CarpFever 2015

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What is your favourite rig, regardless of conditions? What is your favourite bait you fish with? The Hinged Stiff Rig. It’s virtually tangle free and has superb hooking properties. It’s the rig I use for around 90 percent of my fishing. I do like fishing with boilies, it’s such a positive way of angling, and I always believe that in the long run a positive approach will bring about better results. Do you prefer fishing with braid or mono? Do you roll your own boilies? I prefer to fish with a braid because the lack of stretch results in far superior bite indication than a mono. I do like to incorporate a short length of 6 to 7ft of Trans Khaki Fluorocarbon as a leader though, to ensure the last few feet is pinned down and invisible, and also give me some sort of cushion when playing fish at close quarters. Having said that, however, most of my fishing is done with mono, simply because many waters in the UK ban the use of braided mainlines. What would you say is the single most important thing to remember when fishing for big carp? Regardless of the size of carp, the most important factor above all else is location. Watercraft is not something that can be learned in books or on videos, only by spending time at the water, either in angling capacity or simply by just being there. The more time you spend by the water the more in tune you become, and even the tiniest of carpy signs seem to jump out at you. I used to make my own boilies but these days I’d much rather leave it in the hands of people who have much more knowledge on the subject than I do! That’s one less thing to worry about when I’m fishing. Preferred weather conditions? I tend to just go when I can regardless of the conditions. The big low air pressure systems that bring with them overcast conditions and strong winds are certainly more favourable feeding conditions though. Which do you enjoy the most: short, blitz sessions or are you in it for the long haul? I don’t really have the time to fish long sessions to be honest, generally speaking it’s 24-hour or 48-hour sessions for me. On the rare occasions when I have fished for longer I always tend to break the session down into individual 24-hour periods and take it one day at a time rather than setting my stall. Above: Mark has been having a lot of fun on his tutorial sessions this year, and finds great joy in seeing others achieving their goals and dreams. What’s you favourite feature to fish? What is your favourite boilie flavour? I don’t really have one to be honest, as I would just fish wherever the fish are. However, as I mentioned earlier I do enjoy fishing in the margins, especially if the water is gin clear and you are able to observe the carp’s every move. The new CC Moore Pacific Tuna has already become my favourite bait of all time. It smells, looks and tastes like a ‘familiar’ old skool bait but with modern ingredients and developments. 14 | December <strong>2015</strong> www.carpfever.co.za
Q&A I’m in the process of writing my first book! It’s something I’ve always wanted to do... Who’s your biggest inspiration in carp angling? Oh, that’s a tricky one. I can’t think of any one person, but there’s a number of people who spring to mind that have, and continue to inspire me. Lewis Porter, Shaun Mc Spadden, Scott Day and Harry Charrington from Fox are not only some of the most exceptional anglers I have come across but are also people I have a huge amount of respect for. Do you have any lucky charms or special routines you like to follow? No, nothing like that. I’m not superstitious at all, and I’m not religious, but occasionally I have been known to say a little prayer to the carp gods when things haven’t been going quite to plan! Have you set any goals that you wish to achieve this year or in the future? Not really, I just want to keep going fishing, catch a few carp and enjoy myself along the way. Do you enjoy fishing for other species of fish? In my earlier angling days I used to fish for anything that swam and I’ve tried my hand at fly fishing, predator fishing, sea fishing and match fishing; but nothing has given me that buzz that carp fishing has. What is next for Mark Pitchers? Any new stuff you’re working on? Well, actually yes, I’m in the process of writing my first book! It’s something I’ve always wanted to do ever since I was a young match angler, and it feels great to see that come to fruition. Above: A 38lb+ mirror from last year’s C.A.R.P.Y Challenge on the Fox Edges DVD. Thanks Mark! www.carpfever.co.za December <strong>2015</strong> | 15
Page 1 and 2: SOUTH AFRICAN SPECIMEN CARP FISHING
Page 3 and 4: MEET OUR CONTRIBUTORS Jaco Jacobs R
Page 5 and 6: Editor: Pieter Grobler Proofreaders
Page 7 and 8: UPFRONT RECOMMENDED READS know how
Page 9 and 10: OPINION Razvan Vlad But, it has nev
Page 11 and 12: Q&A WITH MARK PITCHERS Mark’s fav
Page 13 and 14: Q&A What does a busy day look like
Page 15: Q&A If you had the choice, which wo
Page 19 and 20: FISHING TAILS TWO FRIENDS, TWO YEAR
Page 21 and 22: FISHING TAILS I remember looking at
Page 23 and 24: FISHING TAILS fish; but isn’t it
Page 25 and 26: TACTICS COMPOSITION OF A GLUG It is
Page 27 and 28: FISHOGRAPHY HEADING NEEDED FOR THIS
Page 29 and 30: FISHOGRAPHY shining on the fish and
Page 31 and 32: 2015 in pictures.
Page 34: TIGHT LINES FOR 2016
Page 37 and 38: FISHOGRAPHY 6 EASY TIPS * Read the
Page 39: BANKSIDE GRUB Christelle Grobler SP

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