Carpworld August 2013 by Angling Publications

I A I N M A C M I L L A N • PA U L F O R W A R D • S I M O N C R O W • F R A N K W A R W I C K

ISSUE 275 / AUGUST 2013 / MONTHLY £4.50

ISSUE 275 AUGUST 2013

A L L YOU N EED IS A L I TTLE LUC K!

N! £1 W ,7 O 4 TA G E A R T H 0 SK R FR OF AN A, G- OM D NA FO R VI TA C E S

Adam Clewer on the ups and downs that keep us guessing

carpworldmagazine.com

BRITAIN’S BIGGEST CARP-ANGLING MAGAZINE THE M AGAZINE FOR THE WORLD WIDE ANGLER

S UM M ER L OV IN’ car pwor ldmagazine.c om

Dave Lane extols the virtues of floater fishing in the sunshine

S T I L L CARPI N G O N !

Tim Paisley on Hutchy’s latest adventures and in session with Damian Clarke

INSIDE

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ISSUE 118 August 2013

A C RAC KE R FR O M SO UT H AF RI CA

P176 Danny Fairbr ass round s off his four-p ar t ser ies on long-h aul car ping CATCH R EPORTS

RAINBOW LOVE A F FA I R

F R A N K WA R W I C K

P165 Our monthly roundP182 Arjen Uitbeije up of big carp capture rse explain s s P188 Season ed campai his love af fair with from around the the famous gner world Frank on why you water and its colossa must use a l inhabita nts boat to master large ALSO INSIDE: 172 waters CHATEA U LAKE • 193 FIND YOUR NEXT CARPIN G HOLIDA Y IN THE OVERSE AS 163_ICCover_CW275.indd DIRECTO RY 1

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CONTENTS

The Carpworld Contents / Issue 275 / I A I N M A C M I L L A N • PA U L F O R W A R D • S I M O N C R O W • F R A N K W A R W I C K

ISSUE 275 / AUGUST 2013 / MONTHLY £4.50

ISSUE 275 AUGUST 2013

N! £1 W O ,74 TA G E A R T H 0 SK R FR OF AN A, OM G D NA -FO R VI TA C E S

A L L YO U N E E D I S A L I T T LE LU C K ! Adam Clewer on the ups and downs that keep us guessing

carpworldmagazine.com

BRITAIN’S BIGGEST CARP-ANGLING MAGAZINE THE M AGAZINE FOR THE WORLD WIDE ANGLER

SUMM ER LOVIN’ car pwor l d m agazi ne. c om

Dave Lane extols the virtues of floater fishing in the sunshine

ISSUE 118 August 2013

A CRACKE R FROM SOUTH AFRICA

S T I L L CA RP I N G ON !

P176 Danny Fairbrass rounds off his four-par t ser ies on long-haul car ping CATCH R

Tim Paisley on Hutchy’s latest adventures and in session with Damian Clarke

INSIDE

EPORTS

RAINBOW LOVE A F FA I R

F R A N K WA R W I C K

P165 Our monthly roundP182 Arjen Uitbeijerse up of big carp captures explains P188 Seasoned campaigner his love af fair with from around the the famous world Frank on why you water and its colossal must use a inhabitants boat to master large ALSO INSIDE: 172 waters CHATEAU LAKE • 193 FIND YOUR NEXT CARPING HOLIDAY IN THE OVERSEAS DIRECTORY 1

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O N T HE C OV ER A very happy Adam Clewer on one of the days when everything went right. Adam’s feature on P22 reveals that’s not always the case!

REGULARS

Editors’ Comment Steve and Nigel report on their adventures from the last month and unfortunately there’s not much to cheer us up, with only a few fish and some sad news to report.

Gazette All the news from around the carp world to keep you up to date with what’s going on.

Rig World Mike Kavanagh Mike’s looking at all things Choddy this month with a bit of a Chod Rig special. There’s also part two of his interview with Adam Penning, and a look at what’s new in the shops.

August 2013

Think Tank Our guests this month are Mitch Smith, Andrew Endean, Harry Charrington and Nick Burrage, and they look into the art of fishing in midwater with Zig Rigs, and using floaters on the surface.

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Bait World Featuring Joe Turnbull What can Bait Tech’s Pete Clapperton, a very successful match angler, teach us? A lot apparently, and Joe has interviewed him to find out more. There’s also an extensive look at ingredients and baits, as well as interviews to keep you busy.

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Ask the Experts Darrell Peck and Matt Eaton answer readers’ questions on fishing in silt, baiting up, and how to make your own unique pop-ups. FEATURES

Six of the Best Iain Macmillan Last month Iain revealed the first three of his favourite waters. This month, to finish off Iain’s feature, we look at Wellington Country Park, Essex Manor and Frimley Pit 3.

The Ups and Downs of Fishing for Carp Adam Clewer Adam reveals all about some of those sessions we’ve all had – the ones when you can’t do right for doing wrong, or, alternatively, the days when everything just goes according to plan.

Casting to the Horizon Ed Betteridge According to Ed, you won’t be able to cast as far as you would like without the correct technique and gear. Join him as he reveals how he gets that extra few yards.

Adapt To Succeed Ian Stott Ian Stott reveals how, after a long, hard winter, he had to review his tactics and bait, and ring the changes in order to get the results he wanted so badly.

Carping on the Exeter Canal Terry Reid Terry takes us on a tour of the Exeter Canal, which he believes could be a recordbreaking venue for the future as well as one of the oldest fisheries in the country.

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Historical Carp Waters Chris Ball Hunstrete Lake (aka Lackey’s Leap) is a water that two of history’s greatest carp anglers fished. The water was a prolific carp fishery but was overshadowed by other more famous venues.

The Great Lead Debate Simon Pomeroy The issue of ejecting leads whilst fishing is a very emotive subject and Simon presents us with a thought-provoking and passionate view on the subject. Are we sitting on a ticking time bomb?

Red-Letter Days at Christchurch Kev Hewitt Crinkle Tail and Single Scale are two of Christchurch Lake’s most famous residents, and Kev tells the tale of how he caught them, but sadly, he missed out on the one fish he really wanted.

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F: facebook.com/CarpworldMagazine / T: @CarpworldMag I A I N M A C M I L L A N • PA U L F O R W A R D • S I M O N C R O W • F R A N K W A R W I C K

ISSUE 275 / AUGUST 2013 / MONTHLY £4.50

ISSUE 275 AUGUST 2013

N! £1 W O ,74 TA G E A R T H 0 SK R FR OF AN A, OM G D N AV- F O R I TA C E S

A LL YOU NE E D I S A LI TTLE LU C K ! Adam Clewer on the ups and downs that keep us guessing

carpworldmagazine.com

BRITAIN’S BIGGEST CARP-ANGLING MAGAZINE THE M AGAZINE FOR THE WORLD WIDE ANGLER

S UM M E R L OV IN ’ car p wor ldm agazine . com

Dave Lane extols the virtues of floater fishing in the sunshine

ISSUE 118 August 2013

A CRACKER FROM SOUTH AFRICA

S T I LL CAR P I NG ON!

P176 Danny Fairbrass rounds off his four-par t ser ies on long-haul car ping CATCH R

Tim Paisley on Hutchy’s latest adventures and in session with Damian Clarke

INSIDE

EPORTS

RAINBOW LOVE A F FA I R

F R A N K WA R W I C K

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CHECK OUT OUR SUBS OF F ER ON PAGE 133 WHERE YOU CA N GET A CRACKING DEA L ON GA RDNER CHOD KIT.

Roll On Summer Dave Lane To Dave, summer carping conjures up images of weedy lakes, stalking carp, and floater fishing, so let’s join him as he takes us through the techniques he uses in the summer months.

Diary of a Carpaholic Simon Crow The Mesters syndicate has been the target of our intrepid traveller again this month, and it’s not been without success, with one of the lake’s largest residents falling to his rods.

151

F Word Paul Forward It’s been a bit quiet on the fishing front for our resident diarist, what with a birthday bash and lots of work on whilst the weather’s been good. Still, we bet he’s had a few, so turn to page 151 to find out.

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Still Carping On Tim Paisley It’s a mixed bag from Tim this month, with some sad news for the carping world, and mixed fortunes on a recent Rainbow trip. As usual though, Tim’s as eloquent and thought-provoking as ever.

UP FOR GRABS

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Carp In Focus There are prizes to be won if your angling photograph makes it into print in our Carp In Focus competition.

THE M AGAZINE FOR THE WORLDWIDE ANGLER

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G-Force Competition Newcomers they may be, but there’s a good name behind G-Force, and we’ve bagged a load of their tackle to give away this month.

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Taska Competition Ten of Taska’s new Nanga Pods are up for grabs in this superb competition. They’re fully equipped with hangers and back rests, and they’re certainly a prize worth having!

ISSUE 117 July 2013

RAINBOW RESULT P165 This ca pture and more in Echoes Around The Wor ld

SOUTH AFRICA

FRANCE

TURKEY

P 1 7 5 Da n n y Fa i r b r a s s cover s t h e t ech n i ca l a s p ect s of fi s h i n g Don a l d s on Da m

P182 An in-depth look at popular holiday venue Blavet Valley, set deep in the heart of Brittany

P 1 8 4 Pa u l S h a r p e revea l s t h e u n t a p p ed ca r p i n g p ot en t i a l of L a ke Koyceg i z

A L S O I N S I D E : 1 7 1 T F G E A R M A S T E R S • 1 7 2 L A B O T T E • 1 8 9 L E L A C C A C H É • 1 9 3 O V E R S E A S D I R E C T O RY 163_ICCover_CW274.indd 1

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IN INTERNATIONAL CARPER Our International Carper section is packed with news of all the big-fish captures from around the world in Echoes Around The World. There’s also the final part of Danny Fairbrass’s trip

TACKLE WORLD

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Tackle World Page after page of all that’s best on the market, with a look at gear from Gardner, Fox, Kudos, N-Brice, 30+, Korda, and a whole host of others, including some really unique custom-made items to delight the tackle tarts out there.

to South Africa, which has turned out to be an epic adventure, a cracking feature on fishing from boats by Frank Warwick, and the story behind Arjen Uitebeijerse, an angler who’s spent the last three years tempting some of the world’s biggest carp out of Rainbow Lake. To top it all off, there’s a look at Chateau Lake, a lovely venue for a carping holiday, plus our two-page holiday directory.

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FEATURE

SIX BEST OF

PA R T T W O

THE

I A I N

M A C M I L L A N

Last month Iain revealed the first three of his favourite waters. This month we look at the final three which, for one reason or another, made it on to Iain’s list.

WELLINGTON COUNTRY PARK Well where do I start? It seemed like the natural place for me to go after the Oxford days. I’d become good mates with Steve Renyard and it was he who convinced me to get a ticket. Admittedly, it was further south than the Oxford pits, but I thought there was some decent fishing around and the world was really my oyster once I drove a little further! Welly is around 35 acres, it consists of a couple of islands, a few bays, and a long finger arm; on top of that there’s masses of open water for the boys who like the big chuck (me). It was, however, the stock that was the most special thing about Welly. At the time of my ticket (2005-2007) there were estimated to be over 100 x 30s and about a dozen 40s swimming around. Pretty impressive, eh? Now, Welly carried a bit of a stigma at the time; it stemmed mainly from the nerds who live in a certain area not far from Welly, who spent most of their time shaving tiger nuts and sitting with their

knees together being all ‘cult and that innit’. It was rumoured that you only had to sidehook a piece of boiled cat poo and shut your eyes, then sling it out, and hey presto, you’d reel in the pigs, but in reality, it never was quite like that. My belief was that the knockers found it easier to deem the place a ‘hook a duck’ water rather than give it the respect it deserved. What I also found strange was that the lads who slated it never seemed to step up to the plate and get themselves a ticket. Ohhhh, the irony! After my ‘three rods on a spot’ approach up in Oxford I had to totally change the way I approached Welly. I’d had a few chats with Steve, who was by far one of the best anglers on Welly at the time; his main advice was “Don’t come here with your Oxford tactics”. It was, and still is, a boilie water, plain and simple. Yes, carp love eating hemp and corn, but they don’t get fat by doing so; they get fat by

ABOVE Looking at

shots like this from Welly still makes the hairs stand on end all over my body, which ultimately is how carp fishing should make you feel.

BELOW The long,

ghosty common at 42lb 2oz. That couple of weeks’ fishing in the spring of 2013 was almost unbelievable at times.

eating boilies, hence the amazing big-fish stock that swam around in its depths. My approach would be simple; lead clips, long, stiff, coated braid hooklinks, and bottom baits, combined with a longish Hair and a big Size 4 hook. Well, if they sucked that lot in there was a very good chance it wouldn’t be coming out without nailing them. I was with Mainline at the time, so I opted for the fantastic Activ-8. It was a great bait all those years ago, as it still is today, and, I’ll be honest here, they seemed to like it from the off. My very first trip to Welly wasn’t on June 1st when my ticket started, I was still doing well on Hardwick/Smiths so didn’t feel the need to move on. It wasn’t until the August bank holiday that I drove through the wooded drive. I’d always been easily excited when going fishing, but the feeling when I was

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S ix o f t h e B e s t I a in Ma cm illa n

driving down the drive that very first time will stay with me forever; the hairs on my arms prickled as the adrenaline started to flow through my veins – man, I was wired! As I locked the syndicate gate and parked up, I did wonder if I’d parked in the wrong place because there was only one van where you were supposed to park. I went for a wander around and it wasn’t until I’d got to the famous Hole in the Bush Swim that I found the only angler on 35 acres. I introduced myself, as did said fellow; it was Dave Fuidge, a long-time Welly angler, who was a good mate of Steve’s. I asked for a bit of advice on swim selection and Dave pointed me to a couple of swims up from him. I set about with the marker and found some weed with silky smooth silt areas in between. Perfect. I’d fish right in the middle of the silt and let them have a bit of Activ-8; nothing too drastic, just fish for a bite. Steve turned up later in the evening and a good old Welly social was under way. I eventually drifted off to sleep, only

TOP RIGHT 40lb 6oz of beast from Welly. This was backed up with a 39lb 8oz, but the lake was becoming increasingly packed. INSET Another of

the Welly ‘A-team’, The Willow Fish at 44lb 14oz. I’d amassed three 40s and two upper-30s in two trips, but I still knew I’d made the right decision to move on.

to be woken soon after by the spool in overdrive and the alarm wheel a blur. I’d got a bite! All went to plan and I soon had my first Welly carp in the net. Steve came to do me a few shots of the fish, a mid-20 ghostie. “Now wake me up when you’ve got a proper one,” said Steve. Well, a couple of hours later, I was back down waking him up with news of a 32lb common. Steve had bagged a low-30 from Daisy, while Dave nailed the big common at 38lb – what a beast! The following week saw me get to know a few more of the syndicate lads. I remember a lad named Mark saying to me, “If you want to stand a chance of catching every single big fish in this lake, always try to get in that Bush Swim.” That was logged because he’d destroyed the place, as had others over the last few seasons, so on my next trip I was going to try my best to get in a flyer. The Thursday couldn’t come quickly enough and, lo and behold, the Bush was free. Out came the throwing stick, and out went 10kg of Activ-8. We were now well into September and I was sure it was time to feed up these fish for the winter. The bites came after only a couple of hours and by the end of that three-nighter I’d amassed another eight fish, with six being over 30lb – oh, and I’d done my PB twice. What a lake! The winter came and my attentions turned to days-only on runs waters where I could get my string pulled; however once the spring came, I was back on form with capture after capture. Steve told me to just carry on doing what I was doing

and it would happen, and sure enough it did; 40lb 12oz to be exact. What a milestone for me and a stunning carp too. I always wanted one more year on Welly and I’m actually writing this piece whilst sitting on Daisy Point in the late-spring sunshine. I got my ticket back in the summer of 2012, just to see if it had still got the same magic as it always had for me. My approach this time round was to be different from 2006; my angling had changed and I’m no longer a ‘sit and wait’ guy, I have to find them and feel that I’m fishing for them on my terms. That’s what I did in the autumn and the early part of 2013, and it was obvious it wasn’t working. I was angling very well I thought, in fact I really thought I deserved something for my efforts. I was bobbing about, finding a few in the bays rather than simply plotting up in the open water swims and sitting it out. But this trip I changed my outlook. It’s really bad angling I suppose, but I took my laptop and set up on Daisy Point as the bank holiday weekend was forecast to be roasting. I wasn’t totally focused on watching the water, in fact I was having a chilled-out and enjoyable session, and the result? A couple of carp at 40lb 6oz and 39lb 8oz! So that’s Welly. I’m not rejoining for the start of this season (June 2013), it’s purely and simply a lot further than I want to be travelling now, and after a three-hour drive and 180 miles I just can’t commit to the chance that it will be quiet. My time at Welly was great, so if you ever hear of people slagging off Welly for whatever reason, it will either be the old green-eyed monster, or they haven’t got the bottle to step up to the plate and get themselves a ticket. Just believe me when I say this water and its surroundings are different gravy. Au gu st 2 013 C a r pwor l d 15

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Then, as I bring my foot down, I shift my bodyweight forward as I wind up the cast. The transfer of weight forward will start to shift the balance and give power later in the cast.

Firstly, I place all my weight on my back foot and line up the cast. The rod is pretty much parallel with the ground.

Just before my foot hits the ground the rod begins to bend and I punch the rod as hard as I can as my front foot hits the ground.

I then start the cast by taking a step forward. This transfers the weight onto my back foot. The rod hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t started moving yet.

2 FEATURE

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I hold the rod back at 45 degrees which follows the arc of line in the air and again reduces drag.

I continue the forward momentum and transfer my body weight onto my forward leg. My body is still moving forward as the cast starts. My right arm pushes forward and my left arm pulls back.

5 The Greys Aircurve rods that Ed uses were developed using carbon nanotechnology (CNT) in their construction. The benefits of using CNT in rod manufacture is an increase in modulus (stiffness) and tensile strength, or how much you can bend it before it breaks. Because of the way the matrix bonds with the tiny nanoparticles, which are so small if you rubbed them on your hands they’d go through the pores on your skin(!), the rods will bend and flex much more than straightforward carbons. The rods also recover much quicker and suffer less from twisting

when casting. In testing the Aircurve rods were able to outperform other rods in many tests including the destruction test in which they are bent round on a special machine. Carpworld’s asst. ed. Nigel took a trip to Hardy Greys to see the rods in action and was amazed at the way the Aircurves could be bent and abused before they gave way. In tests the rod could be bent virtually 180 degrees before it gave way – nearly double the abuse other rods were capable of taking! CW

Those extra yards can make all the difference!

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

I try not to let the tip go too low to the water and the fast recovery speed of the rod stops too much drag that can take yards off the cast. The rod is about 30 degrees and my weight is now fully forward.

6 Ca s t in g t o t h e H o r iz o n Ed Better id g e

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FEATURE

K E V

H E W I T T

R E D - L E T T E R D AY S AT C H R I S T C H U R C H Kev tells the tale of how he caught two of Chr is tchurch Lake’s mos t famous residents , Cr inkle Tail and Single Scale, but sadly, he missed out on the one fish he really wanted.

uring late-spring, Christchurch, on the Linch Hill complex, had become very busy, as it notoriously does. I decided to take a few months’ break from the place and spent most of my summer fishing competitions. It was late-August before I decided, on the spur of the moment, to get back down to the Church for a quick overnighter after work. Although I blanked that night, I found myself heading down the following night after work. I fished a swim called The Lawn – a swim which has always been rather unkind to me. On this occasion I fished all three rods on Method feeders with tiger nut Method mix, something I had been playing around with a lot with lots of success. I spodded a few kilos of a nutty spod mix over the top and received a take at 4.00 a.m. The fish weeded me up and I unfortunately ended up losing what felt like a good fish. Nevertheless, this really got me motivated to get back down there and give it another go. The following session I turned up early on Sunday morning with 48 hours ahead of me. The lake was busy as usual with every peg taken, so it was a case of watching the water and waiting for someone to pack up. The Point Swim was first to come free at 10.30 a.m., so I thought ‘that’ll do’. Although the lake was as flat as a millpond and I hadn’t seen any fish in front, I was confident that over a 48-hour period they would be on me at some point. As it happened, a huge stroke of luck came my way. Just 15 minutes after I had got out my rods, a wind sprang up from nowhere and I found myself in pole position on the end of a very sexy wind, with one rod down the margins in about 6ft of water, and two rods cast to an open-water spot at 60yds, over a heavily-baited spot. Within an hour of the wind springing up, the fish were on it and showing over the 60yd spot.

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R e d- Le t t e r D a y s A t Ch r is t c hurch Kev Hew itt

“When she popped up I had to chuckle as I saw the familiar sight of Baby Odd Job looking back at me”

ABOVE The lovely chestnut mirror at 33lb, which is mentioned in the feature. TOP Rods out and waiting for action on The Point.

Crinkle Tail at 38lb 2oz, a magnificent fish and part of a manic hour of fishing.

BELOW

Jake Wildbore had popped down to see me because he was only fishing a couple of miles up the road on the Linear complex; he didn’t stay long but said if I was lucky enough to catch a chunk he would come down and do the photos. It came as no surprise when my alarm burst into life at 2.30 p.m., although it was the margin rod that had gone and not the rods over the bait where the fish were showing. It showed all the signs of a big-fish scrap, and after an epic battle I slipped the net under a stunning common carp. As I peered through the folds of the net and took a closer look I spotted the top lobe of its tail was folded over and realised it was none other than Crinkle Tail. I dropped her in the sack and rang Jake, who was immediately in the car and on his way over to do the snaps. I popped the rod, which was fished on a large bulk PVA bag of mini pellets with a yellow pop-up, back down the edge. A full five minutes had passed when one of the rods on the baited area ripped off, but unfortunately the battle was shortlived and she fell off within a second of me picking up the rod. The rod was straight back out onto the spot and,

minutes later, Jake appeared, camera in hand, with a big smile on his face. We got the unhooking mat and a bucket of water ready and got all the camera gear set up before I slipped on the chesties to retrieve the fish. As I started to lift the sack, my margin rod burst into life. I quickly secured Crinkle Tail and picked up the rod, but it was too late, it had taken me through some reeds and snagged me up. I donned a life jacket and retrieved the boat from the other side of the lake and set sail with the help of my good friend Deano. We managed to free the fish and Dean held the rod as I netted a lovely low-20 mirror. Onto the mat she went and we pulled the boat back onto the bank. No sooner had I stepped onto the bank than Jake hit into a fish on my middle rod off the baited area. Dean slipped back the low-20 while I took control of another angry mirror. When she popped up I had to chuckle as I saw the familiar sight of Baby Odd Job looking back at me. It is a fish that was my first-ever 30 from the venue at 32lb 12oz. And with this being my seventh capture of her I quickly slipped her back. I left the rods out of the water while I photographed Crinkle Tail – what a manic hour! I had one more fish of 24lb in the evening and a lovely chestnut Au gu st 2 013 C a r pwor l d 77

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FEATURE

ROLL ON SUMMER D AV E L A N E

What does summer carping mean to you? To Dave it conjures up images of weedy lakes, stalking carp, and floater fishing. Oh, and seagulls, ducks, and worshipping Ra, the sun god!

y the time you read this we should be just into August and the spawning rituals will have been and gone. Back in early June, I saw my first signs of this happening on a large clay pit I have just started fishing. Even though the water was cold enough to make me yelp as I tried wading out in just a pair of shorts, the fish still seemed to think it was warm enough to chase each other around the reeds and, at one stage, right under my rod tips. The spawning, for me, is the turning point of the season. Before it occurs everything is a bit hitand-miss, the smaller male fish are

charging around the lake on every puff of wind, and the big females are holed up somewhere in the sun with no real interest in anything. Now, however, it has all changed and everything is there to play for. I love the summer for angling, but I am a bit of a sun-worshipper as well, and if I were ever to take an interest in religion, then I would have to choose Ra, the sun god, as my chosen deity. Isn’t it funny though how quickly people forget the horrendous winter we have just suffered and straightaway start bemoaning the fact that it is too damn hot? Are they for real, or

A beautiful sunset and nearly bite time. It’s what summer’s all about!

MAIN IMAGE

is it just the English way, to moan constantly about the weather? With the sun and the summer comes a myriad of opportunities for stalking and floater fishing – two of my favourite forms of angling. For me, there is nothing more exciting than actually seeing your quarry face to face before catching them, watching that final move as the lips close around a bait, or slurp down a floater off the surface. It can be incredibly frustrating and I know that a lot of anglers are put off by this, preferring to wait for the fish to feed in a ‘normal’ fashion; some even go as far as to say that fish on the

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surface don’t count, but this is obviously just a thinly-veiled admission that they actually just can’t be bothered to try. The one thing that has knocked floater fishing back a bit for me in recent years is the abundance of gulls in the air, particularly black-headed gulls, or ‘dump birds’ as I like to think of them. I can’t believe they’ve seen the sea before and, with the huge number of landfill sites around the country, they have purpose-built environments at every turn. Between 2009 and 2011, the breeding success of these bait-robbing little sods has, apparently, almost doubled, so it is not just down to

imagination, or lack of memory, there really are more of them than ever. I can remember a few years back, sitting on Stoneacres, drifting out rafts of floaters on the wind, nobbling a few carp in the process and not seeing a single bird all day, but nowadays, they appear at the slightest rustle of a Chum Mixer packet. They are organised as well; they work for each other as a team – either that or they are too stupid not to screech out when they find a free meal. It seems that they scour the lake’s surface as individual scouts and, as soon as they home in on an angler with a catapult, they let out the free food cry and the

rest of the pack come swooping in. Ducks are easy, as are swans and geese, you can feed off a group of ducks just by tipping a load of floaters or cheap flaked maize in the margins and, before long, they are all lined up on the bank farting and burping and getting ready for an after-dinner nap, but gulls just keep on coming. When you do get an opportunity to feed the carp on the surface though, it’s got to be the best thing going, and watching those big rubbery lips extending out and drinking down your baits has the old ticker beating its way out of your chest.

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TACKLEWORLD

B E AUTY I S I N THE EY E O F T H E BEH OLD ER NB r i c e C a r b on Po d • RRP: £ 3 1 9 .9 9 • nbr ic e s t ain less . co. uk This pod is most certainly a thing of

as part of the setup, two 15cm versions and

beauty, and I’m sure its sleek lines and

two 20cm sticks. With the sticks screwed

sultry good looks will appeal to many.

in place at each end of the buzzer bars

Made in a combination of stainless and

you can pass them through the locating

carbon, it really does stand out from the

hole on the end of each arm then fix

crowd and will turn heads on the bank.

them in place with the thumbscrew.

The main part of the pod is high-grade

On the bank, the pod can be fine-tuned to

English rolled carbon, with a ground woven

match the terrain and keep your rods at the

matt finish, that drops the pod’s weight down

desired angle, as can the overall length to get a

to a miserly 1.8kg. In spite of its

beautiful bespoke look to your setup.

lightweight nature it is still very stable, thanks to its big footprint that ensures it stays firmly planted on the ground. To erect the pod, simply splay the four adjustable arms from the

We used this pod over a

“If you like quality engineering, and excellent good looks, then this will certainly be the pod for you”

central stainless steel centre

but very positive action. Extend the arms to

say it performed faultlessly, and even with three 13ft rods and big pit reels in place, it was very stable, and showed no movement whilst fishing tight clutches

when we experienced some

hub. You can feel the engineering quality of this hub, which has a smooth,

weekend and can honestly

violent takes as the fish tried to gain sanctuary in the newly-emerging weed. This isn’t a cheap product, but the old

suit your preferred rod setup, anything from

adage of ‘you get what you pay for’ is

roughly 65 to 95cm. Again, the stainless

perfectly true in this instance. If you like quality

screw fittings are of superb quality and have

engineering, and excellent good looks, then

that no-nonsense, solid feel, that provides

this will certainly be the pod for you, and

the reassurance that your setup is rock solid.

you can obviously use the buzzer bars and

The pod comes supplied with two, three-rod

sticks separately if required. Make no mistake

adjustable carbon buzzer bars that can be

this is a product that will last a lifetime.

either used as standard, or as snag bars. The bars have no play or twist thanks to the flat

You can also get a purposed-designed carry case made by Cotswold Aquarius for £25.

side on the internal extension arm, and are complemented by quality stainless steel fittings, with the front bar extending from 27cm to 44cm, and the rear from 24.5cm to 38.5cm. You also get four adjustable banksticks

30 P l u s Kod ex S h or t S e s s ion Car r y B ag

Cas taway PVA Nuggets

RRP: £34.99

RRP: £3. 50

sp eci m en 3 0 pl u s .c om

cas taway -pva. co. uk

This 20-litre bag is perfect for

A well-placed PVA nugget can help in all manner of presentations, and ensures

short-session fishing

that your Hair cannot wrap around your hookshank. These nuggets are of the

and comes with two

highest quality, remaining intact for long enough to work properly, yet melting

carrying handles and

well, leaving absolutely no residue, for a perfectly-presented hookbait.

a padded shoulder strap. It has a hard base, which helps to keep the contents dry, and three external pockets, the largest of which will comfortably take a small tackle box. The entire bag is made from hard-wearing 800 denier material.

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Sh iman o Co o kin g Case RRP: £39. 99 sh iman o. co m We really liked the look of this compact cooking kit, very practical and well thought out. The square, zipped case has an internal zipped pocket, and enough additional storage space for a small stove and gas. Inside, you get two large alloy mugs with a hardwearing green finish. These are proper carp angler-sized mugs, not the thimbles you normally get. You also get two containers for tea, coffee, or sugar. Under the central divider there are two sets of knives and forks, and two teaspoons, with the added bonus of a corkscrew/bottle opener. You’ll also find two plates and a small towel, so just about everything you’ll need for a quick meal and drink on the bank. A handy way of keeping all your foodrelated gear in one place, and we reckon you pick up one for just over £30.

So lar SS Lo ckey Back Res t RRP: £8. 50 so lar tackle. co. uk These brand new rear rests from Solar really do look the part, very retro. They are machined from stainless, have a quality thread, and a compression ring for a perfect fit on to banksticks or buzzer bars. They have also been finished with a soft-grip rubber coating that stops your rods moving and supplying a surprising amount of grip.

C y g net C a ta p u lt

Ch ub F in ger s tall

R R P : T BA

RRP: £4. 99

cy g net t a ckle .c o.u k

ch ubfish in g. co m

Here’s a first look at Cygnet’s latest

A fingerstall is a must for every

addition to its ever-increasing

angler who wants to blast a

product range. This catty is

bait to the horizon, or undertake

certainly a capable performer

some serious spodding. It

with strong elastic and a plastic

prevents braid or mono leaders

frame that helps generate extra power

cutting into your finger during

as it flexes under tension. The pouch

the immense pressure that can

is huge and will hold everything from

be exerted during a powerful

boilies to groundbait balls but the grip

cast. This version from Chub

could benefit from something to hold onto with

is comfortable to wear, and is

wet/sticky fingers. That said, it’s strong and

sturdy enough to survive the

does its job, and you can’t ask for more!

rigours of continual casting.

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D A N N Y

F A I R B R A S S

S O U T H A F R I C A T H E

F O R G O T T E N

PA R A D I S E

â&#x20AC;&#x201C;

PA R T

F O U R :

L E S S O N S

L E A R N T

Danny always reflects back on sessions to see if there was anything he could have done better to catch more, or make the session more comfortable or enjoyable, and this one was no exception.

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S o u t h A f r ic a D a nny Fa irb ra s s

Travel

rrier n is a great ca I think Virgi ium m re P always go and I would ot n se au ec ain b Economy, ag most t, bu t, ea gr seats only are the owed the 46kg of st y, tl an rt po im ting or sp 23kg of luggage plus d n ha g 6k goods and ust. luggage is a m

Luggage

If I wasn’t going to send bait over by airfreight I would take 46kg of boilies and simply buy some clothes when I got there. South Africa isn’t as backward as you might expect, and there are many of the same shops in the cities as we enjoy. Out in the sticks it is a bit more basic, but you can still find most of what you want, such as suncream, etc. A few pairs of shorts and T-shirts are all you need; a waterproof jacket can be worn on the plane and a towel can be bought over there. Gary’s wife Eva was an absolute diamond and washed our clothes periodically anyway, so we really didn’t need much. Decent sandals are a must, flip-flops just end up off your feet when they get wet in a thunderstorm or when putting a fish back. I would definitely invest in a decent pair because they will never be off your feet. LEFT

All you need is shorts and a T-shirt.

Eva washing our clothes, and yes, she is a little bit insane.

INSET

been hammered on it. Keep in touch with what’s really working, and as it Having loads of good-quality bait slows, then look for something just a is essential to get a big hit like we had. little different to keep the bites coming, I understand the locals are still fishing such as resting a swim or changing the the far bank over tiny amounts of bait!! hookbait during a session. There is Staggering when you consider we caught no doubt in my mind that carp learn, at least 50% of the stock in one 10-day we make them more difficult to catch session!! You can, of course, get fresh by using more and more effective Cell boilies out there through Gary. techniques and baits; the best anglers I would recommend you ask well in realise this, and make advance and request “It may sound like a the most of it when 40kg of 20mm baits lot of bait, but until this it’s rocking, and ring because anything becomes the norm it the changes when smaller will be eaten will rinse out the lake” it isn’t. That’s the by the little carp whole reason we did so well during this (known unaffectionately, as shitboxes), session, rowing over to within inches so you are wasting your money. It may of the reeds was THE accepted tactic, sound like a lot of bait, but until this whereas we fished where we saw the fish, becomes the norm it will rinse out the which happened to be in the middle of lake. The same goes for any new tactic. the lake, and because we fished where the On Gigantica, when remote boats were fish were with an almost unused tactic, banned, it stopped people putting in we scored. Next year may be totally large amounts of pellets. Boilies in the different, it just depends how many throwing stick took over and absolutely anglers jump on the bandwagon!! ruled the lake for a good few years. Nowadays, starting with a huge bed of RIGHT Using a large amount bait only works at certain times, and of quality bait was key to our success. Scrimp certainly, by the end of the season it at your peril. is exactly the opposite thing that will INSET What a cracking mid-30. score most heavily because the fish have Bait

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