We must be mad going out in this weather but poles don’t test themselves. With deadlines looming and a grim long-term forecast we had no choice but to don our thermals, pack the icebreakers and set off to Tunnel Barn Farm. While most venues’ inhabitants had shut up shop, I knew that we would catch a few whatever the weather threw at us, and so it proved. The ice made it impossible to fish very far out and that gave us the perfect excuse to test poles at the cheaper end of the spectrum. I was to use the Middy Battle Zone V2 and I was keen to see how it performed in such adverse conditions. The V2 is the successor to the original Battle Zone, which has easily been one of Middy’s best sellers. It comes as an 11m pole with a free 12.5m extension and, along with a top-three kit inside the pole, it is also supplied with two power top twos. There aren’t many poles that carry a No24-elastic rating but this one does and that paints a clear picture that it will handle zoo creatures without letting you down! One look at the wall strength on every section is enough to substantiate that boast and because I wasn’t expecting to hook anything monstrous during our session, I was more interested in the pole’s all-round manageability. Tom and I sat on adjacent pegs on House Pool and I knew that a mixture of bronze and red maggots was all we’d need to tempt a few bites. After an hour’s graft I managed to break a decent channel through the ice for both of our pegs (Tom’s ice breaker was as much use as a conker on a demolition site!), which would allow me to test the pole up to 11 metres. This was perfect because although the 12.5m section is a useful extra, this pole is far more at home at 11 metres and less. With thick snow and ice at Warwickshire’s Tunnel Barn Farm it was never going to be easy to test two £300-bracket poles, but Tom Scholey and Jon Arthur braved the elements. on test : MIDDY 12.5M BATTLE ZONE V2 on test : After trimming one of the power kits to fit a generous 3mm bush I was left with a 2.3m top two to thread my doubled- up No5 elastic through. A 4x14 float on 0.12mm line to a 0.10mm hooklength and size 20 Drennan Silverfish Pellet hook was all I needed to present bronze maggots a couple of inches overdepth. Feeding 10 maggots at the start I then dripped in four or five every cast afterwards. My plan was to feed slightly short of the ice edge and then present my hook bait just past this area. It took half an hour before I hooked a stockie, followed by a procession of chunky roach to 6oz. These were not what I was after, though, so I stepped the feed up to 10 to 20 maggots, which seemed to do the trick because several quality F1s to almost 2lb followed. It was great fun holding on as these feisty F1s tried to escape under the ice and after three hours (and several breaks to have a hot cuppa!) we had both caught a respectable bag of fish. Needless to say I won our £1 side bet (again) and I’m starting to question whether or not Tom faces the right way when he’s fishing! Although naturally much heavier than I’m used to, the pole was not unwieldy. I found that a correctly positioned pole roller is a must, however, because the base sections are quite heavy when you ship back. The finish was quite good and although shorter than I am used to the top kits are sturdy and not overly bendy. The No24-elastic rating doesn’t need questioning and this pole could easily double up as a ‘margin pole’. Finally, a nice touch is the free set of cups plus two full elastication sets, including elastic, bungs, bushes and connectors. I’m sure that if you bought this pole from a decent tackle shop they might even elasticate it for you. If you shop around you should be able to pick one up for a lot less than the £325 full RRP. With all of this in mind, the Battle Zone is a solid, usable pole that will cope with even the biggest of fish. JON ARTHUR The top kits are sturdy and not overly bendy. 68 MARCH 2010 on test : Few poles are strong enough to boast a No24 elastic rating. TECH SPEC MIDDY BATTLE ZONE V2 Stated length: 12.5m Actual length: 12.45m Closed length: 1.6m Power top-two kit length: 2.71m Power top-two kit length (fitted with 3mm bush): 2.3m Power kit elastic rating: No24 Standard kit elastic rating: No16 Package: 12.5m pole, two power top two kits, Click Cups, Slide Cups, two elastication kits, cloth bag RRP: £325 SSP: N/A Spares: Power top two £35 Jon had a fun day despite the conditions. The Battle Zone is more than man enough for ice fishing! MARCH 2010 69
Transcript
We must be mad going out in this weather but poles don’t test themselves. With deadlines looming and a grim long-term forecast we had no choice but to don our thermals, pack the icebreakers and set off to Tunnel Barn Farm. While most venues’ inhabitants had shut up shop, I knew that we would catch a few whatever the weather threw at us, and so it proved.
The ice made it impossible to � sh very far out and that gave us the perfect excuse to test poles at the cheaper end of the spectrum. I was to use the Middy Battle Zone V2 and I was keen to see how it performed in such adverse conditions.
The V2 is the successor to the original Battle Zone, which has easily been one of Middy’s best sellers. It comes as an 11m pole with a free 12.5m extension and, along with a top-three kit inside the pole, it is also supplied with two power top twos. There aren’t many poles that carry a No24-elastic rating but this one does and that paints a clear picture that it will handle zoo creatures without letting you down! One look at the wall strength on every section is enough to substantiate that boast and because I wasn’t expecting to hook anything monstrous during our session, I was more interested in the pole’s all-round manageability.
Tom and I sat on adjacent pegs on House Pool and I knew that a mixture of bronze and red maggots was all we’d need to tempt a few bites. After an hour’s graft I managed to break a decent channel through the ice for both of our pegs (Tom’s ice breaker was as much use as a conker on a demolition site!), which would allow me to test the pole up to 11 metres. This was perfect because although the 12.5m section is a useful extra, this pole is far more at home at 11 metres and less.
With thick snow and ice at Warwickshire’s Tunnel Barn Farm it was never going to be easy to test two £300-bracket poles, but Tom Scholey and Jon Arthur braved the elements.
on test: MIDDY 12.5M BATTLE ZONE V2
on test:After trimming one of the power kits to � t a generous 3mm
bush I was left with a 2.3m top two to thread my doubled-up No5 elastic through. A 4x14 � oat on 0.12mm line to a 0.10mm hooklength and size 20 Drennan Silver� sh Pellet hook was all I needed to present bronze maggots a couple of inches overdepth. Feeding 10 maggots at the start I then dripped in four or � ve every cast afterwards. My plan was to feed slightly short of the ice edge and then present my hook bait just past this area.
It took half an hour before I hooked a stockie, followed by a procession of chunky roach to 6oz. These were not what I was after, though, so I stepped the feed up to 10 to 20 maggots, which seemed to do the trick because several quality F1s to almost 2lb followed. It was great fun holding on as these feisty
F1s tried to escape under the ice and after three hours (and several breaks to have a hot cuppa!) we had both caught a respectable bag of � sh. Needless to say I won our £1 side bet (again) and I’m starting to question whether or not Tom faces the right way when he’s � shing!
Although naturally much heavier than I’m used to, the pole was not unwieldy. I found that a correctly positioned pole roller is a must, however, because the base sections are quite heavy when you ship back. The � nish was quite good and although shorter than I am used to the top kits are sturdy and not overly bendy. The No24-elastic rating doesn’t need questioning and this pole could easily double up as a ‘margin pole’.
Finally, a nice touch is the free set of cups plus two full elastication sets, including elastic, bungs, bushes and connectors. I’m sure that if you bought this pole from a decent tackle shop they might even elasticate it for you. If you shop around you should be able to pick one up for a lot less than the £325 full RRP. With all of this in mind, the Battle Zone is a solid, usable pole that will cope with even the biggest of � sh.
JON ARTHUR
The top kits are sturdy and not overly bendy.
68 MARCH 2010 MARCH 2010 69
p68-72_PF _03_On Test.indd 1 22/1/10 12:50:28 pm
on test:
Few poles are strong enough
to boast a No24 elastic rating.
TECH SPECMIDDY BATTLE ZONE V2Stated length: 12.5mActual length: 12.45mClosed length: 1.6mPower top-two kit length: 2.71mPower top-two kit length (fi tted with 3mm bush): 2.3mPower kit elastic rating: No24Standard kit elastic rating: No16Package: 12.5m pole, two power top two kits, Click Cups, Slide Cups, two elastication kits, cloth bagRRP: £325SSP: N/ASpares: Power top two £35
Jon had a fun day despite the
conditions.
The Battle Zone is more than
man enough for ice fi shing!
68 MARCH 2010 MARCH 2010 69
p68-72_PF _03_On Test.indd 2 22/1/10 12:50:31 pm
TECH SPECBROWNING THALLIUM FORCEStated length: 11mActual length: 10.93mClosed length: 1.78mTop-three kit length: 3.3mTop-three kit length with No1 section removed: 2.62mElastic rating: No20Tension Puller Kit length: 2.99mTension Puller Kit length (fi tted with 3mm bush): 2.65mPackage: 11m pole, two Tension Puller Kits, cloth bagOther features: Precision pointsRRP: £349SSP: £299Spares: Tension Puller Kit £87.50; Power top two £62.13
on test: BROWNING 11M THALLIUM FORCEBeing in the grips of a cold snap, we were in a real quandary as to where to test our poles. Jon seemed con� dent that we would still catch at Tunnel Barn Farm, but because this is one of his local venues it didn’t bode well for me – especially as I lost last month’s battle on home turf! To make matters worse, Jon won the toss for pegs and chose Peg 29 on House Pool, leaving me on Peg 30.
Still, I had a job to do, and after Jon had kindly helped clear my swim, after my puny icebreaker bounced off the 3in-thick ice, I opted to � sh one line just past 10 metres to the furthest edge of the ice hole. Maggots were the bait and I decided to feed very little and play a waiting game. In these arctic conditions I didn’t expect the resident carp to be climbing up the pole, however reliable the venue might be!
My weapon was the 11m Browning Thallium Force and the � rst thing that struck me was the quality of its � nish. The pole feels smooth from tip to butt, with none of the roughness that you sometimes associate with cheaper poles.
A � rm squeeze of every section tells of a very strong pole, too, and with extra reinforcement around the joints this is a pole that I would be more than happy to use in the most testing of situations.
One factor that normally separates cheap poles from expensive ones is balance because lower-end poles often suffer from feeling top heavy and sloppy. This is not the case with the Thallium Force, however. Even at its full length of 11 metres, the pole remains relatively stiff and responsive.
As expected, we had to wait a while for our � rst bite, but after half an hour it was � rst blood to me as a chunky 1lb F1 came to the net. Jon soon followed suit with a small stockie and then started catching small silver things that looked very much like roach!
A particularly impressive feature of this pole, considering its price bracket, is the fact that it is supplied with two of Browning’s clever Tension Puller Kits. These allow you to store excess elastic on a storer bung, yet still give you the � sh-landing capabilities of a puller kit. This is very useful, especially on venues where you never quite know what you’ll hook next.
A couple more F1s soon followed their brother into the net, and I managed to sneak in front of the master, but how long would it last? When the light began to drop, we were
just about to wind down and do some pictures when Jon slipped the net under another big F1 approaching 2lb. That last-gasp � sh, along with several quality roach, helped him take the lead once again. Gutted!
They say a bad workman blames his tools, but I must say that I was really impressed with the Thallium Force. It offers great value for its modest £349 retail price and, unlike many ‘budget’ poles, you get the feeling
70 MARCH 2010 MARCH 2010 71
The Thallium Force is more than up to its No20 elastic rating.
A hard-earned catch on the coldest On Test session to date!
that Browning has put some thought into its design and feel, rather than just turning something out and keeping costs as low as possible. If you are in the market for a pole in the £300 price bracket, I seriously suggest that you take a look at this.
TOM SCHOLEY
p68-72_PF _03_On Test.indd 3 22/1/10 12:50:59 pm
on test:
Grand Union Canal
Address: Tunnel Barn Farm, Shrewley, Warwickshire CV35 7AN
on test: TUNNEL BARN FARM
1
»
70 MARCH 2010 MARCH 2010 71
Pole Fishing doesn’t just test poles; it tests a different � shery every month too! Here’s our in-depth guide to Tunnel Barn Farm, plus unbeatable advice from a local ace.
Telephone: house 01926 842975; shop 01926 842188Website: www.tunnelbarnfarm.comE-mail: [email protected] tickets: £8; half day £5; concessions £6; £1 extra to use a keepnetLakes: SevenNumber of pegs: over 200
Nestling in the attractive Warwickshire village of Shrewley, Tunnel Barn Farm is one of the most proli� c venues in the UK. As well as always having room for pleasure anglers it has a high-pro� le club, open and team � shing scene and frequently plays host to many major events.
All seven lakes are heavily stocked with a variety of species, including carp, roach, rudd, chub, tench, barbel, bream and perch, but the thing that the venue is most noted for
is its massive head of F1s. They range from small 4oz stockies to wise, old 4lb specimens and guarantee bites on almost any peg whatever the weather.
It also boasts a well-stocked tackle shop as well as a café known as The Piggery that serves breakfasts and hot sandwiches – they will even bring food and drinks to your peg if you ask nicely!
Running alongside the lakes is a 2½-mile length of the Grand Union Canal, which is also owned by the � shery and contains quality roach, perch, bream and carp.
With a broad variety of excellent � shing, and � rst-class facilities to boot, Tunnel deserves its reputation as one of the UK’s best � sheries. Considering we had to break three inches of ice and still caught on our On Test day, the Pole Fishing team was very impressed indeed!
Bottom Pool
ExtensionPool
HousePool
Club Pool
CanalPool
NewPool
TopPool
24
12
13
124
12 13
1
21
342916
7
191
12
33
27
1
19
24
44
9
29
15
33 1
19
Club houseand shop
26
11 1
p68-72_PF _03_On Test.indd 4 22/1/10 12:51:13 pm
THE EXPERT’S ADVICEDynamite Baits-backed Pete Caton has an enviable reputation at Tunnel Barn and with more than 200 open-match wins to his name he is widely regarded as one of, if not the, best angler that regularly fi shes there. We got his lowdown on what works where and why.
PETE CATON ON TUNNEL BARN FARMTunnel Barn Farm is the best venue in the country because no other provides such consistent summer and winter sport. Through the colder months, maggots, pellets and bloodworm are the mainstay baits on all the lakes. The pegs where Jon and Tom fi shed are on House Pool, a 34-peg lake where depths vary between seven feet on the dam wall to three feet at its shallowest. The best pegs on here are 6, 7, 29, 30 and 33. In milder weather a 4mm expander pellet fi shed over a bed of fi shery micro pellets is a good way of catching the resident F1s. A sweetcorn line can also be productive because this will tempt some of the lake’s larger ‘proper’
on test:
Even with thick ice and snow you can rely on Tunnel Barn’s head of F1s to feed.
carp. When the weather is really cold, maggots or bloodworm are the best baits.
On Top Pool, there are a lot of smaller fi sh to be caught, which makes pellets the best bait however cold it might be. It has depths between three and fi ve feet. Pegs 1 and 33 are end pegs opposite each other in the ‘bowl’ and I would say that these two are the best swims on the lake for a day’s pleasure fi shing, with loads of small fi sh to be caught on pellets, and a few better fi sh on corn.
On New Pool, pellet is again the best bait option in colder months, and there are a lot of fi sh that can be caught short on here. Depths vary between three and fi ve feet, and Peg 26 is the place to head for because it is slightly wider and the bigger specimens seem to shoal up here. Pegs 1, 7 and 44 are also consistent.
Canal and Club pools are perhaps not so reliable in really colder weather because their large head of F2 mirrors can sometimes shut up shop and make for a tough day. There
is some good sport to be had on milder days, though, and pegs 5 to 9 are best on Canal with 1, 12, 13 and 24 the places to head on
Club. Maggots are the best bait on here in the cold, but don’t ignore corn or even bread.
Bottom Pool has depths between three and fi ve feet and, along with big F1s it holds a lot of
quality carp to over 10lb. Bloodworm is a good bet on here when the weather is really cold, although maggots can be a good alternative. Again, don’t ignore corn.
In the summer months, my favoured way of fi shing all the lakes is chopped worm and casters. I fi nd the resilience offered by fi shing a worm head on the hook to be brilliant. If you miss a bite you can simply drop the rig straight back in rather than having to rebait as you would with a pellet. Feeding is done via a small Cad Pot on the end of my pole. I feed for one fi sh at a time and expect to start by fi shing on the bottom and eventually catch shallow.
Although I normally prefer to fi sh the pole to the far bank, lots of anglers do well by fi shing really close in, sometimes with just their top kit. Other baits that work include meat, paste and, if you have plenty of room, maggots or casters up in the water can be deadly at times. It is not uncommon to catch 100lb shallow just six or seven metres out on the right day.
When it’s warm I favour 0.13mm Preston PowerLine to a 4x10 or 4x12 Durafl oat 10 fl oat and a Kamasan B911 in a size 16 or 18. For shotting I go for a bulk around 12 inches from the hook then have three No11 Styls as droppers, to provide a really slow fall through the last part of the water. Soft-set black Hydro is my choice of elastic.
In the colder months, I opt for a PB15 fl oat with 0.10mm Preston Refl o Precision rig line. Hook choice is a size 18 Black Gama, which I use for maggots, pellets and bloodworm.
I � nd the resilience offered by � shing a worm head on the hook is brilliant.
