New look UKCarp - April 2010

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April 2010

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from the cut

YOUR D-SLR EXPLAINED

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CatCh CliniC

Tackle less than A bivvy for iscover a ton! We dthe job if it’s up to

All your carping problems solved

Spring taCtiCS

Danny Fairbrass reveals his early season secrets

meat triCkS An old school

bait that will entice any carp

loaded with: tips, quick fixes and the very best rigs 01_UKCarp_April6.indd 1

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uP front THE LIVELIEST NEWS AND VIEWS FOR ALL CARPERS

Get online www.gofishing.co.uk

UKCARP Contents new series

6 Catch Clinic

Derek ‘The Don’ Ritchie shows you some clever edges to pull out of the hat when the going is hard – learn and catch!

15

Fish for liners

We meet up with young carp ace Tom Maker as he shows us how he locates carp by fishing for liners. new series

27 Quick Fix Spod spill the bane of your life? This annoying complaint needn’t blight your life. We show you how to stop it.

58 Tackle on test We take an in-depth look at what’s new and what’s not so new on the carp tackle scene.

Tackle tarts take note.

doN’t miss this free fox dVd kTackle, tips and big-carp action – just pick it up from a tackle shop near you

F

ox International is set to release a new free DVD that is designed to help you catch

more carp.

‘Carp Fishing…The Fox Way’ contains over two hours of action-packed footage, including 30lb-plus carp. During the DVD you will get the lowdown on Fox’s latest products including Easy Domes, Eclipse, Warrior, Equazer and Ranger bivvies, Evo sleeping bags, Aquos, Illusion XS and Soft Steel

mainlines, Exocet spods and marker floats, rods, and the range of Stratos reels, to name just some of the vast Fox range.

Taking part are Fox consultants Ian ‘Chilly’

record-breAkiNg tourNAmeNt cAster joiNs the NAsh teAm! Tournament caster Terry Edmonds, who holds three UK records including one for an amazing 287 yards, has joined the growing Nash development team.

Kevin Nash told UKCarp: “We are thrilled to have Terry on board. He brings his unrivalled knowledge of casting and designing rods to us, as well as being a carp angler for 21 years. Terry understands a carp rod needs

k

in action Terry Edmonds in full flight.

Contacts Editorial Tel: 01733 468000 Write to: UKCarp, Bauer Media, Media House, Lynchwood, Peterborough Business Park, Peterborough PE2 6EA Editor: Steve Broad Art editor: Katie Wilkinson Production editor: Nick Fletcher Head of photography: Mick Rouse Contributors: Derek Ritchie, Tom Maker, Dave Magalhaes, Danny Fairbrass, James Armstrong, Jamie Clossic, Rich Wilby, Greg Curtis, Iain Macmillan, David Fuidge Editorial assistant: Mary-Ann Payne Tel: 01733 395105

Managing director: Steve Prentice Editor in chief: Richard Lee Published by Bauer Media Repro by Gildenburgh, Peterborough.

Printed by Polestar Group, Colchester.

Advertising Commercial director: Donna Harris Tel: 01733 395028 Key account director: Pete Short Tel: 01733 395027 Display advertising: Ian Ayres Tel: 01733 395024 Telesales manager: Kath Rayner Tel: 01733 395032

to do more than just chuck a lead to the horizon; it needs to be a practical fishing rod.”

Kevin is also highly respected for rod design expertise and was responsible, together with Nobou Nodera, for the Daiwa Amorphous – the most successful rod of the 1990s.

Kevin adds: “This can only lead to a new era for rod development and innovation.”

EDITOR’S COMMENT A New ‘bAby’ is borN k Welcome to the new-look UKCarp and I hope you like it. The hot news is that we’ve gained a sister, UKMatch, packed full of tips, news and tackle for anyone looking for advanced tactics.

This magazine also appears FREE with Angling Times. Take a look, because plenty of carp tactics originate from matchfishing. In fact, take a look at our new Catch Clinic

UKcarp magazine

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Chillcott, Steve Spurgeon, Chris Rose, Neil Smith and Tom Maker, who share their best edges and tactics.

Whether you want to find out why ‘Chilly’ rates the NTXr bite alarms as the best he has ever used, or how Fox’s innovative Core-Lite and Spring-Lok hangers work, or simply get some ace tips on rigs, spodding, using Arma-Mesh, PVA and feature-finding, this DVD is for you – and it’s FREE! Visit www.foxint.com for details about how you can get your hands on one.

3

where we use an expert to solve your carping problems.

To keep up with the tempo of supplying the best information to help you catch more we’ve got Danny Fairbrass revealing his springtime secrets, and young Tom Maker on how to locate carp.

I’ve started my campaign on a new water. Two nights in and I’ve yet to catch, but I’ve seen a few landed.

Broady

april 6th 2010

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catch clinic

Baffled

By Bait This month’s expert Derek ‘The Don’ Ritchie takes a look at a reader’s bait problem and gives him plenty of advice on just what carp food he needs to conquer the commercials

ebbing Pete Sbtorough, Peter Camb’s 2010

02-03-

s from ie il o b f o arP, t typesternet. I've er C n e K r U e f r if Dea veral dups, off the incked carp watm I e s t h g u ly bo y sto hat a g popI recen2t0mm, includinrips to a heavailtch a fish. W 14mm- one several t I've yet to c now d my home and near wrong? doing ration, e p s e d Yours in ebbing Pete St

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PVA tricks How about this luncheon meat stringer with side-hooked bait?

25/3/10 13:53:55

W

ell, Dean, it does sound like a bit of a nightmare, but I’m sure we can help you to catch a few without too much trouble.

First I’ll say that you need to be really careful about cut-price bait. There will be a reason why it’s cheap, and no-one wants bait that is out of date. Even shelf life boilies can go downhill if they exceed their sell-by.

That said, most modern baits are very good, and you can trust all the major manufacturers to supply a quality product in either frozen or shelf life versions. By the sound of things you are fishing a typical commercial carp water with a large head of fish.

It is also painfully obvious that you chose probably the harshest winter in 20 years to start a carp fishing campaign, so it’s fair to say that you were always going to have an uphill struggle.

The baits I’ll talk you through will work regardless of the time of year, and get you a bite when all else fails. First, let’s talk boilies – these were initially designed to put off nuisance species, by having a tough skin that smaller fish couldn’t whittle away to the point where they could swallow the bait.

This is fine on a large open pit with a low carp stock, where you need a bait in place for several hours, but it can work against you in this particular instance.

The stocking levels on most commercials mean that you will get a bite quickly, so it really doesn’t matter about other species. With this in mind I’d always opt for 10mm frozen boilies.

These are nice and manageable for all sizes of carp and in general are quite soft, which seems to help.

Rig-wise I’d go for nothing complex – a PVA bag of a couple of crushed and whole baits and either a sinker or pop-up on the hair. This will catch carp from a whole host of venues, but there are some alternatives that will work too.

ToP TIP subtle and strong k Match-style hi-tech lines are very strong for their diameter, so you can step up the breaking strain and still have a rig that won’t spook shy carp.

loCATioN iS All Always look for out-of-the way areas that are difficult to cast to.

Full circle When carp fishing “BoilieS PUT oFF was in its infancy SMAlleR SPeCieS anglers used what

BY HAViNG A ToUGH they had to hand – maggots, bread, SKiN THeY CAN’T corn, even meat.

WHiTTle AWAY” Well, I’ve got news for you, they all still catch plenty of fish.

Relatively new on the scene is the pellet, and it is rare to see any carp angler not using these in some form or other in their baiting approach. Think about it – carp see pellets all the time in a range Hair-riggable soft of sizes and flavours, and many have pellets are the ideal choice for even been reared on them, then stocked commercials. into your lake.

This idea can go one step further, because a lot of fishery owners supplement their carp’s diet with pellets. Pellets are cheap, with a long shelf life, and there are stacks of different types. For convenience I use the soft pellets from Mainline because I can hair-rig them easily, and they come in a variety of flavours.

To add to the attraction I’ll use a small PVA bag. Again, on this type of water, you are only really fishing for one bite at a time, so a bag is perfect. I tend to fill the bag with mainly tiny pellets, adding a couple of large ones to match the size of the hookbait. It’s also a good idea to scatter a few 10mm pellets in the general vicinity of where you cast your bag.

Sweetcorn is another brilliant bait, and a few grains

UKcarp magazine

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fIshery facTfIle Fenland Fisheries k Cost: £10 per day, £20 per night k Rules: No braid, leadcore, peanuts or tiger nuts.

Two rods maximum k Contacts: Meadow Drive, Earith, Cambs PE28 3SA. Tel: 01487 841858 www.fenland fisheriesltd.co.uk

april 6th 2010

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catch clinic catapulted out and a fake or real piece fished over the top will get a bite. By using plastic you can also experiment as to whether the carp want a pop-up or a more normal bottom bait.

Peperami is also worth a go. The spices and garlic it contains really do turn carp on, with the added advantage that you can do lots of things with it. My personal favourite is a small trimmed-down piece fished in conjunction with a PVA bag of luncheon meat.

Speaking of meat, this is another winner but it’s rare to see carpers using it. Why I don’t know, because everything about it works, from its texture to its smell. To prepare it for a bag I use a match angler’s meat cutter. Mine is from Maver.

It’s a dead easy process – you simply put the whole tin of meat in one end and push it through with a plunger. This cuts it for the first time. Then the plunger goes into a

side slot and pushes the meat through again, cutting it into stacks of little cubes. These make the perfect feed, popped straight into a PVA bag.

It doesn’t stop there, though. If the carp on your water are getting really tricky, you can go really old school and side-hook one of these cubes of meat. I know this doesn’t sound like the answer to your prayers but it can be!

Side-hooking hides your hook, it even disguises the feel of it, but meat is of just the right consistency for the hook to pull through and still hook the carp – a neat little edge. It works especially well when fished with a

“PePerami is worth a go. it turns carP on, with the added advantage that you can do lots of things with it”

A big double that fell to an old school offering.

bAits to try on CommerCiAls

Boilies: As a rough rule of thumb go for small ones in the 8mm-12mm size range.

Meat: A real old school bait, much under-used but still an excellent carp catcher.

Pellets: Both standard and soft pellets make good hookbaits on commercials.

Peperami: Another classic, this strong-smelling sausage has a distinctive aroma.

Sweetcorn: Never be without a tin of corn – it will work all year round.

structures Carp love to be around obstacles in the water, so cast close to them for results.

oxoox oxo oxooxo oxo x o xo ox ooxo ox oxo ox

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catch clinic pellets for commercials 1

Thread two 8mm soft pellets (the colour or flavour choice is up to you) on to a simple hair rig).

2 small stringer. The PVA helps hold the exposed hookpoint in place and makes the rig super-efficient and easy to use.

BaiT is only parT of The answer That’s it for some quick bait tips, Dean, but before I finish I’ll add a couple of other little pointers that I’m sure will come in handy.

When people use large boilies like the ones you refer to, their rigs also tend to get bigger and more clumsy. Remember, the carp you are after are used to being fished for, so if you are subtle with your presentation (by that I mean finer line and smaller hooks) it will help get you a bite. There’s no reason to go to extremes. Modern hi-tech hooklinks come in breaking strains up to around 12lb, and most purpose-designed carp hooks are massively strong, even in the smaller sizes.

Finally, take a proper look at

your water. I guarantee there will be little out-of-the-way spots where people won’t cast or it’s difficult to get a bait to. These areas help carp to feel safe, and when not out on patrol they will hole up there.

To sum up, go retro with your bait, be subtle with your presentation and look for your carp – all these little things add up to better catches.

feeding time In spring, dawn and dusk are the most productive periods for some carp action.

It is a good idea when making pellet PVA bags to include a few hookbait-sized freebies.

3

top tip BaiTing up k A good tactic is to feed little and often – just throwing in a single pellet or boilie every few minutes will keep their interest.

Never tie a massive bag. Instead aim for something between 20p piece and tangerine size (above).

catch clinic: UK Carp, Media House, Lynchwood, Peterborough PE2 6EA or e-mail steve.broad@bauermedia.co.uk

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CANAL FISHING

up the jun

With all his usual waters in poor form, Dave Magalhaes turns to the canal for som

the unknown When you chase canal carp you never quite know what’s in store...

UKcarp magazine

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unction

l for some action – and has to think on his feet to succeed

C

anals had never registered on my carp fishing radar until a recent conversation with a match angler in the tackle shop where I work. We were having the normal anglers’ chat about how bad the weather was, how happy we’d be when the spring arrived, and just how long it had been since we’d caught anything.

That’s when the conversation went wrong, because this guy then re-told the tale of a match he’d fished at the weekend where the top 10 anglers all banked double-figure carp.

Well, with things being so tough I just had to know which commercial was in such fine form, and could I get on to blow the cobwebs away? You could have knocked me down with a feather – and I’m no seven-stone weakling – when he told me it was a canal. now, apart from knowing that the Grand Union Canal held some absolute monsters that had flooded in from the Colne Valley gravel pits, I was at a loss as to where to try, let alone catch. as it turned out it was the same canal but a lot further north – not far from alyesbury, in fact.

doing my homework a little research turned up lots of information, mainly from the match lads who came into the shop. The stretch that had been pointed out to me was heavily matchfished, but anglers actively targeted the carp and they won matches regularly with fish that were touching twenty. so with that in mind it was time to jump into the van armed with a map to recce the area ready for my day off the following Monday.

“You could have knocked me down with a feather – it was a canal” now this is important: regardless of where I’m fishing, I always have a look round. It gives me a chance to assess the water, make plans and even trickle in a little bit of bait.

Parking in the lay-by that had been pinpointed for me, the first thing I did was step out of the van straight into a little present from the dog-walking community. This is the first thing I learnt about canals – watch where you put your feet and tackle if you want to avoid any nasty smelling surprises.

The stretch was just a goldmine, and packed with features, all the places you’d look for carp. The only thing that was missing was a marina, but I think

UKcarp magazine

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early season enhance the flavours. Next in go two tins of tuna – in brine to start with, then in sunflower oil from the end of March when the water should be 10ºC plus. This means the oil will be more easily digested by the fish. Chopped boilie is my next ingredient. I use a Krusha on the bank and only twist it a couple of times for coarse chops. If I am using lots of bait I still use my food processor at home – it chops a kilo of boilies in 20 seconds!

This is the basis of all my spod mixes. The hemp juice is absorbed by the boilies and makes them swell a little, helping the mix to stay in the spod in flight. If there are no bream I will add a mix of pellets just before spodding so they have no time to swell, which does make the mix stick in the spod. I will also add corn, especially if I am fishing a couple of grains of plastic over the top.

I start with about 10 spods over two or three rods, all fished on the same area. If I am spreading the rods well apart I use five over each rod in early spring. By May I will be using 30 spods for three rods, either on one spot or 10 over each rod for separate spots.

I will almost certainly scare away any remaining fish, sometimes for good.

On some waters with few nuisance species I will fish this way all year, but on waters where bream and tench are a problem I let them tell me when it is time to change my approach.

As soon as I start catching them I switch to just boilies. Often my hookbaits are the same, just upped in size to stop the small fish eating them. Where I may start feeding chopped boilies or 14mm baits I will often end up just feeding 20 millers.

My lake in France is a good example. In April and early May large beds of particles score heavily, yet by June you have to switch to just 20mm boilies because the bream have fully woken up, they have spawned and they are starving.

So in a nutshell start small and let those slimy devils tell you when its time to up size.

Tight lines, and thank god winter is finally over!

My Spod Mix Recipe * Chopped boiloies, Pellets, Hemp, Tuna

More or LeSS bait?

A question I am often asked is, how do I know when to put more in? The easiest way to explain is, I put more bait in if I think I should have caught and bite time has passed. So if it gets to 9am and nothing has happened I may add a few more spods, or it may be 3am and I get up because I drank too much tea and realise the midnight bite hasn’t happened.

Alternatively I will add more if I have had a bite and I feel all the bait has been eaten. The hookbait is often one of the last to be taken because it acts and looks so different from all the rest. This means a bite is often the only indication that the fish have eaten everything else, so it is time for more bait. The exception is on very shallow waters where there are not too many fish, like Wellie and Frimley. Here the fish will not tolerate spodding on their heads, so I put enough out to last the whole night in the hope some smell is left after I catch one.

By contrast, deeper and more prolific waters often respond to just a few spods after bites. I take great care to lay the spod as gently as possible on the surface over my spot. I know if the spod crashes in

ToP TIP rough cut k Two twists in a Korda Krusha will break up boilies enough for them to release their oils and flavours and help bind your spod mix together.

UKcarp magazine

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Spod to go In most situations I prefer to fish over a spod mix.

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april 6th 2010

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making a ‘lazy man’s slow sinker’ 1

Cut a Squid Octopus and Pineapple pop-up and a normal boilie in half.

2

3

Mount the half-baits on a hair so the pop-up is uppermost to give some lift.

4

With the bait mounted, shave off slivers with a knife to create a barrel shape.

Bait mounted on the hair. Its buoyancy will cancel out the weight of the hook.

Full summer version to avoid nuisance fish.

Early on, use a trimmed-down version of the bait above.

STick ’em up The baited rig is pulled through a stick to eliminate tangles.

“on Some waTerS wiTh few nuiSance SpecieS i will fiSh ThiS way all year”

The payoff My minimalist approach fooled this early-season 20lb Sandhurst mirror.

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s to try “GivinG out unique smells and attractors, meat will catch any carp that swims” meat fritter Fry cubes of meat and they will develop a supertough skin which stops the hair cutting through the baits and allows you to cast further.

ToP TIP have a fry-up k If the meat you use isn’t very tough, treat it to a quick flash in the frying pan to give it a skin. This is also a great time to add whatever flavours you want. in shreds Roughly torn pieces of meat create an odd shaped bait that sinks slowly and has a large surface area to leak more smell and oils into the water.

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on test UKCarp guide to the latest tackle

budget comfort Maver Genesis Four Leg Bedchair £59.99

www.maver.co.uk These wheels tilt the head end to suit the user, while four independently adjustable legs lock in place so that the bedchair will sit level, regardless of the terrain. Swivelling mudfeet stop it sinking into soft ground.

The Genesis is a solid and well designed bedchair, and at £60 you could do far worse than look it over.

mudfeet Swivelling mudfeet stop you getting that sinking feeling.

adjustment Tilt wheels adjust the head end to your own comfort level.

gear

T

his entry level bedchair is friendly on the pocket, to appeal to budget-conscious anglers. It folds flat for easy carrying and weighs in at just over 8kg.

The mattress is covered in hard-wearing 600 denier fabric, and extends over the adjustment wheels for added comfort.

“a solid and well designed bedchair. at £60 you could do far worse than look it over”

Cook up a storm

Square mealS appeal To carp

Mistral Fluoro Pop-up Mix RRP £3.99

Pallatrax Squabs RRP £3.49 per 125g tub

www.pallatrax.co.uk

T

hese new Squabs from Pallatrax are boilies – square ones, 10mm in diameter and offering an interesting alternative to the norm when bites are hard to come by on pressured waters.

They are claimed to be anti-eject baits because of their

shape, and they can be fished either on a hair or in a band.

Flavours include Strawberry, Scopex, Pineapple, Shellfish, Bloodworm and Cheese Feast. In every 125g tub of Squabs you get bottom baits and an identically flavoured pack of 10mm pop-ups to vary your presentation.

UKcarp magazine

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I

www.mistralbaits.co.uk

f you want to make pop-ups using your own attractors, this product from Mistral makes the process simple. The mix is available in four hi-viz colours – Day Glo Yellow, Glowing Pink, Bright Green and Sunset Orange – so you will be able to concoct some very visual baits. A natural version will be available soon.

All you do is put five dessertspoons of water in a bowl and add your flavours, then the powder, until you get a stiff paste consistency. After rolling this into whatever sizes and shapes of bait you want, you boil them for between one and three minutes and let them dry off overnight.

These baits should last a fair while, but Mistral does recommend keeping them in sugar, which absorbs any residual moisture and stops mould forming. This is a very good lead into making your own specialised hookbaits.

april 6th 2010

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on test UKCarp guide to the latest tackle

five-star deal

Angling Intelligence Mk2 Airframe Bivvy RRP £379.99 Winter Skin RRP £169.99

Gear

W

www.ericsangling.co.uk

hen Eric’s Angling first spotted the revamped MK2 Airframe bivvy the company was so impressed that it contacted Angling Intelligence and secured an exclusive deal.

Now, when a retailer rings me and starts waxing lyrical about how good a product is that he just happens to have on offer I tend to be a bit sceptical. So taking the Mk2 out for the first time was a real eye opener, and I definitely wasn’t expecting such a comprehensive package (sorry Eric’s, I promise I’ll listen next time).

What you get is five bivvies for the price of one – everything from an ultra-light overnight shelter right through to a long-stay home with a winter skin.

So let’s just quickly whip through the options – front off (open shelter); mozzie panel zipped in; solid front (more protection); peak in place (even greater coverage);

and finally, the bivvy with the winter skin.

Whatever your style of fishing, the MK2 will be able to adapt to meet your needs.

The shelter is designed on the tried and trusted pramhood principle using three aero-grade aluminium poles with spring lock joints. This makes the basic set-up very light – even with everything added, including the heavy-duty groundsheet, you only get to 9kg.

The material is called IWS, and not only does it have a hydrostatic head of 10,000mm, but it is super breathable to keep condensation down. Once erected the bivvy is 270cm wide by 235cm deep and 140cm high.

Out on the bank it was simple to put up in all its different guises, and it packed down and went back in its carrying bags with ease.

If you want a bivvy for just about every eventuality then take a look at this baby – you’ll be surprised at the big bang you get for your buck.

Front off, and you have a shelter for fair weather fishing.

With the mozzie panel zipped in there is protection against insects.

The solid front ensures a snug bankside stay on overnight sessions.

peGGinG points Are reinforced and will keep the bivvy anchored in all weather.

tension bars In aero-grade aluminium, they keep weight to a minimum.

ventilation Mesh panels allow air in and can be covered up in case of rain.

For the ultimate in protection, the winter skin is all you could wish for.

The peak extends the area of protection by creating a porch.

ERIC’S ANGLING EXCLUSIVE dEAL

£375 foR bIVVy & SKIN

UKcarp magazine

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april 6th 2010

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