Carp Catchers Blog

It’s nice to see a woman catching specimen fish for a change. Customer Carol used 15mm Dynamite Baits Fresh Fish Mussel & Oyster  Boilies to net this beauty from the river Avon. Carols personal best barbel weighed in at 10lb 5oz. Well done Carol I’d love one of those myself.

Best fishes,

John

That was a nice concise report from David and it shows the determination you need for competitive carp fishing. It also shows that despite your best efforts you are not always going to catch.

Best fishes,

John

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The new Nash Strongbow Bivvy is in at long last and very good it looks too, the Strongbow is amazing value as well check it out and see for yourself. We’ve also had loads of new goodys in such as the Venture Recovery Sling  which has four bouyancy aids incorporated into the design that allows you to rest your catch in the margins after weighing, while you get organised for the photos’. The new Chub Doc Bag  are an ingenious idea, so for those of you that struggle to get your gear into your carryalls have a look at these. New in also is the Chub Snooper Carryall which has loads of room and pockets everywhere. Finally we have the new Trakker 60” Brolly which is a simple no nonsence carp brolly. Hope this little review has been of help.

Best fishes,

John

The ability to setup a marker float will enable any angler to plumb the depths in their swim to find features such as plateaux, bars and gullies, and tell the difference in the make up of the lake bed whether its silt, weed, sand, clay or gravel. The components used to make this marker setup were the Korda Drop Zone Marker Kit and the ESP Sonar Marker Float Braid.

Step 1.

Thread the ESP Sonar Marker Braid through the big ring in the top of the marker stem, then thread the big bead and the Korda drop zone marker bead on. (See pictures below)

Step 2.

Now tie the marker float to the braid using a 5 turn grinner knot and push the Korda drop zone marker bead onto the bottom of the float. (See pictures below)

Step 4.

Then clip one of the Korda probe marker leads on the marker stem and the set up is complete. (See picture below)

Using a marker set up is reasonably simple if you know how. Cast the set up out into the swim and wait for it to touch bottom. Wind the float down until you feel it hit the lead, then slowly let off line a foot at a time until it reaches the surface, this will give you the depth of the lake where the float pops up but don’t forget to add a foot to the final count as the setup is a foot in length. Then reel the float back down to the bottom again and slowly draw it back towards you feeling the bottom through the rod and repeat the process of letting the float out to the top to find the depth and drawing it back until you find a spot of interest or just carry the process on by casting to different areas of the swim until you have a wider picture of the swim in front of you.

Tight lines

David

Surface fishing is one of the most exciting fishing methods, so heres a perfect rig to get you out there and catching fish off the top. The components used to make this rig are a Nash Bolt Machine, 5mm ESP Rubber Shock Beads, Nash Safety Bolt Bead Swivels, Drennan Double Strength and Nash TT Fang Gaper Carp Hooks.

Step 1.

Tie up a 2 foot Knotless knot hair rig using the  Nash TT Fang Gaper and the Drennan double strength hooklink material and tie to the Nash swivel using a Grinner knot. (See picture below)

Step 2.

Now slide the Bolt machine up your mainline then put the 5mm Shock bead on and tie the mainline to the swivel on the hair rig using a palomar knot. (See pictures below)

Step 3.

Then push the bead onto the eye of the swivel and pull it into the bolt machine. (See picture below)

 Here is what your finished setup should look like.

All the knots used in this demonstration can be found in previous blogs if you need to refer to them for help.

Tight lines

David

The 5 turn grinner knot can be used for a variety of purposes such as tying hooks to hooklinks, swivels and leaders to mainline and floats to marker set-ups etc. The items used in this demostration are Gardner Mugga Carp Hooks and Nash Bullet Braid.

Step 1.

Firstly pass the braid through the eye of the hook twice to create a small loop. (See picture below)

Step 2.

Then double the tag end over the form a loop along side the longer length of braid. (See picture below)

Step 3.

Now while holding the loop in place pass the tag end around the longer length of braid and through the loop. (See picture below)

Step 4.

Repeat step 3 until you have passed the tag end through the loop 5 times and slowly tighten it down. (See picture below)

Step 5.

Now slowly push the knot down so it is sitting tight to the back of the hook. If tying this knot with mono make sure you moisten it enough and be careful not to kink it while tightening it up.

Below is a picture of the finished knot.

Tight lines

David

Knowing how to setup a lead clip correctly is paramount to fish safety, the lead clip must be setup correctly with matching components to ensure that the lead will release itself if the mainline should unfortunately break. The components used in this demonstration are ESP Bolt Clips-Swivel Lock and a Korda 3oz Square pear lead. (See picture below)

 Step 1.

Cut a piece of rig tubing to your desired length and thread it onto your mainline, cutting the end of your mainline at an angle will help threading it through the tubing. (See picture below)

Step 2.

Next you need to thread on the tail rubber and the lead clip onto your mainline. (See picture below)

Step 3.

Now tie the swivel onto your mainline, I would suggest using the Palomar knot which I have demonstrated in a previous blog. (See picture below)

Step 4.

Now you need to push the lead clip over the swivel and use the pin applicator to put a pin into the lead clip and though to eye of the swivel to hold the lead clip secure to the swivel making it easier for the lead to discharge without the worry of the lead clip pulling off the swivel first. (See picture below)

Step 5.

Then you need to clip on the lead and push the tail rubber over the clip aligning the groove in the tail rubber with the clip, make sure you don’t push the tail rubber on too hard and always moisten the clip to make sure it releases easily. (See picture below)

Step 6.

Now just push the rig tubing into the tail rubber and you’ve completed the lead clip, all you need to do is attach a rig and your away. (See picture below)

Tight lines

David

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The Palomar is possibly one of the best knots you can use to attach swivels and leaders etc to you mainline as its small, neat and doesnt slip like some knots can do. The swivels used in this demonstration are Korda Size 8 Ring Swivels which can be used in conjunction with any of the korda lead clips or inline leads.

Step 1.

Double over the end of the line you wish to tie the swivel to and pass it through the eye of the swivel. (See picture below)

Step 2.

Now tie an overhand knot with the doubled over line. (See picture below)

Step 3.

Pass the swivel through the loop (The one to the right of the swivel in the picture above). (See picture below)

Step 4.

Now moisten the knot and slowly tighten it down making sure the loop you passed the swivel through sits above the knot away from the swivel. When tightening the knot start by tightening down the mainline end first then tighten down the tag end, this will prevent the knot kinking and weakening the line. Then just trim down the tag end.

Heres a picture of the finished knot.

Tight lines

David

 Ive just come back from a quick overnight session at Elsons, I arrived in the car park at around 6.30 and after a quick lap I decided on a swim Ive fished twice before as my time was limited and I knew of a few spots I could put my rods out to. The rods were out just before darkness after applying a small amount hemp and Dynamite Baits Frenzied Monster Tiger Nuts to my spots. I changed over to fishing tiger nuts after receiving a lot of attention from the resident coots using fusion boilies in a hope that they would blend in better with the gravel bottom in the crystal clear water. I received a couple of liners on my middle rod during the night until finally I had an absolutely screaming take at 4 o’clock which resulted in a pretty looking 14lb 6oz mirror, which put up a very good account for itself until I eventually managed to draw it over the net cord. In the folds of the net it looked bigger than it was but I was pleased all the same, I left the lake around 7 but had no further runs. Lets just hope that I can pull a few more out before returning to Sparsholt in late September.

Tight lines

David

The figure of eight knot is a knot used by many anglers for a variety of situations, I personally use it when tying a loop in the end of my rigs for quick attachment via a clip or when using a Atomic Rockbottom Clamlock Swivel. It also prevents coated braid hooklinks from breaking the coating at the knot which creates an unwanted hinge below the knot.

Step 1.

Double over your line or hooklink material. (See picture below)

Step 2.

Now form a loop with the doubled over line/hooklink material. (See picture below)

Step 3.

Grab the loop formed and twist away from yourself whilst holding the loop together. (See picture below)

Step 4.

Now pass the end of the doubled over line/hooklink through the back of the twisted loop to form what will look like a figure of eight, if you have achieved this then you’ve got it right. (See picture below)

Step 5.

Moisten the knot and slowly tighten it down starting with the hooklink end, then the tag end. Don’t tighen down the tag end first or it will cause the line/hooklink to kink when you tighten it down. 

This is what the finished knot should look like.