Total carp october 2014 uk

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THE UK’S BIGGEST-SELLING CARP FISHING MAGAZINE October 2014 £4.50

REVEALED: CATCH CARP ON JUST £10 WORTH OF BAIT

Ali Hamidi reveals his balanced-bait secrets to help you catch more!

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IAN RUSSELL AND DAVE LEVY SHARE THEIR SHORT-SESSION TACTICS

DARRELL PECK IAN CHILLCOTT DAVE LANE TOM MAKER ALAN BLAIR CRAIG MORTIMER MARK PITCHERS... THE BEST LINE-UP IN CARP FISHING! OFC_TC_10_Cover.indd 1

10/09/2014 15:39

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14/08/2014 16:33

October Welcome

Welcome OCTOBER 2014

H

ow is it October already?

Summer, which we were extremely fortunate with in terms of weather, seems to be a fading memory but it’s not necessarily all doom and gloom.

We’re in quite possibly the best period of the year in terms of carp fishing as the combination of cooling temperatures, a successful summer and the impending fallow seasons sees carp very often in the mood for getting on the munch. Fish weights are normally near their peaks too, so it really can be an exceptional time to go carp fishing.

On my last trip to my local lake, a few members and I discussed the otter problem because we’d lost one or two carp to a local pair earlier in the year.The thing is with otters, once they’ve visited your lake they are bound to return, sometimes relatively quickly, or it can be some time later, largely

depending on the abundance of food in the local area. So we know that the problem is not going away.

There still seems to be a general apathy towards the otter issue and, I have to hold my hand up here, I’ve been as guilty as many on that. Very often, until something affects you directly, it’s easy to assume that you are immune to the problem.

Well, the otter issue is now directly affecting me and the lake that I fish. Indeed, Warwickshire, where I live, is overrun with the damn things.

The worrying thing is, contrary to what you may have read recently in other publications, the introduction of otters into the wild is not illegal and we could be faced with a growing tide of these ruthless predators for a long time to come.They’re certainly not going away, so we need to act, and quickly.

This brings me on to Danny Fairbrass’ new venture, Embryo, which has been set up to offer advice, guidance and even manpower and finance to venues around the country in a bid to protect their fisheries from this plague.

I doff my cap to Danny and everybody involved because, while the rest of us have talked the talk, they have grasped the nettle and very much walked the walk.

This magazine has been slow in adding its weight to the movement to try and address the otter issue, but now that we have a valid organisation to try and assist, I’m determined that we do all we can.

Previously, I have felt the emphasis has been on trying to put political pressure on the government for action to prevent otters from being released; indeed, some are even clamouring to try and put political pressure on for some sort of cull.

That is insane and is quite simply never going to happen.

The cuddly little otter is basically one of the most protected species in the country, or maybe even the world, so I have always maintained that the emphasis has to be on fishery protection. It’s the only way that we can have any impact on the potential destruction.

Now that Embryo has been born, and with this precise intention of helping fisheries, I feel that there is finally a movement to get behind.

EDITORIAL Editor Marc Coulson E-mail marccoulson@dhpub.co.uk Editorial Assistants Max Hendry and Dan Murrell E-mail max.hendry@dhpub.co.uk E-mail dan.murrell@dhpub.co.uk Sub Editor Lee Jones Creative Director Mark Grafton Layout & Design Katie Griffiths Production Manager Paul Evans Ad Design Supervisor Stephen Jorgensen Ad Design Steph Horn

ADVERTISEMENT SALES Business Development Manager Justin Fox Mobile 07813 327966 Phone (01327) 315443 E-mail justin@dhpub.co.uk Production Supervisor Neil Brooks

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DAVID HALL PUBLISHING LTD Phone (01327) 311999 Fax (01327) 311190 Publisher David Hall Managing Director Sean O’Driscoll Operations Director Roger Mortimer Accounts, Administration and Correspondence to: 1 Whittle Close, Drayton Fields, Daventry, Northants NN11 8RQ Subscription & Back Issue Queries & Orders Phone +44 (0) 845 345 0253 E-mail subscriptions@dhpub.co.uk Unit 8, Earlstrees Court, Earlstrees Road, Corby NN17 4AX Subscriptions: UK & Eire £54; Europe £57; Rest of the World £65 Based on 12 issues and includes mailing Back Issues: UK £5; Europe £5.50; Rest of the World £6 Only previous 12 months are stocked

TotalCarp

Subscriptions Manager Louise Dalmedo E-mail louise.dalmedo@dhpub. co.uk Printed By: Southernprint (01202) 622226 Distribution By: Seymour Distribution Ltd 020 7429 4000

EDITOR’S PICK

Exploding The Myths, p54

Advertisements: The advertisements and editorial content published in this magazine are the sole property of the publisher and may not be copied or reproduced without prior permission of the publisher.

ISSN 1467–7938

If there’s one thing I hate about carp fishing, it’s when individuals take it upon themselves to judge other anglers for what they catch or where they catch it from. It is, at best, arrogant and, at worst, stinks of hypocritical idiocy.These people, with their self-righteous ‘keep it real’ attitude should check their carp fishing history and then accept that the carp is not a truly indigenous species, they were all imported at some stage in their lineage. Anway, Dave Lane agrees and, this month puts across a much more succinct argument than me. Aaarrggh!

DAN MURRELL

MAX HENDRY

KATIE GRIFFITHS

JUSTIN FOX

Our big-pit specialist, Dan is targeting a 250-acre gravel pit somewhere in the Home Counties!

Day-ticket waters and his local canal regularly get Max’s attention because he prefers getting bites.

Our designer, Katie, is the person responsible for making all our pages look so great.

Foxy is the man to call if you want to advertise in the UK’s biggest-selling carp fishing magazine.

TOTAL CARP 05

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10/09/2014 08:59

S PY-KNIT JUMPER AND COOL, CAR CLOTHING SETS com azine. www.totalcarpmag

ING ELLING CARP FISH THE UK’S BIGGEST-S October 2014 £4.50

MAGAZINE : REVEALED CATCH CARP ON JUST £10 WORTH OF BAIT

42 Anatomy Of A Carp Rig

42

There are loads of rigs out there these days and certainly no shortage of stuff written about the various presentations, but this month we dissect a simple yet devastatingly effective one that Craig Mortimer uses to catch carp of all sizes.

ls his Ali Hamidi revea ts to balanced-bait secre more! help you catch

LEADS AZINE.COM WWW.TOTALCARPMAG

ON A DHP PUBLICATI

E DAVE LEVY SHAR IAN RUSSELL AND T-SESSION TACTICS THEIR SHOR

BLAIR MAKER ALAN DAVE LANE TOM CARP FISHING! IAN CHILLCOTT BEST LINE-UP IN DARRELL PECKTIMER MARK PITCHERS... THE CRAIG MOR

66 In Session – Ian Russell If you’re anything like us then this time of year will probably see you fishing shorter sessions. With this in mind we’ve asked Ian to show us how he approaches a day-only trip, and on a venue he’s never fished before.

73 How The Champs Was Won The Eric’s Carp Championship is the biggest prize in match-carp fishing and this year’s victors, Harry Charrington and Alexei Bygrave, walked away with a cool £30,000. We met up with them after the match to look at their winning tactics.

164 Chilly’s Carp Diary We all fall out of love with carp fishing now and then, for whatever reason.

Even some of the big names do, as Ian Chillcott has of late. However, after a week or two of excellent action, his fire has been well and truly relit.

78

54

06 TOTAL CARP

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October Contents

24

98

10 Stuff!

24 Against The Clock – Dave Levy

103 Carp Scene

30 Weekender

161 TC Tackle Awards 2014

14 Balancing The Odds Front cover star Ali Hamidi extols the virtues of balancing hook baits, and shows you how.

Tom Maker faces up to a weedy Farlows Lake where his tactics come good in the end.

62 Bait Talk How a bright bait, either alone or over freebies, can give your fishing an added edge.

176 Have Your Say

38 A Month In Carp Fishing

178 The Last Word – Len Gurd

40 Another Month In Carp Fishing 110 Alan Blair’s Chod Evolution 48 Running-Rig Secrets

118 Venue Files

54 Exploding The Myths

126 Stuff I Used To Do…

135 The Gear Pages

The hugely experienced Dave Lane discusses the merits of each individual carp capture.

Our favourite pages of all, packed with new bait and tackle, including some first-look UK exclusives.There’s also Used & Abused where we long-term test a range of gear, as well as our unique Reader Reviews.

78 The Twenties Challenge

147

86 Day-Ticket Tactics How one-bite tactics, while others are piling bait in, work wonders for Lewis Clayton.

126

90 Improve Your Carp Fishing The hugely talented Darrell Peck revisits an old haunt and bags one of its sought-after fish.

98 Catch Carp On A Tenner

128 Ask The Experts Four pages dedicated to helping you solve your carp fishing conundrums.

174

Tip Of The Month

20 £535 Jack Pyke Jumpers 122 £940 Kodex S - 5000 Clothing

20

Log on to www.totalcarpmagazine.com for loads of chances to win fabulous prizes. There are big monthly giveaways as well as exclusive weekly top tackle and bait prizes that must be won.

www.totalcarpmagazine.com TOTAL CARP 07

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12/09/2014 13:42

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16:24

Here’s a roundup of all the best bits that we couldn’t find room for anywhere else this month…

CarpBait-FoodForThought If you’re looking for the ideal Christmas present (jeez, it’s that time of year already) then I’d recommend you check out the latest bookazine from the DHP stable, called Carp Bait – Food For Thought.

It’s a compilation of some of the best bait-related features from this magazine and sister publication Advanced Carp Fishing and has been compiled by that title’s editor,Tim Hodges.

Tim knows more than a thing or two about bait and he has selected some extremely interesting stuff

Sneak previews of 2015 gear This month is traditionally when the major manufacturers show off their new product ranges for the following year and we’ve got a packed diary of trade and press shows in the weeks ahead.

With visits to the likes of Shimano, Fox, Nash, Daiwa, Avid Carp, Wychwood and Pure Fishing, we can’t wait to check out what shiny new gear we can all look forward to seeing in 2015.

We’ll be reporting back to you in the pages of TC as well as up-to-the-minute coverage on Facebook and Twitter, so be sure to follow us for some exclusive glimpses at what’s to come.

from the likes of Danny Fairbrass, Dave Lane, Ian Chillcott, Nick Helleur, Adam Penning and Ian Russell.

With everything from boilies to naturals covered, there’s definitely something in here for everybody, no matter what level your carp fishing is at.

Carp Bait – Food For Thought is available from WHSmith and direct by logging on to www. shopatdhp.com or calling 0800 997 8714, and costs just £9.99.

Check this out

10 years ago this month Eric Prydz reached number one in the charts with club sensation ‘Call On Me’. Not only was it a catchy song but from what we remember the video was a little raunchy too.

Derek ‘The Don’ Ritchie starred on the cover with TC reader Mark Wakelin, as they bagged 26 fish on a 24-hour session to Linear Brasenose Lake. A young Adam Penning demonstrated the techniques required for fishing at long range, while we checked out 14 of the best carp unhooking mats and gave away £1,800 worth of the top Shimano reels, a £5,000 setup courtesy of Fox!

5 years ago this month Rio De Janeiro was selected to host the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics. After our fantastic performance on home ground, let’s hope we can keep it up over there.

Ian Russell posed on the cover of our 10th Anniversary issue holding up a mid-twenty common that was caught on his Troubleshooter series, where he demonstrated the importance of baiting correctly. Also featured were our 100 greatest ever tips from the previous decade of magazines, which proved extremely popular indeed.

1 year ago this month The last time the minimum wage was increased. Although it wasn’t a huge rise, every penny counts when you’re looking at spending your hard-earned cash in the tackle shop.

Lee Morris made the cover with a common carp at just under 20lb while demonstrating the devastating pulling power of his unique, spicy-hot tiger nuts.The issue also featured Ian Russell on why pellets are one of the best carp baits of all time, and renowned big-carp catcher Jim Shelley held up the awesome 47lb Tiger Fish in his monthly diary.

PR companies contact me on a regular basis, mostly with stuff that’s completely useless to carp anglers!

However, when I was asked to take a look at Sugru I was immediately interested.

Having now had some samples through, I can honestly say that it’s a revelation.

Basically, it’s like a putty, which can be formed into pretty much any shape before it sets into whatever you’ve made it into. I can’t do it justice as to just how good and versatile it is in a few words – the list of uses is literally endless.There’s an excellent film on the website www.sugru.com that is well worth a look at.Trust me, this stuff is brilliant!

10 TOTAL CARP

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Our August issue carried a review of Dynamite’s brilliant Red Amo baits, which have impressed all of the TC team and which I have Used & Abused on page 143.The review was glowing, as you’d expect from this impressive bait, but then we went and spoilt it by printing the incorrect price and contact details.They should have read £9.99 per kilo and www.dynamitebaits.com. Sincere apologies for the mistake. Some asses have been suitably kicked!

Look,I won!

Pictured here is Camm Parkes, who won one of our recent giveaways on the Total Carp Facebook page. Camm, from Stoke-on-Trent, entered via the page and soon afterwards discovered that he’d been drawn as the winner of a selection of Infinity kit from Daiwa.

Follow us on Facebook (facebook.com/total carp official) and you could be in with a chance of winning in our weekly and monthly draws.

Log on to the TC website www.totalcarpmagazine.com for the chance to win some great prizes in our free-to-enter weekly competitions. Here’s what’s on offer and when...

SEPTEMBER 26TH TO OCTOBER 2ND Star-Flite Dinky Buzz Bars

Spot the van I loved these pictures of Jack Pyke’s rewrapped wagon and it gave me an idea for a little competition.The truck, which has been finished in Jack Pyke’s new Wildlands camou by the team at Graffit in Bedford (01234 854577), made an immediate impression here at TC towers.

Keep an eye out for it when out on your travels and send me a photograph (marccoulson@dhpub.co.uk) along with details of where you saw it. We’ll select a few of the best ones through autumn and winter and give the sender a product from the extensive Jack Pyke range.

OCTOBER 3RD TO OCTOBER 9TH

Dinsmores Critical Balance Shots

OCTOBER 10TH TO OCTOBER 16TH Solar Serrated Braid Scissors

Tutorial result Martyn Harvey was a very happy chappy when out on a tutorial with Hinders supremo Bryan Jarrett, accounting for six carp from Chad Lakes, including two thirties and a new PB at 35lb 8oz. Bryan also got in on the act by catching The Red Fish at 41lb. All were caught using a mixture of Hinders pellets and particles alongside Mainline Hybrid boilies. Hook baits were tiger nuts soaked in Hinders’ Betalin & Black!

OCTOBER 17TH TO OCTOBER 23RD Clear Repair Gorilla Tape

What a Krilliant result!

OCTOBER 24TH TO OCTOBER 30TH

My good friend Adrian ‘Rodders’ Priest had a right result recently with the capture of cracking 37lb common (see the pictures at www.totalcarpmagazine.com) from Stanwick’s Roman Lake.

The pipefitter, from Rugby, was a few weeks into a new fieldtesting role with Sticky and used the company’s Krill Pink Ones pop-ups over Krill boilies and mixed particles to tempt the common and a 25lb 8oz mirror on the same trip.

I used to fish at Grenville with Adrian and he struggled a little over there, usually relegated to photographer while I held a few 30-pounders aloft, but I’m chuffed to see that he’s doing well on the historic venue.You see what a difference a decent bait can do for you mate!

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14 TOTAL CARP

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10/09/2014 09:01

Balancing The Odds

PART ONE: Thinking Tackle front man and Korda marketing guru ALI HAMIDI reveals how critically balanced baits can give you an edge.

Thanks to Mainline’s new range of Balanced Wafters, it couldn’t be easier.

ANGLER FILE Ali Hamidi AGE: 32 OCCUPATION: Marketing guru, Korda!

UK PB: 46lb 4oz SPONSORS: Korda, Mainline Baits, Daiwa and Trakker

H

ook baits have always played a vital role within my fishing for carp. Yes, it sounds a bit of an obvious statement because you obviously need a hook bait to fish.

However, what I’m talking about here is specialised hook baits and the attention to detail that you can apply to these to gain extra bites.

Once you’ve done all the hard work of locating fish and finding features and suchlike, your hook bait is pretty much the final part of your approach.

If it doesn’t perform well and gain a carp’s interest, then it’s highly likely that your rig won’t even have the opportunity to be effective and all the

hard work that’s gone into creating a bite will often go to waste.

Having a busy job, my time on the bank is often short and therefore precious, so I definitely don’t want to let any such chances go astray. For this reason, I pay as much attention to my hook bait as I do to other crucial elements, such as strong line and a sharp hook.

Often, my enthusiasm with hook baits has led me to making my own ‘custom’ hook baits, things like Polaris pop-ups, where I utilised various flavour combos, and my favourite Cell cork-ball pop-ups with a tiny amount of brown colour. It’s the little tweaks I create to give myself an edge.

Balanced baits have always been the trickiest to roll because there is so little room for error. Food source liquids such as the Mainline Activators are a lot heavier than the high-attract Response and Profile Plus flavours, so every mix would take a lot of experimenting and time to get it just right. With my Leadcore wire helps . adjust the balance

aforementioned time constraints, you can imagine how pleased I was when the chaps at Mainline did all the hard work and released the Balanced Wafter range of hook baits!

It’s probably best that I start by explaining exactly what a Balanced Wafter is. Essentially, a wafter is a cross between a standard bottom bait and a pop-up. It will have some buoyancy, although not as much as a pop-up, but just enough to sit up off the bottom slightly on the hair with the level of buoyancy countered by the weight of the hook. This is a fantastic quality when boilie fishing because it means that your hook bait reacts to the investigation of feeding fish in a very similar way to your free offerings. It will ‘waft’ and behave on the bottom just like the free, ‘safe’ baits that are not attached to a rig and the weight or resistance that creates. Put a few boilies in the margin and gently waft your hand above them in the water and you’ll see what I mean. They will roll and lift from the bottom a little.

When your hook bait can also react in this way it’s obviously an advantage, especially when the carp of many fisheries are so pressured.

A long hook link wit h a Balanced Wafter covers most boilie fishing scenarios.

Keep the fish coming when you give extra attention to your hook baits.

TOTAL CARP 15

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Coupled with the fact that Balanced Wafters are available to match your favourite flavours, such as Cell, Hybrid and the High Impact boilie range, having a tub or two of these advanced hook baits to hand really is a nobrainer.

Containing that little bit of buoyancy, Balanced Wafters sink very slowly once the lead hits the deck but will also shoot up into the mouth of an inquisitive carp very quickly. These qualities can really help your rig presentation in some tricky situations and are a big part of why I like to include balanced baits within my approach.

The high level of presentation over light weed is simply awesome.

The quick-fire reactions of these ‘critically balanced’ wafters when approached by fish are perfect for my solid-PVA-bag fishing, something that I will cover in more detail in the second part of this feature.

Apart from the buoyancy aspect, you have the slow-sinking side of things, which is a major benefit to another big part of my carping – traditional boilie fishing.

Creating a spread of boilies with the catapult or throwing stick is an awesome tactic, which encourages the carp to move between baits as their confidence builds and guard lowers.

This is an approach that I may apply to a number of scenarios, be that fishing a silty, perhaps choddy, lake bed, or one of light weed, as well as hard, clean areas of gravel

or clay. The great thing about Balanced Wafters is that they lend themselves to all of these situations.

When I’m fishing over any type of bottom that could potentially engulf the hook bait, or where lake-bed debris is a concern, I want to ensure that my hook bait will sit above any of these potential hazards, even if the lead doesn’t. Combined with a long hook link, a critically balanced wafter can achieve this perfectly. With a PVA nugget wrapped around the hook, the hook link is initially held vertical as the lead hits the bottom. The nugget dissolves and the wafter very slowly sinks under the weight of the hook, straightening out the hook link and gently coming to rest on the lake bed.

The high level of presentation over light weed is simply awesome. What’s more, the same rig is just as good for clean or hard areas. On occasions I think that the carp can be put off by a pop-up a few inches off the deck. With the fish feeding tighter to the bottom, a hook bait similarly close to the deck can be a far better match. With little in the way of debris, my free baits will roll and move a little as the fish feed.

With the Balanced Wafter perhaps only sat a few millimetres over the hook, its appearance is exactly the same.

The fact that the wafter can sit above the hook is also another bonus benefit because it can hide the hook a little. We’ve seen time and time again on the Underwater DVDs how carp can approach a hook bait but suddenly spook and veer away at the last second. Have they seen the hook?

Always check the balance of your rig in the margin, before casting out.

Perhaps. All I know is anything that can help turning an aborted take into a bite has to be a good thing.

Although the principle of using a wafting hook bait could be termed as ‘advanced’, the rig used to present the bait certainly doesn’t need to be. In fact, the whole idea behind this range of baits is to

Match the size of your bait to the size of your hook, ensuring you get a perfectly balanced bait.

16 TOTAL CARP

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10/09/2014 09:01

Balancing The Odds provide anglers with the qualities and benefits of a balanced bait without any hassle. Simply take one out of the tub and thread it onto a standard hair rig.

As you can see, the long-hook-link rig that I’m using here is as simple as it gets, but don’t be fooled into thinking that some crucial elements of sound rig mechanics aren’t present. The N-Trap Semi-stiff coated braid has just enough memory to push the rig out but enough suppleness to follow the contours of the bottom. The Sinker ensures that the hook link is nicely pinned down and the Krank hook is the perfect match for a Balanced Wafter. The combination of hook baits and hooks, each purposely designed for maximum hooking potential within a simple knotless-knot rig, doesn’t get any better than that.

Okay, so the rig is simple and easy to tie and you only need to buy a tub or two of Mainline’s Balanced Wafters to fix yourself up with this deadly approach, but there are a few important points that you’ll still need to follow.

Firstly, Balanced Wafters are available in 12mm, 15mm and 18mm, which as a rule of thumb match size 8, 6 and 4 hooks respectively. The hook will lie flat on the bottom and the

Another victim falls to a balanced hook bait.

hook bait will sit up just slightly off the deck.

This is the case when I’m using the Korda range of hooks but the weight of hooks can differ between

STEP-BY-STEP Long Balanced Wafter Rig

1

All the components needed for Ali’s long balanced wafter rig.

4

Start with a conventional knotless knot until level with the hook point.

7

After threading on a Sinker, add a small blob of putty to the hook link.

2

Strip back 10cm of coating, tie an overhand loop and attach the bait.

5

Move the hair to an angle and add a further two turns to the knot.

8

As with any long rig, add an anti-tangle sleeve to the end of the hook link.

3

Set the length of the hair by holding the bait along the bend of the hook.

6

Take the hook link back through the eye to secure the knotless knot.

9

That’s it, a simple long balanced wafter rig ready to go.

manufacturers, so it’s really important that you always check the buoyancy of the hook bait by lowering the rig in the edge before casting out.

If the hook weight/wafter ratio is slightly out with your favoured hook, it’s not a problem because it’s dead easy to add a little tweak to get the balance just right. One good method that works well with longish hairs is to simply wrap a little wire taken from some leadcore around the hair just below the hook bait. Then check the buoyancy of the rig in the margin again. You may even find that it’s just as easy to go up a hook size, which is something that I’ll do if I really want the hook to be pinned down.

I may find myself fishing a number of different venue types and fishing situations from session to session – big-fish waters abroad, like Gigantica, to some of the prolific day-ticket lakes around the UK – but certain things will remain within my approach, no matter what. Routine procedures such as checking the sharpness of my hook or casting accurately, things that help me fish well and, above all, with confidence. After all, it doesn’t matter how easy or difficult a water may be, or whether I’m fishing for one bite or several, if there is anything that I can do to improve my chances it has to be included. These Mainline Balanced Wafters definitely fall into this category; an extra piece of confidence that, best of all, will bring you extra bites.

TOTAL CARP 17

p014-017_TC_10_BalBaits.indd 4

10/09/2014 09:01

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CARPY KNITS Embrace the winter months with one of these cosy jumpers. Enter now for your chance to win!

‘C

arpy knits’ have always had a place in carp fishing, whether only worn by a few cult anglers in the days when dedicated fishing clothing was nonexistent or at the forefront of the sport like today, when it is very much a fashion statement to look and be as carpy as you can on the bank.

We have teamed up with hunting and outdoor-clothing specialist Jack Pyke to bring a carpy jumper competition your way, and we have eight to give away.

Not only do these Countryman jumpers look the part but they are also perfect for protecting you from the elements this coming winter; with their waterproof and windproof membrane you’ll be as snug as a bug in a rug.

They are fully reversible, with one side constructed from a fine blend of wool and acrylic and the other 100 per cent polyester non-pile fleece.

These are sure to keep you cosy. Featuring a full-length zip and two zipped external and internal pockets, this jumper can accommodate all your

Q: NAME THE JUMPER WE’RE GIVING AWAY? A: Countryman B: Countrystyle C: Carpycountry

valuables while you’re out on the bank and keep them close to hand.

To really set the look off and stand out from the crowds, suede-style shoulder and elbow pads complement the Countryman jumper. Now that’s not only cult, or carpy, it’s old school.

EIGHT WINNERS EACH RECEIVE...

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HOW TO WIN...

Call the number, answer the multiple-choice question correctly then sit back and wait for us to contact you.

If yours is one of the names drawn at random by the TC computer, we’ll be in touch.

ENTER BY PHONE

0901 293 2304 Alternatively, you can enter by post to Jack Pyke Competition (October),Total Carp, DHP Ltd, 1 Whittle Close, Daventry, Northants NN11 8RQ. Terms and conditions: Calls are charged at £1.03 from a BT land line. Calls from other networks or mobiles may cost considerably more. Please obtain permission from whoever pays your phone bill. Competition phone lines will open at midday on September 22nd, 2014 and close at 11am on October 27th, 2014. Any calls before the start date, or after the closing date, will not enter you into this competition, but may enter you into a different one and you will still be charged for the call.

The editor’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

20 TOTAL CARP

P020-021_TC_10_JPyke Comp.indd 1

11/09/2014 16:37

£535 Jack Pyke Competition

CLOSING DATE: October 27th, 2014 TOTAL CARP 21

P020-021_TC_10_JPyke Comp.indd 2

11/09/2014 16:37

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CreteLakes_DPS_CC202_Pink.indd 1

08/05/2014 15:39

2014 Fully-Inclusive Coach Trips

Five beautiful lakes set in 130 acres

At Cretelakes we offer an inclusive package that includes travel by coach to and from the venue, plus a food package including a full English breakfast and evening meal followed by desserts, with full use of all facilities including showers that are open 24 hours a day. Early and late season prices are from as little as £450 so places are selling fast so book early to avoid disappointment, phone Debbie on 020 8302 6866 for full details.Meeting times are 1.00am at Reylon car park Dover where you will be briefed by a Cretelake bailiff prior to boarding the 3.30am ferry.

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Facilities Located in Fismes, France; the on-site facilities at Cretelakes are excellent with a fully equipped kitchen, a large seating area with Sky TV, a shop stocking those essential items including a large stock of bait, and a shower block housing 3 showers and 3 toilets. The showers are open 24 hours a day and can be used at your own convenience.

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There are up to 5 bailiffs present with a wealth of knowledge on the lakes and will be on hand to cook the all important meals and look after your daily needs. They are also available to give advice on tactics and help find the best spots in your chosen pegs. A full English breakfast is served at 9am and an evening meal at 5pm, all our meals are homemade and are followed by a dessert.

The bait shop is stocked with a variety of bait including boilies from Mainline, and end tackle from Korda. We also have a large walk-in fridge freezer that houses bottled lager, soft drinks, bottled water, confectionery and biscuits.

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CreteLakes_DPS_CC202_Pink.indd 2

08/05/2014 15:39

First things first.

Dave baits up to get the fish interested.

With just a few hours’ fishing at his disposal, DAVE LEVY attempts to catch carp for the cameras.

ANGLER FILE Dave Levy AGE: 41 OCCUPATION: Process operator UK PB: 50lb 12oz SPONSORS: Korda,Trakker, Mainline Baits, Free Spirit and Delkim

08:00

The challenge begins.

Dave is located in a swim that commands a small section of water that separates the two main bodies of the lake.

“The lake is a horseshoe shape and with such a short amount of time to capture a carp, this seems like a decent interception point. I am hoping that the fish will pass over my hook baits and I’ll hook one. That’s the plan anyway.”

08:02

Dave has catapult and boilies in hand already!

“Before I do anything else, I’m going to spray a few baits along the far margin. This is the area I’m going to

target and this gives the fish a chance to find food in the area while I’m getting the rods ready.”

08:10

Dave carefully prepares his rigs as fish bubble out in front of his swim. It’s looking like there are carp about but will he catch one in time?

“I’m going to use a rig that has served me well over the years. It’s nothing complex but it does its job well. It is so easy to tie and when I’m against the clock it seems the obvious option. I certainly don’t want to waste any of the valuable fishing time tying up rigs that are beyond the necessities

24 TOTAL CARP

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12/09/2014 10:29

Against The Clock With carp patrolling the island margin, Dave gets a bait right among them with an accurate cast.

A small bag of pellets accompani es each rig.

of the venue. There’s a decent head of fish in here and my baiting and location will play a more vital role in whether or not I succeed.”

08:33

With two rigs tied, Dave gets his rods ready for the first casts of the day.

“The first thing I’m going to do is clip up to the island. This will enable me to mark my line and prevent me putting any rigs in the trees. If I didn’t clip up, the casting would be a lot riskier and I could end up wasting time tying new rigs, with my others snagged in the bushes on the far margin.”

08:46

Dave is having a good feel about with a bare lead, casting repeatedly towards the bushes opposite.

“I’ve made a few casts now and both rods are clipped up and ready for the rigs to be attached. There seems to be a bit of debris about and, although the bottom is mainly firm gravel, I’m going to attach a PVA bag, just in case.

With quite a few bushes present along the margin I am casting to, there will most probably be a few rogue leaves and twigs littering the spot. Masking the hook point with a PVA bag ensures that my rig will be fishing effectively, no matter where it lands.”

08:59

Both rods are cast into position with ease, hitting the clip perfectly and dropping just short of the overhangs.

“This is where the line clip is so helpful. Not only are the rigs exactly

Bright baits catch the carp’s attention.

where I want them, but the lead is easily felt down on a tight line. Feeling the lead down is such an important part of carp fishing and it enables you to accurately assess which type of lake bed you’re landing on. I know that the area is mainly firm ground and with the rod tip registering a satisfying ‘donk’, I know that my rigs have touched down exactly where I want them – just off the bushes along the marginal shelf.”

09:07

With the rods now in position, Dave begins to adjust the tension of his line and sets his bobbins.

“The bushes on the far margin only just breach the surface, so there’s no need for me to fish bowstringtight lines and locked clutches. I am, however, not going to fish super-slack.

Because I’m fishing across to the other bank, I need to have a slight drop on the bobbin because the fish will most probably swim towards me once hooked. With a slack line, the bite might not register very well on the alarm. In this situation I like to slacken off, let the line sink, attach the bobbin, and then gradually turn the spool and gather the line back onto it until the

bobbin is just about sitting up. This enables me to have a relatively slack line with enough of a drop to register a drop back.”

09:12

“Venues like this rarely see any real amount of bait and it really can be a weapon. There’s no need to put kilos upon kilos out but the average angler will only put out around 50 to 100 baits. I am going to put a good 200 to 300 over each rod.

These carp are probably quite hungry and, should they pass this banquet, there’s a slim chance that they’ll be able to resist. I have opted for a bright yellow bait to make my hook bait stand out among the freebies.

“The bait is actually a pop-up but I have used a shot to create a balanced hook bait. I could have fished a pop-up but, with the spot being hard gravel, I favour a bait positioned on the deck.

Some people think this might work against you but it will generally result in much quicker bites. The large amount of feed is there to draw the fish in, acting almost as feature. The hook bait is simply to grab their attention and induce a quick pick-up.”

TOTAL CARP 25

p024-026_TC_10_Against Clock.indd 2

12/09/2014 10:29

STEP-BY-STEP Construct Dave’s Pop-Up Rig

1

Supple braid and a Wide Gape hook are the components needed.

5

Start by whipping nine times down the shank of the hook towards the pop-up.

9

Pull the loop down tight to secure it and then trim the tag end neatly to complete.

3

2

Strip off 12 inches of Dark Matter braid. This gives you plenty to play with.

Move the hair out of the way and then whip twice under the hair.

Using a pair of braid blades, bore a small hole in the popup at the hook end.

10:11

Strangely, the swim has gone a little quiet and Dave decides to rebait the far margin.

“The spot was certainly being fed on by something earlier on. Maybe a few tench because I did see a couple roll out there. It seems to have calmed down now, though, and I’m going to rebait the spot because I’m pretty sure that there’s not much left. Another 100 baits will be more than enough.”

Whipping under the hair kicks the hook out at an aggressive angle.

11:26

Time is starting to run out and Dave has just over half an hour to complete his challenge.

However, one of the rods has just burst into life.

“I knew they were in the area, things had really livened up again after rebaiting. When that starts happening a bite is never too far away, especially when it’s carp that are causing them and you have bright hook baits on.

“The fish isn’t at all happy and, although it doesn’t feel particularly big, he’s giving a good account of himself.

There’s a reed bed down to my left, which he is intent on burying himself in!”

In the other end of the braid, tie a figure-of-eight loop.This is for the quick link.

12

Place a split shot into the hole and pinch it to secure it on the hair.

“They’re back, hopefully this time there are a few hungry ones too.”

Thread on a Wide Gape hook.The bait must be level with the bottom of the hook.

8

11

10

The rods have been in position for just over half an hour and Dave’s alarms are beginning to signal a few bleeps.

“There are definitely a few fish in the area. There’s no telling which species, but with the liners I am getting it’s clear that something is having a mooch about. This is a common thing when fishing over bait, especially if the fish arrive in numbers. The odd bleep here and there and occasional lifts and twitches on the bobbin indicate that fish are present.”

Tie an overhand loop for the hair stop and slide on your chosen bright hook bait.

7

6

09:40

4

The finished rig measures roughly eight inches. Simple and effective.

Dave keeps the pressure on and a few short moments later, the fish is safely in the net and the challenge is complete.

“I must admit, I haven’t been that nervous while playing a carp for a long time, especially a small one. I’m really pleased to have completed the challenge. I can leave with a carp under my belt and my pride intact.”

Dave is happy with the result and has proved that you don’t need to be out on the bank for a long time to enjoy some fantastic action.

This common proves that you can catch carp with limited time.

11:17

As if by magic, not long after Dave finishes introducing his bait, the random beeps on the alarms start again.

26 TOTAL CARP

p024-026_TC_10_Against Clock.indd 3

12/09/2014 10:29

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09/09/2014 09:23

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p028-29_TC_10_Daiwa.indd 2

09/09/2014 09:23

Pics: Dan Wildbore Words: Dan Wildbore and Marc Coulson

PART SEVEN

A productive trip to one of the best-known waters in the UK sees our man, TOM MAKER, find and then target carp on a couple of tactics.

F

ishing the bank holiday weekend for this month’s feature, I decided that I needed to go to a venue where, if the bank became busy, it would offer a reasonable chance of a bite. Consequently, I opted for the Colne Valley’s Farlows Lake. It is steeped in history, featuring in some of the earliest carp fishing literature from the most decorated anglers.

Although the venue went through a stage where it was starting to look a bit tired, it’s now enjoying a new lease of life and I’ve received many good reports about the place.

The lake is 25 acres and holds an impressive stock of more than 1,200 carp to over 42lb. It is absolutely stunning too, littered with small dot islands, smothered in weed and oozing a real carpy feel.

Farlows is a venue that offers plenty of potential options.

ANGLER FILE Tom Maker AGE: 22 OCCUPATION: Angling tutor UK PB: 44lb 7oz SPONSORS: Fox, Sticky and Hinders

I have wanted to come to Farlows for a while, having only fished a single overnighter a few winters back. The chance to get back to this lovely water to fish for some of its impressive resident carp has really got me buzzing about my Weekender session.

The bailiffs welcome Dan Wildbore and me – he is with me to shoot the pictures – and they inform us that it has been fishing well, but not so much in the open-water areas. We have a quick walk round but it doesn’t take long for an area known as Scotty’s Point to grab my attention. The guys fishing it are due to be off soon and with a brisk northerly wind pushing out across the large open-water area in front, there are a few carp showing all over the area.

I know that the open water isn’t really producing much at the minute, but this looks as good an option as any. There seems to be plenty of fish out there and it is my sort of swim, to be honest.

We grab the gear from my van and make the short barrow back to the swim. As always, if I get it wrong then I’m more than willing to move at some point during the trip.

Three 7ft zigs are blasted out to the area in which the carp are showing and I begin to set the rest of the gear up.

30 TOTAL CARP

P030-035_TC_10_Weekender.indd 1

10/09/2014 09:05

Weekender The session gets off to a great start with this mirror, caught while spodding over zig rigs.

Killer Kit Of The Pros

I don’t want to waste any time. I think there is a good chance that I could get a quick bite while the fish are showing around the hook baits.

This is an important lesson when you have fish in front of you. I see too many anglers get their bivvies and all manner of kit set up before even contemplating casting the rods out. By then, the chance could be gone, so I always recommend getting fishing as soon as you can.

With no action in the first hour or so I decide that it won’t do me too much

harm to have a quick lead around the swim and see if I can find any obvious features. I soon find a bit of a silty area at around 80 yards, in the rough vicinity of where a few fish have been consistently showing.

I decide to spod 12mm Krill boilies and sweetcorn out to the spot.

However, while I do this I am going to put three zigs out there too, just to see if the fish are taking the bait on the drop. I am sure that this is what happens on a lot of pressured venues and it will be interesting to see if it

A scattering of 12mm Krill boilies were spread over two spots on the Farlows trip.

Using smaller baits allows Tom to get more individual baits out there, which can really get the carp actively grubbing around.

TOTAL CARP 31

P030-035_TC_10_Weekender.indd 2

10/09/2014 09:06

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12/09/2014 16:39

Weekender works. Three neatly formed Zig Alignas are cast out to the mark and I set about spodding half a bucket of bait out to the spot.

Not 10 minutes after spodding, the middle bobbin drops down and I’m on to it in a flash, dropping my spod rod to the ground as I grab the rod.

Winding down frantically, I finally make contact with the culprit and I immediately know that it’s a carp. It feels like a half decent one, too.

I can’t believe how quickly the bite has come. I am not even fishing what you would class as a mix for zigs, yet the fish must be so tuned in to eating it on the drop to avoid capture that one has made a mistake almost immediately.

It kites to the left, taking out my other rod in the process. I manage to play it to within a few yards from the bank but I can’t make any further impression on it.

Dan slackens the line off on the other rod while I remain attached to the carp.

I make a little more ground but then everything grinds to an annoying halt once again. It’s a stalemate and we’re at a little bit of a loss as to what to do next.

Killer Kit Of The Pros

WIth the weedy conditions,Tom opted for a pink Krill pop-up balnced to sink slowly on a supple Reflex Camo braided hook link.This allowed the visual bait to touch down softly and rest on top of the weed itself.

The near-20lb common is fairly typical of the impressive Farlows stock...

... all of which put up a good fight in the weed.

At this point, an angler in the adjacent swim comes round to see what all the commotion is about and, extremely kindly, offers to wade out and, with an extension fitted, use my net to land the fish. What a star, and he soon does exactly that.

I am elated to get the first one under my belt and in the net it looks like a nice fish too, easily over the 20lb mark.

My suspicions are soon confirmed as the pretty mirror sends the dials around to a pleasing 23lb 6oz. On the mat it looks an absolute minter, lovely scaling across its back and an immaculate mouth.

Sadly, not long after returning the mirror, a huge shoal of bream turns up in the swim and ruins what has so far been a perfectly compiled plan.

I hook around a dozen of the damn things, even on zigs. There must be literally hundreds out there. Bream

often shoal up like this and move around a venue hoovering up whatever they can find. There are some specimens in Farlows too, but they are most definitely not what I am here to catch this weekend.

I decide to go with 16mm pop-ups for the night ahead because if I don’t get any carp action I can at least try and get some sleep. I really don’t fancy getting up and down all night to land bream.

The night passes without any further action, which in a way is a blessing.

However, I feel like a bite from a carp

To say it was weedy in some areas would be an understatement!

TOTAL CARP 33

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10/09/2014 09:06

should be possible and, a few minutes after recasting a zig I’m proved right.

Sadly, the fish isn’t on for long because I lose it just a minute into the fight.

Unfortunately, as we move later into the day there is no further action forthcoming and I’m getting itchy feet.

It’s time for a wander around the lake to see if I can find any carp worth targeting.

After just a minute or so of wandering around towards a nearby bay, I’m stopped in my tracks as I spot carp moving in and out of the channels in the weed – and lots of them.

I have two rods back in the swim, the reels on which are loaded with 20lb Exocet main line, which will be needed in the weedy swim. It’s pretty thick, to say the least, so a strong line is a must.

I rig up with long lengths of Reflex Camo hook link, which won’t tangle but is supple enough to rest on the weed, especially with my balanced hook bait, a Krill Pink Ones pop-up, to get it all sinking very slowly.

A short cast with each rod and just a bare lead soon has me finding two spots where I think a bait is presentable. The rods are then recast to the same spots with the rigs attached and given a liberal sprinkling of 12mm Krill boilies.

Around 20 minutes later my lefthand rod rips off and all hell breaks loose as a feisty carp charges through the weed in its bid for escape. Sat next to the rods, I’m able to grab it very quickly and battle commences.

I’m able to control this one pretty quickly and, along with a huge ball of weed, it’s soon safely netted. We peel away the weed to reveal a small common. I’m thrilled to have caught my second carp of the trip and it feels like just reward for targeting these carp

Tom tried his favourite rig, but made it much longer than usual to cope with the weed.

They were certainly eating the bait!

in the thick weed, where many anglers may have been scared to do so.

I’m not going to get another bite from here in a hurry, such was the furore in the swim while playing that one, so I’ve decided to put some bait in a few spots and leave it for the night. I’ll set my alarm nice and early for the morning and will come back and have another go.

Suitably filled with Chinese food, I’m not long to bed. I’m fishing back in the open-water area but there’s no action through the night.

At 6am I’m up and about, rods in hand, and making my way back to the weedy swim. I immediately spot carp and they’re obviously having a munch on the bait. I get the two rods back out without too much fuss and settle back and wait.

It’s an hour or so before anything happens but when it does it kicks off big time! My line tightening and the spool going into meltdown soon follow an eruption on the water’s surface. The carp buries itself in the weed but I’m able to slowly winch the whole lot in.

Thankfully, I think because the weed is covering the carp’s eyes, there is very little fight and it’s soon netted, along with a huge mass of weed.

It’s another common, an absolute cracker, and at 22lb is a superb result.

I think the spot is a little cleaner than before, so I am going to put one of my favoured wafters on for the recast. I use these for 90 per cent of my bottom-bait fishing and have the utmost confidence in them. The addition of a grain of plastic corn will slow the sink rate even further. I reckon this will give me a perfect presentation.

34 TOTAL CARP

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10/09/2014 09:06

Weekender This 24lb 14oz mirror provided the perfect end to a quite brilliant session at Farlows.

Always a very welcome sight!

It takes a few hours, but a few fish start appearing back in the area, with the occasional bubble appearing over the spot. The line tightening and zooming across the surface follows a burst of bubbles as I hit into my second bite of the day. It’s not long before a 20lb 4oz common is next to pose for the TC cameras. I am really enjoying myself and it just shows that you can be so close but so far from the fish. The swim I was in is just two up from this one but I felt a million miles away from the fish.

All too soon it’s time to start thinking about heading off because my time is nearly up. As I reluctantly pack my gear away I leave the one rod out in the weedy swim, and I’m soon very glad that I did. An absolutely ferocious take precedes a frantic battle to keep what feels like a good carp from burying

itself in a huge weed bed that it’s made a beeline for. The carp wins on this occasion and everything is soon locked up solid.

All I can do is keep everything tight and walk backwards in a bid to bring the carp and some considerable weed towards the bank. While doing so, Dan clears weed from the line so that, inch by inch, I am able to make some impression.

It soon works, and the huge raft of weed breaks clear, complete with what looks like being the best fish of the trip. Dan does a great job and we’re both chuffed to net the fish a few minutes later.

It’s an absolute stunner and at 25lb is the biggest, and probably best-looking, carp of our session. I’m absolutely buzzing and as we finally leave for home I vow to come back very soon.

TOTAL CARP 35

P030-035_TC_10_Weekender.indd 5

10/09/2014 09:06

Clearwater Lakes is a drive and survive venue that’s teeming with the fish of legends. With its tranquillity, beauty and reputation for really BIG fish, Clearwater Lakes is the ‘Kruger’ of the carp fishing world.

• Set in 28 acres of stunning, lush forest in the heart of picturesque Brittany, France.

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• Spring Lake – a beautiful spring-fed 10 acre lake brimming with 500+ carp from the mid-doubles to 60lb.

• Mill Lake – a private 4-acre lake with 250+ carp from low doubles to mid 20s; ideal for beginners or those seeking exclusivity.

• Superb facilities including luxurious cottage accomodation, free camping, high-quality showers and a fully equipped kitchen.

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10/09/2014 15:34

p37_TC_10_Johnson Ross.indd 1

12/09/2014 11:12

A Month In Carp Fishing

A close encounter, family holiday and the obligatory disaster fill DAN MURRELL’s action-packed month.

I

was very much looking forward to a welcome short break away with the family in Wales but I had one final trip to the Big P planned before that.

While it was still relatively high pressure and bright conditions for the time of year, I set about a final assault in the shallows before turning my attentions elsewhere. I arrived on the Friday and used the last hours of daylight to drop a few baits here and there in the margins. I didn’t cast out that evening because I hadn’t seen anything and didn’t want to do so simply for the sake of it.

I was up bright and early the next morning and on inspection, two of the six spots had been cleared out. After rebaiting, I retreated to my swim to tie up a few rigs.

When I returned to the margin spot, a group of five fish glided effortlessly across the bay. Among them were a few that really took my breath away – I was eager to get a rig on it.

Having dropped a few crumbed baits on the spot, I lowered the rig in and crept back through the reeds, out of sight, before awaiting the arrival of my good friend Carl Cook, who would be doubling up with me for the night.

The night passed without incident and at around 2.30am I woke, still hopeful.

Just as I was drifting back off,

It was great spending time crashing through the waves with my brother Dave and little nephew Dan. the right-hand rod signalled a take. Leaping from my bag, I struck the rod and was immediately hit with solid resistance. Carl rushed to the boat and we set off in a bid to try and gain line.

As we pushed our way through the reeds the main line was directing us to the vast reed bed on the far side of the bay. Guided only by torchlight, we crept up to the reeds and I began feeling a distant but confident pull on the other end. Unaware of the fish’s precise whereabouts, we scanned the crystal-clear water.Then I was met by an incredibly reflective large scaly mass on top of the reeds.

Another one bites the dust and a new carp wagon is needed.

“There it is,” I exclaimed,“GO, GO, GO!” As we surged through the reeds I was gaining line the whole time. I loosened the clutch and dropped the rod, pulling myself closer through the dense rushes. As I got closer to the carp I could feel the line tightening. I had just reached the end of my leader when the fish kicked, the water erupted and the line fell limp in my hands.

I was gutted, to say the least, and the journey back to the bank was not short of a few expletives!

With a steady workflow, the following week came and went and I was soon loading the Fiesta and making the four-hour drive to Pembrokeshire. A combination of persistent rain and Friday traffic made the trip painful.

As I approached my destination and climbed the steep, winding lanes, the rain eased and the thought of seeing my nephews, little Dan and the slightly larger, 6ft, 15-year-old, James soon put a smile on my face.

No sooner had I pulled up at the cottage than I was greeted by little Dan running down the drive to welcome me. Perfect.

The break was great. We spent hours on the beach crashing through the surf, interrupting the games of bat and ball and generally having fun. Evenings were filled with barbecues, pub dinners and plenty of laughter.

As with anything, all good things come to an end and I was soon crossing the Severn Bridge to shoot a feature with Sam Meeuwissen who, despite the rain, was enjoying his own family holiday in Somerset… and catching a lot of carp.

The feature went well and I was soon itching to get back to the Big P. Even after leaving them well alone for three weeks, they hadn’t been revisited.The Big Pit was beginning to change all too quickly and the sightings of carp had begun to dwindle.

A couple of weeks’ baiting preceded another trip, which turned into a disaster. Having blanked, I managed to write off my car just a mile or two from the lake.That pretty much wrapped things up for the month and curtailed my fishing to the point where I write this piece. Surely next month will see a change of fortunes? I certainly hope so…

Instagram @dantotalcarp Twitter @dantotalcarp

38 TOTAL CARP

p038_TC_10_MonthInCarp.indd 1

10/09/2014 09:08

p039_TC_10_Browns+1ad.indd 1

12/09/2014 16:42

Another Month In Carp Fishing

A relaxing holiday and a manic work schedule have left MAX HENDRY with limited bank time. However, he has managed to catch a carp this month.

A

fter a two-week holiday fished the swim next door as in sunny Greece with Lee’s guest and managed a my girlfriend, Charlotte, 22lb common. I was made up it was definitely back to work to catch a carp, and it further with a bang. I returned with strengthened why sometimes the September issue finished keeping it simple in fishing will and we began work on the help you catch fish. I’d played October issue. Before my around with all manner of rigs holiday I’d ensured that I had at the start of the year, with all the features booked in and little in the way of success. I done before I was to leave for changed back to the simple sunnier climes. hair rig and was instantly Lee Morris has been rewarded with success from a impressive at coming up few venues that I visited. with ideas for features and After arriving back in the his outside the box UK I attended the MNDA way of thinking charity event at definitely made Linear Fisheries.This three-day event for interesting It was great to raises money reading.The show that you for the Motor aim last month don’t have to fish was to catch a Neurone Disease for nights on end carp on a piece Association and to enjoy angling. Len and Fran of potato.This task may have Gurd have raised been easier if we over £100,000 in were going to test the four years the the method out on a runs event has run for. It was water; however, Lee fancied good to catch up with the his chances on his tricky anglers and talk to some of syndicate lake in Ringwood. the readers of the magazine With his potatoes he caught who were fishing; it was a well and the result was a great atmosphere and all for stunning 27lb common. a great cause. I look forward Not wanting to miss out I to next year’s event.

The MNDA event raised a fantastic sum of money for the charity.

When I returned to work it was time to get features booked in for the October issue. My first was with Scott Callison. I met Scott at 6am and we got over the lake early.

It didn’t take long for him to get among some fish using his unique groundbait method.

The feature is scheduled to appear in next month’s magazine.

In need of a haircut, but truly elated with the capture of this stunning common.

I then booked in to fish with Ian Russell at little-known dayticket water Grendon Lakes.

In just a few hours’ fishing Ian had a brace of a common and a mirror and we were soon on our way. It was great to show that you don’t have to fish for nights on end to enjoy angling and the tactics we show you in the magazine aren’t for the long-session angler but will catch you fish as long as you get your location right.

The next feature took part on A12 Cuton Lakes. I had set the challenge for Martin Wiffin to catch carp on a small selection of bait. Many anglers can’t afford mountains of bait so we were keen to show that you don’t have to use heaps of it to catch carp.

I have only managed the one night on my Bedfordshire syndicate lake and, despite being on the fish and seeing them jump near my rigs, I didn’t manage to catch them before I was away and on my way to work. With the weather getting better for fishing I hope to have a few fish to show you next month.

Tight lines, Max. Instagram @maxtotalcarp Twitter @maxtotalcarp

40 TOTAL CARP

p040_TC_11_AnotherMonth.indd 1

12/09/2014 10:30

what’ si n your armoury? gardnert ackle. co. uk

CRAIG MORTIMER was brought to our attention this year following a string of notable sessions on limited time. His skill and knowledge has impressed us on several features that we have already carried out, so we thought it was about time to get riggy with him.

Hook A size 4 Korda Wide Gape is the hook of choice. With its large gape and slightly inturned eye, the hook-holds that Craig has witnessed have been solid, which gives him great confidence in this pattern.

The large size helps the rig to work well, applying weight to counter the buoyant hook baits, making them the perfect match for this presentation.

Coated Hook Link Craig prefers to use 20lb N-Trap Semi-stiff because it is a well-camouflaged, strong and reliable material that he has plenty of faith in. Its relative stiffness will also help prevent tangles when casting, which can be a problem when using such light hook baits. He starts with a 12in length and strips back three inches of the coating. He then attaches the hook via a knotless knot, of which he trims the tag end off. At the other end he opts for a figureof-eight loop knot because this allows him to attach it to either a quick link or swivel.

Shrink Tubing A small section of around a centimetre is slid along the hook link and over the eye of the hook. This is added to secure the knot in position and helps exaggerate the aggressive turning point of the hook. This makes the rig harder to pick up and eject and will help to increase the hooking ability.

42 TOTAL CARP

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12/09/2014 10:31

The Anatomy Of A Carp Rig

Bait Floss After tying an overhand loop around the swivel, the floss is then pulled through the middle of the baits and fastened off with two overhand loops around a bait stop. A versatile and secure method.

Pop-Up Craig uses this rig specifically when fishing over particles. Designed to look like sweetcorn and offering plenty of food signals and attraction, these work fantastically when compared with traditional imitation baits. A slow sinker is topped with a pop-up to create a finely tuned, critically balanced hook bait.

Swivel

Hook Bead

To allow the hook bait plenty of movement it is attached to a Thinking Anglers hook ring swivel that allows the bait to travel along the hook’s shank with minimal resistance.

For the swivel to do its job, there must, of course, be a buffer bead to prevent the bait detaching from the hook shank. With a low profile and tapered shape these are the perfect tools for the job and Craig swears by them.

TOTAL CARP 43

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12/09/2014 10:31

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12/09/2014 10:26

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p044-49_TC_10_NWAC.indd 4

12/09/2014 10:27

SAM MEEUWISSEN takes his annual holiday to Somerset where he brushes up on some old and almost forgotten techniques.

T

he past year has seen me tackle tough waters for elusive fish. It began with the annual Thames ‘carbelling’ in autumn, which was great fun as usual, but challenging at the same time. For the winter I then moved on to a sprawling 350-acre

ANGLER FILE Sam Meeuwissen AGE: 39 OCCUPATION: Production engineer UK PB: 37lb 8oz SPONSORS: Gardner Tackle, Sticky and The Hook Bait Company

gravel pit in search of monster pike, with a modicum of success. That sixmonth sortie soon morphed into a spring bream campaign on the same venue. Next stop for early summer was Korda Lake for the monster tench.

Summer holiday time soon rolled around, though, and my thoughts had turned at last to carp and the place that I like to go for a bend in the rod and relaxing angling, Lower Lakes in Chilton Trinity.

I love holiday time. The past few years my wife Rebecca and I have travelled to Somerset and, in particular, the lovely Lower Lakes.

With accommodation ranging from single-bed cabins right next to the lake, to much larger ones set back in the meadow (some even complete with hot tubs!), there are holiday options to suit most budgets. Most years we tend to choose one of the smaller cabins because they are more intimate and line the reed-fringed northwest bay of the lake, which just happens to be stuffed with carp, perch, eels, roach, rudd, skimmers and bream. Most of these are obliging to a variety of methods and, as a result, it has become my favourite venue to have a bit of fun fishing, try a few things out, dust off

48 TOTAL CARP

p048-051_TC_10_Lessons Learnt.indd 1

12/09/2014 10:31

Lessons Learnt

It’s important to test a variety of hook-bait options.

the clichĂŠ cobwebs and fine-tune my cyprinid rigs, all while catching some truly hardfighting carp, I might add.

My tackle and methods tend to be quite inclusive with regard to bottomfeeding species. For sure there is a time and a place for donkey chokers, such as the Thames and when I fish purely for big carp. However, the bream and certainly the tench require a finer approach, as do the chub and barbel. This means using smaller baits such as maggots and casters, corn, small boilies and other particle offerings. The Sticky Krill dumbbells have come in handy and I tip them with a tiny 8mm pop-up on a 1in hair; this matches a size 10 Target Specimen hook perfectly. I would also happily drop down to a size 12 and use either the pop-up or half the dumbbell on its own with a shorter hair to trap wary feeders. My standard fare for most boilie or plastic-corn fishing has been a size 8 Talon Tip tied to 15lb Disruption, with either a running lead or, my preferred lead arrangement, the Covert Lead Clip.

Speaking at length in spring with Alan Stagg about subtlety with regard to tench and bream rigs, then crossreferencing with some very good tench anglers on Korda Lake, I realised that I have been stuck in a halfway house between carp and tench fishing. Using 2.75lb rods and size 8 hooks was simply no good and a rapid scaledown was required. However, by the time I eventually got among them, the tench had spawned and the chance of a real monster had gone for another season.

With my tail between my legs, I took on board the advice I had gleaned and looked at ways to safely fine it all down a bit in other areas of my angling.

Lower Lakes and holiday time were ideal for my test bed and return to an

A lively little common proves that the inline setup is effective.

Catching carp like this is a great way of honing your skills.

Killer Kit Of The Pros

Small, strong hooks were the order of the day. Countless rigs were tied and different hook baits tried. Sam is a keen tench angler and these are the hooks that he wanted to test on this prolific water.

TOTAL CARP 49

p048-051_TC_10_Lessons Learnt.indd 2

12/09/2014 10:32

old favourite that had somehow found its way to the back of the tackle store – the humble inline lead.

Having seen Alan use them to great effect over the past few seasons of angling with him, I have stuck with the clip arrangement for a lot of my legering because I know where I am with them and find them safe and versatile. However, with inline leads I remember having all sorts of tangles, smashed swivels where they hit the gravel nose first and safety concerns.

This was despite their efficiency in certain situations and the many fish that I caught using them. It’s funny how items of tackle or methods you may have previously relied on fade from your fishing over the years. New habits form, I suppose, and angling as a whole is a continuous learning curve.

Anyhow, eventually they had taken a back seat in my tackle box, until now that is. So, back to Lower Lakes and back to the holiday.

Being only a few acres and the fish reaching mid to upper doubles, there is no need for heavy carp gear and it is the ideal place for the intermediate and lighter tackle. Consequently, I choose to fish there with my trusty 2lb Seers barbel rods and my little 11ft 1.5lb monster stoppers. With 12lb and 8lb line respectively, I can land pretty much everything I hook on either setup. Because we take the match kit

Absolutely nailed!

with us as well (Rebecca loves a net of silvers and the odd carp on light elastic!), I have to hand the pole and heavy 18 elastic, which is also deadly effective in the right situation. Not that I fish with big rods and huge-pit reels that often, but I’ve found they are overkill on this particular venue. The action of the softer rods that I prefer to use for the majority of my river angling is described as ‘compound taper’ and they are much safer when using smaller hooks, especially while preventing an angry fish from reaching the reeds.

On this trip, both of the 2lb rods were rigged with a 4ft CamFlex Leadfree leader and a 2oz Inline Bolt Bomb. These push up snugly to a size

STEP-BY-STEP Sam’s Method Mix

1

Sam starts with a fine fishmeal groundbait as a decent base carrier.

4

Carp love sweetcorn so there’s always a place for the yellow stuff in the mix.

7

Squeeze a handful of the mix around an inline lead and cover it.

2

Take a good fishmeal boilie like Sticky Krill and crumble the baits.

5

Small pellets are then added, ensuring different breakdown times.

8

Fold the hook link back up the lead and cover with more loose bait.

3

8 Kwik Lok swivel, leaving me free to chop and change end rigs as required.

Anti-tangle properties are enhanced with a Covert sleeve once assembled and help to keep the supple section of a stripped or braided hook link from fouling the lead. The 11ft rods were rigged up as well, one with a controller and 8lb Fluoro link, and the other with a self-levelling float and a little, flat, inline Method feeder. The same Kwik Lok swivel arrangement, but in size 12, meant that I could use the same hook links and have excellent visual indication with a float leger, as opposed to watching knocking rod tips. The rigs being only a few With the bites coming thick and fast, Sam had plenty of carp to try his rigs and tactics on.

The remains of the boilies are then added to the groundbait and mixed in.

6

Give the ingredients a thorough stir so that they are evenly spread.

9

To finish, squeeze the mix to create a tight ball around the lead.

50 TOTAL CARP

p048-051_TC_10_Lessons Learnt.indd 3

12/09/2014 10:32

Lessons Learnt inches long, and made from either 10lb Target Camo Speciskin or 8lb Target fluorocarbon. Of course, the pole was set up with 6lb Hydro Flo straight through to a size 14 Target Specimen hook and juicy bits of corn as bait.

When feeding a groundbait mix of brown crumb, corn, pellets and maggots, the silvers can sometimes come straight in and give plenty of line bites. On the hair itself, I like to chop and change over a bed of bits and fish anything from little snowmen or double plastic corn to a triplecaster-stack tench rig, just to see what’s down there. Plastic casters and corn were taking their fair share of bigger roach, skimmers and quite a few carp.

Soon enough, though, with a boilie on the hair it would rip off with another angry carp tearing its way up the lake.

Upon landing many of the fish, it was

pleasing to see that the lead had left the swivel and was sliding up and above the leader. This filled me with confidence that the rig met my safety standards. You have to think of the fish first; leaving a carp towing a lead around is not a situation you want to find yourself in.

Making Method balls around the lead is quick and easy and also very helpful when casting tight to reeds or the marginal bushes because the hook is protected.

The lake is around eight feet deep all over, possessing slightly undercut banks, so there’s much opportunity through lowering Method balls right underneath the rod tips. The carp can, and do, get right in close during summertime, so either casting tight or lowering the rig in can get quick bites and, more often than not, from the bigger specimens. With the rod bending right through to the cork, the fight from these fish when hooked in close consists of trying to stay on the bottom of the lake and then yielding line when they see the net and freak out, again. And again!

Creating a baited area has also worked well for me and fishing over a spread of boilies never let me down either, especially

when staying in the brick-built Snug and its big open swim. I like the simplicity involved with angling at close range, though; feeding and bait placement are a joy, with none of that spodding lark. Although the water may be murky, it still pays to sit right back and keep quiet, despite the friendly nature of some of them.

The number-one standout tactic for sheer numbers of carp on here has to be the zig on a sunny day. They love a mixer and, as I proved to Dan Murrell when he dropped by on his way back from Wales to do the pictures for this piece, I could even get them taking mixers a few feet from the bank while sheltering from a torrential downpour!

After a while of feeding them from under the umbrella while drinking tea and nattering, I could stand it no longer and simply had to go and catch one.

This is where I blew Dan’s mind as he watched me fix a zig rig to my pole connector and begin ‘dapping’ a popup for the hungrily slurping carp. The supreme accuracy and control, even in a breeze, meant that I could take the bait away from smaller fish and target the bigger ones only. With a steady hand you can leave the hook out of the water, which is a great help when the fish are spooky. This is also the best way to single out the mirrors of Lower Lakes, which are very pretty indeed.

Due to the ornamental nature of the original stock, they have naturally spawned in the lake over the years, which has led to loads of little stunners sporting tinges of red and orange in their fins and scales.

So, what are my take-away items from this piece? Firstly, there are little havens of peaceful angling out there if you look for them. Secondly, it’s fine to look back at old methods that you may have discarded due to newly adopted tactics and the evolution of your personal angling. Rediscovering the inline lead will make a difference to my fishing, I am sure of that.

Plus, the practice with the pole will stand me in good stead. Thirdly, it is always good to take a break from the campaigns and just go and catch a few for fun. Of course, it was a holiday as well, so we had plenty of leisurely mornings and a couple of days out; it’s not all just about the fishing.

Peace and quiet, some very nice surroundings and a bucketload of lovely sport is just the way I like to spend a few days. It’s the tonic I need before I take on the Thames for the autumn and get back to the grindstone. Tight lines!

TOTAL CARP 51

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12/09/2014 10:32

ANGLER FILE Dave Lane AGE: 52 OCCUPATION: Angling consultant UK PB: 55lb SPONSORS: TF Gear and Mainline Baits

What some anglers refer to as a ‘stockie.’ Who wouldn’t want to catch one like this?

54 TOTAL CARP

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10/09/2014 09:14

Exploding The Myths

DAVE LANE has always fished his way and for the carp that he chooses. He rarely listens to the new keep-it-real brigade, nor should you.

H

ow many times do we hear the sweeping statements: “It doesn’t count because he used a bait boat”, “It doesn’t count because it was off the surface”, “It doesn’t count because its lineage cannot be traced back to the 15th century” or, most commonly, “It’s just a big Simmo so it doesn’t really count, does it?”

Of course it counts; it counts to the person who has just caught that particular fish. To put yourself in a position where you can act as judge and jury as to the credibility of somebody else’s achievements is, at best, arrogant!

There, I’ve said it in print; I have willingly and knowingly lifted the lid off the biggest nest of vipers within our sport today.

Snobbery at best, selfjustification in general and outright maliciousness at worst.

I understand where it all comes from. I don’t agree with it, but I understand it. It is a human condition that, thankfully, passes a lot of us by and on the whole we are the better for it. It goes a bit like this – if you devalue the achievements of all those around you then your own achievements, no matter how meagre, will seem the greater by comparison.

That’s exactly what

is happening when people ‘knock’ other anglers’ results, they are demeaning them to make their own seem more ‘real’.

There is no league table at the end of each year; we are not awarded points on merit, weight, percentage of overall stock caught or how many scales each carp may or may not have, we make our own minds up on whether we are happy with our results.

The vast majority of anglers who fish for carp in this country do so for their own gratification, not to be judged by the minority who have invented a set of rules and then imposed them upon others.

What is really scary is that a lot of the negativity towards certain types of fishing or strains of carp

are firmly rooted in the carping circles ‘deemed’ to be nearer the top of the tree. The anglers who have been around longer, caught more and bigger fish and often ended up in privileged positions within the industry as a result. In short, those anglers who should know better.

Angling is a sport and a hobby, it is a pastime, a release from the pressures of the real world and it is our passion.

We all start from humble beginnings and, to be honest, I think we probably derive the most pleasure at the start, before we are tainted by the ‘carp counters’ and swept up in their perceptions of what is noteworthy.

How somebody who makes a living from carp

An absolutely stunning Dinton mirror caught by Simon Bartlam this year at 41lb 12oz, having been stocked by him at 6lb in 2000 (inset).

TOTAL CARP 55

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10/09/2014 09:15

fishing can feel justified to take pleasure away from those that, ultimately, pay their wages I have no idea. We should encourage carp angling on all levels.

Whether on a small muddy puddle full of recently introduced ‘stock fish’, or chasing the ultimate goal on a windswept gravel pit, we should celebrate the growth of the sport and actively help to perpetuate it.

Well, that’s the way I see it anyway. I love carp fishing and I love seeing other people get enjoyment from it. I have taught people to fish, from scratch, and the feeling of satisfaction that gives is immense. I have tried to explain the negativity of elitist anglers to those who are new to fishing and the feeling that gives is something entirely different. How can you explain something that is so ridiculous? It’s almost embarrassing to admit that you are part of a sport that tolerates such nonsense.

Vast, low-stocked pits are what float my boat, but it’s horses for courses ultimately.

We all have our own set of rules regarding what we consider to be a fitting challenge, what we judge as worthy of our time and suited to our own abilities.

Likewise, we all have our own boundaries, what we consider to be beyond our talents, or what is outside our own personal comfort or moral zones.

This is not just a fishing thing, it’s a life choice, the way we choose to spend our valuable time on this planet.

I have my own set of rules regarding what I fish for and what counts in my mind, what excites me and keeps me motivated to fish year in, year out. I would not dream of imposing these boundaries on others, just as their results are no less worthy in my eyes because they may not fit within my parameters.

I spend a fair amount of time around small commercial fisheries, maybe not actually fishing them but dropping off young Billy for a session or just walking the dog,

At what stage does a stockie become a target fish, then?

Fish for the love of it, not for others.

or whatever. I couldn’t fish this style of venue for more than a few hours at a time. Twenty bivvies around a muddy puddle is not my idea of carp angling. However, one thing I always notice is just how much fun everyone has and, generally, how willing they all are to share information and help each other out.

There is a great feeling of camaraderie, swapping of baits, lending of tackle or cameras and any other items that have been forgotten or not yet bought. There is none of the snobbery about methods, tackle branding, fish sizes or origins, it’s just all good fun and they have all achieved what they

56 TOTAL CARP

P054-059_TC_10_ExploreMyths.indd 3

10/09/2014 09:15

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WWW.ERICSANGLING.CO.UK Eric's Angling Centre Total Carp October 2014.indd 1

11/09/2014 16:22:13

set out to do; go fishing and enjoy themselves.

How can people on the outside knock this and use derogatory terms like Noddy or Pastie Basher?

We are all anglers and share a common bond and ‘counting’ doesn’t come into it.

I don’t particularly like bait boats. I own one, I occasionally use one, but I don’t like them. Without a doubt, they can enable anglers to fish way beyond their normal level of

expertise, particularly with an echo sounder clipped to the back. Suddenly anyone can find a tiny feature at extreme range and accurately drop a baited trap right on the money, time after time.

This may or may not make them catch more carp, depending on where they choose to drop the bait in the first place, but it doesn’t affect me in the slightest, unless, of course, they are dropping it in my swim.

From smalll acorns...

Their fish do not count any more or any less than mine because we are not in competition with each other and as long as we are both happy, then crack on.

I have my set of rules regarding bait-boat use.

They are for me only, to justify to myself the use of one by me to achieve something that I can’t from normal casting, and when I am not allowed a real boat. These are my guidelines and I can live with them. I can also be very happy for the guy in the next swim if he catches a fish that I could have easily cast at but he chose to use a bait boat. I may not have been happy with it myself, but he was, and that’s fine by me.

Does his fish count? I don’t know, we shall have to ask the person who is doing the counting I guess – whoever that might be.

Having fished in the eye of the media for years, publicising my catches, posting videos, writing articles and so on, I have had every single form

... grow mighty oaks. Paul Forward with another of Simon’s Dinton crackers.

of criticism that you can possibly imagine thrown at me. My captures have been discounted around Coleman cookers across the country for everything ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous, outrageous lies and half-truths, perceived wrongdoings and, sometimes, just differing personal opinions on what is acceptable or not.

Occasionally, I have even been accused of ‘cheating’, although cheating ‘whom’ out of ‘what’ I have never been too sure of!

Luckily I have skin thicker than the average alligator and it all just bounces off, within reason anyway. The least valid are always the faceless ones, the internet warriors whose sole enjoyment in life seems to be derived from criticising others while hiding in anonymity, a bit like hurling insults at passers-by from behind a brick wall. In the immortal words of Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters: “Tear down the wall!” Stand up and be counted yourself before you start ‘counting’ other people’s achievements.

The biggest minefield for newcomers to the sport, those who have been tainted by the beliefs of others, must surely be what type of fish ‘count’ rather than how they are caught.

Imports don’t, that is always the unwritten rule, but Leney’s do, without any doubts whatsoever, even though Donald Leney was the biggest importer of carp we have ever known!

Confused? It gets worse, far worse.

In an attempt to halt the importation of carp, which can be very dangerous to the stocks that we already have due to the spread of diseases, we now have a very successful network of home-breeding programmes.

58 TOTAL CARP

P054-059_TC_10_ExploreMyths.indd 4

10/09/2014 09:15

Exploding The Myths

Carp are being bred and raised all across the country and then introduced into lakes far and wide, replenishing and creating new fisheries to keep up with the evergrowing demand for carp fishing in the UK. A perfect scenario, you would think, but no, apparently not.

Now only some of these new breed of fish ‘count’ in the eyes of the elitists.

As far as I can make out, it all depends on whether they have lots of scales or not. Simmo’s, as everything on the less scaly side of the spectrum are now known (regardless of whether Mr Simmons actually bred them or not), are frequently berated as meaningless when compared with the darker scaly breeds.

Original Leney’s are king (the few that are left) even though a fair percentage were actually imports. Illegally moved fish from back in the ‘good old days’ are perfectly acceptable, whereas a wellmanaged and balanced fishery created in the last few years is just ‘full of stockies’.

As with methods, bait boats, rigs and so on, I have my own set of rules or guidelines as to what I like and prefer and what I would rather not bother with.

I’m always happy to catch fish like this winter upper30lb ‘Simmo’.

A great big Italianstrain carp, caught at extreme range with the use of a bait boat.

I love the old scaly ones, the real old warriors that are almost (although not quite) as old as I am but, realistically, I know there are not enough to go around.

Nothing floats my boat more than chasing a handful of big, old, aquatic dinosaurs around a nice quiet gravel pit that most anglers either do not want to fish, do not have time to fish, or it doesn’t fit into the scheme of what they are trying to achieve – a bit of fun at the weekend.

I have also fished heavily

stocked venues, some with Simmo’s, some with other strains, but I have enjoyed it all and I am sensible enough to realise that almost ALL the carp that I have ever caught have been stocked by someone, at some stage.

There may have been the odd one that grew on from spawn of its own accord but they would be in the absolute minority I am sure. Why would I care anyway? Would I get more imaginary points for it?

Carp fishing is a stone rolling down a snowy hillside; it is growing exponentially every day, the demand is huge and the fisheries are ever more crowded.

We need new carp and the last thing we need is to have half of them labelled as inferior.

What would happen if all carp anglers actually listened to the ‘carp counters’ and decided to fish only for the carp that fell into the ‘real’ bracket?

There would be nowhere for the ‘counters’ to fish, of course. The ‘proper lakes’ would be rammed, most anglers would blank, the industry would suffer and

the ‘counters’ would lose their sponsorships and have to go back to work.

I spoke to a guy on the bank recently who was slagging off ‘stockies’, a very general term that, from what I could ascertain, seemed to include everything under about 30 years old. He was telling me how he only wanted to catch the real ones, the old warriors as it were.

After a very short while it slipped out that he had only been fishing for three years. All I could think of was all the fun he was missing out on because he was already prepared to be disappointed by his results, even if he had no idea why. He was fishing for somebody else’s ideals rather than his own, and I think that is a little sad really.

So, the next time someone tells you that a fish doesn’t count, try and put that into perspective and at least wonder what it doesn’t count for, or against, because there is no grand prize at the end, there is no league table, there is just carp fishing, so go out and enjoy it.

TOTAL CARP 59

P054-059_TC_10_ExploreMyths.indd 5

10/09/2014 09:15

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12/09/2014 16:48

Mainline-backed carp ace JOHN KNEEBONE reveals how a tub or two of bright hook baits transformed his carp fishing forever.

ANGLER FILE John Kneebone AGE: 40 OCCUPATION: Freelance journalist/angling consultant UK PB: 47lb 1oz SPONSOR: Mainline Baits

W

hen I think back over my fishing and how it has evolved, one of the biggest contrasts has to be where my hook bait is concerned. As in, I can remember having a massive preference towards one that resembled the food source boilies that I’m generally using the most – either a bottom bait out of the bag of a pop-up of matching flavour and colour.

In fact, when I think about it, outside the winter months I would rarely use a pop-up on its own. More often than not, pop-ups would be in the bag just to tip off bottom baits for a balanced snowman rig. Now although I will still employ this type of presentation, it definitely plays second fiddle to the one that I used to avoid – using bright, highly visual pop-ups.

This transition of preference really began when I started fishing in the Oxfordshire area, where for some reason you simple cannot ignore yellow. For whatever reason, bright yellow hook baits easily outcatch most others. I’m not sure why, and can only imagine that it stems from the high use of this colour because the carp are no different from carp elsewhere.

Nevertheless, I did start to use bright hook baits more and more, Hi-Visual Pineapple Juice and Milky Toffee popups in particular, and consequently my confidence in brighter baits grew and grew. Around this time I began to fish Christchurch on the Linch Hill complex. The chod rig was fresh on the scene and a good way of casting at showing fish in areas of light weed.

Mini 12mm pop-ups balanced a size 8 SR hook perfectly, so I found that I could still add subtlety by scaling down a tad.

62 TOTAL CARP

p062-063_TC_10_Bait Talk.indd 1

10/09/2014 09:16

Bait Talk These fish had a valid reputation for being ‘riggy’, which didn’t quite compute with the success of this presentation at first. However, it did show one thing; that a bright highattract hook bait is often very difficult for carp to keep swimming past and ignore. The curious nature of the carp to investigate the bait will generally win it over in the end.

Prior to my fishing on Christchurch, the winter months had pretty much been the time when I’d be using single hook baits and indeed brighter, hivisual baits. Even then I’d nearly always end up adding a few freebies, because I do just like to fish over a bit of bait.

That was all beginning to change because you could see the pulling power of a bright, high-attract hook bait at work. If you could tap into the sensory organs of the carp (sight, smell or both) you were halfway there – summer or winter – and all you needed was a single hook bait, as long as they had a nice bright colour to stand out well and encourage curiosity or a high leakage of flavour to attract fish via the water column down towards the bait.

These high-attract baits really are doing the job equivalent to a much bigger bed of bait with the attractors they release, which partly explains why they can work so well fished as singles.

In winter, the appetite of carp is very low and any feeding spells can be extremely short. So the main aim is to attract fish and induce a pick-up, not one of trying to encourage prolonged feeding over a bed of bait; in most cases it simply isn’t going to happen. In the warming months when the carp are active and hungry, however, a single hook bait put in their way, perhaps cast at a showing fish, can promote quick bites. After all, there is little for the carp to think about or choose between with one bright bait – a hook bait giving the impression of there being much more food present through its attraction drawing fish to its location, which leads me on to what I believe to be an awesome approach.

For as long as you can remember, you’ve been told to try and avoid overfeeding at all costs and the term “once you put it in you can’t take it out” is bouncing around your head.

Well you’ll pleased to hear that I’m not about to contradict that advice, which is fundamentally extremely good, but I am going to explain a way to stray from this strict rule slightly. In fact, I believe that it’s a way of fishing that, on its day, can be a significant edge!

The basis of the tactic began when I was fishing on another of the Linch Hill waters, Stoneacres. You had to cast from the bank at the time, but were allowed to use a boat for most other things – finding spots, markering them, checking your rig presentation and, interestingly, checking your spot after you fished or after catching from it.

As you can imagine, you would learn quite a lot, and one of the most significant things for me was how much bait was left after a take. Where bright hook baits were used, the majority of your feed would nearly always remain. There was no doubt at all that a brightly coloured, high-attract pop-up was pretty much the first bait to be investigated by feeding fish.

This happened time and time again and my confidence in baiting heavily grew to a point where I knew that I was actually overbaiting – just as long as I was using a bright hook bait.

My thought process was that I could place a massive food signal, basically maximising my chances of drawing fish to my swim. Any fears about them then being able to feed for long periods without encountering the hook bait were quashed by the performance of my bright hook bait, which the fish would head for straightaway.

Sounds good eh? But what would happen next is the really good part of the approach. Because I knew that the majority of my free bait was still on the spot, all I’d needed to do was clip up my rod to the correct distance using the ‘two-bankstick trick’ and return my rig into the feeding zone with the minimum of disturbance!

Many times since I’ve been faced with a fishing situation where I’m not quite sure how much bait to use.

There’s always that period in spring when the fish are waking up, active but not quite ‘on it’, with a similar scenario as activity peters off in autumn. Then, of course, summer sessions can often be moody when prolonged spells of hot weather are encountered. So when in doubt about the ideal level of feed to apply, the use of bright hook baits that will probably be picked up first helps me hedge my bets a little and reduce the margin for error. I can’t imagine not having a tub or two in the bag.

TOTAL CARP 63

p062-063_TC_10_Bait Talk.indd 2

10/09/2014 09:16

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07/08/2014 17:52

Pics: Max Hendry

IAN RUSSELL proves that with effort and the right lake you can catch carp in just a few hours...

D

ay-only fishing can be the most time that anglers with strict work schedules and families can muster. The aim of these sessions is to get a few bites and relax.

Consequently, it’s no good fishing a lake with a sparse stocking.

We are visiting Grendon Lakes, in Northamptonshire. With seven lakes offering day tickets and memberships, there is something for anglers of all abilities and experience. I’m fishing Trinity, a fantastic day-ticket venue containing lovely dark Nene Valley carp.

I arrive at the gate at 6.30am and drive onto a large point in the centre area of the lake. From here I can cover a lot of water. After watching for five minutes I can see that the fish are occupying a bowl to the right of the point. There is weed growth in this area with some of it reaching the surface. It’s clear that it’s an area that the carp enjoy.

With light drizzle dappling the surface, I get the brolly up first and shelter while getting the rods ready.

With an attractive far margin in front of me, I check out a few areas that look like an option. I then investigate the weedy area in the bowl with a marker rod to find a clear spot.

With the rods rigged up I walk around to the far bank with a view to baiting a few areas. A simple combination of corn and 12mm Code ANGLER FILE Ian Russell AGE: 51 OCCUPATION: Angling consultant and tutor UK PB: 57lb 8oz SPONSORS: Avid Carp and Sonubaits

Despite never having visited the venue before, Ian is soon cradling a Grendon Lakes mirror.

66 TOTAL CARP

p066-069_TC_10_InSession.indd 1

11/09/2014 16:41

In Session With... Ian Russell A scoop of visual sweetcorn was chucked onto three spots along the far margin.

Red boilies is sure to get the fish feeding heavily and I bait three areas on the tree line. Each one is a different depth, allowing me to gauge at what level the fish want to feed. Despite the rain, they still want to stay in the top layers. With that, I decide that a shallow spot would be the best bet.

Killer Kit Of The Pros

These highly visual corn stops are great for tipping boilie hook baits. Ian used them on this session to mimic the feed in the swim.

They float too, making them great when trying to make a slow-sinking hook bait.

Boilies and sweetcorn – reliable baits that the carp love.

Once back at the swim, I cast to the margin spot with a bare lead to get the right distance, and clip up and mark the line with marker elastic. The marker knot allows me to get back out on the spot without clipping up. All that’s left to do is nick a PVA bag of pellets onto the rig and cast out.

To match the feed, I am using a Code Red Wafter as a hook bait, coupled with an Avid Corn Stop.

This matches all the bait on the deck brilliantly and is sure to look natural to a passing fish.

Rigwise, I am going for as natural a presentation as possible. A supple braided hook link and a curve-shank hook is very reliable and strong, which is ideal when fishing up to a margin.

To keep tangles to a minimum a PVA bag is always used. This keeps the rig separate from the lead system during the cast.

With the rod perfectly positioned on the margin spot, I get the second one ready for the weedy area to my right.

Having found a clear area, I decide to catapult four PVA bags to the area in the hope of getting fish feeding on the clearer spot near the weed bed.

While preparing the rod I notice fizzing developing in the area. I quickly get the rod ready and after a cast of around 15 yards it’s quickly in position.

TOTAL CARP 67

p066-069_TC_10_InSession.indd 2

11/09/2014 16:42

I retire to the brolly to shelter from the incessant rain and watch as the wind picks up and the fish that were on the surface begin to disappear.

Maybe the slight drop in temperature will help to improve my chances on the bottom?

Following a couple of line bites on the middle rod, I am convinced that there are fish right over the rig, so it’s only going to be a matter of time before getting a bite.

After just 10 minutes my alarm signals a bite and the tip pulls down.

Walking back and steering the carp away from any snags along the tree line, I soon have it spluttering water near the landing net. At 10lb it’s a great start and proved great sport as it surged around in the margins.

I slip the fish back and before casting the rig out again I run around to the margin spot and spray the area with corn and boilies.

It becomes apparent, when checking with my polarising glasses, that most of the bait has been eaten. I reason that the fish come in a large group and batter the spot, at which point one of them gets hooked and they spook away from danger.

They are clearly hungry, so I decide to give them more bait in the hope of drawing them back in. I got the bite fairly quickly so I am confident that I will get another chance.

The glasses have proved invaluable because I simply wouldn’t be able to see the extent of feeding on the lake bed without them. They have helped me understand how much bait I need to get a bite and which area the fish prefer to feed in.

Despite constant fizzing, I am surprised that the fish haven’t picked up my hook bait yet. It appears that this large weed bed is a hub of activity and the fish are frequenting the area regularly.

I have noticed that the bulk of the fizzing has moved behind the weed

The huge fins of this double were definitely where he got his fighting ability from.

Marker elastic allows you to cast back to a spot quickly.

bed. Although not ideal, it is possible to present a bait on this area and hopefully catch.

On the cast, I feel the lead down with a hard thud. Suffice it to say, it’s definitely a feeding spot and well worth my attention for half an hour.

The fizzing starts straight after I cast out and I’m convinced that they are feeding right over the rig.

Just 10 minutes pass before the rod signals a bite and I let the fish power off by giving it line. By doing this, it charges away from the weed bed, preventing it from becoming encased.

In just a few hours’ fishing a stunning common soon completes the brace.

Killer Kit Of The Pros

A supple braid hair rig is the most natural way of fishing.The supple nature of the rig allows the hook link to take on the contours of the lake bed easily. Ian always nicks a PVA bag on the hook to prevent tangles.

68 TOTAL CARP

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11/09/2014 16:42

In Session With... Ian Russell

STEP-BY-STEP Tie Ian’s Supple Hair Rig

1

A curve-shank hook, supple uncoated hook link and corn stops are all you need.

5

Whip five times down the shank of the hook, above the hair like so.

9

Pass the loop through the ring swivel on the lead system to connect it.

3

2

Tie a simple overhand loop in the braid – this is to hook your corn stop into.

7

6

Whip three times under the hair and pass the braid back through the eye.

Tie a figure-of-eight loop knot in the other end of the hook link, as above.

11

10

Pass the hook and hook bait through the loop and begin to pull it down to the swivel.

As the lead discharges I watch as the fish hits the surface. With my slight advantage I gain line quickly, preventing the fish from turning and reaching the weed bed. After a few more agonising minutes as the fish twists and turns in the clear margin, it’s soon in the net and a stunning common is being photographed.

I then decide to call it quits. I have enjoyed my time hugely and it has been interesting trying to adapt to catch a fish. In just five hours I have managed two awesome carp and got my fishing fix. It’s definitely proof that you don’t always need a night on the bank to have fun. Even someone with a tight work schedule and hectic family life can nick a few hours to get a bend in the rod.

Next month the TC team has challenged me to catch a big

Thread on your chosen boilie followed by the corn stop, as shown.

The end product is a neat knot that’s very strong. It also allows you to change rigs.

4

Take eight inches of braid and thread it through the hook eye from back to front.

8

Get a lump of tungsten putty and rub it down the hook link – this will make it sink better.

12

Nick on a PVA bag to prevent the supple braid from tangling on the cast.

carp from the tricky Swan Lake on the Bluebell Lakes complex. Let’s hope that I can show you that catching carp from big-fish day-ticket waters doesn’t have to be complicated. I am excited about the challenge because I have never seen the lake before and I am keen to see whether I can get among the real big jewels that the water holds.

A mintconditioned common of 17lb is the highlight of a quick fivehour session.

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THE ORIGINAL

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How The Champs Was Won

We catch up with the winners of the 2014 Eric’s Carp Championship, HARRY CHARRINGTON and ALEXEI BYGRAVE, at Farlows Lake, the scene of their triumph.

Max Hendry (MH): Congratulations on your brilliant victory!

Let’s start at the beginning… at the draw, what was going through your mind?

Slow-sinking hook baits and dissolving foam…

Alexei Bygrave (AB): We got here on the Thursday night before the competition, having never seen the lake before.

With it being nearly dark we took a walk around, and heard plenty of fish in the weedy areas. However, it was dark when we finished, so we thought it best to check the other end of the lake at first light to look for some signs.

MH: Were you happy with your choice initially?

Harry Charrington (HC): Our peg list changed twice before the draw due to the fish we had seen and how they were distributed around the lake. We came out late in the

… helped the rig settle on the silkweed.

draw but still got our third choice of swim. Our initial feeling was that we might not win but we would have a good chance of a place from this swim.

AB: It was clear that the fish were both feeding and living in the weed for the duration of our session and, as a result, we avoided the openwater areas.

MH: I take it by the amount of weed that finding a clear spot was the main issue.

Alexei’s home-made specials proved the winning hook bait.

AB: We began to fish three rods on zigs as it was sunny and we could see fish moving and cruising around. Not long after casting out, one of the rods on the bottom signalled a take. After that we moved all the rods onto the bottom on the spots we had found at the start.

ANGLER FILE Harry Charrington AGE: 24 OCCUPATION: Digital media manager at Fox UK PB: 40lb 6oz SPONSORS: Fox and Richworth

ANGLER FILE Alexei Bygrave AGE: 25 OCCUPATION: PhD student UK PB: 48lb 2oz SPONSORS: Fox, Korda and Richworth

HC: When the hooter went off, it’s safe to say we spent most of the first hour plumbing up, finding the right spots to fish for the duration of the match.

AB: With a bay to our left it was clear that the fish would be moving in and out through the day, so we didn’t think that we would spook too many fish, or at worst they would retreat a bit further into the weed bed.

MH: Was there any particular method that began working best?

A steady stream of bait over the rods kept the bites coming.

MH: So what were your main tactics?

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HC: The rod that we got a bite on was a long hook link and a slowsinking bright bait fished over the top to allow it to settle on the weed and make it easy for the fish to pick up. When we cast out we made sure to put a piece of PVA foam on the hook to prevent the hook catching on the weed on the cast.

Around the rig we spread plenty of 14mm and 18mm Richworth KG1 baits over the spot with the throwing stick.This was on a little-and-often basis and we kept trickling the bait over the spot to keep the fish interested. We were fishing a large, 3oz lead and lead clips and ejecting the lead on the bite. As soon as we lost the lead the fish hit the surface and were much easier to land.

We also fished tight lines and with locked-up clutches we were able to prevent the fish from hitting the worst of the weed before we got to the rod. We also used strong 20lb main line so that we could put plenty of pressure on the fish to prevent them getting in the weed.

As a consequence we had 24 bites and landed 19 fish.The lost fish were down to normal hook-pulls when they were clear of the weed.

AB: Harry had begun to bait an area at the entrance of the pads bay, where there were clearly fish. It seemed like an interception point.

HC: Yes, I kept baiting for five hours or so. We began to see clear signs of fish, with fizzing and movement in the area. I knew from casting a lead to the area that we could present our long hook link and

pop-up rig on this spot, so we just monitored the area for the first few hours of the match. Within half an hour of putting the rig out, we had a bite. By the end of the match this generated seven of our fish so became a really good spot to fish.

MH: When did most of your bites occur?

AB: The bites happened mostly during the day and at night they dried up.This was always worrying because you didn’t know how many fish other people were catching in the hours of darkness. On the first night we didn’t catch a carp, and by the morning we were beginning to worry. Glen Maulkerson and Lee Tompkins caught steadily through the night and into the morning, so we were keen to get catching again to further strengthen our lead.

MH: Was it nerve-racking on the last morning?

AB: There are always nerves on the last morning of a final, especially if you are in the lead. Glen and Lee were within two fish of us and still catching; we caught a mid-double in the morning, but we really began to feel that we had done enough to win the competition when we got a double take, followed by a third fish an hour before the end.

MH: When the hooter went off to signify the end, I imagine that you were elated.

AB: For me the stress of the competition didn’t leave me straightaway. It was a surreal feeling that, even though the competition was over, I hadn’t had time to relax and take it all in.

HC: We reeled in straightaway. We didn’t know how to feel as you always dream of winning a largescale carp match. We had a chat on the phone on the next day, when it had all blown over, and the feeling was great.

AB: Even with a good lead you are always worried. After the first five hours of the match we were in the lead and stayed there for the duration, albeit with a constantly changing advantage over second place.

MH: You managed to set the match record for every venue that you fished, including the final. Was there pressure on you to perform in the

18mm Richwor th K-G-1 in 14mm and choice. of bait ei’s Alex and ry were Har

74 TOTAL CARP

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12/09/2014 15:37

final due to what you’d achieved in the qualifiers?

HC: I felt that there was pressure to perform as we had commanded large leads in both the qualifier and the semi-final. But we never set out to break the records at each venue.

MH: Will you be taking part in 2015?

HC: I would like to take part next year for sure. It will be great to try and defend our title, although having won it this year it will come with extra

Sheer elation at winning the biggest prize in UK carp fishing.

One of 19 carp that Alexei and Harry caught to be crowned 2014 champions.

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@stapeleyangling 12/09/2014 16:30

Pics: Marc Coulson

TWENTIES CHALLENGE Twenty

With the chance of a 40-pounder and a few nice back-up fish, MARK PITCHERS visits a tiny venue containing some very big carp.

ANGLER FILE Mark Pitchers AGE: 35 OCCUPATION: Fishery owner UK PB: 56lb 8oz SPONSORS: Fox, Mainline Baits and Hinders

I

Every month we challenge MARK PITCHERS to catch a 20-pounder from a different venue.

am not going to lie, last month’s ‘fail’ did smart a bit, even if I did try to put on quite a brave face at the time! Nevertheless, as always, I do try to take a positive from a negative and I can honestly say that I now felt more fired up for a victory than ever before during this series. Anything less than an emphatic win simply wouldn’t cut it this time around; I didn’t want to merely pass the challenge, I wanted to smash it, and the venue I had chosen certainly had the potential to enable me to do just that.

Kilthorpe Pools lies in the heart of the stunning Rutland countryside and, although I had never visited the fishery before, several captures of some very impressive-looking carp had popped up on my Facebook news feed, including a real beast that had tipped the scales at over 42lb.

By lowering a lead off the rod tip, I was able to establish where the near ledge started to descend.

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Twenties Challenge This chunky mirror tipped the scales at 27lb 14oz.

In addition to the big fella, there were also a handful of thirties and a number of twenties. The stock comprised just 30 carp, all of which were swimming around in less than an acre of water. With the prospect of bagging a forty live for the TC cameras, I couldn’t wait to get cracking.

Following a leisurely 2½-hour drive, I was buzzed through the electric gates and was making my way down to the pool. My first impression was that it was indeed small, one of the smallest waters I have ever fished for carp in fact, but what it lacked in size it certainly made up for in charm.

As a youngster, my carping life originated by fishing small local farm ponds similar to Kilthorpe and, consequently, these small waters have always held something of a fascination for me. I quickly learnt that their occupants are often highly pressured, very cautious and incredibly finicky, and catching them is not always as straightforward as it would initially appear.

Killer Kit Of The Pros

The bankside accomodation at Kilthorpe is truly unique!

It’s that time of year again when many anglers start to think about breaking out the maggots, but to be fair Mark has used them all year. Fox’s fine-meshed PVA is perfect for presenting bags of wrigglers.

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Having grabbed a pair of polarising glasses from the van, I set off around the pool hopeful of not only spotting a carp or two, but also trying to pinpoint Zeus, the largest resident.

Many anglers often fall into the trap of thinking that location/rig placement in these small-water situations is of little importance but from my experience this couldn’t be further from the truth. Small-water carp tend to be less mobile compared with their large-water counterparts, and it is not unusual to see the same fish feeding in the same localised areas of the lake time and time again. Whether it is down to territory, or simply because that particular fish feels comfortable feeding in that area, it has happened too many times over the years for this to be coincidence.

With angling only permitted along one bank, it stood to reason that the fish would be located along the opposite side, away from any

disturbance or pressure.

Although the coloured water and strong wind made matters a little tricky, I was able to spot a number of dark shapes gliding along the far margin just a few feet from the bank. After an hour or so of watching their movements there were several locations along the far margins where the carp certainly seemed to favour and would spend a higher percentage of their time.

Although I did notice some sizeable carp, I couldn’t say for certain that any of them were Zeus, which made me wonder if he preferred to spend more time at the bottom of the marginal shelf, away from prying eyes.

So, with three potential areas now identified, I introduced a handful of bait over each spot to try and encourage a confident feeding response on those areas

STEP-BY-STEP Mark’s Wriggler Rig

1

Start by stripping a few inches of coating off some Core-Tex Soft.

4

Thread a short piece of thin silicone on to the hook link and then hook.

7

Finish the other end of the rig with a small loop for ease of changing.

10

Tie the floss off with a few granny knots, taking care not to burst the maggots.

2

Tie a medium-sized rig ring to the end of the exposed braid...

5

Trim the tip from a Fox Line Aligna Adaptor and thread that on to...

8

Thread some bait floss through a small sewing needle...

11

Once the knot is tightened, trim the tag ends of floss.

3

... thread it through the back of the eye and tie a knotless knot.

6

... the hook link and then the hook, so it all looks like this.

9

... then thread on some maggots and pass through the rig ring.

12

Here’s the finished rig, all tied and ready to catch carp from anywhere!

Nailed on the wriggler rig with a small bunch of maggots attached (inset).

80 TOTAL CARP

P078-083_TC_10_TwentiesChall.indd 3

11/09/2014 16:46

Twenties Challenge while I unloaded the van and sorted my kit out. On the majority of smaller waters that I have fished, the carp have rarely been bait oriented. While there will always be waters that dispel this suggestion, more often than not it’s the little-and-often, or one-bite tactics that produce the better results and there are few better one-bite tactics than a maggot approach. It may seem like a negative line of attack for late August, but during those warm, lazy summer days when the carp often have little inclination to feed, a bunch of lively wrigglers can often provoke a take when all other baits and tactics fail.

Hook baits were simply a bunch of 12 to 15 maggots tied to a rig ring beneath a size 6 Fox Arma Point SSBP hook, which was tied to a short length of 20lb Camotex Soft. Fishery rules stated that only inline leads could be used, which in a small, weed-free lake makes perfect sense because there really is no need to drop a lead unnecessarily. In any case, I always prefer to use inline leads wherever possible because I believe that for finicky-feeding fish the inline setup is much more direct; there is nothing to pivot before the fish feels the full weight of the lead. As a result, this offers much better hooking capabilities.

I always like to have a few different areas baited where possible, in case the hotspot dries up.

As I slid the net under a chunky mirror, I was in little doubt that I’d passed the challenge with my first fish.

Although angling is restricted to one bank, anglers are still permitted to walk round the pool to bait up and position rigs and suchlike, which was a bonus because this would allow me to drop my rig with total accuracy and minimal disturbance.

Having made the short walk to the opposite bank, I carefully lowered the rig in place a few feet from the bank before winding down until the rod tip was touching the surface of the water. I then pushed the rod forward a few feet at a time until the tip dipped below the surface to indicate where the marginal shelf began to drop off into slightly deeper water.

With the hook bait positioned around eight feet from the bank, I baited up with another handful of maggots, along with a smattering of sweetcorn, before employing another little trick known as the washing line.

By placing a bankstick at the water’s edge with a spare bobbin attached, the main line is then clipped into the bobbin. Having then returned to the swim, the line is tightened to ensure that it is running entirely above the water. This ensures that the only line around the baited area is the short length entering from the bankside and this really does provide the ultimate in

line concealment and has resulted in the downfall of many wary fish over the years.

With one rod nicely in position I readied the remaining rods for action, but they would have to wait just a little bit longer. The first one had only been in the water for a matter of minutes and a savage drop-back indicated that the washing-line presentation had worked a charm. As soon as I picked up the rod it was clear that this fish was of a decent size. For a good 10 minutes it plodded slowly up and down the middle of the lake, all the time hugging the lake bed like a limpet. I don’t mind admitting that even at this early stage my mind was already racing ahead of itself with thoughts of Zeus!

It seemed to take an age before the fish neared the bank and as it rose in the water I got my first glimpse of what I was attached to. As I slid the net under a rather chunky mirror, I was in little doubt that I’d passed the challenge with my very first fish of the session. It wasn’t the big ’un, but at 27lb 14oz it was certainly big enough for me. Less than five minutes’ angling and it was job done!

With the rod back on the same spot and my second rod also in place, I

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11/09/2014 16:46

STEP-BY-STEP The Washing Line Trick

1

Take your rod around to your far margin spot, before attaching your rig and...

... dropping your rig into the margin. Clip the line to a bobbin on a bankstick...

went about getting my final rod in the water. Once again I was interrupted by another brutal drop-back. Less than 15 minutes had passed since I returned that 27-pounder and I was now doing battle with my second carp of the session. Once again the fish didn’t give itself up easily and following another dogged battle a plump common lay in the bottom of my landing net.

Another Kilthorpe carp nears the net.

3

2

4

... before walking your rod back round to your swim.

Keep the line under some...

At 20lb 1oz, it was another over the magic mark. I did eventually manage to get all three of my rods into place, although admittedly not for very long.

Within the hour the same rod was in action and yet another prolonged fight ensued. This time the culprit turned out to be a wonderful, long mirror weighing in at 26lb 9oz. I was on cloud nine. Three twenties within the hour and all the frustrations of last month’s challenge were quickly evaporating.

Another fish followed shortly after, this time a lovely looking linear mirror around 12lb, before, unsurprisingly, things began to settle down a bit. At least this finally allowed me time to get moved in to the very cosy lakeside accommodation.

I have visited lakes with cabins on site but this was my first time staying in a shepherd’s hut complete with logburning stove!

... tension before tightening down to the bobbin once you return to your swim.

As the day wore on, the fish appeared to move away from the opposite margin and more began to show in open water, so for the night ahead I decided to position all three rods in the middle section of the pool.

The rigs remained exactly the same and having cast three hook baits to the areas of activity, each rod received a few spombs of maggots and corn over the top, along with a generous helping of crushed Cell and Hybrid boilies, just in case the big fella liked his grub.

Although the fish remained active well into the night, when I awoke at first light I was a little surprised that no more action had been forthcoming.

However, it soon became clear that the carp had begun feeding a little further out than my baited spots. As I watched carp continuously fizzing just five yards or so past my hook baits it was too much for me to bear and I decided to risk making one cast with a small PVA bag closer to the feeding activity. I knew that it was a bit of a gamble, and sometimes gambles pay off. Thankfully, on this occasion it did.

PASSED!

82 TOTAL CARP

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Twenties Challenge Just as I was about to spark up the stove for my first cuppa, the recast rod ripped off and I was playing my first carp of the day.

Weighing 18lb 10oz it wasn’t one of the lake’s bigger residents but it was a stunner and I was absolutely delighted to be holding up such a glorious old scaly mirror for the cameras.

As the sun climbed in the sky and the temperature increased, the carp soon returned to the opposite margin. However, the captures of the previous day had obviously taken their toll and, predictably, the carp were now avoiding the previously productive areas.

Having observed their new whereabouts I soon had three washing lines going across the pool and awaited events to unfold. I had expected the fish to be slightly more guarded, having caught a fairly high percentage of the stock, but that didn’t seem to be the case at all. A torpedo-like ghostie weighing 22lb 3oz was next to make a mistake, followed a short while later by mirrors weighing 19lb 3oz, 16lb and the 12-pounder that I caught the day before also decided to pay me another visit.

After slipping back the 12-pounder I made my way over to the far bank to drop my rig in position. As I approached my bankstick by the water’s edge I froze.

Directly in front of the stick, just a foot from the bank, was Zeus. He was feeding

on the exact spot where my rig had been just moments earlier and he looked huge!

It just goes to show how fine the margins between success and failure can be in carp fishing. If that 12-pounder hadn’t picked up the hook bait… well, who knows?

I waited for him to finish his meal and move away before gently lowering the rig back in position, followed by a fresh handful of maggots and corn. Just 10 minutes later the same rod was away again and with the image of that huge mirror carp still fresh in my mind you can image how much my heart was pounding.

Another slow and ponderous fight had me convinced that this was indeed the one and when a broadshouldered mirror rolled briefly in the coloured water my knees turned to jelly.

After what seemed like an eternity, the fish finally succumbed and was mine. Yet again I’d been fooled. It wasn’t Zeus but at 28lb 14oz it was the biggest carp of the session so far and I was thrilled.

Come to Daddy!

With the day drawing to a close I decided to leave the rods in situ on the far margin for my final night. With a 24lb 5oz common falling just before dusk and a stunning 22lb 5oz linear tripping up as dark descended, I was convinced that I had made the right move. However, once again the hours of darkness proved unproductive and my session had come to an end. Still, having banked 12 carp from a stock of 30, which included seven twenties, I was far from disappointed. Although Zeus avoided me on this occasion, it gives me a good excuse to make a return visit. I’ll keep you updated…

Several commons and mirrors over the 20lb barrier help me to a deserved pass this month.

P078-083_TC_10_TwentiesChall.indd 6

11/09/2014 16:47

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p084-085_TC_10_Danson Angling .indd 2

12/09/2014 19:06

ANGLER FILE Lewis Clayton AGE: 32 OCCUPATION: Director, Phatfish Clothing UK PB: 41lb SPONSORS: Richworth and Phatfish

Follow Lewis’ one-bite tactics and you could be experiencing plenty of this over the coming months.

M LEWIS CLAYTON shows you his hugely versatile rig, which allows you to fish any hook bait you like without having to alter the hair length.

any anglers overcomplicate their rigs in the hope that it makes them more effective.

Quite often this is to their detriment, resulting in more time worried about how the rig is working and not about where the carp are. Location is key and no matter what the quality of your rig is, if it’s not in the right place you’re not going to have a chance. I like to ring the changes when it comes to hook baits and if the fish are being

86 TOTAL CARP

p086-088_TC_10_Day-Ticket.indd 1

10/09/2014 09:24

Day-Ticket Tactics

STEP-BY-STEP Make Lewis’ One Bite Bag Mix

1

These are the bits Lewis likes to use.The liquids are particularly effective.

5

Boilie crumb is always a great fish attractor. Lewis adds a couple of handfuls.

3

2

A handful of the golden grain adds the visual element of the mix.

7

6

Powdered Tutti Frutti bag mix will absorb the liquids, improving attraction.

particularly finicky I will change it to elicit a response. Normally with a standard knotless knot, the length of the hair limits you to one hook bait.

This is where I integrate a rig ring on the hair, allowing me to tie any bait on without having to tie a new rig to alter the hair.

I am at Merrington Fishery, a fantastic nine-acre day-ticket lake situated in the depths of the Shropshire countryside. It’s a very popular water and, as a result, the fish have seen just about every bait going.

Due to the cooler weather, I have sought out the deeper open-water area of the lake. When I arrived there were fish showing here, mainly because this was the only area where there were no anglers and the fish moved away from the pressure. Not wanting to cause too much disturbance, I decided that a one-bite approach seemed the best course of action.

I arrived quite late in the evening, so with little time and limited swims I

Killer Kit Of The Pros

You get so many different colours in one pot of the Super Tutti pop-ups. Buoyant and highly attractive, they are great for getting the attention of passing fish and make a great hook bait to go with Lewis’ PVA bags.

Break up some tuna chunks into the mix – a great fishy addition.

A brilliant meal that no carp can resist and a great tactic for day-session fishing.

4

A capful of the Aquastim from Richworth adds liquid food content.

8

Small bite-sized PVA bags are nicked onto the rig before being cast out.

slotted into an area of open water Lewis’ rig where there were a fair few fish allows you to showing. So as not to disturb use a variety them too much at bite time I of hook baits. knocked up a stick mix to give off maximum attraction around my hook bait without giving the fish too much food.

My stick mix is simple to create.

Firstly, I drain off some sweetcorn and place it in a bait box. I then add the liquids of my choice. In this case that’s Richamino, AquaStim and Minamino. A capful I wake at first light to no fish. of each is then mixed with the corn.

They are more out to my left, so I I then add a tin of tuna in oil, which decide to recast one rod to the area in is an awesome additive to any bait the hope that I can get a quick bite. mix. Next up, I crush some Richworth By midday, despite a recast and the S-Core boilies to add food content. obvious presence of carp, bites haven’t Finally, when all of the mix is ready I been forthcoming. I am confident that add Tutti Frutti bag mix. This provides the fish will feed at some point and more attractive powdered content and my high-attract bags will do the trick. soaks up any excess moisture in the I will recast every couple of hours sweetcorn. The finished mix is highly to keep new bait falling through the attractive with relatively low food water; this may help get some interest content, meaning that the fish will take from the carp. my hook bait in their first mouthful.

Shortly after my recast, the rightTo go with the bags, I have chosen hand rod pulls up tight and the bobbin to use my supple hair rig incorporating rises as a fish makes off with the bait. the Trickster Heavy from Gardner.

Due to my tight clutches it doesn’t This supple hook link allows the rig take line. I reel down and pull into the to settle on the lake bed over all the fish. The instant it feels resistance it contours. I then attach the rig to a surges off into the middle of the lake. simple lead-clip system with a 2oz pear I manage to turn it but due to it kiting lead. I am not casting far, so a light it has picked up my other line. With lead will suffice. a bit of help from Max Hendry, the With three rigs staggered across cameraman, I manage to untangle the the expanse of open water in front of lines and the fish gets close to netting me, I watch as fish show right among without any real drama. After a brief the baits. I bed down and listen for scuffle in the reeds I am soon peering fish until late into the night and settle into the net at what looks like a good down in anticipation of a bite or two in twenty. the early hours.

TOTAL CARP 87

p086-088_TC_10_Day-Ticket.indd 2

10/09/2014 09:24

With all the weighing kit ready I hoist the fish onto the scales and it registers 25lb. I am told by Luke Tomlins, the fishery manager, that it is one of the newer stocking of fish, a solid mirror that has grown more than 4lb since it was stocked, further proving that the stock in Merrington is improving year on year.

Once the fish is slipped back I grab a PVA bag and get the rod back on the area where I caught my last fish.

To save time, I knocked up a few bags when the fishing was quiet to ensure that I could get the rods fishing as soon as I landed a carp. Bite time can be localised on day-ticket waters, so I was keen to try and make the most of this feeding spell.

A few fish have been seen in the area so I am confident of another bite before the day’s end.

The fish fell to a Richworth Tutti Frutti pop-up tied onto the rig ring on the rig. The other two rods were on a piece of fake sweetcorn, to mimic the bits of sweetcorn in the bag mix. Now I

have had a bite I am changing another rod over to Tutti Frutti baits to see if I can get all the rods catching carp.

Once you find something that works on a day-ticket water it is important to match that with other rigs to try and get more bites. By doing this you can change a one-fish session into a hit of them.

The rig ring helps that because I can simply thread the hook bait onto a piece of dental floss and tie it to the ring, allowing me to change hook bait easily without changing the rig.

At 4pm the rod is away again with another scaly mirror at 22lb, making it two twenties on a 24-hour session. I stay until 6pm in the hope of another bite but nothing is forthcoming.

Merrington is a fantastic venue and one that is well worth a look throughout the year due to its great fishing in even the coldest conditions.

There is a strong head of twenties with some thirties thrown in and it is sure to provide you with fantastic sport.

Many anglers arrive here and put

Killer Kit Of The Pros

The supple nature of the Trickster heavy hook link is great for fishing a discreet rig in a PVA bag.The heavy nature allows the bait to act naturally in the PVA bag and helps it go unnoticed by feeding fish.

lots of bait out. Depending on the conditions that can often be the kiss of death and it can be better to try the softly-softly approach, particularly if everyone else is baiting heavily.

Sometimes the fish can take preference to a certain bait, so it’s well worth bringing hook-bait options with you to bring about a bite.

One bite, one 25lb mirror in the net – it appears that Lewis’ one-bite tactic will catch carp big or small.

88 TOTAL CARP

p086-088_TC_10_Day-Ticket.indd 3

10/09/2014 09:24

p089_TC_10_PhatFish Clothing.indd 1

08/09/2014 14:35

Words and pics: Richard Stewart

Heading back to an old haunt, DARRELL PECK is excited to see how the place has matured as well as catch a carp or two.

F

or this feature I decided that I would take a step back in time and visit a venue that I fished as a teenager. The lake is called The Quarry and since my time on there it has recently turned day ticket. It’s a great venue that boasts some very special, old carp, along with a generation of younger stock fish. As a result, it has become very popular and, really, it’s no surprise.

As I pulled through the gates the memories came flooding back. Having matured somewhat, instead of racing round the track like a Formula 1 driver, I slowly made my way along the gravel track towards the lake. There were a few anglers present and although it wasn’t quiet, it certainly wasn’t busy.

The weather was spot-on and although there were a few anglers where I thought I had to be, there was still a swim available, The Pallets. I have fished it a lot and it’s probably my favourite on the lake. Not wanting to rush into a decision, I quickly bucketed the swim and made my way round in search of carp. I saw nothing during ANGLER FILE Darrell Peck AGE: 32 OCCUPATION: Angling consultant UK PB: 65lb 4oz SPONSORS: Korda,Trakker, Mainline Baits and Daiwa

A stunning 16lb example of what The Quarry holds.

90 TOTAL CARP

p090-095_TC_10_ImproveCarp.indd 1

12/09/2014 10:34

Improve Your Carp Fishing Ensuring the lead is dropped is vital when fishing weedy venues.

Darrell spent plenty of time leading aroun d to find the right spo t.

the walk round and, with it raining and windy, I opted to drop into The Pallets.

The wind was pushing from left to right, ideal for that area, and I knew there would be a few fish mooching about. The Pallets controls an area of deeper water and this suited the conditions perfectly. My thoughts were confirmed half an hour or so later when a small carp stuck its head out some 90-odd yards in front of me.

While on my walk around I had spoken to a couple of other anglers, who were fishing opposite and across to the right of me. One was in a swim that controls a very similar area of water to mine and he had managed a couple of bites the night before I arrived, which was certainly promising.

I decided to have a good lead around, in search of an area for the night. I spent a little longer than I had planned searching for the spot but the crosswind was making life difficult. The gravel area that I had located was quite long but rather thin and this made landing on it accurately every time a little troublesome. With perseverance I was able to find out what I needed to know, and that was that the spot was extremely clean. It seemed ideal for an area of spodded bait and that was my plan. With a rather large stock density, it would make sense to apply a large amount of feed. Having spoken to a few anglers about how the place fishes nowadays, it seemed they like a feast and hits of fish were achievable. The one question that I did have was whether to put two rods on the spot or not. Before worrying about anything else, I deposited half a five-litre bucket of bait onto the area.

The mix contained Hybrid boilies,

TOTAL CARP 91

p090-095_TC_10_ImproveCarp.indd 2

12/09/2014 10:34

What carp could resist this tempting meal?

Choosing the right hook link is key to Darrell’s success.

Activ-8 Response Pellets, giant hemp and Mainline Hemp Oil – more than enough to entice any carp.

With the bait applied, I set about getting a rod out there. As always, my rig choice was kept simple and I soon had a Semi-stiff N-Trap pop-up in position. I had baited the rig with a Mainline Pineapple pop-up, something I have caught hundreds of carp on and one that would present nicely over my bait, matching the colour of the sweetcorn. Once that rod was sorted I began to think more about the other

two. I had always done well fishing around the islands and with my preferred island facing out to my left, I simply had to put a rod out there.

I wouldn’t be able to fish along the face of the island like I used to because I was in the wrong swim for that, but I could fish to the corner. It was a long chuck from The Pallets to the corner of the island, probably around 120 yards, so I would need a rig suitable for the job. I opted for

Bright pop-ups are first choice, as they stand out so effectively.

The traditional hinged stiff rig is better suited to longrange fishing.

the more traditional hinged stiff link, a very similar presentation to what I had on the other rod but better suited to long-distance casting. This rig would be constructed using IQ2 and Mouth Trap; two stiff materials that are not only less prone to tangles but also keep their shape better. I have found that when casting aggressively with the Semi-stiff N-Trap rig, it can lose its curved shape slightly beneath the hook. The stiffer Mouth Trap has a higher memory than the coated braid and it can withstand the pressure of the cast.

After tying the rig, I attached it to the rod and began casting it towards the corner of the island in search of

92 TOTAL CARP

p090-095_TC_10_ImproveCarp.indd 3

12/09/2014 10:34

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p093_TC_10_England Angling.indd 1

11/09/2014 09:32

a decent drop. By this I mean that I wanted to feel the lead down onto an area that it would present well over. It took me more than 10 casts to get the rig in position, but it was all worth it once it had landed where I wanted it. I have always been very fussy about the drop I get and this was a fine example of that. With so much weed present it’s critical to be 100 per cent happy when searching for that area. Due to the weed, I set the Hybrid Lead Clip up to eject the lead with ease, Although the bait stands out it mimics the occasional fleck of corn within the mix.

which helps to bring the carp to the surface and prevents weed building up over the lead during the fight. Once I had the rig in position, I quickly marked the range with a small piece of marker elastic, which would make getting back on the spot a lot easier should I get a bite. The remaining rod was then cast alongside the other one over the baited patch. I wasn’t sure whether to put a second rod out there at first but thought it a good idea in the end. If the fish did turn up, with two live rigs on the spot, hopefully I would snare a couple.

Evening came around quite quickly and while I sat watching the water throughout the latter part of the day, I did see a few fish show just beyond me. With definite carpy activity going on around me, things were looking good for the night ahead and I drifted off to sleep feeling fairly confident.

I woke just after first light and as I scanned the water I could see plenty of fizzing rising up from the spot; the carp had arrived. I swung my legs out of the bag and sat anticipating a bite at any moment. Just as the kettle came to life for the first brew of the day, which really helps to wake me up, one of the rods from the baited area was away.

The fish didn’t cause me too much trouble and, although it was darting around everywhere, it didn’t weed me up at all. After a short while I had a nice mid-double scaly mirror in the net – what a fine way to start the morning.

I rigged the rod back up as soon as possible and fired it back out there,

The icing on the cake – at 33lb 12oz The Chanty in all its glory.

before topping the spot back up with more bait.

This is often the key to success when spodding and not long afterwards the other rod signalled a take. This one was fighting more doggedly and I started to wonder if I had hooked a bigger fish. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case, but a clean-looking mirror of around 18lb soon succumbed to my steady pressure. I was pleased to have had a bite on both rods and the decision I made the day before had paid off, which is always nice. After a quick photo session with the two carp, I carefully slipped them both back into the water and then repeated the rebaiting and recasting process.

The feeding spell seemed to dwindle out over the next hour or so and it seemed that the fish had done the off. The conditions were still more than favourable, though, and I felt that another bite from the spot was certainly possible. The island rod had seemingly done nothing and in the back of my mind I began to wonder whether I had made a mistake putting it out there.

I shouldn’t have because a little while later the bobbin smashed into the rod blank and a carp was hooked.

It hit the surface straightaway and in its wake a huge eruption of water exploded from the corner of the island.

The fish then powered out into open

94 TOTAL CARP

p090-095_TC_10_ImproveCarp.indd 4

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Improve Your Carp Fishing

Darrell keeps steady pressure on as the carp uses the open water.

It was then that I realised what I had caught. It was an old friend of mine and the third biggest original in the lake, a cracking old carp known as The Chanty.

A few of us hoisted the fish ashore and carefully weighed her. On the scales she went 33lb 12oz, a spawnedout weight but did I care? Absolutely not. It was a carp that I had caught some 12 years ago and it was still in absolutely mint condition. I couldn’t have asked for a better welcome back than that. I had to leave the lake not long afterwards but as I closed the gates I couldn’t help but smile. Those old slippers still fit.

water and the battle really began. I immediately began to tell myself that it was a better fish and as it surged directly to the open water, picking up weed as it went, it certainly felt that way. I had hooked the fish a long way out so it took a while before it popped up in front of the net. The fish was tired and, thankfully, it went into the net without too much hassle.

A welcome 18lb mirror add to the session.

TOTAL CARP 95

p090-095_TC_10_ImproveCarp.indd 5

12/09/2014 10:34

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p096_TC_10_BigFishLittleFish.indd 1

11/09/2014 16:33

GT5 A4.pdf

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25/05/2012

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Catching carp needn’t cost the earth. MARTIN WIFFIN shows you how by baiting with small quantities you can still enjoy prolific action.

G

etting your fishing fix while on a budget can be a hard.

What with the price of a ticket and taking enough bait, you can soon be spending a lot of money before you even get to the lake. With a busy family and work life Crafty Catcher-backed Martin Wiffin knows all too well the limitations that many anglers face. With that in mind we have challenged him to get a few bites on a budget.

Martin takes up the story…

A couple of Spombs over each baited rig proves fruitful.

ANGLER FILE Martin Wiffin AGE: 42 OCCUPATION: Street lighting operative UK PB: 31lb 4oz SPONSORS: Crafty Catcher and N Brice

I arrive at A12 Cuton Lakes in Chelmsford at 8am. With two specimen waters here there are plenty of pegs to choose from and there is always the chance of a fish. I decide to fish Specimen One as it has a good head of fish, and I should be able to catch a few fish on a day session.

With it being a Saturday many of the swims have already been taken, so I reason that the quiet bay at the end of the lake is a good starting point.

With an attractive far margin this swim is sure to hold a few fish. As I rig up the first rod I scan the water, keeping an eye out for any signs and within minutes I see a couple of fish show.

With a bare lead I clip up the first rod tight to the far margin. I repeat this process with the other rods, staggering them along the far margin to maximise my chances. All that’s left to do is clip the rigs on and get some bait on the spots.

Keeping to a budget I am trying to make my bait go further. With that I am using the small 500g bags of particles from Crafty Catcher. These convenient bags are great to grab and get fishing, with just enough bait to get a few bites. I decide to Spomb two spots with the contents of one bag and to accompany that I bait with 50 Strawberry & Krill Fast Food boilies.

These are highly attractive and will leak off, getting fish interested in the baited areas.

You don’t need to spend heaps of money to catch carp. Martin enjoyed a prolific day session with two pouches of particles and a bag of boilies.

98 TOTAL CARP

p098-100_TC_10_Bargin Carp.indd 1

12/09/2014 10:36

Bargain Carping

PVA bags of the particle mix and a corn hook bait – devastating.

Martin carefully teases a carp from the safety of the far margin reeds.

My hook baits complement the spod mix that I am using, with boilies and fake corn matching the feed perfectly. To further improve attraction I nick on a PVA bag of the prepared particles – their PVA-friendly formula makes them brilliant for this.

Just before I cast out I give the baits a nice dip in the matching Strawberry & Krill boilies. This further adds to the attraction and will hopefully get me a quick bite.

With all the spots baited and rods fishing, it doesn’t take long to see the telltale signs of fish feeding. Within minutes the left-hand rod signals a

Killer Kit Of The Pros

The high-leakage Fast Food boilies are great for a day session where you are trying to get a quick reaction from the carp.

Martin used one bag of the Strawberry and Krill Flavour on his session.

TOTAL CARP 99

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bite as a sprightly common takes the bait. Just seconds into playing the carp, my right-hand rod also bursts into life. Luckily I have my friend, Crafty Catcher media manager Louis Russo, in the swim to help me. He holds the rod while I sort out the first fish and soon I have two carp in the net. With another handful of baits over each rod I soon recast while the fish rest in the net.

I hold up the fish for the camera to get some snaps in the morning light and am well happy with how the day is going, but it doesn’t take long for the fish to return.

Killer Kit Of The Pros

Once the rod is ready to cast Martin gives the bait a dip in the matching Strawberry and Krill boilie dip. It certainly catches the fishes’ attention as bites have been coming quickly after casting out.

A savage bite has me up and playing another fish. After netting another small common I slip it back and rebait, again following the rig with 20 more baits. After half an hour without any further action I decide to use the remaining particles and bait up with two more Spombs over each rod. I am hoping I can increase the attraction in the swim and get the fish feeding hard on the spot.

Just 10 minutes after baiting one of the rods is away again; this time a single-figure mirror is the culprit. I’m thinking that the larger fish will begin to play ball now – it’s midday and we have been fishing for a few hours with steady action.

My next bite is different – on picking the rod up I meet with greater resistance. Straightaway I feel like I am attached to one of the better doubles.

After giving me the real runaround in the margin, I soon have the fish safely in the net. At 16lb it’s one of the better carp in the lake. Like all of them it is in great condition.

I finish the session after around five hours’ fishing and with 10 carp to show for my efforts it’s been a great session. All together I have spent £10 on loose baits with £6 for the boilie dip, which will easily last several sessions, and £16 for 10 carp can’t be bad. It just goes to show that you don’t have to break the bank to catch plenty of fish.

Out goes another ba it to the spot. Accurac y is key on the day.

This mint-condition mid-double mirror is the largest of the session and rounds off the day nicely.

100 TOTAL CARP

p098-100_TC_10_Bargin Carp.indd 3

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p101_TC_10_Crafty Catcher_DHP EDIT.indd 1

08/09/2014 14:35

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p102_TC_10_Fosters page.indd 1

NOW AVAILABLE ON YOUR IPHONE, IPAD OR ANDROID PHONE

10/09/2014 09:58

Carp Scene

Have your say, get your picture in TOTAL CARP and win brilliant prizes from Shimano and ACE…

W

elcome to Carp Scene – the pages dedicated to you, the readers of Total Carp. We have some great prizes from Shimano and ACE for every letter and catch pic printed.

There has never been a better time to catch carp and send in your pictures. No matter what the size, if you have caught a nice fish or you simply have something to tell Total Carp, send the details to: CARP SCENE,TOTAL CARP, DHP LTD, 1 WHITTLE CLOSE, DRAYTON FIELDS, DAVENTRY, NORTHANTS NN11 8RQ, or e-mail them to: carpscene@dhpub.co.uk.

Name: Sarah Jackson Age: 42 Home town: Warwick Fish weight: 25lb 1oz Venue: Bishops Bowl Lakes Bait: Spicy Sausage pop-up

Rig: Chod Tactics: I fished tight to some far reeds Additional information: I only started fishing in mid-June and this is my second double-figure carp already. I think it is safe to say that I’m well and truly hooked

Name: Kevin Smith Age: 61 Home town: Kempsford Fish weight: 29lb 4oz Venue: South Cerney AC water Bait: Mainline 10mm Milky Toffee pop-up Rig: Combi Tactics: I baited a small hole in the heavy weed Additional information: Part of a four-fish, 24hour session. I beat my PB twice and it was my best session to date

Please remember to tell us exactly where you caught your carp and you MUST include all of your contact details.

SPONSORED BY

WWW.SHIMANO-EU.COM WWW.DYNAMITEBAITS.COM

For the next three months, we have managed to up the ante once again, securing a brand-new, exciting line-up of prizes for each lucky selected Carp Scene entry. Every runner-up will receive a 1kg bag g of the new and outstanding 15mm shelf-life Monster Tiger Nut Red-Amo from Dynamite and a pot of Washed-Out Fluro Pop-Up hook baits. If you are lucky enough to be the Shimano Star Prize winner then you will receive a Shimano Tribal 9ft Stalker rod worth £129.99 and, as if that isn’t enough, each Star Prize winner will also receive an ACE Lumin-8 Sensor Head Lamp.

What are you waiting for?

Get catching and send your snaps in to us now!

TOTAL CARP 103

p103-105_TC_10_CScene.indd 1

12/09/2014 10:37

Get on the grubs With autumn fast approaching you’ll find that more and more anglers will start using maggots. Coming from a match background, I use them all year round, as well as a lot of baits like casters, pinkies and chopped worms in my spod and bag mixes.

I favour this approach because it gives me endless hook-bait options to keep the carp guessing.

A good tip to make your maggots stand out is to use pure powdered krill. Firstly, take the air out of a pint of bagged maggots and leave them for 24 hours. Next, introduce around 100g of Krill powder and pop them in the freezer and leave them for two to three days. Give them a go.

Tight lines, Roy

SPONSORED BY

WWW.SHIMANO-EU.COM WWW.DYNAMITEBAITS.COM

Name: Lee Bennett Age: 26 Home town: Wrexham Fish weight: 21lb Venue: Prysmian Angling Club Bait: 10mm The Crave pop-up Rig: KD Tactics: I fished tight to a bed of lilies over a mix of chopped and whole baits Additional information: This was the biggest of eight fish caught during a 36-hour session

Name: Craig Fraser Age: 26 Home town: Swindon Fish weight: 25lb 5oz Venue: Theale Fisheries Bait: Chocolate Orange boilie Rig: KD Tactics: I fished close to the far margin Additional information: I was over the moon with this stunning carp

Name: Tom Oliver Age: 14 Home town: Ingworth Fish weight: 14lb 5oz Venue: Mill Farm Bait: Mainline Milky Toffee pop-up

Name: Andrew Ainsworth Age: 45 Home town: Baxenden Fish weight: 40lb 8oz Venue: View Fisheries Bait: Dog biscuit Rig: Surface setup Tactics: I managed to find a few fish on the surface Additional information: An amazing capture that will stay with me for years to come

Rig: Chod Tactics: I flicked it out tight so some lilies Additional information: It was my first time using the chod and I managed my new PB

Name: Leon Upton Age: 35 Home town: Chepstow Fish weight: 30lb 4oz Venue: Richworth Linear Oxlease Bait: Dried Snail soaked in Corn Goo Rig: Blow back Tactics: I fished 60 yards to a sand/gravel bar Additional information: Due to the hot weather I was getting most of the takes early in the mornings

104 TOTAL CARP

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12/09/2014 10:38

Carp Scene Name: Joshua Kingaby Age: 13 Home town: Eastbourne Fish weight: 21lb 4oz Venue: Wylands, East Sussex Bait: Sticky Krill Rig: Blow back Tactics: I fished tight to an island Additional information: I also caught nine other fish, all of which were doubles.

I had a great day

Name: Adam Baxter Age: 28 Home town: Liverpool Fish weight: 24lb 8oz Venue: Rosemary Wood Fisheries Bait: Sticky Baits Krill Wafter and Squid Goo Rig: 8in fluorocarbon Tactics: I cast to a showing fish on the spot Additional information: I had 11 fish within five hours, topped by this new PB

QUICK TIPS FOR BETTER PHOTOS Try to avoid your photographer casting his or her shadow over you and your fish.

Clear the background of any clutter, especially big white buckets!

Make sure the person taking the pics stands close enough to fill the frame nicely.

At night, turn your headtorch off when having your pictures taken by somebody.

Smile! You’ve just caught a carp and you might get your picture in Carp Scene.

YOUR PICTURES

Name: Mark Finney Age: 40 Home Town: Kidsgrove Fish weight: 40lb 8oz Venue: Baden Hall Bait: 10mm Sticky White Chocolate pop-up Rig: Short solid PVA bag Tactics: I targeted the area just off a clean spot Additional information: What an absolutely awesome common

Name: Mark Johnson Age: 45 Home town: Long Sutton Fish weight: 18lb 14oz Venue: Syndicate water

Bait: Home-made boilies Rig: Short 3in solid bag Tactics: PVA bag of pellets Additional information: An absolutely stunning fish

Name: Simon Sharp Age: 45 Home town: Minster Fish weight: 26lb Venue: Private Kent venue Bait: Monster Simply Black tipped with Evolution corn Rig: Simple knotless knot Tactics: I stalked it out of the nearside reeds Additional information: My legs were like jelly, knowing that I had landed one of my target fish

JOIN US ON

Check out Total Carp’s official fan page, as well as the group page for Dynamite on Facebook, for up-to-date news, views and competitions from the biggest names in carp fishing.

As well as sending your pictures in to Carp Scene, did you know that you can also upload catch pics, scenics and anything carpy to our gallery pages at the Total Carp website.You can even include a short story about your capture, telling us, and the carp fishing community, how you caught it. Come on then, what are you waiting g for?

LOG ON TO PMAGAZINE.COM WWW.TOTALCAR

TOTAL CARP 105

p103-105_TC_10_CScene.indd 3

12/09/2014 10:38

Giving you something…

To sleep on The Rod Hutchinson brand was established in 1980 with the introduction of the ever-popular Dream Maker carp rods, Cabrio bivvy and Big Kipper bedchair. More than 30 years on, carp fishing has changed dramatically and so has the tackle. Take a look at what the company has to offer carp fishermen in 2014.

PART 1

BEDCHAIRS

O

ur range of Big Kipper bedchairs have been designed to specifically combine comfort and practicality.When we set out to create the product brief, we felt that, first and foremost, the bedchair had to be comfortable, considering the amount of hours that many anglers spend sleeping on theirs.

We identified that one of the major causes of discomfort was the fact that most mattresses tended to sink far too much in the middle, providing very little support for your back as well as making it very difficult to get out of at times, almost forcing you to roll out rather than simply swinging your legs to one side and standing up.

We considered a number of solutions to address this problem, but in the end the most effective was to actually remove the elastics from the centre part of the mattress, opting instead to let the padding provide the comfort without allowing the mattress to sink below the frame.To do this, we combined 50mm standard and memory foams into our

mattress to create a perfect combination of comfort while providing enough body to help the cover maintain its shape.

We then turned our attentions to the frame. For this we considered that strength was the key factor so we chose to use steel as opposed to the lighter, but far weaker, aluminium options.After all, with the times changing, weight has become far less of an issue, with more fisheries improving access to their swims by car or with the explosion in popularity of the carp barrow; a fact that means that very few people ever carry a bedchair anywhere nowadays!

Next to go were the cams.Again bedchair design has changed rapidly over the past few years, with increasing numbers of anglers now actually focusing on their bedchair as somewhere to sleep, which is why comfort is paramount.Therefore, both our Big Kipper lay flat bedchairs are what is considered a lay-flat design, where the rear legs can be extended should you feel

the need to raise the head section slightly. Its four-leg design creates the ultimate in stability and the one-touch leg adjusters make levelling the chair a breeze.

Available in two widths, the standard Big Kipper features a 72cm-wide frame with a 82cm mattress, while the Big Kipper XL boasts a whopping 86cm-wide frame with a 94cm mattress. Both are finished with our durable, hard-wearing, matt-green, powder-coated finish.

To complete the range of bedchairs we came up with the sleep system.This comprises the Big Kipper XL bedchair along with our Extreme 5 sleeping bag, which zips directly onto the mattress of the bed, allowing the bag to remain attached. Large twin-hinged folding brackets enable the sleeping bag to be left folded inside the chair making it simple to pack up/move, creating the ultimate sleeping combination for all-year-round use.

Big Kipper Bedchair design has moved on in recent years, with the market trend now being for beds to be much flatter than they were previously.As a result, the new Rod Hutchinson bedchair rangee reflects this.The first in the lineup is the Big Kipper. Measuring 82 centimetres wide by 200 long, it’s an ample size as well as being designed for comfort and ease of use.

RRP: £149.90

VISIT THE WEBSITE TO SEE OUR FULL RANGE

www.rodhutchinson.co.uk Rodhutchinson

p106_109_TC_10_Rod Hutchinson.indd 1

HutchinsonTeam

08/09/2014 16:43

Rod Hutchinson Advertorial

Sleep System This kit combines the Rod Hutchinson Extreme 5 sleeping bag with the Big Kipper XL bedchair to create the ultimate sleeping combination year round.The system means that the sleeping bag zips directly to the bedchair mattress and offers comfort and incredible ease of use.

RRP: £399.90

Big Kipper XL The Big Kipper XL is a larger model of the original, at 94 centimetres wide by 217 long, and is designed to provide the most comfortable sleeping position possible.The extra width makes a big difference and it also features a memory-foam mattress to adjust to the user’s body shape for increased comfort.

RRP: £199.90

Key features of the Big Kipper Bedchairs • Eight-leg design providing high stability and strength • Large twin-hinged folding brackets enable sleeping bag to be left folded inside the chair when packing up • Detachable fleece-covered 50mm foam mattress • Durable and hard-wearing 600-denier polyester outer cover fabric • Hard-wearing textured green powder-coated finish • Elasticated foot and header sections • Fully adjustable legs with swivel mudfeet • Webbing strap and buckle to keep bedchair closed during transit • Elasticated pillow-retaining straps

Rod Hutchinson fishing tackle – coming to a shop near you November 2014 p106_109_TC_10_Rod Hutchinson.indd 2

08/09/2014 16:44

CHAIRS

O

ur range of chairs comprises ses two models.The Lounger g is intended as a day chair. With itss higher back and padded lumber support, the seat cover iiss filled with high-density foam covered in a hard-wearing 600-denier denier polyester and peach-skin fabrics. Featuring a rear frame adjuster, djusterr, the back can be reclined to allow you to move the frame into nto on one ne of three positions, allowing you to sit with the rear frame in an n alm almost ost upright position, relax with it in the second setting or take ke a nap n when it’s fully reclined.

Leg adjustment couldn’t be simpler pler wit with th our one-touch legadjustment mechanism, while the he legss feature our large, fully adjustable swivel mudfe mudfeet. eet.

Supplied with two webbing straps ps to en ensure nsure the chair remains closed while you’re ou’re c carrying it, it’s finished off in the same durable able h hardardwearing, matt-green, powder-coated ated fin finish nish as our bedchairs.The Lounger chair hair represents exceptional value for mone money! ey!

The second model in our range ge is our Guest Chair.This was designed ed as a lightweight chair for short-session fishing, n fishin ng, the roving angler and as the perfect rfect ‘occasional’ chair for sitting outside your de yo ur bivvy or for when you have friends ds call round! Incorporating the same hardwearing 600-denier polyester/peacheachskin combination cover, its matt-green, green, powder-coated steel frame provides d des the increased strength required to withstand the constant jumping in and out of a chair while fishing.

Guest Chair Gues G Lightwe Lightweight and comfortable, this is the pperfect cchair for either short sessions oor as an occasional guest chair when friends fr riends ccome to call at your swim. Its rear-frame angle has been set fifixed xed rea for maximum comfort, while the arms fo or maxi make it easy to get in and out of. m Features K Feat Key Compact low chair • Comp Comfort arm rests • Comfo Padded foam mattress • Padde • Durable Durab and hard-wearing, 600-denier polyester outer cover fabric with polyes peach-skin seat peach Hard-wearing, textured, green, • Hard-w powder-coated finish powde fully adjustable legs with • Four fu swivel mudfeet • Steel fframe for increased strength

RRP: £39.90 R

Lounger Chair Combining comfort with functionality, the Lounger ger chair features a pair of moulded clips on the rear of the frame, allowing it to be set at three preset angles, removing the need for awkward cams.With arms for added comfort, this chair offers the excellent cellent head and back support required for long periods of sitting. g.

Key Features • Three-position adjustable rear frame for sitting, g, relaxing or even sleeping • High back design provides excellent lumbar support • Leg design creates high stability and strengthh • Comfort armrests • High-density padded foam mattress • Durable and hard-wearing, 600-denier polyester ster outer cover fabric with peach-skin seat • Hard-wearing, textured, green, powder-coatedd finish • Steel frame for increased strength • Four fully adjustable legs with swivel mudfeett • Webbing strap and buckle to keep chair closed ed during transit

RRP: £59.90

VISIT SIT THE WEBSITE TO SEE OUR FULL RANGE

www.rodhutchinson.co.uk Rodhutchinson

p106_109_TC_10_Rod Hutchinson.indd 3

HutchinsonTeam

08/09/2014 16:45

Rod Hutchinson Advertorial

CLIMATE COVERS & SLEEPING BAGS

W

hen we started looking at sleeping bags, it soon became apparent that most, no matter what they claimed, simply weren’t warm enough.Therefore, when the specification was laid down for our Extreme 5 XL, we made sure that it would keep you snug and warm, no matter how harsh the weather, to ensure that the ever-increasing number of anglers who now fish throughout winter can be safe in the knowledge that cold will never be a factor again.

The outer shell is produced from fully breathable/waterproof polyester, ensuring you remain warm and dry even if the atmosphere is damp, while the inner contains a silicone-treated, 100 per cent polyester, hollow-fibre filling. Split into two sections, the main bag, or outer, contains 30 per cent and the removable inner boasts the remaining 70 per cent. In addition to being fully removable, the inner is also reversible, allowing the angler to choose between having a fleece-to-fleece or peach-skin-to-peach-skin lining, depending on their preference.The main/outer bag, as it will be used during the warmer months of late spring, summer and early autumn, is lined with peach skin on both h halves to help keep you from sweating and to ensure

that the bag doesn’t cling to you as you move around. Featuring heavy-duty crash zips that ensure you can burst out of the bag in a hurry when the occasion calls for it, they are protected by generous padded baffles to prevent any heat loss through them.The Extreme 5 is fitted with pockets at the top and bottom that fit over the bedchair and secure around the leg frames to hold the sleeping bag firmly in place. A webbing strap with 50mm buckle then secures around the centre of the bedchair for added securing. Designed to fit our Big Kipper XL bedchair, this wider sleeping bag is supplied in a 600-denier carry bag and all the zips feature our ‘Hutchie Green’ stirrup-style zip pullers, making it easier to close the zips when you’re inside the bag.

Also available in the Rod Hutchinson range is the double-faced Sleepeaze pillow, which is designed with peach skin on one side, which is ideal for those hot summer nights, and a warm fleece lining on the other to suit the cold winter months.The pillow itself includes a hollow-fill fibre to ensure a comfortable night’s sleep and comes elastic loops that will secure to both the Big Kipper with toggle and e bedchair and the XL version.

Extreme 5 XL Sleeping Bag Billed as the ultimate in sleeping bags, this is perfect for fishing on those hot and humid nights right through the harshest of winter conditions when temperatures get down as low as minus 10°C.You can be certain that the Extreme 5 will keep you at a comfortable temperature, whatever the season.

RRP: £189.90

All Season Sleeping Bag As the name suggests, this bag has been designed esigned to cope with the varied weather conditions of spring right through to winter.While not designed to cope with very ery extreme temperatures, it’s more than a match for when en temperatures drop down to freezing.

RRP: £89.90

Climate Cover This is the perfect solution for those short sessions or summer evenings.The climate cover is totally waterproof so it allows you to fish under the stars without a bivvy, safe in the knowledge that you’ll remain dry from overnight rain or morning dew.

RRP: £69.90 Pillow Designed with dual surfaces ess to suit anglers’ preferencess – one side is made from a smooth peach skin, while th thee other is made from fleece.

RRP: £18.90

Rod Hutchinson Part 2 coming soon DREAM MAKER CARP RODS / CABRIO BIVVY / CABRIO COOKHOUSE BIVVY PEGS / BANKSTICKS AND STORM POLES

p106_109_TC_10_Rod Hutchinson.indd 4

08/09/2014 16:45

ALAN BLAIR details his own history of the chod rig and how it has evolved to stay one of the most effective setups out there.

ANGLER FILE Alan Blair AGE: 28 OCCUPATION: Director, Nash Tackle UK PB: 53lb 4oz SPONSORS: Nash Tackle and Bait

Chod rig evolution from left to right.

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Chod Evolution

I

t’s been in print a thousand times and it has accounted for tens of thousands of fish. Because it is a rig that I am extremely passionate about, I am going to offer my ideas and views about it.

It has generated this manufactured stigma ‘chods are for nods’ and it’s perceived as a chuck-anywhere rig.

We do, in fact, go fishing to catch carp and there is no doubt that it is a highly effective rig for this.

I think the primary reason that it is so good is that it enables you to fish over areas that you previously couldn’t; well, not without applying a great deal of effort. For example, weed and silkweed, deep silt and general debris, leaf litter and ‘chod’.

With conventional rigs you could never effectively present a hook bait there and, as a result, the fish are not used to being caught from these areas.

It presents itself perfectly every time you cast it out. If I was turning up at a water that I didn’t know and I didn’t want to thrash it to a foam, I could get baits out and be fishing quickly and effectively, so it is a take-anywhere rig.

Winter, spring, summer, rain, shine, big fish and small fish, the chod is in my The casting hook and weak link method is tricky to tie correctly.

armoury because of its effectiveness over so many lake beds.

I first started using it about 10 years ago, around the era when Terry Hearn was writing in Angling Times, and I was inspired by his spreads on a weekly basis. He was catching some incredible fish on this thing called the chod rig and I started to play around with it myself and recreated what I had seen in print.

I went out and fished with it but I really fell on my backside for the first year. I was regularly fishing a shallow estate lake and with regular baiting I had established my boilies at that time. The reason behind me using the chod was to combat the deep silt and I was managing plenty of bites but the fish kept falling off. They were all 20lb plus and in the shallow water they tended to wallow as they came in, shaking their heads from side to side.

Sometimes you’d get them in 80 yards, just for them to drop off. I’m convinced this was because the tiny chod rig was sliding down to the lead and as they shook their heads it popped the hook out. Obviously, I don’t go fishing to lose fish, none of us do, so I got my thinking cap on and sat and thought about how to get around this situation.

Four new kits cover a range of chod fishing preferences.

The two-part bead is essential for creating a safe naked chod.

I began to fish some weedy gravel pits and with this rig in my armoury the game had now changed. I needed to lose the lead to prevent the carp falling off in the heavy weed. I talked to Kevin Nash about it and he told me how he was using a Type 1 link clip, with elements of the steel cut away with pliers to create a casting hook, which was then mounted on the bottom of the leader setup. The lead was hooked on and secured with a short length of light mono, which would break if the fish became weeded.

I’ve had a vested interest in coming up with a better and user-friendlier way around these issues.

The first thing I tried was putting some separation between the lead and the rig. To begin with I used rig tubing and it was particularly messy and fiddly to create. I eventually realised that a better way was to splice a ring in the leadcore a few inches above the lead, then use a big bead above that to stop the rig sliding back down to the lead. With this modification in place my catch rates increased dramatically, not that I was necessarily getting many more bites. However, now I was converting runs into fish on the bank.

I was probably not the first to do it but I hadn’t seen it anywhere before, so it was one of the first times as an angler that I had faced an issue and produced a solution.

Prior to this I had messed around with PVA but this was a workable system that allowed me to cast whatever distance I wanted, with whatever weight I wanted, and I only lost the lead if I caught a fish, not just on the retrieve. Which weight of lead you use determines the breaking strain of the weak link. For a 2oz lead I’d use 2lb mono, 3oz lead, 3lb mono and so on.

It did work well, even though it was fiddly to set up correctly, as are the other methods that people have devised to get round the problem. So I’ve had a vested interest in coming up with a better and user-friendlier way around these issues, and here is the Nash solution in the form of four chod kits born from our experiences.

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The first three feature a helicopter sleeve that sits over the top of the link clip that holds the lead. This is attached to a silicone bungee section and bead with a ball-and-socket joint that sits neat and flush. This piece of silicone creates separation from the rig and lead during the fight but because of the nature of the material putting a shock absorber between the rig and lead, those lunges and headshakes from the fish are dampened and the hook-hold protected.

Another benefit is that, when casting, the hook sits away from the lead and there is no chance of it catching on the hook point.

You also get a two-part silicone bead that neatly secures the rig swivel but, due to the large bore of the upper part, it will easily and safely release, ensuring the rig can travel up the line and over any leader knots. As with all helicopters and chods, there is a danger that if your rig is not set up safely, in the event of a crack-off the fish won’t be able to discharge the rig. It’s really important that if the line parts or you crack off, the rig can come free so that a fish isn’t potentially trailing the complete lead and leader setup. The large-diameter bore of the back bead ensures that it will travel up the line easily.

There is the choice of running kits, where the rig can travel freely, or gripping kits, which fix the rig, determined by the bore of the bead.

These will work with all types of leaders, tubing, leadcore, mono or fluorocarbon. You can create a simple and safe sliding ‘Shocka’ setup with the two-part bead with the addition of a Grippa stop up the line. The Grippa stop is the same diameter as the inner A small amount of d putty is rolled aroun the swivel barrel to retain movement.

With the new Chod Ejector, big leads can be used safely.

Alan prefers piercing his bait as opposed to tying it on.

part of the chod bead, so when the bead hits the rig it will prevent it flying right back on the cast, but under only very gentle pressure the swivel is released, making the rig truly safe. The kits cover all types of main line and leader as well as the fixed or running permutations.

I mentioned four kits, and the last one is the Chod Ejector bead. As effective as the casting clip and weak link was, I wasn’t happy with it due to the fiddly nature of setting it up.

I didn’t want to be sat there tying up weak links and doctoring clips, so we have come up with a much simple solution in the form of a single mechanical bead onto which you clip the lead.

This is a device with a specific purpose, namely to lose the weight once you have hooked a fish when fishing in thick weed. I have to point out that it isn’t designed to be used to drop the lead unnecessarily. Nobody wants to leave the lake bed littered with leads, the same as nobody wants to injure the carp in any way; we all have their best interests at heart.

112 TOTAL CARP

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11/09/2014 11:53

However, that said, there are times where it is almost essential to lose the weight; situations where you are fishing in heavy weed. It’s both not right and not good for the welfare of the fish to attempt otherwise.

On a day-ticket lake, for instance, where I expect a few bites, I don’t want to be losing a bag of leads.

Likewise, even if I am fishing for really big fish if it isn’t weedy, I don’t need to lose that lead. You need to use your common sense to guide you. If you are fishing for one important bite, or perhaps for a particularly large fish that you have invested a lot of time in, it will pay dividends in a weedy, snaggy situation to drop the weight.

There are environmentally friendly alternatives to lead, like the Pallatrax Stonze, or you can make your own weights using ladies’ tights and gravel.

These are just a few other alternatives.

So now I have an alternative I use the Chod Ejector bead when I absolutely have to dump the weight to safely land the carp and I don’t have to create and use rather untidy weak-link arrangements.

When it comes to hook baits I prefer not to tie them on, I pierce them instead. To ensure more predictable buoyancy, I core them and add rig foam. This allows me to critically balance the bait and they remain at roughly the same buoyancy for the entire time they are out in the water.

Another point to mention is how you weight them down at the other end

An angry carp surges for cover after taking Alan’s chod.

of the rig. That involves putting putty around the rig or the swivel. I like to mould it round the barrel of the swivel.

This is to ensure maximum freedom of movement by not interfering with either of the swivel eyes.

Carp fishing over bait roughly splits into two categories – spread baiting or fishing over a tight spot. To me, chod fishing falls under spread-bait fishing.

On a tight spot, whether it be under a tree, in a margin, dropping from a boat or a tightly spodded area, nine times out of 10 it will be on a hard, clean bottom. I will use a nice, heavy lead and a short rig, sometimes very short. The fish

are feeding hard and get their heads down and stay down until they have polished the area, so I want an efficient rig for this type of feeding.

When I am boilie fishing or spread

On a short session with chods, Alan hooks and lands three, finished off by this beauty.

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Chod Evolution baiting over a wider area, maybe trying to attract fish passing through or hold fish in the area, I will use a catapult or throwing stick, and the chod rig comes into its own. I will always have a quality feed bait to get the fish into the area and then fish a popup over the top.

The fish have to swim between baits and don’t often inspect

Chods can be fished on leaders, main line and tubing.

every bait once they are feeding. The mechanics of the choddy are ideal for these moving feeders. There is plenty of movement in the rig to hook a fish that has grabbed the hook bait and it is hard for the carp to eject when the rig is up the line away from the lead.

It can make a real difference whether the rig is fixed or sliding because on certain waters the fish may have wised up and learnt to deal with one or the other. I prefer to fix my choddy unless I am fishing over very thick weed, when I will let it fly right back to ensure that it settles nicely on top.

The colour of the hook bait will vary on the water or type of water that I am fishing. Sometimes I want a wellpresented ‘free offering’, other times I want the hook bait to really stand out. Just like all fishing,

Alan always carries a variety of hook-bait options.

it does pay to experiment to find out what works on a particular venue or at a particular time. Even day-to-day one colour can work over another, so playing about can bring extra bites. Having said that, I’ve caught an awful lot of fish on white pop-ups, specifically White Chocolate or Amber Strawberry, so those are my go-to options, and I’ll chop and change from there.

I hope this has helped to open your eyes to the chod rig and explained the reason for the constant evolution.

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11/09/2014 11:16

Check out the best carp venues in the UK.There’s something for everyone, wherever you live.

1

BUDE CANAL, North Cornwall

Description: One and a half miles long with plenty of marginal vegetation and structures to target. Carp run to over 20lb and offer great sport in a very untapped environment.The fishing available represents great value for money and it really can be a surreal place to wet a line and catch a carp in great condition.

Contact: The Crescent Post Office, Bude Lake record: 20lb plus Rules: Barbless hooks only, no bait boats, one rod only Stock: Well stocked with carp to 20lb Tickets: Senior day ticket £5 one rod Website: www.budecanalangling.co.uk

A surreal venue to target carp and at only £5 a rod it couldn't be better value for money.

2

TANYARD FISHERIES, Specimen Lake 2, East Sussex

Stunning carp in great surroundings.

Be sure to try the breakfast.

Description: A picturesque one-acre lake with plenty of reeds and lilies. Having only five swims it’s a lovely intimate water and each swim has its designated water to target. Don't be fooled, these fish can be very tricky. On site there are also superb café and toilet facilities, as well as a tackle and bait shop.

Contact: 07833 532842 Lake record: 38lb 12oz Rules: Barbless hooks only, no nuts of any kind Stock: Five thirties with multiple twenties and a small number of doubles Tickets: £18 for 24 hours Website: www.tanyardfisheries.co.uk

How do you fancy getting a water near you featured in Venue Files? Maybe it’s the case that you’re a lake owner and would like a bit of free publicity.Yes, that’s right, entries into Venue Files are free and we’re always looking for new lakes, canals and rivers from around the UK to feature in these pages.

We’ll pay £20 to the sender of any complete venue file that we publish, and put their name in the mag.

If you fancy getting involved then e-mail dan.murrell@dhpub.co.uk for details.

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Venue Files

3

CARP LAKE, Shallowbrook Lakes, Norwich

Description: At two acres, the specimen lake is suited to the angler who doesn’t mind waiting for a bite. Although the fishing can sometimes be tricky, the rewards are there to be had.

Contact: 01603 747667 Lake record: 30lb plus Rules: No floating baits, barbless hooks only, no pole fishing Stock: Good head of carp Tickets: £12 for 24 hours Website: www.shallowbrook.co.uk

4

Specimen carp angling in a picturesque setting.

TOP LAKE, Longleat,Wiltshire

Description: The specialist carp lake on site that extends just over seven acres, with the majority of the fish over 10lb.There’s a good head of twenties with a mix of mirrors, commons and ghosties.

Contact: 01985 844496 or 07889 625999 Lake record: 35lb Rules: No nuts to be used, maximum three rods, minimum 10lb line Stock: More than 600 carp Tickets: £20 for 24 hours Website: www.longleat.co.uk/about/fishing

5

When the conditions are right, the action really is prolific.

BAYESWATER, Essex

Description: A 4½-acre, clay-lined irrigation reservoir with plenty of features to find and the carp average 20lb plus.

Contact: 07746 050657 Lake record: 38lb Rules: Four rods allowed, no barbecues, no vehicles on the grass Stock: Estimated 300 fish Tickets: ID cards and key available from Bevan Tackle, Chelmsford, for £25 and then 24 hours is £20 Website: www.bayeswaterfishing.co.uk

6

A renowned water with some incredible carp to boot.

ETANG LA PLANCHETTE, France

Description: This seven-acre lake is nestled in the Lorraine region of France. Now under new management, the pristine carp and clean gravelled swims make this the perfect fishing retreat.

Contact: 07758 842262 Lake record: 51lb 7oz Rules: No leadcore, no sacking, no braided main line Stock: Estimated over 150 fish Tickets: £250 per angler, per week Website: www.etanglaplanchette.com

Disabled Access

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Gates Secured

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12/09/2014 10:33

ONLY AVAILABLE DIGITALLY PRINT EDITION SOLD OUT!

JUST ADDED! 116 pages packed with the best rig-related articles from Total Carp – the UK’s biggest-selling carp fishing magazine and featuring secrets from more than 20 of the UK’s top anglers, including Jim Shelley, Darrell Peck, Ian Chillcott and Dave Lane.

There are plenty on chods and zigs plus loads of presentations laid out for you to try. We delve into top anglers’ tackle boxes and there are tons of tips, essential knots and a guide to buying ready-tied rigs.

Bag this today and you’ll be on your way to bagging the carp you crave!

ALSO INSIDE FISHING READS:

DOWNLOAD THE FREE APP AND GET ACCESS TO FREE SAMPLE SECTIONS OF SOME OF THE BEST BOOKAZINES EVER PRODUCED. Previously only available as printed bookazines in selected UK stores, they’re now on sale worldwide for just £3.99 each as digital downloads!

With hundreds of fully illustrated pages packed with tips, tricks, features and photos, you’ll keep coming back to them time and time again.

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12/09/2014 14:09

KODEX S-5000 CLOTHING BUNDLE Designed to be lightweight, super-warm and built with mobility in mind, the new clothing range from 30Plus is perfect for the transition from autumn to winter.

A

mong the range is a set of salopettes, matching jacket and hoody.The Kodex S-5000 jacket is a fully lined, lightweight and super-warm construction made to the high standards you can expect from 30Plus.The spacious sizing allows easy movement, even when wearing layers.The jacket is packed full of features, such as an adjustable, removable and peaked hood, two external fleece-lined pockets as well as waterproof taped seams and adjustable storm cuffs.

To complement the jacket, a set of S-5000 salopettes are available. Made from lightweight and easy-movement material they are a joy to wear all day.The fleece-lined pockets help to keep your hands warm and protected whatever the weather throws at you. With fully elasticated shoulder straps, wide leg opening and two-way zip, these trousers are built with convenience in mind for the modern angler.

The Kodex S-5000 fleece hoody is perfect for wearing under the jacket, adding another level of extra protection, or perfectly suited to combat those chilly evenings on its own. Made from warm polyester fleece and featuring elasticated cuffs and pull-cords, this is the perfect garment to pull up tight and get snug in when out on the bank.

All items are available from medium up to XXXL and come up nice and spacious to accommodate wearing layers and still allow unrestricted movement.

HOW TO WIN...

Call the number, answer the multiple-choice question correctly then sit back and wait for us to contact you.

If yours is one of the names drawn at random by the TC computer, we’ll be in touch.

ENTER BY PHONE

0901 293 2309 Alternatively, you can enter by post to 30Plus Competition (October),Total Carp, DHP Ltd, 1 Whittle Close, Daventry, Northants NN11 8RQ. Terms and conditions: Calls are charged at £1.03 from a BT land line. Calls from other networks or mobiles may cost considerably more. Please obtain permission from whoever pays your phone bill. Competition phone lines will open at midday on September 22nd, 2014 and close at 11am on October 27th, 2014. Any calls before the start date, or after the closing date, will not enter you into this competition, but may enter you into a different one and you will still be charged for the call.

The editor’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

122 TOTAL CARP

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12/09/2014 10:35

£940 30Plus Competition

Q: WHAT’S THE NEW CLOTHING RANGE CALLED? A: S-5000 B: SS300 C: S-5

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CLOSING DATE: October 27th, 2014 TOTAL CARP 123

P122-123_TC_10_30Plus Comp.indd 2

12/09/2014 10:35

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p124_TC_10_Total Angling.indd 1

08/09/2014 14:38

Trilene XL Fluoro A4 'CUT...".pdf

1

06/05/2014

09:05

C

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CM

MY

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CMY

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The ‘XL’ in New Berkleyy XL Fluorocarbon means that it’s extra limp, so it casts like mono and beh behaves like a dream on the spool.

The ‘Fluorocarbon’ means it’s invisible in water and sinks tight to the bottom, so wary carp don’t know they’re being fished for.

And ‘Berkley’ means it’s made by the most dependable line manufacturer in the world.

www.berkley-fishing.co.uk New Berkley XL Fluorocarbon is available on 200 yard spools in 6lb (0.22mm), 8lb (0.25mm), 10lb (0.27mm) and 12lb (0.30mm), plus 2000 yard Bulk spools in 10 and 12lb.

Stuff I Used to Do...

MARC COULSON recounts a particularly confusing period in his fishing, but one that has thrown up a valuable lesson for the future...

Okay, so all of the items in this series have, so far, revolved around tactics that the TC team and I have used to good effect in the past, but that fell from our armoury for whatever reason. Each month we have also agreed that, due to their previous success, we would once again be implementing them in our angling.

This month, however, I’m going to tell you what I used to be like for collecting pop-ups, something that I eventually realised was to the detriment of my angling. I hope that you’ll

heed the message and make some changes to your approach as a result.

During my first few years working on the DHP carp magazines I found myself having access to all of the wonderful hook baits that were available from the likes of Mainline, Richworth, Nash and, my favourites at the time, Ian Russell’s Heathrow Bait Services. At one point I must have owned upwards of 100 tubs of pop-ups, and I am really not exaggerating.

That might sound attractive, having all of those baits at my disposal, but it soon

became a curse. I could never settle on which ones to use and, ultimately, I am convinced that it came close to ruining my fishing. I literally carried tubs and tubs of baits ‘just in case’ and this only served to confuse me and my tactics.

Nowadays, I’ve settled on half a dozen favourite baits and I rarely take more than these flavours, maybe in a couple of colour options because I still sometimes need to ring the changes to nick a bite.That said, I don’t need 100 tubs of options!

126 TOTAL CARP

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10/09/2014 10:39

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Deep or shallow?

Is it true that the carp move to deeper water once the temperatures start to drop in late autumn and early winter?

Is it maybe different depending on the type of venue or are the rules pretty much uniform on all lakes?

James Arden, via e-mail

ADAM SMITH A regular catcher of big carp, his photo album is literally breathtaking!

TOM MAKER Heads the new generation of carpers – a genuinely talented all-rounder.

PHIL SAINTY The likeable fishery owner is a day-ticket master but has also caught plenty of big ’uns.

SCOTT LLOYD Regularly catches the biggest carp from places like Linear and Linch Hill.

DAN WILDBORE Carp-match specialist, the big lad has fished for Team England.

Marcus Howarth says: The depth, size, age of carp and even stock of your venue and the time of the day will dictate where they will want to be.

On some lakes I have found the deeper water to be most productive, whereas on others the shallow areas can be better. There is no hard and fast rule, so take each occasion on its merits.

It mainly depends on what you are fishing for. If you are fishing for a few old carp, they tend to love the sunshine, reed beds or snags.They like to feel safe but equally warm.

If I were fishing for numbers of fish, I’d look to find a deep area of the lake and bait it as regularly as I could. I know that way that,

LEE WALTON All-round top bloke, talented carp angler and an absolute mine of bait information.

JOE ATKINSON Works in the Chelmsford branch of Angling Direct and is a genuine all-rounder.

time to get a bite.

If the water is clear and you are not seeing them in shallow water, you know where to fish.

How to mesh baits Can you show me how to use the meshing method when using crushed Krill boilies as hook baits? I’ve seen it in the mags but never with a real explanation of how to actually create the baits themselves.

N Findlay, North London

MARCUS HOWARTH Captor of numerous big carp from a variety of venues, including Linear’s Big Plated.

SEAN LEVERETT Best known for catching big carp, he’s still well able to catch fish of all sizes.

come rain or shine, the fish will be visiting the spot.

They normally only visit the shallow spots for a few hours in the day, giving you little

Dan Wildbore says: The way to create such a bait is with the use of mesh or tights.

This means that you can create whatever bait you like, without the fear of it coming off the hair.

Firstly, take a boilie and trim it down to an offshape, making it highly inconspicuous. Wrap the tights around the bait as tightly as you can, twist them and tie them off with bait floss, before blobbing it down with the lighter.

This will secure it all around the bait and ensure that nothing can pull it off the hair, including nuisance fish and even crays.

128 TOTAL CARP

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Ask The Experts

What about the weed?

As the weed starts to die back over the next few weeks or so, is it right that dying weed beds are a good place to target the carp? Are they not going rotten and repelling the carp, or do they, as I have read, retain warmth as the water starts to cool? I’m really quite confused!

Anthony Watson, via e-mail Scott Lloyd says: This is the time of year when the weed starts to uproot or die off as winter approaches.These areas can be real hotspots if you time it right.

When the weed starts to die off the natural food sources are disturbed and know that winter is on its way, which then makes them easy pickings! The carp also know this and can quite often be seen trashing the old weed beds as they release their natural food – snails, larvae and so on.

Timing is everything; if you’re too late then the weed is not so attractive to the carp and can be avoided by them if your lake holds

an abundance of weed elsewhere. Finding the fish ripping up the weed is the biggest giveaway, so look out for plumes of bubbles and small bits of weed drifting in the margins on the end of a wind. If you do find them in and around the weed, I would suggest using the old-faithful chod rig cast straight in the weed and feathered down.The rig is always fishing and the fish are really easy to catch in the weed when they’re picking off the naturals.Try to imitate something natural, like a snail.The

Krill White Ones stand out nicely over the weed, like a snail would. If you’re putting freebies out then be sure to break every one in half so that they nestle down nicely on the weed.

GET ON THE KRILL! The phenomenal Krill bait range looks set to dominate waters up and down the country once again this year and the author of our star question each month will win a huge bundle of the awesome carp catcher.

As well as 5kg of the boilies, there are dedicated pellets, pop-ups, wafter hook baits, glug, liquid food and the brand-new matching white pop-ups.

One of these on top of a Krill snowman rig is an absolute winner, but they also work as a stand-alone hook bait over a spread of matching boilies. What a fantastic prize… get sending your questions in now!

Adviceonnewkit I’m relatively new to carp fishing and want to buy a few bits of kit. I cannot afford multiple setups for different venues, so can you recommend what kind of reel and what test-curve rod I should look at. I’m not so worried about the brands, more the specifications.

Can you help?

Adam Penning says: With a little thought, it is possible to put together a setup that will cover most eventualities, especially if you fish the same or similar waters all of the time. I do not think there is one out there that will genuinely cover everything (margins to extreme range) and, as such, I have an ‘all-round’ setup that caters for 95 per cent of my angling and also a super-long-range setup that only comes out on special occasions when I absolutely need it.The best specification, in my opinion, is 12 feet with a 3.25lb test curve. Couple

this with a reel that is not overly heavy (I favour Daiwa reels and currently use the SS3000 or the Basia on my long-range kit) and you will have a balanced setup that will cover everything from the margin to as far as you can cast.

This sort of kit will, in the right hands, be capable of 120 to 140 yards.

CAPPING IT ALL OFF… The authors of the rest of our published questions will receive an official Team Sticky baseball cap. We’ll send you either the black version or the khaki one, but both look great.

TOTAL CARP 129

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Sponsored by

Winterchangebaits Do you change the bait that you use as we come into winter? If so, is it because of the oil content, when do you start to use the new bait and do you stop using your summer bait straightaway?

Ritchie Palmer, via e-mail

Naturals query I’ve heard people talk about carp becoming ‘preoccupied’ with naturals in my local venue. What does this mean and, when it’s happening, how can we try and target the carp with our own baits? Are there a few tricks of the trade, as it were?

Rob Astbury, Cheshire

Sean Leverett says: At various times of the year the naturals that are in the lake bed become more of an interest to the carp than the food that we are giving them, and that’s usually down to the high volumes of naturals that there are. Carp receive a huge amount of nutrition and goodness from the naturals and at times they would rather eat them than our offerings.This is when people usually say they are preoccupied on them.

The beauty of The Krill boilies and Krill products in the range that Sticky produces is that the naturals are just as easily attracted to it as the carp are.This is down to the high volumes of nutrition in the bait being not only good for the carp but also the snails and other natural foods.

I tend not to worry when the fish are on naturals because they are normally on my bait, which in turn will still produce me bites.

There are a few tricks of the trade that will increase your chances but I’ve been doing this for almost 30 years and I’ve learnt through hard work. I’m not just going to give it all away now.

Lee Walton says: It’s a very good question and something that many people seem to struggle with. I have two schools of thought on the subject.

Firstly, if I was catching well I wouldn’t change until I thought my results were being affected and my catch rate was slowing.

As the temperatures drop, so will your catch rate; do bear this in mind. I would be happy to carry on using my summer bait, though, and simply adjust the amount I feed and maybe rehydrate it in lake water to help the fish digest the bait.

The Krill was designed as a potential all-year-round

bait.Today’s modern fishmeal baits are more balanced and contain pre-digested meals and low oil content. Used sensibly, it will catch you carp in low water temperatures, no problem.

If I am starting out on a water for the winter then I

would probably use a more visual, highly digestible birdfood-type bait with a creamy or fruit attractor package.

If you’re unsure of the potential of your summer bait, use both and monitor which one is producing more bites and use accordingly!

130 TOTAL CARP

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12/09/2014 10:36

Ask The Experts

Light or heavy bobbins?

How do I store bait?

Please tell me when to use light bobbins or when to add weights to them? I am confused as to what to do and whether or not I might be missing bites by getting it wrong.

Vanessa Warner, via e-mail

Phil Sainty says: To start with I thought this would be an easy question to answer, but the more I think about it, the more I understand your confusion!

I would say that most people use the same indicators most of the time without even thinking about it, so it’s great that you are trying to understand the benefits of different setups.

I must admit, for most situations I stick with the standard Fox Slik Bobbins with no additional weight added and find this ideal for many general angling situations, but I would add extra weight in certain circumstances. I like to fish with semi-slack lines and try to keep them on the deck and out of the way, so using the lightest bobbins possible suits this perfectly.

However, if I am fishing at longer range (say over 80 yards), or in windy conditions, or especially if I am

fishing up against the far margin or any kind of snag or weed, that is when I would consider using additional weights. I would only add extra weights in situations when you feel you have an increased chance of the bites you receive being drop backs, because the heavier bobbins will amply any movement of the lead, or when fishing at longer ranges when simply having more line in the water can reduce the efficiency of lighter bobbins.

Which silt rig and bait?

Could you recommend a good rigand-bait combination when fishing over a really silty lake bed, as I’m finding it a struggle?

Steve Shiret, Belvedere

Marcus Howarth says: I would be looking at using a bait that packs a really pungent smell. Carp don’t think that silt is as horrible as we do; it’s their home environment. However, for my own peace of mind, I like to make my freebies and hook baits smell as much as I can.

I like to add plenty of Pure Krill liquid to my boilies a couple of days before my session.This will stick to and absorb into the bait and make sure they all stink!

My hook baits are glugged in L-Zero-30,

What is the best way to store freezer boilies on my sessions? I’ve been using a cool bag but have been told that I should use an air-dry bag instead so that they don’t sweat. Also, what kind of quantity goes into an air-dry bag before there starts being too much?

Chris Guy, via e-mail

Tom Maker: This is a good question and one that I get asked a lot. A cool bag is absolutely fine, providing you have freezer blocks inside it and store it in a shaded and/or cool place.

An air-dry bag is much easier, though.They will remain fresh and won’t go off and, should you wish to make them soft again,

all you need to do is add liquids to rehydrate them.

I tend to use the Krill liquid or Hemp oil. Once the baits are dry, I put them in a bucket and add a good dose of the liquid, enough to coat all the baits.

This will not only add further attraction to your bait, it will also make it feel soft and fresh again.

another product that absolutely stinks. I know that the fish will be able to find the baits easily.

As far as rigs go, I would normally use a chod. I know that it will sit well on top of the soft bottom and always be fishing.

Sometimes the fish feed really hard in the silt and fishing a straight bottom bait can work. In this situation I would use a supple, long hook link so as not to drag my hook bait down too much when the lead plugs into the bottom.

Send your questions by e-mail to asktheexperts@dhpub.co.uk or by post to our DHP address. You can also post them on facebook or twitter. We’ll do our best to pass as many as we can on to our panel of experts. At some point we’ll need your full address details and telephone number so that we can send out any relevant prizes. asktheexperts@dhpub.co.uk

Total Carp – Official Fan Page

@totalcarpmag

TOTAL CARP 131

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12/09/2014 10:36

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futurefishingblog.blogspot.co.uk

11/09/2014 13:29

TIPS FOR SUCCESS SS

HAND-CRUSH FOR SUCCESS Put boilie boilies es into o ccontinuous onti tinu nuou ous PV PVA A th then en ccrush rush ru sh tthem hem he m sli sl slightly light ightl htly ht ly create bag.

Take readymade with yourr ha hand nd aand nd tie off ff to creat te a b ag T ak ke a good d re adym d ade d coated rig like the 30Plus Stiff/Hinge/Combi and mount with a boilie that has been pressed slightly to create airline cracks in it. Cut the readymade rig and tie on a pear-shaped link. Pull the completed rig through the PVA bag with a Viz stringer needle.

Attach a stikk-hooklink clip to the pear link and pull into a lead clip.

The setup often referred to as a stik rig reduces tangles and ensures that there are some crushed freebies next to your hook bait after you have cast out. Crushing by hand creates a better presentation than buying pre-made stik baits and the slight crushing of the free offerings and hook bait ensures flavours are released quickly.

GO STIFF Create a stiff boom section about six inches long g by attaching a length of Shape-Shifter to a Large Eye Speci-Swivel with an overhand knot. Then attach a micro rig swivel wivel to the other end on a loop. Tie a Chod using Shape-Shifter, ter, an out turn eyed hook and another micro swivel. Attach the Chod rig to the op-up onto the swivel that is free moving on the loop. Mount a pop-up ig putty. This is micro swivel and balance the rig with a piece of rig fished heli style so your main line runs through the eye of the Speci-Swivel. This setup stays stiff making it hard for the carp to eject, but it retains plenty of movement making it very, very effective.

MARK THE SPOT When fishing a new lake or even a new swim it helps to know the depths, type of bottom and any features hidden beneath the surface. This applies to Zigging or Bottom fishing setups.

A good- quality marker float is therefore an essential bit of kit.

ON TOP THRILLS Once the lakes warm up, catching on top is a thrill. It’s so simple, pull a float stop onto Lo-Viz floater line and then add a controller. Thread a second float stop on then tie a size 10 MGP hook onto the end and attach your chosen floater bait. Simply slide down the two float stops and the controller to create the desired hooklength of your choice. Catapult in plenty of free floater offerings and then cast beyond them and draw the controller back over the baited zone. The Centium controller is good because it has an auto-hooking design. /specimen30plus • www.specimen30plus.com p134_TC_10_Middy 30Plus.indd 1

10/09/2014 15:03

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12/09/2014 13:46

14 PAGES OF THE HOTTEST TACKLE AND BAIT

A whopping 14 pages of reviews, packed with the stuff that makes you glad to be a carp angler...

WHAT’S NEW...

FOR ALL YOUR NEW AND USED TACKLE NEEDS

All sorts of gadgets, gizmos, bait and tackle reviewed by the TC team.

0208 949 3307 www.tacklefanatics.co.uk

Meet The Team...

Marc Coulson (MC) Marc won’t pull any punches if he feels a product could be better. He’s also aware that anglers have budgets and gear must offer value. If he scores it highly then you know it’s good.

BUYER’S GUIDE...

“The TC team gets to grips with tackle and bait, testing it all to the limit out on the bank. Here’s what the guys think…”

Leads

Max Hendry (MH) The day-ticket waters around Oxford and the Midlands get plenty of Max’s attention.

He looks for tackle and bait that is user-friendly and suitable for use on a wide range of venue types.

Dan Murrell (DM) Big-pit specialist Dan is currently fishing a 250-plusacre gravel pit, which puts extreme demands on his tackle.

So, he is in a position to thoroughly test gear to its limits.

TC Reader Reviews E-mail your details and we’ll select readers to be sent tackle and bait to review.

Simply e-mail your honest opinions and we’ll print up to four per month. We’ll even take the pics for you.

TOTAL TACKLE Specials

We check out eight companies’ leads to help you choose the best

In-depth reviews of some of the hottest gear hitting the shelves.

BAIT BONANZA! INCLUDING...

• • • •

READER REVIEW

Enterprise Zig Beetles Crafty Catcher Wafters Solar Marine 17 Liquid Hinders Little Gemz

Look out for our TC verdicts!

TOTAL CARP 135

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10/09/2014 10:41

JRC COCOON BIVVY £254.99 to £289.99

Renowned for their sturdy construction and spacious design, it’s clear to see why pram-hood bivvies have stood the test of time, and the JRC Cocoon is no exception.

Available in one and two-man options, this three-rib, two-joint, pram-hood design results in this quick to erect shelter offering an incredibly stable, roomy and functional bivvy that’s perfect for weekends, longer sessions and even trips abroad.

An additional fourth rib creates a front peak, offering more protection and helping to eliminate the rain from driving into the porch area.

Constructed from a 10,000mm HH 210D Oxford nylon, double PU-coated fabric, the Cocoon is extremely water resistant and durable. Utilising ultra-light 6061 aerospace-grade 16mm poles,

it weighs no more than 12kg, which isn’t bad considering the generous internal space.

Complete with rear air vents for improved ventilation as well as two large side windows with mesh vents, this is a versatile shelter that will not only keep you protected in winter but offers a cool refuge in summer.

The Cocoon comes fully equipped with handy rod-retaining straps, heavy-duty PVC groundsheet, carry bag, interlocking tension bars and heavyduty steel pegs.There is a dedicated wrap available for both models, providing an extra layer of protection for winter use and when the weather takes a turn for the worse. (DM) FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.JRC-FISHING.CO.UK

G-FORCE GF HOOKS £4.25 • Extremely sharp, strong carp hooks • Range consists of Straight Points, Longshank, Curved, Wide Gape and Barbless Wide Gape • Sizes vary on hook pattern • Finished in the new anti-glare camou coating FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.GFORCEUK.COM

FOX ANGLED DROP OFF RUN RING KIT £4.99 • Simple mechanism allowing an effective running rig • Can be fished fixed or drop-off • Six full setups per pack • PVA stops sold separately FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.FOXINT.COM

BERKLEY BIG GAME BULK GREEN LINE £34.99 • • • • •

Big-fish monofilament main line Superb knot and impact strength Incredible value for money Breaking strains include 10lb, 12lb, 15lb and 20lb Spools range from 2,600 to 6,000 yards depending on breaking strain FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.UK.PUREFISHING.COM

30PLUS SHAPE-SHIFTER STIFF-RIG LINE £4.99 • Lo-viz fluorocrystal hook link • Ideal for chod and stiff-rig setups • High knot strength and outstanding abrasion resistance • 15lb and 20lb breaking strains FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.SPECIMEN30PLUS.COM

136 TOTAL CARP

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10/09/2014 10:42

Gear

NASH AIR SHROUD

SPLASH BAITS RASPBERRY FISH BITE POP-UPS £6.99

£54.99 to £65.99

This time last year we were excited to be attending the annual Tackle & Guns Trade Show and one product that really stood out was the Nash Tackle Air Shroud, so much so that TC editor Marc Coulson simply couldn’t resist getting one. Well a year on and I can report that we are just as supportive and impressed with the product as when we first saw it.

Utilising a single-season hollow-fibre filling, the Air Shroud is a completely waterproof, twin-layered overblanket that’s perfect for use as either a single airy layer in hot, muggy conditions or as a protective additional layer in extreme winter conditions.

Unlike many of the conventional shrouds, the generous size allows it to encompass the bed while retaining enough material to prevent draughts around the side skirt and allowing you to throw it over your head, giving protection from the elements and the dreaded mozzies. Plus, it has an elastic loop at the top end allowing it to be supported via a storm pole, offering protection against damp while you are watching the water.

Finished in the popular and trendy disrupted dark camouflage, the Air Shroud looks great on the bank and complements the Airframe range. (DM) FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.NASHTACKLE.CO.UK

• Extremely buoyant, fluorescent pink hook baits • Unique and attractive raspberry aroma • Versatile dumbbell orientation • Perfect for single hook baits or can be halved and used as a bait topper FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.SPLASHBAITS.COM

WE LOVE THESE MONSTER BAITS FRUIT FUSION BOILIES £35 • Fishmeal base mix with added sea extracts, minerals and spices • Also includes proven carp catcher Robin Red • 5kg freezer-bait deal • Available in 14mm and 18mm FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.MONSTER-BAITS.COM

JACK PYKE HUNTER’S TROUSERS, JACKET AND BASEBALL HAT £9.95 to £84.95

The Wildlands Hunter’s jacket is constructed from 100 per cent polyester brushed tricot with laminated membrane, which results in a waterproof, breathable and noiseless finish.The internal lining is 100 per cent polyester brushed mesh and taffeta that provides a cool and comfortable feel.

From the handy concealed hood in the collar to the fulllength double-opening zip with button-fastened storm flap, this jacket is absolutely laden with features. With plenty of pockets, there is more than enough room to accommodate all your essentials close to hand.There are two lower front bellow pockets, two handwarmer pockets and a single internal chest pocket. More features include elasticated weather shrouds on the cuffs and an ingenious fold-down waterproof seat flap.

To complement the jacket there are also Hunter’s trousers. Constructed from the same material, they are just as comfortable and weather resistant.There are two upper pockets as well as two side pockets, each featuring a weather flap and stud fastening to limit water ingress and protecting your valuables. For durability and comfort, the trousers house reinforced seat and knee sections, as well as an elasticated waist and well-thought-out 14in leg zip for easy removal.

As if that wasn’t enough carpy apparel for you, there is also the stealth baseball cap made from the same Breathatex material. Fitted with a Velcro adjuster it’s a one size fits all.

Complete with duck-bill peak, it is perfect for limiting the glare off the water and protecting your eyes from the low winter sun.

Each product is available in a multitude of colours, from Hunter’s Green, English Oak camou and much more. Sizes of the jacket and trousers range from S to 3XL. (DM) FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.JACKPYKE.CO.UK

ORPINGTON TACKLE & BAIT PLUM MIX POP-UPS £5.99 • Super-buoyant high-attract hook baits • Unobtrusive speckled beige coloration • Sweet plum fragrance • Assorted shapes and sizes FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.ORPINGTONTACKLEAND BAIT.CO.UK

TOTAL CARP 137

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Gear

PROLOGIC COMMANDER TRAVEL BAG £49.99 to £69.99

These new Commander Travel Bags are extremely versatile and offer a solution to transporting all of those extra items that don’t always go in with your tackle essentials.

As well as a large internal space, there are plenty of external pockets to help keep all your kit close to hand.

There’s nothing worse than having to empty an entire bag to locate one item inside, but with the Commander there is ample access so the problem is solved.

Each bag features a moulded waterproof base section, so whether you’re fishing on a gravel swim or a boggy point, all your kit will remain dry for the length of your session.

For convenience there’s a durable hand strap and well-padded shoulder strap. With three sizes in the range – M, L and XL – there’s a bag to suit every length of session and accommodate a host of tackle, brew kit, clothes and more. (DM) FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.PROLOGICFISHING COM

STICKY SIGNATURE POP-UPS

TF GEAR

Thermo-Tex Mid-Weight Jacket

PUKKA!

£5.99

For a long time behind the scenes, the boys at Sticky have been accounting for some of the country’s finest carp by using their own secret little gems.The company has now secured access to the complete complex list of ingredients and is finally making these baits available to the masses.

Utilising no fewer than 10 unique liquids and two powerful, highly attractive fruit palatants, these baits are something special.There has been rigorous testing and tweaking to ensure that each bait has the optimum pH level to encourage a feeding response.

As if that wasn’t enough reason to give them a try, once the baits have been cooked, each one is then coated with a scientifically formulated amino-acid blend that has been made specifically to suit the water conditions throughout late summer and the winter months.

Available in three colours – washed-out pink, washed-out yellow and white – the Signature pop-ups are 14mm, super-buoyant hook baits. Each 70g tub is absolutely laden with baits, offering superb value for money.The secret is very much out and we reckon these could catch loads of carp. (DM) FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.STICKYBAITS.COM

READER REVIEW NASH CLING-ON ACCESSORIES £5.39 to £10.99 TC Reader Carl Peake says: I was pleasantly surprised when I received this little bundle of Cling-On items Carl Peake’s verdict...

I’m happy to keep using and have so far enjoyed using most of the Cling-On bits. them… well, most of them at least.

First up is the tubing, which is easy to thread, sinks like a stone and is pretty discreet on the lake bed. What very heavy – it’s the best putty I’ve used to more could you want from tubing? date.

As an alternative to tubing, the ClingFinally, I was also sent the Cling-On Liquid, On Leader is a lead-free sinking material which is a kind of paint-on putty that sets that is relatively easy to splice and, after application. Sadly, I really couldn’t deal thanks to its supple nature, sits very nicely with the potent smell, something akin to on the bottom. I was sent the Silt but I nail-varnish remover, so I have not had the think there are other colours available. confidence to use it. I’m not saying it won’t The Cling-On Tungsten Putty has work, but it’s just not for me. become a real favourite. I like the fact FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.NASHTACKLE.CO.UK that it is exceptionally easy to use and

£29.99 I am quite fussy when Dan it comes to clothing.

Murrell’s Not so much in the verdict... fashion sense but I Extremely like it to be functional cosy and and versatile. Well lightweight. when this landed in the office I was happy to test it because I thought that it could be the perfect garment for the ever-cooling evenings and early mornings.

I have been using it for a little over four weeks and I am happy to report that it’s great. I was immediately attracted to its lightweight nature, and with the thermal filling it’s easy to compress and stuff in a bag. In addition, a handy use is to stuff it into my sleeping bag for an emergency pillow, which, I must add, is exceptionally comfy.

As you would expect, the pockets were more than accommodating and the adjustable hood was perfect for keeping that dreaded chill off the back of my neck.

What really impressed me was the speed in which it warms up. After just a few minutes the thermal filling had retained my body heat and I could instantly feel a difference.

I would suggest that this is perfect as a midlayer throughout the harsh winter months but can double up as an outer layer in the cooler spring season. If this jacket were waterproof, then I think I would have found the ultimate fishing garment. (DM) FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.TOTALFISHINGGEAR.CO.UK

138 TOTAL CARP

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Tackle letting you down?

Upgrade today with 0% finance www.fostersofbirmingham.co.uk

0121 344 3333 moor lane, witton, birmingham, west midlands, b6 7hh enquiries@fostersofbirmingham.co.uk

Gear

TOTAL TACKLE Special

CYPRINUS QUICK-E FAST ERECT ONE-MAN CARP BIVVY AND OVERWRAP £69.99 TO £79.99

AQUA PRODUCTS GROUNDSHEET BAG £11.99

GREAT VALUE

• Velcro-closure bag designed to store wet and dirty groundsheets • Constructed from the durable Aquatexx material • Accommodates the majority of groundsheets on the market FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.AQUAPRODUCTS.CO.UK

Unbeatable price & great quality

Additional pegs required for overwrap

DAIWA RIG AND TACKLE CARRYALL £24.99 Although relatively unheard of in the carp market, Cyprinus has been kicking up a storm for the last nine years, selling fishing gear direct from eBay and Amazon.

Offering high-quality carp fishing gear at low prices, it sells everything from bivvies to unhooking mats. With many auctions on its eBay site starting at a miniscule 99p, there are huge savings to be made.

We recently received the Quick Erect bivvy and what

struck us immediately was its compact nature and lightweight construction. Once set up, there is more than enough room to accommodate an angler with all their kit and keep them safe and dry from the elements.

As you would expect with items of a higher price, features such as baffled zips and rodretention straps can be found.

Complete with a fully removable front, the Quick-E Fast Erect can be transformed from a one-man,

VASS 740E CHEST WADERS £35 These are the ultimate in quick-entry waders and allow you to literally jump into them and then into the water in an instant.

Neoprenes do not allow you to do this, taking far too long to get on, albeit they will offer more insulation in really cold water.

The 740 is Vass’ top-end chest wader with supremely robust material, chunky boot and protective knee panels. Everything you’d want in a chest wader and, despite the features and benefits, they’re priced extremely well. Oh, if you fish slippery lakes then there’s a studded-boot option too. (MC) FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO WWW.VASSRAINWEAR.CO.UK

two-rib bivvy into a quick to erect, open-plan day shelter.

Tension bars, lightweight groundsheet and pegs are all supplied with the shelter and all for less than £150 when brought direct and even cheaper from its eBay site.This is arguably one of the cheapest complete doubleskin systems on the market and the quality hasn’t suffered for it.Check them out now.(MH) FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.CYPRINUS.CO.UK

• Full tackle-system bag complete with rig sleeves and tackle box • Features a large rig board to accommodate pre-tied rigs • Protective and hard-wearing fabric ensuring its longevity FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.DAIWASPORTS.CO.UK

ACE GRAVITY LEAD-FREE LEADER £10.99 • Limp leader material that is much suppler than leadcore • Sinks quickly to take on contours of the lake bed • Available in Weed, Gravel and Silt in 40lb breaking strain FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.ACECARP.COM

140 TOTAL CARP

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Visit the all new endtackle.com for a huge range of Tackle & Bait for the specimen angler

Reward Points!

Registered customers will receive 1 reward point for every pound spent - reward points are worth 5p each and can be cashed in against future purchases - you receive 20 reward points just for registering!

Huge Range

We stock a huge range of tackle and bait from most major manufacturers including many hard to find items.

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All orders received before 12 noon Monday to Friday will be despatched the same day (Saturday & Sunday orders despatched on Monday)

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Postage is calculated by weight - orders under 1kg are £1.50 per order and over 1kg £6 Orders over £75 are despatched post free.

Woodbine Lake at Short Ferry

A brand new, 3 acre lake at Short Ferry Caravan Park Woodbine Lake is stocked with Carp up to 25lb is now open.

There are 11 pegs, but there will be a maximum of 8 anglers on the lake at any one time to allow for plenty of room to fish.

For prices, rules and booking details, visit our website.

p141_TC_10_Short Ferry.indd 1

01526 399998 www.shortferry.co.uk 08/09/2014 16:54

TOTAL TACKLE Special

Korda COG SYSTEM

£4.99 (3-unit kits) £1.85 (leads) It’s been a long time coming, but the eagerly anticipated COG (Centre Of Gravity) lead system is finally here and I reckon it looks a winner.

The unique system, which features some extra components and a recess in the top of the lead itself, offers the hooking potential of an inline lead but with the ejection qualities of a lead-clip arrangement.

I can’t remember the last time I used a lead clip as, many moons ago, I ran some tests on various lead setups and found the lead clip to be the absolute worst in terms of hooking and bite indication. Okay, it drops the lead efficiently, but in all other areas I just don’t rate

a lead clip at all. Also, how many times I ever really have to drop the lead can be counted without the use of too many fingers!

So, what does it comprise? Well, from the lead-clip swivel there is a length of leadcore sheath (no lead inside it) with a swivel spliced to the end.This second swivel only has one eye and it is the resulting barrel that pushes into a rubber grommet in the top of the lead.

There’s a Kwik Link attached to this swivel, which is obviously where your hook link goes.

That may all sound a little complicated, but fear not as the kits come complete and readyto-go.There are also two versions, namely a distance and a flat, the latter offering leads up

to 8oz for placing baits or when using boats or bait boats.

I reckon the flat ones would be awesome inside a solid PVA bag, which I’ll be finding out over coming weeks and months. I’m also curious as to how it might work with a short pop-up rig above the lead, offering the immediate impact for hooking but allowing the lead to drop off if the fish shakes its head to rid itself of the rig.

So, a versatile system, but one that entails far more components than, say, a drop-off inline setup. It’s well worth a try though. (MC) FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.KORDA.CO.UK

1

On the take, the carp feels the full impact of the unique lead.

2

BRAND -NEW Extremely versatile system

Much more fiddly than a drop-off inline setup.

Under sufficient pressure the swivel pops out of the lead...

3

... and if needs be the lead will also eject from the lead clip. Sorted!

TARGET BAITS AMINO ACID BLEND £24.90 • A carefully blended mix of four amino acids • Designed for the inclusion in base mixes • Includes essential amino acids such as lysine HCL and methionine FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO WWW.TARGETBAITS.CO.UK

ENTERPRISE ZIG BEETLES £3.99 • Buoyant artificial hook baits • Complete with four colours of foam and two beetle designs • Supplied with specifically adapted hair stops • Ideally suited to short-shank wide-gape hook patterns FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO WWW.ENTERPRISETACKLE.CO.UK

142 TOTAL CARP

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Gear

DYNAMITE

Red-Amo Bait £9.99 per kilo

was being eaten as the few Having reviewed the various spots where I introduced it and bits in the Red Amo range could actually see the bottom on several occasions, getting had been cleared. I knew it was the chance to actually use it carp as the bottom was properly was quite exciting. I don’t get dug up, unlike when birds eat too excited about many baits but this offered something baits and just pick them up genuinely a little bit different to cleanly.The washed-out pink the norm. colour of the Red Amo does Based on the original make it easier for bird life Monster Tiger Nut to spot, compared to Marc boilie, Dynamite has darker baits, but this Coulson’s added several isn’t a huge deal. verdict... extra ingredients In a nutshell including a I managed to First time out and it particularly catch one and proved immediately interesting fruit lose one in a effective! palatant that few hours’ fishing, gives the bait a using a glugged completely different snowman hook bait profile. over a sprinkling of Several Dynamite boilies, so the Red Amo well anglers have testified to the and truly passed its first test with flying colours. effectiveness of Red Amo during With the cooler weather testing and I’ve seen first hand approaching fast and my a few of these lads catching current bait not really lending well on it. itself to winter use I am tempted Having secured a few kilos of the freezer bait – it’s available in to persevere with the Red Amo shelf-life as well – I put a bit into over the coming months. If it my club water over a period of proves successful I’ll be sure to a week or so, before heading let you know. (MC) down to try and catch one on it.

FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO It was obvious that the bait WWW.DYNAMITE-BAITS.COM

p142-143_TC_11_Gear8-9.indd 2

12/09/2014 15:38

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OPEN MON: 8am - 6pm, SUN: 8am - 2pm p144_TC_10_Climax page 1.indd 1

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Unrivalled quality, total confidence. The complete range of HD Brollies are designed to offer today’s specimen angler the ultimate in design, quality and durability. Our HD brollies are constructed using the highest quality components and use the exceptional HD material. That is why we are the only brand confident enough to give you a 5-Year Extended Manufacturer’s Warranty.

RRP £339.98

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60in BROLLY AND WRAP RRP £379.99

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WICK ICK STANDARD KENWICK 6-LEG BEDCHAIR

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OPEN MON: 8am - 6pm, SUN: 8am - 2pm p146_TC_10_Climax page 3.indd 1

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• High-density foam padded base • Heavy-duty fabrics • 5kg • Adjustable legs • Swivel mudfeet

SUPER DELUXE NEW RECLINER CHAIR MARKER STICKS RRP £139.99

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THE P HD OVERWRA THE HD S M OR SF TRAN A TWIN BROLLY INTO Y. VV BI IN SK

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O/P £129.99 OR VISIT WWW.CLIMAXTACKLE.COM

• Extremis HD 10,000 hydrostatic head material, completely waterproof and durable • Full zip-out front panel • 2-way door with 3 configurations • Wide gauge very light and super strong fibreglass ribs • All four back ribs touch the ground for extra stability • Supplied with 4 storm pole caps, heavy-duty groundsheet and heavy-duty pegs.

Dimensions: HD 60in Brolly System: 2130mm (D) x 2500mm (H) x 1640mm (W) HD 50in Brolly System: 2000mm (D) x 2500mm (H) x 1400mm (W) Weight: HD 60in Brolly System: 9kg / HD 50in Brolly System: 7kg

• Ultra soft polyester inner lining • Rated to temperatures below freezing point • Includes oversized compression bag

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SUPA BROLLY SYSTEM COMPACT In addition to the new open-fronted Supa Brolly Compact we are also pleased to showcase this all-singing all dancing new Compact System. Boasting all of the same great features as the standard Supa Brolly System, this 50in version also benefits from two mozzy mesh panels at the rear for far greater air-flow during the warmer months.

LIKE

SUPA BROLLY COMPACT New for 2014 is this upgraded and more compact version of our multi-award winning and top-selling Supa Brolly. The Supa Brolly Compact is the result of numerous requests from anglers that love the Supa Brolly design but require a smaller shelter for tighter swims. It features a smaller 50in (127cm) frame compared to the 60in (152cm) frame of the original Supa Brolly. In addition to the more compact frame this new model also benefits from two mozzy mesh panels at the rear for increased air-flow.

• Size 70 x 110cm • Manufactured from carp-friendly materials

VISION EURO BEANIE MAT

O/P £16.99 • 70 x 110cm • Manufactured from carp-friendly materials

KFORE ST MEMORY FOAM SLEEPING BAG RRP £129.99

O/P £74.99 The ultimate winter sleeping bag!

• 4 season single fleece lined thermal quilt • Built in detachable pillow • Fixing points and straps • Waterproof and breathable Windtex fabric • 40mm layer of Memory Foam

DELIVERY CHARGES: NEXT DAY £8.00 • 2 DAYS-PLUS £6.00 12/09/2014 15:49

Gear VASS 170 SERIES JACKET £35 • Extremely lightweight, waterproof and windproof jacket • Boasts 15 to 25 per cent stretch capability ensuring maximum movement for the user • Complete with two external pockets and baffled zips to prevent water ingress • Available from small to XXXL FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.VASSRAINWEAR.CO.UK

PROPER JOB POP-UPS

Pop-Ups £6.50 Despite me writing elsewhere in this magazine that I had a cull on my huge collection of hook baits a few years ago, I still carry a few favourites and I’m never afraid to add to them with anything that I deem worthy.

Over the last couple of years I’ve been using a selection of PJPU’s pop-ups and continue to be impressed. Super-buoyant, well rolled and genuinely made with top-quality attractors and additives, they’ve been the most impressive that I have ever used.

I know that is quite a statement but I cannot fault them and, on more than one occasion, they’ve nicked me a bite when all else has looked to be failing.

Marc Coulson’s verdict...

Super-buoyant and boasting top-quality ingredients.

Several of the company’s flavour combinations have become fixtures in my bait bucket and more recently I have even had some made for me using blackcurrant and scopex, which I think will be absolute winners this coming winter.

As well as the usual round pop-ups, there are also barrel versions available and, a

AVID CARP Air Range Spod Reel £99.99 I was asked to test the new Avid Air Range Spod reel a year ago and it remains as sturdy and reliable as the day I took it out of the box. Despite retrieving literally thousands of casts it still retains a smoothness and effectiveness that I really appreciate.

The key feature is that all of the inner workings of a clutch/drag have been removed. Well, basically, as an out-and-out spod reel there is no need for a clutch so, to reduce weight, Avid has produced this without one.

Because there can never be any spool slippage on the cast, there is also no need to wear a fingerstall.

That said, because I use super-fine braid, for my own peace of mind, I still wear one.

The retrieve ratio of 5.7:1 makes winding back even the longest casts an easier proposition when compared with some other reels and the manual bail arm eliminates any nasty accidents on the cast.This gives me the confidence to never hold back.

The spring-loaded line clip is a nice touch, although when really hitting the clip this still benefits from the addition of a little electrical tape or some such.

Finally, the shallow spool means that it’s easier, and cheaper, to fill with line. I use 30lb Whiplash and a 300m spool fills the reel perfectly without the need for backing. (MH) FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.AVIDCARP.COM

particular favourite of mine, PJPU’s special ‘Tips’, which are tiny barrel-shaped baits that are ideal for tipping a bottom bait.

These also make excellent zig-rig hook baits when scaling right down for a bite because, despite their tiny size, they are superbuoyant. (MC) FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.PROPERJOBPOPUPS.CO.UK

GARDNER TRICK LINK £3.50 • Camou-coloured hook link ideal for boom sections on hinged stiff or combi rigs • Available in 20lb and 25lb breaking strains for most situations • Steam before casting to get the hook link straight FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.GARDNERTACKLE.CO.UK

SOLAR TACKLE BRAID SCISSORS £5.99 • Ultra-sharp braid scissors ideal for cutting all manner of hook-link materials • Stainless steel to ensure durability • Serrated blades are protected with a sheath for safety when not in use FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.SOLAR24-7.CO.UK

Max Hendry’s verdict...

Bulletproof and a pleasure to use.

TOTAL CARP 147

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FREE N

DELIVERY O S ALL ORDER OVER £20

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Gear

SPOMB Midi-Spomb

SOLAR PVA BAG RING SWIVELS £4.99 • Unique design for use with PVA bags • Allows quick attachment of mesh bags to rigs • Works with inline-lead setup • Eight swivels per pack FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW. SOLAR24-7.CO.UK

Max Hendry’s verdict...

The best baiting tool out there.

£11.50 Now one of the most popular baiting tools there is, the Spomb is fantastic for several reasons. Firstly they are aerodynamic, making them fantastic to cast even in a crosswind. Spillage on the cast is also non-existent and allows you to feed any baits without fear of losing any. Maggots, boilies and even dog biscuits can be easily used with the Spomb.

Having been sent some of the newer midi version for the Eric’s Carp Championship match, I had the chance to give them a really thorough test. Well, 1,000 Spombs later and it’s safe to say it’s

not faltered one bit and I am able to accurately use it over 100 yards with little effort.

Initially I struggled with the large Spomb at range as its heavy weight was harder to get moving.

The midi, however, is the perfect weight for me. It handles every bait, from loose boilies to a sloppy mix. Retrieve is also great and it aquaplanes across the surface of the lake with little resistance.

As of yet I haven’t found any issues and I will continue to use the midi Spomb for baiting up as there is nothing better available. (MH) FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.SPOMB.COM

DINSMORE CRITICAL BALANCE SHOTS £7.99 • Selection of different-sized nontoxic shot • Includes five different colours • Perfect for balanced-bait presentations • Sizes from No1 to AAA FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.DINSMORES.CO.UK

WYCHWOOD THE SLUG BOBBINS £12.99

With two different heads (one white and one coloured), hockey stick, two chains, a cord and two drag weights, the new packs of The Slug bobbins really have everything inside that you need.Try and buy all of these components separately from some other manufacturers and you’d be looking at an investment of the best part of £25 or more, so immediately they become excellent value for money.

The design is somewhat unique in that the weights are actually an integral part of the bobbin itself, and replace the plastic nylon part already in the head.This means that you’re never adding any bulk to the bobbin itself, which keeps things nice and neat.

The downside is that replacing these parts involves pushing a pin out of the bobbin (you’ll need a fine baiting needle or drill) which I can’t help thinking is a bit more fiddly than needs be.

Because of the double-pivot design The Slug is pretty versatile and lends itself to tight and slack-line fishing, and when I was playing around with a set they seemed very sensitive.

Overall, then, save for the fiddly changing of the weights I reckon The Slug is a good all-round bobbin and, with all of what’s included in the pack, offers outstanding value for money. (MC) FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.WYCHWOOD-CARP.CO.UK

GREAT VALUE

TOTAL CARP 149

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Gear

SOLAR MARINE 17 £9.99

Considering the vast amount of different bait that we regularly see in the office, it’s very rare that a product gets us excited.This first arrived just over a year ago but the telltale sign of a good product is the impact that it has when you first look at it. I said it when I first popped the lid and I will say it now with even more conviction, it simply screams carp.

This extremely viscous and savagely potent liquid is produced from the finest Scottish salmon and shellfish.

The precise and fundamental process results in a highly soluble, protein-packed bait additive that is absolutely brimming with minerals, vitamins and no less than 17 amino acids. As with many natural products, you cannot overdose when including Marine 17 in your mix and when you see the carp’s reaction you will be more than happy including it in every one that you use.

The first reviews of Marine 17 in TC were what are known as desk reviews, full of facts and information that we spend countless hours collating by interrogating the manufacturer. However, having gone through several bottles of the stuff, I can now safely say that this is a liquid that I will not go fishing without. Whether I am glugging pellets and particles or adding a capful to my PVA bags, the pulling power really does speak for itself and I cannot recommend it highly enough. (DM) FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.SOLAR24-7.CO.UK

KENT PARTICLES SQUID FLURO POP-UPS £5.99 • Super-buoyant hi-viz hook baits • Approximately 35 to 50 baits per tub • Dumbbell and round shapes to choose from • Available in 12mm, 14mm and 15mm FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.KENTPARTICLES.CO.UK

CYGNET 20/20 TWO-ROD ‘SNUGS’ BUZZ BARS £9.99 • Ultra-compact, narrow buzz bars • Complement the new 20/20 bankware range • Attractive matt-black, powder-coated and anodised finish • Available in 4½, 5, 5½ and 6in versions FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.CYGNETTACKLE.CO.UK

PROLOGIC BOAT UNHOOKING MAT £44.99

MAD BAITS THE FORCE FOOD DIP £9.99 • Rich red viscous bait dip • Pungent Robin Red aroma with a subtle sweet note • Ideal for boosting hook baits and free offerings • PVA-friendly FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.MADBAITS.COM

• Padded sling-style carp mat • Fully adjustable arms with floatation devices • Rubberised-mesh drainage holes • Designed for safe carp care when angling with a boat FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.PROLOGICFISHING.COM

150 TOTAL CARP

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Dealer list: Chapmans angling ltd Scunthorpe & Hull 01724 277610 | Glasgow angling, Fishing Megastore Glasgow 0141 3316330 | Veals & son Bristol 01179 260790 | the tackle Box Dartford 01322 292400 | tackle Up Catfish-Pro Fleet 01252 616 129 | Walkers of trowell Nottingham 0115 9301816 | Gary evans tackle Centre Cardiff 02920 692968 | Poingdestre’s angling Centre Southampton 02380 772958 | tackle2U (Outwood) Wakefield 01924 835443 | B.V.G airflo ltd Brecon 01874 612600 | avenue angling suffolk Beccles 01502 710963 | Fosters of Birmingham Birmingham 0121 344 3333 | Cheshire Fishing ltd Chester 01829 770041 | taCKleUK Yeovil 01935 476777 | North east tackle supplies (Hartlepool) Hartlepool 01429 272581 | Unity tackle Sittingbourne 01795 520887 | Foxons tackle St Asaph 01745 583583 | total angling ltd Shrewsbury 01743 462 699 | erics angling Centre ltd Newport 0113 2646883 | Hinders ltd Swindon 01793 333900 | Danson angling Bexley 0208 2989055 | exeter angling Centre Exeter 01392 435591 | Gone Fishing Canvey Island 01268 691542 | specialised angling Snodland 01634 243112 | Outdoor World Cookstown, Northern Ireland 02886 763682 | Belfast angling Centre Belfast 02890 313156 | Joseph Braddell & son Belfast 02890 320525 | Outdoor experience Portadown 02838 339333 | Home Field & stream Enniskillen 02866 322114 | smyth sport Newry 02830 265303 | the House of Value Derry 0287126 1090 | Charlie Keenan Outdoor Clothing Toome 02879659888 | Fishing republic Barnsley 01226 752300 | Fishing republic Manchester 01617 948001 | Fishing republic Sheffield 01142 441339 | Fishing republic Doncaster 01302 321350 | Fishing republic Sunderland 0191 5679770 | Pickerings of Burslem Stoke-on-trent 01782 814941 | Climax Dronfield 01246 290863 | Future Fishing Newark On Trent 01636 612654 | Johnson ross Hoddesdon 01992 462044 | experience Fishing Newbury 01635 31116 | Oakwood angling Southgate, London 0208 8826821 | angling active Stirling, Scotland 01786 430400

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THE UK’S BIGGEST-SELLING CARP FISHING MAGAZINE

THE UK’S BIGGEST-SELLING CARP FISHING MAGAZINE

152 TOTAL CARP

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SUBSCRIBING IS EASY! ONLINE AT: dhpsubs.co.uk/totalcarp (Lines open Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm)

PHONE: 01536 273 534 POST: Complete the form below with payment details

Order Code: 1014TC YES! Please send me the next 12 issues of TOTAL CARP and a Dynamite bait pack, worth a total of £94.95 – All for just £49.99 YOUR DETAILS

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TERMS AND CONDITIONS The subscription will start with the next available issue. The minimum subscription term for this offer is 12 months. This offer is not to be used in conjunction with any other promotion offer and is available to UK and Eire residents only. Please allow 28 days for delivery of your gift. We reserve the right to substitute the gift shown for an alternative item, subject to your approval.

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TOTAL CARP, FREEPOST DAVID HALL PUBLISHING, CORBY, NN17 4AX

p152-153_TC_10_Subs.indd 2

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BUYER’S GUIDE Leads

Every month we check out a range of the essential items that you all need to go carp fishing.

NASH

TASKA

KORDA

FOX

The two fantastic textured coatings from Nash blend well with the lake bed. The coating is also durable and won’t fall off, even after extensive use.There are a variety of shapes and sizes to choose from. Inline leads are extensive including a great flat square lead that is great in a solid bag. Swivel leads range from the usual pear leads all the way to the gripper leads which would be great for boat fishing or fishing slow flowing rivers. Sizes range from the small 1.1oz up to the larger 8oz version in the gripper lead.

FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.NASHTACKLE.CO.UK

With two unobtrusive anti-glare shades, the Taska leads are unique in their appearance.

The coating feels durable and resilient with a uniqe cracked appearance. Each lead is well labelled making it easier to differentiate from others in your bag.They are the same price across the board for both swivel and inlines versions, with a distance version and a large, more compact square lead all represented. Leads range from 1oz to the larger 6oz version in the flat pear model if the angling situation requires a larger lead.

FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.TASKACARP.COM

The original coated leads are as popular as ever. Ranging from £1.40 for the 1oz distance swivel lead to £3.30 for the huge big grippa lead. Textured coating has been added to the range more recently with both version available in gravel brown and weed green.The latest addition is the unique new COG lead.

When fished with a system you get a lead that picks up from the heaviest part of the lead, but can be fished safely on a lead clip system. With a huge variety of shapes and sizes there is a lead to complement your fishing.

FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.KORDA.CO.UK

With the cheapest lead on test at £1 it represents value for money.The inline leads feature a neat groove which houses the leader neatly and securely when fishing it drop-off style.The paste bomb is an ingenious lead that allows you to push paste into the grooves, for increased attraction.

The most expensive lead in the range is the Kling-on, which is an ideal boat lead. At 12oz its the largest lead on test yet still retains a cheap price point.The cheaper leads are coated in the new Camotex coating, that blends in well with the lake bed.

FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.FOXINT.COM

£1.39 to £2.49

£1.35

£1.40 to £3.30

£1 to £3

NASH COCONUT CRÈME BOILIES From £2.99

CRAFTY CATCHER COCONUT & GLM WAFTERS £4.99

• Instant high-attract boilies in convenient day-session bags • Available in bags from 200g to 5kg • Supplied with five free pop-ups for an extra hook-bait option FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.NASHTACKLE.CO.UK

• Two-tone wafter hook baits with interesting flavour combinations • Allow you to create an awesome slow-sinking hook bait • A superb bait over the top of free offerings FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.COPDOCKMILL.CO.UK

154 TOTAL CARP

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Gear

NEXT MONTH: Don’t miss our guide to chest waders

AVID CARP

GARDNER

G-FORCE

ANGLE TEC

Avid has been redesigning many of the more popular leads to improve their effectiveness.The bag leads, for example, have a longer solid stem and large flat profile.The most recent is the DS lead. Complete with flights and aerodynamic shape it allows the lead to remain straight in flight while improving accuracy at range. All of the leads and swivels are coated in a durable mottled green coating that blends in with the dark colours of the lake bed. Sizes range from small 1.5oz to the larger 6.5oz.

FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.AVIDCARP.COM

With coating similar to the G-Force leads, the Gardner leads blend in seamlessly with the substrate.There are four to choose from, with our particular favourites being the chod coating that, once immersed in water, takes on a dark coloration.

The gravel coating is also realistic for firm clear spots.There is a range of different-shaped leads for both distance and margin work. An extensive range with a lot to offer for every angler; what’s more they are some of the cheaper leads on test too.

FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.GARDNERTACKLE.CO.UK

Four fantastic camouflage and durable coatings adorn the G-Force leads. Available in green, brown, dung and gravel they are well disguised. A variety of sizes make up the range in both inline and swivel versions, so there’s something for everyone. Like Avid, the inline leads feature long stems, which are ideal for fishing solid bags. Distance leads and also the more dumpy pear leads are available in all the colours to suit all lake beds.The G-Force range is among the cheapest on offer, yet still retains great quality.

FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.GFORCEUK.COM

A completely unique system, allowing you to fish a safe, tangle-free inline setup that will drop the lead effectively when a fish becomes snagged.

Individual leads are available as are packets of the full clip system. There are grip leads for short range and the tapered pear lead for longer range work.

Sizes range from 1.5oz to 10oz in the grip lead version. Two colours, drab green and earth brown, cover most lake bed types. A truly unique system that makes fishing inlines safe near the lead and improves hooking ability.

FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO

£1.50 to £2

£1.35 to 2.50

HINDERS LITTLE GEMZ PELLETS From £5.75 • 2.3mm high-oil pellets perfect for PVA bags • Available in small 900g bags with bags up to 10kg available • Hugely popular with anglers like Mark Bartlett and Tom Maker FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.HINDERS.CO.UK

£1.20 to £1.99

£1.60 to £5.40

ORPINGTON TACKLE FRUIT TWIST POP-UPS • £5.99 • High-attract pop-ups with a citrus aroma • Reliable buoyancy is perfect for using the renowned chod rig • Each pot has a variety of sizes to cater for any rig of your choice FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.ORPINGTONTACKLEANDBAIT.CO.UK

TOTAL CARP 155

p154-155_TC_Gear 20- 21.indd 2

12/09/2014 13:42

SONIK TOURNOS 10000 REEL

KORDA DARK MATTER BRAID

£199.99

Following the success of the Tournos reel range, namely the 8000 and smaller 6000fs Black, Sonik has added to it with the Tournos 10000.

Similar in design to the 8000, it has been beefed up to cope with longer-range fishing and an angled spool lip and improved line lay will reduce friction, improving overall distance.

The sturdy body and insides make the reel feel built to last. Neat touches like the twin line clips allow you to clip up to multiple spots.

The quick drag system also helps to quickly turn from free spool and fighting drag in a quarter of a turn.The whole reel is finished in an attractive black finish, making it one of the sleekest available. It’s sure to make you the envy of your mates. What’s more, the Tournos 10000 is part of a buy two, get one free deal, which makes it even better value for money. (MH) FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.SONIKSPORTS.COM

£13.99 • Fast-sinking, supple braided hook link • Ideal in a solid PVA bag or fished with a conventional knotless knot • Available in 15lb, 20lb and 30lb breaking strains FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.KORDA.CO.UK

STAR-FLITE S3 STAINLESS BANKSTICKS From £27.99 • British-made stainless-steel banksticks • Hand finished to a high standard to ensure great quality control • Ultra-strong clamping system to ensure a rock-solid setup FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.STAR-FLITE.CO.UK

READER REVIEW NASH H-GUN DWARF RODS 9FT 2.75LB TC £54.99 TC Reader Matthew Rynor says: I recently received the Dwarf rods for my 13th birthday present and decided to send my review in to Total Carp.

Due to my small size I find 12ft rods a bit of a handful, so the Dwarfs are great. I have fished up to 50 yards with a baited rig, as they lend themselves much better to the small waters I fish. I couple them with small Baitrunner reels, making the setup lightweight. Playing fish is lovely on them too, and their through action allows the use of smaller hooks when fishing commercial waters.

The real advantage is the way that the rods can be packed down to three feet eight inches, making them easy to carry on my bike. I have used them a lot over the summer holidays and despite plenty of use they are in good condition, aside from a few scrapes. I look forward to catching plenty more fish on them.

FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.NASHTACKLE.CO.UK

Matthew Rynor’s verdict Perfect for targeting small waters.

156 TOTAL CARP

p156_TC_10_Gear22.indd 1

10/09/2014 10:54

Adverts.indd 4

12/08/2014 11:02:12

Gear WALKERS OF TROWELL COTSWOLD AQUARIUS RHINO RUCKSACK SE £164.99 • Expertly constructed from quality, durable materials • Features five external pockets and three internal and has an 80-litre capacity • Made in Great Britain FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW. WALKERSOFTROWELL.COM

ESP 4MM NUT DRILL £7.75 • Low-diameter stainless-steel drill • Designed for fine-tuning a hook bait’s buoyancy • Supplied with matching cork sticks, also sold separately FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.ESP-CARPGEAR.COM

OCEAN RAINWEAR CAMOUFLAGE PU RAIN SUIT £74.99

PUKKA!

Comprising a jacket and trousers, the PU rain suit is constructed from Comfort Stretch PU (210g) to form a lightweight, comfortable and durable rainwear garment.

The jacket includes a full-length front YKK zip and press-studded storm flap to eradicate any wind or rain ingress.

It also features a foldaway, drawstringadjustable hood and two large front pockets complete with storm flaps.

The sleeves are fitted with elasticised cuffs and handy Velcro adjustments, ensuring a snug fit around your wrists, which once again limits water intake.

Fitted with an elasticated waist and an adjustable drawcord, the matching trousers are equally comfortable and easy to move around in.The ankles are fitted with vertical release zips for ease of getting in and out of boots, as well as an adjustable Velcro fastening.

The suit is available from XS right up to the big boy size of 4XL.The spacious nature lends itself to being worn over multiple layers without fear of it being too constrictive, resulting in an ideal suit for when you’re out on the bank and moving around. (DM) FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.OCEANTEXTILE.DK

MAINLINE

ACTIV-8 ACTIVATOR

KRYSTON QUICKSILVER GOLD £13.95 • Super coated hook-link and shockleader material • Ultra-tough and durable coating • Low memory helps improve casting • 25lb, 35lb and 45lb breaking strains FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.KRYSTON.COM

£12.25 Activ-8 has repeatedly outdone itself, with a string of big-fish captures, not to mention the countless other carp that it has banked. It is one of the best carp catchers around.

The Activ-8 arrived in the office with a feature in mind and once it had served its purpose I was keen to get my hands on it. Although designed initially for inclusion in base mixes, I prefer to use it neat as a dip or soak for hook baits and a boosted addition for stick mixes and the like. I don’t have a problem with using dedicated glugs and dips but feel that the neat nature of this specific ingredient is the edge that can often separate one hook bait from another. It also requires a lot less of the Activator to actually produce the same level of attraction as a conventional bait glug.

Dan Murrell’s verdict...

I wouldn’t want to dip my pop-ups in anything else.

The rich aroma of the Activ-8 is a personal favourite but other popular flavours are also available from Mainline. If you want to be using a hook bait with a difference, then be sure to check them out. (DM) FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.MAINLINE-BAITS.COM

WEBSITE Shopping Centre Scan the QR or type the link below into your internet browser and visit our Shopping Centre pages on the TC website to see where you can buy all this latest tackle and bait. http://www.totalcarpmagazine.com/shopping-centre

p158_TC_10_Gear24.indd 1

10/09/2014 10:54

WE ARE FREE SPIRIT SPECIALISTS –

SCOPE AND DWARF RANGE

KEEPING THE ENTIRE RANGE IN STOCK

We keep in stock large quanities of the Free Spirit rod range and have different handle options available in stock on the most popular models.

DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE FOR MULTIPLE PURCHASES – CALL FOR FURTHER DETAILS

Hi’S RANGE 12ft 2½lb ....................................................... SPECIAL PRICE £340.00 12ft 3lb........................................................... SPECIAL PRICE £355.00 12ft 3lb - 50mm ............................................ SPECIAL PRICE £365.00 12ft 3½lb ....................................................... SPECIAL PRICE £365.00 12ft 3½lb - 50mm ......................................... SPECIAL PRICE £375.00 12ft 6in 3½lb - 50mm................................... SPECIAL PRICE £389.00 Hi’s 13ft 3½lb - 50mm .................................. SPECIAL PRICE £395.00 SIVE 12ft - 50mm .......................................... SPECIAL PRICE £395.00 SIVE ’ER’ - 50mm........................................... SPECIAL PRICE £405.00 SIVE 13ft - 50mm .......................................... SPECIAL PRICE £420.00 S200 12ft - 50mm.......................................... SPECIAL PRICE £420.00 S200 13ft - 50mm.......................................... SPECIAL PRICE £429.00 S220 13ft - 50mm.......................................... SPECIAL PRICE £449.00

‘S’-RANGE ES 12ft 2¾lb .................................................. SPECIAL PRICE £265.00 XS 12ft 3¼lb.................................................. SPECIAL PRICE £275.00 XS 12ft 3¼lb - 50mm.................................... SPECIAL PRICE £285.00 XS‘ive 12ft 3½lb SU - 50mm ........................ SPECIAL PRICE £305.00

CUSTOM ANGLING SOLUTIONS High-grade bars and banksticks available only from us.

The Discreet range of aluminium sticks, bars and accessories are hard-anodised (40 microns) giving a very hard, black finish.

Discreet bankstick 16” £25.00

Discreet 2-rod bars (pair) £45.00

Discreet 3-rod bars (pair) £60.00

Discreet stage stands (pair) £30.00

Yet again Nash has brought a new concept to the table with the Scope and Dwarf ranges of rods, nets and luggage for the roving angler or the angler wanting a discreet setup that can be hidden in a car boot. These rods fold away to less than 4ft 6in, but still give the actions of standard carp rods. The Scopes have cast leads in excess of 150yds – but still have plenty of life for under-the-tip work.

E-CLASS GOLD Gold 12ft 2¾lb .............................................. SPECIAL PRICE £159.99 Gold 12ft 3¼lb .............................................. SPECIAL PRICE £169.99 Gold 12ft 3¼lb - 50mm................................ SPECIAL PRICE £179.99 Gold 12ft 3½lb - 50mm................................ SPECIAL PRICE £194.99 Gold 12ft 3½lb SU - 50mm.......................... SPECIAL PRICE £199.99

SCOPE RANGE

MARKER RODS Searcher LRM 50mm 12ft 3½lb ................... SPECIAL PRICE £134.99 Searcher MRM 50mm 12ft 3lb ..................... SPECIAL PRICE £124.99 S’Range Marker 12ft 3¾lb - 50mm ............. SPECIAL PRICE £245.00 Hi’S Marker 12ft 3¾lb - 50mm .................... SPECIAL PRICE £299.00

SPOD RODS Launcher LRS 12ft 5lb - 50mm .................... SPECIAL PRICE £139.99 Launcher MRS 12ft 4lb - 50mm................... SPECIAL PRICE £129.99 S’Range Spod 12ft 4lb - 50mm .................... SPECIAL PRICE £255.00 S’Range Spod 12ft 5lb SU - 50mm .............. SPECIAL PRICE £275.00 Hi’S Spod 12ft 4½lb - 50mm ....................... SPECIAL PRICE £309.00 BACK IN THE SPOMB ROD STOCK 12ft 3½lb - 50mm ......................................... SPECIAL PRICE £139.99 13ft 3½lb - 50mm ......................................... SPECIAL PRICE £149.99

E-CLASS ORIGINAL SPECIAL OFFER 12ft 3½lb - 40mm ..............RRP £174.99...... SPECIAL PRICE £120.00

ORIGINAL LONG RANGE MARKER OFFER 12ft Searcher...................... RRP £124.99 ....... SPECIAL PRICE £89.99

JASON HAYWARD’S CHEMO-STIM (500ml) EXCLUSIVE TO WALKERS! £19.99 JASON HOWARD’S MILK PROTEIN MP RANGE OF POP-UPS EXCLUSIVE T

WALKER We have some very special pop-up hook baits, all S based on a very high-quality milk-protein base. The base mix is one of Jason Hayward’s old-school recipes that is highly attractive to carp in its own right and uses some very special, exclusive (and expensive!) carp-catching ingredients and attractors.

The mix has been updated for 2014 to make it extremely buoyant for today’s modern rigs.

O

MP1 £8.99

MP2 £8.99

MP3 £8.99

Sweet fruits & sour cream with a spice background

Sweet jasmine & perfumed spice

Marine extracts & organic acid

Discreet folding stabiliser £22.99

MIDI SPOMB

Discreet rear rests £10.00

NOW IN STOCK £11.50

EVOLUTION CARP TACKLE FULL RANGE OF ARTIFICIAL BAITS IN STOCK

p159_TC_10_Walkers.indd 1

SPECIALIST SHARPENED HOOKS We have teamed up with Jason Hayward to offer hand sharpened hooks in a wide variety of patterns and sizes from all popular manufacturers. The hooks and prices are listed below. We will be adding more patterns as stock comes in.

All hooks are precisely hand sharpened and fitted with point protectors. A specialist sharpened hook does put more fish on the bank.

Drennan Conti Boilie Hooks Korda Choddy Hooks Size 4, 6 & 8 £7.99 for 10 Size 4 & 6 £7.99 for 10 Korda Wide Gape Hooks Atomic Chodda Size 6 & 8 £7.99 for 10 Size 5, 6 & 7 £8.99 for 10 Nash Twister Hooks Nash Fang X Size 6 & 8 £8.99 for 10 Size 6 & 8 £8.99 for 10 Korda Kurv’s Hooks OTHER PATTERNS AVAILABLE Size 6 & 8 £7.99 for 10

Scope 9ft 2¾lb..................................................................................£139.99 Scope 9ft 3lb .....................................................................................£149.99 Scope 9ft 3½lb..................................................................................£159.95 Scope 9ft 4½lb..................................................................................£169.95 Scope 10ft 2¾lb................................................................................£149.99 Scope 10ft 3lb ...................................................................................£159.99 Scope 10ft 3½lb................................................................................£169.99 Scope 10ft 4½lb................................................................................£179.99 Scope 42in Landing Net ...................................................................£149.99 9ft single skin ......................................................................................£17.99 9ft 2-rod skin.......................................................................................£39.99 9ft 3-rod carryall ...............................................................................£129.99 10ft single skin ....................................................................................£18.99 10ft 2-rod skin.....................................................................................£42.99 10ft 3-rod carryall .............................................................................£139.99

H-GUN DWARF RANGE Dwarf 9ft 2¾lb ....................................................................................£49.99 Dwarf 9ft 3lb .......................................................................................£49.99 Dwarf 10ft 2¾lb ..................................................................................£59.99 Dwarf 10ft 3lb .....................................................................................£59.99 Dwarf Landing Net .............................................................................£54.99 Dwarf 9ft single skin...........................................................................£14.99 Dwarf 9ft 2-rod skin ...........................................................................£29.99 Dwarf 10ft single skin.........................................................................£17.99 Dwarf 10ft 2-rod skin .........................................................................£39.99 H-Gun Multi-mat ................................................................................£29.99

ZIG RIG BAITS AND BITS Nash Zig Bug Box.................................................................................. £6.99 Nash Zig Bug Naturals ......................................................................... £5.99 Nash Zig Bug Attractor Beetles ........................................................... £5.99 Nash Zig Bug Hookless Attractor Critters.......................................... £3.99 Nash Zig Bug Hookless Natural Critters............................................. £3.99 Nash Zig Glow Bugs ............................................................................. £5.99 Nash Zig Purple Bugs ........................................................................... £5.99 Nash Zig Action Bugs ........................................................................... £5.99 Scorpion Zig Beetles ............................................................................ £5.99 Scorpion Zig Black & Orange Atomic Ants........................................ £5.99 Scorpion Zig Black & Yellow Atomic Ants.......................................... £5.99 Scorpion Zig Black Atomic Ants ......................................................... £5.99 Scorpion Zig Black Snails .................................................................... £5.99 Scorpion Zig Black Tadpoles ............................................................... £5.99 Scorpion Zig Bloodworm .................................................................... £5.99 Scorpion Zig Green Beetle .................................................................. £5.99 Scorpion Zig Orange Beetle ................................................................ £5.99 Scorpion Zig Yellow Beetle.................................................................. £5.99 Scorpion Zig Pellet ............................................................................... £5.99 Nash NXT Zig flo - 8lb, 10lb & 12lb .................................................... £5.99 Fox Zig floater line - 9.86lb, 12.34lb & 15lb........................................ £4.99

N-BRICE CARBON RANGE Carbon pod .......................................................................................£319.99 Carbon 3-rod snag bars .....................................................................£97.50 Carbon 3-rod adjustable bars ...........................................................£87.50 Carbon 2-rod adjustable bars ...........................................................£69.99 Carbon snag Ears ................................................................................£26.50 Pod case ..............................................................................................£25.00 Carbon sticks 10”................................................................................£26.50 Carbon sticks 12”................................................................................£29.50 Carbon sticks 16”................................................................................£31.50 Stainless Gravel Eater .........................................................................£22.99

CADAC GAS 12 x 450g canisters £45.00 These fit Primus, Coleman and Trakker stoves

12/09/2014 10:23

RETHINK TECHNOLOGY RADAR DS3 BITE DETECTION SYSTEM

02 > Ultra bright multi-color LED´s that can operate in 6 colors

01 > Unmatched 1000m range in open terrain

03 > Light intensity regulation system

04 > Smart travelling LED indication

06 > Double sealed all-weather proof electronic parts

05 > Unique lighthouse function on the backside of the alarms

07 > Low-battery warning signal

08 > Energy saving construction for super long battery-life

ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY With the expert help of a team of international top carp anglers we have created bite indicators that offer unmatched reliability as well as numerous features that take carp fishing to a whole new level. The JRC Radar DS3 alarms are setting new standards in bite indicators that will be difficult to match.

> JRC Online WWW.JRC-FISHING.CO.UK FACEBOOK/JRC.UK

Tackle Awards

VOTE FOR YOUR FAVOURITE TACKLE AND BAIT OF 2014 The annual Total Carp Tackle Awards are just around the corner. After a multitude of brilliant products hitting the banks this year, it is now your chance to have your say as to which ones really where the best of 2014.

We pride ourselves on an unbiased and fair tackle awards where you, the user, the angling public, are counted for what they think.This could quite possibly

be your only chance to air your thoughts on how these products really deal with day-to-day angling situations. Not only are you thanking the guys behind the product development for their hard work, you are choosing what products you would recommend to your fellow carp anglers.Think about value for money, overall performance and which products have genuinely changed your fishing.

Voting couldn’t be simpler. Log on to www.totalcarpmagazine.com and make your vote count. As a thank you, one participant will be drawn at random and win a fantastic bundle of prizes collated from the TC office worth at least £500.

So what are you waiting for? Tell us what you think and what you spent your hard-earned money on and get voting now for a chance to win.

VOTE NOW ON WWW.TOTALCARP MAGAZINE.COM WIN!

TOTAL CARP 161

p161_TC_10_TackleAwards.indd 1

12/09/2014 10:39

NEW FOX COMPACT SUPA BROLLY

SABER TWIN WHEEL BARROW

CHUB VANTAGE QUIVER

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JRC SPECIALIST PLUS 42” NET

O/P £59.99 POST FREE SABER DELUXE BAIT BOAT BAGS MEDIUM AND LARGE LIMITED STOCKS!

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BLUE/PURPLE/RED/ CLEAR

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NASH H-GUN ELEVATOR CARP CRADLE

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2 X DWARF 9FT 2.75 OR 3LB PLUS 1 X 9FT DWARF 2-ROD SLEEVE

£129.95 POST FREE 2 X DWARF 10FT 2.75 OR 3LB PLUS 1 X 10FT DWARF 2-ROD SLEEVE

£159.95 POST FREE PLUS RECEIVE A BAG OF 1KG NEW INSTANT ACTION COCONUT CRÉME BOILIES FREE

VANTAGE HOODY RRP £37.99

RRP £24.99

OUR PRICE £9.99 Q-DOS SYSTEM 6 RRP £19.99

O/P £79.99 POST FREE TRAKKER RLX FLAT 6 LEG BEDCHAIR

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Q-DOS SYSTEM 7

OUR PRICE £7.99 CHUB BASE LAYER TWO-PIECE UNDERSUIT M-XXXL

SIGNAL WIRELESS BITE ALARM SET

O/P £49.99 BUY 3 ALARMS + RECEIVER FOR £199.99

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FOX SPECIALIST STS 45” BROLLY

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NEW SHIMANO ST10000RB BAITRUNNER

OUR PRICE £24.99

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WANT TO SAVE EVEN MORE MONEY? WHY NOT JOIN OUR TRADE MEMBERSHIP CLUB AND START SAVING TODAY?

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POSTAGE RATES: SMALL ITEMS: £4.99, LARGE ITEMS: £6.99, 24HR NEXT WORKING DAY DELIVERY £10.00 (IF ORDER RECEIVED BEFORE 1PM) P162_TC_10_Tacklesaver.indd 1

08/09/2014 14:36

UK Venue Directory

WYRESIDE LAKES

North West

HAWKHURST FISH FARM

Stony Lane, Bay Horse, Lancaster LA2 9DG

Hastings Road, Hawkhurst, Kent TN18 4RT

Contact: 01524 792093 Website: www.wyresidelakes.co.uk Tickets: Day ticket £7; 3 rods £24 for 24 hours Size: 1.5 to 16.5 acres

Contact: 01580 753813 Website: www.hawkhurstfishfarm.co.uk Tickets: From £15 a day, 24hrs from £30 Size: 8 lakes from 2 to 4.5 acres

42lbs 1oz

AIRFIELD LAKES

7

East

South East

51lb 4oz

DIGGERLAKES

South West

Common Road, Dickleburgh, Diss, Norfolk IP21 4PH

Willand, Cullompton, Devon EX15 2PE

Contact: 07706 483084 Website: www.airfieldlakes.com Tickets: £20 for 24hrs Size: Two lakes, 5 acres and 1 acre

Contact: 07733 223417 Website: www.diggerlakes.co.uk Tickets: Persey £7.50 for 12hrs; £15 for 24hrs; Snail’s Lake £10 for 12hrs, £20 for 24hrs, week ticket £100 Size: 3.8 and 5 acres

50lb 4oz

A12 CUTON LAKES

2

East

WILDMOOR WATERS The Willows, Wildmoor Lane, South Cerney GL7 5UZ

Contact: 07946 847 703 Website: www.a12lakes.co.uk Tickets: Day ticket: £12 - 24hr ticket: £25 Size: 6.5 acres and 4.5 acres

Contact: 07711 826459 Website: www.wildmoorwaters.co.uk Tickets: Bank fishing £30 per 24hrs Size: 4.5 acres

4

36lb 1oz

2

South West

Chelmer Village, Chelmsford, Essex. CM2 6NX

40lb 4oz

8

38lb

1

* Disabled access to lodges only

WILLESLEY LAKE

Midlands

THE ISLANDS CARP FISHERY

South

Willesley Woodside, Ashby de la Zouch, Leics LE65 2UP

Cunnage Lane, Mere, Wiltshire BA12 6AA

Contact: (Managed by Redfins Angling) 01530 272864 Website: www.willesleylake.co.uk Tickets: Day – 2 rods £10, 3 rods £12; night/24hrs £20 Size: 24 acres in 40-acre historic estate

Contact: Dale 07909 296463 / Tony 07909 436285 Website: www.cmfisheries.co.uk Tickets: £12 for 12hrs; £17 for 24hrs Size: 4.5 acres

32lb 14oz

1

* Free Deliveries from Redfins Angling

ELPHICKS FISHERIES

South East

Contact: 01580 212512 Website: www.elphicks-fisheries.co.uk Tickets: See website or phone for details Size: Lakes from 1.2 to 6 acres

62lb

GABRIEL’S FISHERY

BROADLANDS LAKES Hill Street, Calmore, Hampshire SO40 2RX

Spelmonden Road, Horsmonden, Kent TN12 8EL

7

23lb 4oz

1

South NEW CLUBHOUSE SERVING HOT FOOD

Contact: 02380 869881 Website: www.broadlands-lake.co.uk Tickets: £10 per day; £20 for 24hrs; week ticket £90 Size: 27 acres

37lb 8oz

3

South East

Marsh Green Road, Edenbridge, Kent TN8 5PP Contact: 07730 066088 / 01732 865355 Website: www.gabriels-fishery.co.uk Tickets: £8 – one rod, £12 – two rods. Admiral specimen lake £10 – one rod £16 - two rods (conditions apply)

36lb

Disabled Access

Showers

Toilets

Shop

Night Fishing

Gates Secured

Pet Friendly

46lb Venue 8oz Record

1

5

Number Of Lakes

TO INCLUDE YOUR VENUE HERE: Contact Justin Fox on 01327 315443 or e-mail justin@dhpub.co.uk

TOTAL CARP 163

p163_TC_10_Venue Directory.indd 1

11/09/2014 15:51

Back In The Game Without even realising it, IAN CHILLCOTT was falling out of love with carp fishing for the first time. However, a few big carp later and his fire has well and truly been relit! lthough I have made mention of several things in my life over the past few months that have had a massive bearing on recent events, you will be totally unaware just how bad things had got. I say it was bad for me, but I could never have had an inkling as to just how bad it was for those around me. Looking back, it seemed as if I was handling it all pretty well, but I don’t think for a second that I was. Throw into the mix the TV programmes that we were doing for BT Sport, and the fact that

I could get no rhythm to my fishing and, remarkably, it felt as if I was very quickly losing the plot. In fact, I had done nothing of the sort; I had simply mislaid it for a while.

I was, for the first time in my life, not enjoying my fishing and it wasn’t until I came across a guy called Gaz and a 28lb common that I could actually see the wood for the trees once again. It’s remarkable how the smallest of things can change one’s perspective on life, but it seems that is exactly what happened.

Something else occurred during this period and I can only describe it as ‘retail therapy’, but it wasn’t to a shop that I turned.

ANGLER FILE Ian Chillcott AGE: 54 OCCUPATION: Angling consultant UK PB: 53lb 12oz SPONSORS: Fox and Mainline Baits

Last November I was very fortunate to be invited to a lake that I believe is the best water in the country at the moment. It is by invite only and I cannot even begin to explain how humble and happy I was about being asked. It’s not part of the big picture at the moment, so I will tell you more when I start fishing it.

I was hoping that Farriers was the place to reignite the passion.

164 TOTAL CARP

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11/09/2014 16:48

The Chillcott Files First blood in the Cotswolds with this dark, 27lb 6oz common.

However, I think the simple fact that I was going to angle there in 2015 had a big impression on this season’s fishing.

You see, all I could think about was that ticket and in an effort to distract myself from dreaming about it, I went on a bit of a spending spree, ending up with about 12 tickets. And it cost me a fortune! The problem now was that I had spread myself so thinly on the ground, I was never going to be able to spend any time on any one of them. In fact, it is very unlikely that I will ever fish a couple of those venues at all.

So, as July gave way to August, I buried my head once more into the deepest sand I could find, deciding to visit one of the waters for which I had purchased a ticket. With little idea how life was going to pan out for those closest to me, I could have had no idea just how much this water, and the people I would meet there, were going to change everything.

For a very long time I have got into the habit of never looking at the details of waters that I am going to fish. That may sound a little counterproductive when we are very often told to find out as much as you can about the water you want to fish.

For many years I have been on a bit of a mission to prove that I can take my mainstay tactic to any water, and catch carp and so far I haven’t been let down.

To that end, as I set out for The Carp Society’s water, Farriers Lake, I prepared for the fishing just as I had for every other water for the past few years. Boilies, boilies and more boilies was going to be the way forward; the only mistake I made was to take along 5kg of 10mm Hybrid… that would prove to be a painful mistake for sure.

With everything prepared, I set off from home around 4pm, and headed towards the Cotswolds.

One of the greatest things about carp fishing is actually going carp fishing, and by the time I got onto the M4 I was racing along with my hair on fire.

An hour and a half later I was entering the gate code and I got my first look at the water. I stood in one of the car-park swims and marvelled at just how many carp I saw topping at around 45 yards. In reality, I should have launched a couple of single hook baits at them for a while, but rather stupidly I placed a water butt in the swim and carried on on my travels.

The first face that I saw was a friendly one. Lee Collings was just down the way and we chatted for ages. It was nice to catch up but I was on my way a little later.

To be honest, I thought I had it cracked straightaway and as I set up in that car-park swim, arming my hook baits with several kilos of 10

Opening a new tackle shop in Reading.

and 15mm Hybrids, I couldn’t help thinking: “How big and how many?”

At around 3.30am I was rapidly losing the will to live. I was returning my 15th tench and it seemed obvious that the carp had probably done the off because of all the activity. I was absolutely knackered but as I agitated the tea bag in my cup, the bobbin cracked into the rod and line peeled from the spool. Now this was probably a carp! Just to confirm my thoughts it broke away from the hideous weed and roared across the surface. The next 10 minutes were spent patiently extracting it from one weed bed after another until it eventually rolled straight into my outstretched net. I had no idea how it happened but I had caught a carp,

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The Chillcott Files

My partner for the weekend, Simon, and I had a great time at the Linear Fisheries MNDA charity fundraiser.

and at 27lb 2oz I really couldn’t have been happier. It was a great way to get off the mark on a new water, but I could never have imagined just how much the tench, bless ’em, were about to ruin proceedings.

Someone once famously wrote about the baiting pyramid but unfortunately these tench hadn’t bothered reading the author’s musings.

The next 24 hours were spent in a tench nightmare, which is an unfortunate thing to say really, because they are such magnificent fish. I was here to catch carp, however, and at 4am the next day I was looking at carp leaping at the other end of the lake. As you would, I was soon wheeling my barrow into the area of most activity. I was still determined to do things my way and, in accordance with the plan, I set my traps once again among the dense weed beds.

Carp had been caught around the lake, but that is their story to tell, and it was their successes that were now driving me on. However, by early

morning I was once again holding my head in my hands. Maybe next time I should leave the 10 millers at home eh?

I had a pleasant task to perform on the Saturday and that was to travel up to Reading and open a new fishing shop. Woodley Tackle Box had recently moved premises and Steve, the boss man, had asked if I would go along and cut the ribbon. Because it is near to a water that I fished for a couple of years, I was only too pleased to do the ‘deed’. Lynn and I spent a pleasant morning chatting to the customers and, rather dangerously for my waistline, eating cake!

Once I had returned home, it was time to prepare for the next adventure and that was the annual trip to Linear Fisheries and the incredible MNDA event. I was a little worried that I hadn’t caught a carp for a while at this event, so after packing plenty of sweetcorn along with my 10mm Hybrids, I set off later on the Sunday.

It is such a big event now that the whole thing was being fished on four lakes, but in my little part of the world

Doing battle in heavy weed.

166 TOTAL CARP

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11/09/2014 16:48

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11/09/2014 09:28

The Chillcott Files Some great fish and chips, brilliant company and this 28lb common made me a very happy man.

I would be sharing my time with fishing partner Simon, Tim Paisley, Tom Dunlop and my old mucker Bob Bolton, aka Long Tall Bob. It proved to be excellent company and I had a great time over the three days. I even managed to catch an 18lb g the way, y, so at the very y mirror along

least I hadn’t blanked this time. In all, the event raised in excess of £34,000 and I felt very honoured to have helped just a little towards that total.

Here’s to next year!

As you would expect, I was very keen to get back to Farriers. Word on the street,,

The carp responded to the Hybrid boilies.

although I was trying to avoid talk of the lake, was that it was fishing extremely well and some very good fish had been out. Maybe, with the 10mm boilies taking a session off in

Everyone was full of advice but, as good as it may have been, I was going to do it my way. the freezers at home, I could get in on a bit of the action.

The first person I bumped into on my arrival the following Monday was an old acquaintance from my Yateley days, John Claridge. We chatted for a while but I needed to see if I could just find a swim that didn’t have any tench in, so I set off on my travels once again. There is a lovely bay at the far end of the lake and it was here that I decided to fish.

Now, everyone at the lake is so damn friendly and so full of advice. Most of it I don’t understand because it’s all about wraps and the numbers of turns of the reel handle to find the spots. As good as that info may have been, I was going to do it my way. I wasn’t being rude, that is just the way I am wired.

168 TOTAL CARP

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11/09/2014 16:48

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The Chillcott Files I had a lead around in an area that no-one had spoken about and, unbelievably, I found exactly what I was looking for. The strip of firm(ish) silt ran for about 10 yards and was two yards wide. It was ideal for a couple of rods and after positioning two stiff-link pop-ups at either end, I set about baiting the area with 4kg of 15mm Hybrid boilies.

A chunky, 35lb common and all was well in Chilly world once again. I love this carp fishing lark!

As I stared at her in the net I couldn’t help thinking just how much I loved carp fishing.

For the first time in a very long time, as I put my kettle on, I felt like I was actually fishing in a reasonable manner. That’s when I met Gaz. He arrived in my swim and, after a little chat, he asked if I would like some fish and chips. Why not? And about an hour later he duly arrived with a box of Wiltshire’s finest fare. It really was good too, but it was the conversation we had that made me realise what I had been missing. Good company.

We spoke about everything but carp fishing and by the time my belly was full I felt more at one with the world than I had done in years. Then the tench arrived.

Two in quick succession had me doubting the wisdom of even being there and the night was interrupted every hour or so by one of the redeyed hooligans. That was until around 4.30am when, even though the take looked remarkably like a tench bite, I was connected to a carp.

Weed bed after weed bed made life difficult as the battle A rare mirror, but it was my second and weighed in at a pleasing 31lb 5oz.

raged on, but soon enough I scooped up a carp. At 28lb 2oz I was delighted and he actually completed my total recovery from the depths of despair.

Because, that is, I realised where I had been since about May this year.

Buoyed by my success, although it was completely average when compared with the other captures, I set about rebaiting the traps.

Later that afternoon I was sat watching the water when I started getting a few liners, followed by several plumes of bubbles on the spot. It looked good for a bite and it wasn’t too long in coming. The bobbin made its jittery way to the rod but before it got there I had a very bent bit of carbon in hand. It wasn’t the most spectacular battle, the weed and my other line saw to that, but it was

170 TOTAL CARP

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The Chillcott Files eventful. Eventually, John had to enter the water and net my prize and I was able to stare down on a very good common. She span the scales round to 35lb 12oz and all was well in Chilly world!

I was back the following Monday morning. Again I went for a look around and again the best place I could find was the same swim from the week before. I was back to my two-night sessions now and I wanted to get set up and start angling. I did exactly the same as the week before, and after a visit to the shops I positioned the hook baits and popped the kettle on.

It didn’t take more than an hour to get a bite, which turned out to be a common of around 20lb. I will never know how big really, because the little blighter decided to fall off just before rolling into my net.

I quickly got the rod back in the ball game and was rather surprised when within 20 minutes it was away again. The weed was a nightmare but once again John helped with the net.

Unbelievably, because there are only about 20 of them in a lake dominated by commons, I was staring down at a mirror. At 19lb 7oz it wasn’t the biggest fish that I’ll ever catch but its rarity made it very special.

Things went quiet from there on, apart from the tench, of course, and it wasn’t until around 7pm the next day that I was once again doing battle with a carp. It was a non-event really but the carp in the net wasn’t. It was another mirror and I cannot even begin to tell you how pleased I was.

At 31lb 5oz I smiled the smile of a victorious man because it didn’t really matter what happened after that.

For the first time the tench left me alone and I landed several carp that night up to 24lb. Tackle, tactics and bait were working well and as I sat and watched the light chase away the darkness, one of the rods simply flew off. The take was so violent that I was a bit shocked but once it had covered itself in weed, all that was left to do was pump it gently towards me. In the half-light of dawn I watched as an overly long common slipped silently into the folds of my net. She actually weighed 33lb 6oz and brought a very good session to an end. As I stared at her in the net I couldn’t help thinking just how much I loved carp fishing again, and just how many dark holes it had saved me from. Until next time, take care of you and yours. Chilly.

The End A wonderful end to the session, with this 33lb 6oz common.

TOTAL CARP 171

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12/09/2014 17:03

Total Carp Tip Of The Month

It’s time to start giving the carp some bait and DAN MURRELL reveals a tip for making yours stand out.

A

s we approach autumn, I often like to give the carp plenty of bait and the best way of achieving this is boilie angling.

They are readily on the feed, looking to bulk up before nature’s larders shut down for the winter.

I favour fishmeal-based baits because I have more confidence in it than other base mixes and I believe that you can get away with giving them more.

A typical boilie is overflowing with the nutrients and goodness required by carp to sustain themselves throughout the year, but how can you make yours stand out from the crowd?

For years I have seen anglers playing around with glazing and glugging boilies in some type of oil or flavour but how many have ever added a third ingredient?

Well this quick and simple tip will result in what was previously a typically standard bait gaining an active dimension that is sure to result in more activity.

This tip is pretty versatile in that it can be used for either mass baiting or just to make a few hook baits stand out.You can also choose your boilies and additives, but the principle is the same, so give it a go this autumn.

STEP-BY-STEP Spruce Up Your Boilies

1

Dan starts with a good quality fishmeal, such as these 16mm Sticky Krill boilies.

2

Coat the baits with your chosen additive and shake, to ensure they are all glazed.

3

Gently powder them with a highly attractive dry mix to complement your baits.

4

After a good shake they should resemble these highly impactive and active baits.

174 TOTAL CARP

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10/09/2014 10:58

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12/09/2014 17:04

Here’s your chance to tell us what’s rattling you, what gets your goat or what makes you happy to be a carp angler…

Tutorials... who benefits?

Dear TC I’d like to know the editor’s opinion on carp angling tutorials. I’ve been on several, with different anglers, and with very mixed results and experiences.

I have to say that Ian Russell was excellent and

really helped me improve my fishing. Others, whose names I won’t mention, did nothing more than fish with me, more than once on a water that they chose because it was where they were already focusing their efforts.

One individual caught five carp to over 40lb while ‘teaching’ me, yet I struggled.

At no point did the very high-profile and controversial angler offer me the chance to fish his spots or to maybe hit one of his rods.

I left extremely disappointed, especially given how much it had cost me for 24 hours on the bank with him.

Name & adress supplied

The cost of carp fishing

Ed: You’re absolutely right, Glenn. As in every area of life, fishing isn’t getting any cheaper.That said, if you’re not in a position to spend fortunes at the top venues, and on expensive bait and tackle, there are alternatives.

Plenty of companies produce decent kit these days that isn’t expensive.

We regularly review kit at the cheaper end of the market and most of it is first class and offers excellent value.

Dear TC Is it me, or is becoming increasingly expensive to go carp fishing these days?

I recently went to the Linear Fisheries for 48 hours and I reckon that the combination of day ticket, bait, travel, food and a few extra bits of terminal tackle saw the trip cost me upwards of £250.

Bait and tackle isn’t getting any cheaper, nor are fuel or day-ticket prices.

Is there a danger that only the more affluent among us will be able to continue fishing in years to come?

Glenn Taylor, Merseyside

Ed: This is a bit of a touchy subject with the large number of angling ‘tutors’ out there.The undoubted majority of these guys offer expert advice, including the likes of Mr Russell, who you’ve mentioned, and my good mate Adam Penning, who I hear very good things about from his customers.

I’ve always maintained that there should be a minimum requirement to be able to teach people. I had to undergo three years of intensive training before I was qualified to teach golf in my previous occupation.

I don’t suggest that level of education, but surely some minimum requirement

Bait can be bulked out with cheaper additions, say, hempseed and low-oil pellets to a kilo of boilies, and there are lots of venues around that do not charge a lot to fish there and, if you find one locally, then your fuel costs are reduced too.

should be in place? I do know that Ian completed the PAA qualifications a few years back and I respect him for that.

Yet, in carp angling, it seems that anybody can take on the mantle of tutor and go and teach others how to fish. I don’t think this is right, despite the obvious demand for their services.

I’d like to see a qualification introduced and, without it, people should not be allowed to teach others in a professional capacity. Oh, and each should certainly have to have a CRB-type disclosure check before being allowed to coach anybody under 18.

How do your reader review pages work?

Dear TC I’m interested in reviewing tackle in your magazine, as advertised but I am not sure how to go about applying or what I have to do. Can you give me, and doubtless other readers, an idea of what to do?

Andy Roberts, Hull Ed: Send me your details to apply, then, if you’re chosen, we’ll photograph some product and send it to you in order that you can test it out on the bank. Simples!

Our Letter Of The Month wins a Hinders Spod Pack, featuring Little Gemz pellets, Nutz Sludge, Salt ‘n’ Pepper Hemp and Enterprise Corn hook baits (www.hinders.co.uk)

176 TOTAL CARP

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12/09/2014 10:41

Loving Laney’s stuff!

Dear TC I’m just writing so say how much I am enjoying reading Dave Lane’s series, Exploding The Myths. I’m a bit bored of reading the usual, run-of-themill ‘man goes fishing’ features, but Mr Lane’s stuff is superb.

It’s an interesting read every month and, not just for the sake of it, he’s not afraid to be a little bit controversial and certainly always says it how it is. He couldn’t be further from the plethora of modern, manufactured carp celebrities that ‘grace’ the pages of many magazines.

Peter Hillary, via e-mail Ed: Even better, it’s written by a man who is hugely talented and, more importantly, has years of experience to back it all up. What Dave writes genuinely comes from his own findings from decades of fishing at the top level. I’m also loving his series, Peter, and I plan for it to continue for a long time to come.

Loving Chilly’s stuff!

Dear TC I am not one for writing into magazines as I am never sure whether or not anybody ever even reads them let alone takes any notice.

However, I felt drawn to do so having read Ian Chillcott’s diary piece in the last few issues since I started buying Total Carp.

It’s wonderful to read about somebody who seems to have a genuine love for carp fishing, yet fits it in around the rest of his life including his sick wife.

This is the reality of what most of us have to face. Okay, so I am not naive enough to think that he doesn’t get free bait and tackle, but he seems so much more ‘normal’ compared to many of the younger generation.

Simon Whittaker, via email

In association with

WWW.HINDERS.CO.UK

Mirror or leather?

Dear TC I caught this lovely carp a couple of years ago from the stunning River Wye, using a worm-andcorn-cocktail bait.

It’s not unheard of to catch carp from the Wye but they’re certainly not common, so I feel honoured to have caught this one.

Until recently, I had always considered it a mirror, but a few people have suggested that it’s actually a leather carp.

Could you please give me your expert advice and tell me once and for all which sort of carp it is? Thank you.

Kevin Ford, Hereford Ed: Firstly, congratulations on the capture, Kevin.The Wye really is a stunning river and always grabs my attention whenever driving near various sections. I’ve also fished it a few times, but always for barbel and other species.

Right, getting back to your query. It’s difficult to be absolutely sure because the picture is taken from a print and

the image isn’t the clearest, but I would say it’s a mirror. It appears that the fish has a small area of scales near the wrist of the tail and, possibly, also along its back. For me, a true leather should have absolutely no scales on its body whatsoever.

I’ve only even caught one, what I class, true ‘naked’ leather, a mid-20-pounder some eight years or so ago from Linear’s Hunt’s Corner Lake. It remains one of my favourite ever captures. Regardless of it being a leather or a mirror, consider this one of your best because it is a great achievement from the Wye.

A holiday in his wife’s home country of Lithuania saw TC reader Andy Bell enjoy some great diving, along with nephews Romas and Marius.

While he didn’t see any carp when diving at the lake resort of Plateliai he was able to swim with shoals of perch and roach, and even hold the tail of a big pike.

Andy asked me to thank both his nephews and his dive instructor,Vilius, and has said that he’s already planning a return trip next year to celebrate his 50th birthday and to take his scuba licence.

Andy receives a brilliant pack of Hinders Supreme Cream baits, including boilies, groundbait, liquid and pop-ups for sending in his pic.

THIS MONTH’S WINNER: Andy Bell, Boston

SPONSORED BY

Ed: I’ll second that, Simon and thanks for the letter!

Fancy winning the awesome Hinders Supreme Cream baits?

E-mail a pic of you and TC in a far-flung destination and we’ll pick the best each month.

Have Your Say… Got something to tell us? Let’s hear it then, e-mail your letters and comments to haveyoursay@dhpub.co.uk, post them to Have Your Say, Total Carp, DHP Ltd, 1 Whittle Close, Drayton Fields, Daventry, Northants NN11 8RQ, tweet them @totalcarpmag or post them on our Facebook page total carp mag – official fan page.

TOTAL CARP 177

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12/09/2014 10:41

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5

The Last Word

+ =

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The

Last d r o W Since I started trying to catch carp, it has changed enormously. Although starting in 1959 it wasn’t until the mid1960s that I began catching carp regularly. At that time, serious carp anglers could be counted in their hundreds, not the thousands that there are today.

I retired from filming a few years ago. I felt that when I reached my 70th birthday I would leave it to the younger generation, along with all the new technology that was at their disposal. My focus now is more on finishing a couple of books that I started writing many years ago.

I don’t know about being a fantastic angler but I will always be an angler, even though I get to fish very little these days. I cannot go by any water without searching for fish. We do have a small cruiser on the Ouse and the plans are to fish there for pike and perch. I have also seen some nice carp in the marina where we are berthed and I am very tempted to have a go.

I lost my wife to Motor Neurone Disease in 2007. After

“ ‘

being married for a long time it was a terrible blow.

Until Shirley was diagnosed, I had no idea how devastating this illness can be. Going to the meetings and drop-in lunches held by the local branch of the MNDA helped me a lot. The people who run the branches are volunteers and their work helps so many, both sufferers and their carers. I wanted to be part of this and volunteered to help Fran to research suitable eating and theatre venues where we could take the carers for a break, because it is not only those with the illness who suffer but also their carers, who are normally family. They go through a lot of stress knowing that their loved one has a terminal disease for which there is no cure. Fran had lost her husband Alan to this dreadful illness and was playing an active part, not only as a fundraiser but as a visitor to the sufferers in our area. In doing this research we found a great deal of comfort together and soon a relationship had blossomed. Before long we planned to make it permanent by getting married.

At Linear, we had been running the Tony Parsons

Len Gurd One of the nicest guys in carp fishing,who has certainly been around.

As well as running fisheries and shooting angling films, Len is well renowned for his charity work.

Memorial Event, where youngsters got the chance to fish with their angling heroes. The event was in memory of our bailiff Roy’s son, who had died tragically at a very young age. After seven years Roy felt that the event had run its course and for personal reasons, he wanted a break from it. Although sad, it had to end and was an opportunity to set up an event for the MNDA. Running the Tony Parsons Memorial Event gave us a template. Fran agreed to help me organise things and we began to send the letters out asking for support.

It has become more popular than we could have imagined. We are both over the moon with the generosity of those taking part – stars, donators, MNDA volunteers and Linear staff alike. People in the fishing industry donate fantastic prizes for the auction and raffle; we cannot thank them all enough. Without their support we would never have raised over £100,000 in four years.

Check out the all-new forum www.anglinganswers.com now and have your carp fishing conundrums answered by the carp fishing community and the lads on the Total Carp team.

COMPETITION WINNERS Congratulations to the following lucky TC readers who won great prizes in our August issue: Chub Transporter barrow and Vantage luggage: Tom Oliver, Cromer; Vincent Cooke; Ross Didsbury; Gareth Bailey and Chris O’Brien, all of whom we’re awaiting responses to our telephone calls from.

30 Plus PVA bundles: Lee Bundock, Hoddesdon, Tony Henrys, Nottingham, Rob Brooks, Mirfield, Martin Finn, Ashford, Matthew Hern, Pontypool and Roy Oldfield from Waterlooville.

All winners have been notified by e-mail or telephone and, where we have received address details, should expect their prizes to be within 28 days of our notifications.

We will continue to attempt to contact winners who have not yet returned our messages.

Our favourite tips, tactics,baits,anglers and features of the last 15 years.

Awesome PVA-bag angler Ian Poole reveals his perfect winter oils and mixes.

Scott Callison shows you how adding a couple of cheap and simple bits to groundbait can transform your winter carping.

15th Anniversary Issue On Sale October 31st

Chest waders can be a vital piece of kit – we test eight of the best next month.

Available from all good supermarkets and newsagents... and some bad ones!

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