Essential Tackle vol. 2

So I would like to continue my list of essential tackle. The previous blog was about the MUST have tackle, which are intended to minimize the harm done to fish. This list is to help choose the basic tackle you need to catch carp. I mean, you really need to have a bedchair organizer and a gas-operated heater. But these aren't the tackle you start with.

1) Rods - usually you need many. I fish with 3 rods, but also have different rods for different uses. Don't buy the cheapest available if you have some money to spare. I use 3 lbs test curve 12' rods. It's a good allround choice, suiting light PVA-bag work and good casting capabilities. Choose semi-fast/fast action as it's yet another allround choice. Just make sure the rod has parabolic action. You want to have the thorough action reserve for playing the fish. You can get a good rod in the pricerange of 50-100 euros. These usually are good enough for several years to come. When considering the price, remember, it's a 12' rod. A quality one cannot be bought with 20 euros. According to my experience, there is just little difference in rods worth 170 euros and 500 euros. 

Here are my bite alarms, old rods, the reels that I use and the "swinger" type bite indicators.

2) Reels - match the number of the rods and yet again aim for the middle-priced models. I have used Okuma Longbows from 2007 and never had any problems with them. A product advert, yes. But it's just an example that nowadays you get quality stuff with medium prices. The size I have been using is 65, which is a bit too big. Now I am changing down to the Okuma Trio baitfeeder size 55, which holds 260 m of 0,35 mm monofilament line. The capacity for a carp reel should be around 200 m of 0,40 mm line. And most importantly, it should have a baitfeeder/baitrunner/freespool feature. The big pit -models are for advanced users and it should be considered only when the waters you are fishing demand long casts. But as a beginner, you shouldn't fish that kind of waters.

3) Line - you need to have your line flawless. The bottom is usually full of rocks and debris, so your line is in a constant stress. I use monofilament because I like the small stretch it gives (the hookhold is better that way). Also, I always run the mainline through my fingers while reeling in, so if I feel a nick on the line, I immediately cut it off. You won't have a broken line if your line is flawless when fighting the fish. My choice is 0,40 mm or 0,43 mm. It's a bit thick, but we have a lot of natural snags here in Finland. It's not like we are fishing in a gravel pit. Our lakes were formed after the last ice age, so it sets a few demands for the tackle.

4) End tackle - You need some end tackle in order to catch something. Well, there are as many rig types as there are carp in the world, so getting all the bits and pieces for all the set-ups will cost you more than your rods, reels and bait combined. You will be suprised that this is a fact acknowledged even by the tackle trade companies. The easiest and most commonly used rig is the bolt rig. I like it because even beginners can hook fish properly in the bottom lip. And why is that? It's because the rig does the hooking by itself. Get some safety lead clips, rubber sleeves, swivels and some hooklength material (I use Prologic Reptilian 25 lbs). Also buy some 70 gram and 90 gram flat weights for the bolt rig. You also need some hooks, designed for carp fishing. I use the Prologic C3 in sizes 6 and 4.

5) Bait - There IS a difference in catch rates between different bait. I consider being biased here (I am a part of Prologic/DD Bait Team for 2012), but I use DD Bait Original HNV range. I consider this generation of DD bait a lot better than the previous one. My catch rates went up like a rocket this year. And I can also say that not all the scents were working on every lake, but in overall that just tells the story of experimenting with different bait and scents. Now I have some bait in my baitbox, which I can trust 100% to catch me fish. One of the bait scents made the fish go crazy, catching on every night, including a double run. I cannot ignore it, the bait really matters. Of course, there are many good bait brands on the market, but my trust is now with the DD Bait.

These are some of the bait I used last year. I tend to keep some boilies ready for the spring sessions. I always store my boilies in room temperature.

6) Bite alarms - you need bite alarms. But I will write about them in my next blog...

Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays!

Dear readers, the Christmas is here and I wish you a happy holiday season and a successful year 2012. May you have tight lines!

Some gift ideas for true anglers

Hi all!

Christmas / The holiday season is coming, and some of you might be wondering what to buy (for yourself, of course). A true angler appreciates soft packages, but here's a few ideas for the harder packages.

1) Martin Bowler - A Fish for All Seasons DVD+book. You can buy it on http://www.calmproductions.com/
2) Hugh Miles & Martin Bowler - Catching the Impossible DVD-series+book. Also from Calm Productions.
3) Medlar Press books - You can find real gems there. True angling literature with the right ethics. Just go to www.medlarpress.com and choose a book to your liking! For example, Chris Yates' "Casting at The Sun"... Pure classic.
4) Order the Waterlog magazine. Like I did. Completely useless what comes to enhancing your catches, but enjoyable reading by the bedside or the bank! http://www.waterlogmagazine.com/

Well, I can't say no more. That's what you need, and I think you will be happy with them. And by the way, this wasn't a paid commercial. I just really like to share something I have enjoyed.

Essential tackle vol. 1

My previous blog got a comment which underlined the difficulty of choosing the essential tackle for carp angling. I mean, as it is difficult enough for an advanced angler, I can imagine (and remember) the challenges a beginner faces. Well, I hope I can help a bit with these issues. In my earlier blog, I mentioned that fishing is always about the welfare of the fish, and on the second place, the welfare of the angler. Start buying your tackle also in that order. So here's a list of must haves and not so important tackle. I start with the must haves.

1) Good quality carp landing net (soft mesh, minimum. 42"). Don't use any other landing net models than carp nets! The sparse mesh in other models can twist and break carp fins. Plus, carp freak out when you try to fit them in undersized landing nets. This elongates the landing time, which in turn isn't good for the fish.

2) Unhooking mat. Don't get your carp flapping on the bare ground. It can have internal damage or get infections if it's mucus layer is damaged. Also, it's good to have the carp nice and clean for the photos. Use soft unhooking mats (padded ones) which are large enough.

3) Weigh sling. Use the ones designed for carp. The ones for predator fish are way too shallow and the straps can harm the carp. Use the ones which you can close from the both ends with a zip. You can carry the fish back to the water in the sling and revive it carefully.

4) Forceps and a disgorger for getting the hook off safe. Have them always ready and available.

5) A bucket(ful of water). Before getting the carp on the unhooking mat, pour some water on the mat. The mucus layer and the gills really have to be protected. You can also pour water on the carp already on the landing mat. Get the weigh sling also wet before putting the carp in it.

I will write my next blog on the other tackle needed. But I mean, in most places the items mentioned above are required by the rules. So I challenge everyone who's reading this blog and fishing, or planning to fish for carp, to get these essential fish welfare tackle ASAP.

As you can see, there's the pliers, a carp landing net, unhooking mat and a weigh sling... And don't lift the carp too high.  You DON'T want the carp falling down from 1,5 m... Keep the carp low.

Fishy Business

If something is not evolving, it's not going to grow into something better. I mean carp fishing is really fun and it has a mysterious touch to it, but looking how badly the over commercialization has impacted our lifestyle just gives me a headache. For instance, the UK based carp magazines are more like a 100-page adverts. Use this, buy that, not that (it's the last years model which is totally useless), go there, fish this way, etc. The most underlined feature is that a new product has given Ginormous results with carp, and this product is supplied by the anglers sponsored company (what a surprise!).

If we take a good look in the mirror and cut the BS-talking, there is very little under the sun in carp fishing. But the main question is: Is the commercial buzz advancing our lifestyle or eating it inside out? My opinion above was that it gives me an headache at least. Here in Finland it's not such a problem, as we don't have a market for carp tackle. But well, this problem with commercialization has brought some serious issues with it.

It wasn't a long time ago when I read about a group of carp anglers who caught ca. 700 carp in a period of few days. The anglers had statistics of how many 40 lbs how many 30 lbs they had caught etc. I mean I would have stopped fishing after landing about 20 fish. And it would have been over the top already. 

WE should adjust our fishing with respect of wildlife. Even if we start catching like crazy, we should consider for what reason are we fishing for. Is it that we want to spend time in the nature, catching fish? Is it for the outside demand for massive carp catches? Is it that we want to enjoy and experience the same thrill and the mystery as our ancestors? I mean tackle business will do just fine even without the massive carp catches and making every magazine an advert.

(PS. I tried to attach here a photo of my 400 carp catch, but I couldn't find the picture) :)

Old Tackle and Jinxed Tackle

I clearly remember the day I got my first bite alarms. It was the end of August 2007. There was nothing special about them, as I bought the cheapest models I could find. I wasn't a Money Man then (the situation remains the same even now!). Anyway, I also got my first rod pod (which was also the cheapest available). Yet I had them, and I would proceed being a successful carp angler. (NOTE: Success hasn't reached me yet)

Here are my trusty old  alarms. Reliable, yes. Pretty, no. Without remote alarm function, useless.

Putting up my new pod and alarms plus the swingers was a bit tricky. When you haven't seen it anywhere, nor you can ask your mates, you just have to assemble it like a small jigsaw puzzle. Looking back, it sounds really stupid having problems with things simple as that. But it was fun back then. Everything was SO new and exciting. Having a few years of action with these cheap alarms, I decided it was time to go for better ones.

Where am I aiming with this... Well, I think my newer alarm set (Prologic Polyphonic), which I bought after the old set, was jinxed! The old set had me my first carp, my PB carp, several good ones, nice bream catches (including a triple run!) and good memories in general. When I got my new alarm set, I was really happy. It looked nice, worked perfectly, but I caught zero fish with them... Nothing had changed in my tackle, only the alarms were different. My fishing mates caught carp, I blanked. Several times. The first carp I caught with this alarm set was from UK! I thought the curse had been broken. But when I returned to Finland, I realized the curse was for Finnish carp only! I remained on a blanking streak.

I reckon I had brought the misfortune on me for being a tackle tart. I think I could have managed with the old alarms, but really, can you have a 30 € alarm set with a rod set worth 600 €? This curse of jinxed alarm set was broken by the carp mentioned in my earlier blog 600 hours = one carp. It really took time to break the curse.

I think I have become a masochist. I bought a new alarm set. Already I am having problems with my new MP3-alarms (Prologic WUSB). I just can't find a good song for a carp run... :) Wagners "Ride of The Valkyries" could be the one... Or maybe "Carp Fishing on Valium"? :)

In Bait I Trust

My bait bag photographed somewhere in the deep forests of Finland. I was a bit worried that a bear might get a scent of my candy-smelling bait. I was fishing really close to known bear spots.

There are many different perspectives into carp bait. Some people are radically enthusiastic about their (sponsored) bait, some people hate using commercial baits and tend to stick with the more natural choices of peas and liver pieces. The different views are so conflicting that bait wars are commonly fought on forums, etc. What I would love to see is a bait fight between two bait-sponsored carp anglers. Especially when the real carp pros could catch big carp with tiny rocks painted red!

I can definitely say that I am not a pro carp angler, as I need good bait to succeed. The early days of my carping.... well... I had some bad experiences with baits for their wrong texture and smell. When you combine the aroma of a dump, rotten fish plus a hint of garlic, you get the picture. There are bait that are so foul-smelling that it's just over the top. I mean I'm not a princess, as I have worked in sewage water facility, but some of the bait are just not meant for fish (or any living thing). There are some foul-smelling bait that catch, yes. But the foulness has different levels. It goes maybe like this:

1) Salmon fillet (fish caught 5 days ago)

2) Yesterday's cooked salmon fillet left overnight to the table

3) The cooked salmon fillet in biowaste bucket for two days

---

5) The salmon fillet in the dump with battery acid, rotten rats, etc.

When your bait is on the foulness-scale 5, you really need to consider your bait again. Like some fishermen wiser than I say, the bait needs to smell enough to attract, but not too much to repel. You need to remember that carp have olfactory senses (smell) that are about 40 000 000 times more sensitive than ours. They probably can smell the bait so accurate, that they know what perfume your wife is using (If you still have a wife, carp anglers seem to lose theirs).

Well, the carp are also quite opportunistic in certain waters, and the smell of the bait isn't such an issue. But a lot of these opportunistic waters have also smaller fish (aka nuisance fish). The "nuisance fish" in Finland ins't the odd 10 lb tench (that would be a national record), but the hordes of roach, small bream and silver bream. They tend to peck the softer baits off the hook in about 15 minutes. And the medium-hard versions get mauled by vicious crayfish. The bait needs to handle punishment like nothing else.

Believe me, I've seen the evidence! Once I had an underwater camera next to my bait. It was like watching, well... some sort of a washing machine with fish going around, groundbait particles flowing in the water, which was getting murkier every minute because of the fish-induced limbo. I wouldn't put there a carp bait that was softer that a rock. So natural baits are an option in Finnish waters. But most of the time, a very bad option.

Most commonly the problem with the bait is that fish don't seem to care about eating it. Now after long time of experimenting, I have confidence in the bait I am using. When I get definite signs of fish on the swim, I always get them on the hook! And it's as much as I can hope for a bait!

A common carp I caught with natural bait (corn)

Obsessive Behaviour

This year I had a definite plan. I was going to catch an eel over 3 kgs (ca. 6½ lbs). It shouldn't have been impossible, as I live next to a lake that is known for it's gigantic eel. So, the summer came and I started fishing for carp as usual. Then the summer went on and I still fished for carp. Suddenly I realized that summer was over and the autumn was here. Yet, I hadn't spent a single session after the leviathan eel, as I had planned so cunningly.

What was my big insight to this "not-fishing-for-eel -phenomena" was that I am completely and utterly obsessed with carp. Firstly, I have ALWAYS considered myself as an all-rounder with appetite for all sorts of fishing with rod and line. I have spent countless days chasing pike, perch and trout with lures. A few years ago match angling was my cup of tea. But now, these things are just quite blasé. And it's quite frightening.

I tried to fight my habit but I soon found out that it was useless. I could only enjoy carp fishing. Then, after several nights of mind-games I decided to just be obsessed. As I know now that as obsessions come, someday they will go. Then I can go feeder fishing for roach as a happy man. Until then I will remain obsessed in the realm of Cyprinus carpio.

Going abroad

During the last year, I have visited the UK twice with fishing in mind (The second visit is mentioned in this blog, Waterlog Weekend). The first visit was also prestigious as I had the honor of fishing with fishing celebrities. First I (and my brother) had a day of barbel fishing with angling superstar Martin Bowler. Then some fishing of our own (catching barbel). Later we headed towards South-East England for some gravel pit carping with a carp ace Tony Smeets.

Oh the things you learn from these kind of angling aces! It's like I'm not a beginner in angling, but these kind of guys know their stuff. Like with Bowlers advice, catching barbel is... well... not too difficult anymore. And carping with a 100% carper gives you an insight and perspective on your own angling. Tony taught me some good tactics, and I have definitely been catching better this year. But what I really envied in Tony's abilities was his curry cooking! I have a fear that I will never have such a lovely meal while carp fishing! The following night Tony caught 3 carp. I also had a 12 kg (26½ lbs) carp.

Tony is cooking his famous curry. It is really, really good.

But in conclusion, you benefit a lot from fishing with anglers from different countries. I don't want to go fishing abroad on my own. Why? - Because I like meeting new people. And meeting new people who have a passion for angling is a joy!

Ghosts of The Deep

When carp fishing isn't difficult, it's extremely difficult. The story is, of course, different in heavily stocked waters and lakes with freshly stocked or naive fish. Hook-happy fish are also easy to catch. But mostly, the cunning and old carp of the deep are like the creatures of imagination.

When you catch such a creature, the moment is like a dream. And when the fish swims away into the abyss, so disappears the image of the fish from your mind. The only evidence for that the fish was real are your photographs.

What I really love in Finnish carp angling is that most of the fish in any given lake have never been caught or ever will be. They will remain ghosts of the deep. I will remain happy not catching them all.

I just love looking at old catch photos. They keep me sane on blanking streaks...

Change of plans - blanking is good

I've taken up gardening. It's good for your mental health. You can't be blanking with sunflowers, can you? You won't get your tackle smashed by roses? Plus, the travelling isn't a problem.

In my garden I have found some lobworms, and they are said to be good as a fishing bait. Sunflower seeds are also good when soaked and cooked. Good for carp! And that leads to my subject of the day. Carp.

Well... My last trip was a blanker. It's nice to have them once in a while. It makes catching feel a lot better. When I had good fishing, and I was catching EVERY night for a long period, it made me want bigger fish. And in an unhealthy way. It was like smaller fish (8 kg or 17½ lbs) weren't what I wanted. And when you start thinking that way, boy you seriously need some blanking!

Fishing for pleasure comes down to two things: fish welfare and fisherman welfare. If you are not feeling good about what you are doing: stop. It can be a long and treacherous way of going. You just forget why you are fishing in overall, and start focusing on wrong/trivial things, like the weight of your catches. And soon, you loose the love for fishing. Just because you weren't reflecting what you were doing.

It's nice to go out for some good carp fishing. It's more than you can ask for when you are having a grill full of salmon fillet and garlic potatoes. After that you have a warm cup of tea and rest your eyes on a moonlit pale silver lake. And listen to the silence of the night.

The Ketchup Bottle Effect

In Finnish language there is a saying about a ketchup bottle. At the start you are not getting any, and then, KAWOOSH, you're getting plenty (or too much). This is a very uncommon phenomena in finnish carp angling. Most often, we're not getting any, and if we are getting, it's small time and seldom...

So far this year has been a success. 9 nights carp fishing, 7 nights with landed carp! And these are on different lakes, with two new spots included. It's not like I'm playing it safe. It's just that I am getting carp better than ever. I fear that I have learned something about carp fishing (!)

The most difficult thing here is that you really can't discuss the conditions with someone else fishing the same lake. That's because you are alone on the lake! It's a nice thing, but you can be doing things quite wrong with no feedback. You really can't tell whether you need to correct your rig, your spot or feeding methods...

But when you get it right, you can be very successful even in the hard waters of Finland.

600 hours = one carp

Carp fishing in Finland is just as it should be. Basically there are no commercial waters (except a few ones, which are under very low fishing pressure). What we have in Finland is 187 000 lakes of over 500 square meters. Of that huge amount of lakes, hundreds are stocked with carp. These lakes are mostly situated in Southern Finland.

On most occasions, there are no official records of carp stockings. In some cases there are some official markings of when and where some amounts of carp were put. Usually they have never been fished for carp since the stocking occured.

So when I start to fish a new lake, it is always a mystery to be solved. Where in particular the carp of this lake like to feed... or are there any carp left? So when I wake up in the middle of the night because of my bite alarm going crazy, it's a lot more that just catching a carp... It's more like a discovery!

Sometimes it's a struggle with long times of blanking. This summer started with ending a streak of ca. 600 hours of blanking! The unhappy time ended with me catching a 9 kg dark-marble coloured mirror! Oh the joy and disbelief! I already thought my bite alarms were jinxed...

But as H.T. Sheringham once wrote:

Carp Table

One day = eighteen hours. *

Eighteen hours = one potato

Ten years = one carp

*summer calculation

Carp fishing in my opinion shouldn't be as easy as shooting fish in a barrel. It SHOULD be difficult, and EVERY bite should be considered as "happy time". Big fish I like, but chasing PBs is just one way of carp fishing. I don't find that kind very rewarding. Learning is rewarding, and discovery.

In this photo is the remarkable fish that ended my epic blanking streak. I'm not fishing the lake at the moment, so let's see if I am returning to that lake again some year. 

Waterlog weekend

I (and my brother) had the honor and pleasure to attend this years prestigious Waterlog Midsummer Madness angling weekend. The weekend of angling took place on the Severn at Waterlog Angling Club stretch. We were accommodated at The Grange at Ellesmere, which is also the headquarters of Medlar Press.

To cut the story in short, the people were more than hospitable and the weekend was just about the best midsummer ever. And no MOSQUITOES! Although I was bitten by a dung beetle, no serious harm was made. We had a good weekend with good company, good food and ale & wine. What can you ask more? Well - I asked for some cricket, and we got some. It was about 30 Celsius and sunny, but we Finns wanted to have some batting. Good hosts, didn't let us down.

We did catch some good fish. In total there were 3 barbel caught in the weekend, one by me (6 lbs) and one by my brother (A DOUBLE FIGURE).... I have to admit that the fish were caught on dodgy tackle (carbon rods) and some magic pellets (embraced by the man Martin Bowler himself). I also caught a minnow, a dace and a chub. The photo is of the minnow (looking like a chub)...

A grumpy ol' chub.

Spreading the Word

Carp fishing isn't well known in Finland. Actually, the number of carp anglers is counted in tens. No, not thousands. Just a few fanatics are doing it and they are mostly regarded really eccentric because they are fishing for cyprinids. In Finland cyprinids are mostly considered lesser species with low value in sport fishing.

In my opinion, more people should know about coarse & carp fishing. What I've done is that I have been an educator on a few angling nights on a carp lake. People are attending nicely, and this year was the third year of educating new carp anglers. And we've managed to get new anglers every year. That is good. It's also good to catch something when fishing. The carp in the photo was caught after the next morning after the angling night. It was 4,6 kg (ca. 10 lbs). Beautiful fish! 

A fully scaled double figure common  is always a nice catch. Would like to catch a 30lb fully scaled...

This year I also did a publicity angling day where a lot of people came to see carp fishing. Also I had time on the radio and newspapers. It was kinda silly, as I didn't know any of that in advance. Answering questions about the ethics of c&r-fishing is quite difficult. Especially when it is going to be broadcast on the radio. Luckily I think I managed well. :)

Cheers and tight lines- Henrik

My first carp ever

There isn't an experience like catching your first carp. It is really something, especially when you have never seen one before.

My first carp was on the first day of August 2007. I prebaited the swim earlier that day, and somehow I decided to go night fishing. It was already getting dark when I arrived.

I set my cheap wannabe-rodpod on the bank and cast the first rod out. The rod was actually a light/medium action match rod, which had absolutely nothing to do with carp tackle. The reel was 1500-sized fixed-spool reel. It held about 80 m of 0,28 mm monofilament. A real treat for handling hard fighting big carp!

But what happened next was a bit of a mystery. After casting the first rod out, I started to assemble my carp landing net. It was my new 52" net, so I wouldn't have any problems in fitting the possible carp in the net. (How wrong was I then...) I tried to put the pieces together in the landing net, when suddenly all the world just flashed. I mean, a sudden bright flash just amazed me in the night. I really don't know what that was.

After regaining my focus, I tried to put the landing net together. Again, I was interrupted...by my bite alarm! It just went totally crazy, bleep after bleep. The rush was so fast. I jumped on to my rod and lifted it up and hooked the fish. My reels drag was set really loose, so I tightened it. The fish went on with the long rush. I tightened the drag even more. Suddenly I realized that something was wrong with my reel. The drag knob was broken, as I couldn't put on more drag force. Just a couple of seconds later, I realized the drag force was on full and the fish just went on.

A couple of meters later and with a bit loosened drag force, I started to do a tug-of-war with the fish. I had no idea what species the fish was. At last, after a lot of minutes, I gained the upper hand in the fight. When I got the fishes head up, I was in awe. The barbs of the carp were pointing up to the already starlit sky. It looked like an ancient creature, a dragon from another world. Carp! It was a carp! My knees went wobbly, and I really needed to land this fish.

Too bad the landing net wasn't set up. I had to keep the net open with my fingers, so getting the fish to the bank was easier said than done. Luckily after a few attempts I managed to get the carp into the net.

I took a few photos (weight was 7,5 kg which is about 16½ lbs), and released the fish. I hadn't caught the fish, it had caught me.

Welcome to my blog

Dear readers & fellow anglers. There is also specimen & carp fishing in Finland, and this blog is intended to tell stories of fishing in Finland.

The first blog with fish & fishy things will appear on this blog next week. Hold your breath, count the seconds.

Best regards-

Henrik