Author: Craig Parkes

Tidal River System Carping: Success, often without understanding!

by Craig Parkes

This article will look at the difficult task of fishing big tidal river systems in America, and the even more difficult task of trying to understand how they operate compared to the regular rivers and lakes found in Europe. Tidal rivers are linked to the water found in the coastal ocean systems, and the one I primarily fish in New Jersey is the Raritan River which runs out into Atlantic Ocean south of New York City. Now I don’t want to give away my exact location, but this section of river is located very close to the coastal estuary. This means the river has a high level of salt content, contains both freshwater and saltwater fish that are brought in and out with the twice daily tides and has an abundance of natural food including huge crabs. In addition to this the waters level, flow, temperature and clarity are highly influenced by the moon phases, rainfall and coastal weather systems. It really is a head banger to try and understand when might be the best time to attempt a session for the best possible chance of success. This winter I have spent approximately ten sessions in one particular swim and every time I think I have it figured it out, something else influences the fishing and throws me off course again. There have been days where I think the fishing will be great and it’s been poor and times where it’s been great when conditions have looked awful. No two days are ever the same in fishing, and this statement is no truer than when fishing these complex river systems.

One half of a nice brace of low 20s from my first ever tidal river session in February.

First session February 2012 (very unusual mild winter weather)…..My first ever session in this location was probably my most successful for fish numbers which just shows that often the more time you spend fishing here and the more you learn the less it seems you actually know. As soon as I got out of my car I saw fish after fish rolling close in and knew that this was going to be a great day. Setting up as quiet as a mouse I got the rods into position and knew it would be minutes before a rod rattled off……….The next hour passed and not only did I not have a run but the fish stopped crashing as the tide began to push out, lowering the water level, revealing more of the dry river bed. I was puzzled. It appeared that the fish were moving in conjunction with the tides. I decided to take a quick walk up the high bank to see if I could see anything moving down river when a rod rattled off and a nice high teen was the first fish in the net. Let the madness begin! I ended the session with around twenty fish, the best four going between 20lb and 25lb including a nice brace of 20’s. Lessons learned from this first session were that 1) the high tide seemed to produce more fish than the lower tide 2) the brighter the weather the more picks up I got and 3) the low tide also revealed some unbelievable snags such as sunken trees and sharp boulders.

The biggest from session one at 25lb 8oz.

I was working in upstate New York four hours away in the spring and had not been able to fish the swim for a month, but had seen a couple of the locals had taken a few 30s so I was pumped to get down there again. The next few sessions produced plenty of fish but nothing bigger than low 20s, and I had been pestered by some of the huge snags out in the middle of the river that were cutting through my 40lb braided mainline. I decided to bring my good buddy Sean down one weekend from New York to break his New Jersey carp cherry. We did a three day session, fishing days only and it messed with our heads beyond belief. We arrived on the Friday morning at first light ready to hit low tide as it started to move to high tide. It must have rained heavy the night before because low tide was up to the bank higher than I had ever seen the high tide. We got our banksticks up as high as we could in the river bed and were fishing in almost chest deep fast running water. I could not believe it, and I thought this session was going to stink. I gave Sean the side of the swim I that had previously produced the bigger fish. He cast in his first rod and before he had even placed the bobbin on the line the rod was away in less than 15 seconds. Welcome to New Jersey I remember saying. That first hour we took 6 fish to high teens and then the tide came so high we had to pack up…….gutting! We fished another accessible swim for a few hours with not even a bleep and then when the tide began to drop went back to our swim and took around ten fish before it went dark. Not a great session for this swim. Day two saw the tide and water levels back to normal but we experienced insane winds that blew Sean’s pod over twice. The day finished pretty much the same as the day before. I was not too happy, but I did manage a nice chunky 23lb fish which was a different shape to the normal torpedo shape fish found here. Day three it rained all day, it was freezing cold and high tide produced only four fish. It was just dropping dark and the tide was now 40 yards from the bank and was at a level that hardly ever produces fish. Let’s pack up I said, I’ve had enough, what a sucky weekend. As I said that my rod rattled off. As I hit it Sean’s rod rattled off. Unbelievable, the river was doing the opposite of everything it had taught me to date. Sean landed a cracking dark 27lb fish, which made the hard session somewhat successful, and I was pleased he had had a decent fish even if not the 30 we were after.

A cracking 23lb common from a very tough session.

My most successful session in this swim came when I did a short session on my way to work. I decided to fish from 7am till 12 noon as I had work starting at 2pm. I turned up and saw a few fish crashing like they primarily do at first light so figured I would get a few fish for my effort. I had been switching between Frenzied Maize and Dynamite pop ups over the past few sessions, and this session it was all about those bright yellow Dynamite pineapple & banana fluros. I decided to try a different pop up rig for this session using a multi-rig tied to a long shank size 6 hook prototype hook. I felt this was more suitable for the snaggy swim than the pop up rig I use in for my open water fishing. I landed an 18lb fish within ten minutes and then somehow managed to lose the next four to mainline cut offs.

A new PB at the time and my first USA 30 at 33lb 4oz. These fish loved the dynamite fluro’s.

I was being cut off on the take, and the strike and they felt like decent fish too. The worst thing about this swim is that the main snags are underwater even at low tide so I have no idea what they are, how big they are and it is a big negative of fishing this swim as sessions unfortunately tend to end in a lost fish or two, and its rarely to hook pulls. With lots of 30s, some known 40s and a 50lb state record being caught in this area over the last two years it’s really not a place you want to lose fish. I decided that for the next run I would not tighten the drag too much and would see what happened if I let the fish run a bit as I felt some of the cut offs were on the rocks located close in on the river bed (seen in the pictures), and not necessarily fish taking me directly into snags. I felt the problem was that the floating braid was being pushed under the rocks and tree stumps by the tide. In order to combat this I got my rods as high as possible to keep as much of the line out the water as I could. The two changes worked great because the next run resulted in the line pinging off around 6 snags and I was then connected to the fish…..however, the bugger still decided to snag me herself. I walked down the river bed and managed to change the line angle and get the fish free. As she came up the shallow margins I saw a huge mouth and knew this was my first USA 30 and the fish that had kept me battling with this swim. AVE IT!!!……a big wild fish in the net and a new USA PB of 33lb 4oz. Pictures taken, the fish safely returned and the right hand rod rattled off 30 minutes later. I grabbed my second net and the net poles dropped out of the spreader block just as another huge light colored fish popped its head up. I don’t believe it, this is another 30. I dropped the net handle, grabbed the net which was drifting off down river and tried my best to somehow squeeze the carp into the semi open hand held net. GET IN!!! This was one of the really light colored fish that reside in this murky water. 31lb exactly, what a session! I could not help but think about the fact I had lost four in a row and then landed two 30s……what had I potentially lost? I tried not to let that bother me to much as I had just broke the 30lb mark in America twice and had a new PB. I really am a perfectionist sometimes.

A corking 31lb fish and second over 30lb in 30 minutes. Notice how far the tide went out compared to when I had the 33 half an hour earlier.

Conclusion……………..My five top tips for catching big tidal river carp are:

  1. Beef up your tackle. There are all sorts of snags hidden in the depths, and the tides are often so strong that 4oz leads and heavier are required to hold bottom. Up your hook size and thickness, I have had a few hooks come back straight!
  2. Keep a log book. This is a top tip for any fishing environment, but especially tidal systems. Try to identify patterns of fish activity, feeding behavior and location in relation to tides, seasons and weather.
  3. Keep as much of your line out of the water. I have recently invested in a new pod that holds my rods in an almost vertical position to keep line off the bottom. Tides moving my braid under snags are how I am losing most of my fish so adjust your set up accordingly. Pike/catfish type floats fished above the leader also work well as all that is on the river bed is the lead and the hook link.
  4. Baiting approaches. You need to adjust your baiting approach to the tides. Quite often if the swim dies down I will spod a small amount of particles around the swim and let the tide take it up or down stream to draw fish back into the swim. If there are lots of fish in the swim I will create tight baited areas by spraying boilies and using method balls or stringers. During high tide the fish come in really close so I will focus on lightly feeding close in and fishing the margins. As the tide begins to go out I begin to bait up the center of the river heavily to hold them as they push away from the bank.
  5. Finally…..Fish as often as you can. You will hopefully learn more each time you go. I initially heard that low tide was not even worth fishing. However, I have still caught decent fish during this time. If you ain’t on the bank, you won’t catch em!

Tight Lines,

Craig “Brit” Parkes

One hell of a session! How new bait and tactics lead to fantastic results.

by Craig Parkes

By Craig Parkes

I have always believed that the more time spent on the bank the better. Not only because you obviously have more hours and chances to hook and land fish but because you will constantly learn from your failures, successes, blanks and pb’s. In fact, the session previous to this one ended in a nightmare. I fished two different swims with not a single bleep resulting in a 4 day blank. The ride home then ended with a broken car transmission costing $3000 (2000 british pounds). The car trouble was annoying, but not once during that session did I complain because it was all useful reconnaissance work, with the log book getting a lot of notes on a 50,000 acre water I had never fished before. When trying to single out the larger fish in venues like that one you have to be mentally prepared to fish all year for one bite, but 40lb carp and a 50lb plus state record fish is always possible. Having experienced 6 months of American carping and the brilliant madness of abundant 20lb+ fish it was time to let the alarms keep quiet until that special lump came along to visit. Experience has shown me that the carp gods reward effort and time spent chasing those sought after beasts…..eventually. This I am happy to say was one of those sessions, the type of session that you want to go out and experience again and again.

Now I am not saying that the amount of time on the bank beats quality of time, far from it. In fact, my first USA 30lb fish (33lb and 31lb brace) came on a short morning session before work, in a swim where I had fished several long weekend sessions with only fish to 25lb to show for my efforts. When targeting the bigger fish in America (fish over 30lbs) I believe it is time on the bank that is often needed to get through to these bigger fish, in addition to a quality bait and a touch of luck of course. My experience of catching 30lb+ fish in the UK was down to fishing lakes that actually contained fish of this size and trying to fool heavily pressured carp in taking an effective rig. However, in America the problem I find is that there are so many fish weighing less than 30lb that often the bait is not in the water long enough for the bigger fish to find it. It seems rather blasé to complain about catching ten 20lb+ carp in one day, but I prefer quality and size over quantity. You also have the problem that many of the lakes containing huge fish are larger than some European countries and so where and how do you find them? So, having recovered (both financially and emotionally) from the blank session a few weeks earlier it was time to get back out on the bank in search of the donkeys!

I had visited a new swim on a different 50,000 acre lake for the first time a few days earlier, taking about ten fish between to 25lb in 24 hrs. Two things we learned were that day. 1. The chod rig gave me extra confidence in the heavy scattered weed. 2. I could not really over feed these fish. They were about a month away from spawning and feeding heavily in the shallow bays, so I was consistently using around half a kilo of boilies per hour as freebies. I had been signed as a consultant by Dynamite Baits a few weeks earlier and had managed to get hold of some pineapple carptech and banana nut crunch boilies, and boy did these fish love the bait. Many of these fish have never seen angler’s baits, yet alone boilies, but they switched onto them instantly. My second visit to this swim saw the fish go absolutely mental for the bait, with around fifteen kilos being used in a 24 hr period.

Dynamite baits carptech range is an instant hit and great for those fishing on a budget!

Chod Rig

This was the first time I had really needed to experiment with the chod rig and it was extremely effective both in presentation and hooking ability. Rigs were tied up with a stiff 25lb mono, with a rig length around two inches long. This ran on a ring swivel up a 3ft length of leadcore.The top bead was pushed up the leader to allow the rig to be fished as high up on the weed as possible and also ensured the bead did not have far to travel off the leader for fish care reasons. Hooks were kept super sharp by filing them down with a file and stone after each fish. Once the hook point was either too short or too blunt the rig was binned for a new one.

Baiting Approach

I was fortunate enough to have around 20 kilos of boilies in my car so that I could constantly spread baits out over the swim to get the fish active and searching for food. The baiting approach was to initially fish a handful of carptech pineapple boilies over each rig and top it up after each fish. As the session developed more fish entered the swim and catches increased so I increased the bait I put in after each fish. Half way through the session fish were coming thick and fast. I was then baiting up whenever I was not busy playing, landing and photographing fish or tying new rigs. Basically, if my hands were free then a few handfuls of bait went out with the stick. This often spurred fish into feeding, as several times a rod would fire off just as bait was being spread over that area. (A wide range of Dynamite baits can be bought online at Big Carp Tackle (http://www.bigcarptackle.com/store/manufacturers.php?manufacturerid=49).

 

Bite Detection

Lines were fished semi-slack so as to not pull rigs back down into the weed. When a fish moved off after being hooked on the chod I rarely got a screaming take, unless the rig hit either the bottom or top bead as the fish took off. What was happening with many bites was that fish would kite right or left a few feet to find sanctuary in the weed beds. Single bleeps would tell me to watch the bobbin, which would then let me know if I had a fish on or not. Most of the fish I hooked came to striking a single beep and a lightly twitching bobbin.

First Night Action

A couple of hours into the session, just as it went dark I had the first couple of bleeps. After a ten minute battle up popped a fish much bigger than anything I had seen in this swim so far. The scales settled at 32lb exactly and the wild fish was in absolutely immaculate condition. It was one of my finest ever catches to date.

32lb wild common in immaculate condition.

Around midnight I retreated to bed because of a huge storm and torrential rain that had come in from the west. I was told by a guy who knew the swim well that this weather may suck now but that it should make tomorrows fishing excellent. He was to be proved right. The odd fish came through the early hours of the morning but nothing really worth a picture. However, I did spend a few minutes after each fish topping up the bait in the swim to hold the fish there. The wind had blown huge clumps of loose weed into the bank and it was clear the fish had followed the wind as they were crashing closer to the bank. I could see and hear the odd fish crashing out near to my rigs as the storm died down. About 7:30 am I had a couple of bleeps that made me jump out of bed and got me staring at the bobbin. A couple of twitches were enough evidence for me to hit it, and when I did all hell broke loose. The fish ran for about 40 yards flat-rodding me and then jumped clear out of the 3ft deep water, head, gut and tail all flying through the air like a dolphin. The fish now 80 yards away and in low light conditions looked absolutely huge as it leaped out of the water. Having already landed a 32lb fish in the night I knew this was a special fish. I don’t honestly remember too much about the fight, except praying several times that the hook would stay putt. About ten minutes into the fight the fish popped up about 20 yards out and took a big gulp of air. Its mouth was bigger than any carp I have ever seen! My knees began to shake, and although the fish had no fight left in it bringing the sheer weight and width of it that last few yards was tough and seemed to take an eternity. Eventually it waddled into the net and being quite modest I said it was probably a mid to high thirty and a new USA PB. The panic and excitement probably stopped me from being a bit closer with the weight because peering into the net I knew I had never seen such a wide fish. This thing seriously needed a saddle on its back.

The 40lb and 27lb fish in the mat together. Not much difference in length showing just how wide and deep this biggie was. The forty had an enormous head.

I let the fish sit in the net to recover while I set about organizing the sling, scales, camera etc. Just as I was about to lift the fish out of the lake my middle rod started to run so I set about fighting another carp. This one also looked to be a good fish, and although I was convinced I had a 40lb/30lb brace it fell just short at 27lb. This fish was almost the same length as the forty, which highlights just how wide the big kipper was. The scales settled on 40lb 6oz and boy was I ecstatic. I was also pleased to provide Dynamite Baits with a great report in such a short space of time, only my second session with the new baits. The 24 hr session ended with a 40lb, a 32lb, ten fish over 25lbs and 12 fish over 20lbs. I will be keeping you regularly updated on my autumn and winter fishing, where I will be driving 16 hr weekend round trips to try and bag some of the rare USA 30lb and 40lb mirrors.

My new USA pb of 40lb 6oz and a 2012 target achieved. Not a bad start for my first week using dynamite baits.

Get on the Dynamite……Boom!!!

Craig “Brit” Parkes

Theory vs Practice… Saxon 3.25 Hexalite Carp Rods Review

by Craig Parkes

[With Dynamite field consultant and top British and now USA based carper Craig Parkes.]

On the way back to New Jersey from a convention in Boston I’d arranged to meet up with Saxon Tackle owner and fellow Brit – Iain Sorrell. Over a cup of tea we chatted about all things carpy and I said that I would like to have play with the Hexalite carp rods that he manufactures. At the time I was quite happy with the rods I had bought over with me from the UK, they had performed well both there and now here in America. So I had no intention of switching to another rod unless I could find something better, both blank wise and value for money….

First Impressions…

What I will say is that the moment I picked up the Saxon rod I was immediately attracted to the stunning 1K weave that runs along the length of the blank and matched in the pattern on the unique reel seat. This type of low resin blank is rarely found in sub $400 rods since the recession blew up the price of carbon. For me a weave always looks so much nicer than a plain or coated blank plus you can see what you are getting for your money. However, you can put lipstick on a pig and it’s still a pig, so what about the meat and gravy that makes a good looking rod a great performing rod?

Theory vs Practice...

Being an academic I like theory, evidence and critical thinking to have a place in most of my life. I never thought that so much thought would go into a rod, but Iain gave me an in depth explanation not only of the rods features, but more importantly why they were there and the purpose they served. The rod has an extra ring to not only reduce line friction when playing fish but brilliantly also means that when broken down for transport the rings ‘fit’ together to stop rod movement and damage. The rod is extremely light, which is important for USA waters where we have to play lots and lots of big fish in a day, and for UK stocked runs waters like Drayton reservoir, where 50 double figure fish a day are not uncommon. The cork butt (which might initially put some people off, me included) is actually genius. It does not scratch, allows you to fix it into a butt rest when fishing locked up and best of all sits very comfortably in the groin region when playing fish. And it’s on those extra big fish that this last function ensures that you can really pile on the pressure. In my opinion this is where the Saxon rods simply blow other rods clean out the water. The power of this rod is immense, like nothing I have ever handled before. I’m quite sure it would be quite capable of landing a 150lb wells catfish on the river Ebro – no problem! The progressive action means you can enjoy playing fish without worrying about hook pulls. In only my third session using these rods

I landed my second biggest carp ever and a USA PB at 40lb 6oz. This fish put up an incredible fight and simply ran and ran while the rod just soaked up the many powerful surges. When the fish finally popped up twenty yards out with no energy left in it the forgiving tip ensured I could bring this monster in over the weeds without compromising the hook hold. During this session I also had several upper twenties plus a thirty that tried kiting hard towards nearby boat mooring docks. By tightening the drag, holding my reel spool and putting all my energy and power behind the rod I was able to turn each fish before it went through these snags using 15lb mono. It may sound weird but with the comfortable cork butt and the amount of power I put into the rod by leaning right back, it’s almost like the rod was an extension of my body. Like the rod and myself were joined, and ultimately I had greater control of what was going on during the fight.

I am delighted with the way these rods perform, and it was one of, if not the best decisions I have made tackle wise. The rods look good, feel good and perform even better. I am a big advocate for them both in USA and Europe. The quality can’t be matched in my opinion, especially for the price. The rods even come in an embroidered suede finish cloth rod bag which is a nice touch. Anyone who fishes for lots of fish or big fish should check out the Saxon Hexalites. I promise you won’t be disappointed, I wasn’t and I am not easily pleased!

Purchase the item featured here: http://www.bigcarptackle.com/store/product.php?productid=18951&cat=363&page=2

More details at www.saxontackle.com

Drop ‘Em – Lewis Read

by Craig Parkes

Here’s a very informational article from our friends at Gardner by Lewis Read on the finer points of lead clip discharge.

 

Drop ‘em!

 

Getting rid of the lead during a fight is often critical; it can mean the difference between landing a prize fish or a blank session…a good day or a bad day! So how do you ensure your lead stays on when you need it, and drops off when you don’t? Here Lewis Read takes us through the how’s and why’s of effective lead clip discharge.

 

Some situations in which dropping the lead helps enormously include fishing in heavy weed, in the vicinity of snags, or over particularly harsh features like steep sided bars or the sides of plateau.

Losing the lead removes the risk of it acting as a point on your terminal setup that can snag causing excessive pressure on your hook hold, enabling a hard fighting big fish to rid itself of the hook (not good!).  Another very helpful benefit of losing the lead is that the hooked fish will often rise up in the water column towards the surface and away from snags and weed when it is not carrying the weight around.

Lead Clips

There are several popular tried and tested methods of setting up your terminal tackle to lose the lead. By far the most popular – and arguably the easiest and most efficient – is using one of the wide varieties of lead clips that have been popularised over the last decade.

Lead Clips offer the convenience of being able to change to different sizes to suit different ranges, and different shapes to suit the many different types of fishing that we are likely to encounter.  They work with a diverse array of terminal setups such as PVA bags and ground bait sticks, right the way through to the ‘zig’ rigs.

 

Lead Clip systems give excellent presentations over light weed and silt, because the lead doesn’t drag the hook link down in the same way as an inline lead would – which always plummet to the lake bed ‘nose first’. In fact, the Lead Clip’s capacity for presenting a bait over a multitude of lake beds is second only to the helicopter rig!

In nearly all instances, the amount of pull required to discharge the lead from the clip is controlled by pushing the tail rubber onto the back end of the Lead Clip. The simplest way to make sure the lead comes off is to reduce the distance the tail rubber is pushed onto the rear of the clip. Alternatively, for very quick lead ejection, by trimming the back of the retaining arm, the lead can then pull out of the tail rubber and come off easily.

The easiest clips to use incorporate a ridge that retains the swivel in position, such as the Gardner Covert Lead Clips. With this style the Swivel must be pulled into the clip until you hear an audible click. It is vital that the lead clip stays attached to the swivel when the lead is pulled. This test should be carried out with all Lead Clip set ups to make sure that they function correctly – you don’t want the lead clip running up the line and never detaching.A key design attribute of the Gardner Lead Clip design is the combination of a smooth barrel with serrations only on the lead retaining arm. In-depth tests have shown that clips with fully ribbed barrels and lead arms create far too much grip, and always require major surgery to make them drop the leads at all!

If you are using the lead clip with PVA bags, or have trimmed the clip right back, it may be necessary  to tie a loop of PVA around the clip as shown in the picture to make sure that the lead isn’t ejected as the terminal tackle hits the water. I recommend the use of a braided PVA product like ‘G-String’ or ‘Fishnet PVA’ instead of a standard PVA tape as these dissolve quickly and tend to be much stronger and less stretchy, taking the strain of a cast a lot more effectively.


The effective function of the system also relies on us checking the Lead Clip and the Tail Rubber’s condition. If your Lead Clip has been used for a while and has been repeatedly pulled on and off the Swivel, it is definitely worth making sure that the lead clip still grips firmly and your Tail Rubbers are free from any tears or imperfections that may cause tangles. It always pays to look after your equipment, no matter how small the components.Apart from lead clips, what alternative ways are there to set up a rig that will discharge the lead when needed?

A Rotten Bottom!

When you want to use a helicopter or chod rig, the lead clip systems simply don’t work!  The best way to get around this is to incorporate a ‘Rotten Bottom’ into the rig. The lead is attached to the terminal tackle by means of a section of lighter breaking strain line that acts as a weak link that will easily break should the lead become snagged or snared. This weak link is normally 3 or 4Ib (1.4-1.8kg) breaking strain nylon. You should find that in practice the link will only break when necessary, and more importantly will give before your hook hold on a big fish.

Perhaps the best method I have seen is to simply attach the lead to the bottom of your mainline or lead core leader material, by means of the large ring taken from a Flexi Ring Swivel (simply removed by snipping the swivel).  For a really tidy setup, cover the connection with a trimmed down Tail Rubber or section of a Silicone Sleeve.

 

When you are using large leads or casting any significant range you will need to reinforce the weak link with PVA to stop the lead breaking off on the cast. The setup will normally withstand a gentle lob with a small lead without this reinforcement, but take care to avoid overloading the weak link, and if in doubt reinforce the connection to avoid the risk of the lead becoming a hostile projectile!

The improved presentation that the helicopter style rigs offer when fishing in thick silt are enormous. Despite the small amount of extra effort required to reinforce the link with PVA, you will find that the benefit in terms of fish caught may well be enough to convert you. Another great benefit is that the rotten bottom rig allows you to land fish like bream without losing leads unnecessarily.

You can incorporate the rotten bottom principle with other more conventional pendant lead set ups, and with a bit of experimentation you may find a way of using them that means that you can adapt your own favourite rig to be safer when fishing in weed  or near snags.

Discharging In-lines

Unlike a Rotten Bottom principle, Inline leads may not be the best choice for presentation on scruffy or silty lake beds, but they have clear benefits for fishing on hard bottoms when you want the lead to give the most effective bolt rig effect possible. Until fairly recently the use of discharging inline lead setups was a secret kept by some of the specialists, as this meant  they could fish in a safer manner in more challenging scenarios.

Discharging inline leads that have the leader and swivel tucked in the nose of the inline lead has seen a great deal of recent publicity. This set up ensures that when the fish picks up the hook bait and bolts away, the swivel is pulled out of the nose and the lead is instantly discharged. This occurs whether it is a Bream, Tench or Carp, or even when retrieving the terminal tackle through weed!

It’s a setup that is useful in extreme circumstances such as stalking in the edge near very thick weed and snags. It is often better where the obstacles to landing a fish are not so severe – and the lead doesn’t need to be discharged the instant that the bite occurs.

I prefer a slightly different arrangement that is broadly similar, except that the leader is attached to the same end of the swivel as the hook link (which I always attach by means of a ‘Q-Ring’ now, as they reduce tangles like a Flexi-Ring and also allow quick change of the rig when necessary). By pushing the other end of the swivel into the lead, this improved lead arrangement can be cast without fear of the lead ejecting. More often than not the lead isn’t discharged when a Bream or a Tench picks up the hook bait and certainly not when just retrieving!

If you find that the insert on the lead is offering too much grip, it’s simply a case of squeezing the swivel eye that is being pushed into the lead so that it is narrower, or opening out the insert with scissors to make the diameter slightly larger.

Carefully consider your lead arrangement and what type of terminal arrangement is best for your fishing situation. In these environmentally conscious times, when it comes to dropping leads it’s up to individual anglers to carefully consider whether using an automatically-discharging setup is necessary, a decision that can only be made on the day.

Assess what will be the best lead arrangement for your presentation as well. Is it an inline (for hard gravel and sand), helicopter (a great all rounder) or pendant lead (for flexibility and use over light bottom debris)?  They all have their merits.

Also ask whether you really need to drop the lead at all. Perhaps it is best to balance the benefits of any lead eject system against factors like angling efficiency, fish welfare, cost and  – dare I even suggest  – reducing the weight of your tackle, particularly if you have a monster trek to your venue or want to remain as mobile as possible during your session…

Whatever you decide, there’s no doubt that different lead arrangements can strongly affect your chances of a catch in various conditions. There are lots of excellent books on this subject and you can check the internet for some useful demo videos, explaining in full detail everything you need to know. It’s well worth some experimentation. 

BCT December ’12 Raffle

by Craig Parkes

We’ve just posted the raffle on our youtube page and would like to congratulate the owner of a brand new Nash Double Top Extreme 1 Man Bivvy, Stuart Roffe!

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We’d like to thank Nash Tackle for the sponsor and would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year.

Particle Fishing – Lewis Read

by Craig Parkes

Here’s another great and informative article from our good friends at Gardner.

 

Particle fishing – tactics and terminal tackle

 

The description ‘particle bait’ is used to describe a massive variety of small baits, including practically every type of seed, bean, pea, nut or pellet you could possibly think of! The sheer amount and variety of particle use can be overwhelming and it can be difficult to know where to start. In this article Lewis Read breaks it down into manageable particle sized pieces.

Particle Baits can be a hugely successful big carp catcher, even when compared to boilies, despite normally costing a lot less.

The majority of particles are regarded as instant baits. The attraction is helped by the preparation and cooking process, which release the natural oils and sugars in the bait, culminating in tremendous pulling power.

The most popular and successful particle baits are broadly split into those that can be described as “mass particles”  or larger particles. Mass particles include Hemp seed, Tares, Dari seeds, Groats, different types of wheat, Sweetcorn, maize (yellow and red varieties), small pellets or blends of small particles such as Parti-blend and pigeon conditioner. Larger particle baits refers more to nuts and large beans.

Beds of these small food items induce heavy feeding and these areas will virtually fizz with attraction. This appeal is increased by blending a variety of different particles. Each type of seed will release a slightly different food based attractor into the water, so the carp are drawn in through a variety of delicious tastes and smells.

The small size of these baits (and particularly Hempseed) can create such heavy feeding that the fish become pre-occupied, feeding veraciously until they have mopped up all of the seeds on the lake or river bed. Sometimes this feeding can become so selective that they will only eat the smaller seeds, sifting these out from other larger items.

There are a lot of slightly larger particle baits that are devastating fish catchers as part of a wider mix or even on their own. Prime examples would be the different nuts such as Tiger nuts, Peanuts, Hazelnuts and broken or whole Brazil nuts, and another would be the magic Maples Pea!

There are also natural baits such as chopped worm and maggots that make excellent additions to a particle mix or can be used just as well on their own.

The list of baits is therefore almost endless, and a trip to your local seed merchant can often reveal all manner of baits to try.

The most widely used particle bait is undoubtedly Sweetcorn – “the yellow peril” has caught many a fish around the world and will continue to do so for many years to come.

 

Some particles can swell up as they take on water, and can increase to almost twice their original size. If they are introduced into the water unprepared, and are in turn eaten, this swelling can happen within the digestive system of the fish and cause damage. In extreme cases this can lead to death. In general, all particles should be soaked for at least 24 hours and boiled for 30 minutes before use.

If in doubt we recommend seeking out specific information on the best possible preparation of each individual type of particle to get the best results.

For small particles, such as hemp, boil until the seed’s shell blackens and begins to split indicating that they are ready. Salt, sugar and other additives can be added during the cooking process. Some anglers add crushed chili to their hemp to give it some boost, which has proved quite effective as it releases further oils when introduced into the water.

Always store your particles in the water they have been cooked in. It adds extra flavor and can be added to ground bait, boosting its attraction. If you are not planning to use the particles straight away they can be frozen and used at a later date.

Once particles have been cooked and the water drained off, some anglers add liberal amounts of CSL, Minamino or Salmon Oil which absorb into the still warm bait adding further appeal when placed in the swim. Once the swim has settled and the fish enter the area to feed, they release the oil and create a slick on the water’s surface telling the angler that fish are feeding.

Choosing the correct rig when fishing with particles, or using them as a bed of feed, can vary when compared to a boilie only approach. Fish will often keep their mouths very tight to the lake bed when feeding instead of tilting up and down when feeding on boilies. They can be harder to hook in this situation and choosing the correct rig can be crucial to their downfall. Bottom baits will be generally far more successful as fish that are feeding tight to the bottom can easily miss a pop up. The hook bait will often be ignored when only half an inch off the lake bed.

Sometimes a shorter length rig will work better. The fish will be moving their head slowly across the lake bed as they suck up all the individual food items and the hook link needs to tighten up as soon as the fish has inhaled the hook bait.

Short nylon D rig with a tigernut

 

What hook bait to choose?

 

It sometimes pays to experiment to find what might be successful on the day or water in question. It is best to use a hook bait which is the same as the “free offerings” where possible, as this is what the fish will be used to. With the smallest baits, like tiny seeds, you may need to add larger bait to the mix so that it can be used on the hook later.

When using a larger particle over a feed such as Hemp or Dari seed it pays not to introduce too much. A sprinkling of tiger nuts over a bed of hemp is more than adequate, and often these ‘cherries’ on top of the cake are the first items to be eaten.

Alternative hook baits such as the imitation baits supplied by Enterprise Tackle are handy to have in your tackle box. They can be used in a wide variety of situations and are often used to tip a bait to make it more visual.  This also helps to balance the hook bait, increasing its chances of entering the carp’s mouth.  Artificial hemp, maggots and casters can all be used by the angler wanting to create a rig that is a little bit different.

Drilling out a tigernut

 

Balancing the weight of the hook by drilling out the hook bait and pushing in a section of cork is another successful technique that is often used with tiger nuts. Using a large drill, hollow out the middle of the nut and insert a sliver of trimmed cork so the nut sinks slowly and is perfectly balanced against the weight of the hook.

Cork plugging a tigernut

 

Alternatively, a balanced particle bait can easily be created by using a section of foam between two pieces of maize. Once the foam is trimmed down the bait should sink slowly and sit just above the hook. This can be particularly effective when used on its own over a bed of hemp without further free offerings.

Particles have a wide range of applications and can be used with a variety of techniques. PVA is a great way of making sure particles are grouped tightly around the hook bait. The particles should be touch dry and dosed with oils or a PVA friendly dip to prevent them from melting the PVA. This method is very successful, but rarely used due to the preparation time needed. However, the effort can be well worth going to if the small cluster of particles lures a big fish in to feed.

Adding particles into the swim can be carried out in various ways, depending on the size, amount and range in question. A large pouched particle catapult can be used for short range with seeds or slightly further with particle baits. However, this can be time consuming when introducing a really big bed of feed at maximum pelt range.

The Gardner Baiting Spoon might be a better option for introducing larger quantities of bait at short range or depositing large quantities of particles quickly. It’s easy to create a nice spread of bait, encouraging fish to move along the bottom as they search out the feed by using a sweeping action when using a spoon to create lines of bait, rather than simply throwing it straight out.

Spodding is another excellent option when introducing particles at range, and in the right hands these can be cast accurately over 100 metres! The Gardner Pocket Rocket range also offers the benefit of allowing you to spod out the attractive liquid that the particles are prepared in, and this cloud can really turn the fish on to feed as they swim into the baited area.

Pocket Rocket ready for launch

Your choice of particle bait should also be related to water temperature and the season. Although particles do not have a great reputation in cold water they have accounted for some tremendous catches. Generally, smaller quantities are required rather than the higher quantities needed during summer and autumn.

Maggots are very popular bait in the winter, especially when used with the deadly Mag-Aligner Rig. The Mag-Aligner Rig was invented by top angler Bernie Loftus and subsequently developed further by Rob Maylin into the rig it is today. The rig incorporates an Enterprise Mag-Aligner Grub slid over the eye of the hook. This creates a line aligner effect, enabling the hook to flip or turn in the fish’s mouth, producing a very efficient hooking mechanism. Three maggots are nicked onto the hook. The rig is best fished helicopter style with a large metal ring at the bottom of the lead. Before casting, a PVA Micromesh bag of maggots is tied onto the ring and the hook is nicked into the bag.

 

The size of the PVA bag is determined by how far you need to cast and how much bait you want to introduce. I have used bags the size of a golf ball when casting over long distances and have also used bags containing 250ml of maggots. I usually start somewhere in between and cast regularly helping to build up a bed of maggots in the swim. The disadvantage when using this rig is that it is often attracts smaller ‘nuisance’ species.

 



Definitive Results

















		Zigs: An Underrated Method – Jack Brown	







	



by Craig Parkes	





	




A method that plays a massive part in my fishing armoury is the devastatingly effective zig rig. Even though it receives a lot of media attention, I still rarely see it used on the bank, which is strange for a rig that can be a huge edge when you get it right.


Carp spend the majority of their time in the mid to upper surface layers feeding on small tasty morsels that fall through the water. When takes off the deck become hard to come by, presenting a zig rig at the right depth can winkle you out a fish even in the most unexpected of times.


Without doubt, gauging the correct depth to fish your zigs is the most important factor; even a few inches can make all the difference. Good starting points are half depth, three-quarter depth and just under the surface. From here, you can really work them, changing the lengths on all three rods on a constant basis. I’ve found that takes on zigs can come fairly quickly once the right depth is found, so be sure to be extremely proactive with your approach.


Placement of zigs is entirely up to you, they can be cast to showing fish, fished in weed beds, with the hook bait just protruding on top, to the side of any large underwater feature, like a bar or plateau, in an attempt to catch any fish making their way to and from these underwater roadways. I’ve had my best results on zigs, fishing to or just off large known spots that receive plenty of anglers’ bait. The carp associate these areas with food and constantly graze past them even when high up in the water.


Be sure to have your lines as tight as possible. Slowly pulling the line with thumb and forefinger until you feel the full resistance of the lead, sets your bobbins tight to the alarm with a slight drop. Zig takes can be finicky, to say the least. Usually, when angling for big fish on weedy waters a single bleep and a slight twitch of the bobbin can result in a hooked fish.  My fishing kit changes when I’m solely using zigs to a nice soft through-action rod and small reel to balance the outfit; my original Daiwa Dictators in 12ft 2¾ definitely prevent hook pulls when playing large carp on small hooks, and light hook links in excess of 15ft. A great little gizmo for zigging is the use of a long, telescopic landing-net handle, which makes landing fish on your own a much easier task.


Small pieces of foam are my favourite hook bait for zigs. On low-stocked, clear pits, trimmed-down black is definitely a winner, and for more highly stocked fisheries, bright pieces of foam such as yellow and white catch their fair share. I also like to soak my foam heavily in oils and liquid additives. Nash Strawberry Oil Pallatant, Big Strawberry and Sweet Cream are my favourite liquids for soaking and they give a constant stream of attraction as small plinks of smell and oil are released from the foam over time. When fishing zigs on a water with a decent stock of carp, I like to spod a consistent amount of Nash sloppy spod mix creating a cloud in the water with small food items filtering through. Big hits of fish can be had on these types of water with this method; the fish love it!


In terms of rig components for zigs, I tend to keep things fairly simple, apart from a couple of small tweaks at the lead end. First of all, a fairly thin in diameter, low poundage mono is needed. However, it needs to be strong and abrasion resistant for when fishing among weed and any sharp objects on the lakebed. Double strength 10lb is my favoured hooklink, strong enough to combat fish in weed, but subtle enough not to stand out in clear deep water. Hook size differs from 10 to 12, depending on fish size or how finicky the carp are being.


My preferred hook pattern is a Nash Fang Gaper or Fang Uni – sticky sharp and indestructible.  Keeping the hookbait fairly tight to the middle shank of the hook, a neat knotless knot can be whipped, around six to eight turns and then back over two or three times to prevent the thin mono from slipping. Lead size usually differs from light 1.5oz Dumpy Pears when casting at showing fish, to 3.5oz Flat Pears when sitting it out after a big girl.


Since experimenting with the zig’s hooking potential over the years, a small silicone kicker is now always added, helping the small hook to turn and take hold in the carp’s mouth. Nash Weed Safety Lead Clips with the small tail rubber slightly pushed on, help to dump the lead on the take, resulting in a much easier fight. Another thing I have been playing around with is attaching a small length of elastic onto the bottom section of the hook link, creating a bungee effect on the zig. This came about after watching a shoal of carp slowly making their way along the marginal shelf of a clear pit in the Nene valley.


I perched up a tree and saw the same shoal scoot up and down the near margin, a foot under the surface. They weren’t interested in dropping for any bait on the slope, so two zigs were tied up at six feet and flicked out at the bottom of the shelf, resulting in two small pieces of foam wafting a foot under the surface. I clambered back up the tree and watched the shoal start to make their way along the margin. As they neared the first zig, an upper-double mirror amazingly sucked the foam and then in-turned and started to waddle off. I nearly fell out of the tree but struck into thin air with no fish attached!


Bewildered, I settled on sheer bad luck, and possibly hook size, so I quickly got two more zigs in place, one tied up with a size 8 instead of a 10. The group of fish were soon back around, and from the height of the tree I saw another carp, around 20lbs, make a beeline for the black foam, the one tied up with the larger hook. The fish slowed down and sucked the hook bait in, and this time the fish turned and the long hook link tightened before the fish was gone; no carp attached! Gutted.


So, after a good think, I came up with the idea of attaching a small length of elastic which would create a driving force by pulling back on the hook and hook link, hopefully resulting in a hooked fish. A small length of number four elastic is tied about six inches above the figure-of-eight loop knot, using a water knot. By running the elastic down the hooklink, the elastic is trapped onto a quick link via a length of silicone tubing; the stretchiness of the elastic can be altered by pulling off mono from the water knot, and creating a small loop. (See Images) Does this make any difference? Maybe, maybe not, but after using this in conjunction with my zigs, bites are more positive and the hookholds are phenomenal, usually nailed in the bottom lip.


 


PROOF OF THE PUDDING


Putting all this into practice, a couple of weeks back I had a fantastic session on the zigs fishing at a rather pressured Oxfordshire syndicate water.


I arrived late afternoon and after a quick scout about decided to plonk my gear in one of the central swims that controlled a decent amount of open water. While waiting for my good friend, Nick, to vacate the swim, a few more laps around the lake were in order and after climbing some of the tallest trees around the lake, I could see shoals of fish just under the surface; a great indication of how high I needed to fish my zigs.


Nick had packed down, and I clipped all three rods up to the desired spots, small holes in the weed at staggered distances. With the use of bank sticks 12 feet apart, I can mark down how many wraps around the sticks it is to the spots, and it helps with marking the length of the zigs, that can be pegged down in between the sticks to keep them nice and tight. I was fishing in 14 feet of water and after fresh glugs of Nash Sweet Cream and Strawberry Pallatant had been added to the foam, lengths of 13, 11½ and 10-foot zigs were soon dispatched into the lake. When casting, make sure the zig can’t get caught up in any objects behind the swim. I prefer to wade out, if allowed, laying the hook link in the water.


The evening passed quickly with the fish still high up in the water. Into dark, there was the occasional roll to be heard and at around 10.30 pm, a single bleep and a slight drop back on the right-hand rod registered a take. I struck into a typical zig take, met hardly any resistance and then, to my surprise, a small tench came scatting into the margins so I unhooked it in the net and checked the length of the zig, it was a 13-footer. ‘Where there’s tench there’s carp!’ I thought, and the rod was soon cast back into the pond.


I hit the pillow until another single bleep had me scurrying out of my bed. A slight twitch on the bobbin had me more than convinced and this time, a healthy weight pulled back. It was now around 1.30 in the morning, and damp air and a cool southerly had me shaking in my waders. The fish felt a good weight and after a few minutes, it was no more than 15 yards out. In no time, it was under the tip, but then decided to go on a mad run down my left-hand margin around the front of a large reed bed so I stepped forward to gain some side strain, but was met with an influx of cold water gushing down my waders!


Luckily, the fish turned and slowly eased itself into the awaiting net. Job done. A nice old mirror lay before me and when I weighed her, the scales settled on 37lb.2oz. I sacked the fish up and stripped off before jumping in the bag to warm up and wait for pictures at first light. The fish was caught on a 13-footer, a depth the fish seemed to be at, so from then on, all three rods were redone with 13s. The rest of the session went mad; over the next two days, commons of 37lb2oz and 23lb 8oz were landed and mirrors of 25lb 8oz and 29lb 3oz.


It just goes to show how effective zigs can be when you get it right and it’s a tactic that can be used any time of year on a huge variety of waters. Give them a go and see how you get on.


 


 
















		Doing Your Homework – Neil Mclaren	







	



by Craig Parkes	





	




The days have now got longer and those overnight temperatures have been creeping up, the excitement levels are beginning to rise, summer is also well on its way!


 


Hopefully by now you will know where you will be fishing this year, for all kinds reasons we can’t always get started early spring, some of us may be targeting a water with a traditional close season for example. The longer wait can be frustrating, but on the plus side you can always fish a few day ticket venues, experiment and perfect those tactics and methods, enjoy the fishing and be fully prepared for when the real campaign begins.


 


We all have different criteria for choosing a water to concentrate on. Some like the challenge of large low stocked waters targeting a particular fish, while some enjoy the hustle and bustle of busy day ticket waters perhaps catching numbers of fish. I usually chose the former, enjoying the challenges that this type of fishing brings.


 


My new water is occupying my thoughts a great deal at the moment, unusually for me  it doesn’t contain any real monsters, though in relative terms it does for the north! The scaly inhabitants and idyllic surroundings is the real draw and its only 100 miles from home, which is much closer than my normal haunts!


 


BE PREPARED


 


Its always important to gather as much information as you can.


Most waters now have a well-documented history and this information is invaluable in helping you learn as much about the water and its inhabitants. The Internet is a good place to start, try the many search engines out there such as Google for example. The fishery may have its own website so have a good look through it although the information may not always be up to date. There are many forums were you could search for information, try to search those local to your chosen venue or even better specific to the place! Try Google earth and Multi-map to view the lake from above, these sites are a revelation as its possible to identify sub surface bars and features from the pictures. They can be used to measure distances to islands etc. You can highlight the effects wind will have on the lake i.e. which bank receives the warmer southerly winds which can be an advantage early season.


 


Do some networking! Try to talk to people who you know have fished the place. While that may have been a while ago any information is useful in building up a picture of the lake and the fish’s behaviour. I know a few Nash consultants who have had success at my chosen venue and they have been well and truly grilled! Local tackle shops may be of use, so try quizzing the staff there too.


 


If your new challenge is a well known one, check out Carp Talk and the monthlies it may get a mention or two, its worth keeping any information on interesting venues that you might fish in the future, it might lead to full cupboards, sheds and garages but it can help out in the long run!


 


All information is useful, but don’t take it all as the gospel truth! While friends will give you true, honest information, some others will send you on a bum steer and tell you anything but the truth! I’ve seen replies on some forums to questions about a venue that I know that are completely wrong! These are often replies from people who are still fishing there or from locals who don’t take kindly to “foreigners” having success on “their” water. So be careful, some see the request for information as taking the lazy way out and as a way of taking a shortcut to success so tread carefully.


 


Some of the catch reports can be misleading too, I have witnessed captures while on the bank that bare no resemblance to the catch report published in a magazine a few weeks later! The bait, distance, tackle etc are definitely not what was used to catch the fish! This is done to hide the successful methods and give the angler an ongoing edge. I can certainly understand this, as there will always be people who will jump on the bandwagon and benefit from your hard work!


 


RECCE


 


This is definitely the best way of gathering knowledge, Visit the water as many times as you can, try to spend as much time there as you possibly can.


 


Try to be at the water at different times of day, in different weather conditions and at weekends and weekdays. Climb trees, get into those nooks and crannies that are not easily accessible and you may come across some hiding monsters! Just sitting and taking it all in will benefit you in the long run.


 


If allowed and obviously without disturbing other anglers on the venue, get the marker rod out and begin mapping the lake, it’s definitely worth the effort if you can do it. Prior knowledge will save time and cut down on disturbance when you get the chance to fish.


 


If possible you can trickle bait into likely looking areas, though on busier waters this must only be done with permission and without affecting other angler’s sessions. How much bait, and where, depends on many factors but if you can begin to establish your bait then the odds will begin to stack in your favour.


 


Without being a pest and disturbing other anglers ask the people fishing how they are getting on and try to pick their brains. Don’t go in like a bull in a china shop, be pleasant and don’t bombard them with hundreds of questions and you may get some useful information. Some anglers don’t like being approached on the bank, so respect their right to a peaceful session, and just exchange pleasantries and move on. Don’t expect people to part with all their hard earned knowledge to a complete stranger, be friendly and remember you may be fishing along side these angler’s so try and develop a rapport.


 


Remember, take the information you’ve gleaned and filter out what you know to be untrue. How many times have you asked an angler if they have seen anything and they say ‘yeah they are all up the other end mate!’ But ask yourself, why are they sat there then!


 


One year I began fishing a water quite early, much earlier in-fact than it normally produced. It was a slow start but I woke up with the water and really felt at one with the place. I went on to have one of my best seasons and the knowledge gained really kept me ahead of the pack. Its something to think about for next year


 


GETTING TOOLED UP


 


Now that you have a good idea what you will encounter when you begin fishing for real you can review your tackle and bait to make sure you are covered. Tackle needs to be tailored to suit the venue. What about long distance casting, are those islands, features and bars at 100 yard plus? If so you need to ensure that your rods, reels and line are capable of hitting those distant hot spots. If you are not used to long range fishing a few casting practice sessions in a field can help immensely when you have to do it for real on the bank.


 


Check out some of the casting tutorials you can access on the Internet, these will point you in the right direction. Main line has to be tailored to the conditions you will encounter whether it is distance or snag fishing you must make sure everything is up to the job.


 


Rigs are another area requiring some thought, are you expecting to be fishing in heavy weed with PVA bags? Then your rigs will need to be tied up to suit. Are you going in with the much hyped chod rig? If so get plenty tied up ready.


 


But start with what you have confidence in and use rigs and baits that have worked for you elsewhere, a new water and new untried methods and baits is rarely a good combination!


 


You may need to tailor those proven tactics to suit the lakes requirements, but once you get a few trips under your belt, your knowledge increases and things start to drop into place.


 


Long walks to reach a chosen swim may be a factor so make sure you are armed with a barrow and only carrying what you need, something we are all guilty of is taking too much gear which can certainly tell on the old arms if you have a long trek ahead!


 


Are the pegs big enough for your bivvy or will it be better to use a brolly, are you fishing from platforms and if so will you need a pod? There are many questions that you need to ask yourself when you are looking around the lake and its better to find out now.


 


THE BAITING GAME


 


Bait is another big one. I would almost certainly go in with a bait I know and have confidence in. Your research may throw up a bait that is, or has been successful on the water so initially that might seem like a good staring point.


 


But often the opposite applies, in my experience some of my favourites such as Nash Bait Scopex Squid or the recently released Monster Squid will catch anywhere and will often give you a major edge if most of the members are on the ‘going bait’ so stick to what you know works.


 


Also you may need to consider nuisance fish or crayfish in choosing your bait and in particular bait size and hookbait choice.


 


Its never too late to start ‘doing your homework’ If precious time on the bank is in short supply, as it is with most of us, it can only help to stack the odds in our favour


 


Be confident and don’t be disappointed if things don’t happen right away, it’s a learning curve but most importantly of all – just enjoy it!