Carpworld June 2015

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ISSUE 297 June 2015

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ISSUE 297 / June 2015 / MONTHLY £4.50 ALSO INSIDE

Like

winning the lottery

Banking Kempy’s Linear at an all-time high

P a ul F o r w a r d E d B ette r i d g e M a tt E a to n Mike Kavanagh Ni c k H elleu r J oh n K n eebo n e

carpworldmagazine.com

B R I T A I N ’ S B I GG E S T C A R P - A N G L I N G M A G A Z I N E

THIS ISSUE Pecky’s Progress Darrell’s return to Burghfield

c ar pwor ld maga z in e. co m

Tim Paisley takes an in-depth look at amino acids New Super-Water OPENS ITS doors to the public Tackle World – 10 feature packed pages of what’s new

I N S I D E

C A R P

N E W S

F R O M

A R O U N D

T H E

G L O B E

Issue 140 June 2015

GLOBAL

WARMING IS THE RISING TEMPERATURE MAKING A DIFFERENCE TO OUR FISHING? P190

The latest news and captures from around the world ECHOES

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P169 We keep you up to date with all the latest catches

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T O N Y DAV I E S - PA T R I C K

P178 Tony goes into the unknown, searching for new waters

FISHERY

FOCUS

26/05/2015 09:43 P186 The prolific Cretelakes complex comes under the spotlight

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CONTENTS

The Carpworld Contents / Issue 297 / June 2015

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The F Word Paul Forward Our regular diarist has had a cracking month, with fish galore! The fact that Paul couldn’t work because of high winds was a bonus, as it meant more time on the bank. It would seem that an ill wind can blow a bit of luck!

O N T HE C OV E R :

Paddy Ramsden cradles Kempy’s Mirror, one of the most famous residents of Linear Fisheries. Turn to Page 122 for the full story.

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Editor’s Comments The subject of otters raises its head once again, and on this occasion both Nige and Steve have firsthand experience that there could be some positive hope for the future.

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Gazette All the news and views from around the world of carp fishing, to keep you up to date with what’s going on.

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It’s A Hard Job (But Someone’s Got To Do It!) George Baker George is studying fishery management, and as a work placement, he spent some time at Wraysbury. Jealous? You bet we are, especially when you see the fish he’s been catching in his spare time.

Carping Allegedly Bill Cottam There’s another generous portion of wit and wisdom waiting for you this month, as Bill looks at everything from our blasé attitude to big-fish captures, to the weird world of rucksack users.

Rig World featuring Mike Kavanagh This month Mike looks at products from Taska, plus there’s an indepth look at Avid’s new Method feeder and hooks, terminal gear from Lead Shed, and a close-up of the birth of a new rig accessory.

Carping In Ireland Gerry Heapes Famous for its pike, tench, and bream, Ireland has been a haven for anglers from all over the world, but it’s never been known for its carp fishing – until now that is!

Pecky’s Progress Darrell Peck Darrell recounts his last couple of sessions on Northey Park, where he admits he’s had a bit of a crisis of confidence lately. There have been plenty of good carp caught, but it seems that Darrell has just been a spectator because the fish didn’t play ball with him.

Swansong Ian Lewis Swan Valley, near Yateley, has a reputation for being a very tricky venue, so when Ian finally got around to fishing there, he had a most memorable season.

Holme Fen Fishery Interview Editor Steve Broad interviews the people behind an exciting new fishery which is about to open its doors to an eager public. It’s already produced carp to over 40lb, so the future looks rosy for this new venue.

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Think Tank Nick Helleur, Craig Mortimer and Mitch Smith give their opinions on angling whilst the fish are spawning. Is it safe to do so? Should fisheries close while spawning is taking place?

It’s a contentious issue, and the panel give us their thoughts.

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£2,000+ Lion Carp Rods Competition How do you fancy getting your hands on a set of new rods?

Tempting isn’t it, and even more so when you see these handbuilt beauties from Lion Carp.

June – A Time For Change Ed Betteridge Everything from our unreliable weather to fish with sex on their minds makes June a tricky month for catching carp. Ed reveals how and what he does to stay one step ahead of the game.

Bait World featuring Joe Turnbull There’s an interview with Crafty Catcher’s Cliff Davis and a quick chat with Rob Willingham, plus a look at sourcing particles and using floating bait, which all makes for another packed Bait World this month.

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F: facebook.com/CarpworldMagazine / T: @CarpworldMag

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Pellets – Are We Missing The Point?

Rob Nunn Do you use pellets in your baiting regime? If not, do you know you could be missing out on extra fish?

Rob Nunn investigates, and reveals why, by harnessing the power of pellets, you could end up with a few extra photos in your album.

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Parklife – Part Two Colin Hunt Colin finishes his time at Coate Water Park by banking some of the lake’s much sought-after residents, and reveals how otter predation has crippled this once mighty venue.

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Manor From Heaven Paddy Ramsden Paddy experienced a true session of a lifetime; he finally achieved the carp-fishing equivalent of winning the lottery whilst tackling the often tricky Manor Farm on the Linear complex.

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Tackle World This month we have 10 pages packed with all the latest goodies to hit the shelves, including the new summer range of clothing from Fox, an inflatable bivvy, a brand new carp-care product, some new rods from Greys, and a very clever barbecue.

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Ask The Experts This month our three guest experts look at more questions posed by readers.

Matt Eaton answers a question on preparing particles, John Kneebone looks at using colours in hookbaits, and Roman Buczynski reveals how to establish a bait.

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Still Carping On Tim Paisley What goes around comes around, says Tim, as he looks into amino acids, bait enzymes and nutritional recognition.

Have things really changed over the years? Here’s a potted history of bait and how and why it works – or not, as the case may be!

I N S I D E

IN INTERNATIONAL CARPER The big fish are really making an appearance now, and this month’s Echoes catch reports are packed with some of the biggest and best carp from around the world. There’s also a report on one of the best holiday venues around – Cretelakes – a water that’s justifiably popular with all types of anglers. Tony Davies-Patrick tackles the sorts of waters where most anglers fear to tread; the massive windswept lakes and snag-ridden rivers far off the beaten track. In the first part of a miniseries, he searches out the rivers and lakes on which he’s going to concentrate. Finally, we welcome on board Jean-Baptiste Morel, a committed big-fish, big-water angler who has had to adapt to increasing water temperatures, which has meant that finding the fish has become much harder. Don’t worry though, he’s doing rather well!

C A R P

N E W S

F R O M

A R O U N D

T H E

G L O B E

Issue 140 June 2015

GLOBAL

WARMING IS THE RISING TEMPERAT URE MAKING A DIFFERENCE TO OUR FISHING? P190

ECHOES

P169 We keep you up to date with all the latest catches

InterCover_CW297.indd

T O N Y DAV I E S - PA TRICK

P178 Tony goes into the unknown, searching for new waters

FISHERY

FOCUS

P186 The prolific Cretelakes complex comes under the spotlight

1 26/05/2015 09:30

PICK UP YOUR COPY OF CARPWORLD FROM ALL MAJOR STOCKISTS

DON’T FORGET

OUR AMAZING NASH SUBSCRIPTION ON PAGE 146 Ju n e 2015 Car pwo r ld 5

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COLUMNIST

THE F WORD The Diary of a Compulsive Carp Angler

Contrar y to the saying, an ill wind really c a n b l o w a b i t o f l u c k yo u r wa y, s o w h e n M r F is forced to spend more time on the bank d u e t o b e i n g u n a b l e t o wo r k b e c a u s e o f the high winds , it’s a blessing in disguise.

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ne thing that readers of my monthly scribblings will already know is that I DO like a challenge, so when I was told that the carp which reside in the coastal pit in Kent that I’ve been fishing won’t, under any circumstances, have a Zig, then I obviously wanted to prove otherwise. In my mind, they were carp, and so I couldn‘t see any reason why not. True, the water was slightly saline (salty) and visibility wasn’t great at about 2ft, but as far as I could see, no one had really given them a proper go – so I intended to do so.

The average depth at this venue is around 12ft, which is perfect for Zigging, and coupled with the fact that it was springtime and high pressure, my chances wouldn’t get any better. Fishing hadn’t been easy on the bottom either, and throughout April, biting cold northeasterly winds coupled with bright sunshine and frosty mornings meant that the water still felt cold and the lake was still only producing the odd bite. Whilst chatting with Martin (the farmer), I told him of my Ziggy plans, and some of the success I’d enjoyed on the many different waters where I’d fished up in the layers. Some of these ramblings must have encouraged Martin to think likewise, as the next weekend he was fishing all his rods at various depths on the method, and he caught the only fish of the weekend, a cracking mirror of 31lb on a 3½-footer. Although to a certain extent this capture stole a little bit of my thunder, it did prove beyond reasonable doubt that my theory was correct.

My next trip there was on a Wednesday evening after work where, yet again, I found I had the lake to myself. I eventually chose to fish the flooded swim right on the back of the cold easterly. The sun had shone brightly from clear blue skies all week, and when sheltered from the wind, it actually did feel like summer.

The reverse was true of the other bank, 1 8 Ca r p wor l d J u n e 2 01 5

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T h e F Word Pa ul Fo rwa rd

where four coats and a woolly hat were the minimum requirement.

Two of my rods were set up on Zigs of 5 and 6ft, and these were fished in around 11ft of water about a third of the way across. My third I set up on a bottom bait fished halfway across, over a wide scattering of freebies.

Much to my surprise, and before I’d even had chance to sit down for a well-earned brew, the rod with the bottom bait was screaming off, which resulted in a lovely golden common of 25lb. This was obviously a good start, because so far this year, the afternoon period has almost been a complete waste of time. About an hour later the middle Zig rod bleeped a couple of times; the tip, I noticed, was bent over and I’d got a customer on the 6-footer, which was yet another common, slightly smaller than the first. The fact that I’d had him on the Zig pleased me no end, and filled me with confidence for the night ahead.

The sunsets on this venue can be truly magnificent and this one was no exception, with the evening sky filled with rich warm colours. A big hatch of buzzers danced in the fading orange light above the reeds as the sun finally sank from view, and once again the temperature dropped rapidly. Much to my surprise, the hours of darkness were a complete non-event, but as I purposely hadn’t planned any work for the next day, it was a pleasure to just be there all on my lonesome, relaxing with nothing to do except watch the water and drink copious amounts of tea. Somewhere around 11 o’clock I wound in and went for a wander.

From my swim I could see most of the lake, but it was just in case I was missing something – you never know.

Back in the flooded swim, which now wasn’t really flooded at all because of the long dry spell, I felt more settled, so I put the rods out the same as before and scattered a few more baits with a stick. Bang on cue at 3 o’clock, the bottom bait rod rattled off with a chunky mirror of 23lb, and then an hour later I had a really nice true leather carp about the same size, but on the Zig rod. I gave it until nearly dusk but didn’t receive any more action. To be honest, I was more than pleased with my four fish in a session, especially the two I’d had on the Zig.

‘They don’t take Zigs in here.’

That fired me up, and here’s one to prove them wrong!

ABOVE

LEFT The fish I had were all immaculate, and such a joy to behold.

Obviously, I couldn’t wait to get back and were skimming across the lake, and down there, but with it being the bank to top it all off, a cuckoo was making holiday weekend, I feared it could well its first characteristic calls of the year. be busy, plus I’d promised to do some As I sat watching the morning unfold, gardening stuff with Mrs F. When I I noticed a few fish showing at range arrived late on Saturday afternoon, I and so decided on a change of plan. was shocked to find I had the place to All three rods were very soon out there myself, and after seeing a couple of fish amongst them in a line at 90-100yds’ show, I eventually chose a swim on the range, with around a kilo of Mainline’s west bank called the Blast Wall, finest sweets scattered around them. so-called because of a They’d not been out there long freestanding 20ft high when the first one roared by 30ft long wall that off, and then another “The fish were stands behind the shortly afterwards, having it, that was swim. Apparently, resulting in a for sure. Each one its purpose was couple of cracking I’d landed had been something to do mirrors of 21 and pooping out bait on with the military.

24lb respectively. the mat, and a third Anyhow, I’d Now we were fish soon followed” put my baits out angling! Marc had without too much also noticed what faffing about, so as to was occurring, and had not disturb the fish – two put a rod out long, not far on the bottom with a scattering from where I was casting, and at of bait and one on the 6ft Zig – when long last, he bagged one and ended my old mate Marc Adams (or Cotton the drought. The fish were having it, Eye Joe) turned up and went opposite that was for sure. Each one I’d landed on the top bank. Marc, despite being had been pooping out bait on the mat, a decent angler, has really struggled and a third fish soon followed. Every this year but has persevered, so I’d 15 minutes or so I stuck out a salvo of obviously got my fingers crossed for 16mm boilies, four at a time, loosely him to put an end to his run of blanks. over the area until the seagulls homed The night, again, turned out to be in, and so on throughout the day. Marc a complete waste of time, but in the called to say he’d got a real nice fish, morning it felt different, as though maybe a 30, and asked if I could do spring had finally arrived. The breeze some pics. What a stunner it was too, a had turned 180 degrees from the known fish called Three Scale, which is seemingly never-ending northeasterlies one of, if not the largest, in the venue to a southerly, and it actually felt at 36lb 8oz. His perseverance had paid warm and soft. Big numbers of swifts, off handsomely and I was thrilled for swallows and martins had turned up him. The action for me continued Ju n e 2015 C a r pwor l d 19

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FEATURE

D A R R E L L

P E C K

PECKY’S PROGRESS

This month our man Pecky finishes his season on Northey Park in Cambridgeshire, and then renews his acquaintance with the super-hard Burghfield, but he gets off to a flying start.

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t’s a funny thing writing a diary piece when you’re not really catching anything, and I don’t mind admitting I’ve been having a mini crisis of confidence of late. Blanking is blanking, and I’ve done of loads of it and it doesn’t really bother me, but blanking when others are catching is a totally different thing altogether. It’s not that I’m the jealous type; I am always pleased for others when they catch, but what it does do is cement the fact that they are catchable at that moment, so maybe I’m not doing it quite as well as I could be.

At Northey, during my last two sessions of the season, I certainly tried as hard as I could, but for whatever reason it didn’t come off, and at times it seemed like I was merely a spectator to some very

good angling. Neil White (Gary Bayes’ nephew), Coop’s, Lee, and Andy seemed to be catching at will, and all I could do was look on in admiration.

I arrived back at the lake late on Sunday evening, and as expected it was fairly busy with us end of the season keenies. Last Stop, The Hump, and Boysies were all taken on the far bank, so because it was getting dark, I decided to drop in Elliott’s Pitch for my first night. Elliott’s is one of the most popular pegs, as not only does it command some of the deepest water on the park, you can also park your car right behind it, hence why it’s a popular choice. The swim had been out of form in the recent

RIGHT Neil Munday with his cracking 39lb 12oz mirror which opened his account on Burghfield.

weeks, with nothing having been caught from it, but having said that, I’d seen the odd bit of activity in the area. Nothing major, just the odd fish bow-waving here and there, but it was at least a glimmer of light in a dark hole. As I was getting set up, Jonny Fletcher, one of the locals, popped in for a chat, and told me that Kitch might have been lost in The Spit next door that afternoon! Not the information I was really hoping for at the start of my session, but it was far from conclusive, being based purely

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P e c ky ’ s P ro g ress Da rrell Peck

on the fact that it was a stuttery take and didn’t really fight much. Nothing happened that night, and by early morning I was getting itchy feet. Boysies opposite had come free, so I had a little stroll round there, but by the time I got there, Dan Goult had claimed it. I ended up moving to The Beach Swim for a few hours because I noticed that the water there was a little coloured, but by the time the rods were out, it was noticeable that the clarity was coming back, and I missed whatever had taken place. The Beach is so shallow that it’s literally knee-depth for 60 yards, and when you can see the bottom and no carp, it’s very discouraging. Luckily, one showed somewhere between Elliott’s and Boysies, and I quickly scurried back round there. Elliott had set up next door in The Spit by this point, and I asked him if he had seen it, to try to get a fix on where it had showed. He hadn’t spotted it, so I was left to put a rough cast out in the general area.

Again, another quiet night passed, and the following morning I was sitting drinking tea with Elliott when two showed in quick succession, further to the right, down in front of The Causeway

and The Pier Swim. I moved again, first of all starting in The Causeway with three Naked Chods out, hoping for a quick bite, and then down into The Pier Swim for the final night of my stay. At this point I was a little fished out. I’d tried hard, getting up early every morning and moving around like a nutcase, and I had nothing to show for it. It’s times like this when a few beers are required to slow the pace, and that’s exactly what I needed.

Well, a few beers with Dan Goult turned into a few too many for him, and he ended his last session on Northey by projectile vomiting off the end of my bedchair – I kid you not! The morning after the night before, I was sitting there staring at another 3-night blank, wondering where it had all gone wrong.

I packed up around 10.00 a.m., and as I was driving out, something told me to have a quick look in The Beach and The Point. It was one of those times when I knew I’d missed a real opportunity.

The water in the mouth of Rio (a smaller pond recently dug through and connected to the main lake) was absolute chocolate milkshake. I am not talking just a little bit, I’m talking major feeding activity – huge smoky clouds of Ju n e 2 015 C a r pwor l d 55

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FEATURE

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F is h e r y I n t e r view Ho lm e Fen

which involved moving thousands of tonnes of material left on the site. This material was taken from another area of the site (Poachers’ Pool) as part of the contouring of this lake bank. The work created a stock pond of about 2 acres, which allowed Martin and Mike to grow-on further fish on site, as well as open Poachers’ Pool a year earlier. Fishing swims were also created by digging out, in some cases, large sections of the existing bank, creating full-sized swim frames and restoring around them.

We cleared many dead and damaged trees, secured banks, and levelled a track around the lake to give vehicle access to all swims. We had Rob Hughes and a friend on site over several weeks (with the lure of a little fishing) to swim the lake and remove as many snags as possible.

He immediately identified dead hedges along the old drainage ditches; these were covered in zebra mussels which all had to be removed, along with wire tow ropes and other excavation equipment which was discarded whilst quarrying. The importance of this work is to create a natural-looking fishery, whilst supporting and enhancing the local environment. Conservation is one of my passions, and the results we have achieved to date are very rewarding.

Q

You obviously take the environment and conservation

very seriously. Can you tell us what you have done already and your plans for the future?

A

My plans for this site are to continue to develop the area, with conservation at the forefront. We have created a wetland area in the NE of the site around one of the parking areas. We will plant trees on existing islands in the lake and continue with the planting of reeds around the site.

All this will create further diverse habitats.

I have a number of smaller ponds in the northern corner of the site which have been left overgrown to create a great wildlife habitat for a diverse range of animals. This has been a new and interesting experience for me, as I have had the opportunity to work with Mike and Martin, and their passion and enthusiasm for the sport is infectious. The end result is an amazing venue stocked with some exceptional fish.

Q

This seems to be the perfect moment to bring Mike into

things. Now, Mike, we’ve known each other and been friends for a number of years. Please can you tell the readers about your fish farming and importation business.

LEFT Rob Hughes clearing snags from the depths.

A been established around 25 years

Well, the importation business has

on the ornamental fish side. We basically import koi, goldfish, etc. from Israel, and for a while Japan, although these days it’s predominantly Israel. Fish are shipped into Heathrow once a week during the peak season (March through to midJuly), quarantined, and acclimated before being sent to customers up and down the country, and to our own retail facility. The fish farming, or should I say carp farming, came about around 2004, when a chance conversation with the general manager of the kibbutz supplying our ornamental fish suggested we should take some of their carp and give them a try. He went on to say they had a licence in place to ship to the UK. After a couple of months of deliberation with a good friend, Gary Spencer of Premium Carp Fishing, we decided to rent a couple of farm irrigation reservoirs to grow-on a couple of hundred fish from 3 to 7lb. To cut a long story short, by the autumn of 2005, after a little light fishing, we realised that this strain of Hungariancross Israeli carp was a bit special, with an average weight gain of 7lb per fish. From then on we decided to look for some more reservoirs, and gradually increased production with the aim of supplying a couple of hundred fish a year from 15 to 30lb, taking a few for our own fisheries, not really a large production target compared to some other carp farms around at the time.

Q

From time to time, you come in for a lot of bad press from some

anglers for your imported fish. Is there anything you’d like to say about this?

A of choices and opinions, and you will

I guess angling is like life – it’s a matter

never please all the people all the time. As you can tell, I am quite philosophical about bad press from some anglers, although I believe it’s a very small percentage; they’re the keep it real, keep it English brigade, and I’m OK with that. I have had some anglers slagging off my fisheries for containing imported fish, and then 6 months later they are on the banks themselves. I just shake their hand, welcome them to the fishery, and smile when they go home happy. Incidentally, all the waters in the Premium Carp portfolio are stocked in the main with old English carp, it’s only Holme Fen which has a larger proportion of our premium carp because it was a new water. Enough said on that one, I think, Steve, other than we now have around 5,000 baby premium carp growing-on (25ins) from spawning in the UK in 2015,

FISHERY DETAILS

HFF opens to the general public on 15th July 2015. The booking site is currently open: www.holmefenfishery.co.uk and bookings are being taken for a minimum of 48hrs – Wednesday and Thursday/Friday and Saturday, or all four, for a maximum of 10 anglers per day.

The price is £40 per 24hr period.

We have taken this decision to ensure the fish do not receive too much pressure and have regular ‘free from angling’ periods in the first year. We are open until the end of November and will then close until spring 2016.

This is primarily to ensure we do not make too much mess of the banksides while we are trying to mature them. We are trying to run the fishery on an online basis and encourage all communications through the website (maybe this is my communication background showing through). However, there are help numbers available.

We will also aim to put regular news/capture reports on the website to keep people updated.

We have a rules list on the website, but the main rules are: • Extra-large sided mats or cradles, slings and landing nets • No leaders, 1m tubing and lead drop systems • No pellets apart from those bought from the fishery • All fish over 40lb must be unhooked, weighed and photographed in the water, so bring waders or shorts to assist • Do not enter the site before 12.00 noon and leave by 11.30 a.m.

so by autumn 2016 we will be able to supply UK-bred premium carp at C3 size.

Q

I know that all your fish are chipped so that they can

be monitored. Could you explain how that all works and the cost?

A into Holme Fen are chipped, but Yes, all the fish which we stocked

the originals aren’t. It just helps us keep an eye on individual growth rates, and gives us an idea on numbers of fish over Ju n e 2015 C a r pwor l d 73

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FEATURE

Parklife C

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In the final par t of his miniser ies , Colin finishes off his time at Coate Water Par k by banking some of the lake’s much sought-after residents , and reveals how otter predation has cr ippled this once mighty venue.

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t was a full 2 weeks before I was able to get back to the park lake, although this time I had used some of my annual leave to enable me to do 3 nights if conditions looked good for a change. Throughout my time away from the lake, I had made sure to keep my ear to the ground about any captures.

I had spoken to a couple of the anglers and two fish had been caught from the lake in the 2 weeks I was away, both from the extreme north end, a million miles away from where I had caught the common. As far as I was aware, no one had even been fishing near the said area.

I made sure to check the weather forecast over and over on the build-up to the session, and again, a nice cool northerly wind was forecast during the second half of the trip. I just knew that they would turn up in numbers in such conditions. On arrival I was fully prepared to sit it out in the area for the first 24 hours, away from the fish, but I had a full 2 nights ahead of me for when the conditions turned in my favour. As expected, the first day passed by totally uneventfully, but the wind was supposed to switch, and with everything in position and ready, they were going to be like lambs to the slaughter.

However, the reality can be cruel at times. By lunchtime the sun was high in the sky, and not a breath of wind rippled the surface. I checked the weather on my mobile once more, and to my horror the conditions were forecast to remain the same for at least the next 36 hours!!

Cursing the BBC weather app, I quickly packed away all my kit and barrowed it down to the middle area of the pit. As I got there, I noticed three fish milling about just below the surface, which were heading in the direction of some overhanging bushes situated further down the margin.

I stashed the kit away and waded out into the water to take a closer look. As I got nearer, it became apparent that there were,

in fact, six fish or so in the general area, and after not seeing anything in the previous 24hrs, this was as good a place as any.

I baited one spot just out from the bushes on a slightly rocky area, and carefully lowered in a hookbait. One rod was more than enough, given the situation.

I stood out in the water next to my rod, and watched the fish go over the spot numerous times over the next few hours, and I will admit to feeling quite sure of a take once the cooler evening arrived. It was whilst standing out in the water that I felt a cool new breeze blowing gently against the back of my neck, and this wind was the bloody northerly wind which I had been waiting for, for the last 24 hours.

The bloody wind that was supposedly not coming anymore! I mumbled a few choice words under my breath.

I was bang on them, but was sure the wind would get them moving once it had picked up in strength.

There and then I decided to make a gutsy move back to the area I had vacated only hours before. As I jogged the barrow back through the woods, I was pleased to see that no one had followed me into the swim.

I managed to get the rods back out onto the spots without any dramas (for once), due to the line markers still being on from the night before, and I quickly topped up the spots with another good helping of bait. I was sure I had made the right move, and a little after 8.00 p.m.

I was feeling well pleased with myself, after seeing two good fish show left of my baited area. A friend, Steve, had come down for a social, and over the next few hours we sat and counted the

RIGHT Only 90 minutes of daylight left. The reward of making a halfmile move on to a new wind.

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P ark life C o lin Hunt

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T h e W in ds O f Ch a n g e Je a n -Ba ptis te Mo rel

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THE WINDS OF CHANGE J e a n is a c o mmit t ed b ig-fish, b ig-w a t er a ngler w ho ha s had to ad apt t o inc rea sing w a t er t emp era t u res, p o ssib ly c a u sed b y gl obal war mi ng.

T his ha s mea nt t ha t finding t he fish ha s b ec o me mu c h hard er.

LEFT You can see which sort of area I’ve been fishing from this picture.

The fish were holding up in the weed during the daylight hours.

I

t’s becoming clearer every day that there is something happening to our weather. For the last few years I’ve noticed the summer temperatures getting hotter and hotter, especially here in France or other areas of Continental Europe where I fish. What’s more, I have noticed that we can go weeks without any meaningful rainfall, and even at the beginning of the year, the temperatures have been higher than in previous years.

We can complain as much as we like about the fluctuating temperatures, either hot or cold, but it’s just something we’ve got to learn to live with. It is clear that July and August are not the best times of year to go fishing for long sessions, but this is the time when most of us have our summer holidays. I’m going to look at how to get the carp feeding in temperatures when, to be honest, we’d rather be sipping an aperitif in the shade or taking a nap in a hammock.

For many years I slowed down my fishing activity in the summer months.

I’m not a big fan of high-summer sunshine, and my Anglo-Nordic skin reacts badly to too much sunlight. To a certain extent I used to let summer slip by while I waited for my favourite time of year – autumn. Summer was always for family vacations and to take time out from fishing. The random results from my friends seemed to confirm my choice. I was always a little like a caged lion, waiting for the right occasion to step out, but the results of my friends confirmed that catches were random, or just full of the unwanted attention of bream, catfish, and even crayfish.

However, I’ve recently had my fishing time reduced because of work, so it was either no fishing at all or start

thinking about going in high summer.

It became necessary for me to look more closely at summer angling, even if the hot conditions are not the most conducive to catching big carp.

The first thing I needed to look at was how the fish react to the high-summer temperatures. Carp are cold-blooded, so they take on the temperatures of their surroundings. The scientific term is ectothermic, and because they can’t control their body temperatures like we can, their metabolic rate increases in relation to the temperature rise. Well, it does to a point anyway. More heat, more energy, more feeding – that’s right, isn’t it? The ideal temperature for carp is recognised as around 22°C, and this is the optimum temperature for their growth and reproduction; any more than this and they tend to get lethargic. A carp may well put on several pounds a year when the temperatures are regularly in this area, as is witnessed by the incredible growth rates in the southern European countries, or even Morocco, where the fish grow virtually all year. In the colder countries of northern Europe, it takes several years to see the same weight gains, hence the relatively slow growth of carp in the northern English counties, or even further north, in the Scandinavian countries. Of course, these accelerated growth rates need more food to sustain and maintain condition, but it’s a finite process. There is a point where the rise in water temperatures leads to a decrease in growth and activity, due to the lower amounts of oxygen available in warmer waters. The higher the water temperature, the lower the oxygen content, and the more the fish slow down or search out areas of higher oxygen

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Three

AVA I L A B L E N O W T H E L AT E S T B O O K F R O M A N G L I N G P U B L I C AT I O N S

BIVVY

(The Final Countdown)

In this tome, Tim talks of the incredible highs, but conversely, visits the horrible lows just as descriptively, and I have to admit the lows are just as enthralling as the highs. In fact, although I hate to admit it, several of the low points had me laughing out loud. The great thing about laying it all out in a book is that every part of these stories is covered in incredible, and very often graphic, detail. From his beloved Mangrove to Rainbow Lake, from Iktus via Gigantica, Les Teillatts and Lac Serreire, Tim takes us on an epic quest to catch his second 70lb carp, striving to end a 13-year search. And while that may be the theme which meanders through this story, the experience is punctuated by the characters he has shared it all with: Briggsy, Hutchy, Damian Clarke and Tom Duncan-Dunlop, among others.

An extract from Ian Chillcott’s Foreword

LIMITE D LEATH EDITION E COPIES RBOUND A CALL 0 VAILABLE 114 258 0812

Tim writes about the journey through the agonies and the ecstasies like no one else can, and although I expected the book to be good, it easily surpassed all my expectations. I really can’t give Bivvy Three enough praise because it is a superb book and a riveting read, and I guarantee that you won’t be able to put it down. Tim, I don’t know how you do it, but you’ve done it again. In fact you’ve done it better than before, and given us readers something very special. Well done that man!

Steve Briggs, Carpworld Review.

Picking up from where he left off in More From the Bivvy, Tim lets the readers in on a blow-by-blow account of how his angling sessions unfold.

More interestingly from my point of view are the personal touches and intimacies, thoughts and reactions, successes and failures – it is these details which make Bivvy Three such a fascinating read.

Ben Wales, Carp-Talk Review.

Yet another classic from the true master of carp-fishing literature, Bivvy Three takes you on an emotional journey through the highs and lows of session fishing on some of Europe’s hardest waters. It’s a stunning read, and impossible to put down.

Steve Broad, Crafty Carper Review.

I have always loved the reality of Tim’s writing, and his third Bivvy book hits the mark once again. From despair to elation, boredom to excitement, pain to joy, and misfortune to personal bests – it has it all. I wanted him to succeed, but I enjoyed the pain the effort put him through, as that’s a reality most of us deal with no matter where, how, or why we fish. Recommended, and I’m already on my second reading of it.

Julian Cundiff.

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