Gran Canaria Carping.

 Gran Canaria Carping - Part One 

Here is my fist account of many for my new and very exciting excursion on Gran Canarias Lake Chira. I had done a bit of work experience for Kevin Nash at Nash HQ it was great spending a lot of time with some good characters and also making some good friends. I had been informed there was a chance of a young apprentice to go out to the Canaries and help out Dave and Alison Beecham for a few weeks. I fired off my CV and got an instantaneous response which lets be honest, on the phone I was shocked and speechless, what a great experience to add something like this to my portfolio, not many people my age can say they've done something like this, if your still young get on as many trips abroad because when you have a full family, you have various restraints, or even come out and fish with us for a couple of days?

 

I make way to the canaries after a lot of preparation. I got dropped off at Stansted by my parents and boarded the flight at 14:00hrs to arrive at Las Palmas Airport around 18:40hrs.

With backing from Nash Tackle, my parents and my sponsoring bait company, I set out with a few goals in mind, try and see how many fish I can catch to try and create a good new scrap book of captures. I also would like to catch 5 fish over 30lb. It may not seem like a challenge but its a safe goal to go for before setting a new challenge. This sort of fishing is new to me, big hooks, big leads loads of bait and one thing I love using.... A boat to get the rods out. I have gone fully gunned up with updated end tackle and even braided mainline instead of mono or fluorocarbon. This is because I require the abrasion resistance because of rocks and various other hazards. 

I had done a bit of research and followed catch reports and lets say its fishing really well at the moment, the fish that are being caught are all different fish, one thing that people haven't come to terms with is that these are all wild carp and have been stocked hundreds of years ago specially in the right climate to grow as well, a fast metabolism means the fish can really divulge in to numerous feasts making them far from difficult to catch. Im not saying I'm fishing it because its far from difficult, I'm fishing it as these places don't really get approached nowhere near as much as many fisheries in France and other european countries. One thing that I love about this lake is that there are a whole host of stunning fish, proper apple slice mirrors and the very rare and by rare I mean like rocking horse .. I won't go into that one but the commons are few and far between compared to the mirrors, maybe that's another challenge to catch one of the lakes resident big commons? Who knows what may happen..! 

My flight landed at Las Palmas airport to be greeted by David Beecham, we went straight back to his apartment where I met his wife Alison and son Joe, I spent the night at their apartment so I can get settled in and have a bit of a chat over a few tinnies and a lovely spaghetti bolognese. 

The next days clients arrived 4 anglers, 2 fishing the day and 2 fishing the night, everything was going well after having a chat with them, one rod had rocketed off which was a small apple sliced mirror, then merely seconds after he'd got that fish in the net, a young lad called dan had a fiery take resulting in a 17lb mirror, absolute stunner this one, the rods were soon back out and more bait spread around it, both fish came to different presentations, 2x20mm boilies and 2 tiger nuts. 

The rigs being used are 18 inches of 35lb Nash Missing Link Braid in Gravel, a size 4 Fang Twister hook tied on with a 7-9 turn knotless knot with a 2 cm gap between the bend of the hook and the hookbait this is coupled with a fluorocarbon leader with a 5oz Lead on a safety bolt bead. How simple can it get, these rigs are as complicated as it goes really, no need for hinged stiff rigs, choddys anything like that, it can be used but it won't bring any more bites than these particular setups. When being dropped from a boat, everything lays out right and set for the fish to come and pick it up, half a dozen balls of a really smelly fermented munga is all it takes to draw the fish in. 

Tigers still are the best bait on the market, there isn't a fish that
doesn't like them.

Later on that afternoon, one of the night fisherman had an absolute roaring take whilst we were stood talking about the lake and all things fishing(how good can it get?) he hooked into a more powerful fish than what was hooked earlier on in the day it went 20lb exactly on the scales such a stunning fish. 

Later on that very evening, just as the sun was going down, we moved the rods in closer and I even braved getting in the boat and lowering the rigs down also putting out a few big balls of munga to interest the fish when they move in closer. The odd snapping turtles head popping out and the squawking of the wild life is all that can be heard as well as the odd barking house dog. Lying reading a magazine with a can made it easier to settle down for the evening and let's just say I despise the smell of mozzi repellent! Lets see what the morning brings. 

Finally a chance to do a bit of spinning for these bass, a small spinning rod with a small sinking lure did the job. Fishing off a small rock casting to a small bed of weed was where a majority of the bites came from, I managed to catch 7 Bass to 8-10oz which was good for a first attempt. 

2x20mm Hookbaits basic as you like but it works!

A couple of carp rods were also left out until the evening before I get my head down for a couple of hours ready for tomorrow's clients, using the basic rigs explained above with tigers and a bit of ground bait type mix to try and entice a bite before I head off. It is around 25-28 degrees out here again today but the fish are being a bit picky and not really getting on the munch at all at the moment, I'll give it a couple of hours and see what the rest of the afternoon/evening brings. 

Just as I'm having a bit of a snooze, the rod on the long spot goes into absolute meltdown, even the smaller fish in here fight just as hard as the bigger fish, the fish kited towards a big boulder in the water, but a bit of steady pressure steers the fish away, it surges off one last time and soon the wily double figure common sits in the folds of the landing net, first fish on the tally, only a low double but its a fish. This fish was taken on double tiger nuts on the Size 4 Nash Fang Twister hooks. This was one of 2 commons I have seen out of a couple of fish this week. 

What a day, as I lay writing this, I have the rods out and bang on a spodded area which I piled in before I went for some dinner with Dave and Alison, one of the guys on for the day managed 2 fish but to my shock, chatting to a very nice guy from Cornwall(my families neck of the woods) he had given me a €10 tip, it brings a tear to my eye, we were  chatting about all things fishing and life, I could have spoken to him for hours, if your reading this now mate, many thanks! 

Just as I'm laying reading the rotary letter and an article about Pringles pool in this months carpology, our 24hr visitor had a lovely looking mirror nestling in the net, out she came, unhooked and pictures taken, she looked stunning a good upper double 19lb maybe a scraper 20lber. I buzz back round to my rods and hear some proper kippers jump, a couple over my spot lets hope something gets rocking during the night, it's good I have a buzz to bag a fish albeit I had one yesterday afternoon!

Had this stunning common before packing away, absolute torpedo.

After a fruitless night turned out to be a real head banger, no fish during the night for the reason that I have been done over by the turtles, they are just as much of a pain as the Crays back in England but what can you do, after chilling out for the day and sinking a pucka tuna steak, at €4 you really can't go wrong it was lovely! Freshly caught off of one of the boats that go off the coast here in Puerto Rico. From talking to Dave, the turtles don't tend to go down into the deeper water so where we have placed 4 rods for tonight they won't stand a chance of getting hold of the baits, I really can't explain how good the surroundings are and how stunning the lake is although losing a bit of water or have I already mentioned? Anyway, this experience has added a whole new angle on my own fishing, why sit there fishing for fish with names? Don't get me wrong fishing on a lake to target a fish isn't wrong or anything like that, what interests me more is unknown stocking, and also an unknown average, lets just see what happens, I'm sure you understand the point I'm trying to put across. 

Look at that for a 30lber!

After a long chat that evening it's time for some kip, Dave was soon awoken at 23:35 to a belting run off of one of his rods with 3x20mm boilies which were dipped in a really potent glug, that fish was 24-25lb one of the many pretty scaley fish that reside in these depths. As I was half in a doze able to hear everything going on around me, I am awoken at 1am to a toner on one of the rods, I latch into a fish that doesn't feel like no pasty! Cranking the fish in from the long spot which is 120/130 yards, she's plodding around in the margins and in the net she goes, she's soon unhooked, again on the 3x20mm baits, your probably thinking why so many? We're trying to pick up the bigger fish and that's exactly what we have achieved, this fish is most definitely around the 30lb mark for sure! She's in the sack for some pictures in the morning as we're off at first light, typing this I can't say how happy I am to finally land a unit of a fish, this fishes mouth is like the size of a small orange it was huge, it made the triple 20 millers look like a 10 miller in its mouth. Happy days! 

 

Keep An Eye Out For Part 2!

Be Lucky, Ross.

A better shot of her, lovely fish full of energy!

Velocity Baits Walthamstow Social

This session is one I have been waiting for, for along time now, it is a 48 hour social event for all of the field testers and consultants for team Velocity. I have done a lot of preparation for this session and specially spending the weekend at the venue for the BCAC, so I had a rough idea what I needed to be dong to get myself a couple of bites. 

Some Good Features and a Good Area For Sky Line Markers, Even Though
Being In London It Doesn't Get Dark At All.

After a late finish at work the previous night I set off at 9am in hope to get down to the stow early and have a chat with some of the lads, low and behold my car refused to start. After the top lad from the RAC coming out to get my car running for me I found myself pulling into the gates on the stow buzzing to get the rods out and get fishing. 

By Far My Favourite Baits, Either In Solids, To Stodge The Spod Mix,
or Even In Sticks.

The afternoon before I went to a farm wholesaler and got some particles for my spod mix which consisted of pigeon conditioner and another mix of maize, maples, peas, beans and some other morsels to keep the fish rooting around on the lake bed. Lets just say I got a little bit carried away as it filled a 25kg bucket to the brim . This was split into 2 buckets one hopefully for a mid week session before setting off for my new job in Gran Canaria. 

Look At That For a Spod Mix, Loads of Hook bait Options.

I got down to the meeting point at the lakeside, where there were all of the lads waiting for the peg draw and for Miles and Shane to rock up along with a few of the other testers/consultants.

2 Of The Same Set-up, 3oz Flat Pear Lead and the Avid Bag
Stems With The 3 Inch Rigs Tied Onto The Ring Swivel.

The peg draw was done and I was aware that a peg we labelled as seven on the same bank as long chuck was a good peg, we opted for that area. It was a good choice as there were a hoard of fish basking in the 25+ degrees heat. After having a chat and a bit of a mingle I find myself setting up and putting out some spod mix before casting the rods out. To get the spot rocking, I put out no less that 20 spods of bait followed by 2 solid PVA bags, one just to the left of the right hand tree and the one to the right of the left hand tree if that makes sense? Ha-ha. 

Solid Bags, My Number One Tactic, Deadly If You Ask Me.

No fish came straight away as I had expected but as I had introduced 10 spods of fresh bait, one rod tore off but after a couple of minutes playing it the hook popped out. Not long after, the other rod tore off for another hook pull as the fish turned to power off in the margins.. Gutted isn't the word, no time for getting myself down, 2 more bags went out along with some more spod mix. 

What a Fish, Really Powerful. This Fish Took Me Through Three Separate
Weed Beds and then Weeded Me Up In The Margins, With a Bit of Persuasion
She Was In The Net, The Smile Shows The Relief.

The evening came and the social began, we went off to the pub and had some food before setting back to get the rods out for the night(Walthamstow isn't a night venue this was down to exclusive booking) the swim was topped up before being able to slide the net under a small mirror of 11lb-12lb what a result the pressure of blanking is finally over. The rod went straight back out on the spot and an hour later is where it began to get interesting. I hooked a powerful fish that got into more than 1 weed bed taking a while to finally get in the net, This fish managed to spin the scales to 18lb 12oz. The hook hold showed why she was hanging on so well! Slipping her back into the water but the biggest grin on my face, followed by a big sigh of relief.

The First Mirror of the Session, 11lb-12lb Roughly.

The rods were put back out but the next day the heat had certainly put the fish off having a munch. The rods were reeled in and 10 spods put out to keep the fish there and giving them some free food for the evening before popping out for some grub. I had barely any mix left in the bucket so it was all or nothing. Both rods put back out and the rest of the mix introduced and it didn't take long for another fish to pick up the bait, the others were on a solid bag of mixed dust items i.e. ground nut, coconut, Gremlin Pellet and crushed HD Readies and a 10mm Cream & Toffee Popup as the hook bait. The last fish that I had hooked was on the new Zub-Pnut Plus which smells awesome. 

A Less Complicated Bag Rig The Better, Cream & Toffee Doing

The Damage Along With The ZUB-PNUT Plus.

It came to a stage where I had run out of small ESP bags and put some bigger ones on the spot, but dare I say it? I progressed to lose 2 more fish but hey that's fishing for you!

 

After waking up and reeling the rods in all the gear was packed down, most of the lads had caught which is good, everyone was buzzing and what a great weekend it was, it was a special weekend spending time with some good anglers who are a credit to Velocity Baits, anglers of all ages and abilities and even seeing something different. I have made some new friends as well as meeting 2 people I have known for a while Shane Alway and Miles Corbett. Team Velocity is definitely one to watch out for in the future. You all know who you are!

The Last Fish of the Trip, What a Result!

This is the last night I do in the country or certainly long session for a couple of months after acquiring a job out in Gran Canaria on Lake Chira which will be an amazing experience, with plenty of sun and big carp, how can you argue with that? Keep an eye out on Facebook where hopefully I get some decent fish and really show something special for a bit of a change. 

Look at the Length, 10mm Cream & Toffee's Doing the Damage, First Session
Using Them, Small Baits Do Catch Big Fish!

Be lucky, thanks for reading, Ross. 

Surface Fishing, Overdepth Zigs and Plenty of Sunburn!

               

              Just recently I managed to get out on 2 separate sessions using zigs and mixers, not just for catapulting over the top of the zigs but also for a bit of surface fishing as well. For this session I was fishing on Chestnut Pool, a very successful venue especially to go and get more than a fair share of runs. On 2 separate sessions I managed to catch 60 fish as the action gets good. 

Picture Doesn't Do It  Justice, It Resembled a Kettle!

                After a chat with the owner, Pete, he suggested a method which was smashing it up over recent weeks which also proved well for Mark Bartlett in the UK Carp Cup that was hosted on chestnut a couple of weeks ago. I arrived late morning and went in one of the least suspected swims but it was worth it. To start off with I persisted with static zigs and cast them around and adjusted the depths, then I started catapulting mixers over the top, this enticed the fish in the area, when using zigs under the surface it makes it easier to allure fish onto your hook bait suspended in the water.

The Hook Holds With The Zig Alignas, Hooked in the Side of
The Mouth.

                It didn’t take long to hook the first fish as there were eruptions and belting takes like you wouldn’t believe, the fish were being taken on yellow foam which were using the Fox Zig Aligna Kits, these are good for protruding the hook and widening the gape allowing the fish to be hooked better than using a normal setup for a zig rig. Black and yellow foam fished 3 inches under the surface and roughly 6 inches over depth really did help and get a lot of bites. The only thing that can explain how the fish were feeding was a frenzy or even feeding time at the zoo, it didn't take long for a proportion of the fish in this small lake to get on the munch, it made it better seeing the fish feeding and hearing them slurp every last mixer off the surface, every time I turned round there was eruptions and even more fish joining the party and having a feed.

              

 

 

 

              

              Even when the action slowed up and the fish weren’t feeding as menacingly as they were to start, I still managed a good steady flow of action on the single zigs, the one toners weren’t twitchy or even singular bleeps they were one toners of which almost ripped the rods of the rest some were really savage. This is a method of fishing that I haven’t done a lot of to be honest. I then used fake imitation mixers on the surface which were being left behind on the floater gear so I swapped to a Velocity Baits NV-R Pop-up trimmed down to the same shape as the mixers offerings, seconds after casting out, up came a 15lb Mirror to snaffle the hook bait. The NV-R pop-up was trimmed down and a small carving to sit on the shank of a Nash Fang Twister hook. 

Still Yet to Catch a Full Linear, Always The Broken Linears
Grace My Cradle.

                The action carried on and stayed quick pacey, I got the obvious lulls in the session and then the fish were back feeding competitively which is what I found may have got them feeding and taking the zigs and surface baits as they were like hoovers trying to take in as much food as they possibly could. I Started to throw mixers into the margins where the better fish tend to get caught ad prompted by a good friend of mine, I saw some big pairs of lips supping the mixers off the surface of which the picture of the fish at the bottom was the culprit. I had to have a go after all, I still had one rod on the money and fishing and having a go at the bigger fish was always a good option to take.

                For the rigs I used 10lb Nash Zig Flo which is my favoured hook link for zigs, never had any problems with it parting or snapping easy, even when cranking fish in from a distance as with Drayton but with light gear it is good fun to use, then a drop off inline setup with ensured I won’t drop and fish as there’s nothing twisting and turning the hook in the mouth of the fish. Then I opted for yellow and black foam which was coupled with the wide and straight gape of the Nash Fang Twister hook in size 8. This is such a reliable setup and now I see why people are told to lose the lead when they are using zigs it saves hook pulls but I’ll speak for many, not exactly a money saver!           

                 At the end of both sessions I had used 8kg of mixers as I wanted to keep the fish in the area, if I had hooked a decent fish, I’d get it in the net and unhook it and put the rig back out and fire some more mixers, take some pictures and get it back, by which time I’d have another take and be playing another fish. the fish turned up like busses, one fish came a long for a munch then the rest of the fleet showed up, it made it good fun seeing the fish feeding on the surface, mouthing my hook bait and then a big explosion on the surface, the carps way of saying "yep I'm hooked". I have always loved surface fishing hence why I was itching for the summer to come round as its a better way and more fun way of catching fish, specially as they fight a lot harder off the surface as they lose most of there momentum when the take off from the bottom with a lead hooked into its mouth.

A Good Fish Which will Grow Big, It Was Up For A Mixer!

             I think it is safe to say I’m going to try my best to brush up my match skills and enter myself in a couple of competitions next summer and maybe even during the winter, it is something I have wanted to do and after doing some competitions in the past it would be a good experience to see what it is all about, after all, what have I got to lose?


A Pale Fish I Thought Was A Ghostie.

Hope you all stay tuned over the next couple of months as I’m off to Walthamstow for the Velocity Baits social on the weekend of the 12^th of July and then off the lush Puerto Rico, Lake Chira to work with Dave Beecham and Alison Beecham at Carp Gran Canaria, I’ll keep you updated especially as my blog will be held on the Nash Tackle website which is being sorted over the next few weeks! Take it easy and be lucky!

One of the Bigger Ones, 15lb.

Ross.