| Tip 1. Choosing a suitable carp water | | | | Advice on creating a basic: carp fishing set up |
| Choosing a water to carp fish on is heavily | | | | Tip 3. Get a head start on a water by spending |
| dependent on what you want to achieve from | | | | time there and asking the right questions |
| the sport. Whether you are looking for some | | | | When fishing a new water it can be daunting at |
| peace and quiet in the countryside, a tough | | | | first. If you go about it the right way though you |
| challenge or just to catch as many fish as possible | | | | can pick up all sorts of useful pieces of |
| there is a water for you. | | | | information on how to approach the water |
| Club waters - These are waters available to fish | | | | without even wetting a line. If you have a free |
| upon joining an angling club or society. These are | | | | evening rather than sit in front of something bad |
| usually one of the cheapest ways of getting carp | | | | on the TV go for a walk a round the lake. One of |
| fishing with angling clubs all over the UK from as | | | | the fundamental principles of becoming a |
| little as £40 a year to fish. Clubs are very | | | | successful carp angler is understanding the |
| variable though and your enjoyment of the sport | | | | behaviour of the fish in the water you are fishing. |
| will often depend on the other members and | | | | Carp are creatures of habit and in different |
| types of fishing they prefer. e.g. If you join a | | | | weather conditions, or at different times of the |
| popular club for match fishing you can often | | | | year or in a combination of both can 9/10 be |
| expect your fishing to be curtailed on a Sunday | | | | found in certain areas of the lake. By spending |
| morning by a match fixture. The best approach is | | | | time at the lake watching the water, look for |
| often to contact a club and ask if it is possible to | | | | feeding signs like bubbles and mud clouds, leaping |
| walk round a venue to get a feel for the place | | | | fish, or fish cruising on the surface, you can get a |
| and chat to a few anglers. | | | | good headstart on where to fish under different |
| Day ticket waters - These are now the most | | | | conditions. |
| common waters for carp angling and typically | | | | Other anglers are also a good indicator on this. |
| offer the easiest way to catch that first big carp. | | | | Whilst deluging other anglers will questions will |
| The downside of day ticket waters are many | | | | usually earn you a reputation as a pest if you |
| though, they can be expensive to fish regularly, | | | | approach it slowly and considerately you can learn |
| very busy so strategic carp fishing is difficult and | | | | a lot over time. Effectively making friends and |
| are often not the most pleasant surroundings as | | | | aquaintances at the lake in a relaxed manner over |
| high angler turnover lends itself to more bank | | | | time. Never sit quizzing someone though as they |
| erosion and littering. Overly easy angling also limits | | | | will eventually end up wanting to get rid of you or |
| skill development if you are hoping to go on to | | | | feeding you duff information. |
| better things so a few forays onto day ticket | | | | Tip 4. Choosing the right bait approach |
| waters before joining a club is often a good way | | | | There are two main successful ways to approach |
| of | | | | fishing from a baiting perspective. Either creating |
| Syndicate Waters - Although not usually the first | | | | specific areas of feeding confidence for the fish |
| port of call of the beginner carp angler, syndicates | | | | or fishing where they alreay fed confidently. As |
| do hold most of the countries biggest and most | | | | previously discussed muddy clouds, bubbles and |
| prestigious carp. Syndicates are operated on a | | | | fish movement are a good indicator of the latter. |
| limited ticket basis depending on the size of the | | | | It's all too common as a beginner to plot up and |
| water and many of the best have waiting lists | | | | chuck a rod randomly out into the lake. Whilst this |
| many years on. Whilst probably not the best | | | | "pub chucking" approach will pick up the odd fish |
| choice of first waters to start on due to expense | | | | and even a fair few in easy heavily stocked |
| and catching difficulty it is often worth getting | | | | waters with hungry fish, a considered approach is |
| your name on the waiting list for when your | | | | far more effective. |
| abilities have devleoped a few years down the | | | | Try combining your evening visits with some |
| line. Famous syndicate venues include the Yateley | | | | baiting up, always with consideration to other |
| Car Park Lake, Wraysbury 1 and Conningbrook. | | | | anglers and lake rules. Building an area of feeding |
| Rivers - There are free and paid stretches of | | | | confidence where the carp learn they can find |
| river to angle throughout the country holding | | | | food again and again is probably the fundamentally |
| some great carp but due to the nomadic nature | | | | most successful long term tactic. |
| of river carp, currents, and other challenges, not | | | | Whilst boilies can be very expensive for long term |
| the easiest waters on which to begin a carp | | | | baiting up cheaper particle baits such as properly |
| angling career. | | | | prepared hemp seed and tiger nuts can be very |
| Tip 2. You don't need to spend a fortune on | | | | effective. |
| tackle but you need to spend a bit! | | | | Tip 5. Learn to use a marker rod |
| Carp are big and demanding fish to catch. | | | | As already mentioned a pub chuck approach is |
| Additionally they are easily damaged so | | | | not a method that will bring long term angling |
| appropriate care must be taken when fishing for | | | | success. As you will learn on any water fish |
| them. Cheap tackle is usually false economy as it | | | | prefer to eat in certain areas and this varies. |
| will often struggle to last a season and make | | | | Therefore it is important to understand what |
| angling less pleasureable. Some great tackle is | | | | type of lake bottom you are fishing from. Fishing |
| available on the cheap though. On the flipside you | | | | tangled in a big ball of weel of in rotten leaf litter |
| don't need to spend a fortune though, despite the | | | | is not usually successful on most waters but |
| best efforts of the marketing men. Mid range | | | | sweet silt or the edges of gravel beds often are. |
| tackle spending about £50-£70 on | | | | There are a range of guides available on the web |
| each rod and reel usually offers a good | | | | on correctly using a marker rod around but |
| performance range which will serve you well for a | | | | needless to say mastery of this tactic will enable |
| number of years. | | | | you to catch more carp. |