Cunning Crucians by Mark Dunwell

At the back end of the river season I decided to target a fish I’ve not caught or seen since I was a kid the humble crucian.

This small member of the carp family has in recent times been overlooked or forgotten about in the world of more commercial angling and clubs moving with the times wanting what anglers demand stocked natural lakes with hard fighting large growing carp. The crucian carp for years faded into the background and was replaced by carp that formed crucian hybrids or brown goldfish as they are known. Luckily recently the love for true strain crucians have got some forward thinking clubs restocking these little bars of gold. The trouble is they don’t mix well and some clubs have gone to the extreme of digging crucian lakes and thank god they have. One such club has a lake only thirty minutes from me so my mind was made up. This closed season a big crucian was the target but how big?

Being bold I decided three pounds would be my target but realistically a two pound fish would be a fish of dreams. So how would I achieve my target? I had not had a crucian for over thirty years so catching one would be a start. Luckily the methods used are quite simple and this is a theme in all my fishing that I put more thought into my location and feeding than I do fancy rigs. Understanding your quarry is the first step and crucians are well known to be delicate feeders with only small mouths so big hooks and thick lines can be left in the tackle box. 

Thankfully they don’t grow to a great size so using smaller hooks and lighter lines are not a problem. Where to fish dictates that we still need to use line suitable to land a fish if we are lucky enough to hook one. My choice of hook link is the Korum power mono in four pounds this is a abrasion resistance line perfect in case it rubs against any pads or branches in the water. This is tied to a specialist size sixteen hook a perfect size for a variety of baits. I use a medium power type float rod with the perfect match of a soft tip so I don’t suffer hook pulls but a bit of backbone in case I need to bully fish. Three floats cover all conditions two insert waggler's and a pole float fished on rod and line. The pole float I favour is one where the line runs through the body I find some floats with a small glued in eye has a tendency for the eye to pull out when used with a rod while the inline pole float has no eye. My two waggler's both have inserts one thicker than the other. I always start on the thinnest insert but if the wind picks up or causes undertow I will switch to the thicker insert to stop the tip pulling under. I lock my floats with two float stops and attach my float via a quick change swivel. This serves two purposes one its easy to change patterns and secondly the float collapses on the strike meaning a more positive contact with the fish.  

Shotting again is simple both wagglers take the same amount of shot so I bulk my shot at three quarters depth then add a couple of number eight or ten droppers spaced below. The float is always fished at dead depth or if im using the thicker insert a couple of inches over depth.  On the subject of depth I carry two sizes of plummet the reason been I want to find the area of clear bottom where the lily pads end and to do this I use a light plummet to find the depth. The light plummet is perfect as it will sit on any underwater obstructions and allow me to find the clear areas.  A heavy plummet would drop through ant branches or cabbages on the bottom giving the impression that the area is clear and there’s no point trying to feed of fish in the middle of snags.  The heavy plummet has its place though because once I am happy with my spot I put on the heavy plummet and drag it around the swim to make sure the area is clean of detritus. The small plummet would just bounce over snags and give you the wrong impression. So where to target the fish? I always look for features either lily pads overhanging bushes or a marginal shelf these areas id target. However some lakes have very shallow margins and no bankside features so how would I approach these?

The days of split cane rods and center pin reels are lovely to think about but not always practical, that’s when I move to a more “modern “method of light Avon type rods and small method feeders. I still like to keep things light and use a six or eight pound mainline to the same hook link as I use on the float. Bait wise I hair rig my baits and find the thirty gram Korum dura feeder or grub feeders perfect.  Hookbaits and ground bait are the same as my float fishing.  Baitwise is really simple always red maggots to start with but if silvers become a problem I will switch to a single piece of corn or a soft pellet. I always use ground bait when fishing but mix it very sloppy I find this way the bait spreads over a larger area and stops the crucians feeding in a really tight area. My choice of ground bait is the Sonubaits worm fishmeal its dark colour helps to blend in with the bottom and is packed with attractors. To this I add a good quality micro pellet such as the DNA crayfish mini-mix or any decent two mill pellet will work. I add the pellet directly to the sloppy ground bait as I’ve always found the odd micro pellet will float so adding them to a sloppy ground bait makes them damp so they sink.  Groundbait for the method is exactly the same just mixed dryer.

So my closed season has drawn to a close now and I am pleased to say that I completed my mission not only to get a two I ended up with nine over two but I managed to get one at bang on the magical three pound target. All the fish falling to the float less than a rod length from the bank.  Mark Dunwell

You can read Marks latest articles in Reel Fisherman magazine each month by clicking the link below:

Reel Fisherman Magazine

Fishing & Family - Fun on the Float

As an angler of more than 30 years my aim whenever I set foot on the banks of my chosen venue, as well as enjoying my surroundings, is ultimately to catch fish.  The only situation that can top this would be when I assist other anglers to catch, seeing the happiness on their faces is priceless.  That feeling is only intensified when the other angler is someone close to you, in this instance, my son William. 

Since he was born, as all parents do, I have been teaching him life skills to build his knowledge and character such as walking, saying "please" and "thank you" and I have encouraged him to enjoy the outdoors which he has embraced with open arms.  So when he turned 4 I decided it was time I introduced him to a sport I have been passionate about since I was 10 years old.  Accompanied by his big cousin, Isaac, who already had a few carp under his belt having been shown the ropes by my Dad (his grandfather) last summer, we planned a trip in the school holidays.

The idea was to introduce William to float fishing for silvers which would hopefully keep him entertained, while Isaac fished 2 rods using helicopter rigs for the carp that average about 4lb.  As we approached the carp park which is in the grounds of an old estate house in the Monmouthshire countryside the boys were keen to get going and William spotted horses and sheep in the adjacent field.

As I unloaded the gear from the car, myself and Isaac started to gather up the bags and rods however not to be left out William insisted on carrying something to the lake, so he was allocated with taking the unhooking mat which is nice and light.  The field that leads to the lake descends a gradual slope and William had a few slips and trips on the way.  

William sat still, well still for him as hes such an active child, while I rigged the rods up, I cast the carp rods out for Isaac as he isnt confident enough yet to cast close to the overhanging foliage which is often the best place for a quick bite on this venue.  As I turned my attention to Williams float rod one of the bite alarms burst into life however as I was tying on a small hook to complete the float set up, by the time I picked the rod up the fish was snagged in the roots of the trees that lined the far bank.  It was my own fault I forgot to set the bait runner to locked up and it was easy for the carp to take line and reach its sanctuary.  I had no choice but to pull for a break and the hooklink snapped, so after replacing the hooklink and rebaiting, the rod was soon recast to the same spot, this time with the bait runner done up tight!

Isaac sat close to the carp rods as I started to teach William how to hold the float rod and on out first cast the float dipped and we pulled in a pristine rudd.  I was fishing about 3 feet deep in about 5 feet of water as there were plenty of rudd up in the water and with every cast half a dozen grains of sweetcorn were flicked in around the float with a single grain on the hook.  I was using the rod like a whip with enough line let out o as not to use the reel, however as boys do, William could not resist turning the reel handle when the float dipped, so since then I have bought him a fishing whip which he should find easier to use on our next trip.

So it was time to hand the rod over to William and he grasped it in both hands, with a few strikes that were a bit premature finally the float dipped and he timed a strike perfectly to meet with the rudd lips.  He lifted the rod and swung in his first rudd, I took the rod as he grabbed the line and held the fish up to admire it appealing colours.

It was soon Isaacs time to shine as the same rod went into action he picked the rod up and with a few pointers on the best way to hold a rod when playing a fish and few tips on adjusting the drag he soon had the carp splashing by our bank as both myself and William netted the fish.  A lovely carp about 3lb was soon on the mat and both the lads held it up for a photo before gently releasing him back to the water.

William soon got the hang of feeding sweetcorn every so often when suddenly the float shot away, not like the dozen or so rudd we had already managed this fish meant business and as Isaac was sat with William at the time they both played a small carp into the waiting net, it gave a good scrap on the light float gear and I was proud of them both for staying calm as they played the fish.  

The plentiful rudd kept the boys entertained in between the carp runs and William was obviously enjoying his first fishing session the excitement at seeing another rudd take his sweetcorn never wavered and in fact asked if he could stay the night! Perhaps next time I will need to take the bivvy!

Then all of a sudden the float once more shot away with vigour and it was obvious another carp had taken the single grain of corn, Isaac called for my help as we were using light line on the float set up, I took control of the rod as William held the butt section, the carp gave us a merry run around as he dived for the wooden platform before we guided it over the waiting mesh as Isaac did the netting honours.  It was beautiful carp to catch on the float and a testament to lads with keeping up the feeding all day which had obviously attracted the carp into their swim.

Soon Isaac was into his third carp, a little bigger at about 4lb and he played it away from the reeds with some side strain and his use of the drag was encouraging as he did battle with a spirited common.  Again William and myself were on hand to help with the net as I placed the carp on the mat.  William was impressed by its size and admired the fish as it lay there in the afternoon sun.

It was the last carp of the day, 5 in total, 3 on the helicopter rigs and an uncountable number of obliging rudd fell to the float rod.  My biggest concern was keeping William entertained throughout the session however not once did he complain he was bored and hopefully this is good sign for his new found love of fishing.  Every fish made his face light up and having now bought him a fishing whip I am already planning his next session.  It was an enjoyable day with memories that will last a life time.

Forgotten Carp - Planning a Campaign

Spending time on a venue observing is just as important as time spent fishing.  Not only is it enjoyable to sit in the warm sunshine on a summers evening watching the kingfishers dart across the lake, buzzards circling high above and the rabbits venturing out from the safety of the hedgerow for a quick nibble on the dandelions, you also gain an idea of the carps habits, patrol routes their numbers and size.

When conditions suited I spent many hours watching the carp in the lake prior to fishing for them.  My main aim was to roughly work out the number of carp present as my tactics would vary depending on the stock.  On sunny afternoons some of the carp would behave as expected and visit the shallows, enjoying the warm water, here I could observe their feeding habits.  The most carp I saw at any one time was 4!  They generally visited in twos or threes, a few of these fish I could identify as the same fish on different occasions however these areas where never “black” with fish and on days when the conditions were perfect to see carp basking in the shallow water, I still rarely saw more than two at a time. 

Other waters I have fished with much higher stocks of fish I have witnessed dozens of carp in small areas of the lake as they enjoyed the summer sunshine, I guessed the stock of this captivating water at maybe a dozen fish, I am certain I would have observed more carp in these areas if they were present.  As I was only fishing for a handful of carp I started to put together a plan to catch them.  At the time it felt as if I was attempting to pot a snooker ball on a table the size of a football field!

When starting a campaign on your chosen water you have to decide what is going to be your ultimate goal.  Whether you are targeting the biggest fish in the lake or simply trying to increase your catch rate you will require a plan of attack.  For instance, if I was targeting a specific fish in a venue I would gain as much knowledge as possible on that fish, where it is most often caught? What bait was it caught on? What time of year did it mostly make an appearance on the bank?  In my case I had no other anglers to exchange knowledge with, these fish had never been angled for so I had to rely on techniques that had served me well in the past.  Thankfully carp are generally creatures of habit and behave similarly on different venues.  I had decided to catch as many of the inhabitants as possible, I had already gained an idea of the numbers of carp in the water and had started to build a knowledge of some of the areas they visit.  The best way of finding feeding areas is by spotting carp head and shoulder or crashing out of the water however these wily carp rarely showed themselves and I only witnessed one carp crash out during daylight hours and that was in a small bay just above the shallows.  So with this in mind prebaiting would probably be my best option, creating feeding areas attracting carp to my chosen spots.

Using a marker float and rod I spent several hours accurately finding the depth from the margins right out towards the middle of the lake and locating any clear areas between the weed.  Although local knowledge is always helpful I take such advice with a pinch of salt until I have investigated the information personally.  I remember standing on the banks of a water some years ago having a conversation with a grizzly faced seasoned angler who had been born and raised in that particular area, he commented that an overgrown corner of the lake was famously “bottom less!” Once the aged angler had left I was intrigued to find out the cavernous depths on the venue.  Within 3 minutes I had accurately plumbed it to just over 9 feet!  Not quite what I was expecting!  Local knowledge can be helpful and also misleading and in most cases it is worth investigating personally to give yourself peace of mind.

My venue was fairly uniform, margins shelving down to 6 foot with around 8 foot towards the middle of the lake with the odd deeper area reaching 9-10 feet.  The shallows were 2-3 foot, a depth the carp enjoyed on summer afternoons.  Making a detailed map of my chosen venue is something I have done since I started carp fishing many years ago and they have proved invaluable throughout the seasons as a reference.  I will map a new water within weeks of fishing it to help me build up a picture of the lakes features, the rest of the season the marker rod can stay in the holdall, when I arrive in my swim for that particular session I can refer to my map and if no fish are showing work out the best areas to place a hook bait.

One particular area on this venue was a clear patch towards the middle of the lake which was surrounded by weed, if this was not already a feeding area I felt I could persuade the carp to feed here away from the sanctuary of the nearby weed beds.  

The other spot that I fancied introducing some bait into on a regular basis was a crater like area the size of a pool table, 9 foot in depth it was a clear depression as the surrounding depth was only 8 foot.  This raised a few questions, with the lake bed being so soft had the carp created this depression with regular feeding here?  This was worth further investigation.  These were the two areas of the lake I decided to prebait as I did not want to bait too many areas as I required the carp to visit more often, returning for food once they had accepted my boilies as part of their diet.

There were other obvious clear patches amongst the weed in the shallows however I decided these would be best left for any opportunist fishing, mostly stalking, that came my way during the hazy summer afternoons and not to be prebaited.  I required a couple of lines of attack, prebaiting and stalking would be my best options and believed these would give me results and if not then reassess the situation at that point. 

Time would also be a factor, being a single parent, sessions would have to be planned in advance and if an opportunity to go fishing presented itself my gear would have to be ready to be loaded into the van at short notice.  I had to make the most of my situation and as I worked within a mile of the lake when time permitted during my lunch hour I would nip to the lake to throw in my freebies knowing I had a session planned within a few days.  On my shorter day sessions stalking would be my main tactic and the prebaited spots would be fished during my longer sessions.

All that was left for me to do was to start prebaiting at least a couple weeks prior to my first session and put my plan into action, I was excited at the prospect to hopefully tempting some uncaught forgotten carp to the bank.

To be continued……

A New Campaign and a Fresh Start

Its fair to say my writing has taken a temporary back seat over the last 12 months which was not my intention however as I embarked on producing videos of my sessions during that period it naturally fell that way.  I always wanted to produce films and vlogs if you like, of my fishing and early this year saw me start this long awaited project.  I have to say I really enjoyed the filming, especially the wildlife which was now captured on film and not just a memory fused into a fishing session and although I made my best efforts for it not to affect my sessions it was inevitable that some fishing time was lost when setting up the cameras and locating ideal filming positions. The editing was a real eye opener, removing unwanted footage, choosing the best scenes and deciding the pace at which the video took was intriguing as well as time consuming, so almost 12 months down the line with a few videos and a short barbel film under my belt my passion for writing has been reignited and I aim to marry both the filming and writing together on a regular basis.

My intention is for the two to compliment each other, going forward my filming will be more about being on the bank, capturing the atmosphere, highs, lows and wildlife and not really instructional.   I am hoping that is where the blog will fill in the gaps detailing more the tactics, rigs etc.

I will carry on filming my fishing adventures making short vlogs of my sessions so regular content is being added to my youtube channel, however I will have one or two bigger projects ongoing, one of which will be my time on a new syndicate venue.  The venue in question comprises of two lakes both being renowned for being tricky waters, even the smaller one at 4 acres does not give up it residents easily. This is what my video diaries will mostly be based on, the smaller more intimate water with monthly updates on my progression trying to work out the lakes secrets.

 The larger lake at 18 acres offers a real challenge, being shallow, weedy and rather wind swept at times seems rather daunting however due to its location, I will be able to do quick overnighters which will help me in the long run I'm sure, in learning the carps habits.  This will be an ongoing project which I am hoping to produce a full length film which will feature some stunning footage as well as some stunning carp that reside within its waters.

My first video diary will be ready prior to Christmas, with the ticket starting in November its not an ideal time to start a campaign on a new venue however I am building up a picture of the water already which I'm sure will stand me in good stead for the Spring.  The close season on the lakes are for 6 weeks running from January until mid February in that time I intend to do some pike or chub fishing so look out for those on my youtube channel.

I have set myself a target of landing at least one carp from the water and I will be trying my best to do so, however with these plummeting temperatures and only a few sessions between now and the new year it will be a real challenge however, that is what I enjoy.

I managed to film some of the carp head and shouldering on my last visit, it was great to watch albeit very frustrating being just yards from my bait!  This short video can be seen on my youtube channel by clicking on the link at the top of the page.  

So there we have it, I'm hoping to make it "A Season to Remember", I hope you enjoy reading about it and also watching it, as much as I enjoy making it.  Tight Lines

Spring Carp

As I drove through the gated entrance of this nearby day ticket venue, I was greeted with an array of Crocus in various colours.  This pretty flower is often given as a mothers day gift as it emerges in late winter, early spring and is a sign of longer, milder days. Officially, according to the UK meteorologists the last day of February sees the end of winter, so I suppose my winter campaign on that chosen venue is over. 

My aim during the spring and summer is to fish 2 different venues, both day ticket, in search of larger carp and I have set myself a target on the number of twenties I would like to land during that time.  I do not normally set targets in numbers of fish, however, I am relishing the challenge.   The last time I set such a challenge was 10 years ago whilst fishing a Linear syndicate with good success, I go into great detail about this in my ebook "Fishing The Dream" which will be available for download in the coming months.

The staff at this venue are always helpful and after a chat I chose my swim, the lad then pointed out that I could drive directly to it, bonus, no need to use the barrow.  The swim I chose had access to deep and shallower water with some tempting margin features.  Regular readers of my blog will already know that my favourite type of carping is at close range, fishing to overhanging trees, reeds etc.   Alot of anglers avoid the margins and prefer to cast at range believing all the carp are holed up in the middle, im sure some might be, but certainly not all!  In this session I adopted 2 tactics, I chose a margin feature and baited up sparingly and left it for 2 hours.  During those two hours I would cast the rods around at regular intervals to various features to see if I can find out where the carp are feeding or receive any line bites.  

The only sign of carp in those first 2 hours was when a single carp head and shouldered near a dead patch of lillies on the far bank.  I walked around the lake, threw in a half a dozen of the Charwoods MPP boilie and then cast to this feature and decided to leave the rod there for a while.

The other rod was now cast to my prebaited spot on the edge of the nearside reeds and did not take long to give me my first fish of the session.  The hook bait had only been positioned there for 10 minutes when the alarm screamed out and I played a strong carp away from the thick reed bed.  The water was obviously still cold and this reflected in the fight, the carp plodded and never really troubled me once he was in open water.  

At over 13lb it was my first fish from the lake on my first visit and it came from 4 feet of water.  I introduced a few more MPP boilies and recast, sat back and had my own lunch.

The Charwoods MPP boilie has served me well through the winter and its a bait I am sticking with 12 months of the year.  With its candy like aroma and good nutritional value, as soon as you open the bag you want to stick one on your hair.  They are a good food source all year round and have caught fish from the very first time a venue has seen them.  For more information look up Charwood Baits on facebook or follow the link above.

 A cold wind sprang up in the afternoon which made it feel wintry once again.  The wind punished the left hand bank rustling through the lifeless reed stems sending a firm ripple across the lake.  The afternoon remained quiet, no showing carp, no liners.  

Two other anglers turned up mid afternoon to fish a night session. Sure enough it was not long before single hook baits were sent flying out to the middle of the lake, directly in front of my swim, just as well I was fishing the margins!  This is the drawback with day ticket venues, they can become busy even early in the season and although each swim has a sign with your fishing areas marked on them, they are not always adhered to!

Above all this, there is a reason why I keep returning to carp fishing and that is the stunning variety of carp you have the pleasure of catching.  At over 13lb, its far off the venues best however it was a cracking looking fish from a lake I had not fished before, that has to be a result.

Over the coming months I will go into more detail on my boilie only approach for carp, my preference to use glugs in the warmer weather and more in-depth look at margin fishing.

Winter Carp - A Good Start to the End of the Year!

The windscreen was inevitably covered in a thick frost due to the temperature dropping to -3 during the night and my finger tips began to tingle as I scraped away at the ice.  Back inside the van with heaters on full blast I shook my head and rolled my eyes as if to confirm I had finally lost the plot, surely I would of been better equipped with the pike gear  instead of my carp gear loaded on board!

I had decided on a winter carp campaign back in the autumn and had been trickling bait in over the past few months on a little and often basis in the hope that the bait would keep the carp feeding in certain areas of the lake.

The ground was hard under foot as I made way across the sloping field, crunching with every step.  As I approached the lake it was clear that at least half was covered in ice, limiting my swim choice immediately however one area of the lake I had been baiting was ice free so this would be by first line of attack.  It is a snaggy area with over hanging foliage, underwater branches and a good depth, perfect sanctuary for winter carp.  Such areas provide the carp with a feeling of safety especially at this time of year when the clarity of water is greater.

The second rod was positioned in the only other possible area not affected by the ice, in open water, rigs were as described in my previous posts and just 4 boilies were placed around the hookbaits.  In these conditions I am normally fishing for one bite at a time, in the colder weather the carp does not digest its food as quickly as it does in the warmer months, so just a very small amount of bait allows the carp to feed but not over feed and ruin my chances of catching.  

The rod cast towards the snags had only been in the water 10 minutes before the bobbin shot off the ground and the alarm let out a short scream, I struck and played my first fish of the day before the hook pulled after about 30 seconds.  It felt a reasonable fish and I was gutted to say the least, you dont normally get many chances in these conditions however it was a confidence boost and hopefully a good sign that the fish were willing to feed.

When carp fishing whatever season it is, it pays to be vigilant, watching both the water and your rods, dont always rely on the bite alarm to inform you a carp has taken the bait.  

The alarm had not come into play by the time I struck into my next fish.  I noticed a knock on the rod tip followed by the line twitching and slowly pulling to the left, instinct told me to lift into it and soon I had my first winter carp of the season on the bank, a spirited common around 5lb.  Not big, however a bend in the rod in freezing conditions.

The next fish fell to the same rod within half an hour, about the same stamp as the first.  When the temperatures drop severely, carp and other fish tend to be more dormant, move around a lot less and in some cases attract leeches or parasites which im sure weve all seen from time to time.  Some anglers prefer to remove them, in doing so can leave a small open wound which is vulnerable to infection.  I tend to leave the leeches alone, it is a course of nature and the carp will knock them off when they become more active.

By lunchtime I had 2 fish under my belt, with the sun shining brightly casting long shadows across the field the ice faded away from the main area of the lake giving way to a mirrored surface.  I felt that the second rod was fishing in "no mans land" and could now reposition it into an area at the bottom of a shelf on the edge of the shallow water and the remaining ice.

I topped up both swims with half a dozen boilies and enjoyed the warmth of the sun.  The frost clung to any area that the sun did not reach and the maximum temperature all day was only 3 degrees.  I believe my chances on this very cold day were helped with 2 key factors.  

Firstly although the temperature got down to -3 that night, it was not a sudden change in temperature.  It had been cold both day and night for the preceding 3 or 4 days prior to me fishing, giving the carp time to adjust to the freezing temperatures. If it had suddenly became cold overnight my chances would of been greatly reduced as the shock would of briefly interupted the carps feeding patterns.  Secondly my prebaiting had probably kept the carp feeding over the last couple of months in certain areas of the lake, which kept the carp visiting these areas in search of food.  I would encourage any angler to put a bit of time into prebaiting whether it be a lake or river, done sensibly, little and often can increase your catch rate over a prolonged period of time.

To demonstrate this, the second rod burst into life within an hour of being on the the prebaited area the biggest carp of the day made its way towards the far bank hoping to reach the sanctuary of the overhanging trees.  It was a strong powerful fish that fought well, with a few heart stopping moments as the line came into contact with the surface ice I was sure it would cut through it.  As I heaved the fish up the bank it was clearly a double and the scales went to 11lb 4oz.

I managed another around the 5lb mark resulting in 4 carp and lost 1.  A good result in freezing temperatures and a lake half covered in ice!  As I wrote in my previous posts I choose my winter venues carefully, I prefer to catch fish rather than sitting for weeks on end biteless, that is not how I want to spend my winter.  These fish are not huge however this venue is still bit of an unknown quantity as far as the stock is concerned so it could throw up a nice surprise.  

Ill keep adding the bait little and often which will hopefully see me land a few more winter carp.  

Autumn Carp - Rig Choice

Rigs, there must be hundreds of variations and that's just for carp fishing!  The main aspect of any rig is to present the bait as naturally as possible to give the angler the best chance to hook their quarry.  All anglers will have their favourite rigs that they turn to time and time again, however in certain situations some rigs fish more superior to others.

It was a glorious Autumn morning, the sun was shining brightly as I cast out my second rod, I then removed my fleece body warmer.  I was on the banks of the carp pool and as I fired out my Charwood Baits MPP boilies, I felt confident as the weather had remained mild.

My confidence was boosted within 20 minutes of fishing, I had managed 2 carp on the bank, albeit stockies, both very welcome.  My baiting was the same as in my previous posts and I topped the swims up with about 15 boilies after each fish.  The lake in question has a very soft bottom, a fine silty mud has built up and heavy leads tend to bury themselves in the bed and with it, sometimes the hook bait.  In this situation to consistently catch, a specific rig will give you an advantage over other anglers.  

Ideally the angler is looking for the bait to present itself on top of this soft silt and not be dragged into out of reach from the hungry carp.  Enter the helicopter rig. 

The helicopter rig allows the hook link to run up the line as the lead enters the water, allowing the hookbait to sit on top of the silt and visible to a feeding carp. Its a rig that can also be employed on weedy venues.  For an extra edge I  also prefer to employ a balanced hookbait, as I feel it gives me a better presentation as the hookbait settles more gently than a standard bottom bait.  This has been my first choice rig in silty conditions for many years for the simple reason that it catches fish.  

As this is very much a tangle free rig, I will not add pva bags or stringers to the rig, I will add freebies via a catapult or spod depending in distance.

Due to the lead burying itself in the silt a heavy lead is normally not required and I can fish with 1oz or 1 1/2oz as the extra resistance of the lead being pulled from the silt when a carp takes the bait gives a positive hook hold.

By lunchtime 4 carp had graced my net, the biggest a spirited fighter over 6lb, the bigger original carp were not playing ball today.

Tied correctly the helicopter rig is one of the safest around.  I normally incorporate a lead core leader in this set up, allowing a buffer bead to sit firmly on the leader above the weight and rig.  In the eventuality of the mainline snapping, the buffer bead, under resistance will simply peel off the leader and the carp will be free of the lead, which is exactly what an angler is looking for.

I have been using balanced hook baits more often in recent seasons, especially on silty venues such as this.  As I'm going to the trouble of presenting a bait on top of the silt with the helicopter rig, why then use a dense hookbait.  I like to give myself the best chance of hooking a fish, so I believe a balanced hookbait does that.  Whether its a pop up balanced with additional weight or a bottom bait balanced with a pop up or foam as is the snowman rig, it is important to test the rigs in the margin before fishing, to make sure the bait is behaving exactly as intended.

Generally I am looking for the balanced hookbait to "waft" around when disturbed, this makes it easier for the carp to suck up and hopefully hook itself.  A hookbait with added buoyancy will enter the carps mouth easier, especially on silty venues.  

Carp number 7 fell to the helicopter rig and balanced hookbait and my first mirror stockie from the venue soon slipped over the cord.

A stunning looking carp, one which I would love to see in a few years time, the scale pattern was incredible.

I have been guilty of turning up at venues in the past and casting out any rig without any thought as to the presentation and how the rig will act on that particular venue.  It is something I now take a lot more thought over, whether im chub, barbel, pike or carp fishing.

The afternoon turned cold, as the sun retreated behind the thick clouds, the breeze stiffened, I once again donned my body warmer.  The bites tailed off as expected, I had experienced the bast part of the day, however I angled on until dusk with no further bites.

As I sat waiting for my next bite I noticed a group of large fungi across the field I just had to photograph before I left, Fly Agaric I believe, however I'm not an expert so I would be grateful of a definite identification.

My next instalment will focus on carp location in the colder months, you will be surprised where cold water carp can be found.  Tight Lines

Autumn Carp - Baiting Tactics

With every gust of the chilling wind, leaves departed from the now, almost naked branches of the swaying trees.  Just days after the remnants of Hurricane Gonzalo had swept across the country, I realised that my winter carp campaign will not be an easy task and the cold wind continued to make my face ruddy.
Today was a stark contract to the last time I graced the banks earlier this month when the sun shone brightly, today I was met with a fine drizzle and a harsh wind with the morning passing biteless.  On arrival I catapulted about 15 boilies on each of my two chosen spots, my bait was the reliable Charwoods MPP.  

As mentioned in an earlier post my winter carp campaigns begin in autumn and I will visit the venue and trickle bait in whenever possible between fishing sessions, this will keep the carp feeding and searching for food.  My main tactic throughout the year will be a boilie only approach and I will stick with this strategy throughout the colder months, its only the amount of bait thrown in that will change.  These boilies are spread over an area the size of a pool table, on a bigger venue I would spread them over an area the size of a snooker table.  I am hoping to motivate the carp into searching for the next boilie which means the carp has to up end regularly instead of hoovering up a carpet of bait, I believe this also helps with achieving a good hook hold as the carp is constantly moving.  The venue I have chosen has a good head of carp and that is no coincidence, I want to enjoy my fishing when the temperatures drop and give myself the best chance of catching on a regular basis.

Just after midday I had my first run, apart from a few liners earlier on, the left hand rod burst into life as a carp made for the far bank.  It certainly knew its way around the lake and only a firm side strain kept it from reaching the sedges.  After a spirited fight a golden common carp slid over the net, short of my target double at 8lb 9oz a nice fish on a cold morning.

I topped up both swims with another dozen boilies and sat back to enjoy my sandwiches.  A winter flock of blue and long tailed tits darted from tree to tree picking off insects as they went, a true sign that the colder months are drawing closer.

The snowman rig has proved successful on this venue and I always keep a tub of pop ups in my bag especially in the colder months when single hook baits can be a devastating tactic.

I didnt have to wait long for my second bite this time the right hand rod ripped off and I was soon into another carp, this time instantly I could tell it was a heavier fish. Throughout the fight the fish stayed deep, regularly taking line, then I heard a bleep from the left hand rod alarm, the tip arched over and line crept from the spool as a fish picked up the bait.  There wasnt alot I could do, I was obviously attached to a decent fish, probably my target double, all I could do was give the some stick and try to bully it in the net so I could get to the other rod before I lost the fish to a snag.  

The carp continued to fight strongly and my first attempt to net her failed, as the fish turned at the last minute, on the second attempt I made no mistake and as soon as she was in the mesh I dashed to the second rod and lifted into another carp, double hook up!  Thankfully this fish was only a stockie and within a couple of minutes I had two carp in the one net.

I quickly slipped back the smaller and got to weighing the larger of the two which I recognised as a fish that I had the pleasure of catching back in the summer at a weight of 11lb.  A fit strong mirror which had gained weight as the needle proved at 11lb 7oz.  

With my target achieved I was pleased and I fished on until dusk with no further action.  As with carp fishing at this time of the year, all your bites can come in a short period, often the carp have specific feeding times and patterns, this is always worth remembering and keeping notes on as it may save you many biteless hours on the bank and you can fish at the best times of the day and increase your chances of getting a bite.

Before I leave any venue I always top up my swims to encourage the carp to feed and search for food.

In my next post I will go into more detail on my rigs and my reasons for using them.  Tight Lines

Autumn Carp - Preparing for a Winter Campaign

Although my window of opportunity was short it felt good loading the fishing gear into the van, I had been looking forward to enjoying some time on the bank for months.  My rigs were tied the night before and I checked my gear dozens of times however it still felt like I had forgotten something, as was the length of time I was last on the bank.  The last few months have been a difficult time, with me and my wife separating and having to be responsible for my 14 month old son, not for the first time in my life, angling had to take a back seat whilst I sorted a place for myself and William to live and make sure he was looked after as best I can.  Now a few months on myself and William have settled into a new place and my family support has been over whelming for which ill be forever grateful.

So here I was, travelling down the M4 heading for a small carp pool hoping to entice a carp or two onto the banks, what ever the outcome I was going to enjoy the afternoon, especially as the forecast was for warm sunshine.

Although I had not fished here since my last visit in June when I landed the venue record, I had not been a stranger, I had kept trickling in the MPP boilies hoping to keep the carp interested and searching for my bait.  I enjoy Autumn, especially when I'm chasing fish, its a season of change, falling leaves, darker days and hopefully fat fish.  This season doesn't always bring the heavy feeding spells that anglers talk of, however as I have a winter campaign planned on this venue, I will keep depositing the bait in little and often over the coming months hoping to keep the carp interested throughout the short days of winter.  I will always start a winter campaign in Autumn, it gives me an idea of the carps movements and habits and also gains the fishes confidence on my chosen bait, Charwoods MPP boilie.  Its a great year round bait and proven fish catcher in the colder months, being a milk protein it is easy to digest and gives off an attractive candy aroma.  I will go into my baiting tactics for the coming months in future blogs as the winter progresses.

All I required for my session was loaded on my back and carried to the lake and I was soon casting out in the confidence that my chosen areas had recently been primed just the week before.  I was sure to of missed a feeding spell in the morning however I was hoping that the carp would feed again this afternoon in the warm sunshine.  The hours around midday are normally the most unproductive and so it was today with the first couple of hours passing without any action except for a couple of liners.

My first run was a real screamer which found the carp making its way towards the island and managing to tie the line around some under water roots.   The line pinged as I played the fish and both carp and the entangled root came towards me.  It was a peculiar fight, I was not in direct contact with the carp due to the accompanying vegetation, I slowly managed the fish towards my bank and as the fish swam strongly around in front of me the roots hung in mid air clinging to my main line, I leaned out and grabbed them and expected the fish to come adrift as I snapped the roots to free my main line as I came into direct contact with the fish for the first time.  

I could see it was one of the originals as it wallowed below the surface a chunky looking Common soon slid over the net.

An immaculate fish registering 9lb with a stunning colouration and huge tail for the fishes size showing where all its power came from.  I managed another 2 carp, both stockies which the club stocked earlier this year at 2-3lb and both now weighing over 5lb.

Going into my winter carp campaign I have total confidence in the rigs and bait I'm using, which is the most important factor.  This leaves me to concentrate on locating the fish and learning their winter feeding habits.  As I mentioned earlier, I will go into more detail on the rigs I will be using, baits and tactics throughout this winter campaign.  I intend to enjoy the remainder of this mild Autumn we are experiencing before the long  nights take over as I have another session planned in the next few days.  If the rain arrives as they have forecast you may well be reading about me barbelling on my beloved Wye.