dezza
Well-known member
As some of you may know, I have just spent 2 weeks with friends in South Africa. I fished every day and caught conservatively over 300 carp, together with other species from the Vaal River and Vaal Dam. These carp are wild fully scaled commons, which although not growing to huge sizes, are capable of fighting like tigers.
I used for most of this fishing an 11 foot 1 1/4lb Avon rod with 10 lb line straight through to a Fox hook, size 6 or 8, baited with brown bread flake, sweetcorn or a single large grain of boiled maize. The rig was a simple 3 AA Drennan waggler with locking shot and a tell tale shot located about 8 inches from the hook.
The carp from this particular part of the Vaal river fought with a ferocity that would astound many. They took off on long fast runs where around 50 yards of line was taken from the reel, almost instantly. And you daren't try to stop them, and you use backwinding techniques at your peril.
But have you experienced incredibly powerful carp, fish that have virtually burned your fingers when you have tried to stop them by finger pressure on the spool?
My experience of many English carp is that they are plodders. They don't move off at intensive speed and judging by the fact that many local anglers backwind carp, they can be controlled quite easily.
But these SA carp are different!
I used for most of this fishing an 11 foot 1 1/4lb Avon rod with 10 lb line straight through to a Fox hook, size 6 or 8, baited with brown bread flake, sweetcorn or a single large grain of boiled maize. The rig was a simple 3 AA Drennan waggler with locking shot and a tell tale shot located about 8 inches from the hook.
The carp from this particular part of the Vaal river fought with a ferocity that would astound many. They took off on long fast runs where around 50 yards of line was taken from the reel, almost instantly. And you daren't try to stop them, and you use backwinding techniques at your peril.
But have you experienced incredibly powerful carp, fish that have virtually burned your fingers when you have tried to stop them by finger pressure on the spool?
My experience of many English carp is that they are plodders. They don't move off at intensive speed and judging by the fact that many local anglers backwind carp, they can be controlled quite easily.
But these SA carp are different!