Advanced Carp Fishing

EXCLUSIVE FIRST LOOK AT ESPS AWESOME LO PRO BROLLY
E
S
I
M
I
MAX
!
E
M
I
T
YOUR
INUTE ON
M
Y
R
E
V
E
F
O
ICE
OST
MAKE THEKMWITH DAVE LEVYS ADV
THE BAN
46
LB
MONSTER
COMMON
BANKED!
TWOYEAR
YEAR CAMPAIGN
CAMPA
AIGN DELIV
D
DELIVERSTHE
ELIV
IVERSTHE
VERS THE BAC
B
BACKUP
AC
TANGLE-FREE
FISHING
BIG-CARPMIND-SET LEA VALLEY GOLD FISHING AT RANGE

GETYOUR HEAD INTHE
GAME PART 2
SHORT SESSIONS,
BIG RESULTS
HITTHE HORIZON FOR

INCREASED SUCCESS
JON MCALLISTER
DAVE ROBINSON
SAM MEE
PRESENT
YOUR RIG
PERFECTLY
EVERYTIME
4.50 JANUARY 2017
TIGER NUTS, THE TRUTH

THE BAITTHAT COULD REVOLUTIONISEYOUR NEXT CAMPAIGN
COVER 2- NEW COVERLINES.indd 1
7 7 1 4 7 5
6 3 1 1 1 2
22/11/2016 15:05
ULTEGRA XTD/XSD 5500
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Ultegra XTD_XSD 5500 Advert_UK.indd 1
21/10/2016 11:32:45
PURE.
NATURAL.
ATTRACTION.
Dont follow the mainstream...

...Use alternative hookbaits this winter
Included in the range:
Pineapple & N-Butyric | Plum & Caproic | White Spice | Pink Pepper | Wonderfruit & Cream Cajouser | Sea Monster
#NutritionalHeavyweight
www.nutrabaits.net
#TheMovement
NUT0009 Alt Pop Ups A4 Ad.indd 1
11/10/2016 11:45
p004_AC_01_RidgeMonkey.indd 1
21/11/2016 14:48
THE SHOT
GOINGLONG
ACCURACY
THEWATER
GETINTHERE
SURROUNDED
Lining up with a far-bank

landmark, our angler (Ed
Matthews) keeps his rod
and arm straight through
the cast to ensure his rig hits
as accurately as possible.
The water Eds up to his

groin in is the famous The
Sitch fishery in Shropshire,
run by RH Fisheries. The 26acre estate lake boasts fish
to over 44lb.
The Sitch is a relatively

shallow water, meaning Ed
could get out in his waders,
walking out to give himself
some 20-odd yards extra on
his cast.
The backdrop at the lake is

a hugely impressive mass
of tall, old trees, delivering
a dark green and brown
wall that encircles the water
giving real atmosphere.
05
p005_ACF_01_the shot.indd 1
22/11/2016 15:40
JANUARY 2017
A FISH ROLLED EXACTLY

WHERE ID BAITED. I
CAST, THE RIG DROPPED
NICE AND QUIETLY AND
THE ROD RIPPED OFF 10
MINUTES LATER.
Dave Levy
Page 27
As we dot the is and cross the ts, drawing

this issue to a close, we bid a fond farewell to
Max Hendry, our editor for almost two years.
With this I step into his shoes, a dicult task
because mine are size 11 and his were only
size nines. Nonetheless, Im honoured to take
on the role of editor of one of todays top
carp magazines.
For those of you that dont already
know me, my big-carp journey started
on Kingsmead 1, where I caught my rst
thirty. However, as a youngster my time was
restricted to when I could get out with my
father or my friend Luke Vallory, who was
just about considered aresponsible adult
according to CEMEX a responsible adult
who ran out of petrol on the M25
Kingsmead was to become a syndicate
the following year, meaning I could no
longer aord a ticket. As such, I had to sh
elsewhere and settled on a tiny Colne Valley
club water Tolpits. Here I could sh on my
own and with this new-found freedom came
more and more time on the bank. Tol was
a very steep learning curve; it was widely
regarded as an incredibly dicult lake but
my eorts were duly rewarded, giving me a
real taste of catching those special old carp.
The big-carp bug had well and truly grabbed
me and its grasp has only got stronger as the
years have gone by.
I hope that my love of carp shing will
be reected in the magazine and that it
will go from strength to strength under my
leadership. Heres to a bright future at ACF.
Matt Townend
Editor
p006-007_ACF_01_contents.indd 1
24/11/2016 11:21
08 WHATS OCCURRING
40 BIGCARP MINDSET
82 GEAR GUIDE BAIT
The latest news and competitions from the social

media side of carp fishing.
In this second instalment, Jon McAllister talks more

about fishing for the countrys best.
If you want to try a new bait, then check these out.
12 TIE & TRY
47 HOLDING OUT FOR AWHACKER
The rig from across the pond thats been waging

war on UK carp.
Myles Gibson continues his campaign on Dinton,

hoping for one last whacker before winter.
15 THE HUNGRY CARPER
55 WIN BERKLEY MAIN LINE
Because bank life doesnt have to be just Pot

Noodles and Mars Bars
We have more than 500 worth of new Berkley

Connect line up for grabs.
16 PUTTING IT ALL ONTHE LINE
56 THE SAILING LAKE
We take a first look at ESPs brand-new brolly.
An unrelenting obsession for a big common puts

Logan Eastons personal life at risk!
Dave Robinson recounts his time fishing the Lea

Valley sailing lake .
100 GOING THE DISTANCE
22 WHAT WOULD THE PROS

DO?
61 JEWELS OF THE NORTH

LAKE
Kev Hewitt talks through his maggot fishing

mastery for cold-water carp.
Fishery owner Martin Gardener lands his two target

commons from the historic Yateley pit.
27 MAXIMISE YOUR TIME
66 CLOSE ENCOUNTERS
How Dave Levy found success on the busy Horton

Church Lake, fishing just one night per week.
Edge fishing sees Hadley Ever catch an incredible

trio of commons.
108 ADAM PENNINGS BIG

CARP DIARY
32 TECH
74 THE ROAD TRIP
A change in tactics brings more success on Cleverley

Mere.
Tangle avoidance stop wasting time fishing with

tangled rigs.
Ben Francis travels to the Continent for filming and

fishing adventures.
114 ICONS
35 TIGER NUTS
78 GEAR GUIDE TACKLE
This time its Terry Hearns first book a great piece

of carping literature.
Elliott Gray gives his thoughts on fishing with the

infamous bait.
The tackle thats hit the shops this month is

reviewed.
86 RUCKSACK 101
We highlight four rucksacks ideal for the mobile
angler.
90/92/94 GEAR GUIDE SPECIAL

Carp Spirit alarms, CC Moore boilie range and
Wychwood clothing are reviewed.
98 ESP LO PRO BROLLY
Sam Mee spills the beans on his successful longrange tactics.
104 TACKLE AWARDS

We look at the winners of the ACF tackle awards
2016.
COVER STORIE
S
EXCLUSIVE FIRST LO
OK AT ESPS
AWES
27
16
6
Get the most

fr
every minute om
on the bank
with Dave Le
vyss
advice.
Reliving the
capture of a
gia
common wit nt
h
Logan Easto
n.
BROLLY
A first look
at the much
awaited ESP
brolly.
MAXIMISE
M
YOUR
Y
YO
O TIME!
98
MAKE
MAKETHE
MOST OF EVERY MINUTE ON
THE B
BANK WITH DAVE LEVYS ADVICE
46
LB
MONSTER
COMMON
BA
TWOY
NKED!
O YEA
EAR C
CA
AM
MP
PA
AIIGN
AIG
GN
N DE
D LIV
L
IVEERS
IV
R TH
RS
TH
HE BACKUP
BIG-CARPMIND
GET YOUR HEA -SET LEA VALLEY
GOLD FISHING
D INTHE
SHORT SESS
GAME PART 2
AT RANGE
IONS,
JON MCALLIST
ER
BIG RESULTS
DAVE ROBINSON
TANGLE-FREEEE
FISHING
PRESENT
YOUR RIG
PERFECTLY
EVERY TIME
HITTHE HOR
IZON
INCREASED SUC FOR
CESS
SAM MEE
TIGER NUTS, TH
E TRUTH
THE BAIT THA

T COULD REV
OLUTIONISEY
OUR NEXT CAM
PAIGN
p006-007_ACF_01_contents.indd 2
OME LO PRO
4.50 JANU
ARY 2017
017
0
7 7 1 4
7 5
Get your rig

fish
hing perfect
ly
every time.
32
6 3 1 1
1 2
24/11/2016 11:22
Each month we take our

favourite posts from the world
of social media and beyond.
www.advancedcarpfishing.com
Carp Of The Month

How about this for a special
one Small Tail at 38lb
10oz. Josh Mills had been
targeting the historic Kent
water for a while in a hope
to meet this crusty old
character. A well-deserved
capture to top a fantastic
year on the Hot Shrimp!
November
Comp Winner
Taska bedchair
and brolly competition
John Campbell, Lincoln
The Carp Cast

A thought-provoking
podcast presented by top
anglers Jamie Clossick and
Mark Watson. Alongside
the general chitchat, the
pair discuss a range of
topics and typically feature
a special guest in each
episode. With new content
released on roughly a
weekly basis, its certainly
worth having a listen. Ideal
for in the car or during
those long, dark, winter
nights on the bank.
@advancedcarpmag
@advancedcarpmag
#advancedcarp
Advanced Carp Fishing

Magazine (the ocial fan page)
08
p008-009_ACF_01_what's occuring.indd 1
24/11/2016 11:23
DAVIDHALLPUBLISHINGLTD
1 Whittle Close, Drayton Fields,

Daventry, Northants NN11 8RQ
t: 01327 311999 f: 01327 311190
EDITORIAL
Editor Matt Townend

e: matt.townend@dhpub.co.uk
Consultant Editor Steve Phillips
e: steve.phillips@dhpub.co.uk
t: 01327 315461
Chief Sub Editor David Haynes
Sub Editor Lee Jones
Creative Director Mark Grafton
Designer Fiona Brett
Advert Design Harvey Palmer, Steph
Stevens
Reprographics Derek Mooney
ADVERTISEMENTSALES
Business Development Manager

Karen Biggs
e: karen@dhpub.co.uk
t: 01327 315426 m: 07929 007852
PRODUCTION
Production Manager Paul Evans

Production Supervisor/Controller
Neil Brooks
PUBLISHING
Managing Director Sean ODriscoll

e: sean@dhpub.co.uk
Operations Director
Roger Mortimer
e: roger@dhpub.co.uk
Instagram Of the Month

@tom.stokes.182
We cant help but find
ourselves liking every post
made by the man. Some
seriously tasty big-carp
imagery! This old linear is
something truly special,
certainly one of the
countrys best. If you havent
already, give him a follow.
SUBSCRIPTION&BACKISSUE
QUERIES&ORDERS
t: +44 0845 345 0253

e: subscriptions@dhpub.co.uk
Facebook Katch Bullet River Adventures

Follow Katch Bullet on his adventures fishing the River Thames. Over
the years hes caught loads of cracking fish from the river, topped by an
incredible 43lb linear a Thames record! The page features loads of
videos about his fishing on the river, including underwater and drone
footage. Its certainly worth a look.
Brentwood Carp Show

Hosted on January 28th and 29th at the
Brentwood Centre, The Carp Spectacular will
be featuring a huge number of top brands
and tackle shops, along with slide shows and
talks from a number of big names, including
Oz Holness, Mike Willmott and Gary Bayes.
You can even get a casting tuition at the Free
Spirit casting range. A full list of exhibitors
can be found at bigfishingshows.com and
tickets can be bought online or on the door.
Subscriptions
UK 50.40, Europe 55, Rest of World
65
Based on 12 issues and includes mailing
Subscriptions Manager Louise Dalmedo
e: louise.dalmedo@dhpub.co.uk
Customer Service Manager Helen Bettles
e: helen.bettles@dhpub.co.uk
Correspondence to:
1 Whittle Close, Drayton Fields,
Daventry, Northants NN11 8RQ
Printed By:
Southernprint (Web Oset) Ltd
Distributors:
Seymour Distribution Ltd
Advertisements:
The advertisements and editorial
content carried in this magazine are
the copyright of David Hall Publishing
Ltd and may not be quoted, copied or
reproduced without prior permission of
the publisher.
ISSN 1475-6315
Get Involved
Youtube Urban Banx series
We are always interested in what you

have to say, or show us for that matter,
so dont forget to tag us, message us, or
alternatively you can e-mail the editor at
matt.townend@dhpub.co.uk
Nashs Alan Blair (right) continues his search for inner-city

carp from around the UK. Episode 9 sees him join urban
carping prodigy Alfie Russell in his East London territory,
catching lovely fish from tidal rivers, canals and park lakes.
09
p008-009_ACF_01_what's occuring.indd 2
24/11/2016 11:24
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p107_AC_01_ECU.indd 1
21/11/2016 14:41
THE RIG TO TRY

THIS MONTH
Mat is a huge fan of the German
rig and its hooking abilities.
THE GERMAN RIG

Mat Woods sheds light on his favoured
bottom-bait rig, stolen from across the pond.
rst came across this rig when I was

shown it by a good friend in Germany.
After he demonstrated how the hook
would quickly drop into the prime
position every time, I was keen to put one
out. Lo and behold, I went on to bag a 48lb
German mirror that hadnt seen the bank
for three years. From that point, the name
the German rigwas born. I was converted
and knew it wouldnt be long before it was
invading the UK!
While you can tie the rig with mono, I
much prefer to use it with 25lb Captive
coated braid, combined with a size 6 or 4
Avid CRV hook. Hook choice is arguably the

most important part of this rig and the CRV
pattern works perfectly; when combined
with the sti hook link it creates a really
aggressive angle. On the hook I use a hook
swivel running behind a bead. Its important
that this bead is placed level with the barb,
rather than being right around the bend. If
you pick up the hook bait and watch how
the rig reacts, youll see why. With the bead
in this position, the hook immediately hangs
ready to grab the carps bottom lip. Although
its not a pop-up rig I like to add an Avid Rig
Drop around one inch behind the hook. I
nd this also helps to pull the hook into this

prone position.
Ive found the rig works well with both
bottom baits and wafters, and I nd it
eective in most angling situations. When
shing over spod mix, or tightly baited areas,
I shorten it right down to as little as four
inches. If using just boilies, or a bag icked at a
showing sh, I will lengthen the rig, but I rarely
make it any longer than around eight inches.
Ive found it far more eective shed short.
The rigs eectiveness and versatility is
why my rig board is always fully loaded with
Germans!
01
Attach the rig to the swivel

using your knot of choice. A large
loop can be used to provide some
additional movement in the rig
02
The rig can be tied with

either a mono or coated braid
hook link stiness is key here.
Rig length can be adjusted to suit
the situation although Mat prefers
a shorter hooklength.
12
p012-013_ACF_01_Tie&Try.indd 1
24/11/2016 11:26
ITS SO EFFECTIVE THAT MY RIG BOARD

IS ALWAYS LOADED WITH GERMANS
Mat Woods
04
The German rig is perfect

for balanced or bottom baits. The
hook bait is mounted on a micro
hook swivel allowing the hook to
move independently of the bait.
LEWIS READ
03 The hook swivel is retained

using a small bead. This is placed
opposite the barb for optimal rig
eciency.
06 A curve-shanked hook is a
05 A large blob of putty can be
key feature. When tied to the sti

hook link using a knotless knot it
creates an extremely aggressive
angle.
placed about one inch below the

hook to help hooking potential.
Creating a good rig is essentially

a balancing act between bait
presentation and rig mechanics.
Firstly, the rig must allow the hook
bait to rest on the lake bed in a way
that will trick a carp into taking the
bait condently, considering both
the visibility of the terminal tackle
and how the bait acts. Once the
bait has been taken then its also
critical that the rig is able to react
instantaneously.This is where the
German rig in combination with
a balanced hook bait comes out a
winner.
The aggressive angle created by
using a mono hook link and a big
Mugga-style hook means that the
hook goes in the right way (bend rst
and point facing back towards the
bottom lip) and quickly drops into
the ideal position. I take this one step
further with the MkII German rig.
Much like the Ronnie rig, this uses a
Kwik Lok swivel to allow the hook to
spin independently of the hook link.
However, in this rig its important to
use a non-exi version so that the
hook, swivel and hook link are held in
the correct orientation.
Im not at all certain in the theory
that super balanced hook baits y in
to a shs mouth. Instead, I believe
the benets are more simple, being
consistency of presentation and the
ability to reset.This is why I balance
mine so the hook lies at on the lake
bed, concealed by the hook bait
wafting gently on top.
13
p012-013_ACF_01_Tie&Try.indd 2
24/11/2016 11:26
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p014_AC_01_Sheltons.indd 1
21/11/2016 14:47
the
All of the meat

cooked is provided
by The Hungry Carper
find it at www.
the-hungry-carper.
myshopify.com
HUNGRY
carper
SPONSORED BY
COOKIT
THE ULTIMATE BURGER
CALORIFIC GOODNESS OUT ON THE BANK
hink out in the wild. Think pitting your

wits against monsters in the water.
Think getting hungry. Think about the
best piece of on-the-bank cooking you could
possibly muster to satiate that growling
stomach. Think the ultimate burger!
Like several layers of heaven winking
at you from between two halves of a bun,

this piece of culinary art will fill you up and
keep your motor running for the carping
ahead. Plus, its surprisingly quick and easy
to create. Are your taste buds going into
meltdown yet? If they are, get cooking and
tuck in.
This meal is designed to be cooked in a RidgeMonkey pan (www.ridgemonkey.co.uk)
01
Get your RidgeMonkey warmed

up and then place your steak
burger on to get cooking.
02
Give your burger around 10

minutes on the pan, turning it
every two minutes or so.
03
Move your burger to the side of

your pan (were using the XL pan)
and add the bacon.
04
Before the bacons done, add

your cheese to the top of your
burger and close the lid to allow
it to melt over the meat.
05
06
Add your onion slices to the pan

and fry up.
07
Add the chutney over the

cheese, then the spinach leaves
and then the onion. If you go
toostackedyou might need
a skewer to hold the creation
together. Now consume!
When the burger, bacon and

onions are cooked to your liking,
and with your bun cut, put the
burger on the bottom slice
followed by the bacon.
INGREDIENTS
The Hungry Carper steak burger
Two rashers of The Hungry
Carper bacon
Half an onion, pre-sliced and
stored in a sandwich bag
Pot of mango chutney
Three slices of processed cheese
Spinach leaves
Burger bun
15
p015_ACF_01_the hungry carper.indd 1
22/11/2016 15:43
LOGANEASTON
Big-fish angler with an
attention to detail and
the staying power to
catch the one hes after.
Sponsor: Korda
16
05
p016-020_ACF_12_Logan.indd 1
24/11/2016 14:28
PUTTING IT ALL ON
THE LINE
LOGAN EASTON recalls how his obsession with
a certain big common put his personal life
under pressure.
hen youre as
keen an angler
as I am its hard
for any nice sh
to go unnoticed,
and when theyre local to me, its even
more unlikely.The Backup was one
that I had seen many times over the
years, and was renowned as being
one of the best commons about its
also a proper bigun.
Id wanted to have a go for it for
a long time and eventually joined
the venue in September 2014. I
shed right through the autumn
and winter into spring, itting about
during winter but hitting it hard
between September and December.
I was going for it to begin with but
someone else caught the sh in late
autumn, which sort of put an end to

my campaign. I did carry on for a bit
but not with as much gusto.When it
was caught again in January I decided
to ease o until March.
The plan was to do the last couple
of weeks because the lake closes on
the 14th, but on my rst session back
it was caught again, and that was
that. I dont remember how many I
caught during that rst campaign but
it was in the region of 15 to 20, the
biggest being a brace of 28lb 14oz
commons.
I didnt sh the lake again until
the autumn, once again starting in
September, and on my rst session
back the bigun was caught at 48lb
4oz. I did the photos for matey and
I must admit that it truly blew me
The silt spot in the

weed soon became
a large gravel area.
17
05
24/11/2016 14:28
GIVE EM SOME BAIT
THE CHANGE OF SWIM

PAID OFF AND I MANAGED
MY FIRST 30-POUNDER
FROM THE LAKE.
With prebaiting banned, Logan decided to feed a lot

of bait during his session. His plan was to have enough
left in the area for his session the following day.
away. My timing was terrible, yet

perfect. Every time I turned up to
have a go it would get caught.
I carried on regardless and caught
a couple from a swim up the top end
of the lake, which is pretty much a
rectangle ranging between 90 to 120
yards wide.The swim in question
was up the snaggy, shallower end
as opposed to the deeper and wider
dam wall end.
I decided to start baiting the swim
heavily and dropping into it to sh
whenever it was available.There was
a prebaiting rule so the plan was to
sh over lots of bait so that it was
doing a job for me while I was at the
lake or at home. I had one spot that
would do most of my bites and Ive
found this to be the case in all of the
swims I shed.There are never two
spots as productive as each other;
one will always produce more bites.
Between September and
November I managed to catch
another 15 to 20 carp and, like
the year before, I was doing a few
evenings after work and the days
at the weekend. However, this
year I wasnt so keen at weekends,
most anglers, but even if someone

did drop in there it was a mission
to get the rods out unless you had
waders.
I started baiting heavily, nothing
too mad, but I made sure they got
enough to keep them occupied.
I was shing three days a week,
be that weekends or evenings
after work.The change of swim
paid o and I managed to catch
preferring the evenings rather than

sitting around all day waiting for bite
time.The biggest sh I caught that
autumn were 28lb and 27lb, but both
went on to do 30lb during winter.
I struggled throughout November
and decided on a change of scenery.
I focused my eorts on the dam
wall end.There was a very small and
overgrown swim that I liked the look
of. Not only would it be left alone by
During his hunt for

the big fish, there
were plenty of
bonus captures.
around eight sh from it, including

my rst 30-pounder from the lake,
The Long One at 32lb exactly. I was
delighted and felt I totally deserved
it. Unfortunately, on that same day
someone caught the bigun from just
o the back of me at a staggering
50lb 3oz. Much to my dismay, it was
passing my bait on the mat! I had
been very close, but no cigar.
To make things worse, people
started to poach my area from the
dam wall bank and that knocked my
enthusiasm even more. I did manage
to catch one of the ones I really
wanted, Little Lydens, which is a truly
awesome carp and weighed 36lb
something.
I went on to do a bit of perch
shing and planned to return for the
last week of the season.True to form,
the big un was caught a couple of
days before the lake closed at 49lb
12oz.
The following season was my third
and I planned to sh right from May
until I caught it. I was getting a bit
bored of the lake and I needed to
get the job nished. I was going to
need to change my tactics slightly, so
18
24/11/2016 14:28
I rolled bigger hook baits to combat

the ravenous tench. I also planned
to sh with larger quantities of bait,
particularly once they had spawned. I
knew by this point Id be able to really
give it to them!
I got down for the opening day
and caught nothing, dropping
into one of the very limited swims
available. I did plan to do the next day
too but I ended up having to work.
On my next session in the middle
of May, a good friend, Gav, ended
STRINGERS
A bunch of whole baits
around the hook bait is ideal
for big carp. Logan has caught
plenty using the stringer in
this manner.
was incredibly frustrating.

It was towards the end of June and
the lake was quite quiet. I was about
to start a new job as a ground worker
but with time spare in between there
was only one place I was going.
I started shingThe Plateau swim
and managed to catch a few during
my time between jobs, with a real
scaly one being the best of the
bunch.The swim had good form
for doing the bigun, particularly in
summer, and this was why I wanted
to concentrate on it.Theres a very
obvious feature, which every man
and his dog shes on. Although the
sh had been caught there, I wanted
to nd and develop my own areas
so that the chances of other people
capitalising on my baiting up were
much slimmer. Using a bare lead and
my braided main line I managed to
locate a couple of spots and I started
really baiting heavily with 15mm
and 20mm boilies; the tench were
part of the reason I was using large
quantities of bait.
I was doing three evenings during
the week and shing on the Saturday,
while my missus was at work. I really
his quest for the sh from the swim

opposite me at 48lb 4oz. I was
delighted for him because he wanted
it as much as I did and he had caught
his fair share too.
The top end of the lake really
started to grab my attention because
95 per cent of the bites were coming
from there.Theres a lot more going
on up there and at the start of the
year its no surprise that they would
favour that zone. Most of the big sh
were getting caught up that end too
and I was straight on it.
I started shingTheWoods swim,
which controlled the top end of the
lake and a lot of the main snaggy
areas. I caught from the o, bagging
six quite quickly. I also caught Little
Lyndons again.
A few days later the bigun was out
again, this time from the bottom end
to an angler who had caught most of
the biguns, so I wasnt too upset but I
did pull o for a bit.
When I decided to have another
go it was caught again on my rst
session back. It was getting a bit
ridiculous, it seemed to wait for me to
turn back up and then get caught. It
Bigger hook baits were needed.
A big baiting campaign was key.

didnt want to sh the weekends
because the tench were a nightmare
during the days and it was so hot. So
I told the missus that I wanted to sh
four evenings in the week instead,
no weekends. I was ne for the rst
few weeks and then she kicked o,
big time. I didnt go the fourth week,
and then we temporarily broke up
the week after, which I was genuinely
gutted about this sh was starting
to control my life.
19
24/11/2016 14:28
Up until this point I had been doing

really well by bouncing betweenThe
Plateau and a swim up the shallow
end. IfThe Plateau was taken then Id
head up to the other end.
It was during one of these sessions
that I managed to catch the lakes
second biggest carp. I had the bite
while I was baiting up, with the rod
still on the oor!The sh is mega
and one I really wanted to catch. At
38lb 6oz it was a chunk too.The sh
were there, showing a lot, and with
The Plateau being very popular at
the time I ended up doing eight trips
or so up the shallower end. I was
catching and the little gravel spot I
had found was constantly producing
the goods. All good things come to an
end and a short while later I decided
to get back down intoThe Plateau.
One day I was up a tree and saw
the big un; the first time I had seen it
all year.
During the next few weeks I
managed to catch around 30 fish
fromThe Plateau and I was convinced
that the bigun was only the next bite
away. It didnt come, though, and I
caught plenty of better fish, including
four thirties to 36lb, but no bigun.The
majority of my bites were on the righthand rod, which started as a firm silt
The colours on
the fish were
incredible.
area among the weed but turned into

a clean, hard gravel spot it was this
rod that I was expecting the big one to
come from, should it ever turn up!
It was around the middle of August
by this point and the missus and I
broke up for good.Wed been together
a long time and I was pretty upset.
Fishing wasnt on my mind and for a
couple of weeks I didnt bother going.
I had left all of my bait in the car and
when I did decide to get the rods out it
was on the turn. I decided to just wash
it with water and go fishing with them.
The first week back I think I caught
four, including a very old thirty, all
on the milky-toned baits. I had been
LARGELOOPS
With time being of the essence,
Logan likes to change rigs
quickly. He uses a large loop
so he can t a hook bait and a
PVA bag through it easily. This
allows him to have rigs tied
with a stringer attached all
ready in his tackle box.
washing my baits out occasionally and

it seemed really effective.
Two weeks later I decided I was
going to sh every single day until I
caught it; rain or shine, after work and
at weekends until the job was done. I
started baiting heavily again. During
the evenings that week I caught the
smallest carp ever at about 2lb, and
25lb and 24lb commons.
On the Saturday morning I turned
up and within an hour the left-hand
rod was away.The sh felt like it was
weeded at rst but after a while I
knew it was moving too freely.Then it
broke surface and I knew exactly what
I was attached to. It didnt do much,
to my delight, and before long she
was lying in the bottom of my net, at
which point I completely broke down
with emotion. I had been through
so much, it was like nothing Ive ever
endured before and Im delighted to
say its over.
I rang a couple of pals and Elliott,
Gav, Buttler, Sam and Lee Kemp all
came down to help with the pics, so a
big thanks to you boys! It weighed a
whopping 46lb 12oz and was a new
personal best.To be honest, I couldnt
care how big it was. As always, the sh
was in great condition and looked
spot-on; what more could I ask for? ACF
The prize, all 46lb

12oz of her!
20
24/11/2016 14:29
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p021_AC_01_Fosters.indd 1
21/11/2016 14:46
KEVHEWITT
Mr Meticulous, Kevs a
real thinking angler
with the results to show
for it.
Sponsors: ESP,
CC Moore andTrakker
22
p022-025 ACF_01_what the pros do.indd 1
24/11/2016 11:29
MAGGOT
FISHING
KEV HEWITT shares a few thoughts on how he
shes with these most popular cold-water baits.
ACF: When do you tend to break
out the maggots?
KH: As the water temperature
begins to cool, usually around
October, and they remain a part of
my bait armoury into early spring.
As the water cools, the carps
metabolism slows and they will
prefer a meal that is as easily
digestible as possible. Maggots
are one such bait and the carp
seemingly know this immediately.
ACF: Does their introduction

prove successful? Were
guessing so, but is it the case in
reality?
KH: Absolutely, yes. I have lost
count of how many times using
maggots has brought me a few
bites when others on the lake are
seemingly struggling.
They really can be the dierence
at this time of year. Take
today, for example.
Its a bitterly cold early November

morning and, as far as I can tell,
there have not been any carp out
of this lake for some time.
Nevertheless, I have already had
a bite. Unfortunately, I was unable
to land it because it picked up a
discarded line during the ensuing
ght.
ACF: Has the recent trend
towards maggots altered their
eectiveness?
23
05
24/11/2016 11:29
heavily to start o with. Ive found

this the best way to get the carp
interested.
Ive worked out that a large
Spomb holds around threequarters of a pint of maggots, so
its easy for me to work out how
much bait is going in.
I would probably get through
about a gallon in a 24-hour
session, which might sound a lot
but its what I have found to be
about right.
Working in a tackle shop I am
able to access maggots easily and
I dont have to pay full price for
them, which is a perk of working in
such a role.
For the record, I always use
mixed colours because I have
found these to work best. I dont
see the point in putting all my
eggs into one colour basket, so to
speak.
Top up with a couple of pints after

two bites from your baited area.
Theres no need to change

rig components.
Pin the rig down; you dont

want it wafting too much.
KH: Without doubt maggots are
not as eective as they were, say,
10 years ago and its largely down
to their overuse.
I remember very often being the
only angler on most venues who
was using maggots and they were
amazing, almost guaranteeing a
bite if my watercraft was good.
These days, probably due to
the glut of anglers using large
quantities of them, especially
in the big carp matches, Id say
their eectiveness has lessened
somewhat.
The type of venue is crucial
to their success as well. If you
are lucky enough to visit a water
where maggots are not widely
used then get on them because
they could result in some big
captures on otherwise tough
sessions.
However, places like here at
Linear, which see lots of maggots,
they are maybe not quite as
eective. Thats not to say they do
not work, but they may not be as
prolic as in the past.
ACF: With this in mind, then,
how do you overcome this
situation? Can you do anything
to make your maggots stand
out from everybody elses?
KH: Thats a good question and Ill
let you into a little secret. Ive been
using a brand-new liquid from
CC Moore called Chorizo Extract
ACF: What sort of areas do you

look to sh on, and are there
any substrates that you would
avoid when maggot shing?
USING MAGGOTS ON A
WATER WHERE THEYRE
NOT WIDELY USED CAN
RESULT IN BIG CAPTURES.
the Micromass or Chorizo Extract
additions.
to add a new dimension. I dont

always do so, but I will add a small
amount if it looks like I need to.
However, I nearly always add
Krill Micromass to the maggots,
which gives o a constant slick of
attraction but oers minimal food
content. This really can be a game
changer.
During early autumn I
occasionally add 10mm boilies to
the maggots and will do so again
come spring, but in the depths of
winter its just the maggots with
ACF: How do you approach the

baiting? Do you bait heavily at
the beginning of a session or
steadily over a period of time?
KH: I generally bait up
straightaway and then top up
with another three to four pints
after every couple of bites. Its all
about gauging the situation on
the day, but I certainly bait quite
KH: Similarly to at other times of

year, Im looking for a pretty rm
drop on the lead, but Im happy
shing sand or silt spots too. The
only thing I wouldnt do is sh
maggots over weed. Thats not to
say that they are not an option
but the weed is invariably dying
back at this time of year, so the
carp dont spend any real time in it,
certainly not in a feeding sense, as
they might in the warmer months.
I do not subscribe to the school
of thought that says maggots
crawl away or bury themselves
into softer bottoms such as silt.
At the water temperatures we
are talking about they become
extremely torpid and arent
anywhere near as active as they
would be in a nice bait tub with
other maggots insulating them.
Just to be sure, there are
measures you can take here as
well. I suocate my maggots
in a plastic bag, meaning they
go into a state of suspended
animation, almost. This makes
sure that they stay put on the
lake bed. (Kev demonstrates this
by dropping some into the margin
and showing me that they are still
there some time later).
On the bank I try and keep them
as dry as possible, adding a light
coating of groundbait if needs
be. The last thing you want is wet,
sweaty maggots, which will not
24
24/11/2016 11:29
ACF: Finally, what about your

presentation of the hook bait?
Is there a specic winter rig that
you use?
KH: I dont make any discernible
changes to my rig that I use at
other times of the year, namely the
hinged sti.
Its constructed in the same way
and from the same components.
The hook section is a ready-tied
chod rig from ESP, which I have an
immense amount of condence in
and which have never let me down.
They are extremely well tied and
very consistent in length, certainly
as good as , if not better than, those
I tie myself, so I gure why waste
my time and energy tying them!
The boom is tied from ESPs
Tungsten Loaded, which is a
sinking, coated braid material that
oers just the right combination of
stiness and weight. I use the semisti version in 20lb and usually in
the brown nish.
This rig has accounted for more
carp than I care to remember and
I am so condent in it that I rarely
deviate from its use at all times of
the year, including winter.
Hes not afraid to bait heavily

at the start of a session.
be in great condition and a lot of
the time can also oat. You should
never leave maggots in a bait
tub or bucket with the lid on and
then neglected. This will seriously
reduce the eectiveness of the
baits.
ACF: What do you do if a lake
is full of so-called nuisance
species, such as roach and
bream? Would you still use
maggots then?
you are shing and how best to

approach elements like nuisance
sh.
Orchid Lake is a good example
of this. For some reason the carp
keep feeding through the winter
on there, so you can
continue to
use boilies
to
ACF: And how do you present

your maggot hook bait
eectively?
KH: I have to be honest and

say that this has never really
been a huge problem for me,
so its not something Ive had to
often overcome. If it really is bad
then theres just one thing for
it, and thats to change tactics
and ditch the maggots
altogether. You need
to be aware of the
type of venue
KH: The hook bait is pretty simple

but I am very precise in how
its constructed. Basically,
a small piece of red
foam has a bunch
of maggots
THE MAGGOT SPREAD
catch carp and deter the roach and

bream.
Kev dropped a large

handful of maggots into
the edge
and an hour later plenty

were still there. Imagine this
with a gallon!
attached to it. I always use 10 real

maggots and two imitation ones,
along with the foam, and I stick to
this rigidly.
The only change I will sometimes
make is to have the hook section
slightly longer or shorter to present
the maggots eectively over rmer
or softer lake beds.
I do have the rig so that its
pretty well pinned down; not really
critically balanced because I dont
want it wafting around all over
the place when the carp disturb
the area. I believe this is a really
important point to nish with in
terms of the rig.
ACF: Thats great, thanks for
sharing so many of your tactics
with us, which were sure the ACF
readers will take great pleasure
from reading about and then
trying for themselves. ACF
An absolutely
stunning winter
mirror, a sucker for
Kevs maggot tactics.
25
24/11/2016 11:29
p026_AC_01_FortisVista.indd 1
22/11/2016 16:52
DAVELEVY
Short-session specialist
Dave knows how to get
the best from a water in
double-quick time.
Sponsors:
RidgeMonkey,Trakker
and Mainline
MAXIMISE
YOUR TIME
DAVE LEVY has competed against anglers
on busy circuit waters on just one night a
week. Heres how he did it on the famous
Horton Church Lake in 2016.
hen I join a lake I

dont look at the
anglers shing
it, I just look at
the stock. Say
that there is a lake with 50 carp in it,
at one point I am going to get a few
opportunities.
We are well into autumn now and
the middle areas on most lakes are
the most productive. A bed of bait on

one of these open-water features is
the most likely place to get bites. In
spring, the middle areas are often the
best spots to get bites until the water
temperature starts to creep up.
Rewinding to spring, I got o to
a good start. My main aim was to
be observant and watch how the
sh moved and interacted with the
27
05
p027-031_ACF_01_Dave Levy.indd 1
22/11/2016 15:48
Using watercraft and thinking

dierently to the longer stay anglers
means you can still catch the prize
sh, even without putting a huge
amount of hours in on the bank.
A clever approach to baiting

areas is needed for short sessions.
angling pressure.There are a few

full-time anglers on the lake and they
would often stay put in known areas
with the view of making the most of
their chance when the sh turned up.
With one night a week you cant
have that attitude, so I was ready
to create my own chances or move
onto an opportunist sighting.
Unfortunately, I managed to hook
and lose the biggest sh in the lake
on my second session.
The following session soon arrived
and I was raring to get even. An
easterly wind had begun to blow. I
was sat on the end of it with the rods
out when I noticed a sh show 200
yards away. I knew I had to move. I
made the eort and got into a swim
called Springates and was met by
the head of another 40lb sh moving
some serious water as it jumped
clear of the water. I catapulted a
pouch of bait over where it showed,
followed by a bright yellow hook bait.
I repeated the same thing with other
rod, having them 10 yards apart.
Just 20 minutes later I landed
a 20lb fully scaled. It was my rst
Horton carp and I was well chued.
Not long afterwards a 40lb 10oz
mirror followed it. I couldnt have had
a better start. I was doing a 160-mile
round trip to do a day session.
Half an hour later I landed a
monstrous 44-pounder. It taught me
a lesson the sh could be caught in

a short space of time providing you
were on them. It also showed me
that I could sh around the anglers
with more time because they tended
to be more static. So this was how I
intended to sh the lake moving
when I saw sh.
May 2016 was a lot colder than
expected and I noticed that the sh
reacted to it by moving out into the
middle of the pond again.
underneath it and it was never

shed. One night I waited until it
was dark and used the noise of
the planes overhead to mask the
sound of my baiting. I put out 3kg
into the area and left it a week.
On my return I stood at the
lodge watching at rst light. A sh
rolled exactly where I had baited
the week previous. I grabbed a rod
with a chod rig on it and cast it past
the sh and drew it back over the
THE RIG DROPPED NICE

AND QUIETLY AND THE ROD
RIPPED OFF 10 MINUTES
LATER.
You end up getting involved in the
lottery of who is going to get a bite.
You are all applying bait, and with
one night its hard to be that guy who
gets the result. An angler with more
time will be able to wait out the lean
periods and make the most of the
shing when its going right. I realised
that I needed to do something
dierent.
The boat pontoon near the lodge
is a huge piece of oating concrete.
I pictured the sh swimming
area.The rig dropped

nice and quietly and
the rod ripped o 10
minutes later.The
ght was savage;
it was clearly used
to feeding without
worry in this area.
After getting it in the
net I peered down at
a 46-pounder; a truly
monstrous carp. I was
at the lake 20 minutes
28
22/11/2016 15:48
TRAVELLIGHT
Cutting his gear into two halves,
rods, a tackle bag and some bait
would be used during the day.
Dave would then grab his brolly
from the car in the evening
when he knew he would be
shing for the night.
before I got a bite. I moved after a
couple of hours because the sh
had clearly moved o. Before I went
to bed I made sure I reeled in late
at night and made the trip to the
pontoon to put more bait in. It was
only a kilo but I wanted the sh to get
used to eating bait there.
I returned a week later for my night
at rst light and just as the sun began
to poke over the trees, a sh put its
head out right over the bait on the
pontoon. I got the same chod rig
and hook bait out of the rod bag and
repeated what I had done a week
previous. I landed a 44lb mirror 20
minutes later. I was now up to four
forties in ve bites.
The stock in Horton is nothing
short of astounding. All these bites
were within an hour of getting into
the swim.This levelled the playing
eld somewhat because although
I only had one night, I was able to
make the most it a lot better. I would
move at a momentsnotice, even
29
22/11/2016 15:48
after baiting up. All I would do was

mark down the distance and keep the
spot logged for the future. I would be
mindful to keep an eye on it during
my session to see if the sh would
turn up on the bait. If I walked round I
would drop 20 baits on several spots.
The lake is 14 acres and I would do
four or ve laps a day.The way I see
it, there is a sh feeding somewhere
and I wanted to nd them. Everything
a carp does is reected on the surface,
whether it be bubbling, jumping or
small swirls. A keen-eyed individual
will be able to build a picture of
where they are feeding.
By feeding areas you acclimatise
the sh to feeding in them, this
Many bites came within an

hour of being in the swim.
is how spots are made. Its classic

conditioning.
One thing to be aware of is
that anglers will jump in on your
success, so its key to capitalise on
your opportunities of catching o a
primed area before another angler
takes advantage of your hard work.
I have been shing for years and
know through experience to keep
trying when things arent going my
way. However, I can think of occasions
when I let my lack of time get the
better of me.
When I shed Conningbrook there
were around 30 sh in the lake and
I was still doing my one night.Two
Tone was the then British record.
A brace of forties
in quick succession
taught Dave a
valuable lesson.
30
22/11/2016 15:48
There were a lot of full-time anglers

on there at the time and I let that get
the better of me. I am angry that I let
it happen because it was the only
chance I ever got to sh for a 60lb
carp. I let the anglers beat me, not
the sh.
As you mature, you get tougher to
things. I now realise that full-timers
arent necessarily good anglers. I see
one night a week as an advantage
and its moulded me into the angler
that I am. Even if I did two nights a
week I would sh in the same way.
One thing you can do as a mobile
angler is prime areas that are
undershed. I pick a part of the lake
that isnt shed and get the marker
back in with another sh and began

to feed. I watched it pick up my rig
and sit there before blowing it out. I
knew I had made a mistake putting
the loose bait too close together. My
mate was due, so I reeled in when
the coast was clear.
I went to my van, got the barrow
and returned. I set up an alarm so
that I could sit further back and
rod out. Even in the most unused

swim there will be a feature that is
worth a bit of bait. I will then commit
some bait to see whats going on. If
there is no feature then I will create a
hub of interest through the baiting
that I do.When the conditions are
right I will pop in and drop a rig in
place. If there has been bait there the
sh will get on it.
MINUTES LATER I GOT A

SINGLE BLEEP AND RAN
STRAIGHT TO THE ROD.
A recent example of where
opportunist shing made the most
of the situation would be my capture
of The Woodcarving, a scale-perfect
50 years old linear mirror that was
that I dearly wanted in my album. Id
admired that carp for years and now
was my chance to meet it. Out of all
the Horton carp The Woodcarving
is the easiest to target because it
likes the church bay. I saw it in there
several times.
One particular day I saw a sh
under the bush feeding, it was a big
common. I kept looking to see what
else I could nd. My combats had a
side pocket full of bait and I carried
my rod bag and a small tackle bag
on my shoulder. I had put 20 baits
in there at rst light and I went to
see whether it had been disturbed.
The Woodcarving had cleared all the
bait and was sat chewing just o the
spot. I put it up there with the best
carp in the country, a proper history
sh. I waited for it to swim out and
lowered a rig in, dropping ve boilies
in there with it. Straight away It came
dropped the rig back out there, this

time spreading the baits out more so
the sh had to move between them.
I had noticed The Woodcarving
preferred to eat near a certain
patch of stones, so I dropped the rig
right next to it and slackened o. It
returned as I was sinking the braid.
I set the alarm and sat well back so
that I could chat with my mate. A

matter of minutes later I got a single
bleep and ran straight to the rod
shouting:Woodcarving. As I got to
the rod it went into meltdown and
on picking it up it was weeded solid.
I pulled it up and the sh rolled over
and we bundled it in the net. At 37lb
8oz it was looking healthy.
I spent four hours walking the
lake to nd the sh. I was making
opportunities for myself. I applied
plenty of bait in small amounts
around the lake and have managed
20 sh.
Martin Pick previously held the
record on Horton with 20 sh in 68
nights. I did it in 26.
Make your lack of time an
advantage by working hard when
you do sh. Compared to a full-time
angler I can be more mobile, more
inclined to move, more active and,
if needs be, stay awake for longer
to get on the sh and make the
most of the time. Be ecient and
put loads of eort in and you will be
rewarded. ACF
Dave smashed the previous

Horton record of 20 sh in 68
nights - matching the catch
gure in just 26 nights!
The Horton Woodcarving

in all its glory.
PREPARATIONISKEY
While walking round, Dave
drops a bit of bait into a couple
of areas to prime them before
he shes over them. It may only
be a handful of chops but it
would be enough to get the sh
feeding. He stores his pre-made
chops in the modular bucket
from RidgeMonkey.
31
22/11/2016 15:48
TANGLE
AVOIDANCE
Follow these key tips and stop wasting hours shing with tangled rigs.
harp hooks, quality bait,

spot-on location: all are
important factors to
consider but theyre no good
if your rig is sat in a tangled
heap on the bottom. No selfrespecting carp is going to
touch that gnarly mess with
a barge pole, perhaps only
that local mug whos been
papd more times than Kim
K. Its therefore with good
reason that some of the most
consistent big-sh anglers in
the country are super critical,
some even paranoid about
their presentation. With this
in mind, here are a few simple
steps you can take to stay
tangle free.
THE RIG
Your choice in end tackle
will have a huge inuence
on whether your rig will
remain tangle free. A staple
for most anglers is using a
length of wider-diameter
material above the lead, such
as leadcore or sinking tubing,
which both work wonders.
Rig-wise, stier materials
tend to fare better, being
far less prone to wrapping
around themselves. Rigs like
the hinged sti or German
rarely tangle, oering peace
of mind that your rig is well
presented. However, if a
slightly softer link is required
there are a few little tricks to
reduce the chance of winding

in a tangled mess after hours
of boshing, zzing and heartstopping liners.
Keeping some distance
between the bait and lead
during the cast can be key to
preventing tangles. An antitangle sleeve over the swivel
can be used to kick the hook
link away or, depending on
hook-link material, a similar
eect can also be achieved
by simply using a large
loop in the hook link and
attaching it to the swivel in
a loop-to-loop fashion. This
creates a stier boom-like
section where the material is
doubled over.
Alternatively, using a PVA

bag or even larger hook baits
can help this separation by
increasing the weight of
the hook end. A stick or bag
threaded onto the rig is ideal
here because it also masks
the hook, meaning there is
less to catch hold on the cast.
THE CAST
Another key factor to
consider is the cast, more
specically the last few
moments as the rig ies
through the air and lands
in the lake. Ensuring good
separation at this point is
crucial and can usually be
achieved simply by stopping
32
p032-033_ACF_01_TECH1.indd 1
22/11/2016 15:49
IF IN DOUBT, WHACK A
CHOD OUT!
For the ultimate in tanglefree rigs, it has to be the
chod. Simply blast it out and
be condent that youre well
presented zero fuss.
the lead just before it enters

the water. If its possible at
the range youre shing,
watching for two separate
splashes will conrm the
rig has not tangled on the
cast. With this in mind, the
benets of clipping up
are twofold, both aiding
accuracy and avoiding
tangles. However, clipping up
is often impractical, such as
when casting onto showing
sh where you are uncertain
of the distance and wish to
minimise disturbance with
only a single cast. In these
circumstances, perfecting
your skills at feathering the
cast is critical.
THE EDGE TEST

A great little trick is to swing your
rig into the margin and take a
little look to see how the nished
product settles. Many rely on a
nugget of dissolving foam to help
separate the bait and lead during
ight, but are surprised that their
rig often ends up in a messy pile.
This is because the foam holds the
rig directly above the lead and when
it dissolves the rig simply collapses
down on top of itself. Using a stier
hook link and slow-sinking hook bait
will allow the rig to lie out as it settles.
33
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22/11/2016 15:49
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24/11/2016 10:27
ELLIOTT GRAY ON
TIGER NUTS
Up there among the best big-carp baits
ever, ELLIOTT GRAY believes theres more to
shing tiger nuts than meets the eye.
ELLIOTTGRAY
A hugely talented
angler whos constantly
evolving his approach
to improve his catches.
Sponsors: Korda,
Mainline, Daiwa,
Trakker,Thinking
Anglers and Delkim
05
35
p035-037_ACF_01_Elliott Gray.indd 1
24/11/2016 11:30
DELIVERY METHODS
iger nuts have been

used in carp shing
for decades. They
are a terric bait,
considered by many
as the best there is. The crunch
factor and the sweet taste make
them irresistible.
However, there has been a
lot of bad press about particles,
especially tiger nuts, so they
should be prepared properly.
Because of this, many people feel
that its best to use them in small
quantities. I will always remember
an angler saying to me: Tiger
nuts are the best bait out there,
but you should only use a handful
in your mix.
That got me thinking. What
if I were to put out 5kg? I
played around with using large
quantities of nut baits when a lot
of anglers were using boilies and
it bought me extra bites when the
going was tough. The sh love
them like you wouldnt believe
and I have had a brilliant feeding
reaction on them from some very
tricky lakes. When the sh get on
them I am sure the noise of the
crunch gets more sh interested.
There arent many baits that do
this like a tiger nut. I have never
experienced bubbling on a baited
area like I have with tigers either.
Elliott favours a long-hair

blow-back-style rig for
tigers on the hook.
IVE HAD BRILLIANT FEEDING REACTIONS

TO TIGERS ON TRICKY LAKES.
which means they are one of the
few baits that can be used all year
round. Add to this the creamy
liquid that is generated from the
cooking process, which is highly
soluble and attractive in even the
coldest of conditions, and its a
sure-re winner if you are after
something dierent from boilies.
As long as the baits are
prepared correctly they pose no
threat to the sh, in my opinion.
I dont particularly do anything
special to them. I soak them for
Its as if the sh get so excited

that they begin to ank on the
lake bed. The result is streams
of bubbles running in long lines
along the surface.
Having fed plenty of tigers into
the swim the sh will easily digest
them. I have never seen them
pass a whole tiger nut, as some
anglers would have you believe.
I think that a lot of the bad press
is exaggerated. All I ever see is a
lot of crushed baits being passed
by sh and in all weathers too,
The catapult gives a nice

spread of baits, such as
boilies. Elliott prefers to use
this method to bait with
tiger nuts. However, if he
uses a mix of sizes a Spomb
is essential for ensuring the
bait reaches the spot.
24 hours and boil them for an

hour, then soak them for a further
24 hours to ensure they are
swollen. I have never had an issue
doing this. The result is creamy
tiger nuts with a thick sugary
liquid oozing from them. I dont
add extra bits to them either,
preferring them how they are on
their own.
With particle baits being
generally very small, you would
always have to use the spod or
Spomb. A brilliant advantage of
The proof of tigers is the fish in the net!
Carp will easily digest prepared tigers.
36
24/11/2016 11:30
tiger nuts is the fact that they can

be catapulted a fair distance. Like
boilies they can be catapulted
out, which gives you a nice
spread of baits. Its also a lot
quieter in terms of disturbance
and allows you to get baits out
right over the shes heads with
less noise. The larger tiger nuts
will catapult up to 40 yards with a
good wind. You can get dierent
sizes of nuts from wholesalers,
so in the interest of oering a
diverse baited area, I will use
small and large varieties. These
can be bought in dierent sizes
and mixed together. As a result,
the spod ensures that they all
reach the baited mark perfectly.
I have tried using dierent sizes
in the catapult and as expected
the baits went everywhere,
which isnt ideal when trying to
prevent bait covering your lines.
Added to this, tigers seem to be
left alone by birds and nuisance
sh. A mixture of their resilience
and possibly their taste seems to
discourage the nuisance sh.
When shing over tigers you
cant go far wrong matching
tiger nut hook baits on the rig,
especially when shing over
a handful of baits. I like to sh
them on my standard long-hair
blow-back-style rig with a sliver
of cork in it to balance it. I have
caught sh from Yateley Car
Park Lake and a variety of
venues on this rig and the
hook-holds it generates are
so reliable. The other rig I like
to use is a low-lying pop-up
coupled with a high-attract
hook bait that I have made
from my own little
recipe. They are
full of avour and
really stand
out among
a bed of
Prepared tigers ooze a sugary

liquid that the fish love.
tiger nuts. I think a bite will be a

lot quicker when shing a pop-up
among thousands of tigers, so its
well worth experimenting with
the bait that gives you the
best results.
I have never
really
Underused and much

maligned, tigers will
deliver results.
preferred a type of lake bed for

shing tigers either. Silt, gravel,
it all works. As long as the spot is
clean it will be perfect for a bed
of bait and my rigs will present
no problem. I use them as an
alternative to boilies.
I have decided to do a month
on Cleverley Mere in Essex. There
are a few of the real old originals
in there that I would love to
catch. I will be using the tigers
on there because they are
sure to get a great feeding
reaction. Add to this the fact
that the boilies are the main
bait used on the lake and the
tigers are sure to provide the sh
with something dierent. I am
going to sh in this way for the
next month and will catch up
with you in the February issue to
show you how I got on. ACF
37
24/11/2016 11:31
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22/11/2016 16:51
JONMcALLISTER
An angler who has
been there and caught
every carp in the
country worth catching.
Sponsors: Wychwood
and Proper Carp Baits
40
05
p040-044_ACF_01_Bigcarp mindset2.indd 1
24/11/2016 11:33
BIG-CARP
MIND-SET
PART TWO
In the concluding part of his series, JON MCALLISTER
reects on his most poignant campaigns and how he
caught some of the nest carp in the country.
WHAT WAS IT THAT MADE

YOU TARGET THOSE
PARTICULAR FISH?
Back then I had to prioritise which
sh meant the most to me. I
thought, which carp, if I could
choose the ultimate one in the land,
would I like to catch, and it was Mary.
That sh simply got me, it was the
ultimate challenge 120 acres, boat
work, and 25 to 30 resident sh.
I was ill prepared when I started
on November 1st; I was just so keen
to get on there and sh. Ive always
loved my cold-water shing and
winter has never fazed me. I was
quite prepared to just jump on in
winter and crack on with no prior
knowledge.
There were two very well
prepared top anglers on Wraysbury
and I knew I had to up my game,
get a boat, life jacket, batteries and
learn to load the boat quickly and
safely. Plotting up and being mobile
was key. I learnt a lot about the
topography of the lake.
The rst sh I saw on the bank
was Mary. I saw a sh jump out from
the Rocky Barge one afternoon
just before dark and the wind was
pushing in. In the distance the next
morning I saw one wallop out; it
was denitely Mary, the biggest
thing youve ever seen. I had to go
home that day but I told a guy and
he went in there. I arrived again on
the Monday; by Tuesday morning
he had it.
I went round and it was obviously
My prayers had been answered

Mallins was finally mine.
was driving to the motorway, late,

and I thought:I wonder if I can
catch Mallins if I go to Wraysbury?
I circled a roundabout above the
motorway about six times Sutton
left, Wraysbury right. I wondered
whether I had it in me and the next
thing I knew I hit the right turn. Have
I got it in me? Im the one who rises
to the challenge. If you put a gauntlet
in front of me Im picking it up.
Fortunately my boat was still there.
I phoned a mate after seeing his
van and headed to Rocky Barge for
a brew. Boating over where I knew
there were sh two months ago, I
felt theyd been there the entire time.
I think there was a natural spring
in the water, a current, or a bit of
my dream sh in his arms. There

was no feeling of envy, jealousy or
bitterness whatsoever, simply pure
admiration for the creature on the
bank and I was delighted that I was
there to see it. I eventually caught
quite a few and the following year
Mary passed away in August.
Id caught all of the sh I wanted
from Wraysbury The Pug, Marys
Mate, Cluster at a massive 48lb and
it was just Mallins remaining it was
quite elusive. It hadnt been out for
16 months and towards the end of
the season Id begun on Sutton.
This particular time Id set my
alarm to get to the Sutton draw at
3.50am, but for whatever reason I
overslept. It was March 11th and I
warmth or something that held the

sh. As I looked over there was a
huge set of rings, much too big to be
any of the birds. I stopped the boat
and this brown carp stuck its head
out in exactly the same spot. I knew
the shape of that sh, the shape of
its face, and I knew the colour. It was
Mallins. I rang my mate and told him
I wouldnt be coming for a cup of tea.
I rigged up a rod, knew exactly
where to lower the rig, threw in a
handful of hemp and a few chopped
baits and went back to land.
At 3.30pm I went out in the boat
and saw a mirror that I didnt think
was Mallins, so I left it there and put
my other two rods out well away
from the area.
My friend, Ben, who got me into
the mystery of big sh chasing,
had passed away a couple of years
prior. I used to say a prayer to him
and ask him for a certain sh, and
it happened. I asked him if I could
catch Marys Mate next, it happened,
the same for Cluster. So I did it again,
looking up to the sky:Ben, if youre
here, still, now, I wont ever ask you
again, but please, in the morning, let
me catch Mallins.
At 7.20am I had an absolute
screamer, jumped in the boat, and
following an epic battle netted the
sh. Oh my god, it was Mallins.
I then had this realisation out in
the lake that it was over. The spot
that I landed that sh from was the
exact same one that I ended up in
after another epic battle with my rst
Wraysbury carp. It was a weird thing,
41
05
24/11/2016 11:33
that I had to go to The Mere now and

go for The Black Mirror.
This was another challenge. You
had to hide because you werent
meant to be there and you had to
move at night. Forget the modern
stories of The Mere, before the sh
passed away in recent years people
were so brazen with their approach,
there was no care for the way that
it used to be done. When I shed
The Mere it was still the golden era.
We would never dare set foot on
that lake uninvited out of respect
for those who were shing there.
Outside my comfort zone, pushing
the boundaries, shing for targets
isnt just about big sh. I like the next
step, pushing myself to dierent
aspects of shing dierent lakes.
My time on the busier waters
such as the Essex Manor were
dierent kinds of challenges. Not the
challenge and diculty of catching
the sh, but learning how to sh a
busy, pressured water. It was always
about breaking my own boundaries.
I braced up The Annie at 59lb with
a magnicent end to my time on

there, the whole full circle, and that
was that. Mallins at 42lb 6oz ended
my campaign on Wraysbury.
WHAT KEEPS YOU

MOTIVATED THROUGH THE
LONG CAMPAIGNS FOR
TARGET FISH?
The biggest carp in Britain at

the time. It was an obvious
target for me.
The Manor brought a new

challenge dealing with the
pressures of a busy circuit water.
Theres always something to keep

you motivated. After Wraysbury,
the next challenge was to catch the
other leather, Heather, from the Car
Park. I knew people who had caught
the Railway Leather and tried to land
Heather, and I knew people who
had caught Heather and headed
to The Railway for that leather, but
nobody had done both. That is all
the motivation I needed the rst
person to catch what was believed
to be the best two leathers in the
country. The challenge has always
been the reason I target big carp.
My friend who I met in the
Perseverance who had caught The
Black Mirror was shing with me
when I caught Heather and he said
the Northern at 47lb one morning,

an incredible moment in my angling.
The Mother at Elstow Pit Two was
all about shing for a carp that Id
seen being held by Ed Betteridge,
and I used to keep that picture and
look at it all the time. That capture
was always about the looks of the
sh alone. Id heard the stories of
good friend Jamie Clossick shing
there and the gin-clear, deep water
of the clay pit was something totally
dierent. I knew how dicult that
sh was to catch and looking back
on my shing, three years is a good
gauge to catch a sh. I expected
maybe four or ve years to catch that
sh but on my rst session, after a
number of days, I saw a sh show. I
very nearly went home but chose to
stay in case I learnt something and
caught a 10lb common the next day,
probably the one I saw jump.
I decided to sh the lake in a
dierent way, baiting heavily
before I left.
I did the rst night after
the break and caught
42
05
24/11/2016 11:33
Scaly at 40lb plus and was told that

The Mother usually follows Scaly
in the same session. The next day
bang I caught The Mother.
The next challenge was the
then record, Two Tone from
Conningbrook, the biggest sh in
the country. Mary was taken away
from me and just two months into
starting at Conningbrook Two
Tone was banked. I felt I should
sh elsewhere and starting a new
water for a week I wondered what
the hell I was doing and returned to
Conningbrook straightaway. Three
or four sessions in and I caught
Two Tone at 64lb 5oz and I had this

feeling that I was going back to my
homeland, back to Kent, my manor. I
had my name on that sh.
WHAT ARE YOUR

THOUGHT PROCESSES
WHEN BUILDING UP A
PICTURE OF A TARGET
FISHS BEHAVIOUR?
All the big sh that Ive ever targeted
I have asked previous captors about
moon phases, whether its a boilie
sh, whether it eats nuts, does it get
caught in deep water or a certain
depth, the list goes on. Somebody
told me Two Tone likes gravel at
nine feet, which sounds bizarre, but
I found a spot Id never seen anyone
sh that was nine feet and gravelly.
The exact spot I caught it from. I
was also told it likes a new moon,
and in the tackle shop two weeks
before the capture someone told me
Id have Two Tone that evening on
the full moon. I said:No, itll be two
weeks on the new moon, the exact
day I went on to catch it.
Having banked Scaley, it was only

a matter of time before The Mother
would make an appearance.
WHEN I FISHED THE MERE IT WAS STILL THE

GOLDEN ERA. WE WOULD NEVER DARE SET FOOT
ON THAT LAKE UNINVITED OUT OF RESPECT FOR
THOSE WHO WERE FISHING THERE .
.
43
24/11/2016 11:33
Vinnetrows big common at 42lb 12oz.
Learning what habits sh have

denitely helps you catch your
targets quicker because you can
narrow the variables down. The
Black Mirror liked a new moon and a
southeasterly and was often caught
in September. I caught it from the
swim I knew I would catch it from,
on the new moon, but in August I

took a liberty and caught it early.
One particular sh that springs to
mind is the Half Lin from Vinnetrow.
That sh liked a full moon. I enjoyed
shing the lake and made a lot
of friends in the area, and I knew
Owen Pugh who was the guy that
everyone looked up to down there,
a baili and well-known angler over
the years. I had it in mind to catch
The Half Lin and wasnt too hurried
about it because there were some
stunning forties in there too. Id walk
around the lake having not caught
the night before and youd see a
milky cloud where they stirred the
bottom up.
I did a couple of nights, caught a
sh and didnt go back for a month
or two. Went back, caught a couple
more, went o again, came back a
few weeks later.
In July I planned to be down there
for the full moon. I had six or seven
bites in this session and I could
clearly see them lumping out and
which sh they were. Scaly and The
Half Lin would always swim round
together, rarely leaving each others

side. Id caught Scaly previously and
knew I was probably close then, but
The Half Lin will often twig it and
not hang around.
I was feeding constantly; 10 baits
every hour to avoid the seagulls.
Three days later Id caught plenty of
sh, including Scaly again, but that
bite eventually came.
The ght was in full swing and I
knew which sh it was. It came all
the way in through the weed into
the margins and as it disappeared
o to the right I tried to mind the
other lines the sh ditched the
hook. I was worrying about stu
that hadnt yet happened and lost
the sh.
I returned on the August full
moon and caught the big original
common at 42lb 12oz. No sooner
had I photographed it than I was
racing round to the opposite bank
where a sh showed, much to
everyones amazement because Id
just caught. I knew which sh it was
but played it down.
The next day, over 1kg of boilies
and under the full moon, I had it; a

month after what Im sure was me
losing it. They denitely have habits
and it often revolves around bait,
topography and weather or moon
phases. Ive witnessed it time and
time again.
HAVE YOU GOT ANY

FUTURE AIMS OR TARGETS
IN YOUR ANGLING?
There are sh that Id like to catch but
I cant get on the waters. I know the
British record has just been beaten
by a 70-pounder.Whether it will take
the record I dont know, but I dont
want to talk about it. Id like to go for
The Parrot atWasing but the waiting
list is huge.
Im currently shing a no-publicity
water with some really nice carp in
it. Its another challenge, all longrange shing, something completely
dierent to what Ive ever done
before.This sounds mad but Ive
never had to do this type of shing
at my maximum range of 140 yards
and I am keen to add this skill to my
armoury. ACF
44
24/11/2016 11:33
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Barnsley, Crewe, Doncaster, Hull, Manchester, Rotherham, Sheffield, Sunderland, Swindon, Birmingham
HOLDING OUT FOR A
WHACKER!
With the autumn harvest been and gone,
MYLES GIBSON gives it maximum eort
in the hope that he will be rewarded by
one of the Dinton Pastures jewels.
n my last session I was lucky enough to catch

an incredible 40-pounder, and amazingly it had
evaded capture for 11 years.Thats quite a feat on
somewhere as pressured as Dinton.The catching
of this sh signalled a change in the weather; sh
were slowing down and I had to make plans for the trying to
catch a late-autumn whacker.
MYLESGIBSON
The mans on fire and
keeps on catching for
the Advanced Carp
Fishing cameras. Check
out his exploits every
month.
Sponsors: Korda,
Phatfish clothing, Aqua
products, Sticky Baits
05
47
p047-050_ACF_01_Myles Gibson.indd 1
24/11/2016 11:34
I left after that session, went to

work and spent time with the missus
before I was back in the van on the
way down to Black Swan.This session
I was met with completely dierent
weather conditions that were perfect
for an area I had been watching
and trickling a bit of bait into, as
warm southeasterlies heralded 28C
temperatures. On my arrival I went
round to the area I had earmarked
and watched for an hour. It was clear
there was some zzing in one of the
bays.
I plotted up there, but was
conscious that the sh could do the
o out of the bay if the disturbance
was too high. I decided that I would
put a couple of rods down there, but
sh it from a swim that also allowed
me to see out in the lake, so that I
could see or hear any movement in
the main body.This proved to be a
great idea as after a shless night, my
vantage point gave me perfect visuals
Autumn sees carp take

on their best-looking
colours of the year.
hope that I could pinpoint another

group of carp. By mid-morning the
zzing had stopped and I noticed sh
movement to the left of the swim Id
just vacated.With that I got the gear
loaded again and shot back round to
the area I had just moved from.
of the sh putting a morning display

on the far bank.
With that I got the barrow loaded
and ew round there to get on the
sh. I arrived in the swim and started
setting up.With rods in position I
continued to watch the area in the
I got into the swim just to the left

of the one I had done the night in
and rigged up the rods. I had shed
the swim a bit before and had found
three good spots that were cleaner
than the surrounding area, so after
consulting my logbook, I soon had
48
24/11/2016 11:34
normal.With the rigs set perfectly

and baited I was condent that the
sh would return. My assumption
was conrmed when I was awoken
at 5am to a bite.The tip wrapped
round viciously as I got to the rod,
had subsided, so I decided to get

the boat and make sure the spots
were perfect for the next night. After
a little lead about I had the rigs on
the perfect spots, so I jumped into
the boat and spread a kilo and a half
COLDWATERBAIT
With the water cooling down,
Myles will be adopting the
Manilla boilie and sweetcorn
for the majority of his shing.
The digestibility, coupled with
soluble attractors, make it an
awesome cold-water bait.
three rods shing in the area, with
decent drops on the leads. By this
point I had had next to no sleep so
I decided to have a power nap to
recharge the batteries.
By the time I woke up the zzing
A stunning, low-light autumn scene.
THE TIP WRAPPED ROUND

VICIOUSLY AS THE FISH
FOUGHT BACK HARD.
Myles in action .
of Krill boilies over the three rods.
By now I was using a solely boilie
approach and 12 and 16mm Krill
boilies, some whole and some chops,
were spread over the spot.
I had been using the Krill clusters
all summer and really rate them,
so I decided to put them in
the mix, albeit in much
smaller quantities than
and after a spirited ght I landed

a 25lb common. I secured him in
the retainer while I got the rods
rewrapped and cast back out in the
hope I could make it two bites.
DanWildbore
from Sticky
A change of baiting
tactics and good
water knowledge
really can pay o.
49
24/11/2016 11:34
MAPPINGITOUT
As the temperatures drop, Myles
looks for deeper areas of water
to sh on the lake. He has spent
hours casting the marker round
to map the depths all over the
lake. This gives him plenty of
areas to sh, depending on the
conditions. He can then get rods
shing among showing sh as
quickly and quietly as possible.
was due down so I waited for him to
photograph it before slipping it back.
We enjoyed a morning cuppa before
the recast rod ripped o again. It
felt like a really good sh, kiting and
ploughing around for ages. After a
good few minutesbattling I spied the
rig tubing breaking the surface, but as
the sh got within a rod length from
the bank the hook pulled. I never got
to see the sh but the ght told me
that it was a good un.
The rest of the day was uneventful
Those bobbins smashed into the

blank on some of the bites.
just six hourssleep since my arrival
for that session, so I think the
combination of all this had left me
feeling terrible. After a nap, my mate
Dave came down that evening and
we had a big Chinese meal and
stayed up late, listening to sh show
right in the area. I felt much better
after that and woke up to the phone
alarm, so popped the kettle on and
got sorted for the day ahead.
One of the rods had yielded a
bream in the night. I had recast
on the shing side, but somehow

I had managed to catch a rather
terrible sickness bug. I think it was
something to do with either food
poisoning, or the fact that I had been
splashed with a mouthful of algae
when returning the 25lb common
that morning. Either way, it wrote o
that day and I literally had to sit on my
bedchair and ride out the storm.The
rods were left out and by the evening
I was feeling better.
I had also managed
it that night but it took four or ve

attempts to get the drop on the lead
I was after. I walked over to the rod in
the morning and slackened o some
more as the line had tightened up.
No sooner had I slackened o than
the bobbin cracked to the top and I
saw a big patch of bubbles erupt on
the surface. I picked up the rod and
the sh ripped my arm o from the
start. I was worried after the last sh
loss, but my fears were unfounded
when I saw the perfect hook-hold. A
33lb bullhead common was my prize
and I was buzzing to get another bite
on what was becoming a challenging
time of year on Dinton.
I missed a week after that
common.We are into October
now (at the time of writing) and its
scratching time.There are only a
handful of bites left to be had and
only a few of the remaining big sh to
be caught. In the last 12 nights I have
caught a common of 5lb and one of
the stock mirrors of 14lb.The last six
sh I have caught have been under
20lb but I am still getting it right as we
get into the colder months.
The big autumn harvest has come
and gone but I am holding out for
that last-gasp whacker. ACF
A stunning 33lb
common plucked
from a cooling
water.
0055
50
24/11/2016 11:35
WINTER
IS COMING!
#MANILLA
This all-year bait utilises a unique peanut protein blended with a combination of
refined milks & a pure Madagascan vanilla extract. Available in freezer and shelf life.
039_MagAd_October2016-A4_ManillaCapture.indd 1
10/10/2016 12:59
Berkley Advertorial
LINE
CHOICE
Line selection can be a very personal choice and the
type of line used can dier from situation to situation.
52
05
p052-053_ACF_01_advertorial.indd 1
24/11/2016 11:37
ertain anglers like to

use the same line in
every circumstance,
such as a trusted 15lb
monolament. A mono
like Berkley Connect CM90 will tick
a lot of boxes in this instance; its
tough, abrasion resistant, sinks yet
is soft enough to cast a long way.
Only in extremes, such as very heavy
weed or supreme long range, will
some anglers veer away from there
go-to choice. This is mainly because
they like the feel of the same setup,
so they know how the rod, reel and
line will act in any given situation,
allow pinpoint accuracy on every
cast and full control while playing a
sh. Whereas other anglers will swap
and change their line choice on a
regular basis to get the best out of
each swim they sh.
As mentioned, for most anglers
a 12lb or 15lb mono is the go-to
choice, with a diameter between
0.33mm and 0.40mm. However,
other specialist lines are taking a
bigger market share as technology
moves on. When uorocarbon rst
hit the carp market a number of
years ago it was very wiry and brittle
with poor abrasion resistance. But
now things have moved on, more
and more anglers are starting to
use uorocarbon, and the guys at
Berkley believe they have created
the best yet with the CF600. This
line is manageable, very abrasion
resistant and can withstand the
forces of a powerful cast. Couple
that to the fact that it sinks like
a brick and has very similar light
The result of careful

line choice.
Admittedly, technology is moving

forward and modern monos like
CM90 are designed to sink and have
reduced stretch like uorocarbon,
but the main dierences remain that
uorocarbon will always be heavier
than mono, and mono will always be
softer than uorocarbon.
The other line that is used by the
modern carp angler is braid. There
are a few on the market that are
designed to do dierent jobs, but
the main one is extreme distance
casting. Connect CB2000 is designed
to do just that; it has a very ne
diameter-to-strength ratio, yet is
very soft and supple, so it ies o the
spool with very little resistance and
enables extreme ranges to be hit.
The other advantages of braid are
that it can slice through weed with
its ne prole and is less likely to be
refraction to water, to make it nigh

on invisible to the sh, and you can
see why it is becoming very popular.
The stretch on uorocarbon is also
less than mono and this increases
bite indication, as well as making
the higher breaking strains (CF600
goes up to 20lb, 0.45mm) ideal for
snag shing. It is also possible to
get well over 100 yards with the
15lb uorocarbon with the correct
setup and technique. A large big-pit
reel, with a bucket spool along with
a rod with a 50mm butt ring will
help reduce friction and increase
distance. A good monolament will
always outcast a uorocarbon due
to its softer nature, but if getting the
line to hug the deck and blend in
with the surroundings is important,
then uorocarbon could be the way
forward.
damaged by doing so. The limited

stretch of braid allows complete
control over a hooked sh, as well as
pinpoint casting accuracy. The lack of
stretch will allow anglers to hit small
spots at long range time and time
again without overshooting the spot,
and the feel of the lead hitting the
bottom is transmitted back to the
rod tip to indicate the structure of the
bottom better than any other type
of line. The casting ability and lack of
stretch make it the go-to choice for
most on the spod and marker setups,
as well as a distance shing line.
When looking at monolaments,
the colour can be very important
and anglers tend to prefer one of
two main colours. Weedy green is
very good at blending where there
are high amounts of weed around,
which is most gravel pits in the
warmer months.
The CM90 mono is designed to be
the least visible in this environment
and blends in nicely with the varying
greens around it. However, not all
waters are the same and sometimes
a dark brown mono will be less
visible. Berkley has catered for this
with CM70, a dark brown costeective mono that wont hurt the
pocket of those anglers who like to
respool on a regular basis. This colour
mono is especially eect in the
colder months as most of the plant
life dies and the general colour of the
vegetation turns from green to a dull
brown.
All in all, Berkley has all the boxes
ticked in the new Connect range
when it comes to quality lines. ACF
53
p052-053_ACF_01_advertorial.indd 2
24/11/2016 11:37
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ONLY
Shimano Ultegra 14000 XTD Reel
WIN!
BERKLEY
CONNECT LINE
WORTH 518
onnecting us to our quarry, when you have a sh of a lifetime on the

end, our main line becomes one of the most important aspects of
your carping kit. Its the central spine of all our angling eorts and
something that should never be overlooked in terms of quality or condition.
When it comes to quality, the new range of Connect lines from Berkley,
specically designed for carp shing, are right up there and we have three
sets of four dierent lines to give away right here, right now.
CONNECTCF600FLUOROCARBON
A superb main line based on its limpness and lack of memory of the spool
to aid casting, it also delivers great sinking properties, so sits tight to the
bottom. With the lo-viz nature of uoro it also appears almost invisible in
water.
CONNECTCM70MONOFILAMENT
A high-performance copolymer, the CM70 is a rugged mono that is designed
to take large shocks, such as casting heavy leads. With a slick nish it casts
very well and oers good strength for its breaking strains.
CONNECTCM90MONOFILAMENT
Holding the title of a Pro Grade mono, the CM90 is denser line with an
increased sink rate, which also delivers superb abrasion resistance, casting
properties and manageability for its diameters. Its also very low stretch,
making for more sensitive bite registration.
THEPRIZE
Three winners will each receive:
A spool of Connect CF600 Fluorocarbon worth 49.99
A spool of Connect CM70 Monolament worth 12.99
A spool of Connect CM90 Monolament worth 19.99
A spool of Connect CB2000 Braid worth 89.99
Total amount per winner: 172.96
HOW TO ENTER
To be in with a chance of winning simply answer the following
multiple-choice question correctly and call:
09012 932 301

QUESTION:
What property does the CM90 mono offer?
A: Stretchy B: Multi-coloured C: Abrasion resistant
The competition closes at 11am on January 6th. The winners will be
selected at random from all correct entries received within this time.
Calls cost 1 plus your phone companys access charge. Please obtain
permission from whoever pays your phone bill. You can also enter by
post by sending your entry to ACF, DHP Ltd, 1 Whittle Close, Drayton
Fields, Daventry, Northants NN11 8RQ.
CONNECTCB2000BRAID
Boasting a super-thin diameter, the CB2000 is designed for long-range
casting, either as a main line or for spodding/marker work. The non-stretch
properties of its PE Dyneema bres also make it good for tight snag work.
CLOSING DATE
WIN BERKLEY CONNECT LINE WORTH 518
JANUARY
6TH, 2017
55
p055_ACF_11_pure Comp.indd 1
24/11/2016 14:29
JUNE 2015 AND THE WAIT

WAS FINALLY OVER. AFTER
ALL THESE YEARS I WAS
ACTUALLY GOING TO GET MY
CHANCE AT THE SAILING LAKE.
DAVE ROBINSON recalls how his short-session approach heralded
steady catch rates on his tricky Lea Valley sailing club lake.
remember seeing old stills of my

dad in the 1980s with sh like
Maylins and other prehistoric
mirrors. It was always a case
of when, not if, I got a ticket.
Id had mates shing on there for
as long as I could remember. After
photographingThe River Fish the
buzz was real. Unfortunately it passed
during my time on the waiting list but
the stock was incredible nevertheless.
My rst summer turned out to be a
little busier then expected. Due to all
the pressure the sh seem to spend
20 hours of the day out of reach or in
the out of bounds. It seemed I either
had to follow the crowds and sh
40 wraps or get something going
at night when they slipped o the
shallows and into the deeps.
I managed to catch three of the
big mirrors after a lot of ducking and

diving that summer. I got to know the
place, the anglers and a few of the
sh well. I ended the year on a dozen
sh, no commons, but had learnt
a lot. I was happy considering the
time I had actually spent there. I took
away enough to come back armed
and ready and knew where to nd
them and when. It was great because
they spent the days and nights in
completely dierent areas of the lake.
It made hard work of keeping up with
them but also meant that work nights
were ideal.
The next year I started early, while
it was still quiet. I had racked up my
fair share of overnighters in March
for two bites. It was hard going but I
wanted to be there when they started
moving.
Swim after swim, wind after wind,

I couldnt nd them anywhere. I even
began to sh tight lines in the hope of
a liner or something to go on.
The reason I got my ticket wasnt
just because of my dad and these
mirrors. It was because of a sh called
The Chub. At the time it had to be
one of, if not, the biggest commons in
the entire valley.This long, grey beast
wasnt only massive but a realistic
target. I had decided that year I would
sh when I felt she was due and leave
when she was caught. I was there
for one carp; everything else was a
bonus.
I pulled o for the summer
because of the sheer mass of anglers
ocking onto a new wind or even
a bit of sun. It felt like the anglers
would only sh the summer, with
plenty taking holiday time and
shing weeklong sessions.The
amount of bait being applied was
incredible. Buckets and buckets were
being carted to swims ready for the
reconstruction ofbait mountain.
Everyone was feeding the carp rather
than catching them.
After catching two of the four
carp I had left in a local estate
lake, I returned on the last day of
September for a social. After driving
round theValley photographing
some mad creature for Ben Connolly,
we nally got our rods out two hours
into dark. Sat round the moonlit
The Sandy Fully arguably the

rarest fish in the lake.
56
05
p056-059_ACF_01_Dave Robinson.indd 1
24/11/2016 11:36
DAVEROBINSON
Dave quietly goes
about his business
catching some
cracking carp from
his Cambridge lakes,
but the LeaValley was
calling.
Sponsor: Korda
05
57
24/11/2016 11:36
millpond it felt good to be back.

I was woken by multiple shows
short. Fishing a silt gulley between
the bank and island with over 100
baits, I was sure that I was going to
get a bite and both rods went before I
had to get up for work.While playing
the sh I could hear as, one after
another, carp crashed out down to
my left. I was truly amazed by the
amount of activity in front of me. I left
for work soaked after just a few snaps.
It was pretty clear I was coming back.
I was back that night straight from
work and got my rods out just before
dark. I had seen nothing during my
rst couple of hours into dark but I
knew I was early and I should just get
my head down.That night I caught
Bens for the second time, one of the
old, grey, leathery originals.
I woke that morning knowing I had
to return as much as possible that
week because it wouldnt last forever.
I had ve bites in three nights and
heard 20-plus shows in front of me
each night. On the fourth night there
was nothing.
I knew they wanted the bait; I just
needed to be on the sh.
A new wind had come on over
the weekend and I was pretty sure I
knew where I needed to be heading.
As I arrived, I looked across to nd
someone spodding right on that
warm wind. I watched him put out
60-plus spombs and drive out of the
gate. As much as I wanted to be in the
teeth of that wind, there was no way
I was shing over that. After a bit of
moaning I decided on the complete
WHILE PLAYING
THE FISH I COULD
HEAR AS, ONE
AFTER ANOTHER,
CARP CRASHED
OUT DOWN TO MY
LEFT.
Dave put his faith in

sharpened size 4 Wide
Gapes, ensuring he landed
all 37 bites during his time
on the sailing lake.
opposite end, o the back of the
wind. At least I knew if they were
there I would hear them.
That night I whacked out two
singles and got in the bag. It was local
to work so not so much of a problem,
although I felt as if I was camping.
In the early hours both rods ended
up going into meltdown as I was
packing away and I saw two sh in
the swim next door. One of them
was really big. Ive always been one
for shing where I see the sh rather
than waiting where they sometimes
feed. I knew that was where I had
to be.
After two more nights of multiple
shows and no bites I was beginning
to wonder what was going on.
I took the following Friday o; it
was the rst time I had been looking
forward to sitting around a busy lake
for years. I knew that if I could get in
that swim they wouldnt be far away
at night.
58
24/11/2016 11:36
The Chub quite possibly the

biggest common in the valley.
The common was unknown

and immaculate in every way.
That afternoon a light northerly
breeze started blowing into my swim
and the sh began showing 50 yards
in front of me. I couldnt believe what
I was seeing. After repositioning both
rigs in the deep water and slacking
o I sat back praying I hadnt pushed
them back out.
An hour later my right-hand rod
was away and I caught a lovely little
scaly mirror.That afternoon I had four
bites while the swims were lling up.
It was a real red-letter day, well worth
the day o work.
As it got dark my mate Rob and I
sat back and enjoyed an obligatory
pizza.We both agreed that when
we had pizza there were big carp
involved. He had proved that a couple
of weeks before at the estate lake,
catching a mid-forty mirror.
Midnight came and the same rod
was away again.This time things felt
a little dierent as the dead weight
slowly got closer. At rst I thought it
might be a stockie with its head in the
weed. Everything happened so fast
and before I knew it I had something
that looked like a small manatee in
the bottom of my net. I didnt know
what to do with myself, pacing up
and down in my swim. It wasThe
Chub at 47lb 8oz, possibly the biggest
common in the valley at the time.
Its hard to put into words what it felt
like; the sense of achievement was
of water was good enough for me. I

had no choice but to sh opposite,
over to where my bites were coming
from.The two swims were 300 yards
apart, so to say I felt miles away is
an understatement. My swim was
occupied for ve nights but during
that time I had managed ve bites to
34lb 8oz.
The following weekend I couldnt
get down until the Saturday evening
but by that time the two blokes had
gone home.That night everything
just went perfectly. At 1am on the
Sunday the carp were alive, 30 or 40
shows in no time at all. It was like they
knew nobody was watching. Huge
white rings breaking the surface
lm ensured I got a sleepless night. I
would love to know what they were
up to out there. Some of the carp
Ive caught have had lice on them,
so its possible they were cleaning
themselves. Either that or they are
going potty on the naturals and my
rigs were going right among them.
Hours of listening to carp all
over me made me worry a
little. All sorts were going
through my head. As the
huge moon sank behind
the tree line the rod was
away again. I knew it
was a good
sh from
the o
as I
immense. I hadended iton a Friday

night sat around a banged-out lake.
It always seemed like one of those
things that would never happen to
me.Watching the place slowly empty
as news spread was a lovely feeling.
Timing was always going to play a
massive part in the capture of this
carp. Like lots of big carp she has her
patterns, months and areas but it
always felt as if I was shing against
the anglers not the carp.
After a couple of late nights
that weekend it was clear the carp
were spending all their time in the
deeper areas. Some say thats typical
autumn behaviour but due to the
intense angling pressure and the big
chuckers they never seemed to stay
long. For some reason this time was
dierent.
On the Monday morning before
work I caught a brace of fullies
that completely blew my mind. A
once-a-year sh and probably the
most sought-after carp in the lake,
The Pukka Fully, and the immaculate
Sandy Fully, a sh that everyone has
seen but nobody has caught.Two
of the rarest carp in the lake at the
same time.What a way to end such
an incredible weekend and one I will
never forget.
I returned in the week without a
care in the world. I had caught the
one I was after and I felt great.There
were only two blokes on and they
were in the swim and the one next
door. It wasnt a case of having to
get back on that particular
spot, just in that
main body
towed it back to the bank shaking

its head from side to side. Nervously
pulling it across the surface, I
frantically scooped out in front of me
at the ripples. I pulled the net back
to nd another massive common. I
couldnt believe it. One night back in
the zone and Id got another big un;
38lb 8oz of unidentied common
carp. Im going to name itThe Box.
October was becoming my month
and I was loving every minute of it.
This carp was immaculate in every
way. Ive never caught one of that size
before and not known which one it
is. It was a strange feeling to say the
least. As I sat charged waiting for the
most qualied man in the game, local
legend and my best pal Elliott Gray, I
couldnt help but wonder what I had
actually caught.
October 2016 has been the most
rewarding month for me. It really is
true, eort does equal rewards. Not
only have a caught two PB commons
this autumn but Ive caught 20
others, seven of them
being thirties, ve
over 34lb, and some
other incredibly
scaly mirrors. I
love that lake
and I have made
a friend for life.
Good things
come to those who
wait. ACF
A supple hook link and

a bottom bait made
the ideal trap in the
silt gulleys of the
sailing club lake.
59
24/11/2016 11:37
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p060_AC_01_NWAC.indd 1
23/11/2016 11:32
MARTIN
GARDENER
Alongside being an
excellent angler, Martin
is the owner ofYateley
West Fishery, which
includes the North, Car
Park, Split and Pads
lakes.
Sponsor: Sticky
JEWELS
OF THE NORTH LAKE
MARTIN GARDENER recalls his last season, which
saw him land two target commons.
05
61
p061-064_ACF_01_Gardener.indd 1
22/11/2016 15:58
MURRAY IS KNOCKING ON
THE DOOR OF THE BURGHFIELD
COMMON, BEING ONLY ONE
INCH SHORTER...
he North Lake at
Yateley isnt short of
history. The famous
Bazil was once the
king of the lake.
Since then it has seen a huge
overhaul by the team at Yateley
West Fisheries and the sh and I
are now thriving in this awesome
environment. I have
shed the lake for the
last two seasons with
the aim of catching the
three 40lb commons that
reside in it. They are highly
sought-after sh among the
syndicate members and for
good reason; they are really
good looking sh.
Snub Nose and The Black

Common are around the low to
mid-forty bracket while Murray
has reached highs of 49lb in
recent times. Im told that Murray
is only one inch shorter than

The Burgheld Common, which
suggests it could be really big in
the future.
I started early in March 2016,
with the view to seeing how the
sh behave in the early spring
and format plans for when the
sh woke up. It was a good way
to see areas where the sh were
frequenting, but also to nd spots
and start applying bait on them.
Having shed the season
before, I had notes from then.
There was an area that I had
caught sh from at around 86
yards. It seemed to be a great
area for an early spring
bite. As soon as the weed
began to grow up it
would make this spot
very hard to sh
and therefore I wanted to make

the most of the situation.
I started by baiting it with six
medium Spombs of boilies every
24 hours. This would provide
enough bait to get a bite. I have
never been a heavy bait angler;
I have had more success shing
over just enough to get a bite.
The most bait that I sh over is
1.5kg, but if I look at most of my
captures, 30 baits will have caught
me more sh.
This was the case here and
I managed Snub Nose at 43lb
6oz. It was a new personal best
and one of my main targets. She
looked terric because she had
maintained her winter colours
into early spring.
I caught steadily through the
summer, with a variety of mirrors
The lucky hat had done

its job Snub Nose.
62
22/11/2016 15:58
Braid on both the

marker and fishing
rods aids accuracy.
A simple rig with a nice long

hair is all that is needed.
and commons. The shing is so

diverse, with open-water areas
to bait, to small snaggy corners.
It makes for interesting shing,
making the angler adapt to
dierent situations depending on
the shes whereabouts.
In my time shing on the
North Lake I have found that
the harder areas have been the
most productive. Although the
natural food is in the silt, I feel
that the rig presentation is much
more eective over harder gravel.
The braided main line helps this
hugely because I am able to feel
the subtle dierences across the
spot when I cast my rig out.
I nd the spot with a standard
sti spod rod and a bare lead;
this is the most sensitive setup. I
like to use a softer 3lb-test-curve
63
22/11/2016 15:58
MARTIN GARDENERS 1% EDGES...
Martin uses the spod rod for

leading about. Despite shing
braid on the shing rods he
prefers the stiness of the
spod rod for nding subtle
hard spots within an area. By
taking the time with this rod it
ensures Martin is maximising
his time on the best areas.
Wafter hook baits are Martins

choice when shing over
boilies. He favours match-thehatch-style hook baits for the
wary carp of the North Lake.
rod with the braid because

it reduces the chance of
lost sh. The braided main
line on the rods comes in
handy, in that you can sh as
accurately as the marker rod,
allowing you to feel those
important hard spots that
give you more bites.
In complete contrast,
my capture of Murray was
more akin to the shing that
Yateley is known for. I had
to wait until autumn for my
encounter in one of the small
bays. It is a favourite area of
mine because I really like the
intimate style of shing that
it oers. It is quite snaggy so
you have to be on the rod in
a ash.
I cast out the rigs on the spot
before baiting lightly. I hadnt
seen sh in this area when I
initially set up but I knew it
would be a good bet based
on previous sessions here. The
water was still plenty warm
enough for the sh to creep
into the bay.
That session I received a
savage take on the snag rod.
Fishing with braid and a soft rod,
I was in full contact with every
The lucky hat

strikes again!
lunge of an angry carp as I played

the sh at full test curve.
I noticed as I was playing it
that the line had become caught
in the near margin trees and the
braid sat hooked on a branch.
As the sh kited out of the bay I
prayed that the line would break
free of the tree. My prayers were
answered and I was again in full
contact with an angry carp.
A large tail broke the surface as
the sh made another attempt to
escape and I noticed telltale white
tips on the end of the tail. I knew
from then on that I was attached

to a new personal best. I must
admit that I did get the shakes as
I played it for a further minute or
so before my prize, Murray, the
biggest common in the lake, was
mine. I was ecstatic.
With these two sh caught I
have The Black Common to target.
I will be moving on to Split Lake
next year to give that a go. I will
continue on the North Lake for
the rest of this season in the hope
of catching my one remaining
target. ACF
Her white tipped tail was

a real giveaway it was
Murray, the biggest of the
North Lake commons.
64
22/11/2016 15:58
#TriedTestedTrusted
KRY0008_4 TOS A4 AD.indd 2
Maxence. Caught using Magma Armour coated braid

Gravel Brown 45lb and Heavy Metal Super Brown.
#TheMovement
10/10/2016 09:38
CLOSE
ENCOUNTERS
HADLEY EVER recounts an incredible session on his
southern syndicate water, which saw him catch three
incredible carp from under the rod tip, after close
observation and tactical baiting.
HADLEYEVER
Hadleys been super
consistent on his
southern syndicate.
He also works at South
Custom Reels where he
gives your reels a great
new look.
Sponsor: CC Moore
66
05
p066-069_ACF_12_feature template.indd 1
22/11/2016 15:59
Final checks before

the rig is lowered
onto the margin spot.
ADVANCED ANGLE
grabbed the sunglasses, a bucket

of bait and set o around the
lake in search of carp. It is roughly
eight acres and more or less a
square with four main shing
banks. Surrounded by trees, there is a
host of awesome sanctuaries for the
sh to spend time, sheltered from the
regular angling pressure out in the
pond.With it being very clear with
trees to climb, it doesnt usually take
long to nd sh.
I had a walk round to the shaded
snaggy area. In a few spots the
marginal shelf has been carved out to
reveal light patches of clay and gravel,
which seemed to be devoid of sh
typical. I knew there had to be a few
milling about close in somewhere,
with the morning sun penetrating
and warming the marginal water.
So I carried on, checking every
conceivable spot.
It wasnt until I left the sheltering
snags that I managed to nd a few
carp, patrolling a few feet below the
surface in a warm sheltered area.
I stood posed like a heron and
completely still for longer than I
can remember, watching these
sh circling the area like a group of
sharks. I was beginning to pick a few
of them out by their recognisable
characteristics; some better than I
rst thought. After noting their patrol
route in and out of the swim, I simply
Liquid attractors are

super-eective at getting
sh interested when they
are being lethargic.This is
packed with bloodworm
and, thanks to its natural
ingredients, is ideal for use
in all water temperatures.
couldnt wait. I grabbed my trusty 9ft

rod, the net and bait from the car and
went back to the swim hoping they
were still there.
It was evident they were still there
in numbers, clouding the lake bed in
places and anking in the morning
sun. I watched a group exit the swim
one by one, at which point I knew it
would be ideal to get a few handfuls
of bait into position before their
return. I was halfway through
tying a rig for the rod when out of

the corner of my eye I clocked the
resident swan. I have a love-hate
relationship with it but at the times
you dont want to see it, there it is. I
quickly nished tying the rig before
making my way to the waters edge
to persuade it to leave. Deant, it
started feeding right where I had
introduced the bait. I quickly glanced
up and down to see if any carp where
present but luckily there were none
to be seen.
Eventually, I managed to spook
Mr Swan from the swim. I took
the opportunity to throw another
handful of chopped baits on the spot,
thinking the disturbance could
draw the sh back in.
When shing chops and

small baits, Hadley uses
these wafter hook baits
to mimic the loose-fed
baits and ensure that the
hook bait isnt viewed with
caution by the wary water
park carp.
I nished mounting a wafter
hook bait onto the rig and placed it
straightaway. I knew the carp would
be back and this would be the only
chance I had of getting it sorted.The
rig went down with a lovely drop, so
I was more than happy to sit back
and chill.
An hour must have passed with
no sign of activity. By now I knew
I should have had some sort of
response but much to my dismay I
clocked the swan. Instead of making
unnecessary disturbance I stayed
in position, hoping the swan would
somehow miss the baited area.That
didnt happen and I knew it could
potentially ruin the chances of a
bite. I stood up and heard
the small stone
A monumental
common snatched
from beneath a swan.
05
67
22/11/2016 15:59
that was placed on the spool drop

o. I thought the line must have
wrapped around the swans legs, so
I lifted the rod and started moving
it in all directions to try and free the
line.
Then the rod hooped round
in my hand and started peeling
line from the clutch. Somehow I
managed to hold on to the rod as it
bent double ferociously.The swan
battle enjoyable. A few moments

later the sh was safely gliding over
the net. I glanced down and I knew
it was a good sh, one of those big
dark shapes that had been hanging
around the spot throughout the
morning. I made a quick phone call
to my friend on the other side of
the lake, who quickly reeled in and
popped round to help with some
photographs. It went over 40lb,
I RECOGNISED A BIG PALELOOKING COMMON WITH ITS

HEAD DOWN FEEDING ON THE
CHOPPED BAITS.
was completely stationary on the
spot, while I was trying to hold on
to whatever was attached on the
other end. At that point I knew
the line denitely wasnt wrapped
around the swan. I was attached to
an angry carp. It had clearly been
feeding right under the swan,
completely out of my view, which is
an occurrence Ive never had before.
A lengthy battle ensued and the
small rod certainly made the tense
a huge common known asThe

Football. I was beginning to think
the swan was my new best friend!
After everything had died
down, the swim had settled and
the cloudy, disturbed water began
to settle, I introduced a few more
handfuls of crumbledTuna. I
decided to set up camp in the swim
next door, which allowed me to
check back on the spot because it
looked prime for another bite.
Before I knew it, most of the
morning had drifted away and
I had completely forgotten
about the spot. I grabbed the
glasses and popped round
to see what was occurring
next door. Slowly creeping to the

waters edge, I could see a faint
outline of a sh on the spot. I slowly
walked closer, my heart starting
to speed up as it became obvious
what was there. I recognised the
sh straightaway, a big pale-looking
common with its head down
feeding on the chopped baits. Now
I was in a dilemma did I wait for
the sh to stop eating and move o,
or did I scare it o with bait and get
my rig in place as soon as possible? I
scared it o literally!
I waited for about an hour but
the big common didnt return.

Suddenly, the rod laid on the deck
went spinning out of control. I
jumped up startled, having thought
there were no sh present. I was
praying it was that better sh I had
seen feeding over the spot. My arm
was still aching after the terric ght
of the rst sh but I knew this had
to be a good one by the way it was
tearing me up.
Before long it was safely in the
net and it was the common. Hows
your luck? Matey over the other side
came round again and we weighed
68
22/11/2016 15:59
The pale common at

over 39lb, the second of
the trio of big commons.
GETCOVERED
Fish are at their most wary when
in the margins so be sure to keep
well hidden. Use the bankside
foliage to break up your outline
and prevent yourself being
spotted by feeding sh.
her at just under 40lb. I couldnt

believe it! I dont think he could
either! Surely my luck would run
out soon.
Time was ticking and it was
nearly evening, so with another
few handfuls of bait introduced to
the spot, I nipped back to the main
swim to get the rods sorted for the
night ahead. I introduced a good
few handfuls ofTuna baits over the
spot in the edge, hoping that they
would return in the night for a feed,
ready for a quick go in the morning
before I had to leave. If conditions
were set to be the same, I knew
they would end up visiting the
warm area of water and hopefully
have a feed while they did.
I got the rods out for the evening
and enjoyed some peace and quiet
over the park. Still fairly warm, I sat
up enjoying tea and watching the

now at-calm water for signs of sh.
In my head, I knew I would have
to get up early for another go on
the spot, imagining another dark
shadow drifting over the baited
spot.
I was awoken at rst light by my
bite alarm screeching. It turned out
to be a lovely upper-twenty mirror
and after some photos I wasted no
time winding in and grabbing the
stalking rod.
I strolled round to the spot
brimming with anticipation.
Conditions were absolutely ideal. I
walked down to the waters edge,

peering into the shallow water,
which already seemed to have a
slight tint of cloudiness. I knew there
had been sh in the area, so I slowly
lowered a rig into place, followed by
a handful of broken boilies.
I wanted to see if sh were
coming in and out of the spot.Ten
minutes must have passed and I
saw a common slowly move into
the swim. Straightaway I recognised
it asThe Patch Common, one I
would love to catch. Seconds later
I saw it homing in straight towards
my hook bait, its mouth extended
fully right on top of the bait.Then

there was a huge eruption of
water and I was in. It had taken my
bait rst and I was in to another
park common. After a bit of a
tense battle,The Patch Common
was resting in the folds of the net
and I was one happy angler.The
scales revealed another 30lb-plus
common, my third of the session
from right below my feet.
It was certainly a session to
remember and I went to work
feeling excited and grateful, having
caught a trio of lovely commons in
24 hours. ACF
69
22/11/2016 15:59
CROSS POD AND CASE

Fully adjustable NGT Cross Pod with deluxe case. Although
adjustable, this is designed as a low pod. It can hold up to three
rods and comes complete with deluxe case. Features include;
aluminium proled tubes, stable main body, front and rear adjustable
three-rod buzz bars, easy to fold, complete with carry case.
CLOSED LENGTH:
MAX LENGTH:
FIXED HEIGHT:
WEIGHT:
78cm
116cm
39cm
2.4kg
CARP BIVVY
TABLE SYSTEM
E
EM
II
A complete carp anglers hold all solution.
o
olution.
This is a carry case built over a bivvyy table
which is ideal for the coarse and carpp angler.
s,
Features include four adjustable legs,
removable bivvy table, four glug pots,, two
removable weight/bit bags with clearr tops,
u
us
two terminal tackle boxes with various
o
oard,
soft
compartments, removable stiff rig board,
m
movable,
rig sleeve holders, extra padded, removable,
adjustable shoulder strap, one large
t front
additional storage compartment on the
of the system box.
47.95
CODE: FLA-CARPSYSTEM-588
XPR INSULATED COOLER BAG

The XP
XPR cooler bag is a stylish insulated bag that
is des
designed for carrying food. It incorporates four
level tthermal technology to maintain temperature
making it ideal for drinks, sandwiches
etc It also has an additional front
storage compartment and two side mesh
compartments. Features also include twin
zips, webbing on the top and a detachable
carry strap.
35
CODE: FP-CROSS-POD
DELUXE BOX CASE

SYSTEM PLUS
New and exclusive to NGT,
this double decker box
case system has a built-in
bivvy table which can be
removed and used on its
own. Inside the case you
get a high-quality system
tackle box, and in the
top, a storage area
with a lead case and
dividers. Theres
also a well padded
shoulder strap,
high-quality zips
and a mesh front
panel.
29.99
SIZE: 21.5cm x 15cm x 22cm
11.95
CODE: FLA-COOLER-XPR
DYNAMIC TRAVEL
EL - 9FT
FT, 4PC
CARBON ALL ROUND TR
TRAVEL ROD
This one has to be seen to be believed.
ieved. A stunning 9ft,
e-packed carbon travel rod!
four-section, all-round, feature-packed
CODE: FR-C-DYN-TRAVEL-AR
24
PIECES:
LENGTH FT /M:
/M
CLOSED LENGTH:
CASTING WEIGHT:
MATERIAL:
COLOUR:
CASING:
4
9ft / 2.7m
75cm closed
20-50g
Carbon
Gr Carbon
Grey
Cloth Bag
CODE: FLA-BOXCASE-612-PLUS
DYNAMIC MARGIN
STALKER - 9FT,
2PC, 2.5LB TC
HIGH CARBON ROD
DYNAMIC
AMIC TRAVEL
CARP - 11FT,
4PC, 2.75
75LB
CARBON
N ROD
A two-piece 9ft carbon stalking / margin or spinning

rod with a 2.5lb test curve. Supplied in a cloth bag.
Not to be missed. A pure pleasure to sh with!
ROD NAME:
PIECES:
LENGTH FT /M:
TEST CURVE:
MATERIAL:
COLOUR:
CASING:
Dynamic Stalker
2
9ft / 2.7m
2.5lb
Carbon
Charcoal
Cloth bag
29.99
The NGT 11ft Dynamic Travel Carp is a four-piece

gs and sublime
carbon rod with high-quality ttings
nishing, the perfect rod for the carpp angler on
the move.
CODE: FR-C-DYN-M/S-2.5-BLK
ROD NAME:
PIECES:
LENGTH FT /M:
CLOSED LENGTH:
TEST CURVE:
MATERIAL:
COLOUR
COLOUR:
CASIN
CASING:
29
Dynamic Travel Carp

Four (Fo
(Four sections)
11ft / 3.3m
8
88cm closed
2.75lb
Carbon
Grey carbon
Cloth bag
CODE: FR-C-DYN-TRAVEL-CARP
FOR FULL DETAILS GO TO
www.tacklehound.com
Order Direct: 0800 2218705
FREE UK DELIVERY ON ALL ORDERS
p070-071_ACF_01_NGT Tacklehound 1_Carp.indd 1
24/11/2016 09:47
This beanie mat is perfect for the mobile angler.

Very lightweight but still offering plenty of protection for
your quarry.
GREEN LARGE
CARRYALL
FEATURES
INCLUDE:
Vibrating receiver
Variable volume
Batteries
(not included).
A large olive green all-round anglers carryall, with

a large main compartment and three generous
zipped and mesh external pockets. Padded handles
and padded adjustable shoulder strap are included
as standard, and its made from waterproofed
ter with PVC backing.
600D polyester
31.90
CODE: FBA-W/LESS-2PC-VS
MEGA CARP
CARE COMBO
This is one the best value for money cradle and retainer
deals out there and will give your catch the ultimate in
on the bank sh care. You get a cradle thats massive
measuring 115cm x 70cm x 35cm and more than
big enough for any carp in the land. Features include
four fully adjustable large mudfeet, knee pad / cradle
cover and is constructed from a strong but lightweight
aluminium frame.
DIMENSIONS:
110cm x 70cm
16.99
CODE: FU-MAT-BEANIE-555
PVA BAGS
Fast-dissolving, non-residue
PVA bags in
three sizes (20pc)
16.95
2.89
CODE: FLA-CARRYALL-093
ARRYALL-093
933
SIZE:
100mm x 130mm CODE: FPVA-BAG-100X130-20PC
The Captur Weighsling / Retainer is an absolute peach

of a product. Featuring eight independent net oats
ensuring the system never sinks, double zip and locking
clip making sure your
prize catch doesnt
escape, 2m rope and
peg to secure the
sling to the bank,
six carry
handles and
a free carry
case.
GREEN INSULATED
CARRYALL
An olive green carryall with spacious insulated main
compartment, three generous zipped external pockets
to store multiple items and now with an additional
mesh front pocket. Padded handles and padded
adjustable shoulder strap are included as standard,
and its made from waterproofed 600D polyester with
210D lining.
SIZE:
2cm
52cm x 36cm x 42cm
14.95
All this for only 95
CODE: FLA-CARRYALL-709
L-709
3PC + RECEIVER
WIRELESS ALARM SET
PVA NARROW TUBE

- 7M X 25MM
FEATURES INCLUDE:
Red, green and blue LED lights Batteries not included
Three short and three long snag ears Vibrating receiver
Wireless range up to 200 meters
Rolling code system
(prevents
interference).
7m of 25mm NARROW PVA mesh on a

tube. Now also with FREE PLUNGER
and funnelled top tube!
5mm x 7m
DIAMETER: 25mm
E: General purpose
USAGE:
use
7.79
39.90
FBA-W/LESS-3PC-VS
SIZE: 68cm x
m
35cm x 34cm
CODE: FPVA-TUBE-N-7M
CAPTUR FLOATING
SLING AND
HOLDING SYSTEM
After more than a year in development we would like
to introduce our Captur sling and holding system.
FEATURES INCLUDE:
Eight independent net oats to ensure the system
always oats on the water even in severe conditions
A double zip and locking clip so that there is no
chance for the sh to escape
A 2m rope and peg to secure the system to the
bank
Six carry handles - to cover all contingencies
Large size - ideal for specimen sh
A free carry case
SIZE: 120cm x 26xm x 50cm
WEIGHT: Approx. 1.35 kg
NGT CLASSIC RECLINING BEDCHAIR

The NGT Classic bedchair is comfort personied and now as a recliner! This bedchair features micro eece fabric,
added adjustable webbing on the back of the mattress for additional body support, six fully adjustable mudfeet and built-in
pillow.
14
14.39
29.95
CODE: FU-SLING-CAPTUR
84.95
CODE: FBC-BED-CLASSIC-RCL
VIEW
View
OUR
our
COMPLETE
completeRANGE
range online
ONLINE
atA
AT
www.tacklehound.com
www.tacklehound.com
CODE: UL2214N
Out Of Office Hours Tel: 0779 4065355
Wireless 200m receiver comes complete

with two short and two long
snag ears.
www.tacklehound.com
GREEN SESSION
BEANIE MAT
2PC + RECEIVER
ALARM SET (VS)
24/11/2016 09:47
DYNAMIC JUMBO
BIVVY / BAIT TABLE WITH
ADJUSTABLE LEGS
A black jumbo aluminium bivvy / bait table with adjustable folding legs
with mudfeet. Handy compartments for holding tackle. Folds at for
easy storage.
3 + 3 ROD HOLDALL
This
his is the new signature 3+3 rod holdal
holdall. Designed to hold three rods made up and three
unmade. It has two additional pockets on the front, both with zips.
p Its well padded and has an
adjustable strap. (Made from 600D polyester with PVC backing.)
SIZE: 196cm x 28cm x 60cm
17.95 CODE: FLA-RODHOLDALL-618

XPR M
MULTI-POCKET
T
CARRYALL
The new XPR carryall features
ve external pockets and main
compartment. Padded handles and
padded adjustable shoulder strap are
aas standard. Made from waterproofed
600D polyester with PVC backing.
SIZE: 35.5cm x 60cm x 24-32cm
39.95
CODE: FO-BIVVYTABLE-DYNAMIC
NGT DYNAMIC BARROW
19.95
Dynamic Carp Fishing Double Wheel Barrow Trolley with Barrow Bag one or two
wheels. A sturdy, well constructed carp barrow featuring:
Extendable and height adjustable
front bar
Option to t one or two wheels

(short and long bar included)
Foldable side bars
Removable under barrow storage

bag included
Removable handles
CODE: FLA-CARRYALL-XPR
FOUR-SEASON SLEEPING BAG
This sleeping bag is water repellent

and features a twin layer insulated micro eece lining.
Built-in pillow. Adjustable bedchair xing strap.
Perfect for those long winter nights.
60.95
CODE: FBC-SBAG-500
89.95
CODE: FBT-BARROW-DYNAMIC
SIZES:
CLOSED LENGTH: 95cm,
EXTENDED LENGTH: 115cm,
WIDTH: 71cm
WEIGHT: 14kg
SIZE: 82cm wide x 206cm long x 38cm high
SINGLE ROD SLEEVE

A single rod sleeve capable of holding made-up carp rods with clips to attach
to luggage. Features include fully lined material with PVC inner, a clip allowing
you to attach to another master holdall and a deluxe handle. (Made from
600D polyester with PVC backing.)
1.1- LITRE
FAST BOIL
KETTLE
A durable, lightweight 1.1-litre
fast boil kettle with folding handle,
constructed from anodised
aluminium. Incorporating a heat
stem that makes it up to
trap system
30% more efcient
her
than other
outdoorr
kettles.
DELUXE ANGLERS
BOX CASE SYSTEM
A box case system which is ideal for the angler on
the go. Complete with a built-in bivvy table which has
one-touch adjustable legs, and can be removed from
the case and used on its own. The box case system
also comes with a high-quality system tackle box which
ts inside the case. The tackle box has adjustable
compartments to store your terminal items. Padded
shoulder strap, padded handle, high-quality zips and
mesh front panel for additional storage.
New and improved now with larger reel

space to accommodate
big-pit reels.
10.95
CODE: FLA-RODHOLDALL-514
SIZE: 200cm x 26cm

(Can hold 12 or 13FT 2PC rods)
SIZE:
152cm x
CODE: FCC-KETTLE-1.1 88mm
19
9.99
27.95
CODE: FLA-BOXCASE-DLX-612
OXCASE-DLX-612
SIZE: 40cm x
6.5cm x 36.5cm
FOR FULL DETAILS GO TO
www.tacklehound.com
FREE UK DELIVERY ON ALL ORDERS
24/11/2016 09:38
A deluxe cutlery set ideal for the slightly

longer session. Items include;
Two stainless steel sugar containers
Two stainless steel mugs
Two x knives, two x forks
Two x teaspoons, two x plates
A face towel, a material case
to house the set with
mesh pocket
CODE: FU-CRADLE-305
DAY CUTLERY
PLUS SET
Ideal for a shorter session on the bank featuring;
two knives, two forks, two teaspoons, two plates
Elastic holder for lighter
A multi tool which includes a bottle opener / blade
A material case to house the set which zips all the
way round
Mesh pocket on the front of the case
11.50
19.95
CODE: FLA-CUTLERY-600
CODE: FLA-CUTLERY-109
42IN GREEN
SPECIMEN NET
AND ONE-PIECE
6FT CARBON
HANDLE AND
CASE
NGT MULTI-SECTION
FRYING PAN
The perfect way to cook up a full English next to the
water, this multi-section frying pan has three non-stick
compartments to cook your ingredients separately:
A frying area for bacon and sausage, a bean section
and a mini egg-frying compartment. Easy to clean with
removable handle for easy transportation.
A triangular 42in (107cm) specialist

green carp net with ultra-light
carbon arms with a one-piece,
6ft handle and case
to hold everything
together.
SIZE: 45.5cm x 25.5cm x 4.5cm
19.95
27.95
NGT DELUXE
PROFILER PLUS
CHAIR
The NGT Proler is a large sized chair, ideal for the
angler shing longer sessions. It features four fullyy
adjustable legs
t,
with large mudfeet,
recliner system,
well padded, has
armrests and is
lightweight! This is the
rs.
DADDY of all chairs.
One of the best onn the
market.
75
CODE: FBC-CHAIR-PROFILER-PLUS
ROFILER-PLUS
CODE: FCC-PAN-3WAY
CODE: FNH-COMBO-NET42-HANDLE-DLX
ONE-ROD CARP
STARTER SET
TWO-ROD CARP
SETUP
Just add bait and a lead! This starter kit has pretty
much everything you will need to get you catching carp.
You get a 12ft 2.75lb rod, free-spool reel loaded with
10lb line, a bite alarm with tone and volume control,
42in landing net with telescopic handle, a classic bobbin
indicator (colours
may vary), fourpiece soft baiting
tool set, single
Only
rod sleeve, box
case tackle bag,
deluxe weigh sling,
unhooking mat,
two aluminium
banksticks,
butt grip and six
ready-tied hair
rigs.
A great starter setup to get you out catching carp.

This really is fantastic value for money.
85
You get two Specialist 12ft 2.75lb carp rods, two Max
60 Freespool reels loaded with 10lb line, two VX2 bite
alarms featuring volume
& tone control, complete
session pod including
bobbins and butt rests,
large green carryall 2 + 2
rod holdall, deluxe 42in
landing net and one-piece
6ft handle, session beanie
mat, deluxe weigh sling,
four-piece soft-touch
baiting needle set and
a six pack of ready-tied
hair rigs
NGT CARP
CATAPULT
APULT
New to the NGT

range is a top-quality
Carp catapult. With
only top-quality
materials used
including surgical
elastic from the USA.
Only
149.95
9.95
CODE: FO-CAT CARP-01
ARP-01
VIEW OUR COMPLETE RANGE ONLINE AT
www.tacklehound.com
www.tacklehound.com
69.95
DELUXE CUTLERY
SET
The ultimate in carp care. This massive cradle

is great for the serious carp angler targeting
big carp in the UK or abroad.
Features include:
Dimensions 115cm x 70cm x 35cm
Soft 201D PVC waterproof material
Soft but strong rubber mesh in the
bottom corners for drainage
Knee pad / cradle cover
Four fully adjustable legs with mudfeet
Aluminium main frame. Super-light and strong
Out Of Office Hours Tel: 0779 4065355
DELUXE EXTRA-LARGE EURO CRADLE (305)
24/11/2016 09:39
THE
ROAD TRIP
BEN FRANCIS divulges what went into the production of the Taska carp
DVD and how exploring the Continent may lead to exciting adventures.
igh-quality lm
productions have
become a staple
of the carp anglers
needs in recent years
and now, more so than ever, video
is one of our favoured sources of
entertainment and knowledge.
number of outstanding productions

that inspire our audience to get out
there and go shing, with hopefully
a few tips and tactics up their sleeve
to implement using some of the
products in our portfolio.
I joined the company earlier this
year, after spending several years
working at another established
brand.What I learnt in my previous
Every year, each company seems

to compete to produce bigger and
better productions than the year
before and its a rat race to see who
can create the most exciting lm that
inspires anglers across the world.We
love making lm productions for our
customers and its quite a signicant
part of our working year to create a
role has allowed me to bring a

dierent perspective toTaskas brand
team and this year weve set out to
implement a number of exciting
media projects.These have been
created to provide our audience with
more interesting content that will
hopefully inspire and educate our
customers to get on the bank and
thrive in the culture of carp shing.
Thats what it is now, a culture. Its
05
74
p074-076_ACF_01_The road trip.indd 1
22/11/2016 16:00
become far more than just another

hobby.
One of the exciting projects that
we embarked on throughout this
summer was the lming of our
feature-length DVD that will be
released in April 2017, Carpspiration
Volume 2. Its our second big
production and its set to be an
absolute banger!The venues we
went to and the sh that were caught
were simply mind-blowing from start
to nish and after all the hard work
organising the logistics and planning
behind it, Im so happy to have
nally completed the lming of this
production with my trusty sidekick
and camera supremo, Harry Law,
who, I must say, absolutely smashed it
on the lming side of things!
Most of you reading this more than
likely dont work within the shing
industry and you only ever get to
see the nished projects. Rarely do
you get an insight into what goes
on behind the scenes to make these
lms become a nal production.
The rst thing Ill say is that to all
it must seem like we have an easy
Tucked away far from the madding

crowd, just us and the carp.
sense of adventure, we didnt want

to take our team to the usual pay
lakes that everyone has lmed on
time and time again, we wanted
to show a dierent style of angling
that can be explored by everyone
and we wanted to take carp shing
to the extreme.Taking this angle
meant that the lming and logistics
side of the shoots would be dicult
because we would need to go out
on lming missions and be on the
life, travelling all over the Continent,

catching big sh and having a whale
of a time. Its a fun gig, but believe
me, shing the remote locations that
we did this year made the whole
process far more demanding than
what meets the eye and this years
lming mission really was the most
technically dicult project weve ever
put together.
When we set out to lm this
production we wanted to provide a
bank for at the very least one week at

a time to allow for the unpredictable
nature of natural shing to take
shape and give us a ghting chance
of catching some truly special carp
for the cameras. On top of the time
away, theres usually a lengthy drive
involved, as well as sleeping on the
bank in remote areas where you cant
simply call the local takeaway to drop
you down a nice ruby and theres not
often somewhere close by where
you can pop and have a shower on
demand. Bathing in natural lakes
was something that we embraced in
France this year, but we were pretty
shocked at the water temperature
once we took the plunge! It was
rather fresh, lets put it that way.
Brrrrrr, I can still feel the shivers.
We lmed in ve locations for
CarpspirationVolume 2 in four
separate countries and have met
some incredible people along the
way.What really inspired me this
year was just how many good
people there are in this carp angling
community that are willing to help
fellow anglers. In the making of this
BENFRANCIS
The man behindTaskas
CarpspirationVolume 2.
Were certainly looking
forward to its release.
Sponsors: Taska,
Kryston, Nutrabaits
05
75
22/11/2016 16:00
An insane-looking forty.
Black as your hat. Literally.
These public-lake fish were

incredible and all for the price
of a local fishing licence.
THE RIGHT ADVENTURE IS OUT THERE FOR

EVERYONE, YOUVE JUST GOT TO GO AND FIND IT.
lm I called on a number of contacts
on a whim, more than anything
hoping theyd help out on certain
logistical aspects and there were
many that had no aliation to our
company at all.They had no duty
to help us but everyone I called
on helped us out purely because
they wanted to.Whether it be to
borrow a boat or other specialist
equipment to save us driving it across
Europe, or helping us locate nearby
supermarkets and providing us with
useful information and more local
contacts. It was just really nice to see
that so many people went out of
their way to help us make this project
a reality and purely because they
wanted to help. So thank you to those
who helped us this year in some way,
shape or form, you all made such a
huge impact on what was achievable

for us.
Since weve come back from our
road trips Ive been inundated with
questions from people far and wide
who have seen snippets of our travels
on our social media pages, and
there seems to be an overwhelming
response of excitement about shing
natural waters across Europe.
The best bit about this
entire project is that we
went to waters that are
accessible to everyone
and each water
we lmed
on was
not a pay
lake. All that
was required
to sh these venues
was a local shing licence that cost

around 40 per person, per country
for an entire years shing I must
add! Its actually far cheaper to sh
wild waters than pay lakes and there
are so many natural lakes, rivers and
canals across Europe that hold some
truly special carp.
Why pay over the odds for
average shing on the
Continent when
theres so much
potential in the
natural waters
that cost next to
nothing to sh?
I think many
people dont know how or where to

start on planning such an adventure,
but neither did we until this year if Im
totally honest. All we did was speak
to as many anglers as possible to nd
out information on the venues, and
we spent a decent amount of time
researching on the internet. It was
actually pretty easy to nd out what
venues were out there and what
you need to sh on them.The right
adventure is out there for everyone,
youve just got to go and nd it.
In April 2017 CarpspirationVolume
2 is going to be revealed to all and
will be something that you wont
want to miss.Youll see our team take
on an epic road trip to Denmark in
search of monsters from a lake that
has been around since the dinosaurs
roamed the earth, as well as our
French team taking on a mighty
public water of over 600 hectares.The
whole thing is nalised in Belgium,
where our guys caught some
monumental carp from a relatively
dicult and unknown public lake. ACF
76
22/11/2016 16:00
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JOHNSON ROSS TACKORDER

LINE 01
LE
992 462044
p077_AC_01_Johnson Ross.indd 1
21/11/2016 14:44
The latest and greatest

tackle to add more
repower to your carp
shing arsenal.
AQUA
COMPACT WEIGH SLING
PRICE:
34.99
An extremely compact and lightweight

folding weigh sling, measuring 550
millimetres in length when packed and
weighing only 670g. It is produced from
high-quality Aquatexx material, which
is strong, sh friendly and extremely fast
drying.The sling also features a mesh
bottom to allow rapid drainage, helping you
accurately weigh your catch. Despite its small
pack size the compact weigh sling is easily
capable of dealing with some of the largest
UK carp.
Web: aquaproducts.co.uk
78
p078-080_ACF_01_GGTackle.indd 1
24/11/2016 11:38
CARP SPIRIT
RAZOR POINT HOOKS
PRICE:
4.99
Strong, sharp hooks are a huge edge

in big-carp shing, helping you
hook and land more sh, and the
Razor Point hooks certainly t that
description. They are manufactured
from the highest-grade Japanese
carbon steel, giving extreme strength,
and Dura-Point technology makes
the extra-long points super-sharp and
durable. The hooks are nished o in
a slick, non-reective PTFE coating
and are available in a wide range
of patterns to suit any rig or shing
situation.
Web: carpspirit.fr
PROLOGIC
DOWNFORCE ANTI-TANGLE RIG SLEEVES
PRICE:
34.99
Anti-tangle rig sleeves can work wonders for reducing tangles during
ight and to kick the hook bait away from the lead as it settles.These
from Prologic quickly taper to a discreet narrow prole and are nished
in an unobtrusive dark green. Being made with tungsten, these also
provide a further benet of pinning your hook link to the bottom, away
from wary carp.
Web: prologicshing.com
PRICE:
6.99
RIDGEMONKEY
ADVANCED BOILIE CRUSHER
When you need to make large amounts of chops on the bank, this
is the real deal! Simply wind the removable handle and watch as
it chomps its way through the boilies at an unbelievable rate. A
non-identical blade design ensures a wide variety of chop sizes are
produced to keep the carp guessing.The crusher is designed to t
on the 17-litre Modular Bucket System and a clear safety lid keeps
any ngers clear of the blades and ensures all the bait remains in the
bucket.
Web: ridgemonkey.co.uk
79
24/11/2016 11:39
WYCHWOOD
SLING MAT
PRICE:
54.99
A premium zip-up sling mat
that is ideal for mobile anglers
who still require the highest
protection for large carp. The
deep 50mm padding features
a rm bottom layer to protect
against stones and other hard
objects underneath. The mat
folds at to t on a barrow but
is also perfect for carrying a
range of tackle items when
roving. It is nished o with a
fold-out kneeling mat and a
carrying strap that attaches to
pegging points found on each
corner. The mat complements
the System Select luggage
range and shares the high
quality, further emphasised by
a lifetime warranty.
PRICE:
15.95
Web: wychwoodcarp.co.uk
ESP
LEADCORE
A huge number of big-sh
anglers put their faith in
ESP leadcore and with good
reason its super-reliable
and sinks like a brick. The
original, which has a subtle
ecked brown coloration, has
been around for donkeys
years and has developed
an almost cult following. To
complement this, ESP has
released the Choddy Silt
and Weed Green variants,
meaning all bases are
covered. Ideal when youre
shing for those ultra-wary
carp!
Web: esp-carpgear.com
NGT
XL EURO CRADLE
PRICE:
69.95
A very large and well-padded

cradle unhooking mat; the
ultimate choice for carp safety
and suitable for the largest carp
at home or on the Continent.
Four extendable legs allow the
cradle to be levelled on uneven
ground and aVelcro cover
helps to retain the carp safely
on the mat. It is produced from
a soft, sh-friendly waterproof
fabric allowing water to collect
in the centre for keeping the
sh wet.The cradle folds neatly
in half for transportation.
Web: tacklehound.com
80
24/11/2016 11:39
Shure Care
Be Safe. Be Shure.
facebook.com/taskacarp
instragram.com/TaskaOffical
twitter.com/taskacarp
youtube.com/taskacarp
www.taskacarp.com
TAS0002 Taska Shurecare Ad A4.indd 1
15/06/2016 12:37
The boilies, particles,

liquids and other
baits to get your
spots fizzing.
2
PRICE:
8.69
PRICE:
5.99
1
3
PRICE:
7.99
PRICE:
4.99
2
CC MOORE
MILKIMIN PELLETS
MAINLINE
HIGH IMPACT
GROUNDBAIT
STICKY
MANILLA BAIT
SPRAY
NUTRABAITS
ALTERNATIVE
HOOKBAIT POP-UPS
These creamy-smelling pellets

are certainly different from most
on the carp fishing market.
Produced from top-quality
milk proteins, they are highly
digestible even in the coldest
water. On top of that, their white
coloration provides additional
visual attraction to help
stimulate lethargic winter carp
to feed.
These pellets also have
variable buoyancy, providing
attraction throughout the water
column to help draw carp down
from the upper layers.
A highly attractive mix packed

full of quality food ingredients,
including crushed particles,
nuts and protein powders,
alongside active enhancers and
stimulants. Simply add water
for an instant groundbait, or
mix with PVA-friendly liquids to
produce an effective stick mix.
The groundbait is available
in a range of flavours, with
specific mixes to complement
the best-selling Cell, Essential
Cell and Hybrid boilie ranges.
Boosting your hook baits is a

great way of increasing their
attraction so that carp choose
your hook bait over the free
offerings. The Bait Spray
complements the Manilla range
perfectly, with a few additional
attractors to help your hook
bait stand out.
The spray is ideal for popups because its lighter, finer
consistency means your
pop-ups retain their buoyancy.
Simply spray a couple of times
into a pot of pop-ups and they
will soak up the liquid.
These highly attractive, hi-viz

pop-ups are perfect for fishing
as either single hook baits or
as an alternative hook bait
over beds of bait. They are
incredibly resilient, having a
tough consistency that actually
becomes slightly firmer as they
are immersed in water. They
also remain super-buoyant
for extended periods, making
them ideal for many pop-up
presentations, including hinged
stiff rigs and chods.
They come in a range of
colours, each in a classic
well-proven flavour such as
Pineapple and N-Butyric Acid.
Web: mainline-baits.com
Web: ccmoore.com
Web: stickybaits.com
Web: nutrabaits.net
82
5
6
PRICE:
4.49
DYNAMITE
MEATY PELLETS
A premium-grade, high-protein
pellet in the classic Meaty
Marine flavour. Produced from
a mixture of meat and fishmeal,
they are rich in omega-3 fish
oil and amino acids, which are
both extremely attractive to
carp.
The pellets feature high
leakage rates but a slow
breakdown means they will
remain intact, providing
food items to keep the carp
interested for longer.
Web: dynamitebaits.com
PRICE:
6.99
CRAFTY CATCHER
BIG HIT BOILIES
The Big Hit boilie range was

designed to offer excellentquality baits at affordable prices.
Produced on a nutritious and
highly digestible base, these
baits rapidly release attractors
into the water to quickly draw
carp to your spot, while their
high food content keeps them
coming back for more.
The Raspberry & Black Pepper
boilies have made a massive
impact on the Continent, where
some very big fish have featured
in a number of big hit sessions.
They are also available in Spicy
Krill & Garlic and Coconut &
Maple Cream.
Web: copdockmill.co.uk
83
DEAL WORTH
OVER 130
YOUPAY 58
12 ISSUES
AND A SHIMANO
MARKER ROD
WORTH 79.99
FOR JUST
58
CHECK OUT THIS, AND MORE GREAT DEALS AT:
DHPSUBS.CO.UK/ADVANCEDCARP
TEL: 0845 345 0253
LINES OPEN MONDAY - FRIDAY, 9AM - 5PM
OR 07595 651833
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24/11/2016 14:32
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This is a powerful yet responsive marker
rod that provides you with brilliant feel
when searching for subtle changes in
the lake-bed topography. With all the
credentials of a rod well above its price
tag, its a great performer that wont let
you down.
ORDER CODE: ACF1701

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24/11/2016 14:33
86
p086-089_ACF_01_tackle101.indd 1
22/11/2016 16:06
RUCKSACK
We take a look at some of the best options for

the heart of your shing gear the rucksack.
magine your carp fishing

without bespoke angling
luggage. Wouldnt it be
really hard work?
When you think about it, good
quality luggage with all the
pockets, pouches and specific
fishing design touches is the
backbone of our kit. At the

centre of that for many of us is a
rucksack. An invaluable piece of
kit that houses and transports all
our essentials the piece of the
kit wed be lost without.
There are loads of rucksacks
on the market designed
RUCKSACK ACCESSORIES
specifically for carp fishing.

Some are incredible, some others
not so much. Weve picked four
of the best to take a closer look
at in terms of functionality and
whats often the most vital piece
of the equation when you start
using these bags comfort.
TEST BED
POUCHES
STRAP IT UP
CARABINAS
For a fully functioning storage

and transportation system
that will see you being able
to find your baiting needle
one instance and your spare
socks the next, a decent inner
modulated approach is a
must. For this your pouches
come into play. Buy em,
fill em, get em in the main
compartment and everything
else should be a doddle
Not so much an accessory but

a basic piece of kit that you
see on many rucksacks but not
everyone uses. The sternum
strap (the strap across your
chest) is designed to stop the
main straps from moving apart
and keeps the weight of the
pack on your shoulders, where
it needs to be. If you use it,
your strap should ideally be in
line with your armpits.
A couple of these quick-clip

carabinas on the outside
of your rucksack can add
another handy carrying
option to your luggage.
Boots, a mug, another
pouchful of hook baits or
whatever; clip them on
quickly and easily to make
life getting to and from your
swim that little bit easier.
Although storage and capacity are huge things

when it comes to the right rucksack, for most of us
in a live shing situation, its the comfort factor of
a bag that really makes a dierence. A 20kg load
can feel twice that when your rucksacks slopping
all over your back and your spine feels like a herd of
bualo are playing a game of bulldogs on it.
A good rucksack makes lugging loads on your
back and shoulders as easy as possible and thats
what were looking for in the ones were getting to
grips with.
THE CONSISTENCIES
To be fair, there are no specic, calculable
measurements of comfort that you can record, so
this bit is less scientic than usual. The test was
to load each of the four rucksacks with 20kg of
weight, strap them on and walk for half a mile a
bit more than many anglers would travel by foot to
a swim, but were all about putting the leg work in
here at ACF.
The comfort ratings we gave the bags are then
based on how we felt after the walk.
87
22/11/2016 16:06
JRC
SONIK
CONTACT
SKS FOLDOUT
JRC is producing some great pieces of kit these days, and after spending
some time with the Contact weve come to see it as one of them.
Looking at it loaded up, the sack doesnt look all thatstandoutfrom
the crowd, but start to have a look around and it has some good, solid
touches.
To start with it feels very robust. Good stitching, 500D polyester fabric
construction and a waterproof bottom covering tick a lot of boxes when
youre dealing with the rigours of life out on the bank.
Then theres the storage. The central compartment oers 40 litres of
space, along with six external pockets.
One of the best touches is the access to the main compartment. The
overhead ap zips into place either side of the opening so that all your
bits and bobs will stay in place. However, the front of the ap doesnt zip
up, it just fastens via two clipped straps that run top to bottom. If you
dont bother with the straps you can still get your hand in for quick-access
stu without unzipping everything, with your gear still safe from spilling
out it makes things very quick and easy
Comfort-wise, the padding on the back of the sack and on the main
straps is immense. With the straps adjusted and tightened properly it felt
very good in all the right places and the waist strap helps to distribute the
weight a bit better too. The inclusion of two bars down the back of the
bag in line with the main straps like a proper hiking rucksack mean
that the whole thing also keeps its shape well. We really like this rucksack.
This is a clever piece of luggage. At a glance it looks like a fairly

standard rucksack. Take a closer look, though, and youll nd a design
that sees the whole back open out at, oering four dierent storage
compartments.
Essentially, it works by having a main section separated into two
areas. At the top and bottom edges of the bag there are then two
more compartments that hinge, closing over the main compartment
and attaching to each other when folded up via two clip straps. What
this means is that you have a rucksack you can carry on your back as
normal to your swim, and when you get there you unclip the secondary
compartments and it all opens up into a holdall-style arrangement.
The other clever bit we like is that when its all opened up, the tops
of each of the four compartments are clear plastic so you can see
exactly what youre looking for straightaway. Not only that, but to save
you getting your bag dirty when you lay it down it comes with a free
groundsheet (stored in a side pocket), sized perfectly to the bag.
Its all put together very well. Solid seams, heavy-duty canvas, quality
ttings in terms of the clips and zips it should last a fair number of
seasons and plenty of abuse by all accounts.
On the comfort front, the padding on the back of the bag is more
than ample, although the main straps could do with being a bit wider
to spread the load on your shoulders. All in all a clever bag with lots of
practical use out on the bank.
PROS
Robust and
simple, this is
an old-school
anglers bag with
loads of comfort.
PRICE:
49.99
PROS
Clever and
functional with a
free groundsheet
and tackle box.
CONS
Not sure how long
the padding on the
back will take to
compress.
TEST RESULT
Loaded with
weight the bag sat
well on the back
and over the walk
felt well positioned
and very
comfortable.
THE NUMBERS
Capacity: 40 litres
Dimensions: 53 x 30 x 30cm
PRICE:
69.99
CONS
Pricey, but it is a
very good bag.
TEST RESULT
On the walk the
rucksack was
comfy dues to
the masses of
padding, but the
straps could do
with more width
to spread the load
where its heaviest
on the shoulders.
THE NUMBERS
Capacity: Around 30 litres
Dimensions: 57 x 44 x 21cm (113 centimetres long
when laid out opened up)
88
22/11/2016 16:06
ESP
WYCHWOOD
RUCKSACK
SYSTEM SELECT ROVER
This is old-school luggage at its basic best. No bells, no whistles,

none of that namby-pamby padding, just a massive main storage
compartment to hold all your gear and a couple of other pockets.
The ESP bag is a focused bit of luggage. But its tough as well.
Created from 900D nylon material, backed on the inside of
the bag with PVC to make it relatively waterproof, at the heart
of the rucksack is a large central compartment that will swallow
pretty much everything your need it to. If it doesnt, theres also a
generous rear pocket, plus two more either side.
The bottom of the back is covered in a reinforced, waterproof
foot, so when you put it down the nylon material doesnt suck up
the moisture. Elsewhere there are also two straps across the rear
pocket that clip up and are adjustable to carry an unhooking mat
or suchlike.
Rugged and simple, focused and more than up to the task of
lugging kit where you need it to be, the ESP rucksack is really a
thing of simplistic beauty. But then you have to carry it.
The back of the bag has a very small amount of padding in it,
and the same goes for the main straps although they are nice and
wide to spread the pressure. The inclusion of a sternum strap helps
keep things tight and in place, but you do have to watch what
you pack at the back of the bag or get niggles with knobbly items
digging in when youre on the move.
Part of its new System Select range, the Rover from Wychwood is a great
looking bag from the o. Designed specically for the mobile angler, it has
four easily accessible pockets at the top, the back and either side of the
main compartment for you to position the gear you need to get quick and
easy access to when youre hopping through multiple swims.
The main compartment oers enough space for the basic kit the roving
carpers going to need, with the access hole positioned over two planes
of the bags construction, giving you a much bigger aperture to get your
hands in and on to the kit youre looking for.
As with the other rucksacks here, the Rover is well made solid canvas,
bulky zips, quality stitching on the seams and so on. Plus, youre looking
at a piece of luggage that should last several seasons if you look after it a
point emphasised by Wychwoods lifetime warranty on the product.
There are some nice little touches as well, such as the separate mesh
section in the top compartment, the two space dividers and another
mesh section in the rear pocket, and especially the pull-out rain cover that
sits in a zip pocket under the bag itself very handy to keep your bag dry.
This is also a comfy bag on the move. The rear section where your back
makes contact has plenty of padding, but what makes the dierence
is the addition of a sti board that ts into a zipped section in the rear
wall. This stiens the shape of the bag, stopping things moving around,
protecting your back from lumps and bumps in the main compartment.
As rucksacks go, this one is well thought out and well delivered.
PROS
Good, honest, solid
bag that will hold
loads at a very
good price.
PRICE:
29.99
PROS
Some very nice
touches and highquality finish.
PRICE:
54.99
CONS
Not the comfiest
when on the move.
TEST RESULT
As wed loaded
the bag up with
disc weights they
didnt feel too
good through the
back of the bag,
but the actual
weight distribution
on the shoulders
was very good.
CONS
With a lifetime
warranty, we cant
think of any.
TEST RESULT
The back board
combined with the
rear padding made
all the difference to
the comfort here,
and the sternum
strap also helped
to create a nice,
snug fit when
walking.
THE NUMBERS
Capacity: 40 litres
THE NUMBERS
Capacity: Around 30 litres
89
22/11/2016 16:06
VOLUME,
TONE AND
SENSITIVITY
CONTROLS,
ALONG WITH A
PARTICULARLY
COOL MULTICOLOUR LED
OPTION.
CARP SPIRIT
HD5 BITE ALARMS
AND HDR5 RECEIVER
A full three-rod bite alarm and receiver kit featuring
a bunch of useful features, all at an aordable price.
arp Spirit has announced

its arrival with a few
impressive products.
Having seen them at the recent
Tackle & Guns Trade Show, we
were impressed with a few in
particular.
The Razor Point hook range
looked impressive but we
thought we could explore some
of the larger items. The HD5

alarms feature the normal staples.
There are volume, tone and
sensitivity controls, along with a
particularly cool multi-colour LED
option that allows you to change
to the colour of your choice. Soft
non-slip rubber inserts give the
rod added stability in the alarm,
which can be useful when shing
tight clutches.
The HDR5 receiver is also an
impressive piece of kit. With on/
o and a vibration setting along
with volume, tone and LED colour
control, you can alter the receiver
to your preferences with ease. The
three alarm and receiver package
is supplied in its own presentation
case for easy transport.
The Verdict
A great package with
some interesting
features.
The Numbers
249.99
90
p90_ACF_01_GGS carp spirit.indd 1
24/11/2016 11:40
WORLDS MOST ADVANCED

FEATURE FINDER
NEW LOW
PRICE!
TACKLE AWARDS
2016
Highly Commended
BEST FISHING TECH
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Due to high levels of sales and increased production

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s 3EEK OUT THE BEST FEATURES AND HOT SPOTS IN THE LAKE AND PLACE YOUR BAIT IN
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VISIT: WWW.FISHSPY.COM
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p091_AC_01_TFGFish Spy.indd 1
SCAN HERE TO
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24/11/2016 10:29
THESE BAITS HAVE

ALREADY CAUGHT A RAKE
OF BIG FISH.
CC MOORE
LIVE SYSTEM
THE NUMBERS
A high-end bait range that will work to help you put more fish
on the bank welcome to the LIVE SYSTEM.
ith a catch repertoire

that spans thousands
of fish and some of the
biggest carp in the country, Live
System is packed with a blend
of nutritional milk proteins, bird
food and active ingredients like
yeast. High-leakage soluble
cream attractors help to improve
attraction around the spot.

As you would expect
from a low-oil base mix, the
digestibility of Live System is
impressive, even in the coldest
of conditions. There are shelf-life
and freezer baits available in
the range, with bait sizes from
10mm to 24mm.
The boilies themselves are

backed up by a huge range of
complementary products. From
pop-ups and wafters to dips
and even stick mixes, there is a
full roster of great additives to
change your baiting approach
yet still keep a main theme with
flavourings.
Boilies from 9.99
THE VERDICT
A full bait range with
a phenomenal track
record.
92
p92_ACF_01_GGS cc moore.indd 1
22/11/2016 16:07
SKEE-TEX BOOTS
67.95
ULTRALIGHT
WELLINGTON
AS WORN BY
SIR RANULPH FIENNES
THERMAL
AL SOCKS 4.95
OVER 0
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500 S
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P IR
SOLD
SIZES
5-15
FIELD
BOOTS
SIZES
5-13
89.95
SIZES
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AVAILABLE
BLE
IN GREEN, BLACK
OR OLIVE
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EPLAC
LLINERS
26.95
37.95
TTREKKER
BOOTS
SIZES
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MOOCHA
59.95
SIZES
3-11
13.95
t: 01268 768282 info@skee-tex.co.uk

P093_AC_01_Browns+Skeetex.indd 1
21/11/2016 14:43
GG SPECIAL
WYCHWOOD
PARKA AND BIB & BRACE
THE NUMBERS
We take a look at WYCHWOODs oering in the winter carp

clothing market, with durable materials and great design.
Parka 149.99
Salopettes 119.99
Quality winter
warmers well worth
the investment to keep
you fishing through the
colder months.
ith high-quality waterproof materials

throughout, warmth and, most
importantly, dryness are the main
motivations for the creation of this new salopette
and coat combo from Wychwood. The Parka, as
its known, is based on the design of the original
parka coat, which provides maximum coverage
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The salopettes are made from the same
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winter.
THE VERDICT
94
p94_ACF_01_GGS wychwood.indd 1
22/11/2016 16:07
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ESP LO PRO BROLLY

ACF gets a first look at this revolution in lightweight shelter design.
For years the oval brolly has
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The last major change to

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98
p098-099_ACF_01_ESP Brolly.indd 1
22/11/2016 16:08
It features a space-saver
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When all packed down it

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A great innovation in
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99
p098-099_ACF_01_ESP Brolly.indd 2
22/11/2016 16:08
SAMMEE
Sams long-range
tactics have kept him
catching on this huge
southern lake, despite
limited weekend
fishing.
Sponsor: CC Moore
SAM MEE reveals to ALEX GRICE

his secrets to successful long-range
shing, catching an incredible brace
in the process.
GOING
THE DISTANCE
100
05
p100-103_ACF_01_Sam Mee.indd 1
24/11/2016 11:42
Bringing the big girl ashore.

spend much of their time out at
range and with the lake being
relatively shallow, I was curious as
to what type of spots he placed his
condence in.
Fishing eectively at long range
is dicult by any stretch of the
imagination, largely due to the fact
that big casts (over 160 yards) are
hugely aected by factors such as
wind speed and direction, which
are completely out of our control. At
these ranges, the smallest amount
of wind can have a massive eect on
accuracy and distance achieved.
A bigger bow in the line
also makes feeling for
a drop much harder,
which is certainly not
helped by the shallow
depths.
I usually target the backs of weed

beds; the sh feed condently close
to the weed and it
also allows me
to determine
whether I am
presented on
the rmer
bottom
more easily.
If I fall short
into the
weed I will
LOADING SAMS DISTANCE SPOMB
ith an enviable
list of big carp
falling to Sams
long-range
tactics, I decided
to head south to get the lowdown
from the man himself but little did
I know what was in store. Knowing
that I had stayed the night in a
nearby B&B for the feature, Sam had
excitedly called to inform me of the
events that had just unfolded and
what was waiting patiently for me.
I wasted no time at all, shovelled
down my cornakes and headed to
the lake.
Upon arrival, Sam showed me to
his swim where two retainer slings
were nestled in the margin. One by
one they were hoisted ashore to
have their pictures taken. Both sh
looked absolutely immaculate and at
a combined weight of over 82lb they
made a pretty impressive brace. A
good mornings angling in anyones
books!
After all the commotion had died
down we sat back to enjoy a good
cup of tea. I was eager to nd out a
little more about the venue, beyond
the huge sheet of water that lay in
front.
Its certainly a big expanse of
water, but its quite misleading. The
lake itself is typically very shallow,
with depths of around ve to six feet
throughout. I feel this is one of the
main reasons the sh tend to spend
a lot of time out at range, along
with the huge amount of angling
pressure. Over the years anglers
have pushed distance shing to the
limits and as a result the carp have
been pushed further into the central
zone. Theyve certainly become
cute to lines and there seems to be
a boundary behind which the carp
feed condently. When shing at
these great distances, accurate rig
and bait placement is dicult but
crucial. If the rigs are a rod length
short of the bait you simply wont
get a bite. They have no reason
to feed beyond the baited
boundary.
It was interesting to
hear Sams views on
why the sh
Add a handful of damp stick

mix. A combination of the
Pacific Tuna bag mix and
chilli hemp oil is perfect!
Pull the mix down to the

head of the Spomb and
compact it to make a dense,
weighted lip at the front.
Follow this up with a

mixture of your chosen
baits. Sams preferred choice
is Pacific Tuna.
get a much softer drop or none

at all, so a rm drop means I can
be condent that Im on the spot.
Beyond that, its extremely dicult
to dierentiate between types
of bottom at long range,
even with braid, so
ensuring a reasonably
rm drop is key to
being presented.
I will always make
the eort to
The bigger half

of the brace. We were
both blown away
by her sheer size
and immaculate
condition.
101
05
24/11/2016 11:42
a
Sam finds a short drop helps achieve
e.
rang
at
racy
accu
g
asin
incre
,
cast
crisper
A fingerstall is an absolute
must when fishing at range,
especially when using braid.
get that drop, even if its landed in

the right area I want 100 per cent
peace of mind.
I was also keen to know how Sam
went about baiting accurately at
these crazy distances.
I use a Spomb for all of my
baiting over here and, having shed
here for a while, I have picked up a
few tricks from other anglers who
have come and gone.
Interestingly, one of the biggest
elements of long-range baiting is
actually timing. To ensure ultimate
accuracy, conditions need to be calm
A few technical changes

and tweaks to your tackle
will certainly help gain those
crucial extra yards.
and this often only occurs in the

evening, as the light begins to fade.
Another real eye-opener is
loading the Spomb correctly. Making
the nose as heavy as possible allows
it to remain more stable in ight. I
use a dry bag mix, such as the Pacic
Tuna, and add chilli hemp oil to bind
the mix. I compress a handful of mix
into the front of the Spomb, which
increases the nose weight and leaves
room for loading boilies behind it. I
typically bait a short line across three
rods, all shed at the same range.
Despite having been out with
many anglers, thats one tip I had
never seen with a Spomb and
certainly something I will be using in
my shing.
After watching Sam put a couple
of Spombs out to his clipped mark,
it became apparent that he used no
ordinary casting style.
Like most successful distance
techniques, my casting style
relies on weight transfer and rod
LEADCHOICE
Sams go-to choice for range
work are 4oz distance leads.
Their aerodynamic, noseheavy shape cuts through
the air without much wobble,
which aids distance and
accuracy.
102
24/11/2016 11:42
One last look at the 39-pounder

before she goes home.
The second half of the brace.

What a stunning fish!
compression. With the rig behind

me I take a few steps forward before
transferring my full weight into
the cast. I nd thisrun upprovides
momentum that I can carry through
the cast more easily. I then keep the
rod tip high and straight to avoid
unnecessary friction on the line.
I also nd that a shorter drop
helps me to compress the rod easier,
leading to a crisper cast. When using
a run up, its important to nish the
cast at the same point to maintain
accuracy when hitting the clip on my
shing rods and Spomb rod. Finding
a casting style that suits you is
important and this technique allows
me to accurately deliver my rigs and
bait at range.
Having watched the last of the
Spombs y out, we decided to look
at Sams long-distance-rig setup.
While I had hoped to see one of the
rigs he was using at the time, this
simply wasnt an option. With the
wind beginning to pick up, getting
it back into the area would have
been extremely dicult. However,
Sam quickly tied a rig up to show
me what he had been having his
success on.
It might look simple but each
aspect has been nely tuned
to remain eective even when
punched out to my desired mark.
Presentation is always a concern
when shing far out, so this rigs
anti-tangle properties were a huge
draw for me. You may also notice
that I am using a boilie hook bait to
match those Ive introduced with the
Spomb, but I top this with a piece
of yellow plastic corn to provide a
visual stimulant. I also like to harden
my hook baits, creating an extremely
resilient bait that can withstand the

pressure of the cast. This is crucial if it
takes a few attempts to hit the mark
because the last thing you want is
your bait splitting and coming o
the hair on the perfect cast!
As you can see, I use a very
short hair because this seems to
be less prone to tangling in ight.
I use a semi-sti coated hook link
material in conjunction with an
anti-tangle sleeve and a small piece
of tungsten putty on the link. This
all helps the rig separate from the
leadcore leader when the lead
has touched down. I then couple
this with a lead clip and big 4oz
distance lead. I always place greater
emphasis getting the rig positioned
over the baited area than I do on a
complicated rig.
After witnessing the
simple, no-nonsense rig
that Sam uses, we take
a look at the
tackle he puts under enormous

amounts of pressure on every trip
and how he goes about setting the
rods up for the best possible bite
indication.
I have been using the 13ft Fox
Horizon rods because, despite
being a fairly short guy, I nd I can
still compress them easily, aiding
my casting ability twofold! Braid
is another important part of the
armoury. Being exceptionally thin
and supple, braid simply ies o the
spool. The lack of stretch also aids
bite indication, which is even more
important at these ranges.
For this reason, its also
necessary to sh the main line ping

tight. I also like to set the clutches
fairly tight, so when a sh does take,
the strain of the braid guarantees
good hook-holds. The takes are
often screamers!
On many waters, such as the
southern syndicate that Sam has
been targeting, being able to sh
at extreme range can be a real
edge. In many cases this can be the
dierence between success and
failure. A few technical changes and
tweaks to your tackle will certainly
help gain those crucial extra yards.
By ne-tuning his approach, Sam
has had a fantastic year, catching a
host of mirrors and commons over
the magical 40lb mark. ACF
103
24/11/2016 11:43
TACKLE AWARDS
2016
he votes are in and

counted, the results
compiled and ready to
be announced. By far the
most important thing,
though, is that you, the Advanced
Carp Fishing readership, got
involved and had your say, providing

the information and opinion we
needed to deliver the definitive
results for this years ACF Tackle
Awards.
As usual, there are some big names
involved, from Korda and Fox to Free
Spirit and Sticky, but every winner is a

deserving one. A big congratulations
to all who won and framed across
the various categories and an even
bigger thanks to everyone who got
involved in the voting process. Here
are the results.
Best Rod Under 150

Winner Free Spirit CTX
Highly commended Shimano Tribal Velocity
Highly commended Nash Dwarf
Best Prepared Particles

Winner CC Moore
HC Dynamite Hemp N Snails
HC Nashbait Spicy Slicker Hemp
Best Rod over 150

Winner Free Spirit Hi-S
HC Nash Scope
HC Daiwa Longbow DF
Best Bivvy
Winner Trakker Tempest v2 Bivvy System
HC Nash Titan
HC Aqua M3 Compact
Best Big Pit Reel

Winner Shimano Ultegra 14000 XTD
HC Daiwa Tournament S Black
HC Fox Fx 11
Best Brolly
Winner Fox Supa Brolly
HC Trakker Tempest Brolly
HC Nash Groundhog FS
Best Compact Reel

Winner Shimano Ultegra Ci4 5500 XTB
HC Daiwa Castizm QDA
HC Fox FX9
Best Barrow
Winner Carp Porter MK2 Fatboy
HC Fox Explorer
HC Carp Porter All Terrain
Best Boilie Range

Winner Mainline Cell
HC Sticky Baits Krill
HC Sticky Baits Manilla
Best Bait Boat

Winner Angling Technics Microcat
HC Viper Mk3
HC Waverunner Mk4
Best Pellets
Winner Sticky Krill Pellets
HC Mainline Response Pellets
HC CC Moore Pacific Tuna
Best Luggage
Winner Nash
HC Trakker NXG Luggage Range
HC Aqua Black Series Luggage
104
p104-105_ACF_01_tackle awards.indd 1
25/11/2016 15:16
Best Bedchair
Winner Nash Indulgence Sleep System Wide Boy
HC Fox Flatliter Mk2
HC Trakker Levelite Bed
Best Terminal Tackle Range

Winner Korda
HC Fox Edges
HC Nash TT
Best Clothing
Winner Fox Chunk
HC Trakker
HC Nash ZT
Best Session Accessory

Winner Ridgemonkey Sandwich Toaster
HC Ridgemonkey Bivvy Light Dus IR
HC Hobo Glow
Best Footwear
Winner Skee-Tex Field Boots
HC Korda All Weather Trainers
HC Skee-Tex Original Boot
Best Fishing Tech

Winner Ridgemonkey Vault Powerpack
HC Deeper
HC Fishspy Underwater Camera
Best Bite Indicator Range

Winner Fox Black Label
HC Delkim SlimLite
HC Korda Mk2 Stow Bobbin
Best Mail-Order Shop/

Website
Winner Erics Angling
HC Total Fishing Tackle
HC Angling Direct
Best Rod Support/Bankware

Winner Fox Black Label
HC Cygnet 20/20
HC JAG 316
Best Mail-Order After Sales

Service
Winner Erics Angling
HC Total Fishing Tackle
HC Angling Direct
Best Sunglasses
Winner Fox Chunk Avius
HC Fortis Aviators
HC Fortis Switch Wraps
Tackle Company of the Year

Winner Korda
HC Fox
HC Nash
Best Bite Alarm

Winner Delkim TX-I Plus
HC Fox Micron NTXR
HC Nash Siren R3
Best Facebook Page

Winner Fox International
HC The official Nash Tackle Page
HC Korda Developments
Best PVA
Winner Korda
HC ESP PVA Mesh & PVA bags
HC Fox
Best website
Winner www.korda.co.uk
HC www.nashtackle.co.uk
HC www.foxint.com
Best Mono Line

Joint Winner Fox Exocet & Korda Touchdown
HC Gardner GT-HD
HC ESP Syncro XT Loaded
Best Braid Line
Best Instagram Account

Winner Fox
HC Nash
HC Korda
Winner Berkley Whiplash

HC Fox Submerge
HC Korda Sub Braid
Favourite Carp Angler

Winner Terry Hearn
TERRY
HEARN
Best Fluorocarbon Line

Winner Fox Trans Khaki Illusion
HC Korda Kontour
HC X-Line
105
p104-105_ACF_01_tackle awards.indd 2
25/11/2016 15:17
BEATTHE
WINTERBLUES
KEEP ON CATCHING THROUGH
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FEBRUARY ISSUE ON SALE
10.01.17
TAKE YOUR CARP FISHING TO THE NEXT LEVEL
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All our products are available from any of our uk stores

Barnsley, Crewe, Doncaster, Hull, Lincoln, Manchester, Mildenhall, Reading, Rotherham, Sheffield, Sunderland, Swindon, Birmingham
ADAM PENNINGS BIG-CARP DIARY
ONE
STEP AHEAD
PART SIX
With the Cleverley carp quickly wising

up, ADAM PENNING tweaks his tactics
to stay ahead of the game.
ummer was quickly

disappearing; Id
got until the end
of August, exactly
three months
from when I started, until
other things would be taking
precedence and my mini
campaign at Cleverley Mere
would grind to a halt.
If you follow my diary
then you will know that the
preceding weeks had been
very kind to me and I loved my
time at this fabulous venue. In
the back of my mind I wanted
to achieve a target of 30 sh
before the end of the month
and with the amazing haul of
sh o the top that I detailed
last issue, I was the proud (and

slightly surprised) captor of 21
thus far and was sure that if I
just kept on doing what I was
doing then the results would
continue to come my way.
That last part is important
sometimes it can be tempting
to make changes when you
go through a dry patch, or if
the target sh still hasnt come
your way. Generally, the best
decision is to simply keep on
doing what you are doing.
However, at Cleverley I needed
to make a couple of small
adjustments to stay ahead of
the game.
Firstly, one of my spots near
the island was drying up in
terms of bites. Id taken eight

sh from this one small spot but
lately they were visiting it less
and when they did nally come
in, they were very cautious
indeed. I have never found
that there is one spot where
you can catch them all from on
tricky waters. Sooner or later
they realise that the game is
afoot and bites become much
harder to get. Coupled with
this, I was attracting hordes of
rudd into the zone, which were
an ever-present swarm over the
spot. Even 20mm baits were
eventually whittled down and
a couple managed to impale
themselves on my super-sharp
hooks.
Due to this, I started priming

other zones but I did wonder
if a change of line angle would
help. One night I had the sh
over the spot but no bites had
come my way. This wasnt the
rst time it had happened
and I resolved to do another
night on the spot but with a
completely dierent line lay.
The result was astonishing, with
another couple of sh coming
quite quickly. This really got me
thinking about lines and the
awareness of these incredibly
pressured sh to them.
So far Id been shing
super-tight lines, with the
tip down low and a big lead.
This had been working very
108
p108-112_ACF_01_AdamPenning.indd 1
24/11/2016 11:41
ADAMPENNING
The ever-consistent
Mr Penning catches
carp to order from all
over the UK. He also
runs a thriving tuition
business.
Sponsors: Sticky and
Prologic
4
1
2
1. A chunky little character with tiny fins.

2. Melted fin rays on a mid-twenty Cleverley
common wonderful!
3. Another lovely creature from my session
fishing to the bubblers.
4. The fish were becoming wary of the tight
lines a change was in order.
5. Oiled-up Krill deadly in the height of
summer!
109
24/11/2016 11:41
well but now I was starting to

worry a bit more about the
lines, particularly given that
there was an algae bloom
and they were getting quickly
coated, making keeping a
discreet prole very dicult.
Additionally, the weed was
growing quickly, rising up
through the water column
and aecting my line lay;
this needed to be taken into
account.
These issues combined
to make me reconsider my
approach slightly and although
I normally avoid them like the
plague, it seemed that a very
slack, low-lying uorocarbon
might give me more benets.
I dont like shing like this
because it is so fashionable
and I like to be a little dierent,
but there was no way I was
going to slavishly stick to my
tight lines if circumstances were
changing to make them less
viable.
The following session I
arrived to nd an area known
as Point 2 free. So far in my
campaign it had been of little
interest; it is by far the most
pressured swim on the lake
and I like to avoid these areas
where possible. If this swim
is ever empty then anglers
tend to drive straight up to it
and automatically go in there
without a second thought
or even a glance around,
something that I nd quite
incredible.
Having said that, it does
of course dproduce sh but
I wasnt intending to sh it
anytime soon. This all changed
when, looking across, I saw a
swathe of zzing sh in the
open water in front of the point.
The water was very coloured
and there was no doubt about
it, I needed to be in there!
I baited with the usual 20mm
Krill, which I had soaked quite
heavily in Cap-Oil. This is a very
spicy sh oil that I always use in
the height of summer, and not
just because the carp love it. I
use it for another key reason;
I always know when the sh
are feeding on the bait and

this knowledge can be quite
potent. When you introduce
the bait you always get a slick,
but after the bait has settled
this dissipates and after an hour
there is usually very little to see.
When the sh arrive and start
chewing on the boilies it is a
very dierent story as the newly
released oils make their way
to the surface, creating a fresh
and sometimes very impressive
slick.
Over the next couple of
mornings I was fortunate
enough to bank several sh,
all of them lovely looking
following week and shortly

after arriving I found a small
group of sh milling around
one of my spots in the swim
called Gavs. There were three,
all commons, and one was
very big indeed, certainly
upper thirty. He was very
distinguishable due to the
break in his dorsal and a long
scratch down his left-hand
ank. I thought it might
be The Marlin, one of the
most desirable in the lake
and uncaught for almost six
months.
The water around the spot
was coloured and carefully,
THE FISH THRASHED

ABOUT, SEEMINGLY
IN DANGER OF
BEACHING ITSELF...
commons. It was a very
enjoyable session and I spent
the downtime doing a bit of
stalking and doing lap after lap
of the lake, looking hard for
opportunities.
As usual, I was very busy
with tutorials and one or two
nights a week for myself was
the most I could manage. As
we came into a period of very
hot weather, I had a succession
of clients at The Quarry and,
although it was hard work in
the heat, they all caught well,
with some of them being
absolute stunners (the sh,
not the clients!). I caught a few
along the way too, putting
rods out late in the evening if
everything was sorted out
never before!
Although relatively small,
my favourite sh was a long,
thin mirror that was dark blue
across the back, had a lovely
underslung mouth and was
equipped with huge, whitetipped ns. He really was a
pearler.
I was back at Cleverley the
when the sh went o on a

little circuit up to the left, I
introduced broken boilies
followed by a rig. I nailed the
line down to the bottom and
carefully threaded the rod
back and onto a bite alarm.
There was a tree nearby that
was almost impossible to get
up but from this I could watch
what was going on always
the most exciting form of
shing!
The sh came back
along the margin a few
minutes later and all three
immediately dropped into
the cloud and disappeared
from view. I watched from
the spindly branches above,
straining my eyes in an eort
to see what was going on.
I was sure I was going to
get a bite I just hoped that
the usual thing wouldnt
happen where the smallest
one is the one to make the
mistake. Mind you, the two
smaller ones were both upper
twenties, more than big
enough for me!
The sh couldnt have been

on the spot for more than 90
seconds when the alarm below
me absolutely ripped o! I was
more than a little shocked to
have got a bite so quickly and
half fell from the tree before
grabbing the rod. The sh tore
along the margin to my left,
doing its best to snarl me up
on some overhangs. Luckily,
the dry summer meant that
anything that could have done
me harm was barely touching
the water and my line stretched
out underneath the trailing tips
as the sh continued to rip line
from the reel.
Eventually it slowed and
by applying a little more side
strain, I was able to turn it into
open water. It then kited all
the way back past me before
heading into the margin
again, up to my right. It really
was becoming a strange
ght. As the sh thrashed
about, seemingly in danger of
beaching itself, I grabbed the
net and jumped into the water
after it, managing to scoop it
up seconds later!
Looking into the net, I could
see it was indeed The Marlin
and, silently thanking the
carp gods, I carefully made
my way back to the shore
where I secured it while I got
everything sorted out. My
good mate Dan Wildbore was
angling just down the road at
The Quarry, and with it being
such a lovely looking sh I gave
him a call to see if he was free.
Being the top man that he
his, Dan arrived a short while
later, which made things a lot
easier because the sh was very
lively and would have been a
bit of an armful while trying to
conduct my usual self-takes.
The wondrous creature
weighed exactly 37lb and
he bristled with anger at the
indignity of being tricked from
his watery kingdom. Naturally I
was so excited that I could have
combusted!
The following morning
another couple of sh came my
way. The slack line approach
110
24/11/2016 11:41
6. How could I resist a water returner!

7. My little corker I loved him!
8. Dave with a stunning personal best
Quarry mirror.
111
113
24/11/2016 11:41
was working well and I felt

it was oering more than
it was taking away on this
occasion. When I sh a truly
slack line I like to get my tips
up fairly high. This allows me
to continue paying out line
until the fast-sinking Spectrum
uorocarbon is lying very low
against the weed. Basically, you
can impart more slack into a
line with the tip up than you
can with it down and you can
clearly see just how slack it is.
After casting, this process
takes several minutes per rod
and I do it in such a way that
the line is sunk from the rig
back to the tip, not the other
way round. When the job is
done the line should hang
straight down from the rod tip.
It might look a little ineective
as a means of indicating a bite
but it is actually surprisingly
sensitive if you do it with uoro.
The density and lack of stretch
seems to transmit things
quickly to the rod end and,
because I was never casting
more than about 50 yards, it
was perfect. I always sh my
clutches tight and use a good
gripping back rest. Once the
sh has hit the rod, the whole
thing compresses over as the
reel very slowly yields line. This
is also great visually, because
when you get a bite, the high
tip bends over as if it were a
bite from an angry river barbel!
The trip ended in ne style
when Wayne Clarke, who
was shing round the other
side (in Point 2 in fact), came
to get me as he breathlessly
exclaimed that hed bagged
Chester! This sh is the biggest
in the lake and hadnt been
out all year. It was indeed a
momentous capture and I was
delighted to be able to share
the occasion with him. It was a
great payback for Wayne who
doesnt get much shing time
and spends a lot of evenings
cutting the grass and doing
other things around the lake.
Karma indeed well done sir!
Catch up with me next month
as my time at Cleverley comes
to an end in style! ACF
10
9. How your line should hang

when fishing a properly
slack line.
10. Sinks like a brick ideal!
11. Wayne Clarke with the
highly desirable Chester at
over 40lb.
11
112
24/11/2016 11:41
*
*
*
*
*
* Also Available in full cork
Free Spirit AD CW315.indd 1
21/11/2016 16:15
IN PURSUIT
OF THE LARGEST
There cant be many carp anglers who havent heard of Terry
Hearn, and his first book, In Pursuit Of The Largest, is one of the
most popular pieces of contemporary carp fishing literature.
tarting around 1992, the book follows

a youngerTel as he cuts his teeth on
the famousYateley complex. However,
it doesnt take long for him to work his
way to the top and we follow his success
in his quest to catch the biggest and best
carp from across the country.Throughout
the book we seeTerry sh waters such as
Yateleys Car Park Lake,Wraysbury One,
Conningbrook andThe Mere, catching some
of the most iconic sh the country has ever
produced, including Mary at a British record
weight and the elusive Black Mirror.
Alongside the key storyline,Terry
includes a rake of fantastic guest writers.
These continue along the same theme of
inspirational big-carp stories, adding context
regarding the carp shing community at
the time.The book also features the chapter

RigTalk, whereTerry talks through his
thought process regarding the rigs he used
to catch these great carp, including an early
form of the now famous hinged sti rig. Its
incredible to see just how far carp tackle has
come on since, yet his theories are still just as
relevant in todays angling.
While the long list of epic carp alone
would justify reading the book, its Tels
storytelling ability, taking you back to the
very moment, that has made it one of the
best carp books ever produced. His love of
shing is clear and his enthusiasm infectious;
you will no doubt want to get out angling
yourself after having a read. If youre lacking
motivation and need something to get your
carping kick-started again, get reading! ACF
114
p114_ACF_01_ICON.indd 1
22/11/2016 16:12
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22/11/2016 09:26

Advanced Carp Fishing - January 2017

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Advanced Carp Fishing - January 2017

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EXCLUSIVE FIRST LOOK AT ESPS AWESOME LO PRO BROLLY

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A FISH ROLLED EXACTLY

As we dot the is and cross the ts, drawing

82 GEAR GUIDE BAIT

The latest news and competitions from the social

In this second instalment, Jon McAllister talks more

If you want to try a new bait, then check these out.

12 TIE & TRY

47 HOLDING OUT FOR AWHACKER

The rig from across the pond thats been waging

Myles Gibson continues his campaign on Dinton,

15 THE HUNGRY CARPER

55 WIN BERKLEY MAIN LINE

Because bank life doesnt have to be just Pot

We have more than 500 worth of new Berkley

16 PUTTING IT ALL ONTHE LINE

56 THE SAILING LAKE

We take a first look at ESPs brand-new brolly.

An unrelenting obsession for a big common puts

Dave Robinson recounts his time fishing the Lea

100 GOING THE DISTANCE

22 WHAT WOULD THE PROS

61 JEWELS OF THE NORTH

Kev Hewitt talks through his maggot fishing

Fishery owner Martin Gardener lands his two target

27 MAXIMISE YOUR TIME

How Dave Levy found success on the busy Horton

Edge fishing sees Hadley Ever catch an incredible

108 ADAM PENNINGS BIG

74 THE ROAD TRIP

A change in tactics brings more success on Cleverley

Tangle avoidance stop wasting time fishing with

Ben Francis travels to the Continent for filming and

78 GEAR GUIDE TACKLE

This time its Terry Hearns first book a great piece

Elliott Gray gives his thoughts on fishing with the

The tackle thats hit the shops this month is

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Sam Mee spills the beans on his successful longrange tactics.

104 TACKLE AWARDS

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Editor Matt Townend