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Tom wrote:

With regard to bivvies what does twin skin mean ?

Gareth Watkins replies: I wrote a blog piece a week or so back on this subject hope this replies to your query:

Ever since carp anglers started night fishing we have been searching for the perfect overnight shelter. These bivvies, as they have been christened need several essential qualities.

Firstly they need to be spacious enough to cover a bedchair and all your tackle in order to protect it from the rain. Secondly they need to be light and quick to erect. Finally they should pack down fairly small so they can easily be transported to the lake.

The early days saw anglers using large brollies, that evolved over the years to provide an excellent shelter, in fact it is still a system I enjoy today. A time went on a whole host of shelters, bivvies and tents were developed.

continue reading…

by Gareth Watkins

Ever since carp anglers started night fishing we have been searching for the perfect overnight shelter. These bivvies, as they have been christened need several essential qualities.

Firstly they need to be spacious enough to cover a bedchair and all your tackle in order to protect it from the rain. Secondly they need to be light and quick to erect. Finally they should pack down fairly small so they can easily be transported to the lake.
The early days saw anglers using large brollies, that evolved over the years to provide an excellent shelter, in fact it is still a system I enjoy today. A time went on a whole host of shelters, bivvies and tents were developed. continue reading…

by Gareth Watkins

While writing the recent post on Carp Fishing tackle Icons, I touched on the fact that a battery of parallel rods has become synonymous with Carp angling over the years. I got to think about modern Carp Fishing rod support systems and their pros and cons. A practical, efficient and stable system is essential for good bite indication and thus to catching more fish.
In days gone by as a boy my advanced rod support system was the bank itself. When I got a run I’d have to grab the rod as it shot down the canal tow path and before it ended up in the drink. Things have moved on since then… continue reading…

by Gareth Watkins

Like so many things in life, Carp Angling follows fashion. In fact, it is fashionable to go carp fishing at the moment. Hundreds of young anglers are taking up the sport because of the trendy image that it has, the tackle and the fashions. Trends though always throw up objects that achieve iconic status, and so it is in Carp fishing. Below I have drawn up a list of what for me are the top ten all time icons of carp fishing tackle. Other anglers, especially the younger generation, will probably not know or not have used many of the items listed. They were for the most part the items that set the standards for what was to follow. continue reading…

Hi all,
I found this excellent article on the Quest Baits web blog site about self-portrait photography in Carp fishing which I have reproduced below. Very good advice.

by Paul Cooper

One of the finest aspects of carp fishing is arriving at a venue to find that you are the only one the lake. Peace tranquillity and the choice of swims, you cannot beat it.
But what happens when you capture a specimen fish that you want to record on camera.
With most cameras there are facilities that will enable you to fix your camera to a tripod. Once the camera is on the tripod you need to accurately focus on the area that you intend to take your pictures and then you need a means of taking that photo shot. Another angler or passer by, maybe? You are on this lake and there is no-one around.. Do you sack the fish until someone does arrive or do you think of the welfare of the carp? Now my answer is self photography. continue reading…