This is the time of year when carp folklore dictates that carp spend more time in the shallows. Mark Pitchers reveals how he fishes for them…

First of all, the term shallow water is relative to the venue but let’s assume that we’re talking of depths of around 2ft to 4ft, as I’m fishing here today on a gravel pit which, otherwise, averages more like 10-12ft. On some venues, the ‘shallows’ might still be 10ft deep, so I’m not talking about that kind of scenario.

In this case, the fish are always close to the bottom and, although I have caught carp before on a zig in 4ft of water, I wouldn’t class it as a particularly usual tactic in such depths. Of course, the carp are going to be more visible and, therefore, easier to locate, even if the water is coloured. As I’d always advise, a good pair of polarising sunglasses is an absolute must.Looking at the scenario I’m faced with today, the weather is nice now but we’re due some high temperatures tomorrow and I’d expect the carp to come to this shallow bay at some stage, possibly even overnight in anticipation of the water warming up.