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SIMON CROW • BILL COTTAM • JERRY HAMMOND • PAUL FORWARD

ISSUE 278 NOVEMBER 2013

ISSUE 278 / NOVEMBER 2013 / MONTHLY £4.50

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BRITAIN’S BIGGEST CARP-ANGLING MAGAZINE

The full story of the capture of this 80lb+ common inside

LET US TALK Jim Gibbinson returns to our pages with his unique take on the modern carp scene

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WHAT A WORLD CARP CLASSIC!

How this Dutch pairing landed the biggest haul in WCC history and became the first women ever to win the coveted title at the first attempt

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CONTENTS

The Carpworld Contents / Issue 278 /

November 2013

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Bait World featuring Joe Turnbull Our Bait Baron this month is Alan Ainscough of AA Baits.

There’s a report on one of the best cold-water baits around and a whole host of other baiting tips, tricks and reviews to keep everyone interested.

Think Tank

O N T HE C OV ER Simon Wichert looks justifiably happy with this cracking 80lb common. Read the story behind it’s capture on page 164.

REGULARS

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Editor’s Comment Steve and Nigel report on life at Carpworld HQ over the past month. It’s been another mixed bag for our intrepid duo, with a few good fish on the days they got out in between work commitments.

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Gazette

All the news from around the carp-angling scene to keep you up to date with what’s going on.

Our expert panel give their views on yet another tricky subject, and this month it’s winter baiting. They give us the how, what, when and where of how to achieve winter success.

Rig World Mike Kavanagh As usual, Mike’s shaken the tree and a whole load of goodies have dropped out!

This month he features gear from Fox, Korda and G-Force, plus a look at how to use leaders and the thinking behind the Hinged Stiff Rig. FEATURES

Quietly Catching Them Adam Clewer Adam says that angling provides a place to retreat from the noise and hubbub of everyday life, and his angling of late has been a combination of short-session fishing and mastering the art of a quiet, subtle approach.

Diary Of A Carpaholic Simon Crow Simon has been going allout in his quest to catch a particular fish, and it’s a very happy ‘carpaholic’ who reports in this month. There’s a clue there somewhere…

A Tale Of 30x 30s – Part 2 Mark Pitchers With a lean spell mid-year, can Mark get back on track as the year comes to an end? Mark’s over halfway to his target, but time is running short.

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Carping Allegedly Bill Cottam Our Rotherham bait baron has been on tour to one of his regular haunts, but recently it’s been getting harder and harder to fish. Can our man crack it? You bet he can!

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My Year So Far Jerry Hammond Jerry is one of the UK’s bestknown anglers, and here we take a look at his exploits in the first half of 2013. Next month we’ll bring you right up to date.

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Chasing Shadows Russ Green Russ Green relives the story of how he tracked down, and “It all seems ultimately caught, one to happen of the most stunning so quickly when carp in the country. fishing locked up Read the ups and in a snaggy area, it downs of how his has to be this way three-year quest or the fish wins” finally came good.

JERRY HAMMOND, P15

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Historic Carp Waters

Chris Ball Chris looks at MidNorthants Fishery, which has earned its reputation as a recordbreaking venue with carp that have graced the front pages of the weeklies and the monthly magazines.

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Far From the Madding Crowd Mark Holmes Mark Holmes writes about a branch of the sport he finds a real turn-off – carp match angling. The never-ending barrage of carp matches get plastered all over the carping angling media, so why is it that Mark dislikes them so much?

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Let Us Talk Jim Gibbinson Just what has got Jim so riled up? How about the use of leaders, lead discharge, collecting books, and even carp-speak! Well, it’s a good job the carp are ‘having it’ and the ‘munga’ going in has helped him ‘rinse out the lake’!

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How Do They Do That?

Just how do Kryston make what is arguably the best rig putty in the world? It’s got to be simple, hasn’t it?

Well, no, because Kryston always try to make the best gear they can, and this takes skill and time.

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Around The Trade

The Carpworld team has been out and about visiting the trade shows to check on what’s coming for next year. Here are just a few of our favourites from Nash, Wychwood, Gardner and Avid Carp.

CHECK OUT OUR SUBS OF F ERS ON PAGE 63 A ND 84 PAGE

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Tackle World

Eight pages of tackle for you to drool over, with in-depth reviews of cooking gear from Fox, bedchairs from JRC, a new big pit reel from SONIK, and winter clothing from Nash. That’s not all though, as there’s a whole barrowload of gear to tempt even the most fastidious carper.

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F Word Paul Forward Paul’s autumnal carping adventures have turned into a carp-fest, and one day in particular turned into a redletter day, with no less than 18 carp caught as the carp feed up for the coming winter.

Still Carping On Tim Paisley It’s a really serious Tim Paisley who brings readers the nittygritty, hard-biting truth about the ever-increasing amount of predation on our fish stocks, which is set to decimate angling as we know it. If you read one feature this month, this MUST be it!

AA Baits Competition Our Bait Baron guest in Bait World is none other than AA Baits’ Alan Ainscough, and he’s offered us enough base mix to give away to keep you in bait all winter. All you’ve got to do is visit the Carpworld website to enter.

Pallatrax Competition We’ve got everything but the kitchen sink to offer you in this superb competition from Pallatrax, including bait, hooks, rig bits, ready-tied hooks, and Stonze, the natural alternative to lead weights.

IN INTERNATIONAL CARPER The big fish keep on coming! Check out our Echoes Around The World and keep up to date with all the big fish caught recently from around the world. Steve Briggs is a big fan of Cassien and he continues the story of over 25 years’ fishing on the venue. Africa is an up-and-coming carping holiday destination, so read all about Paul Austin’s adventures in the land of the lion. Roy Van Goor has been a busy boy on the Dutch gravel pits, and to finish off there are holiday venue reports from Marne Valley Carping and Les Quis.

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FEATURE

SIMON CRO W DIARY

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CA R PA H O L I C

As the autumn nights draw in and after going all-out in his quest to catch a par ticular fish, it’s a ver y happy ‘carpaholic’ who repor ts in this month. As he says, “I couldn’t have finished in a better way!”

Autumn Harvest at Woldview

Last month, you may recall that I covered my end-of-summer fishing on Rod Hutchinson’s Woldview syndicate in North Lincolnshire. I left it on a high, because I was just beginning to get to grips with the lake and had recently netted the number two fish, known as The Beast, at 34½lb. I was enjoying some success on the surface in the warm weather, but as summer faded away I had to make plans for the autumn and the increased number of anglers who were expected on the banks. It’s well known amongst the syndicate that September and October are two of the best months of the year to fish the water, a small window which religiously sees most residents before the cameras.

By the middle of August, the venue’s biggie, known as Floppy Tail, was well overdue, having been very shy compared to previous seasons. I heard one or two of the lads say they wondered if she was on her way out, because she was now somewhere in the region of 40 years old and well down in weight at 37-38lb. I remained positive and focused though, and was really looking forward to the cooler weather when I had a feeling old Floppy would be on the munch and back up in weight.

In the lead-up to autumn, I’d started to regularly introduce bait into a couple of areas. Much of the lakebed was very weedy, with hardly any clear spots about, but a few doses of hemp and particles soon changed that. One of the spots in 3 0 Ca r p wor l d N o v e mber 2 01 3

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D ia r y o f a Ca r pa holic S im o n C row

LEFT Willow Swim as seen in the middle of summer.

ABOVE Tucked away in Old Pier, which became my main focus during late summer and early autumn.

Ever since I first joined the syndicate I’d wanted to catch Big Linear, and here she was at 27lb 4oz.

BELOW

I was really chuffed to put my net under that one. It came on a hectic morning, which saw me with four fish on the bank between first light and 10.00, before pulling off to go to work in the Carp-Talk office. It was really hard leaving the lake that day because I just knew there would have been more to come had I been able to stay.

Although I was fishing three or four overnighters per week, I was only managing one full day, and it was clear the fish were coming out mainly in “The more the daytime. Floppy bait I began Tail in particular to apply in front I knew was more a daylight feeder of Old Pier and because I could particular was right Willows, the more only trace one in the middle of the the fish began to or two night-time lake and was perhaps recognise it” captures of her. This an old streambed preyed on my mind a because it dropped down bit, so I had to think of a by several inches compared to way around it. I couldn’t put in any the surrounding bottom. I didn’t know more days because of work. The only it at the time, but it turned out to be thing I could do was to try to bait the exactly halfway across between the two areas as much as possible when I was swims known as Willows and Old Pier. pulling off, giving it three or four proper At first, I began fishing it mainly from good helpings instead of just a couple Old Pier, having some great success from of kilos here and there. I wanted fish it, but when I saw a lot of fish in the of all species on the spot and not just weed close in to Willows one evening, the carp, mixing in some maples, hemp, I decided to cast over to it from there. tigers and maize alongside a variety of Surprisingly, it was exactly the same boilie sizes. Each time I left, I piled in distance and I dropped onto it first cast 10kg and by the beginning of September when I unknowingly hit the marker my efforts were beginning to pay off. on my line, which was still clipped up from being in the swim opposite.

The more bait I began to apply in Overnight Success front of Old Pier and Willows, the more Instead of just catching fish in a morning the fish began to recognise it. The week I was beginning to catch them at all after the British Young Carpers’ times of my stay, particularly in an Championship in August I evening. Leaving work around the rush had a good hit from there, hour time of 5.00 p.m., I was dashing which included a couple home, doing some training (I’m an of mid-20s. A week addict), showering, and then stocking later, I then banked up on bait, returning to the lake a one of the fish I really wanted couple of hours later and pulling off the from the lake. Known next morning. Being a syndicate, the as The Big Linear other members were respectful of me and weighing in fishing overnighters, so I never had any at 27lb 4oz, problems getting into where I’d been baiting. With the dark nights creeping in I had a couple of hours of daylight left in an evening, plopping the baits out onto their spots as soon as I arrived.

The fish were so well onto the bait, those two hours after work turned out to be very valuable indeed. Regularly I’d have one or two takes within minutes of the baits hitting the water, indicating that the fish had been getting their No vem ber 2013 C a r pwor l d 31

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FEATURE

M A R K

P I T C H E R S

P A R T 2

Mark’s over halfway to his target, but time is getting short. With a lean s p e l l m i d - ye a r, c a n h e get back on track as the year comes to an end?

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lthough my campaign to catch 30 x 30s in a calendar year got off to a blistering start, as we approached the mid-point of the season I hit a potential setback when I failed to tempt a 30-pounder in the months of May or June. I was 16x 30s shy of my target, and with six months remaining, I was keen to pick up the pace and see this challenge through to the very end…

July

With another Crafty Carper Traveller feature to compile, I headed down to Oxford, to one of Linear Fisheries’ real gems, Hunts Corner Lake. I had never fished the lake before and, to be honest, I knew very little about the stock it held, and essentially my main goal for this session was simply to catch a few fish for the cameras.

I arrived at the fishery just a few moments after the gates opened during a very warm Monday morning, and although the majority of the swims were already occupied, I certainly struck it lucky on this occasion because a swim at the far end of the lake had been vacated just moments before my arrival.

Furthermore, there were a huge number of fish cruising around in the area and I don’t mind admitting I was rather excited at this stage! With so many fish present in the upper layers, my plan for the day was obviously going to revolve around an all-out floater assault. Having spent an hour of continually Spombing out

floaters to feed off the plagues of gulls, swans, geese, ducks, moorhens, flamingos and coots (I may have imagined the flamingos), I finally managed to satisfy their appetite, and as the birdlife began to disperse, the carp immediately took an interest in the free offerings. Within moments there were a number of hungry mouths slurping down the free offerings and I finally had an opportunity to make a cast. It seemed on this occasion that all my efforts (and patience) were quickly rewarded, and just seconds after making the cast, an eruption on the surface indicated I’d hooked the first fish of the session. One hour’s baiting, one minute’s

angling, and one carp on the bank! At around 18lb it was a promising start to the session, and with plenty more fish milling around in the area I was sure more would follow – and they did.

By regularly putting out floaters, four more carp followed that afternoon, including a chunky mirror of 22lb 1oz.

By now, however, dusk was approaching and I decided to revert to more conventional tactics for the night ahead.

Hookbaits were now Mainline 14mm Cell boilies, which were topped off with a 10mm High Visual pop-up, and these were presented on a Blowback Rig fished beneath a Size 7 Fox SSSP hook

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T h e Ta le o f 3 0 x 3 0s Ma r k P itcher s

tied to a 15lb Reflex braided hooklink.

Having been able to view the carp’s activities and movements throughout the day, I already had a good idea of where to position the baits, but I also opted for a few quick casts with the marker rod to try to build up a better picture of what was happening beneath the surface. It transpired there was a raised gravel strip running through the swim, and from what I had observed so far, this certainly seemed to correlate with the carp’s movements. Because this was the area where I had seen the bulk of the carp activity, and having seen the vigorous feeding activity they had shown towards

ABOVE This stunning 32lb 7oz Hunts Corner linear was totally unexpected and gave a boost of pure adrenalin!

the blank. On picking up the rod, I was instantly met with a weighty resistance, and as the fish began to kite slowly into open water, it was obvious I was playing a rather sizeable carp. Following a lengthy yet ponderous tussle beneath the rod tip, I was incredibly relieved to be sliding the net under a cracking Hunts Corner carp, and a good one at that! After lying the net down on the mat, I was slightly “As the taken aback when I unravelled fish began to the mesh to reveal an absolutely kite slowly into stunning jet black linear, one open water, it of the lake’s original fish and was obvious I was a real old warrior. With a playing a rather carp as impressive as this, the weight was almost immaterial, sizeable carp” but it was clearly a big fish and I was not at all surprised when the digital scales displayed a reading of 32lb 7oz. A fish like that was totally unexpected, and not only did it ensure I had reached the midway stage of my target, but also that magnificentlooking creature was like a boost of pure adrenalin and I couldn’t wait to get back out on the bank to get my next fix.

Several weeks later I was still revelling somewhat in my result at Hunts Corner, and when you are brimful of confidence, I often find that results just seem to follow. This time I had made a return to the Essex Syndicate water that had been so kind to me earlier in the year. However, on this occasion, due to the cold and blustery conditions, it meant that even after several hours of scrutinising every nook and cranny of the lake I had failed to spot a single sign of a carp, so in the end my swim choice was down to instinct, and with the rods in place and several kilos of boilies scattered over the area, I just hoped I had made the right call instead of wasting precious time in an area devoid of carp.

Thankfully, it didn’t take long for me to the surface baits, I decided to introduce a find out, because I didn’t even have time to spark up the stove for a cuppa when good quantity of background feed onto one of the rods burst into life. Although this area. I concocted a spod mix, which not a 30-pounder, at 22lb+ it was a nice consisted of hemp and small pellets, as start and at least it confirmed I had got well as some crumbed and whole Cell my location right on this occasion. As boilies, and around 8kg of mix was if to validate that even further, a further deposited onto this one precise location. six carp followed over the next 48 hours, With all the traps set in time for dusk, which included another two 20s and, and with fish already moving around more importantly, four 30s weighing my baited spots, I was confident action 31lb 11oz, 32lb 3oz, and two fish of would be forthcoming during the night 33lb 3oz! That made it five 30s from two ahead. What I hadn’t anticipated was very productive sessions, and it certainly for events to unfold quite so quickly! allowed me to gain some ground that I’d Less than 10 minutes later, the heavilylost during the two previous months. baited rod let out a few short bleeps and the bobbin pulled up tight against 3 0 s Ta l l y : 1 9 No vem ber 2013 C a r pwor l d 37

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WINTER BAITING STRATEGIES Baiting up in summer is easy!

That’s a sweeping statement but let us elaborate a bit. If we changed the statement to ‘baiting up in winter is a lot harder than summer’ we’re sure you’d get the picture. Of course, we’re not talking about the physical side of chucking the bait in; if you’re cold in winter it’ll warm you up! No, we mean the actual decision of when and how to bait up and how much bait to use. Do you use the same baits all year or change them for winter, that sort of thing. In summer it’s fair to say that most people would use more bait than they would in winter, simply because the fish are eating more. But what about in winter? The fish are hardly moving around, so throwing in buckets of bait will just end up with nothing being caught and the bait rotting on the bottom. After all, would you bet on a horse at 1,000/1?

Of course not, so why put thousands of baits out if the carp are only going to eat one or two? So maybe a single boilie or a small PVA bag will work, but won’t the fish be used to this and shy away from such an obvious tactic? Well, that’s the whole point of this month’s question. How much bait to use, what are your techniques and what sort of baits? It would appear that this month’s panel are in basic agreement and that it’s small amounts and moving baits around to try to tempt the odd fish or two, but every now and again, a bit more bait can work wonders.

This is where watercraft comes in, and the members of our experienced panel have it coming out of their pores!

around to give me an idea of what colour ABOVE I always carry a mix of baits so I can is working the best. White is the main Baiting in the winter can depend on chop and change. colour I try first, and it seems to be a combination of factors, including BOTTOM The tactics have worked! Here’s one of those that works well on most the stock of the venue, the amount of a winter fish I caught venues at the moment. I’ve been using anglers’ bait going in, and the type of after working out the best strategy washed-out colours as well lately, but, venue. I consider everything that could for the water. like so much in carping, I’m not sure influence my chances of catching, and if it’s me who likes them, or the fish. If choose my baiting strategy and venue you think it’s right, then go with it. extremely carefully in the winter.

It’s the only way to really know.

Yes, the amount of bait I “I will trickle Over the last year and a half apply does change, but I’ve in bait on the I have been using Sonubaits used large amounts on some venue through the Code Red boilies, which winter venues with great w i n t e r, s c a t t e r i n g will be coming on to the success, so it’s down to the boilies around any market next year and I’d be individual situation. Most of potential fishhappy to take this bait to any the time I’ve been using single holding features” venue, summer or winter, purely hookbaits with a scattering of because it has proved itself. different-sized freebies around.

I will trickle in bait on the venue It’s just a preference on my part and through the winter, scattering boilies it seems to work, and it allows me around any potential fish-holding to change the size of my hookbait features, then use single hookbaits with and still match the freebies. about 20 freebies catapulted in the area.

The colour of the bait is a tricky I’ve been using Code Red shelf life subject, and I tend to take a wide boilies, and I’d say they are better than selection with me. I do try to do frozen. That’s a big statement, but with a bit of homework if it’s no chance of them going off, a new venue they can sit in the van at all and I ask times and every visit to any venue means I can put in a few, and I think that counts when bites are harder to come by.

With the modern ingredients, T O N Y S M E E T S S AY S :

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Think Tank

R AY P U L L F O R D S AY S :

TOP Simple tactics pay off for me. I like to use a PVA bag when the going gets really tough.

Colour is important, so I do my research first.

ABOVE I’ve recently been trying out a high-leakage bait that’s designed to give off clouds of attraction.

these boilies break down and have a high leakage rate, so I would use them anywhere with the greatest confidence.

Recently, I’ve been trying some new ‘leakage’ boilies and they give off a cloud of attraction, plus I also carry some tubs of fluoros.

Basically, I will carry one flavour on which I’ve had success, along with multiple colours and sizes of others. I will keep swapping and this will sometimes produce a bite for me. Anything’s worth a go!

I carry some tins of particle in the van at all times, even in the winter. I put a couple of mini Spombs over the hookbait for a bit of added attraction.

When the going gets a bit tough, solid bags definitely help me nick a bite. Small, concentrated piles of temptation around the hookbait work in winter, but I only use low-oil pellet or crumbed boilies in the bag.

This pretty much sums up my approach to winter baiting; use the right amount of the right bait in the right place, and when you think about it – that applies the whole year round.

PVA bags are my preferred starting point in winter.

TOP RIGHT

A stunning mirror, caught on a PVA bag the morning of my birthday in December.

BELOW

The first thing to remember when looking at baiting techniques in winter is that carp don’t use a large amount of energy during low water temperatures.

The less energy the carp uses, the less it will need to feed to replenish its energy levels. With this in mind, most of my winter baiting is based around attraction, with a small amount of food. I am fishing for a bite and not looking to overfeed the carp before it has sampled the hookbait.

My main line of attack will be a solid PVA bag or stringer positioned in a spot in which the carp is located or is willing to feed. Starting to introduce the PVA mix. Along with the pellets I your chosen winter bait in early autumn, will use a groundbait in my solid bags if you can, will give you a big advantage. mixed with added boilie crumb. Using a This can lead to the carp continuing to blender I will make the required amount feed on your bait all winter. The boilie I of boilie crumb and add any of the use during the winter is the Jungle from groundbaits in the Naturals range from Pallatrax, which I use all year round, so Pallatrax. These groundbaits contain confidence in my bait is not an issue. various dried insects, crustacea, worms This bait is easily digestible and this is and maggots and have no bulking agents, of paramount importance because the so they don’t stodge up on the bottom quicker it’s digested, the sooner and give you a steady stream of they will feed again. natural attraction. Inside I use pellets in my the PVA bag I won’t “I use pellets PVA bags and have put any more than i n m y P VA b a g s a few tricks that I half a dozen Squabs/ and have a few am sure have caught baits along with the tricks that I am me the odd extra pellets and the mix. sure have caught fish. I use the coarse I use 14mm boilie me the odd pellets from Pallatrax Squabs because the extra fish” because they are of the unusual shape makes highest nutritional value them difficult for the carp and have a very low oil content. to eject and they are different to I place the required amount of pellet what most people are using. I will also into a bucket and boil some water. Once use the 10mm Jungle, Pineapple and the water has boiled I will add 5ml of Scopex-flavoured Squabs as small, bright Jungle flavour and very lightly coat the attractor baits as a good alternative. pellets with the hot water. This breaks Keeping bait fresh in the winter I find the seal on the pellets and they will go easier than the warmer months. I place soft and start working as soon as they hit my frozen bait in an air-dry bag and hang the bottom. I will prepare them a few it inside my shelter to avoid the damp. hours before use so they can be used in My PVA mixes will keep for up to 48 hours when stored in a sealed bucket.

There are a lot of other baits that work well in winter and I have had success using sweetcorn, tiger nuts, Peperami and maggots. If I visit waters where I haven’t had the opportunity to introduce my bait, I will always carry alternatives in my bait bag. Maggots are a great winter bait but are very expensive, so I will only use them if the lake has a history of using them. Lakes that have been heavily fished on maggots can switch off to other baits.

To store maggots, put them in a plastic bag and ensure all the air is removed.

They will go dormant, but will soon come alive when exposed to air again.

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FEATURE

M A R K

H O L M E S

FA R F R O M T H E M A D D I N G Often, controver sial subjects get removed from car p magazines .

Why? As the never-ending barrage of car p ma tches get plas tered all over the car ping-angling media, Mar k Holmes wr ites candidly a bout a branch of the spor t he finds an unbelieva ble enigma.

S

potential carp record. Had it not been for Tim Paisley helping me to get the clear facts and dates correct, I would have got slaughtered.

Here, we can see that a writer therefore looks to the editor of the magazine to help him, whilst not affecting his style of writing. This is something I admire about Angling Publications and the reason why I think it still holds a reputation as an intellectual read for the angling masses out there, who are turned off by many of today’s current crop of magazines.

This preamble is not to curry favour with Angling Publications, no, it is to set the scene of how the style of writing that challenges established practices in carp fishing is still alive and has a place in the media. I have written many times about the moral obligation I think media and magazines have. This is not being biased one way or the other, but even if the editor fervently disagrees with a point, the opportunity to air “Editorship, to me, is allowing the the opposing view and have it appear in print writer to express his views whilst also is very important, in avoiding any legal proceedings” my opinion. For many carp anglers that is where much of the dissatisfaction with the That entertainment can take many forms, and way carp fishing has gone originates. This is, when writing about controversial things, far quite simply, a fact of life and, as Ali Hamidi too often emotions take over and facts can once said to me years ago, you can only live in get distorted to suit a particular angle. Just the times in which you are born. A comment occasionally, an editor will step in to make I have often relayed and one that showed sure the facts stated are literal truths. I can me, at the time, that he had a clearer vision clearly remember an article I wrote for this of things than some would believe of him. magazine nigh on two years ago now, about a ometimes, when I commit my thoughts to paper, I have to hold back on my views. Those of you who read my articles must be chuckling already, and thinking you hadn’t noticed that!

Well, let me tell you, you are wrong. Since my foray into the art of editorship, although the uninitiated would call it censorship, I understand more than most the importance of avoiding printing anything that could be considered libellous. However, editorship, to me, is allowing the writer to express his views whilst also avoiding any legal proceedings, as I mentioned earlier. Unfortunately, in the fast-evolving, media frenzy world of today, that scrutiny becomes even more transparent and often means the poor editor has to take the safe route. However, the reality of Carpworld is that it has always allowed the writers to get on with it and entertain as well as inform.

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F a r F ro m T h e M a ddin g Cro w d Ma r k Ho lm es

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TACKLEWORLD

St a nd i n g S t ove

H e a t Trans fe r Kettle

RRP: £29.99

RRP: 0 .9 lt r – £24. 99; 1. 5ltr – £29. 99

This three-leg stove folds out quickly and

When it comes to introducing technology into fishing, we get the best

easily from its small, hard plastic carrying

alarms, rods, and in many cases even cameras, but when it comes to the

case. Once unfolded and connected

humble kettle it has stayed the same since the year dot. Fox turned to the

to a gas canister via a hose, it is very

mountaineering market to source the impressive Heat Transfer grid that can

stable and simple to use. The flame

be added to the base of a kettle to make it more efficient. This translates into

can be adjusted, which allows you to

quicker boiling times, which means using less fuel and ultimately saving

fine-tune the stove so that you can cook

money; in fact it is claimed that it is 33% more efficient than a traditional

a wide variety of things correctly and

camping kettle. With winter round the corner, we can’t wait to put it to the test.

without burning the bottom of the pan.

Available in a 0.9ltr and 1.5ltr capacity, the Fox Heat

Attractively priced, it looks like it should

Transfer Kettle is made from a hard anodised aluminium

be up to the job of life on the bank.

and features a durable soft-touch handle. The larger 1.5ltr version is perfect for those popular anglers who often have half the anglers on the lake in their swim for a brew!

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COOKING UP IN STYLE F ox Co o kware RRP: £9. 99–£59. 99 fox in t. co m When it comes to cooking on the bank, carpers fall into two categories – Gordon Ramsay or The Pot Noodle Cowboy, so you can imagine that a wide variety of suitable, and not-so-suitable, cooking equipment

“Fox are the first to admit they cannot reinvent the humble pot, pan or kettle, but they can try to supply a range of quality, purposedesigned products for the angler” STEVE BROAD

gets pressed into service on the bank. Many just need a humble frying pan to create a bacon butty, whilst others require a whole range of utensils to create their latest culinary surprise.

Fox have recently introduced a compact range of specialist items for anglers who like to cook food and make hot drinks when fishing. Fox are the first to admit they cannot reinvent the humble pot, pan or kettle, but they can try to supply a range of quality, purpose-designed products for the angler. This new range comes in a variety of formats and includes a stove, kettle, and windshield. It also has a 3- or 4-piece Cookset, which has

been made with the aluminium walls of the frying pan and saucepans being thicker than normal in order to allow a higher quality non-stick finish to be applied. The guys at Fox told us that they had value for money and quality as their main concerns when they first set out on the project.

Win dsh ield Want to find out more about the full range of cookware from Fox? Scan the QR code on the right with your smartphone to watch the video.

RRP: £9. 99 This small bit of kit will really make a difference to how you cook on the bank.

For us, it really comes into its own during short sessions when you might not necessarily have the advantage of a shelter. The time it takes to boil a kettle when it is sheltered by a windshield has to be seen to be believed. It is of a lightweight aluminium construction and is made up of seven hinged panels, and features handy pegging pins to aid its stability when on soft ground; it and also comes supplied with a handy carrybag.

3 -Pie c e Me d iu m Co o kset RRP: £ 4 4 .9 9 In the 3-Piece Medium Cookset, you get a frying pan, medium saucepan and a 0.9ltr Heat Transfer Kettle. The pans feature durable folding handles to allow them to be packed away in a compact manner, with the saucepan sitting inside the frying pan and the kettle inside the saucepan.

The Cookset also comes supplied with a drawcord mesh carrybag.

4 -Pie c e L ar ge Coo kset RRP: £ 5 9 .9 9 The 4-Piece Large Cookset features the same 0.9ltr Heat Transfer Kettle and medium saucepan as the 3-Piece set, but with the addition of a larger frying pan and also a large saucepan, making it ideal for the angler who really likes to cook up a feast on the bank. Once again, all the pans feature the quality non-stick finish, folding handles, and pack away into each other for compact transportation.

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S I M O N

W I N C H E R T

H U N T I N G F O R S I LV E R Simon is an angler who s e t s h i s t a r g e t s ve r y high, then goes all o u t t o a c h i eve t h e m .

This is the tale of one t a r g e t a c h i eve d , a m a s s i ve 8 0 l b c o m m o n c a l l e d S i l ve r, f ro m a l a ke i n h i s h o m e c o u n t r y o f G e r m a ny.

“I

t’s only a fish, how can you freak out like that?!” That’s what my mother said when I called her after catching my target and bawling into the phone.

Like most other non-anglers, or ‘normal people’, she doesn’t get what angling means to us, what pulls us to the lake and what we are working for. Of course, everyone amongst us has a different approach to his/her fishing. One goes fishing purely for fun and relaxation; another has only limited time and is happy to spend those rare days catching some smaller fish from small ponds, and then there are anglers who target special fish and nothing will stop them until they catch it. No matter what category you are in, we are all anglers and should respect each other’s approach to the sport. The main thing is, everyone is happy with what they are doing. In reality, it’s often a lot different. Envy and antagonism are common, even though it is only a hobby. But let’s leave it at that.

As I am typing this feature, many things are spinning about in my head and my arms are still hurting. The moments I live and work for; the moments I spend my precious time and lots of money trying to achieve, have been rewarded by a very special capture.

Of course, the following will be about this special fish, but it would be such a shame to skip the earlier part of this year and its success and failures, because it contributes to the whole picture.

Highly motivated, I started the season in February on a water close to my home in Germany. The reason for my motivation was a session with friends in a totally different region the

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H u n t in g f o r S ilv e r S im o n Wincher t

LEFT The sun setting on another August day on the lake. Little did I know what the next few days would bring.

ABOVE I chose to fish boilies over a mix of corn and other particles.

to another lake. With hindsight, that year before, which was a real eye-opener was a spot-on decision and I had one because my previous season had been of the best sessions in a long time. full of disappointment. I had new hope, Everything seemed to go well, and I was new motivation, and so I started with 100% confident in my action, rigs and euphoria at a new club lake. The fishing tactics, so, all in all, a perfect basis for in winter is really slow around here and tackling the so-called Lac de Depression, most of the sessions end fishless, so there is every chance you will lose your passion home of my target, more seriously.

After the end of my holiday some before you’ve actually managed to catch anything. For those out there who decide other things cropped up, so it was the end of June when I could finally to fish winter, I can recommend using continue my quest. This time I didn’t only small amounts of bait and fishing want to leave anything to chance so highly-visible hookbaits, such as fluoro I ended up rowing my boat across pop-ups and corn. Search for weedy the lake for two hours, searching for spots and don’t hesitate to put a bait in any sign of carp, feeding spots, etc. only 3ft of water on very sunny days.

One spot looked particularly good.

The start of the season couldn’t have I noticed a sandy patch further along, been better, and with every session I and after tackling became more and up in a nearby more obsessed I t wa s d e fi n i t e l y H I M , spot I went to with the fishing. t h e r e wa s n o d o u b t . take a closer I decided there look. A bit later, and then that I I h a d n eve r s e e n a I found another wouldn’t go abroad b i g g e r fi s h i n my l i f e . interesting spot this year but in the same area. would concentrate There weren’t any feeding spots at on some lakes in my home country, all, but my gut instincts convinced Germany. A huge gravel pit with a me to put my rigs there. very low stock of carp was top of my Knowing how difficult the lake was, I list. I had fished the lake for a couple wasn’t at all surprised to wake up without of nights during the last two years but having had a take. It was 7.00 a.m. – wasn’t really successful because I just actually a pretty good time for a bite. I didn’t fish as regularly as was needed, climbed into my boat and slowly rowed so I knew I would have to focus a lot it through my area. As I was approaching more on that particular lake to get one of my spots I could clearly make out closer to my target. With that in mind, my target. It was definitely HIM, there I planned my holiday early in the year, was no doubt. I had never seen a bigger so I ended up on a freezing day, April fish in my life, so there was no mistaking.

26th, on the bleak banks of this vast pit.

He was feeding very close to one of my After two blank nights and no spots, so I carefully rowed back and sign of the weather changing in the sat on the rod with shaking knees. next couple of days, I decided to go No vem ber 20 13 C a r pwor l d 165

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