WHERE TO FISH
Matt adopts tried-and-trusted winter tactics to bag a bevy of big carp from a well-stocked Midlands reservoir
Night-time certainly proves to be bite time at Naseby Reservoir for Matt Rhodes...
LIKE many carp anglers, once the short days of winter set in my focus turns to well-stocked venues where action can be almost guaranteed.
In previous years, Cuttle Mill near Birmingham was my top pick, but recently I discovered another gem that produces cracking sport right through the chilly months. Obviously, a decent head of fish is an essential element in achieving this, and Naseby Reservoir in Northants certainly ticks that box, with plenty of awesome-looking fish that average mid-doubles, but which run to more than twice that size. Plenty of action with the chance of a good twenty thrown in – what’s not to like?
CONCENTRATED CARP
Although at 93 acres Naseby can be considered a big chunk of water, it shrinks to a far more manageable size over the summer months due to its role as a top-up reservoir for the Leicester arm of the Grand Union Canal.
As a result, the level often drops several metres, drastically cutting the acreage and helping to concentrate the carp into a smaller area, meaning they are never really out of reach.
It was early winter during my latest visit, but the reservoir was still at its summer level due to low recent rainfalls, and this had exposed a large gravel spit, just a short walk from the car park, which gave me great access to the central area of the lake. Although the carp can be caught all around the lake, this is an area they like to visit, so I decided to plot up and fish at a comfortable 70 yards, into around 8ft of water.
MASS MAIZE APPEAL
As I was planning on fishing the night, my first task was to introduce a scattering of bait. Recently I have been using a spod mix made from flaked maize, soaked overnight to soften it and ensure it sinks.
I add a teaspoonful of NashBait Cappuccino booster liquid to each pint of maize to give it an extra shot of flavour. Maize is a very underused bait in my opinion: it is cheap to buy and easy to prepare, and is used on many carp farms as a winter feed for the fish as it passes through them quickly and aids digestion.
A handful of 15mm Cappuccino boilies added to the maize had also soaked through and softened up and
would add extra appeal to the mix.
Once 20 Spomb-loads of bait had been deposited over an area the size of a tennis court, it was time to get the rods out. My hope was that the maize and boilies would get the shoals grazing on the bottom and receptive to an easy meal, and that a low-slung pop-up would attract their attention.
I like to make my hookbaits stand out in winter, so decided to start off with 12mm white and pink pop-ups over the top of the feed. If the carp showed a preference for one over the other, I would switch both rods to the successful colour.
While the ever-fashionable Ronnie Rig might be most anglers’ pop-up rig of choice at the moment, I have a great deal of confidence in the Multi Rig. The peeled back section of coated braid – 15lb Nash Combi-link – near the hook is incredibly flexible, allowing the hook to turn into the carp’s bottom lip very easily. To increase this turning action further, I use a short length of silicone tubing to extend the hookshank.
NIGHT-TIME IS BITE-TIME
As dusk began to set in it was time to get the brolly set up for the night and get settled in. My confidence was growing by the minute as the carp started to show closer and closer to my spot. It seems that the fish here spend their days well up the lake, but can’t resist the grub on offer at the dam end of the lake and so start to make their way down under the cover of darkness.
The odd line bite and single beep kept me perched on the edge of the bedchair, but it was a stuttering take, rather than a full-blooded run, that had me picking up the middle rod and winding down.
The expected resistance just wasn’t there, and soon a roach of about a pound was being unhooked and returned. Not what I wanted, but a start at least! With the lines on all three rods marked and the distance noted, it was an easy job to get the rig back on the spot, and once the line had sunk and settled I clipped the bobbin back on and awaited the nocturnal action.
Only an hour after dark, and just as the kettle was boiling for a brew, the right-hand rod went berserk as an angry carp set off into the gloom. Fortunately, she wasn’t going anywhere and a pretty mid-double was soon in the net. The action proved to not be as fast and furious as it can be here on some sessions, but regular bites meant that a good night’s kip was out of the question... the tally of carp was rising steadily. With the Spomb rod clipped-up to the spot I was fishing, I decided to chance rebaiting in the early hours of the morning in readiness for more action at dawn. Whether or not this actually made any difference I will never know, but the bites kept coming as the carp lingered in the area on what turned out to be a misty, gloomy morning.
The best was saved, almost, until last, when a mint-looking 20-pounder rolled over the net cord. It had been a busy night, not just for me, but for other anglers along the bank too.
So, if you’re struggling for action this month, I can wholeheartedly recommend Naseby Reservoir.
Like its better-know sister venue, Drayton, it is full of big, hungry, hardfighting carp that will brighten up even the dullest of winter days!
“An hour after dark, just as the kettle was boiling, the right-hand rod went berserk as an angry carp set off into the gloom”