A comfortable angler is an efficient angler, as Harry Charrington demonstrates perfectly on a recent trip to Fenland Fisheries…

Okay, so winter carp fishing is never going to be as pleasurable as being on the bank on those balmy summer days, but it can be just as, if not even more, rewarding. Also, with the quality of modern kit available and with a bit of planning it can still be a hugely pleasurable experience too. It’s all about putting a few things in place to help guarantee it.

I’ve always been a brolly angler, preferring the ease of use, speed and convenience over a full-blown bivvy, but many are simply not suitable for winter use, unless you’re seriously hardcore. I went through that stage, using an open-fronted brolly, something that passed loosely as a sleeping bag and the bare minimum of gear in order to ‘stay ‘carpy’. However, no matter how much I like my fishing, most of my resulting winter trips were rarely anything more than an endurance test.

These days that has all changed and it’s largely down to my upgrading the right kit in the right areas. I’ve stuck with a brolly, but now favour a system instead of just the open-fronted shelter alone.This year we have launched the Ultra 60, and it’s really taken brollies to the next level. The Ven-Tec outer is as good a fabric as you’ll find on even the best bivvies, keeping out all that the winter weather can throw at it, but it’s inside where the magic really happens. We’ve added a Vapour Shield, creating in effect a twin-skin brolly which eradicates the condensation usually associated with single-skin shelters. Trust me, this transforms the Ultra into a seriously comfortable shelter, more akin to a bivvy, but with all the convenience of a brolly. It’s important to point out that the material we use for the Vapour Shield is thin and lightweight so adds no bulk to the brolly when packed away.Being a large, 60ins diameter and with extended sides and a full infill panel, there is absolutely loads of room inside too, certainly enough for all of your additional winter creature comforts, which we’ll look at next. I often while away the long winter nights by taking my laptop and either doing some work. Not only is there enough room in the Ultra 60 to do this, but I don’t need to worry about my valuable laptop getting damp, thanks to the Vapour Shield. It’s worth noting here that, as it starts to get really cold, the use of the groundsheet is a must, not only to keep your kit clean but to add a shield against cold air rising from the ground.