Rick Golder Articles
Spring is the time of the year I, like most carp anglers, look forward to the most. Not only is the longer days and lighter evenings so much more pleasant than the long winter ones, but also big fishing rewards are there be had, when the fish are often at their easiest to catch.
I have always enjoyed the challenge of fishing weedy waters, but it can be tricky to master them sometimes, although when you do, it can be a confidence to be taken forward to many places afterwards.
Spring is the time of the year I, like most carp anglers, look forward to the most. Not only are the longer days and lighter evenings so much more pleasant than the long winter ones, but also the rewards are there be had and when the fish are often at their easiest to catch.
I was really impressed with the Noir, it was a lovely black colour and had a fluorocarbon weave in it which meant it sank superbly, but with zero stretch I knew it would help me ensure I was fishing spots with maximum accuracy, as well as a feel beyond what you can achieve with any mono.
It was now close in, but staying deep, and it was a further 5 minutes of arm ache before I got a look at it. I saw the cluster of scales near the tail, and the distinctive round body shape, confirming what I already knew, it was the unmistakable SP. It wasn’t finished yet though, despite me praying for it to just give up, and twice having it over my outstretched net...
The first week of March was when I saw my first fish, as late one night I heard one crash out in the darkness, and the following morning another showed in a snaggy corner. That same week the level had dropped so much, it was possible to walk round the entire lake. It was all building nicely, and then the lockdown came! It was frustrating, but in the scheme of what was happening in the world, far less important...
Looking back on my captures in recent years, they largely fall into a few different categories. There are those where I have been plain lucky, those when I have gone with the crowd and caught, some that I have really had to work hard for, and then those from which I’ve learnt different things...
I could see small clear gravel patches very close to the snag tree, a matter of feet from the bank. In no time the excitement was back, not only was I fishing, I was also on the fish!
By the time we reached January this year I felt ready to get out fishing again after family circumstances had meant it had been several months since I’d been out. During that time, I had kept my finger on the carping pulse, staying in contact with a few close friends, and then early in [...]
Spring is the time of the year that we carp anglers look forward to the most. Not only are the longer days and lighter evenings so much more pleasant than the long winter ones, but big fishing rewards are also there to be had as it’s when the fish are often at their easiest [...]
For several years now I’ve firmly believed that baits and rigs are relatively less important to tricking wary fish than line lay and disguising your end tackle. In modern carp angling, most decent baits will catch fish on their day, and enough is written about rigs for anyone to either make up something or [...]
Rick Golder tells us about his last years carp fishing. Even though he had a
Continued from part 1... I was back the following week, this time for a single night. I went up the other end setting up in a small swim again by a big bank of snags. This swim only needed two underarm flicks with little 1.5oz Bolt Bombs, and again I [...]
I did very little fishing last winter due to a combination of work and family commitments, but I did have a social trip arranged with some friends at the end of February, which after a long layoff was something to look forward to. It actually made me sort my gear [...]
Continued from part 1... The next trip came around, and the weather was still cold and dull, but my tucked away swim was protected from the wind, and once again it looked good, as I flicked the baits out with little 1.5oz leads, and I was fishing within a few [...]
Once the winter came, I had a few sessions on a local lake with a friend, Adam. It was great to have some social trips, as the rest of the year I never do it; my fishing is always totally on my own. We had some success too with my [...]
I can’t remember having a more enjoyable Spring/Summer of fishing as this year. Usually by September I try to move on to another water just for the autumn and early winter, partly as a change and a recharge as much as anything, but this year it has all been about one and I couldn’t [...]
I had been on one trip to the big pit, my new adventure for this year, and as well as proving a considerable new challenge, it was a massive learning experience too. Fishing using a boat is indeed a new skill, and whilst it has fantastic advantages, it was also proving to be tricky [...]
I had made a start on my new water with my first session over there kicking off a massive learning experience, and it’s one that will almost certainly be a long term campaign to fully understand. After all 60 acres is a fair bit of water, but being split by 3 islands makes it [...]
Once the winter came, I enjoyed a few sessions on a local lake fishing with an old friend, Adam. It was great to have some social trips, as the rest of the year I never do it, my fishing is normally always done totally on my own. We had some success too! With my [...]
