brand ambassador Leigh said once you use it, you won’t want to put it down, he wasn’t wrong. The rod comes with two carbon quiver tips of 2 and 3oz and an Avon tip, which has the top foot painted white. This rod is perfect for small rivers and has massive power to drag tench out of their weedy lairs.
CR10 Cadence Specimen 12ft 1.25lb
This was my initial choice of rod, a happy medium between the range, perfect to cover all bases, with the same tips as the 12ft 1lb. I started using the Avon tip while fishing method feeders at 30 to 50m and thought what a remarkable piece of kit.
I hadn’t even used the quiver section, until one time on the river, I thought let’s just see what it’s like. Well, that was it, I don’t think I’ve even used the Avon section at all this past season. It just felt like a totally different rod. People I’ve shown it to have been amazed at how good it is with this configuration. This is now my go-to rod for all my tip fishing, be it river or lake, method or cage.
CR10 Cadence Specimen 12ft 1.5lb
The final rod in my collection, which I use as more of a sleeper rod if you like, is the 1.5lb version, which again has the Avon top but heaver tips at 3 and 4oz. This is a beast of a rod, it has plenty of power but retains a fantastic playing action.
The Bag and Bomb
Something I’ve played about with over the last season was the “bomb and bag”. A friend of mine uses it a lot on the small rivers we fish when it’s very weedy. The method utilises a short hooklength and a heavier bomb than normal, which gets to the bottom quickly.
I played about with it a little bit and had varying results, eventually it clicked and worked a treat. I have since caught tench, bream and rudd using this method, my PB tench last season fell to it too.
The set-up is so simple, a free running bomb of 1.5-2oz in weight on 10lb main line, a short 12-14inch hooklength to a size 8/10 hook with a hair rig. On this I usually fish a 15mm boilie or even a lump of bread flake.
Method Feeder
Using the method feeder is again something different to my old approach, I still use a cage feeder at times, but the method is my go-to now.
Usually, a 45g method feeder, elasticated stem and a short 4 inch hooklength, which is 8/10lb braid to a size 8/10 barbless hook. Most of the time during the summer months, the lily pads and weed are very prominent; hence the heavy set up.
Rigging up the method, which has been adjusted throughout the last two seasons, is as simple as it gets with one small addition. I use elasticated stems and simply attach to the line via a number 11 snap swivel, tied with a Palomar knot. Onto this, slides a sleeve to keep it all nice and tidy and above this a small length of lead core. The reason for this, is so the first couple of feet of line above the feeder is now nailed to the deck, which has reduced the number of line bites significantly.
Other Thoughts
Most of my fishing through the start of the season until early autumn, is done either in early mornings, late evenings or overnight sessions (when it’s warm enough).
These have been an eye-opener, apart from the first day of the season, I don’t use a keepnet any more. I’ve noticed releasing bream all at once into swim kills it dead. What I have noticed, though, is catching and releasing the fish straight away, has no effect on the feeding shoal whatsoever, and they merrily keep feeding until they’ve had enough.
Sometimes these overnight sessions can be that hectic, I have wound in and had a couple of hours sleep before commencing again, the perils of going straight from work. If you’d have said to me five years ago, that I’d be fishing in this style, I would have laughed at you big time. But since changing over, my catch rate has improved and the size of fish also. So much so, I have had 9 PB’s in the last three years, which is a list I am so proud of.
