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OTTER TRAPPING
M E G A R E S U LT
2016 ROUND-UP
The truth about how you can protect your fishery
What a year! Lewis Read banks ten fish over 48lb!
Tim Paisley looks back at the highs and lows of last year
INTERNATIONAL CARPER
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ISSUE 317 FEBRUARY 2017
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also inside john wilson
NEW
ian chillcott darrell peck iain macmillan
SUPER WA T ER
BRITAIN’S BIGGEST CARP-ANGLING MAGAZINE carpworldmagazine.com
THIS ISSUE P23
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OTTER TRAPPING The truth about how you can protect your fishery
INTERNATIONAL CARPER
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M E G A R E S U LT
2016 ROUND-UP
What a year! Lewis Read banks ten fish over 48lb!
Tim Paisley looks back at the highs and lows of last year
THE LATEST NEWS AND FEATURES FROM AROUND THE GLOBE
ON THE COVER:
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Dean Macey with a 41lb common from Slovenia.
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Editor’s Comments In his latest editorial, Broady talks about some of the fantastic features in this month’s Carpworld. He goes into further detail about his own opinions to do with the latest developments in protecting our fish against otters, and shares his plans to fish, even if there is a lid of ice on his local water.
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Gazette All the news and views from around the carp-angling scene to keep you up to date with what’s going on.
Letter To A Small Island Simon Mansbridge Having been a long-time carper, fishing an array of historic venues across the UK, Simon Mansbridge found himself in a very unique position. He runs the Lac Serreire complex in France, which revealed to him some of the most important aspects of carp fishing.
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Trapping Otters Mark Walsingham With the topic of otters being not far from most conversations in the angling community right now, Mark Walsingham explains why he believes Natural England’s granting of a licence to trap them is a big deal.
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Chilled Out Iain Chillcott This month, Chilly talks about how much he enjoys his time on the bank after the festive period is over, and recalls some very successful previous winters, which can be tricky when your time on the bank is very limited.
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A Learning Curve Part Two - Iain Macmillan Last month, in the first part of his two-part feature, Iain revealed how a new venue not only changed the way he fished, but was also proof that you are never too old to learn. This month, he recalls the time when he first discovered the Chod Rig and how it changed his whole outlook on how he fished.
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Think Tank It’s often said that carp become very lethargic and almost dormant when winter is at its peak, but how much truth is there in this? We asked our panel of experts for their opinions on this subject, to see what they think.
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Winter Of Discontent Ed Betteridge Even for hardened anglers like Ed Betteridge, winter can be a testing time to be on the bank. With long cold nights, freezing lakes, and not knowing whether you’re even going to get a bite for all your efforts, is it really worth it in the end?
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Ask The Experts This month, our panel of experts answer questions on baiting up on a new venue and how much should be used, casting Spombs to get the correct distance, and tips on rigs involving boilies and what to feed over the top. There’s also £250 worth of Mainline Bait to be won.
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The F Word Paul Forward Our very own Kent carper, Mr F, discusses the harsh reality of winter fishing, and reveals how a spur-ofthe-moment social trip came good.
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Effort Equals Reward Lewis Read No one can have failed to notice just how good a fishery Wellington Country Park really is. Gardner’s Lewis Read recounts his spectacular year on the Berkshire water, where he banked no less than 10 carp over 48lb. Here is the closing chapter of his amazing story.
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F: facebook.com/CarpworldMagazine / T: @CarpworldMag
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BaitWorld featuring Joe Turnbull This month, Joe has been checking out some of the latest baits from More Takes and MTC Baits, while having a look at the Urban Bait Nutcracker range. There’s also products from British Aqua Feeds, DNA Baits and the Mainline stable.
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Pecky’s Progress Darrell Peck Darrell has been looking back over the last year, and recalls some of the best moments of his 2016 season. He also gets out on the bank to some local runs waters for a bit of winter action.
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RigWorld featuring Mike
Kavanagh Mike kicks off this month’s RigWorld with a good look at the Zig Rig Kit and new Reflo Two Tone Zig-Line from Avid Carp, as well as hooks from Gamakatsu and Solar Tackle. He also checks out the E-S-P Cryogen Stiff Rigger hooks which are ideal for Multi-Rigs, something that can work superbly at this time of year.
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TackleWorld We take a look at the new range of Levelbeds from JRC, which have all bases covered to suit your angling style. There are also products from RidgeMonkey, Wiley X, Phat Fish, Cygnet and Wychwood, and much, much more.
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Still Carping On Tim Paisley Tim takes time to look back on last year, at some of the highs and lows of what 2016 brought, and some of the friends lost along the way. He also touches on the latest news from the PAG and other events on the carpfishing calendar.
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ECHOES
ALPINE GIANTS
FISHING IN SLOVENIA
p 133 TH E LATE ST C ATC HES FR OM AR OUN D THE WOR LD
p147 the session continues at lake harvest, with an epic conclusion
p155 an exciting new venue opens to anglers of the uk
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I N I N TER N A TI ON A L C AR P ER T h i s i s th e d e d ic ate d s e c tio n fo r wo r l d wid e a n g l e r s. I n E c ho e s this mo nth, the r e a r e s o me v e ry im pr e ssive c a ptur e s fr o m a r o und the gl o b e , i n clu d in g F r a nc e , Ho l l a nd, Ita ly a nd P o l a nd. To ny Dav ie s- Patr ic k is b ac k fo r his thir d ins ta l me nt o f A lpin e G i a n ts, with s o me ve ry s pe c ia l r e s ults f r o m H a rv e st L a ke a s his time o n the huge wate r s d r aw s to a n e nd. The r e ’s a l s o a fa nta s tic pie c e f r o m n o n e o the r tha n J o hn Wil s o n, who s ha r e s h is k n o w le d g e o f J ur a s s ic Mo unta in R e s o r t, a nd g i v e s so m e g r e at tips o n ho w to ge t the mo s t o u t o f th e stunning ve nue . B e n A nd r e ws tr ave l s to Slov e n ia f o r s o me tr uly s pe c ia l fis hing at a place a littl e b it d iffe r e nt fr o m the no r m.
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Alpine Giants - Part 3 Tony Davies-Patrick
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Jurassic Mountain John Wilson
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Echoes Steve Briggs
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F EA T UR E
LETTER TO A SMALL
ISLAND
Simon Mansbridge is a long-time carp angler who has tackled iconic waters like Johnson’s, Larkfield, Harefield, Savay, Vinnetrow, Stoneacres,Welly, and many more. He moved to France after he and his wife purchased the Lac Serreire complex. His knowledge and experience put him in the unique position to comment on what he feels are some of the most important things when it comes to carp fishing.
14 Carpworld f e b r uary 2017
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SIMON MANSBRIDGE
F
ishing has been an obsession for most of my life. At the age of 5, my grandad took me fishing for the first time, and even at that age, I became addicted from the very first trip. I remember that even then, I spent almost every moment thinking about fishing, dreaming about fishing, and convincing my grandad to take me at every opportunity. Nothing else seemed important at the time. We spent weeks working out how to fine-down the line and hooks, and fish at the right depths to tempt roach, perch and gudgeon. I was absolutely fascinated about this new underwater world and the creatures which lived in there. We occasionally saw huge dark shapes cruising about on the surface on hot days, and learned that they were the mystical and elusive carp, but at the time, in the mid-’70s, we considered them impossible to catch. Then, a few years later, I met a man who was fishing for them. He had gear that was beyond my wildest imagination, including a home-made alarm that told him if he had a bite. He showed me his secret bait, which was actually luncheon meat, and how to free-line it by pushing the hook through a cube, out the other side, and then pull it back on a piece of thick grass to stop it coming off. All very high-tech back in those days. I was about to enter a whole new world that would change my life forever. Over the next few days, I managed to get hold of the parts required to build myself a bite alarm; electrical contacts out of an old relay, some wire, a battery, a buzzer, and a little help from a kind man in Tandy’s. It’s hard to believe that back in those
ABOVE: A UK 40, caught fishing over the top of thick weed, which was the only place that seemed to produce takes during that session. LEFT: They are catchable even when it’s freezing. The night before this photo was taken, two 40s were caught by fishing to an area of decaying lilies, which was a fraction warmer than the open water. The only signs were the odd movements of the old lily stems.
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co l um n ist
paul forward
THE F WORD The D i a r y o f a C o m p u l s i v e C a r p A n g l er
Our very own Kent carper, Mr F, discusses the harsh reality of winter fishing, and reveals how a spur-of-the-moment social trip came good.
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c o l um n i s t
C below: Two line markers are used for extra security.
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arp fishing during both the festive period and early January is always going to be a tricky proposition, or more likely, a complete waste of time. However, even if the latter is true, it is sometimes nice to just get out. After being cooped up indoors for days on end, and consuming vast quantities of turkey and booze, I think most anglers feel the need to escape to the water’s edge, and enjoy the peace and tranquility it offers, even if prospects aren’t that great. To be honest, I know I’d go completely mad if I didn’t get to participate in some
under my belt, I know exactly what the deal is and what to expect. Despite all this, even at my age I still really enjoy the challenge! I s e t o u t t h e we e ke n d b e f o r e Christmas, in fog as thick as pea soup, and temperatures barely above zero. I had a sneaky feeling it could be tough-going, but as far as I could see (not very far), there was nothing I could do about the weather, so I was going to give it my best shot. Walking around the 40-acre pit, as expected in such conditions, proved to be pointless, but it’s an old habit that
up to the shallower top end. There, with around 5 acres to myself, I fished a really good snag and covered most of the open water, but all to no avail. Some guys seem to lose confidence after a few such sessions, almost to the point of giving up until the spring. I know it can be tough, but the sense of achievement when one eventually rolls into the net, for me, makes it all worthwhile. This is the reality of winter fishing; it’s definitely not for the fainthearted, especially so on some of the harder waters, and there may not be a
sort of angling activity at least once every week, whether it be a few hours with a stick float on the river, or sitting behind my favourite old carp rods. As I pointed out last month, choice of venue is key to having any chance of success. So, bearing this in mind, my trips have yet again been limited to the deep clay pit I regularly fish in Kent. As you’d expect, it has been tricky, with only the odd random fish being caught, but with nearly 40 years of solid winter carping
more than anything settles my mind that I’m not missing a trick. Eventually, with nothing to go on other than experience, I settled in the middle section, put out three rods in likely areas, and hoped a slice of luck would come my way. It felt sort of eerie and timeless in the freezing fog, which made it difficult to know whether it was morning or night. The indicators, just like the fog, refused to budge. With nothing to report I made one last-ditch effort, packed, and moved
single bite between the end of October and the middle of March. In the past, I’ve fished many winters on such waters as Harrow, Savay, Milton, and Dinton Pastures, where fishing at least one night a week, I haven’t even managed a single bite. Obviously, at Paddlesworth, with the big head of fish plus the deep water, it offers a much more realistic chance. An old buddy of mine, Andy Kidd, who I’ve known since the early Conningbrook
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F EA T UR E
JURASSIC MOUNTAIN Television star John Wilson takes a look at Jurassic Mountain Resort, and reveals how to get the best from this stunning holiday destination.
140 Carpworld f e b r uary 2017
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JOHN WILSON
S
ome 5 years or so ago, before I sold my two-lake Norfolk fishery and property in Great Witchingham, and moved lock, stock and barrel to this exotic land, my brother Dave and I were on holiday in Thailand, and popped along to Cha-am, which is just north of Hua Hin. Friends Eddie Mounce and Jules Fernandes were in the middle of creating what at the time looked to be an impossible task; a new fishery and resort from the clay soil of some old rice paddies. I could see why they had chosen this particular spot, because it was overlooked by a beautiful, tall limestone mountain, a feature which now seems to enhance everyone’s trophy fish photos. Two years ago, the fishery was up and running. There are 17 swims from which to choose, and the marginal plants and trees grow more beautiful by the month. I was invited to fish there with Angling Times’ columnist and good mate Martin Bowler, to feature in a DVD about the fishery, some of which was filmed from a drone. Some unique and spectacular footage was achieved by Phil Straw, the cameraman, both on land and from the clouds. Anyone can obtain a free copy of this unique half-hour DVD, simply by contacting co-owners Eddie or Jules. How I wish the drone had been available when I was making my television programmes for Anglia TV, and later for Discovery, way back in the 1980s, ’90s, and early-2000s. Incidentally, Phil caught a huge arapaima on fly once the filming was over. Martin, who is a close relation, and someone I have fished with for over 30 years now, was in his element. He really reacted to the monstrous fish which Jurassic has to offer the visiting anglers. There is a choice of staying in one of the superbly appointed 4-star villas (offering families and wives the comfort they require), or simply booking and purchasing a day ticket. Species include arapaima to over 300lb, and giant Siamese carp to a staggering 200lb. In the accompanying photo, Martin looks well pleased with the 300lb+ arapaima he caught, his largest-ever freshwater fish. Moreover, in the same 2-300lb bracket, there are the legendary Mekong catfish, which lurk on the bottom of Jurassic, and some would say they are the most enigmatic species, and the hardest battlers of them all. Moving down to the 100-130lb category, Jurassic has both wallago leeri and Chao Phraya catfish of this size, plus there are alligator garfish and red-tailed catfish, all topping the 80lb mark. In the photo, Eddie is displaying the formidable shape of a wallago leeri at 100lb+. Species such as Asian redtailed catfish, catla carp (an Indian species), pacu, ripsaw catfish, tiger hybrid catfish Carpworld f e b r u ary 2 01 7 141
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crowy goes afloat How a spur-of-themoment trip to the Orient turned into a session to remember
MARK
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REVEALS THE TRUTH ABOUT OTTER-TRAPPING.
TIM PA IS L E Y
GRE G E L L I S
TA L KS H O O KBA ITS, A N D W H IC H O N E S A R E TH E BE S T.
A BO UT H IS TIME O N R K L E IS UR E ’S KIN GSM E AD 1 .
ON SALE: F R IDA Y 3 R D MA R C H 2 0 17 S U B SCRIB E N OW TO H AVE N E XT MONTH ’S IS S UE DE L IV E R E D TO YO UR DO O R ! W W W.TH E C A R PS TO R E .C O M 162_nextmonth_CW317.indd 1
23/01/2017 17:28