CW280 sample

WIN

!

AV L NEW A’ S G E & A G K S TA GA HIN LUG H FIS Y A NC FRE HOLID

ONE OF THE UK’S LARGEST VENUES. 370+ MILES OF BANKSIDE! Winter carping and the untapped potential of the Trent with Shaun Harrison

ISSUE 280 JANUARY 2014

ISSUE 280 / JANUARY 2014 / MONTHLY £4.50

THE LARGEST CARP ON EARTH

BRITAIN’S BIGGEST CARP-ANGLING MAGAZINE

A l o o k i n s ide t he ga t es o f t he Hunga r ia n s u pe r- wa t e r pro duci ng car p to over 100lb !

COTTON’S COMMONS P ro b ox e r Wa r r e n Fenn targets some of Kent’s most sought after carp

PLUS SIMON CROW ON S Y N D I C AT E S T I M PA I S L E Y ’ S F O R E I G N F O R AY S JULIAN CUNDIFF ON KEVIN NASH’S CHURCH POOL B I L L C O T TA M ’ S C A R P I N G A L L E G E D LY ANDY CHAMBERS ON THE ORIENT NEW ALARMS FROM NASH

c ar pwor ld maga z in e. co m

ARE YOU USING TOO MUCH BAIT? THE

MAGAZINE

ANGLER ORLDWIDE FOR THE W

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ADAM CLEWER’S C O L D - WAT E R T I P S carpworldmagazine.com

ISSUE 123 January 2014

 ALSO INSIDE CARP NEWS AND FEATURES FROM AROUND THE GLOBE 18/12/2013 11:34

Contents

The Carpworld Contents / Issue 280 /

January 2014

79

72

F E A T U R ES

88

Rig World Mike Kavanagh In a Rig World special featuring Danny Fairbrass, Mike gets to grips with one of the tackle world’s most well-known figures and finds out just how his angling affects the products we all use on the bank.

15 O n t he cov e r Just take a look at this monster! It’s the face of the world record carp – to read about its home turn to page 114.

REGULARS

7

Editors’ Comment What have our illustrious editors been up to during the past month? Well, like most of us, you can bet they haven’t been out fishing as much as they’d like!

9

Gazette and Book Reviews All the news and views from around the world of carp angling to keep you up to date with what’s going on, plus a look at some of the latest book releases.

37

Bait World Joe Turnbull Mark McKenna is our Bait Baron this month, along with Bill Cottam, who reveals a new Nutrabaits base mix. There’s also an in-depth look at Haith’s Robin Red by Tim Paisley, so it’s another packed Bait World this month.

53

Think Tank Our expert panel looks at the contentious issue of baiting up in winter. With reports coming in of mounds of rotting bait on the lakebed, are we putting too much bait in during winter and ruining the fishing for everyone?

66

Ask The Experts Mick Tuck, Dave Levy and Adam Clewer answer readers’ questions on baiting up, pinning down lines, and glugging hookbaits.

The Quest For Cotton’s Commons – Part 1 Warren Fenn Like most of us who work for a living, professional boxer Warren fishes as a way to relax.

He’s a very dedicated angler, as this tale about targeting some lovely commons proves.

Carping Allegedly Bill Cottam Bill’s wearing his Marigolds this month, with a new idea for housekeeping on the bank.

There are also a few thoughts on sheep and shepherds, and on a more serious note, can you really trust bait-rolling companies?

F Word Paul Forward It’s been a month of mixed fortunes for our resident diarist, with a session to remember followed by one that he’d rather forget! It’s swings and roundabouts sometimes, and this month has been one of those times.

22

95

29

103

A Bird’s Eye View Jane Henthorn There aren’t that many lady carpers out there, but Jane is one who takes her carp fishing very seriously. It’s not a bed of roses though, as Jane’s humorous look at the world of female carpers will testify.

The Confessions Of A (Reluctant) Winter Angler Adam Clewer What’s the best way to approach winter angling if you’re a reluctant winter carper? Adam takes a look at winter tactics from the aspect of someone who’s not a fan of the winter blues.

47

Small River Carping Tony Miles Tony spends much of his time on small rivers in the hunt for carp. He won’t be catching monsters, but whatever he does catch will fight like demons.

60

Ashmead Diaries Mark Walsingham With winter well and truly settled in at Ashmead, it’s been a busy time for Mark as he repairs storm damage from the winter gales. It’s not all bad news though, because there have been a few good fish on the bank.

Historical Carp Waters Chris Ball Waggoner’s Wells became part of Chris’ fishing life for a short time in the early1970s, and with a history going back hundreds of years, it certainly fits the title of an historic carp water.

Bivvy Tramps Blog Kes Waterman You may think that blogging isn’t for you, but don’t turn the page, check out Kes’ humorous look at carp fishing and you could be a convert.

114

Lifting The Lid On The World Record Venue – Part 2 Steve Weir and Dave Moore How would you tackle a venue with the world’s biggest carp swimming in its depths, as well as dozens of other carp over 80lb? Steve and Dave are amongst the first UK anglers to fish there, and this is their story.

121

Diary Of A Carpaholic Simon Crow Simon reveals some exciting news for Yorkshire anglers this month, and as a fan of overseas carping, he takes a look at a recent French trip that didn’t go exactly to plan.

126

Memories From The River Trent Shaun Harrison Shaun opens his scrapbook and looks back at the time he spent on the mighty River Trent. With a massive 370 miles of bank space to choose from, it’s certainly not a venue for the unadventurous.

139

Still Carping On Tim Paisley It’s been a year full of angling adventures for Tim, and here

104

Carpworld International Championship Do you fancy spending a week fishing in France, with the chance of winning £10,000?

That’s the prize on offer in our new angling championship which will take place at French venue Fishabil.

108

From Despair To Disbelief, A Tale Of Two Churches – Part 1 Julian Cundiff Keeping yourself on track is vitally important, both in your work and at play, and Jules reveals how he survived his own lack of motivation to finally get back on track.

126

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F: facebook.com/CarpworldMagazine / t: @CarpworldMag

he reviews the waters he’s fished during 2013, including Gigantica, Rainbow, The Mangrove, Fishabil, Serreire, and more.

He also shares the knowledge he’s learned with us all. tACKLe WoRLD

133

Tackle World With a look at the new S5R remote alarms from Nash, the new Royale Classic Bivvy from Fox, a distance measurement kit from Taska, Shimano Ultegra reels, and a whole host of other goodies, it’s another packed Tackle World this month.

UP FoR GRABs

101

Taska Competition There’s a new range of luggage arriving in the shops and you could pop down to check them out, but why not try winning some in our superb competition?

CheCK oUt oUR sUBs oF F eR on PAGe 92

PAGe

92

168

Les Quis Competition How do you fancy sunning yourself in France whilst fishing on one of the most famous venues in the country? That’s the prize up for grabs in this cracking holiday competition.

In InteRnAtIonAL CARPeR

THE

MAGAZINE

FOR THE WORLDWIDE ANGLER

The catches of the month are all detailed in our regular Echoes ISSUE 123 January 2014

Around The World feature, and there’s also part one of a look at the mighty Orient from Andy Chambers, a visit to Hungary to check out the angling possibilities there, a chance to win a holiday at Les Quis, and finally, part one of

ORIENT EXPRESS! P157 Big-water specialis t Andy Chamber s travels to France for a rematch with one of the wor ld’s mos t challenging car p venues

GLOBAL CARP NEWS

HUNGARIAN CARPING

HIDDEN GEMS

P 1 4 9 Our monthly round-up of some of the best catches from around the world

P164 Our guide to the best holiday venues Hungary has to of fer

P171 Nick Burrage visits Le Queroy to sample some of the finest fishing in France

a visit to a hidden gem of a water in France from Nick Burrage.

ALSO INSIDE: 168 WIN A FANTASTIC LES QUIS CARPING HOLIDAY • 176 OVERSEAS DIRECTORY 147_ICCover_CW280.indd 1

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FEATURE

J A N E

H E N T H O R N

A Bird’s Eye View Car p fishing through the eyes of the fairer sex; Ja n e H e n t h o r n t a ke s a t o n g u e - i n - c h e e k l o o k a t t h e trials and tribulations of the life of a dedicated l a d y a n g l e r, a n d i t d e f i n i t e l y i s n ’ t a l l r o s e s .

B

eing a lone lady angler is no easy task. It’s a world where my gender is rarely catered for, which generally irks me, but it’s also a world where no allowances are made just because I’m a woman, and I love that.

Over the years I have tried most disciplines within fishing, but carping is my passion, and I take it very, very seriously. I have gone from disaster sessions to absolute mind-blowers in the space of a week, and then back to disasters! For me, the emotional highs and lows of carp fishing are second to none, and I can honestly say if I die on a bank somewhere with three rods out I will have died happy.

As we all know, not all our sessions

run either smoothly or according to plan, and sometimes our successes are achieved by our ability to be flexible, to constantly read situations, and be willing to move to locate and catch the fish. Unfortunately, for me, those skills are mainly what get me into trouble, and generally have me rolling around on the bank laughing at myself. It’s all good.

As a rule, all my sessions start a few days before I get on the bank: bait preparation, weather checks, comparisons on Google Earth, checking catch reports, and all the rest of the things we deem essential. The day before I go is filled with rigmaking, checking tackle

ABOVE Happy, a winter 25lb from the Monument.

boxes and packing the car, just like you fellas! Bedtime comes and all of a sudden I develop insomnia due to excitement, don’t want to miss the alarm, want to be on the road for daft o’clock, arrive just before sunrise and get set up and start fishing. So far, so good, all is going well.

The rods are in, bivvy is up, kettle is on, boots off and I’m the happiest girl in the world. Whatever the weather, it just feels so good to be on the bank, sitting quietly with nature, watching the water, going over my tactics. So far, I am sure my session seems no different to any of yours, and generally they do go well and I manage to get myself home in one piece. There have been a few exceptions where I have almost wound up in hospital, but it was all good fun!

After getting myself set up and having a cuppa, nature takes its course and soon enough I need to go to the toilet.

What toilet? It’s all well and good for you guys, you can stand close to the nearest tree and let it flow.

Not so for us ladies. Learning to pee while on a lake full of men, without flashing your white backside like a rabbit signalling danger, is an art form all we girls have to learn, especially if you

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A B ird’ s E y e V ie w Ja ne Hentho r n

are squatting in a bed of nettles.

On one occasion I was fishing my favourite peg on a very well-known big-fish day ticket water. I really needed to go and had held on as long as I could, I was desperate. I deftly climbed the fence at the back of my swim and walked around a tree so I couldn’t be seen by the other anglers (all male, of course).

After finding a suitable spot, I slid the dungaree straps over my shoulders, undid my trousers and managed to slide them down without too much trouble.

Sheer heaven! Mid-flow the receiver in my pocket let out the best one-toner I have ever had. Now, have you ever tried to stop relieving yourself when you have waited so long? I jumped up, pulling my pants up at the same time, and set off running while still dragging my dungarees back over my shoulders. The straps on said dungarees were elastic and it wasn’t until they flicked off my shoulder and into my face that I realised I had actually peed on them!

Even though it was only a matter of seconds for me to get to my rods it felt like I was moving in slow motion.

“Have you ever tried to stop relieving yourself when you I could see my have waited so long? line travelling I jumped up, pulling to the left and my pants up at the ripping off the same time, and reel. I reached set off running” out to grab the

ABOVE RIGHT Having fun with fellow Vardis team members at a carp show.

Sport closer to home, a mid-double from Ladywood.

BELOW

rod and strike. As soon as the tips of my fingers touched the rod butt, it stopped. I was gutted. I could tell from the way things had gone it had to be a biggie. Disgusted with myself I wound in, refreshed my bait and just cast out with no consideration for where it landed. I sat down in my wet dungarees, not enjoying the feeling one little bit. I was so disappointed. It was Sod’s Law I had to have missed such a great take because I couldn’t just relieve myself like the rest of you guys! I lit a cigarette as consolation for my loss and to calm myself down before getting the rod back out properly.

Within two minutes it set off again. I was up and on it so fast, there was no way I was going to lose another. As soon as I hit, I could tell it was a nice fish. All the time I played it the fish stayed deep, and even when it was at my feet it was well down in the water. The

bailiff came over and did the netting for me and it turned out to be a mirror, giving me a new PB at the time of 31lb 6oz. My knees were shaking, my clothes were wet and I probably didn’t smell too good either! Who cared? Not me, I was over the moon.

Less than an hour after my disaster I managed to scoop another mirror at 30lb 1oz; I had caught this fish the year before at 28lb, and then, lo and behold, another at 28lb 6oz, all within the hour.

Although the session lasted two days I didn’t have anything else, but I had gone from feeling inconsolable and unmentionably soaked, to cocka-hoop and on a major high. What an amazing 60 minutes that was.

I was full of adrenaline and spent the rest of the session sitting with a great big smile on my face (after a shower in some lovely facilities!).

I love my fishing and was over the moon when one year my non-angling husband agreed to me joining Sutton syndicate. At the time, Ed Matthews had only had it a couple of years and was working like a Trojan on the place. It felt great to finally have somewhere I could call ‘home’. The lake isn’t very big but it’s old and quite wild. The trees Jan u ary 2 014 C a r pwor l d 23

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BAITWORLD

L

IEW UL RV NB TE TUR N I E JO By

T H I S M O N T H : Mar k M cKenna

I always get excited when I know I’m going to be chatting with someone who has a good understanding of bait, and Mark McKenna is just one of those guys. Since starting his company, BaitCraft, in around 2000, his recipes have gone on to catch big fish from all over the UK as well as Europe. I caught up with Mark to get the low-down on how he’s doing and what state he thinks the bait game is in.

JT: I understand you make

who makes it possible for a lot of otherwise

all your own bait in-house.

clueless people to sell decent bait, and that‘s

Could you explain why?

Geoff Bowers. I know that other companies,

MM: Good question. For me, there are too many

such as Rollin‘ Baits, have also established

things that can go wrong with making boilies to

trust with one or two hand-picked contractors

give someone else the responsibility. If I make the

and have well-established, good reputations.

bait I can take full responsibility for the outcome;

But as I said, it‘s not for me, and besides,

the performance of my products is too important

if I have to pay a contractor I end up with

for me to leave it in the hands of some ‚Johnny

nothing, because we make most of our money

No Stars‘ employee of a subcontractor. You

from the rolling and the rest gets spent on

have to have a tremendous amount of trust in a

ingredients. I think that in itself says it all.

contractor, and whilst I‘ll freely admit there are

signal with them as they leach out. There is a

bait Tutti Frutti is a bit special. Could

an incredible carp, proving the effectiveness of Mark’s baits.

they lose nothing in the telling, there‘s a lot of

you tell us why it‘s so good?

BELOW Kilos

Snowball is truly unique in many respects, and

skulduggery going on in certain outfits. I tried it

The Super Tutti is a very special product in the

in the early days when we started to get beyond

winter. There is something in that blend of esters

what we could cope with ourselves and we went

that really gets them going divvy for it, but having

from never having any complaints to getting

said that, I think the Snowball is the stronger of

them. I just haven‘t got the patience to listen to

the two dedicated winter products. They‘re made

How have you learnt so much about

people whingeing, especially when they‘re right,

on the same milk protein/carbohydrate-type base,

nutrition and bait formulation?

so it all came back in-house after I bit the bullet

but we let down the citrusy esters on a subtle

I learnt what I know about nutritional baits by

and put the investment into getting tooled up in

blend of essential oils and a specific carrier, and

studying the subject in some depth because I had

a proper unit. There are a lot of firms out there

I think it just hangs in the water column a little

the desire and passion to want to find out badly

selling bait which have never made a boilie,

bit better. Plus, surprisingly for a winter product,

enough. My general demeanour and refusal to

and wouldn‘t know where to start, so they‘re

there‘s a top secret fatty nutritional attractor in

take life too seriously can hide the fact that by

completely at the mercy of the people doing it

the bait and I think the essential oils carry that

today’s standards I‘m well educated. Luckily,

ABOVE What

fish getting caught on contract rolled bait, it‘s not

your version of the classic winter

for me. I‘ve heard all the horror stories and whilst

and kilos of BaitCraft Super Tutti, an awesome winter wonder bait.

lot of ignorance regarding lipids in cold water, both from a nutritional and attraction perspective. without giving too much away, I‘ve worked a lot harder on getting that one right than I‘ve had to do on the all-season slayers in our range.

for them. There‘s no right or wrong in that, it‘s

I had teachers who made me want to be in

just another way of skinning a cat, but for me

those lessons and learn enough underpinning

personally, I can‘t gamble with my reputation.

knowledge of biology and chemistry to work it

Those firms have never had one, so it‘s of no

all out from the information I dug up during my

consequence and they probably don‘t take it that

research. I‘ll freely admit I had guys like Colin

seriously, because for many it‘s just a way of

Booker to point me in the right direction initially,

making a few quid. However, if it goes wrong it‘s

so I kind of hit the ground running; it may take a

always the poor old punter who suffers when the

less able academic a bit longer to get their head

‚going‘ bait he got for his trip to France is bobbing

around it, but it‘s not impossible. People who

about uneaten in the margins at the leeward end

really should know better have often scoffed at

of the pond after a couple of days. Trip ruined!

things I‘ve written and the lengths I go to to get

That said, there is one very well-established contract roller who‘s been in the game forever

exact chemical breakdowns of ingredients, etc., but they‘re coming from a place of total ignorance.

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you tell us more about it?

The Savay Salmon is identical to T1 apart from that iconic oil-based salmon flavour from yesteryear, and a very expensive essential oil. It all came about from a pining I‘d had ever since I had John Baker knock me up something a bit special back in the late-’90s. It was that smell, it‘s so addictive – and carp seem to agree – I had to have it, my precious! Luckily that itch was scratched when I was put in contact with a certain flavour house and my dream became a reality.

Why should we insist on nutritional food sources for our fishing?

You don‘t necessarily have to insist on nutritious food sources to be succesful at carp fishing, especially if you’re only passing through. There are many baits that aren‘t and still catch fish, but I have this theory I subscribe to that‘s really very simple to understand: ‘Feed them and they will come, feed them better and they‘ll come faster’. I haven‘t got time to waste when I‘m fishing; all my fishing is relatively long term on waters where carp don‘t need bait to survive, and to be more succesful you have to give them something that is worth the risk. I‘m a firm believer in karma – to accumulate you have to speculate, and once you‘ve received you are duty-bound to give

Yes, you can sell a perfectly good carp bait with none of that knowledge, but I’m not content just making perfectly good bait when I know deep down I can do much better. That‘s the motivation,

BELOW Savay

Salmon – a high-grade food bait with an old-school flavour/ attractor package.

T1 is the bait that‘s paid my mortgage since the very start

“Making baits like mine is a heady mixture of art and science”

and is still going strong! It‘s so reliable, it just keeps on doing it; look

in return, so I feed them to the best of my ability. It works for me and my customers, and I‘d urge anyone who wants to improve their results to try it.

Which vitamins, minerals

and aminos in your baits would you class as important?

and it works – no one who has a clue knocks our

at everywhere it‘s been used – from Savay to

If you‘re asking that from a nutritional standpoint,

products. The trolls can moan about the price,

Graviers it‘s done the business, and still does it

then the answer is all of them; you make a

about how we wouldn‘t make them fieldtesters

everywhere. I‘m not going to make any spurious

complete food source. If your bait is lacking the

after all those 20s they caught on our bait, about

claims about it being the world‘s best boilie –

nutrient which carp are lacking it can reduce

how I chased them out of the yard for turning up

people have heard enough of that rubbish. It’s

your chances of success, so leave nothing out.

unnanounced, or how I called them something

like bait is all that‘s involved in being succesful

You can‘t second-guess what they‘re going to

unprintable on Facebook (however well-

at carp fishing. However, it‘s still our number one

be deficient in, it changes through the year and

deserved), etc. But no one can say a dicky bird

seller (despite the Salmon giving it a good run for

from water to water, but if they know they‘ll

about the performance or quality of our products

its money) and that in itself tells me it’s special

get everything they need from your bait they‘ll

and get taken seriously, and that‘s the prize, that

and very much in a league of its own. Another

always be inclined to pick it up, even when

makes finding out worth the trouble; making baits

important factor is that the people who get on it

they know they shouldn‘t – it‘s that simple.

like mine is a heady mixture of art and science.

catch more than they did before, and those who

It‘s a synergy, and you can‘t have one without the

come off our baits, including T1, do worse, and

Have you any other exciting

other – neither is as effective on its own. There

most end up back on it when they realise they

projects for the future?

are many con artists in the bait industry, but very

go fishing to catch as many fish as possible.

Mate, I definitely have, I never stop tinkering.

few scientists who really

There‘s a saying going around

It takes an outstanding product to make it into

know the score and

at the minute: ‘bait‘s bait’ like

the range and even then you need people to get

make the magic happen

it‘s all much of a muchness.

it‘ so there‘s a strong possibility we‘re going to

for their customers.

Garbage – bait ain‘t BaitCraft.

drop a product or two and replace them with

Don‘t even go there with me.

something more in line with what people expect

The T1 boilie is

from BaitCraft; something very carpy is well and

really standing

The new Savay Salmon is

truly in the pipeline. People I‘ve shown it to are

the test of time,

another incredible bait

already begging me for it, so watch this space.

but what makes

on which I‘ve done well

I have no doubt you‘ll be wanting some of this

it so consistent?

this year. Can

one fella, it gets them at it, it really does. 

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FEATURE

C A R P I N G A L L E G E D LY Our resident humorist is in fine for m this month, but surely he’s taking the micky with his Realtree bivvy brush? Apparently not… so read on for more top tips on ever ything from bivvy cleaning to bait-rolling.

Good Housekeeping

I have to confess I’m not easily shocked, but I was genuinely horrified the other day to learn that there are, in fact, some carp anglers out there who don’t carry with them a small dustpan and brush for the sole purpose of keeping their bivvy groundsheet in pristine condition.

What is the world coming to?

Two such sanitary implements actually reside in my tackle bag; a rather sexy miniature Realtreed-up sweeping brush for the swift removal of larger items, such as leaves and bits of foliage that the wind blows in from time to time, and a somewhat more miniscule handbrush that is just the job for getting into all those awkward nooks and crannies, where all the smaller unwanted items of debris have a rather annoying habit of collecting. Bivvy cleaning should be a daily chore for any self-respecting session angler of course, and in my experience, should always be carried out immediately after the first brew of the day has been consumed. Sticking religiously to such an early-morning routine not only ensures that you start the day the way you mean to go on, but also has the added advantage that you will have everything in perfect order by the time your first carping socialite of the day arrives in the swim. Let’s face it, none of us particularly want to be known as being somebody who tolerates a couple of rogue beech leaves on the bivvy floor!

A discreetly positioned little swingtop waste bin – obviously suitably camotaped to avoid it spooking carp at 80yds at 3.00 in the morning – should also be a permanent fixture in any proper carp angler’s house, and provides the perfect receptacle for discarded bits and pieces of everyday rubbish;

considerably more suitable, of course, to a pile of crap in a carrier bag stuffed by the side of the bivvy door.

I never cease to be amazed by the abject squalor in which carp anglers appear to be happy to live whilst on the bank, so much so in fact that I often find myself desperately wanting to enquire as to whether discarded piles of rubbish, dirty pots and pans, and half-eaten tins of mouldy baked beans also have a place on their living room floor at home. I suspect I can say without any fear of contradiction that the answer would – in the vast majority of cases – be a big fat no!

At the risk of appearing a little sexist, the only conclusion I can draw therefore, is that the reason behind some anglers’ inability to keep their carp house in order can only be down to the fact that there is no member of the fairer sex around to clean up after them. With that in mind, surely then there is an opportunity for a forward-thinking piscatorial entrepreneur out there to set up a mobile bivvy-cleaning service, whereby, at a predetermined hour of the day, a young lady in a maid’s outfit comes strutting down the bank, armed with a sweeping brush and a tin of fragrant air freshener. Knowing carp anglers

Realtree bivvy brushes!

Remember, you heard it here first.

ABOVE LEFT

Camoed beer bottle – the undoubted numero uno when it comes to pointless bits of kit.

BELOW

as I do, I suspect anybody proposing such a scheme to the team on Dragons’ Den would undoubtedly come away with enough investment to wipe out Mr Obama’s national debt in one hit!

Surely there is also an opportunity here for the tackle manufacturers in our midst to launch a range of bivvy-cleaning paraphernalia that could come in a variety of suitable colours, and complete with the customary storage bags; let’s face it, we here in the UK already have carpy toilet bags, loo roll holders and Realtree peg bags, and now from the good old US of A, comes the undoubted numero uno when it comes to pointless bits of kit – a zip-up camouflaged bag for housing a single bottle of beer! So why not a camo dustpan and brush set and an in-bivvy waste bin?

Remember, you heard it here first...

The Numbers Game

I think it’s fair to say – although I don’t spend as many hours ‘behind the rods’ (funnily enough that’s the title of my book, the last few copies of which are still available from Angling Publications!) as I once did – I probably enjoy my carp fishing more today than I ever have. The one big difference these days though is that, rightly or wrongly, I actually find

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Ca r pin g A lle g edly Bill C o tta m

ABOVE LEFT One of season, but numbers of fish normally myself caring less and less about how several 50+ from have a tendency to avoid me. The year successful I am as an angler. Back in the last year. Fishing that has just come to an end has been days when I was a youth, I used to believe for numbers?

Yeah, right… somewhat different though, in that I that such things mattered enormously, ABOVE RIGHT All have succeeded in catching a total of 56 but more recently I have realised that plaudits should go to the Trigga, GLM carp, including five 20s, 19 x 30s and 32 nothing could actually be further from and Blue Oyster. fish over 40lb. I take very little credit the truth. Catching a few good fish for this tally, I have simply done what in a year undoubtedly gives any timeI always do; any plaudits should go to served carp angler a nice warm feeling the bait, which, I have to say, is without inside of course, but by no stretch of the question the most effective combination imagination should it be confused with of attraction and inbuilt nutrition I have finding a cure for all known diseases or used in over 35 years of carp angling. discovering the secret to eternal youth – For those of you who are interested, the or stumbling on a striker who can score bait in question was Trigga with elevated more than five league goals in a season levels of Green Lipped Mussel Extract for my beloved Sheffield Wednesday! and Crushed Oyster Shell, Liquid Trigga Don’t get me wrong, I still try as hard and 8ml per half kilo of Blue Oyster as I possibly can to be as successful as Under the Counter Special flavour.

I can in the carp-angling stakes, and I Although I have caught bigger certainly work as hard at it today as I individual fish in the past, I think I am ever have, it’s just that I no longer get right in saying that 32 fish in excess of wound up if my efforts don’t particularly 40lb is the most big carp I have ever produce what I was hoping for. Having caught in one season, and, having said that, my 2013 season has been mentioned the fact on the very productive by my rather “If the keeping Nutrabaits Facebook page, meagre standards, and has of my diar y I was – rather amusingly resulted in a lot more fish means I fish for numbers, then I – accused by a couple being landed than is the norm guess I have little of people of ‘fishing for for me; my steadily-applied alternative but to numbers’. Quite how this boilie-only approach, generally plead guilty on numbers game rubbish works speaking, produces a decent all counts” has always been something of fish or two over the course of a

a mystery to me; I certainly didn’t set out at the start of 2013 with the aim of catching a specific number of big fish.

My aim, if indeed I had one, was to do everything I possibly could to catch one or two specific big fish that swim around in a little French venue I have been spending a bit of time on. Sadly, I failed to get my hands on either of them!

I do, however, and have done for over 30 years, write down the weight of every carp I have caught, and at approximately what time, which is how I can be so specific with regard to what I have caught this year. If the keeping of my diary means I fish for numbers, then I guess I have little alternative but to plead guilty on all counts.

Having said all that though, what’s so wrong with the accurate recording of your successes anyway? When Alan Shearer hung up his boots with a tally of 260 Premier League goals to his credit, I bet nobody accused him of being obsessed with the numbers game.

And before you all start accusing me of putting my captures on a par with the incredible achievements of the exNewcastle United frontman, I assure you I wouldn’t dream of doing so for a second. My piscatorial achievements have more in common with Jan u ary 2 014 C a r pwor l d 73

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COLUMNIST

THe F WORD The Diary of a Compulsive Carp Angler Don’ t you jus t love it w hen a plan comes together? Mr F does, and this winter story of his las t month or so out on the banks proves tha t jus t o c c a s i o n a l l y, i t a l l c o m e s r i g h t . b u t c a n i t l a s t ?

L

et me begin by wishing a Happy New Year to all, and the hope that it brings prosperity, good health, and happiness – plus a few whoppers in the bottom of your net, of course!

Sometimes, though not very often, I’ll be the first to admit that one of my cunning plans regarding carp fishing actually works like a dream and I end up feeling like the cat that got the cream.

I know that is the way it’s actually supposed to pan out, but alas, my name isn’t Blackadder, so therefore most of my cunning plans necessitate a plan B, C and D, plus a get out of jail card!

So, as you might have already guessed, I’m about to tell you of the time when, for me, it did all come together.

The particular weekend saw one of those ridiculous carp matches being held on Paddlesworth. The lakes were therefore closed to anyone other than competitors for the duration, the match finally coming to its conclusion at 2.00 p.m. on Sunday. I know I’ve taken part in a few matches myself over the years, but to tell the truth I’ve never quite been able to get my head around the fact that you can’t choose your own swim, or move swims after the draw! The last match I actually took part in was the World Carp Classic at Madine in France with Laney, where, from the very moment we drew a swim in Dead Man’s Alley, we both knew that we, along with the other unfortunate anglers pegged around us, were in for a week-long blank and, to make matters worse, we were out on an island where the stewards had found an unexploded WW2 bomb just yards away, and there was no escaping!

Enough to put anyone off for life, I think

you’ll agree. Anyhow, that was nearly five years ago and I vowed that I’d never again be dipping my fingers in the draw bag and I’m pleased to say, I’ve stuck with it.

Around a dozen keen carp anglers did turn out to fish the Paddlesworth match, which started on the Friday night, and among the competitors were my good friends, Steve and Tom, the scaffolders, who’d drawn well and ended up in swims called The Boards and The Box. During the weekend I’d been busy with Mrs F on Saturday and watching my son George play rugby on the Sunday, then with work obviously imminent on the Monday morning, my only chance of getting out for a bit of angling was on the Sunday night. During the afternoon Steve had phoned to let me know that he was easily winning the match – in fact he was over the moon, having bagged no fewer than 14 carp to over 40lb that weekend, and bearing in mind that the event was usually won with two or three fish, he’d obviously fished exceptionally well. True to form,

RIGHT Casting into the winter sun.

Steve, the scaffolder, with one of his two 40s, this one was 41lb 2oz.

beLOW

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T h e F Word Pa ul Fo rwa rd

second and third place had caught two fish each and were, interestingly enough, in the next two swims up from Steve.

Armed with all this information, I arrived late afternoon to find the lake surprisingly almost empty of anglers and I made my way up to The Boards.

I dislike the practice of moving in after someone has had a few because, for me, I suppose it doesn’t feel as good as finding your own fish, plus I also know that it can sometimes be the kiss of death.

Whilst standing on the wooden platform which gives the swim its name, I made up my mind that it did look good for a few more bites, and that, plus the fact that it is also one of my favourite swims, swayed me and I decided to give it a whirl.

“A l m o s t i n t h e blink of an eye, the beautiful war m colours had completely disappeared, and all of sudden it was dark and I knew a long, cold night lay ahead” As the light was already fading, I immediately set about getting my three rods and some bait out. My lines, which are braided, are marked with pole elastic at 70yds, likewise the Spomb rod, so getting the job accomplished accurately was no bother at all. For feed, I had with me around 8 pints of freshly-cooked hempseed with no fancy bits added, and then around a kilo of boilies. So to start off with I introduced roughly a third of this amount; the remainder I intended to feed little and often after any bites that may occur. The breeze, a light northerly, was slowly dying down as the sun set, the last few rays of sunlight lighting up the sky, which was turning the most incredible array of pinks and yellows. I sat for a moment at peace with my world and marvelled at the sheer beauty of Mother Nature.

Almost in the blink of an eye, the beautiful warm colours had completely disappeared, and all of sudden it was dark and I knew a long, cold night lay ahead. I’d brought along a bowl of liver, bacon and onions, plus mashed potatoes that I’d cooked and frozen the week previous, and once cooked it was just so lick-your-lips tasty that I must remember to do it again soon.

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T h e

N e w

C a r p - A n g l i n g

Hungary D e s t i n a t i o n

A t t i l a

P i n k e

W

ith carp fishing growing all the time, the range of different countries that can be visited by an angler is ever-expanding. Here’s a quick guide,

by Attila Pinke, to some new waters that are available in Hungary.

Hungary is famous for its wines, goulash and paprika. However, nowadays more and more carp anglers visit this truly beautiful, and yet somewhat undiscovered carp paradise.

It has many beautiful lakes with carp to over 60lb, and the world record carp was caught from Euro Aqua, a Hungarian venue, the first water to break the magical ‘ton’ barrier with a 101lb 4oz specimen in 2012.

The carp season here usually starts around March and it will last well into November. During the wintertime most of the lakes remain frozen for long periods. The summer months, however, are quite warm, but the weather is changeable. Spring and autumn are nice, but can be chilly too, especially at night. For those who may want to try a Hungarian adventure, here is some information on several lakes that give you a reasonable chance of carp to over 60lb. These are managed venues, which provide good sport, with excellent facilities to make the whole fishing experience more enjoyable.

Paradise Lake

This lake is situated about 250km from Budapest, in the eastern part of the country, and the airport is only a short two-hour drive. The entire journey is on good main roads that make the trip smooth and pleasurable.

When you arrive at your destination you will find a 32-hectare park with two

lakes. The bigger lake is 18 hectares in size and is home to many large carp. To control the fishing and keep the quality high, the lake boasts 15 purpose-built swims, each of which has a chalet, its own individual platform, and a boat.

Each chalet is equipped to a high standard and houses two bunk beds, a fridge and a microwave. In cold weather you will be kept comfortable thanks to the central heating, plus, in hot weather, air-conditioning makes the experience very pleasant. The lake is between 1.52.5m deep, which means that it produces plenty of fish for the entire season.

When we first saw the lake we fell in love with it immediately; it is mature and has lots of trees and beautiful landscaped grounds.

Once you are on the lake fishing, each chalet

Above No matter where you go in the world, a lovely sunset is always a delight, and Hungary is no exception.

Just look at the quality of this lovely common.

There are fish galore like this in Paradise Lake.

below

commands a reasonable amount of water.

The swims are about 100m apart, and the islands, which run down the centre of the lake in a row, are about 90-130m from most of the fishing areas. This gives you a large chunk of water that is yours.

The islands are there to separate you from your neighbours on the opposite side and stop people rowing their baits too far. Each island is tree-lined and has plenty of overhanging branches, which are excellent hiding places for the carp and good spots to try, especially in the heat of the day. All the islands are surrounded by rocks, which also provide plenty of cover, and the carp like to swim around them. Baits fished close to the island often produce, but you do have to be aware of the potential snags. The rest of the lake’s bottom is silt, which isn’t very deep and doesn’t hinder fishing in any way. Sometimes you can find very hard areas that are normally where carp have been feeding heavily and

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H u n g a r y T h e N e w Ca r p - A n g lin g D e s t in a tion A ttila P inke

above.

This golden common is typical of the fish from Island Lake.

below RIGHT

Paradise Lake again, and the huge tail on this very pale common meant it really did put up one hell of a fight!

these are always worth a try and often produce good results. Even the softer areas produce, due to the fact that the silt isn’t smelly and the fish happily feed in it on a regular basis. There is no weed on the bottom and the only branches are between the islands, so you don’t have to worry that your hook will get stuck somewhere, or your fish can get away easily. Most of the bottom is flat, however, there are some small fluctuations, which are no higher than

20-30cm raised areas. If you find one of these spots it is well worth a try because they can produce some excellent results.

In 2013, we organised a trip for early April, and after the long winter the weather was very nice, around 25°C. The water temperature increased slowly day by day and it reached 20°C during our stay, great for getting a bit of action. During our four-day trip we caught roughly 400kg (880lb) of carp, and the average size was around 10kg (22lb), fantastic sport. The biggest one that fell to our rods was just over 16kg (35lb), but next to us the guys caught carp to over 20kg (45lb), which is a regular occurrence on this lake.

In the spring, I like to use smaller boilies, so I fished with 15mm and 18mm baits. At this time of the year spicy flavours work really well, but Monster Crab is very effective too. However, I did catch some nice carp on fruit flavours, so, to be honest, the choice is yours.

The lake is usually fully booked from April until the end of October, therefore it is advisable to book as early as you can. It is always worth trying at other times of the year because it isn’t uncommon to get cancellations.

The lake is fished for most of the year except for a short period in winter, therefore it sees plenty of bait and heavy feeding isn’t necessary.

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