| No one can be unaware these days of 'Global | | | | likely to result in a lost fish, a break off or mouth |
| warming', with conferences held regularly by | | | | damage. The only way I have found to do this |
| ecological groups, scientists and governments the | | | | safely is in a boat. (These are not allowed on |
| problem is a genuine and serious one. It is also | | | | many waters however). I used a boat to get |
| one of the main factors in the increase of weed | | | | directly above a hooked carp and avoid the |
| growth in many of our carp fishing lakes across | | | | heavy ho of trying to pull it through weed. |
| northern Europe and in my case northern France. | | | | 4. Fish the Correct Rig: The main item of your rig |
| Add to this the intensive agriculture in many parts | | | | though that causes the problems in weed is the |
| of France, with its heavy use of phosphate and | | | | lead. Anglers must use a lead that can come off |
| nitrate fertilizers and you can soon see why weed | | | | easily once a fish is hooked. The Korda safety |
| is becoming more of a problem every year. | | | | clips are ok but I modify them for weed fishing |
| There are many types of common pond weeds | | | | by drilling a hole and trying them onto the swivel. |
| that we can see proliferating in our waters. Some | | | | This means, with a lightly fitting tail rubber that |
| are denser and harder to deal with than others. | | | | the leads popped off easily and the clip doesn't |
| They do though offer a safe haven for fish and | | | | slide up the main line causing a 45 degree angle to |
| abundant food store. | | | | the fish. Recently however I see other makes like |
| | | | Armaled have produced a safety clip that blocks |
| 1. Accurate Casting:So how do you deal with | | | | the swivel in place. This is an improvement I |
| weed when you turn up to a weedy lake? Well | | | | believe. |
| first off don't panic carp can be caught in weed if | | | | 5. Do not use in-line leads : I would not |
| you give it a little thought. The first thing I learned | | | | recommend this type of set up in weed, not only |
| when approaching a weedy venue was the need | | | | will these plug you right in the weed if you a cast |
| to cast accurately. I am convinced that a major | | | | goes astray, but they will hinder you considerably |
| part of being consistent in carp fishing is | | | | while you play a fish and probably cause you to |
| presenting a bait in a way that a) the fish can find | | | | lose it. In this case the fish will probably end us |
| it easily & b) that your rig will work efficiently | | | | towing the rig, I am not convinced of the saftey |
| and get a good hook hold that will enable you to | | | | of in-lines in any case. |
| land the fish. I believe often when you get a | | | | 6. Do not use Backleads: I would also avoid |
| series of hook pulls and lost fish, your rig is simply | | | | backleads like the plague in weed. To my mind |
| not working effectively or is ill-adapted for your | | | | they serve no purpose but can cause untold |
| swim. | | | | problems once you hook a fish. You need to think |
| 2. Find the Clear spots: So I like to fish in clear | | | | why you are using a certain item of tackle and |
| spots adjacent to weed beds where I am | | | | adapt to the situations and not blindly fish in a |
| confident the fish can find my bait. Ok the fish will | | | | stereotyped way. |
| certainly feed with more confidence in the weed | | | | 7. Do use PVA: PVA bags and tape are a great |
| itself, as they have natural cover and food, as I | | | | aid in helping your presentation when fishing in |
| mentioned above. But I am just not confident my | | | | weed. You can cover you hook to avoid snagging |
| rig will be fishing correctly and the thought of | | | | weed. This is useful if you want to pull back |
| sitting for hours with a rod that is effectively | | | | gently after the cast to see if you are clear. It |
| NOT fishing is impossible for me. Casting is the | | | | avoids the hook point picking up debris. You can |
| trick. I like to over cast slightly to the hole in the | | | | place your whole rig inside a bag and feel this |
| weed and feel the lead down until it 'Donks' on the | | | | down to the lake bed and know that once the |
| lake bed. If you hold the rod high you should feel | | | | PVA melts down you'll have a nice pile of bait, in |
| a knock as the lead touches down. I follow the | | | | close proximity to weed that is clear and fishing |
| line forward a bit too to try and avoid as much | | | | and baited up... There are lots of uses for PVA in |
| as possible to inswing effect of a lead going in on | | | | these situations that will help you land more carp. |
| a tight line. If I don't feel the donk I will recast until | | | | You can use the tape to hold a break away lead |
| I do. This can mean a number of casts, which is | | | | in place on a safety clip for example, so you don't |
| why I stated at the outset accurate casting is | | | | unnecessarily lose weights when you cast out. |
| very important. But I prefer to cast 20 times if | | | | 8. Fish as close in as you can! : In a previous |
| necessary until I'm happy. | | | | article I mentioned all the advantages of fishing |
| 3. Fish Sensibly: Some anglers will try to fish in | | | | the margins. Well these are even more important |
| right in the weed, but to my mind it is unwise to | | | | in weed. Weed will offer you cover to fish closer |
| fish in thick weed where you have little chance of | | | | in. you will be able to fish more accurately, cast |
| actually landing the fish. This includes fishing over | | | | more accurately and have a far higher chance of |
| weedbeds or to far margins and having to drag a | | | | landing your fish. |
| fish through them to land it. Not only that it is this | | | | |