TO FEED OR NOT TO FEED ???

The whole issue of bait and how much to feed is certainly a complex and for some a confusing subject and because there are no hard and fast rules I can to a certain extent understand why. The mags and in particular articles by anglers with bait sponsorships merely confuse the matter further . Headlines like" Jim Smelley catches record brace over 40 kilos of latest super wonder bait "....leads anglers to believe this is the way forward .Whether this is the truth or quite possibly is not  we'll never know, but one thing that it is for sure is good marketing... in a "the more you put in the more you catch" sort of way.
 So the answer to the million dollar question .....exactly how much bait should we use?? It is my honest opinion that in MOST circumstances we'd be best suited and certainly stand more chance of catching by using very little free bait at all! When I used to match fish in my younger years I was lucky enough to fish alongside some of the finest Trent anglers in the form of John Dean, Wayne Swinscoe and Tom Pickering to name just a few and their advice was always "little and often " and "you can always put a bit more in.. but never take out what you've already put in " These old sayings will always ring true and if you follow this advice I believe you will rarely go far wrong  after all it',s all to easy to fill it in and then wish you hadn't .
  Fishing with Laney in the crystal clear waters at Dinton this year  was a real eye opener when immediately after landing a fish we would go out to cane markers in our boats to re-bait, more often than not from the original dozen baits and a sprinkling of hemp only 3 or four baits had actually been taken before the carp had made the mistake and picked up the pop-up. This was a common occurrence , in fact the norm. we were able to see the absolute TRUTH of what had happened with our eyes, no guessing at all and if we had not been able to do so and had either been fishing without the boat or in coloured water I'm sure we'd have both assumed that all the bait had been eaten and  fired in loads more bait because they were obviously having it. We both had our best catches from the venue  of 8 and 9 fish in a two day session ...fishing over no more than a hand full of bait!
 The important thing to remember is to fish for a bite at a time and do not overfeed , little and often will create competition  amongst the feeding fish, which will in turn bring about a mistake from mr. carp and an alarm heralding a bite for we the angler . Overfeed and it's possible that any fish that were about will become lazy, picky and then disinterested in anything offered by the angler. If in doubt I would normally err on the side of caution and can honestly say that I've caught more fish on single hookbaits than over big beds of bait, especially so where big carp are concerned. If you think about the zig fishing , well that really is a prime example of single baiting and just how many fish fall for that trick!

 Don't get me wrong I have caught fish over plenty of bait but only when the fish have let me know that  THEY WANTED IT and even then on that rare occasion when it does all go off , I prefer to feed often rather than all in one big dollop, WE DO AFTER ALL GO FISHING TO CATCH THEM RATHER THAN FEED THEM..........DON'T WE??

Rigs for ZIGS

Fellow carpers often ask me what I think is the best set up for a zig and I have to reply somewhat vaguely that it all depends, and that's the truth it does depend on all manner of things including what depth the lake is that you are fishing , I can only say what works for me personally and here I'll try to relay what little I've learnt from my many experiences using these weird looking set ups.

 The two main criteria are that

.1. IT DOES NOT TANGLE and FINDING THE RIGHT DEPTH

a. For fixed links.

To make things simple I prefer do away with all tubing , leadcore etc. To avoid tangles I simply use instead a 20 ft length of 25lb b.s. flourocarbon as a shockleader, to this I attach  a lead clip (I use Korda) ,making sure the tail rubber is only just slipped on  i.e. as loose as possible as it is very important that you dump the lead. More often than not I like to use a combi zig which comprises of a fairly stiff hooklink material again to avoid tangles --- 12lb bs minimum flouro. to this I then attach the supple braided section ( Korda supernatural or similar ) using a 4 turn double grinner knot which Ive found to be 100 per cent reliable.  Hook choice is down to the individual, sizes 8 and 10 are the norm. Personally I like the Korda mixers in 8's and their long shanks in 10's , the braided part of the hooklink is between 3 to 6 inches and enables the  hookbait much more flexibility  and movement which then in turn allows the fish to take the hookbait well back into the mouth,vastly improving not only our chances of a take but also of a good hook hold......Happy days!
 As to actual baits I use both the foam and cut down pop-ups, I'm happy with foam during the daytime but a cut down pop-up gives me more confidence at night (probably because of the fact that it is actual food I suppose) as for colour I normally start out with either black or yellow or a combination of both together. remember to keep it as small as possible while at the same time obviously ensuring that it will remain buoyant for as long as you intend to leave it out there, this is where foam scores well as it will never lose its buoyancy. As for pop ups the" proper job"ones seem to be very good and even when cut down seem capable of floating the titanic! When fishing a straight nylon only hooklink again i use 12lb b.s. flouro. but for better presentation use a Korda choddy size 8 fished "D  Rig" style , i find that the hook just sits that much nicer. Finally it also helps to use another tail rubber on the swivel end of the hooklink. As a general rule I'll start off fishing with one set at at one half of the actual depth and the other one at two thirds, obviously moving it up if you can see fish near the surface or the weather is very warm and visa verse if its cooler, experiment and see ,i actually really enjoy the zigging and on some waters consider it to be my main weapon especially at this time of year. Finally don't  forget  when casting , cast high , lay the hooklink on smooth ground or a groundsheet if you prefer and then ALWAYS STOP THE LEAD BEFORE IT HITS THE WATER  TO STRAIGHTEN THE HOOKLINK .....this is vitally IMPORTANT!!!!! 

b. I use the excellent Fox adjustable floats when the depth i need to fish at exceeds say 13 ft and generally use a hooklink of 5-7 ft  of which it is vitally important that you remember the exact length...........why? I'll tell you why ......so that after you have followed the instructions on the packet and let your float up to the surface you KNOW EXACTLY how far you are fishing under the surface,  it pays to work out measurements from the top down rather than try to work out how far you are fishing off the bottom, after all from the top down is the KEY to finding the zones that applies to anywhere on the lake ! My main tips for not tangling with the floats is to wrap a foam nugget around the stem and then pass the hook through both ends , in effect doubling or folding the hooklink.  A word of warning though ....multiple float set ups are not just asking for trouble  they are trouble every time i hook a lively fish on one it manages to tangle one or both of the others ...resulting in an awful mess...you've been warned , but apart from that they are brilliant because you don't have to keep casting to alter the depth you are fishing , simply let it up ..or pull it down ( buy the cheap one , you won't need the coloured tops ) If your memory is poor like mine try and keep a record of the actual depths you are fishing with these floats so you know which one fished at which depth was actually taken!

      
                     One of my first ever zig captures.. white tips at conningbrook 6ft zig ...2001!

TIGHT LINES  .............................................MR.F.

Mono or Braid. ..,....no contest

                                          Dinton stunner.....BRAID WINS!


For the past 5 seasons I've exclusively used braided main line for all my carp angling and after realising the advantages and I can honestly say that I can't ever imagine a single situation where I'd ever want to use mono again!

let's look at the many various angling situations we are faced with and see which comes out on top...

Bite indication...with no stretch ,the lead moved an inch so does the bobbin.......BRAID WINS.

Feeling the bottom for features.............................................................................BRAID WINS.

Fishing in weed..braid cuts through weed...more fish landed...............................BRAID WINS.

Abrasion resistance on bars ,zebra mussels and snags..........................................BRAID WINS.

Snag fishing ...no stretch.....................................................................................BRAID WINS.

Diameter...much lower diameter for any given strength..so casts further.............BRAID WINS

Floater fishing ....with floating braid is a joy, line can be mended, and a strike brings instant contact with fish because there is no stretch......................................................................BRAID WINS.

Boating or distance work...no explanation necessary...........................................BRAID WINS.

Sheer joy of playing fish.......................................................................................BRAID WINS.

Cost.........because it lasts for at least a year and retains it strength .....................BRAID WINS.

Behaviour.......there is no line twist with braid, fish can be played on the clutch...BRAID WINS.

Sinking.....some types of braid, Bullet for example sink like a brick and hug the bottom, therefore are almost invisible in the water and the softness I'm sure doesn't spook fish as much as coming into contact with nylon....................................................................................................BRAID WINS.

as you can see I'm a big fan of braid and see no reason to be scared of it, the only one precaution I would give is to use it in conjunction with a softer rod in order to absorb the lunges of a fish at close range. Go on give it a go..............I KNOW YOU'LL LIKE IT !

THE ONLY WAY IS UP

The one thing we can all be sure about is, that when the lakes eventually do thaw out and the weather does turn milder then the water will warm up from the surface downwards . Meaning that for the first time in months the warmer water will not be the deepest water in fact the very opposite . The carp our quarry being cold blooded will always follow this warmer water, not for food but for comfort, so logically then we carp anglers must therefore fish for them in the depth band they prefer to inhabit. We'll catch fish on the tops of bars , on plateaux's, up the shelf and perhaps more importantly on the ZIG!  As a general rule I usually start at two thirds depth and prefer a fixed zig up to lengths of 12 feet and by using a super loose lead clip system hope to lose the lead on the take. In situations where I need to fish higher than 12 feet  then I recommend using the excellent Fox adjustable floats , a word of warning though , when a fish is hooked on one of these set ups it very easily tangles another similar set up close by. As for colour I find black and yellow to be very effective but I know others who prefer orange or red, experiment and find out for yourselves.                                                     

TIGHT LINES       MR.F                               one more on the zig!

The lost art of watercraft

Watercraft the single most important part of a anglers armoury and in many instances the difference between success and failure ......... from my observations  it seems to be a  dying or very much forgotten craft,  How many anglers today even bother to and use their eyes and look  around the lake , look in the margins or snags, climb a well placed tree or think about the effect that the sun and wind will have on different parts of the lake at different hours of the day....... not many. Then we also have to take into account angling pressure, other anglers bait and lines and taking all these factors into account build up a picture  in our minds of where the carp might be. The next thing is to remember to be QUIET......no hammers please ! in fact why put a tent up at all if it isn't raining hard. The first job after finding the fish surely must be to set a trap for them without being suspected of doing so...isn't it???   It is possible to to do this without the "aid" of a marker float,  it's surprising how often a bite can come within minutes of flicking a bait out ....even without a full bivvy plus winter skin set up.....honest. A big percentage of today's anglers seem to be doing their version of watercraft on the phone , facebook or twitter, I see them all the time arriving on the lake and as soon as they get out their cars, or sometimes even before maybe, their phone is glued to their right ear. The "angler" and I use the term loosely is wanting to know firstly , who's caught what?, secondly ....where? (and then finally the all important)...... when are the most recently successful anglers departing?or where is the closest swim that is available. Their watercraft now done, just two barrow fulls of gear to transport and then 3 hours to set up to a very high standard that makes said "anglers" chest fill with pride and obviously makes him the envy of all his mates .......but alas  his actions have scared every fish for miles. The scary thing is that most of the time I'm sure he's blissfully unaware of this fact and will probably blame his lack of success on the wrong bait, wrong rig or any one of a thousand well practiced lines ..........such is the sorry state I find carp angling to be in these days!!!!!

CARP RIGS ..............Blow back bol----cks??????

One of the guys down the lake the other day noticed that I didn't appear to be using a small piece of silicone  tubing to trap the hair down the shank of my hook on my standard bottom bait rig and asked me to explain why? after all it is very fashionable these days, well I don't give a flying hoot  really about wether or not it's trendy,the only thing i'm concerned about is converting as many pick ups as possible into takes! Let me explain................over many years of angling i've often been able to observe carp feeding  at very close quarters  on some of the gin clear waters i've fished, conningbook, milton, swan and harrow being prime examples and what i've learned by hanging out of trees wearing polaroids is that most of the time when carp are actually feeding they don't move off  at all with the bait  in fact exactly the opposite, nine times out of ten I would see feeding carp that were sucking and blowing sometimes just off the bottom and other times with their  heads buried and bodies tilted up , their gills expanding and then closing,  the pectoral fins would clearly be seen wafting up food in the water ......this is normal carp behavour whilst feeding. Therefore it makes logical sense to me that to stand any chance of the hook catching into the lips or inside the mouth of a carp feeding in this manner then the hair on which the bait is mounted needs to come off the eye of the hook or close to it, the other way with the silicone on the bend means that when the bait is blown out the hook will follow the bait.... bend first (the wrong way) and obviously stand no chance of pricking or taking hold in the soft inner mouth of the carp. It will however turn very nicely every time  when tested by being dragged over the palm of your hand i.e. when the fish moves off with the bait in its mouth in which case it is effective  ....but only if the carp are feeding in this manner ....my observations suggest to me that they certainly don't do that very much at all !!Alternately I have the hair coming from the eye end of the hook which means that the hook will again follow the bait but this time be blown out point first (the correct way) and therefore stand a very good chance of pricking or taking hold in the carps mouth. To me it's clear which way is going to bring about more pricked carp and i'm certain that i get more chances because my way works which ever way the carp are feeding that particular day, but if the carp are more or less stationary tilted up and sucking and blowing like I described earlier then my way will bring a hell of a lot more takes. As for the absolute garbage written by certain individuals  (the blowback rig ) claiming they know when they've " been done" because the silicone rubber has moved up the shank......do me a favour....Don't just take my word for it, look at it for yourself.. the only way that the rubber could move up the shank would be if the fish was so well hooked that the carp's flesh  actually forced it back, there is no way whatsoever it could happen when the fish is blowing the bait out because as i've said earlier the hook follows the bait from the point where it is attatched.  Try it out for yourself and make up your own minds.....also try not to follow trends or believe all you read in the mags!

tight lines Mr. F

Mr F's 1st blog

Fishing has always been my first love (apart from the wife obviously) and has captivated my thoughts since as way back as I can remember, from boyhood trips to sparkling streams fishing for dace and chub with my uncle Derrick to my first encounter with a pike aged 12. I started specimen fishing after a chance encounter with two floppy hatted anglers on the banks of river Trent who wanted to use my net of roach for live bait .Almost every weekend of my early teenage years I would take a bus trip on friday night to my aunt Norma's at Newark stay there so I could be on the trent at first light, it turned out that the two floppy hatted guys Dave Shepherd and Ivan Stennett lived only a few miles away from my parents house in Nottinghamshire and more importantly they had transport, pretty soon I found myself crammed into the back of their mini van along with all of our tackle and off to far away places and targeting all manner of species .Barbel on the severn, tench on nearby gravel pits, big roach and bream too, pike on the fens and then loch lomond in the spring, then there was carp fishing on the few secret pools where we knew they existed.... what a fantastic adventure and what fun it was too, nearly always rounded off with a few beers in a local pub... in those days  we made our own rods , alarms and baits in fact almost everything we owned  as it wasn't commercially available, all vastly different to today's scene. I fished club matches on saturdays and often an open on sunday I even managed to win a few. I moved to Kent in 1985 and from there on in have mainly fished for carp , to be honest i've just approached it the same as i would as fishing for chub on a stream ....by first finding them , then keeping quiet and then by fishing simple methods that I knew worked I caught plenty of carp everywhere I went . My first twenty pounder  was from the tricky Lydd lakes and my first thirty too an awesome zip linear of 32 lbs. From there to School pool where I met Jacko, Rod and Mowglie as well as many other top blokes,then  Savay which I absolutely loved, Harrow too my first forty coming from there in1994, more big fish followed much like like trains and buses . At one stage I was doing almost a 1000 miles some weeks some weeks for day only fishing but what a buzz it was, during the winter of 97 I had mirrors of 41 and 53lb 4oz in the same week and in my time there managed to tempt forties in each winter month.My time on Conningbrook too was amazing and to be one of the first on there and be able to reveal its intimate secrets was indeed a privilege. Milton too, fickle and tricky but what stunning fish, swan and tonford too as they were were excellent for midweek overnighters.  I've been on Dinton blackswan nearly 2 years now and normally fish there with my old mate Laney..... the place is simply awesome and a credit to Simon who runs it....... that's a brief history of my fishing life , I've loved every minute of it and firmly believe that you only get out of anything what you put in so I always try to work hard at my fishing, but  more importantly at the same time I always try to enjoy it ,I don't want it to be easy either as I know that the more difficult the task then the greater the sense of achievement will be when you finally reach your goal ….if you get my drift. I choose to fish for genuine English carp and haven't a lot of time for either overstocked garden ponds or imported jumbo carp. I'll be blogging about everything concerning our sport and letting you know feelings and views on all things carpy. I've had an excellent start to the new year where  in four trips to Paddlesworth the deep 30 acre Kent pit that i've been fishing this winter i've landed 11 fish already up to 35lb 12oz .I'm off for my first trip of the year to Dinton with Laney very early monday morning and don't mind admitting i'm feeling the buzz already..