The most common question about carp fishing in the UK, is “Why do I even need it?”
For me, the answer is quite simple – it’s miles and miles of comfortable places, where you can catch fish that never was on the hook, and does not have an affinity to new baits.
Do my words have even a single piece of a lie in them? Sometimes I can lie, like most of the fishers, but not in this scenario.
Does this place have carp?
Tha challenge that was given to me is about having the attempt, and the point of success, to make it right.
Most of the species are 2 to 5 kg sometimes 10-13 kg, and even less often 13-18 kg, but the size doesn’t matter here, catching any carp in the river – is a tough job which requires a ton of patience and bravery.
If you are going after the fish that weight about 30 to 40 pounds (13-18 kg) – you must forget about the lakes. If you like to be the pioneer, be different and take any challenge, given you by the fish – put on your cape and be ready for some hard work.
The most important factor how to catch carp is the place. It is true, for all the carp species, but it is more critical when you try to find it in the river. You have to remember all the rumours, data about the previous catches, tips and tricks.
You need to walk around all the shores, talk to local fishers, boat owners, which always surprised about my excitement when they tell about a big fish with a bronze colour, that feeds on the food leftovers thrown in the water.
The right places to start carp fishing in the UK is the places of pike habitat. Bridges, bays, creeks, lateral tributaries, and canals, areas with the backwards stream, big old channels – basically any place, where current is slowed down by, trees, algae, roots, drowned boats. Carp – doesn’t like standing in place, even though it can be caught even there.
At the moment when you found a couple of this places, this can help you prepare.
Most of the times, I make one expedition, to feel the lake and find the best places for bottom baits, catching from the surface or float, and also determine the locations of algae, bottom type, rocks etc.
The first expedition gives you a direction, where you can start luring.
I hear a moan – “But I don’t have time nor money for the lure!”
If you don’t have time for luring, that means you are not ready for carp fishing on a river!
“And what about the cost of the lure!? Because you have to use it for all the season!”
And what about the lure, that will be enough to lure the water during all three months, but cost me less than a kilogram of boilies in the store?
Might you’ve heard about dry seed corn? A 25-kilo bag costs less than 7 pounds!
It looks nice, absorbs the smells and the colouring, quite thick and because of that doesn’t sink even in the current, seems natural and can be noticeable.
How prepare the corn for carp fishing?
Put the corn in a big bowl, maximum to the half of it.
Add the similar amount of water, aromas and colourings are added at the same time. Fragrances are inserted in the amount of 0.5 ml on the kg for regular aromatisation, or 2 ml on a kg for a stronger one. The colourings are the same – a lot for darkening or full changing of the colour of the lure, or a bit, to delete the light intensity of the bait.
STIR IT GOOD a few time during the soaking process.
Leave it to soak for 36-48 hours.
Put the contains of the bowl in the pan and boil it from 30 to 45 minutes. Now put it in boxes, add more aromas and attractants, if needed. Regularly check the lure, as it’s emitting the water while cooling, and you don’t want the corn to be dried out. Another recipe of how to prepare corn for carp fishing you can find here.
Luring
Lure the place of the fishing as much as possible.
Mix your lure with salmon pellets, and soon you will notice, that you can use the trick in more significant portions, the cost of which is less then boilies. You can add some boilies in the water, only to show the carp what you are planning to use as a bait on the hook.
I like using big, 8mm pellets on the lake, the sink like that quicker.
All lake inhabitants eat corn and pellets, so the chosen and lured place will have a lot of different fish, but carp will scare off the small fish away.
Gear
It can be similar to lake options and based on the flow speed, numbers of bites and is made with the goal of using some seeds of corn, or if you have them, boilies. I like using not too long hair because in the current it can easily get lost.
Let’s say while fishing in deep, slow part of the river, where depth is 8 feet, surrounded with 6 ft depths; my starting option will be the flattened hanging weight 2 to 4 ounce, half-fixed on the “Korda” leash. In my gear, I use a 10-12 inch leash from the braids, neuron or “Snakeskin”.
Technique
I will throw the rod in two places.
First one – 3 to 4 feet higher the upper lip of the pit, and second two-thirds lower.
The reason for placing the hooks with bait is that the upper hook must lay, so the main current goes up, this way the particles of food transferred by the flow will fall into the dead zone in the pit.
This argument is often incorrect and depends on many variables, such as the speed of the flow, the changes in heights, the angle of the pit etc.
But I like that option, and more importantly – it works for me!
The lower hook is located for two-thirds of the lengths of the pit, as I believe that this place is where the fish that enters the hole stops at the beginning.
The indication of the bites needs some thinking and very much depends on the flow speed. Catching on the depths of 8 feet in the fast water from the opposite shore, in 40 meters from you, needs a more clear indicator, the while fishing from the near shore.
It’s better to use swingers, as they are moving less and their opposing force can be adjusted easily, despite that I use pendants, cause I determined, that I can’t make swinger more cumbersome for the rivers in which I catch fish.
Swingers with a dial, such as Gardner Sensa-dial and Nash Wasp are excellent, as they can sink up to 10 ounces, but I noticed that they attract dirt and mud, and needs to be always clear.
The next part is essential. If you catch carp for a long time, you already know that, but if you are only starting – imagine, you find a carp, and you are playing with it.
How are you going to move it to the net?
Places for catching should be chosen BEFORE the carp start to bite, and not after you begin to pick it, and realise, that you can’t reach it!
