Carpaholixx Magazine issue 8 (2017) by Carpaholixx Magazines 2017

editorial From the Editor October 2012

elcome to a completely new look Carpaholixx. This is our first step into turning page publications and we hope you like the format. Like many developments in carp fishing itself, the speed of change in the publishing world is also fast. And, our aim is to make your reading about fishing more appealing and rewarding for the 21st Century angler by using this type of technology. It is very early days and we welcome your feedback on the magazine, so that we can continually enhance and improve it – if your subscribing to us, then you have a stake in everything we do at Carpaholixx to provide the best possible content and service to you. We have also introduced some new

sections: Off The Shelf, In The Vaults, PhotoShop and In The Candy Factory. I’m not going to go into these in detail here but we’d welcome your feedback on what you loved or loathed about them. Our aim is to provide a balanced visual diet for your eyes and mind so we will always ensure that we have a good mix of articles that are topical and educating. For example, Keith Sykes presents his strong views about bait, which are contrary to mine, by the way; we uphold the right to free speech, so who are we to bate anyone’s enthusiasm for debating bait? We also takes a look at Nash’s Essential Squid Extract; just how good is this stuff and what can it do for you? Have a read to learn more. We’d like to hear about your experience

Editorial Office: Carpaholixx.com 35 Columbine Way, Littlehampton, West Sussex BN17 6UX T: +44 [0] 1276 487001, F: +44 [0] 845 4590415, E (general): Email: info@carpaholixx.com Web: www.carpaholixx.com (Lines open 08:30 to 18:00 Mon > Sat). Find us on Facebook and Twitter Editor and publisher: Sean Tidy Assistant Editor: Iestyn Armstrong-Smith Designer: Sean Tidy Illustrator: Mark Smith Merchandise: Paul Bidmead (AKA Bidders) Editorial email: editorial@carpaholixx.com Subscriptions: subscriptions@carpaholixx.com Advertising: sales@carpaholixx.com Carpaholixx.com welcomes articles with photographs. Please email the editor – editorial@carpaholixx.com – with a short synopsis of your article or article idea before submitting it to us. Text to be supplied as an electronic file – 10 pt font, double line spacing. Photographs must be highresolution files – jpg files preferred. Note: it is a condition of acceptance that authors are able to state in writing that the article or articles are exclusive to Carpaholixx. © 2012 Carpaholixx.com No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the prior consent and written permission of the publisher. Carpaholixx occasionally shares mailing data with reputable 3rd parties; subscribers can opt out from having details shared by ticking the declaration on the subscription form.

with bait additives too, so drop us a line if you have something to share. To address the balance, Joe Turnbull presents his bait views. Joe looks at various ingredients that will literally pimp your bait, giving you a lot more opportunity of catching even under the most difficult of situations. Neil Spooner is in this issue too. Neil takes us through a live 24-hour session on Chigborough, a Cemex water. Although Neil has some experience on this water, his approach is meticulous – from claiming his swim to his methods. This is a real lesson in maximising your fishing opportunity, when the clock is against you. We have an excellent tutorial on taking quality photographs by Mark Mann. Seems anglers are investing heavily in photographic

equipment these days. However, how do you make best out of your equipment to produce photographs that tell stories and capture both the eye and the imagination? Well, read Mark’s article and you’ll get better at making the most of your photo opportunities. This article paves the way to our photography competition; details will be available soon. Leon Fisher closes his series on carp biology this month. In this final instalment, he describes the production process, looking at pond design and the optimal conditions needed to grow quality, large carp. Read this and you’ll learn that there is a hell of a lot of effort put into producing the beautiful fish we hold dear. That’s all from me for now; so tightlines and enjoy your October issue of Carpaholixx. Sean Tidy - Editor

content 01. in session Chigborough success for Neil Spooner.

16. all bunged up Craters, Casein and ConstipationSome more painless bait theory.

23. flavour of the month Shhhhh! A couple of old favourites from the past revisited.

24. pimp my bait Making your own baits and then catching carp on them is probably one of the most satisfying things explaines Joe Turnbull.

29. in the candy factory Every now and again we are fortunate enough to stumble over something that is truly outstanding...

36. paul moulder Good things come to those who bait!

45. in the vault A sneak preview of all the wonderful, soon to be released, kit.

51. mark mann Photo Shop, - Making the most of your autumn shots.

64. off the shelf Product spotlight.

71. carp biology Production process explained by Leon Fisher.

contents

INSESSION With Neil Spooner

pressured waters, cups of tea and weekend angling...

I could imagine EVERYONE having a rod tight up to the island. 02

IN SESSION. NEIL SPOONER

have been asked to do a live 24 hour session, and after drawing up a list of possible lakes to fish I have decided to come down to the Cemex water, Chigborough. It is a lake that I know relatively well and have fished it a few times, so I have a little bit of my own experience to go on. With it being a 24 hour session I have decided to start the trip after work on a Friday. We are fortunate enough to finish work at 4 o clock on a Friday and with the lake only thirty minutes away, I felt that I would get a slight headstart on the other weekend anglers. The plan seems to have worked as when I arrive at the venue there are only three other cars in the car park and with the lake being split up by a mixture of bays, channels and islands I was guaranteed a good swim. First thing I’m going to do is have a walk round the lake armed with a rucksack and a water butt so that I can lay claim to the swim that I fancy. That’s a lesson I learned the hard way! In the past I’ve found fish, dashed back to the car to get the gear only to find someone

else has jumped in to the swim. Well not anymore!! The first swim I come to seems absolutely alive with carp, they are fizzing up and sheeting up everywhere and it looks a dead cert for a bite but unfortunately there is another angler fishing across from the area and I just feel that with my lines in the area too, the fish will do the off very quickly. Eventually I settle for a swim called the oaks. It’s a swim that I have fished in the past and if I’m honest I’m surprised to see it empty. This swim has always produced fish through the night for me so whilst I haven’t seen any definite carp activity it’s here that I’m starting the session as I really fancy my

chances once darkness descends. With my swim claimed I head back to the motor to grab my gear. On my return to the swim my first job, as always, is to bait the area that I fancy. In front of me I have a small Island which is at about 65 yards range. I have a lead around first just to pinpoint the areas that I have fished in the past. Directly in front of the island is rock hard gravel and

whilst I’m sure this does it’s fair share of bites, for me it’s a little too obvious. Islands can be like a magnet for a lot of anglers and with this being a busy swim I could imagine EVERYONE having a rod tight up to the island. Instead I find the area where the gravel meets the silt and clip up to that spot. The silt is very soft and it is for this reason that I have opted to fish a short Chod rig of about 2 inches. This is tied using Mouthtrap in 20lb with a size 8 Choddy hook attached

IN SESSION. NEIL SPOONER to a size 11 ring swivel. This is fished straight on the main line using the new naked chod bead system. If you haven’t seen this yet then it really is a work of genius. It is made up using a small barrel shaped tungsten bead at the lead end and a tapered tungsten bead at the top end. This helps the line to sink and ensures that everything is pinned down as tightly as possible. Now here’s the clever bit, on top of the tapered bead you slide on a ‘no-trace-bead’. This is a solid plastic bead

(a) work of genius. 05

with a section missing so that in the event of your line snapping, the chod rig pulls against the bead until it slips off and falls off the line. This ensures that the only thing the fish has to deal with is the rig itself. A must have for anyone using the naked chod style set up. Right back to the fishing, once the spot is found I mark the line using some line marker so that I can hit the area again after dark. It’s now 6pm and I opt to put out approximately 2kg of a new bait which is on test from mainline and in mixed sizes. The areas that I’m targeting begin at the island rod and out to the right, into the silty open water. To keep things simple the second rod is clipped at exactly the same range and the two spots are about three rod lengths apart. The bait is then spread over the whole area so that hopefully the carp will come over and graze, moving from boilie to boilie making them easier to catch. The second rod is again going to be fished using the chod system mentioned before as the area is once again very soft silt. I like to leave the bait in the swim for a couple of hours before casting out as I believe that giving the fish a chance to feed with no lines in the water builds their confidence and again makes them easier to catch. In the mean time I get the swim tidied, bivvy up, tie fresh rigs and most importantly get the kettle on! It’s now 8pm and time to

cast out. The rigs fly into position at the first time of asking. A few more people have turned up as it’s a Friday night but thankfully the area I’m in remains undisturbed and by the time I decide to get my head down, I’m fully expectant of a bite at any minute. Unfortunately the only alarm I heard was my phone waking me up at 5am! This really has thrown a spanner in the works because in the past this swim has proved to be prolific during darkness, but very slow during daylight hours. I’m going to have a cuppa and sit and watch the water for any signs of life. I pay particular attention to my baited area because in the past, when the fish were feeding, they could be very visible. Whilst doing this I can’t help but notice that it’s got quite busy and I don’t really have any options on moving. The lake is fairly busy now and I can see nine anglers other than myself which includes two blokes fishing the other side of the small island that I have baited. Lots of things are going through my mind, do they not like the presentation, could it be the new bait, did the area even get visited throughout the night and ultimately should I have just set up where the fish were clearly most active last night!! The two guys behind the island have been consistently casting to both edges of the island with markers and spods as well as their

Unfortunately the only alarm I heard (was) my phone at 5am... 06

IN SESSION. NEIL SPOONER

however...

baited rigs. At that precise moment in time I didn’t have much confidence. However just before they started baiting up, the swim had started to come to life and there were clear signs of feeding activity. Like a bolt out of the blue my left hand rod has just pulled up tight and I’m in! I really wasn’t expecting this and it just shows that when carp have got their heads down they don’t care what’s happening around them. The fight is pretty uneventful and very soon a small common of about 8lb is lying in my net. Elliott is coming down in an hour or so but looking out at the spot it’s clear that the fish have turned up. Not wanting to cause the fish any unnecessary stress, I unhook him in the net and gently slip him back. Before casting out a fresh rig I bait up using the throwing stick with about thirty boilies. There are clearly still fish in the area but I’m trying to get them to drift off of the spot rather than risk spooking them with a lead. Before long the rig is back on the spot and I’m fishing again. I don’t know how he does it but just as the kettle boils Elliott walks into the swim, he

IN SESSION. NEIL SPOONER

its imperative to keep them feeding for as long as possible...

seems to have this sixth sense for when tea is brewing! As it turns out it was perfect timing as the left hand rod is away again. This fight is much different from the first and on more than one occasion I thought I’d lost the fish when the line kept flicking off of it’s fins. After a few minutes victory is mine - the fish is netted at the first attempt. Same process as before, I stick few more baits out to the area, unhook the fish in the net and within a few minutes I have a rod back in position. These extra few minutes I’m saving can be the difference between five fish on the bank or ten. When you have fish in the area like I have, its imperative to keep them feeding for as long as possible and to have your rigs in the water. As I’m about to lift the fish out of the water the same rod rattles off again! I’m right next to the rod so on it in a flash and again I have yet another very angry carp attached. This fish plods around a lot more and from the off I’m convinced that I’m playing a much

bigger carp than the previous two. This fish takes a full ten minutes to get close to the bank. As it rolls for the first time it looks like a nice low twenty, just what the doctor ordered! After a bit more plodding around, in she goes and another Chigborough carp is mine! As before, while the carp is still in the net, I stick-out some more bait to the area. Why change a winning formula eh! Now with a bit of luck we’ll have time to have a look at these carp! Up on the scales the first one goes and it’s a little over 14lb. But it’s clear from it’s frame that this fish has very recently spawned. It feels absolutely empty and just a few days ago it may have been a few pounds heavier. The second fish is similar and whilst I thought it would be a 20lb’er it actually goes a shade over 18lb! Exactly

the same as the last fish, it’s very empty. The fish have definitely been up to their summer rituals! Instinct tells me that I should have had a bite on the right hand rod by now, as they are not being fished too far apart. I can see clear feeding activity right on top of the baited rig, so I decide to bring it in and have a little change. I decide to fish a critically balanced snowman using N-trap soft gravel in 20lb. The rig is approximately 10 inches long and utilises a Kaptor Wide Gape in a size 6.

Unbelievably, just as I’m about to bait up, the left hand rod lets me know that I need to give it some quick attention!

IN SESSION. NEIL SPOONER

Yet another fish of around18lb

Before this goes out I attach a small Funnel Web bag containing crushed boilies, just to ensure that the hook remains free of any debris and that my hookbait has some added attraction around it. I’m looking out over the spot at the moment and it’s gone very quiet again. There are no signs of fish so I’m going to stick out another half a kilo of bait and hope that they come back. Even though I’ve now had a few fish I still fancy a move. But after talking to Elliott he tells me that on his walk round he had counted ten other anglers, so realistically I’m staying put for the rest of the session. It could be worse, the swim still commands a lot of it’s own water and with some snaggy looking bays to my left I still had other options. The recent hot spell has been a mixed blessing. When the sun’s out carp can be easy to find, but not so easy to tempt. It’s getting really warm now and with no clouds in the sky the snags are looking more and more appealing. Typically just as I thought about reeling in, the recast rod with the new

snowman presentation signalled a steady take. The fight was fairly short and as she went over the net cord and into the waiting net I could see that it was another nice carp of around 18lb. Unbelievably, just as I’m about to bait up, the left hand rod lets me know that I need to give it some quick attention! This fish has taken a lot of line compared to all the others and feels once again like a better fish. After a lengthy fight that involves the carp going on several powerful runs it eventually succumbs to steady pressure and is netted at the first time of asking. Yet another fish of around 18lb in the net! I’m pretty sure that if I’d caught these fish as little as a week ago then I would have landed them as 20lb’ers but it’s not to be. The action seems to have stopped now and as the afternoon ticks steadily on my 24 hours is almost up but I’ve managed to land five fish

All in all a really enjoyable 24 hours and I will definitely come back soon!

since 6 o clock this morning when the rest of the lake appears to have remained relatively quiet. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a pleasing result and it appears that compared to every trip Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve done in the past the fish have changed their habits. It has never been this productive in the day before but in my opinion itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s far nicer catching them in this way. It makes the whole playing experience that bit more enjoyable and definitely allows you to have more control

IN SESSION. NEIL SPOONER over the carp as you can see exactly whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going on. Just before the times up the chod rig trundles off once more and the culprit is a pretty mid double fish. All in all a really enjoyable 24 hours and I will definitely come back soon! Tight Lines Spoons

close (up)

4.Now form a second one.

1.All you need is a chod rig, a lighter, some Bait Floss and some scissors.

5.Pass one of the tags back through both loops.

2.Take a length of floss.

6.Tighten the knot down.

3.Form a loop.

7.Now carefully position the floss around the centre of your bait.

IN SESSION. NEIL SPOONER

8.Secure it in place by tying two or three more knots.

9.Pass a tag end through the Rig Ring.

10.To secure the bait properly, tie another few knots to the rig ring.

12.Blob the tags down with a lighter.

11.Trim the tag ends off.

13.The bait is now securely in place and ready to cast out.

ALL BUNGED Up... By Keith Sykes.

CRATERS, CASEIN AND CONSTIPATION...

ecently Sean (Sean Tidy) asked me if I would be interested in reading a piece he had penned sometime ago regarding his thoughts on modern carp baits, entitled Carp Bait – Food for Thought, well how could I say no? I enjoy reading anything centred around bait, and I have come to agree that we all have our own personal views concerning the stuff, so what follows is mine, and certainly doesn’t agree in entirety with Sean’s!

fish feeding capacity with the quality of bait you use. Unlike Sean I believe strongly in nutritional recognition, there are numerous cases in the animal world where instances cited indicate this genetic trait.

Unnatural food items; as Sean terms a boilie, and rightly so, carp come across boilies through us introducing them, and I believe that on many waters we fish boilies are viewed as a food source, not necessarily providing a good food source, but a food source nonetheless. These little round balls are also looked upon as a potential source of danger as well, and this is where I think you can make the difference of long term

There is a gravel pit close to my home where there is a peninsula, and they have virtually created a tunnel from one side to the other in order to get into the clay! I suspect this is another reason why rock salt has been so successful when used in isolation as they will crater through weed and bottom detritus to get at the stuff. Cratering is a natural phenomenon that occurs more than we are aware, as often as not you won’t see it, unless it is in the margins, are these craters

When staying in the mountains in Ethiopia we would put salt licks down, and within a matter of a day or so you would see animals descend (in pecking order) to these mineral blocks, they would return on a regular Firstly I am going to discount the commercial basis, obviously wanting to benefit from the side of the debate, as we know everyone who mineral source. As humans we have virtually lost this genetic trait (there are exceptions), sells bait is going to say theirs is better than and so as Sean says we condition carp to their competitors, and in essence there are some baits out there that are definitely better feed as does commercialism conditions us to eat, even though we know as often as not than others, and this I suspect is for more than just one reason, not purely down to the junk food is hardly beneficial to the system, but again as Sean points out he can make an fact they might smell and taste nice to us informed decision to feed on what he wants, mere humans! healthy or otherwise. What I did like about Sean’s piece was he So back to carp; have you ever seen the was looking at bait in a perspective that has craters they will make to get at food, well not been looked at before; all baits are in have you ever seen the craters that they make effect processed by the very nature of their digging through gravel to get to clay deposits? manufacture and make up whether they are When I have been out with Rob Hughes in labelled fresh, frozen, shelf life or preserved baits; I’ll come back to that in a moment. So the past he has shown me craters that have been excavated, and I really believe the carp lets have a look at some of Sean’s ideas and have excavated through gravel to get to the questions, and hopefully answer them, or clay for the mineral deposits, and no other should I say offer my humble opinion about reason. them.

ALL BUNGED UP. KEITH SYKES

cRATERS IN GRAVEL... also spots within the spot at which carp are consistently caught, I’ll allow you to ponder on that one……………………….. I know this is sticking my neck out, although I do know that this view is shared by others, more accomplished big carp anglers than I, and there are certain baits that appear to be more attractive to big carp. I know Tim Paisley shares this view, just like there are additives that seem to be more attractive to commons than mirrors, surely that must be genetic, and also based around

nutrional recognition which is linked to chemoreception? All this brings me back to the fact that there are ingredients which will turn a mediocre bait into a better than average boilie, if you don’t believe me try it, look at baits with no added vitamin and mineral supplements, then add them and see the difference, you will be surprised! I have in the past mentioned the heat sensitive ingredients, and

The common denominator though was that the bait had to be bait the carp wanted to eat and continue eating... vitamins are one that fall into this category, and as Sean rightly says when we boil, steam, or cook our baits then we are going to affect many of these ingredients, according to their tolerances, effectively turning everything into a final processed package. Where these additives are affected by heat treatment and may be rendered either totally useless or partially denatured then look at presenting them in a different format, I bang on about marmite, but there is a classic vitamin carrier, think outside of the box and you will achieve the end result, trouble is we still have a processed product! Digestibility or constipation? I remember sitting around a table at Bob Baker’s (Richworth) house in the early nineties with Johnnie Allen, Albert, and Ritchie Mc Donald, amongst everything we were talking about bait came into the conversation; now I can say here and now all these guys knew their bait and they had collared enough of England’s true carp to preside on a carp bait debating committee, each of us though had different opinions, based on various experiences. The common denominator though was that the bait had to be bait the carp wanted to eat and continue eating, logical I suppose, however, that is where it stopped. Ritchie had for a long time been an advocate of the HNV Wilton type baits containing high levels of milk proteins, John still endorsed this type of bait, whilst Albert and Bob were

advocates of simple carrier baits with either natural additives or a synthetic flavour and sweetener, so who if any were right or wrong for that matter. Ritchie believed the more you could get a carp eating the greater the chance of catching, again a fairly logical comment. He further went on to say that he also believed a bait is better if it goes through the carp’s system quicker, in essence the carp never fulfils satiety. I see the argument here but what you want is the bait being digested, that way the carp benefits in several ways, and also that bait WILL continue to catch far longer than loosely speaking a ‘ crap bait’ (this term is used for the action).Where all this goes out of the window is when you can’t buy a bite for love nor money, and or a once successful bait becomes no longer successful, and I don’t mean necessarily on the same water, rather a new water where that particular bait has never been seen before!

a classic vitamin carrier

I hope you’ll see the thinking behind this; Sean cites the case that just because a carp eats an angler’s bait it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good for it. It could be that it was an acceptable food source at that particular time. To some extent I agree with him, but I don’t think a bait that doesn’t tick all the right boxes to the carp will be continually eaten, and in some cases never eaten. Let me explain; if digestibility becomes an issue then the carp will cease to feed on that bait, fact. In the 80’s Ritchie used milk HNV’s to great success, then suddenly he couldn’t catch, what had gone wrong, simple the casein he was using was indigestible, it seemed that his bait ‘bunged them up’. It was enough to put him off possibly for life, trouble is when something like that happens it is all too easy to blame it on something else, this is where

ALL BUNGED UP. KEITH SYKES

Every batch of casein I buy, I still test...

experience and understanding comes into the equation. Incidentally, another area where people go wrong with milk based HNV style baits is they use too much, particularly in the colder weather, reduce the feed quantity down to half or even less and you will catch more, this is simply because the bait will remain in the gut longer as it takes longer to digest, unless you are adding active enzymes of course (another topic). Every batch of casein I buy I still test, I don’t want caseins that would make shirt buttons! If you think this is ludicrous, and to further substantiate the fact that carp won’t eat any old bait have a chat to Gary Bayes if you ever go to a show where he is present; he will tell you there are products that carp won’t eat in their raw form, and even when they

are flavoured still won’t eat! Here’s a little example; carp prefer whole egg powder to egg albumen, a common denominator in all baits possibly, and one that MIGHT make one bait better than the other!

didn’t work across the road, now these lads are really on the ball big fish anglers, and Neil is just an awesome angler who oozes confidence, even when everything is against him.

All Gary’s tests are done in ponds with fish that have been caught and also uncaught. That isn’t necessarily nutrional recognition, although it may well be? Carp will further differentiate between baits with varying levels of attractive product, again as an example too much red cells in a bait will render that bait absolutely useless, is it taste or something else, yet get the level right and this must be one ingredient that very large carp seem to crave for, get the picture, and you can’t get something more processed than this product.

He changed the bait and bang it just kicked off again; I’ll leave you to ponder over why, but when you are encountering this happening after having a successful campaign with said bait on one water and continual blanking on the next, think that the carp just might find the bait unacceptable, for what ever reason that may be.

The key to a bait that will go on catching fish indefinitely (yes they exist) is a bait that those fish WANT to eat, even knowing the potential risks associated with them, such baits are ‘deemed’ food by nutritional recognition and their digestibility is of a higher degree, which leads to overall nutrional benefit (the carp’s equivalent to the well feeling factor), these fish will gain their highest weights whilst eating such food baits. I still use enzyme systems in my baits as this just increases the digestibility coefficient and knowing this I know they will just accept this as natural a food source can become in a processed form. The trouble is we are dealing with nature here so the variables can be massive, and as to my final example of what I mentioned earlier, why can one bait be so successful on one lake and then be a total failure on another water? When Neil Messenger and his brother fished the Yateley complex they really rinsed the place, and yet it wasn’t without some angst, the one bait they had done so well on just

Personally, I think the main reason is the flavour and not the base mix, but that is a long drawn out discussion topic encountering pH and natural food signals, another time and another place possibly.

Fresh or preserved? I have too many associates and friends within the bait industry to get on the soap box regarding which is preferred or even better, fresh bait, normally frozen or preserved (shelf life) bait. I strongly believe that there are preserved baits that are very good, and then there are some that perhaps aren’t as good, as can equally be said the same for frozen bait. What I would never say is that preserved bait is crap and freezer bait is supreme, as that is absolute rubbish, as Sean correctly says both types of baits are processed, and the better baits available in both these formats are invariably made from the same base mix, you and only you can decide if the addition of a preserving agent makes any difference. Those of you who know me well know what I PREFER to use, and that is really based around the fact that if I used a preserving agent I would stop the activity of some of the

ALL BUNGED UP. KEITH SYKES

The key to a bait that will go on catching fish indefinitely (yes they exist) is a bait that those fish WANT to eat! ingredients I use therein, in effect rendering them useless! Interestingly I suspect preserved baits now out sell fresh bait, in all probability through convenience and cost efficiency. On well known manufacture told me they sold twice as many preserved baits as they do fresh (frozen) bait. Trouble is to throw the spanner into the works, this is one area I tend to totally agree with Sean, in that many of the ingredients we use in fresh or freezer baits already have anti oxidants and preservatives already added, bugger there goes the comment from one well known manufacturer that shelf life baits are crap! Just goes to show how little we

know; so Sean made me think, and I hope him making me think might make you think, when you arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t catching are they just bunged up with it all? Keith Sykes.

flavour of the month S

olar Tackle’s E12 and Candy Sweetener. Without question E12 is one of those flavours that really stands out, and catches a lot of big fish all year round, but where it particularly comes into it’s own is when the water temperatures drop. This little pair of additives when married together make an excellent single hooker or high attract pop up combination. The make up of the E12 means it stays put in the bait much longer even after boiling, but it does get into the water column quickly even at the lowest water temperatures. The combination could not be simpler; remember to shake all your flavours thoroughly before measuring out and adding to the egg mix. Ok using a polyethylene pipette which you can buy from most tackle shops now, measure out 1 to 1.5 mls of the E12, add this to one egg which has been whisked and allowed to stand and brought to room temperature. Mix in thoroughly

and allow to stand, before mixing again. Accurately measure 2.5 mls of the Candy Sweetener and add this to the E12 egg mix, mix in prior to adding your base mix or pop up mix. If using as a single hooker then try the bait coloured either in pink or white, or if you want something entirely different try CCMoore’s new gold dye, this is quite a nice colour, and a little bit different. Once the baits are dry store, and if you want to pep them up soak them in neat Candy Sweetener, the fish seem to love it, and for singles it doesn’t seem you can over load it, plus the fact it dissolves readily in the water aiding attraction. The E12 can be used on its own, and I know some lads who use at levels up to 5ml per egg, I’ll leave it up to you to experiment and find what you are happy with, but what I will say this combination has worked very well in deep lakes. Remember these levels are for singles, not freebies, which would normally have anything from 0.25 to 1.5 mls of E12 per pound.

Session Saving

Hook- baits d’s’ l r o w p By ‘Carrnbull Joe Tu

learn by your own mistakes

aking your own baits and then catching carp on them is probably one of the most satisfying things, but I’m not going to sit here and tell you that you’re going to catch loads of large fish on some super bait that I’ve just thought up, because that’s not how it works. I will, however, share with you what I’ve picked up over the years either through the conversations that I have had with other anglers or magazine articles that I have read, because that’s how we learn.

Making your own baits, as I’ve mentioned before, will help you to understand the function of certain base mix ingredients and also what liquid/powdered additives work well together. You can learn by your own mistakes (if you want!) but with my help hopefully you’ll not make too many of those along the way. If you do it properly in the first place you’ll save yourself a lot of time and money in the process! Let’s be fair, most of us go fishing to get away from the stress of work and life in general;

PIMP MY BAIT. Joe Turnbull and to get a little bit of “you” time too. We want to make the most of our precious time and sitting behind motionless indicators only makes things worse. But if you optimise everything from your tackle, to your watercraft, to your bait, then it’s just down to the fish. That part, unfortunately, we cannot do anything about but we can certainly stack the odds in our favour. I often hear people talking about bait as though it doesn’t play a major role in angling because carp will eat just about anything that

is put in front of them. I will answer that by stating that one of the major reasons that a carp finds food in the first place is through ‘nutritional recognition’. To some extent carp are creatures of curiosity and will test many things that look or smell (detected as) food items with their mouths. Because of this fact they will undoubtedly get caught by doing so and by putting a good quality food source on their dinner plate they will pick this up to investigate.

Stack the odds in your fLavour.... So let’s take a look at some of the ways you can create these session saving hook baits using a few top notch ingredients: This is a highly soluble fish protein liquid and is extremely effective. The liquid is uber soluble and when added to any base mix will increase both it’s nutritional profile and attraction. Note; LO30 has a relatively low boiling point so it’s use in boiled baits can be limited (powdered versions are available for this purpose). For this reason it’s more effective when used as a neat glug or dip.

Now that we have covered a few of the basics we’ll take a look at how to go about creating a slow sinker or wafter. These are designed to sink slowly under the weight of the hook. This, theoretically, makes them the same weight as all the other freebies and as such indistinguishable from a standard bottom bait.

L030 Liquids: L030s high in sodium (salt) and packed with natural aminos and essential vitamins. This additive can be the difference between a slow winter session and one to remember – trust me!

The other hooker that I use a lot is the critically balanced type. This one is very light and balanced to just hold bottom. Because they are so much lighter it is argued that they can be moved around too much by the carp making them less efficient. But for me I think they really make the difference between catching and not catching, especially at this time of year when carp are slowing down and are far more finicky.

Ethyl alcohol flavours (EA): Ethyl alcohol work extremely well in cold water conditions because they are highly soluble. Most bait companies sell a range of EA flavours which just goes to show how effective they are.

It is worth mentioning at this point that I always use a rig that has been designed specifically for use with a critically balance bait. This gives me a set up that can out smart even the wariest of fish.

Sweetners: There are plenty of effective one’s on the market such as; Talin (Thaumatin-b), D.T. Baits l.m.p.s.e (liquid, milk, protein, sweet, enhancer) to name but two. Most of these have the same desired effect as sweet is sweet, but some are stronger than others. Always remember to stick to the manufactures recommended dosage levels. Although in cold conditions I have found that this type of product appears to work better when used at slightly higher than normal inclusion rates.

A couple of excellent winter bait inclusions.

Same size bait different size cork balls. Note down what size ball works with what pattern and Matching cork balls with hook size and patterns is critical. Remember which ball is where to save confusion.

If you followed last month’s feature you would have learnt how to form the basics of your cork ball hook baits, so I won’t go over old ground. The balanced bait is created in exactly the same way but contains varying amounts of cork. The amount of cork you use will determine how much your hook bait sinks given the size of hook in use. This is probably the hardest part of all, but once you have the size of hook and cork ball to paste ratio, the rest is simple. OK, for example, you use a size 8 Korda Wide Gape for most of your fishing but also use a Nash Fang X for other rigs and situation’s. You require a finished pop up of 18mm so for that usually you’d use a 15mm cork ball covered with 3mm of paste. However, this time instead of using a 15mm cork ball you’re probably going to need one of around 12mm,

Push the hook into the paste before boiling, this way you’ll get an idea how they will sit in the water

PIMP MY BAIT. Joe Turnbull

Correct cork application...

You’ll just notice that the hook bait is sitting slightly off the bottom. After sinking slowly this is perfect!

but remember you need to keep the paste amount exactly the same. I then mould the required amount of paste around the cork ball of my choice and then push my hook into the paste. Once I’ve done that I drop it in to a glass of water (before the bait has been boiled). This will give you a good idea of how your finished hooker will behave. To create corkers that only sink under the weight of the hook but just hover above bottom, you simply use a smaller cork ball. Once you have your chosen cork ball size to paste ratio make note as you’ll find it changes with different size hooks. So that’s it again from me enjoy your rolling and good luck…if you have any questions Facebook or Twitter me.

IN THE CANDY FACTORY A new feature for Carpaholixx 8 and one that will help you to get the very best from your bait. This month we take a look at NASH Bait’s Essential Squid Extract.

THE MAGIC OF NASH BAIT’S ESSENTIAL SQUID EXTRACTS.

Nash Bait have total exclusivity on this product, which is manufactured for them to an extremely high specification, so why is it so good?

very now and again we are fortunate enough to stumble over something or another that is truly outstanding, and I guess this must have been the case when the guys at Nash Baits came across what has now become their legendary Squid extract.

office immediately after, on second thoughts it might clear the queue quickly! Gary Bayes the bait boffin at Nash will tell you this is such an attractive additive that you really should use it and use it at the levels he recommends.

Why so extraordinary? well simply this additive has been on the market in various guises, including the raw forms for in excess of twenty six years, first hitting the bait scene in boilie form in the mid 1980’s. For an attractor to be used in a bait that continues to catch so many carp on a world wide basis means this extract must be something very, very special, and it is!

This is one additive which evokes such an immediate feeding response, that I imagine most bait companies wouldn’t mind getting their hands on the stuff themselves. The Squid is a true fish attractor has been designed specifically to do a job in fish bait, and make fish feed when they might otherwise not really be in the mood. If you don’t believe me get a smidgeon on a lollipop stick and drop it in your pond and see what the fish do, it appears to attract every water bourne organism, which obviously is why it is such an awesome bait ingredient.

Nash Bait have total exclusivity on this product, which is manufactured for them to an extremely high specification, so why is it so good? I imagine many anglers will find the aroma and potency of the Squid to be a tad off putting, and I wouldn’t recommend handling the stuff and then queuing in the local post

Obviously the Nash Bait’s range of Squid extract boilies are legendary in their own right, and they are conveniently available in either frozen or shelf life forms with various attractor combinations to suit each and every angler’s own taste, who has never heard of Scopex Squid, a flavour that carries on catching carp, and when blended with the

Essential SSquid Extract.

The Squid is a true fish attractor, it has been designed specifically to do a job. Squid powder seems to up a level to formula 1 leader. Gary has also made a number of other Squid based products to compliment the boilie range, but there is so much more that you can use this additive for. Remember this is a unique product and shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be confused with other products that contain the word squid as this is just not a squid flesh extract, it has many other organoleptic and inciting properties that are all carefully blended with the base product, resulting in the end product.

As raw product the Squid essential extract comes in its original powder form, very potent and strong in taste and aroma and also a liquid version which provides the angler with other blending options when using it with his own bait. Here are some little tricks on how to use the Squid extracts for your own angling, and perhaps the way you choose to fish might just benefit from the addition of some of

if you fish with maggot in the winter, squid extract powder can give you a massive edge, and I mean a massive edge! the devastating additive. Remember there is always room to experiment with these products, but don’t think loads equals loads of bites, sometimes you will achieve quick bites, which tale off, so err on the side of caution! Here goes;

TEN ‘TOP-TRICK’ TIPS ON HOW TO USE THE SQUID;

Boilie inclusion rates; there is no doubt that adding squid concentrate to your boilie mix will provide a huge edge, don’t take my word for it try it! The recommended inclusion rate is 6 to 8 grms per four egg mix, and I have found that for long term food baits this seems to go on getting bites indefinitely. I know one or two anglers who use it at higher levels for short session fishing, so it’s really down to you experimenting then with your own particular base mix. Remember if your base mix is a tight matrix then you want to keep levels lower, and reverse way around.

Stick mixes; even with a commercial stick mix the addition of the squid extracts will give it an extra boost, and the extracts seem to really enhance fish products and yeasts, again err on the side of caution starting at around 5 gms per kilo of mix. Then try adding cod roe, anchovy or the traditional tuna as a starting point. If you want to be adventurous, buy some fresh squid and liquidise, add to the stick mix until you achieve the correct consistency. I am quite

happy then to make a batch of sticks up and freeze, just pulling out what I require. Always check your pva though, and make sure the frozen sticks melt in water!

Pastes; I always make my pastes with natural liquids, not water and certainly not eggs. A good liquid combination contains L030, yeast, kelp, Minamino, krill and a blend of fish and vegetable oils, adding the liquid squid at this point is at a level of 10 mls to 100ml liquid. If you add liquid squid don’t add the powder to the dry mix, if you want to include both then add 5 mls liquid and 5 gms to 500 gms of dry mix. You will find experimenting with inclusion levels helps according to the rate at which the paste breaks down in water. Freeze the paste into small balls for best results.

Maggots; if you fish with maggot in the winter then squid extract powder can give you a massive edge, and I mean a massive edge. The germs need to be riddled and cleaned, and then put in fine maize flour with the squid powder added. Work on a small sprinkle (4grms or so) to about four pints of maggots. These need to be left for a day or so for the squid to be absorbed, but also add some of the squidy maize into your spod or funnel web along with the germs for a little extra attraction.

Pellets; the easiest way to get the squid extract into pellet is by over spraying, and the best way is to add 3 to 5 gms of squid powder to lake water and then atomise the pellet. Coarse pellets will take this on much quicker than small or oily dense pellet.

Essential SSquid Extract.

33 atomise accordingly. If you intend using in a pva bag then check they are not too wet to melt, which goes without saying, or alternatively sprinkle a very small amount over the pellet before putting in the pva bag or funnel web.

Glugging a halibut hooker in the neat squid liquid before putting in a bag of pellet is well worth a try.

Dusting your boilies and hookers; this method really is best to use with frozen boilies add 5gms of squid powder to 100 grms of coarse rock salt and mix well. Sprinkle the mix over a kilo of frozen bait during the defrosting period and allow to absorb. Alternatively you can blend a mix of 50/50 cod liver oil and L030 and add 5 mls to every 100 mls of the blend, mix thoroughly before top dressing the boilies. This is really good if you do this the night before you go angling, a tad messy, but the fish love it.

Imitation baits; decant a suitable quantity of the squid liquid off into a glug pot, ensuring you gave it a good shake prior to use. Use this neat liquid to glug fake or plastic baits in. It is a very potent mix and the squid will linger for a long time, even in water. I think it is best to soak the plastics in the squid liquid for a few weeks in order for the fakes to really take on the aroma. You can if you want dunk the coated plastic bait in the squid powder prior to casting out, a nice edge in winter.

Groundbaits; I favour the powder for use in groundbaits, and this is where you really do need to make sure the concentration is correct, too much will lead to either quick bites and then cessation, or sometimes nothing at all! Personally I think the absolute maximum for the powder is 10 grms per kilo of groundbait, starting at middle for diddle, in other words 5 grms. The squid powder needs to be added slowly and mixed in well to ensure thorough dispersion through the mix. If you opt for the liquid squid then start at around 3 or 4 mls per kilo dry mix. Mix the squid with L030 for a marinade in pva bags; this really is one of the deadliest uses of the liquid and powder squid extracts. First of all you want to get some well stirred L030, so the suspended solids are all mixed well, to 100 mls add 15 to 20 mls of liquid squid and once again mix thoroughly. Finally gently add 2 grms of powder to the mix, stirring thoroughly at the same time. This glug or marinade is perfect for pva bag use with a single hook bait fished either in isolation or over freebies. A great cold weather edge.

Zig bugs or foam; firstly this may seem to be going against the grain when you consider the concentration of the squid, but remember your zig bug or foam could well be sat in the water column for some hours before you get a bite. Firstly glug your foam or zig bug in the neat squid liquid (it is important that you check the buoyancy of the bug, because too long a soak and the liquid will affect buoyancy). Secondly put some neat squid powder in a separate pot, and liberally â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;dunkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; the bug or foam in this prior to casting out!

Essential SSquid Extract. Mix the squid with L030 for a marinade in pva bags; this really is one of the deadliest uses of the liquid and powder squid extracts. First of all you want to get some well stirred L030, so the suspended solids are all mixed well. 100 mls add 15 to 20 mls of liquid squid and once again mix thoroughly.

mrandmrssmithdesign.com/clothing

paul moulder

GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE WHO BAIT! hard work always pays off. and when it all comes good...

Knowing how much and when to feed the carp is only part of the key to success.

utumn has to be my favorite season by far. The banks are generally a little quieter and the nights I find are more comfortable to fish because they are not as hot, and there are less mozzies trying to drain you of blood! But more importantly, the carp are looking fit and healthy – a great time to be out there carp fishing! I now tend to only target a couple of waters a year, because I used to find that fishing too many venues was spreading myself too thin, and I couldn’t get to grips with them as quick. I felt that I couldn’t stay in tune with each water as much as I felt that I should do. Concentrating my efforts on only one or two waters at a time has certainly helped my catch rate increase. Stands to reason really!

baiting. paul moulder

It’s understanding how the carp behave in different conditions and at certain times of the year, which is the key to whether you will have a successful session (generally nighttime sessions for me) or not...

have a successful session (generally nighttime sessions for me) or not. One thing that stands out on all venues that I have ever fished, is that if I bait, before, during and at the end of a session, ultimately I will have a much more successful season. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? The hard thing is knowing which area, how much, and how often. It doesn’t sound so easy now, does it?

I am a great believer in baiting a lake, and years of practicing this has seen my catch rate improve considerably. This could be anything from a scattering of fifty baits, to putting out 10kg with a throwing stick, but only a detailed knowledge of the lake and how much the fish are eating will indicate how much to feed and when. It all comes down to what you are trying to achieve. The lakes that I choose Over the last couple of seasons I have really to fish are quiet waters that don’t see much got to grips with my syndicate through angling pressure, so putting in 10kg of bait, understanding what the fish are up to and when. It’s understanding how the carp behave if I feel it’s right to do so, won’t be upsetting in different conditions and at certain times of anyone. the year, which is the key to whether you will

39 As the autumn sun sets, the excitement of what might happen during the night takes hold.

However, If I was going to do this on a busy water, I don’t think that it would go down too well. I also don’t believe that it would be advantageous because the carp, I’m sure, will probably have already been bombarded with tons of bait. Another factor to consider is swim availability. Imagine baiting up with your finest, most expensive boilie, only to find that you can’t get back in to the same

swim or area. Busy waters, just aren’t for me anymore. I just don’t have the time to compete with all the other anglers, plus the politics that can go with fishing on busy venues can be difficult to deal with at times. Like I said, I love the autumn. Last autumn was a cracking time of the year for me because I managed to catch many of the lake’s jewels. I had been baiting regularly and the fish really liked what I was giving them

baiting. paul moulder (which was Kudos from Fishing Wizard). As the year progressed I would make sure that the fish were finding my bait up and down the lake, and in different conditions. I didn’t always need to put loads of bait in either, just a good sample of it, so that they felt safe feeding on the bait wherever they came across it. If I was catching then of course I would up the quantity of bait that I was putting in. I would also bait a few areas prior to fishing them, again only using a limited

amount of bait - a scattering if you like. This not only gave the fish confidence in the bait, but also in the area that were feeding in because there wasn’t any lines in the water. As autumn came and the sessions went on, it was obvious that the fish where really ‘troughing on the bait. My overnight captures increased from a bite or two a night to three

An early autumn capture, little did I know what was going to happen that autumn.

or four fish, which was fantastic because most of the other anglers were only getting one bite a night, if indeed they were even on the fish! I decided to really up the ante and introduce even more bait to try and take full advantage of the situation, and also to hold the fish in an area of the lake that they were obviously happy with feeding hard in.

Heavily baiting the area also gave me the perfect opportunity to trickle some of my winter bait into the water at the same time. This again is something that I like to do on any venue that I plan to fish during the winter months. I like to give the fish an introduction to it in the early autumn when they are feeding harder, so they will get a taste for it. My chosen bait for the last few winters has been the Yellow Peril, also rolled by Fishing Wizard. This bait has not only caught well during the winter months, but when Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve wanted something more visual in the summer it has also done me proud.

The area was an obvious patrol route from one end of the lake to the other. What Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d also learnt from the venue is the fish really like to follow a new wind, even if it was a cold one. What I also learnt was the fish would also back off from a wind once it was over 24hrs old. The fish would then start So I was now heavily baiting on a regular to drift back to the middle of the lake, no basis with the Kudos and mixing in a few matter how strong the wind was blowing. kilos of the Yellow Peril at the same time. This was done every morning after I had packed up from an overnighter before heading into the office for the day. I would also bait up on

baiting. paul moulder

A true jewel of the lake. Goldie at 36lbs 2oz.

The area was an obvious patrol route from one end of the lake to the other. What Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d also learnt from the venue is the fish really like to follow a new wind...

non-fishing nights between sessions. It was hard work at first, but I soon got into the rhythm of things, and found myself passing by the lake most days, either to bait up or to fish an overnight session. The action was fantastic and all the hard work was paying off, the only problem was the gulls. They where now being a pain, trying to eat as many of my baits as they could possibly catch while I was sticking them out. So a move over to the spod was needed, after all I was trying to feed the fish, not the gulls. I was baiting up with 14mm baits using a stick, but I then decided to mix it up a bit with the spod and bait with not only 14mm baits, but also lots of chops and barrels. I also decided to up my baiting levels again, and in turn, my catch rate increased yet again, I was now taking 6 to

When the liners started, it was just a matter of time.

8 fish a night – Absolute Madness! (I’ll have some of what you’re on Paul! The last time I had eight fish in a night was at Southsea fair in 1985 – ed!) The more bait that I put in the more I was catching, and most nights saw me with more than one fish in the landing net at the same time! The only downside to all the action was the total lack of sleep – I was shattered! The rigs were kept simple. I was fishing my standard bottom bait rig incorporating a small Kudos barrel boilie tipped with a piece of fake corn. This was attached to a Longshank hook, fished blowback style utilizing a small ring. A simple rig that keeps catching time, and time again.

baiting. paul moulder

The awesome Peach at 36lbs 15oz. I just couldn’t stop smiling.

Slopey Head at 36lbs 8oz.

I used an extra long leader (8ft of Solar Tackles unleaded leader) to try and keep everything pinned down, as well as fishing a slack line back to the reel. This didn’t stop the liners though, which where quite savage at times. There were obviously a couple of key elements to my autumn success, the first one being the introduction and sustained application of a good quality bait. The fish liked it and responded well. The increase in fish weight over that year didn’t go unnoticed either, and became a talking point amongst the other members on the lake. I was also, apart from my fishing friend, the only angler to really give them the quantities that they where looking for, which helped massively. If everyone had been piling in good quality bait from the off then I’m sure that my results would have been different, but then my tactics would have also been very different too.

I was also able to get into the same area that I been heavily baiting and this was in no small way down to my fellow anglers on the lake, leaving me alone to reap the rewards of all the hard work, and bait, that I had been putting in. It’s nice to see that there is still angling etiquette on some waters. As for this autumn, well I plan to drop back onto the same venue for a few sessions. The carp have already seen loads of our bait over the past couple of years so I’ll be expecting some action from the start. I also plan on targeting a different water this winter, and with that in mind will be doing a few autumn trips there, trickling in some bait, all in preparation for the winter months ahead. Remember, it pays to bait. Until next time Paul Moulder

in the vault

The Mk 3 Dymag Landing Net. Every now and then a product comes onto the market that you know is a little bit special to the rest, and whether you are a tackle tart or just an accomplished angler who wants the best in the tackle available you have to have it! When I first clapped my eyes on the Dymag Mk III landing net at the Carp Society show in Sandown I thought to myself the man has done it again, what a fine piece of engineering and craftsmanship starred me in the face. The fact that it has taken that length of time to get the first proto-type up to production model shows the extremes that Graeme at Dymag goes to ensure everything is spot on. The first thing I noticed about this net over and above the cosmetics and fittings

was its weight, it was ridiculously light, and as I passed the net over to Jamie Smith to run his eyes over, all I heard was a quiet gasp and a few unprintable words, yes it was light, and the production nets are even lighter! So where to start, well the net is made to the highest standards on UK build 1K carbon, and the build finish is just second to none. The handle is reversed tapered and six feet long providing you with a very manoeuvrable tool, the butt is finished off with an anodised spike, so it can be wedged in the ground. So to the heart of the net the unique spreader block, that looks more like the staff of Gandalf from the Lord of the Rings, this is truly outstanding engineering. With a gun smoke anodised finish the block weighs in at

in the vault nothing. The 42” arms are again made out of carbon, and the finishing notes again show why this net is in a class of its very own with titanium inserts; the tips are again anodised alloy, with beta lights fitted, a nice touch. The butt end of the arms are numbered for fitting into the special block, and here is the point at which everything is strengthened ensuring that there will be no wear on the arms when inserting and removing from the spreader block. You can’t even begin to realise the workmanship that has gone into producing these nets, and yes you might be surprised to know that they aren’t the cheapest landing nets on the market, but you won’t be disappointed with the quality. Right the model shown has 44” arms as a very special

request, and with the soft green mesh weighs in at, are you waiting for it, a mere 495 grms! That is in English a tad over 16 ozs! Think I have finished, wrong, the net comes in its very own luxury padded waterproof case for added protection, and the net is kept separate in a drawstring sleeve on the side, perfect for the tackle tart! These nets aren’t going to be mass produced, simply due to the machining of the block and other fittings, so be prepared for a wait, but a worthwhile wait. Visit www. dymagtackle.co.uk or email Graeme on dymagtackle@blueyonder.co.uk . He is very busy, and the whole range is still looked upon as very functional and cultish, but extremely well made here in England.

in the vault

Carbon bobbins and cords. Dymag have sourced a new cord for their lightweight bobbin range, these are a little special and available in two lengths 5 and 8 inches; due to their semi rigid nature they hang really well below the alarms. Also added to the bite indicator range are super lightweight anodised Dymag grey fittings, which really look the nuts on their small carbon bobbins. These are really light and very cultish!

in the vault

‘The Scope’ series of rods

Basically it revolves around using 9ft rods, because when you get your head around it you realise that you don’t need 12ft rods unless you are casting truly extreme distances. Terry Edmunds Nash’ tournament caster has put a lead over 170 yards with a 9ft Scope! Short rods are much more of a pleasure to play fish on and it’s much easier to net fish than with a 12ft rod. You can cast to far bank margins and overhangs far more accurately, so you see there are numerous benefits. But what makes Scope truly awesome is Kevin Nash’s idea of a retractable butt section. So you can store 2ft of your rod inside the butt which adds up to a carrying length of only 44”, clever, cute, neat and compact for the mobile angler; and it’s opened up a whole new dimension to carp angling. You can carry a whole set of gear in the boot of your car with no security issues, which is great if you want to just grab a couple of hours after work on your way home. I can see anglers getting sold on Scope rods However to be clear, Scope rods are NOT stalking rods, they are full blown carp rods that will whack 4-5oz leads and heavy PVA bags good distances. I have fished them

at 120 yards and Terry Edmonds hast cast them over 170yards. Despite that long range capability, the action is through enough to hook and play fish in the margins. So a true multi range rods, and ideal for the mobile amongst you and maybe other things, wink! You must understand that this short rod and retractable butt concept of Kevin’s and solution for having to trek long distances might appear at first to be pricey. In fairness the quality of the carbon and fittings is very high and has been under the watchful eye of Kevin and Terry during development. For those who feel that they can’t afford or justify a Scope – Nash Tackle will be bringing out versions for the entry level carper, but like I said, don’t expect the performance of a Scope. The range consists of:9ft 2.75lb TC at £139.99, 9ft 3lb TC at £149.99 They are also bringing out 10ft Scopes for the more traditional who can’t get their head around a 9ft carp rod, after all, Dick Walkers MKIV was 10ft and they are priced at10ft 2.75lb TC - £149.99 and10ft 3.0lb TC - £158.99 respectively. Expect to see them in Nash stockist around the backend of December early January. www.nashtackle.com

new JAG products

JAG products have been producing some very trick metalware for us anglers over the past three years, and there can be no question their stainless steel products are very innovative, so its little wonder that you know from time to time the company is going to give us lucky people some nice little gems of tackle, which have been thought through, are not gimmicky and have a very purposeful job to play.

‘the palm saver’

‘the solution’

This will appeal to both tackle tart and serious angler alike; you know the score, sometimes getting those bank sticks in is just a chore, you end up sweating, cursing, and even hurting your hands, and then when you get them in you sit back and they are all crooked. Help is at hand in the form of the JAG ‘Palm Saver’ which comes in three guises, more of which later. Simply remove the inner of the bank stick drop in the appropriate ‘Palm Saver’, lock in position (although not totally necessary and then push in, the extra surface area making the job easier and also a lot less stressful on the palm of the hand, hence the neat name. You will see they have even gone to putting a small spirit bubble in (the images are the prototypes the production models won’t have the cir-clips, making them even neater), this enables you to not only get your sticks in easier, but also ensures they line up nice and straight like guards on duty! There are three types of ‘Palm Saver’, one specifically for the gravel eater, a grey anodised hardened version for the Prolite range and the stainless steel palm saver. You will notice the bores on the three types of sticks are all different, hence the reason for dedicated ‘Palm Savers’. They will retail at £8.99 each, and will be released along with ‘The Solution’ at the Detling Show in November. Two products that are worth getting in you tackle bag. www.jagproducts.co.uk

To compliment their hook sharpening range and developed in conjunction with that master angler and hook sharpener Jason Hayward they have designed ‘The Solution’. This at first would seem like any indelible pen, wrong and far from it, the liquid inside has been developed for a dual purpose, the first and primary use is where the coating has been removed from the hook during the sharpening process. When the hook is immersed in water this uncovered area will rust quite quickly, losing the sharpness of the hook. ‘The Solution’ is applied from the pen on a chisel shaped nib, and I suggest you start the covering further back from where the coating has been removed, and also on the underside of the hook. This really does reduce corrosion, and further more if you coat the entire hook reduces glare. Furthermore ‘The Solution’ is also really good for coating swivels, hook links, tubing and all rig components. The pens solution is fast drying, a fraction over a minute or so, and is totally fish friendly and safe to the aquatic environment, so fair play to them in that department as well. The pens come in packs of two black with gravel brown, and weedy green with silt brown, and retail at £8.99 per pack.

in the vault

The solution

marker pen

Making the most of your autumn shots

PHOTO shop With Mark Mann

there is nothing worse than photographing the fish of your dreams only to be disappointed by the outcome of the photos.

photo shop. mark mann

Keeping organised is essential to good photography.

Equipment: Autumn is upon us and the days are getting shorter and shorter. As I type this, we are being plunged into low light and total darkness conditions a lot quicker than a month or so ago, which can pose problems when taking photographs. The good news is though the kippas will be starting to feed a little heavier and so hopefully a few more carp will appear in front of the cameras! That’s all well and good but there is nothing worse than photographing the fish of your dreams only to be disappointed by the outcome of the photos. So I’m going to give you all a quick-step guide on how to get the very best out of your catch shots at this time

of year. If possible take two cameras (just in case one lets you down). Take plenty of spare batteries, for obvious reasons, an off camera flash unit, tripod, dust cloths and various lenses (assuming that you own a Dslr or Advanced Again if using a Dslr (Digital Single Lens Reflex) camera I will also bring with me a polarising filter, self-take remote and spare flash units which can be synchronised with the main flash on the camera to help aid lighting the subject in low light conditions. It’s an amazing skill to learn and a subject all of it’s own. If you want to learn more about flash photography then search the internet for; ‘strobist-photography’ and be prepared to be amazed!

Using the image grid is a great starting point to understanding composition. Here you can see where the image grid has helped to focus on the main points of the subject.

composition and camera settings Composition: Composition simply means positioning the subject in such a way that the image is well balanced. Taking your time to get the composition and location right is essential if your images are to stand out. Some cameras have the facility to have a visual grid on the view finder. When using this grid (it looks a little like a see through noughts and crossâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s game) a good starting point is to focus the

main points of the subject where the grid crosses over. In time you will be able to visualise the grid in your head and be able to compose the shot without the aid of the grid. Camera Settings: Even the most basic of cameras with will have more than one shooting-mode. If you are using a compact camera you may be greatly limited by the options that you have available to you, but not all is lost. Get the manual out and have a good read. This will fully explain what setting/s do what. Then itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s simply a case

Iphoto shop. mark mann Always read the manual it might be a bore but what you learn from it is invaluable!

Here you can see the f number and ISO as well as the setting.

of getting out there and trying them. The more varied situations that you shoot in, the more you will understand what settings work and in what conditions. Compacts and more recently smart phones are ok but in truth they are rarely up to the job. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re serious about taking some great shots, I would look to invest in an Advanced Camera or if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re really serious a Dslr. If you own a Dslr or an Advanced Camera then the world of photography literally is in

The various modes on a Dslr and Advanced camera.

your hands. No two cameras are the same (on the face of it) but all offer lots of different settings that potentially do the same thing. I cannot cover all of these here, but as I said earlier get the manual out and have a good read. Once you can navigate around the camera with ease everything else will start to fall into place. If you are new to photography then start shooting in Auto-mode (generally identified by a green box or symbol), and in as many different situations as possible. For future reference make a point of recording or remembering the settings the camera has selected during the different shooting situations. In Auto-mode the camera makes all the decisions for you and more often than not will produce far from perfect images, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good starting point! The choice of lens will also affect the final outcome. Personally I prefer a fixed 50mm prime lens which gives you amazing control over the depth of field (how in focus the subject is compared to the back ground). The trade-off with a fixed lens is you have to move yourself and the camera to frame the image which is far from ideal in tight swims! If you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to spend out on another lens then the lens that came with your camera (often

a18-55mm) will give you good control on framing the image because you can zoom in and out. Having both in your armoury will give you the best of both worlds! Going Advanced: If you want a little more control over the final outcome of your image then you will need to start using the advanced settings on your Dslr or Advanced camera. Some of these options may still be available to you if you own a compact camera, so not all is lost. In general I use 3 settings to get a great shot at this time of year AV (Aperture Priority), TV (Time Value) and P (Program) AV (Aperture Priority) Without question my most used setting. This setting gives you a massive amount of control where you can adjust the depth of field, Exposure and the ISO, in fact the only assessment the camera will make is the speed of the shutter. In this mode you are able to control the depth of field which is perfect when shooting trophy shots. This is altered by turning the dial/wheel, normally found near the shutter button, from left to right. As you turn the wheel to the left you will notice on the

If you are new to photography then start shooting in Auto-mode... 56

The wheel normally located near the cameras shutter button.

photo shop. mark mann

Depth of field With a low f number images like this can be achieved notice the sharpness in the eye as the rest of the subject falls off into a blur.

pin sharp

Out of focus 57

With a low f number the aperture is a lot bigger allowing for more light and greater depth of field. The higher the f number the narrower the aperture allowing for more detail and a greater depth of field.

Sun seeker is great for predicting where is best to take the shot. display that the ‘f ’ number will change. The more you turn the dial/wheel to the left the larger the aperture becomes and so therefore more light is let into the camera. You will also notice that the shutter speed will have increased allowing for a shallower depth of field.

photo shop. mark mann

It really is trial and error from one camera to the next. A good starting point is to set the shutter speed at 1/60 and an ISO of 400 to take the shot.

or adding more light with the use of a flash, which I’ll explain a little later. As a general rule; if the shutter speed goes below 1/125 sec you will need to use a tripod as hand shake will have a major factor.

TV (Time Value) This setting has almost the same features as The lower the setting the more the subject AV mode only this time you can change the will blur. Obviously how low the ‘f ’ number shutter speed by turning the dial, and the will go will depend on the lens that you are aperture will automatically adjust. Generally using, but in general a good starting point is used as a sports mode but I have found that f4-f6. This normally keeps the subject in good in low light conditions or total darkness focus but still throws the back ground out of when you are forcing the camera to take a focus. quick exposure this method will obtain a very reasonable outcome (where the subject is in Should you want to keep more detail in the focus). In low light or pitch dark any other back ground then simply move the wheel to mode does not come close to achieving the the right and you will notice the ‘f ’ number same results. increase and in turn a reduction in the size of the aperture (letting less light in to the It really is trial and error from one camera camera). to the next. A good starting point is to set the shutter speed at 1/60 and an ISO However there is a trade off. If you want more of 400 to take the shot. If the image is still detail in your image then the camera will take longer to record the image (because of the smaller lens aperture) and camera shake can come into play. We can overcome this by upping the ISO setting, using a tripod

underexposed then lower the cameras shutter speed and increase the ISO (keep as low as you can to avoid image grain). The use of a flash is paramount and if using a Dslr or Advanced Camera consider increasing the flash’s power with the flash compensation setting (Best to look up the function in the manual). If you are using a compact camera it could be beneficial to try out the sports mode at night! The only control over the power of the flash with a compact is how close you get to the subject. The closer you are the more the flash light will cover the subject, so it’s a matter of getting a balance of a good exposure at the right distance.

I tend to keep snapping rapidly at the subject using the flash light to help compose the shot. I can then adjust my position or zoom in or out to get the best frame. P (Program): If you’re not quite ready for the above modes but still want to venture away from the boring “Auto” mode then Program mode is a great setting to start with.

Too high an ISO and image grain will creep in.

You could use a torch to illuminate the subject but this will greatly reduce the image quality. To get a good frame in total darkness With an aperture of f4 the subject is in focus with a nice depth of field.

Back ground distractions epic fail!!!

In this mode you can turn the wheel from left to right and the camera will automatically change the ‘f ’ number and camera speed to obtain the correct exposure given how much light is on the subject. Where you will have control is the ISO setting as well as the decision to use flash or not. ISO’s: So you may be asking what an ISO is! An ISO is the cameras ability to change how sensitive it’s onboard sensor is to light. When you take an image there are times that the advanced settings alone will not be able to record this detail due to the lack of light. How we overcome this is to change the ISO so that the camera becomes more sensitive to light and in turn allows you to get a better exposure. You can normally change the ISO by pressing a button on the cameras body and by turning the wheel left or right will determine the final outcome. When changing

photo shop. mark mann

TV mode is great for a fast exposure with great results! Program mode is great if you want to move away from “Auto”. Matching the ISO to the light conditions will make a massive difference.

the ISO always look to use the lowest setting possible by doing so you will keep the image sharp. The range of the ISO on your camera will vary from one model to the next. What you do need to be aware of is the higher the ISO the more the camera has to work to obtain a good exposure and in turn you will notice image grain (a rough looking image) creeping in which is far from ideal! As a rough guide on a sunny or very bright day keep the ISO as low as possible (100200). In moody or overcast days up the ISO setting to anything from 400-800. Anything higher than this and you will run the risk of introducing image grain and so lose image quality. Most new Dslr’s and Advanced cameras have a huge range and only the keenest eye will notice the difference when using a high ISO.

Using a flash: At this time of year you will be up against in terms of low light levels so the use of a flash is a must to gain any reasonable exposure. Even during the day use of the cameras built in flash or a separate flash unit can help to fill in shadows that have been cast on to the subject. Using the flash will also help to reduce/eliminate shadows caused by baseball caps etc… which is handy given the amount of anglers that wear this type of headgear.

The use of a tripod, in my opinion, is also necessary even if there is someone on hand because the camera will struggle to gain exposure. If the camera is hand-held there is every chance that you will suffer from blurred images caused by hand shake as the camera’s shutter needs to be open for longer to gain the correct exposure. By all means still get somebody to press the shutter but at least this way you can avoid a blurred image. Taking the Shot: Even before you have to take the shot you need to decide where will be the best place to gain the maximum effect. I like to keep the background clean and simple. Wherever possible I try to get some texture into the background which is relevant to the time of year; autumn has so many golden colours. I try to utilise bushes and such like as a backdrop. Their vibrant colours will improve the image no end and actually give you a visual reference of when the fish was caught.

Always be aware of any back ground distractions. I have lost count of the times where a shot would of been perfect if it hadn’t been ruined by the addition of a bivvie, rods or even people in the back ground. Keep an eye on where the sun rises and sets. What was the perfect place to take a photograph only a few hours ago will totally

A simple background often pays off. change as the sun changes position. A good App that I use is Sun Seeker. The App shows you the line in which the sun travels and where the most light will be throughout the day. Remember; the more light that there is, the better the image (potentially!). Good Luck and be lucky Mark Mann

Set the f number too high and there is a strong chance of camera shake!

photo shop. mark mann

The use of a tripod, in my opinion, is also necessary even if there is someone on hand because the camera will struggle to gain exposure.

off the shelf

JAG SNAG EARS JAG Stainless and Prolite Range of Snag Ears. I admit to first seeing these in a press release I received for Jason Hayward, and really didn’t take much notice after that until Dave brought them to my attention as he had acquired a set for his Neville’s. These were designed by Dean at JAGs specifically for Neville alarms. They are very light, even though made from stainless steel and fit directly to the back cover of the Neville with screws (supplied), rather than the buzzer thread. The clever bit is that the screw in ears are removable, (in their own small tube),

making storage of the alarm easier, and also allowing you to choose when you want the ears to be fitted. JAG have now added the Snag ears to the Prolite range to compliment the range, as you can imagine these are lighter and finished in a nice anodised Prolite grey. The Neville can be fitted with either a single or double snag ears depending on the fishing styles. I must say this is one of the best thought out pieces of kit I have seen in ages, and I guess gear that is synonymous with all JAG products. RRP is £15.99 for the stainless and £15.99 for Prolite per pair. Visit www. jagproducts.co.uk

off the shelf

KORDA textured LEADS

Twenty years after Danny Fairbrass started Korda selling leads that he’d made himself, they have released a new range of leads with a camou, textured coating. The coating has been developed due to massive demand for our famous leads with a textured coating. So, what are the advantages of a textured lead? Well, the coating is matt, so it simply won’t reflect light in the same way as a conventionally coated lead. The textured finish will pick up sediment from the lake bed, adding to the overall subtle effect. In

fact, these leads get better and better with use! The characteristics that allow the leads to take on sediment will also allow the leads to absorb flavours, glugs or dips. Leaving a few leads to soak in Goo is sure to add an extra dimension of attraction. The leads that are currently available with the coating are Flat Swivel Pears, Inline Flat Pears and Distance Casting shapes in 2oz, 2.5oz, 3oz and 3.5oz. £1.35 per lead.

John Elmer ss range

Scattered Baits SS Range ‘Sutton Specials’ The SS Range was a bait that John Elmer put together way back in the early 90’s, especially formulated for the late Autumn and Winter months. When putting this bait together at the bottom of his Mum and Dad’s garden in their garden shed, he knew he was immediately on to a winner. Not only is it based around milk proteins, but the powder additives that John had added totally rounded off the fruit flavor that was used in conjunction with the final base mix. John pointed out to me that the milks have been added at a level that the fish will

keep coming back for more, as he found out during his time at the notoriously difficult Sutton lakes. The flavour, although I’m not going to name it, is in my eyes is one of the best winter flavors I have ever used and it is little wonder that John shares the same view by incorporating it into the Sutton Special range. Your typical winter flavour that is not too over powering, together with the subtle orange coloring is a perfect match. So please feel free to check out Scattered Bait’s website at www.scatteredbaits.co.uk where you will find a very exciting and refreshing e-catalogue detailing all his products or call John on 07740306514 he’s a great bloke to talk with, has years of experience with bait and of catching some of the most pressurized fish in England.

Now I don’t mind admitting I have a bit of a soft spot for the lads at Thinking Anglers, why because they are both very nice guys with an enormous wealth of knowledge about angling who are prepared to help along the way. I think their gear is well thought out and this little fella, the single stove bag is no exception. I know I have reviewed it once before, but felt it needed to be brought to your attention, particularly as the weather out there means that keeping the gas bottle a little warmer helps speed up the business of having a brew ! The insulated pouch with a draw cord skirt makes a difference in this weather, but also doubles up as a level of camo to the shiny gas cartridge in the summer months. The material they have used means this little bag will last for ever, and a nice tough base. I know you will think I am totally mad at the last thing I am going to rave on about, but it’s the tea spoon holder, simply brilliant!!!! Priced at £9.99, it’s worth every brew it will make for you. www.thingkinganglers.co.uk

off the shelf

thinking Anglers Single Stove Bag.

ESP’s Packaway Jacket and Trousers

ESP’s Packaway Jacket and Trousers. How many times have you got caught out in an unexpected downpour whilst pushing your barrow around the pond, or whilst just having a look around before setting up? Ok I know you should have your waterproofs close to hand, yes well that normally means undoing the barrow straps and then getting them out wherever they have been stored, which invariably means by the time you have found them you’re soaked and anyway I don’t want to push my gear around in heavy waterproofs. The ESP Packaway jacket and

trousers is perfect, takes up no room in its own small stuff sack, and I store mine in a small pannier which houses my barrow cover so the slightest suggestion of rain they are immediately to hand, meaning I don’t get wet! Totally waterproof, they are a nice green, and do the job perfectly! Being lightweight and easy to get on they are also just the job to have inside the bivvy, I invested in a size larger so I could slip them over my down jacket in the winter rather than spending a fortune on another Gore-Tex jacket. Priced at £29.95 you just can’t go wrong. www.espcarpgear.com

off the shelf Gardner Tackle Critical Mass Rig Putty. Critical mass is slightly different to many of the other tungsten putty’s on the angling market in as much as it has a degree of inherent ‘tackiness’ to its consistency, making it grip better to hook link materials. To me this is very important; you don’t want the pin down putty dropping moving, or at worst flying off during a big cast! It is very malleable, making it also ideal for critically balancing and fine tuning critically balanced presentations, and or for applying around small swivels on hinged stiff rigs for example. The GT critical mass is certainly one of the

heaviest putty’s on the market, which is again another bonus as you use less, and it just makes everything so much neater with the presentation. Even in cold weather the putty is still very user friendly. The putty is now available in three colours, which can also be blended together to produce slightly different colour patterns, which can be blended together. Colours available are: Brown, Green and Grey. Supplied in a very useful little box, it retails at £6.99. Available from all Gardner Tackle outlets, or visit their website for further info www.gardnertackle.co.uk

ESP’s leadcore beads I was immediately impressed by these beads which are specifically designed for use with E-S-P’s leadcore and the helicopter rig set ups. The beads have been cleverly produced on a neat and handy frame, so no fiddling about with loose beads in the tackle box. These beads are 5.5mm in diameter and come in two bore sizes, large and small, the large bore fitting perfectly over the 0.5mm silicone tubing (supplied with the kit), which is used as the top bead on the leadcore leader. In the event of a crack off the large bead slips

easily over the silicone, making it one of the safest rigs about. The smaller size has a soft membrane which is easily pierced using a small baiting needle making it ideal for the lower bead allowing you to position it away from the lead due to the snug, yet safe fit on the leadcore, and thus protecting the hook boom or the ESP chod rig sleeve Available in three different colours (brown, green and silt) each frame contains twenty beads and retails at a mere £2.10 for one of the best sets of rig components off the shelf. Visit www.esp-carpgear.com for further information.

CARP BIOLOGYLIFTING THE LID

By LEON FISHER

Mortality rate Growth Biomass

PART 6 - THE PRODUCTION PROCESS

By optimising the conditions for the fish and feeding them a commercial diet, the fish can grow at a much faster rate compared to the more traditional farming methods. However...

hope this month finds you all in good spirits and managing to wet a line and making the most of the autumnal weather. For this final piece I will concentrate on the real meat and potatoes of carp farming. The on-growing stages, and how we get our newly stocked tiny fry through their journey to becoming the giants of the future - well some of them at least!

through certain parts of that process. Full process farms undertake every stage from spawning fish right through to specimen fish production, whereas other farms may only produce one year or two year class fish.

Full process farms may buy fish in as fry as opposed to breeding them on site. This decision will rely on a number of factors; the most limiting probably being space. As the fish grow they will require larger and larger In last monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s issue we discussed the early stages of production, and taking our tiny eggs ponds in which to live in, so if a million fry are produced with a survival rate of 90% through hatching to their eventual release (which would be a conservative estimate!) into ready prepared ponds. Now that the how much space will then be required to hold fry are settled into their new homes and are and grow on 900,000 carp fry? readily feeding on all the little rotifers and copepods that have been cultivated for them, Second year fish would be expected to be do we just step back and let nature take its course and net out what is left next year? Well around the five pound mark, so how many lakes are then required for 810,000 fish of that we can do, but like most things the eventual harvest will be that much larger both in terms size (I have allowed for a further ten per cent mortality rate, which again is a conservative of numbers and in weight with a little bit of estimate); the answer is considerable. If space careful management. is at a premium then modern technology is When farming carp, and many other species utilised in the form of high-tech recirculation systems. of fish for that matter, a decision must be made as to whether the fish will be farmed Recirculation systems are designed to keep through the whole process, or just farmed water usage down to a minimum and also

CARP BIOLOGY. LeON FISHER

In addition they have not been exposed to any diseases, pathogenic or bacteria...

to maximise water quality which allows the farmer to stock fish at a greatly increased stocking density. These systems make the best use of space, but are extremely expensive to set up especially when compared with earthen ponds. By optimising the conditions for the fish and feeding them a commercial diet, the fish can grow at a much faster rate compared to the more traditional farming methods. However there is some conjecture that fish reared in recirculation systems are not as hardy and suitable for stocking into waters where they will be fished for.

I will explain. Once the fish leave these systems, which are often heated to higher temperatures than found in normal UK conditions, their metabolism slows as does their growth rates. In addition they have not been exposed to any diseases, pathogenic or bacterial, and these fish are often very susceptible to infection. Most carp farmers who are producing fish for the re-stocking market will favour more traditional ponds to rear their fish in. But it is not as simple as

In terms of building ponds the easiest and probably the best design is “cut and fill”. finding a body of water and tossing the fish in and then hoping for the best, although this does happen! As we touched on last month; pond preparation is crucial and ponds should be drained every year, usually to coincide with harvest, and then properly limed to remove any unwanted nasty’s. Before they are re-filled they should also be primed with manure so the little fry have lots of lovely critters to eat. Pond construction is also vital and it is not simply a matter of utilising an existing water body or just digging a random hole in the ground, although again many carp have been produced from both of these methods. Mud ponds need to be constructed with a few key principals in mind; they need a water source or inlet, a dam to retain the water and drainage ditches to allow water to leave the pond effectively towards an outlet such as a monk. It should be noted at this point that ponds that do not drain should be avoided like the plague, because a bug and predator free environment cannot be guaranteed. In terms of building ponds the easiest and probably the best design is “cut and fill”. This design will fully utilise the slope of the land that has been cut into the slope and the dam at the bottom end. By building a pond this way an outlet can be placed at the dam end with a drainage ditch

below the dam, thus using gravity to drain the ponds more effectively. A herring bone design can also be built into the bottom of the pond to further aid drainage towards the monk or stand-pipe. Pond depth is also important because the sun needs to warm the body of water up quickly to maximise the growing season. So what about location; can you just build a pond anywhere? The short answer is no! Even if you remove the difficulties of planning permission and abstraction licenses then you still have to have the right levels of clay content in the soil. If you don’t the freshly dug pond will just remain a hole in the ground as water won’t hold and just end up draining away. To find out if a pond will hold water a “donut” test will need to be carried out. To do this a soil sample is gained (preferably not top soil). It is then formed it into a donut. If it holds in this shape it is likely that the soil has enough clay content to hold water. This all may sound a relatively simple thing to do, but there is one final thing that has to be taken into consideration and that is the market place itself. The UK carp market is a very crowded place and current operators all have a hard won and carefully thought out part of that market. Do you want to produce lots and lots of one summer fish (C1’s) maybe for re-stocking match waters, or go the other way and grow much larger C3, C4 or even C5 fish for the specimen market. Each have their plus and minus points. Both

CARP BIOLOGY. LeON FISHER

Figure 1. cross section of a monk. Figure 2 cross section of a typical “cut and fill” design pond.

markets already have operators that have vast experience and very good reputations, so competition is fierce. Growing C1’s and C2’s will have a lower unit value item but you will sell in larger numbers (volume sales). There is also less risk than growing larger fish over a longer period of time. Although growing larger fish may ultimately be of more value, the risks can be far greater. The amount of food consumed and the time spent in the process of getting them to the chosen market size could all go to waste, because at any time one or all of those fish could go belly-up on you! So although farming fish may seem a nice way to earn a living it is a very difficult and

tricky craft, which takes up an enormous amount of your time and is very tiring. But having said that it is ultimately very, very rewarding. Right well that’s it from me for a while, I hope you have enjoyed reading my musings over the last few issues, may the carp gods be kind to you. Leon Fisher.