July/August

Since the last blog I have been busy doing Carp Angling Shows and working for Viper in France, so my personal fishing has been limited to overnighters or short sessions. The biggest fish in the last six weeks was a mirror just over forty pounds caught during an overnight session from new water I was trying in France.

Locally, I have managed a couple of short sessions on a syndicate water in Norfolk. This particular water is a very good example of where the right tackle and tactics can make all the difference. The lake is in parts thirty feet deep yet my favored area to fish is about nine to eleven feet deep. The water has some features and plateaus making it the ideal location to use my Viper bait boat. It is especially effective for hunting out the exact place to pin point my bait drops.

When using the boat firstly I take out up to three marker floats using the new Ultima Spod and Marker braid. I have found this braid excellent for fishing the features and areas that the carp are feeding. For example on a thirty six hour session it took me three hours to find the perfect area that I felt confident I would be getting takes from. To some anglers this is probably far too long to spend just getting your area sorted but it was worth investing the time as my chosen spot produced five fish up to twenty seven pounds. I must also add this is very difficult water where anglers consistently blank!

The marker floats ensure that there is no splashing around and the boat means I don't scare off the carp. When feature finding in the lake I take the boat out very slowly so that when I drop the marker float I almost immediately hit the right spot. I then take out a second float and drop this just past the first one, this allows me to identify any significant feeding areas. Once the feature is found I load up the area with my chosen freebies to really get the carp feeding.

In this particular water there are a lot of mussels on the side of the plateau, this means there is a possibility of cut offs if you do not use a snag leader. Anglers I find are just not confident tying these up or they feel they need to use a heavier breaking strain for their main line. This will just leave fish trailing line and rig around. The line I prefer to use is the Power Extreme snag leader 25lb breaking strain. If you really want to see how to use this line most effectively see the video clip on the Ultima website. Pay particular attention to how steaming straightens the line. This product has never let me down. If you are going to Evesham Angling Festival I will be demonstrating this product and its many advantages.

Getting back to the syndicate lake in Norfolk the gravel pit is also gin clear so I use the reels with Ultima's new pure fluorocarbon Pure Power in 16lb weed green which sinks very quickly and completely disappears. Trust me you cannot see it!! I took some examples to a carp show and when I asked anglers to pick it up they just couldn't find it. I actually prefer this line to the clear type fluorocarbon. Even though I normally use back leads I have stopped doing this as it is not required, this is due to the fact that the line just hugs the bottom. This is especially effective in clear waters or lakes without algae. In most other conditions I will use Power Carp. I am so impressed with the lines overall performance that I have been pleading with Ultima to produce a 30lb leader line.

To offer some final advice about zig rigs it was good to catch my biggest fish of 36lb in France using a ziggy and Ultima Power Zig 12lb. This was fished at 10 feet attached to a Weed Safe Nash Clip Bead so the lead just comes off. It was easy to land and play the carp not the lead. Just remember to use the lightest lead you can get away with if you are fishing that kind of depth. If you are using the zig you have two options either to use a rig with normal weed clips or alternatively the helicopter style.

With the autumn coming up I have promised myself I will be getting out there fishing as this is the best time with August being used to keep the family happy. So until next time tight lines and see you at the Ultima stand at Evesham.

Keith

Keith

June 2010

Since my last blog I have been giving some of the Ultima products a good try out. To begin with I tested one of Ultima's main lines and I have to say the Ultima Pure Power Flurocarbon Carpline is the best I have come across for a long while. I opted for the weed green variety and found that it disappears with great effect. On the 16lb line the diameter is 0.35mm. Sinking time is very fast and the fluorocarbon line comes off the spool very smoothly. In addition I was able to cast at range with ease. Clear pure Fluorocarbon is also available. This line has proved to be ideal for fishing in the margins largely due to its sinking capabilities.

The other mainline I use is Power Carp line which has superb abrasive properties and great knot strength. I certainly will be using both of these lines for ninety per cent of my own fishing, to cover most of my needs. Other products to look out for Hyper Pro hook link; this line has fluorocarbon covered in braid offering a great range of versatility for use with numerous rig types. It comes in 15lb and 25lb varieties and again blends in well with the bottom of the lake.

Another product I took a look at was the Ultima zig hooklink which has been out now for quite a while. This hooklink is good for surface fishing as well as zig rigs. I prefer to use the 12lb as it has good knot strength. I have had plenty of successes using this hooklink and will continue no doubt to do so in the future. If you would like to see some of these products working then why not come and see me at the Nash Road Show where I will be doing a number of demonstrations.

Next month I will also be at Penns Hall Birmingham and Cartagena fishery Herts.

My round up of catches this month include 5 carp up to 23lb and a bonus 10lb tench all caught at Layfields lake in Lenwade. The carp were completely spawned out yet the fact they were caught at all suggests the rigs were definitely right. The largest of the commons fell to my old favorite KD rig using the new Mainline Grange. The others were caught using a rig using Ultima Stiff tied to a short piece of Ultima braid fished blowback style on a Nash Fang x size 8.

At the Nash Show Todbur Manor I managed only 6 carp to 18lb but the carp were too interested in spawning than feeding so no real luck this time.

Hopefully we will get some warmer weather soon so I can fit in some surface fishing and trying the zig rig which is so underrated. Another show to watch out for is the Evesham Festival where there will of course be an Ultima Demo. The company will have all of its products on view and Ultima consultants will be on hand to answer any questions you may have. This show is due to take place over the August Bank Holiday. That's all for this month

Tight lines

Keith

Keith

May 2010

What a great few weeks I have had with some fantastic fishing and also managing to get a few lumps on the bank. From the session at Carlton Mere and due to work commitments I have been to France mainly visiting a French Carp Distribution warehouse. I was lucky enough to be able to spend 30 hours at a lake called Les Levades which is a five acre lake in the Limoges area. The temperature was 30 degrees so being without sun cream meant I got a little burnt and I won't be doing that again!! In the 30 hours I had 35 runs and landed carp up to 41lbs with a superb common just under 40 lbs. Power Carp on the reels as usual and the fish were falling to various rigs. I tried some of the new hooklink materials and was very impressed. Have a look on the website for details of these products.

The following week I was down at Pete Wilson's lake doing some promotional work for Ultima. Hutchy was showing how to cast a spod and lead up to 180 metres without trying. The spod just flew straight with out any leakage. What was most striking was that it was pure technique not power that gave him the distance.

After this I was off to France again, this time on a trip to Mirrorpool. I could not believe the change in the weather. We were experiencing -2 degrees at night and a bitter North Easterly wind and cold temperatures during the day. Fishing the famous Suicide Swim the blustery wind was heading straight into the bivvy. It rained for three days continuously as well. The water went down to 7 degrees during the first few days alone. I did despite this manage a fantastic common at over 49lbs, my second biggest common, and an astounding 12lb 2oz tench.

Returning to Northern France I was then at Lake Etoile accompanying eight children from Knossington Grange School. They were all very excited hoping for some big fish. The weather was still cold and the wind again persisted across the lake. Ultima supplied all the line for the boys which they really appreciated. They all took part in several coaching sessions during their stay with me showing them how to tie rigs using the Ultima Stiffy, the Zig rig and my favorite K D rig. The boys proved to be a credit to their school showing real enthusiasm for the sport, even coming round to my swim at 2 am when I landed a 41lb 8oz Mirror. A couple of the boys even managed their own personal bests, a 42lb and 28lb common. So now it's back to England ready for the summer where I will be doing some Nash Road Shows with the boats and I will also have all the new Ultima products with me. The first show is at Todbur Manor down in Dorset in June.

Tight lines

Keith

Images reproduced by kind permission of The Grange School, Oakham, Leicester

April 2010

At last the weather is improving giving everyone the chance to get some time on the bank.

Despite the poor weather the start of the year has been busy for me. The shows in January, February and March gave me the opportunity to head off to France where I was able to give the new Viper boat a 'spin'. I also managed to try out some of the new products available from Ultima which I am sure you'll be pleased with.

I was invited to Freedom Lakes which I must say was well worth the visit. With three lakes stacked full of fish, anglers are certainly spoilt for choice here. I opted for the top lake which holds fish known to be up to 54lb but I was informed there is a chance that some carp could be even larger. The first night was very cold and uneventful. The second night was warmer with a good south easterly blowing. Using the new Ultima Spod and Marker Braid which is great for casting, I had a much better night and ended up with 2 Mirrors up to 28lb 3oz.

On the third night I moved to a different venue with my friend Jon Perkins, Negroulobe. Here I landed 10 carp up to 39lb 5oz. Jon got a personal best of 51lb 8oz but no hard feelings, I was really pleased for him. This lake proved a challenge for me as I was fishing in an area with a number of small snags on the bottom. Some Dutch anglers fishing in the same spot found themselves repeatedly cut off. I was able to land my fish with the 14lb Power Carp taking the abuse. Many other brands of line I know would not have stood up so well to the abrasive snags. I just wished I had taken the Ultima Extreme Snag Leader as this would have saved the main line being replaced.

Returning to England I was able to get in a 35 hour session at Carlton Mere in Suffolk and had a good result. Two good Mirrors of 32lb 10z and 32lb 3oz plus 7 twenties. Hopefully this is going to be a good spring after such a poor winter, in fact I cannot remember a winter so bad with such extreme temperatures.

Over the next few weeks I have another show in Brentwood and as usual I will be on the Viper stand. I will also be doing a presentation for Ultima so please come and see me and ask any questions you may have. Also the new products Ultima will be launching soon will be on show.

Then I am off to Mirrorpool for a week and on return I am due to coach lads from a School in Leicestershire. I will let you know how I get on in France and as ever I am still after my target, a certain English forty (upper forty).

Tight lines

Keith

March 2010

The weather for the last six weeks has been a disaster for anglers and has certainly put a stop to my fishing. The show schedule however has been full on. Over in Holland there were loads of new products on show and numerous demonstrations by many of the major fishing companies. Very impressive was the Ultima stand and their new range of hooklinks. I managed to get hold of the new Hyper Link Pro and braids now available and I am just waiting for the weather to turn in my favour and I will be out giving them a try. But as I am off to France next week for ten days of serious fishing I may get the opportunity to give them a go then, along with the new Viper Ranger Bait Boat due out in the next five weeks.

The France show held a fortnight ago was also awesome, packed with European anglers willing to spend their cash! No sign of a recession here.

Back at home, the Five Lakes Show in Essex kept the Ultima consultants busy. They were inundated with enquiries about the new fluorocarbon lines which I can't wait to get hold of. I can feel the quality of this product and it is certainly going to fool the big carp.

Well I am off now to get ready for Freedom lakes and Negalouf and hopefully I will be able to report back some big catches and exciting news about the hooklink.

Keith

Ultima consultants hard at work at the Five Lakes Show

January 2010

With the weather having been so awful since well before Christmas it has been a frustrating month; the Brentwood Carp Show that I was due to attend in December was unfortunately cancelled. This event is one of the main opportunities anglers in the South East have to see what is new on the market and gives retailers a welcome chance to drive their pre Christmas sales. The cancellation was a devastating blow to all as the event requires a lot of preparation but the disappointment has been relieved in the knowledge that the show has been rescheduled for April the 23rd.

In my own region many of the lakes have been frozen for some time preventing any fishing but with the coming of the milder weather, last Monday, I hoped I might be in luck at my local syndicate water. However it became apparent on arrival that the ice was still up to three inches thick in places, so no chances of trying out the Carp Power Plus leaders or the new maggot rig that I have spoken about before.

My only alternative was to try out some pike fishing on the Norfolk Broads. I have been waiting to try out the Ultima Power Steel and found this product to be easy to handle. I managed to net a few to 17lb Pike and the line handled well, playing the fish in the same manner as I would using Braid.

This line has not been talked about much but I can't recommend a better line if you need something with minimal stretch. I am looking forward to trying this line for carp fishing and comparing it to the Power Carp or Power Plus. I will keep you informed.

My work schedule now for the next few weeks is heavy, with a carp show in Holland, The Big One at Farnborough and the French Show. In amongst that I will try to get some fishing in….even a short session would be welcome.

Keith

December '09

The recent weather has been appalling, hampering any chances I might have had of a good catch. The lake I had been concentrating on has been adversely affected by the floods and we have had persistent cold in the East. This has meant little chance to try out the rigs I had been toying with, also the Ultima Carp Power Leaders I had hoped to get into the water. These leaders are easy to tie up with figure of eight loops tied each end. The length being a metre long. At one end the loop is passed through the eye in the swivel and then the entire loop is passed completely over the other end of the swivel and secured tightly. To keep it really flat on the bottom I take the inner out of some Power Core the superb new lead core from Ultima and twist it around the leader. What is REALLY IMPORTANT is that you make sure the lead can go through the leader so that fish cannot get tethered. So looking forward to 2010. Hoping to beat personal bests this year.

Tight lines for the New Year.

Keith

November '09

As the weather turned decidedly Autumnal I was delighted to be given the chance to fish Meniuer in South Central France. This picturesque lake is situated not far from the city of Limoges, which luckily for me was also ideally situated for me to visit my friends lake of Le Croix in nearby Montrollet. The scenery surrounding the lakes is remarkable at this time of year and yet the start of my trip was overshadowed by the terrible weather. The cold and wet meant I could only fish short sessions and six hours on Le Croix produced just one lost fish at the net on Mainline boilies and a Combi stiff rig.

On moving to Menieur sadly there was no improvement in the weather. I got soaked to the skin setting up but was no deterred as this lake holds some fantastic fish and what's more at this time of the year the lake is normally closed for its winter break so I felt very privileged to be there. I was fishing with two of my friends who regrettably had more favored swims but having lost the toss I could not complain.

During the first night there was a deluge of rain yet I managed a take on 10ml cell boilie over a small amount of chops soaked in pineapple and coconut syrup which I propose to use as my winter attack. (I will also attempt maggots soaked in both syrups for diversity over the coming months.) I was lucky enough to get a 37lb Mirror but what a performance getting it in, largely due to the anguish of having a fallen tree right of my swim!!

The weather after this event worsened and I finally had to give up all hope of anymore fish. It appeared the carp had moved off to an unreachable part of the lake but I WILL BE BACK!!

My rig of the month for November is shown in the photo's. Components include:
1) Ultima Power Stiff 18lb
2) Nash size 8 fang uni
3) Nash rig ring
4) Nash floss for tying plastic maggots to the ring

This rig gives great control and balance to your bait and has proved successful in a number of situations. Over the next couple of weeks I will explain how to tie this rig and how to use it to the greatest effect. I will be on the Viper stand at the Carp Society Show and this rig will be on display so please do come and have a chat if there is anything you would like to know about this rig or its use.

Keith

October '09

I have been angling for nearly forty years now and have experience of fishing for a number of species but my favourite remains carp angling. 2009 has been a good year so far for me with the achievement of two new personal bests, one at home and one abroad. In France I landed a 58lb 10oz Carp and at home a 43lb 3oz cracker. Whilst not fishing I am busy working as a Brand Manager for Viper Bait Boats and I am also on Mainline's Bait Team. I am due to commence my Winter Campaign soon which I will be sharing with you on this website. I hope I will achieve another 40lb. I am also aiming to experiment with different Ultima rig combinations and I will share with you my successes and failures which I hope in turn will inform you of choices to be made in your own angling.

In relation to my current use of Ultima products I prefer the Ultima Power Carp and Ultima Power Plus for my reels. The Power Plus I find works particularly well for long range and Power Carp I reserve for bait boat use.

I trust you will find the blog useful and in look forward to reporting to you very soon.

Keith