MUSHROOM SPECIAL.

There is a saying that 'Necessity is the mother of all inventions',that exactly how the 'Musroom Special ' was produced. We have a match team, all of whom are well aware that the that the Mushroom Pellet Wagglers which basically were designed for fishing at distance,give a very high hooking to bite ratio.

This is of course due to the unique flat bottom of the Mushroom top, which acts very effectively as a bolt rig. Over the last few seasons we have had fantastic results from using them, but if we experienced high side winds in open water then we were forced to revert to fishing with our tip rods.

The 2009 season was a particulary windy one, so it was very frustrating knowing that even on very windy days the fish were still feeding in the upper layers. We concluded that what was needed for these adverse conditions was a long float for stability. combined with the Mushroom top for hooking ability.

Mock-ups were made and given to the squad in late March, by September where the float played a part they had acieved 22 1st places. 13 2nd places and a few 3rd places. Proof enough that the design boys at Premier had got it correct , after slight modifications the 'Mushroom Special' is now on general sale for all to use and enjoy. At the same time we also gave a number of the floats to pleasure anglers of all abilities, nearly all of them coming back to us saying how much they enjoyed using them, as well as improving their catches.

FISHING THE MUSHROOM SPECIAL.

Using the 'Special' is not much different from fishing any other type of Premier Pellet Wagglers or Mushroom Pellet Wagglers, except that at all times when using the 'Special' the line needs to be sunk. When fishing the easiest way to sink the line is to slow the float down as it enters the water, this will help staighten the bow in the line caused by the wind. Now imediately dip your rod tip well under the water, then flick your rod very quickly in an upward direction so that the tip comes out of the water. This needs to be done at speed in order to sink the line quickly, with the 'flick' appearing to be quite violent. Because the float is long and stable this flicking action will not move the float to far from its original casting position.

In windy conditions the float will still move through the swim, but by using the right size float combined with sinking the line quickly the float will be slowed down to a rate which will be acceptable to feeding fish. If necessary use a larger float. Another good tip to help you sink your line is to have a spray bottle containing 25% washing up liquid to 75% water. Spray this solution on your reel line at the start and maybe again throughout the day, you can of course buy a branded product from you local dealer although in our opinion they are not as effective.

FEEDING.

Most certainly your feed pellets will need to be in sizes 6-8-10 or even 12mm, obviously the bigger the pellet the the further it will go. Feeding should be fairly constant,catapulting 3-5 pellets every 20 seconds or so. Take extra care when firing out the pellets, aiming off for wind and attempt to group your feed in the smallest area possible. Not easy to do when its windy as even pellets from the same bag can differ slightly, keep at it though, practice makes perfect.

Depending on size of fish being targeted you may wish to 'clip-up', this of course will help you put your float at the same distance every time, although to hit the same area you may well have to ' aim off ' to allow for wind when casting.

GENERAL.

Much has been written in magazines about pellet waggling, much of it 'twaddle', one writer suggesting that even in the slightest wind to put your pellet waggler away.

The writer of this article has been fishing the pellet waggler for at least 5 years and is very successful, but is the first to admit that it is not rocket science but a very simple way to catch fish and that you never stop learning.

This style of fishing is not for the lazy angler, but believe us when we say it can be fun, exciting and extremely rewarding. Its a great feeling when all around you are bemoaning the fact that they are not catching, whereas you, by a bit of thought and hard work are putting a steady stream of fish into you net. You may well go home tired, but you'll go home contented.