Burrows 'A Ghost In Winter' Part 2

With the result I had on my last session I was buzzing for a good 24 hours afterwards, the common I caught was a great way to kick off my little winter stint. I was itching to get back down Burrows, when I think of how many times I've fished the water and how many awesome fish I've had, it says so much about my connection with the place, that I can still get so excited about being on its banks. 

I think one of the main reasons that I buzz so much is because I keep my expectations realistic, thinking about it, I'm very grounded about all the different waters that I fish. Never once do I load my car thinking "I have to catch a big carp", I simply welcome the idea of catching, be it a single, double or a monster, if you keep your expectations realistic then you never walk away from the bank feeling disappointed, once again, it's all about your mind set. I know I repeat myself but consistency is the key for me, if I can remain consistent on all my waters, a special beauty will at some point grace the landing net.

On The Day Of The Session

The alarm clock broke my sleep at 6:30am, I was up like a shot, all my gear was prepared so I could exit quick and make my way down to the waters edge as early as possible. I always amaze myself when it comes to getting up to go fishing, I'm out of bed like a cannon ball, wrecking everything in my path. Getting up for work is a very different test, it's as if I'm stapled to the mattress. Clothes were thrown on, I inhaled a couple of coffees, loaded the car and floored it all the way down the motorway. A combination of adrenalin and caffeine turned my enthusiasm into borderline obsession, I had visions of carp in front of my eyes, long ones, dumpy ones, all kinds of "Cyprinus Carpio" were feeding within the margins of my mind.

The idea of getting this excited after the best part of twenty five years of angling is something that never ceases to inspire me. I had so many ideas of how I wanted to fish the session, this time around, on arrival I wanted to take a nice long walk around the water, think hard about where I was going to fish and basically take it all as it comes, hopefully doing this would tame my excitement. 

I find when I'm really excited I have a habit of going 'through the motions' and don't always consider things as much as I should, I believe that in the past this has cost me a fish or two. It's always important to consider all your options prior to casting out, there's nothing worse than pitching up in a swim when you're not 100% confident with your decision. Confidence grows and stays with you when 'in your mind', you know that you've done everything you can do to get a bite.  

On arriving at the water I left my gear in the car and went for a wander, the conditions were pretty much the same as the previous session, the only difference being that there wasn't much of a breeze, the sky was vacant, their was a strange silence, it all felt fairly tame. I took advantage of this and walked the whole lake, stopping in each swim to see if I could clock any carpy activity. 

It all looked quiet, I was going to have to go on my gut feeling and consider past experiences. I was edging towards going back in the muddy double, there's a spot down in the opposite right corner of the bowl that usually produces a few bites, funnily enough it's not an area that I target during the summer, it seems to always call to me when temperatures drop.  

The Muddy Double 'Many A Moment Shared'

The aspect that really interested me about the area I was considering, was the fact that it's deep close in and shelves down gradually to the deepest part of the lake. In my mind this was a perfect winter holding spot, I visualised the carp patrolling up and down the marginal slope. Even though the water was now pretty much crystal clear close in, there was still enough depth in the margin for the fish to feel safe, 'Well This Was My Theory Anyway'. I find if I can build up a clear image in my mind of what a spot might offer, I feel inclined to follow through with the hunch. It's like drum playing, you can learn so much by listening, if I can visualise how the drum part is being played, I can shift and mould the ideas into my own playing style. 

The Muddy Double - For Obvious Reasons

My chosen bait for this session was Honey Nectar, I was going to fish a cut down single on the hair and literally two or three broken up boilies as freebies, followed by a light scattering of pellet. I was going to walk round before casting out and drop the few free offerings in the rough vicinity of where I was planning to cast. I wanted the presentation to look as random as possible, as if a bit of bait had been thrown in the margin after a session. 

'We all do it', boilie, corn, or whatever we've been using, usually gets pulled off the hair and thrown in the margin in front of the swim at the end of the day. The idea of cutting the bait down was very simple, I wanted to steer away from the usual round shape and offer something that didn't give the carp any reason to reject it. I knew that if some fish where in the area and they were feeding, this approach was enough to get a bite. As mentioned before, I'm not fishing for a big hit, I want to pick the odd fish off. 

View From The Swim

The rig was simple and the same as last time, the only difference being that I was using a slightly heavier lead, I'd gone up to a 2oz inline. I made sure the presentation was nice and stream line and with a feathered cast would rest perfectly on the contours of the lake. My chosen hook-link was Krystons 'Synx' Gold, this steams straight beautifully and sinks like a brick, I kept the coating on the whole link apart from the tiny section under my silicone kicker, this helped to produce a brilliant hinge effect. 

I'm a big believer in kickers on bottom bait rigs, anything that helps to turn the hook when it's picked up is a winner in my book. I don't buy the whole 'closing the gape' theory, as I've explained before, I know there's mixed opinions about this but to me, this is where the "each to their own" element of angling comes in to play, we all have our own little things that we feel confident in using. See Image Below

Stripped Back Under The Kicker Only

Finished Presentation

Once I'd walked round and distributed my freebies into the swim, it took me a few casts to get both baits in positions that I was happy with, I could feel on the drop of both rods that I was fishing in a good depth, each lead landing communicated a dull thud through the rod blank. Once both traps were set I'd decided that I wasn't going to do any recasts at any point throughout the day, I knew what I was doing was correct and now it was just in the lap of the gods if a curious carp was going to investigate the spot. 

As usual I sparked the kettle up, it was coffee time, for me this is like a religious ceremony, there's no better way to welcome in the first few minutes of a session. This time around, instead of focusing intensely on the water like I usually do, I decided to try and let my mind wander, and whilst I sat back and slowly watched the steam streaming from the kettle, I started to imagine that I was releasing old ghosts, I was setting them free to gently drift and evaporate into the ether above, allowing them to reach their destination.

Thinking about it, there's been many times in my life when I've wished that I could just simply disappear, float free, I find this world too much to bare at times, there's so much conflict, too much resentment, war, and if I'm being honest I find I have nothing in common with the majority of people that seem to drift in and out of my life, it use to bother me, but now I except that it's just the way it is. Some people manage to exist in harmony, I unfortunately don't, I've spent my life chasing something that I still haven't found and to make it worse I still don't really know what that is. I think it lies somewhere between the primal energy of the drum and the truth hidden within the written word.

But then I realised that if I hadn't lived my life the way that I had, I wouldn't be here now, sitting like a ghost in the wilderness, trying desperately to communicate with the unseen. I started to think that every single moment and action in my life had to happen for me to end up right here, right now, in this moment. Maybe the world wasn't so bad after all, and as I inhaled the fresh air that the new wind had to offer, I felt such a huge sense of ease. Here I was surrounded by 'infinity', and I was getting lost in the atlas of my mind - "I think next time I should do what I usually do, which is watch the water intensely",  thinking too much can be dangerous.

Back To Reality

A sudden bleep from my right hand rod broke my day dreaming, all of a sudden reality was very real again, another bleep followed. I was sitting on the edge of my chair waiting to pounce on the rod. A minute passed and then it was away, a carpy buzz came over my body and before I knew it I had a hard fighting mystery on the end of my line. The fight was hard, it weaved all around the water in front of me and was very reluctant to show itself, she soon started to give herself up and I proceeded to ease the mesh under a lovely looking mirror, scales fell to 17IB.

17IB Mirror Wearing Her Winter Skin

This fish was again another perfect example of a pure Burrows carp, clean, healthy and hard fighting, it was an honour to have tamed her. The presentation worked and clarified that the spot was worth a punt. I wanted to get the bait back out fast, so I opted for a tiny little mesh bag of pellet, just to give a little added attraction. Hopefully there was the odd freebie kicking around near my left hand bait. I'm sure if a carp had come across it, the rod would of gone off by now. A calm and measured cast saw my right hand bait smack bang on its previous position. 

A Tiny Package Of Attraction

Since my success on both Boreham Mere and Braxted Front lake, my confidence is flying sky high regarding the minimal bait approach. If fish are about, you really don't have to be loading your swim right up, in the summer on certain waters 'baiting with both barrels' is a killer method and I love doing it. But working with small baits has more of a hunting quality about it, you've got to get your location right. I'm starting to feel the more pressured the water is, the less bait I am willing to use. Both solid bag and spodding presentations have a pattern, I feel wiser carp can pick up on this and spook, but broken boilies, the odd pellet and maybe a thin scattering of method mix doesn't create any real obvious pattern, it's random and it's an approach I am eager to take further in the coming months.

So, both rods were out, mid afternoon was yawning into late afternoon and I was still feeling hopeful, the minutes bled into an hour or two and then all of a sudden the right rod was away again. I scrabbled for it and kept the pressure on, the fish was trying to get in the snags to the left of the spot. With some gentle persuasion I managed to guide her my way and I felt such relief when I could see that she was in the open water. I kept her steady and managed to get her in the net with no fuss, it was another stunning mirror, once in the sling, scales fell to 16IB.

A Majestic Mirror At 16IB

After I'd gently slipped her back I took a moment to acknowledge the fact that I'd got everything right, taking into account how moody Burrows can be. It can really have a habit of slapping you in the face, hence why appreciating every capture is so important, each fish caught keeps you going through the sessions where the water plays the blanking game with you. 

As the day started to draw to a close it felt like the water was preparing for temporarily hibernation, and as I packed up and made my way back to the car, I felt pleased that it had been another solid session. It goes without saying that I was already thinking about my next visit and on the journey home, carp were already starting to appear, swimming once again through the margins of my mind. It was going to be a long few days until I could get back down again, angling - it's a beautiful obsession. 

CLICK HERE FOR PART THREE

Rugby Lake 'Picking The Lock'

In this blog I am going to be getting down to business quick, I explained my approaches in my earlier Rugby post, there is a link to it later if you haven't read it yet. It covers the finer details and my general thoughts on how I am going to tackle the lake. 

My first session was a rough one, I arrived for 9:00am, the wind was ripping along the water, there was a light rain and it was overcast. Theoretically the conditions were perfect, I fumbled around to get my brolly up, piled everything under it and perched underneath so I could watch the water for a while. I have found in the past that usually the rougher it is on the bank, the better it is for fishing, I always seem to do well on days like this. I had a sense that something was going to happen. 

50/50 Milk Protein Boilies

I love the baron feeling that harsh weather conjures, when you have a lake to yourself it's as if you are the only person alive and time becomes meaningless, evaporating. It's almost like you can sense the ghosts of the past. There's something exhilarating arriving home after a day of being battered on the bank by the elements.

Anyway.....

Eventually the rain paused, I quietly got my tackle setup and arranged my swim, keeping low to the water whilst I got my baits ready. Rigs were tidy, bait was fresh and I had my spots sorted. Because I was fishing so close in I could literally lower both rigs with no disturbance at all. I had to concentrate on being silent, if I wanted the fish to come in close I didn't want to be doing anything to spook them.

20IB Mirror From Last Session

I was fishing up in a swim called the trucks, the pressure in this part of the lake comes from the far margin and the reed line. I decided I was going to fish my near side margin and concentrate on this specific area through the coming months.

I was fishing both rods down to the left of me, when you climb up the tree next to the swim, especially in the summer, you can see the bottom. The reason I picked these spots is because a little way out from my near side margin is a tall thick weed bed. I was thinking I could pick a few off as they passed through the channel between the reed line and the weed.   

Birds Eye View From The Swim

For all those that might not of read my blog about the approach I 

am using on Rugby, you can read it here: FINDING THE KEY 

My chosen hook bait was Starmers Honey Nectar, both rods where fished with critically balanced baits, some GLM method mix, Banana Cream chops along with a few mixed boilie flavours. Visually it's nice and bright and the blend of baits give off a lovely sweet smell. I am a big fan of the 50/50 milk protein mixes especially this time of the year.

Honey Nectar - 100% Confidence 

Both rods were out, back leads were on, now it was just the waiting game. Periodically throughout the day I climbed the tree to see if there was any signs of fish in and around the swim. It all appeared pretty quiet and it stayed like this for the majority of the day. Every hour or so I would lightly sprinkle bait in and around the swim. I didn't want to over feed but at the same time I wanted to keep a certain amount of attraction in the water.

Mixed Shapes And Sizes 

Late afternoon came and I was starting to get a few twitchy liners which indicated that something was occurring down in the murky depths. My right hand rod was starting to come to life and I could see very gentle knocking on the tip, all of a sudden it was away, the tip bent right round and the buzzer was screaming. I rushed up and lent back into the fish, the rod arched round and away the drag went, ticking in that very addictive manor, something we all love to hear.

The fish was lunging for the weed bed, with a bit of side strain and a calm temperament I managed to steer her clear, it wasn't long before I had an awesome looking mirror staring up at me from the landing net. I was buzzing and shaking a little, this fish meant so much to me, like I have mentioned before, Rugby is far from easy. I have always managed to get the takes but have been very unlucky in actually banking the fish. This time it all came good, scales sunk to 22IB. The fish was in tip top condition and a beautiful chocolate brown color.

22IB Rugby Mirror

This fish really meant the world to me and was a great start to my journey on the water, getting any fish out of this lake makes me feel like I am heading in the right direction. I want to challenge myself, especially in regards to presentations. I know I can deal with clay, silt and gravel, I want to welcome weed and I want to know I have enough ideas in the armory to do so. 

The rest of the day came and left and as the sun went down the rods remained silent. I was really pleased with the outcome and was planning to come down in a day or two to get the rods back out on the same spots. My viewpoint is to keep working that section of the lake, keep the bait going in all through the winter and then hopefully the carp will start to associate the spot with food. 

I am going to be baiting up with lots of different flavors, pellets, ground boilie, method mixes, all sorts of shapes and sizes to keep the fish guessing. The secret will be in the application, I don't want to go piling it in like a madman, subtle and consistent amounts should do the trick, little and often.

Session Two

The conditions for this session were pretty much identical to the previous day, the only difference was that the wind had really picked up. The lake suddenly looked like a bleak lifeless landscape, I was determined to find some form of life, hopefully big, scaly and wearing its winter color. Below is recap of the rig I have chosen to use.

The Claw Effect

The approach was exactly the same as last time, same rigs, same bait and same spots. I attempted to climb the tree to see if I could spot anything milling around, I gave in half way up, if I had continued I would of ended up head first in the lake, it was way too breezy. 

I got the rigs straight out, back-leaded right under my rod tips, threw a light scattering of bait over the area and once again quietly sat back. I felt that I was really starting to master 'silence'. To my surprise I started to get a few liners pretty quickly, my confidence was sky high.  

Rugby The Beach 'Locked In Time'

The rods must have been out for about two hours before I got my first take, the right hand rod ripped off, I was in slight disbelief, I really didn't expect anything to happen so fast. I raced for the rod, gently lent back into the fish and held on for dear life, it was shifting gears. I gained control pretty quick, letting the rod cushion every lunge, it was very heavy, it was really wanting to get in the weed, I was doing my best to stop it, when I got it in close she surfaced and it was a big fish, over twenty easily with a very broad back. 

Minutes felt like hours and there was no let up, she shot down deep again and I was giving it as much as I could, suddenly she tore back out into the weed bed and it went solid ..... NO! I kept the pressure on but it was still solid, I could feel that she was still on. I decided after a while to slacken off to see if she would find her own way out, I wasn't getting anywhere.

I left it for a good 10 minutes and I could see my line twitching and very slightly coming off the spool, I picked it back up applied the pressure and was met with my rig flying back towards me .... gutted!! I just stood there looking at the rig, I couldn't believe that I had lost one and it looked pretty dam special. Before casting back out I made a coffee and tried to focus my mind, I was starting to think that was my chance for the day, blown.

Coffee And Contemplation

Once my thoughts were gathered I brushed it off and got the rod straight back out, topped the swim up with a little more bait and sat back to contemplate. The positive was the fact I got the take, she took the bait. I need to be very aware in the future that they can ditch me in the weed, even at this time of the year when it's partly died back.

The hours passed and my hopes of another take were fading, the light was starting to go. As the sun set the breeze dropped, it was 'the witching hour', I started to feel like I could be in with another chance. Sure enough I started to get the odd liner, this time on my left rod, something was going on below, it twitched and then to my surprise shot off at speed. 

This time I was on it quick and I refused to let the fish take control. I kept the pressure on, stuck with it, teasing the fish away from the weed bed, it was frantic, after a fine fight she eventually tired, I ended up slipping the net under a nice chunky looking mirror. Two takes in a session, my mind was blown, scales sunk dead on 24IB.

24IB Of Old Rugby

It goes without saying that I was over the moon with the result, I finally started to feel that I was making progress on a water that is by far one of the hardest puzzles I have had to crack. It shows applying your mind fully to something really does pay off. Maybe all my previous sessions that didn't work out were for a reason, maybe it was forcing me to sit up and really listen to the water. 

I have said it in the past, the water will tell you everything you need to know - you've just got to be listening. I am really looking forward to future sessions, I know it's not going to be easy but anything worth having never is.

Goodnight

Burrows 'Getting Back In The Groove'

So it finally looks like winter is on the way out, and what a long one it has been. I persevered through the colder months and surprisingly had a fair amount of success. The bleak and sometimes brutal banks are slowly starting to sprout new life and with a new season comes new dreams and possibilities. I forgot what a pleasure it is to be on the bank without thermals and about five layers of clothing, I love the change from winter to spring, you actually start to feel alive again.. just.

My new membership for Kingfishers has come through and I have joined 'Bardag Angling' who run The Chase over in Dagenham, I have my sights set on a few different waters this year and I am really looking forward to getting started. Plenty of homework is required but to me that's all part of the process. I think it's important to keep a variation in your fishing.

Before I brave new ground I thought I'd pop down Burrows for a few sneaky sessions, Burrows is a water I will fish off and on because I really do love it there and the lake holds a stunning stamp of carp. The place is really thriving, it seems a lot more twenties are visiting the banks and a few new scamps are gracing landing nets, all the fish are so clean, be it a twenty or a low double, it's a total joy to bank any Burrows carp.

Before I went on my first session I popped down to have a walk around, obviously with the change of temperature rising a little a few anglers have been out and about. After having a chat with some of them it seems the water has been very slow and not a great deal had been giving itself up. I think the crazy weather we have been having over the past months is playing a role in this, I personally don't think the fish know whether they're coming or going. Baring all this in mind I planned an afternoon session, now the clocks have changed it's great to be able to stay out later and obviously this gives you longer on the bank and a higher chance of a bite. 

I had a rough idea where I wanted to fish, I have pinpointed a fair few spots I know I can catch from in varied conditions. I kept my rigs very simple, I was fishing a 'blow back' but I had replaced the ring with a tiny bit of tubing, I was using a size 8 fang twister, supernova braid with a small piece of tungsten putty a few inches away from the hook, I feel this adds to the shock when the carp picks the bait up. My lead was a Carpy Chris Inline pear which was 2 1/2 oz. My chosen bait was Starmers reliable sweet bird seed mix "Strawberry Mivvi" topped off with some fake corn, visually I think the red of the boilie blended in with yellow gave a great presentation.

Simple Rig

My Swim Choice

I arrived at the water around 1:30pm with the view point of staying until around 7:00pm. I opted on keeping the free offerings to a minimum relying on the fact my baits had been dipped in glug to help release a little more attraction. I was going for the opportunist take, I felt piling the bait in wasn't the right thing to do, taking into account the water had been pretty quiet over the past few weeks.

The hours started to pass pretty fast, there were no signs of any fish anywhere, it was very quiet. Instead of recasting for the hell of it, I just sat on my hands, I knew my rig positions were good, the bait was spot on, I had a sense that if I was going to get a take it would be a little later on in the day. 

6:30pm came and the wind had calmed down, the lake turned into a sheet of glass, it felt like the witching hour.. 'bite time'. Sure enough 6:45pm came and my right hand rod ripped off at pace. I lent into the fish that seemed to be racing towards me because there was no real resistance, I thought that I'd hooked into one of the scamps. When I got her in close that was when she really woke up, it felt heavy and was powering around, my barbel rods where being stretched to their limit. The fight went on for quite sometime and when I eventually got my first glimpse of the fish I knew I'd got a real nice chunk on. Eventually she tired, I eased the net under her, a lovely looking mirror laid there staring at me, scales sunk to 21IB 5oz, I was overjoyed and a little surprised.

21IB 5oz 

I got a few snap shots and slipped her back, it had just gone 7:00pm so I decided I'd pack up with the plan on coming down in a few days time. I wanted to get a few solid sessions in before moving on.

Day 2

My mind was starting to work over time because I just had this niggling feeling that the carp might be spending their time in the mid to upper layers. When the carp are hard on the deck you can pretty much gauge a take 45 minutes into the session, I was starting to think about putting a zig rig out. I came to the decision that I'd fish another day hard on the bottom and if I'm still getting the same feeling I'd fish a zig on my third session.

I opted to fish the same swim but this time I would fish Strawberry Mivvi on one rod and Octospice on the other, both would be topped off with fake corn. Octospice is a pretty special bait, Starmer originally made it for the french market, when I was down their work shop last visit, Ian gave me a small bag to try out and I caught on it instantly everywhere I took it. My spots were the same as the day before but a little tighter into the bank.

Starmers Octospice 'An Interesting Blend'

This day turned out to be a real tough one, the bobbins stayed static with not so much as a single bleep, a few fished jumped down where the underwater fence was but that was about it. I was now convinced that I was going to try fishing a zig on my next session.

I have never tried zigs on Burrows and it might just be the approach that could get me a bite when times are slow. I stuck it out until the bitter end and in the last few minutes of the session my left hand rod screamed off, 'last knockings' had delivered once again like it has so many times in the past. The fish put up a great fight, I slipped a lovely looking mirror over the net, scales sunk to 12IB, Octospice had tempted one on a tough day.

12IB Mirror

Back She Goes

Day 3

The conditions on session three were very different to the previous days, it was very sunny and very windy, there were waves on the water and trying to cast out was a bloody nightmare. I opted to fish one on the bottom and one on a 2ft zig. The 2ft zig was placed where I'd seen fish cruising mid water during the winter. The bottom bait was put in my usual marginal spot, I was using Starmers banana cream mixed with strawberry mivvi, I had both flavours chopped in a carp craze mesh bag and I was fishing half and half on the hair.

Half And Half Hook Bait

Finished Presentation

My zig rig was tied using the new Rig Moral specialist mono, with a size 6 Nash fang uni, I cut down a banana cream pop up to use as my hook bait. Instead of using a lead clip system I favour one of my small light inline leads. The lead was made specifically for me by 'Carpy Chris Knowler' to use with my solid bags but it comes in useful for other things, if I was fishing a zig over 3 1/2 ft then I would swap to a lead clip system so I could drop the lead if need be.

Rig Marole Specialist Mono

I am very impressed with the above hook link material, it goes near invisible in the water and has great knot strenght. If you steam its straight before using it, it keeps it shape very well.

'Carpy Chris' Solid Bag Lead

My little solid bag lead is a small flat inline that casts lovely, lands with little disturbance and is light enough to use with a short zig rig.

Simple Zig Set Up

You can see in the above photo that the hook link material is very hard to see, when the sun shines on it it turns translucent. When approaching zig fishing any little edge you can give yourself is helping to contribute to the effectiveness of the presentation.

When I arrived at the lake I decided to fish the same swim that I'd been in previous, my bottom bait was cast nice and tight into the margin with a bag of chops and a few freebies thrown around, my zig was put just off the deeper shelf that runs a rods length or so off the opposite bank.

Rig Positions

The day proceeded as expected with very little indication of fish anywhere, I felt really confident in my positioning so once again I just sat on my hands. When fishing zigs I make an agreement with myself that I am going to commit 100%, that's the only way you're ever going to know if the method is effective, I have used them in the past with varied success. I have decided I'm going to focus and explore them a lot more this season, if done correctly they can really add another dimension to your overall fishing.

The wind continued to batter the lake, afternoon bought with it showers and blasts of rain, it was starting to look pretty doubtful that I was going to bag a fish. All of sudden out the blue my zig rod bent round and I lifted into a hard fighting carp, the approach paid off and I was thrilled that I'd managed a take. The fish really put up one hell of a fight, as the water was broken by a straying dorsal I clocked the view of a lovely looking common, I eventually teased over my net, scales sunk to 13IB.

13IB On The Zig

I was so pleased to catch on a zig, I think I am going to incorporate them into my fishing a lot more, the secret to zig fishing for me is total coviction, if I choose to put one out then it stays out. Because the concept is a little weird sometimes you feel inclined to reel it in after a few hours and whack a bottom bait on but at the end of the day, you don't know until you try.

That was the only take I had all day, I did pop down a few days later for a few hours and had yet another take on the zig but unfortunately it took me into a snag and spat the hook. For the future I am going to start to work with adjustable zig rigs, many times have I been on a lake when I've seen fish cruising just under the surface, I have come up with a pretty reliable system which I believe will be effective.

Adjustable Zig Setup

The setup is really very simple, I will be using a Fox pike float fished upsidedown so the swivel can slot into the black tubing provided, the lead system will be pretty much the same as how you set a marker float up. Now doubt I will keep track of my results in future blogs, I am feeling optimistic, it might just be the key to those days where fishing hard on the deck just isn't happening.

The Clutch And Fish Welfare

In this blog I am going to touch on my feelings about the use of the clutch and certain aspects of general 'fish welfare'. Fish welfare is the main priority for me and it starts from the moment a carp is hooked. There is no excuse for lip damage or any other kind of injury to a fish. Obviously there are so many factors involved in hooking and landing a carp, there are times when however careful you are, small damages can occur. If I felt I couldn't treat the fish I catch with the respect that they deserve, I would give up fishing all together.

The Clutch, maybe a lost art?

I started my quest for carp back in 1990, there was no YouTube, DVD's, Korda etc, and very limited magazines on sale, I have never been one to read the carp mags anyway. I had to learn everything through immense trial and error, Graham, who use to own Crowborough Tackle showed me a knotless knot and the rest I had to explore myself, it took years before I started to grasp things correctly. The beauty of this process was the fact everything was learnt on the bank, it was understood gradually so through the years you developed a broad understanding. 

With the way the carp fishing industry has developed through recent years and with the explosion of the Internet, it's almost like the work is being done for you. Someone else gets out on the bank, films themselves, talks you through what's working and what isn't, how to find the fish, how to apply the bait etc. All from the comfort of your front room.

I feel this puts a hold on your own learning journey. You can't learn watercraft or how to handle a fish by watching YouTube, and you can't develop your own fishing knowledge by sitting at home. The only way you learn is by doing, a boxer can train and train but he only knows when he's ready for the fight when he steps into the ring, on his own. A band can rehearse a song endlessly but they only know if it's any good when it gets released. The best experience is your own experience and that is something that can't be bought.

I remember when I had a little float rod and I'd go fishing with a pot of maggots and my little landing net. I could sit and catch roach, dace, rudd, perch amongst others and I would be so happy. The feeling when that float bobs under was an indescribable sensation. From this style of fishing I learnt how to handle and carefully unhook what I'd caught. The first time I float fished for carp was on a private lake on the grounds of someone my Dad knew. When I hooked into my first carp from the water, the owner would guide me, telling me how to play the fish safely, slowly, and to treat them correctly, carefully unhooking them and placing them back to fight another day.

From that point onwards I felt what I was being shown became inherent within me, the care and attention I gave each fish I caught, resulted in them swimming back with no real harm done. Through the years I can't really remember ever catching a carp with bad lip damage that I'd caused, that might sound crazy to some, but it's the truth, I don't bully the fish, I savour every moment of the fight, we wait long enough for it. There have been a few occasions when the hook hold was weird or when my braid might have made a tiny incision, but that's about it, and all damage was carefully treated. I use a combination of "NT Labs Wound Seal & Propolis", I find both these products to be very effective and I wouldn't go fishing without them. There has been a few instances when I've had a recapture and the carp have been in good shape, the products had done their job.  

Keep It Clean

I stopped fishing most commercial waters a while back because on a lot of them the condition of the fish I was catching was unforgivable. I found myself coming up against the statement "Well What Do You Expect On A Day Ticket Venue". I am sorry but that is no excuse, a fish is a fish, be it a huge pit, a syndicate, small water or a day ticket, they all count and having a blase attitude towards day ticket fish was something that just didn't rub with me. There is no prize for yanking a fish in quickly, bullying it and putting it under unnecessary stress. The fish will signal when it is ready to be netted, you can see it and feel it. And this now brings me onto my point about "THE CLUTCH".

Quick Drag

I have always been an avid user of the clutch, it's one of the most important elements for me along with the line clip. For many years I used bait-runners, I loved my Shimano 6010's and was very reluctant to change, I think it was the 'old school' in me. Through the years they got battered, the clutches were tired and as my fishing progressed I decided to invest in my first set of big pit reels. This would be the first time I was dealing with a front drag. I have to say the difference between the two was light-years, having a front clutch was a dream and it really seemed to put you completely in touch with the fish. You could cater for any tug and lunge, accommodating accordingly. 

When I play my fish I get a sense when the clutch needs to be loosened, it all comes from the tip of the rod, once the tip is bent round, if the carp starts to drag the tip down violently, I will loosen off so the pressure from rod to fish is relieved. Obviously there are times when you have to give them a fair amount of pressure but I keep these to a minimum. Finding a fine line between being gentle but also keeping control is the key. With the ever increasing range of rods that are appearing on the market, test curves seem to be going up and up. With the correct use of the clutch you can still fish comfortably using stiffer rods without the worry of pulling the hook out. It is possible to find a sweet spot between reel and rod that is perfectly balanced. If your reel has a "Quick Drag" facility then you can fine tune even more.

Away She Goes

Up until around last year I have stopped fishing to bad snags or near any feature where the fish could get tethered, the idea of really heaving them out of branches has evaporated, this alone keeps the carps welfare at the forefront. The "fish at any cost" approach only puts the carp at greater risk. Nothing is achieved from dragging a fish through snags, lilies etc other than unnecessary damage, if you can't cast to the spot due to obstacles then you shouldn't be fishing there. I'd rather fish a spot knowing I can land the fish safely rather than a spot that poses the danger of a tethered fish. Again, there are some lakes were you can't see the snags and obviously there is always going to be those days where the fish seem to get away with it or lock you up, that is the nature of the beast.

It's pretty clear to me that as the carp fishing industry grows so does the demand for venues to fish, more pressure on fishery owners to stock bigger and better carp, imported or not. It's as if newcomers to the sport want to bypass the process of growing as an angler and developing both their skills and understanding. There's a hunger to just step straight into the realms of "needing to catch a thirty" - "disappointed it was shy of forty", this attitude alone devalues any fish caught that isn't 'a monster'. Where's the magic gone? and more importantly where has the respect gone?, not just for the fish but for your fellow anglers that share both your waters and this amazing pass time. 

I believe there has to be a certain level of educating, be it in the mags or on the FREE '5 hour' promo DVD's, that educates everyone that's new to the sport about the importance of fish care and using your tackle correctly. A solid message has to be spread that todays big fish will one day be gone and the scamps or 'pasties', that some people seem to call them, will eventually be tomorrows monsters. It is our job as anglers to make sure the carp and the waters they live in are looked after and nurtured so the magic of this 'other-worldly' pass time can continue for years to come.