Burrows 'Echoes From The Valley' Part 12

Five days had past since my last session, due to the result I'd had on my previous trip I was itching to get back down and pick up from where I'd left off. Waking on the morning of my trip I was met with bright sunbeams spearing themselves through a gap in my curtains. As I pulled the blinds up, those same sunbeams moulded into one giant 'asteroid' of light, it took my eyes a while to adjust. I was still half asleep, there's something strangely satisfying inhaling the air of a new day when you aren't fully awake. After shaking the cobwebs from my head and having to acquire the assistance of two rather large cups of coffee to wake up properly, I started to sort through my tackle. Everything was in good shape, fresh rigs had been tied, PVA nuggets had been replenished and I'd swapped my rods over from my 3IB Ballistas to my 3IB Mirage. The Mirage blank is what I'd call a true 'through action' rod, it's literally a spiritual experience playing fish on them. To go with that, the blank is a lovely chestnut color that has subtle green whipping down by the handle. When I'm fishing with these rods I'm not so much casting but sketching with my rig and bait onto the landscape in front of me. Having amassed a rather large collection of Bruce Ashby & Sportex rods, I find myself rotating what I'm using on a regular basis. Both Bruce Ashby & Tony Fordham rods are something special, each has its own unique action

Mirage 3IB Test Curve

I arrived at the water around 11am, making my way down the woodland path to the 'bottle neck' swim, I was semi apprehensive, I was hoping it was going to be vacant, sure enough it was. Deep down I knew it would be but I seem to have a habit of attracting 'sods law' when I least expect it. The swim looked great, the water was a lovely emerald color and there was an inviting chop coming down from the cages. I had visions of carp hitching a ride on the wind, sailing down the main body of water and then 'squeezing' single file through the bottle neck where they'd come across my bait. I was hoping that all this visualization was going to harvest a result. With my swim set up and my rods rigged and ready for the chuck, I made two measured casts. Both rods were going to be fished around the same areas as my previous trip. The placement was going to be the same, the rigs were also the same. The only thing different was the bait, instead of the tiger-fish I'd opted for 'garlic sausage'. The reason for the bait change was simple, I'd found a small bucket of garlic sausage that I didn't know I had. It's a killer bait and I thought I'd empty the whole bucket into the swim during this session.

The Perfect Day

As explained last time, piling the bait into this specific part of the water made complete sense to me. To attract the carp down to feed, there had to be a big enough spread making it literally impossible for a passing fish to not come across it. There are many occasions within my fishing where I operate on 'gut-feeling' alone, and this was definitely one of those occasions. I got my 'short range' throwing stick out and littered the whole swim with 'garlic sausage'. My confidence was sky high, the conditions looked spot on and I knew that the carp weren't going to pass up the bait, the 'garlic sausage' absolutely stinks. Both rods went out perfectly, there was nothing left to do other than set the rest of my swim up take a seat and watch the day play out. I was going to keep my eyes firmly on the water to see if I could spot any signs of fish feeding when/if they move in.

Bait Positioning

By the time the initial 'faffing around' had been done it was approaching 1pm, realistically I didn't expect anything to happen until a little later on. On my last session bites came relatively quick but that was because fish were clearly feeding in the area when I arrived. I sparked the stove up and got the kettle on, a nice strong cup of 'Colombians' best was concocted and thoroughly enjoyed whilst I sat surveying the swim. There was still a constant breeze pushing through and down towards the 'muddy double', I knew it was just a matter of time before a few fish would be passing through. I got my binoculars out and started scanning the swim meticulously, I was looking for any tell-tale signs that fish were starting to feast on my 'michelin star' offerings. After a good 10 minutes of anal observation it all appeared very quiet. 

Garlic Sausage

Over head the clouds flew through the sky at pace, periodically the warmth of the sun would beat down on my face. I had the whole lake to myself, for the first time in a long time I felt pretty balanced - this is no easy feat. As the afternoon slowly ticked on by I started to receive a few nudges and knocks off of both rods. It was clear that a few fish were obviously moving through, a vague feeling of excitement started to work its way through my body. Scanning the swim again with my binoculars, there still weren't any sure signs of fish action. The liners soon ceased, for good measure I decided to top up the swim with a few more fresh baits. Was I overfeeding? - no I don't believe I was, Burrows has always been a water that I've used a lot of bait on. If I'm fishing the obvious areas, close to the overhanging trees or tight to the margins. I don't tend to use as much because you can pretty much guarantee that carp are going to be patrolling these spots at some stage during the day. On spots that aren't so obvious, open water etc, I look upon creating a feature with the amount of bait I use. There are many waters that I fish where you couldn't get away with doing this, on Burrows I knew I could.

Spearing Sunbeams

The afternoon continued to pass and come 3 o'clock I really felt like something was about to occur. I started to receive liners on both my rods again, only this time they were accompanied by streams of bubbles, mainly over my left spot. Fish had moved in and it looked like they'd come in numbers, multiple patches of silt and bubbles starting breaking the surface. Seconds turned into hours, the left bobbin was fidgeting up and down. I was paranoid that the fish might spook off the line so I decided to slacken it right off. Judging by the positions of the bubbles the carp were mopping up the freebies and were only a short distance away from where I placed my hook bait. I sat with my eyes literally crawling down inside my binoculars, slowly and surely the bubbles edged closer and closer to where my hook bait was sitting, still nothing happened. Had they sussed the rig? Was the bait presented OK? - questions started leaking into my head. And then ...... bleeeeeeeeeeepp !!! the alarm screamed, the rod tip was bending beyond belief and the clutch whizzed. 

Lifting the rod up and turning the handle to engage the bait-runner, the rod arched round into a perfect curve. I balanced my attention between playing the fish and admiring the proper through-action that the 'Mirage' possesses. The carp was powering down using the depth of the water to its advantage, I let it take line when needed and pretty much let the rod do the rest of the work. As I slowly eased the fish closer the reflection of the sun on the water was near blinding, I couldn't see a thing. I slowly peeled some line off of the spool and precariously walked backwards to grab my polaroid glasses, they were just about in arms reach. I then reeled in the slack frantically and continued the task of trying to land the fish. Now with the glare off the water, as the fish came in close, I could clearly see it, the suns rays reflected off its scales. It was a beautiful looking mirror, it had a charcoal grey back, a white belly and scattered scale patterns. Once again it looked like Burrows was going to reward me with another unique looking fish. It slowly tired, slid up on its side and casually drifted across the waters surface into the net. 

A Fine Prize

Once in the net a huge amount of relief washed over me, it was now time to take a proper look at my prize. This was a beautiful carp, the combination of the grey and white, along with the scattered scales gave this fish a very unique look. This was, without a doubt, one of the best looking mirrors I'd caught out of Burrows. After a few quick photos I bid her farewell, I had a few hours left so I got the rod back out. I didn't go crazy with the bait, I applied a few handfuls, set the bobbin and took in the remains of the day. Nothing else occurred, I was happy though, I'd managed another fish from a section of the water that I'd struggled with so many times before. As the sun started to set I got all my gear together and made my way home. My mind was already thinking about my next session - "carp fishing, it's a beautiful obsession".   

Starmer Baits

I've been interested in the idea of getting involved with a bait company for quite sometime now, not from a 'field-tester' or 'consultant' point of view, I find all of that a load of bollocks. I was thinking more along the lines of looking to get with a brand that I love, have used in the past and have total confidence in.
  
I have a high quality control about both the tackle and the bait that I use and I would never involve myself with a company that I don't believe in 100%. Having said that I am not massively into the constant plugging of products that we now see everywhere within this sport nowadays and I would never rate a product because I get something for free, I'd like to add that I pay for all my bait and end tackle. Consider this blog as a subtle introduction to a bait company that I have always respected.

Starmer Baits has been around for a very long time and if my memory serves me correctly Ian was among one of the first to develop 'the boilie' bait. Their bait range to me has always remained very different to the rest of the companies out there. The main point being that they have developed a shelf-life bait that breaks down after 72 hours of being in the water and there is no junk or nasty preservatives in anything they produce. Each of their boilie and pellet range, among their other products provide the carp with the valuable nutrients that they naturally require in their diet to remain strong and healthy.

Sweet Birdseed 

Unlike most shelf-life baits, if stored properly, Starmers boilies stay soft and fresh for a long time, once in the water they wash out very quickly. There are advantages to having washed out looking baits, the longer the bait is in the water the more the flavor is drawn into its centre. Not only does it keep its attraction but due to its washed out appearance it can fool the carp into thinking that the bait has been on the bottom of the pond for some considerable time, thus proving safer to pick up. If you decide to soak the boilies in the glugs on offer, you'll find it hard to tell it apart from any of the freezer baits that are currently on the market. 

Many moons ago in my carp fishing infancy I remember purchasing a bag from their Green Lipped Mussel range and I caught consistently through the season even when the weather was freezing, this left a lasting impression on me. The big advantage of using products from a bait company that has been around for a longtime is the fact you know what you're getting has proved the test of time. And when you think such baits as the Bio CP2 Amino has been banking carp from all over Europe for well over a decade "and still continues to", that's proof within itself that something is being done right. You only need to look at Starmers facebook page to see that all the flavors catch continually all around the world.

Green Lipped Mussel Range

There are four ranges of boilies to choose from, Green Lipped Mussel, Fishmeal & Betaine, 60/40 Sweet Bird Seed and 50/50 Milk Protein. All of the above cover pretty much anything that you'd be looking for from a bait. Each range contains the classic blends such as White Chocolate, Monster Squid and Honey Nectar but all also contain flavors that are a very different. With names such as Octospice, Bio Multi Vit and Raspberry Ripple, there's enough to try if you are looking for something unique. I personally like to use a bait that no one else is using, as we know The Cell continues to catch carp everywhere but I have never felt comfortable going into a tackle shop, grabbing a bag of 'the latest fashion' and then heading off to the water.

Milk Protein

As well as boilies Starmer have a vast range of pellets and with the introduction of their new pellet mill it's something that is being taken very seriously. They have two ranges consisting of both high and low oil with an array of different flavors stretching from Hot Chilli Hemp, Bloodworm, Sardine And Anchovy, Halibut and Coconut Fish, amongst others. Once again they all contain natural ingredients that blend very well with the carps natural diet. 

Attractor Pellets

All pellets have a fast breakdown time and pair up perfectly  with the boilies of the same flavor. To go with the pellets you can also get an enhancing liquid that boosts their attraction to provide just that little bit more pulling power. Just like all their products all the Glugs, Liquids and Fish Oils are top grade quality and smell very very potent.

Marine Pellets

Starmer is very much a one stop shop for all bait requirements, this can sometimes put people off because you can get a sense that the company are spreading themselves to thin. This is not the case though with Starmer. All the product ranges have been built up over the years and a great deal of research and thinking has gone into everything that's been produced. Both Ian and Gareth are constantly working on developing new and interesting products and nothing is released until it's air tight and ready to go. I know for a fact that there are a few new plans in the pipeline regarding product development.

Top Grade Fish Oils & Pellet Enhances 

Along with both the boilies, pellets and fish oils there is also a wide range of method mixes. Seeing the popularity of the 'method feeder' being used more and more in carp angling these days, the selection that is available provides you with enough choice to give yourself a nice little edge. Blends consist of Big Fishmeal, Beastie Ball, Red Carp and GLM, amongst others. Once again these can be combined with both the pellets and the boilies of the same flavor. Having used these mixes in the past with success, I can say that they prove to be successful both mixed dry or sloppy, the red carp is ideal for clouding the water when fishing zigs.  

Method Mixes

Along with all the products above you also have the option with the ingredients available to make your own bait. As we know, there's nothing like catching a carp on a bait that you have made yourself. All the four boilie ranges have their own dedicated base mix and there's a huge amount of both flavors and dyes to choose from. There are a lot of flavors that are not actually in the boilies available so you can make a secret blend that is individual to you and you only. These same flavors can be added to both the pellets and method mixes to create some seriously unique scents.

Flavor Selection

In conjunction with the flavors you also have a great range of glugs and dips. The first thing that struck me about these was how natural they smelt. With some boilie dips out there you can get a synthetic quality. All Starmers glugs smell exactly what they're suppose to smell of, white chocolate smells like white chocolate and so on. When added to the boilies all flavors and attractors are enhanced and you can have confidence in knowing you've given yourself the best chance of getting a bite.

Make Your Own

Once again I would like to state that I am in no way stating Starmer products are all wonder baits and that you should rush out and buy it. I understand that bait, just like rods and reels is a personal preference. I am just outlining the product range for you. As we know location and water-craft are the main aspects that put fish on the bank. If you are sitting behind a bait that you have 100% confidence in, it makes the experience of the hunt a little more relaxed. 

Banana Cream

Regarding pop ups, it's exciting times, a super buoyant, ready to roll pop up base mix has been developed that can be made straight from the bag, it can be used on rolling tables of any size or even rolled on the bank for instant results. Used in combination with any flavour, colour, fish oil or additive you have an infinite variety of pop ups. You can simply roll them into your desired size, then boil for 2-3 minutes and your done, the mix is also suitable for microwaving. 

I have used these pop ups on a variety of weedy waters and they perform very well, you can cast with confidence knowing that your bait is presented correctly. One of the main points that sticks out for me about the pop up range is that they look exactly the same as the bottoms baits and they are 100% fish friendly, there are no nasties within the mix such as cork dust etc.

Super Buoyant Pop Ups

There are a few more products that I haven't included but I think you can get a basic overview of what the company provides. My choice to go with Starmer was from the heart and it's going to play a vital part for me on my angling journey. Getting involved with any company works both ways, the last thing it is for me is a first grasp intent to become a careerist angler. If you are looking at some stage to get endorsed, going in to it with "free stuff", in mind is not the way to roll. As I have said before, fish for fishing's sake, not for the incentive of what you can gain from it. 

I see so many anglers hopping from bait company to bait company saying that each is the best they've used, this says a lot about their character, it gets to the point where you can't take anything they say seriously. That side of angling makes no sense to me at all, just like my drumming and music, you have to believe in what you do whole heartily, be it plastering a wall or catching fish. I chose Starmer because not only do I believe in their bait but I also believe in both Ian and Gareth, commitment and honesty are two of the main traits that make an angler, not how many sponsorships they have. 

Starmer Baits Web Page