HOW TO: CATCH CARP IN CLEAR WATER CONDITIONS

HOW TO: CATCH CARP IN CLEAR WATER CONDITIONS At this time of year, the water in many lakes is crystal clear. With this in mind, Shropshire-based carper Ellis Brazier looks at his early-spring methods and gives some top tips for combating clear water conditions. Ellis Brazier Age 40 Hometown Shrewsbury Occupation Firefighter UK PB 39lb 4oz Favourite venue Hawkstone Park Rods JRC J2 Reels Shimano Biomaster XTA Alarms Fox RX Digital Fish on! Cold-water carp can still be caught if you get your presentation and location right. It s that time of the year when the fi rst signs of spring are eagerly awaited as an indication that the cold weather is coming to an end, and our quarry will start to be awake more often and want to feed with increasing vigour. Oh, if only life was that simple; in reality we face a long and slow process of cold nights and occasional warmer days before any major changes are apparent in the carp s willingness to be more co-operative, but as the life on the bottom of the waters we fi sh starts to regenerate, there will be chances of a capture. And day by day, if we stick at it, these will become greater as more and more fi sh start to replenish their condition as their metabolism increases with the water temperature in the buildup towards summer and eventual spawning. In years gone by this was the peak time to catch carp; after a winter of very little or no angling pressure, and if we were lucky and spring started to show early, the carp would once again become active towards the back end of the old coarse season. Today, on the other hand, things are very different; anglers are better equipped to deal with the harsh conditions of winter fi shing, and as has been proved many times over, most carp still have to feed in winter. The angling tabloids are testament to this, with endless pictures of the fi sh we all so badly want to catch. The majority of fi sheries have seen anglers out all through the colder months, applying baits and rigs designed to feed, stimulate and catch carp no matter how cold the temperature gets, and as long as the lakes are free of ice there will be anglers on the banks. As the carp become more active on the heavily fi shed club and day ticket fi sheries, they are very much aware of the fact that they are being fi shed for day in and day out, and this brings me on to the topic of this month s article, which is aimed at looking into how anglers can improve their chances of being undetected by our quarry whilst in pursuit of them. Please stay with me a little longer and let me explain what exactly what I mean by lessening the chances of being detected.>> Crafty Carper 57

How To: Catch Carp in Clear Water Conditions /// Ellis Brazier TIME OF YEAR I have always felt that at this time of year the carp has an advantage over anglers, in as much as he can take it or leave it when it comes to feeding, or more so the process of finding food. As an example, I have caught many carp from extremely shallow water in the late-winter/early-spring period, yet I have not known for definite that carp are present in the area. It has either been a hunch, an educated guess, or constructed luck, but on hooking the carp or hearing the buzzer I have seen it swirl or move as it realises it has made a mistake. This very same situation in warmer weather very rarely presents itself, for most of the time carp can be seen moving around under the water even though the depth of these areas is the same as when it s cold. All I can make out from analysing many examples of this sort of behaviour is that the carp are far more concealed and shy than they are when the weather and water is warmer. I have also read that in colder water carp have diluted vision and senses, and this would make sense because most cold-blooded creatures, like carp, seem very docile in the colder weather. No one can deny that high-visual bait colours and strong flavours are very effective at this time of year, which almost reinforces the point. But there is one thing I have grown up with in my cold-water angling, and that is when the angling slows and becomes more difficult due to the cold water temperature, no matter what you are fishing for, the best chance of achieving any consistent success is to scale down the tackle (just ask any match angler). My own theory is that although the carp are slower in line with the water temperature, they are also slower in the inspecting and eating of any food items, and if there is anything that makes them nervous of the feeding situation (more of this later) they are embarking on, then they will simply stop and slowly move off. When I say slowly move off, this could be why we don t see as many swirls and bow waves as we do when the weather is warmer; the carp don t get spooked as they do in summer and race off at speed, they simply melt away, leaving anglers none the wiser. Also, because most other fish in the water are mobile and feeding at a slower rate, or even not at all, there is less chance that if the carp leaves his meal it will be gone when he decides to return. Couple this theory with the fact that at this time of year, on most waters, the water clarity will be at its peak due to the decreased movement of carp and other fish over the winter months, and the retarding effect that the cold water has on the bacteria and other organic life that exist under the surface. Basically, what I am trying to say is that although the carp is somewhat slower in his reactions, he has far more time at his disposal to consider his actions. So, if you are still with me and have experienced much the same situation, let s look at some ways in which I have managed to swing the balance back in anglers favour. 58 This late-january-caught carp, when the lake still had ice on it, was very lightly hooked, and gave little indication on Ellis buzzer, and looked almost dormant as it was being unhooked. My own theory is that although the carp are slower in line with the water temperature, they are also slower in the inspecting and eating of any food items Crafty Carper 057-061_HowTo_CC151.indd 2 5/2/10 10:58:13

Traditionally productive winter swims Gravel bars Hot spot 1 Hot spot 2 Hot spot 3 Traditionally productive winter swims Alternative winter swim offering a change in line angles SETUP POSITION It may sound simple, but as spring starts to creep in, there is a trick I learned years ago that never seems to let me down, whether I m angling on familiar waters or one I don t know. It s simply to either move the line angle from the normal swim to a popular known winter-producing area, or to go one step further and actually seek out an area that hasn t been fi shed all winter. Let me explain: the carp will, by now, be starting to move around a little more; they ll be aware of angling pressure and will become less and less tolerant of anglers Once I realised what was happening, I simply set up in the under-fished quieter areas and cast at a different angle to the holding spot; as you can guess, this simple move made the difference and I started to catch with a lot more consistency Fishing your rods on single banksticks will enable you to be more versatile when it comes to altering the angle of your line when fishing to known productive spots. lines stretched out over their resting area. I ve witnessed this on all waters I have fi shed winter after winter; Birch Grove was a classic for this. We knew most of the fi sh shoaled up just past the centre in the middle of the lake (not a surprise in the colder months!). Each time I set up all the cold weather comforts in the swim that had command of this area and then cast the baits, all I would be left with was a few hours of line bites and 46hrs of nothing, as the shoal realised my presence and then simply moved to quieter areas. Once I realised what was happening, I simply set up in the under-fi shed quieter areas and cast at a different angle to the holding spot; as you can guess, this simple move made the difference and I started to catch with a lot more consistency. Also, when other anglers occupied the favourite winter area, I would set up well back from the water in the shallow summer area and fi sh a couple of heavily concealed rods, and again the results spoke for themselves, with even some of the lake s more tricky residents falling to my rods. I have, as I say, endless recollections of this situation, and I ve wasted many a week s holiday at the back end of the old season when I would fi ght to get into a known spot in the hope that I would be on the bulk of the fi sh, only to watch in agony as someone who had not been on the water all winter set up in an underrated area and catch one after another. This is now the time of year to start to search out those less than comfy, quieter areas that have seen no angling pressure >> for months. Crafty Carper 59

LINE CONCEALMENT As you may have worked out by now, I am a great believer in the fact that as the carp move around, they are more than capable of detecting angling presence. I am convinced the major cause of detection is through the line. As discussed earlier, often when setting up and casting out on known holding areas, anglers get the obligatory hour or two of line bites that have us poised for action, then hours of inactivity, and this has to be fi sh detecting our presence through the line. Now the obvious answer to solving this problem would have to be a backlead, but for me, when casting any sort of distance over 10yds, the minuses seriously outweigh the benefi ts. I am a fi rm believer in the use of semi-fi xed fl ying backleads, or fl uorocarbon line; not only does this stuff become virtually invisible in water fi shed on a slack line, it also sinks like a brick. Many of you will cringe at the mere mention of fl uorocarbon line, but please let me assure you that things have moved on, and now quality fl uorocarbon is available in bulk spools and at a decent price. In fact, my friend and I have used this line for over 12 months for all types of angling, and I can honestly say it is the greatest single advantage I have had over the fi sh for years. The other way I have been able to overcome this problem is to change swim location, if possible, and to cast a long line back into the productive area. A change to a low diameter or lighter breaking strain line can be an advantage for avoiding fi sh detection or, if allowed on the fi shery, I employ the use of braid for this task because it gives unrivalled amounts of feedback on bite and carp indication and is thinner than mono line. I always fi sh braid, if allowed, with a heavier mono shockleader; this helps to sink the last few feet and to provide a degree of safety for the carp s body while being played. Ellis recommended knot for attaching braided main line to a fluorocarbon leader 1 6x 4x Braid is great for bite detection. Combine with a fluorocarbon leader to aid rig concealment. 1 Did you know...? A flying backlead is a freerunning lead on an angler s main line, positioned behind the tubing, leadcore or leader setup. When cast out the flying backlead flies back up the line, pinning the main line to the lakebed, thus making it more difficult for a carp to detect the baited rig. HOW TO... CONSTRUCT ELLIS FLYING BACKLEAD AND LEADER SETUP 1 2 3 4 Here are all the components you will need to recreate Ellis leader setup. First, take a small, hard plastic bead, and thread it onto the main line. Next you ll need to tie an overhand loop knot on the end of the line. Now pass the loop knot through the fused loop on the leader 5 6 7 8 then pass the whole lead setup through the main line loop. Now attach the flying backlead onto the main line behind the bead. Trim a small length of green or brown pole elastic 7ins (18cm) long. Now form a loop in the pole elastic around the main line, like this. 9 10 11 12 Pass one end of the elastic through the loop, and repeat five times. Moisten the knot with saliva and slowly pull apart both tag ends. Neatly trim the tag ends, as shown in the picture above. Ellis sets his pole elastic stop about 2ft (60cm) back from his leader. 60 Crafty Carper

PVA bags with bright pop-ups are devastating at this time of the year. RIGS AND BAITS If your rigs are working, don t try to change this; mainly this feature has concentrated on ways in which to conceal ourselves (not our rigs) from the carp, although it would be foolish not to try to refi ne or conceal things as much as possible, especially now because we still have the advantage of most seasonal snags, i.e. pads and weed still in their tender infancy, which provides anglers with a once-a-year opportunity to fi sh the paddy/weedy areas as with subtle tackle. Ellis runs permanent marker pens along his clear leader to help it blend in with the lakebed he is fishing over. I feel that the presentation a solid PVA bag can provide does mimic the emergence of the small pockets or blooms of the carp s natural diet A well-deserved pretty mirror for our man when there was still ice on the lake good angling! The main changes I make at this time of year are the use of my extra-long clear JRC Snyde leaders, and if needs be I use the marker pen to match the colour to the lakebed. I feel these just give that extra bit of concealment as the carp enters the feeding area, and again they help to sink and pin down the slackened-off main line. The other main addition is the use of solid PVA bags. I feel that the presentation a solid PVA bag can provide does mimic the emergence of the small pockets or blooms of the carp s natural diet, especially when fi shed into any areas that are likely to have started, or are just about to start, to grow any weed or pad beds. As these start to emerge they will be visited with more and more frequency by the carp, and I am yet to fi nd a presentation to rival the solid PVA bag when casting into areas such as these. Short braided hooklinks of as light a breaking strain as I feel I can get away with complete this hard-to-detect and deadly setup. CONCLUSION Well, there s nothing new or groundbreaking this month, just a refinement of what I try to do every time I fish. The major point I have tried to convey is that with a little thought (and sometimes discomfort) in not setting up in the luxury swims, we can start to put the balance back in our favour. Please try to remember that our quarry learn by association, so if we do the same thing week after week, in the same spots, then anglers are making life fairly easy for them. I hope I ve made you think. All the best, Ellis. CC Crafty Carper 61