EFOR R E FFISRHINYGREADE ER EV
Make your rigs more efficient
Hookbait choice Have you got it right?
Get more bites this WINTER
ide ns ls i tai e D
craftyc
arper.c o
No.208 December 2014
December 2014 | Issue 208 | £4.10
Rig
Concealment
Martin Bowler gives a secret glimpse into the underwater world
How to make your end tackle invisible in clear water
Get Crafty... GET CATCHING!
Catch
PLUS Features from
Target Yo u r
Ian Russell Dave Lane
Simon Crow on achieving your goal
Tom Maker Mitch Smith Tim Paisley
On sale 19th November – 23rd December 2014
Julian Cundiff
2015 Tackle revealed!
craftycarper.co
PLUS 001_Cover_CC208.indd 1
over £2,900 worth of gear to be won from 30plus, fox and carp couture 07/11/2014 14:17
Crafty Carper /// Issue 208 /// December 2014 /// www.craftycarper.co On the cover: A cracking mirror carp underwater courtesy of Martin Bowler.
7
Editorial James Turner
Editor James looks at what’s in store for
15
Rig Concealment Rich Adams
Many anglers try to refine their approach
you in this issue of Crafty Carper, and
20
Seeking Shadows and Totally Immersed Martin Bowler
With the release of Martin’s new book and DVD, we get a
for the winter months, and Rich sees rig
great view from behind the scenes and find out just how
concealment as a massive edge. Turn to
much hard work it is to undertake such a massive project.
page 15 to find out how he goes about it.
Be prepared to be blown away by the photography.
gives you his thoughts for the month.
9
The Knowledge Dave Lane
Laney looks at his time spent at Burghfield and pays the place one last visit to say good bye to some very fond memories. However, he’s shocked to find a change in the rules, which is only for the worse.
27
Top Tips For Winter Tom Maker
There’s one man who catches fish for fun throughout the year, including through the winter, and when we say he catches fish, we mean he encounters big hits of fish – it’s Tom Maker.
33
Carp Couture Competition If you’re a lady angler you will
already know that the guys at Carp Couture know how to look after you with quality clobber. We’ve got nearly £400 worth to give away to one lucky reader.
35
Crafty Catch Column Sponsored by Sticky Baits
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 those top guys at Sticky Baits.
48
The Great Crafty Debate This month’s panel of experts in the
debate give their opinions on what they look for in a single hookbait. Is it attraction, colour or buoyancy? Turn to page 48 to find out.
52
Fox Competition Fox have released their new range
of rods with the amazing Torque offering, and we’ve got some of them to give away. Over £1,000 worth to be precise!
55
Crafty Carper Under-21s Harry Pratt is back in the pages
of Under-21s with a good result he’s had recently, and our 2014 British Young Carpers’ Angling champion, Michael Bamber, checks in with his monthly blog.
59
Carp Food Here you’ll find the latest and
greatest products of carp cuisine on the shelves of a tackle shop near you, as well as the editor’s choice of the month.
42
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on it, so you’ll be pleased to find that he takes us
UK over the past month, checking out all
as he starts a series about what’s made him
through the whole process of analysing a water and a
the latest gear from some of the best in the
tick over the last month. If you’ve ever wanted
target to ensure you have the best chance possible.
business. Take a look to find out what you’ll
to get inside the mind of Tim, then here’s the
be spending your money on for next year.
perfect opportunity. Sometimes his thoughts
From The Crow’s Nest Simon Crow
When it comes to targeting specific carp, Simon thrives
In Focus – New For 2015 Here you’ll find our trade show
round-up, as we’ve been up and down the
Here’s A Thought For You… Tim Paisley
Tim is back in the pages of Crafty this month,
about carp and angling keep him awake at night!
4
Crafty Carper
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72
93
in the pages of TicketMaster this
quality gear, we took one out to
subject of Hair length, and gives his
month, and free fishing offers for
test. Find the results on page 93.
opinions and thoughts on what determines
The TicketMaster We’ve got four day ticket
fisheries from across the country
every reader to take advantage of.
In Focus – Wychwood With a new brolly system
added to the Wychwood range of
Jones Pit Revisited Ian Russell
How Long Is Your Hair? Mitch Smith
This month Mitch looks at the quizzical
the length of a Hair on your rigs.
100
The Question Is
77
113
This month’s carping
conundrums are answered by our panel
117
The Quarry And I Adam Penning
We discover the ins and outs of
of experts. If you get your question
Jones Pit on the RK Leisure portfolio,
published you’ll be receiving a cracking
his love affair with The Quarry, the gems it
and who better to go to but Ian
prize delivered straight to your door.
holds, and the way he’s adapted his angling
Russell, who returns to the lake he targeted for carp around 25 years ago. Has it changed? Massively!!
80
to suit the conditions he faces on the lake.
106
Subscribe Fed up of going to the
newsagents? Let us deliver
30Plus
Crafty straight to your
Competition
door, and this month
WOW! We’ve got
we’re offering you
£1,000 worth of the
a couple of options
brilliant new Kodex
to take advantage
S-5000 clothing
of, which includes
to give away from
some quality
those nice guys at
gear from NGT.
30Plus. Find out how
109
to win on page 80.
83
Carpers’ Kit We take a look at some of
Adam is back in Crafty and tells the tale of
Learning From The Matchmen
the best products on the market,
Peter Goodman
and give you the low-down on
Those match lads seem to be able
what’s hot and what’s not. Plus
to catch carp consistently through
the Crafty Team give you their
the winter, so we thought it only
essential items this month.
fair to get out on the bank with
122
Inbox Keep up to date with
what’s been going on, and you can also get in touch with us to see who won the Facebook catch competition in conjunction with Fox International.
124
Fishing The Mush Julian Cundiff
If you’ve read Julian’s diary over the months you’ll have heard all about his mush approach to baiting, and here it’s explained in more detail. It’s been extremely successful for Jules, so turn to page 124 to find out how you can adapt it to your angling.
130
Mega Deals If you’re up for a bargain
then you’ll definitely want to head
one of them and see exactly how
over to page 130 to check out our
In Focus - Winter Clothing
they tempt multiple bites from
Mega Deals for some of the best offers
Special
carp in just a matter of hours.
from the country’s leading retailers.
87
END TACKLE AND HAND-SHARPENED HOOK SPECIALISTS
117
VALUE FOR MONEY WITHOUT COMPROMISING QUALITY
Contents /// December 2014
It “Rig orked w on kle Tac magic end r e i the C’s, th tely SS bsolu .” a my y ult e awa e r s m tam w e l t b Co Bill
With a whole host of companies releasing their new clothing ranges ready for the cooler months ahead, we’ve taken it upon ourselves to look at a whole host of gear which you’ll
Visit our website to find your local stockist
52
www.rigittackle.com
find of interest, from the likes of E-S-P, Fox, Trakker, Navitas and Red Squirrel.
Crafty Carper 004-005_Conts_CC208.indd 2
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T 07722 881 823 E rigittackle@gmail.com 10/11/2014 15:19
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Crafty Carper
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10/11/2014 10:50
Seeking Shadows and Totally Immersed Martin Bowler
With a new book and DVD hitting the shelves, Martin takes us on his journey through the creation of both pieces of what most would call artwork, as they are truly something else – definitely to be admired.
ANGLER PROFILE.
I
’m often asked if the demands
you that I love my job and realise
Seeking Shadows Part 2
of being a professional angler
how fortunate I am, another 2-year
I learnt my filming trade under the
have ruined my love of this field
book project, Totally Immersed, can
guidance of the great wildlife film-
sport and turned it into just a job.
now be added to the list for good
maker Hugh Miles, during Catching The
Delivering over 100 articles a year on
measure. The reason for the length
Impossible, so I had a good start, to
a wide variety of fish to support this
of these projects is an unwavering
say the least. Then immediately after
is testing, I won’t lie, but not once
desire to make every offering the
this project I took up the baton with
have I packed up and not thought
best I possibly can, with a near-zero
my friend Jacko, making Warwick’s Way
Professional angler/journalist
positively about the next session on
budget, because if you put your mind
With Carp, Lampard’s Way With Chub
the way home. You see, I get as much
to it, hard work and dedication can, I
and A Fish For All Seasons DVDs, and
UK personal best
enjoyment portraying angling these
believe, upstage money – which is just
each time we pushed ourselves further.
days as I do when catching, which I
as well because I finance them! I’m
I will, however, reveal the biggest film-
guess is fortunate with the number
going to outline both my latest film and
making secret Hugh passed on to me,
of words I write and pictures I take. I
book, not only in an obvious attempt
and that was, and is, to try harder than
doubt anyone in Europe comes close
to try to convince you, the readers, of
anyone else. At the start of Catching
to the quantity of magazine features,
their worthiness to be considered for
he told me I would suffer, something
and I have yet to even touch on social
purchase, but also to hopefully assist
which I didn’t believe, but trust me, if
media, books and films! It’s a labour of
and inspire any creative carp anglers
you want to create something even
love, which is why I have been willing,
to give it a go for themselves. I believe
half-reasonable, it isn’t easy. Learn to
over the last decade, to double the
it’s vital that future generations
embrace, even relish, the challenge,
workload; in addition to writing articles,
portray a passion for angling and
because it’s more important than any
I have worked on three epic projects.
how special it can be, and if you’re
equipment. Time invested in getting
Catching The Impossible films
willing to go the extra mile, there is
the perfect images is never wasted,
and book took 4 years; A Fish For All
nothing to stop you. Being a successful
and perhaps explains why the latest
Seasons film and book took 2 years,
professional angler is as much about
film, Seeking Shadows, took 4 years in
with the final part of the trilogy,
the willingness to work hard as it is
total to complete. Those perfect misty
Seeking Shadows films taking 4 more
catching fish. Mix this with a modicum
mornings and blood-red dusk skies
years. If this isn’t enough to convince
of talent and anything is possible!
don’t happen on a daily basis and are
Martin Bowler Age 42 Hometown
Chippenham, Wiltshire Occupation
45lb 5oz Favourite venue
Anywhere quiet and picturesque.
difficult to predict, so all you can do is
“I get as much enjoyment portraying angling these days as I do when catching”
wait and keep trying. Again though, don’t look on this as a negative; in fact it assists the independent film-maker and levels
Crafty Carper 020-024_MartinBowler_CC208.indd 2
21 10/11/2014 10:50
From the Crow’s Nest Simon Crow
Right on Time Short-session carper Simon Crow reveals why it’s important to understand the water you are fishing when targeting specific carp.
T
he more you go carp fishing,
when people say to me, “You catch a
the chance to set up the Titan and build
the more you get to see how
lot because you are on the bank all the
a swim, and wait for the fish to come on
important little edges can be.
time.” Well, nothing could be further
to the bait. My fishing time is limited,
I’m not one for getting overly involved
from the truth. I’m in the Carp-Talk
and to make the most of
in the technicalities of bait and rigs,
office 4 days a week, I have two kids
it I have to pick
as I think these are topics driven
who I see each week, as well as a
the best periods
more by the industry rather than
girlfriend and other interests outside
to go, even if
science. However, I have witnessed
of fishing. If I clock up more than
it’s just for a
with my own eyes how understanding
90 nights a year I am very lucky.
few hours.
the water I’m fishing, as well as its
Basically, I don’t have the time to
inhabitants, can work very much in my
‘bore the fish out’, so I look for as many
Analysis of Time
favour when time is of the essence.
edges as I can to help me. Perhaps
I rarely target a carp in the
When it comes to my lifestyle, I’m
the biggest of these is the way I use
winter unless I know the one
not much different to the majority of
and analyse the time available to me.
I want to catch has a track record
anglers, other than I perhaps put a bit
I’m forever dashing about in the car
of tripping up in cold weather. I’m the
more effort into my fishing because
between towns and jobs, so I rarely get
same in the summer; I prefer to ditch
it’s my job. I’m far from being a full-
more than 36 hours on the bank in one
the bivvy and static rods in favour of a
time angler, and it makes me chuckle
sitting. Only very occasionally do I get
mobile stalking approach. The times of
42
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10/11/2014 10:48
MAIN IMAGE Watercraft is
the biggest part of the carp-fishing jigsaw.
ABOVE One of the
north’s finest carp, Arnie at 45lb 12oz.
Crafty Carper 042-045_CrowsNest_CC208.indd 2
43 10/11/2014 10:48
Here’s a Thought For You... Tim Paisley
Tim is back in the pages of Crafty, and even at his tender age he still hears or reads something which provokes thought beyond your wildest imagination. We managed to get him to put pen to paper – or fingers to keys – and asked him to share his thoughts over the last month and see what’s made his cogs turn.
I
home to me that it might be a few days before the carp found my baits.
irrespective of what’s left in the swim. Technicalities in carp fishing are
When they did so the hookbait had to
only of use if they are an aid to
be as acceptable as the aging baits
catching carp, but my insistence on
it was being fished among. Fishing
having ageing hookbaits out there is
Rainbow, especially in the colder
based on experience, practicalities, and
months, emphasised this. At Rainbow
technicalities. What is your concept of
it is accepted that you may need the
‘attraction’? I hurt my head trying to
baits out for 3 or 4 days before you
understand this in the late-’70s and
get a pickup. Putting anything new
early-’80s. Water is liquid gas, H20.
out there is like starting again, and
Carp ‘smell’ with their receptors, in the
’m a comparative newcomer to
views differed regarding what we do
on a week’s session that is a non-
same way that we do with our noses
Facebook, and it has surprised
with a successful hookbait which has
starter, if you’ll excuse the pun.
(and receptors). Like us they eat food.
me in terms of the interaction
just produced a take. Frank’s comment
One of my favourite tactics
Frank has studied pH, as I did.
with others. The biggest reaction I
that he changes his hookbait in
is new over old, and I
had was when I mentioned it was
case the successful one has become
know this dates back
apparent, from working on Frank
tainted stuck in my mind, and surfaced
to the ’90s because
Warwick’s new book, that while we
strongly during a recent Mangrove
my most vivid
agreed on almost everything, our
session, which reminded me just how
recollection of
reluctant I am to change hookbaits.
success on the
If I’ve just caught a carp I feel that
tactic was at Birch
the hookbait is what I term ‘carp-
Grove. I had 2
friendly’. It has reached a stage of
hours before I had
immersion, washed-outness for want
to reel in; it was well
of a better expression, or a level of
past ‘feeding time’, and
attraction which not only attracts,
nothing was happening. I had
but which the carp feels comfortable
a hookbait on the edge of the pads,
are attracted by the smell of foods
in picking up. This isn’t a new thing
and knew exactly where it was. I left it
we are familiar with and know we
with me. One of my most successful
in situ and scattered some pellets over
will enjoy. Some new food aromas
sessions ever was at Cassien in 2000.
it, and within half an hour it was picked
smell good, but we are wary of eating
I was fishing Snowman hookbaits,
up by the coveted Video fish, the first
the source because we’re not sure
and while I was fairly sanguine
time I had managed to outwit the
it will taste good, or agree with us.
about changing the bottom bait on
lovely mirror. Introducing fresh baits
Vindaloos smell good to me, but I
the Snowman (as you often have
over a hookbait which has been out
know they are punishers as far as
to do), I just had to keep using the
for some time has brought me great
my digestive system is concerned.
same pop-up. I had to because I was
success at home and abroad. The carp’s
You put out a bait and it starts to
fishing four rods and I only had five
suspicion of the fresh introduction can
interact with the water. In descending
or six pop-ups to last me 8 days!
soften their suspicion of the hookbait
order, it will smell of you, of the
which has been lying there for some
flavour, and then of the food content
ABOVE While working on Frank’s
book, I found out that our views differed on successful hookbaits. LEFT Gotcha! A scattering of pellets
I don’t know how far back this goes,
It stands for positive hydrogen, and the H
“Introducing in H20 is hydrogen. fresh baits over a The simplest, and hookbait which has simplistic, way been out for some time to understand attraction is has brought me great that it is like an success at home electrical current and abroad” from a battery, which gradually runs down, or becomes washed-out. We
over an overnight hookbait resulted in the capture of the Birch Grove Video fish, well past ‘feeding time’ at a lake record weight of 37lb 2oz.
probably to when I started fishing
time. They are the masters of their
of the bait, depending on the degree
the big inland seas late last century.
environment and know exactly what
of immersion and the contents of the
When you start a session, not knowing
is happening on their patch. When I
bait. In order of importance that may
BELOW You put out a bait and it starts
whether you have a carp within a mile
simply don’t know whether I’ve got
be the wrong way round. It certainly is
of you, you have to rationalise your
any free offerings left or not, then my
for me. I want them to recognise that
approach. Fishing Raduta, Madine,
‘new’ baits will be seeds or pellets,
it’s the food they have
Cassien and the Orient brought it
something to get them feeding again,
been eating for however
to interact with water. At some stage it will be at its most appealing to carp. The key period of immersion will vary from bait to bait, and water to water.
Crafty Carper 064-067_TimPaisley_CC208.indd 2
65 10/11/2014 11:15
Here’s a Thought For You... Tim Paisley
long the bait has been going into the
hookbait was cast out, how significant
water. On a big water it may take them
was the time lapse? Were you waiting
up to a week to encounter the bait.
for feeding time, or until the hookbait
On a small water they may be aware
had become carp-friendly? If the
of it within minutes. But have you
latter is true then the 12 hours of
figured out how long it will take them
ageing may be equally as significant
to recognise the bait you have cast
as the arrival of ‘feeding time’.
out as being of the same ilk as the
There was some discussion of dips
bait you have been training them to
and soaks on the Facebook thread,
eat via prebaiting? Do you monitor the
and some incredulous
time lapse between casting out a new
reactions when I said
hookbait and the take? I know I wish
I don’t dip or soak
I did, but I’m not a statistic keeper. If
my hookbaits! I
the take comes 12 hours after the
have done so in
ABOVE Try piercing a hookbait if
you want to achieve a quicker interaction with water. RIGHT A 32½lb mirror from a recent Mangrove session, caught on a 2-dayold hookbait fished over heavy silt. BELOW One of a succession of fish from a successful Cassien session, during which I had just five pop-ups for my Snowman hookbaits to last me 8 days! They just about survived the session.
“...but if the past, and rethought I catch on a the practice on two PVA setup, it will grounds. One is that I’m not a good still be the same hookbait which goes enough caster to hit the target first back out there; time, every time, new over old” which means that with soaked baits I’m spreading the attraction away from the
and soaks may well be different. As it is this is my approach. Most waters have a feeding spell which occurs somewhere between midnight and midday. That being the case, I want the baits and hookbaits in position by early afternoon. If I feel I’m being visited then I’ll top up, new over old. By the time feeding time comes round
hookbait – albeit only slightly – and
I’m comfortable that I’ve got a hookbait
into areas I may not want it. The
which is acceptable to the carp. The big
second is that when I cast out a
question then is, at what stage does it
soaked bait I had to wonder what I
become unacceptable? On most waters
had out there in terms of recognition
I don’t think there is such a stage,
of the bait I had got them eating.
other than it becomes uncastable
With a soak the initial attraction is
through physical deterioration.
decreasing from the moment you
66
whole approach to hookbaits, dips
What all this adds up to is that
cast out. You are actually adding a
I’m a session angler with slightly
phase to the sequence I mentioned
different considerations to those many
earlier. Now I’m not dumb. If I wanted
of you have, but only slightly. If I’m
an instant reaction, and was willing
looking for a quicker result than an
to recast on a regular basis, then my
overnight one, I’ll lean more heavily
Crafty Carper
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10/11/2014 11:15
How Long is Your Hair? Mitch Smith
R
igs and rig mechanics are probably the things most talked and written about in
carp fishing. Every magazine, video or book will tell you about the wonder rig, how to tie the latest craze, or how to make the hooks so sharp that they can hook a fish from a mile away. Well I think it’s simpler than that. It amazes me how anglers today don’t think about the length of the Hair in relation to the size of hook and boilie diameter. How many of you actually use a separate thinner Hair than the main line? I bet it’s not many. I always like to have what I consider a longer Hair than most use. I like the Hair to be as supple as it can be, working on the idea that when the rig enters the mouth of the carp, I want the hook
2
5
3
6
4
7
to separate as far away as possible from the boilie, and be in a suitably awkward state to actually catch on to just about any part of the mouth. There’s been a lot written and discussed about where the best hookhold is when the hook finds a place to lodge. The general consensus is that it’s in the bottom lip, but I don’t have a favourite. Just about anywhere in the mouth will do for me. I only want the hook to prick anywhere in the flesh so the fish bolts, either pulling the hook further home or catching in a better position. I always look at the mouth of every fish I catch because I like to see how the hook has worked. A lot of the time, the first initial slight pricking point is not necessarily the same spot I have to remove the hook from. The hook can move around in the mouth while you are playing the fish. I’ve had fish which have lost the hookhold a couple of times in a battle, and we hear people say that a carp has spat the hook, which isn’t as silly as it sounds; the hook can literally just move slightly and fall out. Many of us have experienced the run where you pick up the rod and feel the fish and then there is nothing. That’s a poor hookhold, and many anglers blame the length of the rig, but try increasing the length of the Hair slightly – it does help. I personally would not use a 14mm boilie or smaller with any hook bigger than a Size 6. Alternatively, a boilie of 16 or 20mm would see me use a Size 6 or 4 hook, but every time I would have a Hair which is free to move about and leaves at least 12-15mm from the bottom of the hook to the top of the boilie. For 90% of the time I use a braid of about 2lb to create the Hair and will exit this either directly
1
out of a Knotless Knot or, depending
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How Long is Your Hair? Mitch Smith
1. What benefit does the silicone tube have? It’s just like tying the Hair off the bend of the hook. 2. A simple ring gives a much better hooking effect than the silicone sleeve on the bend. 3. A much better way of allowing the Hair to travel about along a hook – a larger ring gives more movement. 4. Using the stiffness of the outer coating on a hooklink, along with a Knotless Knot KD-style, makes this rig very clumsy when in the mouth cavity. This should allow it to hook into something. 5. Do you honestly think this
hookhold brought this fish to the net? This hook has actually moved and recaught on the way out. 6. The only time I use a short
tight Hair is with a Zig Rig. 7. If it’s hard to get the boilie stop in,
can pull the hook home and
are tied up with a Knotless Knot and a
further into some flesh.
small piece of silicone 0.75mm tubing,
I am a lot more confident in using
which traps the Hair on the bend.
small hooks, such as a 10 up to a
8. Probably the simplest of rigs with a covered Knotless Knot, but here with a longer Hair.
Originally, when this presentation
6, because I feel they bed into the
was projected on the carp scene, the
flesh better and create a snug fit. A
small piece of tubing on the bend
larger hook will struggle to go into
was supposed to slide up the shank
the flesh right up to the hilt (shank),
of the hook when the fish pushed/
which then creates a fulcrum, pulling
on the state of the fish’s mouths, I
blew the rig out, attempting to make
the hook about on its point, which
use a blowback Hair with a ring on
the hook act like a hooking parachute
in turn will drop the hook. Another
a longshank hook, but always with
and catch onto flesh on the way out.
thing I like to do is stay well clear of
the Hair long enough to allow free
Nowadays, most anglers use such a
barbless hooks. The small micro-barb
movement for the boilie and the Hair.
tight piece of silicone that the Hair
on a barbed hook seems to keep the
I like to use a good 25mm long
is permanently trapped on the bend,
hookhold a little more rigid, whereas
length of shrink tube over the eye of
giving the same mechanical effect as
a barbless hook moves around when
the hook to create a sharp 50˚angle.
a Hair tied to the bend (see pics).
hooked, often creating a larger hole
Some call this a kicker, but for me it’s
Rather than use silicone, I am
and eventually dropping the hook out.
like having a bent hook extension.
happier to use at least a 4mm ring so I
I know this to be the case; in
I think this creates more awkward
know it can move about and along the
fact, how many of you fish waters
movement in the hook which helps it
hookshank. I’m not 100% in agreement
with a barbless only rule? Why are
catch into the flesh. Yes, I agree that
that the bait via the ring shoots up the
the fish’s mouths always a little
this creates a great turning point in
shank when the fish blows out the rig,
bashed up and sometimes have
the hook when you pull it over your
but I am sure that the ring, hook and
bruises, even though the barbless
hand, but where does that mimic a
tubing, etc. creates such an awkward
rule has been upheld for years?
fish sucking up the rig? I’ve often
pile of junk in the mouth cavity that
Yep, that’s right; it’s the movement
found that when used with a pop-
the hookpoint is forced to prick the
of a barbless hook moving about in
up and a small split shot to drop the
skin slightly, which makes the fish
the mouth like a saw – not good!
pop-up, with the bent shrink tube
bolt and thus pulls the hook home.
I get more bottom lip hookholds.
Let’s not forget here that
Being pragmatic, I just think the
the whole idea of the
added weight of the shot makes the
hooking arrangement
hooklink drop down, and when the
is to create a
fish moves or tries to discard the rig
pricking effect on
and debris in its mouth, the hooklink
the fish which scares
pulls the hook into the bottom lip.
it and makes it bolt
Many years ago, when we first
away, and then the
started using the Hair as written and
Long Hairs like this can tangle easily. PVA them up to the leader for confidence in the fact that it won’t be tangled.
off the bend. Why? Well, many hooks
then I think the Hair is too short.
9. One which fell to a long Hair presentation.
MITCH’S TOP TIP
8
So, I hope my Hair Rig ramblings have incensed you enough to think about your hooking arrangement and not just follow the lemmings. Try a longer Hair; you might be a bit surprised at how many more bites you actually get. CC
lead or the angler
presented by Lenny Middleton, we used to tie the Hair off the bend of the hook. Today, I think a lot of fish are still getting caught with the same mechanical action of that original Hair
9 Crafty Carper 113-115_HowLongisYourHair_CC208.indd 3
115 10/11/2014 11:10
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