E E R F ING H Y VER E FIS R FO ADER E R
ON TEST
ARE THESE THE BEST VALUE RODS ON THE MARKET?
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No.210 February 2015
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JULIAN CUNDIFF
INCLUDING... CROW | PENNING | HEWITT | LANE | RUSSELL | HOWARTH 001_Cover_CC210.indd 1
09/01/2015 12:16
Crafty Carper /// Issue 210 /// February 2015 /// www.craftycarper.co On the cover: Marv Wait with his target fish - a stunning 20lb+ urban canal inhabitant.
7
Editorial James Turner
Editor James looks at what’s in store for you in this issue of Crafty Carper, as well
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in search of some wily old carp he used to target
carp rods but also a designated spod
over 15 years ago, amidst rumours of a small
rod. The Dynamic Carp and Spod rods
chance of a 20 in one stretch of the canal.
make carping even more affordable.
Winter Canal Carping Marvin Wait
Northern angler Marv takes to the urban jungle
In Focus – NGT There are some new rods in
the NGT range, which not only includes
as giving you his thoughts for the month.
9
The Knowledge Dave Lane
Laney gets to grips with Northey Park pretty quickly, and the big common, Kitch, is soon in the folds of his net. The full story is here before he heads off to a deep pit in search of yet another 50lb common.
16
CC Moore Competition We’ve got hundreds of
pounds’ worth of the awesome Equinox bait to give away to some of our lucky readers. Get your hands on it by heading over to page 16.
17
From The Crow’s Nest Simon Crow
With us now being in the depths of winter, when better to take a look at approaching the coldest time of the year? Be prepared for some stunning snow and frost shots, as well as stunning carp.
21
Scale-Up, Not Down Mat Woods
While many people talk about being a little more delicate in their approach in winter, Mat goes to the other end of the scale. Bigger really is better.
27
My Wraysbury Adventure (Part One)
Louis Lee Young Louis takes on this historic water, and we join him on an epic adventure as he aims to come face-to-face with one of the iconic Wraysbury originals.
33
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.
37
Subscribe With Gardner Make the most of this
generous offer, as you can get 12 months of Crafty delivered to your door, along with a shedload of topquality Gardner terminal tackle.
44
Minimal Time,
105
Simple Rigs = Success Julian Cundiff
Julian always talks about keeping his rigs as
40
The Great Crafty Debate This month’s panel of experts
Maximum Success
Peter Kingsbury Time is against many of us while we
in the debate give their own thoughts on
still seek the rewards. We take a trip
simple as possible, and why overcomplicate
selecting target fish, if they even do. Do
down memory lane with Pete as he
something if it works? Learn how to create
you set carp-angling targets for a new
receives huge success in exchange
his top three tried and tested rigs.
year? Find out more on page 40.
for minimum time on the bank. Sometimes it just all comes right.
4
Crafty Carper
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Contents /// February 2015
83
49
73
88
date, and he bags a brace anyone
you the low-down on what’s hot and
If you get your question answered
would be proud of, one which
what’s not. Plus the Crafty Team give
you’ll be receiving a cracking prize
many anglers will not experience
you their essential items this month.
delivered straight to your door.
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95
Crafty Carper Under-21s Charlie Cookman is the
youngest Under-21 entry to
in a lifetime. Michael Bamber also checks in with his monthly blog.
53
Carp Food Here you’ll find the latest
Carpers’ Kit
The Question Is
We take a look at some of the
best products on the market, and give
In Focus – Venture When it comes to brolly
systems, there’s a great selection to
This month’s carping conundrums
are answered by our panel of experts.
An Amazing Year Marcus Howarth
On page 95, Marcus Howarth reflects on what
choose from, and with the resurgence of
can only be described as sublime when it
and greatest products of carp
Venture, there’s one more to add to your
comes to his results in 2014. Be prepared for
cuisine on the shelves of a tackle
list. See what you think on page 77.
chunky knits, and big, beautiful carp galore.
shop near you, as well as the
79
In Focus – Delkim
Editor’s Choice of the month and a
Alarms are a very
Crafty tip from Joe Turnbull.
personal choice, and
57
Carp Food
if you’re currently
In Focus
in the market
– CC Moore
for a new set,
Geoff Kemp is
you’ll possibly
a well-known
already have
name when it
a couple of
comes to bait-
makes in
CC Moore are selling
well worth a look on page 57.
66
The TicketMaster We’ve got four day ticket
month, and take advantage of an amazing free gift from the guys at NGT. There are two gifts to choose from.
102
Inbox Keep up to date with
what’s been going on, and you can also get in touch with us here and see who won the Facebook catch competition in
Tx-i Plus alarms
liquid flavours. These are
Get your favourite carp-fishing
magazine delivered to your door each
mind. Turn see if the Delkim
some of his original
Subscribe With NGT
to page 79 to
making and bait flavours, and now
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are to your liking.
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In Focus – Avid Carp Being comfortably warm
conjunction with Fox International.
112
Crafty Ladies – Let’s Hear it for the Girls!
This is a new addition to the magazine because we seem to be getting more and
in your sleeping bag while fishing in
more lady anglers taking part in the sport,
fisheries from across the country
the depths of winter is of the utmost
so it’s only fair they get to contribute to
in the pages of TicketMaster this
importance. This bag from Avid is based
the mag. Jen Carey describes her capture
month, and also free fishing offers for
on something from the mountaineering
of a near 50 PB in France, while Jade
every reader to take advantage of.
industry, so it’s going to be good.
Hardy undergoes the Crafty interrogation
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foreign lands in search of big carp
who could seriously offer to get you
in 2015, then we’ve got a French
more bites instantly, but Adam Penning
to page 114 to check out our Mega
venue which is well worth checking
is one of them. Find out how you can
Deals for some of the best offers from
out and putting on your shortlist.
get results instantly on page 83.
the country’s leading retailers.
Hot Holiday Venue – St Leonard’s
If you’re looking at planning a trip to
Get More Bites – Now! Adam Penning
There aren’t many anglers out there
tactics, which is eye-opening.
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Mega Deals If you’re up for a bargain
then you’ll definitely want to head over
Crafty Carper 004-005_Contents_CC210.indd 2
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The Great Crafty Carper Debate.
T
argets: what helps you select a target fish, if you actually do, and what’s the first job when going in search of it?”
By bagging fish in numbers, it was only a matter of time until my target, Dave, slipped up. He was my first target which would actually beat a personal best.
This month’s experts are: James Conway is a consultant for Bait-Tech and has been carp fishing for over 20 years. He started off in the Lea Valley, and nowadays fishes a little further afield, targeting syndicate waters in the Colne Valley and Bedfordshire. He angles on limited time due to working fulltime and having a young family.
40
Kev Hewitt is one half of the duo of Kev and Bart who used to feature monthly in Crafty. Kev is now doing his own thing and targeting big fish for 95% of his fishing, and his results speak for themselves over the past year, as he’s been focusing on the Bluebell Lakes complex.
Iain Macmillan, or Ting Tong, as he is also known, is a carp-catcher of the highest order. He tends to favour a couple of set tactics in which he has extreme confidence, and likes to spend his days on syndicate waters with monster carp, or on the banks of some of the busier commercials. Either way, he can’t half catch ’em!
Ellis Brazier can usually be found in the deepest parts of Shropshire, fishing silty meres in the search for big original commons, but he also likes to fish for runs on some of the more commercial waters in the area. He loves particles and he also likes the good old peanut.
Mitch Smith hails from Essex, and as well as being the UK manager for Starbaits, he also owns a few fisheries in the south. He’s a cracking bloke, and is equally at home using lots of boilies or a variety of particle baits when chasing carp, both in the UK and abroad, plus he can whack a lead some distance.
Ian Russell is a carp-catching machine who has recently hit a vein of form with some big hits of very large fish, especially from RK Leisure’s Horton Complex, as he has absolutely taken Kingsmead 1 apart recently. Ian is at home on any type of lake though, and loves catching fish of any size, no matter how big or small.
Crafty Carper
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The Great Debate
Team Crafty Carper
James Conway says: “It’s very rare that I target a single fish, I focus more on a target water as a whole. Due to time restraints in my angling, targeting just one fish in a lake is not usually viable, so I prefer to choose a lake which has a few good fish to target; an A-Team, so to speak. Obviously, every lake has its king or queen, which is ultimately the one I want to catch, but I always like to have other good backup fish to go at while I’m waiting for the big one. The first thing to do when going in search of any target fish is to find out as much information as you can about past captures. From this, you will be able to build up a picture of where particular fish are willing to feed at certain times of the year. Next would be to start actually looking for the fish which you’re after. Most carp are creatures of habit and will have areas of the lake where they prefer to spend time, but remember that where you see them during the day may not necessarily be where they feed. Sightings at first light are the best indicators of feeding areas, and although you may not be able to identify your target fish from these, it will certainly give you an idea of feeding areas for the bulk of the fish in the lake.”
“Every lake has its king or queen, which is ultimately the one I want to catch” LEFT Find out as much information as you can about your target
fish, and try to pinpoint their whereabouts and favoured areas. Research is vital, and searching out the right water for you is also a necessity; there are plenty to go at.
BELOW
Kev Hewitt says: “Having thought about all the individual fish which I have targeted over the years, it is fair to say there have been a number of different reasons for my targets. The first fish I ever specifically targeted was the Birthmark Linear from Manor Farm around 10 years ago. I saw a stunning picture of Jon Finch with a winter capture of her and I thought, ‘I need to catch that fish.’ It looked stunning, an immaculate perfect zip linear with a very distinctive purple blotch on one side. My next target fish was the Big Plated from St. Johns, due to it being one of the most beautiful fully-scaled carp which swims in a day ticket water. Then there was the Slate Grey from Linch Hills Christchurch, for two reasons; one because it was one of the most elusive fish in the pond at the time, and two, it was simply a unique stunning fish. In 2014 I targeted a fish called Dave from Bluebells, and for the first time in my life, I was targeting a fish which would smash my personal best if I were fortunate enough to catch it. The plan which was formulated to catch each of my targets was simple. Get as many bites as possible, and law of averages dictates that the right one will come along eventually.”
Iain Macmillan says:
trying to do here is picture myself actually angling
they like (some prefer nutty baits over fishmeals),
“One of the first things that attracts me to a certain
on the water; I pinpoint any hot areas, distances, and
and which direction the prevailing southwesterly
lake is the fish (obviously), or, indeed, a particular fish.
possibly mark a few areas for depths should the need
winds are, etc., so the more information I can gather,
I suppose the next big thing is trying to obtain a ticket,
for Zig Rigs arise. I suppose what I’m actually doing
the better. The final thing is to keep your eyes open,
which sometimes can be far from easy. Syndicates,
is mentally preparing myself for the jaunt ahead, and
especially the first few times you fish there. Other
like day ticket waters, can be extremely busy as the
by doing the homework before fishing for the first
anglers who’ve been on the syndicate for longer can
carp-fishing bug grows, and you really need to be
time, it saves a shedload of unnecessary commotion
also give you some direction as to where they like to
planning 4 or maybe 5 years in advance to get on
and racket. This then means you need to simply find a
put their rigs. This isn’t to copy them at all, it’s just
your chosen waters. Once I’ve been given the nod, I
few fish and have a go for them. I also try to do some
observation. After all, they will be far more
tend to go up to the venue for a few recces. What I’m
subtle digging about previous captures, which bait
experienced on the lake than you are.”
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Minimal Time, Maximum Success Peter Kingsbury
MI N I M AL
T I M E
MAXIMUM
SUCCESS
ANGLER PROFILE.
Peter Kingsbury Age 45 Hometown
Horsham Occupation
Logistics manager UK personal best
45lb 12oz Favourite venue
Clare Park Lake, where I caught my first 30-pounder 30 years ago.
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Crafty Carper
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Minimal Time, Maximum Success
Peter Kingsbury
Peter Kingsbury is an angler with limited time, so he adapts his angling to make the most of overnighters throughout the year. We take a trip back 5 years to Horton Church Lake, in the winter of 2009, when his overnight efforts seemed to pay off over and over again.
I
had been planning a few
as it was known. I rebaited with
overnighters around a full moon,
critically-balanced baits, which
with some reasonable weather to
were pop-ups that were carved
boot. It was a Tuesday in November,
down until they sank slowly with
and when I arrived at around
just the weight of the hook. I made
1.00 p.m. due to rest-time from
up the PVA bags and was ready to
work, I utilised knowledge gained
cast out. The middle rod was cast
from previous years. Over the
first, and it landed bang on the
winter period, I had only planned
area where the bubbles were most
to concentrate on four swims. The
evident, but it seemed to move
weather conditions dictated my
the fish over to the left a little. I
swim choice, so when I arrived,
put the left rod on this area with
I straight away thought about
the first cast, bang on the money.
going round to the Reeds Swim,
I didn’t want to put any more rods
because this area was flat calm.
there, so I placed the right-hand
I wanted to spread my bait
rod 30 yards out in front of the
around, and at that time I was using Mirage 16lb fluorocarbon main line because the water in Horton was gin-clear. This was threaded through
reeds where I had just moved from. With the rods out and in play, it was time to sort the base camp. Once all my equipment was
Covert tungsten tubing and a Covert lead clip with a 2.5oz lead. I picked a new hooklink, Trickster Heavy in Green, which is a
“The fish were still evidently there, with huge plumes of bubbles hitting the surface over the original position, bang on top of where the middle rod was cast”
supple braid hooklink, to be a little different
set up, it was time for the kettle to go on, and whilst waiting for it to boil, I sat and watched the area for signs.
The fish were still evidently there, with
from the norm, as everyone seemed
huge plumes of bubbles hitting the
to use coated material; I coupled
surface over the original position,
this lot with a Size 8 Mugga.
bang on top of where the middle
Bait-wise, I was using Dynamite’s
rod was cast. Before the kettle
Tiger Nut Boilies, but I was doing
had even hit the boiling point,
a little trick of blending boilies to
the middle rod was away. I got
powder and then doing the same
up quickly and picked up the rod,
with sweetcorn. These were mixed together and used in PVA bags the size of
and was met with a very heavy resistance. I was attached to a slowmoving fish kiting to the left away
a golf ball in order to
from the area, and I needed to gain
help avoid tangles
control because the swim had some
with the use
trees which overhung the margins
of the braided
and they could cause an issue if the
hooklink
fish stayed on this length of line. I
material.
managed to turn it, gain control and
Once all three
I pumped the fish closer. It was only
rods were cast out, I had a couple
a matter of minutes until I caught
of hours until dark, so I sat down
my first glimpse of a fish which
and made a cuppa. Whilst drinking
had a very large frame and was
the tea, I noticed that in the
yellow in colour, and immediately
next swim down there was some
I was racking my brain as to what
bubbling going on. I walked down,
fish it might be. To be honest, it
and with the different angle and
did very little in front of my swim,
light conditions, I saw at least three
apart from use the depth to its
fish feeding at about 50 yards out
advantage by just staying deep. I
towards a tall tree. I ran back and
eventually put a little more pressure
retrieved all three rods, and took
on and pumped it to
them down to The Blank Swim,
the surface, and quickly
Crafty Carper 044-047_Minimal_CC210.indd 2
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Carp Food
Team Crafty Carper
POWER-PACKED PASTES JOE TURNBULL'S MONTHLY BAITING TIP:
W
e are well and truly into
pliable finished bait is
winter now, and with
achieved. However,
water temperatures
I have a completely
“Used as a wrap, it can add a brilliant dimension to any bait at any time of the year, but especially through winter”
at such low levels, there aren’t
different angle to
many baits which have quite the
add to the powdered
same effect as pastes and paste
additives, which will
hookbaits. OK, so pastes usually get
not only give you an
a bit of bad press, mainly because
awesome putty but also
most anglers are paranoid that they
helps in upping the bait’s
are rather lethargic in cold water,
won’t be fishing for very long after
ante. Almost like icing sugar,
and tend to feed so slowly that it
they have cast out. On the contrary,
Sweet Coconut Liquid from the guys at
trips them up every time. Wrap the
pastes in really cold water still take a
Bait-Tech works perfectly in conjunction
paste around the whole hookbait
reasonable amount of time to break
with this paste, and when topped
until everything is sealed and leave
down when fished alone. Used as a
by a single high-attract Milky Toffee
it in the sun or daylight for a few
wrap, it can add a brilliant dimension
Mainline pop-up, you have a combo
minutes if you can. This creates a
to any bait at any time of the year,
which has caught me hundreds of carp.
light skin which will give you a bit
but especially through winter. When
more time once it hits the bottom.
Start by adding a small amount
I cannot stress how important
times are tough and bites are hard to
of powder to a tub, and then add a
come by, ignore paste at your peril.
small amount of liquid, being careful
it is to keep mobile in winter.
not to use too much. Mix the two
Firstly, it keeps you motivated, and
using a paste supplied by Richworth,
thoroughly until you have a smooth
secondly, you really need to find
which is not only attractive in its
paste, and then add a bit more powder
the fish because at this time of
own right but incredibly active too; it
until it becomes soft and workable.
year they are generally shoaled up
punches out nutritional food signals
The rig I like to use for this gives
somewhere together. Keep casting
Throughout the winter I have been
about with your paste hookbaits
far and wide. Active Xtracts pastes are
me enough space between the Hair
made from a seriously high blend of
and hookbait, which is critical, and long
natural powdered attractants which
Hairs on stiff fluorocarbon hooklinks
emit a huge food signal without having
are absolutely deadly. A small shot
was seeing my alarm scream off on a freezing cold day.
to introduce lots of bait. You can, if
placed directly underneath the hookbait
TOP RIGHT See how active the
you want, add lake water to concoct
creates a wafter hookbait, something
paste is in really cold water.
Good luck,
the paste bait, working it in until a
I love to use through the winter. Carp
ABOVE Everything stays on my barrow.
JT.
TOP LEFT A most welcome sight
and eventually, if all goes to plan, you should land on a fish which will find that little lot irresistible.
A QUICK AND EASY POTENT PASTE
1
2
A deadly combo. This is all you need for the job. I've gone with white items for added visual attraction.
56
Add the paste powder to a tub and follow this with the liquid, and simply mix until a paste is formed.
3 Take the finished paste and wrap it round your chosen hookbait to give a neat parcel like this.
Crafty Carper
053-057_CarpFood_CC210.indd 4
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Carp Food In Focus CC Moore
CC MOORE GEOFF KEMP VINTAGE FLAVOURS RRP: £9.99
per 100ml bottle
Geoff Kemp is a name synonymous with great bait, and when it's in conjunction with CC Moore, you’re on to a sure-fire winner. Create your own bait with the help of two big names in the carp-angling world. CC Moore have teamed up with
added flavours. Perfect for high-
the legendary Geoff Kemp to offer
attraction hookbaits, as well as
anglers a range of some of his most
milk protein and birdfood boilie
sought-after liquid additives. Ask
mixes when you want something
any experienced carp angler about
with high levels of leakage.
Geoff Kemp and they’ll more than likely inform you that he was one
Evaporated Milk/Ice Cream
of the fathers of bait creation in
This was another of Geoff’s more
the early days of carp fishing. His
highly rated flavour mixes. It’s
flavours were immensely successful
beautifully smooth, with a creamy
for anglers across the globe, and
smell and a very moreish profile;
boy, did he know how to attract carp
you just have to keep going back
to a bait. Back in the ’80s and ’90s,
for another whiff. It goes perfectly
his concentrated flavours gained the
with nut, birdfood and milk protein
legendary status which they still
baits, and it also rounds off a
have today. I know many
fishmeal bait very nicely and softens some
people who like to
other more intense
roll their own baits and hookbaits who still have some form of Geoff’s highly attractive concentrated flavours – which
“As soon as you remove the lid you’ll know exactly why they were so devastating, and there’s no doubt that they will be again”
may be using. Toffee Malt This is most definitely an original. It’s very rich and has a
they would guard
caramel-type flavour
with their life! CC Moore have now brought
flavours you
which is perfect for a whole
them back to life, and are offering
host of mixes. This smell isn’t
them in 100ml bottles to the
overpowering when added to many
general angler. For years, flavours
baits, but you’ll find that it takes
such as Green Zing were confined
the bait to a whole new level in
to the archives and it was nigh
attraction properties, and the
on impossible to get hold of, but
proof will be in the results. Try it!
thanks to CC Moore, you can now get them for less than £10 per
Rosehip
bottle. As soon as you remove the
Rosehip is a well-known flavour,
lid you’ll know exactly why they
and has a very distinctive fruity
were so devastating, and there’s no
and floral profile which has
doubt that they will be again. There
been highly effective for some
are currently four in the range:
time. Perfect for all-year-round use, and particularly good when
Green Zing
added to birdfood, milk protein
This awesome fruity flavour has
or fishmeal boilie mixes. This
a powerful ester-based profile
is a consistent catcher of fish
with blackcurrant tones, as well
both at home and abroad, and
as tutti frutti and a few other
has been for some years. CC
Crafty Carper 053-057_CarpFood_CC210.indd 5
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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!
the poor conditions are perhaps the
Every person who has their question published on these
biggest reason for a blank, you can
pages will receive a prize from some of the top tackle and
remain focused on your approach.
bait manufacturers in the business. If you would like your
For this reason, I find it important
question to be answered by our star-studded panel, simply
to take as many things which have
send it to us, and we will forward it to your chosen recipient.
been working in summer (which provide valuable confidence) with me into winter, even if I do have to
Q
Hi, When fishing during the winter, is there anything specific that you would change to your setup compared to when you fish during the summer months? For example, the rigs or bait. Thanks, Rasheed Ali.
to your approach, because the things
adapt them slightly. So, I keep to the
which go against you, such as less than
same style of rigs, but I may scale
favourable conditions, are dramatically
them down a little from summer, as
increased. On top of this, the fish don’t
I may also scale down the general
have much of an appetite and feeding
size of my bait feed and hookbait.
spells will be shorter, infrequent, or
Perhaps most importantly, I keep to
even non-existent. It can be difficult
the same bait flavour as I’ve used
to gauge if any serious changes of
throughout the warmer months.
approach are good or bad, and how
Again, I may feel I need to make a
they are performing. In my experience,
few tweaks: 10mm boilies rather
this generally leads to a further change
than 14mm or 18mm, for example,
Hi Rasheed,
– then another and another – until you
and I will probably drop the amount
Changes? Well I wouldn’t really
fall into a dark abyss of changing things
of feed to match the lower appetite
call them that, but yes, I do make
for change’s sake as the blank sessions
of the fish. One thing is for sure; I
some tweaks and adjustment to
mount up. You never know whether
keep the same flavour note going
my approach. As to completely
something is the right move, so you
one way or another, perhaps with
changing anything, then no, I
can stick with it and start catching,
a liquid, and maintain the ultra-
try not to. Let me explain.
and soon lose all confidence in your
valuable confidence I have in it.
For me, winter is the wrong time to start making too many changes
approach. Confidence really is the key element to winter success, so when
Hope this helps, John.
Q
Hi Team, My local water is a runs water with fish up to and over 20lb, and every angler fishes it the same – Hair-rigged pellet with PVA bags. I’m guessing the bigger fish have wised up to this tactic and there’s also a boilie ban, so my question is how would you go about standing out from the crowd and fish it differently to snare the bigger residents? Many thanks, Owen. Hi Owen, Firstly, many thanks for your question. I hope my answer goes some way to helping you single out some of the bigger fish. Without sounding like a broken record, I will start off with
ABOVE I keep my flavour label going one way or another – perhaps with a liquid or stick mix. Stick with what gives you confidence, and keep catching!
88
something which I quite often mention in my answers, and that is location. Location is of paramount importance whilst carp fishing, and
Crafty Carper
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The Question Is
Ask our experts anything, online at www.craftycarper.co
Team Crafty Carper
Answering our readers questions this month are: John Kneebone – Mainline Baits
Rich Adams – Mistral Baits
Ellis Brazier – JRC
Keith Jones – Nash
Mitch Smith – Starbaits
John has long been a
Rich is a regular
Ellis is a Question Is
Keith runs the media
Mitch has been
member of the Mainline
Crafty contributor and
veteran, with many years’
side of things for
answering questions
Baits team, and he
a mainstay of The
experience of hunting carp
Nash Tackle, and is no
for you guys for
certainly knows his stuff. He’s
Question Is. He loves answering
in his beloved Shropshire meres.
stranger to catching carp for fun.
years now, and loves nothing
caught some cracking big fish along
your questions, and because he’s
He’s not one to use the latest fiddly
Not only does he like to target
more than a carpy conundrum
the way, and loves pitting his wits
predominantly a boilie angler, any
rig and scores extremely well on his
some of the better fish in his local
from our readers. He’s straight-
against the carp in big lakes, which
questions you may have on boilie
simple, yet very effective approach
lakes, he also gets just as much of
talking and doesn’t half know
many people would class as the
fishing are ideal for him and will
to his end tackle, and he also has a
a buzz catching numbers of fish,
his stuff, so you can be sure to
harder venues in the UK.
help you catch more.
wealth of knowledge.
and gets some good results.
learn a thing or two.
FAR LEFT Tiger nuts are awesome, and ready-prepared ones are easy to come by, and aren’t expensive. LEFT It’s really simple to create your own paste.
as big as you want, and it will ooze attraction (especially if you boost it with some liquid flavouring) and stay on the Hair for a long
BELOW This near-30lb common was caught on a float-fished worm in the margins.
time. Simply put a cork ball or
catching them using a float if they
you want to it; don’t be afraid to
are in close enough? Natural baits
mould a really big piece of paste
such as maggots or a big lobworm can
both onto the Hair and around the
be presented perfectly with a float,
hook. This creates a bigger bait
and for me there’s no better way to
which the smaller fish will find
catch a carp than by using this old-
difficult to pick up. Wrap the paste
fashioned method. The thrill of finding
in cling film or put it in an airtight
a fish (especially the bigger ones) in
container and it will last for ages.
the margins, and presenting a float-
hard pellet onto a Hair Rig and mould a piece of paste as big as
Tiger nuts can be a brilliant
fished bait to them is really exciting.
big-fish bait, but you must
Watching the line tighten as the float
ensure that they are prepared
disappears is exciting enough, but
properly. If you’re not familiar
what follows is even better. The sheer
with preparing them, there are
power you feel from a fish which
numerous companies which sell
has just been hooked unexpectedly
ready-prepared tigers for around
is awesome. This is something that
the same price as unprepared
you don’t get when you are sitting
ones. Finally, if you find yourself
behind the rods waiting for a run, as
fishing with pellets, why not try
mostly, by the time you’ve had any
a bigger pellet on the Hair. Fish
generally speaking, most of the time,
I don’t know of many carp which
indication and you pick up the rod,
one or even two 22mm pellets
if you can find the fish and get them
can resist a nice bed of pellet.
the moment has already passed.
and you should be able to avoid
feeding, you have a very good chance.
Also, don’t rule out the margins.
With the boilie ban in place, it may
the smaller fish, as they simply
You say you want to target the bigger
The number of big fish which get
be worth trying a paste bait of some
won’t be able to pick them up.
fish in your water, and you can do this
caught close in on venues where
description. Paste is effectively boilies
They look really big, but I assure
by spending as much time as possible
everybody chucks to the middle of the
in their raw form, so crumb up some
you that a carp over 20lb will
watching the water and wandering
lake is amazing. One good example
boilies in a bowl and add a raw egg,
have no trouble in taking them.
around looking for the bigger fish, and
of this happened on a recent trip to
and you can mix it into a paste. By
France. One angler in particular
experimenting with the consistency
Tight lines, and good luck
to reside. Bigger fish are
decided that he wasn’t
of the paste, you can come up with a
catching a big ’un!
often loners which feed
going to follow the
very effective bait that can be made
Rich ‘Fatbloke’ Adams.
finding the areas where they like
in areas away from the other residents in the lake. Don a pair of decent Polaroids (these are readily available at a reasonable cost if
“Bigger fish are often loners which feed in areas away from the other residents in the lake”
you don’t already have a pair) and have a good walk around and look for the
advice of the lake owner by putting in large amounts of particles and pellets to the middle of the lake. He concentrated on the margins and fished
differently to the majority of the group, and by doing this
bigger fish. You will often find them
he was top rod for the week and
held up away from the disturbance
also caught the two biggest fish,
of anglers – and don’t rule out using
so don’t be afraid to do something
the same baits as the others. The
totally different to the others.
chances are that the bigger fish
This brings me on to bait. Once
have been eating the same bait as
you’ve found out where the bigger
the smaller fish, and to be honest,
fish are likely to be, why not try
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89 09/01/2015 17:06
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12/01/2015 16:31