EXPERT TIPS WITH HOW TO LOCATE TEAM CRAFTY FISH THIS WINTER
CATCH CARP ON THE CHEAP!
No.197 January 2014
January 2014 | Issue 197 | £4.10
HIGH-ATTRACT
HOOKBAITS Get Crafty... GET CATCHING!
Frank Warwick reveals his most successful recipes
craftycarper.co
SCALING
DOWN Jake Wildbore on smaller hooks and lighter hooklinks
GET ON THE
GOOTS Maggot-fishing edges with Mark Pitchers
INNER-CITY
CARPING
NEW4 201 R GEA craftycarper.co 001_Cover_CC197.indd 1
On sale Dec 18th 2013 – Jan 21st 2014
Find out how Alfie Russell catches so many park lake stunners
P LU S : F RE E F I S H I N G F O R E VE RY RE A D E R 06/12/2013 14:38
Crafty Carper /// Issue 197 /// January 2014 /// www.craftycarper.co On the cover: Jake Wildbore with one of a number of fish taken whilst shooting this month’s feature about scaling down.
110
My Favourite High-attract Hookbaits
118
Cost-effective Carping Team Crafty
Frank Warwick
Carp angling isn’t the cheapest of sports
When it comes to creating highly attractive hookbaits, Frank Warwick is well known for it, so the man himself
or pastimes, but follow our tips on page
gives us some of his secrets, which have taken years,
117 and we’ll show that you don’t have
not hours, to find. Knowledge is power, and Frank
to spend the earth to catch carp, or even
has it in abundance when it comes to hookbaits.
get into carp angling in the first place.
CATCH CARP W TO LOCATE ON THE CHEAP! EXPERT TIPS WITH HO R H THIS WINTE FIS TY AF CR TEAM No.197 January 2014
CRAFTY COLUMNISTS.
7
Editorial
craftycarper.co January 2014 | Issue
James Turner
197 | £4.10
Editor James looks at what’s in store for you in this issue, as well as looking forward to the new year ahead.
HIGH-ATTRACT
HOOKBAITS
HING ! Get Craft y... GET CATC
Frank Warwick reveals his most successful recipes
123
SCALING
Diary of an Everyday Carp Angler
DOWN
Julian Cundiff In spite of his full-time job and busy schedule, Jules still gets out
Jake Wildbore on smaller hooks and lighter hooklinks
every week and keeps on catching them. Although winter has arrived it doesn’t stop our man Julian.
GET ON THE
GOOTS
OUT AND ABOUT.
86
The TicketMaster
Maggot-fishing edges with Mark Pitchers
As ever we’ve featured
day ticket fisheries from up and
INNER-CITY
down the UK, not to mention the
CARPINeG
fact that some of them are offering free fishing for this festive period.
Find out how Alfi Russell catches so many park lake stunners
– Jan 21st 2014
INTERACTIVE.
On sale Dec 18th 2013
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ADER I N G F O R E VE RY RE P LU S : F RE E F I S H
06/12/2013 14:38
001_Cover_CC197.indd
1
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Crafty Catch Column This is the place to get your
catch pictures published, so send them in to us, and you’re in with the chance of a great prize from our good friends at Mainline Baits.
78
The Question Is This month’s carping
conundrums are answered by our panel of experts, and if you get your
10
Inner-city Life Alfie Russell
The youngest ever winner of the Fox Specimen
105
question answered you receive a prize.
Scaling Down Jake Wildbore
It’s long been talked about that scaling
Cup, Alfie Russell, has learned his trade fishing the
down in winter accounts for more fish,
park lakes local to him. He’s got a photo album to be
so this month Jake Wildbore puts it into
envious of, so we take a look at his story so far.
practice, with a good deal of success.
120
Inbox We’ve got all the latest
news from around the carping world. James and the lads also show off their funny images whilst on their travels over the last month.
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Contents /// January 2014
93
CARPERS’ KIT
17 93
Carpers’ Kit
FEATURES.
57
Winter Wonderland Iain Macmillan
17
Taking To The Slopes
129
We take a look at some of
The Five-Minute
the best products that are new to
Interrogation
the shops, and give you the low-
Tommy Hill
down on what’s hot and what’s
dream for some, but for carp anglers
This month the Crafty interrogation
not. Plus the Crafty Team reveal
If you fish a water that has more ups
it seems to be more a dream of a
seat has been taken by none
their essential items this month.
and downs than a rollercoaster, what
snow carp when it comes to the white
other than 2011 British Superbike
Lewis has to say will be very helpful.
stuff. Iain Macmillan recalls the story
Champion Tommy Hill. Don’t ask
He looks at presenting bait on the
of that magical moment for him.
how we managed to catch him
Lewis Porter
slopes as well as at great depths.
A white Christmas may be a winter
because he was fast, but we did.
65
Crafty Carper Under-21s
24
Presenting It On The Spot Tom Morrison
Our British Young Carp Angling
Champion, Tom Kerr, checks in for
Turn to page 24 if you want some
another of his blogs, whilst Joe Gray
expert advice for fishing precise spots
writes about a trip to France where
at range. Tom catches many of his fish
it all seemed to come right for him.
by doing this, so it’s sure to help you bag a few bonus fish this winter.
37
The Only Rig For Winter Myles Gascoyne
In Focus – New For 2014 Turn to page 98 for a sneak
peek of some of the new products to be released in 2014 which have
CARP FOOD
49
Carp Food Here you’ll find the latest
and greatest products of carp cuisine that are on the shelves of a tackle
71
98
caught our eye at the trade shows over the last couple of months.
101
In Focus – Kryston Kryston have long been
known to be the daddies of hooklink
Maggot Masterclass
shop near you, as well as a top tip
materials, and here we take a look at the
Mark Pitchers
from Joe Turnbull on giving the carp
latest addition to their range, the Synx.
We looked in brief at maggots and
something visually attractive.
their uses last month, and this time
Looking for a rig to use this winter
we’ve got Mark Pitchers to give the full
that has a great track record? Then
low-down on how he goes about using
look no further because Myles has
the glorious grubs to his advantage.
102
In Focus – Taska The guys at Taska
have been releasing some cracking products over the last year, and
used this one through the winter for
this year is no different. We inspect
some time, with a lot of success.
their new luggage, the AVL, which
40
The Great Crafty Debate This month our panel
of experts include fishery
SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
is definitely not to be missed.
116
Mega Deals If you’ve got some
money burning a hole in your pocket
owners and managers, as well as some top carp anglers, as they
and don’t know what to buy, check
discuss whether the mass use of
out our Mega Deals for some of the
maggots is good for fisheries.
best offers from around the retailers.
46
Location, Location,
COMPETITION WINNERS
Location
Competition winners from Crafty Carper November issue 195
Team Crafty During the colder months a lot relies
E-S-P Stash Clothing Competition Five winners will each receive an E-S-P Stash Jacket and Trousers worth £129.90. Steven Mallett – Norwich, Norfolk Charlie Brown – Buckhurst Hill, Essex Alex Wood – Uckfield, East Sussex R. Lake – Grimsby, NE Lincolnshire Martin Sorton – Holywell, Flintshire
on actually locating the fish. If you can find them there can be some great winter sport to be had, so follow our advice to put yourself one step ahead.
82
Fed up of going to the newsagents? Let us deliver Crafty straight to your door, and we’ll also give you a load of
goodies from our bait-rolling friends at Kent Particles.
Nash Scope Competition One winner will receive over £800 worth of Nash Scope Gear. Matthew Mostyn-Harratt – Crewe, Cheshire
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ANGLER PROFILE.
Alfie Russell Age 15 Hometown
London Occupation
Still at school UK Personal Best
44lb 12oz Favourite venue
London Park Lake Did you know...
Alfie is the youngest winner of the Fox Specimen Cup; he caught 7lb chub, 17lb barbel, 15lb bream and double-figure tench on his way to landing the coveted trophy at the tender age of just 13.
Inner-City Life Alfie Russell’s
Honing his skills on park lakes local to him, Alfie has amassed a photo album that anyone would envy, so here we find out a bit more about his inner-city exploits. 10
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Inner-City Life Alfie Russell
L
iving in London, most of my local
If one wasn’t
waters are park lakes which
producing,
contain a variety of fish. There
another would
are all shapes and sizes, including
be. I developed
koi and ghosties, but most of all I like
my angling skills
to fish for the dark old fish. I like the
and learned how
in the edge. I watched
fish with history and which are older
to fish in different situations – and
how they reacted when
than me! The closest park to me is the
locally too. I’m really grateful to have
I put bait in front of
Heath, where I spent the whole of last
that on my doorstep. I’ve fished there
them, and studied them
season. I was quite successful and had
since I was 11 and I’m 14 now, so quite
taking floaters to see
a good few fish up to low-30s, and I
a while, and I’ve had a good few fish,
if particular fish were
really enjoyed myself. There are six
including some big ones up to 35lb –
cagey and which bait they
ponds, and over the past few years I
and it’s all free fishing. The rewards
favoured. I noted the areas
have fished them all. They are all very
are there, you just have to work hard.
where they hung out, and
different; some are deep and coloured and others are shallow, crystal-clear and full of weed. There are crayfish
On park lakes, people turn up and don’t catch anything but they don’t put in the effort, which I was doing.
in some, some are flat-
It is so important. When I
bottomed, and others are heavily featured. There are all sorts of different challenges, and it’s good that the ponds are close so I can move around.
first fished there I spent
“On park lakes, people turn up and don’t catch anything but they don’t put in the effort, which I was doing”
almost every day and every minute
all the little details. It might sound stupid, but certain fish really do prefer certain areas of the lake, and even at certain times of day, so it helped me. For my first season on there my approach reflected in my
and rigs, and in particular
of my spare time
results; it showed that doing your
just walking
homework pays off. I learned to fish
around the park,
in all different situations, as I’ve said,
feeding the carp
whether it was in thick weed, deep
has to be floater stalking, if you
and watching them
water, fishing with different methods
can call it a method. I find a group
stalking and floater fishing. It was a good learning curve for me. My favourite method of fishing
of fish close in, free-line a floater and watch them taking. I also love stalking on the bottom close in, where I can see them take the bait clearly. Sometimes I can even pick out which particular fish I want, which is such an exciting way of fishing. Putting my experience to good use, I had a particularly good winter on the Heath when I fished the number two pond. It is about 3 acres in size and full of lovely mirrors; they favour an area of the lake that has a big willow and a wall. The fish like to sit there – whether it’s slightly warmer, I don’t know. It is productive in the winter and I’ve had a few in previous years, but this winter just gone I gave it a proper go, even through the coldest weather. I had 25 fish, mainly doubles, with the biggest going 23lb. They were all stunning old fish, and I caught them by fishing little patches of bait consisting of just
ABOVE A great deal of Alfie’s time is spent watching and feeding his quarry. RIGHT One of Hampstead Heath’s ancient 30-pounders. LEFT Simple rigs are Alfie’s choice. Putting them
in the right place is his priority.
four crumbed-up boilies and Snowman hookbaits with high-leakage pop-ups on top.
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EXPERT EDGES.
Presenting It On The Spot There’s one angler who relies on accuracy and presenting the perfect presentation to get his net wet, and that’s Tom Morrison, so we caught up with him to see just how it’s done.
H
aving progressed through the
to find some potential spots. Feeling
BYCAC (British Young Carpers’
the lead down, I judge the depth of
Angling Championship) and as
the water as well as how firm the
an angler myself, I have learned that there is a vital tool when it comes to catching carp. That, for me, is being accurate at distance, not only to make sure that once I find a spot I hit it every time, but also to feel confident that my rigs are fishing effectively.
bottom is. I think I get a better idea of what’s out in front of me like this without causing too
“I have learned that there is a vital tool when it comes to catching carp. That, for me, is being accurate at distance”
When approaching a large body of water, I tend to cast a bare lead around the swim
much disturbance. Once I’ve found my spot I clip up to it and recast a couple of times, standing in
ABOVE I like to use a bare lead
to find a spot at range.
the same place,
to find the exact distance I’m
just to be sure
going to be fishing. This is so that
the lead lands in
once the rod is out I can unclip it,
the same spot each
and upon catching a fish I simply
time. When I’m happy
wrap around the sticks the same
that I can consistently hit
number of times as was counted
the spot, I use the Spot On Sticks
and I will be bang on the money!
ANGLER PROFILE.
Tom Morrison Age 21 Hometown
Leicester Occupation
Tool technician UK personal best
26lb Favourite venue
Dolly Mill Did you know...
Tom’s favourite bankside meal is an eight-egg omelette!
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Presenting It On The Spot Tom Morrison
Tom’s Tips for Measuring the Distance. When wrapping up around sticks, it’s important to start the count from the same side of the sticks each time, in order to avoid any confusion. I like to double-check absolutely everything; miscounting just one wrap can mean the rig being miles off the spot found, and well out of the way of any bait spodded out to the area. Getting it right from the start saves a lot of messing around, and when you’ve got limited bank time, like me, every minute counts! I can even do it at night because the new sticks have high-viz coloured tops. If I’m fishing all my rods at different distances to various spots, it’s handy that with the sticks there are four markers which can be placed between them; this helps achieve
ABOVE The Spot On Sticks are just the job,
day or night. I always start my count from the same side to avoid confusion.
BELOW Wrapped up and clipped up. I doublecheck the spot distance before committing.
pinpoint accuracy time and again with each of the rods, rather than roughly guessing where I’ve measured up to previously. If, say, it’s about 12 and a quarter wraps, I simply put the marker in the ground and know that it’s 12 wraps and then to wherever the numbered marker is. The more you use this technique the easier it becomes, and the more confident you become with it when you start putting a few fish on the bank. I haven’t looked back since using this method to get my accuracy right.
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LOCATION,
LOCATION,
LOCATION! If you can locate the fish during the winter months you’re in with a great shout of turning a difficult cold session into one where you can show off your winter captures.
W
ith the colder weather and the
or so each day, so at this time you need to be
harsh frosts arriving, it doesn’t
sure the bait is in the right place – or should I
mean that fish aren’t going to get
say the area in which your chances of getting a
caught. Granted, it may be a little harder,
bite are higher. It’s not that the carp don’t want
but if you can get the location right, the
to feed though, more a case of not needing to
captures are there to be had. At this time of
feed due to the lower water temperatures. Their
the year carp don’t fully shut up shop and
metabolism slows down, which means they
stop feeding, although the feeding spells do
become less active and use less energy, thus
reduce in time; they may only feed for an hour
making their need for food less important.
THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR:.
because the number of naturals that
Showing Fish
can be found, or should I say buried,
Throughout the year keep your eyes
can be immense. This makes it a natural
peeled for showing fish or bubblers,
feeding area for the carp to visit. If they
and put a bait on them as quickly as
know there’s always a constant supply
possible. With winter here, the need
of invertebrates and the like, it’s usually
for watercraft is even greater; always
an easy meal, and it soon becomes a
watch the water and if you spot some
great place to trip up a chunk or two.
movement don’t be afraid to cast a bait in the area. Whether it’s fizzing or
Gravel Bars
a fish topping, it’s worthwhile having
In the past, I’ve known carp to shoal
a baited rod set up and ready to go
up around gravel bars, and one prime
out towards any fish activity. If you
example of this is Thorpe Lea in
don’t have a spare rod, quickly wind
Surrey, where sometimes you can
one in and bang it out to the spot. I’ve
find a shoal of 50-100 fish sitting
had results doing this literally within
out in the middle just off the gravelly
minutes of the bait hitting the water.
ABOVE Fizzing like this is a telltale sign the fish
may be having a feed on the lakebed.
Silty Areas
BELOW Silt is a natural larder and the carp love to root about in it.
area. I’ve also found that the bait fished to the bottom of the bar or plateau, rather than bang on top of
If you can find or know of
it, has produced more often than
a spot that’s silty, it’s well
banging a bait right on top of it.
worth putting a bait there Depth Changes BELOW After spotting fizzing,
I put a bait on it and this fish came just 20 minutes later.
Now this one can work both ways. Deep holes or a deeper area of the lake can hold numbers of fish because the water temperature is often a degree or two warmer than other areas of the water, making it a natural choice for the fish to spend some time there. On the other hand, if the weather is favourable and we experience a warmer than normal winter day with clear skies and the sun beaming down
46
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Location, Location, Location! Team Crafty Carper
ABOVE Fishing to the bottom of a
plateau produced this fish, as well as another seven in the night; I landed perfectly on a shoal.
the hot spot to target, but as the winter temperatures hit, try casting a little further off the island and fish the bait at the bottom of the incline in the slightly deeper water. It’s well worth a shout. Reeds Reedbeds or reed-lined margins are a great place to target. They are a natural patrol route for the carp, and if there’s a bit of deeper water there too it’s a worthwhile place to put a hookbait and a handful of freebies. Think about being as discreet as possible with the presentation because quite often the water can be absolutely crystal-clear in these marginal areas. on the lake, stick a bait in the shallower
Dying Weedbeds
areas because the slightest increase in
If you fished the lake in the summer
water temperature can help turn the
and know there was a particular area
carp on. On a sunny day in the middle
that was extremely weedy, then have a
of December, I saw that the shallow
bash at fishing the same area in winter
bay to my right was the first place the
because the weed either is dying or
morning sun hit, and by lunchtime I
has died off. The fish know this was
had moved down into the bay (with the
an area of shelter during the warmer
warmer water in mind) and managed
months, as well as the fact that the
two fish from there in the first half-
weed can often hold the heat a little
hour. To put it into perspective, the
and may be a degree or so warmer
bay was just 3-4ft in depth whilst the
than other areas of the lake.
rest of the lake was over 12ft deep.
Throughout the year the carp will have also had
Inlets If there is an inlet on the lake it’s well
ABOVE Reed-lined margins can’t be ignored
free meals galore with
because they can be a natural patrol route.
all the naturals the
RIGHT Dying weedbeds are still places of perceived safety for the carp.
weed has held, and
natural oxygen and the moving water entering the lake also tends to stir up
BELOW Keep an eye out for the more sheltered or
worth checking out; inlets supply
the bottom in front of it, which can create a natural feeding area for the
shallower areas which get the most winter sunlight.
naturals will still be found in the dying matter, so ignore these areas at your peril.
carp. Everything gets stirred up off the bottom and if it colours the water it’s
Sheltered Areas
another bonus. I’m pretty sure that with
These areas are hot spots to keep an
carp being so inquisitive, they come in
eye on. If a northeasterly wind batters
to inspect the coloured water, thinking
the lake, get on the back of it and look
there may be others in the area already
for a spot that’s a little more sheltered
feeding or ripping up the bottom.
than others. A tree-lined bank may shelter an area of the lake from harsh
Islands
winds that can easily knock a couple
Islands are always a feature that
of degrees off the water temperature;
anglers tend to aim for because
due to the calm nature of the area, the
they are obviously the most visible.
sun (if any) will heat it up quicker. CC
It’s usually the island margin that’s
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Scaling Down Jake Wildbore
ANGLER PROFILE.
Frank Warwick Age 53 Hometown
Wilmslow, Cheshire UK personal best
43lb 14oz Favourite venue
Bluebell Lakes Did you know...
Frank is ambidextrous and can use either hand or foot for most things, whether it be writing or kicking a ball, plus loads more.
110
My favourite
HIGH-ATTRACT
HOOKBAITS
Crafty Carper
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My Favourite High-Attract Hookbaits Frank Warwick
When it comes to highly attractive hookbaits there’s one person that always springs to mind, and that’s none other than Frank Warwick. If you want to put yourself a step ahead of the rest we suggest you read on…
W
hat I am about to tell you is
something off the shelf, and simply
important and is certainly
hoping that the product is good.
worth considering. I am going
I’m not daft, and I fully appreciate
to stick my neck out here, and say that
that people with work and family
despite there being some very decent
commitments want to spend their spare
high-attract hookbaits available in the
time fishing rather than making bait. I
shops, I think that if you put your mind
get that, but a small one- or two-egg
to it, it is possible to make your own,
mix of special hookbaits takes no time
and better ones. Of course, a lot of
at all and can be done in the evening,
companies which manufacture baits
even while you’re watching the telly!
for the angling trade try their best to
There are other benefits to making
deliver a very good product, but they
your own hookbaits, of course, and one
have to make a profit, and it wouldn’t
is that you can make various sizes and
work if they were to go the whole nine
shapes; from a one-egg mix you can
yards and include all the little special
quite possibly make a year’s supply of
additives that make the difference.
hookers – what’s not to like about that?
These special little inclusions soon start to add up and eat away at any small profit margins possible, so in effect there must be a cut-off point where it is not commercially viable to make a super-duper product and sell it at
I get the impression from messages I receive on Facebook that
“I totally believe they can be made much more effective with a little thought and attention to detail”
a loss – business isn’t like that in the real world. In reality, I think a lot of people’s
the one thing that stops a lot of anglers having a crack at their own hookbaits is a certain lack of confidence; they believe advertising hype and think that some of the better-
known brands in the shops couldn’t possibly be improved on. Sadly, the other recurring theme
idea of a high-attract hookbait is a
is that people want it on a plate from
basic pop-up mix, a flavour or flavour
me. They often ask for exact recipes
blend, and a bit of sweetener. Don’t
and want a quick fix; don’t get me
get me wrong, these types of baits will
wrong, I am happy to help where I can,
and often do catch carp, but I totally
but I’ve had to go through a massive
believe they can be made much more
amount of time, effort and rod hours
effective with a little thought and
over the years to find a lot of this
attention to detail. Let’s face it, how
stuff out the hard way. By the way, be
much more satisfying will it be to catch
under no illusion about this. Some of
carp on your very own creations and
my experiments bombed big-style and
unique blends? I happen to think there
cost me fish for sure, but for each thing
is more to carp fishing than just rolling
that went wrong I more
up to the tackle shop and grabbing
than made up for with
ABOVE If you make your own, the options are endless; there are a
variety of different-shape and -size hookbaits you can make.
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