CARP GOLD AS THE YEAR FEELS ITS AGE
Locate fish and there’s still a chance, even this late in the season
WITH the certainty of short days and long cold nights ahead comes a sense of foreboding for angler and wildlife alike.
Some creatures will hibernate, while others exploit the natural larder to sustain life over the months ahead.
This is why carp fishing is at its most difficult now. The autumn binge is over and, with full bellies, the fish’s priority is to conserve energy with a minimum of unnecessary movement.
The carp no longer betray their presence by jumping, but finding them has never been more important – they certainly won’t be coming to us.
As the water in lakes and pits gets clearer by the day, cover is now a priority.
The carp seek out weed and snags, and I’m a firm believer that in a given 24-hour period there will be a chance somewhere out there in front of you.
Positive thinking gives me confidence and helps me fish better, which is why on my two latest trips a blank was the last thing on my mind.
I don’t frequent just one or two waters, as many carp anglers do, and this approach enables me to visit places where the carp are still catchable...
QUICK OVERNIGHTER
As I swung the gate open in the darkness of late evening I hoped a quick overnighter would pay dividends. I was actually on my way to go pike fishing, so time was short, but I couldn’t help but squeeze a little more out of the trip. Whatever happened, I’d save the cost of booking a Premier Inn for the night! It may seem like
madness, trying to locate carp in the dark, but I knew if one was going to show it was much more likely now than during the day.
On this occasion it took 20 minutes before I spotted some ripples, and with the barrow already loaded I was in position five minutes later. I knew from previous experience that there were banks of silkweed in front of me, so with no time to investigate any clear spots I reached for the perfect rig – the chod.
On to my 15lb Syncro XT mainline I tied 6ft of E-S-P leadcore and a ready-tied size 5 chod. Flossed on to the hook was a Sticky Krill pop-up, boosted by a spray of Signature Squid attractant.
I’d seen the carp show 30 yards out so I fanned the three rods out at this range before catapulting a few free offerings over the top – enough to attract but not so many that I’d risk filling them up.
Work complete, I sat on my bed confident that I was fishing well in an area where at least one carp was close by. Having caused minimal disturbance, I saw no reason why it and its shoal-mates would have any reason to leave.
Cooking a curry was next on the agenda, followed by a new essential for a professional angler – social media. I had only just started answering a list of questions when an alarm screamed out. I initially thought the noise was from one of those staged runs that Instagram is so fond of showing! My frantic pressing of buttons didn’t seem to work, however, and then it dawned on me – I had a take!
By the time I reached the rod the reel spool was slowly ticking as the carp made its escape. What followed was a 15-minute battle with a stubborn fish that didn’t know when it was beaten. Even when netted, it thrashed around for a further 30 seconds.
Only now could I enjoy that wonderful moment of truth – flicking on the headtorch to reveal my prize. Hand-sized golden scales on a mahogany canvas met my gaze, and I couldn’t have been happier that I’d delayed putting away my carp rods and forgone the comfort of a hotel.
CHANGE OF VENUE
A new week and a change of venue, and with frosts replaced by milder weather and cloud cover I felt I was in with a chance if only I could find the carp.
A walk around the lake gave little away, save for a tiny patch of colour. Had the swans been digging around or was it down to carp? It was certainly worth a cast.
This time I used 18lb Syncro XT with the new E-S-P Tungsten Loaded Tube to replace the leadcore, in order to comply with fishery rules. And with silt and light debris to contend with my rig had changed too.
I opted for a version of the Ronnie Rig with a size 4 Cryogen Curve Shank hook to 20lb weedy green Tungsten Loaded, finished off with a washed-out yellow Signature Squid pop-up. To focus the attention of the fish I tied up a small PVA mesh bag
filled with Krill bottom baits.
This time I’d set up just the two rods. There just wasn’t the space for a third, and had I squeezed one in I’d only have risked spooking my quarry. I can never understand why so many carp anglers feel the compulsion to fish every rod available to them.
It took a couple of casts on both my rods before I landed the rigs spot-on and was happy with the drop. At least now I had time on my side, and it turned out that I needed it – the rest of the day and night, in fact.
Come dawn, though, the fish responsible for that small patch
of cloudy water returned to the crime scene. The larder had been restocked, and with a huge suck the small patch of boilies – including my rig – shot to the back of the carp’s throat. There was no coming back from this mistake, and once again the bobbin smacked against the blank.
A big golden common shone brightly in my arms, a reminder of brighter summer days. Such moments, along with the sense of achievement at overcoming the odds, are why I’m a year-round carp angler. So don’t give up – the rewards are still there, you just have to work for them.