CC202 sample

E G E FRHINeader! r S ry I e F ev

BOOST YOUR METHOD MIX!

Top recipes to help you create the most attractive mixes

craftyc

arper.c o

No.202 June 2014

for

June 2014 | Issue 202 | £4.10

GOING OLD SCHOOL Free-lining – the simple way to target big carp!

WIN! OVER £1,900 WORTH OF GEAR FROM TASKA, CARP-ZONE & JRC UP FOR GRABS

Get Crafty... GET CATCHING!

CAMPAIGN ADVICE Learn how Simon Crow approaches a new water

UP OR DOWN?

BOILIES GALORE! craftycarper.co

Lewis Porter details his all-out boilie approach

17 or und er? your chan Don’t miss ce to ente the bigge r st junior ca rp match in th e UK Entry form inside

On sale May 21st – June 18th 2014

Pop-up or bottom bait; which one and why?

PLUS DAN WILDBORE RICH ADAMS ELLIS BRAZIER NICK BURRAGE JULIAN CUNDIFF DAVE LANE 001_Cover_CC202.indd 1

09/05/2014 15:39

Crafty Carper /// Issue 202 /// June 2014 /// www.craftycarper.co On the cover: Carl Smith of ‘Carl & Alex’ YouTube fame, with a cracking mirror, caught whilst free-lining.

CRAFTY COLUMNISTS

7

Editorial James Turner

47

85

If you’re a fan of using the Method

point which has arisen. You can also see

currently set for big things within the angling

approach, you’ll definitely want to

what the lads have been up to this month.

world. You may have seen them on YouTube

head over to page 85, where Mitch will

already, and now you can find out all about the

put you on the right track to getting

angling approach of brothers Carl and Alex Smith.

more success on the Method.

Youngsters Go Old School

Boost Your Method Mix

Carl Smith

Mitch Smith

We find out more about the pairing who are

Editor James looks at what’s in store in this issue of Crafty Carper, as well as a great talking

123

Diary of an Everyday Carp Angler Julian Cundiff

The man who never sleeps has once again been catching carp for fun. We’d hate to think how many he’s caught on such limited time so far in 2014.

IX! ETHOD M YOUR Mthe BOOST help active mixes attr t mos te crea you

EENGr! R F HI reade y FISver

OUT AND ABOUT

Top recipes to

92

TicketMaster Special Nick Burrage

This month we sent Nick Burrage to Frisby Lakes in Leicestershire, to find out all the ins

craftycarpe r.co

No.202 June 2014

e for

and outs of the place. Turn to page 92 to see how he went on and claim your free fishing.

INTERACTIVE

June 2014 | Issue 202

| £4.10

32

WIN!

GOING OLD SCHOOL Free-lining – the simple way to target big carp!

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.

OF GEAR OVER £1,900 WORTH NE FROM TASKA, CARP-ZO BS GRA & JRC UP FOR

44

Taska Competition The new A-Type gear from Taska has

caused a real stir – and talk about look the part!

G! Get Crafty.. . GET CATCHIN

This month we’ve got £750 worth of this topnotch tackle to give away to five lucky winners.

53

Carp-Zone Competition We take a look at the Carp-

CAMPAIGN ADVICE

Zone Hurricane AS Two-man Bivvy, and give you the opportunity to win one of

Learn how Simon Crow approaches a new water

two that we’ve got up for grabs.

74

The Question Is… This month’s carping conundrums are

UP OR DOWN?

answered by our panel of experts. If you get

craftycarper.co

PLUS DAN WILDBORE

18th 2014

17 or under? Don ’t miss your chance to ente the biggest junior r carp match in the UK

BOILIES GALORE!

Lewis Porter details his all-out boilie approach

On sale May 21st – June

Pop-up or bottom bait; which one and why?

Entry form inside

RICH ADAMS ELLIS

your question answered you’ll be receiving a cracking prize delivered straight to your door.

98

JRC Competition Are you after some new alarms?

F DAVE LANE

E JULIAN CUNDIF BRAZIER NICK BURRAG

09/05/2014 15:39

If so, then head over to page 98 to enter our competition for two sets of the brilliant JRC alarms that we’ve got to give away.

d 1

001_Cover_CC202.ind

116

Subscribe Fed up of going to the newsagents?

37

60

a water using solely boilies? Lewis has

to become the British Young

done it for a while; he rarely moves

Carpers’ Angling champion? If the

away from them and has used them to

answer is yes to both, head to page

his advantage on many occasions.

60 to find out how to enter.

The Boilie Crusade Lewis Porter

Have you ever wondered how to approach

Let us deliver Crafty straight to your door, and

British Young Carpers’

this month we’re offering an awesome package

Angling Championship

from those lovely gents at Nash. Get in!

Are you under 17? Want the chance

120

Inbox We’ve got all the latest news from

around the carping world so you can keep up to date with what’s been happening on the carpy grapevine. You can also get in touch with us here at Crafty, and see who won the Facebook catch competition in conjunction with Fox International.

4

Crafty Carper

004-005_Conts_CC202.indd 1

12/05/2014 10:17

9

Dave Lane

From reports of captures that we’ve seen, it seems that The Krill from Sticky has

Laney spent a couple of days back at Yateley,

been tearing it up wherever it’s been

somewhere he has long since neglected.

used. We took it upon ourselves to have a

Also this month, watercraft pays off and

proper look and make our own judgment.

he begins his campaign on Burghfield.

Find out what we think on page 67.

15

Stalking With…

Ellis Brazier

The Shropshire carp-catching machine, Ellis Brazier, took us out for a day’s stalking. Could he produce the goods as usual? Find out on page 15.

CARPERS’ KIT

79

Carpers’ Kit We take a look at some of the

best products that are new to the shops, and give you the low-down on what’s

23

From The Crow’s Nest

hot and what’s not. Plus the Crafty Team

Simon Crow

reveal their essential items this month.

In a new bi-monthly series, Crowy tells us what he’s been up to, and also gives some tactical tips along the way.

101

In Focus Fox

Fox are always trying to stay ahead of the

28

The Great Crafty Debate

game with the use of Rob Hughes’ underwater

This month’s panel of experts give

observations, and it seems that the new Trans

their thoughts on angling for spawning fish, as lakes up and down the land start to see the annual regeneration rituals of the carp.

Khaki gear in the Edges range is spot on.

103

In Focus Ashima

56

Crafty Carper Under-21s 2013 BYCAC Champion Tom Kerr checks

Rods from Ashima have been turning some heads of late, not to mention ours. With this

in with his monthly blog, and Kai Richards talks

in mind, we had a little word and managed to

us through his success earlier in the year.

get a set sent to the office so we could go and

107

Pop It Up Or Put It Down?

Rich Adams

Rich Adams looks at all the aspects he takes into account before choosing the right approach for the situation he’s faced with.

112

have a proper play. You’ll definitely want to head over to page 103 to see these beauties.

105

In Focus Nash

If you’re in the market for some reliable yet affordable alarms which also have

The Day I…

the receiver facility, then the Nash S5R

Jonny Hayes

offerings are just the ticket. We’ve got to say

A new series hits Crafty this month, whereby anglers reveal all about the day they did something special in the world of angling.

Jonny Hayes starts us off with his lake recordsmashing session in France – not once but twice!

that they’re impressive for the money.

129

Mega Deals If you’re up for a bargain then you’ll

definitely want to head over to page 129 to check out our Mega Deals. You’ll find some of the

CARP FOOD

63

Carp Food The latest and greatest products of

carp cuisine that are on the shelves of a tackle shop near you, as well as an offering from Joe

best offers from the country’s leading retailers.

70

Stickin’ It To ’Em Dan Wildbore

Just recently, Dan has been putting his

Turnbull, who looks at the ways he utilises

name on a fair few fish, and big ones

hemp and hemp products in his own angling.

at that. Incorporating little sticks into his fishing seems to have done the trick, so find out more on page 70.

BEWARE OF IMITATIONS

Sticky Baits

The Knowledge

Ashima don’t make hooks for anyone else to re-brand... others may look like the same pattern, but they’re not made the same.

67

Carp Food Special

FEATURES

AVAILABLE FROM ALL THE BEST TACKLE RETAILERS

Contents /// June 2014

WWW.ASHIMAUK.COM

Crafty Carper 004-005_Conts_CC202.indd 2

5 12/05/2014 10:17

Carl & Alex’s Favourite Free-lined Hookbaits

Now for the complicated – or not so complicated – part; the tackle and baits we use for our favoured angling.

Any old carp rod is fine, but you have to remember that you will be holding it all day long. We have a 9ft lightweight 2.75 TC rod and pair it with a fixed spool match reel. I did actually buy a 4.5ft spinning rod for the ultra-sneaky swims, but casting distance is reduced so I only use it when I have to. On the reel we normally use 8lb line, but if there are snags or weed we use 10lb to be safe. The lighter the line, the more bites you get, but the heavier the line, the more fish you land; it’s about finding the right balance for the venue you’re on. On the end of the line we tie a Size 10 or 8 hook depending on the

ABOVE When you see fish like

this you know it’s time to get the corn floating past them.

Sweetcorn

size of the bait. Look out for fine wire

This all-time classic is Carl and Alex’s number

hooks because they are much lighter

one choice when targeting carp in the edge. A

and will enable the hookbait to sink

if you use cheap white frozen bread

couple of grains are mounted on the shank of the

slower. For bait, corn is our number one

and microwave it for around 2 minutes

hook, and then given a squeeze to pop out the

choice, but in clear water we’ve found

before use. The microwave makes it all

heavy insides, leaving just the skins, like this.

a couple of maggots or even a worm

tacky and it stays on the hook for ages.

to be more effective. At venues which

The next key point is stealth; if the

haven’t been heavily fished, bread flake

fish know you are there they are much

works wonders and gives a few extra

harder to catch. We try to keep low

yards of casting distance, especially

to the ground, stay ultra-quiet, and

Maggots It seems to have become the norm in carpfishing circles to fish maggots by the gallon, but Carl and Alex have both enjoyed success by nicking a few onto a hook and simply freelining them to carp that they see in the edge.

Bread A bit of bread pinched around the hook can work wonders on venues that haven’t been heavily fished.

Carl and Alex use the cheap white stuff, which because of its weight, also adds casting distance.

48

Crafty Carper

047-051_Youngsters_CC202.indd 2

07/05/2014 09:48

Youngsters Go Old School Carl & Alex Smith

a valley with a stream running through

has also helped, with Multimap and

it, build a dam across the valley, and

Google Maps having zoom options

watch as it fills with water. This creates

on the map to give even more scope

a lake with a gradual depth change

for finding new wild waters. Part two

from the shallow (inlet) end to the deep

is the hard part – actually getting

(dam) end. Over the years the stream

permission to fish the water in

carries sediment into the lake and the

question. Some people I know would

shallow end becomes increasingly silty,

just turn up in the middle of the night

and these shallows are our number one target area.

As the temperatures rise, the inlet end of these estate lakes warms up ABOVE Finding an estate lake like this is made much easier by the Internet.

first, and the carp

BELOW The wild estate lake offered free-lining opportunities in some tricky spots.

move up in their numbers. Spring is

and fish away, but not only is this somewhat immoral, it

“Spring is always the time that we put down our lead clips and our PVA and marker floats, and go hunting in the shallows”

is also illegal. Alex and I often write a letter to the landowner and post it through the letterbox; another option is to knock on the door and ask

move slowly. For some reason, wild

bait too near it or else it will spook.

always the time that

unfished lakes seem to hold spookier

At our local day ticket water, Tanyard

we put down our lead

carp, whereas in busy day ticket or park

Fishery, we often cast a metre or two

clips and our PVA and marker

lakes, the fish don’t seem as worried

away from the fish and then wind back

floats, and go hunting in the shallows.

about the presence of people. They

until the bait is only a foot away from

must get used to seeing movement

its mouth. Even though the splash

water like this, two things need to

is difficult to convince, you could

on the bank and become less wary.

from two grains of corn is tiny, it is

happen. Number one is to find a water,

offer to help with lake maintenance,

On the flip side, day ticket carp scare

still enough to spook a wary carp.

and number two is to get permission

which has worked for us in the past.

easily if the line is too visible or if they

We also fish at wild overgrown

to actually fish it. The first part is easy;

But even if you are desperate to fish

Before turning up and fishing a

politely. However,

don’t turn up at their door with your fishing tackle – it’s a massive turn-off and your chance of success is slim. If the landowner

touch it. Casting to a pressured carp is

venues, often silty estate lakes. By the

just take a look at your local Ordnance

a new water, don’t mention money

harder than casting to a wild uncaught

very nature of these venues, it is easy

Survey map and look for the little blue

until you know nothing

fish – you need to avoid landing the

to tell how they have been made. Take

splodges. The advance of the Internet

else will convince them!

Crafty Carper 047-051_Youngsters_CC202.indd 3

49 07/05/2014 09:48

THE 2014 KORDA BRITISH YOUNG CARPERS’ ANGLING CHAMPIONSHIP The Korda British Young Carpers’ Angling Championship returns to give young carpers the chance to start their match carpangling career, and for 2014 it’s taking place at Oxlease.

Mond – Sun ay 4th day 1 Augu 0th st

The 2013 event was a cracker, as ever, and saw Tom Kerr fish his

and there are section

way to glory with a great combination of hard work and top-drawer

sponsors for each

angling. With the victory sealed, he took away a tackle box full of

match; the angler who

prizes, a cheque for £500, and a one-year sponsorship deal with Team

wins their section will

Korda, joining the likes of Danny Fairbrass, Damian Clarke, Ali Hamidi,

receive a prize from

Darrell Peck and previous BYCAC winners Tom Dove, Jake Wildbore, Jake

the section sponsor.

Taylor and Brad Greening. This year sees the winner win all the above,

Once again Nash is

as well as £500 worth of Korda gear to take away on the day.

sponsoring The Fastest

The event will be filmed by Sky Sports, so contestants have the

Fish – the person to

opportunity to showcase their angling talents to the world. This could be

catch the first fish in

the chance of a lifetime, so make sure you get your entry in as soon as

each match will receive

possible. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been carp fishing and whether

a great prize from the

or not you’ve fished competitively before; as long as you’ve got your own gear and plenty of enthusiasm, everyone is welcome to

guys at Nash, so you don’t have to win the whole event to get some cracking gear.

enter the event. You can also be sure of some great advice along the way, from the likes of Simon Crow and the other

Entry Requirements

marshals who are all on hand throughout the week.

There will be plenty of people with whom you can

In order to enter this prestigious event you must be aged

swap general carp-fishing chat, and the opportunity

17 or under on August 1st 2014, and have a parent or

to make plenty of new carp-angling mates.

guardian over the age of 18 to accompany you for the

Event Format

safety purposes). The parent/guardian is also required

full duration of your time at the event (for health and The 2014 event will once again take place on the Linear Fisheries complex in Oxfordshire, only this time we’re

to bivvy up alongside the entrant over the course of the weekend of the final. The entry cost is just £39, payable

heading over to Oxlease where the current Linear venue record resides, so there’s also the chance of smashing some personal bests, that’s for sure! The competition will be held from

at the time of entry. There are no extra charges should you qualify for the final; the initial fee of £39 is fully inclusive.

If you would like to be in with the chance of becoming the next

Monday 4th August to Sunday 10th August, and will consist of four day-

British champion and make your mark on carp fishing, simply fill in the entry

only eliminators. Each eliminator will have approximately 30-35 competitors

form attached and send it in ASAP. If you have a preference for the day

fighting it out for the top eight spots to qualify for the final. The day-only

of your eliminator please mark

eliminators will be held on Monday 4th, Tuesday 5th, Wednesday 6th and

this clearly on the entry form.

Thursday 7th August, and the top eight anglers who catch the biggest

Keep your eyes peeled for the

weight of carp from each eliminator will fish against each other in the 48-

latest information on the event

hour final, from 12 noon on Friday

in future issues of Crafty Carper,

until 12 noon on Sunday. The

as well as on the Crafty Carper

young angler who has landed the

and BYCAC websites. If you

biggest weight of carp at the end

want to find out more about the

of the 48 hours will be crowned the 2014 champion.

venue, visit the website: www. linear-fisheries.co.uk

Could this be your year? There are plenty of sponsors behind the event, including Korda, Trakker, Nash, Taska, Mainline and Reuben Heaton. Each competitor receives a goody bag worth more than the original entry fee,

60

Crafty Carper

060-061_BYCAC2014_CC202.indd 1

09/05/2014 14:35

ENTRY FORM Name:

NEED TO KNOW:

For more information on the event, scan the code with your Smartphone to visit the official BYCAC website.

What: Korda British Young Carpers’ Angling Championship 2014.

Where: Oxlease on the Linear Fisheries, near

Stanton Harcourt, Oxfordshire OX29 7QF.

Address:

When: Monday 4th August-Sunday 10th August 2014.

Who: Anyone aged 17 or under on August 1st 2014. Parent or

Postcode:

guardian over the age of 18 must be present at all times.

Cost: £39.

Contact Tel:

Entry: Fill in the form or download the entry form from bycac.co.uk

Email Address:

For more info visit: bycac.co.uk

Date of Birth: Venues Fished:

BYCAC Sponsor Spotlight Our friends at Trakker have supported the British Young Carpers’ Angling Championship event for many years now, and this year they are once again our carp-care sponsor. It’s important that anglers look after their catches in the best way possible, and ensure the

Personal Best Carp: Most Memorable Session:

carp swim away safely and in as good condition as when it slipped over the net cord, if not better. Trakker will be supplying a Sanctuary unhooking mat and a weigh sling for every swim around the lake for the duration of the event. It’s their top of the range mat, so you know the fish is in luxurious comfort whilst on the bank. Thanks to everyone at Trakker.

Why would you like to take part in the British

BYCAC 2014 Sponsors and Supporters

Young Carpers’ Angling Championship 2014?

Title sponsor

T-shirt size (please tick one) M  L  XL  XXL 

Media sponsors I confirm that I will be aged 17 years or younger on August 1st 2014  Signature of participant:

Clothing sponsor

Venue sponsor

Official weighmaster

Name of parent or guardian who will be accompanying you to the event:

I would like to enter my son/daughter/dependant in the British Young Carpers’ Angling Championship 2014, which is to be held at Oxlease Lake in Oxfordshire  Signature of parent or guardian who will be accompanying you to the event:

Fastest fish sponsor

Biggest fish of the final sponsor The cost of entry to the BYCAC 2014 is £39.00, which is payable either by cheque or credit/debit card.

Cheque payments I enclose the sum of £39.00 by cheque, made payable to Angling Publications Ltd. (tick if appropriate)  Credit/Debit card payments Please debit my account the sum of £39.00 (tick if appropriate) 

Section sponsors

Cardholder name Address

Carp-care sponsors Card number

Event supporters

Follow us

Expiry date

     / 

Issue number



Security code    Please send this completed form to: BYCAC 2014, Angling Publications Ltd., Regent House, 101 Broadfield Road, Sheffield S8 0XH. Please note that on cancellation of entry into the event no refunds will be given.

If you do not wish to receive further marketing information from Angling Publications Ltd. please tick here 

060-061_BYCAC2014_CC202.indd 2

09/05/2014 14:36

Three ways to get your carp-anglingrelated questions answered: Email: questions@craftycarpermagazine.co.uk Web: craftycarper.co By post: The Question Is…, Angling Publications, 101 Broadfield Road, Sheffield S8 0XH.

Our panel of carp-fishing experts are on hand to answer questions from you, the readers, and you can be sure to pick up some handy tips from the excellent answers given.

ASK AND WIN! Every person who has their question published on these pages will receive a prize from some of the top tackle and bait manufacturers in the business. If you would like your question to be answered by our star-studded panel, simply send it to us, and we will forward it to your chosen recipient.

Q

Dear Mainline, Could you please give me some advice? I have my first French trip booked for October and would like to know what to do with regards to bait for the week. I usually do two night sessions at most, so should I just take shelf life baits to stop the bait going off or would you suggest taking tins of particle and pellet?

Kind regards, Adam Bolter.

Dear Adam, Personally, I would choose to take frozen baits because most lakes have facilities that include

“From October onwards, the carp have normally seen the boilie and particle approach since March/April time, and this is where boilies combined with groundbait and pellet can pay dividends”

freezers for bait.

groundbait

1 Take some Activated Nut Mix

4 Give it a good old mix through

and pellet can

Groundbait, Hempseed Oil, Spod &

again and it should be ready to

PVA Pellet Mix, Bloodworm Extract

ball up. Gradually add water until

Stick Pellet, and some chopped

the mix feels damp and a bit sticky

boilies. Mix the dry items together.

(like plasticine), so you are able to

pay dividends.

Try this approach and hopefully it will

make up balls that stick together.

pay off for you:

Even if they don’t have

2 Stir thoroughly before adding any

this at your chosen venue, you

liquids and mix again.

I hope this helps you for your trip.

can take the boilies out of the packaging and store them in air-

3 Add some lake water, just a little

Best of luck,

dry bags to preserve them. Tins of

to make it damp. Remember to go

Mick.

particle will catch you fish but this

easy because if you overdo it

is not an approach I would deploy.

you can’t take the water out.

Pellet is always worth including

Now add the Hempseed

in your armoury, but I would add

Oil – I add around 50ml

some groundbait rather than the

to a total of 5kg of dry

particle. Towards the end of the

bait.

BELOW A 42lb

common taken on the described method.

French holiday season, from October onwards, the carp have normally seen the boilie and particle approach since March/April time, and this

ABOVE Adding the oil.

is where boilies combined with

TOP Sticky, just like plasticine.

74

Crafty Carper

074-077_QuestionIs_CC202.indd 1

07/05/2014 16:34

The Question Is

Ask our experts anything, online at www.craftycarper.co

Team Crafty Carper

Answering our readers questions this month are: Mick Tuck  Mainline Baits

Rich Adams – Mistral Baits

Keith Jones – Nash

Ellis Brazier – JRC

Mitch Smith – Starbaits

Mick lives in the carping

Northamptonshire-

Keith runs the media

Ellis is a veteran of

After a bit of time

hub of Essex, and has

based Rich is a regular

side of things for Nash,

The Question Is, with

off from doing The

some big UK carp to

Crafty contributor

and he is extremely

many years’ experience

Question Is, Mitch

his name, plus he loves fishing

and a mainstay of The Question

busy, trying to keep on top of

of hunting carp in his beloved

is back! Mitch loves nothing

overseas, making him perfect for

Is. He loves answering your

sorting articles for the mags

Shropshire meres. Ellis scores

more than a carpy conundrum

this question from Adam. He’s a

questions, and because he’s

with the number of consultants

extremely well on his simple,

from our readers. He’s straight-

versatile angler and you can be

predominantly a boilie angler, he’s

who are supported by Nash. He

yet very effective approach

talking and doesn’t half know

sure he’ll try to do something

the man for any questions you

knows how much it means to be

to his end tackle, whilst also

his stuff, so you can be sure

different to the rest on the lake.

may have about boilie fishing.

in the right place on short time.

having a wealth of knowledge.

to learn a thing or two.

Q

Hi Crafty Carper Team, I recently started fishing a new syndicate water and the bottom is quite silty. Which rig approach would be best for fishing in the silt?

Many thanks, Nathan Clayton.

chances of a missed take.

When it comes to bait, use something in which you have confidence. It’s often a good idea to use chopped boilies because these fall through the water at a slower rate and settle on the areas of silt with less chance of sinking in. That said, don’t worry if you are putting out whole boilies

Hi Nathan,

at distance and they are sinking

Firstly, many thanks for

strong white cotton onto the

ABOVE By using white wool in

conjunction with the marker setup, you can determine the depth of the silt.

in – you’d be surprised just how far

your question. Fishing in silt can be

end of your marker rod setup; simply

difficult, but if you apply the right

cast into an area and let the lead

tactics in the right areas it can be a

sink into the silt. Wait a few minutes

to cover the swivel. A bead is then

this was a lake I fished in France a

very productive method. Let’s not

before retrieving it and the wool

attached to the leader, followed by

couple of years ago. On inspection

forget that silt is a natural larder

should be stained enough by the silt

a short hooklink of approx 3ins. This

the silt was a good 12ins deep,

which holds many of the natural

to give you a rough idea of its depth.

is usually tied with a stiff bristle-

so I decided to bait a close-in spot

type monofilament in conjunction

with particles and chopped boilies.

with a Chod-type hook and a pop-up

By the end of the week the spot

attached using a rig ring. The hooklink

I was fishing became a hard spot,

is attached to the leadcore using a

where the fish had literally cleared

flexi ring swivel, followed by another

the area of any silt while grubbing

bead. The second bead can be set

around in it looking for bait.

food sources that a carp likes to eat, such as bloodworms. Without going into too much detail, there

Once you have established the depth of the silt, there are two setups I can recommend. The first is to fish a

are two types of silt to look out for; one is of a nice nature and one is of a nasty nature. The latter tends to have a putrid smell to it, and given a choice, I believe the

longer hooklength – to stop

“Silt is a natural larder which holds many of the natural food sources that a carp likes to eat”

carp avoid the nasty areas of silt when feeding.

the bait dragging into the silt – in conjunction

down in the silt the carp will dig to get to the baits. A good example of

with a lighter lead

anywhere along the leader according

(preferably the flat

to the depth of the silt, which allows

I firmly believe that if you get the

pear-type) fished

the hooklink to slide along the leader,

presentation right in the correct

on a lead clip setup.

and as the lead sinks into the silt the

areas of silt, the takes will definitely

hookbait sits perfectly on the lakebed.

follow. Finally, don’t rule out stalking

Feather the lead down on the cast; this stops the impact the

lead has as it hits the water,

One thing to note is that you should

Locate the fish in your lake, and

the carp using natural baits such as

always make sure the beads can slide

dead maggots (these will sit on top

off the leader, so in the event of

of the silt), or worms fished under

Different types of silt can be found

therefore stopping it sinking too

the main line breaking, the fish can

a float. This can be a killer method

simply by casting around the lake.

far into the silt. Sometimes a PVA

rid itself of the lead. If you opt for a

when the carp are grubbing around

Let the lead sink into the silt, and

nugget on the hook can also aid the

Chod Rig, try using a bright pop-up

in silt looking for natural food.

on retrieval have a smell of the

rig as it lands, allowing the hookbait

as an alternative; this can often act

debris left around the lead. It will

to settle slowly on top of the silt.

as a visual attractor and result in

Wishing you every success,

a bonus take. Once either of these

Rich ‘Fatbloke’ Adams.

soon be obvious which one smells nice and which one smells nasty.

Another method is to fish a Chod Rig; this comprises the lead being attached

rigs has settled, avoid pulling back.

directly to the end of a leadcore leader

This prevents any debris associated

give themselves away when feeding

(or directly to the end of the main

with silt masking the hookpoint,

in silt. Look for bubblers and areas

line if fishing a Naked Chod), followed

thus avoiding the

that are heavily clouded up. Due

by a silicone sleeve

Stay vigilant, because carp often

BELOW This mirror was caught by casting directly into silt using a Naked Chod.

to the nature of a silty bottom, the carp often have to rip it up to find the food source they are looking for, which creates large clouds in the water. Once you have found these areas, without spooking the fish, try to determine the depth of the silt. A good way of doing this is to incorporate some white wool or

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READERS’ LIVES.

Jonny Hayes gives us the full story about his trip to France, and although he struggled he still managed to smash the lake record book to pieces. Not only that, he’s a wearer of old-school carpy knitwear!

ANGLER PROFILE.

Jonny Hayes Age 16 Hometown

Liverpool Occupation

Student UK personal best

21lb 4oz Favourite venue

Les Bruyères Did you know...

Jonny never goes fishing without wearing a piece of knitwear #oldschool

112

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The Day I... Smashed the Lake Records Jonny Hayes

T

hroughout the season, I had been preparing and dreaming about my French trip, and after

what seemed like a lifetime to wait, the time finally came. In no time, my dad and I were packing the fishing van and heading down to Portsmouth to set sail for Les Bruyères Carp Fishery.

We arrived at the lake on Saturday morning, and after a long time in the van we wanted to get straight to it. Luckily, the previous anglers had already packed their car by the time we arrived, so after Andi, the owner, had tidied up the swims ready for us to fish, we were able to get cracking. We decided to bivvy up next to each other,

ABOVE On the first night there was plenty of fish activity on the far margin.

and having fished the lake before we both knew a few spots from where we

drop. The spots I eventually chose

so freebies over each spot, and as

had previously caught the better fish.

dropped from around 4ft to 7ft and

the bait fluttered through the water

My swim had a lot of open water with

seemed perfect for presenting a bait.

I was certain I would land my first

a non-fishing bank opposite, around

That night I was woken at 1.00 a.m.,

fish of the session. I constantly saw

80 yards away. For the first night we

but instead of me sprinting to my

fish over two of my spots and was

both decided to fish single pop-ups; we

screaming alarms I was on netting duty

quickly becoming impatient – how

knew the anglers prior to us had put in

for my dad’s beautiful 25lb mirror. I

could I not have had one already?

a fair bit of bait, so instead of filling it

then noticed a number of fish crashing

in and waiting even longer, we hoped

towards the treeline on the opposite

to pick up a bonus fish or two on singles. My popup rig is a version of a Stiff Hinge Rig, but instead of using a swivel the Chod material is directly connected to the boom section. I

bank, and I wondered whether or not I should

“I constantly saw fish over two of my spots and was quickly becoming impatient – how could I not have had one already?”

baited three rigs with different-coloured popups and waited for the fish

reposition one of my rods. About an hour

I had a chat with Andi, and he thought it was down to the bait I was using. It was a fishmeal bait on which I’d had very good success in the UK, but he was sure that the fish in his lake had a huge preference for fruity

later I was again

boilies. I took a bag of LBS boilies from

awoken by my

JW Baits off him and he assured me it

dad’s headtorch

wouldn’t be long before I banked one.

shining through

The week slowly rolled by and I was

the bivvy. The

still empty-handed; in no time at all

net slipped under

it was Tuesday night, but I still went

an immaculate 40lb

to sleep feeling a bite was imminent.

mirror and my dad was understandably over the

I decided to change to a bottom bait setup for my far bank rod. I used a

to tell me where they were. I noticed

moon. He had another 31lb mirror in

combi-rig because I was fishing against

a bit of fizzing ahead of me in open

the morning and I couldn’t believe

a bank and wanted to ensure my rig

water; it was around 40 yards out and

I hadn’t even had a sniff. The time

wouldn’t coil up as it hit the clip, and it

I knew from previous experience that

came to have a rethink; after the far

could reset itself if a fish spat the hook

it was a good spot for a bite. That was

bank activity throughout the night,

out. I went out in the boat to have a

one rod sorted, but the others were a

it would be silly not to put a rod over

feel of the bottom on my spot, and to

bit trickier. I watched for a few hours,

there. I clipped up around 6ins from

my amazement I discovered there was

and as darkness approached I had to

the bank and felt very confident for

a 4ft drop just behind my baited area.

get my rigs in. I decided to flick a 2oz

the day ahead. I began to introduce

All my bait must have rolled down and

lead about and feel for a slightly deeper

some bait and put in a hundred or

left my hookbait sitting proud on a clean spot 4ft above. I quickly clipped up to the silty gully below, and that night I was rewarded for my efforts.

My alarms sounded for the first time at midnight on Wednesday, and as I guided the fish around my other lines I was amazed to see a big common glide over the net cord. It was called Gail and it weighed in at 39lb 5oz! I was chuffed, and with the fish put safely back I recast to my spot, and went to bed with a smile on my face.

I began to gain confidence with the new bait, which was further boosted by a 36lb catfish on the bank.

I knew I had found one spot and decided to focus on the other two.

My middle rod was still

ABOVE My first of the trip – Gail at 39lb 5oz, a nice wake-up call at midnight.

out in open water towards

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113 06/05/2014 11:24

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