Patience Is A Necessary Virtue When Carp Fishing

August 25th, 2010 Posted in Fishing

There are really only three things you need to enjoy carp fishing – basic tackle, bait and lots of patience. Where to find the carp is clearly the first thing you need to consider. 

The great thing about carp is that they prefer slow moving or still water. This is great news for your blood pressure, as the environment in which you’ll be fishing is likely to be very calm and tranquil. You can simply enjoy the quiet passage of time, whether you end up catching anything or not. For the real enthusiast, it is possible to immerse yourself in your hobby by choosing one of the increasingly available carp fishing holidays available to both professionals and beginners. 

Carp are naturally gregarious, preferring to school in groups of at least six. They prefer a quiet, shaded environment, with plenty of floating vegetation above them. Carp are bed feeders, as thus are difficult to spot from above water. But you will know they are there. 

There are many seasoned fishermen who have been seeking out the best spots for decades, such as George Barnes.  “They love the dark and the quiet,” he says. “If disturbed from their habitat, they may disappear and not return to the bed for days. They are easily scared, and a spot where four or five were landed on one day may be barren the next.” 

Whilst a fifty-odd pound specimen has been recorded from time to time, it is not likely that your average carp fisherman would ever be that lucky. The average carp landing tends to be around the three to five pound mark, meaning a huge degree of sophistication in carp fishing tackle is unnecessary, particularly for the novice. You don’t really need much more to begin your carp fishing journey than a simple rod and reel with a ten-pound line. An essential part of your carp fishing tackle is the float. If you can afford a good float then it is best to invest in it as it will definitely help you. As carp are easily frightened away, it is not a good idea to keep pulling your line in and casting again.

As carp are omnivorous and will try almost anything which comes their way, there is a huge range of carp fishing bait on the market. “I usually use a ground bait, lowered gently into the water,” says Barnes. “Boilies or pellets or lobworm paste all work well. Once the fish are used to the introduction of these, they will be more inclined to take them from the hook. 

“You must have patience for carp fishing. One day, you may have no luck with one type of bait, so it is essential to have as many different types of carp fishing bait in your bag as you can. Fruit flavour boilies or pellets can sometimes bring instant catches: on other days, you have to keep changing the variety of carp fishing baits before you get results.” 

Other equipment, along with the Thermos and sandwiches, may be deemed necessary by some. You may want to take along different sized hooks, depending on what time of the year you are fishing. It may be useful to have an extra rod. Your best rod and reel with a hook loaded with lugworm paste or a fruit-flavoured boilie – specially produced carp fishing bait – can often be bettered by a simpler rod and reel set-up. 

When it comes to the crunch, however, as people like George and thousands of other carp fishing enthusiasts will agree, you can load yourself up with all the fanciest bait and tackle you like, but if the fish don’t feel like biting, they won’t bite!. A rewarding and relaxing time when carp fishing is only possible if you remember to take along your patience!