What you need... Step 1. Take a soft braided link that will form the supple hook section of the combi rig. Step 2. Form a loop in a strong monofilament, we have used red line for clarity of the photos, but recommend Mono or Fluorocarbon hooklinks of at least 15lb. Step [...]
What you'll need... Step 1. This rig works best with a dedicated monofiment hooklink. Step 2. Form a simple knotless knot and trim off the excess tag. Step 3. Thread a size 20 Target Rig Swivel onto the hook. Step 4. Next thread on a Covert [...]
Browsing an angling forum recently I noticed a few posts asking for help and advice regarding the rolling of boilies for the first time. Many a seasoned angler will already be familiar with the art of creating a bespoke carp or barbel bait, but what of the relative newcomer to the undeniably confusing world [...]
June the 16th is almost upon us and after a 3 month hiatus, running water enthusiasts will be chomping at the bit to get to their nearest river for opening day of the new river season. None more so than the nations barbel anglers. Barbel can be found in many rivers up and down [...]
The Yateley Split lake is located on the West side of the Yateley Complex sandwiched between the Pads, the North and the Car Park lake and is definitely the most mysterious and unchartered water on this side of the road. Nobody seems to know exactly how many or what is resident within the lake. [...]
A rare opportunity presented itself where I had a few days off work during the week. With the weather forecast set to be wet and windy (and with my syndicate lakes being closed) I decided I was going to go on a bit of a day ticket mission in search of some 30lb+ fish. [...]
Surface fishing for carp, on its day it can be the most productive, frustrating, rewarding and exciting form of fishing we can do. Whether targeting a big shoal of fish that have been whipped into a feeding frenzy by careful and constant baiting or identifying a lone fish of specimen size, surface fishing is [...]
Over the last few weeks I have managed to get out on the bank and do a few sessions. Sometimes I have turned up and the lake has been rammed and I’ve had to wait for a move if I couldn't get on the fish when I arrived. Often watching and waiting patiently, [...]
The one aspect I love about carp fishing is staying versatile and ringing the changes. Fishing to different situations and conditions, always staying ahead of the game and making sure the bites keep coming. One session I will never forget is a 24 hour trip I experienced few weeks back, when I landed 11 [...]
In this article I am writing about one of my most memorable sessions, catching the biggest resident from my local syndicate lake. I was keen to get down a day before the Friday rush as it was a Bank Holiday weekend. As luck would have it I managed to get back into the same [...]
I count myself lucky. Very lucky. Why? Because my wife is understanding. Very understanding… If she wasn’t then I would be single on the basis that, like most my contemporaries, I am a thoroughly obsessive compulsive carp angler. When you have a wife and kids this selfish past time can cause a few problems [...]
Since my early days in carp fishing, I've had a passion for carp and the history of the carp angling. It’s anglers such as Pete Springate and Ritchie McDonald that have been such a big inspiration to me. I fell in love with the UK style of fishing and the historic venues such as [...]
Well spring is finally here and April has been a busy month for me with two tuition clients a magazine feature and a couple of trips out fishing for myself. My first trip of the month was with Philip Hutin who booked a 24 hour tutorial with me to improve on some of the [...]
I recently enjoyed a great trip to the Blue Pool at Burghfield. During the session forty eight hour session I managed to land eight fish, including seven twenties. The jewel in the crown was a lovely mirror which tipped the scales at 40lb 8oz. I was accompanied by young gun and fellow Gardner Tackle [...]
I recently received an invite to fish a prolific tench venue, which although involving a 400 mile round trip, it was certainly worth putting in a few extra miles. On arriving at the lake after dark I knew I wouldn’t be fishing properly until the morning as I needed to re-spool my reels and [...]
Having taken a break from carp fishing for the best part of a year, the first rays of spring sunshine and the close season on the rivers made me think about dusting the rods off. It took a few hours to get all my stuff together, but by that time I was actually looking [...]
The day was finally here, the opening day of the new syndicate I have joined this season. I had booked a few days off of work and this allowed me 5 nights and 6 days fishing. Enough time to have a proper look around the complex and to fish a couple of different swims [...]
After some success on one of my local waters during the end of winter/early spring, I really wanted to get back to Vinny for my first session of the year. I booked a few days off of work and with it being mid-week, I hoped that I might stand a better chance of securing [...]
It is that time of the year again when all of the carp fishing competitions start and as always, I’d been looking forward to the qualifying round of the BCAC (British Carp Angling Championships). After a disappointing end to our qualifier last year, when we were knocked out of the qualifying positions in the [...]
With the daylight hours rapidly increasing combined with the warmth of the sun, fish activity will be increasing on all lakes. Spring can be hit and miss for carp angling due to the weather and the time it takes the sunlight to penetrate and individual lakes to warm up. I've had some brilliant sessions [...]
