CC191 sample

WIN A CASTING LESSON WITH TERRY EDMONDS + THREE NASH RODS WORTH OVER £320!

No.191 July 2013 July 2013 | Issue 191 | £4.10

HOW TO

Conquer Smaller Waters

craftycarper.co

ALSO FEATURING

DAVE MAGALHAES MARTIN BOWLER JULIAN CUNDIFF DARRELL PECK ROB HUGHES

Iain Macmillan reveals all the secrets you need to achieve success Get Crafty... GET CATCHING!

E F RE N G I F I S H £86

TH WOR VERY E FO R D E R !

A RE

On sale June 19th – July 24th 2013

Heavy Hookbaits The very latest tactic to fool ultra-wary carp, Ian Stott shows you how to make your own CARPERS’ KIT

craftycarper.co

THE £100+ THROWING STICK ON TEST Is it really worth the money?

HOW TO FISH THE BEACH CASTER / WORKING THE WATER COLUMN / UNDERSTANDING THE MOON

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Crafty Carper /// Issue 191 /// July 2013 /// www.craftycarper.co What’s on this month’s cover...

81

Nash Competition Here’s your chance to win a set of three

Nash Entity rods as well as a day’s casting

Front cover: Iain Macmillan with a lovely common from a small day ticket fishery.

139

How To Conquer Smaller Waters Iain Macmillan

CRAFTY COLUMNISTS

11

Editorial James Turner

Our esteemed editor celebrates the fact that summer has finally

If small day ticket waters are your usual haunt

arrived, and talks about a recent

tuition with tournament casting supremo

then you’ll find all the information you could

session on the Mangrove with

and Nash rod developer Terry Edmonds.

ever need to conquer them on page 139.

Tim Paisley and Ian Chillcott.

157

Diary of an Everyday Carp Angler

Julian Cundiff Jules has been out there doing it in his own inimitable way, getting on the bank as often as his ridiculously busy schedule allows.

OUT & ABOUT

13

The Traveller Mark Bartlett

Bart returns to an old haunt, Christchurch on the Linch Hill complex, in Oxfordshire. Would he manage to bank one of the venue’s famous residents?

90

The TicketMaster We highlight four venues from

around the UK, with the chance of 24 hours’ free fishing on all of them.

INTERACTIVE

26

Crafty Catch Column This is your chance to get

your catch pictures published, so send them in to us, and you’re in with the chance of a great Mainline Baits prize.

71

The Question Is This month’s carping

conundrums, answered by our panel of experts.

144

Subs Offer Marukyu

Fed up of going to the newsagents?

Let us deliver Crafty straight to your door, and we’ll also give you a load of Marukyu goodies.

152

Inbox

105

In Focus – Century Century’s new Stealth Throwing

Stick is put under the Crafty microscope. It

6

19

Heavy Hookbaits When it comes to having an

Send us your letters, stories

and pictures, and we’ll print the ones we like. We’ve got news stories from

edge and helping you catch more carp,

around the world, and Robbo tells us

costs over £100 so we gave it a thorough

this crafty little trick from Ian Stott will

about a recent jaunt to Alderfen.

going over to see if it’s really worth it.

definitely up your hooking potential.

Crafty Carper

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Contents /// July 2013 CARPERS’ KIT

99

Carpers’ Kit Rich gives his verdict on

BEHIND THE SCENES AT CRAFTY CARPER

Highlights of the month…

SONIK’s NCT rods, and we take a look at the best new products around.

82 FEATURES

31

The Great Crafty Debate This month we

115

When in the water for some

Dave Magalhaes

time, there’s got to be time

Moon phases and catching carp

discuss whether hookbait

have often been discussed, and

buoyancy really matters.

here Dave gives his thoughts

36

on this fascinating subject.

Angling Through The Seasons: Part 3

Martin Bowler Martin looks at angling in the

121

Underwater Revelations Rob Hughes

Rob once again dons his diving gear

summer, and as ever, it will open

to take a close look at what goes on

your eyes to another world.

below the surface of a carp lake.

43

Crafty Carper Under-21s Jack Gardner

Jack Gardner returns to a local venue which started his love of carp fishing, and goes on the hunt for some of the lake’s biggies.

49

Beat the Crowds Kristian Morris

128

On The Move Darrell Peck

Pecky explains why being mobile can up your catch rate.

162

We put Prologic-backed angler

CARP FOOD

55

Carp Food Joe Turnbull gives us some

floaters with a Goo-ey difference, and

Carp actually spend the vast majority

Brad Greening gives the low-down

of their time up in the water, so

on the new Essential IB pop-ups.

77

59

Carp Food Special

Improve Your Distance Casting

our review of the new Fox Zig Disc.

109

In Focus – Ace The Razorpoint

hooks from Ace are scrutinised, and boy are they sharp!

111

Oh Dear...

Ken South models the new

In Focus – 30Plus

30Plus Australian-style hats

30Plus have a new

incorporating fluoro stick

range of Kodex luggage out now.

mixes rather than corks.

113

In Focus – Chub As a means for conveying

your precious rods, you’ll not go far wrong with the Vantage Rod

to get the best results possible

Chris explains how to target them.

Is Zigging your thing?

Then you’ll definitely want to read

won’t tug on the purse strings.

copes with our probing questions.

Chris Harris

In Focus – Fox

Interrogation

Steve Micklethwaite

Kristian and Matt reveal how

Working the Water Column

107

It’s strong top-quality gear that

Steve in the spotlight to see how he

62

to break for a cuppa.

The Five-Minute

and Matt Powles

on busy day ticket waters.

Hughes Brews

Carping By The Moon

Munch Baits

Team Crafty takes a closer look

Sleeves. Read the full review here.

134

Learn About Hook-

It’s Kicking Off!

Sharpening

Out angling for the day with

The Crafty guide to keeping your

Tim and Chilly, something

hooks in tip-top condition.

aggravated the big man!

149

We’ve put together

a collection of the best deals

Terry Edmonds

at the unique RedStench range

currently on offer from some of the

Turn to page 77 for some

of boilies from Munch Baits.

best retailers in the business.

cracking advice from one of the

Beware – he’s scary with a knife.

Mega Deals

COMPETITION WINNERS Competition winners from Crafty Carper May issue 189

Nash Competition

How do you stay one step ahead

The three winners each receive a Nash Double Top Bivvy worth over £400.00.

Rob Olford, Gillingham, Kent.

Karl Davies, Brierley Hill, West Midlands.

Tony Morris, Luton, Beds.

of other anglers? Roy reveals

Wychwood Competition

best casters in the game.

84

Thinking Outside The Box Roy Russell

The four winners each receive a pair of Wychwood Solace Big Pit 65FS Reels, worth £99.99 each.

some secrets that may just help.

96

BYCAC 2013

Tony Preston, Whitefield, Manchester.

Beating BYCAC

Andrew Cox, Tonbridge, Kent.

Marshals and past champions give us their top tips for fishing the BYCAC.

121

Matthew Hammond, Crawley, West Sussex.

Matthew Richardson, Oxley, Wolverhampton.

Crafty Carper 006-007_Conts_CC191.indd 2

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MARTIN BOWLER | PART THREE: SUMMER Another month has passed and the seasons are changing. Martin looks at his own exploits over the last month, as well as what’s going on around him at this time of year.

T

he harder I try the luckier

came when a gravel patch

I get, of that there is no

I had baited with

doubt, but occasionally a

the S-Core boilies

capture definitely lies at the feet

disappeared. Not

of the carp gods rather than mine,

only was every

and I’m thankful for their blessing.

spherical shape

Despite the time of year, the

gone, but also the

as something searched frenziedly

hours, but I had a doubt that the

for every last morsel of food.

lake’s biggest inhabitants would

“From my position I could see no actual sign of fish but a move was a certainty”

From my position I could see no actual sign of

I never get too comfortable in a

fish but a move was a

swim, so leaving it isn’t an arduous

certainty. Just like my

task; before long the wind was

quarry, I wanted to

left behind, to be replaced by a

vacate the windward

peninsular running out into the

nagging north wind had a bitter

wall of Canadian

edge to it that soon saw my quarry

pondweed that

backing off and searching for

surrounded the stony

for baited rigs. Pieces

seclusion. At first I could only guess

bottom perimeter had

of yellow foam had been

this was the case, until confirmation

been flattened or ripped up

36

find it as appealing as a boilie.

bank and swap the Zigs

successful over the previous 24

north end of the pit. This was the closest fishable point to the scene of the activity I had witnessed, albeit 200 yards away. Now let

Crafty Carper

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me declare that I am a pathetic longrange caster, due to a lack of physical power and, more importantly, a lack of practice. Give me catapult range every day, although I knew full well it wasn’t going to cut it on this trip. If at this point you’re expecting me to talk about shockleaders, streamline setups and giant butt eyes, I‘m sorry to disappoint, because instead I got my boat out and attached the electric motor. Cheating? Of course not, it was within the rules and I was happy to do it. As long as these key points apply then that is all that matters, and for those who would claim carp caught via such methods don’t count, I ask – count for what? Angling is a personal challenge where you set the parameters, be it time or tactics.

Fishing at such range over vast beds of Canadian pondweed needed a considered approach and lots of braid on the reel. Losing the lead immediately was of paramount importance, and for this task there’s nothing better than the E-S-P Ejector Lead Clip that I combined with 1.5m of the company’s leadcore. The hooklength also needed to cope with the conditions; 20lb brown Strip Teaze and a Size 4 Drennan Continental boilie hook fitted the bill.

A Snowman Rig made up of a dense and pop-up boilie was also in order, which once slipped on the Hair saw me ready to set sail with only one more very important item – a life jacket. The handle was turned on the motor and my craft cut a V into the water. On looking back down the pit, the wind was still pounding the south shore and momentarily I doubted my plan – had they really forsaken the white-capped waves? Considering the situation for the rest of my journey, I had to find conviction to carry on and it came when I reached the gravel spot. Now, with only 7ft of gin-clear water between me and it, I could see the feeding frenzy of the night before much better. The stones shone, freshly turned, and the weed had been obliterated in places. I was certain this was the right place to be and all my misgivings faded away.

Whether you drop your rig in via boat or cast it, consideration should always be given where it is placed because finding the optimum position always pays dividends. In this case the zone was approximately 6ft square, but it was vital that my bait sat on the edge of the gravel closest to my bankside position. I like to have the bait sitting at the furthest point away from me and then everything working back in a straight line; the lead came next, just at the point where stones merged with silt, and then the leadcore bisected the exact area where

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ANGLER PROFILE

Chris Harris ...........................

Age 29 ...........................

Hometown

Bedworth ...........................

Occupation

Electrician ...........................

UK PB

48lb 10oz ...........................

Favourite venue

Wellington Country Park ...........................

Rods

SONIK sk4 ...........................

Reels

Shimano Technium ...........................

Alarms

Delkim Txi-Plus

Carp probably only spend about 10% of their time on the bottom of the lake picking up food, so why do we spend 90% of our time angling for them there? Chris Harris takes a look at how to target the carp throughout the layers, not just on the bottom.

I

guarantee that most anglers reading this will have spent most of their time fishing where

the carp aren’t present. For many anglers, even if they locate the fish at the start of the session, there are two possible lines of attack – either fishing for them on the surface or on the lakebed. Don’t get me wrong, these are two great places to present hookbaits, but what many don’t consider is everything in between, which is where the carp spend the vast majority of their time, not least

ABOVE In really cold conditions you’ll very rarely find the carp on the lakebed.

ABOVE When you see carp like this, don’t forget that there may be others a little deeper.

because this area makes up most of their underwater environment.

hour to the next. The two biggest

in the shallower areas of lakes

carp, as you will find that a pattern

factors are water temperature and

during the day as the temperatures

emerges because certain conditions

water column the carp are most

air pressure, which directly affects

increase throughout spring and into

dictate where you’ll find the carp.

comfortable, and therefore spend

water pressure. Of course, the depth

summer. I suggest you keep a record

Armed with this information, you’ll be

their time, and this can change during

of the water targeted also plays a

of temperatures, pressures, and

one step ahead of the other anglers

the course of a day, even from one

large part; for example, carp gather

where and at what depths you catch

on your water, and will often be able

Many factors affect where in the

62

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Working The Water Column Chris Harris

to get in a position where the carp

surface looking for food. In order to

are likely to turn up before anybody

make the most of our time on the

else twigs it. You will also be able

bank, it would make sense for us to

to make the most of your time on the bank, as you’ll have a great idea of where you should be fishing in any given conditions.

Zig Rigs are the obvious answer for targeting carp midwater, which I’ll get to in a little

target the fish in this no-man’sland between lakebed and surface. Carp are

“In order to make the most of our time on the bank, it would make sense for us to target the fish in this no-man’s-land between lakebed and surface”

while, but this article is about more than just

nomadic creatures, and particularly as the water temperatures continue to rise, they become more active and are likely to pass through your

swim numerous times throughout a session,

Zigs. The key is to understand that

probably unbeknown to you because

the carp spend most of their time at

they are too deep to see and not

varying depths in the water column,

on the lakebed picking up baits.

and not hugging the lakebed or

So, what can you do about it?

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When it comes to thinking outside the box to get one step ahead of the other anglers on a water, Roy Russell does it on a regular basis, so who better to show you a few edges and put you in front?

ANGLER PROFILE

Roy Russell Age 40-ish Hometown

Walsall

Occupation

Angling coach UK PB

41lb 4oz Favourite venue

Baden Hall Rods

Greys X-Flite MAIN PIC The Beach Caster in action. I

Reels

Shimano Big Pit Baitrunner Alarms

Wychwood Epic

84

use a Wychwood MLT 13ft 3.5lb rod.

It’s heart-pounding when you see the take. Scan the QR code above using your Smartphone to check out Kev Hewitt’s video of the Beach Caster in action on YouTube.

Crafty Carper

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Thinking Outside The Box

Roy Russell

F

ollowing on from my writings featured in the May issue of Crafty, I was asked to do a

piece on some of the rigs featured, and an old-school classic that is hardly used today. Writing it is far harder than actually showing or telling someone, and I am no English teacher, so thank goodness for the patience of editors like James.

What Makes Success?

Rigs and end tackle have always been a massive part of my success, as well as two other factors – bait and watercraft.

With the boom of carp fishing over the past 10-15 years, fishing tackle has gone to other levels and the terminal tackle is mind-blowing for any novice wanting to take up fishing in general.

I don’t think there is too much left to develop when it comes to the main items of tackle you can purchase, other than to make something even better.

When it comes to terminal tackle ABOVE Perfect conditions for

there are still plenty of good working

years, I have grown with it all and

products yet to be developed, and I

learnt so much. To be successful

know this because I have just designed

on any water now you need

20 for the end tackle company I work

to either think for yourself or

for. They are all products I thought of

become a complete angler.

to help my own angling and catch more

What I mean by this is to try to

fish, not just to catch anglers buying

learn every method and tactic

them. The banks are fuller every year

you can, from stalking and

surface throughout spring

and the fish are really pressured on

surface fishing to long-range

and summer. If I had a quid

a daily basis. As one angler goes out

bag fishing, Zig fishing, etc. As

another one moves in, sometimes not

much as it works slinging some

knowing how much bait has gone in

Chods out and sticking a few baits

before them and where it is. Having

round it for instant fishing, there are

done the day ticket scene for over 25

a wider range of presentations and

trying some floaters, and the perfect Beach Caster water if they start taking a few.

LEFT A close-up of how

I fish my hookbait on the Beach Caster.

for how many anglers asked us what the hell it was and could we show them, I would be a rich man. Then it started to get banned on a few lakes, which I think

methods to carp fishing. In life a lot of

was down to regular anglers on waters

things go full circle, especially fashion,

getting a bit miffed with how many fish

but terminal tackle and bait will always

Old Methods Go Full Circle

we caught on our first visits, though

be striving to improve and have newer

There are a few rigs and methods used

I don’t think the Black Country accent

ideas. It is the most important bit on

in angling that although over 30 years

went down well a lot of the time.

the end of the rod. At the end of the

old, can always make a comeback, and I

day, I just wonder what the next trend

use them and catch well, so I know. One

few of the pressured waters today, if

will be, or will an old-school method or

such method is the old-school Beach

it’s allowed that is, and with most of

Caster Rig. This old-style suspended

the fish in the country being caught on

bait presentation was first developed,

new methods day in, day out, the Beach

or at least started its life, at Cuttle

Caster could be another advantage.

Mill Fishery maybe around 30 years

It could also help you put a few extra

ago. When I switched over from match

fish on the bank this summer, as well

fishing after 25 years I was shown

as being great adrenaline fun. Back in

rig make a comeback?

the Beach Caster by a good

misunderstood method of fishing, and it

met on our local estate pond

still seems the same today. I personally

showed me the setup and on

three off the top at Christchurch.

the day the Beach Caster was a bit of a

friend, Barry Aldridge, who I which had a few carp in it. Baz

ABOVE Nothing off the bottom but

This could be your advantage on a

think it’s a completely safe setup, and one that can be easily learned. It can

our travels I tweaked it to how I fish it

even be fished with a drop-off lead if

now. We went to so many places back

needs be, which seems to be the trend

then and just destroyed them on the

today. If there is a fair bit of weed

“There are a few rigs and methods used in angling that although over 30 years old, can always make a comeback, and I use them and catch well, so I know”

or water plants present in the lake then I would fish a drop-off lead; if it was too bad I wouldn’t fish it at all.

Linch Hill Fishery recently opened its gates to day ticket fishing on Christchurch and Willow, after years of being syndicate waters.

The last time it was a day ticket

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Carping By The Moon

Dave Magalhaes

116

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Carping By The Moon

Dave Magalhaes

MAIN PIC The Road Lakes’

Clover at 42lb 2oz, which came a couple of days after a new moon.

THIS PIC The Road Lakes’

Big Dink, again just after a new moon.

My Own Early Experience More often than not, I’m the first to question or disregard statements of fact and hearsay. This isn’t out of spite or because I’m trying to be awkward, it’s because a lot of what is said these days stems from hypothetical thoughts and a strange desire for wanting to sound knowledgeable. You only have to watch carp at close quarters for a short space of time to quickly rule out much of what is taken as fact. I don’t claim to be an expert when it comes to carp and their habits, but I do spend an awful lot of time just watching and observing my quarry. This not only drastically cuts down the amount of time needed to catch a specific fish, but I also find it incredibly relaxing. Many years ago now, when I was still in my teens, I remember an angler mentioning the moon and how it affects everything around the world, including carp. He must have been talking for about 2 minutes before I switched off and everything after that went straight over my head. It seems a little ironic that some 13 or 14 years down the line, I’m talking about something that I

“As crazy as it may sound, I’m a firm believer that there is some form of hierarchy in each lake, but more so in the lower-stocked venues”

thought was a little far-fetched! I’m quickly going to mention here that I actually spend very little time on the bank fishing; as a general rule I aim for about 30-40 nights a year, of which the vast majority are overnighters, although having said that, I do spend a lot of time walking venues and watching the fish. I’m not sure if that makes my own findings better or worse than the guys who do much more time; I

can only go by what I’ve experienced myself.

Is It a Myth?

So where do I start without boring you to death with facts and figures about the moon? Is it all just folklore and myths or is there really something in it? To be honest, I’m not even going to try to sound clever, firstly because I’m not educated enough about the moon, and secondly, because the more I looked into it, the more lost I became! All I do know is that there are four primary phases of the moon – new moon, first quarter, full moon and last quarter. The new moon and the full moon are the two phases that interest me. Over the years, they are undoubtedly the two phases that anglers discuss the most and with much debate. In fact, thinking back, I vaguely remember a few bits of writing from some of the more experienced carp anglers who have been around a long time, and I’m sure that the general feeling was that a full moon is a poor time to be fishing. For a long time, and up until very recently, when I started looking into my own captures, I was a firm believer that a full moon was better for big commons and a new moon was better for big mirrors. Before I go any further, I’m not talking about carp across the board here, but purely the biggest in each lake. As crazy as it may sound, I’m a firm believer that there is some form of hierarchy in each lake, but more so in the lower-stocked venues. Again, this has come about from a hell of a lot of time watching fish in various venues over the years. Anyway, whilst writing this I actually Googled the date and moon phase of every big ’un I’ve targeted since first using a digital camera in 2006. Obviously, when you set up a digital camera, you set the time and date, so every capture has the date logged when uploaded onto a PC or laptop. What surprised me the most was that all (except for two) of my captures of the lake’s biggest residents fell on the couple of days around a new and full moon. The most productive times, without a doubt, were the three days following a new moon.

In fact, I even checked the captures of friends and they were the same, except for one!

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ANGLER PROFILE

Darrell Peck ...........................

Age 31 ...........................

Hometown

Chelmsford ...........................

Occupation

Angling consultant ...........................

UK PB

65lb 4oz ...........................

Favourite venue

North Met Pit ...........................

Rods

DF Infinity 12ft 3.75lb ...........................

Reels

Daiwa QDX ...........................

Alarms

Delkim Tx-i

128

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On The Move

Darrell Peck

OnThe Move When it comes to taking a mobile approach, Darrell Peck has used it to his advantage many times, and caught some big fish along the way. If you want to learn a thing or two about keeping mobile, read on.

B

eing mobile and keeping on your toes

pegs. On this particular venue the banks

can certainly put extra fish on the

were high and the water was crystal-clear. If I

bank, and it’s one of my favourite

hadn’t seen fish in my swim for an hour or so,

ways of angling. Looking back at my time on

they must have been somewhere else, and

the Essex Manor syndicate, it was without

usually it didn’t take too long to find them.

doubt the most effective tactic during the

I would climb trees, and I regularly located

spring months. The carp were constantly on

them clouding the water around one of the

the move to avoid the angling pressure, and

lake’s many reedbeds; in this situation a

often this would determine their location. The

quick move often produced an almost instant

weather did have an effect on where they

take. Once I realised this, my approach

wanted to be, but if they felt pressured they

was adapted so I could move quickly and

would be on their way and, more often than

take advantage. In this article I’ll go over

not, they would turn up in front of the empty

a few of the key points for being mobile.

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The Urban Myth by

Terry Dempsey

T

he Urban Myth is the book everybody has been waiting for, about a young angler named Terry Dempsey who grew up with a passion to go off in search of the most prized carp in the country. You will be taken on a journey over three decades, starting from the days when pioneering with baits and rigs was the only way. Terry has written the book in story form about the trials and tribulations he encountered on the way to his quest, while fishing lakes such as Darenth, Yateley, Longfield, Johnsons, Wraysbury and many more. This book is a must-read, as you, the reader, will be able to taste the true magic within its pages.

£30.00

+ £2.95 P&P “Some things are worth waiting for and Terry’s book is all I dreamed of and more. The fish, the venues, the escapades, all in one magnificent book that surpassed even my hopes. For all those who are bored of the ‘same fish, different angler’ books, this is for you. I don’t buy many books but even I dipped into my wallet for this... Enough said” IN

EEK’S FISH A W IN G

W

Julian Cundiff

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06/06/2013 10:36