TIM CHILDS - PREPARE FOR THE COLD

Are you ready? Ready for what you may ask, well ready for the winter and all the hardships it can bring to any budding winter carp angler. Preparation is in my opinion THE most important ingredient for winter success. With the first of the winter frosts falling around the middle of October now is the time to make sure everything is ready for the next few months and if your planning on fishing right through to next spring you’ll need to look at all aspects of you fishing to help get the results you desire. Look outside the trees are shedding their leaves, the nights are drawing in and X factors on the television! Sure signs that winter will soon be knocking on the door.

Water choice.

This can be the most important aspect of all, get it right and you may see those bobbins moving all winter long, get it wrong and it could all end in tears by Christmas!

For the last few winters I’ve chosen venues that have good winter track records and whilst I may not have banked any monsters it’s been rare for me to suffer many blanks. Good stocked waters like Linear fisheries, Cuttle Mill etc are waters were you can expect a bite or two as long as you think about what you’re doing. One local venue of mine is Baden Hall in Staffordshire, this superb complex of lakes has everything you could wish for including an on site shop and cafe and fish to almost 40lb! Some of the fish are perhaps the prettiest in the whole region and if you’re after a 30lb common this winter Baden Halls certainly the place to consider.

There are plenty of good stocked waters in most parts of the country so getting out there and getting a few bites shouldn’t really be a problem. If your not sure then the weekly papers like carp talk can be an excellent starting point. There are news reports and captures from all over the country so doing a little investigative work and some ringing round fisheries could be very beneficial.

Chill in the air.

October is usually the time when I dig out a few winter warmers to help keep the chill out, a fleecy warm hat, good quality footwear and socks and a nice warm pair of gloves are all ready on standby. If you’re doing nights then make sure your sleeping bag is up to the job as some of these cold crisp mornings can be cold especially if you’re still tucked up in your light weight summer bag. There are a number of companies selling good quality winter gear now so if you’re looking for something to keep you warm and dry then visit your local tackle shop, have a good look around and buy the best your budget allows. One recent purchase I’ve made which I know will help has been a good quality army issue Gortex jacket. The

waterproof qualities of this are superb and rain just bounces off, it also packs down small and is relatively light in weight.

Bait choice or confusion.

You don’t need me to tell you that there are loads of different baits available, go into any well stocked tackle shop and you’ll see a whole host of baits that will catch carp to some degree or another. When it comes to winter choice there are a couple of things I think can help greatly. Firstly let’s look at boilies, with the water temperatures dropping over the next few weeks I like to use baits that I know the carp will eat, they are able to digest, find attractive and they will keep looking for. I’ve used a few different baits over the years in the winter and regardless of choice I insist on a couple of common factors. Small baits for me are a must and it’s no good if your chosen boilie is only available in 18 or 20 mm size. Whilst this maybe fine for summer fishing I simply could not bring myself to use baits like this in the colder months. A handful of 8, 10 or 12mm baits are my number one choice whilst anything bigger is usually chopped or at least halved into smaller more attractive mouthfuls.

My mind always brings me back to Tim Paisleys writings in his excellent book ‘from the bivvy’, here Tim describes his use of small 8mm size baits on Birch Grove during the colder months and how the use of smaller baits turned his winter fishing around. Even now all these years later those few paragraphs inn the book have stuck in my mind.

My current bait choice is from Richworth and they sell a wide range of baits in 6mm, 10mm and 14mm sizes which are ideal for my needs. As well as that they also sell a wide range of dips, pop ups, additives and ground bait mixes to complement their boilies. Richworth have been around for almost 25 years and there baits have been catching winter carp for just as long.

When it comes to other baits then you’d be a fool to ignore maggots, If you venue isn’t over run with small fish i.e. roach and bream then maggots can be superb. It still surprises me how many anglers I speak to in the winter overlook maggots as they can turn good sessions into amazing ones. If I’ve one tip this winter its PVA bags of maggots with maggots on the hook either via a clip or threaded on with floss, it’s really up to you.

Other baits that are always in my bag are a few tubs of bright fluro pop ups and wafter type hook baits, a few sticks of pepperami and good old sweetcorn. Whatever you bait choice; make sure its one you have confidence in.

End tackle concealment.

With the water clarity on a lot of waters getting better at this time of year then rig and line concealment can be vital. Now is certainly the time to bring into play any items of tackle that are less visible. I’m a massive fan of fluorocarbon leaders and have been using them

pretty exclusively over the last year or so. Whilst others perhaps favour leadcore or tubing for me a heavy sinking low viability length of line gives me maximum confidence.

Smaller, sharper hooks with good turning and pricking qualities are also favourable and remember if your using small 10-12mm hook baits why potentially unbalance your rig with a large size 4 hook?

Small leads are another favourite of mine and whilst I can see the benefits of using heavy leads in some situations I find with lighter leads 1-2 oz you create less disturbance when casting to fish. Obviously the range your fishing at dictates how heavy your lead need to be but its surprising how far you can cast a 2 oz lead with the right line and tackle.

Like with bait choice confidence in your tackle, line, and hooks etc is so important in the winter. Long hours of inactivity watching static bobbins can have you questioning every item of tackle you own. Be by being sure of everything you do and use and you can put those doubts firmly at the back of your mind.

A friend in need.

Whilst I’m usually someone who likes to fish on there own, there’s nothing like a bit of good company during the winter to keep you going. Long dark nights sat wrapped in a bivvy can be tough at the best of times. Having someone to talk to, discuss ideas and generally keep you in an upbeat mood can be the difference between sticking it out that hour or day longer and could increase your chances of banking a winter beauty. Besides all that having someone to make you tea is always nice!

So in summery now is the time to get busy sort out that winter gear and remember as they say in the boy scouts... Be prepared! Dib dib dib!

Tim Childs.

News reports are a great starting point.