{"id":26180,"date":"2019-03-27T10:09:25","date_gmt":"2019-03-27T09:09:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.anglinglines.com\/blog\/?p=26180"},"modified":"2019-03-26T17:42:02","modified_gmt":"2019-03-26T16:42:02","slug":"carp-angling-watercraft-and-other-black-arts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.anglinglines.com\/blog\/carp-angling-watercraft-and-other-black-arts\/","title":{"rendered":"Carp Angling Watercraft (and other black arts)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ve come a long way since \u2018Mr Crabtree Goes Fishing\u2019 (or John Wilson\u2019s \u2018Go Fishing\u2019, come to that). But have we traded cutting edge \u2018angling innovation\u2019 for common sense skills?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fact is, today\u2019s Pot Noodle (\u201cjust add water\u201d) carp anglers can walk into the most modestly equipped tackle shop and walk out with pretty much everything they need to catch fish  – from ready-made rigs to high attract boilies; bait boats and fish finders to glugs, goos and myriad gewgaws besides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\nis however one very important piece of the piscatorial puzzle that money can\u2019t buy;\na piece so important that its absence \u2013 even on the least challenging of carp \u2018runs\u2019\nwaters \u2013 will cost you fish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To the Korda Generation it\u2019s called watercraft. To old gits such as myself it\u2019s known as: the b***in\u2019 obvious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Following these common sense rules will increase your chances of a successful trip<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

To\nmy mind, the traits and tropes that come naturally to anglers of a certain age\n\u2013 tread gently; keep your silhouette off the skyline; don\u2019t yell at your mates\non the far bank \u2013 seem to be lost on modern carpers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As\ndo the fundamentals of fish finding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So\noften, I\u2019ve stared down at the lake from my lonely garret (aka: caravan\/office)\nwatching, with undisguised awe, the six-stage set-up process favoured by so\nmany day ticket anglers; to wit:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1.<\/strong> Choose a swim – preferably one that\u2019s out of the wind, and close to the car park<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2.<\/strong> Set up the bivvy, bed, sundry furniture (chair, storage system, table) and iPad<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3.<\/strong> Cast a marker an achievable distance<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4.<\/strong> Spomb a half-hundredweight of boilie in the general direction of said marker<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5.<\/strong> Cast three rods, ensuring at least one is \u2018there or thereabouts\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6.<\/strong> Reach for the bottle opener, corkscrew, rolling papers and\/or Just Eat app\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No consideration for the topography of the lake bed. The prevailing conditions. Or the 30-odd carp that are busy head-and-shouldering at the far end of the pond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"

Laroussi<\/a> is a venue with a wealth of information available on the website to help you choose the best plan of action for your French carping trip
<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Hey\nho. Chances are, if they\u2019re in situ for a day or two, these camper-carpers may\npick up a couple of fish by default. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And\nif they\u2019re happy, hey ho: no judgement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But\nif they really want to catch fish \u2013 consistently and in numbers \u2013 a little more\nthought is required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watercraft,\nin other words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So\nwhat exactly is watercraft? And where can it be downloaded?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well,\nalas\u2026 it can\u2019t. Watercraft has to be learned and (heaven forefend) worked at.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\nmeans developing an affinity for the angling environment; understanding the\nweather, and how it influences carp behaviour – what they do, where they go; when\nand why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Often\nreferred to as \u2018reading the water\u2019, it means getting to grips with the main\nfeatures of the venue (both seen and unseen) – identifying the fish\u2019s patrol\nroutes, and where they might be tempted to feed on any given day, taking into\naccount the prevailing weather (in particular the wind), pressure (air and\nangler!) and other variables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watercraft Hack #1<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carp generally\nfollow newish, warmer \u2013 particularly, south-westerly \u2013 winds; remaining \u2018on the\nback\u2019 of colder north-easterlies. Given this, a good starting point is to install\na compass app on your phone \u2013 and head for the northeast corner of the new venue.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pressure\ntoo is key. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Low\nair pressure (anything below 1000 mb) will usually bring with it cloud cover\nand wind,  pushing the carp down in the\nwater \u2013 hopefully onto your baited area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By\ncontrast, high air pressure generally means clear skies – sunny days and chilly,\nstarry nights \u2013 with the carp more likely to remain in the upper layers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So,\na barometer should also form part of your armoury. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watercraft Hack #2<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carp, especially\nin pressured waters, will seek the safety of the snags, where they can feed in\nconfidence.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Margins are always worthy of investigation, providing natural \u2018roadways\u2019 round the lake (not to mention a great source of food, in the form of anglers\u2019 discarded hookbaits). As are islands: natural \u2018holding areas\u2019 for carp, which combine safe zones \u2013reed beds, pads and overhanging trees \u2013 with natural patrol routes, such as marginal shelves and bars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Alder<\/a> is a French carp lake where the margins should not be overlooked<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

These\nobvious above-the-water features are of course just the tip of the watercraft\niceberg. Begging the question: what lies beneath? What should we be looking for\nwhen finally we reach for the marker \u2013 or increasingly these days the Deeper?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How\ndo we identify those \u2018spots within areas\u2019 that are favoured by feeding fish?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watercraft Hack #3<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gravel bars aren\u2019t\njust used as patrol routes. The surrounding silt beds, to the front or back of\nthe bar, can provide natural food larders. So, in open water \u2013 with an\notherwise uniform lakebed \u2013 these areas are well worth targeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indeed,\nthe open water itself can be a feature on more pressured venues. If the centre\nof the lake is a long chuck \u2013 out of range of all but the most of accomplished\nof distance-casters – carp may consider it a safe haven when angling pressure\nis at its most intense. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So\ngetting a few extra yards on the cast \u2013 fining down your mainline, upping your\nlead size, and adding a shock leader, so as to reach showing fish – can be a\nreal edge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would\nthat it were that simple. Alas, though you may see carp rolling en masse, it\ndoesn\u2019t necessarily follow that you\u2019ve discovered a feeding spot; rather you\nmay just have found an area in which they feel comfortable at a given time; a\nstaging point en route to their preferred feeding spots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key\nto locating those feeding spots is to watch and learn; vigilant to the many giveaway\nsigns such as bubbling, flat spots and cloudy water. And of course the\naforementioned \u2018head and shouldering which \u2013 accepted wisdom has it \u2013 is a sign\nof  feeding carp clearing their gills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inevitably,\nthis is a whole lot easier on more intimate carp ponds. So where better to hone\nyour watercraft than on smaller venues; developing the skills and confidence to\nmove on to bigger rese\u2019s and gravel pits, where you cannot see the carp or\nlakebed so easily; and may thus be forced to depend on instinct borne of experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And experience is what it\u2019s all about. For while it is true to say that a tiny minority of carp anglers, the likes of the much-missed Rod Hutchinson, are true Masters of the Black Art – intuitively aware of where the carp will be, and when – the rest of us can nonetheless take a leaf out of their book: simply by taking the time to look, listen\u2026 and learn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Steve Calder<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We\u2019ve come a long way since \u2018Mr Crabtree Goes Fishing\u2019 (or John Wilson\u2019s \u2018Go Fishing\u2019, come to that). But have we traded cutting edge \u2018angling innovation\u2019 for common sense skills? Fact is, today\u2019s Pot Noodle (\u201cjust add water\u201d) carp anglers can walk into the most modestly equipped tackle shop and walk out with pretty much […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":26199,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1113,889],"tags":[1117,1078,1120,1119,1126,1121,1124,1114,1123,1116,1115,1118,1125,1122],"class_list":["post-26180","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-steve-calder","category-carp-tactics-and-watercraft","tag-angling-lines","tag-carp-fishing","tag-carp-fishing-france","tag-carp-fishing-in-france","tag-carp-fishing-tips","tag-carp-france","tag-carp-rigs","tag-fishing-france","tag-fishing-holiday","tag-fishing-holidays","tag-french-carp","tag-french-carp-fishing","tag-french-carp-lakes","tag-lakes-in-france"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.anglinglines.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26180","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.anglinglines.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.anglinglines.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.anglinglines.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.anglinglines.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26180"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.anglinglines.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26180\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.anglinglines.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26199"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.anglinglines.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26180"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.anglinglines.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26180"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.anglinglines.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26180"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}