Preparation
I
seldom leave things to chance as normally there is a nasty sting in the tail
such as the line parting at the knot just as a possible personal best is about
to be slipped into the waiting net. When planning anything I always think of the
seven (P’s), Prior, Planning and Preparation, Prevents a Piss, Poor,
Performance and this ensures that I seldom miss anything out.
I however like most mere mortals do make mistakes like driving 60 miles
to a lake to find out that yes the frozen baits were lifted out of the
freezer and yes they were placed into the bag and yes the bag was
left sitting on the worktop in the kitchen, sick or what.
Preparation time is important even for a day trip to your local water but
this is magnified if the session is to be overnight or more likely over a few
days.
Overnighters:
I
must admit personally I love fishing overnight as it offers me solitude and the
opportunity to do my own thing without the interference of others. All aspects
of carp fishing seem to be intensified at night, bite alarms seem to scream
louder, the fight less predictable as most of the time the direction in which
the line is going is harder to pick out and of course carp crashing at night all
sound like monsters. Luckily I have
never been afraid of the dark which at times has been a good thing as some of
the lakes fished looked like a set from a horror movie.
I know of quite a few anglers however who need the company of another
person or they just do not fish at night. This
is mainly down to the abundance of nocturnal creature that can inhabit the
surrounding area of a lake. The
most annoying has to be Mr Rat as they are a quite bold and do not
hesitate entering a bivvie in the search for food and there scampering around is
off putting at times especially when they fight amongst themselves squealing
away like some kind of banshee. This
year both Dromore and Swangey Lakes had a population explosion of the dam things
but I am glad to report that those at Dromore have been controlled. My most interesting encounter was whilst fishing the Yateley
complex in Surrey on the North Lake home of the famous Basil, at around 10.30pm
I was awoke by the sound of snorting and grunting coming from the far side of my
bivvie. I laid motionless on the bedchair when suddenly in rushed through
the open door a fully grown badger a loud scream came from me but I’m
not sure who was the most frightened the badger or me because he tore off like a
rocket never to be seen or heard from again during that particular session.
Most carp anglers stow away all their equipment in exactly the same place
time and time again which makes life easier during those moments of madness when
a fish has just been landed. At
night this is doubly important as items can be mislaid easily as most anglers
will be using a small hand torch or head torch for re-baiting, cooking and
checking all equipment, every session I do is like clockwork from the setting up
of the rods, erecting my bivvie and stowing away all equipment not being used
into its designated position. My
tackle box is the same which allows me to open it during darkness knowing full
well what is in each compartment. The
only thing that will change on occasions will be the tactics I employ in regards
to bait presentation and the area that I have decided is likely to give me the
best chance of catching on that given session.
Club Membership:
Night fishing for carp for the day
ticket angler can be limited even in England, or it comes at a high price.
At present I know of no water in N. Ireland that allows day ticket
anglers to fish on their complex overnight, even the Northern Ireland Carp
Anglers Society restricts night fishing to their membership only.
This is not because they consider themselves elitist but is down to a
couple of main reasons which are, firstly it allows the membership certain
benefits for joining the organisation such as already mentioned solitude from
the normal rat race of day ticket carp angling. However the major reason for
restricting night fishing is normally angler’s behaviour which can be
detrimental to other anglers on the water, members normally are well behaved as
they know they run the risk of expulsion from the club after being brought
forward in front of an elected committee. Obviously
the main advantages of being able to fish more than a few hours during the day
on busy day ticket waters are, firstly for the overnight angler the bankside
will be considerably quieter and of course there is more time to build up the
swim and wait for the carp to move onto that particular area. For the longer session angler there is also the opportunity
to build up a mental picture of the carp’s behaviour on any given water such
as patrol routes and areas that seem to hold the carp for longer periods. This
provides you with the ammunition to set up ambush positions on those routes or
place your bait into carp holding areas, this once again is a lot easier in the
warmer months as carp often give their position away around snags and the
shallower parts of the lake.
Working Together:
Even though I stated earlier that the
reason I like fishing overnighters or even longer is the solitude it can bring
which without doubt relieves the stresses and strains of modern living, there
are times when working together with like minded anglers can bring its own
rewards. This is especially the
case if you consider fishing a new water and even more so if you decide to do it
over the winter months. The benefit
of working together on a new water is that a large area can be covered and
explored at the same time, this should result in one member of the team almost
guaranteed to drop onto the fish and with them probably shoaled up tight in the
winter would give the rest a chance to get into some action.
Also if there are different baits being used then the recipe that is
producing can be shared to increase the likelihood of a take.
Hopefully the area that’s producing was well explored first which would
indicate depth and the make up of the bottom such as gullies, bars, silt,
gravel, dead or dying weed beds. This
would then present the opportunity to find similar areas around the lake which
hopefully will produce more fish. One
thing I have noticed in this type of approach however is that accurate casting
is essential as even a couple of feet away from the hotspot might as well be
hundreds of yards.
Increasing the Chances:
Like most things in life nothing is
ever guaranteed however there are certain ways in which we can increase our
chances of catching carp and big carp at that.
Choose at least two waters to fish that contain big carp, as one may be
producing the goods when the other isn’t.
Currently I know of two waters in N. Ireland that hold 20lb+ carp and
they are at Dromore and Killyleagh. Study
the weekly magazines as they can be invaluable in regards to rigs, baits and
tactics. Try to find out what is happening on the waters you fish in
your absence such as catch reports the going bait etc. Become confident in your own bait and rigs before moving onto
new or harder waters. Feature find
as much as possible as it will never be wasted.
Don’t over bait in winter as remember the fish feed less frequently.
Try to get information on the water you intend to fish before arriving.
It may be an advantage to fish closely with others as a lot of
information can be gained especially if you talk to other anglers in a friendly
manner. If another angler is
forthcoming with information be just as forthcoming back. Don’t expect instant
results; be patient and the rewards will come.
If you are going through a hard spell and the pressure is getting to you
take a break and recharge the batteries, try to validate everything you do and
how it can be improved. The
introduction of free offerings should be governed by the head of fish present, a
heavily stocked water will require more than one which is lightly stocked;
remember your aim is for the carp to pick your hookbait up.
When success comes remember to note down all information for future use.
Conduct:
Finally a couple of points that will
ensure that your chances are reduced considerably.
Acting like a lunatic when arriving at a new water and upsetting everyone
there. Bad handling of fish
remember carp grow to a large size and someone else will want to catch that fish
in just as good condition the next time hopefully at a heavier weight.
Being inconsiderate to other anglers on the water – some may have been
there for some time building up swims etc.