FREE
POP-UPS FOR YOUR PICTURES
craftyc arp
er.co
No.237 May 2017
u n d e r s ta n d i n g
Get Crafty... GET CATCHING!
gravel pits rob burgess
On sale 19 th April - 23rd May 2017
MAY 2017
Issue 237 craftycarper.co
£4.50
SETTING CLEARING THE TRAP
WEEDY SWIMS
STEP-BY-STEP
POP-UPS
BIG-LAKE KNOWLEDGE
CARPERS’ KIT - WHAT’S NEW IN THE WORLD OF TACKLE
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Crafty Carper /// Issue 237 /// May 2017 /// www.craftycarper.co
On the cover: Rob Burgess reveals what lies beneath the surface of your local gravel pit.
7
Editorial With show season well and
truly over, Steve managed to string
104
together a few days to get the
93
Setting The Trap Julian Cundiff
You’ve walked the lake, found where the fish are, and chosen
Catch Column
rods out. He had a great result, and
This is the place to get your
also shares a great piece of advice.
catch pictures published, so send them
your swim, but where exactly do you position the rigs?
in to us, and you’re in with the chance of
Julian Cundiff reveals his thought process on the matter.
a great prize, courtesy of Sticky Baits.
15
The Rig Mechanic This month, we’ve been
looking at all things hooklink-related. With so many different types of hooklinks available, it can be tricky
FREE
to choose the right one for the job in hand. Help is at hand in this article.
POP-UPS FOR YOUR PICTURES
23
Against The Clock Loz East
As an angler who has limited time on the bank, Loz East shares his methods to make
craftyca rper.co
No.237 May 2017
the most of short sessions on
u n d e r s ta n d i n g
Get Crafty... GET CATCHING!
gravel pits
the bank. Reap the rewards by doing a bit of extra preparation.
29
The Great Crafty Debate The weather is warmer, the fish are much more active, and it won’t be long before they begin to spawn. We asked our panel of experts how they make the most of this time of year before the carp begin their ritual.
42
All Washed Out Liam Gingell
When targeting a busy day ticket venue, it can often pay to try something different to
rob burgess
the norm, as did Liam Gingell on a recent session which threw up some awesome results.
48
Mercury Rising
On sale 19 th April - 23rd May 2017
Dave Moore
Big-fish angler and fishery owner, Dave Moore, talks temperatures, and where and how to target fish at this oftenfrustrating time of year.
52
One Step Beyond Simon Crow
If you fancy the challenge of an overseas adventure, then you
MAY 2017
Issue 237 craftycarper.co
£4.50
SETTING CLEARING THE TRAP
WEEDY SWIMS
STEP- BY-ST EP
POP -UPS
BIG- LAK E KNOWLEDGE
CARP ERS’ KIT - WHAT’S NEW IN THE WOR LD OF TACK LE 07/04/2017 16:27
001_Cover_CC237.indd 1
83
Get The All-Clear
9
need to get your prep-work right, says top carper Simon Crow.
58
The Question Is... This month’s panel
of experts consists of Ellis Brazier, Les Bowers, Dan Jones
Big Pit Knowledge
and Chris Eaglestone, a very
Dave Lane
knowledgable group of anglers
Big open waters can often be a very
who have a lot of experience
Weed can be a real pain in some situations, and finding a
daunting challenge, and people are put off at
between them. This month,
clear spot in the underwater jungle can be a nightmare.
the mere thought of tackling one, but when
they’ve been tested with
But, with a bit of planning and effort, you can do some
approached correctly, the results can be well
questions ranging from how to
gardening and make your own weed-free area.
worth the time, as Dave Lane explains.
get the most from boilies, to
Steve Broad
how long the rigs should be.
4
Crafty Carper
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Contents /// May 2017
RLX 6 LEG BEDCHAIR
42
+
BIG SNOOZE SQUARED OFF BAG
52
64
87
is from Essex-based young-gun
products to hit the shelves, including
news and views from
Harry Willats, who tells how he’s
the latest offering from Sticky Baits,
around the carp-angling
been tackling a deep local water
the Signature Squid range, and the
scene, plus have your carpy
to get some fantastic results.
new Nash Key Cray bait. We also
questions answered by
take a look at the brilliant pop-up
Team Crafty and win some
The Coffee Time
mixes from British Aqua Feeds, with
prizes, courtesy of NGT.
Interrogation
a guide to making pop-ups, plus a
Under-21s Stories Of Success
This month’s story of success
68
with Chris Holmes Chris Holmes has been on the scene for a number of years, especially when it comes to match
Carp Food
we check out some of the newest
brilliant tip from DNA’s Mark Holmes.
99
110
CC Inbox
In this month’s Carp Food,
Keep up to
date with all the latest
Mega Deals
had in Mega Deals, from
What do you do when you have
some of the leading
his country as part of Carp Team
absolutely no idea where the fish
retailers in the industry,
England, so we sat him down
are? Tony Smeets tries to give
so check it out and pick
to see what he had to say.
some pointers on where to start.
up some great offers.
carp fishing. He even represented
73
Carpers’ Kit We have some of the
latest tackle in the industry, from some of the top manufacturers. There are great products this month, including the latest
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DYNAMITE BAITS BRILLIANT BAIT PACKAGE
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incarnation of Nash’s Titan, which
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is well worth a look. There’s also a
S FLAVOUR TO CHOMOSE
brand new reel from Mitchell, and
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a superb day shelter from JRC.
79
£109.99
always a bargain to be
Tony Smeets
MAINLAND DELIVERY
RRP £199.99
113
There’s
Not A Clue
FREE UK
A Change In Tactics Keith Williams
During the spring and earlysummer, Keith likes to change his attack and target fish in the weed. Here, he shares how he goes about this to get some incredible results.
www.fostersofbirmingham.co.uk
ALL THIS
20
63
£
moor lane, witton, birmingham, west midlands, b6 7hh enquiries@fostersofbirmingham.co.uk
Crafty Carper 004-005_Contents_CC237_v2.indd 2
0121 344 3333
per s of Crafty Car plus 12 issue r door for just you delivered to
5 10/04/2017 14:58
TheCarpStore F O R M E R LY T H E A N G L I N G P U B L I C AT I O N S S H O P
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Ian Chillcott £30.00 +£2.95 P&P The tome begins way back in 1966 when the initial spark ignited his carp fishing passion, and explains a little more about the man himself. The story of the journey, however, starts at the very moment he pushed his barrow away from the swim at Frimley where he achieved his lifelong obsession of catching a common equal to Walker’s 1952 record.
D AN BR EW N
EVERY BIT OF BLUE
THE CARPERS’ HIGH
Frank Warwick
Ali Hamidi
£30.00 +£2.95 P&P
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This book has a technical aspect combined with the humour, antics and stories that we have come to expect from Frank. He allows us glimpses into his private life and shares some of his incredible thought processes which have made him the person he is today. The book offers readers thoughtprovoking information and a lot of ‘laugh out loud’ moments.
Is it a biography? Is it a technical book? Is it anecdotal and storybased? Quite simply, it’s all these things rolled into one. With a diverse geographical chapter base, from as far away as Japan, to Paris, Ockendon, and even Turkey, this book brings variety by the spodful as it charts how Ali achieved many of his finest moments and angling highs.
F O R M E R LY T H E A N G L I N G P U B L I C AT I O N S S H O P
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CARP NOW AND THEN 25th Anniversary Edition Rod Hutchinson
BIVVY THREE - THE FINAL COUNTDOWN
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ROD HUTCHINSON PAPERBACKS
FALLEN KINGS Dave Levy
TheCarpStore Tim Paisley
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D AN BR EW N
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Simon Crow £34.99
IN PURSUIT OF THE LARGEST
MY RED LETTER DAYS Matt Hayes
MONSTER CARP
Terry Hearn
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SEASONAL TACTICS AND TECHNIQUES AUTUMN/WINTER N EW Rob Maylin & 2016
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10/04/2017 13:37
ROB BURGESS
BAIT
POSITIONING Rob Burgess explains how fishing on or off the features can be a great way of catching a number of carp in a single session.
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Crafty Carper
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SIMON CROW
ONE
STEP
BEYOND If you fancy the challenge of an overseas adventure, then you need to get your prep-work right, says top carper Simon Crow.
52
Crafty Carper
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IN NEXT MONTH’S CRAFTY CARPER TOM MORRISON GETS TO GRIPS WITH HIS LOCAL CANAL, AND REVEALS HOW TO TRIP UP THE WARY CARP WHICH LIVE IN OUR WATERWAYS, IF YOU’RE WILLING TO PUT IN THE LEGWORK.
+
JOE ATKINSON TELLS HOW HE MAKES THE MOST OF THE OPPORTUNITIES TO GET MORE BITES, AND LAND MORE FISH DURING THIS WARM TIME OF THE YEAR.
F E AT U R E S F R O M J U L I A N C U N D I F F , D AV E L A N E , A N D M O R E .
THE GREAT CRAFTY DEBATE With the weather being much warmer now, surface fishing can be super-effective, but which is the best setup to use? ON SA LE: W E D N ES DAY 24T H M AY
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