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Name: |
David Greenland. 33 years. H M Forces, Special Observer. Colchester, Essex. Catterick, North Yorkshire. 35lb 04oz (undisclosed venue) 69lb 08oz (Rainbow) Rainbow, Mirror Pool, Linear fisheries, Army Lakes (Hampshire) |
Fishing for me began from the tender age of about 5 years with my Woolworth special brought by my late granddad. I vividly remember him teaching me how to cast in the back garden. There I was for hours practicing in the back garden before I was allowed on the near by lake somewhere in Manchester. From that day I was hooked, my first stickleback to my first Carp, to today. Fishing has turned from a hobby to a passion, the joy, the excitement, and the challenge still burn’s inside from the days with my granddad. Throughout my childhood I was lucky enough to have been around the waters that are home to these wonderful creations. Spending the most of my childhood in carp mecca of Essex, I have been fortune enough to walk the banks some special carp filled lakes.
My Carp Fishing has taken the route from pleasure and a bit of a laugh with my mates and has progressed in the last 4 years into Competition Carp Fishing. The Competitions have changed my angling approach completely and I feel for the better. I am hungrier now; I want those carp on the bank, I want to win and I will do everything in my power and ability to win the competition whether an individual or team event, I love it. (Observably ensuring that I play by the rules). I am lucky enough to have a job that supports my passion, allowing me time off, transport, fuel and sometimes help towards the cost of the competition. However I have had my best made plans crushed at the last minute due to operational commitments.
Sitting here looking through my fishing diaries and pictures, I wonder what makes me any different from someone who angles once every other month and is happy whatever comes along, to someone who lives as much of his time on the bank trying to catch the one. The answer is that question is that we all have a common ground, we want to catch, we go to catch. Yes we all have our own approaches, some people enjoy and are happy to sit it out on an inland sea waiting for the unknown to come along, to the elbow fights that crowded day ticket waters bring. 
The great thing about it is that everybody you speak to is at a slightly different stage to each other. We all have it, that look, the tales and stories of the one that got away, the highs and lows, the personal challenges and the stepping stones we all take to our goals. The secret is to watch, listen and learn along the way. Challenge yourself; sometimes you may think that you are trying to run before you can walk. Go to the crowed day ticket waters, go to the fully catered guided tour holiday venues, but go with your eyes open, find out as much as you can, go with an approach, watch what other people do, learn from them, and most importantly think about why and what you are doing to put those beloved carp on the bank.
That’s the beauty of carp fishing you never stop learning you just turn a different corner or start another chapter.
What I am going look at is some on the different approaches and methods that have helped me along the way to put some of those carp on the bank, from fishing for singles in UK at places like Brasenose in Oxford and the Angle of the North fisheries in Co. Durham. Too landing sixties at Rainbow and Mirror Pool in France.
Equipment.
I’m a firm believer that its all about the last 10ft, but you have to have the right tools of the trade to get that last 10ft in the right place and believe me I have tried my fair share. 
Things have come along way since my first Woolworth special. One of the most important aspects of your carp fishing equipment is finding the right shop. I have been using Wass’s Fishing Tackle of Colchester for quite a few years now. The key is finding a shop that stocks a bit of everything or a can source it. I know that is hard these days with more and more suppliers all-supplying the next best thing, but try and find somewhere that with a good mix of equipment and don’t be afraid to ask those questions.
The trouble over the past couple of years is that the equipment is getting better and better and there is always something you would love to have. For me a lot of me fishing is done at range I want to be fishing areas on the lake that other people can’t reach.
I’m not saying that the fish are always there and I am not the biggest caster in the world by all means but I do have the rods and reels that give me that extra yardage in the competitions. If I need to fish at range or on lakes like Rainbow I will step my rods up to my Free Sprint 3 ¾ 13 ft HI – S 200 with the 50mm butt ring. I know that they are not everyone’s cup of tea, but they have certainly helped put a few extra yards on my range and a few extra carp on the bank. If I’m fishing smaller venues and I not looking to fish at range I will use my Terry Hearn ESP 3 ¼ 12ft 6” rods, which I have had for quite a while now. These rods are more than capable of chucking a lead to the horizon and have a fantastic tip action. Reels have been a bit of a headache over the pass few years and I have spent more of my hard earned cash on different reels than anything else. I am now very much settled with my choice. With the super slow oscillating spool and line lay the Shimano XT 10000 Technium, are the business. 
Line is another key factor for me, diameter, strength and durability, and again I have made my choices over the years, I now stick with, either Pro Gold Clear in 12lb, X Line in 12lb or 20lb if boating out and braid isn’t allow. Braid only one choice and that is Whiplash Pro in 30lb or 50lb as a leader. I’m not applying that you rush out and buy all the above. This gear just suits my style of fishing, as for the rest ie bivvies, bedchairs Spod/Marker rods and Bite Alarms, buy what you are comfortable with and try to buy the best you can afford.
I going to look at a method that is rarely used. I don’t know if people are scared of it but I have seen this approach win matches hands down. 
The Sling Shot Method has been around a while now and is an edge that you should seriously make the effort to try and master. As you can see for the picture I have opted to make my own, at about a cost of £2.50. All that is required is a Drennon method ball replacement pouch from a Drennon catapult. You will need about a foot of looped cord, which is tied to the loop ends of the pouch. I have added and a cork from a bottle of wine which was stitched in place to stop it from falling out while casting to the bottom of the Drennon pouch, this is to ensure that if you do have a snap off your Sling Shot will come floating back to the bank side. The small loop at the end is to help with the balance and allows you with the aid of a speed link to attach the Sling Shot to your Spod Rod. Now depending on the stiffness of the mix and the size of the method balls will reflect on the distance you can achieve. However with practice you will be happily baiting up with a orange ball size mix to about 80 –100 yards and could achieve over a 150 yards with strong golf ball size mix. Casting is very easy with the Sling Shot, all is required is a over head flick with the bail arm off, the pouch will hardly touch the water as the ball will fly from the pouch all most straight away after you have cast. You will notice that if you make up your mix to wet the method balls will stick to the pouch and you will loose a fair distance, I have found that good dry strong mix is best. Using the Sling Shot Method will certainly give you an edge specially on busy day ticket water and during matches, as it will allow you to bait up quickly, at distance if required and with little to no disturbance to the swim as you won’t have a Spod smashing up the swim, with little practice you will be just as accurate as you were with the Sling Shot as you are with the Spod. This method is can be used in conjunction with fishing the method or with singles at range.
As I have mentioned the last 10ft is the most important thing to me. Even starting with eliminating the human spells and unnatural signals that the terminal tackle gives off. I always ensure that a wash my hands and soak my end tackle in the margins prior to the session. The Army lads are good at winding me up during the Army matches as they enjoy coming round just to get a feel of my hook baits. I’m sure that I throw more bait in just under the rods tips sometimes than I do where I want to fish!!
A good Leader and Leadcore are a must when fishing at range or over the top of bars, but you must ensure that fish safely is the key factor. 
I find that I am fishing more and more with a running lead set up, especially if I am near snags or the far bank, the indication is fantastic. Fishing using Leadcore has been the base of my set up for many years now. I like the way it will just sit down on the lakebed even if the bottom isn’t flat, it will just disappear into the silt and sandy bottoms. However over the pass year now I have been incorporating the Safe Zone Leaders from Korda, which I have found excellent especially when you know exactly what you are fishing over. I find when fishing over the likes of gravel and clay as they blend in brilliantly and de serve a place in everybody’s armoury. 
Leads are a big thing for me, I like them big, I am happy to be fishing with 4oz lead minimum all day long. For me I feel that the bigger the lead the better hook holds and hook ability you have. A carp is not going to be able to shake a 4 or 5oz lead when picked, especially with a running rig set up. During my time at Rainbow a couple of years ago I was using either a 6 or 8oz Korda Grippa leads in conjunction with a cut down lead clip towards the snags on swim 18 at about 140 yards. This was not only down to wanting good hook holds; wind was a big factor also. As for hook links, I try to match the material to the lakebed and the situation that I am fishing to. I am not the kind of angler who has lots of different rigs made up.
I prefer to have a lead around and a good feel of the lakebed with the marker rod before I make my decision. A general rule of thumb for me is that if I am fishing on a shallow hard bottom or a thick weed bed I will use a fair short stiff rig of around 3 inches in length. If the lakebed is made up of deep pockets of silt or over fresh/new weed I will be happy using a hook link anything up to 15- 16 inches long. A long 15 inch Florocarbon hook link with a critically balanced hook bait at range helped my partner at the time and I win the BCAC qualifier at Berners Hall, Essex in May 2005. The length of the hair will depend on the follow factors; the size of the hook, the size of the bait and how many, the baiting situation and how I feel the carp are feeding. The only time I do have the bait tight to the hook is if am fishing a Zig Rig, any other style of rig I do like a some separation between the bait and the hook. I like to keep the rig simple, I did go through a stage of being very creative and seemed to try load of different rigs and set ups. I try and get the baiting situation right and placement more now rather than worry about if my new super rig is working properly.
That’s it for now, but I will get you updated over the winter and have a closer look at the rigs I am currently using.
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