“OFF THE TOP” (part 2)

By Rich “Fatbloke” Adams

Following a discussion with Mr.Best (he feels very important if I call him this !!!!) at UKMA, Ray and I decided that it might be nice to follow up my “Off The Top” article with a look into the rig I use for my surface fishing and my choice of hookbaits. With so many new products available to carp anglers nowadays there are so many items that can be incorporated into our rigs, however when it comes to fishing on the surface I personally like to keep things as simple as possible. For most of my surface fishing my rig is a simple one that consists of either a Gardner Tackle Zig link or Hydrotuff hooklink fished in conjunction with a Flatliner controller and a Gardner insizor hook. The size of the controller I use and the hook size depend on two obvious factors. That being the distance I find the fish to be feeding at and the type of surface bait I intend to use.

In an ideal situation I like to get the fish feeding at close range and if possible I will even attempt to catch the fish by free lining a floater placed directly on the hook. There is, in my opinion, no better way of catching a carp than in this situation. It is hard to beat the feeling and unbelievable power you get from a carp when you hook it at close range. The initial power of the run, which we often miss by the time our alarm has sounded and we reach our rods when bottom fishing is felt immediately as our elusive quarry not only realises that they are hooked, but try to make a bid for freedom.

If I do find that my best chance of a take “Off The Top” is at distance I will set up accordingly and use the biggest of the Gardner Flatliners with which I have found you can cast a considerable distance, they lay perfectly flat on the surface and I believe are a lot less obtrusive to the fish than standard controllers that sit upright in the water. If I find myself fishing at distance I will go away from my usual tactics and use a fake dog biscuit as my hook bait which I will fish on a hair rig giving me more chance of hooking up but generally, and whenever I can, I will fish normal dog biscuits side hooked as I feel this requires a little more skill when hooking the fish and in my personal opinion I have more satisfaction with the end result (hopefully a fish on the bank) I am a firm believer that as an angler you should use whatever tactics/products give you an edge and a better chance of catching but when surface fishing I suppose I am still a bit of a traditionalist.

Most of the time I try to fish close in and if I find the fish at a manageable distance I side hook either one or two floaters onto either a size six or size eight Gardner Tackle Insizor. These hooks are incredibly sharp and reliable and I firmly believe they give me the best chance possible when side hooking my chosen surface bait. If I find fish at distance, if possible I will try to put my loose offerings beyond the fish and with the help of a gentle breeze (if there is one) I will try to draw the fish towards me. This method can take time and patience but can be a very productive way of getting the fish “in close” whilst surface fishing if executed properly. 

As mentioned in my first “Off The Top” article my chosen hook baits when surface fishing are Mistral baits range of Floaters. Every carp angler should keep some of these in his rucksack for those times when carp surprise you and start feeding from the surface. These are rubbery biscuit floaters that are soft enough to pierce with a hook yet hard enough to withstand a really good cast. They come in a range of different flavours and are also suitable to keep out in the water for several hours reducing the need to recast all the time, thus spooking fish. I have found on my syndicate water, where there is a lot of bird life at times, that by using the green mussel version of these floaters “bird trouble” is almost eliminated due to the fact that they find the green coloured floaters harder to see/find. Don’t just take my word for it, next time we have a warm day and the fish are cruising on the top have a go at surface fishing, keep it simple, be patient and the rewards will follow. It can be frustrating at times but when a big surface caught carp graces your net it will be worth the wait.

Until Next time, tight lines

Rich “Fatbloke Adams

(Team UKMA/ Mistral baits/Gardner Tackle)

Off The Top is sponsored by Gardner Tackle & Mistral Baits