Nash e-zine December by Adam Taylor

December 2010

E-ZINE

NASH

CARP CATCHERS

DIARY JULIAN CUNDIFF JERRY HAMOND RICH WILBY SEAN LEVERETT IAIN MACMILLAN

INSIDE

THIS MONTH...

Bait Talk

In The Spotlight

Take Five

Keith Jones

oking my head out of the sleeping bag at first light on a misty morning and sensing the cold winter air on my face is often one of the first experiences that springs to mind when I think of winter carp fishing. Sitting with a cup of tea watching and listening as the light fades and the temperature plummets and wondering, just how cold is it going to get tonight? That’s another one. Winter carping can be an awe inspiring experience and one that gives me goose bumps just thinking about. The word ‘nature’ seems to have many different meanings to many different people but for me when I’m camping out in the countryside, nature feels like a living breathing thing. An old fishing friend of mine once put this unique experience nicely into context when he commented ‘nature doesn’t care if you’re cold wet or hungry, it’s just there, very profound don’t you think. I find carp fishing in the spring and the autumn a very enjoyable experience. Although it’s a great time to be out in our glorious English countryside, summer fishing can be a real pain at times for all kinds of reasons, traffic jams, too many anglers on the bank,

hot pressured disinterested carp, sunburn, the list goes on! Without doubt winter is now my favourite time for fishing for carp and other species too. There’s something very special about exploring a deserted winter carp water, tracking down and landing cold water carp at a time when most anglers will be tucked up in the warm at home watching mind numbing TV, for me its just about as good as it gets. Mind you, the excitement and enthusiasm can soon wane if we’re struggling to catch and for that very reason, this month we’ve got an impressive line up of contributors and plenty of thought provoking articles, technical features plus product and bait information that will help to stack the odds in our favour. LOOKING FOR INSPIRATION We’ve got Joe Jaggar on the front cover this month with a 40 pounder caught from ‘up north’ it’s a stunning fish and a very notable capture from a part of the country where big carp can be few and far between. For me it’s

the kind of photo that just makes me want to go fishing! Joe is a talented and well respected young angler and someone we will be hearing much more from in the future I’m sure. Julian Cundiff’s new book ‘Carp Short Session Success’ is a must read for anglers of all abilities, it’s a fantastic book crammed full of really interesting and very relevant material. Its also an enjoyable and inspirational read that I found quite difficult to put down once started. Julian is out there catching carp most weeks of the year, his proven theories on rigs, bait application and all the other aspects relating to catching carp have been accrued during a life time on the bank. Anglers with limited time at their disposal ( probably most people reading this!) will find the book an invaluable aid that will for sure help to put more carp on the bank. Two of our Senior Consultants, Jamie Clossick and Jerry Hammond have both recently released a DVD. Jamie and Jerry are two very different anglers but what they both have in common is an awesome reputation for catching big or difficult to catch target carp. Over the years I’ve been fortunate to

1. As good as it gets! 2. A ‘must read’ 3. 4. Definitely not to be missed 5. I’ve got lots of new toys to play with, the new Siren alarms have been particularly impressive 6. The early cold snap was a bit of a shock but the carp are well on my bait ( Squid All Seasons) so I just need to keep at it!

spend time on the bank with these two exceptional anglers and I’ve learned much from the experience. There’s a wealth of information waiting to be gleaned from these two entertaining and informative fishing films. The world of carp fishing seems to be awash with DVD’s these days, so when something extra special comes along its easy to miss or over look it, without doubt I’d put both of these items on my ‘much watch’ list. LITTLE THINGS BRING BIG REWARDS I’ve never been a big fan of particle seed mixes particularly when used as a mass bait, I prefer to fish with a proper carp food. But the two waters I’m targeting this winter both have huge reed beds and marshy areas. As a result of that, Reed Mace and other similar plant life have been releasing vast quantities of seeds into the air and onto the surface of the water which collects in various places and will lay dormant throughout the colder months. They provide the bird life with a valuable food source and at times when other more obvious naturals and creepy crawlies are in short supply, I’m convinced that the carp will target

them too. I’m not sure if it will provide me with a tangible edge but I’m going to add just a few specially selected seeds into my boilie and maggot mix to boost the natural appeal of my bait. Will it work? It might! WHAT A TEAM! Once again I must say a big thank you to everyone who has contributed towards the mammoth task of putting Nash-E-Zine 3 together, what a great team we are! Well that’s it from me, as I scribble these last few words on my lap top it’s getting to that magical part of the day once more, as the light fades the temperature is dropping like a stone, despite a shiver, the anticipation and excitement mounts. The kettle is on the boil, time to slip on an extra layer or two of warm clothing and watch for signs. I can hear the distant but ever increasing rumble of traffic as all the ‘unfortunates’ plod home after another day at work. I might have to join them tomorrow but for now I’m in paradise!

THE WORD FROM THE TOP Kevin Nash

t’s been a very good year at Nash, as I walk through the office in the mornings I can sense a real buzz in the air. Our ever expanding range of cutting edge tackle and bait products that have been released during 2010 have proven to be a big hit with you our valued customers. But that doesn’t mean we’ll be slowing down or sitting on our laurels, in fact the design work development and innovation if anything is gaining pace. Because I’ve got an office full of mad keen carp anglers we’re never short of ideas or new avenues to explore and each morning its always a delight to hear the stories of who’s caught what plus the ‘ins and outs’ of life on the bank for the Nash Team.

I believe we’ve really got our fingers on the pulse of carp fishing, but turning those raw ideas into tangible marketable products isn’t always as simple a process as it might seem. But the new cutting edge Siren alarms are a typical example of what can be achieved by some initial radical thinking followed by an extensive and exhaustive development program. Subtle refinements to existing products is also a crucial factor in our ongoing success, serious products for serious carp anglers that’s what we‘re about. Research and development also continues at pace at the bait factory, carp fishing is all about confidence and going fishing with a bait that

will, if you fish well, almost guarantee a result is crucial for success. It looks like we could be in for a tough winter and the last thing you want is for those niggling doubts to start creeping in to the corners of the mind, is my bait good enough, will the carp eat it? I’ve been asked several times recently about bait choice for the winter, I do use maggots but I’m really a boilie angler and which Nash Bait boilie would I choose? To be honest I’d fish any of the baits in the range with complete confidence but If I’m pushed I would probably say any Nash boilie as long as it has Squid in it and my faviourte recipe for the colder months is 50% Squid All Seasons and 50% Amber Attact.

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I would like to wish all Nash friends and loyal customers a very happy Christmas and an awesome 2011â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

LIFE AT NASH Alan Blair

With another year drawing to a close and the first real cold snap hitting us hard, its time to reflect on what’s been happening over the last couple of months down at Nash HQ. All of October was mad busy with Trade Shows both in the UK and Europe where we have showcased our new products for 2011. This is a great opportunity for us to listen to the allimportant retailers and meet with the guys that are selling through the product to you. The end of October saw the wind up of our financial year and we finished the year respectably up on last year’s figures – Big Up! Of course this is excellent, especially in the current climate but there has been many instances where we haven’t had items of stock which makes me wonder just how much better it could have been.

A PASSION FOR CARP ANGLING Although as company we haven’t been particularly effected by the recession with regards to anglers purchasing our product, I have definitely noticed the increase in raw materials, labour costs, shipping costs etc which all have a knock on effect on margin and RRP for some of the products we produce. But its not all about money and profits, our passion for carp fishing means that all the staff at Nash take great pride in supplying the very best innovative cutting edge tackle and bait products available with many instances where we believe the product is so good that we must keep it in the range even though we don’t generate massive profit from it – we all just want pukka gear to go fishing with.

THE INNOVATION NEVER STOPS It’s around this time of the year when we start looking at new ideas, drawings and designs for possible inclusion in the Nash range for the following few years. Although the rolling program of new releases during 2010 has been extremely well received by the trade and our customers we have no intentions of slowing the pace of development. We’ve got some awesome new products at various stages of development some of which will be entering the range throughout 2011. Its also the time of year when the containers begin to arrive from our suppliers, this time we have ordered on the large side to ensure we don’t encounter the previous problems of certain items becoming unavailable. One of my tasks over the last few weeks has been checking various items of new stock for any faults and issues – its all looking good and already there are a number of new products available in your local stockists. The Siren Bite Alarms have caused quite a buzz on the carp fishing grapevine recently, I’m sure by now you will have read or heard much about them. If you haven’t yet done so, check out the ‘movie quality’ production that Winston and Rich have uploaded to Nash TV, its yet again another Nash TV epic! Since Kevin made the decision to push the button and take bite alarm design and function to a new level, I’ve literally lived and breathed the Siren project. During an intense programme of research and development I’ve seen the Nash team and Kev at their best with the end result being a top end cutting edge product that is set to take the carp world by storm!

LIFE AT NASH Alan Blair

There was mass discussion on the various forums and people definitely had varied opinions on their looks however I think that after speaking on a face to face basis with a large number of anglers their initial opinions of the product have definitely changed with many commenting how it looks so much better in the flesh, loving the concept of controlling everything from the comfort of the bivvy and most importantly understanding how the line speed sensing technology can be utilised to give you a clearer understanding of what is actually going on around your spot/rig – therefore catching you more fish! DON’T MISS THESE! Its DVD time - Two of our senior consultants, Jerry Hammond and Jamie Clossick have both released a DVD recently. Both are an un-misable, entertaining and highly informative watch for anglers of all abilities. Both are an ideal Christmas stocking filler and definitely worth a watch during the cold nights ahead of us. THE NASH TEAM I would also like to take this opportunity to say goodbye to two valued members of the Nash Team, Dave Fuidge and Greg Curtis. Their roles were to organise and manage shows and events, both great blokes and friends that will be missed by all as they move on to pursue other things. Good luck gents and a big thanks from all at Nash for your hard work and the good times we had together. That said, the shows must go on and we are all working as hard as ever to attend all events bringing the well respected Nash team of anglers, their knowledge and openness to share their tactics and tips with you. Although we have lost team members we’ve gained a couple too, both need little introduction and have settled in nicely to the way we roll, they are both an absolute pleasure to work with and will definitely teach me a thing or two about Angling . . . .

Ronny De Groote from Belgium has been appointed as head of European Sales and marketing, it’s a mammoth task but one that he’s more than capable of. Ronny is a highly respected European angler, a legend in fact who has caught some monstrous carp over the years including numerous fish over 60lb including Benilux records. Like all of us at Nash HQ, Ronny loves attending the shows and meeting you guys so keep an eye out for him at the next event you attend. Paul Garner is the second new addition to the team, Paul is a true gentleman and brilliant to work with and boy he knows his stuff. He’s a real asset to the team and is responsible for a new brand that we have brought into the Nash portfolio called Peg One. Peg One is a dedicated pleasure fishing brand that includes a number of products designed predominantly for the day session angler. The key word here is ‘pleasure’ – basically the guy (or lady) who has limited time on their hands but still wants to put a nice mixed bag of fish together fishing commercial lakes, club waters, rivers and canals usually bagging some nice carp in their session. There are some excellent products in the range with the flagship being the Transformer Chairs. If you enjoy carp and also a spot of general pleasure angling then this gear is seriously worth checking out.

LIFE AT NASH Alan Blair

GETTING THE RODS OUT! Matt and myself finally managed another session on the Canal around Tring and Luton. We did a few nights through the spring and early summer period and both really liked the extensive stretches that all contain carp. We fished two nights in two different areas and had 8 fish between us loosing one to many too! Every single bite was on the Amber Strawberry, critically balanced baits with either a small stick or crushed boilies packed in a solid bag. A multitude of techniques, rigs and tactics were tried however the star product of the trip was our tungsten tubing – this gear definitely gets you more bites on the canal – FACT! The fish were not massive I know, but the excitement of genuinely not knowing what’s coming next keeps pulling us back for more! I’ve also been out on the rivers and local lakes more recently just pleasure fishing. I’ve had some nice perch and pike, good bags of roach and I even fished a small 16 peg match and enjoyed five hours on a seat box fishing Tutti Squidgees on a flat bed method feeder – to top if off I won with 22lb of carp!! Nick (or more commonly known as Reedy) has been the star of the office with regards to catching a few chunks. He has been getting the rods out when his workload permits, so far on every visit he’s bagged himself a chunk. In the last few months he has been right in the zone, fuelled by the Monster Squid with only two of the A team remaining to be caught from his local syndicate water. Just shows what can be achieved when you’ve got confidence in your bait and tactics even during the colder months - good angling!

THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME I have decided to put a different slant on ‘Life at Nash from the next issue onwards – I am going to ask the other lads that I work alongside, Reedy, Matt, Tom and Ditch to also contribute to this piece so you guys get a bit more of a clearer overview of what goes on in deepest darkest Essex down at Nash HQ. Anyway for now its time to wrap things up (myself included – boy its cold) and I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very special Christmas and hopefully an eventful and exciting new year. I still get excited about this time of the year, OK, not as much as opening day on June 16th but nearly – be safe, enjoy and hopefully bank a chunk or two along the way.

FLAVOURS

LIFE AT THE BAIT FACTORY We are coming up to our slackest period at the bait factory now, it’ll soon be our spring clean time where we have a little paint up and a week or so of general maintenance. Nothing major, just a load of jobs that there won’t be time to do in the spring and summer, build some shelves, replace one or two chains on the boilie machines and sort all those things we never seem to get around to.

QUESTIONS Winter bait choice is the main question I’m asked at the moment which is always interesting. On some waters whatever is good in the summer will often work in the winter but there are other waters where a good summer bait turns into a useless winter one.

FISHMEALS IN WINTER? Loads of anglers think that fish meal based baits are a bad choice in the winter and I agree to a point but I did produce a fish meal bait a few years ago, Formula Fish, that several anglers did really well on. Keith Jones had a lot of fish on it, especially on the shelf life version and Jim Crump caught a lot on the frozen baits but with different flavours and dyed purple (Purple Ronnies). Both Keith’s shelf lifes and Jim’s frozen baits contained higher than normal flavour levels, certainly higher than is found in most frozen baits but they also had a lot more fishmeal in them than most traditional winter baits. Generally though I wouldn’t feel comfortable using any bait in the winter that has a higher than 1520% fishmeal content and the low heat fishmeals are generally better than the high heat fishmeals that carp like best in the summer. The low heat fishmeals seem to provide very little attraction in baits and are only there for nutritional purposes, which is of less use when the carp are cold, so lower levels are much more sensible.

I would also keep away from oily type fishy flavours such as our fishy type Oil Palatants, Salmon Oil and Mature Lobster etc. I do like an oil soluble flavour such as Strawberry, Peach or Tangerine but I’ll come to why in a moment. Water soluble fish flavours have a different profile and do catch in the winter, Shellfish Sense Appeal and Monster Crab certainly do. But this has little to do with how they smell to the human nose, it’s down to the chemistry of oil soluble/water soluble flavour chemicals being molecularly different. A bit boring really but I do have to have an idea of just how flavours are made up and a lot of the oil soluble fishy elements come from a group of compounds that have proven to be a bit slow to catch carp in the cold. I have never been that impressed with oily baits at any time of the year and I’m sickened by the huge oil slicks that many anglers seem to love. Where does all that oil go? It certainly doesn’t get eaten by the fish, water animals or birds. Some might be absorbed by marginal plant life but usually in the summer, water levels are low and a lot of plant life is above the water line, in the winter the plant life stops growing so wouldn’t absorb much at all. No I personally think the bulk oils are just pollutants and are certainly not good carp food. Even the commercially available course fish pellets are low 6-8% oil whereas the trout and halibut pellets are often 20-30% oil and certainly don’t catch very well in the winter. However I do like the concentrated oil based flavours a lot, summer and winter. Good proven winter oil based flavours such as our Sweet Cream, the Strawberry, Peach, Tangerine, Banana, Malay spice, Indian spice, Pineapple and White chocolate Oil Palatants are all useful in winter baits but are even better when used in conjunction with water soluble flavours, in recipes, again that is summer and winter.

1. Gary Bayes 2. All Seasons carp catchers 3. Amber Strawberry can be used with confidence in winter 4. Scopex - Red Liver Oil and Intense Sweetener - a very effective combination 5. Nash shelf lifes have a high food value well suited to winter carp fishing - a frozen and shelf life mix is a good winter choice 6. White Chocolate fished as an alternative hook bait - very effective 7. Soluballs -Monster Carp Pellets - frozen and shelf life boilies - all good winter carp food.

CHOICES So, where does that leave you when looking for a winter bait? Simple really, if you are catching well in the summer keep to the same bait, especially if it isn’t oily and it has a proven winter track record. If you are using frozen bait from Nash Bait then seriously consider using the shelf life version. It has slightly higher flavour levels, often a different colour, is a little bit more porous than the frozen baits and will fish better on all the decomposing matter that has accumulated in the autumn. Keith has proven this with several baits in the range. If you have been using a bait that is not renowned for fishing well in the winter then you need to change bait in plenty of time before it gets to cold, that way you can pre-bait and get the fish onto it while the going is good.

BAIT TALK

Gary Bayes

Scopex Squid for instance will work all year round and has 3ml Scopex No 1, 1ml Intense sweetener (both water soluble) and 5ml Red Liver Oil in a 4 egg mix. That is a ratio of 4 parts water soluble to 5 parts oil soluble, a good ratio with these flavours. However the Tangee Peach boilies from yester year were oil soluble flavour only, so how does that work? Different viscosities but more importantly both these oil palatants contain compounds that are both water and oil soluble, in a ratio of approximately 50%, they just happen to blend and taste better on an oil base and there are a few compounds within that are only oil soluble.

I have produced baits that are brilliant summer baits but will not catch anything in the cold, it’s like the fish have been taken away, that’s how bad they are. If you struggled in the spring when others were catching don’t try to keep on your summer bait for the colder weather. I Don’t usually like a complete change of bait but if I was starting cold (excuse the pun) I would be confident using our Classic Scopex, White chocolate and Strawberry boilies or the Top Rod iC-1 and Amber Strawberry.

APPLYING YOUR BAIT Single bait fishing doesn’t make a good basis for a winter campaign but I have done quite well prebaiting a few days previous then using single baits while fishing. I have a few mates that employ this method all the time in the winter and they do really well. So it isn’t just down to the bait it is the way you use it so don’t keep to the same old 100 baits around each hook bait or whatever you have done well on in the summer, fish differently. There are a lot of people writing about maggots at the moment, but usually a maggot/boilie approach will work better. There is no doubt the maggots do induce feeding but I have had a lot of days fishing 4 rods, 2 on maggot hook baits, 2 on boilie hook baits when the takes have been 70% on one or the other so they are not the simple answer that we are after. Where I’m fishing at the moment the nuisance fish don’t hibernate and will annihilate me if I try to use the maggots, so it is a boilie approach for me.

CHURCH GOERS You may remember last time I talked about preparing for my trip to Essex to fish Kevin’s Church Lake, how did it go? Well I blanked! The lake seemed ‘out of sorts’ and the fish just weren’t playing ball, everyone struggled that week. It was still a very enjoyable session and it was nice to meet a few Nash people who previously I’d only spoken to by phone or online. I also saw some truly monstrous carp swimming around that had my eyes out on stalks! 1. The view from the Titan, a bit of water movement should keep them active

CHANGING SEASONS AND A NEW CHALLENGE The weather has now well and truly turned. As I write, the wind is blowing and the rain is clawing at the kitchen window. According to Met Check the air pressure is at 980mb so as soon as I’ve finished this I’m off to Hykeham in Lincoln for a couple of nights. Hykeham is a 200 acre gravel pit which I’ve opted to have a crack at over winter. That may sound a bit mad but let me explain my reasoning. Firstly I’ve fished the venue extensively in the past and am quite familiar with it. Secondly is the impressive stock that the pit now contains. I originally fished the pit around 2000 to 2002 when the stock was very low and largely unknown. There have been several stockings since then which have boosted the numbers to around 800 or 900 carp. Thirdly while thinking about a water to have a bash at for the winter I decided I wanted a water with constant movement. The thinking behind this is that water movement keeps the carp active and therefore feeding. With Hykeham being so big even steady winds cause massive undertow and the water is constantly moving. As long as I can keep in contact with the fish through the winter I’m confident of catching consistently. The other water I was considering is a park lake with a huge head of ducks which the public throw bread at all the way through the winter and I’m sure the carp won’t be far behind. I’m not sure I’m cut out for park life, big pits are far more inviting and challenging for me.

2. Watching the Sirens and waiting for that first bite! 3. If its not happening it pays to go for a look around 4. Hard scrapping common

WINTER TARGETS

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

BACK IN THE GROVE

Cemex took control of the pit a few years back and have done most of the stocking and although I’ll be happy for anything that comes along, it is the older originals that I’m more interested in. Back in 2001 myself and some of the other anglers got together and held a meeting in the sailing club with Geoff Crawford and Nash Bait’s very own Gary Bayes as guest speakers to raise some cash for some stockies. The sailing club who were running the fishing at the time matched what we raised and as a result of that, 26 Simmoes were stocked. These went in at the end of 2002 and all weighed around 3-4lb. There are also a few original mirrors that I didn’t become acquainted with first time around that I would be quite happy to see in my landing net.

During November I had my first session for 8 years on Hykeham and it was good to be back. The lake has changed quite a bit over that time with a lot more vegetation having grown up. It was also a pleasant surprise to find the track around the lake is now Tarmac. I fished the first night in a sheltered swim where I could see a lot of water but nothing happened. Nor did I see anything so I didn’t hesitate in looking for a move. With so many fish in the lake I truly believe that if you don’t catch it’s because you are not on them, these young big pit fish are not riggy or shy of bait so if I’m not catching I will move until I do.

Shortly after dark a mid double mirror made off with one of my baits and was soon laid in my Carp Cradle. I rushed the self takes because it was trying to rain and as a result made a right pigs ear of them!

My second swim was one I’m familiar with and I felt right at home. I had been told it had done a few fish lately so confidence was high. I quickly found some nice clean areas on the two bars that are in front of this swim and baited each rod with a kilo of iC1 boilies. I used a boilies only approach to hopefully avoid the billions of bream that live there.

An hour later I got another chance on a longer range rod and a better fish was struggling away in the darkness. After a bit of a tense moment under a marginal tree the fish was mine! It weighed in at a healthy 26lb 12oz, no mistakes were made with the self takes this time and the fish was soon returned. It really did feel satisfying having had a small hand in raising the funds to acquire these fish now I’d caught one. That wasn’t the end of the action as a couple of hours later a clean looking 18lb+ common was in the bag. A welcome return, with I’m sure more to come and hopefully an original or two will grace the net. Right that’s enough from me, I can’t sit here any longer with the weather like this, I’m off fishing!

5. One of those creamy Simmoes 6. They like the iC1 7. Getting organised for winter

RIG TALK

E G A R O T S E L K C TA PROBLEMS? E V O C T I T O G E V WE’

Carp will often feed differently from one day to the next, sometimes their behaviour and preferences can alter literally by the hour during a short winter session. Experimenting is the key, small changes make a big difference. Fine tuning rig mechanics, changing hook patterns, shortening or lengthening a rig can bring instant success, critically balancing a hook bait or simply changing size or colour will often produce a result. Box Logic has been purpose designed for the thinking carp angler who is prepared to go the extra distance and adopt a more effective proactive approach to catching carp. Having the tools and components to hand and instantly accessible makes experimenting and fine tuning, in essence angling effectively for those carp a more viable and user friendly option.

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a hook critically balancing ging size bait or simply chan produce n e ft o l il w r u lo o c r o a result.

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LETS GET ORGANISED To take full advantage of modern tackle advancements and to be fully equipped and prepared for constructing rigs and presentations to outsmart rig shy pressured carp, the thinking carp angler must carry a comprehensive armoury of rig making components and essential items of terminal tackle. Micro components such as swivels, rig rings, hooks and beads, hook link materials, baiting tools, scissors and other larger items. Marker floats, spods, ready tied rigs and many other carp catching essentials all create their own very different and unique storage problems. Prior to the launch of Box Logic, the logistical problems of transport and easy bank side access have never been properly addressed, there’s been no viable option other than to carry a myriad of multiple components and tackle items in an odd selection of boxes, bags and containers. There’s no logic to such a system, there’s always that crucial elusive item that’s never to hand when needed, many small items become lost in the bottom of a cavernous rucksack and others are trodden on or lost during the excitement of a take. Thankfully that’s now all in the past

1. Condensed, secure and logical containment. 2. Carry bag pr 6. Chod Box - awesome! 7. Side Tables provide additional wor

ERED! THINK TACKLE STORAGE - THINK BOX LOGIC Box Logic provides the complete storage solution and combines innovative designs and unrivalled quality. The range includes tackle boxes, bivvy tables and a comprehensive range of accessories purpose designed to meet the specific needs of the modern carp angler. The TT Rig and Tackle Stations provide a total tackle storage solution. All items of terminal tackle can now be stored and easily accessed from one purpose designed integrated tackle box system. A storage draw with integral rig board provides additional capacity, ‘ready to go’ external rig retaining loops can be utilised when a rapid rig change is required and Rig Station Side Tables can also be attached to provide additional work space when needed. For the carp angler who prefers to travel light, an equally innovative flexible storage system is provided by large and medium sized tackle boxes.

BOX LOGIC ACCESSORIES and A dedicated range of internal boxes imise opt accessories have been designed to tank storage, an externally mounted water and ility fac ing anc also provides a critical bal e. rag additional hook bait/popup sto on, this is The Chod Box is another Nash innovati featuring the first ever dedicated box for chod rigs store and ure an internal foam roller to wind, sec the perfect curved chod rigs. ’ zipped Soft Lead Pouches featuring ‘see through and age lids provide easy access, safe stor containment within the box. struction Designed for stealthy night time rig con ic Rig Log Box and re baiting after a take. The es or Light clips onto Rig Stations, Tackle Box ered Bivvy Tables. A flexible neck and high pow e ctiv effe an ct dire to LED illumination combine light source exactly where it’s needed.

for winter 5. Innovative ‘must have’ items rovides additional storage and protection. 3. Stealthy rig light 4. Balancing tank is a must 10. Small boxes with ‘Tardis like’ capacity rk space 8. Medium and large tackle box provides flexible options 9. Multiple storage options

CARP CATCHERS DIARIES Rich Wilby

Find 2 them and catch them!

5Surface bait boosters

EFLECTIONS

I’ll be completely honest and admit that following a relatively successful spring my summer and autumn carp fishing has been unfruitful to say the least. I could list every excuse in the book for my lack of action, such as; lack of time, weather conditions, being stitched up etc, but the bottom line is I’ve not put in the effort I should have, my confidence has dropped and I’ve had zero luck. The few times I’ve fished easy day-ticket style waters in the last few months have been productive, but without sounding arrogant I really don’t find venues stuffed with carp challenging, so it’s hard for me to take my results seriously or get excited about them. Over twenty years of carp fishing experience combined with my angling journalist work, which has taken me to nearly every “runswater” in the UK, I should be good on these sort of venues, if I didn’t catch well I definitely should put my gear on EBay and start up golf. It still does surprise me though how many carp anglers there are out there that struggle on these prolific waters. It’s usually because they’re not kitted out right, take inadequate bait, pick the wrong area, or just pure lack of experience.

It may sound strange and I’m not being patronising, but I’m sometimes jealous of the naivety to the sport these anglers have. Starting out in carp fishing may be frustrating at times, but I loved it. In fact I probably had more fun fishing for my first double and twenty than I do now on the bank. And when I look around on the bank I don’t see many of these guys disappointed, even if they’re blanking their socks off. That’s how it should be just enjoying your time on the bank, on your tod or with a mate a fish on the mat should be a bonus. There’s so much to learn at the start, but after 20 years (if you’ve got the hang of it) you know what you need to do to catch so it really does come down to effort, time, preparation etc.

That’s not to say I haven’t stopped learning, I still keep my ear to the ground every day trying to pick out bits of info that my benefit my fishing, but I’ve learnt to stick to what you know works and only make small changes at a time, rather than fishing the night with three new rigs you’ve tied up for the first time on each rod (we’ve all done it at some stage). Although I get stressed prior to starting a DVD I have to say all of the planning and preparation myself and Winston did with Kevin and Alan for the 2011 promotional film really paid off during the shoot. We had great filming conditions for three days up on the Church Lake and the carp even read the script (apart from the bit where they end up in my net). Young Jack Brown and Jerry Hammond both caught some breathtaking fish, including a 51lb mirror to Jack, which were all caught on film, including some nice underwater footage.

Even I thought he would be too heavy for our eight legged WideBoy, but I still went ahead with a live video test for Nash TV and I’m pleased to say Barry’s weight was no match for the most comfortable carp fishing bed in the world. If you haven’t seen the test check it out on www.nashtv.com, Winston has edited this clip in a fantastic manner and it has become incredibly popular with everyone who’s watched it. My last trip to the bank was a spot of chub fishing for an Angling Times feature. I’ve had a lot of success chub fishing on several rivers with Nash paste baits, so the guys at the paper wanted to see the rigs and baits I used. It was a bit of a struggle on the day, but I eventually winkled out a nice plump six pounder and another weighing 5lb 4oz. Both fell to the new Monster Squid paste, with an added splash of Thai salty Fish Sauce.

All of the new 2011 products looked and performed impeccably throughout the week and I’m sure they will impress many carp anglers within the DVD. The incredible Siren Alarms and slick Titan Brolly blew me away. They are two massive blockbuster products, which in my opinion seem superior to anything else on the market at the moment.

I’m off Pike fishing on Chew res for one day in two weeks time, but then I’m getting my carp head back on and planning to make up for my dismal summer and autumn with a proper winter chunk. I’m already baiting two lakes up with the Amber Strawberry, so hopefully the carp will be well and truly on it when I start my campaign. I will let you know how I get on.

Kevin was on great form during the shoot and gave a real honest insight into the products, why they’ve been designed and the innovation behind them. I hope all levels of carp anglers will enjoy the free DVD when it is released early next year and understand why so many top, experienced carpers put all their faith into Nash tackle and bait.

Stay warm and be lucky, Rich.

Since I last wrote in the E-zine I’ve made a good new friend on the bank. He’s a chap called Barry Austin, who loves his carp fishing to bits and is hungry for as much info as he can get. Barry also happens to be one of the biggest men in the UK and certainly the biggest angler, weighing in at a mere 55 stone, so he came to Nash because no other company could produce reliable, strong gear for him to use. 1 - Just being there should be enough 3 - Mega impressed with these 5 - Nice 6lb chub, at least I can catch them

2 - At work on the new 2011 DVD 4 - Jack Brown with his mega fifty - well done mate. 6 - My new mate - Big Baz

Key Features BULLETPROOF Manufactured from the same material used to produce riot shields. The RS-1 is virtually indestructible. ROCK SOLID ROD SUPPORT Screw-in stainless steel snag ears ensure rocksolid rod location in margin and snag fishing situations. PRISM WHEEL ILLUMINATION TECHNOLOGY Split prism illuminated wheel provides intensive visual indication, sighted from any angle and visual even on bright days. Available in 4 colours – red, clear, blue, purple.

The most advanced

STEALTH MUTE FUNCTION Head can be muted whilst fishing or resetting rod/indicators.

bite indication system in

INTEGRATED BOBBIN ATTACHMENT

the world

Makes hockey sticks and indicator adapters obsolete. Dedicated Nash Siren Slix indicators are available in 5 sizes and 4 colours. (red,clear,blue,purple)

The result of a tri-development cooperation with Kevin Nash, designing features to meet on bank

Radio Receiver

criteria with one of the UK’s leading electronics

Remote Function for Volume, Tone and Sensitivity The RS-1 is the first alarm system with two-way radio providing volume, tone and sensitivity functions that are operated remotely via the receiver, enabling you to change your volume, tone and sensitivity settings from the comfort of your bivvy.

and radio technology companies.

Bren

twoo

The Biggest Event in Carp Fishing

d Ca

Evolving bite alarm innovation. Forever

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29-30th January 2011

www.nashtackle.co.uk/siren

ow, E

ssex

20 Exclusive Big Name Talks / Slideshows and Demo’s / 11 FREE GOODY BAGS “ I cannot remember a show with so many people and so many people really enjoying themselves at a carp show” - KEVIN NASH

For m ore i nfo v isit

www .car psho w.co m

CARP CATCHERS DIARIES Iain Macmillan

Find 2 them and catch them!

Surface bait 4 boosters

OOD TIMES AT THE ABBEY

The latter part of the autumn has been a very busy one for me on the magazine front, and obviously the tutorial side of things. This hasn’t left me with much of my own angling time unfortunately, but I have managed a couple of short trips over to Abbey Lakes in France. I went armed with boilies only, or more to the point the new Monster Squid in Black. Jerry Hammond has had some fantastic catches on the Black Mach 1 so with the water being crystal clear at Abbey, I thought the Black bait would be something the wise old fish in there wouldn’t have seen before, and not so ‘in your face’. My other plan was to fish the water in a very English style with choddys and to also stay very mobile and move at the drop of a hat if necessary. Now I’ve actually been at Abbey twice in the last month as I enjoyed the first trip so much, and the English chod style worked well on both occasions. The first short 4 nighter resulted in 4 fish to 43.12 with 2 losses in the weed, and the second short break gave me 6 fish to 41.8 and 1 loss. What was rewarding was all the fish were really well nailed which to me means they just couldn’t deal with the unusual or unexpected presentation created by the chod. I reckon most of the anglers who fish at Abbey go with a standard coated braids and safety clip set ups. But because I was at Abbey in late autumn after the fish had seen constant pressure for 8 months, I felt I had to do something different to get a few bites. The results were proof that by thinking outside the box, particularly on pressured waters, catch rates can be improved. For sure there’s nothing new or ground breaking about my chod set up, but for the rich, weedy lakes at Abbey, I believe there’s no better presentation available.

ACK TO REALITY

As I write this the weather in the UK has taken a turn for the worst which tells me winter is now firmly taking its grip. I have decided not to punish myself in the colder months with long sessions and 15 hour dark nights, instead I’ll be concentrating on short day sessions on local waters in the hope of just getting a few bites. This will keep my ‘mojo’ alive rather than being bored, cold and miserable stuck in a bivvy for hours or even days on end hoping for a big fish for the cameras. After all, carp fishing is supposed to be an enjoyable pass time no matter what time of year it is. Its also the show season again so I’ll be present on the Nash stand for most of these, so if you’re planning a visit, please come along and say hello. All I’m hoping for now is for the weather to break or just like last year I could be spending a lot of time in the boozer..........mind you that doesn’t sound to bad eh?

1. Monster Squid success 2. The bobbins have been flying this year! 3. The Titan has been spot on for travelling light 4. Get on the black!

CARP CATCHERS DIARIES Sean Leverett

Hello again, since my last diary entry, winter has well and truly arrived!

Things are going well on the Carp Park. I lost a carp after just my third night which was a bit of a downer but then after my tenth night I had another take which resulted in the lakes big common at 37lb 10oz. This turned out to set both a new lake and complex common record, happy days!

EW WATERS AND A NEW CHALLENGE

When I left you last time I had just recently caught the Brute and Big Pecs from the tricky Berkshire water and I was having a think about where to go next. It was my intention to go back to Cleverley Mere to have a go at catching Ringo but as I’m sure you are all aware, that fish sadly passed away due to some spawning difficulties. This left me unsure where to go but after some thinking and a good chat with friends it was decided that I was going to disappear off the scene and have a crack at the Black Mirror. Then all went wrong over there, many special fish were lost that day but I’m not going to go into too much detail as I’ve already covered that tragic story in Big Carp Magazine. Now I was really stumped as to where to go but after a few calls and a couple of favours called in, I was soon in possession of a ticket for a rather secretive and very pretty 17 acre pit and also a Car Park ticket! Now although I felt I was close to fish on several occasions over at ‘the pit’, the murky green water made the fishing extremely difficult and I decided to cut my time short on there and return in the spring when hopefully the water would be crystal and I can locate the carp easier. Location is vital on low stocked waters so I’m really looking forward to getting back over there as it really is a lovely place.

HE CARP PARK

The fish fell to my tried and tested helicopter rig constructed with Diffusion components as I’ve described previously and fished with a drop off lead system. Hook bait was of course a Scopex Squid cork ball pop-up which was fished over around 100 15mm freebies, I don‘t think there is a carp swimming that doesn’t love that bait! Since then there have been a couple of other fish out including The Dustbin, that’s the fish that I really joined the lake for. I’m staying on The Car Park all winter and I hope to make my acquaintance with the fish over the next few months but I’m under no illusions as to just how tough a place it park really is. I’ll keep you all posted as to how I’m getting on. The other place I will be fishing this winter is Dinton Pastures. I have done a few winters on there using the Scopex Squid but this year I’ll be using the Amber Attract Choc Malt, that’s another bait that I highly rate. It really is a winning winter bait and I’m hoping that with a little luck and a lot of effort, I will be able to winkle out one or two of the lakes gems. Again this lake is known to be a tough water but you have to be in it to win it!

That’s it from me this time, good luck all and see you soon

1. Sean with the new Carp Cark Common record - awesome! 2. Scopex Squid - confidence in a bag 3. Choc Malt on the Amber base mix is another winner 4. Diffusion will give me an edge this winter

CARP CATCHERS DIARIES Julian Cundiff

RE YOU PREPARED?

I’ve fished for winter carp every year since 1986 so I’ve got a pretty good understanding of what does and what doesn’t work when it comes to toughing it out. When I first started, a sun lounger, two camping shop sleeping bags and a Nashy nylon over wrap over a 50 inch Wavelock brolly was the standard over night carping gear but how times have changed! Nowadays we’ve never had it so good, Titan, Indulgence bed chair, Zero Tolerance clothing and a host of other items all combine to keep us warm comfortable and focussed on the fishing regardless of what nature decides to chuck at us. For many years I’ve used a Profile Plus for winter day sessions, its ultra light weight and provides ample shelter from winter wind and rain, but having said that I do like the look of the new Titan Brolly so at some point I might be making a change. For really short sessions I find an Indulgence Bed Buddy makes a perfect low chair but for longer sessions it’s an Indulgence Recliner. I don’t take a lot of food with me on short sessions but I do still take a stove mainly for hot drinks although I do sometimes make a ’Pasta Pot’ on the bank. Personally I find standard gas stoves perfect as a Coleman is too unreliable for my taste. The Nash insulated Stove Bag is a great invention as it keeps the cylinder from getting icy cold which means it boils a lot faster. Although I do make my own hot drinks on the bank, by taking a medium sized flask with me I can have a hot drink when I get there and can make a flask full as it gets dark and get that stove and cooking gear packed away. On short sessions you need to be full of energy so avoid too much stodgy food and crap but instead have snacks and energy bars if that’s

not too much for you to bear….Clothing wise I am a Zero Tolerance man all the way but I know that Nash are developing a new and even better range so stay tuned. Whatever you choose to wear not only must it be warm but it must be windproof and waterproof. I have a thin waterproof jacket inside my Carp Carryall Max for the wet weather but generally it’s the Zero T Duckdown which is THE best in my opinion. If you check out my new book ‘CARP Short Session Success’ in virtually all the winter shots in there I’m wearing that jacket… awesome !! Layering your clothing provides maximum warmth and flexibility, good old Skeetex or Nash Zero T boots keep my feet warm and a hat is another crucial item for keeping warm Although days only can be productive, 24 hour winter sessions give the best chance of success they also help you to get really in tune with your water. I take my Titan for the winter nights but never use it with a front preferring to have a good view of the water instead. On a longer session maybe but for 24 hours not for me. For me a groundsheet is a must and I have a slightly cut down one so that the front is not likely to pick up and drift in water. Pack your Titan away correctly after a session 1 and if you want to get the best from it, dry it out in the garage if its soaked after a session.

Bedchair wise it’s the Indulgence Air-Lite Sleeping System. Having used a bog standard chair and bag for far too long this baby kills them. The combined bed chair and bag are far warmer, far easier to carry, don’t need tying down and make being there a pleasure. A hot water bottle makes the worst winter conditions easy to handle, you might think that’s a bit over the top but try it I think you’ll be impressed! I use the Nash Refresh Water Bucket inside my shelter to store all my bits in. Car keys, remote for camera, torch, lighters, the lot. Awesome bit of kit and it means I know where it all is during the twelve hours or more of darkness… I also take a bog standard gas lamp from Millets and when I am not watching the water like a hawk ( cough ) I can catch up on my reading…Twelve hours of darkness takes some dealing with on your own and providing I have the Siren sounder box inside I am happy to concentrate on enjoying it and not punishing myself. See you out there - be lucky and keep warm!

Remember its your home for the night so love it…not abuse it.

1 - Julian Cundiff 3 - Nash hot water bottle - Essential!

2 - No need to be cold or uncomfortable these days 4 - Some good reading helps to pass the hours of darkness but I’ve always got one eye on the Sirens!

BAIT BOX WHAT’S IN YOUR BAIT BUCKET?

Each month we take a sneaky look in the bait buckets belonging to our top anglers,

BOILIES ONLY - But if I’m fishing a ‘serious’ session on one of my syndicate waters I prefer to keep it simple and rely on a small repertoire of baits that will, if I fish well catch me some carp. I often fish with just boilies. Boilies are such a versatile bait, used as they come they are nuisance fish resistant and carp selective. If I need to use a particle approach I simply chop them up. Soaking the chopped baits in various additives will boost attraction and taste and also permeate the water from the lakebed to the surface with irresistible ‘eat me’ signals. In my opinion this is far more effective than any conventional seed or particle mix. If I need a ground bait or bag filling I crumb the baits up and I’m ready to go, it’s a simple approach but it works! 1. Its all good!

FINE TUNING - Pop ups - for occasional chod use, red baits seem to work well for me and they don’t come any more effective than the awesome Monster Squid. For balanced snow man presentations, white pop ups seem to pick out the better fish. I routinely coat all my pop ups and hook baits with Amino Liver Concentrate, this stuff is a real carp magnet

I rarely go fishing without maggots at any time of the year, they are always flavoured with Scopex and Intense Sweetener, flavoured maggots definitely get you more bites. Many anglers are put off from using the magic wriggly things because of problems with small nuisance species. But I’ve found that if you spread a few single heavily flavoured maggots around your swim, pretty much as far as your catapult will scatter them, roach and other small fish tend not to find them but the carp are drawn to them like magnets.

KEITH JONES - The contents of my bait bucket seems to change almost on a weekly basis these days, that’s because at Nash Bait the testing and development of new ingredients and products continues at a relentless pace. Gary’s knowledge and expertise regarding anything bait related is just incredible, he’s probably forgotten more about bait than I’ll ever know, so when he gives me something to test or suggests a new idea to try I already know its got great potential.

2. I think I need a bigger bucket

3. I like to use ‘The Monster’ on the chod!

Food and Boilie Dips are another bait bucket essential, I use a 50/50 mix of the two products during the warmer months and as temperatures start to decrease during the autumn I gradually reduce the amount of oily Boilie Dip until finally when water temperatures drop below 10 degrees C I use the Food Dip only. 4. Jam Jar for testing - balancing hook baits, bait bucket essential

5. Flavoured maggots - unbeatable

INDISPENSABLES - I always take a couple of packets of the new Fish Frenzy Squidgee mini boilies, I use these incredibly attractive tiny boilies in preference to pellets, carp find the more-ish taste and soft texture very attractive, once sampled they can become instantly addicted, its exciting to watch!

BAIT BOOSTERS - I particularly like prebaiting spots with soaked baits, if diving birds are a problem and the bait is eaten before the carp turn up, the dense residue left behind on the lake bed by the Food Dip keeps drawing the fish back to search for more.

Rummaging around in the bottom I’ve also found a rather battered tin of Sweetcorn and a part used bottle of Banana Oil which is used to flavour the corn, along with the maggots and Squidgees I rarely leave home without Sweetcorn.

There’s a few Soluballs in the bottom of my bucket, soaked Soluballs are particularly effective for pre baiting, once broken down, the birds never get it all and my baited spots stay attractive to carp between sessions, that’s a top tactic for the winter. There’s also a bag of Top Rod shelf life boilies in there, I nearly always use a mixture of shelf life and frozen baits for the simple reason that doing so catches me more carp. Shelf life boilie paste is another essential, the frozen paste we also make is more water soluble and possibly more attractive but the shelf life version can be left in there until needed without fear of it going off. Its such a useful product for boosting attraction, I’ve even boiled it on the bank in the kettle when I’ve needed an emergency special hook bait and its caught me bonus fish. Mind you it did make the next cup of tea taste a bit strange!

7. One of my favourite winter captures

6. I like to bait accurately in the margins, one bleep of the Siren and I know its game on!

PROPER ANGLING - For me a typical baiting situation at this time of the year will be Ten grains of Sweetcorn or Squidgees, a similar number of maggots, ten boilies of various shapes and sizes a few of which will be heavily soaked. All the baits will be scattered as single freebies and I’ll probably have two rods and two very different hook baits fished on the same spot. I’m very much a margin angler, even on big waters, unless there are obvious signs further out, I’m happiest fishing under the rod tips or to spots no further than an under arm flick. In essence I’m angling for carp I can see, if its not working I can change things around until it does, its a simple approach but it works for me anyway. There will be plenty of water born food smells wafting about which is usually just enough to persuade a lethargic winter carp to switch into search and feed mode. If the lake is within reasonable travelling distance my chosen spots will have been heavily baited between visits, so the fish will be used to finding regular food on them I’m afraid there’s nothing secret or ground breaking in the bucket, but it’s all good and I know that if I combine Nash Bait with a bit of half decent angling I’m bound to catch!

GOING THE

DISTAN

NCE

NASH CONSULTANT TERRY EDMONDS I’ve been asked to write an easy too understand article focussing on improving casting distance and technique, but first I’ll start by introducing myself. I honed my casting skills on the tournament field competing against some of the world’s best casters and have spent many hours perfecting methods and techniques that really work. I hold 3 official UK fixed spool records and 2 unofficial ones, I’ve won many club casting events competing against international casters and have a PB of over 287yds. I have also been carp fishing on and off for over 20 years ( in the breaks I’ve concentrated on other branches of the sport) and have caught UK and French 40 pounders. More recently I’ve employed my extensive knowledge gained in the field of rod design to advise and assist in the development of a new range of Nash rods and associated tackle, we’ve got some exciting products in the pipeline not to be missed, but I’ll have to tell you more about that another time. Step 1 - 5 Practice and technique is the key!

‘Practice makes perfect’

BACK TO BASICS

COMMON MISTAKES

‘Practice makes perfect’ or so the saying goes but with casting that only applies if we first perfect the technique.

During my tutorials these are the common mistakes that often need to be addressed. The right arm is often bent so the reel is nearly touching the head, the left arm is also bent level with the eyes which are looking towards the water, great for accuracy but useless for distance - this has to be changed!

In recent times I’ve read a lot of incorrect or inaccurate advice regarding casting so lets start by clarifying a few key points related to a simple over head cast. To maximise distance, the lead has to achieve the maximum arc in the shortest possible time. Within the limitations of each particular style, more arc equals more lead speed which in turn equals greater distance. Many anglers attending my tutorials struggle with accuracy and distance, although not suited to the big chuck, with the right approach the over head cast provides accuracy at the distances we often find ourselves fishing.

Combine this technique with a powerful distance set up and you will struggle to compress the rod, if you don’t compress it, it wont work for you.

‘if you don’t compress it, it wont work for you.’

‘guarantee you will improve your distance.’

GETTING IT RIGHT First hold your right arm up straight above your head, this creates a pivot point and a large arc and also an effective lever point. The left arm is held high and this is where the speed and power comes from, the right arm does virtually nothing in the cast, the power and speed is created by a very fast pull down with the left arm, this creates speed, arc and effective use of the rod, once perfected, compression with most carp rods is easily achieved. It will feel a little strange at first but spend 30 minutes casting like this and I guarantee you will improve your distance. I rarely see anglers using their body weight effectively when distance casting (running up to the edge of the lake and nearly launching yourself in doesn’t count !) to do this you must stand as you would for a standard cast but transfer all your body weight onto the rear leg, lifting the toes on your front leg will help this process, when you feel you are about to fall backwards - make the cast.

The lead should hang motionless below the rod, 90 degrees in relation to the tip and around 6 inches from the floor, this is important as any swaying of the lead will effect direction and timing. With your body weight back and your arms up high, the casting sequence begins. Big slow step forward Lean forward into the cast Now snap your left arm down into the left of your chest (near rib cage) By utilising the step and body weight you will pre load the tip with a relatively short power stroke, the power is transferred into the butt more quickly and the basic overhead cast now becomes a lot more efficient

‘the drop is never usually longer than the spigot’

TOP TIPS FOR GAINING THOSE EXTRA YARDS

THE DROP This is one of the most important aspects of any cast as it effects timing, height of cast and the feel of the rod but it can be fined tuned to suit each individual As a rule of thumb ‘the drop’ is never usually longer than the spigot but if the rod feels soft, you need to shorten it inch by inch until it feels right for you, for an over head cast ‘the drop’ should never be shorter than the first eye up from the spigot. Once you’ve found your own sweet spot, mark the blank with Tippex to ensure the perfect drop each cast.

1. Terry Edmonds,

Before you cast - arms up, look up and forward, around 45 degrees is the correct angle - weight on back foot, slow step forward, when front foot is planted pull that arm into your chest as fast as possible Remember all the power and speed comes from your left arm, the right arm is just a pivot point (reverse if you’re left handed) The drop is vitally important Use 3 ½ to 4 ounce leads Make sure your reels are properly filled to the lip

2. If the carp are showing at range can you reach them?,

3. Hitting the distance

‘guarantee you will improve your distance.’

SAFETY To minimise the chance of a snap off always use a shock leader - I recommend at least 0.40mm mono or a good 50lb + braid If using braid use a length of anti - tangle tubing or leadcore to protect the fish during the fight Length of shock leader - 4 turns of the spool through the full length of the rod and down to the butt eye Protect your fingers - a leather Finger stall is another ‘must have’ item Be aware of who/what may enter the danger zone when casting, walkers, wildlife and other anglers could all be in the firing line - be careful!

4. Watch those fingers!

5. Terry Edmonds

We’ve only scratched the surface with casting but I’m always here to help and advise, whether its advanced overhead casting, tackle choice, spodding, pva bagging, rigs for long range fishing, feel free to e-mail me Telrck1@aol.com I also run comprehensive distance fishing Tuition, this also gives you the chance to try the latest ground breaking Nash tackle and Shimano reels while improving your distance with the current holder of the biggest UK fixed spool cast. www.nashtackle.co.uk Good luck & happy casting

HIGHS AND LOWS MATCH FISHING WITH BILLY FLOWERS AND JAMIE LONDORS

‘first night, we’d had nine fish on the zigs’

BROADLANDS

BARSTON LAKES

WALTHAMSTOW First up, the BCAC. It all started at Walthamstow reservoirs where we drew a good peg coming out in fourth place. We chose a swim known as ‘the short chuck’, knowing that in the second part of the match, the wind would be blowing our way. We started well, with Jamie taking a fish within the first two minutes of the match. By the first night, we’d had nine fish on the zigs, putting us in second place but during the night we only caught one further fish which left us on the second morning in fifth place, which was our qualifying position. We caught a few more fish throughout the day on the zigs, but a change of tactics was needed. On the final evening we changed to yellow pop ups over a spodded area. This tactic served us well, as by the end of the match we were up to 262lb 9oz, putting us in first place!

Second up, the semi-final at Barston Lakes. We drew well, coming third out of the bag. We chose to fish the fountain end of the lake, and were confident that we would qualify and win it from there. Having fished Barston before, we knew that plenty of bait ( and I mean plenty!) and a lot of hard work was needed to qualify. We started off by fishing a boilies only approach, we used 15 and 20mms put out with the Cobra Sticks. 7 hours into the match we realised that we were not getting enough bait out quick enough with the stick, so we switched to spodding. We opted to fish solid bags with in-line leads, size 8 Fang X’s with armour braid hook links. The hook baits were tipped off with Mutant Corn, and dipped prior to casting for added attraction. We sat in second for almost the whole match, which was good enough to qualify for the final at Broadlands!

For us it was a bad draw, the worst we felt throughout the whole of the BCAC this year. Not to be down-hearted, we knew we had the ability, the confidence, the bait and the tackle to do well. We were hemmed in with people each side of us, leaving us in the middle of the island. We knew we’d get a spell where we’d have a good hit, so we would have to hold the fish for as long as we could, and be prepared. The first night, we had two fish, putting us in third place. By the following morning we’d been knocked down to seventh place. We then had to wait until 3pm for a hit of five fish in an hour, taking us back up to second place, a single fish behind first, exciting stuff! Unfortunately we only had one more bite that night, and by the morning we were knocked down to third. We had another fish but unfortunately it snagged us up before the end of the match, leaving us in third place on the podium. But we’d fished well and given it our best shot and were more than happy considering the draw. All in all it’s been a good year in the BCAC and we’re already looking forward to the next one!

MASTERS In between the BCACs, we did the Midlands Masters but because of London traffic we missed the draw. we got there 30 minutes before the horn was due to blow, signalling the start of the match! We rushed to the swim and gut stuck in and within 6 hours we had a nice weight of 85lb, putting us in first place. By the next morning we were lying in second, about 60lb behind the O’Connors. We knew that a lot of pole anglers fish this lake so at this point we started sticking baits out closer in. The match really kicked in for us from there, and we finished in first place with 514lb of carp.

1 + 2. Billy and Jamie 3. Come on England! 4. 5. 6. Match success 7. Essential tools 8. Well impressed! 9. Diffusion gave us an edge

TAKING ON THE WORLD! World Carp Championships, Oxford Linear fisheries. Going into this match we’d had a lot of practice on B1, B2 and Hardwick/Smiths which are all lakes on the complex. We were not too fussed about which lake we drew, because we were confident that we would do well for the team on any of the lakes. We drew Hardwick/Smiths and were pegged on the Hardwick bank which we were more than happy with, as it gave us a lot of open water to go at. We only had to wait 2 hours into the match for our first take, but lost the fish to a cut off. We managed to find two areas with the marker rod, one at 130yards, and one at 90yards range, which we baited with 12 spods of mixed particles, hemp, salmon crumb, chops, sweetcorn, and white, orange and yellow boilies. This gave us the option of experimenting with hook bait colour if we needed to.

We had to wait until the following morning for our first fish, which put us in third place. The following night we had another two fish, putting us in first place. All fish were coming to the white Monster Squid. So going into the last night, we knew that if we could catch another two fish we’d have a good chance of winning our section. The night was fishless but we were still in first place. We had to wait until 9am the following morning for our next take, but it kept us ahead! We knew we were not safe yet, and fished our hearts out for the last fish which would give us our section win. Unfortunately the South Africans caught one, 30 minutes before the end of the match, putting them just a kilo in front of us, this is how the match ended, and we were absolutely gutted!

‘within 6 hours we had a nice weight of 85lb’

A GOOD YEAR It might sound as if we’ve finished at a low point but that’s the nature of match fishing for carp, you take the draw and what’s given and you give it your best shot. We’ve fished through some difficult times this year but we‘ve really enjoyed the experience. Super sharp Fang hooks, Armour Braid and Diffusion Leaders and rig components have given us a real edge. Everywhere we’ve fished the carp have been straight on the bait, so we’ve gone into matches feeling confident of success. But its not just about piling plenty in, getting the baiting levels right and knowing when to make changes has also been a major factor. As always it’s been a massive learning curve and we never stop experimenting and looking for ways to improve our game. And as for 2011 - bring it on!

Bren

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The Biggest Event in Carp Fishing

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29-30th January 2011

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT HONE YOUR WATERCRAFT AND ANGLING SKILLS WITH TOP TIPS FROM THE NASH TEAM

SPODDING As well as being the ideal tool for mass or heavy baiting on a runs water or when the carp are really on the feed, during the colder months the spod also really comes into its own for accurate light baiting of winter hot spots. One cast job done! Practice is the key to accurate bait delivery, time spent practicing and developing a smooth and consistent casting action will make accurate effective bait application a simple operation. On weedy waters use a Nash Ultimate Weed Marker to reliably identify and mark feeding spots. The Ultimate Maker can be dragged through the thickest of weed and when a feeding spot or interesting feature is located, the float will rise effortlessly to the surface.

SPODDING

To maximize accuracy and reliability use a purpose designed spod rod, a basic big pit real with a dependable track record will provide reliable stress free casting and retrieval Advanced aerodynamics allow the Cobra Deliverance Dart and Distance Spods to deliver the pay load effortlessly and accurately to extreme range, if you are serious about long range spodding, these are the Spods to use. The Deliverance Dumpster has a huge capacity; one cast will effectively bait a feeding spot, with practice, the Dumpster can be ‘feathered down’ on impact to create almost zero disturbance To avoid cuts and abrasions always ensure that the reel clutch is fully tightened to eliminate line slippage on the cast

To minimize the chance of injury always use a finger stool or casting glove

To avoid crack offs always use a spod leader capable of withstanding the forces applied during the casting of a fully loaded spod and regularly check all knots and joints. Reduce stress on the main line leader joint by ensuring the knot is wound onto the spool by three turns prior to casting

A Low diameter leader such as 40lb Armourbraid will increase accuracy in windy conditions Maximize/optimize casting weight by adding lake water to the loaded spod prior to casting

To eliminate ‘in flight spillage’ use a small amount of lightly dampened maize meal or ground bait to plug the end of the spod.

a k

1. Bang on the spot! 2. The perfect combination 3. Dumpster, Distance and Dart 4. Advance aero dynamic design 5. Look after those knots! 6. Plug the end to avoid spillage

GAIN AN EDGE WITH THE SIREN RS-1 Oh no not another bite alarm! Actually the new Siren RS-1 is much more than just another bite alarm, a bullet roof construction, prism wheel illumination, stealth function, integrated bobbin attachment and remote functions for volume, tone and sensitivity combine to make The Siren RS-1 the most advanced bite indication system in the world today. Screw in stainless snag ears ensure rock solid rod location. Split prism illuminated wheel provides intensive visual indication, visible from any angle even in the brightest of conditions. Five prism and bobbin colour options allow the Siren owner to customise or personalise his alarms Dedicated integrated bobbin system makes all other indicators obsolete The RS-1 is the first alarm with a two way radio system which allows volume, tone and sensitivity to be adjusted via the remote receiver from the comfort of your bivvy Advanced sensitivity adjustment has been designed and developed specifically with pressured riggy carp in mind. False bleeps from wind, weed movement and under tow can be eliminated from the equation, making carp activity and potential pick ups much easier to identify. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Readingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; the Siren RS-1 is proven to put more carp on the bank

1 Sirens put more carp on the bank - fact! 2. Advanced remote functions - another Nash innovation 3. Get organised with a Body Guard 4. Much more than a bum bag! 5. Flexible options 6. All seasons protection 7. Oval Plus - hard core! 8. Double Top two man - spread yourself out or invite a friend!

BOMB PROOF AND BUG PROOF! THE DOUBLE TOP EXTREME TWO MAN The ground breaking Double Top range has been in production for over five years, it was the first shelter to have a totally independent fully sealable fitted inner mesh capsule. The Double Top can be erected with the inner capsule already fitted which allows for a simple and super fast set up, much faster in fact than any standard twin skin pram hood type design. Double Tops are renowned for their ease of operation, build quality extensive features and an ability to stand up to the worst that nature can throw at it. Even in the worst winter conditions the Double Top creates a unique condensation free micro climate perfect for the long session dedicated winter carp angler. The versatile Two Man version is particularly spacious and perfect for foreign trips and long sessions at home, the Two Man really is a shelter for all reasons and all seasons! A joint campaign makes cold water carping a much more enjoyable experience so why not share a swim and a Double Top Two Man with a friend this winter?

YOU NEED A BODY GUARD The multifunctional body guard can be worn as a waist belt, shoulder bag or clipped to the side of your Indulgence bed chair. Not to be confused with a conventional ‘bum bag’ the Body Guard provides safe and secure storage for phone, passport wallet and a host of other carp fishing essentials.

GO ON INDULGE YOURSELF! The Indulgence Air-Light Sleeping System is a serious bed chair and a new and unique concept. Unlike conventional ‘bed and bag’ combinations that have to be carried separately, the Sleeping System consists of two ultra warm zip on and off water proof peach skin covered upper layers that zip directly to the skirt of the bed chair. A detachable peach skin pillow, Air Flow base and ultra comfortable mattress provide unrivalled comfort. The Air Light SS provides flexible sleeping options plus easy and compact transport. Flexible all-season’s warmth and comfort and the legendary Indulgence strength and build quality combine in one unbeatable package, why use anything else?

LOOK COOL AND STAY WARM! Many carp anglers fish short day sessions during the colder months and this is when the Oval Plus really comes into its own. The Oval Plus is also the first choice all-seasons shelter for the hard core carper who likes to keep it simple or stay on the move. The tough Ultra lightweight Oval Plus can be erected and taken down in seconds and slipped into a rod sling for a rapid move or pack up. The Oval Plus is a ‘cult’ brolly that provides a surprisingly high level of comfort and shelter from cold wind and rain. Used and adored by many of this country’s top carpers, the Oval Plus is a carp fishing classic, if you are a brolly fan, this one comes highly recommended!

December 2010

E-ZINE

NASH www.nashtackle.co.uk www.nashtv.co.uk