THINK CARP, CATCH BREAM… AT RANGE!
Big-fish specialist Stu Lennox reveals how copying the long-range carp angler’s approach can lead to bream success I
T IS no secret that more and more of our carp waters are holding specimen-sized fish of other species.
A constant rain of high-protein boilies and pellets ensures that everything in these waters is piling the weight on, clearing up whatever is left behind by the carp.
The only downside of these carp-dominated waters is that the bream have become accustomed to finding bait where the carp anglers traditionally put it. This is normally at considerable range.
This makes targeting them with your more traditional bream tackle and tactics a little difficult. It takes a little more consideration to target them at such a range.
The approach I have developed revolves around balanced tackle with an emphasis on distance and preventing tangles. I have also stepped up the strength of all the components due to there being so many carp present and a high chance of hooking one.
My rods are a pair of the new Drennan Specialist 12ft Distance Tench & Bream Mk2 rods coupled with Shimano 5010 Baitrunners. These rods are perfect for targeting quality fish at range. They have increased strength and backbone for casting accuracy, but still retain a progressive tip to prevent hook pulls close in.
My rig is a simple carp angler’s combi rig, fished on a helicopter set-up with a length of leadcore. The boom section is E-S-P 10lb Soft Ghost and the soft hook section is 12lb Sink Link. The hook is a size 10 Drennan Super Specialist Barbel and the rig is finished off with a Rig Boom to help kick it away from the leader.
The spot I am fishing today is just over 80yds out. I have located a nice, firm spot, at the base of the
island slope which is surrounded by soft silt. I also identified another spot about 100yds out which I will target if I feel the fish have backed off even further.
On arriving I Spombed out my ‘take anywhere mix’ of Sticky Manilla Liquid, Manilla Active Mix, crushed and whole 12mm Manilla boilies, pellets and some Hemp & Bloodworm from Carp Particles UK. This creamy, nutty concoction is designed to appeal to the bream’s sweet tooth and hopefully keeps them grubbing around for the rest of the day. After 10 decent Spombs of bait I left this to settle while I sorted the rods out. Baiting up with two pieces of ESP white buoyant corn, glugged in Hinders Betalin & Black, I cast out the first rod. As I turned to get the second sorted, the first rod absolutely tore off! It was clear that this was a decent carp that had homed straight in on the commotion.
I finally had both rods in the water and a short while later a much more gentle, stuttering take signalled the first bream of the trip. The rod absorbed the thumps of what was obviously a big bream and it was soon in the net. This broad and muscular fish reached 12lb 8oz. A lovely start to the session!
I left the fish to recover in the net while I recast the rod and rebaited with a quick 10 Spombs of my creamy mix. Just as I was getting ready for some pictures, the same rod signalled a big drop back and I had to wind down quickly to get in contact with the fish.
After a hectic few seconds of winding to connect with the fish, the ensuing fight was much more straightforward. Another double-figure bream had joined its companion in the net! At 11lb, it was a beautiful brace of big fish to kick off a session.
Another top up with a bit of bait and the third bite followed like clockwork. This fish was another double-figure slab, but only just, at 10lb on the nose. This one was a nice, dark male and was obviously preparing to spawn with its rough tubercles evident all over its back and flanks.
After this quick burst of earlymorning activity, the conditions then began to conspire against me. The air pressure steadily rose, but the air temperature stayed low. The sky was now clear with bright sunshine – probably the worst bream conditions I could imagine!
Unsurprisingly, the bream bites dried up altogether, but just as I was thinking I’d see no more action, out of the blue the alarm burst into life and the rod absolutely ripped off. Once again it was clearly not a bream as 30yds were stripped off the reel on its first run.
The rod was easily capable of subduing a hard-fighting doublefigure common that was soon sulking in the bottom of the net.
That was to be the end of the action, but very clearly shows what great sport can be had at carp-dominated waters like this. I’m sure we all have carp lakes local to us where the bream have piled on the pounds, so why not give them a try? They could throw up some very pleasant surprises!