Sticks: A forgotten art?

Anyone else remember Nick Helleur demonstrating the PVA Stick to the world for the first time? There’s probably somebody somewhere spitting their brew out, ranting that it wasn’t Nick’s invention, but who cares, right? I certainly don’t, but like most reading this, I do remember Nick revealing it to the world month after month with lots of tweaks, recipes and ideas. Those articles usually contained a whacker caught live the cameras, too, and in my own experience of fishing with Nick, he very rarely blanked. In fact, I think every time Nick threaded a Stick of PVA on a rig it produced a bite. Those were lovely times indeed.

These days, I don’t see the tactic used so much. We’ve all got a bit pop-up obsessed, chucking Choddies, Hinged Stiff Rigs and Ronnies around the place. Now from my experience with PVA Sticks, a pop-up is rarely the right hookbait choice. You’re much better off with something small, like a grain of maize, plastic, or little dumbbell. Or, if you’re like me, a piece of red foam topped with six maggots!

Now Sticks aren’t really the reason I’m writing. I want to discuss more how to present them, and avoid some of the issues associated with PVA bag fishing generally.

Let’s start with the hooklink set-up. Obviously, to get the best from a PVA Stick you need to thread it onto your rig. That’s the whole idea, right? So at the end of your rig, you need a Figure-Of-Eight Loop knot, or link loopy thing. Something that enables you to thread the Stick directly over the hook. It’s what sits behind this that I believe needs careful consideration.

Most will go to town on the metalwork front. There’s no harm in it, either. Attach a Speed Link to a swivel and you can thread on your loop knot! You’ll need a sleeve to cover the Speed Link, of course, which I believe can present some issues. Again, it’s a hinge. It can be a recipe for tangles, with or without a PVA Stick.

Others use a QC Swivel, or QC Lead Clip. As you need to use an anti-tangle sleeve with this arrangement, the tangle thing isn’t so much of an issue, but is it still the neatest way to present the PVA Stick laden rig? I’m not so sure.

The set-up I like best is something a few friends of mine use almost exclusively. They put the Speed Link straight into the lead clip, instead of a swivel. One piece of metal, rather than two or three, and it’s as neat as they come!

You also get a slightly different mechanical performance to a normal lead clip, as if you don’t use a clip with a peg, you end up with a lead that’s semi-fixed. You get the benefit of the bolt effect when a carp gets hooked, but the Speed Link usually comes free at that moment, now giving you the indication benefits of a running lead. The takes on this set-up are a lot more positive and can be a lot more frequent on venues where the carp get used to standard lead clip or bolt rig presentations.

The joy of Sticks is the diversity of potential ingredients. Maximum attraction in a small package.

A lot happens in that moment a carp realises it’s got something in its mouth that it doesn’t want there. They sometimes panic, sometimes they just stay still and let the rig fall out of their mouth, but if you’ve a reasonable sized lead and a rig that hangs the hook prone, then the chances are they will try and shake it free with a side to side movement. It’s at that moment, the Speed Link inside the lead clip idea comes into its own.

I prefer to use a reasonably long Stick where I can, it helps disguise everything.

Obviously, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this set-up in weedy lakes. It’s basically a free running lead and you can end up with real dramas trying to play the fish through a lead that’s stuck in a different place to the carp! I wouldn’t say it was exclusively an open water set-up, but use your noggin and you should be perfectly fine.

Or at least, that’s the idea! By now, you’ve probably got bored with the technical stuff and your mind is whirring about what ingredients you can add to your Stick mix this weekend. I’ve probably tried everything in the world for this, but always go back to the same kind of mix: crushed boilies, a good fishmeal groundbait (preferably one with some natural goodies in like krill, maggot or worm) and a reliable oil and glug. Yes, an oil and a glug! Both do different things, remember. Glugs are soluble and oils are not. One floats, one sinks, and both help you bind everything the way you want for making PVA Sticks.
On that tasty note, I’ll leave you to think back again to some of the tactics that used to be in the magazines all the time. They weren’t in there for no reason, you know.

The Forgotten Art Of Stick Making

The four key steps to creating the perfect Stick