srt hde45u hst by Derek Kolush

Adam Penning’s Exclusive Monthly Diary JUN 2021

£5.50

CARPOLOGY – JUN 2021 - 211

IG FI C G SH AR ES I P T NG SE ’S LL ER

211

Land Of The Linears And we’re talking almost 4ft long!

Silt Fishing Rethought

- BILL COTTAM’S £3,000-A-DAY TUTORIALS! - BRIAN SKOYLES: ‘THE CARAVAN YEARS’ - THE LESSONS THAT CHANGED SCOTT LLOYD’S ANGLING FOREVER! - TOM MAKER: ‘KEEP RECASTING UNTIL YOU’RE 100% HAPPY!’

‘Their heads were buried in the lakebed up to the wrists of their tails!’ JAMES ARMSTRONG

CONTENTS

JUNE 2021 / ISSUE 211

Screamer

(I.E. THE BITTY STUFF)

P. 02

The Social

P. 04

YouTube Playlists

P. 06

Landing Pages

Features The Land Of The Linears By Chris Beasley

P. 24

Carping Allegedly By Bill Cottam

P. 28

Summer Storms and Super Breed Seagulls By Adam Penning

P. 38

Tom’s Tour: Q Lake By Tom Maker

P. 48

Curves and Extensions By Lewis Read

P. 54

On The Patrol By Simon Crow

P. 70

The Rotary Letter By Alex Grice and James Armstrong

P. 90

No Bullsh*t, Just Good Solid Angling By Scott Lloyd

P. 100

What Lies Beneath By Mick Clark

P. 110

D Lake Success and the ‘Caravan Years’ By Brian Skoyles

On The Cover

P. 12

THE HUMBLE THROWING STICK… A FORGOTTEN BAITING TOOL?

P. 12

( I . E . T H E M E AT Y C O N T E N T )

P. 70

Photograph By Rich Stewart About the cover It’s been a long time since James Armstrong graced the pages of CARPology—let alone the cover—but his return is marked with a bang: an epic 4,000 Rotary Letter contribution (p70) and this gnarly old 40lb+ common carp on the cover. “The culmination of several years fishing and a lot of hard work—in fact even coming back from the dead after a big fish kill and presumed dead—I finally managed my dream: the big Park Lake Common.”

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P. 126 ‘If I Leave Here Tomorrow’ By Ian Chillcott

Hardware P. 138

Short and Sweet Nash’s Dwarf range delivers more.

P. 144

Recovery Position Give your prize a breather…

P. 153

Hammer Time ESP have reinvented the Chod hook. Again.

P. 154

Deeply Dippy This is a winner for disease prevention.

P. 110

(I.E. REVIEWS)

P. 153

P. 154

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SCREAMER

THE NETWORK

The Social

TEAM O LO GY

ED I T O R

Joseph Wright E joe@ toffeepublications.co.uk It seems ridiculously unlikely, but I’ve still got my fingers crossed that France will open its borders and I can go to Mirror Pool at the end of June… SU B ED I T O R

Mark Brewster Looking forward to spending a long-delayed week away in search of marsh fritillary butterflies… waterproofs packed and fingers and toes crossed! D I G I TAL ED ITO R

Phoebe Stuart I’ve had an enjoyable month getting stuck into my new syndicate water, managing quite a few. C O N T EN T C R EATO R

Joe Wooltorton Pubs are back open! That is all. C O N T EN T C R E ATO R

Luke Venus I finally managed to get a bend in the rod; multiple bends at that! Watch the film on our YT channel: Welham Estate Lake.

M AGA Z I N E

FREE next month: Adam Penning’s Summer Masterclass supplement Aside from a nice cup of coffee, a Kumu hoodie, and the smell of freshly cut grass in the summer, CARPology’s videographer Luke Venus likes nothing more than filming with Adam Penning—especially if it’s for the Inside The Mind series— and this month he got to tick off all four faves by filming Part 3: A Masterclass To Summer Carp Fishing. However, unlike the previous two episodes (Spring and Winter), this time around we’ve produced a 32-page supplement to accompany the film to make referencing back quicker and easier. You’ll find the supplement FREE with the July edition of CARPology, on-sale 24th June. Note: thesauruses are not included with the issue, so have Siri on standby to understand much of Adam’s amazing vocabulary.

ME RCH

End of the line We’ve recently collaborated with original CARPology art director, John Hannent, on a new line of swag: stickers, tees, hoods, mugs, car stickers—all of which will be live on our site within the next month. In the meantime, head over to CARPology. net to take advantage of some end of line items, with savings of up to 60% off!

Y OU TU BE

CARPology’s newest face We’ve wooed Thom Airs—the brains behind CarpFeed—for years, so we’re overjoyed to say that from this month he’ll be working alongside Joe and Luke on our YouTube channel. Right up there with Big Rich Stewart as the ultimate team member for a carp fishing quiz, Thom’s knowledge is second-to-none, so expect yet more great content to CARPologyTV, including the return of CARPology Carpool, this time in Thom’s very own VW Camper Van!

MAGAZ I N E

Brian Skoyles: A trip down nostalgia lane If you’re the sort of person who loves reminiscing about the good old days; gets that warm, tingly sensation in your stomach when you look at lovely old photographs from bygone eras— then Brian Skoyles’ series is most definitely for you! If you fished back in the 80s and 90s, Brian’s collection of photographs from page 110 will transport you back to those magical times in a heartbeat.

CARPOLOGY PRESENTER

Thom Airs It’s a pleasure to join the CARPology team. The carp are proving a little stubborn in my local venue, but hopefully some much-needed sunshine will switch them on soon. H EAD D ESI GNE R

Louisa Cribb Pubs, pubs, pubs! The Locks Inn in Geldeston is now open again, run and owned by the community. I can’t wait to get back there and have a pint! AD SAL ES

Robert Bell E robert@ toffeepublications.co.uk Finally, we can have a pint in the pub and go for a meal. Let’s hope our French trip still goes ahead in June… MER C H / SUBS

Ian Homewood Sad to see the old car go, however it was on its last legs. But I’ve bought something newer with loads of nobs and functions, half of which won’t be used! P R O O F R EADE R

Dennis Bell This issue has been proofed in a pristine, newly decorated office… Jasmine White, very salubrious!

EVERY ADVENTURE IS WORTHWHILE T R I E D

CURVE POINT HOOK

OUT-TURNED EYE HOOK

T E S T E D

BEAKED CHOD HOOK NEW FOR SUMMER 2021

T R U S T E D

STRAIGHT EYE HOOK

CURVE SHANK HOOK

SCREAMER

YOUTUBE/CARPOLOGYTV CARP FISHING

New to CARPology’s YouTube Channel this Month…

45 MINUTE FILM!

H O W-T O AD V I C E

5 Photography/Videography Essentials Looking to improve your photography and videography skills? CARPology’s own videographer, Luke Venus, is here to help. Luke outlines his must-have essentials which help him capture the stunning images you see on our social feeds, in our product reviews (p.138) and the amazing carp fishing video footage you consume on CARPologyTV’s YouTube channel. Y O U T U B E / C AR P O L O GY T V

IN- SESSIO N

How Ian Chillcott Approaches a 48hr Session Back in April, we caught up with CARPology regular (both in print and on our YouTube channel), Ian Chillcott, for the final 24hrs of his session at Lake Porchard in the Cotswolds—and things couldn’t have gotten off to a better start… On our arrival Chilly had a stunning 20lb+ mirror waiting for us in the net! During this feature-length film, Ian talks through everything he’s doing in great depth, from finding clear spots in the weed to how he’s

effectively fishing Hinged Stiff Links in that situation. Y OU TU BE /C A R P O L O GY T V

T h e V id e o Ch a p t er s

0:00 In-session with Ian Chillcott 3:13 Productive night 5:12 How Ian stores his rigs 6:34 Re-confirming your spots 11:44 Baiting the spots 13:26 The chosen rig set-up 18:02 Choosing the right time to re-cast 22:14 How to tie the rig 37:06 Finding your confidence 40:40 Recapping the session

FIRST LOOK

GAME-CHANGER! Liquid-Filled Hookbaits Fluoro pop-ups? Old hat. Boosted bottom-baits? Pah! Paste-wrapped hookbait? Been-there-tried-that! If you’re looking for an edge when it comes to your hookbait choice, then you need to watch this video! LK Baits have something that’s genuinely unique into today’s bait market: liquid-filled hookbaits! These special hookbaits aren’t just packed with attraction—they

taste incredible too, as CARPology’s Joe Wooltorton will show you! YOUTUBE/CARPOLOGYTV

51m baiting pole! Bites within 30 seconds! This is carp fishing Oli Davies style! With 36hrs at his disposal, Nash Tackle’s Oli Davies opted to start on the Crayfish Pool on the Horton complex after seeing some showing fish late on the first night. That proved to be a cracking choice… With 3 quick bites in under 24hrs—one of which came within 30 seconds of him dropping his rig!—Oli demonstrates perfectly how effective the Bushwhacker Baiting Pole can be in the right hands. It’s certainly action-packed!

An EPIC spring session: 17 carp in 48hrs! There are good sessions, and then there are epic sessions, and then there are biblical sessions, and during their latest outing, CARPology’s Joe Wooltorton and Luke Venus very much experienced the latter! Enjoying 48hrs at the stunning Welham Estate Lake, Joe and Luke use a wide range of methods, tactics and tricks to outwit a total of 17 stunning looking carp (cue: check out the thumbnail above). Sit back and enjoy the show! Y O U T U B E / C AR P O L O GY T V

IN- SESSIO N

Y O U T U B E / C A R P O L O GY T V

I N -SESSI O N

Subscribe to our YouTube channel (CARPologyTV) to never miss any new films/reviews.

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SCREAMER

CAPTURED BY

ALEX KOBLER

@ALEX_KOBLER

Hoping karma will be gracious to one… “The air was thick and charged. In the east, dark-blue clouds drenched in rain, sprouted like fat mushrooms. It was one of those moments when I can hardly put the camera down: the colours were rich, and no matter where I looked, I saw a landscape full of contrasts. The weather-lights became clear flashes, followed by shorter and shorter intervals of thunder. I was standing on the headland to the right, right by my rods, when out of nowhere and just before dark, a bite indicator screamed out. ¶ After a fierce drill from the boat, watching closely and anxiously as the lightning rushed in, I landed a nice common carp in the mid-thirties. I released it straight away, brought the rod out again in a flurry, and made it back to the bivvy just before the rain. I knew that wouldn’t be the last bite of the night, and sensed that something big was going to happen. When the heavy rain had passed, I was then able to take a few photos of the sky streaked with lightning. ¶ I caught two more fish that night, but something really big was happening 700 metres to my right. Shortly before dawn, a Spanish local caught one of the very big common carp of the several thousand hectares of water.” For more breathtaking images, follow Alex’s Instagram page @alex_kobler and @carpologyofficial

0 0 6

JUNE 2021

ONES AND ZEROES: CAMERA: CANON EOS 5D MK3. LENS: CANON EF 16–35MM F4L AT 20MM. POLARISATIONS FILTER B&W. ISO 100. F/4.0. SHUTTER SPEED: 25 SECONDS.

JUNE 2021

0 0 7

SCREAMER

0 0 8

JUNE 2021

CAPTURED BY

ALEX KOBLER

@ALEX_KOBLER

Right in the teeth of it “It was no surprise: the weather forecast had already warned me. Unstoppably, and with all its usual power here, the wind kept building. I put even bigger stones on the legs of the rod pod, and pulled the boat around the point, secured by the 8kg folding anchor at the beginning of the small bay next to me. This way, I still had a chance of getting in the boat with the rod, if there was a bite. But let’s be honest, the way the wind was building up, it was clear pretty quickly, that effective fishing would soon be out of the question. The pressure on the lines was already enormous, and it wouldn’t be long before the leads would move. The only thing I could do now was to take photos, not get nervous, and make sure the bivvy didn’t fly away. Sure enough, before dark, I had to reel in the rods as the hookbaits were getting warped and I couldn’t stand the bleeping any more. A night of bad sleep followed, but in the morning the haunting was almost over again, and I caught a massive mirror after the massive storm.” For more breathtaking images, follow Alex’s Instagram page @alex_kobler and @carpologyofficial

ONES AND ZEROES: CAMERA: CANON EOS 5D MK3. LENS: CANON EF 135MM F2L. ISO 1600. F/2.8. SHUTTER SPEED: 1/3200.T

JUNE 2021

0 0 9

A PERFECT MATCH TO THE

KRILL

ACTIVE

BOILIES

Utilising a revolutionary coating process, The Krill Active hookbaits are designed to perfectly match their freezer bait counterparts. They offer a more durable hookbait solution for any baiting scenario, producing a halo of attraction around the bait at the core.

THE LAND OF the Linears The capture of special fish in good company… it doesn’t get much better for Chris Beasley as he takes on Dinton

CAPTION:

No words…

I first acquired my White Swan ticket back in 2013. A friend had put me in contact with Simon who runs the park, and the very next season I found myself on the banks of Dinton Pastures, settling in for my first night… great timing, really, as that would never be the case nowadays!

BACK

it wasn’t just the waiting list that looked different; the stock did too. The main targets when I first joined were the Twin, Bernie’s Linear, and the one I really wanted, Apple Slice. In my eyes, that carp was the best in the land. An ancient old mirror which looked as though it had been carved out of wood, it was dark mahogany in colour and had great big appleslice scales along its flanks—just a mega carp! The likes of Triple Row and co. were mid- to upper-thirties at the time, and although they were still lovely carp to look at, they were very rarely talked about. In fact, Son of Triple Row made an appearance during my first night on the complex, when some guy fishing opposite had it at 36lb. That first night was kind to me too. I went on to land four carp, then,

WORDS BY CHRIS BEASLEY

including a cracking fully scaled mirror of 38lb. I remember thinking to myself, This isn’t too bad, but in true White Swan fashion, I then blanked for the next couple of months! I spent that first year getting around the lake, slotting in as I arrived after work on the Friday night, and although I managed a few more fish before the winter, it was frustrating fishing. It wasn’t until my second year that I could really get stuck in, a change in job allowing me to get down on a Thursday night. This gave me a lot more options when choosing swims, and I could get back into certain areas. By this time the A-team had a couple more members, and during that second season, a good friend, Bungle, had Triple Row at 44lb. This put it on the radar of many more anglers, and not just those with tickets. It was strange, because it had done forty already, but with several of the older fish doing bigger weights, ‘Triple’ would almost get forgotten about. Another fish which had caught people’s attention was ‘Son’. Just a year on from being another mid-thirty mirror, it popped up at 43lb. I’d been enjoying the new Thursday-night starts, feeling as though I could fish more effectively, but one particular week, I couldn’t actually get down until the Friday. A strong south-westerly wind had been pumping into the top end of the lake for a couple of days, so I had a good idea of

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOSEPH BRAZIL, CHRIS BEASLEY AND FRIENDS

where I needed to be. Unfortunately, this area was understandably busy, so I set-up as close as I could, and spent my first evening watching the fish show further up the lake. By morning, the fish hadn’t moved, but one of the anglers was reluctantly packing down, so I wasted no time in getting my gear round there. I stood at the water’s edge watching big sheets of fizz coming up just rod-lengths from the bank. Two rigs were soon flicked out to where I’d seen the bulk of the morning’s activity, along with a few handfuls of Krill boilie, and I sat back feeling extremely confident. At around seven that evening, one of the bobbins smacked against the blank as the rod hooped over. The swim was really overgrown with a big set of overhangs either side, so I kept the rod low and just pumped, making sure not to give the fish even an inch. It couldn’t have been on for more than 30 seconds before I had it in front of the swim, in the deeper water. As I lifted the rod, this big orange thing bobbed half out of the lake, and before I even had time to notice which fish it was, it was in the net! It didn’t take too long for me to recognise the fish I had caught… it was Son of Triple Row, and for me, the first of the ‘proper’ ones. After that capture, I was able to keep some bait going in on the same zone. Left alone to do my thing, I managed a bite most trips, until eventually the action subsided. It turned out to be a much better season than the previous one, though, and although Apple Slice was yet to make an appearance, I was more than pleased with how the year had gone. Going into my third season, I felt like I had a good understanding of the lake, and was feeling quietly confident.

MY the following year was in mid-March, and things looked bleak. Not so much as a bubble broke the surface as I walked the lake, and after a few laps, I decided to pull off and fish elsewhere for a couple of weeks. I returned a fortnight later, arriving nice and early, but by midday, I still hadn’t seen anything. I was down for a couple of nights, though, and with a cold northerly blowing, I made the decision to do the first night on the back of it. My swim gave me a good view down the length of the lake, so if they were about, I fancied my chances of seeing them. By the following morning, however, I still hadn’t seen or heard anything, and come midday, I had itchy feet. After doing several more laps of the lake, eventually I saw the first fish of the year as it shuffled out around 40yds from the bank, in a swim known as Spotters. I stood there watching for another ten minutes or so, and saw another two crash out slightly more to my left. Not wanting to waste an opportunity, and with plenty of other keen anglers also looking to move, I dropped my bucket next door and ran back to get my kit. The fish were still showing, and not wanting to ruin my chances by leading up, I flicked out three single Krill White Ones on Multi Rigs and just felt

first trip back

for drops. Despite me seeing the odd show throughout the day, nothing had occurred by the evening. I decided to leave the rods, though, as I was confident they were all fishing. I remember waking up the following morning feeling slightly dejected, thinking my chance had passed. As I sat there pondering my next move, the middle rod went into meltdown. I picked it up and the fish hit the surface in 15ft of

LEFT: The

winning combo: Krill White Ones and Multi Rigs MIDDLE: Dream achieved! Triple Row RIGHT: Jon’s Lin

water, before it then charged across the lake to my left, sending out a massive bow wave as it did so. It was Friday morning and the lake had become fairly busy. I could see a couple of anglers standing on the far bank watching as the fish charged off. After turning the fish towards me, I caught a flash of yellow as a good mirror twisted on the surface. It wasn’t too long before I had it holding bottom in the deep margin in front of the swim. The water was crystal clear, and from the platform which extends out into the lake, I could see Triple Row twisting and turning, my white popup hanging from its mouth. Knowing what I was attached to and watching as the fish tried everything to rid itself of my hook, I just wanted it in the net. It was fair to say that by this time, my legs had turned to jelly. After what felt like forever, I

it was just a ploy to get me down there for a social, but after not seeing much elsewhere, I took a walk down to check it out. I was in his swim only a matter of minutes before I realised that he wasn’t having me on. Without wasting any time, I got set up next to him and after a quick lead about, had two traps set. I remember going for a walk to a couple of swims down to my left, where I found some fish milling about. I was close to going back and reeling in to have a go for them, just as I heard Byron shouting me as one of my rods was away—they hadn’t been in long, so you can imagine my surprise as I sprinted the short distance back. On picking up the rod, I could see my line cutting up through the water as the fish kited. I was standing in the water playing the fish, when all of a sudden, it swam straight towards me, eventually passing me and forcing me to do a complete 180! Facing my own swim, I was then playing a carp as it almost beached itself in the shallow margin. Not long after it had passed me, though, Byron was able to net the fish without any more drama. We couldn’t believe what we then found lying in the bottom of the net. It was

finally managed to get the better of the big mirror, and as I lifted her up in the water and reached for the net, in she went! I went to get my mate, Tony, who was fishing further down the bank, and if I’m honest, after that it was all a bit of a blur. Celebrations took place that night with plenty of beer and nice food, and in good company. That’s what it’s all about! It was a funny spring that year, and although I’d had Triple Row, it turned out to be pretty slow, with no more action coming my way until the end of April. It then wasn’t long before the lake had closed for spawning and spring was over. Once the lake had reopened, I got down one Friday lunchtime for a quick night. A good mate, Byron, had told me how he had plenty of fish in front of him, and had said that I should go in next door. I’m not going to lie, I thought

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LOOK AND YOU’LL FIND

I’ll sit up and watch continuously late into the night, which sometimes causes me to miss the odd early morning below: The one… Apple Slice, absolutely

a fish known as Jon’s Linear, which hadn’t actually been caught from White Swan, after being moved from one of the other lakes on the complex a year or so before. The funny thing was, the swim I was fishing was where it had been put into the lake; it was like it had never left. After the summer, my mate Paul Eaton managed to catch the one we really wanted, Apple Slice, and to share the moment with him was definitely one of the highlights of my time on White Swan. Sadly, I didn’t get my own chance at Apple Slice as it died a few months later. I was gutted. As I have already said, that carp was the best in the land in my eyes, and just a mega creature. Although there were so many great carp in that lake, that was the one I really wanted. I know it might sound crazy, but I pretty much decided there and then that my time on White Swan was done… when Apple Slice died, so did my buzz for the lake.

I then had a year away from the Dinton complex, flitting around the Reading lakes and catching up with some good friends. The following year saw me secure my Black Swan ticket, though, and so once again I found myself on the banks of Dinton. The fishing on ‘Black’ is completely different from White Swan, and with a new set of challenges and some incredible carp coming through, the buzz was real! The first trip went exactly the same as my first on White Swan, with four carp banked, and although they were all fairly small, it was a great start. By the end of summer, I had managed a lot of fish, most of them

small and only one going over 30lb. I’d been doing a bit of time in one particular swim, and with the conditions looking prime for that area, I booked a bit of holiday in an effort to get ahead of the weekend crowds. I turned up, and knowing that I had three nights ahead of me, I took my time to get everything set up for the fishes’ arrival. Everything went lovely, and I was feeling extremely confident. After two days had passed, however, and I was left scratching my head. Having seen plenty of carp in the bay, all I had to show for my efforts were a couple of bream. For the final night, I decided to change it up a bit, and found a new spot close to where I’d seen a good fish show early that morning. With the fresh spot baited and everything going smoothly, I settled in for

bottom:

my last night feeling much better. As dawn broke on my final morning, I had a liner on the rod on the new spot. This was followed shortly after by some sheeting-up and a couple of shows. They were definitely about still, but that had been the case for the last couple of days. By nine o’clock, I was contemplating packing up, and just as I stood there sipping tea, the rod on the new spot was away! On picking it up, I quickly realised something wasn’t right. I hadn’t noticed, but a massive, half-sunken ‘weedberg ’ had drifted over my line and settled without giving me so much as a bleep. With the pressure of the fish pulling from one end, and me pulling from the other, this great big weedberg had surfaced. Not

top: Black Swan from above The carp are just eye-wateringly beautiful

wanting to risk getting cut off, I put the rod down and started to strip away as much of the weed as I could. Having spent time removing a huge mound of weed from the line, I picked up the rod once again to find that the fish had kited down to my left. This made the whole scenario even worse, given that there was a crazy amount of floating weed down that side. It was a good three- to four-feet deep in places, and it stretched 30yds out from the bank. Unfortunately, the fish had gone under this weedbed and had made it to the snags. It just felt like an awful situation to be in, and things really couldn’t have got any worse. I put my life jacket on and jumped into my Bic, before towing myself out to the edge of the weed. As I slowly inched towards the snag, removing weed from the line as I went, I wasn’t even sure if the fish was still on. After ten to fifteen minutes, I was able to reach down and grab my leader, and as I did so, I caught a glimpse of this great big linear. It then powered off back towards open water, only to find more weed. I then went into panic mode, and I’ll be completely honest when I say that the next few minutes went by in a blur. Eventually, I had to hand-line the fish and a huge ball of weed back to the net, half-expecting it to fall off any second. Once everything was in the net, I started to strip away the dead weed, and there she was: Saddleback! What an unbelievable creature, and I feel blessed to have landed her given the whole fiasco. When your name’s on ’em…!

top: The

I on Black after the capture of Saddleback, and despite it still having a lot of the better fish for me to go at, I had intended to fish elsewhere this spring, partly to have a break from Dinton’s banks, but also because I really want to catch one particular fish from another water— as we know, they don’t last forever. The problem with this other lake, however, is that it’s extremely busy and has very few swims. I’d been for a walk round on several occasions, but was unable to get anywhere near where I needed to be, so found myself making the drive back to Dinton. This was the case with one particular trip back in April, and on seeing the forecast for the days ahead, I had a good idea of where the fish would end up on Black Swan. With it coming free and it looking pretty uninspiring elsewhere, I settled on the same plot where I had landed Saddleback some three years earlier. I’d fished this swim a lot over the years, so it was no surprise that I managed to get the rods out with minimal fuss. I decided that enjoyed some mega fishing

Suicide swim Things were progressing well… middle + bottom:

top: Saddleback!

What an INCREDIBLE carp Jaw-dropping: a 39lb zip linear bottom: Stumpy Lin MIDDLE:

to Myles that I thought it might be a small one, but with that, a huge linear hit the surface just feet from the bank. We knew instantly which one it was; there was no mistaking it. It was Spike, and before I even had time to panic, Myles had it safely in the net. It’s hard to put such moments into words, really. Spike is an incredible carp, and a fish of a lifetime. To share these occasions with good friends just completes it. Paul came down for first light and the three of us just marvelled at one of Dinton’s finest, and the king of all linears! CHRIS BEASLEY

rather than fish all three rods tight on a spot, I’d spread my bets. Each rig was baited with a 12mm Mulbz pop-up fished over a handful of bait. Once the rods were sorted and everything had settled, the odd fish started to show. I then settled myself for the evening, feeling confident of a bite. During the early hours of the following morning, a few sharp bleeps woke me up. As I laid there waiting for the alarm to melt off, I could make out the sound of a clutch spinning at a crazy pace. I crashed out of my bivvy and made my way down to the offending rod, which by this time was in total meltdown. As I reached it, I discovered that it had actually been pulled off the alarm—I was almost scared to pick up the rod, the clutch was spinning that fast! As I lifted the rod, I could feel a powerful fish, and slowly, I managed to steady its initial run. There must have been nearly 200yds of line out in the lake, and I was starting to worry, as to the right of the swim, there was a great big aerator which Simon had installed the year before… if the fish kited around that, it would have been game over! As I pumped the fish back towards me, I prayed for it to kite left. It actually didn’t kite at all, coming back in a straight line! Just as I had it in front of the aerator, though, it kited hard right—seconds earlier and I would definitely have been cut off! By this time, Myles was standing at the back of my

swim. Set-up next door, he had heard the commotion. He grabbed the net and joined me at the front of the swim. As I lifted the rod, I turned on my head torch to get a glimpse of the fish. I could feel its head knocking and actually said

END

And just to top things off… Spike! CAPTION:

20 Emblem 45 SCW QD OT. Supplied with a shallow C and spare deep LD spool - RRP £225.00

WHEN EVERY OUNCE IS GOLD EMBLEM 45 SCW QD OT This ‘Gold Spool’ release of the new generation of SCW Emblem also offers the retro One Touch handle. Utilising a reduced oscillation speed called Slow Cross Wrap for enhanced line lay, the result is lower consumption of casting energy during line release. When combined with the friction reducing double lip profile of the LC spool, casting distance can be increased by more than 5%.

CARPING ALLEGEDLY Bill Cottam steps forward to offer a few words of advice for those offering tuition, and contemplates a life on the carp-angling catwalk! BY BILL COTTAM

A @COTTAMCARPANGLER BILL COTTAM CARP ANGLER PHOTOGRAPHY BILL COTTAM AND FRIENDS

DAM PENNING’S CARPology films have kept me very entertained of late; in fact, I have watched most of them a couple of times on YouTube (CARPologyTV), and have thoroughly enjoyed them. I don’t agree with everything Adam has to say, of course, but that is an irrelevance as far as I am concerned. I find both his attention to detail and the thoroughness with which he approaches every aspect of his angling very inspirational, and the films have certainly made me re-evaluate certain aspects of my own fishing. He is also a very clear and concise presenter, which, as anyone who has attempted such things will tell you, is an undoubted skill in itself. I also love the way our man strides so effortlessly and comfortably through the pages of the thesaurus and in doing so, introducing the great carping unwashed amongst us to words and

Congratulations Penners, and everyone involved in making the films.

phrases we would never have dreamt of hearing in an angling film a few years ago. Congratulations Penners, and everyone involved in making the films… awesome stuff! Attention to detail is everything as far as I am concerned, and although it is not particularly difficult to learn the rudiments of carp angling from books (remember them?), magazines and social media, it is learning the extra couple of per cent that makes that all-important difference, and is the bit that very often sorts the top carp-catchers out there from us mere mortals. Original thinkers, and those who have the confidence to tread their own path, inspire me enormously in any walk of life, but particularly in the angling world where I can obviously relate to it

Sixty-plus on just enough bait to catch a carp

more. Being able to come up with that extra two or three per cent will always be a huge advantage. It probably will not be as noticeable, however, on those days when, or those waters where the fish are crawling up the bank and eating bait out of your hand, but rather on the really tough venues where pick-ups are very hard to come by. On really difficult waters, it will undoubtedly make a massive difference. Of course, noFishabil biggie caught over a ridiculous amount of bait

body gets it right all the time, but as in virtually every walk of life, the cream does have an uncanny knack of rising to the top—or at least, I like to think it does! I was especially interested in Adam’s thoughts on baiting levels, and I wholeheartedly share his views that too many anglers tend to go way over the top with quantities at certain times of year. We live in times where, depending where your allegiances lie, you can buy more bait than you can carry for the price of a Big Mac. That doesn’t mean, though, that you have to shovel it all in within twenty minutes of arriving at the lake. Most of the carp I have been lucky enough to catch over the last few seasons have come over relatively small quantities of bait, and certainly on the waters I am visiting, fishing for one fish at a time appears to be the way forward, particularly for the larger specimens. Every water is different, of course, and each will respond to different baiting approaches and applications, but to think that the more bait you put in, the more successful you will become, is

naive in the extreme, and in my experience, it rarely works. Heavily stocked venues where fish are relatively easy to catch are a possible exception, but in my experience, these types of water are quite hard to find in this day and age. Lake Fishabil in Brittany was certainly one of those waters in the early years, and it certainly did seem that the more ‘nose bag’ you could get in front of you, the longer you could hold the fish, and the more you could potentially catch. Depositing forty kilos of the ever-reliable mix of oat groats, flaked maize and Partiblend, and ten kilos of boilies all over the side of the boat every night, was certainly not unusual in the early days, and even after that lot, we would very often start getting takes off the area within an hour or so. The mix of groats, flaked maize and Partiblend has served me very well over the years, and has the huge advantage—particularly when you’re using big quantities—of needing virtually no preparation. Simply place the dry mix in a bucket, generously cover with lake water, and leave for 24–48hrs. To increase its effectiveness, add tin of evaporated milk, a good glug of a liquid food and a bit of Nutrabaits Cream or Sweet Cajouser. I hadn’t used this approach for quite some time when I went to Lac Du Der a couple of years or so ago, and every time I went out to bait up and saw it falling

Preparation is simple

“Such is the earning potential, I hear Lionel Messi is giving serious consideration to walking away from his multi-million-euro contract at Barcelona to begin teaching us hairy-arsed carp anglers how to spod to a dinner plate, in a cross wind, with one hand tied behind our back.”

Preparing for extreme-range fishing

through the depths, it reminded me just what a great tactic it is when used on the right water.

CAR PI NG A LL EGEDLY T UT O RIAL S

It hasn’t escaped my notice that carpangling tutorials are becoming rather popular. Some of the higher-profile superstars out there are providing a highly sought-after service, and earning a proper pretty penny for doing so. In fact, such is the earning potential, I hear Lionel Messi is giving serious consideration to walking away from his mindblowingly lucrative multi-million-euro contract at Barcelona to begin teaching us hairy-arsed carp anglers how to spod to a dinner plate, in a cross wind, with one hand tied behind our back. Unbelievably, I myself have had a couple of requests for tutorials in recent weeks, and although a few extra quid always comes in handy, I think it is only fair to look at why I don’t deem myself to be the ideal piscatorial tutor… Spodding, spombing, dot spodding, impact spodding, and whatever other methods are currently used to get six hundredweight of ‘munga’ out into the wet stuff are, without question, a huge part of the modern-day carp scene, and from what I hear, many carp tutorials provide help with, and advice on such tactics. This is all good stuff which will undoubtedly improve your carp angling prowess. My problem, though, is that I haven’t used any of the aforementioned bait propulsion devices since I was hurling a converted Steradent tube

around in Shropshire in the eighties. I think the accuracy of our long-range casting is something many of us would like to improve upon, and I would certainly benefit from an hour or two with one of the masters of the art. To cut to the chase, my casting is decidedly average, and I am no more qualified to offer advice on the subject, than I am on hang gliding! Having said that, I do consider myself as something of an expert in positioning hookbaits and freebies at extreme range… inflate boat, spark up outboard, drive until battery dies, dump the lot over the side. Simples! Rigs and hookbait presentations continue to mystify many carp anglers. I imagine that learning how to tie a criti-

I doubt you will learn much from me!

cally balanced Ronnie in the dark without the aid of a torch, and being shown how to tie an Albright Knot whilst wearing boxing gloves must both be high on many people’s wish lists regarding what they are looking to glean from a couple of days’ carping coaching. My problem is that I know only two rigs, and as my mate Colin McNeil once pointed out, one of them isn’t very good! I have always believed that coaches have a responsibility to teach anglers to behave in the correct way, and to ensure that they walk away from their session with an increased knowledge of angling ethics and etiquette. With this in mind, were I ever to offer tuition, surface fishing and Zig fishing would play absolutely no part in my syllabus! Both tactics are clearly cheating, and

are more reminiscent of clubbing seals or shooting fish in a barrel! No offence intended, but generally speaking, these are desperation tactics employed by anglers who cannot catch fish using proper methods, and let’s be honest, anything they do catch, doesn’t count anyway! So there you have it ladies and gentlemen. I have no idea how to use a spod; I am a distinctly average caster; my rigs are decidedly unimaginative; and I will not encourage you to cheat by using floaters or Zigs… I am not without my talents, though. On the plus side, I am always supremely confident; I have no problem with waiting for as long as it takes; I can sleep for England; and most importantly, I have yet to come across anyone who can make a better late-night Baileys coffee than me. Prices for tuition start at £3,000 per day!

currently includes hoodies and T-Shirts of great quality up to 5XL, with more products being added as I write. Check out Smart Carp Clothing on all the usual

LEFT: Happy to wait for as long as it takes Right: Courtesy of Smart Carp Clothing

social media platforms or eBay. BILL COTTAM

Swivel on it!!!

SMART CA RP CL OTH ING

Please excuse the blatant plug, but I just wanted to give a quick shout-out to the guys at Smart Carp Clothing. They have recognised that there has been a real gap in the market for top-quality carpy clothing for larger people, and have also spotted that I have a massive future as a male model! The Smart Carp range

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ADAM PENNING’S CARP DIARY

When it finally came the rain was like movie rain!’

F R U S T R AT I O N A N D F O R T U N E S U M U P P E N N E R S ’ D I A R Y T H I S M O N T H … N O N - S T O P E AT I N G S E A G U L L S , 7 L E V E L S O F H E L L B E H I N D A M O Z Z I S C R E E N , MOVIE-STYLE RAIN AND A COUPLE OF STUNNING CARP

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S U MM ER STORMS AN D SUP ER BREED SE AG U L LS ! @adam_penning @Adam_Penning Sticky Baits TV Adam Penning Carp Angler

ADAM PENNING

PHOTOGRAPHY BY

ADAM PENNING AND FRIENDS

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Believe me, I was constantly thanking the CA CAR RP GOD

overseers for blessing me with not only huge great fortune but also for not making me not wait too long for it!

A All too often it can take a while for things to ‘click’ but at the new syndicate, the picture seemed to become quite clear after just a few short weeks of angling. Whenever I am lucky enough to be on the wheel of good fortune, I always make an effort to constantly take stock, sit back and appreciate each moment for what it is. All too often these ‘high rise’ phases are gone and it’s back to reality with a jolt; you reflect a year later and realise it went in a blur and you wished you’d savoured the moments a little more. At Grendon, I was having some of the best fishing I’d had in a long time. A beautiful lake, populated by lovely guys, and of course, some incredible fish. The angling was pretty straight forward to a degree. The bottom was largely barren because the syndicate had been dyeing the water to inhibit weed growth. I’d been told this had been utterly rampant in recent years and they’d decided to try and control it. Personally I prefer vodka clear, weedy water but I totally understand the motivations for keeping the herbage under control. There are, however, two major issues that can result from this; the first is that the fish can be incredibly flighty and twitchy because of the lack of cover. The second can be a bit more concerning—without an abundance of weed, big old fish don’t have anywhere comfortable to spawn. It’s a very difficult balance to strike but the guys are trying hard and I think this year (2021) it should be about right. My ‘style’ of carp fishing is a very visual one and the two strongest parts of my game are floater fishing and stalking in the edge. Due to the blue/green hue in the water, visibility was no more than perhaps 5ft at best which meant that watching the carp travelling the edges and cleaning off spots was taken out of the game. I knew the carp would still be traversing the bottom of the shelf and often my angling would take advantage of that, but it made it tricky not being able to sit up a tree and watch them. I imagined that there would be various polished off feeding and flanking spots here and there. Sometimes I could find them close in with a bare lead and often they would do fish but it simply didn’t com-

pare to the huge edge to be found by being able to see them, so from that point of view we were all very much on a level playing field. The floater fishing was similarly removed from my potential arsenal—I have never fished anywhere where the seagulls are as unstoppable. Throughout the decades, they have got worse everywhere but I have always found that with the application of plenty of bait, feeding them off was always achievable. Anywhere else it usually meant no more than an hour of pain before they would be sated, and along with the swans, geese and whatever else, they’d fly away to sleep off their full bellies. For such occasions, I always carry a big bucket of cheap biscuits and use them to feed the hordes as I carve out a determined route to some un-mithered floater fishing. At Grendon, the gulls would simply not stop eating. I’d have the same flock of 50 or so and they would literally eat, non-stop, all day. I’d stare in disbelief thinking there must be a glitch in the matrix or something. Were they a new super breed that had evolved rapid digestion and as soon as one biscuit went in the mouth, the previous one would come out of its arse?! It was really like that and a couple of times, I’d end up feeding well over 10kgs to the same flock and still they came for more. It just didn’t make any sense to me and pushed me to the edges of my sanity! I’d used audible counter measures a few years before. A good mate had got hold of a recording of gulls getting harried by some sort of hawk. Apparently the sounds were played at the local landfill and also at airports to keep birds away. The shrill sound of the hawk as it ripped into the gulls really was a thing to hear and I managed to get the recording to play on my phone. Previously, I’d used a massive great boom box and that had worked really well at the Quarry. In fact, it would clear the lake not only of gulls but all the geese, swans and everything else would leave the area too, clearly terrified of the sound of this apex predator doing its stuff! At the lake you can park the van behind swims and so I rigged the MP4 recording to the speaker system,

Poised and ready for action

opened the doors and played it at full volume. To begin with it worked a treat—I cleared off the gulls and managed to get a few carp taking. It all looked quite positive but after a short while the bastard things started to ignore it. I’d never seen this happen before either—they really were like a super breed of seagull. What followed over the course of the summer were some of the most frustrating attempts at floater fishing I have ever experienced. Honestly, I was at my wits end with it. Sometimes I would abandon all thoughts of fishing and just keep stubbornly firing bait at them, determined that I could feed them off and be the ‘winner’

“I’D END UP FEEDING WELL OVER 10KGS TO THE SAME FLOCK AND STILL THEY CAME FOR MORE. IT PUSHED ME TO THE EDGES OF MY SANITY!” 0 3 1

My next thought turned to preservation—it was a hot day and I decided I would wrap the bird in a bag and keep it in the fridge overnight so it would be good for the next day. As it happened, at that point the wind changed and the carp all drifted out so although I was now armed with the very best deterrent, the fish had all gone! I carefully wound in the gull, ready to put into storage for the next day, but somehow it came off and drifted into some reeds where I couldn’t get to it. I was exasperated, I can tell you! A while later, one of the lads who likes a ‘spicy cigarette’, came wandering round. We had a chat and then he said, ‘I know this sounds weird, but I swear I saw you cast out a

TOP

Learning his trade

BOTTOM

Paradise

but I never could. I still cannot make sense of it now. How can you have two massive swans, full to the brim, sleeping under a willow along with the ducks and geese while fifty little white birds that weigh about 5ozs each, carry on eating endlessly? One day I accidentally found the best edge of all. I cast out my controller and as it went through the air, somehow a seagull got tangled in the line. I quickly brought it in but realised the taut line had somehow broken its neck. After a short period of grieving, I decided to use the poor dead bird to my advantage - at least then some good would have come from its death… Taking my Spomb rod, I passed the quick change clip around the gull, under its wings and then clipped it back on the line so it formed a kind of noose. I then cast it out as far as I could which was only about 30yds, but it was far enough. The limp, lifeless bird sat there on the surface and proved to be the very best seagull scarer I have ever seen! All the remaining flock either departed the scene completely or went 200yds up above, soaring on the thermals, refusing to come back down. It was a major victory.

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TOP

The very best of times

BOTTOM

Cool cocktails with an old mate

seagull earlier…’ I looked at him sideways and told him he really needed to stop smoking so much of the strong stuff! The floater fishing was, nonetheless, something that I stubbornly persevered with all summer. It was mindbendingly frustrating, but admittedly I am something of a piscatorial masochist. Eventually, right at the end of the summer, I’d finally get a reward and a pretty sensational one too, but more of that in another issue.

Now it was August and a cloak of hot, humid weather wrapped the country in a sweaty embrace. We’d been meaning to catch up with Steve and Helen down at Churchwood Fishery in Essex for a while and a weekend date had finally come around. We headed down and sipped cool cocktails while the kids all played in the moat that runs around the house. Steve had stocked it with an abundance of silvers, tench and suchlike, along with a few small carp too. There was a lovely old wooden bridge that spanned the lilies and together we sat there, float fishing under the hot sun. It really was wonderful and we were all able to get plenty of bites but neither Steve or I could hook a carp, despite the fact that there seemed to be one or two about. I’d taken River float fishing a couple of times before and he’d really enjoyed it. He sat with us and positioned the float where he thought looked good which was against the gentle advice of Steve and myself who thought it needed to be a bit further out. Anyway, it turned out that River knew better and as the float buried, an excited strike led to the whip folding over as the elastic surged out! A proper battle followed with the adults trying to advise and assist while this little fiveyear-old boy hung on to his straining pole! Eventually Steve was able to net it and we looked down on River’s first ever carp—it really was a wonderful moment.

The sultry weather was due to come to a welcome end a week later as intense deluges swept across the country, driven by stormy Atlantic air flows. On my return to Grendon for a two night session it was still oppressively hot, with the break in the weather not due until the following day. I’d found the fish and had them pinned down in an area they liked to visit when it was really hot. One angler was leaving which gave me an opportunity to get into the area and I decided to fish it from the next peg down, giving myself more room and more options. It was humid beyond belief and would be the hottest night I could ever remember. Thunder rumbled in the distance and even sitting still, sweat ran down my back and front, soaking my shirt completely. The horseflies were savage and I spent most of the afternoon battling them off me. Even at ten that night the temperature was still 23 degrees—it was like being in the Caribbean and I had to strip down to just my boxers, sitting dripping wet behind the mosquito screen. I’d found three really nice little spots, baited them accurately and felt quite confident. It certainly seemed that there were a few fish in the area and that was further confirmed as a wood pigeon took a low swoop down to my left, spooking a big fish that was just under the surface. Not surprisingly that night was immensely uncomfortable. I lay on top of the bag in just shorts all night and

“IT WAS HUMID BEYOND BELIEF AND WOULD BE THE HOTTEST NIGHT I COULD EVER REMEMBER. WITHOUT A MESH SCREEN IT WOULD HAVE BEEN 7 LEVELS OF HELL!” 0 2 7

A very old looking common

even at 5 a.m. it was still too hot to get in the bag. Without a mesh screen it would have been 7 levels of hell!

It was approaching mid-morning and I was on my fourth strong coffee of the day. I was wondering what my next move might have to be. I hadn’t seen anything and the last time I’d heard them—rolling in the deep—was at about 3 a.m. I was starting to fret—good weather was coming and I needed to be able to capitalise on it. Would I have to move? These thoughts and more went through my head as my mind churned over the potential outcomes. Then, totally unexpectedly the rod I’d placed in the margins, suddenly twanged up tight and lurched over! The fight was fairly unexciting, which suited me perfectly. When I peered into the net, I could see a very old looking common indeed. I weighed it at 31lbs and clicked off a few self-takes just as the first patter of rain began to fall. 10:11 a.m.

Heard several sloshing over near the middle rod. Such a buzz. Looks really good for something to happen. Everything is set perfectly.

This is one of the most cataclysmic downpours I have ever been out in! At times I can barely see the far bank, sixty-yards away! There is a river of water flowing under the bedchair. This is monumental—hail, lightning, thunder directly overhead, it’s like the end of the world!

06:36 a.m.

11:11 a.m.

Slept awful. So damned hot—never known anything like it. This swim is like a furnace—there is no air. No bites. It’s just gone a bit greyer, and thankfully a little cooler. They are saying heavy rain soon—it can’t come fast enough! Are the carp still here…?

Still hammering down! Never seen anything like this kind of intensity. Thunderstorm still sat directly overhead. Managed to see ten carp show in the area over the last hour, all close to the open water rods. They are still here and in good numbers too I think.

22:21 p.m.

The predicted summer storm… and boy did we know about it when it arrived!

“I LEFT WITH A COUPLE MORE FISH AND A CONTINUED MARCH TOWARDS WHAT I HOPED WOULD BE THE ULTIMATE PRIZE…” 0 2 7

Very gratefully received!

Throughout the following hour, the storm slowly drifted away. I was counting the seconds between lightning and thunder crash—slowly it had gone from being simultaneous, to five seconds, then ten. The sky stayed heavy and grey and slowly the humidity returned but thankfully, not with the blast furnace ferocity of the previous day. I redid the rods mid-afternoon, two of them going perfectly but with a patchy Spomb performance on the longer one which I was really berating myself over. The more I watched the more I saw—I was pretty sure that the majority of the stock was in the area and with another night ahead, I felt confident of nicking another. Having had zero sleep the first night, and with the slightly fresher weather, I dropped into a very deep sleep that night, not long after it had gotten dark. I heard a few more go over out in the darkness and then I was gone, into a dreamless, coma-like state. At a touch after 2 a.m., the same margin rod did the job and went from totally silent to the most savage take imaginable in about half a second! It was all done on autopilot; my stupefied mind in a complete state of discombobulation. Slowly my senses came back to life;

I was holding a rod which seemed to be very bent. It was dark, so dark that I couldn’t actually see anything, not even the sky. A light breeze and fine drizzle enveloped me, helping me to regain my senses and I managed to somehow eventually net a long looking mirror carp. Mirrors are a lot rarer than commons so the fish was very gratefully received indeed. It weighed 26lbs and I managed to get myself together enough to set the camera up for some self-takes amidst the light rain; it really was a lovely old fish. That was it for the rest of the session and I left with a couple more fish and a continued march towards what I hoped would be the ultimate prize. Things were very much clicking into place and the last time I’d blanked was now several months behind me. All I needed to do, I kept reminding myself, was to keep doing exactly what I was doing. The king of the lake, the monstrous common named Tyson, was still on the edge of my mind. I wasn’t focussed on him, not yet. All I wanted was to be able to continue to catch a few fish along the way and enjoy my angling; I was living amongst halcyon days and as I drove out of the gate, I prayed they would continue. ADAM PENNING

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TOM’S TOUR

Q LAKE, YORK

WO R DS BY TO M M A K E R PHOTOGRAPHY TOM GIBSON

BY TOM MAKER

Tom’s Tour… Q Lake, York Northern Exposure After his successful filming trip and debut for Pecky and Scott’s CarpFix TV, Tom Maker heads to Pool Bridge Farm in York, for a crack at the venue’s Q Lake…

After we last put pen to paper, I found myself sitting on the banks of Brasenose, having felt the Linear bug once again. After that first St Johns Lake haul, I seem to have been on a real roll with my angling, despite pretty much all of it being part of a commitment, be that

filming-based, or product- or photography-related. I’ve squeezed in sessions on Acton, Hunts Corner and Manor, but my travels this month take me north, not only to see the boys from the Sticky office, but for an opportunistic visit to the lovely Pool Bridge Farm in York,

and more specifically, Q Lake. Ahead of my trip, though, I was due to meet up with Tom Anderson for a spot of lunch, before Tom Gibson and I headed to the lake. It had been a long time since I’d seen Tom (A), and it was great to enjoy a bit of laughter as we caught up.

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TOM’S TOUR

Q LAKE, YORK

THE SESSI ON

After stuffing my face with a lovely burger, we made for Q Lake, around a 40-minute drive from where we were, and with a view of grabbing some supplies on the way. Weather-wise, it was looking good—even up north!—with low pressure, warm nights and southwesterly winds forecast—the timing couldn’t have been any better, to be honest! The odd heavy downpour saw me anticipate, and indeed dread a wet start to the session, the mother of all storms coming over as we made our way to Morrisons. Fortunately, though, this proved to be just a flurry, and we continued on to the lake. I had visited the lake once before, around a few months ago when we began this series during the days-only period. It hammered it down all day, we hardly saw a thing, and where the fish seemed to be showing, we couldn’t

TOP The very unique Q Lake BOTTOM A closer look at my chosen area

Venue Focus: Q Lake Dug in 2008 and was stocked with handpicked carp, this uniquely designed lake allows anglers to fish from the central island. As of spring 2020 there are at least 5 30s and over 100 20lb+ carp, with quite a few of these pushing the 30lb mark. Showering facilities are provided for those fishing the Q Lake, and there are pizza, Chinese and Indian takeaway services that deliver to the complex. All pegs must be pre-booked using the online booking system. poolbridge.co.uk

BY TOM MAKER

get near. I was keener than ever, then, to get my revenge on the venue after that abysmal first outing! It was absolutely freezing too—any more excuses?

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MAKER’S Q-LAKE MIX With a bait ban on anything but pellets and boilies, Tom wanted to make his the most attractive on the lakebed…

THE L AKE I T SEL F

After arriving at the farm, we drove straight down to the lake. The complex itself really is top drawer. It has only a few match or coarse lakes on site, along with the newly dug M Lake. As mentioned earlier, the one we’d be focusing our attention on this time around, however, was Q. The fishing on Q is pretty unique, and I believe I’m right in saying that the water is the first of its kind in terms of layout. A bridge takes you onto an island in the middle, and everyone fishes from there to their water in front. This not only benefits the angler by having his or her own slice of water, but the carp also have 360 degrees of movement around the lake without barriers. You’re not looking across the pond into someone else’s bivvy, or sharing the same water as someone else. Each peg has a clearly marked area that’s your water, and you do as you please with it; it really is a great set-up that Mike has created. The lake being a members’ water with a booking system, Mike had kindly allowed us to reserve several of the remaining pegs in the hope that we’d enjoy some success. As with all new lakes, our first point of call was the water’s edge, where we looked for signs of carp. It didn’t take long before several fish gave away their whereabouts on the end of the wind. They made it pretty clear from the off, that they were liking that particular area, and fortunately, we had booked the three remaining pegs at the same end. Fifteen minutes passed, with several more shows during that time, all spread around the bay in front. That was enough for us to take a steady stroll back to the van to grab the gear, ready for the afternoon and evening

1: Start by adding a few handfuls of 12mm Krill Active to a bait bucket. 2: Next, add a mixture of 4mm Bloodworm and The Krill pellets. 3: Finally, add a dose of L-Zero-30T and Pure Calanus Liquid. 4: The perfect mix, brimming with attraction whilst fishing a match-the-hatch Krill Active Wafter.

ahead. With the carp clearly around, I wasted no time in getting a rod flicked out to the area of activity, before I then set up camp for the evening. BE 1 1 0% H APPY…

By the time I’d got myself sorted, it was well into the afternoon, as I started searching for some decent areas for the rods. I’d been told that the venue is

pretty choked with weed, but its growth had been held back slightly this year after the introduction of Blue Dye. Finding the right spot to present on, would therefore be crucial. The far margins were where I started with the leading rod, and at first, my weight went down with a half-decent thud. It came back clean pretty much every time, but I could feel a slight re-

TOM’S TOUR

Q LAKE, YORK

sistance as I dragged it back towards me. Most might just feel the drop and be happy that a spot is presentable, but I couldn’t sit there with 100 per cent confidence, without also having a cast with the grappling lead. I was casting as tight as possible to the far margin, as this is the place where a lot of the anglers said the carp like to use as their patrol route around the lake. A few pull-backs with the grappling lead confirmed my suspicions, inasmuch as there were a few strands of weed still growing that could easily cause a problem if I were to cast a rig amongst them, and especially so if it grew vertically. It wouldn’t take much for a rig to get snagged, therefore hindering presentation. Whilst some might say that I thrashed it to pieces with the leading rod before I finally settled, everything needs to be perfect before I can present, and it doesn’t matter how many casts it takes—one rod presented effectively is far better than three which might not be! My left-hand rod was cast

tight to an overhanging willow— this was actually a spot from the peg next door, but with that free, I spread my rods more. The second was sent towards the reeds in front, and the third shorter, to a shallower bar which seemed to run through the middle of the lake. I had been told about a spot called Matt’s Pads, but I think I was in the wrong swim to fish it. The three rods had all been placed in areas of varying depth, just to hedge my bets. We’d planned on staying two nights if need be, but if we had a successful start, we’d also decided to wrap up the following day. Simple D -Rigs with Krill Wafters were cast to the spots, each accompanied by a decent hit of bait. With the carp clearly active, there was no reason why you wouldn’t give them some grub in an effort to hone in on the spots. A venue rule worth mentioning is that it’s a pellet/boilieonly water, so a little tip in these circumstances is to ramp up the attraction with liquids, but only

There were a few signs that they were around… BOTTOM LEFT I wasn’t 100% on the drop, so I put the grappling lead out there… RIGHT And I’m glad I did!

TOP LEFT

where it matters. As I was using Krill Active boilies, there was no need to coat, or pimp, shall we say, the baits themselves, as they’re already brimming with attraction; it’s a case of merely using some soluble liquids that give off plenty of smell. As the evening drew to a close, Mike, the owner, was fishing a few pegs further round, along with Tom who’d also flicked the rods out for the evening. The carp continued to show, but more towards Tom, who was to the right of me. The constant liners continued into dark, with all of us getting the occasional rise-and-drop on the bobbins. One I had, really pulled the rod around, but as the bobbin settled back down, I realised that it was just that, a liner, albeit a somewhat savage one. Mike later joined us in the swim, along with a member called Lee, and we sank a few beers as we watched the sun set before us. I turned in pretty early, as the travelling had caught up with me. It’s some slog to Pool Bridge from my house down south, so I was eager to catch up on some zeds, in the hope that the usual bite time of first light would arouse me before my alarm. I couldn’t believe how warm it was; the nighttime temperatures in the preceding weeks had been pretty low, but those we were experiencing were into double figures, and the carp were clearly very happy about that too.

Tom’s Top Tips From The Session Fish to what you see. I wasn’t going to set-up until I saw some signs, especially as it was a new lake 1. Take your time, investigate the area within an inch of its life and don’t leave it to chance, as it could cost you! 2. Go with what you’re confident in, i.e. rigs and bait that you know work. 3. There was a slight pressure to catch, but enjoy your fishing. This will make you far more relaxed, and you’ll end up fishing better as a result. 4. Take a trip up north sometime… it’s not that grim!

BY TOM MAKER

0 4 3

Spots found, it’s time to wrap up I used two presentations: 360s and D-Rigs with wafters 3. Simple D-Rigs with Krill Wafters 4. Bang on the money! 5. The traps were set 6. And now it was time to chill and just enjoy being out 7. The nighttime temperatures were lovely and high 8. The fish felt really odd—almost tench-like—and turned out to be a tiny common of around 4lb! 1.

INT O T H E ACT ION…

The night soon passed, and although the liners continued, no bites came my way. Just on first light, however, and as predicted by the other anglers, the action

began, as the rod underneath the small willow tree went off. Straight away the fish kited left, and it felt half-decent too. It’s only around eighty yards to the far margin, but when they kite as

TOM’S TOUR

Q LAKE, YORK

TOM’S Q LAKE TIMELINE 21

170 : 4: 0 5 0A . M .

BREWS LET IN BY MADE THE IN OWNER. THE OFFICE.

14:00

LEFT FOR MORRISONS.

13 11

15 0 :: 3 30 0 A.M.

BACK A ZIG IS TO THE VAN TO TIED ON GRAB THE GEAR. THE THIRD ROD IN CASE ANOTHER SHOWS AND THIRD ROD CAN COME INTO PLAY.

16:30

ROD WRAPPED TO FARMARGIN WILLOW.

17:15

BREWS ON, AND SITTING BACK TO SOAK UP THE EVENING.

170 : 4: 350A . M .

QUICK LET IN BY TOUR THE OF OWNER. THE FACTORY—JUST TO BE NOSEY!

14:30

ARRIVED AT MORRISONS TO PICK UP SUPPLIES.

14 12

15 0 :: 4 40 5 A.M.

FLICKED FISH SHOW OUT AMONGST SINGLE THE BIRDLIFE, TOWARDS SHOWING SCARING FISH. THE GULLS.

16:35

RIG CAST TO FAR MARGIN WITH FIVE LARGE SPOMBS OVER THE TOP.

17:22

CARP SHOWS OFF THE END OF THE SPIT BETWEEN TOM AND ME.

TURN IN FOR THE EVENING, HOPING THE CARP WILL PLAY BALL.

11:30

BAIT PICKED FOR THE SESSION AND PLACED IN THE VAN.

15 13

107

194: 4 : 405 A . M .

TAKE THE LEFT-HAND ROD.

18:15

MIKE AND LEE JOIN US IN THE SWIM. CIDER OPENED!

05:15

16:50

RIG SENT ONTO SPOT WITH ANOTHER FIVE SPOMBS OVER THE TOP.

18:00

TOM IN THE SWIM; CATCH UP WITH DIARY AND NOTES.

15 1 ::0 50 5 A.M.

LEADING FIRST BREW’S ROD MADE. SET-UP FOR FEATURE-FINDING IN FRONT FOR LEFT AND MIDDLE RODS.

16:40

LEADING ROD TO THE REEDS IN FRONT. SPOT FOUND CLOSE TO THE BANK, JUST BEFORE PULLING INTO WEED AGAIN.

195: 4 : 050A . M .

ARRIVED THE COOTS ATAND POOL GULLS ARE HOLDING BRIDGE FARM. OVER THE MAIN BODY OF WATER.

16 14

15 0 :: 4 55 0 A.M.

BIVVY AND SECOND SHOW, BED SO SET-UP THE THIRD TO MAKE ROD THINGS WITH A MORE ZIG IS CAST TO IT. COMFORTABLE.

181: :0405 A . M .

BOOKED TABLE BARROW STRAIGHT OUT OF THE FOR LUNCH. VAN AND ONTO THE FIRST FEW PEGS TO WATCH WATER.

LEFTFIRST THE MORRISONS. SHOW OF THE DAY! A CARP STICKS ITS HEAD OUT THIRTY YARDS OUT, AND WAY CLOSER THAN THE RODS.

20:10

SET OFF TO BARROW STRAIGHT STICKY OUT OF THE BAITS HQ. VAN AND ONTO THE FIRST FEW PEGS TO WATCH WATER.

D AY 1

Everything, as it happened at Pool Bridge Farm…

8 :40: 0 0 4 5A . M .

05:22

LANDED A DECENTSIZED MIRROR.

8 :63:0 0 3 0A . M .

CALLED NO SIGNS, ATSO COSTA CHOOSING DRIVE PEG 5 FOR THRU TO BEGIN A COFFEE. AS IT GIVES ME A GOOD VIEW OF THE LAKE.

182: 3 : 105 A . M .

NO LEFT SIGNS, STICKY SO HQ. CHOOSING PEG 5 TO BEGIN AS IT GIVES ME A GOOD VIEW OF THE LAKE.

118

15 0 :: 11 0 0 A.M.

STANDING THERE AREIN TWO PEGSUBTLE 6 SHOWSWALKING AFTER IN OPEN WATER ROUND TO THE THE LAKE. RIGHT.

15 17

16 1 ::110 5 A.M.

CHECKED THE ZIG RIG SPOTS IS FOR REPOSITIONED, THE WEED WITHFURTHER RIGHT AFTER GRAPPLING LEAD. POTENTIAL CARP SHOW.

22 21

17 2 : 0 0 P. M .

RIGHT-HAND MIDDLE ROD ROD IS SWITCHED TO A ZIG RIG. BROUGHT IN CLOSE AFTER FINDING BAR ON RETRIEVAL—A FEATURE WHICH COULDN’T BE IGNORED!

BACK TO BED, WITH FISH SECURE IN THE NET.

182: 4 : 455A . M .

CATCH-UP LEAD ABOUT WITH IN THE THE MAIN BODY TOMS OVER OF LUNCH. THE LAKE; DEEPER GULLY FOUND.

15:12

SAW CARP ROLLING PRETTY MUCH STRAIGHT AWAY.

16 18

16 1 ::1156 A . M .

FOUND STRANDS BAITED ROD AND OF RE-CAST INTO THE SILTY GULLY. CANADIAN—GOOD JOB AREA WAS CHECKED!

23 22

17 2:0 30 5 P. M .

RIGHT-HAND THE SUN’S WARMING ROD CAST UP. RE-CAST WITH ANOTHER MIDDLE FIVE ROD WITH SPOMBS OVER A RED IT. ZIG ALIGNA AFTER THE BAILIFF’S ADVICE.

19:30

CHEWING THE FAT WITH MIKE; CHATTING ABOUT THE LAKE AND THE VENUE.

05:25

8 :94: 5 0 4 5A . M .

ARRIVED LEAD ABOUT AT STICKY IN THEHQ. MAIN BODY OF THE LAKE; DEEPER GULLY FOUND.

18:30

CARP ROLLING TO MY RIGHT TOWARDS TOM— MAYBE I DISTURBED THEM TOO MUCH.

06:00

TOM WAKES ME UP.

D AY 2

this one was doing, they always feel better than they might actually be. Eventually, after a decent fight under the tip as it got ever closer, it rolled into the net. It looked like a twenty-pounder

at least… happy days! I secured it in the net ahead of full light. I knew Tom wouldn’t be long with the camera, as I’d already seen him about, catching some shots of the sunrise. I

slipped back into bed for another twenty minutes, before Tom duly arrived to see what I had. He’d also managed one on first light too, one of the older commons in the lake at 16lb 8oz, and

BY TOM MAKER

06:15

WEIGH AND PHOTOGRAPH FISH.

07:20

RODS BACK OUT ONTO THE SPOTS.

07:55

LEFT-HAND ROD AWAY AGAIN ON A SINGLE— CHANGED FROM MATCHTHE-HATCH BAIT TO MULBZ.

08:20

BREAKFAST EATEN; COFFEE DEMOLISHED!

1 9 : 5 0 P. M .

LITTLE FISH PICTURES. ANGLING TIMES COVER SHOT…?