NASH

The Word From The Top Day Tickets

E-ZINEO

ctober 2010

Bait Box

INSIDE THIS MONTH...

TOPWORD FROM THE

KEVIN NASH

Keith Jones

Hello and welcome to the second edition of NASH-E-ZINE. First of all I’d like to say thank you to everyone who’s been in contact to say they enjoyed our first attempt at producing our very own publication, most of the feed back has been very positive indeed. We’re going by-monthly at the moment but I’m sure each instalment will get bigger and better. Also I must say a big thank you to all our contributors and team members who have helped to get the project off the ground.

We’ve got plenty of thought provoking material again this month written by some of the country’s top anglers. Mark Watson always has something interesting to say and the Carp

Catchers Diaries are a ‘must read’ too. Up and coming thinking anglers Joe Jagger and Adam Garland also give us an insight into their fishing.

We’ve also got what is probably the biggest carp in the country on the front cover, well done Bernard, good angling mate! Kevin’s perceptive comments in his column focusing on the current big fish scene certainly puts things into perspective.

LEGENDS

Whenever Gary Bayes talks about anything carpy I always listen carefully, as usual his thoughts on bait this month will help us all catch a few bonus fish. Gary’s a good friend he’s

also in my opinion the number one authority on carp bait and if I had to pick the top ten anglers of all time he’d be one of them for sure.

BIRD WATCHING

Kevin’s thoughts regarding carp behaviour, which often crops up in our popular Talking Carp series featured in Carp Talk always seems to generate lots of interest and debate. His ideas on how they feed and how to track down and catch a big old elusive carp, or any target fish for that matter, have certainly been relevant to my fishing of late.

I can’t claim to have the in-depth knowledge and understanding that Kev has but his words of

Keith Jones

wisdom have certainly got me thinking. Although a completely different species I’ve been drawing comparisons from the birds that we feed in the garden.

As soon as the food goes out, the resident Blackbirds are usually first out of the trees closely followed by a bunch of squabbling Starlings. A large colony of House Sparrows that live at the bottom of the garden are also quickly on the feeders and tables.

Although the largest species, a couple of big fat wood pidgins can usually be seen pecking on the fringes, but they seem reluctant to get involved in all the squabbling and infighting.

When most of the food is gone, the frenzied feeding stops, the majority of the birds move on for the next easily accessible meal in the garden next door and at this point the Pigeons move in on the leftovers. Two solitary and less often seen Hedge Sparrows also appear and clear up the crumbs. Putting this into the typical angling situation I find myself in at the moment, the Blackbirds and starlings are those mad crazed double figure commons that are always first on the bait. The two Pigeons are a pair of ancient forty plus mirrors that haven’t been caught for who knows how long and the Hedge Sparrows are those big long commons that have possibly never visited the bank.

I think this could be a common occurrence on many fisheries, as Kevin says, the big old girls just don’t like to mix with small carp particularly when feeding. By the time the big or elusive fish move in, many anglers may have given up, gone home or moved swims.

Baiting levels and application must be the key, I’ve got a few interesting and alternative ideas to try through the autumn and into winter, which is my favourite time to go carp fishing, I’ll keep you informed how it goes.

That’s it from me this month, read on and enjoy!

‘if I had to pick the top ten anglers

of all time he’d be one of them for

sure.’ 1. Getting in tune with nature will catch you more carp and some bigger ones too!

2. Lets get out there and catch some!3. Find out more about us

THE WORD FROM

THE TOP Kevin Nash

The carp world is in a strange place at the moment. The recent tragedies of the death of Two Tone and the wipe-out at Colnemere are the latest in a growing list of the deaths of England’s greatest carp. I find myself asking the question, how many are left? It is as if we are on the way to going back to the mid 80’s, where a low 40lb fish was a monster. What is going on? I have my theories, and when I get a moment I will probably write about it in depth. I do think many of the causalities could of been avoided. So where does that put us now, big fish wise? Like I said, it is bitter sweet. I am mortified that so many of our greatest fish are dead, and I take no comfort from the fact that I may well now have the largest carp in the UK in my lakes. And

even that is bitter sweet. When I got the phone call to say that Bernard Anderson has just caught the 61lb+ from Church Pool, I was elated, then I saw the fish - frankly speaking it wasn’t pretty. Eyes bulging, and in no way did it have the healthy frame of a 60. It was also a difficult fish to call the weight, so I went to lift it off the unhooking mat and gasped “bloody hell, I cant lift it, its definitely 60lb+”. My mind went back to my 59lb+ from the Copse Lake, that was much easier to lift, Bernard’s fish was just a solid mass, - a bit like trying to lift a cannon ball - spawn bound for sure. So, in mind of so many big fish dying recently, I walk around my lake every morning expecting to see this fish floating dead. Fortunately, it hasn’t yet, so maybe it will reabsorb the spawn and recover. But enough of being morbid, I am a glass half full person, not

half empty. Life has taught me that clouds generally have a silver lining. I have a feeling that this shake out of the big old girls will bring a new era of younger fish coming through, and reaching new weight peaks, that the UK carp world has previously not seen. After all, it is only in a matter of years that we have started seeing 70lb’ers in France. I am sure the UK will see its first 70, maybe in as little as 5 years, but if not, certainly in the next decade. And lets not forget, we have some of the most beautiful carp in Europe. In a way, the carp world has become obsessed with weight; wouldn’t it be great if it went back to the true values of what Carp fishing is about, the beauty of a heavily scaled double figure carp reflecting the early morning sun, as you gently slip her back.

“bloody hell, I cant

lift it, its definitely

60lb+”

If I had to describe the last couple of months in three words I would have to say, “it’s all good!”

Supply has picked up and although we have lost out on sales at certain times (or more to the point you guys haven’t been able to get hold of the tackle or bait you needed) things are looking up and a lot of work and energy has gone into ensuring we don’t end up in a similar situation again.

Of course, it’s been mental, life in the office has been frantic at times, but it’s a good feeling now that much of the recent development work is now coming to fruition. Each year brings different hurdles and experiences however as the financial year is drawing to a close we are all very happy with the effort and determination that has been directed at the Nash Brand over the last 12 months.

GET READY FOR THIS!

Have you seen snippets and press releases relating to the Siren Rs1 bite alarms? This has been a massive project stretching over more than two years and we’re all really excited with the outcome. Using specialists from the world of electronics, design and manufacturing (none of which have ever worked within the fishing Industry before) we have created a truly unique and innovative design. The advanced technology and features will make them the ‘must have’ bite detection devises for the serious carp angler

Rods are another area where we have taken an immense step forward. Terry Edmonds joined the company almost a year ago, in case you didn’t know, Terry’s expertise and understanding of all things technical relating to rod building is second to none, he also holds a number of casting records and can chuck a lead to a distance that most of us can only dream off. His input has been invaluable, keep an eye out for more information coming soon, I’m sure you’ll be impressed!

LIFE AT NASH Alan Blair

SHOW TIME

The trade shows are now only a couple of weeks away, this is an opportunity to give all retailers (in the UK and in Europe) the opportunity to come and meet the team and be shown all the new innovative ground breaking products and developments for 2011.

TIME TO GET THE RODS OUT

Sadly my fishing has taken a bit of a back seat, but I only have myself to blame as there’s no real excuse for not making time for a short over nighter here and there, I just need to get a little more focused, especially after having such a good start to the season!

I got up on the river Ouse for a couple of nights for the start of the season and although I couldn’t locate the nomadic carp, I did manage a number of good chub including a PB of 5lb 15oz which made the trip so worth while.

Sadly since then I haven’t been back on the river but I have got a long weekend planned soon with a friend, I’ve actually done more fishing in the Benilux recently than I have in the UK. I spent a week there on holiday with my girlfriend, plus other quick trips here and there, and with the help of my good friend Joris who put me onto the productive areas I managed to catch one or two proper carp!! I get a great sense of satisfaction from fishing unusual, busy or difficult waters and these canals tick all the boxes.

It wasn’t easy fishing, however I learnt a lot and used my usual tactics of stalking with maggots which produced a few pukka fish that really made for a special break away.

I also spent a couple of nights on an idyllic Stillwater where Chloe and myself had some proper action catching carp to over 40lbs, plus large sturgeon and catfish on a number of tactics and methods. Most of the better carp were caught off the top at range using the Bolt Machines, most of the takes off the bottom where from the sturgeon – boy did they like the new iC1!

Again fishing at range (up to 180meters) a couple of times I returned from rowing my baits out, put the rod on the new Siren bite alarm only for it to rip straight off – epic fishing!!

I’m looking forward to the autumn, I’ve also pencilled in a days Crusian fishing (bit late in the year but hey ho) and a couple of sessions on the estuary near to where I live for the Mullet – not carp fishing I know but I do like a bit of variety and I would dearly like to up my PB for both species NEW PEOPLE – NEW PROJECTS

There are a couple of additional points I must mention, first I would like to welcome Richard Ballard to the team, Richard (or Ditch as we call him) is playing a massive role in the further development of our TT range (amongst many other tasks). He’s a cracking lad who applies an unbelievable amount of effort and dedication to his job, he also manages to catch a few as well – I’m sure you will hear and see more of him in the future.

If you haven’t seen the new promotional DVD ‘Rig Evolution’ then go and get yourself a copy, Richard Wilby and our top cameraman Winston have done a sterling job. Anglers of all abilities will learn something from this awesome production, these two guys have also managed to get Nash TV off the ground, also well worth a look!!

Nash TV can be accessed directly through the Nash website and You Tube and features a whole host of exciting mini video clips and regular updates that will benefit your angling and make you laugh too!!

LIFE AT NASH Alan Blair

TAKING A BREAK

We’ve just returned from a team building holiday in Cyprus – yes, team building in Cyprus!! Kevin, myself and a few others from the office spent a week in the blazing sun discussing, well – Life At Nash and how we can continue to move things forward.

Obviously it wasn’t work-work all day every day but we did have some really important discussions about the future and we’ve all returned completely focussed, fresh and determined to keep on doing what we all love and do best – supplying you guys with the best tackle and bait.

Summer has slipped away and if you want to succeed with your fishing plans for this autumn, here’s a thought, understand what you want to achieve, plan it and then go get it – good luck from all at Nash.

CHANGING SEASONS

Although its late August already I’ve had anglers asking about autumn and winter baits. Really, it’s to early, there is still a lot of weeks left where the water temperatures are plenty high enough to catch on the same bait you’ve been using all summer. Depending on the weather (because it can turn cold quickly in the UK) any good summer bait will still be ok until mid September or even into October. Ideally though it’s a good idea to start trickling in a more winterised bait soon, so they can get to eat some free ones and build their confidence up. I’ve always started to implement a change in my bait about mid September. This might be to increase the sweetener levels, reduce the savoury products, change the base mix to cut the fish meal content, add a dye or colour to change the visual appearance and change the shape of the baits. Just subtle changes but they add up to a lot of difference. The basic idea is to still use much of the same label which has been working for me but to winterise the bait and give me a subtle change bait that still benefits from my previous baiting up. Scopex Squid for instance will catch all 12 months of the year but I have caught more in the autumn by taking the Red Liver Oil down to 3ml from 5ml, increasing the sweetener to 2ml from 1ml and changing to the All Season Squid that has a lower fish meal content and higher levels of milk proteins. The bait smells, tastes and looks similar but is changed enough to be more of a winter bait.

GAIN AN EDGE

When we first introduced the Food Dips I did well by drenching all my boilie free offerings and Monster Carp Pellet in the dense liquid for about 6-12 hours before use. This still works well but if the Food Dip is sweetened with either Intense Sweeteners or a sugar cane syrup it seems to work even better. Going slightly against this our Liquid Liver Extract also works well when added to the Food Dip. In fact the Food Dips are very flexible and are excellent dip material, on their own or blended with “extras”. I think this is mainly due to the fact they have excellent flavour recipes added, when the water is cold they work better than low smell/taste dips. The Food Dips are a good bait tool to modify the smell and taste of any bait and we produce one for all our Top Rod baits so its easy for anyone to use them to their advantage. Even if you are not a Nash Bait user, bad people that you are, the same principle can apply using the flavours that make your bait, adding them to a similar Nash Bait Food Dip or making a blend using Liquid Liver Extract, Amino liver concentrate, sweetener, etc as a base for a water soluble food type dip. Water soluble is the key in the colder months. Oil type dips are not much use when the fish are in the lower water levels. I personally don’t even like oils much in the summer and cringe when I see the big oil slicks (where does all that oil end up?) Another good winter method used to be liquidised boilies, spodded, stick mixed or in a Vitalin type ground bait but to be honest a lot of this is often used throughout the summer now so it hasn’t the same appeal. Whole or halved, semi-crushed baits and food soaked pellets are probably better now. If you’re starting on a new water for the winter, then the same bait application as above will work but I would choose more of a winter type bait, such as Amber Strawberry, which already has extra sweetener, is dyed white, is on a winter type base mix and is highly flavoured, ready to go. The Food Dip will help catch more as will using different shapes and sizes.

1. Gary Bayes

BIG FISH BAIT

iC-1 is still catching a lot of carp, in fact I got beaten recently by one of our reps who was on the iC-1 whereas I was on a modified MACH 1 and blanked. I thought I was being clever using something alternative but should of learnt by now that the baits we market are produced with the best recipes bar none, but you never know and for me it isn’t fishing unless I’m messing about with something new. iC-1 is actually a spin of from one of the MACH baits we developed and was originally tested under the MACH 3 code name. Subtle but significant changes improved the bait even further and the iC1 was born. I’ve caught fish up to 35lb on it and during the grim winter past it turned around a poor season for number of anglers who up till then were struggling. To be honest I’m a bit silly not to be using it for my serious fishing that I have just started on. It’s also a very good big fish bait, having accounted for a lot of the bigger fish in my lakes and loads of other waters I keep tabs on. Last winter was a shocking affair with loads of lakes frozen solid but still the spicy iC-1 caught them whenever the surface was liquid. Now, normally the fruity sweet baits are good in the colder months but looking back to the Sting Fish days (several decades ago) the Sting fish did used to slow down but the similar recipe on a birdfood blend did the business throughout the winter for my field testers, again catching the big ones.

BAIT TALK

Gar

y B

ayes

BAIT SIZE If the iC-1 can catch them during the thaw last winter then it will catch them any time, its an already proven winter choice. Small 10mm and 10 x 15mm Chops (boilie pellet) are the best bet, together with food dipped Monster Carp Pellets with the pink Hi-Glo pop-ups as hook baits. When it gets really cold I have always used maggots, ei-ther on the rig or in swim feeders or PVA bags. You can flavour the maggots with the iC-1 Top Rod Formula, this is a ready to use liquid blend containing all the attractors and additives used in the bait at the correct ra-tio’s. This will tempt more reaction to the maggot, creating a ‘link’ between the mag-gots and iC1 boilies will catch you more carp. So. if you’re not on the iC-1 already, be aware that it will catch in the cold whereas your summer bait might not, going spicy in-stead of the more usual sweet and fruity op-tions could be the key this winter. Good Luck

2. Liquid Liver - a good base for a home made soak, 3. Food and boilie Dips, 4. Soaked boilies and pellets - a real edge,

5. Size shape and colour all have a role to play, 6. Don’t ignore the iC1 !

Nash Titan - 250610.indd 1 25/06/2010 15:31:56

GETTING RIGGYI’m sure by the time you read this, a lot of you will have seen the Rig Evolution DVD which is available free from your local Nash stockist. I’ve been around a while and remember quite a few of the developments Kevin talks about which made it an interesting interview from that perspective but that’s not all. Anglers of any age and experience can’t fail to learn from this DVD and Kevin’s knowledge.I consider myself to be quite on top of the rig side of things but in reflection I have become a bit lazy and have lapsed into the trap of using the same old rigs rather than evolving. Having said that the rigs I’ve been using have been effective to a degree but I do wonder how much better I could have done as the lake I’ve been fishing holds the riggiest carp I’ve ever fished for. I have landed a few but have been far from satisfied with my hook holds and had a hook pull earlier in the year which was one of the biggest in the lake. A loss that I can only blame myself for.

BONUS POINTSImagine if carp fishing success could be broken down into percentages and order of importance, lets say rigs, bait, location and timing. The percentage points and order of importance will vary from water to water, with small pressured venues like my current one having more rig importance whereas on big pits, location would be higher on the list. You have to figure out how much importance to give each factor on your water and when. For example when I fished the pressure Elstow 1 I’d come straight from Elstow 2 next door on which I’d been successful by placing most of the importance on the location, bait and timing. I struggled at first when I moved onto 1 to get any sort of rhythm but a shift in importance towards rigs saw me catching on more occasions than not. Due to the rota system on pit 1 I was regularly left with fifth or sixth choice swim so had to get crafty to pick off the odd fish that were away from the main pack. A solitary carp is far harder to trip up than fish in a group feeding so I started playing around with combi-rigs. This worked with my first ten takes resulting in ten well hooked carp on the bank including three over 40lb. But I didn’t have any of the big hauls Elstow 1 can produce, instead I had a very high average size of fish which I’m sure can be put down to swim choice and being forced to fish away from the main group of

fish.

1. Mark Watson

TRIGGALINKI had to smile to myself when Kevin mentioned that Triggalink hasn’t been Nash’s best selling product because I’ve had a couple of sessions saved by using it. In fact if Nash ever decided to discontinue Triggalink I’d be straight on the phone asking for a box full of it. For reasons that Kevin explains on the DVD Triggalink is far from a popular product but that’s because many anglers seem reluctant to try it. And as much as I (and a few others) write about it, I feel it will never be that popular. But that’s fine, as it provides more of an edge for those who do go to the trouble of tying rigs up and experimenting with this ground breaking material. It really is a product that can make that difference between a blank and a red letter session.

OFF THE BOTTOMThere are a few areas of the rig equation that I do need to work on such as zigs. It goes against the way I fish which is to create a feeding situation to fool the carp but the amount of fish caught on them can’t be ignored. I remember a friend texting me a while ago telling me he’d had an upper 20 common on a piece of black foam, 8 feet off the bottom in the middle of the night. My reply was to say well done but give em some food next time you tight b******. I’ve since changed my attitude towards zigs and fully intend to master them. I also have a love/hate relationship with chod rigs. My first two fish on the rig were 35lb and 45lb which were followed by a run of losses. I have used and caught on it since but still have doubts. I’ll certainly be adding the lead release system for choddies that is detailed on the DVD to my armoury.

REFOCUSIt is so easy to just plod along with the same old ideas, but the angler who continually thinks and evolves will catch more, but problems need to be recognised. If others are out catching you then find out why. I blame my rig laziness on having far too much occupying my mind away from fishing and just being happy to get away from it all regardless of the results which brings me onto my own fishing as of late.I was bitten by the big fish bug a long time ago so when the real world bites me on the ass as it has done lately a compromise has to be made. My time has been severely limited so travelling south for any sort of session has been out. Overnighters on local venues have been all I’ve managed lately which living up here in the frozen north means smaller carp. Even these sessions have been limited but it has been nice to fish venues I’ve not fished for over 10 years for some very old fish.All good fun but my thoughts are of big fish so I’ll be back down Cambs way trying for an Autumn whacker very soon but before that I have a three night session on Kevin’s Church Pool which I’ll cover next time. Speaking of which I need to tie up a few loose ends at home ( and some rigs!) then it’s off to Essex.

Tight Lines - Mark

2. A ‘must watch’ DVD 3. Night time capture 4. Gain some percentage points with Triggalink

5. Triggalink combi rig, could catch you the uncatchable!

Billy - There’s no one particular reason, we fish lots of different waters, it’s often down to location, the main thing is to choose the right swim, get on the fish and then try and catch them.

Jamie - In a match fishing situation you draw a swim, you may or may not have plenty of fish out in front of you but you just have to go with what you’ve got. You have to work the swim, find the spots or maybe even create them. That’s where good bait really scores, we carry quite a range of Nash baits with us to cover just about any situation.

Ever wondered why our consultants and field testers catch so many fish?

Jamie - That’s an awesome bait, it just puts so much attraction into the water, its got to be one of the best ground baits around. If you’re on fish and you start spodding the mix over your hook baits, it creates an amazing response, before long the swim’s buzzing with carp and you know its only a matter of time before you start catching them. The Soluballs create the same kind of attraction on the bottom, they’re perfect for pulling the fish in. We usually start by fishing different baits and tactics on different rods, the spots baited with Soluballs are often the first to go off.

Jamie - The matching products are good too, if you’ve got pellets, dips, pop ups, Hi-Viz hook baits etc, all containing the same flavours and attractors as the boilies, it gives you plenty of options to get the fish feeding. The Food and Boilie Dips are brilliant, sometimes I’ll dip the whole PVA bag in the pot before casting out, that often produces an instant take.

Keith Jones takes a sneaky look in the bait buckets belonging to our top anglers, this month Billy Flowers and Jamie Londors come under the spot light.

Billy - We haven’t been using them for long but the new Fish Frenzy range is also really good, mini boilies, pellets, Squidgee Pellets and Hi-Viz hook baits, they all catch plenty of carp and again it gives us more options to try. I think big fish anglers will probably over look these baits which is a big mistake, they’re not just a runs water bait, I’m sure they’ll be really effective for catching carp of any size. The Mutants are also good for adding colour and buoyancy to our hook baits. But its not just about bait, you have to work hard, find them first and fish the swim correctly, but once we’ve done that, the chances are we’ll have something in our bait buckets that will catch them!

2. What’s in your bait bucket?

3. Plenty of options

4. Soluballs - awesome!

6. Masses of attraction

BAIT BOXEver wondered why our consultants and field testers catch so many fish?

Jamie - In a match fishing situation you draw a swim, you may or may not have plenty of fish out in front of you but you just have to go with what you’ve got. You have to work the swim, find the spots or maybe even create them. That’s where good bait really scores, we carry quite a range of Nash baits with us to cover just about any situation.

KJ - Well thanks for giving us an insight into your bait choice, as well as using the very best bait available, I’m sure good angling is another reason why you both catch so many fish, combining the two is an unbeatable combination.

KJ - Hi mate, I know that on the match fishing scene, you two are a formidable duo, you also catch plenty of carp both large and small when you are fishing around for fun, what’s the secret?

Keith Jones takes a sneaky look in the bait buckets belonging to our top anglers, this month Billy Flowers and Jamie Londors come under the spot light.

Billy - All the Nash boilies that we’ve tried seem like pretty instant carp catchers, they’re consistent too, they catch pretty much wherever we go. If you’ve got carp passing through your swim, baits like Scopex Squid, Amber Strawberry, Mac 1 or iC1 are good enough to stop them, the chances are they’ll stop and feed, we’re spoilt for choice really. They’ll probably eat them in preference to an inferior bait which is another advantage when you’re competing against other anglers.

Billy - Zig rigs are important in our fishing and that’s when the new Nash Spod Cloud ground bait really comes into its own, that’s probably our favourite Nash product at the moment, its one that we use a lot and wouldn’t go fishing without.

Billy - We haven’t been using them for long but the new Fish Frenzy range is also really good, mini boilies, pellets, Squidgee Pellets and Hi-Viz hook baits, they all catch plenty of carp and again it gives us more options to try. I think big fish anglers will probably over look these baits which is a big mistake, they’re not just a runs water bait, I’m sure they’ll be really effective for catching carp of any size. The Mutants are also good for adding colour and buoyancy to our hook baits. But its not just about bait, you have to work hard, find them first and fish the swim correctly, but once we’ve done that, the chances are we’ll have something in our bait buckets that will catch them!

1. Jamie and Billy in action!

5. Spod Cloud - unbeatable

7. Match Success

CARP CATCHERS DIARIESSEAN LEVERETT

I’ve been on a role!

Scopex Squid - awesome! High attract bait - low viz low spook end tackle, quite a combination!

When I left you at the end of last months diary I had been lucky enough to have caught the ‘Fat Lady’ and was next heading off to Berkshire in pursuit of a mirror known as ‘The Brute’ that resides in a pit near there. I promised to keep you all informed so here we go.

I obtained my ticket to fish there in the middle of June and on Monday 21st of that month I started my campaign. My first session ended in a blank but on the last day of my second one I managed my first take. Although only a small common it’s always good to get that first fish under your belt, it really raises your confidence knowing that you’re doing something right.

Through the month of July I managed to get in four sessions on the lake and out of those four sessions I had five takes resulting in a further four fish, all commons with the biggest being 22lb. At the start of August I managed to catch one of the better fish in the shape of a mirror weighing 38lb 4oz. It was a fish known as Pearly and hadn’t been on the bank for over a year.

The following week I was back at the lake and Thursday 12th saw me catch the one I went on there for, The Brute and it weighed in at 45lb 8oz. With my Job done after just thirty-three nights, I was well pleased. The following day I had a further result when I landed a big-framed 39lb 8oz mirror known as Big Pecs after a right old scrap. I also had a further small common on the same session.

Rig wise I’ve been using a helicopter rig made up with a Diffusion leader with Diffusion beads and components. The beads are too tight to use straight from the pack as they are not designed to fit the leaders but by enlarging the bore by running a hot baiting drill through them, they slide up and off the end with ease thus making them totally fish safe.

The hook links that I’ve been using have been either a blow back rig constructed from 25lb Missing Link in silt finish with a size 6 Fang X hook and an oval ring for my bottom bait rig or a hinged stiff link for pop ups. The stiff link is made up with Nash TT 20lb fluorocarbon stealth for the boom section and a prototype stiff material for the hook section.

Just as last month, my chosen bait is the awesome Scopex Squid plus the matching Soluballs, a bait I have 100% confidence in.

Where next? I don’t know. I’m going to spend the rest of the school holidays with my kids and in the meantime think where to go, I’m sure I’ll think of somewhere! Till then, good luck all and see you soon.

Sean

High attract bait - low viz low spook end tackle, quite a combination!

CARP CATCHERS DIARIESJULIAN CUNDIFF

I must admit when Keith dropped me a line asking me to do my latest Carp Catchers Diary I had plenty already planned and then one overnight session later I knew exactly where to start, and it wasn’t where I had envisaged. I’d been having a run of success on a local water and with almost one hundred carp to my name to just over twenty eight pounds I felt pretty confident that if I could get on them I could catch them. With work over for the day ( well I got a flyer from court for a change ) I was down the A19 and soon opening the padlock to the water. Fantastic nobody here so I had pick of the swims tonight. My friend Brian was due down in an hour or so and as it was a serious but social trip I needed to pick an area we could both fish without ruining our chances nor landing one of us in ‘no-hope’ corner. Little did I know that just one overnight session would give me more than enough to fill this edition my friends….

LOCATION - LOCATION When I started to write this I thought what I was about to say sounded plain daft but if you’ve been carp fishing for a few years you will know the point I am making. On less than sparsely stocked waters in the summer months you can usually find carp all over the place with the question then being where do you think the best spot is to fish albeit that the carp are in 3, 5 , 10 or whatever swims you see them in ? Sometimes its easier to only find carp in one swim so then swim choice is that simple. I’d done two laps of the water and to be honest seen carp in half the swims I’d visited. Choices ? Too many !! The trick was to decide on which swim gave the best chance of success in the time I had available. Maximising my chances of a multiple hit I suppose. So if you find carp and have a little time to keep looking unless you are really limited for time then keep looking because you may well find more carp elsewhere. Better to put yourself in the swim with numbers of fish as numbers can create competitive feeding which makes them a lot more catchable.

FLAMING AUGUST!

Although I’d set off in lovely sunny conditions by the time I’d got the gear on the Nash Trax Terrain barrow it was starting to rain…. And then some ! On with the Zero Tolerance jacket and get to that swim as soon as possible. No matter how warm the day seems to be, always take waterproofs with you as the British weather tends to be all over the place and where there’s sun there usually comes along rain too… Still with the jacket on I was fine but thank god I was prepared or I would have felt like a drowned rat never mind just looking like one. As I was doing a night I was fully prepared and although I am not a fan of big bivvies, over wraps and all that I wasn’t going to make the fishing unpleasant for myself either ! The shelter was my favourite Nash Oval Plus which not only keeps me dry but also my tackle. Groundsheet down ( I cannot understand anyone not taking one for the protection they give compared to the minimal weight ) and it was pegged down. With a strong wind buffeting my swim and soft ground I was glad I had brought both 8” and 12” Stealth pegs. Normally the eights are perfect but the soft sand in this swim meant I needed the longer pegs for a rock solid set-up. It may be a minor thing but I find that a warm and comfortable angler tends to be a more efficient angler….

You can find it through Angling Publications at just £14.99 so check them out at www.anglingpublications.co.uk or you can always drop me a line with a question to - The Willows, Thorpe Lane, Thorpe In Balne, Doncaster, DN60DY’ with an SAE and I will do anything I can to helpI’m also getting in amongst the

bigger ones!

Short session success

The sun starts to set on yet another summer

I must admit when Keith dropped me a line asking me to do my latest Carp Catchers Diary I had plenty already planned and then one overnight session later I knew exactly where to start, and it wasn’t where I had envisaged. I’d been having a run of success on a local water and with almost one hundred carp to my name to just over twenty eight pounds I felt pretty confident that if I could get on them I could catch them. With work over for the day ( well I got a flyer from court for a change ) I was down the A19 and soon opening the padlock to the water. Fantastic nobody here so I had pick of the swims tonight. My friend Brian was due down in an hour or so and as it was a serious but social trip I needed to pick an area we could both fish without ruining our chances nor landing one of us in ‘no-hope’ corner. Little did I know that just one overnight session would give me more than enough to fill this edition my friends….

LOCATION - LOCATION When I started to write this I thought what I was about to say sounded plain daft but if you’ve been carp fishing for a few years you will know the point I am making. On less than sparsely stocked waters in the summer months you can usually find carp all over the place with the question then being where do you think the best spot is to fish albeit that the carp are in 3, 5 , 10 or whatever swims you see them in ? Sometimes its easier to only find carp in one swim so then swim choice is that simple. I’d done two laps of the water and to be honest seen carp in half the swims I’d visited. Choices ? Too many !! The trick was to decide on which swim gave the best chance of success in the time I had available. Maximising my chances of a multiple hit I suppose. So if you find carp and have a little time to keep looking unless you are really limited for time then keep looking because you may well find more carp elsewhere. Better to put yourself in the swim with numbers of fish as numbers can create competitive feeding which makes them a lot more catchable.

FLAMING AUGUST!

Although I’d set off in lovely sunny conditions by the time I’d got the gear on the Nash Trax Terrain barrow it was starting to rain…. And then some ! On with the Zero Tolerance jacket and get to that swim as soon as possible. No matter how warm the day seems to be, always take waterproofs with you as the British weather tends to be all over the place and where there’s sun there usually comes along rain too… Still with the jacket on I was fine but thank god I was prepared or I would have felt like a drowned rat never mind just looking like one. As I was doing a night I was fully prepared and although I am not a fan of big bivvies, over wraps and all that I wasn’t going to make the fishing unpleasant for myself either ! The shelter was my favourite Nash Oval Plus which not only keeps me dry but also my tackle. Groundsheet down ( I cannot understand anyone not taking one for the protection they give compared to the minimal weight ) and it was pegged down. With a strong wind buffeting my swim and soft ground I was glad I had brought both 8” and 12” Stealth pegs. Normally the eights are perfect but the soft sand in this swim meant I needed the longer pegs for a rock solid set-up. It may be a minor thing but I find that a warm and comfortable angler tends to be a more efficient angler….

HARDENED HOOK BAITS

One thing that I have noticed and particularly if your water has a good head of nuisance fish, is that in the summer warm water, tench/roach and bream can soon have your hook bait nibbled away especially if it’s a bog standard bottom bait out of the bag. I’d been catching the odd nuisance fish and wanting to ensure that I still had a good bait on come morning, meant I was fine tuning my baits. Although catching out of the bag is possible, do yourself a favour and make yourself some hardened hook baits.

You can actually do this by air drying any readymade or even better making a harder hook bait at home. All I do is use two thirds of my standard base mix with one third of a milk protein mix. I like a slight increase in attractor levels ( say 10-20%) as the hardened skin can lock in the attractors more and away you go. I tend to roll them barrel shape as you can make them less likely to be ejected than bog standard round ones. All I do is roll the sausage as normal but using a sharp craft knife trim them off so I end up with a load of barrel bottom baits ideal for hair rigging. Instead of using a standard hairstop I prefer to use something from the Mutant Imitation bait range. A plastic bait ( be it maggot, corn, pellet shaped ) is ideal to place in the hair loop so that not only does it stop the hook bait being pulled off the hair but it can add a glint of colour and a degree of buoyancy to counteract the weight of the Fang hook.

NATURE FEEDS BEST

Although a good boilie will be hard for any carp to resist at this time of year nature will be producing plenty of its own natural food for the carp to take advantage of. Fly hatches, larvae and grubs are all safe as houses to carp and although your swim may be full of crashing, leaping and rolling carp it may be that the food they are eating is natural food. I must admit that night I did make the mistake of thinking I couldn’t fail with fish after fish topping in front of me including one of the lakes big fish which looked positively huge. I ended up catching plenty of tench and bream and then pinched a big double at first light….but I should have done much better. The tench and bream should have told me that the carp were mid water and above and I should have zig rigged not just the usual bottom bait traps. When carp are showing and your not catching do something about it. The Nash Rig Foam in orange, black, white and red is ideal and you can combine colours for improved visibility. I usually start with black but if no takes are forthcoming I do the other colours. A nice wide gape hook like a Fang Twister is perfect and you really can pick up plenty of bonus fish this way….

So although I did only catch one carp I learnt a lot of valuable lessons hopefully that may be of interest to you.

Before I go I must just mention my new book - If you are looking for a ‘how to’ book that is relevant to today’s carp fishing I promise you won’t be disappointed. Almost 190 pages long, 60,000 words and packed full of everything I know. I am confident that CARP: Short Session Success will benefit any carp angler no matter where they are in their carp fishing.

You can find it through Angling Publications at just £14.99 so check them out at www.anglingpublications.co.uk or you can always drop me a line with a question to - The Willows, Thorpe Lane, Thorpe In Balne, Doncaster, DN60DY’ with an SAE and I will do anything I can to help

CARP CATCHERS DIARIESJERRY HAMMOND

Jerry Hammond

Find them and catch them! Surface bait boosters

For many anglers August has been a tough month to catch a carp, since the big freeze up, its probably been the hardest month of the year. Angling pressure, an abundance of natural food and weed have all added to the difficulties, anglers who just fish a static approach have found it particularly tough.

I’m very much a mobile angler, if I’m not on fish or I just feel things aren’t right I won’t hesitate to pack up and move regardless of the time of day or the weather, if I’m not happy I just can’t settle.

The ‘carp hunting’ approach has worked for me during these difficult times, find the fish and catch them, but if they’re proving a bit elusive, pre-baited traps in the margins, small PVA bags, just a mouthful of food in just the right places has produced bonus fish when the going has been really tough. But thinking ahead and it’s a terrible thought, summer is fast slipping away, so if you haven’t already started, now is definitely the time to start pre baiting with and even fishing over larger amounts of bait.

I will very soon be trickling in a steady flow of my Autumn bait on a number of venues in preparation for the months ahead.

By doing this I know that the carp will start to recognise my bait, and by eating it safely they will be more confident when I start to fish for them. The chances are on many waters the fish will have been on particles for a while so to start with I’ll be using 10 millers and chops ( small pellet shaped boilies). As we head into Autumn the superior food source provided by my Nash boilies will give me an edge, a well planned baiting campaign always works well for me. Its something that gives me great confidence, I can go fishing in a positive frame of mind expecting to catch rather than just hoping.

OFF THE TOP

Although the seasons are changing don’t be tempted to put the floater gear away just yet, I can’t think of a better way to start a session, whether it’s a short or longer one, pinching the first one off the top gives the confidence a real boost.

Once I have found some fish, if there’s a breeze, there usually is at this time of the year, fire out some mixers just past them and let them drift back over the fish. Only a couple of pouches to begin with, you don’t want to spook them, once they start to feed keep introducing more until the fish are competing for food. Now’s the time to introduce the hook bait, as with the freebies, if you can, cast past the fish and allow the hook bait to drift back over them, if you’ve got the build up right, the chances are they’ll have it. If not, boosting attraction will give you an edge and hopefully provoke a response, Nash Bait Strawberry Oil Palatant is perfect for this, as is Crustacean Extract, boosted baits can also be useful if you are trying to pick off a specific fish in the group.

That’s it from me for now, oh I nearly forgot, if you haven’t watched it already, pick up a copy of the new free of charge Nash Rig Evolution DVD, it’s a ‘must watch’ for anglers of all levels and abilities.

CARP CATCHERS DIARIESRICH WILBY

Recent over night success

Feeding them up on Mustang Otter fence - now a ‘must have’ on many fisheries

I don’t know where the last two months have gone, they’ve flown by, but we are now heading into my favourite time of the year for getting the rods out and doing some “proper” fishing for a lump or two.For the last few years I have spent July and August dangling on the river, mainly after carp, but I do enjoy having a play for other species, specially perch, chub and barbel. I’ve only managed two nights of carp fishing on the river in the last month, one night on the Ouse near my house in Huntingdon and the other on the Nene near Peterborough. Both nights produced a double figure carp, which was really pleasing for me as river carp fishing can be very hit or miss. Pre-baiting with Shellfish Sense Appeal and Scopex Squid shelf life boilies was key; I’m sure, for my success.

I also headed up north for a couple of nights on the river Trent, with my good mate “Stonsey”, from the Angling Times. Although carp have been caught from the stretch we fished, our main target was barbel. We took an array of bait and over 36 hrs I tried everything. But I had four bites and they all came to Scopex Squid Chops (barrel shaped boilies). The biggest barbel I banked weighed in at 8lb 4oz, which although not a Trent monster, it made me smile and scrapped like a tiger.

One other fishing trip I had recently was a 24hr on Chigboro’ Fisheries in Essex. I was joined by two top Nash Belgium anglers Kim De Poorter and Poupaert Yves. Both of them had not fished in the UK before and were keen to get an English carp under their belts, so the pressure was on for me to point them in the right direction. We soon found fish showing around a large weedbed and patrolling the main island margin. Things were slow for the first half of the session, but the air pressure dropped suddenly, a new weather front came over and the carp turned on big time. We had several fish between us up to 20lb, once again Scopex Squid boilies did the biz, but this time I baited up regularly with Soluballs to keep the action coming.

In between work and family time the rest of my weekends have been taken up by stacks of work on a new fishery I plan to open next year with my dad in Norfolk. “Airfield Lakes” will comprise of two waters, Spitfire Pool and Mustang Lake. Both lakes are nearly ready for the public, but currently an otter fence is being constructed around the site and more fish are planned for stocking in November. I also have to get my website finished and live, which is another massive task on top of being flat out with media work at Nash.

Talking of media work, the FREE Rig Evolution DVD, featuring Kevin Nash, has been very well received and I’m sure it will help many anglers, new or experienced, understand the concepts and mechanics of modern day rigs. Kevin is on top form in this film and it’s both an inspirational and instructional piece of footage. Nash TV is also now up and live on the web and is getting thousands of hits and causing lots of interest. We are working hard to keep it updated with quality material for carp anglers to enjoy. It’s not an easy task, but with the excellent team we have involved I’m sure we will keep up the high standards and become one of the biggest carp fishing media sites around. If you haven’t checked it out yet, please have a look, sign up to the channel and give us some feed back.

Visit www.nashtv.co.uk, you can also join are facebook pages; www.facebook.com/NashTV.co.uk and my own facebook page; Rich Nash-tv.I hope you all catch some whackers this autumn, see you next time, Rich.

CARP CATCHERS DIARIESIAIN MACMILLAN

Tutorial success

I get a real buzz from helping other anglers

All action at The Nash Road Show

With the in influx of new comers to our beloved sport of carp angling there seems to be an increase in the ‘profile’ anglers who are willing to offer their services to improve on peoples skills. Now seeing as Keith said I could go into detail about this I’ll make it as blatant as possible.....!!

I’m now doing my own carp angling tutorials and I can cater for absolutely any style, or level of carp fishing, so whether its a specific method you’re unsure about, or indeed rigs, spodding, bait, marker work, or just general tackle or watercraft advice, I can/will cover your every need. These tutorials are obviously backed by my two main sponsors in the shape of Nash & Shimano and for guys who book a tutorial of 24 hours or more there’s even a free £40 Nash terminal and bait starter pack, how good is that? On top of that I will supply the bait (within reason) and obviously you get my total attention for the duration of your session.

The starter pack has already proven hugely popular, Nash TT is the brand of terminal tackle I use and trust, so once I’ve taken you through the rigs I use for all of my own angling, you can then use some of the items from the free starter pack to construct your very own. There’s also a bag of the awesome IC-1 bait which I’m having great success fishing with myself and a pot of pop ups. It really is a great package that will for sure put you plenty of carp on the bank. The bulk of my tutorials will be based down in Oxford at Linear Fisheries, but I’ve also just been appointed as the official ‘school of angling’ coach at the very prolific Cudmore Fisheries in Staffordshire. Alternatively I can travel to your own specific venue if rules allow. My tutorials are proving extremely popular, the diary is quickly becoming more jam packed than a stock pond full of Simmo’s, and results and feedback have been all positive.Only last week I did a ‘day only’ session at Cudmore and young Ryan had never fished or caught on zig rigs before. He was keen to learn as he is entered into the BYCAC at Linear in August and the zigs do feature very heavily in the outcome of said championships. Well we arrived to horrible heavy rain, but the fish were showing well in a certain area. I wasn’t fishing so I could focus all of my thoughts towards Ryan who was in fact a very competent angler in his own right. Because we’d only just done the Go Fishing Show on Avoca lake I knew the depths we were getting bites at so I advised Ryan to start with both rods on 4 ft zigs, we could then go through the chosen sloppy spod mix which would hopefully send the carp into a feeding frenzy. Well we hadn’t even got the mix done before the first zig busted off and a pretty high single was soon in the net. I must say I was very impressed by Ryan’s all round ability to gently lift into the fish and play it to the waiting net like a true professional, none of this panicking lark and striking like he was Marlin fishing!! Ryan ended up with over 20 fish with some lovely mid doubles thrown in for good measure, its also worth pointing out that the rest of the anglers on the lake probably had about 6 fish between them. They were all oblivious to the method we were using which just goes to show it pays to keep an open mind regarding tactics for any given situation. I know for a fact Ryan will go on to do well in the BYCAC as he’s totally hooked on zig fishing now, or is it that he just likes getting covered in sloppy spod mix?!

I suppose in a way my tutorial venture was born out of my participation in the Nash Lake Shows up and down the country, everyone involved really does pull all the stops out to make sure these are superb events to attend. As well as being able to see all the latest toys from the Essex boys, you can get involved in actually catching fish, bait making, rig tying or even trying to understand our lovely Bristol boy Dave Fuidge!! Seriously though if there is a Nash Show near you be sure to go along for a look, you wont be disappointed, and obviously if you’re interested in one of my carp angling tutorials you can e-mail me on ian.macmillan4@ntlworld.com or ring me directly on 07746 281685, we can then discuss all you personal requirements, prices, venues and dates.

Although the majority of my fishing is done targeting specific fish in exclusive Northern club controlled and syndicate venues, there are certain times in the year when I love nothing better than to travel south in search of a few day ticket lumps.

THE CHALLENGEThis spring was a perfect example, I began fishing a syndicate lake in Lancashire that holds one very special Carp, an amazing fish named the Half-Lin, which has topped out at over 41lb previously.

The fishing was extremely tricky to say the least and the lake was incredibly slow to wake up, possibly because of the sheer depth of the venue meaning it took longer to warm up than most. Anyway, I did around 20 nights and struggled to get in the favoured swims, I did manage three fish for my efforts but when the Half Lin visited the bank just before spawning time, I decided that it was probably best to leave the venue alone until September at the earliest. With no other tickets, I decided to do a bit of day ticket Carping for the remainder of spring and the coming summer.

Day ticket venues are “Ten to the Penny” nowadays and choosing the correct venue/complex can be a minefield for the lesser accomplished anglers out there. For me, there is one complex that stands out head and shoulders above the rest and has certainly stood the test of time. This is of course the Linear Complex situated near Witney in the heart of the Oxfordshire countryside. With eight different day ticket waters on the complex, no silly rules, helpful bailiffs and great facilities, I’m sure you can understand why I enjoy visiting the complex on a regular basis.

Hopefully, by outlining the tactics that I use when fishing such venues, regardless of the time of year, this article will help you bank a few more day ticket carp whether you’re a newcomer to this style of fishing or a hardened day ticketer.

1. Linear Fisheries is a fantastic venue2. Find the spots and bait them accurately 3. Get it right and the action can come thick and fast

TARGETSThe Linear complex contains plenty of Carp, however, with the amount of angling pressure they see on a daily basis, the fish are very clued up and therefore require that little extra effort if you are to achieve a higher than average catch rate.

Firstly, choosing the correct venue can be the key to success as most of the venues offer something completely different, for example, Brasenose 1 and 2 offer the potential of large amounts of fish with fish to low 30’s, where as waters such as Manor Farm and St Johns don’t offer quite as many fish yet there are some real whackers in there such as the Big Plated and the Birthmark Linear, both are fish that I would dearly love to catch.

FIND THOSE SPOTSOnce you have decided which lake would suit you best, now is the time to formulate a plan.

Finding the correct area to present your baits can make the difference between not catching and having a session to remember. So many people turn up to these day ticket waters and randomly cast their baits out in any direction without exploring the lakebed in front of them. Mature gravel pits are absolutely stuffed full of features and by finding something slightly different, you can easily stumble across a major feeding area and see your catch rate soar.

DAY TICKET CARPING

JOE JAGGER

Many anglers think that using a marker float on a pressured lake will spook any fish already in your swim and potentially ruin your chances. In these high pressured venues, carp can easily become accustomed to the disturbance of Markers and Spods as they encounter them on a daily basis. In my opinion, sensible use of a marker set up can be highly beneficial to your chances.

When searching out features on gravel pits, I am looking for something different, something that is a complete contrast to the surrounding area. For example a clear spot amongst heavy weed or a silt depression amongst gravel. I believe that areas become different for a reason and are generally created by fish feeding on them on a regular basis. These are the exact areas where I want to be fishing as they have produced many fish for me in the past.

BAIT CHOICEOne factor that really can bring success on such waters is bait and the correct application of it. With the fish seeing so much bait on a daily basis, a high quality bait will catch you more fish than most and this is something you can easily take advantage of. My all time favourite has to be Scopex Squid with Robin Red, however, I have been using the new iC1 combined with the new matching Soluballs this year and my catch rates have improved as a result.

With so many fish in these venues, you can easily get through large amounts of bait, on average, over a 72 hour session, I will generally use around 6 kg of mixed size boilies, 6 kg of matching Soluballs and 10 kg of hempseed. However, unlike most anglers, I don’t simply turn up and “Fill it in”, as this can completely

4. iC1 - Soluballs - hemp - perfect for an instant bite5. Ready to go confidence in a packet 6. Another victim! 7. Day ticket success

kill your chances for the whole session. I prefer to begin my session with a much more minimal approach and will initially introduce around 2 kg of hemp, 1 kg of mixed size boilies and 1 kg of matching Soluballs. This alternative baiting situation offers more than enough attraction to grab the carp’s attention but not too much to prevent regular pick-ups. Once I begin receiving action, I than apply regular top ups.

KEEP IT SIMPLEWith bait and bait application taken care of, rigs become a secondary issue, there is no need to over-complicate things. I like to keep it simple and stick to one set up that has served me well in the past.

20lb ‘Gravel’ Missing Link combined with a size 7 Fang X fished blowback style with a

small shrink tube kicker, a 6ft length of Nash TT Lead core and a Weed Safe Bolt Bead to ensure effective lead release works for me.

10mm iC-1 bottom baits straight out of the bag tipped with Mutant artificial corn in either white or yellow is my chosen hook bait. These really grab the carp’s attention and produce a quick pick-up. The buoyancy of the corn also helps to counter-balance the weight of the hook.

I use a small bag of chopped boilies and Soluballs dipped in the matching Food Dip to enhance attraction around my hook baits, this also prevents tangles and keeps the hook clear of weed.I just keep it simple and focus on finding and catching those carp, it works for me and I’m sure it will for you too!

One factor that really can bring success on such waters is bait and the correct application of it.

THE OPPORTUNITY

As the weather starts to cool off and the Carp turn their attentions to feeding, there’s a great opportunity to be successful if you’re willing to put the hard work in. Over the last few years the chod rig craze has pretty much taken over the Carping world, and although I’ll be the first to admit they are certain fish catchers when used in the correct situation, I prefer to put my faith in a more traditional method of bottom fishing.

A MORE TRADITIONAL APPROACHADAM GARLAND

THE EASY OPTION

In a weedy lake the easy option is to fish some sort of chod or zig rig, on or in the weed. The simple fact that a bait can be cast into position and fishing effectively without worry of it being deep in weed, is without a doubt the reason for extreme use of this tactic. I’ve always found this method off fishing more down to Luck than anything else, and although there are a small selection of anglers out there that fish this style of rig because it suits the way they fish, the majority of anglers are just following the going method.

GET THEM MUNCHING

Offering the fish a good food source on a known feeding spot or even a spot you have made yourself, is for me a much more consistent way of targeting our quarry. Reading the signs and taking notice of the natural food on offer can only increase your chances. This time of year most lakes are full of snails, so good old fashioned hemp seed is a great option. Since joining the Nash team the bait options available to me are endless, but my favourite is without a doubt a mix of the Monster Carp Pellets and both sizes of the boilie pellet, fished along side a matching boilie. Nash don’t make a bad bait but for me the new Monster Squid has been extremely successful. Mixing the Food Dip with the Monster Carp Pellets makes a nice sticky mixture that will leave the food signal in the swim long after the pellets have broken down.

MAKE YOUR OWN HOT SPOT

In an ideal situation the swim you are fishing will have some nice clear firm areas that enable you to present a bait correctly, but in the real world the spot may not be right or worse still there may not be a spot at all. In the case of the later, this is a great opportunity to create your own. This offers several advantages, as not only are you able to fully monitor the activity of the spot, but if you’re careful you could well be the only angler that knows of its existence. The best way of making such a spot is simply to choose an area of the swim where the weed is lighter, and apply bait in this area and allow the fish and birds to clean it off. Plumbing in weed is a disheartening task at the best of times but the use of the mega buoyant Nash weed marker will make thinks that little bit easier.

A MORE TRADITIONAL APPROACHADAM GARLAND

THE RIGHT FORMULA

The level of attention your new spot will receive is very much dependant on the bait used to clean it off. Once again the use of the awesome Nash Food Dip is a must, as when it hits the bottom the sticky substance sticks to the weed and gets into the bottom, providing a food signal that keeps the carp tearing up the bottom, long after the food has been eaten. Sweet corn is also a good addition to the mix, as the bright colours will help attract fish passing over the area, and also provide you with the option of trying one of the clever Nash mutant maize hook baits without the fish being suspicious, as they’ll be used to seeing it in the area.

1. Monster bait for a monster fish!2. TT gives me an edge 3. Keep it tight4. Simple but effective5. The rewards of getting it right6. Another stunning common

TACKLE TO SUIT THE SITUATION

Fishing in this way will more often than not cause competitive feeding and takes can often come fast and furious, so it’s important your terminal tackle is up to the job. For all my angling I favour the Nash Diffusion leaders as the subtle colour makes them invisible to the feeding fish. The last thing you want when creating a competitive feeding environment is carp spooking off your spot. As most of my fishing is done in or near weed, my first choice lead system is the cleverly designed Nash weed safe bolt bead, as they ensure the lead is discharged every time, allowing the carp to rise up to the surface and away from and weed present.

ACCURACY

Whether you make the spot yourself or the spot is already made for you, accuracy is of paramount importance. Too many times I see anglers spend hours finding a suitable area with their marker, only to cast the hook bait 5 yards or more away from the float in a kind of that’ll do attitude. Well in carp fishing to me, nothing but completely accurate will do. Another mistake people make is to position their hook baits in front of the marker and then proceed to spod out their bait behind it. Bear in mind that the rig will fall a few feet towards you as it goes through the water. An ideal situation would be to land the rig a few feet behind the marker and allow it to fall next to it, and then land the spod next to the float and also a few feet behind it. By raising and lowering the position of the rod as you hit the clip you can cover a good area without having to adjust the distance your clipped up to.

THE BUSINESS END

As with most situations in carp fishing the rig is also a hugely important factor, and with the presence of weed or any bottom debris I opt for a long 12 inch plus fluoro carbon/ armour braid combi rig. The 1 inch braided section ensures good movement when the bait is approached, but the stiff fluoro section assists in hooking when the fish tries to move away. Hook choice is also important as after taking the extra effort to get the bite, the last thing you want is to loose it. For the last 6 months the Fang Twister is the only hook I’ve used. The design and strength of these hooks are part of the reason I class them as the best carp hook ever made.

Autumn can also be a great time for the big girls as they should now be back up in weight after their summer spawn, so get out their and make the fish play the game your way!

Soluballs exploderen op je stek en laten een spoor van voedselsignalen achter, een wolk van kleur en een tapijt van natuurlijke proteïnes, vitamines en mineralen.

Ze zijn perfect rond en aerodynamisch, ten opzichte van traditionele pellets, kan je nu voeren op extreme afstanden. Het geeft je een goed alternatief ten opzichte van het gewone spodden en PVA zakken waardoor de karper zeer voorzichtig word.

Soluballs zijn verkrijgbaar in jouw favoriete Nashflavour, zo ben je altijd een stap voor.

Nash Soluballs Advert - Dutch - 200710.indd 1 20/07/2010 16:01:09

Nash Rigs DVD - Advert 140710.indd 1 22/09/2010 14:34:03

WHY TAKE ANY CHANCES?The extreme forces and varying angles of pressure that come into play whilst playing a hard fighting carp provide the ultimate test for any hook.

During an extensive development program, the Nash Fangs proved to be up to 50% stronger than the best of the rest, hooked to landed fish ratios were also significantly improved. Having complete confidence in your choice of hook is vitally important. For those anglers struggling with poor hook holds or suffering the frustrations and disappointments of lost fish, the Nash TT Fang hooks will undoubtedly provide the solution

HOOK CHOICEThere are four radical patterns in the range, purpose designed for cutting edge rig construction. These hooks are without doubt the strongest and most durable sticky sharp carp hooks available today and are the first choice hook for many top carp anglers.

Hook choice is vitally important as it provides the crucial point of contact with the fish, Nash Carp hooks are by no means the cheapest, but using the sharpest strongest and most durable carp hooks available will undoubtedly provide the forward thinking carp angler with a major carp catching edge.

. Four radical patterns purpose designed foradvanced rig construction

. Cutting edge design and technology

. Exceptional sharpness strength anddurability

. Low friction stealth coating Nash Fangs proved to be up

to 50% stronger than the

best of the rest“

”

RIG TALK

1. Nash TT - Advanced terminal tackle, 2. The best hooks bar none, 3. Well nailed!, 4. Fang X, 5. Twister, 6. Uni, 7. Gaper

NASH TTFANG HOOKS

A HOOK FOR ALL SITUATIONSThe super strong Fang X with its straight ultra

sharp point and medium length curved shank

is an extremely versatile hook. For pop ups and

bottom baits, the Fang X is the first choice hook

for many top anglers, its also a very reliable

barbless hook pattern.

The Fang Uni is another very strong, incredibly

sharp, ultra reliable and extremely versatile hook

perfectly suited to both pop up and bottom bait

fishing, the Uni can be fished with complete

confidence in a wide range of circumstances and

has proven particularly popular with consultants

and field testers fishing in hook and hold

situations or in very thick weed.

The Fang Gaper with its straight eye, unique

wide gape and short shank has provided many

anglers with the key to cold water success. When

fishing for lethargic winter feeders or pressured

rig shy carp, when there was evidence to suggest

that the fish were regularly feeding on baits and

getting away with it, changing to the Gaper has

produced instant success. The Gaper has also

proven popular with many successful chod users.

The Twister with its radical square bend, straight

point, straight medium length shank and 30

degree down turned eye has become an instant

classic. Another very strong hook that provides

solid dependable hook holds that are often

surprisingly well back in the mouth. The Twister

will out smart the trickiest rig shy carp.

FANG X Straight point-curved medium length shank - designed for cutting edge rig construction

FANG UNI In turned point-medium length straight shank - strong, versatile, dependable, a classic carp hook

FANG GAPER In turned point-wide gape-radical short straight shank, a sticky carp hook in the true sense of the word, perfect for out smarting pressured rig shy carp

FANG TWISTER Straight point-radical square bend-medium length straight shank-30 degree down turned eye - considered by Kevin to be the best carp hook of all time.

1. Nash TT - Advanced terminal tackle, 2. The best hooks bar none, 3. Well nailed!, 4. Fang X, 5. Twister, 6. Uni, 7. Gaper

FOOD AND BOILIE DIPS

These awesome products will catch you more fish, carp find baits that have been soaked in the

liquids hard to resist and there’s one to match every boilie in the range. The dense gravy like Food Dip has been designed to hug the lake bed, even when the soaked boilies have been eaten, the residue left behind keeps pulling carp

back for more. The elusive smell of food can drive them mad.

The Oily Boilie Dip permeates the water and can pull carp down from the upper layers, it also has the potential to attract

carp from a considerable distance. These are both bait bucket essentials, that will almost certainly boost your

catch rates!

Mixing the two together creates an incredibly effective ground bait

booster.

RIG EVOLUTION

DVD

This highly acclaimed DVD is a ‘must watch’ for carp anglers of all abilities. Kevin Nash has for many years been the driving

force behind many modern rig designs and innovations. A carp fishing life time of knowl-edge and understanding is revealed in this

fascinating film, knowledge and under-standing that will help us all to put

more fish on the bank.

60 LITRE

RUCKSACK

Designed for the mobile hard core angler, this compact but surprisingly spacious rucksack has a myriad of pockets and a ‘Tardis like’ capacity

capable of holding all the essentials required for a successful session.

A Neoprene back and infinitely adjustable carry straps provide optimum comfort on the long

hall, a compression system allows for variable flexible load carrying and external pockets are

compatible with the Box Logic system.

COBRA QUICK STICK

STEALTH

For short to medium range, the Quick Stick Stealth is hard to beat. The super stealthy

stick really comes into its own at ranges at or just beyond normal catapult range, longer stick users

struggle for accuracy at these distances.

Once you’ve used one you’ll never want to be without a Quick Stick, some say that the perfect

carp fishing catapult has yet to be designed, but in many ways the awesome Quick Stick

has made the catapult obsolete and redundant, Quick Stick - get one

now!

DIFFUSION LEADERS

If you haven’t tried these already you could be missing out big time! Diffusion Leaders are invisible in

water, they hug the lake bed and have a silky weed like feel. From a Carp’s

perspective they are undetectable. On modern pressured venues, Diffusion

Leaders will catch you more carp, that’s a proven fact!

NASHE-ZINEO

ctober 2010

www.nashtackle.co.uk