ATTx v2 Modular System 'A Decade Of Bite Indication'

When I turn the pages way back through my fishing history I remember starting off without any bite alarm, I simply clipped an orange bobbin on my line, total cost was about 50p. There I was contently fishing for roach and rudd, eyes firmly fixed on my float until, WHACK!!!, the bobbin of my carp rod would smack up shortly followed by the rod tip firing round, I knew I was away. This was exhilarating to say the least and it was this feeling of excitement and sheer euphoria that got me hooked on carp fishing alone.

After a good few years of slumming it I eventually got around to buying my first Optonic, I loved it and thought it was the best bite alarm on the earth. Years passed and different indicators were slowly cropping up on the shelves in all my local tackle shops. Even back then Delkims were the cream of the crop but I found myself drawn towards the Fox micron, I loved the design and shape and still do.

After many weeks of saving my cash I bought a set of Fox ST's, they had volume and tone and were real fancy compared to my now old Optonic. A few years on I moved up to the SX series because of the sensitivity option. Finally I arrived at the DXR's, I absolutely adore these alarms and still use them to this very day. The wireless handset and vibration settings really added a new dimension and even compared to todays standard of alarm, they're up there with the best of them.

After years of solid use I found that the handset started to tire, in the end it barely worked a meter away from the alarms. This got me looking into possible replacements, I was to fond of the old school micron design to give them up. This is when the ATTx V2 system came into play and I'm so glad it did.

It allows me to use the old with the new which is perfect. I really rate the ATT technology and I was so impressed with their receiver, I went and purchased a pair of their silent alarms for my two rod setup. I picked these specific alarms because they are simple and built rock solid. The standard two mag roller wheels are great because they allow for a reasonable amount of line movement before going off. This is perfect when you are fishing slack lines with a fair amount of undertow, it erases any false indications but is still sensitive enough to register a subtle take. 

I know there are mixed views and opinions about alarms with roller wheels freezing, seizing up etc, I don't take a great deal of notice of this. I have used roller wheels for all my fishing, sometimes in the harshest of conditions and I have never had any problems. To keep the sensitivity when fishing slack lines I will use a slightly heavier bobbin. There's always little adjustments you can do to make your chosen alarm work the best for you. 

ATT Silent Alarms And Receiver

The handset itself is an exceptional design, it comes with 10 different tones, an increased 'LED Light Up', meaning they will remain on for 30 seconds after the last buzzer signal is received, 'Last LED Activation Recall', this gives you the option to be able to review the last LED/alarm that lit up, plus an awesome vibration mode. This enables you to have the receiver on silent and vibrating ferociously when you get a run. This is perfect for me, I have never been one to have my buzzers up loud.

Simple And Effective

The beauty of this bit of kit is the fact you can use it with most other bite alarms that are on the market, as long as they have a 2.5v jack input in them. The ATT dongles simply plug into the jack socket and it instantly turns your desired alarms to wireless allowing you to use all the features of the receiver.

Receiver And Dongles

My DXR's And ATT Dongles 

The receiver mimics exactly what is coming out of your alarm apart from the changes in tone, the reception from receiver to alarm is huge, way further than you'll ever need to be away from your rods. My favourite preference is having the receiver on silent and in my pocket, this way I am totally connected to whats going on at the end of my lines.

All in all it really is a great bit of kit and modernises most older alarms, if you have a set of bite indicators that are close to heart which you don't want to part with, give-em a great boost with The ATTx V2 Modular system, you won't be disappointed.

Below is a video containing a basic demonstration

 Modular System Demo

Side Note

I don't earn any commission for selling any of these items. This review is to help anyone out who is interested in the above products.

The Stock Pond 'Cold Water Carping'

As I sit here writing this blog there's one hell of a snow flurry outside my window, I was going to celebrate the fact that I'd battled the banks and made it through the winter but I think it maybe a little premature, I suffered some hard blanks but also managed to land a few. There's something quite liberating knowing you've braved the waters all year round, the other week we had a taste of spring and I for one can't wait for it to arrive, the banks give birth to beauty once more and the carp will be coming on the feed. All the approaches and tactics that have been refined during the colder months will be put into practice. The Stock Pond closes at the end of the month so I decided to focus my efforts on this water alone, it's the only lake on my club that has a closed season, to be honest I think the closed season should be brought back, mainly to allow the fish to adjust and get back into the swing of things. Also with a few months with the pressure off, it might generally keep the waters in better shape.

The Stillness Of Winter

The Stock Pond is pretty shallow touching about 5 1/2 feet in the deepest parts, I was working on the basis that due to it being one of the shallower waters, it would warm up quicker and the fish might just start having a nose around. In this blog I have compiled a few short day sessions, I knew it was going to be a challenge but yet again I had a gut feeling I could get a few bites if I approached it correctly. Firstly I knew location was paramount but with the fish rarely giving themselves away it can be tricky to find them. Secondly I was going to scale the bait right down opting for single pop ups with a few bits of ground up boilie literally ground down to dust. I wanted maximum attraction with minimal solid food items.The rigs I used were very straight forward, I was fishing a semi fixed 'Weed Inline' from 'Carpy Chris' and a simple pop up. These leads are great because you can glug them, the material used to make the imitation weed holds the flavor very well. I was using Rig Marole Hydro-link Micro as my hook-link and coloured to match the lake bed.

A Simple Setup

I had a good walk around a few times when I arrived for my first session. Through the summer the open water had been producing for me, I wanted to try a few different spots because it stopped producing when the weather got colder. First of all I setup along the back margin fishing one rod tight along the edge to the left of me with the other straight out in front where the lake starts to narrow. I moved from this swim after about a hour when I noticed a few carp banging through the small set of reeds situated down the bottom corner of the lake. 

A Quick Change Of Swim

 Before casting both rods out I thought I'd see if I could get a quick bite with a single bait, I gently flicked my rig a few inches off the reeds and laid my rod on the ground. Within about 30 seconds the tip swung round and I was into what felt like a pretty sizable fish. I was using my big river rods so the fight was crazy being a slightly lighter rod than my standard 3 1/4 test curves. The fish was powering around and I couldn't do a great deal with it, I kept the pressure on and steadily guided her towards me, this went on for a good 15 minutes. Just as I thought she was starting to give up the ghost she made a last chance dash for an underwater bush down to the left of me. 

I hate these situations because you have to put a fair amount of pressure on to prevent them from reaching the snag, I gave her side strain but she was steaming towards the bush at speed, I applied a little more pressure and as I did ... ping!!! the hook pulled. I was very frustrated to say the least because it felt like a real good fish, the angle was so tight and I gave her a fair amount of welly, I feel these two factors contributed to the hook pull. I got my head back together and got both my baits just off the reed bed, both on pop ups with a few 'mini spombs' of ground up boilie over each. I was fishing Starmers Honey Nectar, both hook-baits had been gluggled. The ground up boilies were a mix of Honey Nectar and Strawberry Mivvi bottom baits.

Bright And Fruity

Screaming Attraction

My rods had only been out for a short while before I got another ripper, this time I lifted into the fish and kept steady pressure to make sure she couldn't rush for the same snag. After a good scrap I slide a fat looking mirror over my net, she looked like she'd been through the wars, scales sunk to 17IB.

A Stock Pond 17IB

I slipped her back and got the rod out again, what followed was very frustrating. It was obvious that the carp were milling in and around the reeds because I could see them. I went on to loose two runs due to annoying circumstances. The first was real bad luck, I had coots diving on my baits so the bobbins were being pulled up and down like crazy. Dusk came and I was still getting major grief, there was one coot that was continually going down on my spot, the bobbin was going crazy, the coot surfaced and my bobbin stayed pulled up, it took me a good few seconds to realise a carp had taken whilst the coot was diving, these few seconds gave it just enough time to get into the reeds. 

By this time the light had gone, I went to reel in my other rod and there was actually a fish on it, it had picked the bait up and just sat on it. Due to me fishing so close to the reed line it had managed to snag me without any indication. I got my rig back on both occasions but it was so frustrating considering this time of the year takes are few and far between. Due to these shit circumstances I was itching to get back down so I decided I'd come back the following day to seal the deal. The plan was to put a little bait in and come back to fish the same spots the following morning.

The Wait

The following day when I arrived at the lake the whole water was deserted apart from two other anglers..... and, you've guessed it, they were setup in the swim I was planning to fish. And to top it all they'd had a 27IB shortly after casting out. I had a quick scout about looking in the marginal growth to see if I could see any signs of fish. It all looked pretty dead, I decided that I would fish the first swim really tight to the reeds to the left of me, fish do get right up in them so I thought it was worth a go.

 Second Swim Choice

The approach was very much the same but I decided just to fish single pop ups without any loose feed. I glugged both baits and got them out on my chosen spots. The water I was fishing couldn't have been much more than 2ft so I had a feeling that if I was going to get a fish it would be around dusk because due to the depth of the water and the fact it's cleared right up, I didn't think the carp would feel comfortable coming in that close in the daylight. Time ticked by, I arrived at the water about midday, the hours were passing pretty fast and before I knew it the temperature was dropping and the sun was fading. 

It really felt like bite time and I had a real sense that something was going to happen. Sure enough dusk hit and with it my left rod tore off. I hit into the fish and it felt like a good one, baring in mind I was using my barbel rods, mini bait-runners and 10IB line, all the fish I hook into feel powerful, it really is a joy to play carp on light tackle. The fight went on for about twenty minutes, the fish was kiting around, left to right and doing it's best to bury itself in the remaining weed, after what felt like a decade I teased a big grey mirror and a ton of weed over my landing net..... RESULT !!!. There are a few name fish in the stock pond and I'd gone and caught 'The Grey Lady' at 22IB 4oz. In the height of the season she can go up to just under 24IB, she really is one hell of a fish and doesn't half bloody fight.

The Grey Lady 

Spotless 

After a few photos I got her back and proceeded to pack my gear away. I was working the next day but I was thinking I'd be able to manage a few hours late afternoon for sure.

Rigs

Just to touch on a few points regarding my rigs, the stock pond can be a little tricky in regards to presentation, there is sporadic weed even this time of the year. When you get your bait out, there's a pretty high chance that you could find yourself on some kind of minor debris. To overcome this I fish my pop ups as low as possible, I don't like to have them to high because if you find yourself fishing on a clear bottom and baiting up with bottom baits, I think a pop up stands out like a sore thumb. I position my putty directly below the hook eye, this gives me confidence knowing the bait will settle proud on anything it lands on and it's low enough not to look suspicious.

Top View 

Side View 

 

The following day it was very cold, I arrived at the lake around 1:30pm. The wind was freezing, I knew I'd have to really be on the money to get a pick up. I walked around to the reeds and couldn't see any signs of fish, the wind was pushing down into the bottom corner. From the day before I remembered seeing a few bubbles coming up in the open water towards the corner so I thought I would position a bait near the area. They seemed to appear mid-afternoon so my timing was perfect, once again I flicked a single glugged pop up out, the other bait went smack bang by the reeds. The rods had been out about an hour before my open water one shot off at speed. I lifted into the fish and had a real good scrap, before long I was sliding a real clean looking mirror over my net. Scales sunk to 18IB, very pleased. I got her back and recast, the hours passed with no more action but nabbing one in the short window I had was great.

An 18IB Beauty

It was a good few days before I could make it down again, by this time we'd had solid rain for a while. I thought I'd venture out, arriving soaked at my swim I got my rods straight out, once again, one on the reeds and one just off. I was wet through and the ground was getting waterlogged underneath me. It was one of those days where it just didn't stop. I arrived at the water for midday and had a sense that if I was going to get a run it would be around 3:30-4:30. I sat tight sitting on my hands and just watching the water, time passed slowly but I decided I was going to just leave my baits without a recast. Sure enough at about 3:15pm my right hand rod rattled off, by this point the rain was crazy and I got so drenched getting the fish in. Another lovely looking mirror graced my net, scales sunk to 17IB, I was cold, wet, and stank real bad but it was worth it.

It Was Worth It

No more action came that day, I was happy to get home and have a nice warm shower. All in all I was happy with my sessions on the stock pond, it has been really cold but it does prove that if you can find the fish, even in extreme conditions they are catch-able. The stock pond closes at the end of March and I do plan to get some more time in. When it reopens a few months down the line it will be packed, it always is for the first few weeks before people lose interest. I really feel the single hook-bait approach played a big part in helping me bank the fish, as we know the carp don't munch that much in the winter months, it goes to show with the right location and a bait you have confidence in, they will slip themselves up once in awhile. Bring on the spring!!

Rugby 'Braving New Water'

In this blog I am going to keep record of my approach, hopefully the end result finishing in my first capture.

Rugby is one of Kingfishers waters, one of their four lakes based down in Snodland, Kent. It's always struck me as one of the slightly trickier waters on the complex and it's taken me two seasons to warm up to the idea of fishing it. It holds some lovely old carp up to around 32IB, possibly bigger, it's a long water, deep in places and has a load of weed, not to mention the fact that there are two trucks in it and a railway track. 

After the ice melted I decided to do a couple of days just to start to get a feel for the place, obviously the cold weather has slowed everything down but it was a good chance to start mapping the bottom out, finding features and negotiating the weed beds. Needless to say both session resulted in a blank but I feel I am starting to find my feet with the place and the more homework I can get out the way now certainly puts me in good stride for the coming spring. 

Rugby In The Height Of The Summer

Where To Start...? Well the first port of call was up a tree, the low temperatures have made the margins crystal clear and I was amazed at how far I could see down into the water. The first thing that struck me was how uneven the bottom was and the odd shelf I could see seemed to drop away quick into deeper water, there was a fair amount of silk-weed/algae covering a vast percentage of the bottom. There was a very big weed bed quarter of the way out that you could only see from up the tree, behind that was a nice patch of water and then the long set of reeds that stretch the length of the lake.

Birds Eye View

I made up my mind pretty much straight away that I was going to fish on the weed, even though there are a few clear spots there is no guaranteeing you'd hit them on the cast. There is so much natural food living in the weed and I had a gut feeling the carp would feel confident feeding in it. Presentation is a key factor in this situation so I started to think very carefully how I was going to approach it.

First off I took a couple of hours with a marker float and a weed rake just to get a feel for a few areas. I was having trouble finding any real clear spots, it seemed most of the bottom had weed to varying degrees. It was my job to find the spots that weren't as heavy, these would be places I'd be look to get my rig on.

My Weed Rake, A Handy Little Tool 

After removing some weed it didn't smell to bad I didn't think it would be that hard to tackle. I was feature finding from a swim called 'The Royal Box', there's a fair few visible features to go at but I was more interested in the features I couldn't see. I was very surprised to find that the depths went down to 15ft and really close into the opposite margin was around 12ft, this was useful because I knew I could get in real close to the reeds and overhanging trees.

Finding The Drop Off

My Carpy Chris 'Donk Kit' Makes My Marker Work A Treat

To make my feature finding as detailed as possible I have two marker rods, this really helps with finding shelves and drop offs, it can really paint the 'bigger picture' for you. By this point I had a good feel for both ends of the lake but to be honest I was more intrigued with the middle of the water. I was thinking I might stand a better chance of catching working on the basis that the fish will be making their way along the margins to get to the ends of the lake. After having a bit of a feel about I found a spot that really interested me, there was a small hole a little way off the reed line that dropped from 9FT to 10FT, it wasn't very big but I felt that it could be a great spot to work with.

Two Markers Really Paint A Clearer Picture

In regards to rigs I have a couple that I use when dealing with weed or silt, I don't really use the Chod, people were catching fish from tricky waters long before it evolved. I like the idea of the 'Naked Chod' but I favor helicopter rigs a lot more. I use a longer supple hook-link material and will fish a pop up at least 3 to 4 inches, I use PVA to manipulate the way the bait comes to rest on the weed. You can now buy rig kits in most tackle shops but I have always made my own from scratch, this way you start to understand all the components and you can modify accordingly.

Components For My Helicopter Rig 

My favoured lead for this setup is made by Carpy Chris, it's called a 'Riser', it weighs 0.75oz. I use the lightest lead possible so it doesn't embed itself to deep into the weed, the shape casts very well and I believe it's less susceptible to getting snagged up and caked in junk.

I use a short length of Carp Craze tubing which is slid onto the mainline along with a Carp Craze rubber bead which is used as a buffer. The helicopter sleeve slides over the swivel of the lead, for my back bead I use a 6mm Taska 'baseline tungsten' bead, this type of bead actually grips to your line and can slide freely if you get a break off, they're a great bit of kit.

The Finished Helicopter System 

The hook-link is tied to a ring swivel and then slid down the mainline onto the tubing, I have a little 'kicker' pushed over the first part of the hook-link swivel, this naturally kicks the hook-link away from the lead to stop any possible tangles.

Finished Rig With Hook-Link Attached

To stop the back bead from sliding to far up the main-line I tie a bit of PVA cord about a foot behind the rig. On the cast I will mask the hook in a PVA nugget, this will elevate the hook bait upwards on the landing. Once the nugget starts to melt it drops the bait very slowly onto the bottom of the lake bed theoretically presenting it perfectly on the debris.  This method has worked for me in the past and I'm convinced it will bag me a fish out of Rugby.

Hook Bait Presentation 

The picture above demonstrates the presentation, obviously it's only popped up slightly, as I mentioned before, for this fishing situation I pop the bait up to at least four inches. I use a micro swivel to attached the pop up to the hook, this gives the bait a lot of free movement and is super adjustable if you want to mess with the bait position on the shank of the hook.

Moving on to my baiting approach, the first couple of sessions I wanted to introduce a fair amount of bait into my chosen swim. Due to the ice having just melted I wasn't expecting any action, the priority was to start introducing feed. I started to think about colors and I came up with the idea of fishing bright bait, sweetcorn, tuna and Starmers 'carp red' method mix, it create a nice layer of color on the lake bed.

Nice Bright Colors

I also decided to start introducing the bait I was planning to fish with. Starmers Banana Cream and Honey Nectar along with low oil Green Lipped Mussel and Strawberry Mivvi pellets. I just wanted the carp to start rooting around on my chosen spots and because I put so much in, it would still be working the swim even when I wasn't there.

A Nice Mixture Of Bait And Color

The Mini Spomb, Gets The Job Done

For my first 'proper' session I got down to the lake for around midday, it was cold with a light breeze. I got all three rods out on my chosen spots and decided to pile the bait in, even though it was still cold I was working on the basis that a fair amount of the bait would probably get lost in the weed. I fished slack lines without using back-leads and then sat back to wait, keeping my eyes firmly fixed on the water.

Bait Positions 

The lake was very quiet, no signs of any feeding fish, I wasn't getting any liners, the hours were passing slowly. Come 3:30pm I was really getting a gut feeling that something could happen, 3:45pm my left hand rod tore off. There was a few seconds delay before it registered to me, I couldn't believe my bite alarm was actually going off. Convinced it was most probably a coot I lifted into it, there was a fair amount of resistance and I could feel the carp ploughing through the weed. When it got in close it kited towards a sunken tree, my heart was in my hands, luckly I managed to keep the pressure on and guide it my way and eventually into the net.

I stood for at least a minute just looking at the fish, I was surprised and so over the moon because I wasn't expecting such a quick result. It really felt like such a massive achievement, I got all my weighing kit together, eased her into my weighing sling, scales sunk to 20IB 4oz, I was shocked, not only did I catch a fish in what can be considered 'hard conditions' I also managed to bag myself my first twenty of 2013. The fish was so clean, perfect lips and lovely winter colors.

First Rugby Carp 20IB 4oz

Starting a new water can be a very drawn out affair and can also be very daunting. To me preparation is the key, it pays off to really dig deep and find something to use as a starting block. In modern carp fishing the marker rod is becoming more and more obsolete, especially if you read the angling press. I understand when waters are busy it's not fair to be chucking a marker around, but shooting down to your chosen venue for a few hours when it is empty can really pay off. It gives you a greater understanding of what you a dealing with and from this point you can adjust your approach accordingly. I know there is loads more to find down Rugby and ideally I want to get at least five solid spots going. I am off the starting block and I am looking forward to what my future sessions produce.

Night & Day, Pondering On A Mountain Of Thoughts

With the snow now cleared it's left my carp fishing in limbo for the time being until the waters warm up. I have had a few day sessions on a couple of the tougher waters down on my club, the water temperature is still very cold so understanding I was probably up for a few blanks I decided to use my time to find some interesting spots and start to get a better understanding of what is in front on me. Putting the effort in now will set me up when the fish start to wake up from their winter slumber.

I am not a 'cast and hope' kind of angler, I really need to know what I am fishing over, at what depth and how much movement there is on the bottom, I am not satisfied with myself if I turn up to a lake and chuck for luck. It started me off thinking about a few aspects within my fishing, the point that was continually coming to my mind was 'making the use of the time' that you have by the water.

Through the years I have approached my carp angling in a varied fashion. I remember when I use to go away for four days and four nights all the time, practically living on the bank thinking the more time I put in the more I'd get out.

Over the past few years I have phased night fishing out, it was something I use to think was vital but on reflection I feel it actually made me pretty stale. I'd turn up to a water with a fixed idea where I wanted to fish, bait up in abundance whack the rods out and BANG!! I was done. Not a great deal of thinking involved and very much a 'I'll wait for them to come to me' approach. 

It started to occur to me that 'the more time I put in, the more I'll get out' philosophy wasn't entirely true. It became clear that it was actually how I used my time, be it a couple of hours, a day a week etc. When I reviewed and looked back through my old notes about my night sessions it worked out that apart from a few low doubles and one twenty I really hadn't had a great deal of success. 

All my bites came in the early mornings or mid evening, I started to think that this was all obtainable with out the whole camping aspect that night fishing entails. I found I was spending more time thinking about what food I was going to take with me and if I was going to have enough water, clothes, fuel for the stove etc rather than actually thinking about my fishing.

For me to fish at my best I need to feel energised and focused, after a couple of nights on the bank I felt worn out and unproductive. I understand that there are benefits in doing nights, and some waters are known for their nocturnal action but I still feel you can get the same amount out of a day session with the right approach.

I find nowadays I have become much more systematic on the bank and adapt according to the conditions, if I see fish moving in another part of the lake I will move on them. If things are slow I will make the changes, seek out features and keep actively looking at the water for answers, all these things I could never do when I was trying to prop my eyes open two days into a four day session, three days in I had totally switched off.

   
Getting down to the water for sunrise or just after is still an exhilarating feeling and staying a few hours after dark can prove fruitful especially if you've spent time during the day clocking fish activity. I find the night away from the water can give you a fresh perspective on how to move forward and more times than not gives you a real hunger for the next days adventure.

If I am fishing the same swim a couple of days in a row I make sure my bait application is consistent, I feel the benefits of not actually having lines in the water during the night can really work in your favor because it allows the fish to move in without any angling pressure. Many times have I fished the same swim for three days straight and found by the third day you're really getting amongst them and you can get quick results straight after the first cast, your fresh, alert and getting down to business.

Don't get me wrong, I know everyone fishes for different reasons and we all want to get out of it what makes us happy, I am sure at some point in the future I will be back under the stars but for the time being making the most of the day light hours is what is inspiring me the most.

The Stock Pond 'Lead Setups'

Despite the gale force winds and heavy rain I thought I'd head out for the day down to The Stock Pond. The lake is blustery at the best of times because it's located in the medway valley. When I arrived at the water it was like being trapped in a wind tunnel. I decided I was going to approach the lake with two different prongs of attack. The first part of the day I was going to move both baits every 45 minutes to see if I could pick off a fish, if this failed I'd stick to my usual spots from midday onward.

As usual there was no signs of any feeding fish and the waves on the water made it impossible to see any signs of bubbles, it really was just guess work. In regards to rigs, I was fishing the POM setup on one rod and a line clip system on the other. In previous blogs I have mentioned that I dropped the line clip out of my fishing a good few years back. After testing Chris Knowlers POM leads I am starting to warm to the method again. 

I was always dubious about how pinned down everything was when using lead clips. After a bit of work and a fair amount of trial and error I have found a series of rig components that allow me to fish with it confidently. Firstly the clips and tail rubbers I am using are the 'Carp Craze, Green Translucent Range'. I really find these blend in well on the bottom of most lakes I have used them on. Unlike a lot of clips on the market, this specific one has two positions you can slide the tail rubber to, both making it easy for the lead to slip off if the fish gets caught up in weed or any other snag.

Riggy Bits

 

Lead Clip

Position One

Position Two

I favor position one because I feel the lead will release easier, the next element of the system that has always bothered me is the the swivel on the lead, I felt that depending on how the rig landed, the swivel may or may not allow the lead and a proportion of the tubing behind the lead to hug tight to the bottom. I got around this problem very easily, all of Chris Knowlers leads have swivels where the top ring is larger than the bottom one, also it's a thinner gauge so this gives the lead so much more freedom and versatility on the landing. An element of this may sound like nonsense but I feel it's relevant.

Swivel Comparisons

One of the leads that I am using at the moment is a 'Swivel Weed Lead' 2.5oz, the hook link is straight through fluorocarbon, with all these elements combined I feel I have a reliable and well presented rig. After doing rig checks in the margin I am very impressed with how it blends into the bottom, for me this is a major factor. On my other rod I was fishing the new POM lead that Chris Knowler has given me to work with, it's and interesting concept, you place a free running swivel on your hook link and secure it into the hole on the lead.

Free Running Swivel

The POM Lead Is Designed To Take The Running Swivel

Push The Swivel Into The Specially Designed Hole

Once this process is complete you're ready to go, I am still in the middle of testing these leads. The main point that I really like is the hinge effect you get, it casts and lands like an inline, on the take the second swivel can release, if you're fishing in weed or snags the lead can then ditch. I also think that this system could stop the carp from using the lead to ditch the hook.

Back to the fishing.......

Like I said before, I decided to split the day into two approaches, the first approach I would keep both rods roaming, fishing bottom baits with small PVA bags, each bait will be kept in position for around 45 minutes at a time. My thinking behind this was the fact that if the carp were shoaled up somewhere I might be able to find them and pick a few off. I tried to cover most of the lake, the wind was really pounding, I made sure I fished my baits on both the back and front of it.

Casting Positions

I was fishing Starmers White Chocolate on one rod and a combination of Octospice, Bloodworm & Tuna and Bio CP2 Amino on the other, I crumbled the Octospice up and mixed 10 mil CP2 Amino boilies into a funnel web PVA bag, I fished half Octospice and half Bloodworm & Tuna on the hair, dipped the bag in glug and cast it out. I planned to fish the 'roaming' method until 1:00pm and then I was going to fish my usual spots and keep them there until an hour or so after dark.

Octospice, Bloodworm & Tuna Combined

Finished Presentation 

A few hours passed without a single beep, casting was tricky because the wind was gale-force, it was exhilarating being out on the bank in these conditions and I had a gut feeling the effort I was putting in would pay off. I kept very focused on my approach and tried to pick off a fish. The morning came and went without any action, no fish were showing and my roaming approach wasn't proving fruitful.

For the rest of the day I decided I was going to fish my usual spots, re-baiting, putting fresh bags on and then just sitting on my hands, I was starting to feel a little brow beaten but was determined to stick it out. The heavy wind continued all afternoon, I was sure one of my rods was going to produce, even though the weather was ruthless it really wasn't that cold, if it had been a chilling wind I most probably would of thrown the towel in. 

Usual Spots

By this time the light was starting to go, another hour or so passed and it was pitch black, the only light was from my bite alarm LEDS which were firing off with the gusts of wind. The breeze dropped a little later on and things took on an eerie silence, all of a sudden my right hand rod tore into life, I lifted into the fish, luckily I had put my head torch on other wise the dash for the rod would of resulted in me falling in the lake. The fish was powering around and had a fair bit of weight to it. As I got it closer in, a big mirror surfaced out of the darkness filling the shaft of light my head torch was producing, it was a decent fish. I kept the pressure on letting her take line when required, after a fair scrap I slipped a fat looking mirror over my net. I was so pleased I managed to bag one, scales sunk bang on 20IB. I really felt I deserved this fish, it had been a testing day.

Another Stock Pond 20IBer

She had a few old battle scares so I applied some klinic got my photos taken and then slipped her back to fight another day. I was tempted to get the rod back out but the weather was taking a turn for the worst with some rain now starting to set in. The day was one of those sessions where it would of been easy to just stick with one approach and sit it out, I am glad I tried something different and will no doubt take on the water in the same way again. Next time it may bring with it better results. With winter closing in and temperatures dropping things are going to get real tough but I have got to say that I am up for the challenge. There's a lot to learn during the colder months and getting out on the bank is still as important as ever. Carp may not feed as much but they are still catchable.