YOUR OUR EXPERTS ANSWER MONTH QUESTIONS EVERY

Stan Bowker, by email

Adam Penning, Prologic

“Never underestimate the importance of a good casting style” “Looking really is everything”

QWhat’s the most common mistake you witness anglers making when you take them out on one of your tutorials?

AHi Stan. Thanks for the great question! I will address this two-fold – first, very few anglers really watch and look properly. It sounds so simple but your eyes are your most valuable weapon, and every single carp I catch is based on a reaction to something I have seen.

Think about that for a moment - it really is radical! So, a big part of it is teaching people how to look properly and of course the things they should be looking for because, unfortunately, the carp aren’t always vaulting themselves clear of the water.

The second thing is the cast. Seriously, very, very few people cast with a fluid style that enables them to achieve the right arc, trap the line, stop the lead before entry and then feel it down to the bottom. I have been out with some really experienced anglers and so often, the cast is the area that needs most improving.

Each of these issues, while not quite being universal in lack of practice, is extremely prevalent. You couldn’t play a good round of golf if you didn’t have at least a reasonable swing and, in carp fishing, the cast is as important as the swing in golfing.

I don’t mean distance, I mean consistency, accuracy and timing. When you couple that with the fact that most anglers are not in the right place simply because they don’t bother to look, and you start to see how some top anglers are able to separate themselves from the pack.