Nash E-zine - July 2011 by Simon McCabe

WHat's New

PINL UTHES !MIX

KEITH JONES

‘GET ON THE SOLUBALLS!

July2011

E-ZINE

The word from the top

BACK ON

NASH BAIT AND LOVING IT! NIGEL SHARP

SQUID BLACK

eXCLUSIVE!

to Nash-E-Zine number six, the feed back we received concerning our last attempt at publishing are very own magazine has been generally very positive.

E-ZINE

Welcome

IN THE MIX

KEITH JONES S

peaking of which, it’s mid summer as I tap these words into my lap top, its early morning and I’m fishing one of my favourite swims, I’m sitting in a world of glowing orange and I’m watching strange spiralling columns of mist dancing along the reed line under the trees to my left. More importantly there’s signs of carp too, being out on the bank at this time of the year is a very special experience indeed. I normally try to avoid taking any kind of technology with me when I go fishing, a mobile phone and bite alarms is as far as it goes for me, but at the moment the pressures of work and fast looming magazine deadlines dictate that I must do so. Mind you a surprisingly cold night hasn’t done much for my battery life so I’ll very soon have a good excuse to switch off! Summer angling pressure seems to be taking its toll, most of the big target fish here have already been out, with many of the residence coming out more than once, so its getting to that time when you really have to work hard for a bite or try something different. Zig rigs at just the right depth and single hook baits lobbed at showing fish seem to be producing the only day time action at the moment, but even those captures are few and far between. Night time action is much more prolific so my plan is to bait my spots, sleep during the day and rest the swim of lines. This will I hope give the

carp a chance to visit my baited areas and have a good feed without bumping into and spooking themselves on my end tackle, which should in theory make them easier to catch. Then mid evening I’ll start fishing properly and stay awake all night and watch and listen for signs, good plan or what! I think many of us are experiencing a slow down in captures at the moment, but I can’t help noticing that most of our senior consultants are still catching well while many others struggle. I suppose I should say that being Nash consultants and having access to the very best tackle and bait available gives them the edge and to a certain degree that is true. But to be honest good angling is also a major factor. Many of the team have contributed something to this months E-Zine and it all makes very interesting reading and will I’m sure help us all put some bonus carp on the bank.

IN THE MIX - KEITH JONES - CONTINUED

GET ON THE SOLUBALLS!

PROBLEMS WITH OTTERS

Soluballs have revolutionised my fishing, I’ve always been a big fan of ground baits, bag fillings, method mixes, chopped boilie particle mixes etc but the trouble is this often involves carrying too much clutter. But a bucket of Soluballs is easy to transport and provides so many options for the thinking angler. The new Chain Reaction has taken the concept to new levels but to get the best from these products you need to use both rather than one or the other.

Otters have been a major problem on several of the waters I’ve so far fished this year. What can you say about otters? They are lovely creatures and make nice hats so I’m told but as far as carp fishing is concerned they are a nightmare. A good number of special fish have been either killed or badly damaged by otters in recent months, I’m sure at some point a workable solution will be found but for the time being all we can do is sit and watch the heritage of our wonderful pastime disappear down the toilet!

Mixing different flavour Soluballs is particularly effective, there’s also one or two very special additives in the Nash Bait range that will give them a further boost. Crustacean Extract and Amino Liver are the two that have impressed me. Just tip the liquids into two buckets, add some Soluballs and swirl them around. Once the liquid is absorbed, mix the Soluballs together and they are ready to go. The way carp react to them is amazing - you really must give this a try!

Apart from the absolute carnage they cause, In my experience when otters are regularly visiting a fishery, they also seem to make the carp very difficult to catch. I suppose its safety in numbers but the fish seem to instinctively want to shoal up in large groups and are reluctant to move around or feed, this is particularly so at night. Thankfully this lake has an otter proof fence but on many fisheries, due to their size or problems with rights of way and other issues such as the prohibitive cost, its just not a viable option. Sorry to end on such a negative note, but my computer tells me I’ve got five minutes battery time left so its time to switch off, that’s a shame, well that’s it from me, think positive vibes, read on and enjoy!

Carp-Talk is the leading news magazine in the world of carp fishing. Created and run by a team of addicted carp anglers, Carp-Talk has been responsible for world exclusives on all the legendary captures including Terry Hearn with Mary at a British record weight in 1996, Christian Baldemann’s 82lb 3oz world record mirror from Lake Raduta in 1998, and in more recent times, weekly updates on all the happenings in the British Carp Angling Championships and World Carp Cups.

www.carptalk-online.co.uk

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The word

Kevin Nash Isn’t life wonderful? Life couldn’t be better. The proper fishing time is here; I’ve been enjoying some of the best carp fishing I’ve ever had and so have my mates.

d from the top It

just seems that everyone around me is really having it off at the moment, and that’s in no small part, I guess, due to Monster Squid and Chain Reaction. We’re on a roll and with that comes confidence. It’s the same at Nash HQ; everyone’s buzzing. There’s so much great work coming out from the team and it makes me proud to be a part of it. Great gear is going out of the door in bundles, while new ideas are flowing in at a rate of knots. Everyone’s on a creativity mind-warp; just check out the latest bit I’ve seen to go up on Nash TV, on the Cling-on putty. Incidentally, if any of you guys haven’t got ‘stuck’ into Clingon, you have it from me personally, that I recommend you do. It’s the best putty I’ve ever used, by a country mile and the piece on Nash TV

is wicked: it really is funny. Like I said, I’m having a great time at the moment and I trust all you guys and girls are, too. Get out there hauling with a smile! PS: Much of my success is also down to the Sirens. I’m not going to say too much at the moment until I am clear of my facts and methods, but I’m really excited about what I’m finding out. I’ve been struggling carp-wise for a couple of years and now, totally believe that carp have the upper hand on us rig-wise. In fact, I’m in the same place that I was in the early 90s, when I developed the blow out rig. My tip is to start assuming that nine out of ten carp are doing you – and treat single or double bleeps as hookedup carp, rather than line bites. If you’re using Sirens, with their unique bite detection system, you can forget about false indication from wind etc, and get your

Life at nas Alan Blair

Another unbelievably mental couple of months I’m not complaining though, things are

great; in fact and its so exciting being part of a rapidly growing organisation where we all work towards the one thing we love – CARP FISHING.

Alan Bla ir

Due to my stupidly hectic workload I’m already four weeks late with getting this piece to the design studio so I thought to speed things up and alter the layout a little I would compile my section of this issues Life At Nash with mainly pictures and a few accompanying words.

Finished off my last life at Nash piece

as I was heading off to the river Ouse for the final day of the season. Managed to catch Chub up to 5lb 12oz whilst experimenting with some new flavours that Bayesy put me on – caught a shed load of fish and definitely put it down to the correct levels of these three special additives. Bayesy stressed that they are not just great for chub and barbel but for all species. I’ve since tried them out on a number of different types of waters and they really are an exceptional addition to seriously enhance any bait!

Went to Austria to support the Carp

Centre shop at a large show that has indoor and outdoor areas! In my opinion it’s the best show in Europe and as always the lads and myself were welcomed with open arms. Enough fish were caught (including some absolute sea creatures!!) and a lot was learnt by all – cant wait till next year.

Filmed an Urban Banx piece

on a local park lake – caught four carp, didn’t get too much bother from ‘park life’ that comes out at night and overall had a good day with our top camera man Winston.

Every year we apply a product called

Siltex to the lakes that seriously enhances the environment of an aquatic ecosystem. This in turn makes a happier and healthier life for the precious carp that reside here. Here are a couple of the lads that got involved – everyday is a different one at Nash!!

With Spring well and truly underway

I decided to have a spring clean of all my tackle to get ready for the summer months ahead. One of the big jobs was realigning my tackle box and adding all the bits in that I hadn’t required during the colder spells of winter – preparation and organisation makes life on the bank so much easier.

Went on holiday to Gran Canaria

with my girlfriend and was looked after by Costa Del Carping – EPIC time and an amazing country – completely overlooked by carp anglers wanting a holiday abroad but I could not recommend it enough – check it out!

Life at nas Continued

Whilst fishing at

Extreme ranges in Gran Canaria (250 meters plus) I was once again reassured how bloody good the Siren Bite Alarms are regarding their sensitivity. When I fished the alarms on maximum sensitivity at that sort of range (using mono) – every single bleep I had was a pick up!!

Started my early season

Tench campaign that included the ever-faithful Sweet corn Extract. Fish love corn and believe me, they love it even more when you give it a good coating of this gear.

First night on my new

syndicate water and I nailed a couple of scrapper 20’s on the Zig – foam hookbaits cut to imitate bugs and glugged in some Crustacean extract did the job.

We have a young

lad called Mikee who works in our warehouse â&#x20AC;&#x201C; he has only been properly carp fishing for the last couple of years. His passion and dedication is second to none and his desire to learn everything carpy is just amazing. He has been through the highs and lows and after a dedicated baiting campaign using the Monster Squid Soluballs he finally bagged the biggest fish in the lake and his first 40!! Top Angling.

The Rig of the moment.

Blow back set-up on a Twister with a critically balanced hookbait and two Chain Reactions. Try not getting hooked up on that Mr carp!

I had a session

at an Oxfordshire gravel pit and had it off catching 4 carp including a lake record of 37lb 14oz. Double 15mm bottom baits that were critically balanced and a serious amount of boilies, Soluballs, hemp and maggots over each rod.

Life at nas Continued

The floater weather

is finally here and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s without a doubt my chosen tactic for hauling at this time of the year. You canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t beat spodding out oiled up floaters, a big slick on the surface and a bolt machine on the spot to nail them every time.

I had a repeat capture

of a fish I caught 12 months ago. OTTERS!!!!!!!! Check out the damaged tail. They are becoming a MASSIVE problem and I urge you all to support organisations like the Predation Group so we can try to stamp these VERY worrying issue out.

Did an overnighter on

the famous St Ives lagoon for the Bream. Paul Garner invited me along for a session and although we blanked I loved it as I struggled to sleep due to the thoughts of possibly hooking the ‘Lady’ on a bream set-up!

Fished the opening of the river season

it’s always the same, the anticipation and excitement of getting your rods out at midnight. I surprised myself and in 6 and a half hours had 7 carp to just under 17lb – Result!

Was supposed to be

going Sea Fishing with our Design Studio but the boat was cancelled due to really bad weather. Not letting the weather get in our way we still decided to go and spent the day on Walton on Naze Pier. Had a wicked time and managed to catch myself 3 Bass, 2 Pouting and a Dogfish – all on the Twisteroonies – the hook you can literally use and take anywhere!

Life at nash the end

Went along to the junior Carp Society

Fish-in and spend my time with the young lads trying to assist them with catching some fish off the top. There was Bolt Machines flying everywhere and I went though a serious amount of floating pellets and mixers – most caught PBs and both they and I went away very happy from spending time with each other at Horseshoe.

Another new member to the team

James Thorn with his first ever carp. James has been appointed to assist with the management of design and innovation specialising in technical drawing and engineering – another member of the team who brings allot to the party so watch this space some mega products in the near future.

There you have it guys and girls – a quick insight into what I’ve been up too while trying to juggle family life, working at Nash and still getting the rods out. Everyone will have varying degrees of commitment to certain things in life and as the old saying goes – it’s all about balance. Sometimes I do struggle with the right balance and sometimes I burn the candle a little too much at one end but I always try and stay focussed - weather that’s ensuring I get fishing at least once a week, make the effort to keep the bait going in or just spend time visiting waters to keep in tune with the changes of the season and the behaviour of the fish. Anyway, its nearly the end of June and Nash are on target for a serious record month regarding sales – that means all hands on deck and rolling my sleeves up and getting involved.

Get out there and make it happen (and don’t forget the floaters)

Alan Blair

IN S TOC KN OW

Make it happen

www.n a s h t a c k l e . c o . u k www.n a s h t v. c o . u k

Nick Maddix

Well I left off my last Life at Nash piece making plans to catch the biggun from my syndicate before my

ticket ran out in May, unfortunately those plans didn’t turn out as I’d wished so it was back to the drawing board and had to renew. Since getting the new ticket I haven’t been over that much to be honest, more tickets have been sold this year so it’s been really busy compared to last, I much preferred it when it was nice and quite and you could get a few spots going but....it’s not looking like that’s going to work this year so I need to think of a plan to maximise the chance of a bite on short overnighters.

Nick Maddix

Work has been absolutely manic lately so finding time to get over to the syndicate has been a major issue. The magazines are now in full flow as the sun is shining and everybody’s out on the bank fishing, so, I’m kept busy sorting out magazine competitions, adverts , reviews etc as well as all the other daily duties of working at Nash. Loads of product is coming through after some intensive development and testing, the new Cling On putty along with a few items of the clothing range are my ‘must haves’ at the minute. Just around the corner are the new and long awaited Nash Rods, Terry Edmonds has been developing these rods for what must be the best part of 2 years now and we now have a product we’re really happy with.

Performance wise they’re as good if not better than anything else out there and the look of the rods is really tidy – something I know tackle tarts will appreciate (I’m a tart too!) I’ve been using the sample rods for a while now for my fishing and just love every aspect of them, they’re a casting tool when you need them to be but in true Nashy style, he wouldn’t compromise the fish playing action which is equally as impressive.As I mentioned

earlier my syndicate fishing has taken a back seat a bit, since the start of the river season I’ve been spending weekends back home fishing the River Ouse and I’ve got to say it’s been epic!! I’d fished the stretch a fair few times when I was younger, before I moved to Essex, caught a few mid – upper doubles so first target of this years campaign was a river twenty pounder. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the 2 weekends I’ve done, getting out on the boat, having a good look round for spots, getting some bait in without worrying if anyone will be fishing the spots and just generally enjoying my fishing more than I was on the syndicate. To top off what’s been really good fun I’ve managed 4 fish over 2 weekends, 3 of which have been in the 21-22lb bracket so the river twenty target has been achieved a little earlier than I thought. I know of some decent fish in that stretch so I will be putting in plenty of time throughout the summer ready to hit the syndicate again come Autumn, hopefully my next ‘Life at Nash’ update will include one or if I’m really lucky two or maybe even more of these river monsters that are well and truly on my mind.

Until then – best of luck with your fishing.

I’ve been fishing the River Ouse and I’ve got to say it’s been epic!!

Tom Forman

Life at Nash has been as hectic as always over the last few months The fishery Road

Show season is well and truly upon us which has taken up a lot of time and preparation for all of us in the office.

We kicked off at Todber Manor. A cracking venue for a fishery Road Show and a very successful weekend. The weather was extremely warm for April and not only did we manage to put on a great show, I also managed to sneak a fish out for myself as well as losing one from the Little Hayes lake on the complex. Although only a low double I was more than happy with this catch as it came on a 5ft zig when the rest of the lake was quiet. We then moved on to the specimen lake where the show was taking place and managed some lovely fish for the crowds, with Jamie londors taking centre stage and doing what he does best. I continued my good form that night with a lovely 26lb ghost common caught no more than a foot from the bank. I was on a west country roll!

Tom Forman

I was also lucky enough to be invited out to the Carp Austria show In

April which was a great experience. Not only did we get to spend the weekend

managed to catch so stunning carp as wel a few crazy Sturgeon to 56lb

ome ll as n up

the most beautiful of surroundings, we also managed to catch some stunning carp as well as a few crazy Sturgeon up to 56lb which was a new experience for me. It also made great entertainment, as you can see from the photo there was always a large crowd of people watching which didn’t help when we had 50lb+ of sturgeon wiping out our lines one by one as they bulldozed their way through the swim. All we could do was laugh……. And hold on !!! One of the major subjects of conversation this month has most definitely been the latest Nash TV production for the Cling On Tungsten Putty. I was luckily enough to be on set that day helping out Winston and Rich. Again a great experience, slightly scary at times as it’s fair to say Alex is one crazy guy and there was a few moments when it got a bit ‘hairy’ However as well as being crazy he is also a professional guy and extremely talented and I think the final production of the advert proves this, 8,000 hits in only a few weeks can’t be bad either. There is so much I could talk about this month however there just isn’t the room, so the rest will have to wait for next time. There’s plenty more fishery

Road Shows coming up and I’m hoping to be involved with as many of them as possible. We love meeting our valued customers and fellow anglers so if any of you guys are planning on coming to one of the events, we’ll look forward to saying hello.

Good luck with your fishing.

Gary Bayes

BAIT TALK

NASH BAIT GURU GARY BAYES TALKS BAITS AND TACTICS I get asked about winter baits all the time from mid August onwards but no one ever asks about summer baits and yet on some waters the high summer can be very tricky, I know at Fen, Conningbrook and a lot of other waters

there are less fish caught in the high summer than there are in spring or autumn. To me this is the time when it’s imperative to watch the lake really hard and be prepared to change things, not just the baits and rigs but totally re-think everything. I nipped down my lakes the other afternoon to meet a potential new syndicate member, I couldn’t meet him in the evening because we work two late nights a week at the bait factory and that day was one of them. I don’t usually go down there in the afternoons so I rarely see what the fish are up to at that time of day.

First I had a look around the stock pond and found fish on the shallower side of the pond, half hearted feeding in the marginal weed beds, where I never put feed in so they must have been on the naturals. There was no evidence of feeding on the normally fed areas and in fact the lake was quite clear so they hadn’t been turning it over like they usually do. I chucked them some bait, mostly broken boilies, rejects, pellet, dry wheat and some ground bait, all mixed up, in the normal feeding areas and also into the types of weed they were feeding in and left them to it. Less than an hour later they were ripping

the weed beds up, colouring the water up and having a right feed up in the weed. In the normal feeding areas there was no activity at all. Now if that was a fishing situation and the normal baited area was a swim that had been baited, the angler would have been sitting there waiting for the night time “when they start feeding” and missed out on an opportunity to catch in the mid afternoon. Next I had a little chat with some anglers on the day ticket lake who hadn’t had much at all fishing mostly in the deeper areas on bottom baits. One angler was in the shallows and although he had had a couple of fish there was a lot in there and he should have had more. After just watching the water for a few minutes in my opinion and from what I saw he wasn’t fishing the right areas, he had all his rods fishing to the left, against the obvious features but there was a lot of activity to his right. He swung a rod round,

‘

most productive baits were the Squidgee match fishing type baits from the Fish Frenzy range

Gary Bayes

Bait Talk Continued

fishing to a slightly weedier area and had five quick fish on it, the first before I even got back to work, catching nothing on the left hand areas. The anglers in the larger open water changed tactics to zigs and on their bottom bait rods much smaller baits and also had a few fish later on. Their bigger baits were just not working. Their most productive baits were the Squidgee match fishing type baits from the Fish Frenzy range that we produce which is typical with my fish and fish all over the country in the summer. They will often pick up a small offering rather than a bigger bait, especially on the days when they are being picky. Some of the fish they caught were on zebra mussels. The angler in the shallows had caught a swan mussel festooned with zebras and already had one fish on zebra mussel meat, now that’s good angling. Over on the syndicate lake there was only one angler who had just moved to a shallow area after seeing some fish. I saw a few signs whilst talking to him as well, all in shallow water. I’m not sure if he caught or not but to be on the fish is the most important thing in fishing but even when you’re on them they can still be tricky and the more traditional methods used in spring and autumn will not always work. Last season on both my lakes fishing on or near to the bottom, small hook baits out fished larger hook baits in the high summer. I’m sure there is a lot of reasons, most of which we’ll never fathom. If they are finding lots of small natural food items they might be zeroed into eating only small things. I think that’s why maggots, method mixes, stick mixes, spod mixes, Soluballs and Chain Reaction work so well, they emulate small more natural food items but are tastier.

Small 10mm pop ups and bottom bait hook baits and naturals such as maggots will catch the fish easier, they are all small. I’m going to keep my eye out for zebra mussels to use and have just put some of our Fish Frenzy Squidgees in my bait bucket, they are absolutely pucker as hook baits and I’ve heard of loads of good fish caught on them lately. When you find the fish in the shallow water, looking like they might be feeding they will be on small food items, it makes sense to tackle them with small baits.

BAIT TALK

Gary Bayes

Surface fishing is at its best this time of year as well. Mixers straight from the bag are OK but flavoured will mostly catch more

Surface fishing is at its best this time of year as well. Mixers straight from the bag are OK but flavoured will mostly catch more and if the wild life is being a nuisance you’re better off with the smallest free offerings you can lay your hands on. It’s really a mirror image of what happens on the bottom. I’ve had them so preoccupied on small floating free offerings they left the mixer size baits alone. To get takes I had to trim 10mm pop ups down and use tiny hooks which isn’t ideal in the summer weed but our little size 10 Fang Uni is a very strong hook, we kept the wire on the heavier side when we designed them. They are excellent Zig and floater hooks where a little finesse is required and you get really good hook holds with short hairs coming off the back of the shank as near the eye as possible. Either with a Palomar knot by pushing the waste through the eye and holding the knot and hair in place with a tiny piece of silicone tube (Its worth remembering that for fluorocarbon hook links, knotless knots reduce the strength of the material by about 30%) or with a knotless knot used with mono with the hair trapped between the first or second turn of the knotless knot.

That’s it for now good luck and keep thinking

WATSON’S

I’m not having a go at the commercial side of carp fishing because it is inevitable ‘progress’ but I feel that people who just fish these venues are missing out on so much, especially learning watercraft. Catching carp is one thing but knowing exactly why you caught and being able to repeat that success time and time again is another. As I write I’m sat in my shelter at the side of 180 acres of water and I arrived in my swim before the fish did.

Catching carp is one thing but knowing exactly why you caught and being able to repeat that success time and time again is another

WATSON’S

ANGLE I had an interesting chat with Keith Jones the other day and amongst the subjects we chewed over were the ever increasing commercial nature of carp fishing and the lack of watercraft needed because of it. It seems that more and more waters are popping up where you can literally buy a pb. Success in carp fishing has long been measured in pounds and ounces but that has now become blurred. I think success should be measured by an angler’s consistency and not just one capture of a notable fish. I’m not having a go at the commercial side of carp fishing because it is inevitable ‘progress’ but I feel that people who just fish these venues are missing out on so much, especially learning watercraft. Catching carp is one thing but knowing exactly why you caught and being able to repeat that success time and time again is another. As I write I’m sat in my shelter at the side of 180 acres of water and I arrived in my swim before the fish did. By

keeping a close eye on the weather (via the met office iphone app) I had a good idea where the carp would turn up and as a result I could be in situ with traps already set. The air pressure was forecast to rise, as were the temperatures with only a light NW wind. The swim I’m in covers a large area of shallow water and the NW wind pushes into it nicely. So far I’ve had two chances, losing one in weed and landing a nice plump double figure mirror. Not a monster but very personally satisfying knowing that on this occasion I got it right. It may be surprising to some to hear that so far this year I’ve been doing my fishing on a local (ish) water where the biggest fish is only just over 30lb rather than chasing whackers. The reason for that is simple. It’s fun! That is after all, the whole point of going fishing. Getting a bend in the rod and fishing with mates has been enjoyable, not to mention saving a small fortune on fuel. It has also given me an opportunity to experiment with rigs which is something I wont do when on hard, big fish waters. Out of the rigs I’ve tried I’ve found my old favourites to work the best which just reassures my confidence in them. For bottom and balanced baits I’ll continue using either a blowback rig tied with a Nash Fang X or a simple line aligner tied on a Fang Twister. For pop-ups I use my own variation of the multi rig which also features a Fang Twister. The only thing I do differently is to peel back the coating of the Missing Link so I have a supple loop. A small piece of shrink tube over the eye of the hook locks everything in place and the pop-up is balanced by some of the new Cling On putty, I don’t know if you’ve tried it yet but as far as rig putty goes this stuff is as good as it gets! Fishing such a big water is a stiff test of any ones watercraft and inevitably I suppose I have got it wrong a couple of times. I get 48 hours a week to fish and I have fished as many as five swims during that time. Two nights is not long enough for ‘bait and wait’ tactics so if I’m not on fish I’ll move. Moving swims is something that can make or break a session so some serious thought is needed before it is done. If I’m catching then I’m happy to stay put but if things are not happening I

soon get restless. There’s a good head of fish in my big pit so I’ve been giving my first swim up to 24 hours to produce before deciding to move. If nothing is showing then I look for other things happening on the water. The wind is an obvious factor to take into consideration but will often have figured highly in my original swim choice. If the wind has been in the same direction for a few days or is not that strong then I have no qualms in fishing on the back of it or away from the end of it. I take notice of what the birds are doing, especially the seagulls. If a big hatch is going off somewhere then it isn’t uncommon to see hundreds of them darting around and dipping down to the waters surface to feed. It’s highly likely that the carp will also be in the area taking advantage of the free food. Being friendly and chatting with other anglers is always a good way of getting a better idea of what is going on around a big pit but to get some

bit recently as well. When I can’t find any fish then I’ll plot up in a likely spot and cast singles or stringers out for a few hours to see if any carp are lurking out of sight. This is a good way to locate fish and often produces a bonus capture. If nothing occurs then I’ll move on. info it’s polite to give a bit back in return. There are always some people who you can trust and some who you can’t so it’s a matter of figuring out who the genuine folk are. And don’t forget to take your own mug when you’re visiting others swim because some anglers guest mugs have their own ecosystem and may be hazardous to your health! Fishing for liners is something I’ve been doing

If all that fails to give me any clues then I do have a plan B. That is to drop in one of a couple of swims that are midway up the lake which the carp use regularly to travel through. Even when the lake isn’t fishing too well these areas are always worth a bite or two. A lot of water can be seen from them too so should things kick off elsewhere then I can move accordingly. With the weather warming I’ve been adapting my kit for a more mobile approach. For the time being the Titan has taken a back seat to the Brolly Dome which is lightweight and strong. It has the added bonus of being supplied with a mozzie mesh front as the little sods seem to be getting worse and worse each year. My old rod holdall has also fallen to bits after 8 years hard service so I’ve replaced it with a Nash Rod Hod. What a cracking piece of kit that is and I wish I’d sooner. It takes rods made up, I’llgot letone you know howsixit’s

goingnext time - enjoy the

summer!

Rig TALK with Richard Ballard

Good products always seem to stand the test of time, when first released, the Diffusion Camo concept took stealth and concealment to previously unobtainable levels.

Since

then, the range has grown and so has its popularity; more and more anglers are realizing just how effective Diffusion Camo really is. For some anglers who have previously used other brands, just having rig components that actually work as intended is a major bonus. Safety Bolt beads that provide reliable hooking but release the lead at that crucial time, ‘proper’ running lead systems that create ultra sensitive bite indication and fast user friendly lead removal provided by the ‘Safety Pinz’ system are typical examples. Add to that the fact that carp genuinely find Diffusion end tackle set-ups virtually impossible to detect and you can start to see why Nash TT provides a real edge for the thinking angler.

Rig TALK

continues on the next page

Here’s a few key points relating to Diffusion Camo Light and colour reactive Diffusion Camo leaders tubing and rig components are self-camouflaging and provide previously unobtainable levels of stealth and concealment. Although conventional solid colour components can be ‘colour matched’ in the margins, when casting further out, lakebed conditions will be measurably different, Diffusion Camo takes the doubt out of the equation ‘One for all’ There’s no longer any need for a tackle box loaded with a myriad of different coloured components Self-camouflaging Diffusion Camo components blend and melt away against any lakebed colours, shades and conditions When fishing for pressured rig shy carp or an elusive monster, Diffusion technology will give you an edge

Rig TALK with Richard Ballard 30

Fast sinking Diffusion leaders absorb lake water and quickly mould themselves to any lakebed contours making them undetectable to carp. They are manufactured using ‘Polyfuse’ technology Our texture coated leads complement Diffusion end tackle perfectly, they have been designed to trap silt and other water born particles creating a unique self camouflaging effect that blends against all lake bed colours and shades. Diffusion technology has been applied to the coating on the Missing Link. ‘Silt’, ‘New Weed Growth’ and ‘Gravel’ inner core options allow the complete end tackle set up to blend against any lake bed conditions Diffusion end tackle will catch you more carp and bigger ones too, that’s a proven fact

WHat's New Cling-On Rig Putty

Longer Diffusion Leaders

Diffusion Rig Tube

This really is the stickiest rig putty that I’ve ever come across, available in three very effective Camo colours, its perfect for pinning down hook links and balancing pop ups and buoyant hook baits. Actually it’s so sticky you can even smear tiny amounts onto a hook to fine tune the turning effect or the mechanics of the rig. Once you’ve tried the Cling-On, you won’t want to use any other kind of putty again, it really is that good. For a quick product demo (and a bit of a giggle too!), why not check out our product demo for cling-on at www. nashtv.co.uk

The longer 1.5 meter Diffusion Leaders have, for a while, been proving very popular with our consultants and field testers. The longer length increases the field of ‘No Spook’ so if you are fishing for pressured summer carp that may be viewing your baited traps with suspicion, the longer leaders really make a difference. The added benefit of huge abrasion resistance makes the 1.5meter leaders a ‘must have’ for snags and weedy situations. They might even help you bank that special fish.

Although not a new product, with more and more fisheries introducing leader bans, this stuff really is worth a second look. If you haven’t used rig tubing for a while you’ll be pleased to know that Diffusion Rig Tube is very different to what you may have used in the past. This super stealthy tube sinks very well, is ultra supple and is extremely hard to spot on the lakebed. Also when the tubing is wet, it takes on a super silky weed like feel. In certain conditions such as when fishing in thick weed, the increasing popularity of the ‘naked’ approach can cause damage or scale lift to the fish. If you have any doubts or worries regarding the fish friendly nature of your main line, Nash Diffusion Rig tube can be used with complete confidence.

CARP CATCHERS

CARP CATCHERS DIARIES

DIARIES

Well here we are again with another carp catcher’s diary and what a difference a couple of months makes weather wise. Let me tell you a little bit about what I’ve been up to since the last time. I saw the end of the season out on the Car Park lake but unfortunately none of the big three fish graced the banks and the season ended all very quietly. I then turned my attentions back to Football Lake but on the 24th of April the big mirror that resides in the lake was caught at a weight of 47lb 10oz so I decided to pull off for a few weeks but continue to bait my spots on a weekly basis. I decided to have a dabble on the Norfolk water, Lenwade in an attempt to catch the biggie in there. I did a total of 12 nights on there and managed a couple of fish, a 22lb common and a 20lb 14oz mirror but the lake was always so busy and if I’m honest after the quiet of the Football

“only an 18lb mirror but what a stunner it was”

Lake it was a bit much for me. I decided to return back to Football but then I was informed that the biggie had been

out once again. It was very unusual for this fish to grace the bank again so soon and I had a feeling that this may be it’s last time on the bank until autumn now so made the decision to pull off until then. I had obtained a ticket for a big pit a few weeks earlier so opted to go up on that for a few sessions until the Road Lake opened. I’ve done a total of ten nights on the pit now and had one fish, only an 18lb mirror but what a stunner it was. The Road Lake opened its door on the 31st of May for the pre start BBQ then that evening we got the rods out. There was just one fish out in the opening 48hrs, the linear at over 42lb . When I left you last I outlined my plans for the year ahead, well that’s changed a bit now as I’m loving it on the big pit. I intend to continue doing a 48hr session on the Road Lake each week but then going to fish the big pit for the balance of the week for a while to see if I can snare one of the bigger unknowns that could be in there. I have also got my full Dinton Pastures White Swan ticket this year and on June 16th I’ve done the starting 72hrs. I may drop in there from time to time but will probably use the ticket more towards the winter.

Well that’s about it once again from me, I’ll catch up with you again next time

SEAN

LEVERETT Well here we are again with another carp catcher’s diary...

SEIRAID SREHCTAC

PRAC 33

JACK

BROWN

WOW! Where do I start? The last few months have been mad to say the least,

CARP CATCHERS DIARIES

WOW! Where do I start? The last few months have been mad to say the least, in terms of fishing and everything else Nash related. I’m not complaining one bit though, as I’m enjoying every minute of this awesome experience.

Starting off as a junior field tester then progressing to a consultant, I couldn’t believe it when Kevin and Alan sat me down to discuss the possibility of becoming the first Nash Carp Apprentice. Of course, I jumped at the idea and was more than happy with signing up. The guys at Nash are a brilliant bunch, enthusiastic and hardworking is an understatement. It is a real privilege to have them helping and mentoring me, along with Alan and Kevin, two great angling minds. The start of the year saw me attending the majority of the major winter carp shows, Sandown, Brentwood, Five Lakes and the Big One, to name a few. A fantastic time was had with the lads, meeting an array of people from the angling world. The launch of the new Nash DVD, ‘Tackle Revolution’ that I feature in was also something to look forward to at the shows. The finished piece was brilliant. Nash Tackle’s cameraman, Winston, and the team did a fantastic job. Hats off! Fishing-wise, the majority of the winter I fished down a local club water, mainly doing day sessions trying to winkle out a few of the lake’s old carpy residents. The pit isn’t the easiest of waters with a low stock of fish in a fairly large chunk of water; location is everything. With a

constant flow of bait being trickled into a couple of areas, you can persuade the fish to feed even in the coldest of conditions. I really enjoyed the winter day sessions, getting up at the crack of dawn to a cold morning frost, and not only that, but the fishing was first class, with me catching quite a few to upper 20s. The lake’s old residents looked great in their winter glory, some of the fish were nearly twice my age! Spring was soon in the air and with a ticket coming through the door for an Oxfordshire syndicate water, my plan was to fish here from the off. Notoriously pressured, the lake can be tricky at times, but with a good stock of big fish, there’s always the chance of a bite.

The plan of attack for early spring was to concentrate on fishing zig rigs, a method that can be devastating if you get it right. How high you fish the zigs is the most important factor. Once you’ve found them at the correct depth, multiple takes can be had, with one session for example catching five fish, including two commons of 23lb 8oz, 37lb 2oz and three mirrors of 25lb 8oz, 29lb 3oz and 37lb 2oz! These were all on 13ft zigs in 14ft of water!

Crazy. As the weather warmed up, it was now time to start giving them some grub so I started baiting with my ever-faithful Monster Squid and fished with hinged stiff rigs. Baiting up was difficult as the lake was so pressured. All I could do was bait while I was fishing, making it harder to get a bait going. So, instead of piling the bait in and sitting on it, I tried the ‘little and often’ approach, fishing for a bite, presenting singles on hinged stiff rigs on or just off the main spots that receive loads of bait from other anglers. When I received a take I’d then bait up with a little amount of washed out freebies. This seemed to work well and allowed me to catch fairly consistently, including some lovely scaly carp up to mid-30s.

“The lake’s old residents looked great in their winter glory, some of the fish were nearly twice my age!”

PRAC

I’m now back chasing those scaly chunks on the Oxfordshire pit, I’ll keep you posted on my fishing antics in the next issue of EZine, until then… be lucky!

SEIRAID SREHCTAC

It’s now the Nash Road Show season, a great way of learning first hand with some of the best carp anglers around. I fished alongside Steve Falco at the Birds Green Fishery show in Essex, we managed to bank quite a few fish, mainly on bright baits and bags in the near margin. The Linear complex show was another good one. Be sure to come along and visit the Road Shows, they are based at fisheries all over the country. It really is a good day out. Check the Nash website for dates and details. I’d love to meet you and have a chat.

IAIN

MACMILLAN

CARP CATCHERS DIARIES

Well I suppose it’s a tail of two halves for this month!!

Well I suppose it’s a tail of two halves for this month!! I was looking at my diary for the spring this year, and it became very apparent I was going to be angling for some proper big old fish. There was my re-acquaintance with the Essex Manor, a couple of trips to the Church Lake at Nash HQ and finally a couple of trips to the amazing Spitfire Lake up in Norfolk, now as we all do, my imagination started to waver slightly and I reckon I set my targets way to high for the past 6 or 7 weeks, that’s not doubting my ability to catch them, but as I flicked through the dates I thought to myself ‘well if I can nail a few 40s during those trips then my spring will be flying’. That isn’t to say I haven’t caught along the way, because I have, its just that certainly on the Manor I’ve been fishing well yet seeming to be kicked in the proverbial on numerous occasions! Other anglers have been on the receiving end of a Manor kicking too; in fact the only angler who’s standing out head and shoulders above everybody else is an old mate of mine Steve Eves. Now Steve is about as ‘old school’ as you can get, and some might say he’s a miserable old git, and frankly I reckon Steve would whole heartedly agree with you, but he is indeed

a fine angler. He’s been lucky enough to have two what can only be described as massive hits for the Manor in the shape of around 24 odd fish in two visits, this is amazing as there are only about 80-90 bloody fish in the place, so its come as no surprise that the fishing has been a bit on the ‘moody’ side since he smashed them for 2 weeks running. The icing on the cake was a couple of weeks ago when I chased them around for 24 odd hours, only to find them down the southerly end of the lake. Well the next 4 or 5 hours saw me in fits of rage as the fish continually nutted out right over where I had my rigs, yet not so much as a liner registered on the alarms. There was even a stage where every time a fish crashed I’d stick both fingers up at it, as I’m sure that’s what they were doing to me!! I couldn’t take any more and decided to reel the middle rod in and ‘tweak’ things about a bit on the rig front. It went back out lovely on the re-cast with hardly any disturbance, and the fish didn’t seem to mind me re-casting one little bit. HRH Steve Eves came wandering down for a chat as he’d set up in the Middle Pads to know doubt continue his hauling mission. I was just bowing down to his natural ability when the alarm jumped into action and sounded like I needed to give it some attention, Steve went back

to his swim and I hurtled down the bank like Linford bloody Christie and gingerly picked up the middle rod that had just been rechucked. I knew it was the one I’d changed over, and I must admit to being a bit on the smug side as not only had I induced a bite by swapping things about, but also because the rig I’d changed to I rarely lose fish on. Well what happened next?? Yes the hook fell out!! Gutted was not the word, in fact I haven’t felt so bad about a fish loss for a long while. Quiet literally I started to pack away and head home with my tail firmly between my legs, at times you simply know its not going to be

your day and you have to admit defeat. Even a couple of days later when Matt was around ‘Tong Towers’ supping tea he couldn’t believe how low I was feeling about my fishing. It was just that session topped it all off by being cruel when I’ d fished well and moved with them for 24 hours.

All I will say is ‘Tongys’ mojo is well and truly back in full swing, and like my friend Ady said before it happened, ‘it only takes a split second for your fortunes to change’, and how bloody right he was.

See you all next time.

PRAC

“… every time a fish crashed I’d stick both fingers up at it, as I’m sure that’s what they were doing to me!!”

SEIRAID SREHCTAC

It wasn’t all bad news as I’d managed a fair few fish to mid 30s already from the Manor, it’s just that if you aim for the stars all the time, anything else just seems a tad disappointing so maybe it was angling’s way of bringing me back down to earth with a bang!! It was off back to Norfolk for a couple of nights on Spitfire after the disaster trip to Essex, and also to do some magazine work and a days corporate tuition with my good mate Rich Wilby. The tuition and mag stuff went swimmingly well, as did my own bit of fishing up on Spitfire, but that can wait until next time.

SCOT GRANT

CARP CATCHERS DIARIES

THE LEGENDARY SCOT ‘GEEZER’ GRANT!!

After banking the lake’s first fish a 31lb 4oz mirror followed by a 19lb mirror, it was business as usual. March had flown by and It was now April. I started to up the bait application, with Robertson’s particles and the ever faithful Soluballs with the awesome Monster Squid boilies. I managed a 48hr session mid April and what a session it turned out to be. I picked an area I knew the fish had been visiting on a regular basis. It was an area I had been applying bait to. The weed was starting to pop up all over the lake, and with the temperature on the up it was only a matter of time before the fish started to spawn. I fished Hookers Monster Squid pop ups on all rods and baited each rod with a mixture of different sized boilies as well as 24mm Soluballs and Robertson’s particles. The first night passed without so much as a fish crashing. I wound the rods in around midday and went for a wander around the lake. I chatted to the other anglers, there were 4 others on and a blank night was had by all. I noticed a few fish bubbling up not too far from where I had my left hand rod. Once back in the swim all rods were cast back out to the areas I had fished the previous day. Again more bait was applied. That night I heard a fish crash out in the

darkness and that’s when the adrenalin started pumping I was straight out of the bivvy trying my hardest to see where the fish had crashed. I sat by my rods and watched the water, 10 or so minutes had passed when a big fish crashed out right over my left hand rod. Now I was excited thinking the rod has got to go soon surely!! I retired to bed an hour later and was awoken around 06:00 with a belting take on the left hand rod. After a dogged fight a 27lb 8oz common lay in the net. I sacked the fish up while I got things sorted and the rod re-baited and back out to the area, along with a few boilies topping the area up. I rang Old Boy Del to do the pics as he was fishing around the other side of the lake. Del arrived, the kettle went on and all the gear was sorted. We finished our tea and just as I was lifting the common out, the left hand rod was away again. The sack was put back into the water then I lifted into yet another good fish. After a 15 minute battle a large mirror laid in the net. On the scales she went 41lb!! The lake’s first 40 pounder - I was flying! As the photo equipment was ready I wasted no time in getting the biggun photographed, she was then treated and returned. Then the common was lifted from the lake and photographed, what a

mad 30 minutes that was. The rod was recast and re baited then me and Del sat down to a well deserved cup of tea. I returned to the lake late April and fished a 48hr session, the fish were now starting to group up ready for the big shag, but the weather just wasn’t hot enough yet. I fished a swim with a very large weed bed in

front of it, there were fish present but they didn’t seem to be feeding. I introduced some Soluballs over the large weed bed, as they seem to hang in the weed due to their weight. I cast all 3 rods into the weed

“The lake’s first 40 pounder - I was flying!” bed and got constant liners for hours on end. The night passed with no fish banked but the liners had started again at 05:00.

Hopefully next time I’ll have some good news to share with you.

PRAC

Hopefully June/ July I can get some well deserved time in and bank one of the monsters The Big Common would be nice. The Monster Squid doing the business yet again, along with end tackle components I wouldn’t go fishing without, the TT Fang X hooks are without a shadow of a doubt the best hooks I have ever used, simply awesome.

SEIRAID SREHCTAC

It was mid afternoon when the middle rod was away, the battle ensued and what a battle it was, there was weed stuck all up my braided line and with a little help from Old Boy Del I managed to land a very heavily scaled mirror. The scales swung round to 34lb on the nose. The weight was totally irrelevant this fish was stunning. Another member commented to me that I had caught the prettiest fish in the lake. I was well chuffed, I finished off with a 25lb 8oz mirror later in the evening, and managed to loose a couple in the weed. May came and went and due to work and home life I just haven’t had a chance to get out on the bank.

JULIAN

CUNDIFF

CARP CATCHERS DIARIES

‘Never presume….mistakes made and lessons learnt’…..

How long have you been carp fishing ? One year ? Five years ? Or in my case twenty five years…Yet I still, and no doubt you still make mistakes…. No matter how many carp I catch, waters I fish and tackle I have from time to time I get it wrong…and thankfully so ! Often its not the successes you learn from but the failures… as I found out recently. Most of my fishing is on an overnight basis getting to the lake at 4 pm if I am l lucky , 6 pm usually and sometimes 7 pm when court runs on. Arrive at the water, do a lap or two, locate the carp, get set up and hopefully catch a few fish before I pack up at 6-7 am. Luckily I got to the lake at 4pm and conditions were great. Flat calm and the bulk of the carp located in the middle of the lake sandwiched between two islands. This was going to be easy. Up went the Titan brolly, self-timer gear made ready ( I

was on my own ) and then plop three baits into position. No need for indicators and I set the Sirens on low and let the flurocarbon mainline hang limp. With rods out it was kettle on and prepare for the evening. Within 60 minutes I had three carp but with the wind getting up the carp moved to the right where the chop was blowing into. So all the gear was broken down and within 45 minutes I had it all set up once again at the windward side and the baits flicked into position. Within 30 minutes I’d had two more but with a storm moving in, the carp started to back off the margins and

moving back to where I’d come from in the first place. So for the third time down it came again and 30 odd minutes later I was back on the fish. All in all I ended up with eleven by the time I packed up BUT and I mean a big BUT I’d wasted a lot of time setting up bivvies, bed chairs when I should have left the comforts untill the last possible moment. What I should have done is fish off the Trax barrow and only get the shelter up when it was too dark to chase them. I’d probably wasted over 90 minutes of good carp catching time setting up and packing up. Lesson learnt … for me !! Think about when you go fishing. Is the comfort level costing you time and potentially fish ? Do you really need to set up your shelter when you pick the swim ? Never presume that the carp will stay where you first find them and learn that lesson off my back rather than doing it the hard way to your detriment….

have in front of you and achieve the same results. When fishing overnight I tend to bait a margin spot or two so that I can drop one in the edge when I get one in the night. Carp do venture close in during

The second lesson I learnt was on a similar basis and hopefully one you can avoid. Whenever I get to a water no matter how big or small the carp are I do try to fish for one carp or bite at a time and on a short twelve hour overnighter keep bait to a minimum. But what about when a whole stack of fish are in front of me or you and just asking to be caught ? Well I must admit I am tempted once I have caught that first fish to pile it in for a multiple catch and although that occasionally works too often it costs me fish.

Hopefully those two tips I have included from making my own mistakes will help you this summer. Don’t forget with the weed on the way up you may need to upgrade your tackle. I love fluorocarbon mainline but its time for the Bullet XT in 15lb to land any fish anywhere anytime. The size 8 and 10 Twisters and Fangs have now been upgraded to 7’s and 6’s….Its 25lb Missing Link instead of 15 lb… When I hook ’em they are going in that net…..

“When I hook ’em they are going in that net…”

Be lucky and get out on the bank

PRAC

Make it happen and if you ever need any help, advice or motivation drop me a line with SAE to ’Willows, Thorpe Lane, Thorpe-in-Balne, Doncaster, DN60DY….

SEIRAID SREHCTAC

A bite in the first 30 minutes and then nothing for an hour or two…. Well one of the best tips I can give you is to keep your catapult hand in your pocket and avoid that temptation. Follow the matchman’s approach and trickle it in little and often and keep the fish coming. Two catapults full each 20 minutes is better than a kilo or two straight away and sitting and waiting. Another trick I have found is to bait up a couple of spots in the swim so that when you have had a fish or two off one spot you can place a rod on another. I often see writers say bait plenty of swims up when stalking but you can bait a few areas up in the water you

the hours of darkness and a bait in the edge can do the business. Think about where the ’hotspots’ are in the swim and how carp get to them ? They don’t just appear out of nowhere do they ? Think about spots in your swim that you can ambush carp on the way in and out of the swim. Some spots will produce a couple of fish and some a fish or two but they all count…. Don’t just follow the tried and tested spodding approach…. Stop, think, never presume and learn your lesson the easy not the hard way…..

BAIT BOX

SUMMER BAIT BUCKET ESSENTIALS! Monster Squid is continuing to catch huge numbers of carp up and down the country. During an extensive testing and development programme, multiple captures, new personal bests and target fish on the bank were the norm. When the Monster was released during early spring, as expected the bait was an instant success, on busy waters, despite the effects of summer pressure, when combined with some good angling, Monster Squid is continuing to produce the goods. But just when you thought things couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get any better - they have!

SQUID BLACK SPECIAL ADDITION GET ON IT NOW! is continuing to catch huge numbers of carp up and down the country. During an extensive testing and development programme, multiple captures, new personal bests and target fish on the bank were the norm. When the Monster was released during early spring, as expected the bait was an instant success, on busy waters, despite the effects of summer pressure, when combined with some good angling, Monster Squid is continuing to produce the goods. But just when you thought things couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get any better - they have!

GET ON THE

FISH FRENZY Initially many ‘serious’ big carp anglers dismissed Fish Frenzy as a bait for the pleasure angler only, big mistake! Fish Frenzy is a range of high attract baits with a difference. Proven flavour and attractor blends, taste sensations designed to trigger heavy and prolonged feeding and a high nutritional content combine to create the perfect instant carp catcher. During an intensive development program, unlike many instant baits, the Fish Frenzy range has proven itself to be a consistent catcher on all kinds of different waters. Some anglers have been combining items from the Fish Frenzy range with their usual Top Rod or Classic favourites and at scratching time when the carp are playing hard to get, they provide a real edge. Using the Mini Squidgee boilies as an alternative loose feed to pellets is a top tactic, Neon Squidgee pellet hook baits have also been producing plenty of fish when combined with a stick mix or ground bait. The Black Fish Frenzy Halibut boilies also make very effective alternative hook baits. In fact there’s limitless options for the thinking angler.

Continues on the next page

10mm AND 15mm FISH FRENZY SHELF LIFE BOILIES Proven attractor blends that stimulate and trigger heavy feeding, bright colours proven to attract carp and a high food value all combine to create an incredibly instant boilie. Carp love these boilies and will eat them in quantity; the results during testing and development have impressed us all!

Soft Hookable Boilies A soft 6mm high food value micro feed item available in a range of flavours and colours that will drive carp completely mad! Just a handful of these tiny baits scattered over a feeding area will keep carp grubbing around on the bottom for hours.

Fish Frenzy Feed Pellets 3mm and 6mm high attract rapid break down pellets designed as a perfectly balanced carp food. Carp find them irresistible, even when every scrap of food is gone, the reside left behind keeps pulling the fish back for more

Neon Squidgee Boilies And Pellets Soft textured 6mm and 8mm conventional shaped round boilies and boilie pellets featuring almost ‘glow in the dark’ colours that will stop a patrolling carp in its tracks!

Squidgee Jelly Pellets Carp find the taste and texture of these ‘jelly like’ pellets very attractive indeed, once sampled it’s as if the fish become instantly addicted. Any hook bait from the range dropped in amongst the feeding activity created by the jelly Pellets is almost guaranteed to produce a result

Fish Frenzy Method And Spod Mixes The volatile water born food signals given off by these incredibly effective user friendly mixes act like a carp magnet, fish will literally attack these incredibly attractive balls of food as soon as they hit the lake bed. Takes can be ferocious and often come immediately after casting to a feeding spot. The fruity palatants and attractors used in the blend act as a ‘link’ to the other boilies and pellets in the range, combined together they create the perfect carp catching package. The Spod mixes also permeate the water from the lake bed to the surface creating a curtain of attraction.

In-Juicer Liquid The In-Juicer can be used with the Method Mix or any baits from the range to further boost attraction, the In-Juicer creates a kind of volcano effect with irresistible water born ‘eat me signals’ that permeate from the lake bed to the surface

FROZEN AND SHELF LIFE OPTIONS

DON’T OVER LOOK THE CLASSICS

Using a mix of frozen and shelf life Top Rod boilies provides flexibility. Top Rod shelf lifes have the same high food value as their frozen counterparts, they also benefit from slightly higher levels of attraction and they don’t contain chemical preservatives. On days when the carp are proving tricky to tempt, a shelf life will often produce a bite. If the carp suddenly go on the much and higher baiting levels are required, having a few bags of shelf lifes in reserve will put bonus fish on the bank.

Formulated from high quality ingredients to produce a balanced nutritional profile, the ‘Classic’ range of boilies are both instant and consistent fish catchers. As with all Nash baits they also provide the fish with an exceptional food source, each season they catch more than their share of big carp too. Bright colours and slightly higher levels of attraction make these baits the perfect choice for an instant take. The Classics can be fished anywhere and at any time of the year with complete confidence, mixing them with a more subtle Top Rod boilie creates an incredibly effective carp catching combination.

There are pellet shaped boilies as well as 10mm 15mm and 20mm conventional round boilies available. Fishing a shelf life and frozen mixture of the same bait in a range of different sizes presents the fish with a mix of differing textures, tastes, shapes, colours and smells which creates enthusiastic feeding. Mixing in a few of the matching Monster Carp Pellets and some soaked baits also helps to intensify the feeding activity.

GETTING THE BEST FROM THE

TOP ROD RANGE

UNEATEN BAIT

READY MADE MAXIMISE ATTRACTION PASTE

In the unlikely event of the bait not being eaten, rather than rot and fester on the bottom and ruin a previously productive spot, Nash boilies have been designed to float to the surface. The time scale for this process is governed by water temperature and other environmental factors but as a rough guide in typical summer water temperatures, frozen boilies will start to ‘gas up’ and float away after 5-6 days, shelf life baits will take slightly longer. As water temperatures start to drop late summer – early autumn the process will take steadily longer.

Understanding how to use the attraction boosting peripheral products to their full potential is the key to consistent success, purpose designed to complement the Top Rod and Classic ready mades, there are matching pop ups, Mutants, carp pellets, ready made pastes and two very different bait soaks.

Available in both shelf life and frozen formats, the ready made paste is packed in handy sized 200 gram screw top pots. Moulding the paste around a pop up or standard hook bait greatly increases attraction; the paste becomes highly reactive in water, the potent food signals permeating the water will stop a patrolling carp in its tracks The paste which is identical to that used to make the ready made boilies can also be boiled to create special hook baits.

GETTING THE BEST FROM THE

TOP ROD RANGE

Monster Carp Pellet The Monster Carp Pellets have been specially formulated as a nutritionally balanced ‘all seasons’ carp food, the pellets contain the same fishmeals milk proteins and key attractors used to manufacture the boilies and there’s one to match every bait in the range. The food signals given off by the pellets have a highly stimulatory effect on carp and many other species too. Using a background feed that emits the same carp attracting food signals as the boilies greatly increases the chance of the hook bait being picked up. The pellets also provide the carp with a valuable food source, fishing with the Monster Carp Pellets is a much more effective tactic than using a standard fish feed pellet.

Rainbow Pop Ups It’s a simple concept, one well proven flavour and multiple colour options proven to provoke a feeding response all in one pot. Used as the top bait in a snowman presentation, chods or conventional pop up rigs, experimenting with hook bait colour on those tricky days will get you more bites.

Food And Boilie Dips

GETTING THE BEST FROM THE

TOP ROD RANGE

The nutritionally rich Food Dip emits powerful ‘eat me’ signals that carp just can’t resist, the dense liquid also leaves behind a residue that keeps drawing carp back to search for food even when the bait has been eaten. The unique oil based Boilie Dip permeates the water from the lakebed to the surface creating a highly stimulatory curtain of attraction. Soaking baits in a 50/50 mix of the two products is proven to produce more bites.

Soluballs The Soluballs have been a massive success and offer a highly attractive user friendly alternative to conventional ground bait. Soluballs are ‘ready to go’ rapid breakdown highly attractive balls of carp food that can be used straight out of the bag. Soluballs are catapult and throwing stick friendly and once on the lake bed they rapidly break down to create an attractive carpet of feed. Soluballs contain the same attractors and key ingredients used in the formulation of the boilies and there’s one to match every bait in the range.

Chain Reaction With all the same attributes as the Soluballs, this new product takes the concept a stage further. Chain Reaction can be threaded straight onto the hook link or hair without the need of a bait drill. Chain Reaction boosts attraction, creates a self camouflaging effect and completely negates the use of PVA - undoubtedly the best new bait product of 2011, incredible!

Essentials FEATURING: MARK WATSON BILLY FLOWERS JAMIE LONDORS SCOT GEEZER GRANT IAIN MACMILLAN JULES CUNDIFF JOE JAGGER SEAN LEVERETT KEITH JONES RICH WILBY ADAM GARLAND

on the bank

Essentials INTRODUCTION

This section is all about our consultants fishing needs and musts and what they cannot do without...

MARK WATSON

BILLY FLOWERS

With so many top notch Nash products available,

I do take a lot of gear fishing but it all has a use because

choosing one that I wouldn’t go fishing without isn’t

I like to be prepared for any eventuality, but if I had to

easy. Fish care is a priority of mine and I haven’t been

choose one thing, it would have to be my Fang X hooks.

able to find a better unhooking matt than the Nash Carp Cradle for looking after your fish on the bank.

They are so sharp and the curved shank really turns the hook in the carp’s mouth and they go in deep and just

It’s a really well designed product and consists of a

don’t come out. If I’m on fish I’m confident I’ll hook and

lightweight metal frame with a unique well padded

land them. If I was using any other hook I’d feel that I just

supporting cradle. The fish is supported a few inches

wasn’t fishing effectively, they really are that good.

off the ground so you don’t have to raise it too far for trophy shots. Two large flaps can also be used to cover the fish, keeping your capture cool wet and stress free while you sort out photography, weighing equipment etc.

JAMIE LONDORS Bait is one of the most important things to me and I just

The cradle is also perfect for lining up the camera for

couldn’t go fishing without Monster Squid, its got to

self takes. I aim the camera so that the entire width

be my favourite bait of all time, its awesome! But being

of the cradle is just in the bottom of the shot. I know

more specific, I wouldn’t want to go fishing without the

then that my picture will be framed perfectly. I honestly

matching Food and Boilie Dips. They are perfect for

can’t see myself going back to any other sort of

soaking hook baits and freebies, or dunking a complete

unhooking mat in the future and if I owned a lake then

PVA bag before casting. You just can’t seem to over do

one of these would be resident in every swim.

it with this stuff, boosted baits are a real carp magnet and have produced so many instant bites and caught me bonus fish at scratching time.

I just couldn’t go fishing without Monster Squid, its got to be my favourite bait of all time.... Jamie Londrs

SCOT ‘GEEZER’ GRANT

IAIN MACMILLAN

For years I have been using Nash hooks. I find them to be

I couldn’t do without my trusty Fang Twister hooks, there

exceptionally sharp and very strong. My favourite pattern

really isn’t another hook like it and due to its aggressive

is without a doubt the Fang X. No matter what rig I am

nature, they go in and very rarely come out. They are

using I will not cast it out without a Nash Fang X hook

sticky sharp straight from the packet, so for all of my

attached. The latest TT Fang X is super sticky sharp and

bottom bait/snowman fishing it’s my number one choice.

super strong. Even when using it with the Chod rig, the fish is nailed every time. Last year I went to Canada and

But my new found love is Chain Reaction, how I managed

caught over 80 fish using the same 3 rigs, all the rigs

without these before they appeared on the modern day

had a Fang X hook attached!! That is testimony in itself.

carp scene is beyond me. They take all the hassle out of

Normally when you catch a fish on another branded hook

tying PVA sticks and all I have to do now is simply slide a

you have to change it, but with the Nash Fang X you

few down my hook link and what I’m left with is not only

don’t, which saves you a lot of money. If I had used a

a 100% tangle free rig, but a lovely pile of attraction right

different brand in Canada I would have used 8 packets of

next to my hookbait, perfect for casting at showing fish

hooks costing £28, but I only used 3 Nash Fang X hooks

when a small mouthful is all you need.

and a pack is only £4:99. You can do the maths yourself, not only do the Nash Hooks save you money they also bank you more fish.

It is incredibly difficult to pick just one product from what is a huge range of truly awesome products.... Joe Jagger

JULES CUNDIFF

JOE JAGGER

I think Kevin must despair because often items I get

It is incredibly difficult to pick just one product from what

from him I customise but this item I don’t even use

is a huge range of truly awesome products; however, one

it for its original purpose. The Nash Refresh Water

item that I have really taken a shine to recently is the Trax

Carrier, although intended for holding water to douse

Barrow logic Front Bar Food Bag. It is a truly awesome

a banked carp, I use mine for what I call the ‘box of

piece of kit which holds all of my cooking equipment,

tricks’. Over the years I have ended up losing keys,

brew gear and food whether I am going for a quick

lighters galore, notes, money the lot as they fall off

overnighter or a full week session. The real beauty of this

bivvy tables, down the back of groundsheets and so

product lies in the design which allows it to fit onto the

on… no more ! Once the peg fasteners are undone the

front bar of the Trax range of barrows. This means that

bucket flips open and you have the perfect storage tool

the full weight of the food bag is then in front of the wheel,

for everything you need and / or don’t want to lose.

balancing it out perfectly, the more weight you add to the

Keys, phone, notebook, pen, small camera cleaning

bag, the easier the barrow is to push around the lake. I

cloth, torch, remote fob, wallet, Siren remote.. The lot.

simply would not leave home without this product. The

It sits on top of the barrow bag and when I pack up

manufacturing of the bag is second to none and it really

in the morning it is one of the last things I pack away.

won’t let you down, it has been tested to the extreme,

Nothing gets lost, I know where everything is and once

Sean Leverett even keeps his wallet in his and that must

fastened up, is as flat as a pancake. So no doubt

weigh an absolute ton! So that’s my must have item.

Kevin will despair but it’s my ‘must have’ item

I wouldn’t want to leave home without is my Siren Alarms.... the Sirens will undoubtedly help you put more fish on the bank... Keith Jones

SEAN LEVERETT

KEITH JONES

There are a few Nash products that I wouldn’t go fishing

I always travel as light as possible and only carry

without but for me the main one has to be the rear Butt

essentials so everything from larger items such as my

Locks. These locks are a really good piece of kit and a

Titan Brolley and Sleep System, right down to my tiny size

great invention. By gently pushing the butt of the rod

8 Fang X hooks all have a crucial role to play. Thinking

down into the rear rest the small padded arms wrap

about it, hook sharpness and my home made hook baits

round the rod and grip it. Once the rod is clamped into

are vital, but at the moment one item that I wouldn’t want

the lock then it is going nowhere and this makes them

to leave home without is my Siren Alarms. In particular

perfect for fishing locked up against snags. The Butt

it’s the sensitivity adjustment that is governed by roller

Locks have saved me a couple of times now when I have

wheel speed that I find indispensable. Once you get

received a violent take and the rod has been ripped off

used to them, you can easily dial out false indications

the buzzer. If it weren’t for the locked rear rest I would

such as wind or weed movement, combined with the

have lost the rod for sure. They also make taking a rod in

correct choice of bobbin weight, it’s like watching a float.

the night all the more difficult for tackle thieves as the rod

In time you can learn to read them and if you are fishing

can’t simply be lifted off the rest. For me they are a vital

for pressured or riggy carp, the Sirens will undoubtedly

piece of kit and I wouldn’t use anything else.

help you put more fish on the bank. If you like roller wheel buzzers, the Sirens are as good as it gets!

Nash Twister hooks are one of the best products Nash have produced and that is a bold statement.... Rich Wilby

RICH WILBY

ADAM GARLAND

I would hate to be on the bank without a pack of Nash

When I was asked to write about the one Nash product

Fang Twister hooks as they are without doubt the best

that I couldn’t ever go fishing without, I found it impossible

bottom bait hook I have ever come across. They are

to choice just one. The problem is so many products

super sharp, strong and don’t seem to fall out like

compliment each other so well.

many other hooks do. I love the way they turn quickly in my hand when I add a silicone kicker to the eye of

The New Titan brolly is a great product and one I use

the hook and a small piece of silicone on the bend to

all the time. I’m a big fan of an open fronted brolly type

make the point heavy. This creates a very aggressive

shelter, but in the past have always questioned the

hooking arrangement that I know gets me a lot of extra

strength. Since using the Titan brolly these issues are a

bites.

thing of the past, with the option to be fished Low to the ground or at a standard height, the Titan brolly can do it

When you become confident in one pattern of hook

all.

it really is a weight off your mind and I now don’t question my end set-up when I am using Twister

Although the brolly is a great product in it’s own right it

hooks. I know through doing a lot of coaching on my

does go extremely well when used in conjunction with

tutorials this year that I have converted other anglers

the low profile indulgence sleep system, as the highly

to using Twister hooks and they have not looked

compact bed fits tightly in the back of the shelter, keeping

back since. I rate them as one of the best products

out the way of the wind and rain.

Nash have produced and that is a bold statement considering how good all the other gear and bait is too.

The Fang Twister hook is possibly the best hook design I’ve ever used, but when combined with the ultra stealthy Diffusion Camo shrink tube it enters another league. The straight needle sharp point and aggressive in turned eye never lets me down, and it’s no reason Kevin refers to it as the ugly hook, I’d hate to be hooked by it! Nash bait is the other thing I couldn’t go fishing without but it would take a whole article to explain why!

SO WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE

DAVE MAGALHAES

”Due to the nature of how I fish and the fact that I flit from lake to lake, Im a massive fan of the alarms’ huge versatility. Typically of Nash Tackle, they’ve looked at an everyday item, evolved and progressed it, and in doing so pushed the boundries of expectation.” Targets the chunks with only limited time!

STEVE BRIGGS

“Of all the new gear on the market the Nash Sirens have been causing more of a stir than anything else and everywhere I’ve been people have been very keen to know all about them. The fact is that since first using the Sirens I’ve stuck with them and they’ve done everything I hoped for and more - reliable, good battery life and a distinct sound which sets them apart from the rest - cant fault them.”

Renowned european big fish angler!

JULIAN CUNDIFF

“As an ‘old school’ carp angler from the period way before even Optonics were around I know what I do and don’t want from a bite alarm. Firstly they have to be waterproof and reliable...Sirens... Check.. Secondly they need to be sensitive and easy to use...Sirens... Check... Finally they have to be robust and have a battery life that means I get plenty of value for money...Sirens...Check... That is why the new Nash Sirens are sat on my sticks summer and winter alike and should be on yours too...”

Short session specialist!

Rod Hutchinson

”I couldn’t fault the Sirens in anyway after using them. Turned on for 2 weeks solid with no battery life problems, never let me down through torrential rain and horrendous storms which is where the sensitivity system comes into it’s own – no false wind bleeps and performed exactly how I need an alarm to do so – very very impressed. Classic bit of kit.”

Carp angling legend!

IAIN MACMILLAN

“The main few essentials in bite alarms for me are, how the unit functions, how reliable it is and thirdly the overall look. I’m pleased to say that in the short time I’ve been using the Sirens they tick each and every box unreservedly.”

Long session carper!

Jerry Bridger

www.nashtv.co.uk www.nashtackle.co.uk

“Solid and virtually indestructible (and I’ve tried) the RS-1’s have got more functionality than any bite alarm on the market. The alarm head adjustment facility on the receiver is simply genius. No gimmicks - class bit of kit.” Editor of Crafty Carper magazine!

CARP CARE

2011

As responsible anglers we should all take carp welfare very seriously and never knowingly do anything that might distress or harm the carp we all fish for and cherish. The heritage of Nash Tackle actually lies in the design and manufacture of carp safety products, our 2011 range of unhooking mats slings and related products continues to lead the way in carp care.

TOP TIPS FROM OUR TOP CONSULTANTS is continuing to catch huge numbers of carp up and down the country. During an extensive testing and development programme, multiple captures, new personal bests and target fish on the bank were the norm. When the Monster was released during early spring, as expected the bait was an instant success, on busy waters, despite the effects of summer pressure, when combined with some good angling, Monster Squid is continuing to produce the goods. But just when you thought things couldn’t get any better they have! After any capture, a well organized and practiced bank side routine is the key to safe fish care Never place a fish on a dry unhooking matt or one that has been warmed by the sun Once out of the water, use a Nash ‘Refresh Water Bucket’ to ensure your capture remains wet and cool at all times, this will keep the fish calm and easy to handle When placing a fish on an unhooking mat, take care to ensure the fins are all in place and can’t become trapped or damaged by the carp’s body weight Keep fish sacked for short periods of time only and return them as soon a possible, make sure the sack is securely anchored Always use a Nash Safety Sack fitted with a Hi-Viz float, if the very worst happens and the carp escapes in the sack, it will be easy to locate and release When sacking is necessary, choose a deep margin with cool well oxygenated water, check the condition of the fish on half hour intervals. If the carp shows any sign of stress, release immediately. Fish welfare must always take precedence over a good trophy shot

Carp Care 2011 - CONTINUED

MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICES THE NEW KAPTIVE MAT As you’d expect we consider carp welfare and safety to be of paramount importance. The new Kaptive Mat is without doubt the best ‘on the ground’ unhooking mat available today, when a carp ‘kicks off’ on the bank its vitally important to keep the fish securely contained within the safety of a well padded mat. The Captive Mat has been designed and developed specifically with this in mind. The innovative design of the Kaptive Mat ensures the very best protection, you can combine the Kaptive Mat with the new Kaptive Retainer Sling for the ultimate in carp care, weighing and efficiency. THE NEW KAPTIVE RETAINER SLING We think the Kaptive Retainer Sling is the ultimate weighing and retention system and is a typical example of Nash innovation and attention to detail. Features include super strong rigid spreader bars webbings and scale location rings. Double handed carrying handles for safe and secure transport. ‘Soft Safe’ mesh provides a carp friendly interior with maximised flow/oxygen exchange when a fish is retained or rested. Reflective integral floats also provide easy location day or night. ZIP SACK SAFETY SYSTEMS Nash Carp Sacks were the first to incorporate a Hi - Viz float and that’s something we are really proud of. If the unthinkable happens and the sack breaks loose from its retaining cord, the super buoyant float can be quickly located and the fish safely retrieved. Heavy duty fish friendly materials and construction provide security and carp safety Air Flow nylon mesh provides superior oxygen exchange and rapid drainage when removed from the water.

MEDICARP ULTRA Another essential carp care product specially formulated to provide a lasting antiseptic barrier which inhibits infections and promotes rapid healing. Medicarp Ultra can be applied to wounds, spawning damage, hook holds and parasites. Look after those fish, no responsible angler should leave home without some! REFRESH WATER BUCKET Having a container of water to hand when unhooking and photographing a capture will ensure that the fish doesn’t dry out which minimises stress, helps to keep the fish calm and also ensures you get some cracking pictures! Despite it’s half gallon capacity, the spring loaded Refresh Water Bucket packs down flat in seconds for easy transport and storage, another essential item sorted!

Carp Care 2011 - CONTINUED

oN the move FLAT MATT Designed with the mobile or short session angler in mind, the large generously padded Flat Matt will safely accommodate any size carp likely to be encountered. The Flat Matt also features carrying handles and a fold out kneeling pad and pocket to hold Medi Carp and other carp care essentials There’s also a fold over cover which completely encapsulates the fish keeping it cool and calm whilst on the bank. CARP SAFETY MATT Another generously padded traditional type matt with a difference - this being it’s shear size! The Carp Safety Matt is designed to fold in half, Velcro straps keep the fish securely retained within, webbing handles provide safe and efficient transport. D rings have also been incorporated into the design to peg the matt down in strong winds - simple but very effective!

CARP CRADLE We believe that the Carp Cradle is the safest unhooking mat available today as it overcomes the main potential problems associated with the standard more traditional ‘on the ground’ systems. Safe in the carp Cradle, a thrashing carp will be completely suspended off the ground. So now no matter how lively a specimen it might be, the fish is kept safely encapsulated away from any potential danger of injury. The angler can now kneel with his legs under the mat and the fish needs only to be lifted just a few inches for the perfect trophy shot. This total protection system can be simply assembled in seconds and also packs down surprisingly small in the purpose designed carry bag supplied.

IN S TOR E NO W

-ON CLING TUNGSTEN PUTTY {Sticks like s**t to a blanket}

AVAILABLE IN WEED / GRAVEL / SILT WWW.NASHTACKLE.CO.UK WWW.NASHTV.CO.UK

July2011

E-ZINE www.nashtackle.co.uk