Take a look at part two of our Liam Duncan interview where we gain insight into the methods and techniques used to achieve the ultimate success.
We ask Mitch Hammonds - How does your autumn approach differ from the other seasons, and what are the most notable changes you tend to make around this time of year?
With the night’s drawing in and the days getting shorter, seasonal changes start to build, normally manifested through weather fronts sweeping the nation. Big winds and rain start to become a more frequent occurrence during the autumn months which will naturally create a large build-up of leaf litter and debris. Along with this, the weed beds will start to die off and the invertebrates which the carp feed on move to deeper, siltier water.
With this change in mind, I’ll make some minor tweaks to my rigs. Whereas I’ll tend to fish shorter pop-ups or bottom baits during the warmer months, around this time of year I’ll be fishing higher pop-up sections and will be lengthening my wafter rigs. This will aid presentation in the siltier areas in which the carp will want to be browsing naturally.
I’ll also probably be changing my baiting approach around this time of year, opting to fish over a spread of boilie as opposed to tight beds of bits. Carp will be needing plenty of fatty-acids to keep them going throughout the cold months, so a sweet, nutty bait such as the Manilla will be my ‘go-to’.
Another key thing that I’ll be trying to do during this time of year is keeping the bait going in with regularity. Most of my angling, like many others, is over-nighters between work, so with less hours of daylight I will often be arriving in the dark. This is where having zones which have been regularly prepped to drop onto is important and will help to maximise the opportunities even if your time is at a premium. Where possible I’ll try and bait a couple of areas, so I have options depending on the conditions. The big autumn weather fronts can often be too much for the fish so having spots prepped on the back of the predominant winds in deeper, more sheltered water is a good idea.
When it comes to prep don’t forget about yourself, eating well and staying warm will make the longer nights far more bearable, meaning you’ll be angling more efficiently. There’s a lot to be said about fishing in the autumn, but for me it really does come down to the preparation that you’re willing to put in when you’re not actually fishing.
So, to summarise… sweeter baits, heavy baiting (especially leading up to the September and October full moons), higher pop-ups, longer hooklink and plenty of prep!
With the night’s drawing in and the days getting shorter, seasonal changes start to build, normally manifested through weather fronts sweeping the nation. Big winds and rain start to become a more frequent occurrence during the autumn months which will naturally create a large build-up of leaf litter and debris. Along with this, the weed beds will start to die off and the invertebrates which the carp feed on move to deeper, siltier water.
With this change in mind, I’ll make some minor tweaks to my rigs. Whereas I’ll tend to fish shorter pop-ups or bottom baits during the warmer months, around this time of year I’ll be fishing higher pop-up sections and will be lengthening my wafter rigs. This will aid presentation in the siltier areas in which the carp will want to be browsing naturally.
I’ll also probably be changing my baiting approach around this time of year, opting to fish over a spread of boilie as opposed to tight beds of bits. Carp will be needing plenty of fatty-acids to keep them going throughout the cold months, so a sweet, nutty bait such as the Manilla will be my ‘go-to’.
Another key thing that I’ll be trying to do during this time of year is keeping the bait going in with regularity. Most of my angling, like many others, is over-nighters between work, so with less hours of daylight I will often be arriving in the dark. This is where having zones which have been regularly prepped to drop onto is important and will help to maximise the opportunities even if your time is at a premium. Where possible I’ll try and bait a couple of areas, so I have options depending on the conditions. The big autumn weather fronts can often be too much for the fish so having spots prepped on the back of the predominant winds in deeper, more sheltered water is a good idea.
When it comes to prep don’t forget about yourself, eating well and staying warm will make the longer nights far more bearable, meaning you’ll be angling more efficiently. There’s a lot to be said about fishing in the autumn, but for me it really does come down to the preparation that you’re willing to put in when you’re not actually fishing.
So, to summarise… sweeter baits, heavy baiting (especially leading up to the September and October full moons), higher pop-ups, longer hooklink and plenty of prep!
"I’ll be fishing higher pop-up sections and will be lengthening my wafter rigs. This will aid presentation in the siltier areas"
"I’ll be fishing higher pop-up sections and will be lengthening my wafter rigs. This will aid presentation in the siltier areas"
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