Nash Tackle - Summer 2014

H S NA • SUMM ISSUE 17

ER • JULY

2014

NEW:UNCOVERED WITH ALAN BLAIR

FIRSTFRENCHTRIP WITH SPENCER HUMBLE

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RONNYDEGROOTE RONNY'S FIRST LIFE AT NASH

THE UPPER LAYERS PRODUCTS TO HELP WITH SURFACE FISHING

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FACEBOOK.COM/KEVINNASHCARPANGLER | WWW.NASHTACKLE.CO.UK | WWW.NASHTV.CO.UK | FACEBOOK.COM/OFFICIALNASHTACKLE

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Fish without limits Perform to extremes

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SUMMER // JULY 2014

NASH E-ZINECONTENTS ISSUE // 17

In the Mix 04

Rig Talk 34

Summer Pressure 10

Life At Nash

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Upper Layers

My First Trip To France

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Uncovered

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Monster Squid

Editor: Keith Jones Creative Design: Dan Maslanka Web: Kevin Tucker Photography: Oli Davies, Dan Maslanka & the respectable article names

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Peg One Take 5

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With thanks to: Nash Consultants & The Nash Tackle HQ Team.

@officialnashtackle @officialnashtackle

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The new BP 10 mini big pit reels have continued to impress me, I think they are unbeatable at the price, in fact they will outperform other popular reels costing much more. Despite having used and deliberately abused mine, nothing has broken and they look and perform like new – you have to ask the question, why pay more?

NEW TERMINAL TACKLE There are some fantastic new items of tackle in the range this year but the most talked about at the moment has got to be the new and ever expanding range of terminal gear that has recently hit the shops. I honestly believe our hooks are still the strongest sharpest and most durable available, it’s also a concise and practical range of patterns that cover any angling situation likely to be encountered. The new fast sinking Combilink coated braids are incredibly strong and abrasion resistant in relation to their diameter, as is the ultra supple Armourlink which is also the most tangle resistant supple hook link I’ve ever fished with.

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lthough summer is a wonderful time to be out on the bank, a steady build-up of angling pressure since early spring can make the carp increasingly harder to tempt.

It’s certainly been noticeable on the waters I’ve been targeting and that’s pretty much the focus of this issue. As well as in-depth features looking at the baits and tactics that are catching well at the moment, we’ve also got some words of wisdom from our top sponsored anglers and the team at Nash HQ. Location is a major factor at this time of the year, and by this I don’t mean just being on fish or in a hot swim. We need to use our eyes, instincts and think like a carp. Are the fish feeding on the bottom, cruising in the middle to upper layers or are they on the top and vulnerable to a floater? And it’s also important to go prepared to fish from the lakebed to the surface and angle for those carp wherever they choose to be on the day. Using the Scope gear has allowed me to go fully prepared and fish effectively in all conditions, but at the same time I’m still travelling light enough so I can move or fish mobile day or night whenever needed.

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A huge amount of research has gone into the design and development of these products and the items I’m using have quickly become absolute tackle box essentials.

SPOT ON Whilst Fishing accurately to tiny holes in the weed recently I’ve found the Spot On liquid marker so useful. It’s so user friendly compared to pole elastic or electrical tape. It sets in seconds and sticks to the line like glue and never moves even after continual recasting. But, and this is the clever bit, the soft rubbery texture allows blobs of Spot On to be simply and easily peeled off with a thumb nail when needed.

CONFIDENCE I found it interesting to read Rich Wilby’s and Haydn Hoskins’ thoughts regarding lead choice and the situations when they need to drop them. Speak to any group of anglers about the subject and you’ll receive many differing views, so what can we take from it? I suppose the obvious conclusion would be that everything works! But I think it’s got more to do with confidence, one thing all the best anglers I know have in common is a total belief in what they do and this also applies to the products and baits that they choose to use.

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Value for money: Use and abuse it, it still keeps going

Unique: Triggalink is an elasticated multi stranded hook link material that introduces an element of uncertainty into a presentation.

Sets in seconds: Spot On, sticks to the line like glue and never moves even after continual recasting.

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TRIGGALINK Although using the correct lead type, size and method of attachment in relation to the fishing situation can give you the best chance of hooking a fish, choosing the optimum hook link length is also crucial. For example, what do you do if you think the fish are visiting your baited spots and getting away with it?

Do you go shorter or longer and by how much? In many ways, Triggalink takes much of the guess work out of the equation.

I’ve heard many stories and read so many catch reports over the years where an angler has been struggling for a bite, switched to Triggalink and immediately nailed a fish – or several!.

In case you don’t know, Triggalink is a unique elasticated multi stranded hook link material that introduces an element of uncertainty into a presentation.

Capture avoidance is all part of the daily routine for pressured summer carp, and they can use the resistance of a standard rig and lead set up to their advantage. But the ever changing resistance or pressure on the hook hold created by this unique material seems to cause a pricked carp to panic, the fish bolts, hooks itself and its job done. For those in the know, Triggalink provides a major edge.

MONSTER SQUID It’s difficult to ignore the huge numbers of carp caught on Monster Squid already this year, of all the Nash baits I’ve used over the years the Monster is probably the quickest or easiest one to get bites on, it’s a reliable and consistent bait too. Mind you there are plenty of other very effective options in the range.

I met an angler recently carrying a big bag of multi-coloured boilies, when I asked him what 6

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they were he explained that he was a big fan of Nash Top Rod boilies but could never make up his mind which one to fish with.

So this year he’s bought a bag of each one and mixed them all up.

The more you think about that the more sense it makes.

INSTANT ACTION This is another bait range that has been dominating the catch reports this year. I think what makes the Instant Action baits stand out from the many brightly coloured shelflifes in the shops is they benefit from just the right balance of instant attraction and more-ish taste and appeal. Carp love eating them that’s for sure, but they also make very effective single hook baits, single bottom baits have been particularly effective for anglers looking to try something different.

There’s some exciting new bait developments in the pipeline, but maybe we can talk more about that next time.

THE EVOLUTION OF THE CHOD There can’t be many waters in this country that haven’t been hammered by chod rigs in recent years, as with any method or tactic, if it’s over used, there must come a time when it starts to lose its effectiveness. One of the reasons why the chod was so successful when it first became popular was that it allowed anglers to fish effectively in situations (weedy areas for example) where it had previously been difficult to effectively present a hook bait. In essence, on pressured waters in areas where the carp had previously felt comfortable, secure and would feed with confidence, they were no longer safe.

So – is there any mileage left in the chod? The simple answer to that is yes, as with most aspects of carp fishing, attention to

detail can turn a good idea into something special, or prolong its life if over used. Over the last couple of years, terminal tackle development has very much been in the spotlight at Nash HQ and within the new range there is now a complete dedicated chod system.

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Evolution: Nash now provide you with all the components for chod fishing

Chod fishing is not without its problems, and it’s a topic that often gets raised during our Road Shows and tackle shop days. How do you simply and reliably lose the lead when needed? Why do so many anglers seem to hook plenty of fish only to have them fall off during the fight? Why are some chod hook link materials prone to snapping? Are fish losses due to the popular out turned eye chod hooks opening out during the fight? The list goes on!

CHOD-LINK Some chod hooklink materials have good strength and abrasion resistance, some have excellent memory, others are user friendly and easy to manipulate and tie.

But I don’t think many possess all of these attributes – the new Chod-Link benefits from all of these and more – it’s also been given the Diffusion Camo tweak making it virtually invisible to carp, in my opinion, Chod-Link stands head and shoulders above the rest.

CHOD TWISTER The original Twister with its 30 degree down turned eye and long straight dangerously sharp point is considered by many top anglers as the best carp hook bar none. I can’t argue with that and it’s a very strong hook too. So it made a lot of sense to base the new chod hook on the same basic formula. It was obviously the right decision as I’ve yet to meet anyone who doesn’t highly rate the new Chod Twister.

CLING-ON LEADER I’ve never been completely happy with using lead core for choddies, it’s OK I suppose when fished over a perfectly flat bottom, but when lead core is fished over any kind of undulations it stands out horribly and pressured carp are easily spooked if they come into contact with it. Cling-On Leader material is so supple it sinks like a brick and moulds itself to the lakebed and just melts away. There are now three well researched colour options

available that blend perfectly with just about any lakebed colour or shade. Personally I stick with the Silt option as even on the odd occasion when I have been able to just about spot it on the bottom, somehow it just looks as if it belongs there. Carp certainly seem oblivious to it.

CHOD EJECTOR BEAD Now this is special! When fishing helicopter rigs or chods, the Ejector Bead reliably drops the lead when a hooked fish moves off with the hook bait. It’s simple to use, and the lead always stays in place when casting or retrieving. This ground breaking product has already transformed summer weedy fishing for the lucky few who have been using them.

I could go on but I’ve pretty much used up my allotted space for this month, good luck with your summer fishing, although effort always equals reward, make sure you make time to sniff the flowers along the way!

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CATCH MORE. CATCH FASTER. GET INSTANT ACTION!

CRAB AND KRILL BOILIES

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POP UPS

TANDOORI SPICE

BOOSTER JUICE

COCONUT CRÈME

BALL MAKER METHOD PELLET

TANGERINE DREAM

HIGH ATTRACT PELLET

BALL MAKER METHOD MIX

www.nashtackle.co.uk

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Sealed inner mesh capsule design.

For those who don’t enjoy all creatures great and small.

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*Available in 1 and 2 man Includes all season wrap

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SUMMER PRESSURE & MAKING THE EFFORT

Unless you fish one of the easy well-stocked day ticket waters, summer can be a very tough period to carp fish. In the spring the carp are ravenous and will pick up most items in front of them, but once spawning is out of the way they begin to settle down and can be very finicky about what they do and don’t pick up. If a lake is well-fished the carp will know all about rigs, bait and anglers by the time summer arrives, and they will do their hardest to winkle out which baits are the safe ones and which ones aren’t.

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nless you fish one of the easy well-stocked day ticket waters, summer can be a very tough period to carp fish. In the spring the carp are ravenous and will pick up most items in front of them, but once spawning is out of the way they begin to settle down and can be very finicky about what they do and don’t pick up. If a lake is well-fished the carp will know all about rigs, bait and anglers by the time summer arrives, and they will do their hardest to winkle out which baits are the safe ones and which ones aren’t.

I tend to go all out in the spring with my carping but when summer arrives i become a lot more tactical with my approach. Of course i still fish the nights as and when i can, and still static-bait fish in the day too if the conditions 10

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are suited to it. Prebaiting is where i pay most attention here, regularly introducing a good quality food bait into my chosen areas. Two of my favourite baits to prebait with are the legendary scopex squid or monster squid, both of which have an excellent track record. I like to mix things up by introducing these in a variety of different sizes, ranging from 6mm to 20mm to try and confuse the carp as much as i can. On the hook i will fish with a standard bottom bait presentation straight out of the bag, trying to make it look as much like the free offerings as i can, usually opting for a bigger bait or a couple of smaller ones fished back-toback on the hair..

For the most part of my summer fishing, however, i will spend this walking the banks and looking for fish. In the

warmth of the day you can see most residents on show and learn some valuable lessons about your target water.

You might even have an opportunity to stalk one or two which is where i will focus the majority of my angling.

I love fishing on top with mixers or the new slicker floaters which are proving to be a really good choice. It really is an art trying to catch carp in this way. A lot of anglers fail at the first hurdle though by not having the patience to stick at surface fishing. Sometimes it can take several hours to get the fish going, but once that all important trigger fish starts sampling, you can experience some really memorable fishing. There is nothing in carp fishing as exciting as watching the carp take your hookbait, or in most cases watching them come close to

taking it. It can be really frustrating seeing carp feed on top and you can learn loads by doing it.

Last summer on woldview was very memorable for myself. I came close to catching the lake’s number two fish – known as the beast – off the top on several occasions.

He just wouldn’t take though, regularly wiping out all of my free offerings and leaving the hookbait. I don’t have much hair, but i was pulling out what little i had chasing him about, trying all sorts of different presentations to try and fool him. In the end i had to make up my own special hookbaits to trick him, and it was a fantastic moment when i did, with the mid-thirty mirror stripping my reel of well over 40 yards of line! I had to drop down in hook and hooklink size to fool him too, which in itself is a balancing

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act as in the summer you have a lot of weed-like obstructions about that can be brutal to lines and links.

Generally speaking i will rarely go lower than 12lb hooklink or a size 10 hook unless i know for certain there is a lot of open water out there.

Over the years i’ve spent a lot of time stalking fish on the top, and i must say that the best hookbaits to use have been pre-soaked mixers, fishing these over mixers or riser pellets. I’ve tried a lot of the imitation hookbaits and whilst they do work, none have worked as well as the pre-soaked ones. This is the good thing about nash as this year they have decided to make their own hookable floaters which are absolutely first-rate. Just a single one of these will hold up most size 8 or smaller hooks, and if i need to double up on them to use a larger hook i will simply superglue the two together in order to stop them slipping on the cast.

As i said earlier, summer is a tough period to carp fish especially if you are a bivvy monster that likes sitting and waiting with static lines. The fish are likely to have been caught at least once or twice by that style already this year so if you want to put yourself in with a better chance of success this summer, my advice is to get yourself a good stalking rod like a scope, arm yourself with a bag of mixers, slicker floaters and sweetcorn and start putting the miles in. You definitely won’t regret it.

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SIMONCROWSUMMERPRESSURE

COMING SOON Every Bit of Blue The debut book from Frank Warwick

“Many years ago, a long time before the Internet and social media, etc., finding carp waters was mainly a trial and error thing. My starting point was to buy an Ordnance Survey map and explore every bit of blue on those maps. That was four decades ago and in those intervening years nothing has changed. My search for new and exciting waters around the world has never waned while I’ve enjoyed the most absorbing of pastimes, which is fishing for big carp.”

AVAILA Frank Warwick BLE AUGUS T 2014

AVA I L A B L E F R O M

W W W. T H E C A R P S T O R E . C O M

Fifty limited edition leatherbound copies available.

To register your interest call: NASH1)E-ZINE 13 0114 258 0812 (Option

UPPER LAYERS Carp are vulnerable to surface tactics during the spring, even if they’ve been hammered on floaters the previous year, there’s often a short early season window when the fish seem to throw caution to the wind and go mad for any kind of surface food. But when summer arrives and angling pressure builds, those same fish can soon become incredibly tricky to tempt with a floating hook bait.

Drawing from several life times worth of hard earned knowledge and experience gained on the bank, we’ve developed a comprehensive range of tackle and bait purpose designed to combat the problems associated with fishing for pressured difficult to tempt surface carp – use with confidence!

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These days, a bucket of the amazing Nash Riser Pellets is a permanent addition to my kit.

In a way they mimic a natural hatch of food and carp go crazy for them!

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Riser Pellet Now in handy 1.6 kg bags with free matching Sucker floating hookbaits, enhanced with either the legendary Strawberry Oil or the deadly Pure Crustacean Extract. The ultimate surface feed bait on pressured waters where standard floating baits have lost their effectiveness.

Riser Pellet imitates a natural fly hatch creating a floating slick of micro pellets and a small percentage of slow sinking pellets to draw the fish up to the surface creating a frenzied feeding reaction.

Slicker Floaters Nash 11mm floating pellets in session size 1.4 kg bags with matching Hookable Floaters. Infused with the deadly Strawberry Oil or Pure Crustacean Extract, Slicker Floaters are a brilliant edge on pressured waters, and have been proven to produce more takes.

Combining our exclusive additives in a high attract floating feed Nashbait’s Slicker Floaters encourage competitive feeding on the toughest venues for instant surface action. Needle friendly Hookable Floaters come in every bag, and can be direct hooked or mounted without drilling or glue, sitting like free offerings in the surface film to catch out the most cautious feeders. Slicker Floaters can be fed accurately by catapult or at longer range using a spod.

Slicker Juice Slicking food oil boosters that enhance the taste, smell and feeding signal from your free offerings and hookbait. Use with Nash Riser Pellet and Slicker Floaters, or add to PVA bag pellet mixes and stick or Method mixes, or inject into solid PVA bags after tying. Versatile and deadly. Available in both Strawberry Oil and Pure Crustacean Extract. 250ml bottles.

Hookable Floaters Easy hooking and durable dedicated floater hookbaits.

Can be direct hooked, hair rigged or banded for versatile presentation. For best results use with Nash Slicker Floaters and Riser Pellet. Available in Pure Crustacean Extract (brown) or Strawberry Oil (red). Supplied in 40 gram screw tubs.

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Suckers Durable and deadly, Suckers are balanced floating hookbaits that behave like well soaked free offerings and encourage more confident takes. Even the hardest carp are suckers for them.

Using the same proven attractor combinations as in the Slicker Floaters and Riser Pellet, Suckers are carefully balanced with the hook to sit low in the surface film, resembling the softer, waterlogged free offerings pressured carp take more confidently.

More easily taken into the mouth Suckers offer a better take rate and improved hookholds. Approximately 10-12mm to match soaked dog biscuits and Slicker Floaters. Available in both Strawberry Oil and Pure Crustacean in 40 gram pots.

Gyro Bug Mix This purpose designed ground bait contains a complex mix of highly soluble ingredients that give off potent water born food signals. Tiny pellets, dried insects, larvae and other small semi buoyant particles also permeate the water creating a column of attraction from the lakebed to the surface. In many ways this incredibly attractive and reactive mix mimics a natural fly hatch, carp are drawn to the disturbance like a magnet and quickly become fascinated and completely preoccupied with the complex multi-layered attraction created by this unique ground bait mix.

Full mixing instructions are included. Each bag contains 1.8 kg of Gyro Bug Mix, 240 grams of Bug Blend and 250ml of Gyro Juice.

BOLT MACHINES Summer carp are cautious finicky feeders and can be difficult to hook on the top, really big carp can be particularly clumsy surface feeders and tricky to nail with a floating hook bait. In most situations providing you have first got the fish feeding confidently and competitively, fishing with the new and improved Bolt Machines will completely eliminate any surface hooking issues. The resistance created by these unique surface controllers will effectively nail any fish that makes the mistake of sucking in a hook bait. Compared to conventional controllers, the hooked to landed ratio of the Bolt Machine is very impressive indeed. A long range version also allows safe areas that are normally unreachable with floaters to be explored with ease, this is another deadly tactic!

ZIG FLO Zig Flo is an ultra buoyant low-viz/ low-spook hook link material purpose designed for surface and zig fishing, this means there’s no need to fine down for bites and risk losing a hard fighting fish.

High abrasion resistance and superior knot strength maximises the chance of success.

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FLOATER HOOK CHOICE Feedback from our team of top anglers suggests that all four sticky sharp Fang hook patterns can be successfully used for floater fishing.

The short shank, wide gape of the Fang Gaper most definitely makes it a very grabby hook. The long straight dangerously sharp point, straight shank and down turned eye of the Twister is another deadly combination, the recently released Chod Twister is also quickly gaining a reputation as a very effective surface hooker. The curved shank Fang X has a reputation for

going in deep and staying in and creating ultra reliable hook holds particularly when fishery rules require barbless patterns to be used. Some big fish specialist put their confidence in the ultra strong and dependable Uni. PROBLEMS WITH HOOK BAITS Are you tired of soggy bread and dog biscuits falling away from the hook or hair just when feeding carp are getting competitive? Are your chosen hooks letting you down after you’ve finally nailed a surface feeder? We’ve got the answers.

BREAD BOMB There’s something very special about bread, it seems that no carp can resist! The problem is, bread has a habit of dissolving or completely disintegrating just at the wrong time making it one of the most difficult baits to fish effectively on the hook. The Bread Bomb fits securely on the hook it can then be loaded with the deadly white stuff which significantly increases the effective life of the hook bait.

ZIG BUG FLOATER HOOK BAITS Using proven fly fishing techniques and durable materials such as deer hair and marabou, we’ve also developed a range of reliable artificial surface baits that retain consistent buoyancy at all times, they can be repeatedly cast with confidence even at extreme range.

Forget having to tie, thread, drill or glue a fresh hook bait with fumbling fingers when the action hots up, tied with sticky sharp Fang hooks, once tried there’s no going back – check out these three options!

RISER PELLET The biggest surface fishing edge 18

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yet found by Kevin and his close friends, Riser Pellet took fisheries by storm when released in 2012.

Careful observation of the carp’s dramatic feeding response to these slicks of floating micro pellets resulted in the development of a dedicated artificial hook bait that has been shown to trip up even the wariest surface feeders time and time again.

DOG BISCUIT Tried, tested and trusted, the dog biscuit is the bait of choice for many surface anglers and this artificial version is as good as imitations get. Readily accepted

amongst dog and cat biscuit free offerings it takes flavours and dips brilliantly, making it a ‘must have’ item for anyone serious about their surface fishing.

BREAD Despite its obvious pulling power, too many drawbacks prevent bread being the bait of choice on the surface – until now. The white marabou camouflages the hook without reducing its hooking potential, and this can be cast and recast, even at extreme range where no one has ever been able to fish bread hook baits before. Try this one before someone else does!

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FROM THE LAKEBED TO THE SURFACE Combining mid water and subsurface Zig Bug hook baits with conventional floaters will maximize the chance of success – add some Giro Bug Mix and a few 10mm boilies to the equation and you really will have all the options covered.

On busy waters if the carp have been hammered on floaters, even if you can get them feeding on surface freebies sometimes it can still be incredibly difficult to nail one on a surface hook bait. A Zig Bug positioned just a few inches below the surface will sometimes produce an instant bite when all other options have failed.

Anglers have been catching carp on bits of foam suspended mid water for many years, there’s nothing new with that but the ground breaking Zig Bugs have taken the concept to a new level. Although we think of carp as bottom feeders, they actually spend a great deal of their time anywhere and everywhere but. Carp are inquisitive creatures, their inbuilt survival instincts compel them to investigate any occurrence natural or otherwise that could potentially provide them with food. Zig Bugs have the proven ability to trigger this natural curiosity.

ADJUSTABLE ZIG FLOATS Low viz low spook adjustable Zig Floats are the perfect tool to search out the subsurface levels when combining Zigs and floaters.

GIRO BUG MIX Remember - Giro Bug Mix is proven to trigger bites on the bottom – mid water and on the surface.

Extra Riser Pellets, added to the mix will encourage mid water and also surface feeding.

Adding a few 10mm boilies will also ‘prime’ the lakebed and if the carp suddenly switch their attentions to bottom feeding at some point during your session, (during the evening or overnight for example) single hook baits or small PVA bags will be enough to trigger more bites.

BALL MAKER One last tip! - The Ball Maker provides a quick and easy method of compressing the Giro Bug Mix. On the bank or at home prior to fishing, dense none split groundbait balls can be quickly and easily manufactured. Lightly dampened Riser Pellets can also be compacted into tight balls of feed and introduced at range by catapult or baiting spoon.

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LEE BIRCH: RISER PELLET MADNESS! Floater fishing is my favourite way to catch carp and I’m always prepared for any opportunity to catch off the top which is something many anglers miss out on.

These days, a bucket of the amazing Nash Riser Pellets is a permanent addition to my kit. These are a mix of small to micro sized pellets, some float, some slowly sink and rise in the water column, some eventually settle on the bottom. In a way they mimic a natural hatch of 20

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food and carp go crazy for them! Whether you are fishing on the bottom, mid water zigs or on the top, if there’s fish in the area, the Risers will produce some really fast bites.

I’ve enjoyed some epic battles whilst catching carp off the top this year. I remember one session when I spoded out around a kilo of Risers coated in hemp oil and Crustacean Extract not really expecting the fish to respond as quickly as they did! Within

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minutes they were absolutely hammering the Risers, I continued to feed them for a further 10 minutes and all the while more and more fish appeared.

After around 15 minutes the fish were totally preoccupied, this is typical of how carp respond to this incredible bait, but even so it never ceases to amaze me!

Being such small food items, the fish hardly need to open their mouths to feed on the Risers, so getting them to actually take a larger hook bait can sometimes be virtually impossible. I’ve found the key to success when you have got the fish “pac manning” like this is to stop feeding the Risers and start introducing a few bigger Slicker Floaters.

Carp really have to work hard eating the smaller food items and after a while of feeding just the larger floaters, it’s as if the preoccupation or suspicion is overcome by pure greed. In this instance it worked like a dream, the fish started to swirl around the

bigger free offerings and after a further 10 minutes I couldn’t hold back any longer!

My floater set up is simplicity itself and consists of a large Bolt Machine with a quick change swivel. I always tie my hooklinks up at home as there’s nothing worse than being on the fish and having to waste time tying a fresh hooklink up! I use 4ft of 8lb BS Nash Zig Flo for this as its super buoyant and incredibly strong for its diameter. I usually start with a 10mm Sucker hook bait, although these look just like a regular 10mm pop up, they are designed to sit lower in the water which definitely improves hook holds.

The first cast landed on the money and within seconds I was in and I ended up landing two fish of 34lb and 30lb 8 within an hour of arriving on the bank!

I continued fishing and managed another 2 fish to mid 20 before they decided they'd had enough and melted away!

On my next visit I went well prepared with 20kg of Risers, I followed my wellpractised routine and soon had them “pac manning” once again only this time there were a lot more fish!

The next few days were hectic I managed to land 12 fish in total to 40lb 8oz with back up fish of 37lb and 36lb the rest mostly 20's what a session!

I thought surely my luck couldn’t hold, but again the following week it was a repeat performance and I managed 6 fish including a repeat capture of the previous weeks 40 pounder, a little down in weight at 39lb 8oz. But this time I nailed it on a mid water Zig

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JULIAN CUNDIFF: SUMMER FLOATER TIPS I’ve enjoyed some amazing floater action this year, but it’s a tactic that’s often overlooked by many anglers, with the right approach floaters will catch when conventional tactics fail. So take my advice, get yourself kitted out and start catching off the top!

1. If you are new to floater fishing or need to gain some confidence or just need to brush up on the basic skills, the best place to start is on well stocked waters. I built my confidence up on mixed fisheries with good heads of carp 10-20 lb and now those tactics are being used to outwit carp 20-40lbs !!

Nailed: Another victim of a successful floater session.

2. THE best time to get carp taking off the top is dawn and dusk. Time and time again for me after a quiet night/day, firing Risers out has had them taking in minutes when I genuinely thought there were no carp anywhere near my swim !

3. Riser Pellets are an incredible surface bait but even so, mixing them up with other pellets is even more effective. My usual mix is 60% Nash Riser Pellet, 20% Chum Mixers and 20% Floating pellets.

Just like mixing up boilie sizes, it seems to confuse them and confusion equals takes on the top !!

4. There will sometimes be days when additional attractors will be needed to get the fish feeding off the top. My favourites for flavouring floaters are the Amber Srawberry and Scopex Squid Food Dips which are perfect for this.

Strawberry Oil Palatant and Crustacean Extract are also highly rated by many surface anglers. The new Slicker Juice is also incredibly attractive to surface feeders.

I simply pour some dip in a large bucket and add a large cupful of warm water. The floaters are added, I then shake the bucket to ensure an even coating and all the liquid gets completely absorbed. They are then placed in a 22

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Cover them: Try coating your pellets for added attraction

Mixer mix up: Confuse the fish by mixing different sized pellet.

plastic bag and used. Any unused ones can be frozen ready for next time.

5. Bolt Machines are another must have product, these clever devices create a surface bolt effect just like when fishing on the bottom. Once I have got the carp feeding confidently on the freebies, to ensure I don’t spook the fish I overcast with the Bolt Machine, and then pull it gently back into position amongst the surface feeders. Then I literally minutes or sometimes hours but if you already have your Zigs/Bottom just wait letting the fish selfBaits out that's no problem. As they hook. start taking, keep the baits going 6 . Patience is the key to in and eventually they will go crazy almost fighting for it. Then and only success – I start by trickling some bait out and get the odd then do I overcast with the Bolt Machine and await my first take. one or two taking. It can take

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UNCOVERED Nash tackle’s colin davidson gives us the lowdown on the elusive Mr Blair

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UNCOVEREDALANBLAIR

O

ne of the toughest guys in the fishing industry to pin down, Nash Operations Director Alan Blair combines a punishing workload with an amazing enthusiasm for anything and everything fishy.

We caught up with him to get the inside line on the man who oversees every aspect of the day to day running of a company trading all over the world, who routinely catches up with an overflowing inbox by getting up in the early hours – and still manages to run up a list of angling achievements the envy of us all.

Scope rods and hardware have become virtually part of me – the concept is THE FUTURE and never before have I had fishing tackle that makes me want to go so much. When I pick up that skin system, with all my rods, nets, throwing stick, retainer sling, alarms and everything I need inside I just want to be out there fishing – it has made what I love doing even more of a lifestyle choice than ever before.

Best known for….

“Spotting fish that others might miss and then casting a freelined bait at them and watching them take the bait – I have caught more fish like this than any other method. Not only is it so effective, it is the most exciting tactic of all, and a true way of targeting specific BIG fish. It’s so simple, but a tactic that almost everyone overlooks.”

- How significant is it to Alan’s approach? His first double figure carp on his 13th birthday fell to a freelined bait, his first 20, and also his first 30-pounder, caught at a low stocked Buckinghamshire pit. Personal Bests?

“In the UK I have had Mirrors to 53 lb, Commons to 48 lb, and Leathers to 45 lb, albeit from the amazing Church Lake. Away from the Carp Fishing Heaven that is the Church, significant captures include a 37lb Zip Linear from a Gloucestershire venue, a lake record with no history of a previous capture and I’ve also fished lots of amazing waters across Europe landing carp to just under 60 lb.”

A true all-rounder, other species are a huge passion of Alan’s – check this list out! : Perch 3lb 12oz; Chub 7lb 14oz; Pike 21lb; Bream 9lb 15oz; Tench 8lb 2oz; Rudd 1lb 15oz; Roach 2lb 15oz; Grayling 2lb 14oz.

One piece of kit Nash can’t have back…

Baitwise it has to be Riser Pellets – if you want to get fish competitively feeding like you have never witnessed before, to such an extent that they just feed, feed, feed then get on the Riser, understand how to use it effectively and you will empty your water.

For terminal tackle it would be Twister Hooks – if need be I would use only this pattern for the rest of my life – unbeatable!! Straight point, super sharp, incredibly strong and designed in such a way that through the use of three straight sections that once they go in they simply don’t come out until you are unhooking a fish yourself 26

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On my rods you’ll find….

I’m very varied in my approach, it depends on time of year, stock levels, my time available and importantly whether I can see the fish or not. If I can see what I’m doing it’s normally just a hook on the end for freelining, and I also love setting traps around the margins where I can keep tabs on what is going on.

In warm weather you’ll always find a Bolt Machine on my rods for floater work, I use zigs a lot, fish choddies over a good spread of boilies and also use large quantities of maggots over clean bottoms.

What is on my rods is always a reaction to what I see happening – I’ll try something but never be afraid to tweak and change to get a bite.

One tip to get a bite when the chips are down…

You can only say it so many times - a freelined bait, pair of polarizing glasses and a lot of motivation to find a fish you can cast a bait at.

Failing that one of the Citrus pop-ups that we’ve got out on long term test. I’ve used them now for 18 months and they produce bites when nothing else is catching. Zigs are also ace when conditions are tough.

My get out of jail card is a black natural louse Zig Bug sprayed with Nectar liquid – a devastating combination.

Favorite venues and why?

It’s one end of the scale or the other with nothing in between, either somewhere ultra URBAN bang in the middle of society, engaging with people from all walks of life catching fish in the middle of the chaos of pushchairs, picnics and passers by OR somewhere so remote that you’ll never meet another angler. I love somewhere un-spoilt, unknown and there for the taking – a little bit of heaven where you make the rules.

UNCOVEREDALANBLAIR

"casting a freelined bait at them and watching them take the bait – I have caught more fish like this than any other method"

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Tell us about the Alan Blair away from Nash…

I have a wonderful understanding girlfriend Chloe, we are due to be getting married soon, have a baby on the way, plus three cats, two dogs and even at the age of 30 I’m still receptive to a damn good party, a rave in a field, weekend festival or even a trip to Ibiza J

“I first met Alan when he worked for Shuttleworth College as a lecturer, and I immediately realised that he was something special. His first year at Nash was spent sitting the other side of my desk learning the ropes. Now, just five years later, he is Operations Director – an incredible rise, and richly deserved.

“Alan has become a dear friend, and I love him as a fishing companion – albeit Remaining ambitions? he wears me out with his To never stop enjoying energy. Alan’s biggest “…if Alan focussed solely on what I love doing, to idiosyncrasy is that he catch new species, break carp he would be the UK’s most doesn’t understand that personal bests, visit new successful carp angler.” no fish other than carp venues, explore new Kevin Nash are worth the effort,” countries, make new Kevin grins. “This is a bloke friends, put something who would rather catch a back and continue specimen roach than a 50 lb carp. I do hope with time expanding the company Kevin created all those years and maturity he understands the folly of his ways. And ago and worked so hard to maintain – a company that I will say without fear or doubt - if Alan focussed solely unlike most others revolves around enjoying fishing for on carp he would be the UK’s most successful carp its true values. angler.”

Where to find me...

Teenage 20s Instagram: @officialnashtackle plus all sorts of shop Carp came late in life to 30-year-old Alan Blair, having days and shows and a soon to be launched Urban Banx grown up around Milton Keynes and cut his teeth float Facebook Page! fishing for roach and perch on the Great Ouse and Grand Union Canal – learning skills that saw him second Kevin Nash on Alan: in section in the Junior National on the Bridgwater “Bloody hell, where do you start?” Kevin laughs. “Alan Canal. “I would have finished better overall if I had isn’t normal. His work rate is off the scale, as is his landed two carp I lost…” he laughs. passion for angling, Nash Tackle and his infectious Learning to catch carp followed with the rise of a new enthusiasm. Nothing is too much trouble, this guy is generation of commercial fisheries like Makin’s, Tingrith mega.

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and Heyford, where Alan developed his skills with floating baits and mastered the margins – then it was on to bigger fish.

“My first decent carp caught by design was from a water called Broadwater lake near Gosgrove and I was about 15 years old,” he remembers.

“I had caught thousands of carp from the commercials but this was my first attempt at dedicating time to special carp from a special environment with baiting campaigns, rigs and time - all of which was inspired by Terry Hearn.

I had fished the water for a year and caught PB tench, bream, pike and rudd but I also knew it held some big carp that could occasionally be spotted amongst the masses of lily pads.

“I made a plan of attack with my mate Tom Forman and we spent weeks clearing areas of the lilies and weed – I thought I was Terry Hearn! Our first session was two days and nights and we had it off.

From recollection I had five carp including two 20s the biggest being 20 lb 12 oz.”

The successful bait? Nashbait Whisky boilies!

Best bit of advice you wish you’d been given sooner…

Fishing just for a day is when you are at your best. I function and fish better when I have slept properly and got up to go fishing – those first 12 hours I am at my peak and absolutely on the ball. I used to love weekend sessions and two or three dayers but will now actually avoid them because the longer I spend on the bank the less effective I become. Don’t get me wrong – a good social is a good social but I’m talking about when I want to go CATCHING not fishing!

And I wish someone had told me many years back not to waste my time baiting up in the winter and just exclusively use zigs instead through the colder months.

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1. BAIT BOOSTING The dense bottom hugging Food Dip is a complex nutritionally based liquid proven to attract carp and trigger intense feeding, the oil based Boilie Dip is a very different product that has been designed to permeate the water with attraction. During the warmer months mixing the two dips 50/50 is a very effective tactic. Baits that have been soaked in this incredibly reactive mix will leak off a curtain of attraction capable of drawing down carp from the middle and upper layers to investigate.

2. MONSTER SQUID BOILIE CRUMB Boilie crumb is perfect for making a stick mix or bag filling, spodding crumb onto a hot spot or even over feeding carp is proven to create competitive and prolonged feeding. Monster Squid crumb is particularly effective due to the complex make-up of the bait. Using a background feed, bag or stick mix, that emits the same food smells and tastes as the boilies and hook baits being used often proves more effective than fishing over particles or standard fish feed pellets. Black boilie crumb is the best choice if diving birds are a problem, although it’s attractive to carp, the birds will often ignore it.

3. SHELFLIFE BOILIES Nash Top Rod shelf life boilies are top quality baits. Like their frozen counterparts they provide carp with a valuable food source and they don’t contain any nasty additives or preservatives.

Carrying a few bags of shelflifes provides flexibility, on days when the carp really go on the feed you will always have extra bait in reserve.

Shelflifes have slightly higher levels of attraction and will sometimes produce a bite when the carp are proving hard to tempt. All Nash boilies are designed to float to the surface if in the unlikely 30

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event that they don’t get eaten, so you don’t need to worry about spoiling a hot spot by over baiting.

The timespan involved for freezer baits to gas up and float away varies depending on water temperature and other environmental factors on the bottom, but during the warmer months, the process could start after around six to eight days. The shelflifes take longer to do this which could make them the best option for pre baiting between sessions.

MONSTER

Unless they’ve seen a lot of it, Monster Squid Black is the best option if diving birds are a problem, for reasons that we’re not completely sure of, initially the birds just don’t seem to recognise it as food. The black also has an uncanny habit of producing unknown or rarely caught fish and the bigger specimens too!

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P

re-baiting with single freebies is another top summer tactic on waters that are being bombarded with bait.

Monster Squid Purple is particularly effective for this. Dotting 20mm singles onto multiple spots or just dropping one bait into any unoccupied swims on your way around the lake gets the carp actively searching them out. A number of notable captures have been reported by anglers baiting and fishing with Monster Squid singles, if you are searching for something different to try, this could be the tactic to use!

SUMMER TIPS NASH E-ZINE

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3. SHELFLIFE BOILIES Nash Top Rod shelf life boilies are top quality baits. Like their frozen counterparts they provide carp with a valuable food source and they don’t contain any nasty additives or preservatives. Carrying a few bags of shelflifes provides flexibility, on days when the carp really go on the feed you will always have extra bait in reserve. Shelflifes have slightly higher levels of attraction and will sometimes produce a bite when the carp are proving hard to tempt. All Nash boilies are designed to float to the surface if in the unlikely event that they don’t get eaten, so you don’t need to worry about spoiling a hot spot by over baiting. The timespan involved for freezer baits to gas up and float away varies depending on water temperature and other environmental factors on the bottom, but during the warmer months, the process could start after around six to eight days. The shelflifes take longer to do this which could

R E T S N MO SQUID CAPTURES FROM AROUND THE WORLD >>>>>>>>>>>>

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inest the f mixes. h t i it dw mbine ter Pursu o c e kag ons or pac quid and M t c a r att tS ason ry Nashbai olour? e s l l a c tant a he legend at’s your s n i n h t A ree. W ies of qualit led into th l All ro

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RIG TALK: RICHWILBY I actually think picking the right lead for the right situation is one of the most confusing things in carp fishing when it comes to your end tackle. I have used very heavy leads on certain waters and then tiny little bombs on other lakes – they both work.

It is something I once really worried about and I would speak to some really good anglers and get even more confused. Someone like Terry Hearn loves tiny little leads and then someone like Jonny Mac 34

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would tell me he would never use anything under three ounces. So who is right?

Of course they’re both right and both catch a lot of decent fish from decent waters. As a rule now I try to use a lead which is the right size for the distance I’m fishing. So if I’m fishing at short range, say under 20yds a1oz lead suits me. If I need to fish over 80yds then I will slip a 3oz lead on. I know this seems a very basic theory, but like I said it was something I was worrying too much about and it was not good

for my confidence. Without any question I will say a really sharp hook with any lead will set the hookhold in the mouth.

I also use running leads a great deal, so again I’m not really relying on the lead to hook the fish. From watching carp in the edge take my rig I know they are getting pricked from the sharp hook as it turns in their mouth, long before the hooklink is tightened to the lead.

The other thing I have noticed, especially with running a day-ticket venue, is that 90% of carp anglers

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LEADCHOICE use a semi fixed 2.5oz lead. I guess it feels comfortable on most carp rods and looks right (not too small or not too big). So if you want to be different try a little lead or a heavy one.

One thing you should try to bear in mind is the nature of the lakebed you’re fishing over. A heavy lead in deep silt or soft clay can plug in a fair way. So a longer hooklink or helicopter set up can help combat that if you want to keep using a heavy weight. Or you can keep fishing with a standard set up but drop to lighter leads for a softer landing on the bottom. If the lake is weedy, I certainly want to drop the lead every time I hook a fish. Playing a carp in weed with a lead swinging around is not ideal. So if I’m using a chod rig or standard bottom bait rig, the lead will always be set-

up to drop off. In open water situations with no weed I don’t find it essential to dump the lead, but I would rather play a carp with a light lead attached compared to a 3oz plus weight, which can pull the hook out.

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HAYDNHOSKINS It's probably best to start with the main purpose of using a lead for carp fishing and the two immediate ones that come to mind are; Firstly, to enable the angler to fish at the required distance and secondly, to aid in the hooking potential of the rig. To that end, my preferred lead of choice is a dumpy pear and around 90% of my fishing incorporates a helicopter set up with a 2oz dumpy pear on the end. I do however go down to a 1.25oz dumpy pear when the weed becomes an issue in the summer months as I find this gives me the best chance of landing any hooked carp.

In terms of hooking itself, I notice that the vast majority of anglers use anything between 2.5 -3.5oz leads on average which,

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leads me to the conclusion that being a little bit different could in fact work in your favour. An ounce in weight might not seem like a lot of difference to us but if the carp are highly pressured and picking up and dealing with 3oz leads daily, that little chance could make a big difference. I hooked Charlie from Frimley using a 1.25oz lead on a helicopter set up and just like nearly all the fish I catch, it was well nailed, confirming that light leads do indeed provide effective hooking. Especially when fished in conjunction with a helicopter rig.

In terms of losing the lead there are only a couple of occasions when I want to do this. Zig fishing for me is all about losing the lead and I won't go into too much detail here but I've found heavy leads that drop off provide the best hooking potential. This brings me on to my

next occasion when I need to lose a lead which is when fishing at range.

Again without going into too much detail there are two ways I like to lose the lead. When I'm fishing from a boat at range to small patches I use a drop off system with a very large flat pear. I've found that big leads that drop off provide far better indication when fishing at 100yards plus. I've used 3oz leads on a variety of drop off set ups fishing tight lines and woke in the morning to a lost fish that didn't even provide any indication.

This has happened to many other anglers fishing the same lake. The heavy leads however, I'm talking 4oz plus, seemed to hook the carp in a way that indication was registered and it was game on. Also when I'm casting long distances I like to use a slightly heavier lead than most. The only issue with the helicopter set up is that the weight of the lead can lead to hook pulls. This is where the safety and weed safety bolt bead systems come into play but that still leaves us with the chod rig. Even with a buffer bead the weight of a 4oz lead dangling could still result in hook pulls, but thankfully now we have the new Lead Ejection Clip which provides a very reliable alternative.

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5-8 MICRO BARB & BARBLESS

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LIFEATNASHRONNYDEGROOTE

‘Hi Ronny, would it be possible to write an article about your daily work schedule for KNT’s é-zine?’

Keith Jones asked me recently.

‘Of course, mate.’ was my answer.

But straightaway I asked myself, what does my daily work schedule involve? Being a European Sales and Marketing Manager for one of the biggest carp tackle companies in the world – the answer is quite a lot! Last year a friend asked me if he was right to say that my job involved visiting carp shows in the winter and then just fishing, developing and testing carp tackle in the summer. Nice idea but I assured him there was much more to it than that.

The winter period is, for me in fact the period I try to go on holiday with the family. While

Europe mostly goes through a cold spell I try to catch some sun.

As we are nature lovers often we head to places where we can enjoy watching some wildlife. Sometimes this means getting a little too close for comfort as can be seen in the image of me and a water buffalo!

Once the second half of January is here the European carp shows start which finds me visiting most of the major ones. This spring for example I have visited during a period of 5 weeks, 7 shows in 7 different countries. I always enjoy it, but being at home for only 7 days over this period and not always being able to catch up with the never ending stream of e-mails, being always in the car, in a plane, a hotel or at a show can be tough.

During the last 11 days of this

Ronny De Groote

European Sales and Marketing Manager

year’s carp show season I was only home twice, once for 34 hours and once for 11 hours. Although it’s a relief when we finally break down the show stand for the last time, after a couple of weeks I start to miss it.

With the show season behind us I will finally be able to spend time in the office and start working and reducing the huge amount of tasks that have built up in my absence.

Once this has been sorted out we have some time to ‘relax’. Relax is probably not the right word as the work is never ending, but it is the time when my work schedule is more flexible.

Not being permanently based at the UK HQ and not having to work to a rigid 9 to 5 schedule I am able to plan my work time to fit around

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family life and my fishing. Although this is a real luxury I have to be disciplined, the hours can be long and there’s often unexpected deadlines to meet. But for me, the work is also my hobby, in fact working for Nash is much more than just a job and at times can be more like a way of life.

During April and May I spend a lot of time working in my office at home and I’ll also be on the road working with one of the many reps or agents that are representing us around Europe (or even the world).

Being in direct contact with our shops, picking up on trends and understanding our valued customer’s needs is important for a leading carp tackle company.

Europe differs so much from country to country and it would be a big mistake to assume that what is a good product or a good system for the UK is automatically also good for the rest of Europe. In contrast with other parts of the world where ‘everything is uniform’ Europe is one big melting pot of different people and differing cultures, being in the thick of it and trying to understand these trends and needs creates some demanding but at the same time, very interesting challenges.

In June the European Roadshow season starts and once again this will see me travelling to many places around Europe. The good thing about this period is that it allows us to spend time on the bank with our customers and fellow anglers which gives us a real insight into their likes and dislikes. Of course this also allows us to do some fishing - Happy days!

August and September can also be a very busy period with lots of tasks to be completed and it is also the period that Alan Blair and I have to sit down and plan our marketing strategy for the coming year. Often this involves long hours, it’s not the most exciting task of the year but it’s most certainly an important one.

September is also the time when the first samples for the next years range arrive at Nash HQ. Often this is also the period, together with April/May, that I plan some fishing in front of the camera. These videos will be broadcast on one of the biggest European Hunting and Fishing channels.

During October and November there will be many new products entering the range and in December the 40

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winter carp show season starts again, the year comes full circle and it’s time to introduce many of these new cutting edge products to our customers.

When I am not travelling abroad which is around a 150 days a year, this is the time for me to get out and catch a fish or two. Carp has long been, is and will always be my favourite species to catch, but when my work schedule does not allow me do go for a reasonable length of time, I will enjoy a couple of hours here and there fishing for tench or bream.

I also like to make time to take a trip across the ocean and fish for my second favourite species, the peacock bass.

At the time of writing this piece our National Belgian football team is playing in the world cup in Brazil. Although everyone around me seems to have been struck down with world cup fever, to be honest, when I think of Brazil my immediate thoughts are of fishing in the Amazon – but I guess that’s all part of being a compulsive angler!

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LIFEATNASHOLIDAVIES

Oli Davies Nash Photographer & Videographer

LIFEATNASH Well my favourite time of year is upon us, where the carp are active and visible and I can engage in some close quarters fishing.

I actively seek out this kind of situation when I’m on the bank. I’m afraid that sitting behind static rods just doesn’t do it for me these days, I’ve got to go and find the fish and make an opportunity to catch one.

With the long daylight hours there is plenty of opportunity for the short sessions that make up the vast majority of my angling. Rarely do I get more than 12 hours at a time, and with time restrictions you have to be much more targeted in your angling if you want to catch numbers of carp.

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So I’ve been spending plenty of time walking, looking and trickling in a little bit of bait. This can be much more productive than actually sitting with the rods out and it means that when I do get a bait in the water it is usually with a view to getting a quick bite. In fact twice in the last couple of weeks I have actually had the bite so quickly that the rod was still in my hand! The most recent was just a couple of days ago when I was barrowing back to the car after a blank overnighter. I had baited a spot on my way past the night before, parting the weed in the edge and dropping a handful of particle in the hole. As I peered

in the following morning I was greeted by the welcome sight of a tail wafting about. I crept back to the barrow to get a rod and waiting until the fish was at my feet and facing away from the hole I gently lowered my little pink citruz pop up behind it. As I tried to guide the line through the strands of weed the line flicked, tightened and lo and behold he was on the end. I don’t know who was more surprised but after a short battle in the tight spot I had netted a bonus upper double common. It was an opportunity that I had fashioned myself through a bit of planning and it’s a buzz when it comes together.

So there are a couple of bits

of kit that have really made a difference to my angling so far this season. The first is the Scope Sawn off 6 foot rods. I have a pair of these and they really do allow me to reach the parts that others cannot. I have already landed fish to upper 20’s from some very tight spots that it would simply be impossible to fish with conventional tackle. In fact, for the last couple of weeks I haven’t even taken other longer rods, so versatile are they.

They are so small packed away that there is no excuse not to have them with me at all times too. I can honestly say that they have become my favourite rods (and I own a few!)

The other is the new Twister Chod hook. Now I am a fan of the standard Twister, and I had just got my head round using it tied backwards a la Alan Blair for my chod fishing - landing some big fish from weedy waters had convinced me that it actually was a viable option. However, I was excited to try the Twister Chod hook as I have never really found a pattern with an out-turned eye that I was truly happy with. The patterns I have used in the past have been too bendy or simply not sharp enough.

I have to say that I have been truly impressed with the Chod Twister; it’s strong, sharp and the hook holds have been excellent. I may be tempting fate but I actually haven’t suffered a single loss yet due to a hook pull when using it. This includes a trip down to the river to mark the start of the season

this week. The stretch holds a population of carp, but is far from plain sailing. It’s shallow and weedy with large stands of lily pads and some serious snags. It’s a real test of your tackle; The fish fight like demons and the bites are ferocious.

It turned out to be a red letter session that saw me bank every one of my ten bites to net seven carp to mid doubles and three chub over 5lbs. Every fish had to be extracted from the set of pads at my feet and its unprecedented to land every one. My personal favourite is the size 6, which is perfect for the multi rig that has brought me plenty of bites recently.

They are well worth a try if you are still searching for that holy grail that is a decent stiff rig hook Workwise, the summer months are always a busy time with plenty of carp to be caught and as a result plenty of filming. I’ve just returned from a trip to Belgium with European carp catching machine Steve Briggs. We arrived in Belgium to be greeted by one of the most violent electrical storms I have ever witnessed. I made the most of it however, and managed to get some great shots of lightning – something that I have long wanted to do. Unfortunately, the conditions meant that the fishing was slow, but Steve used his experience to ensure that we didn’t go home empty handed.

As I write this I’ll be off to Bristol later to meet the one and only Alan Blair for a spot of urban fishing, which is never dull. Next month I’ll

be vising both Holland and Austria so its been exciting and there is plenty more to come.

All the Nash team have been working hard to get the new website ready for launch and to ensure there is plenty of content and lovely photographs, so keep an eye out for that dropping soon too, along with some more great new gear that will make a real difference to your angling.

Just before I go I’m proud to say that the Euro Banx adventure that Alan and I undertook last year has had very nearly 100000 views on the Nash TV channel on Youtube.

Not only that but the feedback has been incredible, so thank you all for your support. Hopefully there is more to come, so watch this space!

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A First trip to

France

BY SPENCER HU M BLE

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MYFIRSTTRIPTOFRANCESPENCERHUMBLE

D

espite having been an angler all my life and a Carp angler for nigh on twenty five years I have always resisted the temptation of fishing abroad. As an angler on very limited time I never wanted to detract from my fishing here in the UK. All of that was to change though when last year the decision was made to take up the chance of fishing with the Crazy Hats, a group of 28 anglers all hailing from Essex.

Now of course I was excited about the prospect, the land of giants along with a great bunch of guys, although as the only angler from Kent the pressure would be on me.

It was time for some research.

We were to be angling at the famous Abbey Lakes complex, having hired the whole complex of lakes for the week. We chose our lake from the start and for me there was only one choice, Kingfisher Lake. There was to be only four of us on the lake of nearly twenty acres, so not only could we spread out, the option to move was there if we needed to. I read as much as I could about the lake, although being honest there was not much information available. It was originally and is still known as the catfish lake on the complex, with cats running to 200 pounds. It was the carp though that interested me, running to 50 pounds with the

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carrot dangled of a fish over 70!

I decided to approach things no differently to how I would at home with tackle and rigs exactly the same as I had already on the rods. When it came to bait though I decided to ask Kevin (Nash) what to take. Kevin as usual was ever helpful and advised me to take two baits from the range and duly sent me enough for the trip. One was the seemingly wonderful Tangerine Dream from the Instant Action range and the other, a bait being tested at present. I also decided to take the ever consistent Scopex Squid as not only a back up, but also something to measure the other two baits against.

I was more than looking forward to the trip and although my fishing at home had suffered for a few weeks prior to going, I knew it was worthwhile. I did though manage a cracking near 40lb common from my syndicate before we left on the Tangerine Dream. A nice confidence booster!

The Eurotunnel was as easy a journey as you can get, we were at the lakes within four hours of leaving home. All 28 of the crazy hats met up in the bar with the onsite bailiff and general legend Rupert, there to calm us down and issue the beers! Each team of anglers on each lake had a little draw for swims and we chose our

respective plots. Not going for a walk around was our first mistake although in fairness I would have probably have still chosen the swims that myself and angling partner Rob did. We could always move if need be as there were only four of us on the lake anyway.

Titan up, Scopes unleashed, baits ready, I set about with the new 4.5lb Scope rod that I was using as a marker rod. I was fishing the left hand side of the swim and the marker revealed not exactly what I was hoping for! Straight in front of me was a very shallow spit which ran around 40 yards out into the lake where it dropped off into 24 feet of water at the shallowest!

This was also weedy, although fishable. Rob’s side of the swim was much more variable and he soon found spots he was happy with. I have to be honest and say I was disappointed with what I had out front and already was thinking of a move! I baited the 24 foot spot with the test bait which I knew was currently emptying the Essex Manor, so was confident in the bait.

As dusk soon fell it was evident that the fish were showing further out, probably at just over 100 yards.

I would leave the baits in position for the first night and reappraise things in the morning. Rob soon had a bite and landed a mint conditioned 21pound common. He was off the mark and happy. Early the next morning he also landed a nigh on 50 pound catfish, a new PB cat for him. I wanted to move but didn't want to leave Rob on his own, we talked it over, looking at the swims more or less opposite us. Rob’s a determined lad and didn’t want to move so I sat on the bedchair thinking what could be done to move the goal posts.

I decided to bait lightly with a top up of the Tangerine Dream baits, offering colour and extra attraction to the swim. I also mounted these on the rig with a 10mm pop up topper. I lengthened the rigs a little too, to allow for the

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weed and made sure the whole set up was balanced.

The next morning after a quiet night, apart from the rats trying to get to the tangerine baits, I awoke to somewhat good conditions, lowering pressure and some cloud cover. As I stood next to the rods the middle Scope tip arched around as the Siren sang. A tense battle ensued until eventually a rather fetching chunk of a carp was in the net. Rob was up and with me as I smiled away to the camera with a not so happy carp of 39 pounds and twelve ounces! That would do for me.

Now lets be honest, we travel to France to catch a 40 pound carp.

39.12 is as close as it gets but naturally I was hungry for more.

Rob had no more action so again I spoke of a move. Mr determined wanted to stay which was fair enough of course but I didn't want to leave my wingman. We decided over dinner we would see what the night would bring and then consider a move. The other lads on the lake fishing in shallower water were catching and I was convinced it was merely a depth issue.

Unfortunately for us on the way back from dinner we saw three bivvies in the swim I had wanted to move to. That not only meant there were now seven of us on the lake, it also killed the chance of moving

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Options were now limited as the chance to even cast further out were gone, as one of the lad’s water was basically in front of my swim. What he didn't know of course was that most of my water was unfishable, fair play to them they had seen the swim empty and the fish showing in front and gone in there.

At the barbeque/social the next day after chatting briefly to the angler in question, it seemed the water just a few rod lengths from my baits was massively shallower, at just 9-12 feet deep. Not only this but he was catching fish from the off. Now I didn't want to take the mickey but I knew I had to fish as close as I could to him to stand a chance of action. I didn't want to risk us snarling each others lines up but I did want a bite! So it was into darkness that I waded that bit further and whacked my hookbaits out. I had changed the rigs to my ever faithful version of the hinged stiff rig armed with the new to the market Chod twister hooks. I daren't put a marker out in the swim so felt the lead down instead. I was much happier although I felt a little naughty, but hey this was meant to be our lake anyway.

First light and a one toner to my

right hand rod ended with another chunk in the net. Much like the first fish the new hooks had nailed this one and at over 42 pounds I’ll admit I was elated.

Whilst I was fishing all three rods straight out I was baiting a long margin spot with 2.5kilos of the Tangerine Dream per day. We were fortunate enough to be able to use the boat along with an aqua scope too. Each day the spot was cleaned with only the odd fragment of bait left. By day four I felt maybe the Tangerine baits would be a little overkill so baited with a mixture of the baits I had. Imagine my surprise when the next day I checked the spot to see all of the Tangerine Dreams cleared and most of the others left behind! I don't know if it was a preference, the bright colour or because the carp had got onto the bait but it seemed the Tangee baits were making a difference. So again I baited with 2.5kilos of them.

I didn't plan to fish the spot just yet though.

The next bite was a glorious carp which although smaller was an absolute belter, nailed again on the Twister. Weighing in at 30 pounds exactly I was once again grinning for the photos.

Rob was having a real hard time, his spots at long range were being cleared every night with various rigs

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unceremoniously dumped in the nearby weed without a bleep. We worked together to fathom this out and tried various set ups and rigs.

Eventually a big hook rig suggested by the bailiff resulted in a take only for poor Rob to get cut off! The guy’s sheer determination to crack it was inspiring to say the least. He would not be beaten. Rob landed Tench after Tench and another upper 40 catfish but the carp were beating him. He would get his chance I was sure.

And so the last night came, last chance of a dream fish and whilst I felt happy that I had made the most of what I had in front I felt now was time for the margin spot.

The marker float was cut off the

4.5 Scope and my finest hinged stiff rig replaced it. I boated the rig out to the spot. With the aqua scope I could see my bait presented perfectly and deposited another 2.5 kilos of my now favourite Tangerine Dream baits around it.

Dusk fell and we sat chatting over a pizza with Rupert.

Darkness and a different buzzer tone had me fooled. It was my little S5R singing a tune as the margin rod was away! Just a few hours after baiting, this carp had been tripped up. The fight was heavy, slow and solid. Weedbed to weedbed the carp went, until eventually it was stuck solid.

Despite the power of the rod I could not move this fish so Ru kindly

went out in the boat and moved the weedbed with the net. Fish on came the cry and battle was resumed. She was beaten now and soon rolled into the waiting net.

This was what I had come for, a jet black 40 pounder again and a truly beautiful carp. A stunning fish in every way. The baiting had paid off, the bait they loved and despite a 4.5lb test curve rod and lots of weed the chod twister was still perfect. Photos done, I left this rod out of the water, the job was done.

A pike and a 30 plus catfish kept me entertained that night until eventually sadly it was time for home. A memorable trip, some lessons learned, some new friends made and a new favourite bait was discovered. I'm back out there in November armed with lots of the Tangerine Dream. A bait I will happily be using all year.

Until next time.

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ROUNDUP2014 What a fantastic few months the Nash Peg One team have had with some amazing fish captures from all over the country! Hardly a single stillwater species has been neglected by the guys in the team as they have been hitting the bank hard in the search for top fishing.

Midlands-based all-rounder Lewis Baldwin has spent most of the spring carp fishing on a number of day ticket venues taking some lovely fish. Perhaps the pick of the bunch was a cracking 30lb 6oz mirror taken on a Scopex Squid pop-up over a scattering of the same bait from a Norfolk lake. A hinged stiff-rig proved to be the downfall of the pretty specimen.

The recent hot weather has seen Lewis put the range of Nash floater fishing products to good use taking fish to over 23lb on the new Critical floaters fished amongst a scattering of Crustacean extract flavoured pellets and Riser pellet.

Crucians are a species that are almost synonymous with spring fishing and several of the Peg One team have been targeting specimens at Godalming Angling Societies Marsh Farm complex. Tony Gibson enjoyed a brilliant recent session taking a new pb of 3lb 6oz, along with several other crucians and a bumper net of tench from the lake.

Paul Garner also visited the venue and recorded a new PB and UK top 50 list fish with a cracker of 4lb 2oz 8drams. Amazingly, this fish was the same one, caught on the same day a year earlier that set Paul’s previous PB! All Paul’s fish fell to Method feeders loaded with a mixture of Crab & Krill and Swim Stim groundbait with a rubber caster hookbait.

Catfish are arguably at their most active in the spring and again several of the Nash Peg One team have had this powerful species in their sights. Duncan Charman and Jake Curry have been enjoying some great sport.

Using beefed-up carp tackle, including their Scope rods and new Nash freespin reels loaded with 15lb D-Cam they have caught some brilliant cats, grass carp and king carp in recent weeks, that have really put the gear through its paces. Jake’s best cat so far is this new PB of 37lb 6oz that really put a smile on his face!

Also getting in on the catfish action has been top Angling Coach Mike Salisbury whose young anglers have been catching some massive cats. Highlight of the spring so far has been Harrison Scott-Duncan’s (aka Soups) massive cat of 58lb, caught on Nash 9ft 2.75lb Dwarf rod, 15lb D-cam and 25lb Missing Link braid. The cat picked up a hookbait consisting of an 18mm halibut pellet topped with a 10mm pop-up.

That's Soups on the right.

And finally, last but not least, Paul Garner scored his second all-time UK top-50 fish of the spring with this massive tench of 12lb 10oz caught from a Southern gravel pit. The round specimen fell for a bunch of critically balanced maggots flavoured with Crustacean Extract and with a mixture of maggots and Bug Life in his swimfeeders. Paul puts his faith in D-Cam line, in this case the 12lb test, for all his big fish fishing.

An amazing spring I hope you agree and with summer now upon us the catches of more big fish are coming in at an incredible rate. Now is definitely the time to be out on the bank, get out there and get catching!

TAKEFIVE

SUMMER ESSENTIALS! Sometimes it’s the small things that make a big difference in carp fishing and as summer angling pressure builds, focussing on the detail can often make the difference between success or having to endure another blank – we asked our top team of anglers to list a few new or established products that they like and in particular to name something that has given them an edge this summer.

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5 NEW CAR MATS OK let’s be honest here, we can’t claim that the new Nash car mats will catch you extra carp this summer, but even so, they have become an instant ‘must have’ item for many of the team! For most anglers, the carp wagon also has to double up as the family transport and as a means of getting to and from a place of work. So the interior needs to be kept reasonably clean and mud free.

Made from a hardwearing easy clean densely woven nylon material, the new mats combine perfectly with the hugely popular Nash water proof seat covers. Both of which can be fitted and removed in seconds, to provide a high level of protection against wet or muddy clothing and footwear.

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4 ZIG FLO – NEW LARGER 300M SPOOLS Until the launch of Zig Flo it was hard to find a decent floating hook link material that could be totally relied upon. And with most materials if you had to go light to get a bite there was always the chance that you’d lose the fish during the fight due to a breakage. But low spook Zig Flo is incredibly strong in relation to its diameter, knot strength is also pretty impressive, so you can angle confidently for surface feeders and expect to land them. More and more anglers have been using Zig Flo as a main line for their surface fishing and this is why the new larger 300 metre spools are proving so popular. Zig Flo has also proven very effective for fishing small clear patches in the margins on densely weeded summer waters. The line sits on the surface weed rather than becoming snagged amongst it. Bite indication is improved and when combined with a Weed Safe Bead or the new Ejector Bead, on the take, the lead ejects and the fish immediately rises to the surface making it much easier to control. Massive weed growth seems to be a big problem on many waters this year, hooking a fish at close range maximises the chance of landing it.

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TAKEFIVE

3 FOOD DIPS The Food Dips are by no means a new addition to the bait range but more and more anglers are discovering what a special product this dense bottom hugging nutritional liquid really is.

Dipping or soaking single hook baits is a wellpracticed red hot tactic but boosting freebies can be equally effective and it’s providing a deadly edge this summer for those in the know.

The Food Dip creates a massive ph change in the close proximity of the bait and even the most lethargic disinterested summer feeders find it hard to resist investigating. Top tactic!

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2 NEW TUNGSTEN PRODUCTS We already knew that these products were the best of their type out there, but even so, the amount of positive feedback we’ve received from our sponsored anglers and valued customers has surprised us all. Thinking anglers are finding more and more uses for the Tungsten Clingers, everything from the more obvious ones such as naked chod stops to balancing special hook baits.

Cling-On putty is the stickiest putty bar none and reliably adheres to just about anything and stays put in conditions when similar looking but inferior products just drop off.

The most talked about item must be the new Liquid Tungsten, again there are many uses for this ground breaking product. For example, fine tuning the turning effect of rigs by adding small amounts of weight to specific sections of the hook has been used to bank some notoriously tricky carp this year.

1 INSTANT ACTION BAIT RANGE Again, we knew this new bait range was special but even so I don’t think anyone was prepared for the huge number of catch reports that have been flooding in at HQ since the baits were released.

Unlike many of the brightly coloured Hi-Attract instant baits in the tackle shops, carp love eating Instant Action boilies and will happily devour them in large quantities. As the name suggests, these baits are instant but they also go on working, producing instant and consistent long term results. Whether you are shooting down to a local water for an evening of rod bending action or holiday fishing or visiting an unknown venue abroad, fish well and Instant Action will catch!

Why not? use the tungsten products to make a wafter rig?

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NASH ISSUE 17 • SUMMER • JULY 2014

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