TheCarpCatcher

No boilie stop

Losing a fish can be heartbreaking, the worst of course is when the hook pulls at the last second. But there are also times just after picking up the rod, or midway through playing, when the line just mysteriously goes slack and you're left standing there stunned. Everytime this happens you question yourself, "what could I...

Losing a fish can be heartbreaking, the worst of course is when the hook pulls at the last second. But there are also times just after picki...

Solid Pva bags

I first started to use solid pva bags in 2004 whilst fishing the woolpacks lake 3. Being a mature gravel pit the bottom was littered with debris making presentation a haphazard affair. Even though I was on fish and using a proven bait I wasn't catching many and after a few tests dumping the rig in the margin I soon realised...

I first started to use solid pva bags in 2004 whilst fishing the woolpacks lake 3. Being a mature gravel pit the bottom was littered with de...

Bait making - The Recipes

I have been asked on a number of occasions to publish the recipes from the bait making film 'Bait making - Recipes' for easy reference, so here they are....

I have been asked on a number of occasions to publish the recipes from the bait making film 'Bait making - Recipes' for easy reference, so h...

Bread & Butter Carping

A mini series with all the usual ups & downs, thoughts, tips, tricks and natter. This is something I have wanted to do for a while as a small personal challenge but not only that I think it reflects much of the carping that goes on day to day by all of us that doesn't reach the front page....

A mini series with all the usual ups & downs, thoughts, tips, tricks and natter. This is something I have wanted to do for a while as a sma...

Bait application

In 1981 I learned a very valuable lesson about bait application which I have never forgotten. I was fishing a small 3 acre lake with a good head of carp and most days in the summer you could catch 3-6 fish off the top but it was always much harder to catch them off the bottom and when the winter came my results along with ...

In 1981 I learned a very valuable lesson about bait application which I have never forgotten. I was fishing a small 3 acre lake with a good...

Short session simplicity

If there is one thing I like it's short targeted sessions. With the minimum of kit its simplicity itself. The last few weeks has seen me taking trips to a local water of mine where I am trying to catch the four or five decent commons it has. The sessions have been mixed, three to five hours in the evenings or just an hour o...

If there is one thing I like it's short targeted sessions. With the minimum of kit its simplicity itself. The last few weeks has seen me tak...

TheCarpCatcher Social 2018

The social went well and we all brought back a few laughs and memories. We had twenty anglers fishing, they got through 35 burgers and a few cases of beer along with all the cake and most of the biscuits. To be honest I was so busy I did not get the camera out much to record it or take pictures. These are the guys that man...

The social went well and we all brought back a few laughs and memories. We had twenty anglers fishing, they got through 35 burgers and a few...

Off the breeze

With weather this hot (27C today) I find little point sitting in a bivvy roasting. So this morning I set out with just one rod, a net, my mat and a bag of chum mixer. First stop was Crystal lakes where I had the carp going absolutely crazy on the mixers within minutes of arriving. However, they were very very cute and I di...

With weather this hot (27C today) I find little point sitting in a bivvy roasting. So this morning I set out with just one rod, a net, my ma...

Wrap up

You often find old ideas being recycled and this is one of them which I had not seen for many a year. Back in the day (there's that phrase again) we used paste baits but when some of us found out about boilies we started to experiment. One method which was described to me by a more experienced angler was to put my paste ba...

You often find old ideas being recycled and this is one of them which I had not seen for many a year. Back in the day (there's that phrase a...

You only get one life - part two

This week saw me return to a lake I have only ever fished a handful of times, three short day sessions back in 2003 and two overnight sessions in 2012. I did alright as well landing two fish, one on my first session in and one on the last session in 2012 so to be honest I felt like this was a lucky water for me especially w...

This week saw me return to a lake I have only ever fished a handful of times, three short day sessions back in 2003 and two overnight sessio...

Back in the day

In 1981 I was 24 years old and in my second year of carp fishing. One of my first trips was to a little pool known as the Kidney pool (still is as far as I know). It was about an acre in size and was known to hold about ten fish with the biggest a 21 lb+ Mirror (which I eventually caught two years later off the top on my f...

In 1981 I was 24 years old and in my second year of carp fishing. One of my first trips was to a little pool known as the Kidney pool (stil...

Crystal lakes part three - MrMartin vs TheCarpCatcher

Ten years ago Martin and I had our first fun match on Vermuyden lake and I won with the biggest fish. Ever since then we have promised to do it again and so when the opportunity to have another came up in conversation the other week I immediately said yes. It meant missing a day on the woolpack after all the 30's and 40's ...

Ten years ago Martin and I had our first fun match on Vermuyden lake and I won with the biggest fish. Ever since then we have promised to do...

Winter is over

Another cold week past with a little respite from the sun it can only get warmer, winter is finally over. Lake temperature for lake 5 this week was 11°C and the fish were finally moving about. I spotted the usual suspects in the south east corner of lake 7, the linear (40lb+) and a number of good thirties getting some s...

Another cold week past with a little respite from the sun it can only get warmer, winter is finally over. Lake temperature for lake 5 this ...

MrMartin vs TheCarpCatcher

Good day out with MrMartin today Four hour match, six fish were caught between us I managed the best fish which was this 15.8lb mirror and caught four of the six making me the outright winner :-) Some nice little strokes were pulled on both sides but I think I managed to psych out Martin enough to help me pull clear in t...

Good day out with MrMartin today Four hour match, six fish were caught between us I managed the best fish which was this 15.8lb mirror and...

Crystal lakes part two

I wasn't expecting to add another blog on crystal lakes especially given the weather and all my spare time going into the woolpacks lake 5/6. However whilst chatting to MrMartin (Martin Lawrence) on what was the coldest day of the year so far the chance of a snow carp came up. My garden had a good few inches and with Marti...

I wasn't expecting to add another blog on crystal lakes especially given the weather and all my spare time going into the woolpacks lake 5/6...

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