COMMERCIAL ANGLER vol. 1 | Page 38

h s i f o t d e e t n a u s o t Y o p s t h g i r e s e th m i t t h g i the r BIG CARP VENUES Looking to latch into some lumps to really test your elastic? Check out these top big-carp venues. Drayton Reservoir off the A361, Daventry, Northants NN11 0SG Typically I’d be looking to kick these lines off with 20 grains of corn on one line and 15 grains and a decent pinch of 4mms on the other. It’s not much bait but, as I’ve mentioned, it’s about getting one bite at a time. This would be topped up each put-in with a Kinder pot of bait to keep things ticking over. However, if I find silvers becoming a problem due to the regular feed I will use a big pot to introduce large quantities but less often. My rig for fishing corn is very simple. Main line is 0.15mm to a 0.15mm hooklength carrying a size 16 B911, strong enough to land anything you’re likely to hook providing there aren’t many snags around. Here today we’re fishing open water so I’d be confident of beating any carp using a relatively soft MAP Twin Core 10-14 elastic. My float choice is a MAP SD2 in a 4x14 size, ideal for the 4½-ft Larford Lakes near Stourport, Worcestershire DY13 0SQ deep swim I’m fishing, shotted with a strung bulk of No9s starting from the hooklength connection, spaced upwards an inch apart – perfect for corn fishing, and plumbing up at absolute dead depth is crucial when fishing like this. To make sure I’m accurate I plumb my rig up twice, firstly with a very heavy 30g plummet which I use to feel around on the bottom for any obstructions or anything that may prevent fish feeding. Then, once I’m happy, I use a lighter plummet to get an even better reading – you’ll be surprised how far out you can be sometimes on soft-bottomed commercials! At this time of year it’s also worth having a shallow rig ready to go as the fish will venture off the bottom on warmer days. Pinging meat out and fishing a hair-rigged cube on the hook can be a great way of nicking those odd big bonus fish on the same line. Gold Valley Lakes Gold Lane, Government Road, Aldershot, Hampshire GU11 2PT Viaduct Fishery Cary Valley, Somerton, Somerset TA11 6LJ