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River set-ups
- Thread starter Robbie H
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Big Rik
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This article is from January 2001, but it';s still pretty relevent.
Guy Baxendale 2
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Rig - I went with semi fixed bolt rigs on a Lead clip with heavy Gripper leads of 6oz (not due to flow but i did not want the lead moving at all once swung into position).
Hooklengths - about 6inches of 25lb Mantis - shrink tube line aligner and a few mm of coating stripped back.
Hooks - Drennan Continentals in Size 6 or 4
About a metre of tubing and a 1oz 'homemade' flying backlead to keep the whole lot pinned down finished it off.
Hooklengths - about 6inches of 25lb Mantis - shrink tube line aligner and a few mm of coating stripped back.
Hooks - Drennan Continentals in Size 6 or 4
About a metre of tubing and a 1oz 'homemade' flying backlead to keep the whole lot pinned down finished it off.
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Big Rik
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as opposed to adapting any backleads, I just use 1oz in-line carp leads and it seems to work well.
Guy Baxendale 2
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How aware of the line would you say river carp are mate?
These fish are rarely fished for but still seem pretty spooky so i religiously pin every thing down but wondered if it was really necessary as i always fish at night?
These fish are rarely fished for but still seem pretty spooky so i religiously pin every thing down but wondered if it was really necessary as i always fish at night?
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Big Rik
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I'd say that all river fish are 'very' aware of line cutting through the water, why should carp be any different?
Because of their sheer size, they 'should' bump into line more often than the bottom hugging barbel.
How difficult are river carp to catch?
An example:
There are loads of carp in the Stour at Throop, very few get caught, even though there are stacks of people on there fishing 'carp' style set ups for the barbel, but hardly any carp even get hooked.
People that specifically target the carp have a modicum of success, but they're pretty astute for fish that have never seen the bank before (most of them).
Don't ask me to explain why, I can hypothesize, but that's all it would be.
Because of their sheer size, they 'should' bump into line more often than the bottom hugging barbel.
How difficult are river carp to catch?
An example:
There are loads of carp in the Stour at Throop, very few get caught, even though there are stacks of people on there fishing 'carp' style set ups for the barbel, but hardly any carp even get hooked.
People that specifically target the carp have a modicum of success, but they're pretty astute for fish that have never seen the bank before (most of them).
Don't ask me to explain why, I can hypothesize, but that's all it would be.
Guy Baxendale 2
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Rik - What is your view on how Nomadic these fish are?
I am fishing a stretch of the Thames that rarely gets seriously fished - The one fish I have had out so far came from pre-baiting a spot 'blind', in other words I had seen no carp in the swim but prebaited it for a couple of weeks and had a carp out.
Do you think that carp will find prebaited spots and start using them regularly or have I just stumbled upon a bit they visit anyway?
(I have to be fair seen carp in it a few years ago, It is a shallow weedy/ gravel run from a side stream which comes in from a waterworks perhaps 4-7ft deep)
Basically for better results should i try a few more spots or stick with this one.
I am fishing a stretch of the Thames that rarely gets seriously fished - The one fish I have had out so far came from pre-baiting a spot 'blind', in other words I had seen no carp in the swim but prebaited it for a couple of weeks and had a carp out.
Do you think that carp will find prebaited spots and start using them regularly or have I just stumbled upon a bit they visit anyway?
(I have to be fair seen carp in it a few years ago, It is a shallow weedy/ gravel run from a side stream which comes in from a waterworks perhaps 4-7ft deep)
Basically for better results should i try a few more spots or stick with this one.
Stuart Dennis
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watching korda part 4 last night, I still feel we've got a lot to learn re rigs and spooky presentations.
Guy,
'how nomadic' is a question that I am pondering as well. From books and talking to people, a trend seems to be that smaller fish tend to be resident in one area and the larger tend to move about. How true this is i don't know. Although the smaller carp do tend to stay put on my river.
Perhaps the method employed by the chub angler in winter may be productive. Bait 3 or 4 swims and fish in rotation.
This would, at least, build up a bigger picture of the river.
'how nomadic' is a question that I am pondering as well. From books and talking to people, a trend seems to be that smaller fish tend to be resident in one area and the larger tend to move about. How true this is i don't know. Although the smaller carp do tend to stay put on my river.
Perhaps the method employed by the chub angler in winter may be productive. Bait 3 or 4 swims and fish in rotation.
This would, at least, build up a bigger picture of the river.
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Big Rik
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40,000
Guy Baxendale 2
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Is that the 40,000 Dollar question Rik?
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Big Rik
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no, that was the 40,000th post on the carp forum.
I think a lot depends on food availability and angler pressure, pretty much the same as on lakes.
I had a carp from the lower Stour about 4 or 5 years ago that I fed for about 3 weeks before fishing for it.
I'd seen the carp in roughly the same area for a couple of weeks, so baited the spot for another 3.
I don't think that carp was particularly nomadic, there was available food and no angler pressure.
I'd say it was a resident fish to that certain section (maybe a 200 yd stretch) and it certainly wsn't a small fish, but there again, it isn't the Thames.
Just like lakes, I think river carp have their patrol routes around a certain section of river.
On smaller, more intimate rivers, that route may be only 50yds or so, but on waters like the Severn or Thames it could be many miles.
I think a lot depends on food availability and angler pressure, pretty much the same as on lakes.
I had a carp from the lower Stour about 4 or 5 years ago that I fed for about 3 weeks before fishing for it.
I'd seen the carp in roughly the same area for a couple of weeks, so baited the spot for another 3.
I don't think that carp was particularly nomadic, there was available food and no angler pressure.
I'd say it was a resident fish to that certain section (maybe a 200 yd stretch) and it certainly wsn't a small fish, but there again, it isn't the Thames.
Just like lakes, I think river carp have their patrol routes around a certain section of river.
On smaller, more intimate rivers, that route may be only 50yds or so, but on waters like the Severn or Thames it could be many miles.
Guy Baxendale 2
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Fair enough!
Have you ever had any success targeting carp in slack areas in floods?
I have seen carp right up side streams during floods (although always during the close season). You would think more would get caught by barbel fishermen during floods if they fed well?
Have you ever had any success targeting carp in slack areas in floods?
I have seen carp right up side streams during floods (although always during the close season). You would think more would get caught by barbel fishermen during floods if they fed well?
Guy Baxendale 2
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Cheers Robbie - Had a flick through it once before- thought it looked a little thin in Substance in the Thames chapter but I think i'll give it another look.
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Big Rik
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I think side streams in the close season is more a prelude to spawning, than getting into the slack water out of the floods.
As with anything, it depends on your definition of river carping.
Fish react to certain situations in different ways depending on their environment.
As with anything, it depends on your definition of river carping.
Fish react to certain situations in different ways depending on their environment.
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Deecy
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Guy two examples for you.The first river Carp I caught were from the Hampshire Avon Royalty fishery from a swim called Watersmeet whilst after Barbel.The river was in flood and the trick was to cast across into a very large slack created by water from the Parlour Pool joining the main river.That was around 1994 I think.Since then I have tried to repeat this in that river and others with very patchy success, in fact failure is a better description.What I call good Chub conditions such as water clearing after a flood with steady high winter temperature have been far more productive
In summer into autumn I initially tried to fish close in on the Thames in slacks created by main bank features and progress was slow.Since some advice was given to me I found the mid river area close to the area where the deepest water meets the margin shelf to be much better. If there are any sort of mid river obstruction such as bridge supports or islands then these get attention first.Where boat yards exist I have had some sucess fishing as close to the entrance as is possible.
In summer into autumn I initially tried to fish close in on the Thames in slacks created by main bank features and progress was slow.Since some advice was given to me I found the mid river area close to the area where the deepest water meets the margin shelf to be much better. If there are any sort of mid river obstruction such as bridge supports or islands then these get attention first.Where boat yards exist I have had some sucess fishing as close to the entrance as is possible.