A Quick UK Carp Session

Here’s a quick update from blogger Steve Bedford on his preparation for the first eliminator of the UK Carp Cup…

Over the past couple of months I’ve been spending some time getting ready for the UK Carp Cup and trying out a few different things. On 13th of June I will be taking part in the Acorn Fisheries eliminator part of the UK Carp Cup, it’s the first competition I have joined so it will be a learning experience to say the least. Even though the eliminator is only a 40 hour match I am hoping I can take away some experience and tactics that I can use in France on my next trip as there really is no better way of learning new things than by speaking to and watching other anglers.

This I learnt when I took a trip to my new target water in Cheshire. When I got on there I spent the first hour or so of my session having a look round the lake for signs of activity while there was no one else on. After seeing a few fish move about and going off previous advice I decided to set up just over midway down the lake, after a few hours of no action and a few other anglers turning up I got speaking to a regular who very kindly told me where was best to cast and what baits were doing well.

Carp Fishing Blog

The new target water

After recasting my rig to just the right spot I began to get line bites which eventually lead to me hooking into a slow moving carp, at first the fish just plodded about using no real power but even at this point I knew it was going to be a nice fish. As soon as it got half way in it began to fight back and trying to bury its head in the silt which runs in a line across the middle of the lake. After 20 minutes or so the Carp eventually slipped over the landing net and a 22lb 8oz common carp known as ‘half tail’ was mine.

Carp Fishing Blog

22lb 8oz

Carp Fishing Blog

and another angle…

This particular lake only has about a dozen carp and they don’t usually get landed very easily but thanks to some great advice I managed to land one on my 2nd ever visit to the lake. It just goes to show that even by doing your research on a venue there really is no better alternative to talking to people who fish the lake you’re looking at.

This applies when you fish a lake in France as well – do your research before you go, you would be silly not to. Ask around if anyone else has fished the lake you choose and see what they have found works best. Worth noting, if they recommend a particular bait then by all means take some of it with you, but don’t neglect bait you have confidence in. My first carp on my new water was caught on one of my home made baits which I have caught on many times before, I won’t go anywhere without them.

Steve Bedford

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