Well done Tony

[big tinca]

Mad catching big carp on light tackle

 

Had a 16lb Carp fishing for Roach on a number 4 elastic and 1.5lb bottom

[Tony U]

Nice one Tony, i'm sure there was a lot of skill. Where did you go and when shall we look to go

Alan

It was just to the new Monk Lake complex it was more to take young Matt Baldwyn out and catch him some fish but I ended up lucky.

It also gave Sue a chance to wet a line and catch a few Chub, there were loads of them in the 4-6oz bracket.

Ive got to say the pleasure lakes do look quite nice the fish were all in good condition and it was a really nice venue for a commercial water.

Back on the rivers come June 16th though I will be doing a Tench trip down at Hoo this weekend.

Tony

Edited June 7, 2006 by Tony U

[ColinW]

I think you should make clear that landing an accidentally hooked, big carp on light tackle is one thing, deliberately fishing for them with the same tackle would be quite another.

[gozzer]

I think you should make clear that landing an accidentally hooked, big carp on light tackle is one thing, deliberately fishing for them with the same tackle would be quite another.

 

I agree to a point Colin, but I would rather see someone fishing with balanced tackle, and playing a fish, in snag free open water, than someone with 'over kill' gear, trying to drag them out, using brute force. Though not a carp angler my self, I have witnessed some horrendous sights when a rod resembling a telegraph pole and 30-50lb braid is used. IMO this is the cause of much of the mouth damage done to fish.

[Tony U]

Ive got to agree with gozzer, you see some terrible sights on the commercial fisheries; why do you need 3lb test curve rods big pit reels and 15lb line to catch fish that average under 10lb?

The heaviest rod I use on most commercial fisheries would be a 1.25 -1.75 Avon type and these will handle anything.

Indeed in most commercial where small carp in the 4-6lb bracket are all you can normally expect, then I will use my float rod.

I am sure some of these anglers are missing out on the pleasure of playing a fish on balanced tackle and learning how to play a fish correctly when they do connect to a biggie in other environments.

Edited June 7, 2006 by Tony U

[seph]

Mad catching big carp on light tackle

I was fishing for the Tench at the time but as there is a large head of Carp in the water it was inevitable I was going to catch these aswell.

[markp]

Hav e to agree with tony and gozz it must be like fishing with a 50lb class sea rod for gudgeon the way some of em bend its supposed to be sporting after all

 

P.s well done Tony

[A Worm OOE]

Its inevitable that if you fish light you will hook the monsters but If your tackle is balanced then at least you have a chance.

I remember when I was a kid and living in Faversham (70s) seeing She, a famous carp of mid 30 proportions, caught a few times. This carp was one of the first to be named and many famous carp hunters of the time put much effort and Inovation into fishing the water. One of the Locals I think his name was Noby had caught her a few times and had got tired of carp fihing the School Pool so he went for a session after Tench using the lift method in one of the lakes corners. Yes he caught She again on his tench rig and I think it was his heviest weight 36lbs if I remember correctly.

[Mat Hillman]

Got to agree with Tony here, I much prefer fishing for carp on what most people would consider light tackle, Avon type rod, 4-6lb line (I step up to 6lb line if I'm expecting doubles, 4lb line is fine for under 10lb fish)

 

And watching a float is so much more fun than snoozing next to a set of buzzers!

 

I'll admit I've not had a 20 yet, but my PB is 18.8, taken on 6lb line and a 1lb 10oz TC rod, at no point in the fight did I ever feel outgunned by the fish! I've also landed several mid doubles on a JW avon and 4lb line (usually after tench at the time)

 

it's surprising how much pressure you can put on a fish even with lightish lines if your gear is well balanced!

 

Mat

[Anderoo]

I totally agree. There was a discussion in the carp forum about this a while back. Not only is it more fun, it's kinder to the fish's mouth and in fact tires the fish more quickly, as the rod is doing the work instead of the heavy line. I caught a lot of good sized carp (15lb+) last summer using my avon rod and 5lb line, fishing a very light link leger in the margins of an old estate lake. Everyone else I saw there used stiff, powerful rods and heavy leads and fished to the far margin, and caught very few.

 

I reckon it's because people start off fishing with this kind of gear and haven't progressed from floatfishing for tiddlers, so they don't know what a float/avon/light leger rod can actually do. You have to use 3oz leads to set the hook, so you need heavy line and powerful rods to cast it out, and better get a big pit in case you fish bigger waters at some point...

 

If your gear is balanced and you know what you're doing, you can land some big fish on light line and small hooks. Well done Tony!