NGT Large Carryall Review

NGT Large Carryall - A large all round anglers carryall. Olive green with a large main compartment and 3 additional smaller side and frontal compartments with mesh pockets. Padded handles and padded adjustable shoulder strap are included. Its made from waterproofed 600D polyester with PVC backing.

• Size: 68 x 35 x 34cm
• Padded handles
• Padded adjustable shoulder strap included
• Made from waterproofed 600D polyester with PVC backing

Now Thats how to start a Spring Campaign

I arrived at the lake just before first light Tuesday morning and had a walk around the lake to see if I could see any signs of the carp’s location and was somewhat surprised to see so many anglers on as it was midweek, despite being unable to see any signs of the carp’s whereabouts it was clear they were on the feed as a number of anglers I had spoken too had already caught.

With this in mind I chose to fish a swim I knew well and had had quite a few fish from in the past, it was also a swim I had baited up regularly over the winter so I knew the spot was clean and seen allot of bait and hopefully allot of fish activity, so all three rods went out with small mesh bags of crushed boillies to keep the disturbance down to a minimum, now all that was left to do was stick the kettle on make a brew and sit back and wait.

I didn’t have to wait long, before I even managed to finish my brew the middle rod screamed off and after a short dogged fight I slipped the net under the first fish of the session, not the biggest in the lake at 17lb but a stunner all the same.

The rod went straight back out on the spot, again with just a small mesh bag and before I even got a chance to sit back down the same rod was off again but this time the fish was not happy and tried to wrap around a tree twice before I eventually slipped the net under a slightly bigger mirror weighing in at just over 19lb

17lb mirror	19lb mirror

The swim then went quite for a few hours so I decided to put a bit of bait out to see if I could bring the carp back in, so 15 spombs of Hemp, sweet corn, and boilies went out over the spot. After an hour or so without any action I was about to reel the rods in and put fresh bags on went the right hand rod screamed into action and I could tell from the fight that this was a bigger fish. After what seemed like an eternity I finally got the fish to the net and in the clear shallow water I could see that she was indeed one of the big girls. As I slipped the net under her she gave one last flip, rolled over, spat the hook out and was gone leaving me gutted with nothing but a bare hook in the net.

Putting the disappointment behind me and with the light failing I put another 15 spombs of bait out which turned out to be a bad move. Although I did manage to land a small carp just on last light I was plagued by Tench for most of the night landing 3 of them.

The morning bite time was nearly over and as I hadn’t received any action I decided to put some more bait out but because of the tench activity I elected to leave the Hemp and corn out and just put out Whole, Halved and crushed boilies and this seemed to have an immediate effect as the right hand rod sprang into action and I was soon slipping the net under the first fish of the day.

With the fish safely lying in the net I was about the get the rod back out to the spot when the middle rod was almost pulled out of the rests and I was soon slipping a net under another angry carp. This double take turned out to be 2 biggest of the session at 23lb and 24lb.

23lb mirror	24lb mirror

With no more action it was time for my first spring session to end but with a total of 9 bites landing 3 tench 5 carp and losing a carp at the net it’s not a bad way to start a spring campaign

How To TieThe German Rig

The German Rig is a Fantastic rig for use in winter - it works similarly to the Widely used D rig but is much easier to tie!

The rig is tied with a Curve Style hook in a larger size, the shape of the hook gives the rig plenty of grip into the Carp's mouth. The straight point should penetrate the flesh cleanly and maintain a good hold throughout the fight. The hooklink material should always be slightly stiff either monofilament or fluorocarbon and it can be attached to a lead clip or Helicopter setup with added extras Quick-Change Anti Tangle Sleeve and Swivel. The bait is attached using a Micro Hook Swivel or Hook Ring Swivel, which is stopped by Hookbeads on the shank. The bait is allowed to slide effortlessly up the shank of the hook.

How to tie the German Rig

Start by tying a simple knotless knot in a semi stiff monofilament hooklink material and trim off the tag end	Slide a Micro Hook Swivel onto the hook like so
Next thread on a Hook Stop Bead carefully teasing it over the barb to maintain its grip	Position the Hook Stop Bead so the swivel sits on the hook shank as shown (opposite the barb)
Tie a figure of eight loop knot in the end of the hooklink. A hooklink length of 6-7 inches (15-18cm) is most effective	Use a wafter or snowman hookbait and mount the hookbait with the swivel embedded neatly in the base like this
An easy way of attaching the hookbait is to pull through a piece of dental floss and blob it with a lighter	Finally, steam the hooklink to ensure it sits straight and to set the position of the hook in alignment with the hooklink

How to Tie The Multi Rig

This fantastic rig allows you to change your hook within seconds. The Multi Rig, also known as the Jon Mac Rig to many, is only suited to fishing pop-ups. It features a D on the shank of the hook of which your pop-up is attached to via dental floss. 

The multi rig is very aggressive and if you look at the shape of it in the water it actually hovers like a claw – thus making is extremely difficult to eject once sucked in. Not only is it practically tangle free and can sit over the choddiest of lake beds, the hook can also be changed in a split second by simply adjusting the D – this refers to the shape that is created next to the eye of the hook.

How to Tie The Multi Rig

Create a large loop in the material by tying a figure-of-eight knot. The size of the loop will determine the height of the popup	Moisten the knot and pull it down tightly using a Knot Pulla.
Thread the hook onto the loop, like this.	Now pop a rig ring or micro swivel onto the loop.
Now take the loop over the hook point, like this.	Pull the loop down to form a D for the bait to slide on.
Make a 5mm break in the coating just below the loop knot	Pop a split shot onto the link, just below the break.
Mould some tungsten putty around the shot to allow you to critically balance the popup	Now tie your Ring Swivel on using a grinner knot.
Tie on your chosen popup using dental floss	That's your multi rig tied.

Locating Carp using 5 Visual Features

You cannot possibly catch carp if there aren't any Carp around the swim! So, if you want to catch more carp on any water, then you must locate the carp before choosing a Swim.

 This is not an easy task, but there are basic things to look out for, signs of carp movement or carp feeding. Try to look for fish rolling or Watch for carp jumping out of the surface of the water, Look for large swirls or movements on the surface of the lake.

If you can't see any of these signs there are other ways of detecting possible hotspots. Just from looking at a lake's visible features you may be able to find possible holding areas or sections where carp patrol. The 5 most common areas where carp like to patrol are:

Islands

Islands are a common area where carp tend to patrol, because they offer some protection and cover - providing there are overhanging trees which protrude over the water.

The carp may feed freely around an island providing carp anglers do not target these areas too often as the pressure can force carp to seek other quiet areas.

Fishing an island on a new venue can be a safe bet, especially on a quiet day, plus an island can make a great marker for accurate casting without having to use a marker float which may spook the carp if used too much.

Weed Beds

carp love weed beds. It makes them feel safe and tends to contain lots of natural food. So if you are struggling to locate carp using sight alone then fishing close to a weed bed can produce plenty of carp.

The use of safe rigs is paramount at all times but, when fishing weedy areas, it is necessary to pay even more attention to this area. The likelihood of line breakage is higher owing to the abrasive qualities of weed and the damage it can cause your mainline.

The Chod rig is by far the best way of presenting a hookbait in weed. I have found it, not only the easiest, but also the most effective way of getting a bite in a weedy situation. There are many advantages of using it. I don't need to find a clean hole in the weed, I can get rigs in the water with minimal disturbance and I can cast to where the fish are rather than where there is a clearing.

Lily pads

Lily pads are similar to the weed beds in that they provide shelter and food for the carp, therefore they are a great place to put your hook bait, especially for floating bait in-between individual pads.

As lily pads are often situated near the bank you will need to be quiet.

Overhanging trees

Overhanging trees are one of the best places to head for when fishing on a new, unknown venue. They provide carp with plenty of security and shelter, and I have personally witnessed carp feeding very confidently. I have also seen some of the biggest carp caught from under a tree.

If possible, I sit well back from the water's edge. If the configuration of the bank makes that impossible, I like to sit behind cover. If no cover exists, I may create it, drab clothing helps. It is also necessary to sit very still.

Carp are wild creatures - they have an instinctive fear of alien shapes, shadows and noises. We intensify that fear by constantly pursuing and hassling them. We are not likely to catch them close-in, therefore, if they know we are there.

 

Snags

Carp will always visit snags in their various forms. They seem to love the feeling of security and treat such places as a retreat where they can hide away from pressure. I have observed many times, from overhanging vantage points, carp feed excitedly in amongst a tangle of roots or underwater obstructions.

There is one important piece of advice I want to give to anyone fishing near snags and for that matter weed - LOSE THE LEAD. Most problems occur when the lead is pulled through underwater obstacles such as branches, weed or lilies. If your lead is discharged from the rig, soon after a take, the hooked carp will usually rise to the surface and you will be in direct contact, so the odds of landing the fish will fad heavily in your favour.

How to Tie The IQ D Rig

The D Rig is a bit of an old-school presentation and not as widely used today. However, in the right circumstances it can be deadly. Concocted using fluorocarbon, the rig is practically invisible in the water making it ideal for targeting gin-clear waters that require finesse and subtlety to outwit their residents.

Fluorocarbon is relatively stiff, so the rig will rarely tangle on the cast, eradicating the need for PVA foam or bags that severely decrease the distance and accuracy. Take your pick as to whether you wish to use the stiffer IQ or the suppler IQ2 fluorocarbon.

The D Rig is based on the way that the hook bait is mounted on the D shape constructed by the hook's eye. You form this by whipping a knotless knot followed by blobbing the tag end with a naked flame. This prevents it pulling through. You then tie your pop-up to the small micro ring that runs along this.

To anchor the pop-up to the lake bed, simply squeeze on the correct split shot. You want to weight it down just enough so that the bait slowly sinks through the water column over the weight of the split shot. This will give it enough buoyancy to shoot back into the carp's mouth once sucked in.

How to Tie The D Rig

Remove some of the IQ2 Fluorocarbon. Around 14 inches is suffice.	Hold the hook between your fingers and pinch a large loop of IQ against the shank, like this.
Take the upper part of the loop and wrap it once around the shank, up towards the bend.	Now wrap around the hook again, but back down towards the eye this time, crossing over the first wrap.
Position the barrel opposite the barb of the hook. Pull both ends tight to tighten the barrel of the knot.	Snip off the tag that projects down towards the eye. The rig should now look like this.
Slide a Micro Rig Swivel down the IQ.	Now tie a six turn knotless knot with the long tag, securing the hook like you would normally.
Now set the rig at around nine inches and tie a Link Loop to the other end, using a half-blood knot.	Pull a wafter hook bait onto a doubled piece of bait floss and tie the tags around a boilie stop to secure the bait.
Trim the tags and blob with a lighter.	The rig is now ready to use!

Carp Fishing Rigs - The Ronnie Rig

This Rig is very special, and it's a rig that's been used successfully on the quiet (TOP SECRET) for a few years now, successfully being deployed as a tool pivotal in catching some phenomenally big fish from a number of waters. But now the word is out…

The Ronnie Rig offers the benefits of a super consistent low pop up presentation, fished the height of a hook and the swivel, but without the issues of a naked hook eye that has the potential for snaring landing net meshes and the problems that potentially occur to the 360 style rig.

It offers all the advantages of the rig mechanics of the Hinged Stiff Rig, but without the issues related to trying to fish them low (which isn't the optimum arrangement).

How to Tie The Ronnie Rig

Start by cutting a 1cm length of Large Covert Shrink Tube.	Position the shrink tube onto the hook shank before mounting the size 12 Kwik Lok Flexi-Ring Swivel onto the hook eye.
Pull the hook eye onto the Kwik Lok crook.	As you pull the hook onto swivel the Kwik Lok crook will distort slightly.
When pulled in fully just squeeze the crook closed with some pliers.	Now position the Shrink Tube as shown, ready to shrink.
Shrink over a kettle of boiling water (be careful not to burn yourself).	Now you can slide a size 20 Swivel onto the hook (if you're using corkballed pop ups substitute a Rig Ring).
Push a Hook Stop onto the hook Position the Hook Stop opposite the point as shown.	An easy way of attaching the hookbait is to pull through a piece of dental floss and blob it with a lighter
Mould some Critical Mass Putty round the Shrink tubing so the pop up sinks slowly when tested.	Tie your chosen hooklink material to the Flexi Ring and attach the finished rig onto your preferred lead arrangement.