Dear James,
      Observation, observation and more observation. Get to know the lake and its inhabitants. Don’t just turn up and fish the popular swims; you may catch the odd one, but you won’t learn much. Get to know the regulars as well, keeping in touch with what is being caught and from where is a massive advantage.
      Rather than just turning up and slotting in where you can, as is the case with many day ticket waters, you need to get to know the lake; a lot of homework is required, and remember there is no better edge than baiting areas regularly.
      Ok, so it might be a bit cold to be out there freezing your nuts off whilst sitting behind static indicators, but there is no excuses for a couple of hours wandering with a marker rod (unless the lakes frozen of course!). Get your arse out there and get to know that lakebed; this info will be priceless by the time the summer comes.
      I was reading another magazine recently and one chap, who has been in the game for many years, actually paced out the distance of the areas he found while piking in the winter. He then wrote these down in his little book for every swim on the lake. When the warmer weather came, a quick look in the book and a little stroll across the field and all his baits were on pukka areas without a marker float in sight! Bloody good angling, a lot of effort needed, but what an edge.
      If it’s a fairly busy lake, the main swims will be taken up a lot of the time, but if you can bait up other areas of the lake that don’t tend to get fished much then you know you’ll be able to get back in there on a regular basis, this will give you the best chance to get something going. The reward is far greater when you’ve done your own thing.
      It’s no good going on hard waters and worrying about your rigs. By now you should have a couple of presentations that you’ve got confidence in using, so stick with them. Another thing is don’t spread your wings to much mate. Stick to one water and concentrate on that. By pottering about here and there you will struggle to get anything-consistent going.
      As the old saying goes… Effort = reward.
Joe Morgan

Hi Dawn,
      With out a doubt the best lead arrangement is an in-line set-up, but only in certain fishing situations. In the range of in-lines produced by Korda, there are three shapes the Flatliner Distance, Flatliner Pear and the Skyliner. All three have the same hooking effect to maximise the bolt effectiveness of a rig, as the swivel of your hooklink attaches to the front of the lead and not at the back like our swivel lead range.
      This means that when a fish picks up your hookbait and lifts its head the fish feels the whole weight of the lead straight away. But like most things in life, there is a time and a place for everything, and a swivel lead at times can be better then an in-line lead.

Like I said earlier, there are always good and bad points to all lead arrangements. Yes the in-line set-up is the best, but only when fishing over a rock hard bottom like bars and gravel patches. This is because the lead is nose heavy and the swivel sits in this part. If fishing on anything else then gravel etc., the nose of the lead can sink down into the lake bottom plugging in and taking some of your hooklink with it severely impeding the effectiveness of the rig. Because of this the fish will only feel the hooklink pulling through the silt or soft clay before feeling the full weight of the lead. Giving the fish time to reject the hookbait.
      There are ways of getting around the situation of the hooklink disappearing down into soft-bottomed lakes. One is to cast at your chosen fishing feature with your line already marked and placed in the spool clip. This will stop the lead and hooklink arrangement from travelling forward when it hits the water and burying itself. The other is to use a small Funnel Web PVA bag. This will slow down the speed of the lead as the bag acts as a kind of parachute as it falls through the water lifting the nose of the lead.
      If I was put on the spot and had to choose between the three lead styles, I would use the Flatliner Pear, providing I could cast it to the feature I want to fish to.

Swivel leads on the other hand come into their own when fishing over silt and clay areas.
      As the hooklink and lead clip rubber is all attached to the top thinner part of the lead, the lead burying itself into the soft bottom isn’t a problem, providing the lead doesn’t sink in to far.
      When using, say a Distance Casting Swivel, in say a weight of around 4ozs, the overall length of the lead is around 70mms, all of which can sink into the bottom without impeding the effectiveness of your hooklink. Plus a 4oz lead plugged into the bottom like this can increase the bolt effect of your set-up. This is because a lead of this weight is properly more like a 6 to 7ozs lead as a fish picks up your hookbait and fills the resistance as the lead unplugs itself.
      One of the biggest problems anglers have when fishing in these kinds of situations is knowing how far your lead has travelled into these silt and clay areas. Simply by tying some wool from the top of a swivel lead up to the top of your rig tubing and casting to your chosen fishing feature and leaving for a minute or so with your rod held high so that the wool can’t lay flat across the bottom will reveal the distance the lead has travelled as there will be silt stain some where up the length of the wool.
      Remember it doesn’t really matter if you go down to a lead as small as 2oz providing that you can still cast to your chosen feature, as this lead is more like a 3 to 4ozs when plugged in.
      Hope that helps. All the best,
Chris Rose

It mainly depends on what you’re using it for; if you just want some particles fluttering gradually down to the bottom with your spod mix, then simply mix a bit in with your hemp etc. It needs to be in there for a little while before use to soak up some moisture.
      Vitalin is made up with many different shapes and sizes, which will all have varying buoyancies. This is great for ‘bag up’ waters as it means there are nearly always bits and pieces suspended in the water, a sure winner to grab the carp’s attention!
      If you wish to use it for ‘balling up’ or the Method feeder then I have found it best to pour boiling water over it, let it soak for a little while, then get in there with your hands and really mash it up. By doing this, the mix congeals which makes the balls much tougher. This minimises the chance of them splitting in the air or falling off your feeder while casting.
      I have had great success with Vitalin on its own, but the main reason people use it is because it is a cheap bulking ingredient when large amounts of grub are required. Last time I looked, a 15kg sack set you back about eight quid!
      Being so cheap, it is perfect for baiting up purposes. Also, if your lake is weedy and you can’t find any clear spots, just keep applying Vitalin with a few bits of corn etc. Tench, bream and roach will all eat it and after a few weeks of regular applying you will find the spot will be polished clean.

It wasn’t until the last mag came out that I realised that I’d forgotten to mention the fact that I put the maggots in the freezer the night before using them to make up bags. Make them up while they’re still in there very docile state; you need to ensure the bags are pretty tight. As the day goes on (depending how cold it is) the maggots start to wake up a bit, as they do, the bags go rock hard, perfect for blasting out!
      Get on it!
Joe Morgan

Hi Mark,
      Fishing in France has become extremely popular these days with many people going every year, some even more. I worked at Dream Lakes for a couple of years so I’ve got a bit of experience in that field!
      The one big misconception with France is that you need special tackle. Most pay lakes are average sized pits between 10- and 30-acres and generally you won’t need to cast anymore than a hundred yards, so don’t go out and spend loads of money on the latest casting tools; you may regret it afterwards.
      As far as line is concerned, I’d say that 15lb will be adequate for most situations, though it may be a good idea to take some 12lb, as well as some leader material just in case some bigger chucks are required. If venues have a problem with muscles etc. they will normally inform you about this in the brochure, however some may not, therefore it is always best to play it safe and take a spool of the old faithful Arma Kord.
      A lot of anglers go to France with it in their head that the carp are clueless and easy to catch. They see all the adverts with big fish plastered across them and expect to chuck a boilie out and catch a monster carp… if only it was that easy! Obviously there are exceptions to this, but in my experience this is the worst attitude to have when going abroad.
      As with anywhere, if you treat your quarry like they are the cutest carp in the land then you will catch far more. Too many people have that relaxed attitude of ‘oh there only French fish’. Many of the lakes see more pressure than you could imagine. For example Dream Lake 1 is about fifteen-acres and for eight months of the year it has sixteen anglers on it! With that amount of pressure they will soon wise up. To give you an example there used to be a fifty that came out nearly every week, it’s now well over sixty, but comes out once a year - if that!
      As for tactics, it’s always worth taking a lot of bait; even if you don’t end up using it then, it is better to have it there in case it really kicks off. A sack of good quality pellet is a must and if rules allow it, then I’d be taking plenty of hemp. If you buy it in the jars then you don’t have to worry about it going off and you can always take it home with you. Another excellent addition to your spod mix is crushed tigers, which are also available in jars; carp just simply love this gear.
      If all particles and nuts are allowed then you can’t really beat a tiger nut hookbait, however, if there are restrictions in place then get yourself some good quality boilies to take. I’ve caught well on Dynamites Tiger Nut range the last couple of times I’ve crossed the channel and its also worth taking a few different sizes just to keep them guessing!

      99% of people get to the lake, cast out the marker, find a nice bit of gravel and fish on that. Well, that’s a good enough reason not to on it anyway, but also if the fish are a bit shy then you are making it all too easy for them.
      Carp can see and feel things a lot easier on clear gravel; a massive edge is to come away from the gravel and fish in the silt. I’m not talking about the real deep horrible stuff; generally if you come off the gravel there will be a couple of inches of fine silt then a few inches of mud under that. When carp are feeding on your spod mix in silt they have to really dig about and work for it, this is when they are the most vulnerable.
      I prefer a hooklink of about four inches coupled with an inline lead – the perfect recipe for a nailed carp! In two years of fishing in France I never used a hook bigger than a size six and never had any problems. Obviously if you are fishing on the big waters or the rivers then there is a need to up the size, but generally on the pay lakes you are doing yourself no favours by using crab hooks!
      One last thing, don’t go out there with massive expectations and you will never be disappointed! You’re away from your family; work and the rat race so just relax and enjoy yourself!
      Until next time,
Adios Amigos (Joe Morgan)

Joe Morgan

1. Stalking Rod. I’ve been caught out far too many times in the past, so from now on my stalking rod shall live in the car! Floater fishing is just too much hard work with the wrong gear.
2. Carbon Banksticks. I’ve recently started using the Berkley Carbon Banksticks and the weight difference to my rod holdall is unreal. In the summer it often pays to be mobile, making your kit as light as possible will make your life much easier, and lets face it, we all like an easy life!
3. Aqua Mega Mat. It’s the best unhooking mat, the most versatile and comfy guest chair and you can swim out on it – if need be. Nuff said! (Wear a lifejacket, though – Ed:)

Damian

1. Tea Bags! Our man here should be sponsored by PG Tips! If there were ever a national Tea drinking competition, my money would be on Damo!
2. Petzl Headtorch. Remember the days of walking round with a kilos worth of battery on your head! No need these days with Petzl neat LED torches.
3. Armadillo. With carp being so mobile in the warmer months so should you be! A quick an easy erection is a must.

Ali Hamidi

1. Mainlines Neutral Dip. ‘Gets bites when all else fails’ reckons Ali!
2. Funnel Web. When floater fishing make small bags of Chum Mixers up. These can be fired out with a catty, extra distance can be achieved by placing small stones in the bag. 
3. Lady Mags. Unfortunately fella’s, it’s not what you think! Ali reads all the celebrity mags such as Ok and Heat!

Hi Tim,
      Fishing in the edge is definitely my favourite method. It can weigh the odds in your favour by helping to make location, baiting, observation and bait presentation so much easier and more efficient than fishing at range.
      I would aim to find a marginal area on your local water that you know the carp frequent or one that at least looks ‘carpy’. Maybe there are reedbeds, over hanging trees, deepish margins, likely interception points or a section of bank that catches the sun, or prevailing southwesterly winds.
      Once you have found an area that fits the bill, you need to start preparing it. If it is very weedy or ‘choddy’ you might want to use a weed rake, but if the bottom is relatively clear, let your bait do the work and as the fish start to feed on it they will at the same time clean the lakebed allowing for efficient bait presentation.
      As the water is local to you, I would aim to bait the area every two to three days with three or four pints of mixed hemp and pellet and a pound or so of chopped boilies. This mixture of different sized particles will hopefully get the carp and other species, even birds, grubbing around and cleaning and turning over the lakebed. If you can observe the baited area, you will soon be able to see evidence of this, with the bait disappearing and the bottom appearing cleaner and disturbed or ‘turned over’ as the carp root out every single morsel.
      You should notice the difference, with stones appearing to be polished, new depressions in the lakebed and any surrounding weed knocked down or pushed back. If you catch them in the act, or shortly after they have finished feeding the water will appear more coloured or milky.
      If the water is too deep to see the lakebed, try dragging a lead along the bottom. If the area has been fed on, you might be able to feel subtle differences to when before you started baiting. If it is a gravel bottom sometimes it can fell ‘bumpier’ as the bottom has been turned over and large stones disturbed, there will be less weed evident and if it is a silty bottom it should feel smoother and harder as the top layer of ‘chod’ has been removed. 
      I would bait with the hemp, pellet and boilie combo regularly, ‘little and often’ until you know that the carp are feeding confidently on the area. Once you have achieved this I still wouldn’t fish it just yet. Start to decrease the amount of hemp and pellet you put in to just a couple of handfuls, then on your last bait up before you plan to fish the spot, just introduce whole boilies, the same you intend use as your hookbait. The carp will still visit the area but they will no longer be allowed to become preoccupied on the small items and instead will be feeding confidently on the same bait as your hookbaits.
      When you get to this stage, you have done all the hard work, you are virtually dictating the carp’s behaviour and they should be relatively easy to catch. You may even be in a situation where you see a big fish come into your swim, start feeding and then get nailed! It is especially gratifying when you catch a decent fish in this manner; you have really earned it, so good luck and go get ‘em!
Cheers Dave

Hi Martin,
      I’m afraid I haven’t fished Redmire Pool, but in the past I have certainly read plenty about those who have!
      The first carp fishing book I ever bought was ‘Casting at the Sun’ by Chris Yates when it was published in 1986. As an impressionable teenager, I became captivated by Chris’ tales of his exploits on the ‘Mire’, ably supported by another carp fishing legend, Rod Hutchinson. Chris’ writing style really conveys the mysterious atmosphere of the pool and he draws you into his adventures making this book almost impossible to put down.
      The first time I read it was in one sitting and I must have re-read it countless times since! If you haven’t already read the book, I would recommend it as essential before you go.
      Of course, on June 16th 1980, Chris went on to catch the then record carp at a weight of 51lb 6oz, stalked from the shallows using sweetcorn. This fish broke Richard Walker’s long-standing record, the 44lb common caught from Redmire in September 1952. A 5l pounder is a massive, massive fish now, but back then it was simply mind-boggling! To think a small three-acre farm pond could produce two fish of this calibre seems incredible and yet there were known to be bigger fish present.
      Chris and Rod had previously named the Redmire hierarchy after the pieces on a chessboard. His record fish was the ‘Bishop’. But then there was ‘The King’, a huge common seen by several anglers and estimated to have been as big as 70lb! It was these myths and legends, which gave Redmire its mystical status and back then, in the late eighties, when I first read the book, Redmire was still considered the Mecca of carp fishing. It really captured my imagination and I remember as a fledgling carp angler reading everything I could on the subject.
      As for tactics, I don’t know how long you are going for, but I would probably employ two different strategies.
      If you are there for a week, I would set up a ‘base camp’ in one of the swims which covers a central section of the lake, maybe Pitchford’s or Climo’s. I would bait the deeper central channel fairly heavily with a mixture of hemp, sweetcorn and boilies and fish it at night, whilst resting it during the day. 
      Then during the daylight hours, I would have a stalking rod with a float set up at the ready. Try baiting various marginal spots around the pool with sweetcorn, maggots and chopped boilies. The Redmire carp are well known for bubbling or ‘sheeting up’ and for clouding up the silty bottom as they feed. Pay particular attention to the shallows at the top end for evidence of this.
      Check your margin spots periodically during the day and I’m sure you will find carp visiting them. After a while you may be able to calculate the carp’s movements around the pool and be in a position to set traps ready for their arrival at one of your pre-baited margin spots. By using a float rod with a small crystal waggler or peacock quill it will offer much better bite indication. This is really exciting fishing and will show all the line bites before it sails away with a very special Redmire carp on the end! Plus of course, it’s much more in keeping with the spirit of the old place.
      Another thing to remember for when you arrive, is turn off your car engine and roll down the slope to the pool just like Yatesy used to do! 
      Be lucky mate and let us know how you get on.
Cheers Dave

Hi Rob,
      Firstly, I’ll try to answer your second question on who is right and who is wrong?
      As far as I am aware, there is nothing set in stone on this; no in depth scientific research has been carried out on which type of hook is likely to cause more, or less mouth damage. Lots of scientific research has been done on whether or not fish feel pain, with results favouring both sides of the argument. The hook debate is probably just as much of a grey area, so it really is all ‘in the eye of the beholder’ and down to the fishery manager’s discretion on what rules to install.
      For many years a lot of the commercial type match waters have been ‘barbless only’. Some of these waters receive a tremendous amount of pressure, with matches often held every day of the week. As a result, a lot of the fish are getting caught on a regular basis. By using barbless hooks on this type of venue, the angler is able to unhook the fish easily without any damage and get them in the keepnet as quickly and with as minimal amount of stress as possible. For the most part, we are talking about relatively small fish here, which are landed quickly.
      I can see the logic in making this type of water ‘barbless only’, although having never fished one, I cannot vouch for the condition of the fish. On some waters, that might be dictated more by the standard of angler than the hooks they use.
      As for ‘barbed only’ waters, I think again that this rule makes sense on certain venues. The general line of thought behind this is that, if for example an angler hooks a lively 20lb carp, the fight is likely to be prolonged and during that time the fish will be shaking its head and surging around in different directions. The theory is that, with a barbless pattern the hook could maybe move around during the fight, making the hole caused by the hook penetrating bigger and more likely to tear. Conversely, a barbed hook is much less likely to be able to move during the fight.
      Any damage caused by barbed hooks is most likely caused when the hook is being removed. However, the two most popular ranges of carp hooks, ESP and Korda, have micro barbs, which are easy to remove if done properly. I simply place my forefinger on the bend above where it has penetrated and then ‘pop’ it out by pushing with my thumb against the eye of the hook. By removing the hook in this way, it pops out in exactly the same angle as it went in, so there is no damage apart from a small hole. I can’t remember the last time I used forceps to remove a hook.
      I hope I have covered the main reasons for there being different rules on varying venues, although like I said at the start, there is no definite ‘right or wrong’ and it is very difficult to draw the line under what should be classed as a ‘barbed’ or ‘barbless’ only water.
Cheers, Dave

Hi mate,
      It’s a good question this one. First of all, ‘good’ weather conditions in my opinion for autumn and winter are very different for both, and the water you’re fishing can be the deciding factor of which conditions are more favourable for the time of the year. Depths of water play a huge part in fishing all year round, but especially in winter. So if the winter water you are fishing is extremely shallow, then bright, high-pressure days can be a very good bet. Generally for the best part of nine months of the year, these conditions are un-favourable, however, a nice sunny day during the coldest months (December, January and February) can quickly put the fish in the mood for a short feeding spell during their winter slumber.
      I wouldn’t go as far as saying it’s the complete opposite for a deeper water, however, days like this, will bring the fish higher in the water, even in the winter, making the fish harder to catch, as they are that much further away from your hookbait. If you are fishing on the bottom that is!
      As we all know during the autumn months we generally get only one type of weather, which suits me! As windy, overcast and wet conditions are definitely a saviour for us carp anglers after a horribly uncomfortable, hot and dry summer. Autumn really is the best time of year for carp angling, as these are the months when the fish really get their head down to stock up for the long period of dormancy ahead, and during this time it’s a certain bet that we’ll have ‘proper carpy’ weather conditions.
      As always, wind direction also plays a huge part in the carps eating habits. During the autumn fish are extremely active and a new or strong wind will soon move the fish in the opposite direction and seems to trigger them off into a new feeding spell.
      As well as weather conditions, moon phases are also extremely important. I must be honest and say I, myself, haven’t looked into it in any great depth, however the lads at: www.moonstrike.co.uk have, and they believe these phases are the most important and reliable source of information that actually affect fish throughout the year, whatever month or time of year it maybe. So it’s definitely a subject worth looking into!
      This is my opinion on favourable weather conditions, yet I’m sure you will all agree, carp are unpredictable at times and whatever the weather, it’s worth being on the bank as you never know what may come along!
      Best Wishes,
Tom Dove

Hello John,
      I must be honest and say that this, in my opinion, is one of the problems with modern day carp fishing. There are now too many baits etc., to choose from, and all of the large company’s drill it into people that they own the best mix and bait etc.!
      If you take a look at our country’s many top carp anglers such as Terry Hearn, Jim Shelley, Danny Fairbrass and the like, all use different bait from different bait company’s and their success speaks for itself.
      At the moment I’m using boilies from Dynamite and I don’t have a bad thing to say about them. My catch rate is just as good, if not better than when I have used any other bait that are no doubt very much alike anyway. As you stated yourself, it really is best to keep your bait choice simple and have every bit of confidence in any of the baits made from the larger proven companies such as Dynamite Baits, Mainline and Nash.
      For a guide of what boilies you should use at different types of year, if you kept to the general rule that fishmeal and oily baits will be more successful through the summer and less oily, milk protein or high-attract baits throughout the winter, you couldn’t possibly go far wrong.
      The single, high-attractor hookbait, such as a yellow pineapple pop-up will work all year round, so there’s no reason not to have a pot in your bag at all times, as they really are so affective in most situations. As soon as you catch one fish on any of the baits I’m sure your confidence will be sky high. Just give one bait a good try over a long period and no doubt you will start catching ’em!
      I’m a firm believer that it’s so much more important to pay attention to getting your bait, whatever it maybe, in the right place, than the bait itself.
Best of Luck, Tom

Hi there,
      Clear waters can be extremely tricky and frustrating at times, especially when the carp have wised up to what’s happening, and this certainly seems to be the case in this situation. However, there are many ways of getting around the problem, as you suggested hiding your rig as much as possible will give you the biggest edge on these wary carp!
      Products such as fluorocarbon hooklinks and leaders are a great way of hiding your rig, and depending on what surface you are fishing on, (gravel, silt, weed, clay) there are rig components that will manage to blend in, and camouflage in to the lakebed. By doing this you cut down your chances of the fish feeling cautious whilst feeding on your spot or baited area, bringing the fishes confidence up making a feeding frenzy, quite possible.
      The key to any fishing is building the fishes confidence, and the problems and ways of doing this are exaggerated in clear water. In many situations like this I would go for the IQ hooklink in the 10-15lb or the IQ Soft in 20lb along with a Safe Zone Leader in the matching colour to the lakebed you are fishing over. Also using a fluorocarbon leader (shockleader) of about 10ft will also ensure that there will be nothing visible within that distance of your baited rig, as fluorocarbon generally sinks extremely well, as well as having the superb non-visual qualities.
      This is a major part of fishing in clear water, however, once you have got this part right there are other ways of putting that extra carp on the bank. Attention to detail is paramount and something as small as slipping an artificial bloodworm over the hook (as you may have seen Danny using to great affect in the Underwater Part 4 DVD), can make a sizeable difference to your catch rate.
      I noticed that you said the fish are eating all the other bait in your swim, except yours, which must mean you can see the spot you are fishing to. This is a huge advantage, as placing your rig exactly where you want it is made possible.
      Maybe this particular area has seen baited rigs over and over again so placing your rig and hookbait slightly off of the spot or only just on to it could give you a major edge. If you have any amount of free time it always pays of to get down the lake and trickle some bait on to the spot(s) whilst there isn’t a baited rig in the area to build up the fishes’ confidence in feeding on that particular spot, making the fish easier to catch when you eventually get to fish it.
      This same concept of baiting can also be used if you are able to fish single overnighters, by baiting up in the day then fishing at night. Also small things such as choice of hookbait and varying the sizes of your freebies will confuse the carp hopefully resulting in a hooked carp!
      By changing your rig components making it harder to detect along with the other smaller changes in your baiting situation and gaining the fishes confidence I’m sure you will put more fish on the bank!
      Cheers,
Tom Dove