Carpworld August 2017

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ISSUE 323 AUGUST 2017

sam jones

w r ay s b u r y

tim paisley darren belton

dreams

darrell peck ian chillcott paul forward

BRITAIN’S BIGGEST CARP-ANGLING MAGAZINE

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THIS ISSUE U N TA P P E D P O T E N T I A L P111

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Ian Hirst discovers some of Spain’s hidden waters.

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LIFE ON THE RIVER

BIG FISH METHOD

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Why the challange of flowing water and nomadic carp is hard to beat.

aug 2017 Issue 323 £4.75

P99

Why this under used tactic can make all the difference.

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C O N T E NTS

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EDIT O R ’S C O M MENTS

FROM THE BI VVY

PECKY’S PROGRESS

SPRING ON WRAYSBURY

Steve reveals what’s in this issue and talks about his own fishing on a very weedy lake where he’s been experiencing some success.

A quick glance at what’s happening in the world of carp. Get in touch if you have something to share. steve@anglingpublications.co.uk

Darrell keeps you up to speed with his current fishing, once again crossing the Channel in search of monster carp.

What a spring Sam Jones has had on Wraysbury, here he reveals exactly what he caught and how being different helped.

STEV E BR OAD

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DAR R E L L P ECK

SA M J O NE S

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R O L L O N W IN TER

RIGWORL D

F L OA T E R F RU S T RA T I O N S

THINK TANK

As the long, hot days of summer roll on, Darren reveals why he’ll be glad when the temperature begins to fall.

Mike once again takes a look at everything to do with rigs, including tapered leaders and a new-look Chod rig.

After a short break Lee returns to Kingfisher determined to catch off the surface, little did he know just how hard it would be.

This month our panel of experts take a look at bait and whether we as anglers can compete against natural food.

DAR R EN BELTON

C A RPW ORL D

L EE B I R CH

CAR P WO RLD

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DEEP WAT ER

CHILLED OU T

BA I T W O RL D

LIFE ON THE RIVER

Most anglers have never fished in 30ft of water never mind 60ft. Here Tony relives a session on a very deep alpine water.

Another enlightening look into the life and thoughts of our man Chilly. This month he heads off to pastures new.

We take a look at the relaunch of the classic Scopex Squid by Na sh, Ba it-Te ch’s rang e of particles in jars and more.

Dave reveals why he has a huge fascination for river carping and why the lure of flowing water drags him back time and time again.

TONY DAV IES-PAT RIC K

IA N C H IL L C O T T

CA R P WO R L D

DAV E L I TT LE

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NEW PLANS

BIG-FISH METHOD

Off on a new adventure, our man with a plan, Ben Austin, sets off on an angling odyssey tackling some lesser known waters.

Most people see the Method feeder as a match angler’s tactic, here Steve reveals why it’s a big-fish tactic too.

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ASK THE EXPERTS

SPANISH ROAD TRIP

Our guest experts answer your questions on using braid, bait application and creating the perfect spod mix.

Ian Hirst and Gary Thorley seek out the untapped potential of some of Spain’s huge, and little fished, lakes and reservoirs.

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I AN H I R ST

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F WORD

COMPETITION

As a change from the norm, Paul takes a look back at some of his fondest memories including his first fish from Savay.

This is your chance to win one of eight fantastic bait packages from Crafty Catcher worth over £455.28.

PA U L FORWA RD

CR AF T Y CAT CH ER

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A LETTER TO A SMALL ISLAND

THE GRAND FINALE

Simon takes a look at the allimportant topic of hookbaits and the pros and cons of what’s available out there.

A brace of 50s was a fitting end to Dave’s tremendously successful three-year campaign on Wellington Country Park.

S IMON MA N S B RIDGE

DAV I D GA SK I N

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FINDING GUPPY

TACKLEWORLD

Imperial Baits’ boss, Max Nollert, relives the tale of the hunt for a distinctive common he spotted and christened Guppy.

We take a look at the latest gear from Chub, Bivvies.com, Wychwood, Gardner, JRC, Fox, Ridgemonkey and more.

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ECHOES

STILL CARPING ON

All the latest catch reports from around the globe – don’t forget to send yours in via our website : carpworldmagazine.com

This month Tim reveals his thoughts before a trip to Birch Grove, and then analyses his results after the session.

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F EA T UR E

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LIFE DAVE LITTLE

ON THE

RIVER It’s nearly the best time of year to try a bit of river carping, so Dave reveals why he loves the challenge of flowing water and the nomadic carp which live in it.

his old angling life still leads me off the beaten track, especially when I get the urge to go river carping. The world of flowing water, harbouring lost and hidden nomadic river beasts, has haunted me for years now. The attraction to the river for the last few decades is still as exciting and enchanting as the first time I saw it. After all these years there is still something new and exciting to stumble across with regards to the river and its inhabitants, which keeps me from ever losing interest in my angling.

The reasons I still love my time on the river are through years of watching and taking on board all these little yet significant changes.

No two rivers flow alike; they may have similarities, but each has spent centuries carving out its path to sea. Every river changes and moves someway differently every year, nibbling away at the surrounding bankside and fauna through times of flood. This deliberate act of nature helps ensure the river’s existence and breathes new life into its flowing waters.

Over the years, I’ve watched a certain weir pool and glide change in shape and flow to provide holding areas for the humble and greedy chub to hide in, and then take it away the next year. Weedbeds grow larger, altering flow direction, and undercut banks eventually give way and collapse into the unforgiving torrent. It’s this ever-changing world that captivates me.

Now to the carp. Many rivers like the Trent and the Thames have had their stock boosted, and this includes the numerous tributaries, basins, and drains. They have all become known for their carp, and their reach has become vast thanks to these well-travelled river carp. It never ceases to amaze me where they might end up nowadays. On my own river, the River Great Ouse, I have seen (through people’s captures) how many miles these carp are, or are forced, to travel. It is no surprise to me now to be told of their journeys through, over or under locks and weirs, and not in just time of flood.

With regards to summertime movement between mile-long sections, there are a few carp which just want to swim against the flow and head upstream. I have seen and experienced this for myself; the carp swim in front of daytime boat traffic, a bit like dolphins, but waddling less gracefully, of course. Steered in the right direction, an open lock is where they gather, and in just a few moments enter into a whole new mile-long section of river.

It really is as easy as that.

These true nomads get me buzzing, because if you choose just one section of river to fish, you could be fishing a completely new stocked section every single season! You have to take into consideration that on the middle Carpworld au g u st 2 01 7

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FEATURE

BIG STEVE COE

FISH METHOD

Most people see the Method feeder as the sole preserve of the match-angling fraternity. Here, Steve Coe explains why he believes that it’s a big-fish tactic too.

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F EA T UR E For me, this is where a tactic like the Method comes in. It is an approach that is ideal for all seasons. It puts the feed and, more importantly, the hookbait in a neat little pile together, which means that when a carp comes in to feed, it can’t avoid it. It’s also a real killer technique for targeting carp of all sizes.

The Method is incredibly crude-looking compared to the neatness of a Multi-Rig or a low-lying Stiff Hinge Rig. Complete with a 10mm pop-up, the Method has allowed anglers to bank some huge fish over the years, and with very little effort.

Originally only available as a speciallyshaped three-lobe feeder, since the match revolution saw the flatbed feeder ripping commercial waters apart, the Method has evolved as a technique. But regardless of

ABOVE: Sticks can be vital for accuracy when looking to build up a swim.

RIGHT: Quicker and easier than a PVA bag.

BELOW RIGHT: A squirt of Krill Liquid gives Steve’s Method balls a boost.

B

eing what it is these days, sadly, carp fishing has seen anglers become quite lazy. It’s almost fishing by numbers on some waters. I mean, how often have you heard the words: “So, what’s the going bait on here then, mate?” It’s all too easy to turn up with a bag or two of boilies, bang on a PVA stick, and pub chuck it out!

However, doing this only sets you up for a fall in the long run. Yes, of course it’s okay to be inspired by anglers you admire, even copy their rigs, baiting strategies or approaches, but this should be a springboard which leads you to adopt, adapt and improve your own angling, not something to blindly follow without good reason. Being a copycat is basically what you might call a shortcut to thinking!

Successful big-carp fishing is all about application, dedication, and embracing a willingness to go those extra few yards. Those anglers who are constantly successful – the ones on the syndicate who are top rods year after year – don’t reach that pinnacle by pure luck. After all, no one ever fell to the top of a mountain!

These types of anglers are the ones who put themselves out. For example, moving swims in the middle of the night, even when it’s pouring down, because the fish are showing at the other end of the lake. They’re the ones who have almost a flagrant disregard for what’s fashionable.

The ones looking to constantly update and/or change their setup, or the ones who try new or even forgotten methods and tactics in order to get back their edge.

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FEATURE

IAN HIRST

SPANISH ROAD TRIP Ian and his friend Gary Thorley love the untapped potential of some of Spain’s huge waters, and have made it their mission to explore these vast inland seas in search of uncaught monsters.

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F EA T UR E

S

pain has some of the largest waters in Europe. The vast reservoirs (embalses) and lakes were dammed in the ’60s during the Franco dictatorship period of Spain’s colourful history. These vast inland seas are used to supply the city’s water requirements in the various regions of Spain.

Some were stocked with carp earlier than others, and it is these waters that hold the larger specimens. Finding out which ones is the first challenge. There

fishing has grown stronger over the years; it shows no sign of diminishing. Gary and his family moved to Spain in the late-’90s and settled in a town called Delores in the southeast part of Spain.

We plan our trips around our day jobs, and mine always start with a flight to Alicante. Gary picks me up and off we go. I have a set of tackle in Gary’s purpose-built lock-up, so I tend to just take hand luggage and camera equipment when I book a flight; booking it in advance or during the low season is relatively cheap. My bait is sent well in advance via the international couriers, which is cost-effective when compared to paying for hold luggage on the plane. I send a bit of bulk out once a year.

We have travelled to many regions and fished many different and often difficult waters. However, this trip was to target the huge Embalse de Orellana in the Extremadura region of Spain. It can be found on the west side of Spain not too far from the Portuguese border.

Gary had recently purchased a new van, much larger than his previous Belingo, so we didn’t have too much of a problem cramming in the gear, which consisted of two boats, food and water for a week,

Numerous coffee stops later (I do love my coffee), a phone call was made to another friend of ours, Craig Reid. He runs Extrema Fishing Spain, based in Extremadura. Craig has been in Spain for a long time, originally running a guiding business on the Ebro before moving to Extremadura around 15 years ago, and he is a font of knowledge.

The water levels fluctuate drastically on these waters. Extremely hot weather means the farmers require more water for crops, so combine this with the natural evaporation and it’s a loss of 20-30ft in a couple of months. That may not sound a lot, but when you take into consideration the volume of water in the Orellana, you realise how significant it is. For example, it holds around 5,000 hectares at any one time, which is a lot of water. The scale is hard to comprehend, so another way of looking at it is that if you were to walk the entire bank when it’s full of water, you would be looking at a walk of around 100km. The whole approach to this type of fishing can be alien to many UK carp anglers.

The wilderness and the unknown is what appeals to me. To go fishing and not see any anglers, and no noise often associated

are numerous difficulties and obstacles that carp anglers are confronted with when fishing these waters.

From my experiences, I can hopefully give you an insight into the trials and tribulations of one of my most recent Spanish carp-fishing road trips.

I am fortunate in that I have made many friends in Spain over the last 14 years since I started to fish for carp in this country.

I grew up in east Manchester, and my next-door neighbour, Gary Thorley, was also a keen angler. We fished together as youngsters, and our passion for carp

cooking gear, bait, tackle, motors, batteries, etc. Such can be the remoteness of the areas we tend to fish that we need to ensure we can survive for the time we are on the bank.

We hadn’t even left Alicante airport when the Guardia Civil pulled us over.

They wanted to know where we were heading and what we had in the van. When travelling at night, especially in the more remote areas of Spain, you can expect to get pulled over for a routine check from these boys. On this occasion, our passports and documents were checked and they let us go on our way.

with busy UK waters, is pure bliss. Sound travels across the water’s surface, and you can hear a twig break half a mile away on the opposite bank – you are in amongst it. Vultures soar above during the day as they search out the warm thermal air as they scout the land for carrion. The night skies are unpolluted from street lights and houses, and the stars are clear and numerous. Look up for a minute and shooting stars arc across the sky. It’s so spectacular that it can put you in a trance.

Google Maps is great for getting close to the water, but a knowledge of the tracks

ABOVE: Fully loaded and ready to roll.

LEFT: Orellana sunset.

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