Crafty Carper August 2015

E G ER E ND FR HIY REA SVER I FOR E

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No.216 August 2015

August 2015 | Issue 216 | £4.25

Summer seeds

LOCATING

HOT SPOTS

carping in the clouds

How you can pinpoint those all-important feeding zones

Best surface rig ever?

Get Crafty... GET CATCHING!

T On sale 21st July– 18th August 2015

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The latest gear reviewed: PENN, Sonik, E-S-P, and Avid ALSO FEATURING: Dave Lane Jake Wildbore Gary Bayes Rob Hughes Simon Crow Julian Cundiff 001_Cover_CC216.indd 1

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Crafty Carper /// Issue 216 /// August 2015 /// www.craftycarper.co

7

On the cover: Ellis Brazier with a stunning common taken live for the Crafty cameras.

Editorial James Turner Editor James looks at what’s

in store for you in this issue of

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The TicketMaster We’ve got four day ticket

fisheries from across the country

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Crafty Carper, as well as giving Nash Tackle

his thoughts for the month,

Competition

and what he’s been up to.

This month we’ve teamed up

in the pages of TicketMaster

with the guys at Nash for a

this month, and free fishing

competition worth over £1,000.

offers for every reader to take

Five winners will put their names

advantage of. Get on it!

on some Dwarf rods and reels.

9

The Knowledge Dave Lane Laney is now starting to get

amongst the fish on The Shallow Lagoon, and he’s enjoying every minute of the experience. He’s in the wars again and has to have bed rest – yeah right!

15

Quick-fire Question Gary Bayes

We ask the massive bait brain which is Gary Bayes all about the latest trend in ‘cultured’ bait.

What is it? How is it achieved?

And what makes it so special?

17

Particle Physics James Turner

Crafty editor James looks at the use of particles during the summer months, and how effective they can still be. They’re not just a winter bait, that’s for sure.

23

Dizzy Heights Rob Hughes The optimum height of

a pop-up is a massive discussion point between anglers, so we’ve enlisted the help of Rob and his extensive underwater experience to clarify the situation.

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Live At Wraysbury Jake Wildbore

Jake heads off to RK Leisure’s Wraysbury 1 for the first time, and the Crafty cameras follow his every move as he aims to come face-toface with the stunning residents.

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 the top guys at Sticky Baits.

40

Just The Ticket Darryl Slater

With short-session day ticket angling being his forte, we find out how

47

Finding The Sweet Spot Ellis Brazier

This month’s cover star, Ellis,

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107

Darryl manages to keep one step The Beachcaster

ahead while fishing day sessions

Parachute

on busy open access waters.

Paul Hatton

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Crafty Carper Under-21s

finds feeding holes created

This time of year sees plenty of

in the silt by mineral-hungry

floater action, so while the fish

carp. Discover how to find

are being cagey on the top, try

them, feed them, and fish

something a little different with the

while BYCAC champ Michael Bamber

for them on page 47.

Beachcaster, but not as we know it.

checks in with his monthly blog.

Connor Harvey looks at his

recent success by angling in the weed,

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Contents /// August 2015

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The Anatomy Of A 300Yard Cast Mike Dagnall

Tournament casting machine Mike

85

In Focus – Penn With the original Penn

reels being a huge seller over the

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From The Crow’s Nest Simon Crow

This month’s offering from

takes you through the process

last 12 months, they now offer

Simon looks at his huge success

of making big casts, and adding

a freespool version. Mark my

over the last month or so. If you

a few extra yards to your efforts

words, it’s highly impressive.

want to see UK carp over 50lb

by perfecting your technique.

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Carp Food Here you’ll find the latest

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and an 80lb+ French common, In Focus – Avid Carp There are plenty of beds

to choose from currently on the

and greatest products of carpy

market, but there’s something a bit

cuisine on the shelves of a tackle

special about Avid’s new Benchmark

shop near you, as well as the

bed. All is revealed on page 86.

Editor’s Choice of the month and a crafty tip from Joe Turnbull.

67

Carp Food Special – Bait-Tech

89

experience under his belt, Rik the job if you fancy moving over from the lakes and ponds

Chris does a hell of a lot of spodding within his own fishing, and he has to point you in the right direction

pretty impressive offering which has

if you want to add spodding

been under construction for over 2

to your baiting technique.

Scott Lloyd

Rik Johnson

With plenty of river fishing

Chris Lowe

years of experience to draw on

Prepare To Succeed

Targeting Rivers

looks at the gear needed for

moved into the boilie market, with a

69

129

The Art Of Spodding

Bait-Tech have gone whole hog and

years. Introducing the Poloni boilie.

page 124 is the place to be.

100

in search of a river carp.

134

Inbox Keep up to date with

the latest news, and you can also get in touch with us to see what’s going on via the carpy grapevine.

Visiting The Ebro?

Richard Ballard

Since leaving the UK for sunnier

137

Make Time Count Julian Cundiff

With a long list of impressive captures

climes, Richard (or Ditch, as we

thanks to good preparation, Scott

know him) has been making the

all you need to catch a carp, and

looks at what it takes to prepare

most of fishing the mighty Ebro

that includes the travelling time.

yourself and some spots in order

in Spain. If you’ve ever fancied

He looks at how best to manage

to maximise your success.

it, find out everything you

your time between work and

need to know on page 100.

family to get a bend in the rods.

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Subscribe If you want to get your

favourite carp-fishing magazine through your letter box every month,

113

Off The Beaten Track Ian Hirst

Ian finds himself to be the only

According to our man, 3 hours is

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The Return To Wraysbury

Jo Green

then this is the place to go. This

carp angler on the bank of a

Jo is back in the pages of Crafty,

month there are two Nash alarms

reservoir 1,000ft above sea level,

as well as being back on the

free with every subscription.

with stunning carp which haven’t

bank of Wraysbury’s North Lake

been angled for in years. After

again. She’s fallen in love with

Carpers’ Kit

a winter spent researching, his

the place, and you can see

We take a look at some of

plans begin to come to fruition.

why from the catch shots.

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the best products on the market, and give you the low-down on what’s hot and what’s not. Plus the Crafty Team give you their

The Question Is This month’s carping

conundrums are answered by

146

Mega Deals If you’re up for a

bargain then you’ll definitely

our panel of experts. If you

want to head over to page 146

get your question answered

to check out our Mega Deals for

In Focus – SONIK

you’ll receive a cracking prize

some of the best offers from

The new SKS Bivvy is on

delivered straight to your door.

the country’s leading retailers.

essential items for this month.

81

118

show this month, and you can be sure that it follows the ideal which SONIK have created with their rods, offering affordable quality to all.

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23

In Focus – E-S-P Polarised glasses are a

must-have item for all anglers, and E-S-P have added to their already impressive range of eyewear with two new offerings. We take a look at them on page 82.

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In Focus – Rod Hutchinson Heading off to France, or just

like to live in extreme comfort on the bank? The Cabrio Cook House fits this requirement perfectly, and we’ve had the pleasure of taking a closer look.

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Crafty Carper

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LIVE AT

WRAYSBURY We go in session with Jake Wildbore as he tackled RK Leisure’s Wraysbury Lake for a 48hour session, and on his first visit to the venue he managed to get plenty of action.

W

raysbury 1 was always

to stop the decline and rebuild

the Mecca of carp fishing,

the lake into one of the country’s

certainly still a big-fish water, but

been visiting regularly in the night

being home to the former

premier day ticket waters. Having

to prolong the future of the lake,

and morning, the usual bite time. The

British record and some of the best-

seen the lake beforehand, I was

over 300 fish have been stocked

gear was loaded and I made my way

looking carp to ever live in the UK.

amazed to see just how much work

in addition to the impressive few

round to the swim. It looked lovely,

As the years went by, sadly these

has gone into it. What were once

originals. At least five fish have

and after an afternoon walking

fish passed away, and despite small

holes in the bushes are now proper

done 40lb, so it was an exciting

around and observing the fish in the

stockings, the lake went from being

swims, a track runs the whole way

prospect when we arrived at

snags, it was time to get the rods out.

very popular to just a few anglers

around the lake, and the security

the shop late one morning.

who enjoyed the peace and quiet,

is impressive, to say the least. The

as well as the personal challenge.

With carp to over 47lb, it is

After being greeted by the RK

15, which was an area the fish had

I can’t believe just how stunning the venue is; it really is a lovely place

North Lake was the lake that I would

head bailiff, Rupert Whiteman, he

to fish, and the thought of getting

In 2012, RK Leisure bought

be fishing, a smaller side compared

proceeded to tell us what had been

a bite is so exciting. I love going to

the lake and made huge plans to

to the South, but where RK had put

going on and what had been caught.

new lakes, and although it

transform the place. They wanted

most of their efforts into restocking.

He suggested that I fished in Swim

isn’t the same as it used to

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Just

Ticket

the

D A R R Y L L

S L A T E R

Busy day ticket waters can be a huge challenge, so we asked shortsession specialist Darryll Slater to explain how he approaches them with just a day at his disposal. This is his usual method of angling and he is hugely successful at it, so you can be sure to learn a thing or two.

L

ike a lot of anglers in the UK, weekends

On day ticket venues, it can be very much

are when I get my fishing fix, but more

hit-and-miss as to which swims are free. Some

often than not, that’s when waters are at their

days you may turn up and have the venue

busiest. This short but busy period means the

to yourself, and sometimes you really have

fish really do get everything but the kitchen

to work with which pegs are left. Willow’s

sink thrown at them, and that in itself can be

big lake is a good representation of what

one of the biggest challenges – tricking fish

anglers want from a carp lake; gravel bars are

which see pretty much every rig and bait going.

accessible from most pegs, the pegs are well

The key to success on any day ticket venue

spaced with some nice bays to target, and

is knowing the effects of angling pressure.

there is plenty of marginal cover. The bays

Doing your homework should always start with

fish well with a warm wind blowing into

talking to the staff. They have an intimate

them, and most pegs have options

knowledge of their business, and ultimately,

so you can experiment

they want happy anglers. They will usually

throughout the day, even

give you a good idea of areas to target, and

when it’s rammed

the general trend of which baits are catching

with anglers.

and how much to feed. I’ve brought the Crafty

There’s a shallow

cameras to one of my favourite day waters,

end to the lake,

Willow Park Fishery, where the staff offer

which often draws

honest and practical advice. It’s a case of

the fish in warm

asking the right questions to get an answer

weather, perfect for

that can help, and you then just need to work

little Zigs or a solid bag to

out for yourself how the advice suits your

attract the fish down in the water.

plan of attack. Of course, if other anglers are

I always try to cover as much water as

catching, it shows that fish

possible when I fish pressured waters.

are in the area, which

If you fish a venue a few times, you can

is often a great place to start.

Be polite and you generally get a good response from fellow anglers, so it’s always worth asking

often find a quiet corner which has

“The key to success on any day ticket venue is knowing the effects of angling pressure”

about bait and tactics used.

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very little pressure, and these are my favourites. Today I’ve got one rod towards an out-of-bounds area on my right and the other is in open water, out to a gravel bar which runs parallel with the bank. The swim also provides a great view of the lake, so I can watch for signs of fish and move quickly if needed. The open-water rod is fished a short chuck

MAIN IMAGE A perfect 19lb common.

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Just The Ticket

Darryll Slater

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Crafty Carper

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In Focus

Avid

AVID CARP BENCHMARK BED ONLINE: avidcarp.com | DIMENSIONS: 71cm x 193cm | WEIGHT: 12kg | RRP: £249.99 Avid have literally set the benchmark for bedchairs with this ultra-comfortable latest offering of carp-angling hardware, which has got more features than many of the latest gadgets currently on the market. All it’s missing is a cup holder!

EASY-OPEN SECURITY CLIP AND STRAP

REMOVABLE ONE-PIECE MEMORY FOAM MATTRESS

RAPID FOLDING MECHANISM

Once the bed is folded down and ready to be

Avid were the first to utilise memory foam within

The folding mechanism is a clever throw hinge,

packed away, the handy strap and security

bedchairs, and they seem to have gone from strength

as pictured, which enables the bed to be folded

clip are used to keep the whole lot tightly

to strength in its use. It ensures the ultimate in

down and packed away with the sleeping bag still

together. This makes it easier to carry and nice

comfort, and the fact that the mattress can be removed

inside. This makes it extremely practical in use

and compact in transit, and with the sleeping

makes it easy to clean when needed. The memory

and saves both time and space in the long run. It’s

bag left inside the bed, it will stay closed.

foam is actually 2ins thick. Talk about comfortable!

just so convenient to keep the bag on the bed.

LATERAL SLEEP SYSTEM DESIGN

LUMBAR REGION SUPPORT SYSTEM

EASY-LOCK ADJUSTABLE LEGS

Basically, this means that the bed lays perfectly

No more bad bedchair back in the morning after a

The legs are all adjustable, which enables the bed

flat when set up, which aids in making it a

night on the bank, thanks to the support system,

to be set up easily on uneven ground. It’s both

very comfortable bed to sleep on, and good

which means that all the pressure is not resting

quick and easy to do, and once locked in position,

for your back in the process. Why suffer to

on the bottom of your back while lying on the

they aren’t going to be slipping because the locking

enjoy yourself angling – sleep in comfort.

bed. It also means that it won’t sag over time.

mechanism seems to be extremely strong.

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From the Crow’s Nest Simon Crow

A MONTH TO REMEMBER As ever in this feature, Simon looks back at his last couple of months of angling. It usually sees him pick up on a part of angling which he feels needs discussing, but what with him having such a successful time of late, it would be rude not to look at his recent monumental captures from both home and abroad.

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Crafty Carper

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From the Crow’s Nest Simon Crow

W

hen I was asked to write for

Nash to fish the beautiful Church

eager to get amongst the beautiful

known as The Lizard, but by far the

Crafty Carper a couple of

Lake in Essex. The conditions were

fish which the famous lake contains.

best was a 30lb fully-scaled mirror

years ago, it was intended

absolutely prime for big fish, with low

After a couple of circuits, I opted to fish

which was just breathtaking. I also had

to be about my last couple of months

pressure and light drizzly rain. I’ve

in an area known as Pylon Bay, where

a 28lb mirror and a low-20 common.

of fishing. I’ve been carping for over

done really well in this sort of weather

the majority of the fish were showing.

Two days later I chipped in with one

30 years now, and never before have

loads of times in my career, and I

I had 5 days ahead of me, which

of the lake’s A-Team known as Penny

I had the run of success which I’ve

can’t put into words the excitement

was very different to my normal

Scale, which weighed in at 48lb 6oz. I

had recently. I can’t fit it all into 1,500

running through me when I arrived.

overnighters where I’m always dashing

was absolutely chuffed to land this fish

between work, home and the lake. It

because it was one I’d seen many times before, and one I’d set my sights on.

words and a few pages, so I’m going

The lake was beginning to switch

to be brief and skim over the best

on after a slow winter; there had been

was nice to settle into a swim and relax

bits, and then tell you a bit about the

a low-50 and an upper-40 out a few

for a few days, but the first 24 hours

tactics I employed to catch what I did.

days before my arrival. There were

were hardly relaxing because I went on

any better, but the very next day

It all started towards the end of

carp on show as I walked the banks

to land some terrific fish. The biggest

I went one better and landed the

with my mate Chris Felton, both of us

of the bunch was a 41lb 8oz common

lake’s biggest resident known as The

April, when I was invited by Kevin

I thought my session couldn’t get

ABOVE Early morning at the

stunning Church Lake in Essex.

LEFT What a stunning way to

start my session on Church, with this lovely 30lb mirror.

FAR LEFT One of the most famous carp in the world, Eric’s Common, at a whopping 86lb 8oz.

Four-by-Four at a colossal 56lb 12oz, a new UK personal best and one of the biggest carp in the country to boot. It was an incredible fish, so very stunning in every way. I then finished the 5 days with a 30lb 12oz mirror.

As you can imagine, I was absolutely buzzing from the few days I’d had at Church. I had a big smile across my face, and I was giggling like a kid for the next week as I packed my gear ready for a trip to the mighty Rainbow Lake in France. I had the famous Peg 5 booked for a week, the usual home of the lake’s biggest resident known as Eric’s Common. The giant fish was last caught at 89lb a couple of months earlier, and I’d

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Frank has lived through, and fished through, all those formative years, and has contributed handsomely to the development and refinement of carp-catching methods and baits. He’s enjoyed more than his share of success, home and abroad, along the way, and in this long overdue first book Frank relives some of the highlights of his 40+ years of carp fishing. It’s been an unmissable journey. for him.”

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