|
0
|
|
|
|
|
IGFA Corporate
Member
|
|
 New Fox angler John Kneebone reveals how watching carp feed can offer valuable clues to help fool more fish in the coming months.
When you see a mid double figure carp cautiously feed over a little particle and pellet, tilted tail up into an almost vertical position, slowly taking hemp seed into its mouth, a grain or two at a time, you wonder how on earth we ever hook these fish, let alone fool bigger, often wiser carp.
On a recent trip to an Oxfordshire gravel pit, this was the exact spectacle I had the pleasure of witnessing. Watching this carp feeding with so much patient caress, it was clear that the angling pressure, which seems to be evident at a lot of venues in this area, had taught this little fellow at least, a thing or two on how to avoid the net.
Of course as carp learn from our endeavours to catch them, often through a continued association between our angling presentations, and when they smile for the camera, we the anglers, also learn from the carp by what we see. The way this particular carp dealt with its desire to eat what it obviously knew could potentially be its downfall, gave some clue on how to approach this carp, and hopefully one or two of its larger mates. |
 Although an element of disguise to terminal tackle is always going to help in catching carp, the particular fish I had watched, looked to be paying far more attention to what it felt with its mouth, than what it could see. Not surprising really, as most modern carp tackle is very well camouflaged, leading to some carp inevitably sussing out from the experience of being hooked, that just because a hook or line is not visible within free offerings, it does not always mean that it isn’t there.
My rigs would need to match the feeding style of the carp, by feeling soft and natural to the mouthing safety test of the carp, or these fish were surely going to spook before any take could be induced. The ‘Snare’ braid I use from Fox, was perfect, providing a good colour match to the bottom as well as high abrasion resistance, which would cover the potential problems, from coarse gravel or the tree branch snags, that lined the margins, but most importantly nice and supple, providing a the soft touch to the carp I was after.
Ok, hook link material decided, now for the hook, my chosen hook bait was a single grain of fake, pop-up corn, the hook size and pattern was going to have to compliment this small hook bait. Having a wide gape, the new Fox SSSP pattern, meant I could happily use a size 8 hook, without compromising the quality of hook holds, the SSSP hook also held enough weight to slowly sink the single grain of pop-up corn, to a critically balanced position on the bottom. With the addition of a short section of shrink tubing, helped the hook turn quickly to an aggressive angle, and although I didn’t think the carp were looking to hard visually, to detect rigs, I did have a nice, neat well balanced presentation, without too much on show. |
 To complete my set-up, the hook link was kept short, attached to the flexi ring swivel holding a 2.25oz, flat pear, in-line lead, in place at the end of a 5ft lead core leader. Ideally any investigating carp would initially not feel or suspect anything untoward, but once the hook bait enters the carp’s mouth, the smallest movement from the carp, of the kind I had witnessed, would induce the bolt effect of an in-line lead, and short hook length.
With a bucket lid worth of mixed particles, laced with Mainlines High Impact pellets, and ground bait, over the rig, sat on a nice clear, gavel spot, down the margin, under an overhanging tree, only time would tell, had I got it right? |
 The following series of belting takes, from carp well hooked in the bottom lip, was just the answer I wanted. The terminal tackle showed no adverse effective from the strain of battling some feisty carp, who always knew exactly in which direction the snags were, and that surface head shaking, was a good way to shed an anglers hooks. I have to say that personally in the past I have felt slightly uneasy fishing this type of situation with hooks less than size 6, but the Fox SSSP pattern, gave me total confidence by its performance, although I fit new rigs after each landed fish, out of habit, I could have safely re-used each rig, as the ‘Snare’ braid suffered no deterioration at all, and the hooks remained razor sharp.
A thoroughly enjoyable session, and certainly a case of watch and learn.
Enjoy your fishing,
John |
|
|
|
John Kneebone
