THE RIGHT TOOL FOR THE JOB.

     Goes without saying really doesn't it? If only it was that simple. What is the right tool, say, for roach fishing in a lake? A 12 or 13 foot float rod should be perfect. A pole maybe? What if there are hard fighting Tench present? Well maybe a more sturdy float rod and step the hooklengths up from 2lbs breaking strain or less to 3 or more likely, 4lbs. Well what if the lake is heavy with dense Canadian pond weed and there are so many Carp in there that they are virtually unavoidable? That in one short paragraph is the issue facing Pete and I at the moment and quite probably one faced by every other angler that is fed up to the back teeth with Carp.

     So far I've worked my way through my extensive rod collection and finished up at a 10ft Mk4 Avon rod and centrepin loaded with 8lbs line with a 6.4lbs hooklength. It works I suppose. The Carp are either landed or slip the hook in heavy weed; they don't break me. The Tench, Bream and Roach are landed but that is all I can say about it. The rod in this situation is jack of all trades, master of almost none. It's right for the tench and catching them on it is a joy, but when you can swing in an 6 ounce Roach it devalues them. Carp have it working at its limits, and beyond, all the time which is not fun and potentially bad for the rod.

     So then, fishing a weedy water overstocked with Carp is a problem however you approach it and up until now, I have tried my hardest to square that circle and failed miserably. Meanwhile the Carp anglers keep catching the 'nuisance' Bream and Tench that I can't catch on appropriate tackle. It's bloody frustrating but there is a glimmer of hope. Pete is catching, or rather, hooking fewer Carp than I am and his approach is to feed very, very sparingly; just two or three grains of corn occasionally. The theory being that the Roach can clear them up before the Carp find them. He has had some nice fish, so I may just use Roach tackle again and follow suit. It still requires three or four pound line as even small Roach can nip into the weed before you can get them out but it would be an improvement. Fingers crossed.