The Week Where Things Went Right.

After a slow trip last time I got down to the new reservoir, my chosen venue for the winter, the lake is incredibly deep and full of fish with a few lumps in there as well.

I have always wanted to fish the grand union canal, so if all fails this will become my last resort. After a tiring Monday morning planning to get up early and fish till late, I failed to wake up, what an idiot! That morning I received a phone call and got invited to a local lake to fish for pike, which I have never caught before. Myself and Big Rich from college set off to the tackle shop and got some dead bait and proceeded to the lake. We arrived at around 3:00pm, I flicked a mackerel dead bait down the margin but this rod didn't produce, unfortunately. I then under armed it a bit further off the bank and the rod eventually tore off like a carp, I was into my first pike, 9lb 6oz, not massive but a lovely fish for my first Pike!

What a Creature, All 9lb 6oz of Her!

            Anyway, onto this session. It is lovely and bright outside so chod rigs and flouro baits are cast out whilst I set up my gear. I have all the amenities out on the stand and begin to tie up some bags, and trim down a few popups. In the bag mix I’m using something new, NV-R Stick Mix, Hemp Attack S-S (fine ground hemp), C2-R pellet and some Gremlin pellet to get the fish rooting around. This is tied up in a small stick, an easy mouthful for any Carp. I have had countless fish from high stocked waters on a similar mix but in solid bags! Could that approach be enrolled? The chod is left on the left rod, and the stick mix with a trimmed down white chocolate flouro popup is dispatched on the right rod, the rods are out!

The Awesome V-Cloud!

An hour or so later, the left bobbin springs up and settles down. I lifted into it and the fish bangs its head once and came off, I fear I may have done the wrong thing! The rod is soon dispatched back out to where I had it before. The right rod is sat motionless for the whole time, another bag is threaded on with a good soaking in the Velocity Baits V-Cloud glug, I have caught a lot of fish on the range of V-Clouds especially Roach and Bream when feeder fishing on the quiver tip!The fish are getting more active, topping left front and centre, one lad has had one opposite me; let’s hope they will swing round my way! With a few hours of no action and after that occurrence on the choddy, I have recast the rods and packed down the gear so I only have my rods and a net out on the stand. The fish are still crashing but nothing has taken my bait as of yet.

My Favored Winter Hook-baits!

The weather has become over cast and still remains quite warm. The wind had picked up but it’s just a light northerly breeze pushing across the lake. Both rods are incredibly slack as I believe fishing slack lines are the way forward. I am expecting a bait delivery of boilies and dumbells which I shall have with me on my next session to try and get the fish a bit more active. If all pans out I shall hopefully be doing a night over the next couple of weeks, a night on the reservoir will hopefully increase my chances of a better bite.

The light levels have dropped since earlier on today but it hasn't stopped the fish poking their heads out on the spots. The lake is still a bit busy with the odd angler slowly packing up but I’m aiming to stay on the lake until 5:00pm, just hope we’re not busy at work!

My Preferred Choddy Hook.

Just as I came off the phone, things finally started to unfold, the choddy let out a flurry of beeps and the bobbin settled down to the original position. The fish are still in the area; I had been waiting a couple of hours and watching the rods this is looking ever so promising. Eventually that rod screamed off minutes later, a short lived fight because of the sheer drop in water temperature I am sat cradling a beautiful Autumn coloured 12lb 10oz Common on the choddy! The pressure is now off from bagging my first fish from the new lake.

I would love to stay the rest of the evening but it is getting dark very gradually, so I’m packing down and setting off home in the next 20 minutes or so. A short while after that fish they are back on the ball so I couldn’t help but put the rod back out again. The fish are back in numbers over my rods once again. It’s looking pukka for another bite! The fish stayed active but unfortunately I couldn't trip another one up before I decided to reel in and make tracks home.

Here She is in All Her Autumn Glory - 12lb 10oz.

I have really enjoyed this session so I packed the barrow and made my way home, first fish from the lake C’MON! This week I’m busy with college for the rest of the week and out at the weekend so we’ll see where the weather takes me over the next couple of weeks. Thank you for reading I hope to be back very soon!

Follow Me on Titter - @Rosst93 and have a view of the matching video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvaS7SE25Gs.

First Session on the Winter Venue

The View as I was Leaving the Previous Sunday!
Stunning! 

I finally made it to the lake at 8:00am, after a quick fuel stop as the tank was low. I am then greeted with the sight of an angler playing a very nice fish. I help the angler land the fish and have a chat; the fish are on the feed!!

I set up in a peg which has a lot of water at its disposal. A couple of pouches of boilies are dispatched along with both rods, one on a running rig using a 14mm Velocity Baits white chocolate malt pop up (perfect for winter if you ask me) tied up with a size 6 Nash Fang Twister and some D-Cam shrink tubing. The other rod I chose to use a Choddy with a Velocity Baits Pineapple Popup with a size 6 Fang Twister tied onto 15lb ESP Stiff Rigger, a perfect combination.

My Favorite Winter Baits!

I finished sorting my gear and waited for the lines to go slack. I unloaded the unhooking mat and other bits and pieces when I had noticed a sodden chair. My flask of warm tea had leaked so I’m perched on a bucket until my chair dries out. It isn’t very busy at the lake with only 4 anglers fishing.

Due to having Mondays off work, it is prime time to get on the bank and get some fishing   done although I’m fishing on a Tuesday! I’m going to leave the rods alone until around lunchtime, I’m doing this deliberately to let the swim settle down after casting to clip up. 

My Favorite Choddy Hooks!

After waking up in pitch black this morning, and tossing and turning in bed I was greeted with temperatures of 2.5 degrees. I sat in the sun and it was lovely, wearing my thermals was a good choice as it is only 4 degrees with a 9 mph North easterly wind. Hopefully the fish will be moving into the deeper water. It was uneventful in the last swim so I reeled in and went for a walk. Some water craft came in as I reckoned the fish were in the deeper water, two rigs were quickly dispatched. Just as I’m doing a bit for my short video, a fish decides to show itself barely 15 yards off the bank so the choddy was under armed out. 

          It’s just started raining to put it politely and to stay light as possible there is no brolly for me! I took a short walk along the bank whilst peering into the margins; I put in a few handfuls of bait in a marginal hole to see if I can interest some fish.

And so the rain began to pour! Brolly less so I could move about easier, I was getting a soaking, on my first session I have learnt a lot and hope that I can put something on the bank soon, oh how I miss summer fishing but it is my goal to try and bank a winter carp! The gear is barrowed back to the car and time to head home ready for work, oh the life of a delivery driver!

       Another thing to make things even more interesting, I will be recording a short video to make things better for you to picture the situations I am faced with, until next time, see you in my next blog. 

Q&A With Nash Tackles Nick Burrage

Nash Tackles Very Own Nick Burrage an Incredibly
Acknowledged Angler!

 Questions and Answers!

     So the last interview situation I did was with another Nash Consultant, Julian Cundiff which can also be found on the same page, it was a real big hit and rolled in the reviews, here it is something i have wanted to publicize on Facebook and Twitter but i held back the excitement, here it is, this isn't just for the benefit of myself but yourself too, i hope you can pick up some tips and transfer them into your own fishing, Enjoy!   

     Q. I have seen you on the Nash DVDs, How do you get the most out of your fishing when your on the bank? 

Immaculate Presentation on the Lake Bed.

     A. By being stealthy, keeping my eyes wide open and most of all by being sensible in how I bait up! I suppose thinking and taking on board the weather, along with other factors that may upset the carps feeding habits.

     Q. What is you all time favourite rig(s) that you have caught on and what situations have they proved better than other rigs? 

     A. I do favour a supple Blow-back rig, with a supple braid it will sit on any lake bed I care to fish on. But where this really comes into its own is in Silt, even if the lead drops into the silt 3 inches; my hook bait will still sit correct!

     Q. Each angler has their own favourite pattern of hook, which is your favourite and how did that decision come about?

     A. Nash Fang X in a size 6, that’s the hook for me. After many years of trial and error with hooks, I soon found a curve shank style hooks, fish holding properties, were well above most patterns on the market. And proof of this is that while on the Fang X I have never lost a carp to a hook pull; let me touch some wood quick!!

Supple Rig As Explained Above.

     Q. Most of my fishing is more successful during the summer, as the winter is now looming how do you recommend people approach their venues during the winter to still bank fish? 

     A. Well to start with on this one, they need to cut right down on their baiting up. I find a good way to keep bites coming is to feed no more than 10 baits when you leave and almost just fish stringers or bags when I’m down fishing again; then bait again when I leave, (fishing the same peg) This will work best on quiet lakes/syndicate waters, as a day ticket you never know who’s been down really. You will always have an option of using a single fruity or spicy pop-up cast at showing fish too. But keep the bait very light and I work on a fish may eat only 2 baits a day; don’t forget to use proper winter boilies, this has more bird food and less oils… It will attract the carp twice as well in the end!

     Q. What are your favourite components that you use on every session you go fishing? What sort of spots do you use them on? 

     A.  Rig components Mmmm?  Fang X hooks size 6, Missing link 20lb, a 2mm rig ring and a little Cling-on putty to help it down… jobs a good UN! I also like using our Nash lead clips, as you know I have spent far too long fishing in Silt, the clips act as a silt break and stop the lead pulling in too far. Along with a flat pear lead and a Diffusion leader, that’s my set up for 90% of my carp angling. Very simple, but catches me lots of carp; so with my supple hook link and maybe a back lead that’s my favourite set-up!

Nice Scaly Mirror!

     Q. Usually some anglers just turn up at a lake and make a bee line for a swim nearest the car park or where ever is easiest to get to, what simple steps do you take when you arrive at a lake to ensure you make the most of the time that you have on the lake? 

     A. Unless its winter and I have a baiting plan going, I never pick a peg before I get to the lake. OK sometimes I will think if there is a big S/W wind blowing, the carp will be in X peg!  But as a rule I get down to the lake and have a good luck, if I still haven’t seen anything I go on a bit f gut feeling/watercraft of where I would be in the lake if I was a carp. Taking into account of the angling pressure, weather/wind/sun or even where the hot peg might be. A Bit like if a hot peg has been fished hard, I would go in a quiet area maybe on the back of the wind; just trying to catch my own fish.

   Q. Is there any lake or fish you would happily go back to or catch again and why? 

     A. Every lake I choose to fish I would go back to, I would need a 20 year gap though before going back; as I do try my best to catch most of the carp when I’m first there fishing!!

Q. How often do you get on the bank and do you usually do nights rather than days or do you get out on the bank when ever you can? 

     A. Time has been tight this year, and yeah I do nights never really just days. I do try and get out as much as I can, but with my family and other commitments sometimes it can be hard.

     Q. Pick a method from - Solid Bags, Bottom Baits, Zigs or Chod Rigs.. Suggest why this is a good tactic and how people can make the most of their session using this tactic.

Nash Black Squid, A Favored Bait
 for Nick!

     A. Bottom baits because the method can be used everywhere, from margins to baited areas. Even in the summer my bottom baits will fish the top 2 feet of water where the carp are swimming… two feet of water around the margins!! Find where the fish are and place the hook baits quietly, I’m a bit old school and it looks more natural to me. 

     Q. I am personally quite a basic angler, I keep things simple, some anglers say that staying basic is the best way to put fish on the bank, do you think this is true and using complicated rigs overcomplicates fishing itself? 

     A. As you can see from my approach, I’m also a simple angler in my approach; even if everything is well thought out else where.

I try and put thought where it’s needed really!

Q. What 3 items of tackle would you never go fishing without? 

     A. 2oz flat pear leads, supple braid, Fang X hooks.

    Well as long as I had my Bedchair, cooker and frying pan! Lol!

     Q. How long have you been angling and how long did it take to put the building blocks in place to get to where you are now in the angling world?

Lovely Big Commons, Always Look Good In All
There Colours!

     A. I’ve been angling for around 36 years, and to be honest… I’ve loved every day on the bank! Every day spent on the river or pool, has helped me get to be the lucky angler I am today. From feeding Roach to baggin Barbel or stalking Carp in the early days, it all has given a small piece that been added to my watercraft skills, that in turn helps me today.

     Q. People within angling have there pet hates, what is your biggest pet hates in fishing and how did it become apparent? 

     A. One of my pet hates is, when some try to catch a carp at any cost; Whether it’s at the expense of the other anglers, or at the expense of the carps well being.

At the end of the day we do it for fun!!

     Q. I love float and feeder fishing for big Roach as well as carp fishing, is there any other species that you like angling for and what particular lakes or rivers do you fish for them on? 

     A. I have spent all my life living in Bridgnorth on the River Severn, all of my childhood I was seen on the river bank catching all sorts really. These days I only fish for Carp as my time is limited, but there will soon come a day when I will make the river carp jump a little; after spending a long time fishing river I’m hoping it will be as fun as the lakes.

     Q. Nash tackle development has come some way over the past few years, what is your favourite item of tackle, luggage or bait that you have got your hands on and would you recommend it to carp anglers? 

     A. Nash tackle?? Well everything has its good points but if I had to narrow it down, I would say the new NR rods 3lb test, Fang X hooks and the Monster Squid… Each one of these items is a joy to use and helped me bag no end of carp over the past couple of seasons. The Monster Squid should be tried by everyone!

Cheers

Nick Burrage. (Nash)