RODS, REELS AND ACCESSORIES.
This article deals with those essential items that the responsible carp angler should have in his possession, which will be both beneficial to the angler i.e. will give you a better chance of landing that fish of a lifetime, but more importantly the well being of the fish which must be uppermost at all times. Good handling will cause the minimum amount of stress to the fish after capture and allows the angler to release the fish safely back into its murky depths to hopefully repeat the process at a heavier weight.
Dealing firstly with rods in which there is a vast array of different test curves, lengths and more importantly to most of us price, which can range from a few pounds to hundreds. Basically there are two main types, taper or compound through action rods. Taper rods have the main action in the top half of the rod and are suitable for medium to long range fishing. Generally speaking the stiffer and fast-tapered the rod the further it will cast under compression and with practice. Fast taper rods are less forgiven when playing fish at close range and care must be taken. Compound rods have an action that goes from the tip all the way to the butt and are best suited for short to medium range fishing. They are also very forgiving when playing a fish at close range. Each tackle company will tell you that their rod is the best, stating this and that and how it will catch you monster fish and make you a better angler. At the end of the day your choice will probably depend on what you can afford, the location you are likely to fish and the size of fish that are present in that water. For example what is what is the point of paying £300.00 for a purpose made fast taper 13 foot 31/2lb test curve rod.
Moving onto reels these once again vary greatly in price and the same principles of rod selection will effect your choice. A reel however should be capable of holding 150m of 8lb line, which should be loaded correctly. It is crucial that the reel chosen has a good clutch as carp are renowned for surges when closed to the net and a faulty clutch will undoubtedly result in a lost fish. If you can afford it the baitrunner type reel is fantastic as it allows line to be taken without the bale arm being open. Once a take occurs it is simple a case of turning the handle and the pre-set clutch is then engaged. This type of reel can be expensive and there are other solutions to allow carp to take line on its initial run. Firstly disengaging the anti reverse which allows the reel handle to churn around, this method however can at times result in line getting caught in the reel when the carp stops and the reels continues to spin. Next is to loosen the clutch so that line is pulled out easily but still under light pressure, this method however requires the drag to be tightened whilst playing the fish. Another solution is to either place the line into a line clip or an elastic band, which keeps the line tight and the bale arm is left open. The one draw back with this method is that you must ensure that the line remains tight between the spool and the clip, if not the wind can rip line of the spool which can become tangled. Only by trying these methods will you find the one that suits you best. A word of warning unless you are going to be holding your rod at all times with total concentration, line must be allowed to be taken when a carp runs. Failure to follow this warning will result in the rod disappearing into the distance at a rapid rate, with no guarantee it will be recovered.
Line choice will either be a brand of monofilament line or braid. Braid is not recommended for the newcomer to the sport, as it is very unforgiving due to its non-stretch properties, which will result in numerous hook pulls. Monofilament line has varying degrees of stretch depending on the brand chosen, which there are far too many on the market to mention here. Do to its stretching properties monofilament acts as a buffer in conjunction with the rod tip and absorbs the shock of a lunging fish. The breaking strain used will depend on the type of water being fished i.e. is the water clear or are there numerous snags that all fish seem to find which consummate ease. I personally never use anything below 8lb breaking strain and most often than not it will be choice of either 12 or 15lb Big Game line, as I have found this to be totally reliable.
Now that the three main components have been covered there are a number of items the carp angler must have to ensure the safety and well being of the carp. These are firstly an unhooking mat, which should be used at all times as they allow the fish to be handled correctly with no chance of scales being ripped off or damaged by grit or dirt. A mat should also be placed under a fish during photography just in case it is dropped, as carp have a habit of wriggling when you least expect it. Some unhooking mats are specifically designed as a weigh sling, which allows easy transportation of the fish back to the waters edge. Landing nets must be capable of easily landing the size of fish you are expecting from your chosen location and must be located within easy reach at all times.
Bite alarms even though not essential for the short stay angler they make life a lot easier when ledgering as they remove the stress of constant concentration associated with staring at a bobbin. Anyone considering fishing for more than a few hours during daylight I consider them a necessity. Bite alarms are used to inform the angler of a carp bolting off or investigating the bait, they can also indicate liners which alerts you to the fact that fish are in close proximity. There is once again a vast array on the market with a basic model purchased for around £25.00. In conjunction with the bite alarm, monkey climbers, swingers, danglers etc are used as an additional form of visual indication. Bite alarms can be placed individually onto bank sticks, however the most common method is to place alarms onto a buzzer bar which can hold 2 to 4 alarms.
There are also numerous sundries that are normally carried by the angler, firstly hooks these should be matched to the size of the bait you are going to use to give the best chance of finding a hook hold within the carps mouth. Hooks come in various patterns, both barbed and barbless each with their own pros and cons. Use of each is normally governed by the rules of a particular fishery. Other items that are normally carried are swivels, beads, hooklink material, rig tubing, silicone tubing, boilie needle, boilie punch, boilie stops, stringer needle, antiseptic solution, nut drill, PVA string, PVA tape, PVA bags, braid scissors, powergum, leads, back leads, forceps, safety clips, rubbers, scales, weigh sling, throwing stick, spod, catapult, bedchair, bivvie and sleeping bag. All these items will be explained in greater detail and how they are used in future articles of carping on.