The Bung
No matter anyone opinions, and they do vary, on fishing the bung. There can be no denying its effectiveness.
Its currently the time of year where the method really comes into its own. As the buzzers really start to hatch, and the fish become more active in there feeding habits. The reason the bung is such an effective method is that it allows specific depths to be fished. On a bright day when buzzers are hatching but the fish don’t want to venture off the bottom due to the sun or water temperature the bung is perfect for presenting them just off the bottom. Another key point that makes the bung so effective is the fact the buzzers can be presented perfectly static, often key when buzzer fishing.
On the market there are lots of types of Bungs, in this short Blog I will go through the different types of Bungs we use ourselves and the advantages and disadvantages to each of them.
The first one that will shall look at it the fly type Bung, basically a piece of polystyrene or wood painted with fluorescent paint in order to be highly visible.
The advantage for the Fario Bung fly is that its competition legal as its able of catching a fish due to the hook. The fact it has a hook also means that any inquisitive fish that takes it has the chance of being hooked. They are highly visible and come in a range of colours The FARIO Fly ones in Yellow, Orange, Two Tone & White (Glo in the dark). The only drawback to this bung as its tied onto a dropper you cannot easily adjust it, if the fish suddenly come up in the water or they move slightly deeper.
The next type of bung is the Fish Pimp Strike Indictor, these come in a handy tube with 5 in a pack.
In a very vivid orange colour. They sit a little lower than other options, which is good for wary fish in clear water, and mean they detect subtle takes that the more buoyant ones may miss. Due to the lighter slimmer profile they are also very easy to cast cutting into the wind.
However, due to their slim profile and nature of sitting low they can be a little difficult to see in certain light conditions. One main advantage to these indictors is there versatility on depth. Once the bung is attached to the line a simple section of silicone tubing is put in the grove and then twisted around to tighten the bung onto the line. If the fish, then move shallow or deeper its just a case of taking the tubing out and sliding the silicone back in place. Only down side is it a very tight fit and can be a little fiddly with cold hands.
The final Bung we will look at is the AIR-LOCK bobber type.
These come in a pack of three different colour indicators with spare screw on lockers for the bottom. The variety of colours make them great for visibility in a variety of lights. They are highly buoyant, resulting in large buzzers and goldheads being able to be suspended with no danger of pulling the bung under. They look a little like a balloon in design and as a result are very visible.
They are fitted to the line by sliding the nylon into the grove on the bottom and being tightened with a small plastic ring that screws down to hold them in place. Like the Fish Pimp ones this makes them easy adjustable should the fish move in depth. However, the one drawback to such a large indicator is that it can be difficult to cast as it holds in the wind a little like a sale.
As you can see from the pictures all these Bungs are effective, and all have their advantages and disadvantages. With the buzzer fishing really starting to take off don’t be without Bungs, it will boost your catch rate and is perfect not only for beginners but any angler who want to add another successful method to their reservoir trout fishing. As a result we are running a special offer on the Bungs please visit www.flyfishstore.co.uk/offers to see them. Then you can catch cracking fish like the one taken at Eyebrook at Stoke Dry in the shallow water on the Bung.
Tightlines
Tom Bird
Guiding & Tuition Manager.
